Great Faith Recognised & Rewarded

Luke 7v1-10

I was struck by the wonderful truths in this account about the Roman centurion who asked Jesus to come and heal his servant.

Background

Firstly, this man wasn't a Jew but a Gentile and not just anyone he was a centurion in the occupying Roman army. Rome was the USA (or Great Britain from 1840-1940 when it had the largest empire the l world had ever seen) of their day, the world superpower, known for its empire, the Romans had conquered the known world and had subjugated the Jews.

A centurion was a commander of up to 100 soldiers known as legionnaires.

So this man was a commander in an occupying army that was despised by the Jews and as a Gentile was seeking help from a Jew to come and heal his sick servant.

A few thoughts about this man

The first thing we learn is that he was a compassionate and caring man. In spite of being a commander in an army that was known for its barbarity and ruthlessness in battle this man had a good heart, a soft, caring and compassionate heart.

v2 tells us the servant was dear unto him but was dying.

The Greek word for "dear" conveys the sense of being precious and highly valued.

The servant wasn't even family - he was a slave but was highly valued by his master.

It tells us that when he heard of Jesus he send elders of the Jews beseeching him to come and heal his dying servant.

I wonder how he heard of Jesus?

No matter how he heard, what he was told obviously conveyed the message that this man called Jesus had power to heal the sick.

The centurion hearing this believed that Jesus was able to heal his servant.

Faith arose in his heart which resulted in him sending these elders to ask Jesus to come.

The Greek word for beseech means to intreat, implore and even beg. What is conveyed is deeper than just asking.

This tells us something else.

The centurion didn't just have faith.

His faith was coupled with deep humility.

Humility, accompanying faith, is a recurring theme in many of the accounts in the gospels of people coming to Jesus for help. E.g the Syrophenician woman in Mark 7v24-29

The Jewish Elders

The contrast in the approach of the Jewish elders is stark compared to that of the centurion and revealed much of what was important to them, their religious mindset and their hearts.

Basically v4&5 tells us that in their opinion the centurion was worthy or somehow merited Jesus granting the request. Why? Because the centurion loved their nation and had built them a synagogue.

Unfortunately religious mindsets don't change. It's all about what we do, not how we do it. It's all about the outward and not the heart.

The Greek for worthy means deserving or due the reward because of what he had done not because of his belief.

The contrast between them and the centurion is highlighted in v6&7.

The centurion actually feels unworthy and undeserving of Jesus even coming under his roof and this sense of unworthiness was why he didn't come in person to beseech Jesus to come.

Neither thought myself worthy (entitled, fit, think good enough) to come to you.

Then listen to the faith and strength of belief

"But say in a word, and my servant will be healed".

The Greek is "logos".

Speak the logos and my servant who I value so highly will be healed.

If you have a Strong's concordance the Greek word "logos" is defined under Strong's g3056.

A Great Revelation

The centurion understood something which I wish, I for one understood more deeply.

He had a profound understanding of the power of "delegated authority" and how it operated.

As a centurion he was delegated authority by the Roman Empire and it's rulers (Emperor/Senate) to exercise authority over the legionnaires at his command. He saw that just as he had the authority to order those under his command to do as his bidding, so too Jesus had authority over sickness to command it to do His bidding. He had delegated authority from His Father over sickness, demons, death etc.

The Church Empowered

Oh that we as the ekklesia could rediscover this revelation in this our day.

Mark 16v17&18

17“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18“they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Who did Jesus address this promise too?

The signs listed will follow those who believe

It's not by chance that when Jesus came into the region of Galilee and throughout His earthy ministry that demons manifested. Demons that had been quite comfortable within the dead religious setting of the synagogue suddenly cried out saying

24 “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Mark 1v24.

This guy was sitting in the synagogue but when Jesus was teaching the demon couldn't hide.

How many demons are hiding in our religious establishments every Sunday and they remain hidden because the power of God is missing. Unsaved religious people who can sit week in week out, hear a sermon but never get mad or sad. They can remain indifferent because the gospel of the Kingdom is not being preached in power and with authority with signs following.

Remember Jesus' words on Luke 11v20

20But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

So casting out demons is a sure and indicative sign that the Kingdom of God is among us and isoperating in power over Satan's kingdom and his cohorts.

The real anointing unmasks and exposes demons and brings them out hiding.

Friends, I'm sorry if this offends or goes against your denominational tradition but we need the Lord to disrupt our boring, predictable religious meetings and a few demons exposed and cast out!

I've a funny feeling that there might be a fair few religious spirits that would manifest themselves.

You know the type that say "you can't be doing that in here, what will people think"

You remember the Pharisees and religious leaders when Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

"You can't be doing that on the Sabbath. After all there are 6 days to work"

Jesus with supreme wisdom and irony answered them with a question

"Which of you if your ass/donkey fell into a ditch on the Sabbath would not help it and pull it out. This person I've healed is far more important and precious to me than your ass or donkey". (Paraphrased of course).

