1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,480 Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,280 Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,280 take hold of. So we hope this message inspires 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,560 you and build your faith that it helps you have more of a God 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,880 perspective for your day. Enjoy. 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,160 As we raise our hand to heaven, can we just open up our hands 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,480 and lift our hands to heaven? And Father, we just thank you in 8 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,280 this meeting right now. You've been moving in this place 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,000 already. And God, where the Spirit of the 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,880 living God is, there is freedom. Today we take up that freedom, 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,520 but also we invite you in today to our hearts, our minds, our 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,920 ears and our eyes for the revelation of the Word. 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,240 Help us to apply it today. We thank you Holy Spirit, as you 14 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,840 take over right now. In Jesus name we said Amen. 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,720 You may be seated in the wonderful presence of our living 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,920 God. Today I'm going to talk about 17 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,879 the subject of faith. Faith. 18 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,040 Not just a wishy washy faith, but a faith that would hold on 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:15,400 to the hem of Jesus, a faith that would breakthrough as 20 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,640 friends and lower them down to get their friend healed. 21 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,040 That sort of faith. Not a wishy washy faith when 22 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,400 circumstances and life get in the way and you decrease, but a 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,200 relentless faith. And that's the title of my 24 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,160 message today that we're going to speak about is a relentless 25 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,720 faith. We're going to go through the 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:43,000 story of the Centurion and look at the application of the faith, 27 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,400 but also the hero of the story, Jesus Christ. 28 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,840 Everyone all over the world puts their faith in something. 29 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,120 Some people put their faith in sport, some people put their 30 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,920 faith in work, some people put faith in money. 31 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:05,480 But let me tell you today that where our faith belongs only in 32 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,240 one person, and that's Jesus Christ. 33 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,520 The effects of us putting faith in things that are dead, that 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,040 will wash away one day, that will perish, and that our faith 35 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,000 will perish with it, but our faith in Christ will never 36 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,680 perish. Amen. 37 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,080 Every time I get in my car, I have faith that it's going to 38 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,040 go. Every time I know I have faith, 39 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:29,760 I get in and I go. You know what? 40 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,800 This is going to take me to my destination and it's going to 41 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,960 bring me back home. And if it didn't, I wouldn't 42 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,920 have it. I'd boot the car and get another 43 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:43,280 one. We are designed as people to 44 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,120 have faith and live by faith as the world taught at the Word 45 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,000 tells us that we shall live by faith and not by sight. 46 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,160 And that is what the Word see. Some of us, we have little 47 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,080 faith, but you see it through the Bible. 48 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,240 Some have a little bit more faith and some people have a 49 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,920 little bit more faith. Some have medium faith and some 50 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:08,120 have great crazy, relentless faith. 51 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,760 You could see this when Jesus was in the boat with his 52 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:18,920 disciples and the waves, they hit the boat, the wind come, the 53 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:23,400 situation had turned dire. They thought they were going to 54 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:29,280 die in the boat and they cried out and Jesus responds in 55 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:35,120 Matthew 8 chapter 8 verses 26 in the NIV version says this as he 56 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:41,280 replies you of little faith, why are you so afraid? 57 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,680 And see, Jesus makes this connection with little faith and 58 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,800 being afraid. You see, this is the problem why 59 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,720 when a fear comes in and and people start to freak out and be 60 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,760 afraid and go, oh, look at that life situation or look at this, 61 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,320 this problem, this financial hardship. 62 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:05,080 This person said this to me. That person said, so you 63 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,000 couldn't believe it and they become afraid instead of holding 64 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,000 on to the faith of the word and says, God, I remember you said 65 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,000 you'll never leave me nor forsake me. 66 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,800 It doesn't matter what people say, but what you say, God have 67 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,160 faith in that. And all of a sudden fear and 68 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,400 that afraidness grows strangely dim. 69 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,880 See, it's by the word of God that we gain our faith because 70 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:34,600 what does the word say? Faith comes from hearing and 71 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,320 hearing the Word of God. That's where faith comes from. 72 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:45,080 But doubt and and and and struggle and fear comes from not 73 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,680 hearing, not being in the Word, not knowing the Word, not not 74 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,760 knowing that God says what He said He would do when His 75 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:56,080 promises are His promises. I know from the Word of God that 76 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,400 no weapon formed against me shall prosper. 