WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.000 We are going to dive right into it today. Take your copy of the scriptures with me and go to Luke chapter 7. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:16.000 ! Yes, I know the video said Romans and this is week 12 of our series in Romans. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:22.000 But we're going to go to Luke today. So Luke chapter 7. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:32.000 Verses 1 down through verse 10. What's happening here? Well, there is a Roman centurion. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:40.000 Anybody know what a centurion is? Come on, you smart people. This is your chance to show off right now. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:50.000 What is a Roman centurion? Anybody? Soldier. We got that much, right? But not just any soldier, right? 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.000 He commanded men. He was high up. He was very important. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:01.000 So Luke chapter 7, Luke's Gospel, verse 1. 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:09.000 When Jesus had finished saying these words, well, if you want to see what words he was saying, you've got to go back and read chapter 6. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:16.000 In the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum. So we know where he was and who did he meet there? 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:23.000 There was a centurion who had a slave. Listen, this was the way of the world back then. This is not unusual. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:29.000 Of course, we have outlawed slavery in America and much of the world today. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:34.000 But of course, this was common practice for the time. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.000 So he had a slave who was particularly precious to him. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.000 This slave was ill at the point of death. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:47.000 The centurion heard about Jesus, sent some Jewish elders to him and asked him to come and rescue his slave. 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:50.000 They approached Jesus and begged him eagerly. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:53.000 He deserves a favor like this from you, they said. 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:54.000 He loves our people. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.000 And he built himself. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:59.000 He built he himself built us our synagogue. 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:18.000 So the Jewish people are coming to not just any Jewish people, the elders, probably some Pharisees in this group, came to Jesus and were making the case, pleading the case for this centurion to come and help his slave. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:19.000 What happened? 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.000 Jesus went with them. 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:27.000 Verse six, when he was not far off from the house, the centurion sent friends to him with a further message. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Master, he said, don't trouble yourself. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:35.000 I don't deserve to have you come under my roof. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:37.000 That's why. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:42.000 I didn't think myself worthy to come to you in person. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:48.000 But just say the word and my slave will be healed. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:55.000 That is what faith looks like. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:01.000 You don't even have to show up in person, Jesus. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:04.000 I've got a problem that I can't solve. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.000 I'm a Roman centurion. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.000 I can solve most problems that come my way. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:12.000 Nothing really terrifies me. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:13.000 I've got. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:14.000 I've got. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:19.000 Strong, fearsome Roman legionnaires under my command. 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:24.000 But I can't solve this problem. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:26.000 An enemy has come up against me. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:29.000 In the form of sickness. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:33.000 The life of my dear servant slave. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:38.000 Clearly, he felt strongly about this slave. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:47.000 Clearly, he had become meaningful to him more than just an employee or more than just someone, a worker. 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:50.000 He was someone he cared about deeply. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.000 He said, Jesus, I can't solve this problem. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.000 But you, you don't even have to show up. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:00.000 You can just say the word. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.000 And you have that kind of power. 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:04.000 I recognize that. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:05.000 I've heard about you. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.000 I've heard about how you are. 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:09.000 I've heard about who you say you're from. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:10.000 And I believe. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.000 I have faith. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.000 And so you don't even have to say the word. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:17.000 Well, what happened? 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:19.000 He continued on. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.000 Verse eight. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.000 You see, I'm used to living under authority. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.000 Of course, he wasn't the top of the Roman army. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.000 He had those over him. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:31.000 But he said, then I also have soldiers reporting to me. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:33.000 And I will say to them, go. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:34.000 And this one will go. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.000 And I'll say to another one, come. 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:36.000 And he'll come. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:38.000 And I'll say it to my slave. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:38.000 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:39.000 And he'll do it. 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.000 I have authority over these people. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.000 Verse nine. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:49.000 Jesus gives his reaction. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:53.000 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished. 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:57.000 Let me tell you, he said, turning to the crowd that was following him. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:01.000 I haven't found faith of this kind, even in Israel. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:04.000 And the people who had been sent to him went back to the house. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.000 And there they found the slave in good health. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:11.000 The faith had brought results. 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.000 So what do we see here? 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.000 A Roman centurion. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:16.000 He's a Gentile. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.000 He's an outsider. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:19.000 He's not a Jew. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.000 And that's the point Jesus makes in just a little bit. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:28.000 He said, I haven't even found this kind of faith among the people who are supposed to have faith in God. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.000 The people who are supposed to be looking for the Messiah. 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.000 Well, here I am. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.000 I am the Messiah. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:39.000 And I have not encountered this kind of faith in the Jewish people. 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.000 Only in this Gentile outsider. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:48.000 He was a powerful man, but he was helpless when his servant was sick and dying. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.000 But he did the right thing. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:54.000 He reached out to the right source of rescue. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.000 He sent for Jesus. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:01.000 And then he said, I'm not even worthy for you to come under my roof. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.000 He didn't say, Jesus, listen to me. 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:05.000 I'm important. 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:09.000 You really should do this for me. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:12.000 I'm part of the Roman occupying force. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.000 I'm kind of a big deal around here, Jesus. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.000 Okay. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.000 So I'm going to cover my bases. 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:28.000 And in case you are who you say you are, then I want you here and wave your magic wand over him or whatever and say your incantation and maybe it'll work and help my guy out. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.000 That wasn't the attitude. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:32.000 That would have been more understandable. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.000 That would have been more likely. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:36.000 But that wasn't his attitude. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:39.000 He had a complete attitude of humility. 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:41.000 He was humble. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:45.000 He said, Jesus, I don't even deserve to have you show up in my home. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:52.000 Would you just take the small effort of just speaking the word? 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:55.000 And I know that will work. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:58.000 Jesus was amazed by that. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:03.000 He said, I haven't found this kind of faith among all the people of Israel. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:06.000 He wasn't amazed by his wealth. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.000 He wasn't amazed by his position. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:09.000 He wasn't amazed by his authority. 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:12.000 He wasn't amazed or blown away by his morality. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:15.000 Jesus was amazed by his faith. 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:27.000 To understand why Jesus was amazed by this, we need to go back and we need to understand what faith has always meant to God. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:29.000 So now let's go to Romans. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:30.000 Romans chapter 3. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:31.000 Romans chapter 3. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:33.000 Romans chapter 3. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:42.000 Skip down to verse 21 if you would. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:45.000 Paul's letter to Romans chapter 3. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:48.000 Paul's letter to Romans chapter 3 and verse 21. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.000 Keep the centurion's faith in the back of your mind. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.000 This faith that amazed Jesus. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:00.000 Keep it in the back of your mind as we pick it up in Romans chapter 3 and verse 21. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:08.000 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.000 We've been talking about this for several weeks now. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:14.000 As was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:16.000 We are made right with God. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.000 Not through the law. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.000 Not through any morality. 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:20.000 Not through any position. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.000 Not through any power. 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:23.000 We're made with the law. 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:28.000 We're made right with God by what? 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:33.000 Placing our faith in Jesus Christ. 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:39.000 And this is true for everyone who believes. 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:43.000 The Jewish faithful believers. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.000 And the Roman centurions. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:51.000 Everyone who would come to God by faith in Jesus Christ. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:53.000 This is true for them too. 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:55.000 No matter who we are. 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:56.000 Verse 23. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.000 For everyone has sinned. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:06.000 We all fall short of God's glorious standard. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:09.000 You and I can never measure up. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.000 I'm sorry. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:13.000 I'm not trying to be the bearer of bad news this morning. 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.000 I'm not trying to make you feel bad about yourself. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:17.000 But listen. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.000 The reality is if you don't feel bad about yourself. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.000 Sometimes you're lying to yourself. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.000 Because we are a mess. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:27.000 We all cannot measure up. 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:31.000 Every single one of us will always fall short. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.000 That's why we need Jesus. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:34.000 That's why we need help. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:41.000 Have you ever heard somebody say or hear a news story or see somebody kind of melt down in public or maybe a kid or something. 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:43.000 You say, boy, they need Jesus. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.000 Truth is, we all do. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:49.000 We can look in the mirror and say, that guy needs Jesus. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:50.000 That girl needs Jesus. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.000 Yes, we do. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.000 Because we all fall short. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.000 We don't measure up. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:57.000 Now go back to verse 24. 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:03.000 Yet God in his grace freely makes us right in his sight. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:09.000 And he did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:11.000 So Paul gives us a problem here. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:12.000 Okay. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.000 He says everyone has the same problem. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.000 We've all done what? 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:18.000 Sinned. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:19.000 Y'all are with me, man. 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:20.000 I love it. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:21.000 We've all done what? 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:22.000 We've sinned. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.000 We've all fallen short. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.000 Nobody can earn their way to God. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:31.000 Listen, if you've been around this church for a while, that's not a shock to you. 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:36.000 If you've been around any church that preaches the gospel as we find it in the scriptures, 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:38.000 that's not a shock to you. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.000 But maybe that's a surprise to you this morning. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:48.000 Maybe you haven't been paying attention or maybe you've been convinced that you're good enough on your own. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:55.000 Well, the Holy Scriptures are here to inform you that none of us are. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.000 We've all fallen short. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.000 Perfection has never been the answer. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:02.000 It's always been faith. 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:05.000 So that is how God has made a way. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:15.000 God has made a way not through our performance, not through any achievement, not through any religious credentials, not how good your church resume looks. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:20.000 Well, I was a Sunday school teacher and I was on this committee and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:21.000 Nobody cares. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:22.000 All right. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:23.000 We care. 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:24.000 Listen, we care. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:25.000 We need you to work in the children's ministry. 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:26.000 Okay. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.000 We care. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:28.000 We care about that. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:30.000 That's not what amazes Jesus. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:33.000 What amazes Jesus is faith. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:37.000 And that's not what saves you and restores your relationship with God. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:39.000 It's always been faith. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:49.000 Y'all, I shudder to think the amount of people who are going to stand before God someday and they're going to point back to their religious achievements and say, look at all this. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:50.000 I did. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.000 Look at how faithful I was in church. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.000 Look how much tithe I gave. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.000 You telling me I don't have right standing with you. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:02.000 He'll say that the thing you were missing was faith in my son. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:05.000 You had all the faith in yourself. 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.000 You didn't have it in my son. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:16.000 That's how God has made a way through Jesus sacrifice through God's grace through our faith. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:21.000 So number one, as we talk about amazing faith this morning. 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:26.000 Did you all see the pretty picture of the centurion here? 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:27.000 Did I skip over that? 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:28.000 Sorry about that. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.000 There you go. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:31.000 I didn't come up with that, but I found it. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:32.000 Here we go. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:34.000 Amazing faith, faith that amazes Jesus. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:38.000 There are a couple of truths that we need to lock into this morning. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:39.000 Number one. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:40.000 Here we go. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:41.000 Wow. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:43.000 Here we go. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:46.000 Jesus gives what we could never earn. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:50.000 Sometimes I get to talking and I forget to keep the slides up with me and I'm sorry for that. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:51.000 But here we go. 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:55.000 Jesus gives what we could never earn. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.000 So let's think back to the centurion. 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:00.000 This man had no Jewish resume. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:02.000 He wasn't impressive by Jewish standards. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.000 He was impressive by Roman standards. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:10.000 But the Jewish people weren't impressed by how long he had been in service to Rome. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.000 They weren't impressed by how many men he commanded. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:17.000 They were thankful for how he had helped them along the way. 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:22.000 They're thankful for how he had helped them get their synagogue built, etc. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.000 But he had no covenant markers. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.000 He had no religious background to point to. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.000 He simply trusted Jesus. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:35.000 Paul writes about this in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:36.000 Look up here. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:39.000 God saved you by his grace when you believed. 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:41.000 And you can't take credit for this. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.000 It is a gift from God. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:48.000 Salvation is not a reward for the good things that we have done. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.000 So none of us can boast about it. 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:59.000 I don't know how many of you might have grown up or been be familiar with a works based religion. 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:18.000 A works based religion is common in a lot of well known churches today all around the world that say you if you do this and you do this and you do this, then God will forgive your sins. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:22.000 The truth is there are only two kinds of religions in the world. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:23.000 You say, now wait a minute. 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.000 There's a lot more than two. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.000 Because I saw the sign out there and it said Baptist. 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:29.000 And over there we got Methodist. 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:30.000 And we got Church of God. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:31.000 We got Church of Christ. 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.000 Listen. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:36.000 There are only two kinds of religions in the world. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.000 There is a do religion. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:41.000 And there is a done religion. 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:47.000 The do religion says you have to do something to have peace with God. 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:52.000 That something can change depending on the religion. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.000 Islam might look very different from Catholicism. 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:59.000 But they're both going to say you have to do something. 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:03.000 Over here in this category, we've got the done religion. 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:05.000 You know what that says? 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:08.000 It's been done for you. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.000 Jesus did it for you. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.000 You couldn't do what Jesus did. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:15.000 So he did it for you. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:29.000 What locks you in to a relationship with God for all of eternity is that word faith. 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:33.000 If you believe in the done religion. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.000 And you say that's how I'm going to see Jesus. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:39.000 I'm going to open up the scriptures. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:40.000 I'm going to read through. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:43.000 I'm going to especially focus on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.000 And see what Jesus himself taught. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:46.000 Who he was. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.000 And then I'm going to make my decision and say I'm going to have faith in that. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:57.000 Because you'll have people on the do religion side who say, oh, yeah, man, it's about Jesus. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:04.000 But then you listen to what they teach and they say, no, it's actually about what I do. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:11.000 But over here, Jesus says, no, that's never been the way with God. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:22.000 The Old Testament Jews were not saved, not restored with in right relationship with God by their obedience to the law of God. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.000 God gave them the law, but they were not saved by their obedience to it. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:30.000 They were saved by faith in the God who gave it. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.000 And we're still saved by that. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:37.000 So Ephesians, Paul makes it so clear. 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:42.000 You can't take credit for God's gift because it's a gift. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:45.000 He just gave it to you freely. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:46.000 You didn't earn it. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.000 You didn't deserve it. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:54.000 By any by any reason or logic, you shouldn't have it. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:58.000 You and I should never have received this gift from God. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:03.000 That's why we call it sometimes scandalous or reckless love. 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:07.000 It doesn't make sense from human perspective or thinking. 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:19.000 But God says, no, I just wanted to give it to you even though you don't deserve it, even though you deserve the opposite, even though you deserve punishment for your sins, punishment for all your law breaking. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:22.000 Instead, I'm going to offer you something beautiful. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:25.000 I'm going to offer you my son. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:31.000 God saved you by his grace when you believed by faith. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:35.000 Because you were born into membership at First Baptist Church. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:41.240 church by the way that doesn't even happen you got to be baptized at some point then you're 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:47.720 part of the membership at first Baptist Church not because you grew up in the right family 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:55.160 not because you had the right parents or didn't because how fair would that be if it was saved 00:17:55.160 --> 00:18:01.099 by if you were saved by your family what about those without a family what about those who 00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:11.959 were born into broken home life the ground is level the ground is equal so God only requires only 00:18:11.959 --> 00:18:23.359 requires belief the centurion was not saved because he was impressive he was in say he was saved his 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:34.579 servant was healed because of the impressiveness of Jesus love God's grace sparked by his faith and 00:18:34.579 --> 00:18:44.939 that's number two faith has always been God's way look back at Romans 4 now we were in Romans 3 let's 00:18:44.940 --> 00:18:54.660 skip ahead to Romans 4 and look at verse 1 what shall we say then have we found Abraham to be our 00:18:54.660 --> 00:19:01.680 ancestor in a human fleshly sense after all if Abraham was reckoned in the right on the basis of 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:10.680 works well he has grounds to boast but not in God's presence what's it saying it's saying Abraham was 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:18.060 humanly speaking the founder of the Jewish nation so what did he discover that made him right with God 00:19:18.060 --> 00:19:24.279 if his good deeds had made him acceptable to God he would have had something to boast about but that was 00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:30.920 not God's way listen church it's never been God's way for the scriptures tell us Abraham believed God 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:37.259 and God counted him as righteous because of his impressive obedience to God 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:57.000 Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous because he was very good looking 00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:03.000 I don't know if he was or not I just wanted to throw that out there for the young people who 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:09.960 you know care about how they look um Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:19.319 because of his what his faith when people work their wages are not a gift there's something they've 00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:27.160 earned but people are not made right with their work by trusting God but I'm sorry but people are not 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:34.600 made right with their work they're made right by trusting God who forgives the ungodly so that's 00:20:34.600 --> 00:20:40.680 down through verse 5 and Paul takes us to Abraham what's this about why is he working Abraham the great 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:46.600 Jewish patriarch father of the Jewish nation why is he working him in because someone might say Paul 00:20:46.600 --> 00:20:52.779 this faith thing you're talking about is new that's not how the old way operated look we have our histories 00:20:52.779 --> 00:20:58.059 we've have the old testament we can read back through and we can see the law that God gave and required 00:20:58.059 --> 00:21:04.059 obedience to and this is how you were in right standing with God how closely you followed the law Paul 00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:11.019 says nope you got it wrong go back and read it again this is how God has always worked Abraham's