I please Almighty God to bless
us together this evening as we meditate in his holy word. Let's
turn to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 8, and we'll read verse
8. The Gospel of Matthew, chapter
8, and reading verse 8. The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof,
but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. It's a benefit and good for us
to be able to read a statement like this in the Word of God. Because here we have a little
account of a centurion. We're not told his name. It's
not relevant. The important thing is what he
did and what he said. And the centurion, of course,
in those days, in what we might call the forces, was an important
person and was looked up to and was above many people. that existed
around him. And so here was this important
person. And he'd come to Jesus and he
told him what the problem was. And he'd said, Lord, my servant
lieth at home, sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. That's what I said. That meant
he was paralysed and therefore he needed the Lord to come And
Jesus, very kind and very gracious, he said, I will come and heal
him. Well, no doubt many people would
have been very thankful to think that this great and glorious
Saviour was going to come at the request of the centurion
and heal his servant. But we see then the grace and
the mercy and the favour that the centurion was blessed with. Because instead of saying, well
that's wonderful, thank you very much and follow me, he said something
very different. And he said, Lord, I am not worthy
that thou shouldest come under my roof. That's a wonderful acknowledgement
of his condition before the Lord Jesus to be able to come and
say that he was not worthy. Naturally we would probably like
to think we were worthy and that we were worthy of a visit from
the Lord but here he says, Lord I'm not worthy that thou shouldest
come under my roof. Reminds us of the Apostle Paul,
a very able servant of God, who tells us that he was less than
the least. You analyze that, you think of
that, you think of the least people, somebody perhaps despised
and not thought anything of, and yet Paul aligned himself
with those who were less than the least. These things are good
examples for us in the day and age in which we live, and also
in the Old Testament. just very quickly, in the prophecy
of Isaiah. There's a lot of good instruction
in the prophecy of Isaiah. And in the sixth chapter, we
have a picture of what Isaiah thinks of himself. In the sixth
chapter, we're told in verse five, then said I, woe is me,
woe is me, for I am undone. I'm a man of unclean lips, and
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes
have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Well, it's good, isn't
it, again, to come and make a confession like that. See, naturally, we're
proud people. We don't like to admit these
kind of situations, but what a blessing to have examples in
the Word of God from important people and to realise how they
came and stood before God. The centurion came and said he
wasn't worthy, the Lord should come under his roof, Paul the
Apostle, less than the least of all saints and then Isaiah
also speaking in similar words. Well it's a good question for
us each one tonight to think how we would react. What would
be our response? Would it be like this, like this
centurion and be able to say in all honesty, Lord I'm not
worthy, I'm just not worthy. that thou shouldest come under
my roof but having made that statement he didn't stop there
it wasn't as though he didn't want the centurion to do what
he'd asked him to do but then he comes and says but as many
good and gracious buts in the Word of God and here's one but
speak the word only Speak the word only. And he had faith to
believe. And if Jesus spoke the word to
heal his servant, he says, and my servant shall be healed. What do we see there? We see
in this man, this centurion, faith. Faith to believe that
the gracious and glorious Lord Jesus was willing and able to
do that which he had requested. And so here he is then, coming
in this way and just saying, but speak the word only and my
servant shall be healed. What is good for us today in
our lives. I wonder how many times we've
asked God do something for us and whether we put conditions
down in regard to that answer, that we wanted it answered in
a certain way. You see, we're very proud people
and we have our own ways and very often we want something
to be done in the way that we've planned in our little minds. And yet, you see, we should remember
that God's ways are higher than our ways. They're far superior. And we should therefore leave
the issue with Almighty God. Go back to the Old Testament,
go back to the Chronicles, and read there what a man called
Jabez, a servant of God. We don't read very much. Sorry,
it's in numbers. We don't read very much, just
reads a few verses. But his request was, And it began
like this, O that thou wouldst bless me indeed. Didn't leave
a long list of details. O that thou wouldst bless me
indeed. It did go on to say, and that the Lord would enlarge
his coast, that means enlarge him in spiritual things, but
nonetheless there were no real conditions. And that's a great
blessing and it's good for us today to really follow the pattern
which is set down here and the pattern of Jabez. O that thou
wouldst bless me indeed. Again, in his case, Jabez, it
was very personal. And let us never forget that
religion is personal. It's between our soul and God. And what a blessing if we have
that humble confidence to believe that the Lord will hear and answer
our prayer, not always in the way that we expect or the way
we want, but we can believe that the answer that God gives to
us will be right. You may say, well, why is that?