77 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,560 Some of us need to capture that today when the winds and the 78 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,760 waves of life come about, we need to say, you know what, God? 79 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:14,280 I know I can see in the physical what's going on because I don't 80 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:16,880 live by sight. I live by faith. 81 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,040 But I'm going to stand on your word, God. 82 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,600 I'm going to stand on this promise to say, yes, I'll go 83 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,920 again. Yes, you're for me, God. 84 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,720 If you're for me, who can be against me? 85 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,520 Who can be against me? God, I have faith in that and a 86 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:38,000 trust in that. But beloved, we can't get faith 87 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,760 from something else unless we're in his word, unless we're of his 88 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,400 word, unless we are with Jesus, because he is the word. 89 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:51,080 And as I continue on, it says, and then he got up and rebuked 90 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:55,440 the winds and the waves and it was completely calm. 91 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,080 Completely calm. That's what happens when you 92 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:06,400 take up the word of God. You could walk into the worst of 93 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,560 worst situations and you go, God, I'm going in with your word 94 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,840 in the faith. That relentless faith. 95 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,160 This isn't going to push me back, but it's going to propel 96 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,000 me. For the very storm that the life 97 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,800 has stirred up has only made me soar higher. 98 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:28,480 Oh God, I could walk into any situation and God Almighty, your 99 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,240 word in the faith, it's completely calm. 100 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,480 There could be chaos, but God, in my mind, the storm is still. 101 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:41,240 The storm is still. We need to have that relentless 102 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,320 faith. That's the faith I want. 103 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,800 I'm preaching to myself here today, relentless faith, faith 104 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,920 that doesn't pull back in, in circumstances and situations. 105 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:58,680 It's the hardships but relentless faith that pushes 106 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:03,960 through. And as we go through the story 107 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,800 of the Centurion, I want to lay a foundation of context of this 108 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,000 story. We're going to go through 109 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,800 Matthew 8, but before we get there, just want to show you 110 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:19,920 that the Centurion is a, a commander of a Roman army in 111 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:24,520 charge of a round of 100 men. And in this story, in this 112 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:29,480 event, we see that he was most likely in charge of that region 113 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:35,240 there, a gentile like us, like you and I. 114 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:41,520 And in the parallel story, you see in Luke 7, you see that 115 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,200 there was a report. He had a good reputation, this 116 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,560 centurion. He was a man that loved the 117 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,400 nation and he helped build the synagogue. 118 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:57,880 The parallel story here, and this is very rare because 119 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,280 usually the Roman soldier, they're very like you got me 120 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,400 shield. You know, you got me sword, get 121 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:06,640 out of me way. Come here. 122 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,560 You help me walk a mile. You can carry my stuff. 123 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:14,160 But this man was different as you'll see the story unfold in 124 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,520 Matthew chapter 8 and we'll start at verses 5. 125 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:18,560 Ready. Follow me. 126 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,840 Open up your Bibles and get ready to receive from the Word. 127 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:26,080 And it says this. And when Jesus had entered 128 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:31,600 Caperna, a centurion come to him asking for help. 129 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:37,640 Who knows when Jesus enters a region, there isn't a great 130 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,600 disturbance. It's like, you know what? 131 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,280 The region just received healing. 132 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:48,240 You know when Jesus enters a place, people are getting free. 133 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:53,040 You know, when Jesus enters a place, demonic is gold, you 134 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,600 know, restoration, you know relationships are going to be 135 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,520 restored. You know that there's 136 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,520 redemption. You know that there's 137 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,200 reconciliation. And that's for you and I, 138 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,680 beloved, that's for you and I today. 