A Faith That Amazed Jesus

Brother Jim: Today's scripture is up there on the board for you.

Brother Jim: Hopefully I didn't forget how to do this after one week.

Brother Jim: I'll let you take some time to jot that down.

Brother Jim: Today's title of the message A Faith That Amazed Jesus.

Brother Jim: Now again, as we continue on this kind of series on the Great

Brother Jim: commission of going and telling, before we go and tell, we gotta

Brother Jim: check our faith, right?

Brother Jim: So interesting.

Brother Jim: Went to the cardiologist the other day and he's a good one

Brother Jim: for my checkup.

Brother Jim: And we're sitting there, he

Brother Jim: comes in, we talk, and then he

Brother Jim: whips out, this bigger than

Brother Jim: this.

Brother Jim: Anybody have a we remember the we like a remote controller.

Brother Jim: That's what it looked like.

Brother Jim: The dude goes, all right, pull up your shirt.

Brother Jim: I'm like, okay, you're probably

Brother Jim: not going to like what you see,

Brother Jim: but okay.

Brother Jim: Boom right here to the heart.

Brother Jim: He whips out his cell phone and by golly, I'm watching my heart.

Brother Jim: I'm looking at my arteries.

Brother Jim: I'm looking at the whole thing.

Brother Jim: He goes up the neck.

Brother Jim: I'm like, wow.

Brother Jim: Pretty cool, huh?

Brother Jim: So I was thinking about this

Brother Jim: because we're talking about

Brother Jim: faith today.

Brother Jim: A certain faith by a Roman centurion.

Brother Jim: What if I had one of those bad boys and I started walking down

Brother Jim: the aisle a faith monitor?

Brother Jim: I don't have my phone, but what if I went, boop!

Brother Jim: What would it show of your faith?

Brother Jim: Where would it go on that line?

Brother Jim: Would you be twenty five percent, fifty percent, seventy

Brother Jim: five percent, one hundred percent in your faith?

Brother Jim: Now, maybe some of us, and I

Brother Jim: question myself, I might be a

Brother Jim: little embarrassed or I might

Brother Jim: be.

Brother Jim: You got it, baby, right where it should be.

Brother Jim: So something to think about today.

Brother Jim: How strong is your faith in God?

Brother Jim: Because Jesus and we got the

Brother Jim: word of God, was amazed by one

Brother Jim: person.

Brother Jim: Out of all the people amazed by this man's faith.

Brother Jim: So just a little pre question.

Brother Jim: Would Jesus be amazed by your

Brother Jim: faith if he was standing here

Brother Jim: today?

Brother Jim: Again, a faith that amazed Jesus.

Brother Jim: Do you have this faith?

Brother Jim: And if you look your questions there the week.

Brother Jim: Do you have the faith of the Roman centurion?

Brother Jim: If you do have this faith of this man.

Brother Jim: Or excuse me, if you do have this faith, how do you explain

Brother Jim: it to others?

Brother Jim: How do you explain your faith?

Brother Jim: Question three if you do not

Brother Jim: have this faith, why do you feel

Brother Jim: this way?

Brother Jim: Now, that's a very important question to me.

Brother Jim: If you ain't got it, what's it going to take to get it?

Brother Jim: And number four, what can you do in your life to strengthen your

Brother Jim: faith in Jesus.

Brother Jim: Now you can listen to me all day long.

Brother Jim: You can listen to other pastors, but guess what?

Brother Jim: It comes down to you and your relationship with Jesus and

Brother Jim: maybe asking a hard question, Lord, what can I do to

Brother Jim: strengthen my faith?

Brother Jim: Let's go straight to Scripture today.

Brother Jim: We're in Luke seven one to five here, starting out.

Brother Jim: And all this is from the new King James Version.

Brother Jim: Now when he concluded all his sayings in the hearing of the

Brother Jim: people, he entered Capernaum.

Brother Jim: And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him,

Brother Jim: was sick and ready to die.

Brother Jim: So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,

Brother Jim: pleading, pleading with him to come and heal his servant.

