Relentless Faith | Ps TeeJay Davidson

Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast.

Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to

take hold of. So we hope this message inspires

you and build your faith that it helps you have more of a God

perspective for your day. Enjoy.

As we raise our hand to heaven, can we just open up our hands

and lift our hands to heaven? And Father, we just thank you in

this meeting right now. You've been moving in this place

already. And God, where the Spirit of the

living God is, there is freedom. Today we take up that freedom,

but also we invite you in today to our hearts, our minds, our

ears and our eyes for the revelation of the Word.

Help us to apply it today. We thank you Holy Spirit, as you

take over right now. In Jesus name we said Amen.

You may be seated in the wonderful presence of our living

God. Today I'm going to talk about

the subject of faith. Faith.

Not just a wishy washy faith, but a faith that would hold on

to the hem of Jesus, a faith that would breakthrough as

friends and lower them down to get their friend healed.

That sort of faith. Not a wishy washy faith when

circumstances and life get in the way and you decrease, but a

relentless faith. And that's the title of my

message today that we're going to speak about is a relentless

faith. We're going to go through the

story of the Centurion and look at the application of the faith,

but also the hero of the story, Jesus Christ.

Everyone all over the world puts their faith in something.

Some people put their faith in sport, some people put their

faith in work, some people put faith in money.

But let me tell you today that where our faith belongs only in

one person, and that's Jesus Christ.

The effects of us putting faith in things that are dead, that

will wash away one day, that will perish, and that our faith

will perish with it, but our faith in Christ will never

perish. Amen.

Every time I get in my car, I have faith that it's going to

go. Every time I know I have faith,

I get in and I go. You know what?

This is going to take me to my destination and it's going to

bring me back home. And if it didn't, I wouldn't

have it. I'd boot the car and get another

one. We are designed as people to

have faith and live by faith as the world taught at the Word

tells us that we shall live by faith and not by sight.

And that is what the Word see. Some of us, we have little

faith, but you see it through the Bible.

Some have a little bit more faith and some people have a

little bit more faith. Some have medium faith and some

have great crazy, relentless faith.

You could see this when Jesus was in the boat with his

disciples and the waves, they hit the boat, the wind come, the

situation had turned dire. They thought they were going to

die in the boat and they cried out and Jesus responds in

Matthew 8 chapter 8 verses 26 in the NIV version says this as he

replies you of little faith, why are you so afraid?

And see, Jesus makes this connection with little faith and

being afraid. You see, this is the problem why

when a fear comes in and and people start to freak out and be

afraid and go, oh, look at that life situation or look at this,

this problem, this financial hardship.

This person said this to me. That person said, so you

couldn't believe it and they become afraid instead of holding

on to the faith of the word and says, God, I remember you said

you'll never leave me nor forsake me.

It doesn't matter what people say, but what you say, God have

faith in that. And all of a sudden fear and

that afraidness grows strangely dim.

See, it's by the word of God that we gain our faith because

what does the word say? Faith comes from hearing and

hearing the Word of God. That's where faith comes from.

But doubt and and and and struggle and fear comes from not

hearing, not being in the Word, not knowing the Word, not not

knowing that God says what He said He would do when His

promises are His promises. I know from the Word of God that

no weapon formed against me shall prosper.

Some of us need to capture that today when the winds and the

waves of life come about, we need to say, you know what, God?

I know I can see in the physical what's going on because I don't

live by sight. I live by faith.

But I'm going to stand on your word, God.

I'm going to stand on this promise to say, yes, I'll go

again. Yes, you're for me, God.

If you're for me, who can be against me?

Who can be against me? God, I have faith in that and a

trust in that. But beloved, we can't get faith

from something else unless we're in his word, unless we're of his

word, unless we are with Jesus, because he is the word.

And as I continue on, it says, and then he got up and rebuked

the winds and the waves and it was completely calm.

Completely calm. That's what happens when you

take up the word of God. You could walk into the worst of

worst situations and you go, God, I'm going in with your word

in the faith. That relentless faith.