I'll tell you why it is. God never makes any mistakes. You and I make many mistakes.
We make assumptions. We draw up the lines that we
want God to work within. But no, it's good to fall in
line with what God has prepared for us. And it's very wonderful
to think that Almighty God, the ruler, the creator of all things,
has indeed planned for you and me in our little life on this
earth. That we're not just wandering
on aimlessly. No, God has a plan and that plan
is a perfect plan. And what a blessing it is if
you and I amongst the children of God, those whom He calls out
of the darkness of nature into the glorious light of the everlasting
Gospel, because that path that Almighty God has planned for
such is to bring each one safe home to glory. Well, that's a
wonderful prospect for the living Church of God. And may it be
true in each of our lives to believe that God is leading us
that God is directing us and that he's encouraging us as we
journey on we're not promised an easy path we sometimes think
we'll have an easy path we sometimes think that tomorrow will be easier
we're never not promised that the Word of God does tell us
what to expect and it's this it is through much tribulation
that we shall enter the kingdom but Be of good joy. I have overcome the world. That's a great and glorious truth.
And what a good thing it is if you and I can rest in that truth
and realise that God has gone before. He has prepared the way. He knows the path ordained for
you and me. And if we are amongst those who
are called by his grace, we can be sure that it will be well
with our souls. And that's the vital thing, isn't
it? The vital thing. And so to come
and to be able to walk side by side with this centurion, and
as the Lord says, I will come and heal him. But the centurion
says, Lord, I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy that thou shouldest
come under my roof. but speak the word only. So I wonder perhaps, in our lives,
you may be expecting God to do something very big, we may say,
or very important, and it may not be working out as we anticipate. And we may perhaps ponder and
think, well, perhaps we've made a mistake and perhaps we have
made a mistake. But the good thing is to know
that the Lord tells us, as he wrote to the 107th Psalm, he
said those beautiful words, he led them forth by the right way
that they might go to a city of habitation. And that surely
should be our concern and should be our desire. The Lord is with
us. The Lord is directing us. The
Lord is instructing us. The Lord is teaching us. And
in our pathway through this life, the great purpose is to make
us, as the Apostle Paul desired, to be made conformable unto his
image. What does that mean? It means
to be made like the Lord Jesus Christ. Left to ourselves, we're
not like that. Left to ourselves, we're selfish. We want God to work to our plan. The truth is that we will work
to God's plan. And it's a blessing to know that
God's plan is always superior to our plan. And the reason? Because God knows the end from
the beginning. We only know where we are today.
God looks right ahead to the end. He knows what's before us. What a great and wonderful blessing
it is. So if we come then into this
position and here says the centurion, speak the word only. Are we willing
for God to just speak? Just speak a word and sometimes,
again, it may not be a word with great volume, You may remember
in the days of Elijah, Elijah had fled away from the evil queen
and there he was finding himself in a cave. He came and stood
in the cave's mouth and thought that God would direct him and
there was the earthquake. No voice of God. No voice of
God. And then there was a great storm,
a great tempest. No word of God. And then we read,
there was a still, small voice. And God was in that still, small
voice. And he spoke to Elijah very powerfully,
and he said, what doest thou hear, Elijah? Elijah had run
away, and it was only the previous little while that he'd stood
on Mount Carmel and God had appeared in an amazing way and demonstrated
that he was the God, the true God. And now you see, left to
himself the evil heart of unbelief. There he is in the cave and God
speaks in a still small voice to him. What doest thou hear,
Elijah? And to begin with, Elijah tries
to justify himself. It's very easy sometimes for
us, if we make mistakes, to try and justify ourselves. We don't want to confess that
we're wrong. It's one of the hardest things
to do, to confess that we're wrong. But be sure of this, the
grace of God will make us willing, in the day of His power, to confess
our faults and to confess perhaps that we have been wrong. It's
a great blessing because what it means is this, we've humbled
ourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt us in
due time, casting all our care upon him. What a mercy to have
the evidence that God is dealing with our souls in love. He's not leaving us. He's not
forsaking us. He's drawing us to himself. And although that word to Elijah
was a still, small voice, the truth is there was power with
that word. And so it is with you and me
today. perhaps it's only a quiet still
small voice but it leaves an effect it leaves an effect that
it was with divine power and what a blessing it is to think