Brother Jim: And when they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly,

Brother Jim: saying that the one for whom he should do this was deserving,

Brother Jim: For he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.

Brother Jim: In verse six, Then Jesus went with them, and when he was

Brother Jim: ready, not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to

Brother Jim: him, saying to him, Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not

Brother Jim: worthy that you should enter under my roof.

Brother Jim: Therefore I do not even think myself worthy to come to you.

Brother Jim: But here we go.

Brother Jim: But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Brother Jim: For I also am a man placed under

Brother Jim: authority, having soldiers under

Brother Jim: me.

Brother Jim: And I say to one, go.

Brother Jim: And he goes, and to another, come, and he comes.

Brother Jim: And to my servant do this, and he does that.

Brother Jim: And verse nine, When Jesus heard

Brother Jim: these things, he marveled at him

Brother Jim: and turned around and said to

Brother Jim: the crowd that followed him, I

Brother Jim: say to you, I have not found

Brother Jim: such great faith, not even in

Brother Jim: Israel.

Brother Jim: And those were sent, and those

Brother Jim: who were sent returning to the

Brother Jim: house.

Brother Jim: Well, guess what they found the servant well, who had been sick.

Brother Jim: Wow.

Brother Jim: Wow.

Brother Jim: A lot of humility by this man.

Brother Jim: Is there not a lot of humility?

Brother Jim: Now, my friends, there are only

Brother Jim: two times in the gospel where we

Brother Jim: are told that Jesus marveled or

Brother Jim: was amazed.

Brother Jim: One was because of unbelief in Mark six six, which we'll get to

Brother Jim: in a moment.

Brother Jim: And the other was because of the great faith that we just read.

Brother Jim: Have you ever had unbelief in your life, my friends?

Brother Jim: I'm sure most of us can say yes.

Brother Jim: But here's the cool thing.

Brother Jim: It happened right there with

Brother Jim: Jesus standing before the people

Brother Jim: of Nazareth.

Brother Jim: Now when I talk again about amazed, there was a time, let's

Brother Jim: just say he was disappointed.

Brother Jim: And he said in Scripture here in Mark six six, but we'll start

Brother Jim: with one to two to set the tone.

Brother Jim: Then he went out from there and came to his own country, and his

Brother Jim: disciples followed him.

Brother Jim: And when the Sabbath had come,

Brother Jim: he began to teach in the

Brother Jim: synagogue.

Brother Jim: And many hearing him, were astonished, saying, where did

Brother Jim: these man get these things?

Brother Jim: And what wisdom is this which is

Brother Jim: given to him, that such mighty

Brother Jim: works are performed by his

Brother Jim: hands?

Brother Jim: Mark six three is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and

Brother Jim: the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon, And are not his

Brother Jim: sisters here with us?

Brother Jim: So they were offended at him.

Brother Jim: And Mark six or four to six But Jesus said to them, A prophet is

Brother Jim: not without honor except in his own country, among his own

Brother Jim: relatives, and in his own house.

Brother Jim: Now he couldn't do excuse me

Brother Jim: now, he could do no mighty work

Brother Jim: there, except that he laid his

Brother Jim: hands on a few sick people and

Brother Jim: healed them.

Brother Jim: And here we go.

Brother Jim: And he marveled because of their unbelief.

Brother Jim: Then he went about the villages in a circuit teaching.

Brother Jim: Let me ask you something.

Brother Jim: How remarkable is it that Jesus,

Brother Jim: the Son of God, who knows all

Brother Jim: hearts, would marvel at

Brother Jim: anything?

Brother Jim: I think that's a very strong question.

Brother Jim: I mean, this is Jesus.

Brother Jim: And he marvels.

Brother Jim: Yet Jesus marveled at the faith of a Roman centurion.

Brother Jim: From what we just read.

Brother Jim: Luke seven nine.

Brother Jim: Now, the question for you and I this morning is, Would Jesus

Brother Jim: marvel at your faith?

Brother Jim: Would he marvel at our faith?

