Mountain Life Church/Life Pack/July 22, 2012

...and Jesus Marveled!

...and Jesus Marveled!Sermon Notes

July 22, 2012

I. A God Fearing CenturionA. Two accounts of the Roman centurion

1. Matthew 8: 5-132. Luke 7: 1-10

B. Three kinds of people in Jewish worldview1. Pagans/Gentiles - Had no belief in the God of Abraham2. God Fearers - Gentiles who believe in the God of Abraham3. Jews - Descendants of Abraham and believers in Yahweh

C. The textual differences1. In Matthew, the centurion comes to Jesus 2. In Luke, the centurion sends Jewish elders to speak with

Jesus for him3. The Jewish view of servants/messengers

II. The Faith of the CenturionA. Contrast the centurion with the Jewish elders

1. The elders thought the Roman was worthy because of his works

2. Jesus thought he was worthy because of his faith

B. Where did the centurion get his faith?1. Faith is initiated by God 2. Faith is a response to

revelation

C. The centurion’s view of authority informed his faith1. He believes Jesus is King2. He believes Jesus is Lord3. He believes Jesus can speak

and things far away can be affected

Write any notes from the week here

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Table TalkTeensRead Matthew 8:5-13

Question One:The centurion who was used to giving orders to his soldiers understood the principle of authority.

★ What can we learn from the centurion’s response to Jesus?

Question Two:One with authority does not need to be present in order to accomplish a task. Orders may be carried out by others even at a distance.

★ Why did Jesus marvel at the centurion’s great faith?

Question Three:The faith of the centurion was the kind of faith Jesus was looking for in Israel. The Israelites thought that they would automatically gain entrance into His kingdom just because of their religious backgrounds.

★ Do you believe we draw closer to Jesus by religion or by relationship and why?

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III.And Jesus MarveledA. Jesus marvels at two things in the Gospels

1. People’s faith (Matthew 8 and Luke 7)2. People’s lack of faith (Mark 6: 6)

B. In what way does Jesus marvel at me?1. Is He amazed at my faith?2. Is He amazed at my lack of faith?3. It’s not based on my understanding, faith is based on my

actions!

C. Jesus reveals that judgment is based not on works, but on faith (Verses 11-12)1. Jews may not make it to heaven because of their unbelief2. Gentiles may make it based on their faith

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Life Group Questions for July 22, 2012

“Good News” SeriesMessage = ...and Jesus Marveled!

Ice  Breaker:    Tell  about  one  of  the  biggest  surprises  you  ever  had.

Read  Ma-hew  8:  5-­‐‑13

1. Tell  what  you  observe  about  this  passage.

2. Have  someone  read  verses  8-­‐‑9  again.    The  centurion  obviously  understands  some  things  about  Jesus.    What  does  this  statement  say  He  believes  to  be  true  about  Jesus?    

3. Tell  about  a  time  when  you  took  a  big  step  of  faith  and  God  rewarded  you.

4. Have  you  ever  stepped  out  in  faith  believing  God  was  telling  you  to  do  something,  only  to  find  out  that  you  were  wrong?    Tell  about  it  and  then  tell  what  you  learned  from  the  experience.

5. In  what  area  of  your  life  is  it  most  difficult  to  trust  God?  

6. In  order  to  walk  in  faith,  we  must  learn  to  hear  God’s  voice.    Do  you  feel  that  you  have  been  hearing  His  voice  lately?    Please  explain.

7. Pray  for  one  another.

Table Talk

ElementaryMatthew 8: 5-­13

Day 1 - Read Matthew 8:5-13. Jesus was "astonished" at the great faith of the Centurion. How would you define faith? Faith can be difficult to define since it is not something that you can see, like the wind. However, we can see the affects of wind (trees blow, etc.), just like we can see the effects of one's faith.

Day 2 - The centurion said to Jesus, "I do not deserve to have you come under my roof...". This is  example of being humble. The man is not proud or demanding or even boastful; instead he was humble and quietly asked Jesus to help. What would you like Jesus to help you with?

Day 3 - Create a shield out of thick paper (card-stock or construction paper) and write the Bible passage (Matthew 8 : 5-13) on the shield. Post this shield some place in your home as a visual reminder of the humble faith of the Centurion soldier.

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Table TalkPreschool & Nursery:Read Matthew 8: 5-13 with your child or tell them the

story in your own words.Talk about placing our trust in Jesus and having faith in Him. Explain what the word humble means.