Maybe your denomination does believe in casting out demons but people are escorted to another room to deal with it privately, so as not to disrupt proceedings.

The man in Mark 1 wasn't escorted anywhere.

Jesus just cast the demon out and it was a sign to the people that something tremendous and supernatural was happening in their midst.

Mark 1v25-28

25¶But Jesus rebuked him, saying,“Be quiet, and come out of him!”

26And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.

27Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

28And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

You see the people took note of the authority that Jesus exerted and displayed.

It was with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they must and do obey!

The Greek word for authority is ἐξουσία Strong's g1849

Transliteration: exousia

Definition: (a) power, authority, weight, especially: moral authority, influence,

Origin: From exesti (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence.

Usage: authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

Jesus exercised spiritual power and jurisdiction over the unclean spirit. He has the mastery over demons and their evil influence.

The word for commands is ἐπιτάσσω Strong's g2004

Transliteration: epitassó

Definition: to give order, command, charge.

Origin: From epi and tasso; to arrange upon, i.e. Order.

- Usage: charge, command, injoin.

The centurion had the revelation that Jesus had the authority to order and charge sickness to go and demons to come out.

I can hear some saying, "But Stephen you're talking about operating in this delegated authority. You're always talking about the need for power from on High - do you have it, do you operate in it".

Not at this moment in time I don't but I tell you the truth, I know that the day is coming that I will, if I continue to believe, expect and position myself to be ready and available when God pours out His Spirit one more time before Jesus' return.

We need to become so dissatisfied with the norm and the status quo, with how things are.

The Lord has put a dissatisfaction in my heart with what is called and accepted as "church".

Does that mean that believers who go to church are wrong - of course not!

Please don't get all defensive with me.

There are better Christians than me going faithfully to their particular place of fellowship. But at the heals of the hunt, unless we as God's people become dissatisfied with our current experience, our lack of impact on the world around us because of the lack of God's power and authority then nothing will change.

We will be doing the same thing and walking around the same mountain, like the children of Israel, when there is a promised land flowing with milk and honey that lies before us.

Remember they never entered in because of their unbelief, the limitations they placed on God and their stubborn, unrenewed minds.

They had come out of Egypt but Egypt never came out if them.

Imagine if you will that you are in a car race, much like what you used to see on Top Gear.

A 200 yard straight race. You have the chance to upgrade from a Morris Minor to a Ferrari or Lamborgina?

If you win you get a £100,000 prize.

Now be truthful what are you going to do to give yourself a chance of winning the race? Are you going to stick with the reliable and comfortable Morris Minor which has no chance or are you going to transform your chances by stepping into the power packed Ferrari or Lamborgina?

You see so often we want to reach the lost but on our terms, within the confines and restrictions of our doctrinal position or tradition.. We want to sit behind the wheel of the "take it easy, less dangerous and less noisy and radical" Morris Minor.

The Ferrari or Lamborgina is noisy, scary (it takes us out of our comfort zone) and dangerous but tremendously powerful and effective.

I hope you get the analogy.

You see we want revival but without all the supernatural stuff, without the messy, unorthodox and inexplicable stuff.

I've news for you friends God does not and will not operate in a box of our making.

He will just let us continue on with our "efforts" our "entertainment", our "evangelistic outreach" our church "growth programme".

He'll challenge us - as He is in this message - to launch out into the deep, to get out of the boat, to leave the comfort of the reliable but powerless Morris Minor and step into "the more" He has prepared for those who love Him.

I'm not trying to be cruel or critical. Please hear my heart, I'm trying to be real and speak the truth in love. All the things we currently do may be well intentioned and be done with sincerity but by now we must, and if we don't, we need to, realise that there is more, and it's the more we need, if we are going to reach this generation that is racing helter skelter to hell and a lost eternity.

I don't say these things to appear super spiritual or be smart but I feel the heart of God.

The Spirit of God is challenging me and you to seek for "the more".

Not to settle for the natural.

Not to settle for the pale imitation.

To have a greater expectation, that the God we serve, the Risen Saviour we love, IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL WE CAN ASK OR EVEN THINK ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US!

Jesus told us these signs will follow those that believe.

He told us we would do the greater works. That we would see what He saw and do what He did and even greater works.

I was brought up in Pentecostal circles but my goodness how far has what calls itself Pentecostal forsaken it's roots and the truth of God's Word to settle for what man says and man does.

Pentecostals have become respectable. Big churches, big congregations, big ideas, big programmes, this that and the other but God help us, they have forsaken that for which they were called.

Like the church at Sardis in Revelation 3v1-6 they have a name that they live but they are dead!!

What an indictment for a movement that started in the fires of Azuza Street, Sunderland etc (when the Lord restored the gifts of the Spirit and Pentecostal power at the start of the 20th century) and that was persecuted for having the audacity to believe that what they read in the bible didn't finish with the early church. Demonised as swinging from the chandeliers and being mad, the old time Pentecostals like my mum and dad, loved the Lord and the freedom they experienced when they received the baptism in the Holy Ghost. They spoke in tongues, prophecied, saw people saved and healed and they didn't hide their light under a bushel.