139 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,440 When he enters a place, let me tell you, the greatest place 140 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,560 Jesus has ever entered is in the heart of humanity. 141 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:21,280 In the heart of humanity, because the Bible says that our 142 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,600 hearts are wicked. But when Jesus is the Lord of 143 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:30,000 our heart, that's when he starts to reign in your life. 144 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,240 Have I got some reigning Christians here today? 145 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,960 Have I got some people with the living God in them? 146 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,160 Come on, raise up a shout. Give him the praise. 147 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:45,600 Like Pastor John said. So this centurion comes to him 148 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,680 asking for help. In verse 6, he says Lord. 149 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,600 See, he calls him Lord, not just Savior. 150 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,080 We've got a lot of people just calling him Savior and they can 151 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,000 do whatever they want because they're like, you know, I'm 152 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:05,960 saved, I'm good, but not Lord. We've got to have Jesus as our 153 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:11,720 Savior and Lord, Lord and Saviour, the Saviour. 154 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,360 You know that Christ has broken off the power of sin. 155 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,000 He's got you free. But Lord means you've got to 156 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,600 action that faith out now. Lord means, oh God, not me, but 157 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:24,880 you. Oh God, send me over there and 158 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,200 the places maybe I don't necessarily want to go, but I'm 159 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:35,960 going to go because you're the Lord of my life and his servant 160 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,440 is at home. He said my servant lies at home 161 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,040 paralyzed, suffering terribly in verse 6. 162 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:48,400 Did you know that in the Roman law there, if a soldier in his 163 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,240 what he was under, he could kill that man for being sick? 164 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:57,240 It was in his right to do so because he wasn't fit. 165 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:03,560 However, you see this centurion was concerned for a servant that 166 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:08,320 could have been easily replaced. You see the heart of the man and 167 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,640 let me tell you, that's for us here today to take up for our 168 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,080 community because there's people who are lying sick, there's 169 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,560 people who are paralysed in our community from this thing called 170 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:21,560 sin. That's the effect of brokenness. 171 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,200 Would we be like that servant and be like Jesus? 172 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,360 Jesus, give me eyes to see the harvest field because you said 173 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,360 it's plenty and I'm a Co labourer. 174 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,080 You said there's few labourers. I don't want to be the few, I 175 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,760 want to be the one that goes into the harvest field. 176 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,760 God give me eyes to see. It's not just for the 177 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:43,920 evangelist, it's for everyone here. 178 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,840 You've got the hope of glory in you. 179 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,440 Don't let people walk past you in the shopping center without 180 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,520 saying God give me a word to encourage that person. 181 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,440 God that kid there, he needs life spoken into him. 182 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,040 That single mum over there. God, how can I be a blessing, a 183 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,120 generous blessing? Could I pay for someone shopping 184 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,000 today? Oh God, give me a now word 185 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,680 everywhere I go. I've got to be a blessing. 186 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:12,520 I've got to be a blessing. Our heart cry to God is for this 187 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,360 community. Our hearts must break for this 188 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:18,840 community, for people to know Jesus. 189 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,400 That's our prayer, that's our heartbreak, that's our cry. 190 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,560 That's why we do faith, love, hope for the benefit of the 191 00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:29,720 community. That's why we put up here every 192 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,160 time. It's not for us. 193 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,840 We're put on this earth not for us, but for God and for others. 194 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:41,080 What do we put here on earth for for God and for others? 195 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:50,960 Verses 7 says this. And Jesus said to him, and as 196 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,600 what I noticed before I go on is as I observed the text and I 197 00:12:54,600 --> 00:13:00,040 stared at it and I stared at it and I stared at it to ponder on 198 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,080 Scripture and it started to come alive in me. 199 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:06,280 You know, that's the enemy. He's he's frightened of that the 200 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:11,360 the word become flesh in US, not just on the book, but when the 201 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:15,760 word becomes flesh in US and we action our faith, we don't just 202 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,160 read it, we're action it. We go, oh God, I can apply this 203 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,320 now. This is the faith in what you 204 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,720 say. I heard Pastor John say it last 205 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,400 week in his preach. Faith is the substance or the 206 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:28,560 evidence. Is that right? 