WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.219 Well, thank you, Fraser, and a very warm welcome to Brunsfield this morning. Is everyone well? 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:11.080 Good. Well, can I encourage you to grab a Bible and turn expectantly to Luke chapter 7, 00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:16.480 and verses 1 to 10 is where we're going to camp out this morning. Turn to Luke chapter 7, 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:21.240 and let's just, in the busyness of this morning, why don't we just gather our thoughts 00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:27.500 as we come to God's holy and inspired word, and let's pray together before we get into this. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:37.119 Almighty God, and by astounding grace, our Heavenly Father, 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:44.820 O Lord, we ask that as we turn to your word now, as we look again at this gospel of Luke, 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:51.519 would you help us to see something more of the greatness, the all-surpassing greatness, 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:57.159 of your Son, Jesus Christ? Would you help us not just to glimpse at him this morning, 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:04.439 would you help us to grasp him this morning? Lord, we know our weakness. Lord, we know our 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:11.039 wandering attentions. We know how easily distracted we are on Sunday mornings. So, Father, we ask that 00:01:11.039 --> 00:01:16.979 your Spirit would come, and that he would capture every wandering thought, and that he would channel 00:01:16.979 --> 00:01:21.840 it towards seeing more of Jesus Christ. And this is our prayer in our King's name. Amen. 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:28.700 So, my family and I, we had a lovely few days off at the tail end of last week, and I don't know if you 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:34.200 do this, other people with kids here this morning, but what we did is when the girls went down to nap, 00:01:34.320 --> 00:01:41.540 Alex and I got really fond of turning on some daytime TV, just killing some time. So, we never really do 00:01:41.540 --> 00:01:48.520 this in normal life, I can assure you. Well, we turned on BBC One, and the first thing that came up was 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:56.119 Bargain Hunt. Has anyone seen Bargain Hunt? So, I'd never seen this show before, but after an hour, 00:01:56.780 --> 00:02:03.459 turns out, we both absolutely love Bargain Hunt. So, we're watching Bargain Hunt. Never watched it 00:02:03.459 --> 00:02:06.719 before. If you've never watched it before, basically, there's two teams of two people, and their job is 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:12.599 to go around a car boot sale and buy two or three items at a low price and try and sell at auction at a 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:17.400 high price, and it's absolutely addictive, let me tell you. So, this week, I got a bit geeky, 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:23.599 and I went googling things bought at car auctions, car boot sales rather, not car auctions, 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:28.640 I don't know what you buy at car auctions. Things bought at car boot sales. So, let me ask you a 00:02:28.640 --> 00:02:34.759 question this morning. What do you see when you look at that? What do you see? You see a bowl. That's 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:43.500 what I see. I see a bowl. I see a very unspectacular bowl. I see a very ordinary bowl. Well, like as 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:48.479 somebody in America looked at that bowl at a car boot sale, and they thought, probably good for the 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:53.419 mantelpiece, put your keys in it, put your pens in it, just an ordinary bowl. They shelled out three 00:02:53.419 --> 00:03:01.759 bucks for that bowl. A few years later, somebody else looked at that bowl, and they identified it 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:07.699 as a rare thousand-year-old Chinese bowl that previously belonged to one of China's most distinguished 00:03:07.699 --> 00:03:15.039 dynasties, and they paid 2.2 million bucks for that bowl. See, we're all into bargain hunt now, 00:03:15.099 --> 00:03:23.879 aren't we? All into bargain hunt. What do you see when you look at something? The big question for us 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:32.259 this morning, as we come to Luke chapter 7, is what do we see as we look at Jesus? Luke is telling us in 00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:40.359 Luke chapter 7 that getting identity right, it really, really matters. So before we get to Luke 00:03:40.359 --> 00:03:45.959 chapter 7, let's get in touch with our inner Greg Rutherford, and let's take a step back and try and 00:03:45.959 --> 00:03:53.239 get a run-up at Luke chapter 7. Here's the context. Luke chapter 6. Jesus has just delivered what would 00:03:53.239 --> 00:03:58.120 become arguably one of the most famous sermons in world history, the Sermon on the Mount. 