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Healing School #22 | The Centurion's Servant | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
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Hi, I'm Nancy Dufresne. Welcome to our podcast channel. We know you'll be blessed by today's message. We're so glad you're joining us today for Jesus the Healer. We have been having such a great time as we've been studying what we're calling healing School. We're studying the different healings that took place under Jesus ministry. So we invite you. Follow along with us in your Bible, but also believe with us. Release your faith. Expect something for your own life, whatever the need may be. Release your faith for the need to be met in your life. We're going to start reading today. In Luke 7. 1, we're going to read through 10 verses, and then we're going to come back and we're going to instruct on each of these verses. So Luke chapter seven. And verse one reads this. Now, when Jesus had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into into Capernaum. And a certain centurion servant who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Jesus the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying that he was worthy for whom Jesus should do this, for he loveth our nation. He's built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with him. And when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Jesus, saying unto him, lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say unto one, go and he goes, and to another, come, and he comes, and to my servant do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him and turned him about and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. And. And they that were sent returning to the house found the servant whole that had been sick. Now, let's go back and we're going to start looking at verses one through three. Let's read them again together. Now, when Jesus had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion servant who was dear unto him was sick and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and. And heal his servant. So we can see this, that this disease is in an advanced stage. He's in the final stages. He is near death. I want you to know nothing's too far gone for God. I don't care how long something has been in place. I don't care how advanced it is. This servant was in the final stages, but it was not too late. And I'm so glad that, that this military man didn't consider, well, it's in the final stages, too late. I want you to know that God's power is for things that look like they're too late. Amen. So this is a centurion soldier who has this servant. This word centurion lets us know that he was a commander, over 100 men. So he was a man in charge. And he must have heard that Jesus was a healer. It says that he had heard of Jesus. Now, it doesn't tell us what he heard about Jesus, but we can know what he heard by what he did. What did he do? He said, jesus, come and heal my servant. He shall be whole. So we know that he must have heard that Jesus was a healer, for that's what he requested of him. So I say this to you. It matters what you hear about Jesus. It mattered for the centurion soldier, and it mattered for the man near death. It mattered what was heard about Jesus. If you hear the wrong thing about Jesus, that he. He makes people sick to teach them something, that's a wrong thing. If you hear that the day of miracles died with the apostles, well, that's a wrong thing, because that's not what the word says. So if you hear that Jesus heals some people some of the time, but not all the people. Well, that's the wrong thing too. So if you hear the wrong, you could end up believing the wrong thing. So it's important that we hear the right thing so that we will believe the right thing. Well, what's the right thing? Jesus is a healer. And the right thing is this. He purchased healing for everyone. Everyone. Everyone. Everyone. And people will say, well, I know of Christians who don't get healed. Well, I know of people who don't get saved. It's not there. If, if someone's not healed, it's not because Jesus didn't pay the price. And if someone's not saved, it's because Jesus. It's not Jesus didn't pay the price. People have something to do with whether they're going to receive what Jesus provided. So don't dismiss yourself from a miracle just because someone else didn't receive theirs. Healing still belongs to every man, whether every man receives it or not. Salvation belongs to every man whether they receive it or not. Amen. So believe the right thing no matter what happened to someone else. Right. Don't consider someone else's circumstance when you're endeavoring to believe God. If you think about someone who didn't receive what they needed from God, it'll weaken your faith and you don't know what went on in their heart. You don't know what God has said to someone else. So you just be occupied with what God said in his word to you. Amen. So this military man heard the right thing about Jesus. And notice this, he chose to believe it. You can hear the right thing, but you still have to choose to believe what you hear. Believing is a choice. It is not a feeling. And we've got to get away from feeling like God heard us. Feeling like God's going to do something for us. It's not about feeling. It's what we choose to believe. And God will meet us when we're choosing faith. Amen. This military man didn't reason his. His servant's condition was too far gone. He chose to believe that if Jesus healed others, Jesus