story 00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:20.139 is that first God made a promise and then second Abraham trusted the promise you look at it with with Sarah um 00:21:20.140 --> 00:21:28.620 Genesis chapter 15 and verse 6. what does it say we'll get there in a minute Genesis 15 and verse 6 00:21:28.620 --> 00:21:34.380 Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith well Paul just 00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:40.380 quoted that in Romans 4. by the way you don't realize how many times Paul how many times Paul quotes the 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:47.420 old testament y'all I've actually heard preachers get up and they get their sermons get piped all over the 00:21:47.420 --> 00:21:51.500 nation and they'll get up and they'll say well we don't really need the old testament the old 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:58.220 testament's kind of a mess you know you can't really trust the old testament okay um Jesus quoted it 00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:05.980 Paul quoted it but I'm supposed to listen to you when you say it doesn't matter I don't think so 00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:13.340 Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith 00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:23.579 faith so Paul's telling these Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians who are in the church in Rome 00:22:23.579 --> 00:22:29.659 who are kind of fighting over the old ways and whether or not we still need all those laws and 00:22:29.659 --> 00:22:34.779 everybody who follows Jesus should have to also abide by these laws that were passed down from Jewish 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:39.659 tradition and they're fighting over this no we don't think that's necessary and the the old Jewish 00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:44.220 Christians are saying yes it's absolutely necessary it came from God and they're kind of fighting over 00:22:44.220 --> 00:22:49.019 this and Paul says guys you're missing the point of it the point of it was not obedience to the law 00:22:49.019 --> 00:22:55.180 the point of it was faith in God to do things that seemed weird at the time and he goes on and talks 00:22:55.180 --> 00:23:01.900 about circumcision but we don't need to dive into that this morning okay that's just it's it's a procedure 00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:08.860 that happens to baby boys right after they get born okay just was it like 10 days later something like that 00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:14.140 eight there you go eight days later yeah circumcised the eighth day I should I should have had that in my head 00:23:14.779 --> 00:23:19.980 uh it's been a little while since mine were well we don't need to dive into that any more than that but look 00:23:21.340 --> 00:23:26.380 but back then that was a weird thing to ask somebody and y'all do you realize that Abraham was 00:23:27.259 --> 00:23:32.060 I think he was 99. I think he was 99 when he got circumcised 00:23:32.059 --> 00:23:36.299 any uh anybody in here above the age of 00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:45.980 three that would want to voluntarily yeah I didn't get circumcised when I was a baby you can do it now 00:23:47.019 --> 00:23:52.779 tell me when I'll be there without local anesthetic without any painkillers we're diving into it and I 00:23:52.779 --> 00:24:03.019 said we wouldn't I'm sorry about that look this was a weird thing that God asked God's laws like what 00:24:03.019 --> 00:24:09.099 what are you doing well centuries later we see that's actually a really healthy procedure and it's better 00:24:09.099 --> 00:24:13.980 to do it and all and God knew what he was talking about but back then it's like man you're asking a lot 00:24:13.980 --> 00:24:26.779 of us so these Roman Christians the Gentiles being asked to do that as adult males what no you're 00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:33.420 telling me to follow Jesus I gotta go get circumcised are you crazy Paul says look it wasn't even about the 00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:40.779 circumcision it was about believing God enough to say okay we'll do this even though it's not normal 00:24:40.779 --> 00:24:45.420 even though nobody else is doing it the medical professionals at the time weren't requiring it 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:52.220 but God said you should do this so we're gonna say okay yes we'll do it it was about faith then and 00:24:52.220 --> 00:25:00.859 it's still about faith now and then in Hebrews here we go it was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God 00:25:00.859 --> 00:25:06.940 called him to leave home and to go to another land that God would give him as an inheritance Abraham 00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:11.820 move out pack up where are we going I'm not going to tell you yet but it's going to be great I'm going 00:25:11.820 --> 00:25:18.700 to give it to you okay how many of you would sign up for that God just showed it up and said okay it's 00:25:18.700 --> 00:25:29.100 time to go okay where are we going you'll find out okay how should I pack just come on let's go he went 00:25:29.099 --> 00:25:36.699 without knowing where he was going just by faith and it was by faith that he lived as a foreigner in 00:25:36.699 --> 00:25:43.099 the promised land anybody ever lived in another country I have yep where's Ben's he not here this 00:25:43.099 --> 00:25:47.099 morning yeah there he is right there right there Ben's has lived in all kinds of countries 00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:55.019 wait Austin has lived in a foreign country yeah he raised his hand Bo said I was born in Utah that 00:25:55.019 --> 00:26:02.940 felt like a foreign country it kind of was in some ways anyway uh but yeah we lived in Costa Rica Panama 00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:07.099 Austin was born in Panama when you're living in a foreign country when you go and visit Carson just 00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:11.980 went to Mexico when you go and visit you know yeah you get treated like a tourist usually uh when you 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:18.379 live there it changes a little bit people kind of start to look at you like oh you're not just here 00:26:18.379 --> 00:26:24.460 and then going home like why are you here why are you staying in our in our country they kind of want 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:29.180 to know you get looked at differently because you're a foreigner by the way that's a good thing 00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:33.819 for us to remember when we find people from other countries in our culture it's good for us to remember 00:26:33.819 --> 00:26:39.019 that they're feeling like a