Just Say the Word!

So get this. Months before that other centurion we all know about stands at the cross and says, surely he is the Son of God. This centurion has already come to that same conclusion. This is the Messiah. This is the anointed one. This is Lord.

And I want you to notice he realizes something else. Did you notice in verse six he sends this new message that says I'm not worthy to have you come under the roof of my house. The Jewish elder said Lord you got to help this guy. He is worthy. He says no don't come to my house.

I am not worthy. We're so glad you've joined us today here on Wisdom for the Heart. With this broadcast Stephen begins a new series called Demonstrations of Resurrection Power. It comes from the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 7 Jesus made a significant turn in his ministry. He extended the promise of salvation beyond the Jewish community and began speaking directly to Gentiles. In Jesus interaction with a Roman centurion the expression of faith and a miraculous healing teach us that the promise of salvation is for all the earth. Here's Stephen with a lesson that he's calling Just Say the Word. We're living in a constantly drifting culture.

We have to regularly update our GPS. Where we are, who we are, where we're going, who we're listening to, what we're obeying, what we're believing to the accurate and changing word of God. I want to show you a man who was guided in a crisis moment by nothing more than the word of Christ. So take your Bibles and go back with me again to Luke's Gospel. We're now in chapter 7 of his first letter to Theophilus, this converted Gentile aristocrat. Luke's second letter is called the book of Acts. But Luke tells him and us now here in chapter 7 and verse 1, after he, that is Jesus, had finished all his sayings and the hearing of the people he entered Capernaum.

Capernaum is this busy city built near a major trade route and it becomes the Lord's home base for his ministry. And what we just read is a summary statement in verse 1 that signals a new stage in Jesus' mission and his ministry. In fact, if you've been with us, the first six chapters of Luke's Gospel, Jesus has dealt primarily with the Jewish people. But now after finishing his sermon on the plateau, he wraps that up, he now begins to interact with Gentiles. And here in the seventh chapter, this is his first encounter with a Gentile. Verse 2 introduces him to us as a Roman centurion.

Let me pause long enough to tell you what I have learned. A centurion was in command of a century of soldiers. That's the same word family, 100 soldiers. Centurions were responsible for the discipline and morale of the regiment. They were considered the cement of the Roman army. Polybius, the Greek historian wrote 200 years before the birth of Jesus, that centurions were, quote, reliable men, not overanxious to rush into the fight, but if hard-pressed, ready to hold their ground even if it meant dying at their post.

These are highly respected military leaders. Frankly, I don't find it really any coincidence at all that Luke is going to write to Theophilus, a Gentile official, this testimony of a highly respected Gentile commander who's demonstrating faith in Christ. Let me tell you about a Gentile, a man of high regard who demonstrates faith in Jesus. Just as an aside, you could do this study on your own, but until my study in this text, I wasn't aware that Luke will introduce us to seven centurions who will sort of weave them into his gospel narrative. In Luke chapter 23 and over in Matthew's parallel account, you may remember probably the most famous centurion. He's standing there beside the cross.

You remember as Jesus dies, he says, Matthew records him saying, truly this was the Son of God, Matthew 27, 54. Luke will write in Acts chapter 10 of the conversion of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. In Acts 21, you have a centurion that rescues the apostle Paul from being killed by this mob. In Acts 23, you have another centurion who enables Paul to avoid an assassination attempt. Also later in that chapter, you have two centurions with their 200 soldiers that escort Paul safely to trial before Felix, the governor. And then in Acts 27, a centurion will treat Paul with a tremendous amount of respect. In fact, he will follow Paul's advice as they are facing shipwreck and they are shipwrecked on the island of Malta. He's going to bring these seven centurions.

It's just an interesting study you could do on your own as they become followers, many of them of Christ. Now notice verse two. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death who was highly valued by him. Now Luke, the medical doctor, he gives us his prognosis. The language here is death is impending.

In other words, there isn't anything a doctor can do. That's what he means. But we're told here that he was highly valued by the centurion.

The word for valued could be translated honored or respected. We're not told why. We have no back story here. But we are told it was serious enough for the centurion to actually enlist the help of Jewish community leaders to go after Jesus. Verse three, when the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews asking him to come and heal his servant.

And there's this note of urgency in this request. The word for heal, come and heal, again, is another medical term from Dr. Luke, which was used in the medical community for rescuing someone who was dying from a severe illness. The servant has essentially been rushed into intensive care, which is probably why they're not bringing him to Jesus. They're asking Jesus to come to him. In fact, Matthew, in his parallel account, uses the word paralysis to give us the condition of this individual, which implies that at this moment, he's already slipped into a coma. He's not moving.

There's really nothing you can do. His life is literally hanging in the balance. So the centurion, he reaches out to these Jewish elders to get a message to Jesus. And you may know this, but let me tell you, Jewish elders aren't in the practice of running errands for people, but they do. And we're told why over here in verse four. And when they, that is the Jewish elders, came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly saying, he is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he is the one who built us our synagogue.

