“Great Faith”
Matthew 8
Intro: The story is told about the first time that actress Helen Hayes decided to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for her family. Before serving it, she announced to her husband and son, “Now, I know that this is the first turkey I’ve ever cooked. If it isn’t any good, I don’t want anybody to say a word. We’ll just get up from the table, without comment, and go to a restaurant to eat. Then she returned to the kitchen.
When she came back out to the dining room bearing the turkey, she found her husband and son seated at the table with their hats and coats on. Obviously they didn’t have much faith in her ability to cook a turkey!
Often we’re like that with God: We have problems and we pray to God for help, then we sit back and expect the worst to happen. Often we don’t have much faith in him. This morning we want to look at a man who was different. A man of great faith. In fact a man who Jesus stated as having the greatest faith in Israel. Who do you think it is: Peter? John? Nicodemus? The answer is really quite surprising. Let’s look at Matthew 8.
Read 8: 1-13 -- then pray
I have found it very interesting reading through Matthew this week. I did some extended reading in the first several chapters - reading several at one sitting. It is interesting to see the progression of events: The setting is laid - Jesus comes in fulfillment of prophecy. He is baptized to start his ministry. He gives the sermon on the mount: the guidelines of his ministry. Then he really goes to town, performing one miracle after another. They start here in chapter 8. We see faith to heal a leper, a centurion’s servant, a mother-in-law, the demon possessed, faith to give up homes, to leave families, to still a storm , faith to see God raise up workers for his harvest. It all starts here in ch. 8.
What do we learn about faith from the centurion?
I. Faith accepts differences - vs. 8 - don’t deserve to have you come under my roof
What is Christ’s claim - he hasn’t found as great faith in all Israel.
Who would you expect this to be? A Pharisee, a rabbi, one of his disciples?
Who does he use as a lesson of this faith? A Roman Centurion
A centurion was a seasoned soldier, a leader of 100 men. Centurions were not highly regarded by the Jews. The soldiers were a reminder that they were an oppressed people. They were a conquered people, able to live out their ways only as they fit in with the control of Rome. The Jews would have had no dealings with a Roman soldier; and the soldier knows this. Yet, he still turns to Christ for help.
Often those with the greatest faith are those outside of “mainstream Christianity.”
In prayer & healing - look in Charismatic circles - you can turn on the TV any day of the week and see faith healers - not that I believe they are of God - but the people there have great faith to believe that God is going to heal them
*Anderson, SC - witnessing - Christian - ambulance by - let’s pray for that person right now
In giving - we give our 2-3% Mormons often have 10% taken directly out of their pay for their church; in “the Way” people often sign over houses, pensions, bank accounts - I’m not saying we need to do this, but where are we at when it comes to giving?
In ministry - we think it great if we come out for a commission meeting once every few months.
I think about JW’s who go door to door week after week - even taking along young children, teaching them - I was at Wayne Putt’s house, and the JW’s came to the door - I don’t know if they’ve been back since - they’ve got dedication to service
In community - once again, the JW’s excel - Muriel’s daughter in SC - befriended by JW’s - won over by their sense of community --- Gangs: provide acceptance where others won’t
In conversions - Teen Challenge - going to see inner city gang members and drug dealers saved
In personal life - Muslims, pilgrimage to Mecca, walking on knees for miles
It is time to reclaim the power of faith in our Christianity.
Who is it that is the example of faith? One from outside the culture and circle of faith.
In Luke 10 Jesus gives an example of love and kindness: who does he use? A Samaritan - one who was shunned by the Jews.
We need to realize this morning that in many ways while we may “have” faith, we may not be “showing” that faith. Do we really show our faith by the way we live? I wonder. Often were like that family -- ready to taste the turkey, but we’ve already got our coats on to go to the restaurant.
The first lesson we learn this morning is that faith accepts differences. Maybe there aren’t any other United Brethren at your place of work. That doesn’t matter. If there is another Christian, you are brothers or sisters in Christ. Let’s break out of our small, narrow-minded views about faith. When you go to the mall and see someone of another race or someone dressed a little different that you: is your first response to grab your wallet and look for some place to run, or do you accept those who are different than you.