207 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:32,440 Faith is the evidence of things not yet seen. 208 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,320 Faith is the sorry. Faith is the evidence of things 209 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,000 hopeful and evidence of things not yet seen. 210 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:42,960 I correct myself. Sorry about that. 211 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,360 Verses 7 And Jesus said to him, shall I come and heal him? 212 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,400 What a question. As you look through these 213 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,040 scriptures, you start to see the thread of prayer. 214 00:13:55,480 --> 00:14:00,320 The centurion comes to Jesus. He asked for help and Jesus 215 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,120 response. But we've got to listen, we've 216 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,800 got to speak, we've got to pray, but also listen to the response 217 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,920 of God. And here's the response. 218 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:13,640 Shall I come and heal him? If it was me, I'd be like, yes, 219 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:18,240 please, this way. Here he is. 220 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,200 And I'd be like, Jono, he's not a doctor. 221 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,600 He's homeless. He's turned water. 222 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,120 He said he turned water into wine. 223 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,600 And he said that he's born a virgin. 224 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,520 I think he's good. And if I was Jono, I'd be like, 225 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,560 brother, please give me a doctor. 226 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,240 But this response of the centurion is not like mine. 227 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:50,040 He says something so incredibly like crazy, relentless faith, 228 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,200 the centurion replied in verses 8. 229 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:58,400 He said, Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 230 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,480 Back then they, the Romans, they thought it was the opposite. 231 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:08,440 You don't deserve to come under my roof. 232 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,240 That's what he's saying. Sorry, I said. 233 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,840 I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 234 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:17,040 But it was usually flipped the script. 235 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:22,360 They thought that they were above had this authority ready. 236 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:30,400 But just say the word and my servant will be healed. 237 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,320 Just say the word. Where did he pick that up from? 238 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,080 You know, I started to wonder in the scripture, where did he get 239 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,520 this from? This is incredible. 240 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,560 And I started to think and ponder, not trying to add stuff 241 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:49,400 in the text, but was it because he was around the synagogue? 242 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:54,440 Did he hear something? Did he hear the word of God 243 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:58,720 maybe from Genesis where it said and God said, let there be light 244 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:05,280 and there was light. And God said he hears something 245 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,680 around the region that stirred up his faith and heard about 246 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,680 this Jesus. And he took this word and said, 247 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,640 you know what, man? I'm going to go to him. 248 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,960 I'm not going to allow doubt from going from my servant to 249 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,080 talk to Jesus to get in the way. I'm not going to walk along the 250 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,280 way and say, oh, what if he rebukes me? 251 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,960 I'm under 100 men. God, what if this, what if? 252 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:30,920 What if? What if? 253 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,680 What if it happens? What if it does? 254 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,400 What if you pray for that person and they get healed? 255 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,920 What happens if you invite that person and they come to church? 256 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:49,040 What if verses 9 for I am myself under a man, a man under 257 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,000 authority with soldiers under me. 258 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,960 I tell this one go, and he goes and that one come and he comes. 259 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,000 I say to my servant, do this and he does it. 260 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,319 He says, I myself and my man under authority recognizes Jesus 261 00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:07,800 authority. See, there's something about 262 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,680 faith and authority. See, when you have faith in the 263 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:18,560 Word of God and you go God, and you see that your healing is in 264 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,280 there, you have authority over that. 265 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,960 Let me tell you, wherever you go, you have authority over your 266 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,319 doubt. You have authority over it. 267 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,320 Oh, doubt, you must go. You don't belong here. 268 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,920 You don't belong. Fear, you must go. 269 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,440 I got the faith for the Word of God says this and it's given me 270 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:41,080 authority to do that. It's giving me the authority, 271 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:52,920 God, faith and authority. Let me tell you, talk about 272 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:57,920 faith and authority over life situations that could pop up all 273 00:17:57,920 --> 00:17:59,680 throughout the way of the centurion. 