Tell the Story

The sermon should begin by telling the story of the man who brought his son to be healed by Jesus. The story should be told completely and in a way that people can feel, see, and touch the story. I would say that you tell the story from the centurion stopping Jesus up until Jesus told him that his servant shall be healed. Then give the three points. After that pick the story back up on the way home for the celebration.

Teaching Component

Now we move into the teaching part of the sermon. We have three points. These are three things you must do if you wish to see the healing of God. The first thing one must do is have compassion for others. Note that the Centurion had compassion for his slave. You might note that the word for slave here is not doulos which is the regular Greek word for slave, but it is pais which is the Greek word for a slave that is almost family. Here the centurion had compassion for someone else. We cannot be so caught up into our own healing if we want to see the healing of God, we must desire and be willing to see the healing of somebody else.

The second thing one must do if one is to see the healing of God, one must ask for it. Note in the text that the centurion goes to Jesus and asks for healing. Many of us fear to ask for that which we really want. You might go back to when Jesus asked the man at the pool, “What do you want?” In addition, you want to emphasize the connection in our own lives as we accept that which is less than what we really want. Instead the centurion wanted healing for his servant so he asked for it. It is time to ask for it. We want healing for our nation, ask for it. We want that new job, ask for it.

The third thing you must do if you want to see the healing of God is believe the word of God. Note that the centurion told Jesus, you don’t have to come by my house, but just speak the word only. the word itself has within it the power to do what it says. At this point you might bring in the power of the word, for example at creation, God stood out on nothing and said, let there be, and then there was something.

Celebration

Then we celebrate. Pick it up on the way home. The centurion is already happy. He doesn’t have to wait to get home, he knows his servant is healed. He singing about the goodness of Jesus. He knows it, how does he know it, because God spoke a word. And you can trust that word. The power of the word of God is well attested. Whether it is a “let there be” to nothingness or a “you will have a son” to Abraham or a “peace be still” to the waves. But also, God’s power is evident because I was once lost in sin and Jesus picked me up and turned me around and placed my feet on solid ground.