Brother Jim: My faith?

Brother Jim: Again, that would be kind of cool to see.

Brother Jim: Or maybe not.

Brother Jim: If we could plug into ourselves.

Brother Jim: Out of anyone walking the earth at this time.

Brother Jim: It is a Roman centurion that

Brother Jim: teaches what genuine faith looks

Brother Jim: like.

Brother Jim: Now, if you know any history, the Romans were not nice people.

Brother Jim: They conquered, they killed, they murdered, they looted.

Brother Jim: They took.

Brother Jim: At that time, they were unstoppable.

Brother Jim: Almost.

Brother Jim: So the Romans, let's just say,

Brother Jim: are not the nicest people in the

Brother Jim: world, but yet it's a Roman

Brother Jim: centurion, a man that has

Brother Jim: privilege.

Brother Jim: A man who has honor, who leads comes to Jesus.

Brother Jim: Again, genuine faith, my friends.

Brother Jim: Think about that.

Brother Jim: In Luke seven nine, I say unto you, I have not found so great

Brother Jim: faith, not even in Israel.

Brother Jim: Now if we break this scripture down a little bit this morning,

Brother Jim: let us look at great faith recognizes Jesus's authority.

Brother Jim: Authority is a big word, is it not?

Brother Jim: Power play.

Brother Jim: A lot of people love to have authority, don't they?

Brother Jim: From Luke seven sixty eight seven six eight we take this.

Brother Jim: The Roman centurion understood

Brother Jim: authority because he lived under

Brother Jim: it.

Brother Jim: The Roman centurion commanded soldiers.

Brother Jim: This Roman centurion, he obeyed his supervisors.

Brother Jim: He was a good soldier.

Brother Jim: When this battle hardened Roman military leader looked at Jesus.

Brother Jim: You know what he saw?

Brother Jim: He saw someone with absolute authority.

Brother Jim: Absolute authority.

Brother Jim: Now that says something there, does it not?

Brother Jim: This man believed Jesus had authority over disease.

Brother Jim: Jesus had authority over distance.

Brother Jim: Jesus had authority over life itself.

Brother Jim: Do we recognize that today?

Brother Jim: Twenty twenty six The United States.

Brother Jim: Let's just keep it simple.

Brother Jim: The state of Ohio.

Brother Jim: Rockford Church.

Brother Jim: Do we recognize his complete authority?

Brother Jim: This centurion believed Jesus

Brother Jim: did not even have to be

Brother Jim: physically present.

Brother Jim: Come on now.

Brother Jim: I've never tried that.

Brother Jim: AI or not AI, that FaceTime

Brother Jim: thing with doctors, virtual

Brother Jim: visits.

Brother Jim: Now I once this is me.

Brother Jim: I'm old school.

Brother Jim: I want somebody here physically present.

Brother Jim: But say the word and my servant will be healed.

Brother Jim: Say the word and my servant will be healed.

Brother Jim: Now of course, back then many

Brother Jim: people believed and I can

Brother Jim: understand this.

Brother Jim: Jesus could heal if he touched someone.

Brother Jim: This centurion believed Jesus only needed to speak.

Brother Jim: And again, that has been something that has been brought

Brother Jim: to my heart.

Brother Jim: My mind, I believe, by the Holy Spirit.

Brother Jim: You gotta speak to it.

Brother Jim: Again, we dilly dally around too much sometimes.

Brother Jim: Speak to it.

Brother Jim: It doesn't have to be an awesome presentation to talk to God.

Brother Jim: Does it get to the point?

Brother Jim: Speak to it.

Brother Jim: The centurion again believed Jesus only needed to speak.

Brother Jim: Is that not faith rocks for church?

Brother Jim: Is that not faith for you

Brother Jim: sitting here today or listening

Brother Jim: in?

Brother Jim: Can you say the same thing?

Brother Jim: Speak it and it shall be done.

Brother Jim: So let me ask you, do we sitting

Brother Jim: here today truly, truly, truly

Brother Jim: believe that Jesus has authority

Brother Jim: over everything?