274 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:05,480 But he didn't let hardships, he didn't let the rocking of the 275 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,680 boat sway him. He didn't let the waves of the 276 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:14,800 wind, He went and He sought after the one, the one that we 277 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:20,520 call Lord, the one that we call King, the one just with one 278 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:27,280 touch, the one that bring life, the one that came fully God in 279 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:32,080 the flesh to example His Father in heaven. 280 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:36,680 What an example that we have. But let me tell you, beloved, 281 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,560 don't let the winds and the rocking of the waves and the 282 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:45,680 bashing of the boat stop you today from having that faith, 283 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,280 that relentless faith. If you've had a word spoken over 284 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,040 your life, if you've had prophecy, if you've got vision, 285 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,680 don't you dare let time take that away from you. 286 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,800 Don't you dare let winds and waves and situations of life 287 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:05,520 dare make you fall back. No, that means there's a storm 288 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:09,720 coming for you to rise up to the equation, for you to have faith 289 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,160 and authority in that situation. To soar. 290 00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,560 To soar, to soar over every doubt. 291 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,240 Because that's what Jesus has done for us. 292 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:24,120 He died on that cross and rose above every disease. 293 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:29,840 He rose above every sickness. He rose above all of those 294 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,680 things so that way we could have victory in him. 295 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:43,160 Verses 10 says this. When Jesus heard this, he was 296 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:49,120 amazed and he said to those following him, truly, I tell 297 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:53,840 you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 298 00:19:55,720 --> 00:20:00,880 You notice this centurion he went to Jesus, asked him, he got 299 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:05,400 a response, but he he doesn't respond directly to the 300 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,280 centurion. He starts talking to those 301 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,920 following him. That can be like our prayer life 302 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,920 too. Sometimes we talking to God, 303 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,760 we're getting response and sometimes you feel like there's 304 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:23,240 radio silence. And I ask God, Oh my God, you're 305 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:24,800 always speaking. I know that. 306 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:29,440 I know I'm the deaf one. I know that God, you're always 307 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,280 speaking. You're speaking through your 308 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,040 word. But sometimes it can be like 309 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,080 that. And we could feel, oh God's not 310 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,680 answering my prayer. Why? 311 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,640 And we lose faith in the word that He's given us. 312 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,960 Beloved, please, if it feels like radio silence, don't put 313 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,800 down your faith in Him. Don't put down your faith in the 314 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,280 word that's been spoken. Don't put down that vision. 315 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,080 Don't put down those eyes for the community. 316 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,600 Don't put down believing for that family member, for that 317 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,680 friend. Pick it up and go. 318 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:03,800 Pick it up and go. Pick it up and go. 319 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:08,160 Beloved, don't let the radio silence pull you back. 320 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:13,520 May it propel you forward to a deeper level of intimacy with 321 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:18,360 him. And see, Jesus was amazed 2 322 00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:22,760 times in the Holy Bible. You see this here in the text 323 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,320 with the great faith of the centurion. 324 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:31,320 And the other one was in his own hometown where there was a lack 325 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,800 of faith and he could only do a few miracles. 326 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:41,320 And a Mark 6/6 in the NIV says this, and he was amazed at the 327 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:47,960 lack of faith. He was amazed at that since the 328 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,160 lack of faith is a disease and a sickness. 329 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:57,000 It stops the very miracle of Christ, the work in our life and 330 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:01,280 work in our community. We have a greater hope than 331 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,320 that. And I'll tell you, I've got 332 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,240 something I wrote down and got from the Lord and I just want to 333 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,560 declare and decree over this church, beloved. 334 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,880 So I want you years to be open to receive this right now 335 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,960 because This Is Us, the body of Christ, the church. 336 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,280 I declare and decree, beloved, that this church will not be 337 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,760 found in a lack of faith, but a church that amazes the living 338 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,840 God with it's incredible love for others and it's action faith 339 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:33,440 to see this community to come to be in relationship with Jesus 340 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,760 and receive freedom. This great Church of City Point 341 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:42,560 N, which we call home, will be known for it's great faith, It's 342 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,440 relentless faith. It's relentless faith. 