The Faith Of The Centurion Series

“The Faith of the Centurion”

Key Verse:

Matthew 8:5-13 (NIV)

The Faith of the Centurion

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For 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.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Introduction:

Romans Centurions were…

•Commanders of 100 soldiers in the Roman Army.

•The Roman centurion was equivalent to a Captain in the Roman Army.

•The Roman Centurion was often of the humblest origin; he had been promoted from the ranks simply on account of bravery and military efficiency.

•At the drill, on the march, and in battle, they were at the same time the role models and the leaders of the soldiers.

•They usually led from the front, occupying a position at the front right of the century formation. They led and inspired their men by example.

•Being held personally responsible for the training and discipline of the legionaries under their command, centurions had a well-deserved reputation for dealing out harsh punishment.

•Discipline in the Roman Army was legendary. A soldier could be clubbed or stoned to death simply for falling asleep on duty.

•Constant repetition of drills meant that the men did in battle what they were taught in training

•It was rare for a Roman soldier to panic or flee.

•This is why the Roman Army was such an effective military machine.

•In the story of Jesus and the centurion soldier, two authorities meet.

•The Roman solider does not have any type of spiritual instruction.

•He comes to Jesus without any of the teachings, religion that a typical Jew would have received.

•Yet he does have belief.

•Belief is found in the heart of man because God put it there.

•Belief is a gift of God.

•The ability to believe comes from God.

Everything you need to believe is already given to you.

2 Peter 1:3

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Romans 1:20

20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

•There’s a belief in you.

•Belief is like a diamond hidden in the ground. That needs to be uncovered.

•All the dirt, misconceptions, doubts, need to be removed in order to discover the diamond of belief.

•God breathed in us the ability to believe so that we would search for him.

•Because of this belief inside all of us – the Romans began to search their own God.

•To the Roman, Caesar was God.

•So here’s this Roman centurion face to face with a new belief.

•Two authorities meet – earth meets heaven. Gentile and Jew. God and man.

•He recognizes the authority of heaven.

•And he is humbled by it.

•A Roman soldier, who knows no weakness, who humbles himself to nobody. Is humbled in Jesus presence!

•Jesus said what he asks many others – “Shall I come and heal him?”

•Why would Jesus ask? What was he asking?

•I believe he was asking “do you believe I can heal him?”

•The Bible says that God searches the entire earth for people who’s hearts are totally committed (1 Chron. 16:9) – God is pursuing – looking for a heart that believes.

•The centurions answer amazes Jesus.

•Only in another passage does it mention that Jesus was amazed. Here, when he is amazed by the centurions faith and in Mark 6:6 when he is amazed in the Jews lack of faith.

•How can Jesus be amazed?

•We know that God is amazing but how could a human being amaze God? what did he do to get make God take notice?