The Faith of a Centurion

Faith Causes Action

Faith is not sitting around waiting for God “to do something.”

Faith has action too it. The centurion “came forward”; in chapter 9 we have a healing of a paralytic man lying on a bed. The Bible says, “some people brought to Him (Jesus) a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said tot he paralytic “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgive.” We could go on.

James says, that faith without works or action is dead. What we believe should directly affect what we do. If we believe one thing and act on that belief we will be considered faithful. But, if we say we believe something, and act in opposition to that stated belief then we will be called hypocrites and rightfully so.

Let me tell you the story of two old men whose families had been feuding for 87 years. These two old boys had families. One had a handsome son and the other a beautiful daughter. When the two youn’s got old enough they wanted to marry each other. You see they didn’t believe in the feud like their daddy’s did so they did hate or fight one another. No sir they actually loved one another.

Now the frair of the town thought it might be a good idea to end the feud that they did believe in which caused them to shoot at one another before he married their youn’s

The Friar had a hard time finding out what the feud was about…well because the old men didn’t know what it was about either. But the friar did find out that in all the time the feud was going no one had got shot, or a scratch or anything.

Not wanting the rest of the state to see their county’s hypocrisy, having a feud but no one dead because of it, the friar took matters into his own hands.

He got the two old buzzards together for a duel. The counted off the steps and then bang. From the friar’s gun a shot rang out and the buzzards ran like a hound dog back into a porkupine. They found out the two “brave” families who believed in feuding really didn’t believe in feuding. In fact, they were nothing more than cowards.

Oh they believed in feuding alright but their actions said otherwise.

We can be just like these two old buzzards. We can say we believe one thing and then when that time comes to act on our beliefs we run. You and I become like those two hound dogs that back into a porkupine. Believe or faith should bring about action.

Faith Reveals Humility

Whenever we come to Jesus whether to seek healing, salvation, deliverance, or provision, we are saying, “God, I need you to do this because I can’t do it on my own. I need your help!

Asking for someone’s help takes some level of humility.

But in America we have been breed on take care of number one. When you down you don’t ask for help. You pull yourself but your own bootstraps. We don’t like asking for help. Don’t believe me. Night time you think your lost just ask the driver, espically is the driver is a man, to stop and get directions. It is not going to happen. Why? Because even though we need help, we don’t ask for help out of pride. I can do this myself. I can figure it out on my own.

No faith requires humility. Faith tells us that we are no in control of our lives. There are times when we need help but we have to much pride to ask someone to help us. Asking for help tells the other person that we are capable of doing the job.

You see when you go to God with a need you have to go with humility because you won’t pray until you realize that God is the answer.

Faith Reveals Authority

We are all under some type of authority.

The centurion realized he was not the one ‘in control’ of his servant’s situation.

He also realizes that he is not worthy of Jesus to come to his house. He probably realize that if Jesus comes to his house that Jesus would become unclean. The centurion recognizes Jesus has authority over sick and disease. He knows that Jesus’ authority is not limited to where Jesus is physically located so he says, “all you have to do is speak the word.”

When you come to God in faith and ask him to answer a prayer, you are realizing you don’t have the power or authority to answer that prayer. You are looking to someone about you that does have the power and authority to open that the door for you.

As we close I want to ask you a simple question,

“Has your faith changed you?

Is your faith causing you to do something right now.

Is your faith producing humility in you?

Is your faith reminding you that you are not in control?

Does you faith remind you that you are not your own but that you were bought at a price. The price that needed to be paid caused a baby to be born in a stable. The price that needed to be paid caused a man to die for you. The price that was paid by God reminds us that we did not have the power or the authority to pay the debt ourselves. You are not your own, you have no authority over yourself. You are now a bondservant for Jesus.

Be like the centurion

Put your faith into action, be humble and yield your life to God’s authority.

If you will do these three things, you will be ready for eternity.