343 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:49,760 It's relentless faith. Come on City Point N, come on, 344 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:54,520 speak it over yourself. I have relentless faith. 345 00:22:54,800 --> 00:23:00,920 Come on, speak it out. Ready on the count of 3123. 346 00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:06,480 I have relentless faith. So good. 347 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,840 Verse 11 says this and I say to you that many will come from the 348 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:22,320 East and the West and will take their places at the feast with 349 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:26,080 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven. 350 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,280 What this means is Jesus has come. 351 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,520 It's for everyone now. Doesn't matter if you're Aussie 352 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,280 bogan, doesn't matter if you're esche, doesn't matter if you're 353 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,320 rich, medium or poor. It's for everyone, everyone who 354 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,880 believe and have faith in him and it would be the best gift 355 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,600 you'd ever received called the gift, the free gift of grace of 356 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:55,880 your life. It's for everyone here today as 357 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,080 I sow into you today, I'll give you a little secret just between 358 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:05,800 you and I that in the as I start to land the plane very shortly, 359 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:10,440 I'm going to ask you today for those who don't know Jesus, 360 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,160 would you action your faith? Then as a respond to that call, 361 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:16,720 I'm going to give you an opportunity. 362 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,000 But I just want to say this right now because as I was 363 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,200 praying, I believe that the Holy Spirit is knocking on your door. 364 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,400 For those who don't know Christ today, don't you dare leave this 365 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,320 place without knowing him if you're not right with him 366 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,320 because this is what will happen in verse 12 it says, but the 367 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:39,320 subjects of the Kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness 368 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:44,120 into the darkness, the absence of light because God is light 369 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:48,240 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth or trying to 370 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,680 fear someone into that place. But I'm trying to tell you a 371 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:56,080 love story that God sent his only begotten Son to die on that 372 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:01,880 cross for you and I because the the sin over our life caused 373 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:06,120 brokenness that caused the effects of you see it, marriages 374 00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:10,800 broken, children broken to brokenness from this thing 375 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,720 called sin and death. But Jesus come and knelt himself 376 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,920 on the cross for you and I so that anyone who believe in him 377 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,120 shall not perish but have eternal life. 378 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,960 Let me tell you this eternal life here today, He's in the 379 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,040 building. Take up him and you will have 380 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:31,960 it. The gospel is for everyone. 381 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:39,000 Verses 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, that's the reply, Oh 382 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:40,640 God, we've been waiting for a while. 383 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,440 You finally replied, my face back up again. 384 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:47,720 No, I had faith before that in the silence, God an actual fact 385 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:53,280 you were strengthening me. Go, let it be done just as you 386 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,200 believed it would. And his servant was healed at 387 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:58,840 that moment. You know what I found in the 388 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:02,080 Bible? That word go all throughout. 389 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,800 You see David, he said, shall I go up there? 390 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,360 And God says, go, Let me tell you, if you've got faith for 391 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:14,160 something, don't wait, go. Go, beloved, go into the 392 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,600 community and make disciples. Go. 393 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,800 If God's been asking you to do this, go. 394 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,400 If he's been giving you the faith to do that, go. 395 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,920 If he's been calling you to evangelize, go. 396 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,480 If he's been calling you to teach, go. 397 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:34,160 If he's been calling you to serve in this great Church of 398 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:40,440 city Point N, don't wait, go, don't wait, go. 399 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:44,400 And his servant was healed at that moment. 400 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,160 That's the God that I serve. He's still a healer today. 401 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:52,360 This isn't just Jesus of the history, a good man who come and 402 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:54,640 died. No, this is the living God who 403 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,520 died and rose again in three days. 404 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:01,320 He said just as you believed it would. 405 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,960 See, the Holy Bible talks about belief and it's powerful. 406 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:11,400 It says in Mark 1617, it's not up there, but it says miraculous 407 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:19,400 signs will accompany those who believe miraculous signs. 408 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,000 God. I'm a believer. 409 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,360 Miraculous signs will follow me today. 