Nothing Is Impossible with God

Now folks, I gotta tell you, I'm a man with some authority. Like I can say something and it'll happen sometimes. Like I could say, “Let the service start on time,” and the service starts on time. I could say, “Let's everyone please stand,” and everyone stands.

So, I have some authority, but my authority is limited. Sometimes I say things, and nothing happens. Like I can say, “Don't leave until the worship service is over.” I'm not pointing any fingers here, but some of you, you’ve got lunch to get to. Or I can say, “Hey, please, no more old person jokes. You don't have to remind me that I turned 50 this year.” But they still keep coming. Or I can say, “Honey, you wash the car today,” and it doesn't happen.

I have some authority, but not all authority. Only God has all authority. When God speaks, everything in the universe listens to him and obeys him. In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light, let there be dry ground, let there be vegetation,” And guess what? It happened by the words of his voice. All he had to do was speak, and it happened.

So here's Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh. And so Jesus said at the end of Matthew chapter 28, he says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” And when Jesus spoke, the universe obeyed him. Demons ran and fled, diseases were cured, storms were calmed, and trees even obeyed him. Remember that? He cursed the tree, and it withered. Everything in the universe listens to Jesus.

This Roman centurion sees this in Jesus. He's got this unique authority. He knows Jesus has all this authority, and he requests that Jesus exercise it. He says, “Just say the word without even coming to my house, and I believe my servant will be healed.” This is remarkable faith!

Verse 9 of Luke chapter 7 says, 9 Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel.” Now think about what Jesus is saying here. He's got these 12 guys who've been following him for a long time. He's got Peter, James, and John, his closest disciples. He says, “Guys, listen, I haven't seen this much faith in even you guys.” This is huge! Faith from a Roman centurion, an enemy, if you will!

There are only two times in Scripture we see Jesus amazed. Every time the story is told of this Roman centurion, it says that Jesus is amazed. The other time that Jesus is amazed is Mark chapter 6, verse 6, where Jesus is in Nazareth and he's amazed at the lack of faith by his own people.

So here's the deal, folks. Faith leads to friendship with Jesus. Faith in Jesus leads us to friendship with Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6 says, 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. If we want to be friends of God, if we want to be friends with God, we've got to believe that God is real, that he's good, that he's loving, and that he rewards those who come to him.

That's the kind of faith this Roman centurion had. And that kind of faith prompts Jesus to respond. Verse 10 says, 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant in good health. He's healed. I can't explain how Jesus can just speak A word and immediately heal a servant. But folks, I believe Jesus. I believe he knows all things. I believe he has all authority and all power. And the simple explanation for us is that this is a miracle, and absolutely nothing is impossible with God.