This isn't going to push me back, but it's going to propel

me. For the very storm that the life

has stirred up has only made me soar higher.

Oh God, I could walk into any situation and God Almighty, your

word in the faith, it's completely calm.

There could be chaos, but God, in my mind, the storm is still.

The storm is still. We need to have that relentless

faith. That's the faith I want.

I'm preaching to myself here today, relentless faith, faith

that doesn't pull back in, in circumstances and situations.

It's the hardships but relentless faith that pushes

through. And as we go through the story

of the Centurion, I want to lay a foundation of context of this

story. We're going to go through

Matthew 8, but before we get there, just want to show you

that the Centurion is a, a commander of a Roman army in

charge of a round of 100 men. And in this story, in this

event, we see that he was most likely in charge of that region

there, a gentile like us, like you and I.

And in the parallel story, you see in Luke 7, you see that

there was a report. He had a good reputation, this

centurion. He was a man that loved the

nation and he helped build the synagogue.

The parallel story here, and this is very rare because

usually the Roman soldier, they're very like you got me

shield. You know, you got me sword, get

out of me way. Come here.

You help me walk a mile. You can carry my stuff.

But this man was different as you'll see the story unfold in

Matthew chapter 8 and we'll start at verses 5.

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

Ready. Follow me.

Open up your Bibles and get ready to receive from the Word.

And it says this. And when Jesus had entered

Caperna, a centurion come to him asking for help.

Who knows when Jesus enters a region, there isn't a great

disturbance. It's like, you know what?

The region just received healing.

You know when Jesus enters a place, people are getting free.

You know, when Jesus enters a place, demonic is gold, you

know, restoration, you know relationships are going to be

restored. You know that there's

redemption. You know that there's

reconciliation. And that's for you and I,

beloved, that's for you and I today.

When he enters a place, let me tell you, the greatest place

Jesus has ever entered is in the heart of humanity.

In the heart of humanity, because the Bible says that our

hearts are wicked. But when Jesus is the Lord of

our heart, that's when he starts to reign in your life.

Have I got some reigning Christians here today?

Have I got some people with the living God in them?

Come on, raise up a shout. Give him the praise.

Like Pastor John said. So this centurion comes to him

asking for help. In verse 6, he says Lord.

See, he calls him Lord, not just Savior.

We've got a lot of people just calling him Savior and they can

do whatever they want because they're like, you know, I'm

saved, I'm good, but not Lord. We've got to have Jesus as our

Savior and Lord, Lord and Saviour, the Saviour.

You know that Christ has broken off the power of sin.

He's got you free. But Lord means you've got to

action that faith out now. Lord means, oh God, not me, but

you. Oh God, send me over there and

the places maybe I don't necessarily want to go, but I'm

going to go because you're the Lord of my life and his servant

is at home. He said my servant lies at home

paralyzed, suffering terribly in verse 6.

Did you know that in the Roman law there, if a soldier in his

what he was under, he could kill that man for being sick?

It was in his right to do so because he wasn't fit.

However, you see this centurion was concerned for a servant that

could have been easily replaced. You see the heart of the man and

let me tell you, that's for us here today to take up for our

community because there's people who are lying sick, there's

people who are paralysed in our community from this thing called

sin. That's the effect of brokenness.

Would we be like that servant and be like Jesus?

Jesus, give me eyes to see the harvest field because you said

it's plenty and I'm a Co labourer.

You said there's few labourers. I don't want to be the few, I

want to be the one that goes into the harvest field.

God give me eyes to see. It's not just for the

evangelist, it's for everyone here.

You've got the hope of glory in you.

Don't let people walk past you in the shopping center without

saying God give me a word to encourage that person.

God that kid there, he needs life spoken into him.

That single mum over there. God, how can I be a blessing, a

generous blessing? Could I pay for someone shopping

today? Oh God, give me a now word

everywhere I go. I've got to be a blessing.

I've got to be a blessing. Our heart cry to God is for this

community. Our hearts must break for this

community, for people to know Jesus.

