This is Darren Kuhn with the Masculine Journey Podcast, where we search the ancient paths to find ways that God brings light into a dark world and helps set men free from the struggles that we all face on a day-to-day basis. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it.
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It's a two-part program. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and Finding Purpose, you can visit us online at findingpurpose.net or connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. Okay, tonight's message is entitled, Faith That Brings Life. As we read about the faith of a Roman centurion and the life that Jesus granted to the dead son of a grieving widow. So if you haven't done so, take your Bibles and turn with me to Luke chapter 7. You know we're going to only get through Luke chapter 9 this year, so you know what that means. We're getting close to the end.
It'll be here before you know it. So good Dr. Luke writes in verse 1, when Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. They're a centurion's servant whom his master valued highly, was sick and he was about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and he sent some elders of the Jews to him asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly, they begged Jesus, this man deserves to have you do this.
He deserves you to have you do this. Because he loves our nation and he has built our synagogue. So Jesus went with them. When Jesus was not far from the house, the centurion heard he was approaching and he sent some friends of his with this message, Lord, notice he said, Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself and a man under authority with soldiers under me, I tell this one go and he goes and that one come and he comes. I say to my servant, do this and he does it. When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. And turning to the crowd following him, he said, I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.
Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and of course found the servant well. What I want to show you tonight is that we see in this text the two, listen, absolutely 100% necessary requirements for any of us to experience what it means to be rich in the eyes of God. First, you must have saving faith. That saving faith always brings with it eternal life.
Faith and life. What I also want us to understand is that we deserve neither. And both of these are 100% that is both eternal life, faith and then eternal life. They're both gifts from God and God alone.
No human effort can make either a reality. Salvation and the gift of eternal life are entirely 100% the work of God. Do you understand that?
That's true. That's what the Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation. There's nothing we can do to earn God's favor. Now I want us to consider, I want us to take a look at the heart of this centurion so that we can see what it means to have true biblical saving faith. Everybody has faith in something. When you drove here tonight, you had faith your car would get you here. When you hit the light switch, you have faith that the lights will come on. But that faith is not good unless it comes on. You see, your faith is only as good as the object of your faith.
And so your faith, saving faith, must be in only one man, the God-man, Jesus Christ. Now in this text, we learn that Jesus has just finished speaking to the people on what is known as the Sermon on the Plain or the Sermon on the Mount. And there were perhaps hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who come from all over Israel. Do you know why they came from all over Israel? Because they wanted to hear this man who spoke life-giving words and which carried with them healing power. So here we find Jesus entering Capernaum, the seaside town that many believe was His adopted hometown because He spent so much time there.
He always seemed to be in Capernaum. And guys, I've had the privilege of walking in that little town and this got a stone going all the way down to the Sea of Galilee. And we walked in there, didn't we Jim? And maybe somebody else was with us in Israel. And we looked across this beautiful sea, the Sea of Galilee. And that's where this town of Capernaum lies, even today. You can see the ruins there of the temple that once stood there. At the same time Jesus was entering this town, there was also a man who lived in this town who was the servant of a very important man in that town. And he was about to die. But he happened to be the servant of a man who was actually very prominent.
In fact, maybe the most prominent man in the town because he was a Roman centurion. According to the editor of this Bible, Kenneth Barker, in the commentary, it's my favorite Bible right here, this NIV Study Bible. In fact, I'm collecting them now. You can go online and buy these for about $30 and get you a copy just like that.
And they don't make this anymore. So go get them before I get them all. Anyway, Kenneth Barker writes that this centurion was probably a member of Herod Antipas' forces, which were organized according to Roman fashion where they ordinarily had a company of 100 men. So this centurion, the name Century, he was over 100 men.
100 men were at his command. And he showed, this particular centurion showed great concern for his servant. And because of that, he was admired by the Jews who spoke favorably of him even though he was a despised Gentile.
They didn't despise this one because he'd done so much for that town and for the synagogue. Now it was obvious that this centurion heard all about Jesus because word of Jesus' miracles had spread far and wide. And so when this centurion heard that Jesus was in town and he knew that his servant lay there dying, he sent for help to the only one he knew who could deliver. He sent some Jewish elders to Jesus who, when they came to Jesus, they begged Jesus, they pleaded with Him to come and heal this servant. But I want you to notice what they said to Jesus in verses 4 and 5. Look, it says, they said, this man deserves to have you do this because he loves our nation and he's the man who built our synagogue.
He deserves this. This is what so many moralist and religious people say. Look, God, at all that I've done, I've attended church regularly, I give to the poor, I serve at the soup kitchen every Friday, and I tithe every week. I can remember a number of years ago, probably going back 35 years, but it just still resonates in my mind.
I had a client of mine that was one of my best clients, and he was a really wonderful man, very moral and honest and hardworking, but I didn't really discern that he had a relationship with God. And so I, from time to time, kind of throw something in, and not much because I wouldn't be very bold back then. But on this particular day, I remember I really tried to share my faith with him to the point where he was kind of taken aback. And I remember pretty much what he said. It went something like this. First thing he said, Russ, I have been a long time member of the church.