1. What was the position of the man who came to Jesus? (Answer: Roman officer)

2. Why did he ask Jesus for help? (Answer: his servant was very sick and could not walk)

3. Why was Jesus amazed at the officer’s faith? (Answer: The man was not an Israelite; he was a Roman soldier, and they did not like Jews.

4. What does it mean to humble yourself? (Not being proud; putting others before yourself)

Learning Points: To understand what was so amazing about the army officer (had faith and was humble). Share how God can help us with our problems.)

Bible Verse: Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus. To let me know you care. May I try my best to please Him. His love I will share. Amen.

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Personal Devotion PagesThe following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom.

LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God.

BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol:

INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol:

ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him.

These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don’t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming.

Enjoy!

Day One1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.

2. Read  MaUhew  8:  5-­‐‑13  slowly  and  meditate  on  it.    Write  down  in  this  space  what  you  observe.

3. What  do  you  think  Jesus  sees  about  the  centurion’s  faith  that  is  so  astounding?

Memorize  Hebrews  11:  6

Memorize  Hebrews  11:  1  and  6.

Memorize  Hebrews  11:  1  and  6

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”

~Matthew 8:10, NAS95

When Jesus marvels in verse 10, the Greek word implies that he stood in mouth agape, wide eyed astonishment. Things got so quiet you could hear crickets. The angels around the throne probably stopped shouting, Holy Holy Holy, and looked down upon the sun scorched earth - for their king was speechless. The Father sitting upon His heavenly throne probably exclaimed, Somebody got it! And then He let out a joyful laugh.

Jesus then did what He did best, He affirmed the centurion for his faith. This implies that Jesus had begun to set His expectations fairly low. Most people didn’t (and don’t today) understand faith, and even fewer walked in it. He came to His own people and hadn’t found many of them who had faith in Him. When He heard this Roman make his statement about authority, Jesus was caught unaware. The Roman’s statement asserted that He understood Jesus to be the King of Heaven and Earth, and could expect that King’s orders to be done!

The centurion was absolutely sold on Jesus‘ identity as Lord of All! This kind of faith comes from a revelation from heaven. People don’t just figure these kinds of things out on their own. God had whispered things in this man’s ears, and he BELIEVED THEM! Faith is not something we drum up on our own. We cannot do it without first getting a revelation (an eye opening, revealing message) from God!

Our job is to simply believe what God reveals to us. When we finally take His word as something solid enough to walk on, we have entered into the realm of faith!

Go for it. Take a walk on what God has shown you!

Day Five

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Day Five1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.  

2. Meditate  again  on  MaUhew  8:  5-­‐‑13.    Ask  the  Lord  to  help  you  walk  in  faith  like  the  centurion  did.

3. Ask  the  Lord  to  begin  showing  you  how  to  walk  in  His  authority  on  a  daily  basis.    Ask  Him  to  show  you  how  this  authority  is  activated.

4. Finish  your  Bible  memorization  today.

Day OneWhen Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and racked with pain.”

~Matthew 8:5, 6, NLT

This Roman Centurion was quite a guy. Most historians will tell you that, from a Roman officer's perspective, Judea was a lousy assignment (kinda like getting Minot, North Dakota if you’re in the Air Force). Yet, in the midst of what was an undesirable assignment, God began to mold this man’s heart.

Think of it. You’re an officer in an occupying army and the locals hate your guts. They don’t even look at you. If they could do it without impunity, they would spit in your face. Your only friends are the other soldiers around you. They are all debased pagans with the morals of a mafioso. As you hang out with your army buddies, you begin to be repelled at the same old, sickening bathroom humor and boastings of depraved sexual adventures.

Luke’s Gospel tells us that this centurion has become a friend of the Jewish people. He’s even helped build the local synagogue from his own purse. He has gradually become a worshiper of the God of Israel. The Hebrews call him a God Fearer, a term given to those who worship the living God, but have not officially become Jews through circumcision.

So, not only has this guy rejected the gods of Rome, He has drawn near to Yahweh with a hungry heart. His young servant is deathly ill, and having heard of Jesus’ healing power, he comes reverently to the Lord to implore Him to come heal him.

Sometimes, the greatest change in our hearts happens in the worst of circumstances. God uses what the world calls a lousy assignment to draw us to Himself.

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Day Two1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  

enjoy  thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.  

