Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Looking at two different miracles - with two different emphases
• The Centurion's Servant
• The Raising of the Son of the Widow of Nain
• Going to bring out two different truths:
• The Bible is a balanced book
• We as sinful people are often unbalanced
  • Examples
• Two truths:
• v1-10: a need for faith
• A pagan man who had greater faith than all of Israel
• v11-17:
• No calling out in faith
• The Sovereignty of God
• Two truths:
• One emphasises man, our responsibly to believe
• The other emphasises God's work, His Sovereignty
• Christianity is all about God (and what He has done in the Lord Jesus Christ)
• The Bible presents a balanced view
• We must have a balanced view 
• God's Sovereignty and man's responsibility
• Overview:
• A man's faith (v1-10)
• A Sovereign Lord (v11-17)

A man's faith

• Who was the Roman Centurion?
• A great man of wealth and power
• He had many servants
• He had soldiers
• He was stationed in Capernaum
• Jesus performed many miracles in Capernaum
• Sadly they were an unbelieving town
• His faith stands out in a place of blindness and unbelief
• A gentile
• It was strange that a gentile showed such love towards the Jewish people
• They were enemies - the Jews hated the Romans
• The gentiles despised the Jewish people
• He calls upon the elders of the synagogue to go to Jesus
• They say he has built them a synagogue
• He had rejected polytheism
• Maybe he had joined the synagogue
• As people we make generalisations - we are often wrong
• We see common grace
• The centurion is acting long before he met Jesus
• Example of Corneilius
• We are all sinners
• He loves his servant
• Many would love their family - how many would bother about a servant?
• He has heard about and believes in Jesus
• He had such great faith (v9)
• The Roman Centurion had come to faith in Jesus
• He had not had the privilege of a Jewish training/upbringing
• Yet God had chosen him for salvation
• His occupation did not bar him from faith
• Where do we find great faith today?
• Not necessarily in the religious establishment
• Not restricted to any profession
• Not restricted to those who are gifted in the Scriptures
• Faith in a Person
• Not faith in a dogma - but faith in a person - the Lord Jesus Christ
• What he had heard about Jesus he believed with all his heart
  • Examples
• He believed that Jesus only needed to speak a word and His servant would be healed
• A humble faith - he did not feel worthy to go to Jesus
• Challenge:
• Are we looking for proof or testing God?
• Do we say that the word of God is not enough?
• Cry out to God and ask for such a faith!
• Believe in the Word of God

A Sovereign Lord

• A widow
• She has lost her husband
• She has lost her only son
• Can we imagine the grief?
• Her past is bad, her future is very bleak
• The funeral
• An immediate funeral
• Jesus had likely walked 40 miles
• He has compassion
• Jesus has great compassion on people
• Jesus touches the person
• He is Lord of the law
• He speaks with great power
• "Arise"
• Only the Son of God can do this
• The man is raised from the dead
• He really was dead
• Like Lazarus
• Jesus has mighty power
• A stupendous miracle
• No-one had prayed or cried to Jesus
• Not like with the Centurion
• No action of man
• The Sovereign act of God
• Great fear came upon them
• They didn't have a faith
• It appeared that their hearts were not changed

A picture of salvation

• A sinner dead in trespass and sin
• We are far off from God, in darkness
• We are spiritually dead
• We need the movement of God towards us
• God sends Jesus Christ
• We cannot be saved by the law - we needed a Saviour
• There are always two sides to truth
• God has sent Jesus
• We must call upon God and have faith in Jesus Christ
• John 3:16-18
• Challenge:
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
• Do you believe the word of God
• Have you entrusted your life to Jesus?