Jesus responded to the request by offering to go provide help to the centurion. Let’s reach out not just to those like us, but to those different than us as well.
II. Faith Admits the Need - vs. 6
As the centurion comes to Christ, he quickly shares his need. His servant is sick. He cares about his servant and wants to see him get well. It is his need that takes him to the Lord. He realizes he does not have the ability to heal his servant, but Jesus does.
We have a society that has no needs. If you ask people what it is they need, you quickly find that people don’t want to admit they need anything. Let Christmas roll around, and you realize that people have whatever they want already. You think about buying a gift, then you realize they already have three, all much bigger and better than what you were going to buy for them. We live in a wealthy society, and that affluence often keeps us from realizing our needs.
In Revelation 3 God gives a message to the church at Laodicea, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. -- This is a message for our society today!
We are such a needy people - but we won’t admit it. We won’t admit we need friends, we need stronger families, we need meaning and purpose in our lives, we need help understanding what God wants from us -- but we just keep on like everything is okay.
The centurion admitted his need - and he asked for help. When is the last time we came to God, and opened our heart and cried, “God, I need help!”
III. Faith Admits the Power of God - vs.8 - “Just say the word”
This centurion knew what we often fail to acknowledge: God’s power is not in ritual or ceremony
He knew it didn’t matter if Jesus physically came or if he did any ritual motions. If he simply spoke the word, it would happen. Often we think we need to barter with God: I’ll go to church and read my Bible because I want that new raise.
I’ll give my 10 dollars because I have a lottery ticket and I want God to give me that 3 million dollar prize. God is not impressed by our bribery and conniving.
The centurion was willing to live by faith, not by sight. He was willing to believe if Jesus would merely say the word. He says he is a man under authority - when he gives an order, he carries the power of Rome. He saw Jesus as having the authority of God. Do we really believe in the power of God to work?
IV. Faith Admits the Answer - 13 - Jesus says go, and the centurion believes and goes.
When is the servant healed? At the moment the centurion expresses his faith and God responds. Are we willing to believe that God can and will work in our lives?
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not trying to say we have a “name it, claim it” philosophy - that whatever we want, we just ask for it. But often we pray without believing God will do anything.
Prayer is often a pause before we take matters into our own hands. Throughout the gospels we see people being healed in response to their faith.
One of my favorite verse is 1 Chron. 5:20 - God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.
Are we willing to keep on praying, waiting for God to work?
How long are we willing to pray until we give up hope? What about praying for God to save a co-worker - do we say, I prayed for them but they didn’t respond? What would have happened if someone gave up on praying for you?
When we pray, we also need to do our part. The centurion didn’t just pray, he came to Jesus. Even though it may have been humbling for a mighty soldier to seek help from a wandering street preacher. We need to do our part.
##A little girl was distressed that her brother had set traps to catch birds. Asked by her mother what she had done about it, the girl responded, “I prayed that the traps might not catch the birds.” Anything else? “Yes, I prayed that God would prevent the birds from getting caught in the traps.” Anything further? “Yes, I went out and kicked the traps all to pieces.”
That’s the attitude we need to have - Faith in God, but we do our part.
Concl: We call ourselves Christians this morning, but where is our faith?
What is the need in our life? Are we willing to admit it and ask for help?
Are we willing to believe that God can work in our lives?
Are we praying for God to do anything in us and through us?
Do we expect to meet God and hear from him this morning?
What if I said I just saw Jesus in the parking lot, and he’s coming in the back door. Would you say, “Wonderful, I can’t wait to meet him.” Or would you say, “Great, that means we’ll be here another hour or two - I’ll probably even miss the ball game this afternoon. Why’d he have to pick today!”
What do we want do see God to do in our lives?
Let’s have the faith to trust God to do great things in our lives today!
Shall we pray!
