0463 Faith of Soldier

Faith of Soldier

God loves our soldiers…support our troops…Acts 10 – first gentile believer was a soldier, Centerion glorified God this man has been righteous…Jesus healed soldiers ear…146k in 2008…within 16 months to remove soldiers from Iraq

Luke 7:1-10

Nation you’re stationed in – our home is in heaven. He loved the nation – country was dear in his heart…. Ps.137:5-6 “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget it’s skill! If I dnot remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth – if do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy” He build a synagogue – he did not just take… JFKennedy “Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”?

He was interested in the healing of his slave Your body is your servant…you’re not your body’s servant Take care of your servant well Healing is God’s will….your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit

When you’re not worthy, find someone who is I will not let my unworthiness to let my problems go unsolved It’s not about the unworthiness but about faith…unworthiness comes from what we are not doing, faith from what we are hearing You can be unworthy yet have great faith. Unworthiness, let it not stop your faith… Faith came from hearing about Jesus…it comes from hearing….he never met him, or seen him just heard Disciples were with Jesus and always had little of faith, He wasn’t with Jesus but had great faith… God can do everything…everything obeys God’s word…problems don’t have a free will

A centurion is a military officer of the Roman Army, corresponding to our captain. All of Palestine - including Galilee and Judea - was under Roman military government at this time. The Roman headquarters was in Caesarea but there were bands of soldiers stationed in every town of significant size. The reason why there were soldiers stationed throughout the cities is to maintain Roman control. To make sure that the Jews would not rebel.

This centurion owned at least one slave. His slave “was sick and about to die.” Matthew 8:6 tells us that the slave was “lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain."

PATRIOT; ONE WHO LOVES HIS COUNTRY AND ZEALOUSLY GUARDS ITS WELFARE. 1. America: Built Upon Christian Principles Greece built a civilization on culture and it failed. Rome built its civilization on power and it crumbled 2. America: Richly blessed by God * Natural resources second to none * Natural beauty * Good government¡Xnot perfect, but still the best--no concentration camps, no secret police, no one-man rule. * Freedom of speech and the press. I can even speak against the government from this pulpit without fear of reprisal. * Religious freedom--no state church. A few people meeting in a little shack for prayer have the same rights as those meeting in a cathedral. * Place where everyone has a chance--men like Edison, Henry Ford who were born into poor families and yet became millionaires. Abraham Lincoln, born in a log cabin rose to the White House.

I. TEMPTATION TO ENJOY FRUITS OF CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT TENDING TREE OF LIBERTY  Most of us haven’t earned the freedoms we enjoy. We didn’t go to foreign lands & fight for them. We have not shed our blood & sweat & tears for them. We eat from orchards we did not plant. We drink from wells we did not dig. We reap from fields we did not sow. We are warmed by fires we did not kindle. We are sheltered by roofs we did not build. We are blessed by moneys we did not give. TEMPTATION TO ENJOY BENEFITS OF CAPITALISM WHILE IGNORING CONSCIENCE Capitalism means free market. We are free to buy, sell, make a profit - to earn our own living. But capitalism without conscience becomes a cruel & ruthless form of life where competition & success & greed & materialism corrupt & we lose our concern for others. III. TEMPTATION TO WANT CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT COMMITMENT