00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:06.200 And he's been teaching the people about what life in his kingdom looks like. It's his kingdom that 00:04:06.200 --> 00:04:15.740 brings hope and life. My kingdom, says Jesus, that lifts up the poor and the oppressed. My kingdom that 00:04:15.740 --> 00:04:25.939 turns the other cheek. My kingdom that loves and goes towards enemies. And he's speaking of his kingdom 00:04:25.939 --> 00:04:36.560 in Luke chapter 6. And his hearers are hearing this. He's inviting them to come. Come to him. Come 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:45.459 and deny yourself. Come and repent of your sin. Come to me and take me as your king. Come to me and have 00:04:45.459 --> 00:04:56.859 your heart. Come to me and be part of this kingdom. Make this kingdom life. Make it your life. 00:04:57.779 --> 00:05:01.139 And he ends with a challenge to his hearers at verse 47. 00:05:03.139 --> 00:05:08.719 His challenge is, what are you going to do with my words? What are you going to do? Are you going to 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:16.740 do them? Or are you going to dismiss them? Are my words going to become a foundation for your life? 00:05:17.200 --> 00:05:23.760 Or are you just going to forget them? Because it's the wise man, says Jesus, it's the wise man 00:05:23.760 --> 00:05:29.400 who builds his house upon the rock of my words. 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:38.500 Now I don't know how you felt as we left that chapter last week. I left thinking to myself, 00:05:38.620 --> 00:05:45.259 I wonder what that person looks like. Now you know when you go for a job and you look at a job 00:05:45.259 --> 00:05:50.579 advert and the job advert gives you a person spec? You ever seen that? And you know what it says, 00:05:50.659 --> 00:05:54.919 don't you? It says we're looking for this kind of person. And it says we're looking for attention to 00:05:54.920 --> 00:06:00.439 detail. We're looking for good time management skills. We're looking for good people skills. 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:04.160 And you're looking at this person spec and you're thinking, I wonder what that person looks like. 00:06:05.400 --> 00:06:12.700 What does that person look like? Well, here we have the kingdom person spec that Jesus has just laid 00:06:12.700 --> 00:06:20.100 out. And we should be wondering as readers this morning, who is this person? What do kingdom people, 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:28.780 what do they look like? What does it look like to be a person that builds your life on the rock? 00:06:29.960 --> 00:06:34.140 Now I think that's the exact question that Luke wants his readers to be asking at this point. 00:06:35.260 --> 00:06:42.040 And so it's no coincidence then that Luke starts to give us faces, people. He said to say this is what 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:48.680 it looks like to respond to Jesus. And as we meet these people in Luke chapter 7, we see that they've got 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:57.759 one thing in common. And it's not nationality. And it's not gender. And it's not age. And it's not 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:03.220 class. What these people have in common, what kingdom people have in common is that they look at the 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:11.579 king and they grasp his identity. So Luke introduces us to this man at the beginning of Luke chapter 7. 00:07:11.579 --> 00:07:15.839 Let's read it together. Verse 1, reading to verse 10. 00:07:18.659 --> 00:07:24.500 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 00:07:25.300 --> 00:07:33.019 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 00:07:33.019 --> 00:07:41.639 When a centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:48.979 and to heal his servants. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, 00:07:49.299 --> 00:07:56.180 he is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he is the one who built us 00:07:56.180 --> 00:08:04.040 our synagogue. And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, 00:08:04.180 --> 00:08:11.759 saying to him, Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:19.600 Therefore, I did not presume to come to you, but say the word and let my servant be healed. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:26.360 For I too am a man set under authority with soldiers under me. And I say to one, go. 00:08:27.080 --> 00:08:33.840 And he goes. And to another, come. And he comes. And to my servant, do this. And he does it. 00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:42.580 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him. And turning to the crowd that followed him, 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:51.920 said, I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. And when those had been sent, 00:08:52.000 --> 00:09:01.500 returned to the house, they found the servant well. So notice three things about this man as we meet 00:09:01.500 --> 00:09:09.840 him in these verses. Firstly, notice where this man is. He's in Capernaum. There's a village. 