So they're not only bringing the request, they're lobbying on his behalf. And rightly so, the centurion, evidently, is a follower of God, not a full Jewish proselyte, but someone you'll read about in Scripture as a God-fearer, a believer in the God of Israel. And we have this really interesting phrase, he loves the nation Israel. I mean, how many Roman centurions love Israel?

Not very many, I can assure you. In fact, Luke uses the verb agapao, we think of agape. This is the volitional, willful decision. He's made up his mind that he loves Israel, which is an implication that he's made up his mind that the God of Israel is worth following. This is an interesting Roman soldier. Now, we know from history that centurions were paid about 15 times more than the ordinary soldier, making them fairly wealthy. And evidently, he was generous because we just read he built their synagogue. I mean, what Roman soldier does that? I imagine the building committee loved this guy. He built their little synagogue.

And I told, which one? We are told in the next verse that Jesus agreed to go with them. Matthew's account says that Jesus responds by saying, I will go and heal him. Keep that in mind. Keep that in mind. Jesus doesn't say, I will go and take a look at him and see what I can do.

I don't really do much in the ICU. No, I will go and heal him. He promises something that he will be able to produce. His word will stand. In fact, we'll find out he doesn't even go to the house.

I mean, think about it. Continents are shifting and drifting but his word stands. Now, I want you to watch what happens here in verse 6.

Jesus went with them and when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends saying to him, Lord, do not trouble yourself for I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof. Now, stop here for a moment. Don't read ahead. Look up this way. Okay, thank you. Let me point out two terms.

You can actually look back but I want you to circle them. First, he uses the term Lord. Now, we know that can be an expression of respect like sir.

However, and the context determines this, most often in the New Testament, unbelievers refer to him as rabbi, teacher, believers refer to him as Lord. Somewhere in here, the centurion has been doing his homework. God has granted to him, to this Roman soldier, the very insight the Jewish nation can't seem to get their minds around. He is basing his request on his faith in the word of this one who is not just sir but the divine Lord, as one commentator brought out. So get this, months before that other centurion we all know about stands at the cross and says, surely he is the son of God.

This centurion has already come to that same conclusion. This is the Messiah. This is the anointed one.

This is the one we've been waiting for. This is God the son. This is Jehovah. This is Lord.

He can do whatever he wants to do. And I want you to notice he realizes something else. Did you notice in verse six he sends this new message that says, I'm not worthy to have you come under the roof of my house?

Don't miss the obvious play on words. The Jewish elder said, Lord, you got to help this guy. He is worthy. He says, no, don't come to my house. I am not worthy. The implication is he's heard what the elders have said.

He never told them to say that because of his recognition of the divinity of Christ. He essentially says, don't come here. I'm not worthy.

Besides, you don't have to visit the ICU. You don't have to get in the neighborhood. Just say the word. Verse seven, but say the word and my servant will be healed. Just say the word. Lord, just say the word.

Just speak and he'll be healed. He goes on to explain in verse eight, for I too am a man set under authority with soldiers under me. And I say to one, go. And he goes and do another come. And he comes and to my servant do this.

And he does it. I say go and they go. The word for go that command is actually a military term that could be translated march. I say to my men, march.

And they don't say, well, let me think about it. You know, my feet hurt. No, they march.

I say stop, they stop. Attention, man, heels click together. This one author said this all has that military ring and snap to it.

So here's what he's saying to Jesus. I'm a military man. I have authority over one hundred men. When I tell my men to march, they march. In fact, when I send an order for them to march at a certain time, I don't even have to be there. They're going to follow that order.

And they don't respond with anything. But yes, sir. So what's he saying to Jesus? He's saying, Lord, I can command whatever is under my authority and so can you. And since you're the Lord of the universe, you can command everything.

My paralyzed servant, disease, the power to heal, nature, the physical body, time, distance, the universe. Everything is under your command. Just say the word. Just say the word. I wondered as I read this, how responsive are we to God's word?

How quick am I when he says march? I'm going to think about it. My feet hurt. Stop. Let this be our attitude, beloved Lord. Just say the word.

Just say the word. Verse 9. We're told here when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him. By the way, take from your mind the idea of surprise.

There's no element of surprise. Jesus isn't surprised. Marveled could be, I think better translated, admired. He admired him. Turning to the crowd that followed him said, I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.

The elders of the Jewish people commended his works. Jesus commended his faith, and his faith was placed where? In his works?

No. In the words of Jesus. Matthew's Gospel tells us that at this very moment, his servant was healed. Luke records for us in his account in verse 10, and when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. The word well is another word out of Luke's medical bag.

It's a word that means in good health, in perfect condition, which is really an amazing series then. Here's a man moments ago. He hadn't eaten a meal in who knows how long. He's been paralyzed for who knows how long.

His life has been hanging by a thread. He's at death's door, and suddenly, miraculously, immediately, he's in great shape. Jesus just says the word. In fact, by the way, in neither account really at this moment are we even given in either Gospel account what word that was.

Jesus may very well have simply thought it. What does this say to us as believers? How reliable do we treat his word? Is it not simply the word of the Lord? He doesn't have to be in the room with us.

