Sermon Tone Analysis

Mat 8:5-13

Around 10 years ago, I experienced Bells Palsy.

We were building a deck.

After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes back to His base of ministry, Capernaum, and begins His healing ministry.

He cleanses and cures a lepers man.

8:1-4

He heals this servant with Palsy.

He cures Peter’s Mother in Law of a deadly fever.

8:14-5

He casts demons out of people and heals many.

8:16-17

He gets in a ship to cross the Sea and calms the violent storm.

8:23-27

He drives demons out of 2 people in the castaway region of Gadarenes.

The demons went into the herd of pigs.

8:28-34

Kingdom, βασιλεία = royal power, kingship, dominion.

Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti (New York: Harper & Brothers., 1889), 96.

2 Kingdoms: earthly and Heavenly.

The centurion had faith worthy of the heavenly kingdom…

This Centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant.

He prayed to Jesus in verse 5.

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition (3870 παρακαλέω (parakaleō))

BESEECHING = παρακαλέω parakaleō = to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage:—appeal.

If you heard and saw him, you would think - He is praying to Jesus.

Jesus said He would come to where the palsy servant was to heal him.

The Centurion said - I am not worthy, and talks about Authority Structure and being “under authority.”

He is implying that Jesus has POWER and AUTHORITY OVER:

Health, time, distance, space.

“Jesus, You have authority and do not even need to be near this man for him to be healed.”

The Centurion has healthy, and humble faith.

Jesus does not have to be here on earth to Heal.

Jesus has all authority over the spiritual and earthly realm.

Jesus is looking for people of faith.

“I have not found anyone with faith like this man.”

Corrie Ten Boom was right: Faith sees the invisible, believes the believable, and receives the impossible

God honors the level of faith displayed.

Thru the Bible Vol.

34: The Gospels (Matthew 1–13) (Jesus Heals the Centurion’s Servant)

It is recorded that on two occasions the Lord Jesus Christ marveled.

One was at the unbelief of Israel (Mark 6), and the other was at the faith of this gentile centurion.

v. 10…

So Great, τοσοῦτος = (so much) so great, so much, pl.

so many:

Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).

A Little Faith goes a long way, but a Lot of Faith goes even further.

God honors the level of faith displayed.

The centurian is a strong, capable, smart, man with ability.

He knew Jesus could do something that he could not do for his paralyzed servant…

We need Centurion-Like Faith in Jesus.

3 FACTS about FAITH:

Faith is Rewarding.

God responded to this man’s faith.

The Prayer Request was Answered.

The Servant Was Healed.

The Centurion is commended for his belief.

10

The cause for the commendation.

“Faith.”

It is faith in the word of God that excited Christ.

The writer of Hebrews said, “Without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).

But with faith, you can indeed please God.

This Gentile Man is Commended for faith.

11-12

The hyper religious Jews (Isreal) were condemned for their lack of Faith.

God’s Will Was Done.

Not everything we hope to happen will happen.

Faith to see God’s will performed is a guarantee.

God rewards our measure of faith.

Ask God to Act.

Ask God to Answer.

Ask God to Arrive.

It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many they are: nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they are; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be—which God cares for.

Fervency of spirit is that which availeth much.

“John Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer, and commonly said that ‘God does nothing but in answer to prayer.’

Martin Luther said, ‘If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day.

I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.’

Faith is Rewarding...

Faith is Resting.

Worry is Not believing God will get it right.

Bitterness is believing God got it wrong.”

-Keller

The Servant is GRIEVOUSLY SICK.

PARALYZED AND TORMENTED.

6

Fear.

Pain.

Inability.

Uncertainty.

Are you living like this? Fear, pain, inability, uncertainty?

Faith can help.

Not “Faith in Faith” but Faith in Jesus.

WHY did this man get sick?

I’m not sure, but I know the end result was this man was sick - So Jesus could heal him and demonstrate the the centurion and us - that He is God in the flesh and has ALL POWER.

After the Centurion prays to Jesus and Jesus heals, this man is no longer sick or tormented.

The Centurion and his sick servant could not REST because of FAITH in JESUS.

There are a lot of things your works cannot fix.

You can’t “fix” other people in relationships.

You can’t fix some things with medicine and hospitals.

You can’t fix big things like the economy or the government.

Much of life is beyond our control - be trust Christ to do His Will and rest in Him.

A brave cavalry officer was dying of his wounds.

He thought himself on the field, at the head of his gallant men, and fancied that a heavy gun was just in front of them, ready to be fired.

His distress was great.

At length he thought the gun had been fired, and his men, badly cut up, were retreating.

Here I interposed, saying, “There is no gun there: you are safe among friends.”—“Let

me alone!” he sternly replied.

“I must recover my command, and renew the attack.”—“No,” said I; “let us not talk of battle-scenes.