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:18.080 The name Capernaum, it means village of comfort. And as we've seen already in Luke's gospel, 00:09:18.220 --> 00:09:23.700 that is massively appropriate. Because Jesus has been here before. If you've got your Bibles there, 00:09:23.740 --> 00:09:28.680 if you flick back a couple of pages to chapter 4 and verse 31, 00:09:29.740 --> 00:09:38.300 you'll see the astounding things that Jesus did on the day that he was previously in Capernaum. 00:09:38.299 --> 00:09:47.259 He taught. What does it say? And the people recognized that his words possessed authority. 00:09:49.259 --> 00:09:57.899 And as the sun set and that day drew in, we're told that one by one, people brought to Jesus all 00:09:57.899 --> 00:10:05.519 friends and family who were sick and ill. And one by one, he healed a few of them, a couple of them. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:12.720 No, he healed. Do you see what it says? All of them. He healed all of them. Now, I've got a funny 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:16.899 sense of imagination. I was picturing this week, the Capernaum Royal Infirmary. 00:10:19.019 --> 00:10:25.860 Picture it in your head. Surgeons twiddling their thumbs. Pharmacists doodling on their prescription 00:10:25.860 --> 00:10:32.100 pads. The A&E department absolutely empty. Why? Because there's nothing to do. Why? 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:41.279 Because there's nobody needing treated. Jesus has healed all the people. Such is the great 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:48.060 authority of his words. And that was a day in the life of this village that would go into the village 00:10:48.060 --> 00:10:54.480 folklore. It was a day that people would never tire speaking of to anybody anywhere who would care to 00:10:54.480 --> 00:11:02.139 listen. Why? Because this village has seen nothing like that day. And so here we are in verse one of 00:11:02.139 --> 00:11:07.980 chapter seven, and we're told that Jesus once again enters Capernaum. And so one can only imagine 00:11:07.980 --> 00:11:16.460 the levels of expectation and the levels of excitement as news gets around this village that Jesus is back 00:11:16.460 --> 00:11:24.379 in town. And that's where this man is. He's in Capernaum. Secondly, notice who this man is. 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:33.620 He's a soldier. He's a Roman centurion, which means he's probably got oversight, command of up to 100 men. 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:41.360 He's a man that commands a serious amount of kudos, a serious amount of respect. And he's able to 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:49.740 influence people. And he's able to assert power. In fact, the only reason that he's in Capernaum is that his job 00:11:49.740 --> 00:11:57.320 has taken him there. And his job is simply to keep the peace. So that's who this man is. But notice thirdly, 00:11:57.419 --> 00:12:07.120 what this man is. He's worried. In fact, he's more than worried. He is distressed. Why? Because the servant 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:19.220 whom he loves is dying. And he is a man who cares for his servant. And he is desperate to see his servant healed. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:28.399 And here we have a powerful man realizing that he is powerless to do anything about his servant's predicament. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:41.340 And what does Luke tell us at verse 3? Key word for us this morning. The centurion heard about Jesus Christ. 00:12:41.939 --> 00:12:47.399 Heard what? Well, he's probably heard about that time when Jesus was previously in Capernaum. 00:12:47.899 --> 00:12:55.240 I'd imagine he's heard about the teaching of Jesus that day. He's had verified to him the healings of that 00:12:55.240 --> 00:13:01.519 day. He's heard about the undeniable authority that Jesus exercised and demonstrated that day. 00:13:03.460 --> 00:13:10.440 And so us, as the readers, as we see this man, as we read about this man hearing about Jesus, 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:19.340 the question that we've got to ask is what will he do upon hearing? Will he be a wise man who builds his 00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:25.940 life on the rock of Jesus' words? Or will he be a foolish man and just forget about Jesus? 00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:32.860 On paper, this outsider, this enemy of the Jews, this man with power, how will he respond? 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:37.780 What does he see as he looks at Jesus? 00:13:37.779 --> 00:13:44.059 Well, Luke draws our attention, I think, to two particular things that this man has grasped. 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:49.240 And I think they are so massively important as we read this this morning. Two things that he has 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:57.199 grasped. Firstly, he has grasped his true identity. So as we pick up the narrative again at verse 3 of 00:13:57.199 --> 00:14:04.699 chapter 7, Jesus, as he enters Capernaum, do you notice he is met by a group of elders, Jewish elders. 