410 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,840 I pray that prayer all the time, God. 411 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:30,920 Wherever I go miraculous signs will happen God because I'm a 412 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,520 believer today and that's for you today beloved that you're a 413 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:39,280 believer in this house today miraculous signs will break out. 414 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:46,000 You will see miracles, healing, physical and spiritual, family 415 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:51,160 restoration, stand on the word of God, salvation, personal and 416 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,640 others freedom from addictions etcetera etcetera etcetera. 417 00:27:55,920 --> 00:28:00,440 Marriage is restored, things that were lost in the thief that 418 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:05,320 that come to kill, steal and destroy will be taken back and 419 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:09,120 added unto you. Miracles, miracles, miracles. 420 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:16,280 Wonderful. And as I go to the food bank, 421 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:20,600 there's a story about a man that I go to the food bank. 422 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,640 And because I help run Global Care over at Bribie Island, I go 423 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,600 there every Tuesday. And every time I go there, oh 424 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,760 God, I'm going to be a blessing today. 425 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,280 I see that woman over there is maybe a little bit upset. 426 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:37,680 I've got a word for you. Maybe I see a young man down 427 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:38,880 sitting there. He's got his head down. 428 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:44,160 Man, do I have a word for you? Man, do I have life for you, The 429 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,920 one that gives me life, I'm going to extend it to you. 430 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,120 God, would you use me as a vessel? 431 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,600 And I speak to this man, Ricardo, and I say, Ricardo, 432 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:56,880 tell me a story. I want to hear a testimony. 433 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,800 He's a Christian man for 20 something years, come from 434 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,880 Italy. And he said I can't do his 435 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,000 accent. Who teach you? 436 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:11,880 You know, I said Ricardo and he's a great friend of mine over 437 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:13,760 there. And he's begins to tell me how 438 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,400 we come to Australia. Is he? 439 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:22,480 Him and his family heard the word of the Lord to say go to 440 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,320 Australia. Yeah, this was difficult because 441 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:28,760 they didn't want to come to Australia, but they heard the 442 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,320 word of the Lord tell them to come to Australia. 443 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:35,960 So what they did is they got together as a family and they 444 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,760 would come around together and they'd pray. 445 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:44,760 And God showed them a house and they begin to pray around this 446 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,960 house and they got the kids and they go, what do you see? 447 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,000 And they started out in detail as that photo comes up. 448 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:56,760 Now if it does, thank you Lord in faith, that's relentless 449 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:57,520 faith. That is. 450 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:01,560 You could see the top hat there on the House. 451 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,800 This is what God showed them, the full post little triangle 452 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,360 thing. There's a pot plant that they 453 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:12,320 begin to see a pool area and God was showing them this house. 454 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:18,240 This was done in 1994 and anyway, they end up coming to 455 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:25,880 Australia a year later. They packed up and come and they 456 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,120 went to go have a look at houses because they didn't have a house 457 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,320 at that time. This is in 1995. 458 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,680 And they went around, they went to see this house and it was an 459 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,520 auction and something got mixed up. 460 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:42,720 Something happened and he went there and they put it for sale. 461 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,240 They put a sold sign on there and they thought he brought the 462 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:51,080 house, but it actually was it. They mixed him up and Ricardo a 463 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:52,720 bit. Ricardo, he said he speak little 464 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:56,760 English at the time. He said OK, and he brought the 465 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:00,480 house. This is picture #2 which house 466 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,120 he brought. You can see the similarities. 467 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,120 They actually forgot about this house. 468 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,560 They forgot about They drew it. As they unpacked, they start to 469 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:18,320 weep and cry over what God had showed them, and they believed 470 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:23,840 it, but they forgot about it. Don't forget about it, church. 471 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,440 Don't forget about God. Don't forget about the vision 472 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:31,480 He's given for your life because this is real. 473 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:36,280 This is real. Don't forget about it, Beloved, 474 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,880 we won't because we're praying over all year long. 475 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,840 The things that you've written down here aren't just on paper, 476 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:48,800 but they're a declaration of your relentless faith to God. 477 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:55,680 Don't forget about a church, miracles, miraculous science.