Brother Jim: Oh, let's think about it.

Brother Jim: Our nation, our government.

Brother Jim: Oh my goodness, that can create a whole lot of doubt and a whole

Brother Jim: lot of fear.

Brother Jim: But you know what?

Brother Jim: There is authority over that.

Brother Jim: So before we get all hyped up on

Brother Jim: everything, we need to speak to

Brother Jim: it to God, say, Lord, call me

Brother Jim: down.

Brother Jim: Show me the way, because I

Brother Jim: believe I have the faith that

Brother Jim: you have authority all over

Brother Jim: this.

Brother Jim: I believe you have authority over the medical conditions that

Brother Jim: my loved ones going through, that you have authority.

Brother Jim: Our world.

Brother Jim: And here we go.

Brother Jim: He has authority over our world, does he not?

Brother Jim: He has authority over our

Brother Jim: nation, our society, our

Brother Jim: families, our marriages, our

Brother Jim: children, our future, our fears,

Brother Jim: our finances, our medical

Brother Jim: situations, and even our church

Brother Jim: and their leaders, their

Brother Jim: pastors.

Brother Jim: Faith begins who?

Brother Jim: Faith begins by recognizing who Jesus Christ really is.

Brother Jim: So that's a question to each of you in your heart, in your mind,

Brother Jim: who is Jesus Christ to you?

Brother Jim: And not.

Brother Jim: Not what society says he is.

Brother Jim: Again, we've turned, we've commercialized Jesus Christ.

Brother Jim: We've commercialized the gospel.

Brother Jim: That's just my opinion.

Brother Jim: You can agree or disagree, but it seems like if there's a buck

Brother Jim: to be made to make it more fun, we've done it.

Brother Jim: Now, if you go to Mark twenty

Brother Jim: eight eighteen again, here we

Brother Jim: go.

Brother Jim: We're backing this up with Scripture.

Brother Jim: And Jesus came and spoke to

Brother Jim: them, saying, all authority has

Brother Jim: been given to me in heaven and

Brother Jim: on earth.

Brother Jim: So if you want to question me on

Brother Jim: authority right there, right

Brother Jim: there, it is not Jim Manbeck

Brother Jim: saying it.

Brother Jim: God's word, saying it.

Brother Jim: Again, church, did you notice all authority?

Brother Jim: There's no words in there that says limited, is there?

Brother Jim: There's no words that says some.

Brother Jim: There's no words.

Brother Jim: It says on Tuesdays and Thursdays, folks come see me.

Brother Jim: I've got all the authority in the world.

Brother Jim: No, no. Something else to put in your thinking caps today.

Brother Jim: Great faith walks in humility.

Brother Jim: Did you know that church?

Brother Jim: Did you know that great faith walks in humility.

Brother Jim: Now, humility is a big word, a big word.

Brother Jim: Although the centurion was a

Brother Jim: military commander, the

Brother Jim: centurion never acted entitled

Brother Jim: woo!

Brother Jim: There's a word for today entitlement entitled.

Brother Jim: That word has become so common in this day and age, and I'm not

Brother Jim: referring to politics.

Brother Jim: Everybody put that aside.

Brother Jim: I'm talking about the way we live life, how we are teaching

Brother Jim: our children to live life.

Brother Jim: Everybody thinks they're entitled true.

Brother Jim: I'm sorry, but you see it.

Brother Jim: If you open up your eyes a little bit and go beyond a

Brother Jim: little compounds of Tusk County or in Tusk County entitlement we

Brother Jim: expect without Wednesday nights.

Brother Jim: Again, if you come, we become great consumers, haven't we?

Brother Jim: But what do you give back?

Brother Jim: What do you give back?

Brother Jim: I mean thank you Lord for Amazon.

Brother Jim: Oh my goodness, I get everything I want.

Brother Jim: But what happens when Amazon don't deliver.

Brother Jim: Oh we get a little frustrated don't we.

Brother Jim: Or they get the order wrong.