that God takes notice of us comes to us where we are sometimes
in our lowest state sometimes far off sometimes we've wandered
away And we don't deserve God to even look upon us. And yet,
you see, in love to our souls, like he did to Elijah. Elijah ran away. No need to run
away. But you see, God dealt with him
in love. My friends, how merciful our
God is. He doesn't deal with us as our
sins deserve. But he deals with us in love
to our soul. as it were, he takes us inside
and tells us where we're going wrong, speaks to our heart, his
word, makes us recognize where we are, what we're doing. Well, remember the Lord Jesus
Christ spoke to those around him when he was being crucified
He said those wonderful words, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. How
condescending of Almighty God in His hour of great need to
come to His Father. Father, forgive them. They know
not what they do. And sometimes that may be so
in your life and my life. We may not really appreciate
or understand that we're doing those things which are contrary
to the will of God. We think we're doing those things
which are right, but we may be doing those things which are
wrong. And yet how humbling to have
the evidence that God looks upon us and God is gracious to us,
and God deals with us in love to our souls. You know, there's
many words we go through in the Word of God where the Lord spoke
to people, glorious words, and perhaps one of the most wonderful
statements in the Word of God is to the dying thief. We at
least refer to him as the dying thief, the one who was on the
cross for Jesus. There were two thieves. One derided
and spoke against the Saviour. The other one didn't to begin
with, but then he changed his tune and he said, this man, we
deserve the dear rewards of our sin, but this man hath done nothing
amiss. And then he pleads, Lord, remember
me when thou comest into thy kingdom. I wonder if we prayed
a prayer like that. Lord, remember me. As I often
say, true religion is personal. It's between your soul and my
soul and God. Lord, remember me when thou enterest
into thy kingdom. And what did the Lord say? This
day, shalt thou be with me in paradise. What? wonderful words what glorious
words speak the word only he couldn't have asked for a better
word could he see God knows exactly what word to speak into our hearts
sometimes to correct us sometimes to encourage us and sometimes
to direct us but we want to be found in that position, ready
to receive God's Word. Speak the Word only. Speak the Word, Lord, but speak
the Word only. How are you wanting that? Speak
the Word only. You must speak. My friends, you
and I will need God to speak to us, to tell us. that he's
loved us with everlasting love, to tell us that he's gone to
prepare a place for us, to tell us that he'll come again and
receive us under himself, that where he is, there will we be
also. You see, these are very strong
and blessed and confirming words. But as you and I travel on through
this world, a world of darkness, a world of difficulty, how wonderful
it is when the glorious Saviour comes and speaks a word of comfort
to our souls and encourages us to press on in the journey of
life. Yes, to think that if God before
us Who can be against us? No one. If God is on our side. How encouraging, we'll hear.
The centurion was able to come like this and say, but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed. And he goes
on to say what he was. He was a man under authority,
having soldiers under me. And I said to this man, go, and
he goeth. And to another, come, and he
cometh. And to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus
heard it, he marveled and said to them that for a very I tell
you, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not
in Israel. And I say unto you that many
shall come from the east and west and shall sit down with
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. And then
he just draws an analogy and it's important for us to recognize
there's almost two sides in the word of God. And the opposite is here, but
the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. That's those who worship the
devil. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There's
a number of times in the Word of God where we read the statement
with regard to the condemnation of the wicked and really it's
a very tragic position. To think that there will be outer
darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth. And that not just for
half an hour, not just for a few years, but eternally. It's too terrible really to think
about. But you young people might just ponder that. We rush on
in life, don't we? pursuing the various avenues
in this world, trying to better ourselves. In one sense, nothing
wrong in that, but to realize there is an end. You and I must
one day stand before the great judge of the earth and give an
account, and there will be those who will be received into the
kingdom, come in now, Blessed are my Father, why standest thou
without? All those who are condemned and
cast out into outer darkness. Just try and imagine that. We
know a lot more about space these days with the new telescope which
has been developed. And we know that it is absolute
outer darkness. There is absolutely no light.