00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:11.240 In fact, we're told that these elders were sent by the centurion himself. Now, two things are 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:19.300 striking about that. Firstly, it is striking the mutual relationship of respect that is developed 00:14:19.300 --> 00:14:27.520 between this centurion and these Jewish elders. That is massively striking. Roman soldiers, not in the 00:14:27.520 --> 00:14:33.300 habit of making friends with Jews. Jews, definitely not in the market for making a Roman friend. 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:40.060 That's striking. But secondly, the thing that is striking is look how they describe this man. 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:46.080 Look at the glowing report they give of this man to Jesus. Jesus, he loves our nation. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:56.400 He is kind to us. He looks favorably on us. He is a generous man. In fact, do you know, I want you to 00:14:56.400 --> 00:15:01.180 know, we want you to know that he has given money to the building of our meeting place, the synagogue. 00:15:01.179 --> 00:15:13.799 So they look at this centurion and they conclude, verse 4, he is worthy. He deserves. 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:21.079 And so Jesus goes with them. And on the way to the man's house, verse 6, we read that Jesus is 00:15:21.079 --> 00:15:26.859 intercepted by another group sent by the centurion, this time bringing him news from the centurion 00:15:26.859 --> 00:15:36.379 that Jesus need not bother coming all the way to his house. Why? Because he does not think he deserves 00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:44.279 to have Jesus come under his roof. Look at verse 7. What does he say? I am not worthy. 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.279 Now that is a astounding admission. 00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:55.740 I wonder how you would have reacted if you were the centurion when you heard about Jesus. 00:15:56.340 --> 00:16:02.600 How would you have reacted? I was reading a story this week about David Hasselhoff. 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:10.060 2006, he goes down to Wimbledon. Chances his arm tries to get into the player's lounge after the games. 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:16.040 Gets turned away at the door, understandably not being a player. And he says simply to the guy in the door, 00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:20.860 you clearly don't know who I am. Clearly don't know who I am. 00:16:22.820 --> 00:16:26.720 I think I would have gone all hoff on Jesus here if I was a centurion. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:32.420 Jesus, have a listen to everything that I've done for you and yours. 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:39.500 Have a listen to how people respect me. Would you look around and see what I do? 00:16:39.800 --> 00:16:44.660 All I'm asking, I'm not asking for a lot, all I'm asking is just to call in a little favor from you here. 00:16:46.680 --> 00:16:50.540 Now we laugh, but it's a very common attitude towards God in our day, isn't it? 00:16:50.539 --> 00:16:56.120 It's a vending machine understanding of God. If I put the right amount in for God, 00:16:56.259 --> 00:16:59.759 then I'm entitled to get something out. Back from God. 00:17:00.339 --> 00:17:03.519 Tip for tat, if I scratch God's back, he'll scratch mine. 00:17:04.659 --> 00:17:08.920 God, do you not understand? Do you not see that I've chosen to come here on a Sunday morning 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:12.240 when I could be out having 18 holes on the golf course? 00:17:12.779 --> 00:17:15.759 Do you not understand that I'm here, that I've given up watching the Grand Prix 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:20.720 to come and be at church this morning with your people? Do you not see what I do for you? 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:29.059 Now we never term it as such, but really that attitude is just karma masquerading as Christianity. 00:17:30.059 --> 00:17:35.059 Let me ask you if you're here this morning, and that is how you understand how God operates. 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:44.019 How refreshingly different then is this man as we meet him in Luke chapter 7? 00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:48.019 Here is a centurion with a true estimation of himself. 00:17:48.940 --> 00:17:53.480 Here is a man who recognizes the deep and dark chambers of his heart. 00:17:54.379 --> 00:17:57.180 Here is a man who is marked by meekness. 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:02.299 Here is a man who has made himself low before God. 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:06.019 Here is a man whose life is marked by humility. 00:18:06.900 --> 00:18:08.900 And what does he conclude as he hears about Jesus? 00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:11.819 I am not worthy. 00:18:11.819 --> 00:18:19.299 You see, this centurion, what an example of what it means to grasp your own true identity 00:18:19.299 --> 00:18:21.079 before a holy God. 00:18:22.379 --> 00:18:24.559 Here is the second thing that this centurion has grasped. 00:18:24.619 --> 00:18:26.980 He has grasped Jesus' true identity. 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:31.019 Look at how he addresses Jesus at verse 6 if you've got it there. 