Brother Jim: Get a little frustrated.

Brother Jim: I'll let you define entitlement for yourself.

Brother Jim: But think about that.

Brother Jim: Not think about this.

Brother Jim: Notice what this centurion says I am not worthy.

Brother Jim: I am not worthy.

Brother Jim: Not once, but twice.

Brother Jim: He expresses that he did not demand a miracle church.

Brother Jim: He did not boast about his Roman accomplishments.

Brother Jim: No, he did not.

Brother Jim: He did not point to his generosity.

Brother Jim: He did not shout about how many followers he had on TikTok,

Brother Jim: Instagram or whatever else there is out there.

Brother Jim: No, he was humble.

Brother Jim: He showed humility.

Brother Jim: I am not worthy.

Brother Jim: How many times do we say that in our everyday life?

Brother Jim: Instead, this humble centurion, this Roman commander, admitted,

Brother Jim: I do not deserve this.

Brother Jim: And think about this for a moment.

Brother Jim: Religion says I deserve God's blessings.

Brother Jim: Notice religion.

Brother Jim: Okay, grace.

Brother Jim: Grace says I deserve nothing.

Brother Jim: Yet Christ gives everything.

Brother Jim: Pride.

Brother Jim: Yes, pride keeps people from Christ.

Brother Jim: Humility draws people to Christ.

Brother Jim: In James four verse six, but he gives more grace.

Brother Jim: Therefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace gives

Brother Jim: grace to who?

Brother Jim: the humble.

Brother Jim: And if we look at this.

Brother Jim: And this is so today in our age.

Brother Jim: Great faith cares about others, cares about others.

Brother Jim: This story is not about the centurion himself.

Brother Jim: It is about his servant.

Brother Jim: Yes, a servant.

Brother Jim: A Roman servant.

Brother Jim: Now they were often considered disposable.

Brother Jim: These servants use and abuse this one.

Brother Jim: Dispose of him or her and get a new one.

Brother Jim: Kind of like cell phones or a car in our today's world.

Brother Jim: You use it.

Brother Jim: For what it's worth.

Brother Jim: You trade it in, you toss it, and you get a new one, right?

Brother Jim: Oh my goodness.

Brother Jim: Todd bought a red truck.

Brother Jim: Jim, I gotta have a red truck

Brother Jim: now, even though mine's only two

Brother Jim: years old.

Brother Jim: True consumer again.

Brother Jim: The servant was precious to him.

Brother Jim: Now I want you to think about all the people who are precious

Brother Jim: to you in your life.

Brother Jim: Luke tells us from verse two, and a certain centurion's

Brother Jim: servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.

Brother Jim: News flashed that that this

Brother Jim: world desperately needs to hear

Brother Jim: true faith.

Brother Jim: True faith changes how you, we

Brother Jim: us treat people in our own

Brother Jim: lives.

Brother Jim: Out of all the people from that

Brother Jim: time period, it was a

Brother Jim: centurion's heart that reflected

Brother Jim: compassion.

Brother Jim: Again, those two don't go together.

Brother Jim: So let me ask you this morning through faith, does your heart

Brother Jim: reflect compassion to the people you love, as well as total

Brother Jim: strangers, or the ones you disagree with in so many ways.

Brother Jim: Those blacks, those Hispanics, those whites, those Asians,

Brother Jim: those Republicans, those Democrats, those independents.

Brother Jim: And Jen's not here.

Brother Jim: I was going to say them vegans.

Brother Jim: But anyway, those gay folk, those transsexual people, those

Brother Jim: pedophiles, those United Methodist folks are can't forget

Brother Jim: the tattooed people, right?

Brother Jim: The ones doing a little smoking, maybe a little doobie smoking.

Brother Jim: Oh, no drinks, a little alcohol says a few bad words.

Brother Jim: Do we care about them?

Brother Jim: Do we love them?

Brother Jim: Let me tell you something right now.

Brother Jim: And you can toss me on this one if I ever catch anybody

Brother Jim: degrading or not.

