Man on a Mission: Approaching the King
There is no way around it. When we come to church, it is for the express purpose of worshiping the God who made us, loves us, and came to save us. The Bible reveals Jesus as the Creator King of the universe who ultimately gives us His word to understand who He is and how to have relationship with Him. As we do so, we begin to discover how to approach the King, ways to amaze the King, and finally, how to avail ourselves to being used by the King.
Matthew 8:5-17 (NIV)
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly. 7Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am 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.”10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases."
What was a centurion?
The centurions formed the backbone of the leadership of the Roman legions and were usually tasked with the responsibility of enforcing discipline. They received much higher pay and up to fifteen times more share of the spoils than other soldiers. It is like a police captain, partner at a firm, or an upwardly mobile account manager.
Approaching the King
“Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself.” ― Timothy Leary (Richard Nixon once called "the most dangerous man in America")
Though this is how many people in our modern culture approach life and reality, they ultimately end up spiritual wanderers and emotional vagabonds. Because they do not allow the self-revelatory God to show them who He is, and ultimately, who they are to be, there is no true context to the realities of the world in which we live, or way to navigate it successfully, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Only relating to God as he is found in Jesus gives us this comprehensive picture and approach.
What can we learn from the centurion?
The centurion, though a Gentile, showed sensitivity to the Jewish populace knowing that asking the Jewish rabbi to enter the Gentile home would make him ceremonially unclean. Though he stood in awe of God, He still engaged him. Do not stand immobilized at a distance, theorizing through tradition that we are unworthy to see Christ move through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives because of our uncleanness. It is the cleanness that He gives us through faith in His word that enables us to receive and be used by Him.
Amazing the King
The faith of this simple man is what amazed the King, moving the King to honor the centurion's request.
The centurion had enough wisdom to realize that as you go up the chain, every boss has someone else to whom he or she must answer. Even the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company has their stockholders to whom they need to answer. The ceiling of all authority is the benevolent God, who not only made all things, but, thus, has the ability to manipulate all things created, for our good.
In our society, the arrogance of people causes them to think that we are on level ground with the uncreated, eternal God, and therefore have the right to judge the judge. This is the pride that God resists, giving His grace to the humble, and why many will receive nothing from His hand. The centurion, however, understood his place, acknowledged the authority of Christ as the cosmic King, and was able to benefit from His word.
Allowing the King to Use You
How did Peter's mother-in-law respond to the word of the King?
When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother‑in‑law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. (Matthew 8:14, 15 NIV)
Many people go on a quest to discover more and more broken areas as an end unto itself. However, Jesus makes us whole so that we can rise up in strength and serve alongside of Him. That is His purpose in healing. He is preparing us to know Him fully so that we might one day, in submission to His authority, rule and reign with Him. As we've come to know His healing in relationships, psychologically, or in our physical bodies, He commissions us as vice-regents to be agents of healing for others. Many exclude themselves from the healings when they do not see this resultant service as the ultimate goal - they prefer to stay right where they are, always the recipients.
The man who was used of God to initiate the healing was not in occupational ministry. The centurion was in the marketplace as many of you need to be and believe to do it well for the sake of godly influence. The Bible is full of people who are called to their profession as missionaries and find a way to do the most good that they can there for the kingdom of God.
The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal His servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with Him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. (Luke 7:3-6a NIV)
The centurion was discerning enough to realize that though his influence could be global through the Italian regiment, his impact should first be felt for the Kingdom locally through the synagogue. This is the modern church family to which He has joined you.
“Think globally, act locally.” ― Paul McCartney
You should ask yourself the question, what are the ways that I can excel in my profession and bring the most glory to God through my local family of believers?
The joy that you are looking for in life comes from being found, loved, and accepted in Christ, joined to His community, and empowered to serve those around you. Dealing with the weight of responsibilities is a daunting experience if it is not contextualized in this paradigm.
Last week we saw the leper come on behalf of himself. This is always an option with our loving God who cares for our lives. This week, however, we see a transition, where the centurion comes on behalf of someone else. This is at the heart of the gospel, that when we see God as He truly is and are healed, ministry results where we begin to live outside of ourselves in an effort to serve others.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)
The centurion could have been content with his place in society. His living conditions. His rise from being a plebeian, a commoner, through societal ranks. Yet, he was concerned about his servant who was valuable to him. Who is valuable to you? In this city, in your workplace, in your family? Last week we talked about the leper who came on his own behalf. This week we see the centurion who comes on behalf of his friend (the mentality of the Roman Empire towards the weak, sickly and dying - mirroring Chicago/America). What will it take to make this Kingdom more than about your personal wholeness, achievement, or success?
Practically:
1) Like the centurion, excel in your profession and do all of the good that you can for the Kingdom, and, specifically, through the church. 2) Spend time studying the reports of God's goodness shown to others in the Bible and in Christian testimony. 3) Begin to come into agreement with the authority of Christ, making requests for yourself and others.
Second City Church - Man on a Mission Sermon Series 2013