In fact, I rarely miss. I even served as a Sunday school teacher for years. I support the church, and I try to live a good life and treat others the way they treat me, the way I want them to treat me. What was he really saying? He was saying that, you know, I'm a good moral man compared to most people. And because of that, God deserves to allow me into heaven. I've been such a good man, and I'm an upstanding citizen.
I'm generous. But see, he was really saying the same thing these Jewish leaders were saying. What's the problem with this kind of thinking? Well, first, it's false. And the danger of it is that it gives a man or woman a false sense of eternal security. That's exactly where Satan wants us.
Thinking we're safe and secure and totally blind and lost. Ephesians 2, 8, 9 says, this is Paul explaining, For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works. Did y'all hear that? Not by works so that no one can boast. Aren't you glad it's not by works?
We'd be worried all the time. I wonder if I've done enough. I wonder if I'm good enough. And with that kind of thinking, you can never sing blessed assurance and really mean it because you wouldn't be sure.
How good is good enough? Who determines that? Well, thank goodness that's not the way it works. You see, our faith and the eternal life that comes with it, the two go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. These are both gifts from God.
You understand that? He gives them to us by His grace, because of His grace. And so second, and I really want you to understand this, when we start to believe that we can earn our salvation through good works, we are making God our debtor. In essence, we are saying to God, You owe me salvation.
Look at my life. And that's what many people will say when they stand before Jesus one day, Lord, didn't you see me doing this and didn't you see me doing that? Because they think that they've earned their way there. What is He going to say to them? Depart from me, I never knew you. He won't say that with joy. He'll say that with a broken heart. But see, when you try to earn your way to heaven, if you arrive at the pearly gate and you think you're going to, and Peter comes and he says, Why should I let you in? He said, Because have you seen all I did? You can't gain access to heaven by being, trying to be a good person, because you will never measure up.
You'll all fall short. Romans 4 makes this so clear. Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. God is no one's debtor. He doesn't owe anything to any of us except condemnation and eternal judgment. However, because He is such a God of incredible grace and mercy, because He delights in showing mercy, He extends His favor to those upon whom He wishes to lavish His compassion and forgiveness.
But He chooses whom He will. Now, I want us to take a, I want us to look at the heart of this centurion. What was it about this centurion that attracted Jesus to him?
Well, I want you to remember something. This is a verse that we have, I think I've mentioned the last two or the three weeks we've been here. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at what? See, the sermon lament is all about the heart.
See, the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. But God is in the business of changing hearts. So this centurion, when you heard that Jesus was in town, and then when he sent for him, basically he went to him, but not in person. But he knew that he needed to come to Jesus.
That was in his heart. But then when he hears Jesus is coming to him, look at what he says in verses 6, 7, and 8. Lord, don't trouble yourself. For I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
That is why I do not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word. Just say the word, Jesus. Say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority with soldiers under me.
I tell this one, go, and he goes, and that one comes, and he comes. I say to my servant, do this, and he does it. So I want you to notice that the first thing he does, he reaches out to Jesus and calls him what?
Lord. Here's a centurion who would later be required to bow down to idols of the emperor and declare to Augustus Caesar, Caesar is Lord. Yet this man called Jesus Lord.
This was a very big deal for a Roman centurion as they had to swear allegiance to Rome. But this centurion saw something entirely different in this man who had these life-giving words that heal people, and so he called him Lord. I'm reminded of what Thomas said to Jesus when Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection. This was after Jesus had appeared to several of the other disciples. They reported back that Thomas had not been present the first time when Jesus appeared to them in the upper room, but this time he's there. And he just didn't believe. He said, I'll believe it when I see it. Jesus came in and he said to Thomas, Thomas, put your finger here.
See my hands? Reach out your hand, put it into my side, stop doubting and believe. Thomas looked at him and said, my Lord, my God. And then Jesus said to him something that's so telling. You have seen and believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. See, the world says that seeing is believing. The Bible says that believing is seeing. Faith precedes understanding.
So let me ask you, have you really truly seen Jesus and know him as your Lord? Second, unlike the religious Jews that said he deserves this, the centurion revealed his humility when he said, I don't deserve for you to come into my house nor am I even worthy to come to you. See, humility is the key attribute that draws the attention of God.
Because God has chosen to give faith to those who are lowly in spirit, poor and out of the world like Maggie and Joyce. We need to come lowly, low, humble. James 4 says humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. Isaiah 57, 15 says, for this is what the high and exalted one says, he who lives forever, whose name is holy.
I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. This is what God loved about David. He had a broken and contrite heart over his sin. And guys, when you reach the point where you are broken over your sin, that's when you get God's attention. And God will use a broken man. Everybody needs to be broken. Jesus came to give life then to those who are willing to humble themselves before God.