will heal him. So I listen to. Listen to this, which is so important. The servant was healed because his employer believed. Amen. Amen. So we see this. This servant was under this military man's authority. Why? Because he was part of his household. So I want you to know those of you who have your homes and have a household and have a family, you have something to say about what goes on in that household. Take your authority. When the devil tries to trouble your household, you stand up and say, no you don't. This is what this military man did. My servant's not dying in my household. Not when healing is available. And so you are in authority over the things of your household. Exercise your authority. The Bible says, whatsoever you bind shall be bound. Whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatsoever you loose on earth will be loose in heaven. What's that mean? Heaven will back us up when we are binding things from the wrong things from happening and loosing the right things to happen. And it's in line with the word Heaven will back us up. And that's what this man was doing for his own servant. He's. He's under his authority. So it matters who we have around our life. It mattered for that servant that day. Who he had around his life, didn't it? So when the soldier heard of Jesus, he sent messengers to him. So we see this. The soldier initiated this miracle. He heard about Jesus, but he didn't just sit at home and say, I heard something good today. No, he initiated the miracle by sending someone to go get Jesus and bring him to his house. Isn't that right? So when you need something from God, you're authorized to initiate your miracle. You're authorized to initiate your healing. When you hear the Word taught, you're authorized to initiate something in line with that word. Amen. So now religion will teach you. And people who aren't knowledgeable of the Word will have this idea or will say this. Well, if God wants to do it, he'll do it. There's no scripture for that. This man didn't wait and say, well, if God wants my servant healed, he'll heal him. No, he initiated something. He said, go get Jesus. Go put a demand. Amen. Go put a demand on the one who can heal. And I would say this to you because we have to get rid of wrong thinking. 95%, the majority of what you receive from God is initiated by you, not initiated by God. Now, don't misunderstand me. God initiated your miracle by sending Jesus. He already initiated your victory by sending Jesus. He already initiated your healing by sending Jesus. Now he's waiting for you to initiate it in your own life. Yes. Amen. So 95% of what you receive from God, you're going to start it. Don't wait for God to start out your answer. He's already provided their answer and say, come, take it. So you initiate. This is what this soldier did. He initiated this man's miracle. Faith doesn't just sit back and hope something happens. That's not faith. Yes. To just sit back and hope something happens, hope something changes. No. Take the word. Take action. Jesus was the Word made flesh. They took action toward the Word when they sent. When he sent for Jesus. Now, notice this. This military man was a centurion soldier. He was not a Jew, yet he must have had great regard for the Jews. Because those he sent to get Jesus to come to his home were elders of the Jews. Not just congregation members. They were elders. They were leaders in the synagogue. So evidently, he had a rapport with the leadership of the Jewish people. Why was this? Because he had a regard for them. They were God's people. He had a regard for God's people. Amen. So the centurion sent word to Jesus, beseeching that he would come and heal his servant through these elders. So this shows something. Doesn't this show his faith? He's expecting something to happen. Faith will cause you expect. You don't just sit back and maybe something will show up. No, you're expecting. You're expecting things. And verse 4 says, and when they came to Jesus, talking about these Jewish elders, they came to Jesus. They besought him instantly saying that this centurion soldier was worthy of for whom Jesus should do this? For he loves our nation and he built us a synagogue. Well, how many of you know you don't earn something from Jesus? But what they're doing, they're letting Jesus know this man has a reverence for God. He's not trying to earn something. They're not trying to show Jesus you need to do this because he's earned it. No, they're saying this man has a reverence for God. By the way he has treated the Jewish people. He has a reverence for God. And notice this, he said he loves our nation. And not only that, he said he's built us a synagogue. So this man evidently was a man of some wealth. He's built a church building for the Jewish people. So what does this show? His reverence and respect for God, for spiritual things. He showed his regard. And he showed his regard by where he put his money. The Bible says in Matthew 6:21, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So obviously this man's heart was toward God because he had put his treasure towards God's people. Amen. It matters what you're funding in life because everyone is funding something. Verse 6. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, so he's almost there, the centurion sent more friends to Jesus saying unto him, lord, trouble not thyself. I'm not even worthy that you should enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. Now notice this. He's not a man with a bad self image. So he's a man who has such a regard for God that he doesn't handle things lightly. He doesn't approach things lightly. He has such a reverence and respect for this man who is a man of the word, man of the spirit. He has a regard for that. So this man was a great success in his profession, wasn't he? He was over 100 men. He was a leader. He was a leader in the military. So he's experienced natural success. But what we see, he, he, he has this mentality Just because I'm a natural success doesn't mean I'm equal to this man spiritually. My money and how I spend it does not buy me something. He says, I'm not even worthy for you to come to my house. He's. And like I said, this isn't a bad self image. This is not a beating down of himself. He has such a regard for, for God and he has such a regard for who he has sent to, to come and minister. And so he demonstrates his humility. He demonstrates his reverence. You know, when I was growing up, I was taught that there was a proper approach to God. I was taught that there was a proper approach to my parents. You know, if I knew if I wanted something from my parents, I couldn't just say, I want you to give me this, I want you to give me that. I would ask, and I would ask appropriately if my approach wasn't appropriate. I didn't receive it. Well, this man, he's in the military. He knows approach matters. He's trained, he knows approach matters. Why he had commanding officers over him. He couldn't just talk to any way he wanted to them. He couldn't just say anything he wanted to them. He couldn't get upset with them and just voice his opinion to them. There was a proper approach and he took that and he carried that understanding over to spiritual things. You see, if people have not ever been taught how to properly regard their parents and, and top, properly regard their employer and people, those in authority, then my many times, they won't have a proper approach to the things of God. But that can be adjusted, that can be corrected. And this man, he understood these things and he applied it in the spiritual sense. And it gave him a spiritual head start, if I could put it that way. Amen. He understood that God was a holy God. Amen. And he understood that his approach to Jesus was to be with reverence. So he said, you don't even need to come to my house. Then what did he say? Say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. This is wonderful, wonderful understanding, wonderful understanding of authority. Where did he learn it? He didn't learn it from Jesus. He learned it from the military. But yet he took what he learned in the military and applied it to spiritual things. And they are the same governing laws in Matthew. Now Matthew tells this same incident, but Matthew's wording said that the centurion soldier said, speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. So he asks for one thing, the word. You know that your faith, you're in faith when you say, just give me the word, what's the word? Say, what does God say about this situation? You know, you can go to a doctor and a doctor may give you a report that is less than favorable. And I tell you it's not your job to change the doctor's report. It doesn't even matter in the sense of when you know what God says, what the doctor says doesn't trouble you. Amen. Hallelujah. So this centurion servant, it's centurion soldier rather said, just give me one thing, give me your word. Verse 8. And then he explains his understanding. I'm a man under authority. Ah, there's a key. He knows he's under somebody. And that's not a negative. That's not a negative. To be under someone is a safety. To know who is speaking into your life, to know who is teaching and training you is a positive. For I am, I also am a man set under authority. Then notice this having soldiers, having under me soldiers. So he says, I have soldiers, but I'm also under somebody. And I say, go. And they go to another. Come. They come. And I say to my servant, do this. And he does it. So this centurion was in authority, but he was under authority. He understood that words of authority were to be obeyed without argument. His understanding of military law helped him to be helped him to be accurate in spiritual law. He understood that authority was exercised by through words. So he commanded men, go, come do this. Listen, God has given us that same authority, divine authority over the devil. Go tell money, Come tell healing, Come tell victory. Come into this situation. Right? The Bible says in James 4, verse 7, resist the devil and he will flee. How come he'll flee? Because you have authority and he must obey that authority when you speak. So we are also to command the same things we need to say for things to come, things to go, things to be done. The centurion soldier recognized that Jesus words accomplished the same as his words in the military. So not only is authority exercised through speaking words, but our faith is released through speaking words. You know, this military man would have never commanded his soldiers if he didn't think that they'd obey his words. He knew that his authority worked. Your authority works, but he also knew Jesus's authority worked. Every believer has faith in their spirit, but that faith has to be released through speaking words. The most powerful thing you have is words. Yes, amen. Now verse 9 says, When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him and he turned him about and Said to the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. And they that were sent returning to the house found the servant whole that had been sick. Now listen to this. Jesus