Brother Jim: Welcome to a man or a woman who comes in with tattoos, who's got

Brother Jim: beer on their breath from last night wearing their favorite

Brother Jim: Iron Maiden shirt.

Brother Jim: And you And you are nasty to them.

Brother Jim: We're going to have a run in

Brother Jim: because I want to tell you

Brother Jim: something.

Brother Jim: Oh, Jesus loves that person just as much as he loves you.

Brother Jim: Did you hear me on that?

Brother Jim: And maybe, maybe that stereotype

Brother Jim: the church has created through

Brother Jim: the generations has killed the

Brother Jim: church in so many ways because a

Brother Jim: self-righteous hypocrites.

Brother Jim: I got a tattoo right here.

Brother Jim: Is that going to change your love for me?

Brother Jim: If I came in here with piercings and a mohawk, which that ain't

Brother Jim: going to happen.

Brother Jim: But you get my point.

Brother Jim: Would that change your love for me?

Brother Jim: Sandy beans comes in here in a perm riding a Harley.

Brother Jim: I'm still going to love her.

Brother Jim: And I'm going to ask some questions.

Brother Jim: You get it?

Brother Jim: Jesus loves them as much as he loves you.

Brother Jim: If you take anything away from today's message, you better

Brother Jim: think on that one.

Brother Jim: Our list can go on and on about how we can, unlike and not feel

Brother Jim: compassion for people.

Brother Jim: And maybe, just maybe, I'm

Brother Jim: getting a little warm for some

Brother Jim: of you.

Brother Jim: Faith should move you and I to

Brother Jim: care for our families, our

Brother Jim: church, our neighbors, the

Brother Jim: hurting, the lost and the

Brother Jim: forgotten.

Brother Jim: The God can hear me on this.

Brother Jim: The gospel changes hearts.

Brother Jim: The gospel changes hearts.

Brother Jim: And here is something else that

Brother Jim: we can take along with that from

Brother Jim: Luke.

Brother Jim: Great faith believes before seeing.

Brother Jim: Great faith believes before sin.

Brother Jim: The centurion never saw Jesus heal his servant, did he?

Brother Jim: He simply believed Jesus's word.

Brother Jim: And that is biblical faith, my friends.

Brother Jim: Biblical faith.

Brother Jim: Do you believe Jesus is word this morning?

Brother Jim: Do you actually believe it or are you just along for the ride?

Brother Jim: Add another check to that list.

Brother Jim: In Hebrews eleven one to three.

Brother Jim: Now faith is the substance of

Brother Jim: things hoped for, the evidence

Brother Jim: of things not seen, for by it

Brother Jim: the elders obtained good

Brother Jim: testimony.

Brother Jim: By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word

Brother Jim: of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things

Brother Jim: which are visible.

Brother Jim: How many times have we heard someone say, or maybe you've

Brother Jim: said it yourself, or maybe I, I believe it when I see it.

Brother Jim: For all you unbelievers in Bigfoot, you're only going to

Brother Jim: believe it if you see it, right?

Brother Jim: Little inside joke there, But

Brother Jim: Faith says, I believe it because

Brother Jim: God said it, because God said

Brother Jim: it.

Brother Jim: The Christian life has always been lived by faith.

Brother Jim: Noah built.

Brother Jim: He built a big old boat before the rain came, didn't he?

Brother Jim: Abraham left before seeing the land.

Brother Jim: Moses obeyed before seeing deliverance.

Brother Jim: How many people today?

Brother Jim: And yes, even Christians trust

Brother Jim: Christ, though they have never

Brother Jim: seen him.

Brother Jim: Faith, my friends.

Brother Jim: Trust.

Brother Jim: Let's just get right to it.

Brother Jim: I've been here four years now and a lot longer than that.

Brother Jim: The prayers that I have seen answered.

Brother Jim: Now I look at some of you in the

Brother Jim: back row who have been here a

Brother Jim: long time.

Brother Jim: Think about how much you have seen.

Brother Jim: God answers prayer.