And not really care what others think about them. So let me ask you, have you truly humbled yourself before Jesus with a broken and contrite heart? Finally, this in turn revealed to men that he had been given the gift of faith. He believed. He said to Jesus through his friends, just say the word. And my servant will be healed. This is the picture of a man with saving faith. First he sees Jesus who he really is, Lord and God. And he trusts God. He trusts what God has said. If it's in here, men, you've got to decide if you really believe it. And I mean every word of it. If you start picking it apart, like Thomas Jefferson did. And so you've got a holy Bible, H-W-H-O-L-L-Y, a Bible that's full of holes. Then you've missed the boat. I told this minister who did the eulogy the other day, a wonderful African-American minister who lives in Mikeville.
I'm hoping to get together with him. I was telling him how we need to examine the text to see what's in it. You already said to me, you need to let the text examine you. That'll preach, won't it? I might have to get this brother to come preach one night because he can preach in a way I ain't never been able to preach and never will be able to. But anyway, so look, the man who has a true saving faith, he sees Jesus as his Lord and humbles himself before. And he trusts the word of God, every word in it. And in his humility, you know what God does?
He grants him the gift of saving faith and eternal life. Faith and eternal life, men, go hand in hand. See, we need to understand that left to ourselves, we would all perish because none of us would ever seek Jesus on our own. Nor would we ever really believe his word because we're born with a veil over our eyes and we're born with a rebellious heart.
That's the way we come out of the womb. And that's why we begin life under God's wrath and as God's enemies. Don't ever believe this baloney that we're born God's children.
You're born God's children in a creative sense, but you don't become part of his family. So when he becomes your heavenly Abba and you become his son, until you place your trust in him, and you only do that when he gives you the gift of faith, and along with it he gives you life. Romans 3, 10, 11 confirms this truth. There's no one righteous, not even one.
There's no one who seeks God, no one who understands. And I want you to understand this truth, Jesus is the only one who has ever existed who can impart life. In fact, did you know this is why he came into the world? He came into the world to give life to a lost and dying world.
In case you hadn't noticed it, this world is dark and it is dying. John 1, 4 says, In here was life, and that life was the light of men. What does light do for plants?
It keeps them alive. Without light everything would perish. Jesus is the light of the world and he came in to impart life to you and me. John 3, 16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Notice it says, have eternal life, not will get it. John 10, 10 says, and I love this verse, I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly. I think this sounds like Joel Osteen. You actually can have your best life now, but not the kind of life he's talking about.
I'm talking about real life, the kind of life that Maggie had. So let's look at this next story. Beginning with verse 11 and we're going to see how Jesus is the only one who can impart life and he does it by his word. Soon afterward Jesus went to a little town called Nain and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.
The crowd was always following Jesus. As he approached the town gate a dead person was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. Can you imagine if a widow lost her husband as she's lost her son, her only son? And a large crowd from the town was with her when the Lord saw her. I want you all to see this. This shows the heart of God. His heart went out to her. It says that the word that's really powerful is talking about your intestines.
Down there where you've grown inwardly. It's what he did when he stood at the tomb of Lazarus. He groaned inwardly. His heart was broken. God breaks over the condition of the world. He hates death.
He came to conquer death and he has. Then he went up, but anyway he said to her, don't cry, don't cry, I'm here. Then he went up and he did something you're not supposed to do if you're a religious man, a rabbi. He touched the coffin. That means he contaminated himself.
You think he cared. And those carrying it stood still. What is going on here? He said, young man, young man, who's he talking to? The dead son inside that coffin.
He says, I say to you, two words, get up. And the dead man sat up. I think he was actually being carried. It's not like a coffin. We imagine he was not encased in a coffin. He was wrapped, I'm sure, and he was being carried on like a bed, a mat. He said, get up. The dead man sat up and began to talk. What are you all doing here?
What am I doing here? And Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praise God.
Of course, they didn't quite get it. A great prophet has appeared among us. They said, God has come to help us people.
They're right about that. But he was more than a prophet. This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the whole surrounding countryside. You guys, I want to give you five truths very quickly that we learned from this incredible, and by the way, man, it's a true story. Why do I know it's true? Because it's in the Bible. Five truths.
Are you ready? These are so true and they're so simple. Outside of Christ, we're all dead men. Number two. As the Father gives life, so does the Son. Number three. Eternal life is imparted to men by God's Word. Number four. Eternal life is a present tense possession.
And number five. Once saved, always saved. I want you to think about these truths.
What do they inform us about God and about us? First, men, without saving faith in Christ, in Christ alone, we're all dead men walking. You look at the world, most people, they look like they're alive, but they're actually dead.
And they're just, you know what they're doing? They're just waiting for death. Death is going to always come knocking at some point. The reason we do this Bible study, men, is to get you ready for death. Maggie, she didn't die. She fell asleep.
She woke up in paradise. Being a Christian is not about being religious, but about having a dynamic, alive relationship with Jesus Christ. You've been listening to Finding Purpose with Pastor Russ Andrews, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources at findingpurpose.net, or connect to Finding Purpose on Facebook. Pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him and over 300 other local men to study God's Word together every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Find out more at findingpurpose.net. . .
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