called this man's faith great. He had only heard of Jesus. He's never sat in a service, he's never seen a miracle. He's never heard a sermon. He's only heard about what happens through Jesus ministry. Right? And this man's faith was great. And it caused Jesus to marvel. We want Jesus to marvel at our faith. There's only two times in the New Testament that Jesus marveled. This was one of them. And the other time was when he was in his own hometown. He marveled at their unbelief. So we don't want God to marvel at our unbelief. We want him to marvel at our faith. Right? Hallelujah. So Jesus, it says, when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him. And he turned about. So there's a crowd following Jesus that traveled with him. And he said to the people that followed him, I've not found so great faith. And then he adds this statement, this zinger. And he says, no, not in Israel. Who's Israel? The Jewish people. Who did this military man send to Jesus? The elders of the Jewish people. So there are elders there surrounding. And Jesus says, I've not found so great faith. No, no, not in Israel. And he says to the Jewish leaders, I've not even found this great of faith among you. Amen. What was so great about his faith? He asked for one thing, the word. He asked for one thing, the word. Your word is enough for me. Your word will accomplish what I need it to do. Listen. This centurion soldier was dealing with a man. He was dealing with a life and death situation. This was not a light situation. And he says, you, word is enough for a life and death situation. Your word is enough for a man that's in his last stages of living, the last stages of the disease. Your word is enough. Amen. Hallelujah. The God kind of faith. Great faith is only interested in one thing. The word great faith is not interested in what the doctors are saying. Great faith is not interested in what people think, not interested in what relatives say. Great faith is interested in one thing. What's God say about this? Amen. Amen. Yes. You may know what the doctors say. And it's not the doctors aren't the problem. But you lay what God says on your situation. Be occupied with what God says. Hold your Attention on what God says. Keep in your mouth what God says. There were life threatening circumstances in front of this soldier, but he knew that words win. Words win. Jesus was on his way to this soldier's house, but he stopped Jesus. He said, wait a minute, you don't even need to show up. You don't even need to come. Think about it. Would we have faith enough if we knew we had a life and death situation in our household and we knew that Jesus himself in manifested form was going to show up in our house? Would we have faith enough to say, you don't even need to show up. Just say something. That's great faith. Listen, Jesus, let him choose how he manifested. I can either show up or I can send my word. Jesus, let the man choose. And the man's choice of you don't even have to come, just send your word. Jesus liked that choice. He was blessed by that choice. Amen. We want. We want God to be blessed by our faith, right? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So I want you to know there are some situations and some circumstances in life when God will let you choose between the better method or the best method. Amen. Now we're not choosing between wrong and right because wrong is always wrong. But sometimes God will let us choose. You can either receive healing by your own faith, or I can let the. Or you can have the pastor go lay hands on you and minister to you. Choice is yours. Amen. Many times he leaves it up to us. And look what this man chose when it was left up to him. Either Jesus can come into his house or Jesus can just speak words from a distance. Can we say this? The centurion has still never seen Jesus. He's still never seen him. He didn't have to see him to believe what he said. Many people just. If Jesus would just show up and change my situation. You don't have to see Jesus show up, just believe what he says. Amen. And then verse 10 says, when they returned to the house. When who returned to the house? The elders that he had sent. The Jewish elders. When they returned to the house, they found the servant whole. Hallelujah. No matter how far gone, no matter what stage, no matter how low your finances get, no matter what kind of financial pressure, no matter what kind, no matter how bad the marriage is, if we will just lay God's word on our need, if we will believe. How do we do that? We speak the word, we say it. We hold to it. Even when we can't figure things out, we don't have to mentally figure it out. We just have to believe with our hearts. Amen. Hallelujah. So we say to you, no matter how bad the situation, no matter how far something has advanced, it's never too late for his power. Amen. So I want to pray with you right now. Father, I thank you for the authority that you've given us to be a blessing to people. And so your word says, whatever we bind shall be bound. Whatever we loosed, heaven will back us up. So we say we bind sickness, we bind disease, we bind pain, we bind that which comes against your life, we bind lack and we say be removed in Jesus name. Hallelujah. Now you just say, I receive the power of God. I receive it in Jesus name. Hallelujah. We trust you've enjoyed this message. Visit us@DefrainMinistries.org to learn of our upcoming meetings, share your testimony, become a partner or visit our online store. This program has been made possible by the friends and partners of Dufresne Ministries.