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Amazing Grace? YES! ….. And -- Amazing Faith!
Editor’s Note: This "MM" is an email sermon, the 7th of 2007 and 67th overall, ARM is sending as an encouragement to preachers, chaplains, and Christians around the world. This message is a lesson I developed recently using the story of the centurion's faith. It is my prayer that this message will encourage you and honor God. Use it as a devotional, edit it, share it, use it or components of it!
Remember, if you need a plain text version, or the Power Point slides (99 KB) to accompany this message, just reply to make your request. May God bless your labors!
-- Rod Farthing, ARM Prison Outreach Development Director
When Jesus "amazed" the crowd
Matt 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" (NIV)
Matt 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. (KJV)
Matt 9:33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." (NIV)
Matt 21:20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. (NIV)
Matt 27:13-14
13 Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?"
14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge-- to the great amazement of the governor. (NIV)
When Jesus was "amazed"
Mark 6:4-6
4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6
And He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. (NIV)When Jesus was "amazed" by another man!
"When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found….." (NIV)
Where? Who? Why?
Matt 8:10; Luke 7:9;
Where? Capernaum, Who? the Centurion; Why? GREAT FAITH
".....I have not found…. anyone in Israel with
such great faith."Who was "this other man?"
"Centurion" Matthew 8:5
Gentile -- Roman officer -- "over 100"
"Lover of the Jews" Luke 7:5
Built a synagogue for the Jews
Willing to ask! Matthew 8:5,6
Humble but assertive
Compassionate! Matthew 8:6
Come heal my servant
"Reverent" Matthew 8:8
"I am not even worthy …."
Understood authority! Matthew 8:9
Did not confuse his small authority with Christ’s
"Man of Great faith" Matthew 8:10
Not in ALL of Israel
Diners with the fathers from "east and west"
"Children of the Kingdom" cast out
"Healed that very hour" Matthew 8:13
The reward of an humble, yet assertive faith!
Lessons for us:
Compassion is always appropriate
Naaman in 2 Kings 5:11