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Title: The faith of the centurion
Series: Miracles of Jesus
Scripture: Luke 7:1-10
Introduction: God expects his children be people of extraordinary faith. He wants us to look at our circumstances through the eyes of faith. The Bible says faith can move mountains. How is your faith now? Faith can bring changes in our situation. Hebrews 11:1 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Our faith is not based on our present situation but it looks forward to the future. Do you have this faith? How can you exercise this faith? In our text today I am speaking of a Roman centurion who had a great faith. Jesus told about him, “I tell you I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” In our devotion today we are going to see how we can achieve such faith? What is the speciality of this Roman solider that Jesus was amazed at his faith?
The faith of the centurion.
1. Faith crosses all barriers.
Luke 7:1-2 1When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.
When we look at the background we find Jesus just completed his teaching, ‘The sermon on the mount.’ He entered Capernaum. There was a Roman centurion in Capernaum. A centurion is a Roman official who is in charge of 50-100 soldiers. He has the rank of a present army captain. He was an employee of the Roman government. He was the person responsible to maintain law and order. The Bible says he had a servant who was ill, he was about to die. The centurion sent his representatives to Jesus asking him to come and heal his servant. Listen, the centurion was a very busy man. He had many servants to replace the sick servant but he took his time out to care for a servant. A servant always has low status, less money, and less value in society. People always like to associate with the other people of the same status or of a superior status. This centurion took time to care for a servant. Secondly, the centurion asks a Jew, Jesus for help. Remember at this time the Romans are ruling the Jews. They never ask for help, it is below their dignity. The centurion crossed all social, racial, and ethnic barriers to appeal for help. In other words the centurion was not self-centered. He cared about his servant and he is taking a risk of doing a service to a servant.
Our faith must be like the centurion’s faith, it must cross all barriers. When we are in Christ we are a new creation. Then there is no separation for language, religion, caste, culture, or status. We are all one and God wants us to see everyone equal like the centurion. Jesus was amazed with this centurion’s selfless act in asking for help.
2. Faith makes us active in God’s work.
Luke 7:3-5 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."
We must understand that the Jewish people hated the Romans as the Romans ruled them, more so the soldiers as they tortured them. When we look into this context we can find the Jewish elders approaching Jesus on behalf of the centurion. Definitely this centurion must have been different than other Romans. Read v4&5, the centurion built a synagogue with his own money. Listen, only the Jews could go to the Temple in Jerusalem but anyone could go into a synagogue. In the time of Jesus the major way God spread the good news was though the teaching in the synagogues. The centurion knew if a synagogue could be built many could come to the saving grace of Jesus. He knew God was using the synagogue to spread the good news and he voluntarily built a synagogue, in other words he voluntarily participated in God’s work. The centurion was God-centered.
If you have faith you will participate in God’s work. You will find out which medium God is using nowadays and try to invest your time and money for the extension of God’s work. I thank God for your participation in City Harvest AG Church ministries. Many of you are taking leadership, praying for the ministry, winning souls, donating for the building fund, tithing etc. Let me say you are investing in God’s work like the centurion at City Harvest AG Church, Bangalore. God will honour your faith.
3. Faith makes us humble.
Luke 7:6-7 6So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
The centurion was a man of great humility. He understood who Jesus is and he also understood who he is. He knew he had worldly power but he knew Jesus had heavenly power. He knew he had the power to arrest and punish anyone but he knew Jesus had the power to liberate and heal anyone. He knew wordily speaking Jesus was under his authority but he knew spiritually he was under Jesus’ authority. He counted heavenly power greater and surrendered everything to Jesus. In other words he humbled himself. The Bible says he felt unworthy to meet Jesus and he also felt unworthy to have Jesus come into his house.
When we come to God we must come to him with humility. We must put aside our education, status, financial power etc., and surrender to the divine and spiritual authority in our life, God. We must understand that we are unworthy to stand in front of him but by His blood.
4. Faith trusts in Christ alone.
Luke 7:7-8 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ’Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ’Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ’Do this,’ and he does it."
The centurion knew if Jesus said a word it was enough. He trusted in Jesus and the authority of Jesus. He did not have a plan B if Jesus failed to heal his servant. He just trusted wholeheartedly. Listen, the centurion could have called for a Roman doctor to come and attend his servant. He just has to put a word and the next moment the doctor would be there. He did not depend on worldly resources but trusted in Jesus alone. Let us trust in God alone like this centurion.
Conclusion: Whom do you trust this morning? Maybe the centurion has never known Jesus personally, he just would have heard about Jesus from others but still he trusted in Jesus. We have the living Word of God, God has led us in the past, and still we fail to trust in our God.
Look at the response of Jesus. Luke 7:9-10: 9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s faith. He did not find such faith in the whole of Israel. What was the speciality of the centurion’s faith: The centurion’s faith crossed all barriers. The centurion’s faith made him active in God’s work. The centurion’s faith made him humble. The centurion’s faith made him trust in Jesus alone. We find the servant received his healing because of the centurion’s faith. What are your circumstances this morning? What is it that is bothering you the most today? Have faith in God. Look at your circumstances through the eyes of faith. God will do it for you. Amen!
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