Faith That Impresses Jesus

Faith That Impresses Jesus

Matthew 8:5-13

The subject for today …”Faith That Impresses Jesus”. Faith that impresses Jesus is definitely IMPRESSIVE FAITH! We are told in verse 10 that when Jesus heard the words of the Centurion, “He Marvelled” Literally, Jesus “admired” this man’s faith.

The Bible defines faith for us in - Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

There have been people I have met throughout my life that have “impressed” me with their faith. Certain circumstances arise that would devastate most men and these individuals are steady and secure. They put their faith and hope in The Lord. It is one thing to impress me, but this man we have read about today even made Jesus say “WOW”

At this point in His ministry Jesus has traveled many miles and encountered countless people. He has preached to many souls, performed many miracles, healed many sick folk but there is something different about this man. I would like to look at his story today and see what faith can do for you!

Faith is essential to the Christian life. Our Salvation is by grace through faith. We are to walk in faith daily.We find through the Word of God instances where faith is rewarded:

• There is the faith of those 4 men who brought the man to Jesus who was sick with the palsy.

• There is the faith of Jairus whose daughter Jesus brought back from the dead.

• There is the faith of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.

• There is the faith of the lepers who were cleansed

• There is the faith of the sick that were healed.

• There is the faith of those disciples who followed Jesus

The Word faith is used 247 times in the Bible. (interesting fact: it is only used twice in the O.T)

The bible tells us that the “Just shall live by faith” - Romans 1:17

Jesus said - “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” - Matthew 17:20

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith

Look with me to verses 5-6 and we will see:

I. A Request That Required Faith v5-6

This man made his request known to Jesus. In his plea we see a glimpse into his faith. Consider:

A. The Concern Of The Centurion - v5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

A centurion was a Roman military who commanded a group of 100 men.We can see much about this man’s character in these few verses that record his story. At a time when many other masters would have sent this servant to an infirmary he invested his own time into seeking a solution for this man.

The Centurion had a measure of faith. He also had a deep concern for his servant. This man sets a good example for us today…. We have loved ones who need a miracle; we can & should go to Jesus on their behalf! This man came to Jesus for his hired help; won’t you go to Him on behalf of your children?

B. The Condition Of The Servant - v6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

The Centurion’s servant is described as being “sick of the palsy” this would be better translated “paralytic or paralyzed” The servant was in a helpless situation. We are not told what caused the issue but we are informed of the extent of the illness… v6 says that he was “grievously tormented”. The servant was in a bad situation and needed a miracle. Somehow, the centurion had heard of what Jesus had been doing in the area and he believed that Jesus could help his beloved servant.

Every person here knows someone who is in worse shape than the Centurion’s servant. This servant was in tormented physically. Some of our family and friends will be tormented ETERNALLY! The word “tormented” is literally translated “tortured”

In Luke 16 the Rich Man in hell proclaimed that he was “tormented in this flame” Do you realize that that could be your loved one? Do you even care? Will you come to Jesus on their behalf? If you will, your request requires faith… Just like the Centurion had!

Not only was there “A Request That Required Faith” we also see:

II. A Response That Rewarded Faith v7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Aren’t you glad that when you go to Jesus you get a response?It may not always be the response you want, be you will not be ignored! You may get a yes, a no, or a not right now… but you WILL GET A RESPONSE! This man took his issue to Jesus and Jesus said “sure, I will heal him”