Matthew 8:5-13
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This is the third week in our series on Matthew: Responding to Jesus. This sermon is "The Confidence of the Centurion".
Questions and going deeper resources
Small group questions
Connect What desires may you be tempted to test God with? Spend some time offering them to God in prayer.
Warm-Up
- When was a time in which you were reluctant to ask for help? Why were you reluctant?
- What are the reasons that people can be hesitant in asking God for help?
Read Matthew 8:5-9
- What was a centurion? What type of relationship did they typically share with God’s people?
- Why does it seem unlikely that a centurion would come to faith? Are there other examples in the Bible?
- What was the condition of the centurion’s servant? How bad would this have been?
- Was the centurion being compassionate? How have you experienced the compassion of God?
- In what ways can we be desperate? Why is it a good thing for us to be truly desperate for God?
- How can desperation for God help us to grow our dependence on him? Do you have a personal example?
- Why do you think the centurion did not deserve for Jesus to come to his house? What would have been the implications for Jesus if he did go to the centurion’s home? Would this have stopped Jesus?
- Why might the centurion have thought that God owed him? How can we think that God owes us?
- What can cause us to feel unworthy? Are we actually unworthy of God’s love?
- How can recognising that we are undeserving of God’s love cause us to delight more in his grace?
Read Matthew 8:10-13
- How much authority did the centurion have? What sphere of life was his authority limited to? How was he ultimately powerless in the situation of his servant’s condition?
- How did the centurion recognise that Jesus was also one with authority? How much authority does the centurion seem to recognise that Jesus had?
- What is the feast that Jesus describes in verses 10 to 12? How does Jesus make it clear that it is through him (and only him) that we can be part of this future?
- If Jesus has ALL authority—he is the LORD of ALL—what parts of our lives should that be reflected in?
- Is there any part of your life—or times in your life—in which Jesus’ authority is not reflected?
- If a friend looked at your daily living, how would they see your view of Jesus’ Lordship being reflected?
- How is it clear that the centurion’s confidence relied on Jesus’ compassion, grace, and authority?
Apply What is one practical way this week that you could practise your reliance on Jesus’ compassion, grace, or authority?
Prayer
Gracious Father, please help us—in the power of your Spirit—to have an honest assessment of ourselves, to grasp the gravity of who Jesus is, and reflect the reality of his Lordship in our lives with conviction. Amen
Going deeper resources
On Your Front Line this Week
What small action can you do this week to shift your frontline culture by one degree?
For Families
- Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org
Listen, Watch, and Read
- Listen: “Healing the Sick” by Tim Keller: https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/healing-the-sick/
- Listen: “Royal Authority” by William Taylor: https://www.st-helens.org.uk/resources/talk/58124/
- Listen: “The Authority of Jesus” by John Stott: https://www.allsouls.org/Media/AllMedia.aspx?show_media=50433&show_file=55727
Series Resources
- Website: All of the resources from our series are available (including from St Bart’s Kids) at:https://www.stbarts.com.au/sermon-series/responding-to-jesus
- Watch: “Matthew’s Gospel” by the Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/matthew/
- Read: “The Message of Matthew” by Micheal Green: https://koorong.com/product/the-message-of-matthew-2020-bible-speaks-today_9781789741445