2. Read  MaUhew  8:  5-­‐‑13  again  today.      

3. Read  Hebrews  11.    Define  Faith  in  your  own  words.  

4. Ask  the  Lord  if  He  has  revealed  anything  about  Himself  to  you  lately.    Then  ask  Him  if  you  have  been  faithful  to  obey  what  He  has  told  you.

5. Continue  memorizing  and  meditating  on  the  scriptures  for  this  week.

Day FourThen the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this or that,’ they do it.”

~Matthew 8:8, 9, NLT

This centurion understands authority. Authority works the same in the Roman military as it does in the kingdom of God. When someone in authority speaks, it is done without hesitation. When someone who is under authority hears an order, they follow that order with diligence.

So if we take this idea to its logical conclusion, we can say this: When I obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, the authority of Heaven stands behind me and goes before me as I obey! As I do what God asks me to do, His Kingdom overflows out of me into others, bringing healing, deliverance, encouragement, refreshment, and conviction.

Obedience is only half of the equation. The centurion had faith in Jesus. He believed Jesus WAS the son of God! His faith told him that if Jesus said it, it would happen. So, obedience must be done as an act of faith - I must obey knowing that God will do what He does naturally when I step out!

My goal this week: Listen to the voice of God speak, confirm it with scripture, then step out on it as God directs. Trust God with the results.

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Day TwoThis Roman centurion impresses me. I’m with Jesus... this guy is a marvel. If you put yourself in the sandals of a first century Roman soldier, you are seeing yourself as a fighting machine serving the greatest empire in the world at the time. In your worldview, your gods have bested all the other gods in the world, and you and your country are better than them all.

You’re especially better than the cantankerous, monotheistic, hateful Jews. Yet, out of an empty spirit, you open your mind to see what this Jewish God is all about. To your surprise, you’ve found Him to be kind, just, compassionate, and he espouses a morality far superior to your petty gods.

You hear about a new rabbi preaching an even more edgy perspective. You might have even gone to hear him preach a time or two, and were amazed at His authority, His lofty, but down to earth teaching, and His authenticity shocked you.

You watch as He heals the multitudes of incurable diseases. You even see the lame walk and the blind see. There is truly something about this young rabbi.

Suddenly, your friend, who is also your servant falls deathly ill. Before hopelessness can drown you, your memory is flooded with pictures of the multitudes being healed one at a time. Jesus. I must get Jesus to come heal my servant!

In his fellow soldiers’ eyes, the centurion has sunk to a new low. He has become a worshiper of the pitiful Jewish God. Yet, he does not care. His soul has been set free. He has found what he has longed for all his life.

Even though Jews are not allowed to go under the same roof as a Gentile, the centurion knows that Jesus will heal. He’s convinced that He is more than just a man.

I wonder, am I willing to lay it all on the line with the Rabbi?

Day Four1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2. Take  more  time  today  to  pray  for  healing  for  yourself.

3. Read  slowly  over  James  2.    What  did  you  observe?    Write  it  down  here.    

4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  week.

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Day Three Day Three1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2. Read  slowly  over  Hebrews  11  again  today.    Write  down  your  observations  here.

3. Take  time  to  write  down  some  people  near  and  dear  to  you  who  need  healing.    Write  down  their  names  and  pray  for  them  today.

 4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  

week.

Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” ~Matthew 8:7, NLT

I love how wisely the Lord puts these two stories back to back - the leper and the centurion. Both of them show the profound authority Jesus walked in, the overwhelming compassion from which He operated, and His unwillingness to let anything stop Him from giving people what they needed.

When the leper asked for healing, Jesus stretched forth his hand and healed him. When the centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant, Jesus said an equally scandalous statement, I will come and heal him.

Everyone at the time knew that Jews had no dealings with Gentiles. They were forbidden to eat with them and a good Jew, especially a rabbi, would never step foot under the roof of a Gentile. This would, according to Mosaic Law, make the Jew unclean for some time.

When Jesus said, I will come and heal him, He bowled over the law about Jews not going under the roof of a Gentile.

The centurion knew about the law, and in his desire to honor Jesus, he suggested a plan that would keep Jesus from causing scandal. The plan was absolutely God breathed.

Then the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed!” Matthew 8:8, NLT.

Jesus had not seen such faith by His own people, the Jews. He was flabbergasted! Have I flabbergasted Jesus lately?

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