I. EXORDIUM:
Do you know we use faith almost everyday if not every minute?
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To enumerate acceptable attitudes of those with great faith.
IV. TEXT:
Matthew 8:8-13 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.
I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
V. THESIS:
These attitudes will keep up to great faith.
VI. TITLE:
Great Faith
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Apostle Matthew
B. Time of Writing: 70 A.D. (uncertain)
C. Intended Audience: Jews
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. Attitudes of Great Faith:
1. Accepts it is not deserving. (Matthew 8:8)
"“Lord, I am not worthy"
Matthew 8:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.
a. Not until we realized that we're not deserving of GOD's goodness, mercy, grace and love for us, great faith will not have any place in us.
2. Understands Authority and Command Principles (Matthew 8:8)
"Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed."
Matthew 8:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.
a. The captain understands two things working hand in hand or at play in the background when you're reaching out to GOD with great faith: (1) command principle, (2) authority principle. He recognized JESUS as having both: authority and command rights against the sickness to be removed.
3. What we ask in prayer via great faith will happen. (Matthew 8:13)
"Because you believed, it has happened."
Matthew 8:13 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
a. The question is if LORD JESUS CHRIST has capacity to heal, the great question is if we have the capacity to believe what we have prayed for.
4. It is based on what we can reach out or accept with our faith. (Mt 9:18, Mt 9:21)
a. Illustrated by the synagogue leader.
Matthew 9:18 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”
(1) The synagogue leader's faith took him to believe that LORD JESUS CHRIST can bring back his dead daughter to life but it will take the LORD JESUS CHRIST to come to his house and lay his hands on her dead daughter.
b. Illustrated by woman suffering with constant bleeding for 12 years.
Matthew 9:21 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
(2) The bleeding woman's faith took her to believe that she only need to touch the LORD JESUS CHRIST's robe and she will be healed.
It depends on the people on how much or how deep can they believed. So believe the impossible.
IX. CONCLUSION:
Great faith is possible even in our days and times, we only accept by humility, understands that there are authority and command principles at work, that we used this great faith inside prayer and increase our faith by hearing and hearing more GOD'S Words so we can believe the impossible.