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:32.039 How does he address him? 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:34.200 Lord. 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:39.460 Now that is a fascinating confession considering that this man is a Gentile. 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:46.180 That is an even more fascinating confession when you consider that this man is a Roman soldier. 00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:51.140 That term, he would have been used to using it to refer to the emperor. 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:55.880 A Gentile Roman soldier of all people. 00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:57.319 Get your heads around this. 00:18:57.319 --> 00:18:57.960 All people. 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:00.980 A stranger to the privileges of being Jewish. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:04.740 A man with limited understanding of the scriptures. 00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:10.059 He saw in Jesus what many people of Jesus' day, 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:14.460 many of his own Jewish fraternity, what they didn't see. 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:17.339 This man hears the reports. 00:19:18.139 --> 00:19:20.039 He's heard the teaching. 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:21.680 And he's looked at Jesus. 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:25.299 And he's concluded, son of God. 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:31.720 That's how this man responds as he hears about Jesus. 00:19:33.879 --> 00:19:34.859 Let me ask you again. 00:19:34.899 --> 00:19:37.539 What do you see as you look at Jesus? 00:19:39.460 --> 00:19:43.920 C.S. Lewis famously said about Jesus, 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:45.639 you must make your choice. 00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:48.240 You can shut him up for a fool. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.000 You can spit at him and kill him as a demon. 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:55.880 Or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. 00:19:57.539 --> 00:20:00.500 The centurion, he looks at Jesus and concludes, 00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:02.620 Lord and God. 00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:06.420 And he does it because he looks at Jesus and he thinks, 00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:09.380 there is simply none that compares with this man. 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.640 Carnegie Simpson, famous free church minister of yesteryear, 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:15.460 he said this, 00:20:15.460 --> 00:20:20.660 Jesus is not one of the group of world's great. 00:20:21.319 --> 00:20:24.500 Talk about Alexander the Great and Charles the Great 00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:26.460 and Napoleon the Great, if you will. 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:28.400 Jesus is a part. 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:30.200 He is not the great. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.200 He is the only. 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:34.819 He is the only. 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:37.960 There is simply none that compares with this man, 00:20:38.279 --> 00:20:39.880 according to the centurion. 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:41.180 And let's be honest, 00:20:41.260 --> 00:20:41.980 the centurion, 00:20:42.080 --> 00:20:43.740 he knows all about authority, doesn't he? 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:45.960 He knows all about authority. 00:20:46.080 --> 00:20:48.400 His job is one where he points and people do. 00:20:49.300 --> 00:20:50.520 He instructs. 00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:52.740 He delegates and he commands. 00:20:53.100 --> 00:20:55.560 He says and people do for him. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:57.740 And what does he understand? 00:20:57.860 --> 00:20:58.980 He understands that Jesus, 00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:02.380 just like I say to people and they do, 00:21:02.380 --> 00:21:08.120 you say to things and they do whatever you tell them to do. 00:21:08.340 --> 00:21:09.220 That's what he understands. 00:21:10.820 --> 00:21:16.540 What marvelous reverence for the word of the king. 00:21:17.840 --> 00:21:19.300 Now I'm thinking about it this week, 00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:21.640 thinking how does this apply to my Christian life? 00:21:22.540 --> 00:21:24.360 And I was really challenged this week about, 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:29.360 have I got that same reverence for the word of the king? 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.400 Do I bow to his word? 00:21:32.500 --> 00:21:34.620 Do I submit to his every command? 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.180 When I read the Bible in the morning, 00:21:36.259 --> 00:21:37.680 do I rush into reading it? 00:21:39.600 --> 00:21:43.020 Or do I stop and humble myself 00:21:43.020 --> 00:21:44.580 and think about what I am reading? 