That's our prayer, that's our heartbreak, that's our cry.

That's why we do faith, love, hope for the benefit of the

community. That's why we put up here every

time. It's not for us.

We're put on this earth not for us, but for God and for others.

What do we put here on earth for for God and for others?

Verses 7 says this. And Jesus said to him, and as

what I noticed before I go on is as I observed the text and I

stared at it and I stared at it and I stared at it to ponder on

Scripture and it started to come alive in me.

You know, that's the enemy. He's he's frightened of that the

the word become flesh in US, not just on the book, but when the

word becomes flesh in US and we action our faith, we don't just

read it, we're action it. We go, oh God, I can apply this

now. This is the faith in what you

say. I heard Pastor John say it last

week in his preach. Faith is the substance or the

evidence. Is that right?

Faith is the evidence of things not yet seen.

Faith is the sorry. Faith is the evidence of things

hopeful and evidence of things not yet seen.

I correct myself. Sorry about that.

Verses 7 And Jesus said to him, shall I come and heal him?

What a question. As you look through these

scriptures, you start to see the thread of prayer.

The centurion comes to Jesus. He asked for help and Jesus

response. But we've got to listen, we've

got to speak, we've got to pray, but also listen to the response

of God. And here's the response.

Shall I come and heal him? If it was me, I'd be like, yes,

please, this way. Here he is.

And I'd be like, Jono, he's not a doctor.

He's homeless. He's turned water.

He said he turned water into wine.

And he said that he's born a virgin.

I think he's good. And if I was Jono, I'd be like,

brother, please give me a doctor.

But this response of the centurion is not like mine.

He says something so incredibly like crazy, relentless faith,

the centurion replied in verses 8.

He said, Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.

Back then they, the Romans, they thought it was the opposite.

You don't deserve to come under my roof.

That's what he's saying. Sorry, I said.

I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.

But it was usually flipped the script.

They thought that they were above had this authority ready.

But just say the word and my servant will be healed.

Just say the word. Where did he pick that up from?

You know, I started to wonder in the scripture, where did he get

this from? This is incredible.

And I started to think and ponder, not trying to add stuff

in the text, but was it because he was around the synagogue?

Did he hear something? Did he hear the word of God

maybe from Genesis where it said and God said, let there be light

and there was light. And God said he hears something

around the region that stirred up his faith and heard about

this Jesus. And he took this word and said,

you know what, man? I'm going to go to him.

I'm not going to allow doubt from going from my servant to

talk to Jesus to get in the way. I'm not going to walk along the

way and say, oh, what if he rebukes me?

I'm under 100 men. God, what if this, what if?

What if? What if?

What if it happens? What if it does?

What if you pray for that person and they get healed?

What happens if you invite that person and they come to church?

What if verses 9 for I am myself under a man, 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.

He says, I myself and my man under authority recognizes Jesus

authority. See, there's something about

faith and authority. See, when you have faith in the

Word of God and you go God, and you see that your healing is in

there, you have authority over that.

Let me tell you, wherever you go, you have authority over your

doubt. You have authority over it.

Oh, doubt, you must go. You don't belong here.

You don't belong. Fear, you must go.

I got the faith for the Word of God says this and it's given me

authority to do that. It's giving me the authority,

God, faith and authority. Let me tell you, talk about

faith and authority over life situations that could pop up all

throughout the way of the centurion.

But he didn't let hardships, he didn't let the rocking of the

boat sway him. He didn't let the waves of the

wind, He went and He sought after the one, the one that we

call Lord, the one that we call King, the one just with one

touch, the one that bring life, the one that came fully God in

the flesh to example His Father in heaven.

What an example that we have. But let me tell you, beloved,

don't let the winds and the rocking of the waves and the

bashing of the boat stop you today from having that faith,

that relentless faith. If you've had a word spoken over

your life, if you've had prophecy, if you've got vision,

don't you dare let time take that away from you.