foreigner so the best we can do to not treat them as a foreigner but treat 00:26:39.019 --> 00:26:44.539 them as family god will bless that and he might even give you a chance to share Jesus with that person 00:26:45.340 --> 00:26:52.940 so it was by faith that Abraham lived as a foreigner in the promised land going anywhere he wanted living in 00:26:52.940 --> 00:27:03.100 tents no stable home life just like Isaac and Jacob who would inherit the same promise why did he do this 00:27:03.100 --> 00:27:10.860 why did he pack up his family as a wealthy man why did he live as a wanderer as a nomad because he was 00:27:10.860 --> 00:27:20.059 confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations a city designed and built by god 00:27:20.059 --> 00:27:29.819 he didn't even know what to call it we call it the new jerusalem we call it heaven we get to read about 00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:39.899 it in revelation 21 i looked and i saw holy city the new jerusalem coming down from heaven it was by faith 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:47.899 that even sarah was able to have a child though she was barren and was too old to have a child faith has 00:27:47.900 --> 00:27:55.019 always been the way don't get so caught up in all the legal requirements that you find in the old 00:27:55.019 --> 00:28:02.140 testament that you miss the heart behind it all which was faith in god i will have enough faith in god 00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:09.660 to do these things god would ask his people to do weird stuff pack up and move go act like you're going to 00:28:09.660 --> 00:28:15.420 sacrifice your child i'm not really going to make you do this but he didn't know that he just said i'm just 00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:26.539 going to follow god by faith faith has always been god's way so paul's teaching this what kind of faith did 00:28:26.539 --> 00:28:38.860 abraham have he had real faith it wasn't perfect sometimes his faith would fail sometimes he'd get scared 00:28:38.859 --> 00:28:50.779 you get to read about it in genesis but he trusted even when he couldn't see faith without seeing believing 00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:58.859 in what you can't see that's faith you can have faith whether or not to sit on the pew because you can 00:28:58.859 --> 00:29:05.500 see it you can feel it you can check it out maybe it's a little rickety but you feel like it'll hold you up 00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:13.019 right what about sitting down on an invisible seat that you can't see and you can't even feel 00:29:14.779 --> 00:29:21.180 but you just sit down by faith that's faith in god and that's what he requires 00:29:22.299 --> 00:29:29.900 and the longer you spend with god the more visible fruit you get to see the more visible evidence in 00:29:29.900 --> 00:29:38.460 your life of god working you get to see so we have faith for now and we have faith for the future 00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:44.220 all the way up to looking forward to the city with eternal foundations a city designed and built by god 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:53.980 if god's got our future secure with the holy city and the kingdom of god he's got our right now secure 00:29:53.980 --> 00:30:01.100 as well he had our five minutes ago or five years ago or 50 years ago secure and he still got today 00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:08.299 in the palm of his hand abraham trusted when he couldn't see he believed when the circumstances 00:30:08.299 --> 00:30:15.500 looked impossible he relied on god's promise now let's think back to the centurion the roman centurion 00:30:16.859 --> 00:30:25.259 abraham trusted god's promise the centurion trusted jesus's authority you could say his power 00:30:26.539 --> 00:30:33.419 but both understood the same thing here's what it was god can do what we cannot do 00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:46.700 god can do what we cannot do by faith abraham believed god and because of his faith god called 00:30:46.700 --> 00:30:54.460 him righteous why does god call you righteous this morning is it because of your accomplishments is it 00:30:54.460 --> 00:31:02.300 because of you think you're a pretty nice guy or a nice girl is it because you've been in church for a 00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:10.299 while what are you counting on for god to call you righteous because the only thing that impresses him 00:31:10.859 --> 00:31:22.619 is faith look back at romans and we'll close romans chapter 4 in verse 23 the words god counted him as 00:31:22.619 --> 00:31:33.979 righteous were written out not for abraham's sake alone but for us too do you see that romans 4 23 the 00:31:33.979 --> 00:31:40.539 words god counted him as righteous were written not for abraham's sake alone y'all this is so cool this is 00:31:40.539 --> 00:31:50.779 an ancient writing this is an ancient promise an ancient declaration that god made about the patriarch of 00:31:50.779 --> 00:31:58.460 israel that paul is saying hey by the way it's for us too and we can look at that today with our copy of 00:31:58.460 --> 00:32:06.700 the new testament and we can say it's for us too why because we have faith in the same god we have faith in 00:32:06.700 --> 00:32:14.299 the same jesus we have faith in the same one who was impressed by the centurion's faith who was impressed by 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:25.899 abraham's faith he can be impressed by my faith too not by my works by my faith in him god will count us as 00:32:25.899 --> 00:32:31.819 righteous if we believe in him the one who raised jesus our lord from the dead he was handed over to die 00:32:31.819 --> 00:32:38.619 because of our sins and he was raised to life to make us right with god so the question is not have i done 00:32:38.619 --> 00:32:48.059 enough the question is do i trust jesus jesus was amazed by one thing from the centurion his faith not 00:32:48.059 --> 00:32:56.379 perfection not status not achievement but his faith the faith that jesus celebrates is not the faith of 00:32:56.379 --> 00:33:04.699 people who have it all together it's a faith of people who know they need him hudson taylor was a great 00:33:04.700 --> 00:33:10.940 missionary to china and he wrote this he said do you you do not need a great faith but you need faith 00:33:10.940 --> 00:33:18.140 in a great god can we say that together everybody look at the screen you do not need a great faith 00:33:18.140 --> 00:33:24.059 but faith in a great god how many of you believe you have faith in a great god this morning guess what 00:33:24.059 --> 00:33:32.860 jesus is impressed by that jesus is impressed by you he's impressed by your faith in a great god faith is 00:33:32.859 --> 00:33:41.500 not this faith is not proving yourself to god faith is not performing for god you don't have to prove 