But when respectability becomes the order of the day then a movement just becomes yet another monument.

You see when you read what Jesus says to the seven churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) it is not namby pamby stuff. He doesn't stroke their egos and wrap them in cotton wool.

No He rebukes them for:

1. Leaving their first love (Revelation 2v4)

2. They had those who held to the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (2v14&15)

3. They tolerated that woman Jezebel and allowed her teaching and seduction (2v20)

4. They had a name that they lived but the reality was they were spiritually dead and powerless (3v1)

5. They were lukewarm and deluded into thinking they had need of nothing

You see Jesus loves His church and wants the very best for us but what He wants for us is to be aligned with His purpose and will.

That's why He says to the church in Laodicea

19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3v19)

He so longs to come into us, to sup with us and engage in deep, sweet and intimate fellowship.

But we must answer the knock at the door! v20

To each of the seven churches he finishes his message with the following:

To him who overcomes

He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches

Power Released in the Past

The founders of the Elim Pentecostal movement, the Jeffrey brothers operated in tremendous power and saw mighty miracles done in the name of Jesus.

Smith Wigglesworth saw 14 (recorded that we know off) people raised from the dead and mighty miracles.

TL and Daisy Osborne saw multitudes saved and swept into the kingdom of God, as did Reinhard Bonnke.

Kathryn Kulhman, AA Allen and many more were used mightily to spread the gospel and glorify the name of Jesus with souls saved and miracles of healing.

The list goes on but what they experienced is no good to you and I today. Yes it can inspire us and cause us to want the "more" but unless we see the Lord move in our day, in our lives, communities and nations, then this generation will be lost.

A great preacher once said, "We want power from on High but don't want to die to self " and of course there is much truth in this statement.

But the other side of the coin is that Peter and the other disciples with the 120 in the Upper Room only truly died to self and were able to live the spirit filled life consistently and effectively, when the Holy Ghost came as a rushing mighty wind and filled all the house where they were assembled. It was that experience that turned cowards, deniers and self centred men who wanted to be the greatest in the kingdom and call down fire on their enemies into firebrands and effective witnesses to the resurrection.

We need the power from on High to live the spirit filled Christian life and be truly sold out disciples who do the Lord's bidding and operate with the authority to see men and women delivered, set free, healed and transformed.

We in the church, are sicker than the world.. We are so far removed from the New Testament pattern.

Please, please hear my heart today. I feel the heart of God as a write this message. I didn't intend saying any of this. I had said it before and thought right that's enough of talking about power from on High. People don't really want to hear it. But I'm sorry the Spirit of God won't let me stop challenging the "norm". In fact His heart is to awaken a remnant, just enough who will hear the sound, answer the call and lift up their eyes to see higher and wade into the deeper waters and in doing so become available to be empowered with heavenly power in these last days before Christ's return.

Will you be one of the remnant, will you dare to believe that the Lord has more for us so that He might use us to reach those in our communities, nation and the world?

I believe we are the generation who will see the return of the Lord.

It's for that reason that He will use someone as stupid as me to say what needs to be said and challenge the status quo, orthodoxy and tradition that hinders and quenches His endtime purposes.

The truth is He will have a people whether we accept what He is saying or not.

He will build His ekklesia. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of the Living and Only True God!

The hour is late and because of this there is no more time for namby pamby preaching.. I could namby pamby with the best and write nice sermonites with no challenge but then I would be disobedient and untrue to what the Lord would have me say.

If you have an issue with what you have just read take it up with the Lord, as a great man of God, Pastor Wilbert Dempster used to say "I'm just the postboy".

Faith Recognised & Rewarded

Getting back to the centurion after saying all that which I didn't intend to say!

It says in Luke 7v9&10

9¶When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

10And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

His faith was recognised and commended by Jesus.

This is the greatest example of true faith based on a profound revelation of my authority over sickness that I have seen in the whole of Israel and it's a Roman centurion who has such "great faith".

The reward for his great faith coupled with his deep and sincere humility, saw his servant, who he valued so highly healed.

He didn't even meet Jesus in person, unless he did so at a later date that is not recorded in scripture but his faith was recognised and rewarded.

Jesus said, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man returns will He find faith on the earth.

Will we be that people who believe the truth and abide in the truth that the Lord will move one more time in the earth before His return?

Will we be positioned in faith, surrender and with an earnest expectation to be part of the endtime outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which will equip and empower us to bring in the harvest and see the signs listed in Mark 16 following those who believe?

Luke 10v2

2Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

It's not just labourers that are needed.

It's labourers who have been sent by the Lord of the harvest.

Labourers who are prepared, equipped and empowered.

Remember the words

To him that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches

God has promised to move one more time in the earth. Will you and I move with Him or will we refuse to hear and respond?

God Bless.