We don't have to feel him, sense him, see him, hear him in order to believe him. J.C. Ryle in his expository thoughts on this text provoked my thinking. He wrote now more than 100 years ago when he asked this question. Have you actually seen the book of life? Have you seen your name written there?

No. Then how do you know it's there? Because God said so. He wrote through the Apostle Paul referring to believers in Philippians 4 verse 3.

They are those whose names are written in the book of life. But you haven't seen it. Have you actually heard Jesus standing as your advocate before the Father when you sin, defending you when you sin?

No. So how do you know he is? His word says, my children, when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. First John 2 verse 1. Just provoked my thinking. How do you know you're going to go to heaven to live with Jesus forever? I mean, how do you know that's really going to happen? Have you seen it?

Have you been able to check out your room? No. Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again and take you to myself that where I am there you will be also. He said it. John 14 too. And between here and heaven, you know, that's going to be sometime perhaps. How do you know Jesus isn't going to change his mind and abandon you?

I mean, I'd get tired of me. How do we know he won't? Well, look, he said, behold, look, I am with you always even to the end of time. Matthew 28, 20. David Livingston, that wonderful pioneering missionary to Africa in the 1800s said that at every crisis in his life, he would go back to Matthew chapter 28 verse 20 and he would read this promise and he would say this as he wrote in his diary, this promise is the word of a gentleman of the highest honor and that settles it. He has given us his word. We live in an age of uncertainty.

It's like the GPS has gotten all scrambled up, isn't it? We're living in an age where people are more open than ever to the advice, the counsel, the pseudo wisdom of just about anybody and everybody to give them direction in life, even life beyond the grave, right? Everybody I talk to has an opinion now. Nobody's saying, well, this is it.

Most people I talk to talk about where they're going to be and what they're going to do after. Even our secular world though is uneasy with this growing suspicion that there is something more out there. There is some kind of cosmic intelligence. There is some sort of universal force. The question is where will they look and to whom will they listen?

What word will they follow? Whose advice and counsel? I was at the store some time ago in an older teenage girl, early college, 18, 19, 20 years of age was at the counter. I was checking out and I said, I hope you're having a good day. She kind of opened up. She said, well, not really.

She said, I've had an injury in a soccer game, my foot and I've been told that it's going to ruin my desires one day to be in ballet. So I just kind of threw out the bait. You know how you do that?

You just sort of throw out a little thing and see if they respond. I said, well, you know, God has a purpose for everything even though we don't understand why. Just to see what the response would be. She said, well, I believe that's true because this injury has given me a lot of time to focus on my religion. I said, well, there you go. What religion are you? She said, well, I'm a pagan.

I wasn't expecting that. I said, well, I know some people like that. What does it mean to you? And she said, well, I'm studying Wicca. I would like to be a witch and start my own coven. I said, well, that's interesting. What would you like to do after that? She said, well, I'm studying how to worship earth, get in tune with earth. And she said, I would like to start an earth church.

I thought it was interesting that she wanted to go to church. I said, well, that's that's pretty interesting. What do you want to do after that? She said, well, I'd really like to be a school teacher. And I thought, I'm glad my kids have already graduated. I looked at her and I said, you know, it's wonderful.

It'd be a great career. I said, but let me ask you a question. After spending your life doing all these wonderful things that you think are things you'd love to do. What are you going to do a couple of minutes after you die? And she sort of hemmed and hawed, and then she said, I hope the divine will be good to me. And I said, oh, so you believe in God? She said, well, not that.

Not really. And another customer decided it was time for them to check out. And I told her, I want you to think about that encounter with that divine in the days ahead.

She promised she would. You know, like the rest of the world around us, her foundation is built on shaky ground. I mean, it's all about Earth. Even Earth is moving. The plates are shifting. You know, they're five feet off in Australia.

Imagine being an eternity off. Where's the word? Where's the counsel? Where's the advice for life that's solid and true? Listen, and with this I close from Psalm 33. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made. And by the breath of his mouth, all their hosts, that is all the stars he spoke of. Let all the Earth reverence the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke and it came to be.

He commanded and it stood firm. The Lord brings the advice of the nations to nothing. But the advice, the word of the Lord stands forever. And with that, Stephen begins a series entitled Demonstrations of Resurrection Power.

This is a nine-part series, and we'll be bringing you the rest of it in the days ahead. Thanks for joining us. This is Wisdom for the Heart. Wisdom for the Heart is produced by Wisdom International, and we are the Bible teaching ministry of pastor and author Stephen Davey. If you're new to our ministry, welcome. We're glad you found us here on your local Christian station. If you'd like to learn more about us, we have a website. You'll find us online at wisdomonline.org. We have information there that'll introduce you to our ministry, as well as give you access to all of the resources that we provide.

All of them are designed to equip and encourage you in your walk with Jesus Christ. Take a few minutes and look around that website. Once again, it's wisdomonline.org. As I mentioned, we'll continue through this series in the days ahead. So join us next time here on Wisdom for the Hearts.