Complete darkness. And just think, try and imagine,
you and I in outer darkness, no light, no light, and weeping
and gnashing of teeth, no deliverance, no deliverance. Well, it's a
very sad and very tragic and very terrible situation. And
therefore how very important it is that you and I hear God's
gracious word speaking into our hearts. There are many words
which God speaks, but perhaps one of the most well-known is
the word in the 31st of Jeremiah, the third verse, yea, I have
loved thee with everlasting love, and with lovingkindness I have
drawn thee. Two things there really. First
of all, to have the evidence that we've been drawn to God. Okay, you and I am as answer
before God. We mustn't pretend. But what a blessing to have the
evidence that we've been drawn to the Savior. We've seen something
precious. We've seen something valuable
because we've stood before a holy God and realized how guilty we've
been. what a sinner we have been, and
how we need forgiveness, and how we need all our sins to be
forever washed away, and there's only one way, and that's through
and in the precious blood of Christ. Oh, my friends, to have
the application of the word of God telling us, yeah, I love
thee, With everlasting love and with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. That is a blessing that far exceeds
anything that you and I can receive in this world. And the reason? Because it is eternal. And when it's eternal, it means
that it is forever. And it's a great blessing And
a wonderful comfort, if you and I have heard, therefore, God's
voice speaking to us. Well, here, this centurion knew,
obviously, the power of the voice. And he just said, but speak the
word only, and my servant shall be healed. He knew the outcome. He knew
the outcome would be successful. And the outcome to a cleansing
arsehole that emanates from our blessed Saviour will be successful
because He died to redeem our souls. He died to pay the price
that was required to free us from the condemnation of sin
and to stand complete in Him and understand the glory of those
words. There is therefore now No condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. My friends today, what a wonderful,
wonderful blessing if the Holy Spirit comes and touches our
heart and shows us the relevance of such a statement as this and
to feel in that scene utterly unworthy of God taking notice
of us. We'll never, if we are a true
believer, we'll never think we're worthwhile God taking notice
of us. We'll stand amazed at His mercy
and His love toward us in bringing us out of darkness into the glorious
light of the Gospel. And just very briefly, the glorious
light of the Gospel is to show us that Lord Jesus Christ, the
only begotten Son of God, the third person in the Trinity,
came into this sinful world with that one object, to save His
people from their sins, to deliver them from the wrath to come,
to redeem their souls to pay the price required for their
redemption that was the reason the Blessed Saviour came into
this world and what a blessing therefore if you and I have the
Lord speaking to our souls and encouraging us to believe that
we are amongst those for whom He did come and did die and died
upon that cross at Calvary in order to redeem us all. The scene
at Calvary will be precious. It won't be something you'll
be fed up with about hearing about. No, you'll realize the
relevance and the importance of it. to go to Calvary, to ponder
there and to see that all your hope rests upon what Christ has
done to redeem your soul. Oh, what a wonderful revelation
to know. Therefore it is well with your
soul. These are the great and important
issues. so many things we have in this
world the devil will distract us again and again he's a past
master at distracting us a past master at turning us away from
the things of God sometimes when we try and pray and we think
we're in a good frame of mind in comes the devil and distracts
us and turns us away well we can be blessed indeed to realize
to have this living faith like this centurion did because it
was living faith that he was blessed with and how wonderful
it is because he says the Lord said when Jesus heard it he marveled
and said to them that followed verily I say unto you I have
not found so great faith no not in Israel Well, what a mercy
God has given you and me living faith. Living faith. Yes, by faith you are saved through
grace and that not of yourselves. No, it's God's work. and God
will perform that work in the hearts of every believer. Well, we can be thankful, I hope,
this evening for the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ and the examples that we have in the Word of God
to encourage us to come like the centurion in this way, feeling
utterly unworthy. Utterly unworthy. That's why
we have that wonderful prayer of the publican recorded, who
was with the Pharisee. Pharisee thought he was okay,
justified himself. But the publican didn't dare
lift up his eyes. But this is what he prayed, God,
be merciful to me, a sinner. What did Jesus say? I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. So may all of us be found there,
utterly unworthy, pleading with our Saviour, God be merciful
to me a sinner. and know therefore by His grace
that free justification of our soul and to know therefore by
the grace of God it is well with our soul. You know many things
are important we might think in this world but don't forget
one thing is needful and that is to know that we are redeemed
with the precious blood of Christ and it's well with our soul to
have faith given to us just like this centurion. We don't read
very much about him but what we see here is God given faith. I am not worthy that thou shouldest
come under my roof but speak the word only and my servant
shall be healed. And it came to pass Well, what
a mercy that's so in your life and my life when the great truths
of the gospel enter into our hearts and we can praise God
for it and thank him for it and go on our way rejoicing. There
is rejoicing in the salvation of our souls. To think that almighty
God, again, the great God has looked upon us. Think of the
billions of people. Why should God look upon you?
Why should he look upon me? I'll tell you, it's because He
loved us with everlasting love. Well, praise to God. Praise to God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And so the centurion answered
and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under
my roof, but speak the word, the word of life, into my heart
only. my servant shall be healed. Amen.