Don't you dare let winds and waves and situations of life

dare make you fall back. No, that means there's a storm

coming for you to rise up to the equation, for you to have faith

and authority in that situation. To soar.

To soar, to soar over every doubt.

Because that's what Jesus has done for us.

He died on that cross and rose above every disease.

He rose above every sickness. He rose above all of those

things so that way we could have victory in him.

Verses 10 says this. When Jesus heard this, he was

amazed and he said to those following him, truly, I tell

you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

You notice this centurion he went to Jesus, asked him, he got

a response, but he he doesn't respond directly to the

centurion. He starts talking to those

following him. That can be like our prayer life

too. Sometimes we talking to God,

we're getting response and sometimes you feel like there's

radio silence. And I ask God, Oh my God, you're

always speaking. I know that.

I know I'm the deaf one. I know that God, you're always

speaking. You're speaking through your

word. But sometimes it can be like

that. And we could feel, oh God's not

answering my prayer. Why?

And we lose faith in the word that He's given us.

Beloved, please, if it feels like radio silence, don't put

down your faith in Him. Don't put down your faith in the

word that's been spoken. Don't put down that vision.

Don't put down those eyes for the community.

Don't put down believing for that family member, for that

friend. Pick it up and go.

Pick it up and go. Pick it up and go.

Beloved, don't let the radio silence pull you back.

May it propel you forward to a deeper level of intimacy with

him. And see, Jesus was amazed 2

times in the Holy Bible. You see this here in the text

with the great faith of the centurion.

And the other one was in his own hometown where there was a lack

of faith and he could only do a few miracles.

And a Mark 6/6 in the NIV says this, and he was amazed at the

lack of faith. He was amazed at that since the

lack of faith is a disease and a sickness.

It stops the very miracle of Christ, the work in our life and

work in our community. We have a greater hope than

that. And I'll tell you, I've got

something I wrote down and got from the Lord and I just want to

declare and decree over this church, beloved.

So I want you years to be open to receive this right now

because This Is Us, the body of Christ, the church.

I declare and decree, beloved, that this church will not be

found in a lack of faith, but a church that amazes the living

God with it's incredible love for others and it's action faith

to see this community to come to be in relationship with Jesus

and receive freedom. This great Church of City Point

N, which we call home, will be known for it's great faith, It's

relentless faith. It's relentless faith.

It's relentless faith. Come on City Point N, come on,

speak it over yourself. I have relentless faith.

Come on, speak it out. Ready on the count of 3123.

I have relentless faith. So good.

Verse 11 says this and I say to you that many will come from the

East and the West and will take their places at the feast with

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven.

What this means is Jesus has come.

It's for everyone now. Doesn't matter if you're Aussie

bogan, doesn't matter if you're esche, doesn't matter if you're

rich, medium or poor. It's for everyone, everyone who

believe and have faith in him and it would be the best gift

you'd ever received called the gift, the free gift of grace of

your life. It's for everyone here today as

I sow into you today, I'll give you a little secret just between

you and I that in the as I start to land the plane very shortly,

I'm going to ask you today for those who don't know Jesus,

would you action your faith? Then as a respond to that call,

I'm going to give you an opportunity.

But I just want to say this right now because as I was

praying, I believe that the Holy Spirit is knocking on your door.

For those who don't know Christ today, don't you dare leave this

place without knowing him if you're not right with him

because this is what will happen in verse 12 it says, but the

subjects of the Kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness

into the darkness, the absence of light because God is light

where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth or trying to

fear someone into that place. But I'm trying to tell you a

love story that God sent his only begotten Son to die on that

cross for you and I because the the sin over our life caused

brokenness that caused the effects of you see it, marriages

broken, children broken to brokenness from this thing

called sin and death. But Jesus come and knelt himself

on the cross for you and I so that anyone who believe in him

shall not perish but have eternal life.

Let me tell you this eternal life here today, He's in the

building. Take up him and you will have

it. The gospel is for everyone.

Verses 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, that's the reply, Oh

God, we've been waiting for a while.