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:46.220 This is no ordinary book. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:47.620 This is God's word. 00:21:47.780 --> 00:21:48.840 This is the voice of the king. 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:51.720 Now I wonder for some of us here this morning, 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:53.980 as I've been praying about it in preparation this week, 00:21:54.059 --> 00:21:56.500 I wonder if some of us need to recapture reverence. 00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:01.139 I wonder if some of us need to reignite 00:22:01.139 --> 00:22:02.879 a passion for Jesus Christ 00:22:02.879 --> 00:22:04.740 and an understanding and a reverence 00:22:04.740 --> 00:22:07.519 and a submission and a bowing to his words. 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:10.199 This is the word of the king. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:12.859 This is what the centurion recognizes. 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:17.339 Here is a man who knows the power of Jesus. 00:22:17.339 --> 00:22:19.399 So much so, do you notice in this account 00:22:19.399 --> 00:22:20.939 that he knows with one word, 00:22:21.879 --> 00:22:23.000 with one word, 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:25.059 Jesus can heal his servants. 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:28.959 And Jesus doesn't even need to be physically there to do it. 00:22:30.659 --> 00:22:31.240 And on that note, 00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:32.720 isn't it interesting in this account 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:35.299 that Jesus and the centurion, 00:22:35.399 --> 00:22:37.059 they never actually meet face to face? 00:22:38.439 --> 00:22:39.399 Really interesting. 00:22:40.619 --> 00:22:42.959 Surely Luke is showing his readers here 00:22:42.959 --> 00:22:44.779 that not having face time with Jesus, 00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:47.200 just because you don't have face time with him 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.079 is no barrier to not believing and trusting in him. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.059 And I think that's where this passage gives us 00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:57.559 a great model of the biblical understanding of faith, 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:00.220 the biblical concept of faith. 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:02.879 Just think about it in your own life this morning. 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:06.259 I was thinking of Beth when she was up here. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:07.680 She was talking about her work colleagues, 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:08.599 how they think of her. 00:23:08.819 --> 00:23:10.680 Just think about your situation for a minute. 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:13.039 Think about your friends, 00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:14.200 your non-believing friends. 00:23:14.320 --> 00:23:15.840 Think about your non-believing family. 00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:18.900 As they ask you about your faith, 00:23:19.380 --> 00:23:20.880 what do you say your faith is? 00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:25.019 As we live in a world where people like Richard Dawkins, 00:23:25.080 --> 00:23:26.440 and I've got him down quoting here, 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:28.640 he calls faith the great cop-out. 00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:31.120 How would you respond to that? 00:23:33.580 --> 00:23:36.039 I think that's a great question to be thinking about 00:23:36.039 --> 00:23:36.860 from this passage, 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:38.039 but it's a great question as well, 00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:39.119 and can I encourage you to do this, 00:23:39.180 --> 00:23:41.220 to talk about after the service this morning. 00:23:41.579 --> 00:23:42.639 We're going to be talking about it 00:23:42.639 --> 00:23:44.059 in our small groups this week as well. 00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:45.639 How do you answer that question 00:23:45.639 --> 00:23:46.899 to your non-believing friends? 00:23:47.019 --> 00:23:47.720 What is faith? 00:23:49.619 --> 00:23:51.720 You know, surely here this passage tells us 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.879 that biblical faith 00:23:52.879 --> 00:23:55.700 is not about having face time with Jesus. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:58.659 Biblical faith is the 00:23:58.659 --> 00:24:02.079 idea of hearing the evidence, 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:04.539 and going with the evidence, 00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:07.519 and leaning the whole way of your life 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:09.940 in trust on the word of the king. 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:12.700 That's what true faith is. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:15.779 Great thing to be talking about after the service. 00:24:15.879 --> 00:24:17.960 How can we be encouraging each other in this? 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:20.599 The centurion, he grasps 00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:22.940 the true identity of Jesus Christ. 00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:24.819 And see at verse 9, 00:24:26.539 --> 00:24:29.940 what does Jesus say? 00:24:30.940 --> 00:24:31.759 Such faith, 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:34.220 he marvels at such faith. 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:36.799 Marvels at such faith. 00:24:37.019 --> 00:24:38.820 Really interesting that in the Gospels, 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:41.200 Jesus has only said to marvel at two things. 00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:44.440 Mark chapter 6 is the first place 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:45.960 we see Jesus marveling, 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:48.700 and it's at the unbelief 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:50.160 of his own people, 00:24:50.320 --> 00:24:51.240 his hometown people. 00:24:51.340 --> 00:24:52.740 They don't get who he is, 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:54.940 and Jesus marvels at their unbelief. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:58.019 And the second one is here, 00:24:58.100 --> 00:24:58.900 Luke chapter 7. 00:24:59.940 --> 00:25:01.380 What is Jesus marveling at? 00:25:01.420 --> 00:25:03.160 He's marveling at the faith of this 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.340 outsider, this centurion, 00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:07.240 this rank outsider. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.480 He sees Jesus, 00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:10.320 and he gets it. 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:13.039 He gets who Jesus is. 00:25:13.080 --> 00:25:14.019 And what does Jesus say? 00:25:14.460 --> 00:25:16.740 I have not found such great faith, 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:18.680 even in Israel. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:22.759 And just in case we were in any doubt 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:24.980 as to the ability of Jesus to heal, 00:25:25.360 --> 00:25:27.920 we're told about him healing the centurion's 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:29.980 centurion's servant at the end of verse 10. 00:25:30.080 --> 00:25:30.620 Check it out. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:33.940 And it's really interesting as you read it through. 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:36.200 I wonder if you noticed it as we read it at the start, 00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:37.320 as we get to verse 10. 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:40.840 In fact, it's only the last word of verse 10. 00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:43.060 It's only the last word of this section 00:25:43.060 --> 00:25:46.180 that we find out the fate of the servant. 00:25:47.180 --> 00:25:48.039 Look at it with me. 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:51.579 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:53.200 they found the servant what? 00:25:54.039 --> 00:25:54.440 Dead? 00:25:56.139 --> 00:25:56.420 Struggling? 00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:57.799 No. 00:25:58.399 --> 00:26:00.259 They found him well. 00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:04.220 There's a sense of inevitability about it, isn't it, 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:05.039 as we read it here. 00:26:05.339 --> 00:26:06.159 Luke is saying to us, 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:09.559 well, of course Jesus' word was able to heal. 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:11.779 Of course he was able to do that, 00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:13.019 because his word is powerful. 00:26:13.019 --> 00:26:16.180 His word is life-giving, 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:18.059 and his word is life-restoring. 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.779 And it's true for us today. 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:24.019 You know, there's no promise here of being healed 00:26:24.579 --> 00:26:25.740 like the servant was. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:26.680 Servant was. 00:26:26.740 --> 00:26:27.879 There's no guarantee of that. 00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:32.059 But we are to know that Jesus' word will, 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:33.599 and it can, 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:36.500 bring healing to those who trust in him 00:26:36.500 --> 00:26:38.799 and submit to him as Lord and King 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:40.680 one day when he brings in his kingdom. 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:44.080 His word is powerful. 00:26:45.060 --> 00:26:46.600 And as we come into land this morning, 00:26:46.700 --> 00:26:47.960 would you notice verse 9? 