Living Miracles: Power of Faith
Notes
Transcript
Faith is a profound tool in the lives of believers. Faith is not simply a word, nor is it an action, nor is it a feeling. It is literally all of those things wrapped up in one word. The Greek word used here is pistis and it is used ina concrete sense to indicate a proof, guarantee, or pledge. Faith as used in the New Testament is not used in a way to say “faith is my belief” it is used more of “All there is to my belief is faith”. What is the difference in that? The difference here is that Faith as used in the New Testament causes you to walk in a confidence of Christ and not to be a waivering person. This kind of faith is what is talked about in the book of James.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Faith as Jesus teaches us to have causes us to set our minds on His power and presence and to move forward regardless of what things around us appear. Faith as we often use it says that in the right settings I will show to be confident but behind closed doors I lack trust and confidence in God. When it comes to actually taking the step, I begin to question it and am not sure that I can fully trust in God. I can however talk about faith and look faithful without actually following thorugh with living the faith. This morning we are presented with the power of faith and how it can change lives.
The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us.
This morning we will be back in Luke. We will be in chapter 7 verses 1-10. In these scriptures we will be introduced to a man who while he did no walking, walked in faith better than many of us. Before we get started I do want to point out that some of you have read this in the book of Matthew and you will find that Matthew says that the centurion went to Jesus himself. In Luke it states that he sent people to Jesus. These books are not contradicting each other they are different literary options. Matthew uses a literary writing that was common in this time to indicate the person not the messenger. For instance one might write that Harod told the man to go to the desert. When in fact Herod sent a servant to tell the man. This is what happens in Matthew and in Luke we are given a deeper look at who the Centurion sent. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get started this morning. First we will see the profound proof that Jesus is for all people. Second we will be convicted to have real faith. Third we will see the declared destiny of being made whole.
1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Profound Proof: For All People
Profound Proof: For All People
1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”
In this passage we have 2 different people identified. What amazes me about these people is that they are specifically the ones who would lead Jesus to the cross. You had the religious leaders of the synagogue and you had a roman centurion. I wonder knowing that Jesus knew what was going to happen if he considered not performing this miracle for them? I don’t believe that the thought even crossed Jesus mind. It is amazing though to look at the 2 groups. Let’s take a minute and do that. Who was the first group? The frst group was the elders of the Jews. Who was this group? This group would have been identified as the leaders of the synagogue. Here is what I find interesting about them being involved here. First they did not like Jesus, second they were sent under the command of the centurion. What do those 2 things have to do with anything? Let’s look at both. First they did not like Jesus- It must have been dificult for these men to come to Jesus and ask him to perform a miracle. Remember it would not be long from this time that they would be telling the people that Jesus was casing out deamons in the name of Beelzebul.
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
These elders were not fans of Jesus, they did not like him, they did not believe in Him as the messiah and they eventually would want to get rid of him. They went becuase they were placating to the roman rulers. At this time the church had been allowed. Look at what they said in verse 5
5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”
The roman rulers were in the pockets of the jewish elders. They were corrupt, they were evil, they were not very good people. Yet we see here that Jesus listened to them as they pleaded with him. They were not the only people at play in this situation though were they. The centurion was there and the centurion woudl have been someone that Jesus recognized his position, yet as the son of God Jesus also understood His position. This roman centurion and the other roman military and government leaders would eventually lead Jesus to the cross to placate the crowds and to keep them from rioting. They would give in to the pressure of the religious leaders even though Jeuss had done nothing wrong. If there was a group of people that Jesus could have walked away from and not cared about it was these 2 groups of people. Jesus knew what the elders were saying about him and he knew how the romans would treat him. So why did Jesus still listen and eventually heal the centurions servant? It was because Jesus loved all people, including his accusers and killers. So let me ask you, are you for all people? Are you really there for all people or do you find yourself only being a blessing to those who bless you? What would you for someone who would ventually accuse you and put you on a cross?
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, "Don't you know that's a scorpion, and it's in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?" To which the holy man replied, 'That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change its nature?"
Jesus did not change His nature, Jesus came to save and Jesus came to serve. Yes even those who wanted to harm him and those who would utilize their positon to give in to those who disliked him. Can I ask, are you willing to be here like Jesus was, for all people? Faith calls us to live lives for all people as Jesus was. the second thing we see here is that the cultivated conviction of this miracles is, do we have real faith?
Cultivated Conviction: Real Faith
Cultivated Conviction: Real Faith
6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
This man understood what real faith was. Real faith was not him getting up and going to Jesus. Real faith was sending a message to Jesus to say, look I beleive you can do this so much that I am not coming to you and I don’t need you to come to me. Simply say the word and my servant will be healed. The fact that this centurion did not get up and go find Jesus and he did not ask Jesus to come to his house, says that this man understood who Jesus really was and what he could do. Are you living with that kind of faith? Faith though is difficult. Many of us can display faith, living faith though is more difficult. What I realize in reading the scripture is that faith rarely calls us to do what we want to do. Yet in our world today we have “faith” when it comes to things we want to do and we claim that God would not call us to the things we do not want to do. If you were here Wednesday and I shared with you the conviction I was being faced with, this is where It came in. I had to be faced witht the questioon of, would I honor God if it meant going agiainst what I want. We spend so much time saying that we are following God and we have faith, yet if most of us are honest we are faithful in the things we like and want and we are less faithful in the things we do not want. This man understood that faith was not calling Jesus to his home, or going to Jesus. The centurion had confidence in who Jesus was and what He could do. How about you? When you are facing struggles that you do not want to be in or God is calling you somewhere you do not want to go, are you willing to stand in confidence of who Jesus is and what He can do?
The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith. The two are opposite sides of the same coin.
A.W. Tozer.
Jesus was going to heal this mans servant as obedience to what His Father called Him to do, even though it was for people who disliked Him and would one day take His life. Jesus did not care about the circumstances, He cared about the obedience to the Father. Faith is obedience and obedience is faith regardless of who God is commanding us to live our faith out for. The bible is so clear on how faith works in the life of a believer.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
This scripture is sometimes taken to say that if you have faith then you are perfect, or sanctified. What this scripture is really saying is that if you have faith without obedience it is worthless. You cannot say you trust God then not get out of the boat when He calls you out.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Jesus lived in Faith understanding that God, His father had all things in control. Jesus woud walk wherever the Father called him too for whoever the Father told Him to do it for. Jesus lived real faith. The centurion exhibited the real faith. Are you living in real faith? Are you willing to obey whatever it is that God is calling you to? Can I tell you that the result of living your faith and being obedient is that you will be rewarded.
Declared Destiny: Made Whole
Declared Destiny: Made Whole
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
The centurion becuase of his faith in the person of Jesus recieved a blessing of his servant being healed. You too can experience the power of Christ in your life if you will live by faith. If you will put your faith in the person of Christ and the goodness of God you will experience being made whole. Not perfect, not rich, not withouth struggles. Simply you will be made whole. God will keep His end of the deal and all you have to do is trust that He will. Trust that wherever He calls you, if you are obedient He will take care of things in a way that you could never take care of things. The declared destiny is that God is calling us to be made whole and to experience lives that are made whole because He loves us.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Can I offer you something today? Can I offer you a life that makes sense? A life that has purpose? A life that makes an impact on the wold around you? What I cannot offer you is a faith that says you will be rich, drive a nice car, live in a nice house. Those are not the things you are guaranteed. What we are guaranteed in our lives is that if we live by faith our lives will be made whole and God will make those around us whole. Are you ready to live the miracle and walk in real faith for all people understanding the desire to be made whole?