00:33:41.500 --> 00:33:49.099 yourself to god he says all the proving yourself all the trying to impress me all the righteousness that 00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:57.500 you can work together he says i look at it and i see it as filthy rags you can't perform enough for me 00:33:57.500 --> 00:34:05.819 you can't prove yourself enough to me so if faith is not that what is it faith is humble trust believing 00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:12.619 that god is who he says he is and he will do what he says he will do that's what faith is 00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:20.300 our final thoughts this morning are these stop trying to prove yourself to god try stop trying to 00:34:20.300 --> 00:34:27.740 trust your performance come to jesus just like the centurion called out to jesus for help he came 00:34:27.740 --> 00:34:34.460 humble he came trusting he came believing that he has the authority and the power and the good will to 00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:47.340 save so amazing faith doesn't come from amazing people amazing faith comes from trusting an amazing god 00:34:47.340 --> 00:34:55.340 would you bow your heads with me amazing faith comes from trusting an amazing god you don't have to be 00:34:55.340 --> 00:35:00.780 amazing this morning but you serve a god who is 00:35:03.820 --> 00:35:12.940 jesus is amazing enough for both of us jesus is amazing enough for all of us his grace is amazing 00:35:12.940 --> 00:35:27.659 amazing faith comes from trusting an amazing god god i pray that you would remind us of just how amazing your grace is 00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:33.659 in response to our faith we don't have to have faith that blows everybody away 00:35:35.900 --> 00:35:41.820 jesus even told his disciples that they just have a tiny amount of faith the size of a grain of a mustard seed 00:35:43.579 --> 00:35:46.139 they'll be able to do anything that god asks of them 00:35:50.700 --> 00:35:59.099 the faith is in how amazing you are the faith is in how good you are how willing you are how right you are 00:36:00.300 --> 00:36:03.500 god strengthen the faith of first baptist henrietta this morning 00:36:03.500 --> 00:36:13.260 let it trickle down to our families let it trickle down to our neighbors our circle of friends and influence 00:36:13.260 --> 00:36:25.019 let this whole county this region be impacted by the faith that the people in this room have 00:36:25.019 --> 00:36:34.860 in an amazing god will give you the credit for it we'll have nothing to boast about but we know you will 00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:44.539 be moved you'll be impressed and you'll work because of our faith just like the centurion just like abraham 00:36:44.539 --> 00:36:54.300 there's someone in the room this morning who says i need to put my faith in jesus for the first time 00:36:54.300 --> 00:36:54.619 today 00:36:54.619 --> 00:37:02.219 i'm not going to trust anything else i'm going to trust in jesus alone 00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:05.339 while the heads are bowed would you slip your hand up 00:37:06.940 --> 00:37:11.980 i'd love for you to testify that right now so i'd like to put my jesus my faith in jesus for the first time today 00:37:12.779 --> 00:37:13.099 thank you 00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:21.179 i'm going to open up this altar area we've got some steps down here you could come kneel if you'd like 00:37:21.179 --> 00:37:27.500 to remain in your seat and just be in prayer if you'd like to stand and sing we're going to sing 00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:29.579 the chorus of amazing grace in just a moment 00:37:32.860 --> 00:37:38.139 if you'd like to kneel at your spot if you need to go talk to somebody if you'd like to come down 00:37:38.139 --> 00:37:41.900 front and talk to somebody about putting your membership in this church this would be a great time 00:37:41.900 --> 00:37:47.980 to do that whatever god's working on your heart to do by faith say yes to him in faith today 00:37:50.139 --> 00:37:57.500 jesus we love you teach us how to have faith increase our faith in you it's in your name we pray amen 00:37:57.500 --> 00:37:58.300 would you sing with me 00:37:58.460 --> 00:38:05.820 amazing grace how sweet 00:38:15.100 --> 00:38:16.620 like me 00:38:16.619 --> 00:38:30.000 I once was lost, but now am found. 00:38:30.539 --> 00:38:38.000 And I was blind, but now I see. 00:38:38.099 --> 00:38:40.119 Let's sing one more verse while people are praying. 00:38:40.119 --> 00:38:51.500 T'was grace that taught my heart to fear. 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:59.559 And grace my fears relieved. 00:38:59.559 --> 00:39:12.940 See how precious did that grace my fears. 00:39:13.579 --> 00:39:19.559 The eye I first believed. 00:39:20.219 --> 00:39:24.559 Now think about someday when we've been there 10,000 years with our Lord. 00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:34.559 When we've been there 10,000 years with our Lord. 00:39:34.559 --> 00:39:35.840 That's why we have faith. 00:39:36.759 --> 00:39:44.559 Bright shining as the sun. 00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:56.559 We've no less days to sing God's praise. 00:39:57.559 --> 00:40:05.559 Than when we first begun. 00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:11.139 God, we love you. 00:40:11.219 --> 00:40:14.799 We thank you for giving us the faith that we can have in you. 00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:18.340 And I just ask that you would increase it. 00:40:18.659 --> 00:40:23.519 Whatever the obstacles, the barriers are to faith in our hearts or in our minds. 00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:28.019 And by your spirit, you would get us past those, God. 00:40:28.079 --> 00:40:31.000 And just remind us through your grace of how good you are. 00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:32.340 How loving you are. 00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:33.699 How reliable you are. 00:40:33.699 --> 00:40:35.699 How good you are. 00:40:37.460 --> 00:40:39.879 God, pull us close into your arms. 00:40:41.079 --> 00:40:46.199 Send us out as beacons of faith, as ministers of faith in this world. 00:40:47.019 --> 00:40:51.519 Bring us back together again Wednesday night, next Sunday. 00:40:52.339 --> 00:40:55.519 Through all the different things we have going on as a community and as a church. 00:40:56.859 --> 00:40:59.859 Help faith to be what binds us together in you. 00:40:59.939 --> 00:41:01.019 It's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:41:01.699 --> 00:41:01.980 Amen. 00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:03.820 Haven't gotten to meet you yet. 00:41:03.900 --> 00:41:05.780 Look forward to meeting you in the back in just a moment. 00:41:05.980 --> 00:41:06.599 You are dismissed. 00:41:06.599 --> 00:41:08.599 Thank you.