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:51.940 Having marveled at the centurion's faith, 00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:52.740 what does Jesus do? 00:26:52.820 --> 00:26:55.200 He turns to the crowd that are following him, 00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:57.799 and he effectively says, 00:26:58.440 --> 00:26:59.720 what about you then? 00:27:01.140 --> 00:27:02.240 What about you then? 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:04.039 Are you going to grasp my true identity 00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:05.720 like the centurion has, 00:27:06.420 --> 00:27:08.420 or are you just going to pass me on by 00:27:08.420 --> 00:27:09.680 like everybody else? 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:12.240 You know, I was telling you at the beginning 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:14.519 about that bowl that was worth 2.2 million pounds. 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:17.000 I was thinking on it this week. 00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:19.060 When the identity of that, 00:27:19.360 --> 00:27:21.740 the true identity of that bowl was revealed, 00:27:22.360 --> 00:27:23.380 apart from the buyer, 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:25.960 there would have been two very different reactions 00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:27.039 to that, wouldn't there? 00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:29.460 Imagine you're the seller of that bowl. 00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:30.519 You'd bought it for three bucks. 00:27:30.600 --> 00:27:32.000 You'd sold it for 2.2 million. 00:27:32.120 --> 00:27:33.900 I mean, pina coladas on you every night, right? 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:37.320 You are celebrating when the true identity 00:27:37.320 --> 00:27:39.060 fully comes home to you. 00:27:39.059 --> 00:27:41.919 And I bet your bank manager was probably celebrating as well. 00:27:43.179 --> 00:27:44.460 But picture the scene of the, 00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:46.519 him or her, whoever it was, 00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:48.519 the person who sold it for three dollars, 00:27:48.639 --> 00:27:51.359 and eventually finds out it was actually worth 2.2 million. 00:27:53.099 --> 00:27:55.339 What Luke is telling us in this passage 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:58.299 is that don't pass over, 00:27:58.399 --> 00:27:59.779 pass over at your pearl, 00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:02.259 the true identity of this man Jesus. 00:28:05.019 --> 00:28:05.759 Grasp him, 00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:07.379 come to him, 00:28:08.099 --> 00:28:09.559 take him as your king, 00:28:09.980 --> 00:28:11.619 see him for who he is, 00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:12.679 and be, 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:14.339 like the centurion, 00:28:14.639 --> 00:28:15.720 a wise man 00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:18.839 who builds your house 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:21.359 on the rock of Jesus Christ. 00:28:22.659 --> 00:28:23.539 Let me pray. 00:28:23.539 --> 00:28:24.000 Let me pray. 00:28:25.339 --> 00:28:27.519 And maybe let's just pause for a moment's silence 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:31.119 as we respond to God's word this morning, 00:28:31.179 --> 00:28:33.199 and then we'll close with our final hymn. 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:35.000 Let's just be quiet for a minute. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:43.759 And so, gracious God, 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:46.039 and loving Heavenly Father, 00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:47.480 we thank you for your word. 00:28:48.980 --> 00:28:51.980 We thank you so much for the example of faith 00:28:51.980 --> 00:28:54.240 and trust that we have in Luke chapter 7. 00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:56.559 So, Father, our prayer 00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:58.940 is that you would help us this week, 00:28:59.099 --> 00:29:00.119 whatever we're doing, 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:01.500 with whoever we're with, 00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:03.460 to be those who stand 00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:05.200 on the word of the king, 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:07.559 to be those who trust 00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:08.980 the word of the king, 00:29:09.619 --> 00:29:11.420 and to be those who love 00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:12.859 the word of the king. 00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:15.140 And so it's in the king's name, 00:29:16.099 --> 00:29:17.619 the almighty name of Jesus Christ, 00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:18.619 that we pray these things. 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:19.539 Amen. 00:29:19.539 --> 00:29:19.639 Amen. 00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:49.620 Thank you.