You finally replied, my face back up again.

No, I had faith before that in the silence, God an actual fact

you were strengthening me. Go, let it be done just as you

believed it would. And his servant was healed at

that moment. You know what I found in the

Bible? That word go all throughout.

You see David, he said, shall I go up there?

And God says, go, Let me tell you, if you've got faith for

something, don't wait, go. Go, beloved, go into the

community and make disciples. Go.

If God's been asking you to do this, go.

If he's been giving you the faith to do that, go.

If he's been calling you to evangelize, go.

If he's been calling you to teach, go.

If he's been calling you to serve in this great Church of

city Point N, don't wait, go, don't wait, go.

And his servant was healed at that moment.

That's the God that I serve. He's still a healer today.

This isn't just Jesus of the history, a good man who come and

died. No, this is the living God who

died and rose again in three days.

He said just as you believed it would.

See, the Holy Bible talks about belief and it's powerful.

It says in Mark 1617, it's not up there, but it says miraculous

signs will accompany those who believe miraculous signs.

God. I'm a believer.

Miraculous signs will follow me today.

I pray that prayer all the time, God.

Wherever I go miraculous signs will happen God because I'm a

believer today and that's for you today beloved that you're a

believer in this house today miraculous signs will break out.

You will see miracles, healing, physical and spiritual, family

restoration, stand on the word of God, salvation, personal and

others freedom from addictions etcetera etcetera etcetera.

Marriage is restored, things that were lost in the thief that

that come to kill, steal and destroy will be taken back and

added unto you. Miracles, miracles, miracles.

Wonderful. And as I go to the food bank,

there's a story about a man that I go to the food bank.

And because I help run Global Care over at Bribie Island, I go

there every Tuesday. And every time I go there, oh

God, I'm going to be a blessing today.

I see that woman over there is maybe a little bit upset.

I've got a word for you. Maybe I see a young man down

sitting there. He's got his head down.

Man, do I have a word for you? Man, do I have life for you, The

one that gives me life, I'm going to extend it to you.

God, would you use me as a vessel?

And I speak to this man, Ricardo, and I say, Ricardo,

tell me a story. I want to hear a testimony.

He's a Christian man for 20 something years, come from

Italy. And he said I can't do his

accent. Who teach you?

You know, I said Ricardo and he's a great friend of mine over

there. And he's begins to tell me how

we come to Australia. Is he?

Him and his family heard the word of the Lord to say go to

Australia. Yeah, this was difficult because

they didn't want to come to Australia, but they heard the

word of the Lord tell them to come to Australia.

So what they did is they got together as a family and they

would come around together and they'd pray.

And God showed them a house and they begin to pray around this

house and they got the kids and they go, what do you see?

And they started out in detail as that photo comes up.

Now if it does, thank you Lord in faith, that's relentless

faith. That is.

You could see the top hat there on the House.

This is what God showed them, the full post little triangle

thing. There's a pot plant that they

begin to see a pool area and God was showing them this house.

This was done in 1994 and anyway, they end up coming to

Australia a year later. They packed up and come and they

went to go have a look at houses because they didn't have a house

at that time. This is in 1995.

And they went around, they went to see this house and it was an

auction and something got mixed up.

Something happened and he went there and they put it for sale.

They put a sold sign on there and they thought he brought the

house, but it actually was it. They mixed him up and Ricardo a

bit. Ricardo, he said he speak little

English at the time. He said OK, and he brought the

house. This is picture #2 which house

he brought. You can see the similarities.

They actually forgot about this house.

They forgot about They drew it. As they unpacked, they start to

weep and cry over what God had showed them, and they believed

it, but they forgot about it. Don't forget about it, church.

Don't forget about God. Don't forget about the vision

He's given for your life because this is real.

This is real. Don't forget about it, Beloved,

we won't because we're praying over all year long.

The things that you've written down here aren't just on paper,

but they're a declaration of your relentless faith to God.

Don't forget about a church, miracles, miraculous science.