Brother Jim: God answered prayers in this church, huh?

Brother Jim: Doors are still open, aren't they?

Brother Jim: People still coming in, aren't they?

Brother Jim: Faith, my friends.

Brother Jim: Faith.

Brother Jim: Great faith honors Christ above tradition.

Brother Jim: The centurion was a Gentile,

Brother Jim: which means simply, he wasn't

Brother Jim: Jewish.

Brother Jim: The religious leaders of Israel, and we've talked about them, had

Brother Jim: centuries of scriptures.

Brother Jim: Yet Jesus found greater faith than a Roman soldier than among

Brother Jim: many who had all the religious privileges, all the knowledge,

Brother Jim: all the books, all the learning, knowing Scripture is wonderful.

Brother Jim: Attending church is important.

Brother Jim: Being baptized matters.

Brother Jim: But none of these replace genuine faith church.

Brother Jim: God is not impressed by

Brother Jim: religious activity without trust

Brother Jim: in Christ.

Brother Jim: Now, here's another barn burner for you this morning.

Brother Jim: Great faith receives God's power.

Brother Jim: Jesus simply spoke.

Brother Jim: The servant was immediately healed.

Brother Jim: Distance meant nothing.

Brother Jim: Disease meant nothing.

Brother Jim: Jesus is authority accomplished.

Brother Jim: What no physician could.

Brother Jim: That reminds us, it better remind us that God's power is

Brother Jim: not limited by geography, circumstances, politics,

Brother Jim: economics, or even what seem even what might seem to you as

Brother Jim: an impossible situation.

Brother Jim: You ever faced an impossible situation?

Brother Jim: It happens, don't it?

Brother Jim: But guess what?

Brother Jim: God answers prayers, don't he?

Brother Jim: God answers prayers, don't he?

Brother Jim: Nothing, and I mean nothing is too difficult for God.

Brother Jim: And Jeremiah thirty two twenty seven behold, I am the Lord, the

Brother Jim: God of all flesh.

Brother Jim: Is there anything too hard for me?

Brother Jim: Is there anything too hard for me?

Brother Jim: No. Trust is a huge problem in our world today.

Brother Jim: True church.

Brother Jim: Our society's news, politicians,

Brother Jim: entertainers, pastors and

Brother Jim: churches.

Brother Jim: Social media tries to encourage mankind to trust this.

Brother Jim: Trust that government, medicine,

Brother Jim: wealth, technology and

Brother Jim: education.

Brother Jim: While all these have value, none can replace the trust that you

Brother Jim: have in Christ.

Brother Jim: America needs more than stronger laws.

Brother Jim: Families need more than better programs.

Brother Jim: And I've said this before, but

Brother Jim: I'm going to say it again

Brother Jim: churches need more than bigger

Brother Jim: buildings.

Brother Jim: Let me ask something.

Brother Jim: You go to the bathroom.

Brother Jim: Does it matter if that toilet

Brother Jim: that sinks gold plated works

Brother Jim: just like any other toilet,

Brother Jim: doesn't it?

Brother Jim: You think that's impressing God?

Brother Jim: No, not in my book.

Brother Jim: It doesn't.

Brother Jim: We, you and I, as well as all

Brother Jim: human beings, are world needs

Brother Jim: believers.

Brother Jim: And here we go.

Brother Jim: This is where it comes to us.

Brother Jim: Our world needs believers whose faith amazes Jesus amazes Jesus.

Brother Jim: Isn't that something to say?

Brother Jim: My faith, my trust, my obedience amazes Jesus.

Brother Jim: Faith that says, Lord, your word is enough.

Brother Jim: And just in case you're sitting there wondering this morning, do

Brother Jim: I have this faith?

Brother Jim: Or maybe just wondering, maybe wondering what faith looks like.

Brother Jim: Here's some of the greatest characteristics of faith.

Brother Jim: Great faith recognizes Christ's authority walks in humility,

Brother Jim: loves others, trusts God's Word, depends upon Christ completely,

Brother Jim: and gives God all the glory.

Brother Jim: Gives God all the glory.

Brother Jim: Imagine this as we come to a close receiving.

Brother Jim: You get a certified letter from

Brother Jim: your banking establishment

Brother Jim: stating that a large

Brother Jim: inheritance.

Brother Jim: Old Uncle Ed passed away and he

Brother Jim: put a large sum of money in your

Brother Jim: savings account.

Brother Jim: Now, that would be nice, wouldn't it?

Brother Jim: You do not wait to see every

Brother Jim: dollar in cash before believing

Brother Jim: it, right?

Brother Jim: You don't go down to the bank and hand count it.

Brother Jim: You act.

Brother Jim: First of all, you start paying off some bills.

Brother Jim: Maybe buy yourself a couple things.

Brother Jim: Maybe a new purse, stuff like that, you know?

Brother Jim: But again, you're trusting that

Brother Jim: person who sent you that

Brother Jim: notified certified letter,

Brother Jim: right?

Brother Jim: You act because you trust the authority behind the promise.

Brother Jim: Likewise, this mighty Roman soldier, this Roman centurion,

Brother Jim: trusted the authority of Jesus.

Brother Jim: He did not need visible proof.

Brother Jim: Christ's word was enough.

Brother Jim: So in saying this, how much more

Brother Jim: should you and I trust every

Brother Jim: day.

Brother Jim: Promises of God recorded in Scripture.

Brother Jim: Rochford Church.

Brother Jim: Do you.

Brother Jim: Do we trust God's promise in our own life?

Brother Jim: The centurion came with humility.

Brother Jim: The centurion came believing.

Brother Jim: The centurion came trusting only Christ.

Brother Jim: Today the Lord asks you, you and I, the same question.

Brother Jim: Will you trust my word?

Brother Jim: And perhaps, maybe today there

Brother Jim: might be one or two of you

Brother Jim: sitting here.

Brother Jim: Perhaps I need to trust him for my salvation.

Brother Jim: Perhaps.

Brother Jim: Perhaps you need to trust him

Brother Jim: with a burden you've carried for

Brother Jim: years.

Brother Jim: Perhaps your faith has become

Brother Jim: weak because disappointment or

Brother Jim: fear.

Brother Jim: What is keeping you from coming to Christ today?

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ is still the Savior who speaks with all authority.

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ is still able to

Brother Jim: heal broken lives, forgive sins,

Brother Jim: restore hope, and strengthen

Brother Jim: weary believers.

Brother Jim: Jesus did not marvel at wealth,

Brother Jim: influence, education, or

Brother Jim: military rank.

Brother Jim: Jesus marveled at faith.

Brother Jim: May it be said of us here today at Rockford Church.

Brother Jim: You and I believe God's Word.

Brother Jim: Submit to Christ's authority.

Brother Jim: Walk humbly, love deeply, love

Brother Jim: others deeply, and trust him

Brother Jim: completely.

Brother Jim: Even yet, even when we cannot see the outcome yet again.

Brother Jim: Going back to verse nine, when Jesus heard these things, he

Brother Jim: marveled at him and turned around and said to the crowd

Brother Jim: that followed him.

Brother Jim: I say to you, I have not found

Brother Jim: such great faith, not even in

Brother Jim: Israel.

Brother Jim: Would that not be something to

Brother Jim: hear from Jesus Christ about

Brother Jim: yourself?

Brother Jim: What keeps you from hearing that, my friends?

Brother Jim: How can we obey and go out there

Brother Jim: as we are commanded by the Great

Brother Jim: Commission if we do not have

Brother Jim: that faith and trust in Jesus

Brother Jim: Christ?

Brother Jim: Weak faith, weak trust.

Brother Jim: It's not going to get her done, is it?

Brother Jim: But great faith is there and is possible, just waiting for you

Brother Jim: and I to reach out, to take it and run with it.

Brother Jim: For all the world to know and to see about the goodness, the

Brother Jim: grace, the mercy, the love and forgiveness of God.

Brother Jim: Let it be so.