 |
 Official Service(date) |
| Sunday Morning |
| Sunday Evening |
| Friday All-night |
|
 |
|
| 1 John Lecture |
| Revelation Lectures |
| Genesis Lectures |
|
|
|
| The message of the cross |
| Measure of Faith |
| Ten Commandments |
| Heaven |
| Hell |
| Spiritual Love |
| Spirit, soul and body |
| Sinful mind |
| Goodness |
| Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit |
|
|
|
|
  |
 Sermon > Cell Bible Study |
 |
|
|
Title |
Lesson 49-[2013 Cell Group Service] It Shall Be Done As You Have Believed |
|
|
|
Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
|
Date |
2013-12-30 |
|
|
Reading Scripture: Matthew 8:13
Verse to Memorize: Matthew 8:13
Reference: 1 John 3:21-22
Goal: to help believers possess faith worthy to receive answers transcending space and time by believing the Lord completely like the centurion in the Bible
Matthew 8:13
"And Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.' And the servant was healed that very moment."
1 John 3:21-22
"Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."
Some people feel like God turns His back on them or He does not love them when they are faced with tests and trials. It just shows that they do not believe God completely. God is almighty who governs the universes transcending space and time. Since David believed completely in such a God and loved Him, He relied on God in hardship and difficult situations. So he could receive answers and blessings.
1. All creatures obey the original voice
In Genesis chapter 1, God the Creator created the heavens and the earth and all things in them by issuing forth the original voice. When He said, "Let there be light" there was light. Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night."
In this way, all creatures including nonliving things obey God's original voice because He created all of them with the original voice. Just like the sound recognition device works reacting to specific sound, the heavens and the earth and all things in them react to God's original voice in obedience since His original voice is in them.
Jesus who existed in the form of God also issued forth the original voice. Mark 4:39 reads, "And He [Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm." Even the wind and the sea obeyed the original voice. People can hear with ears and are able to gain realization because they have the ability to reason. Then, they have to immediately obey the original voice issued forth by God the Trinity.
Then, what is the reason why many people do not recognize the original voice, are controlled by the enemy devil and Satan, and practice things of darkness and the untruth?
2. People could no longer hear the original voice
Adam the first man was created as a living spirit so he listened only to the truth, that is, the Word of God and obeyed. When he was created, God allowed him to choose whether to obey or disobey according to his freewill. This is because God did not want children who obey unconditionally like robots. He wants His children to love God from the depth of their hearts and to obey the Word voluntarily.
God told him that he would surely die when he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After a long time had passed, Adam failed to keep that command of God in his heart. He ended up eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He fell into temptation and committed the sin of disobedience. Adam who committed this sin and all his descendants became the servants of sins. That is, they became servants of Satan and came to speak, think, and act under the evil spirits' control. So, because of sin they did not hear the original voice and committed sins again and again, and finally there was no alternative but to fall to death and into Hell.
But Jesus the Son of God came to the earth in the form of man and redeemed all people from all sins. Jesus died as atoning sacrifice and became our Savior by overcoming death and resurrecting.
Therefore, as said in Romans 8:2, which reads, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death," by believing Jesus Christ, we can reach salvation and come to hear the original voice of God again. And anyone who hears the original voice and obeys it can receive answers to whatever they ask for.
3. Faith of the centurion with the heart of goodness
In Capernaum, Israel, there was a centurion who had been dispatched by the Roman Empire. He heard that Jesus had preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven and performed amazing signs and wonders. He was also told that many diseases had been healed, the blind come to see, the mute to speak, the deaf to hear, and the lame to stand up and walk through Jesus. And he believed all of these things.
People reacted differently to Jesus when they heard He had manifested such astounding works. Due to their own strong self-framework of faith, they could not recognize the works of God even though they witnessed them, but instead they just judged and condemned Him. They were the Pharisees, scribes, high priests, priests, and elders. Some people believed and followed Him just thinking that Jesus was one of the great prophets of God.
Some others realized from the heart that Jesus is the Son of God and came to the earth to become the Savior, and believed Him. Those who had goodness in their hearts believed that He is the Son of God just by seeing all the works Jesus performed. Such was the case with the centurion. Though he was not a person of Israel who had served God but a Roman, he heard what Jesus had done and believed everything. Since he had the heart of goodness he came before Jesus.
4. The centurion experienced the work transcending space and time
The following verses from Matthew 8:6 talks about the centurion. He came before Jesus and asked for his servant's healing. "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Then, Jesus issued forth the original voice, saying, "It shall be done as you have believed" and healed him transcending space and time. How could it happen?
This was because the centurion trusted Jesus completely. So, he had the heart to obey anything Jesus would command him to do. Also, his love for his servant was sincere. He came to Jesus feeling his servant's pain as his own though he was not his parent, brother, or child. Then, how could Jesus not have been moved by him!
In addition, his servant was lying paralyzed, fearfully tormented. It was a serious disease that couldn't be cured with medicine. Parts of the body were paralyzed and he could not move. So, he needed a lot of help. As a Korean saying says, "If someone is sick for a longtime, it is hard to find people who can continually take care of him with love and devotion," there were few who loved the servant as their own bodies even though they were even his family members. But the centurion had compassion for his servant and loved him. That is why he came before Jesus. So, Jesus said to the centurion who loved his servant as his body, "I will come and heal him."
In Matthew 8:8, the centurion said with faith from the bottom of his heart, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed." He believed completely that his servant would be healed only with the Word of Jesus although He didn't spend time and energy visiting his place.
Then, he added to Him, "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." His mindset was to be able to obey anything Jesus would say to him. Then when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (Matthew 8:10).
Then, Jesus said to him, "Go; it shall be done as you have believed." Right away, the servant was healed that very moment transcending space and time when Jesus gave out the original voice. In the same way, when we obey the Word of God telling us 'to do, not to do, to keep, and to throw away,' we can have confidence before God and ask for what we need.
1 John 3:21-22 reads, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."
The centurion had perfect faith in Jesus who performed His power just with His Word. Though he was a Roman commander, he humbled himself before Jesus and obeyed Him completely. That is why he could receive answers transcending space and time.
* Evaluation and Application
1. Why is it that people, who are the lords of all things, cannot hear the original voice when even non-living listen to and obey the original voice?
( )
2. Choose the statement that is not true about the centurion.
1) The centurion cherished and loved the servant from the depth of his heart.
2) The centurion believed Jesus could heal the servant's disease.
3) The centurion humbled himself before Jesus and had the heart to obey Him completely.
4) The centurion was a Jew commander.
3. When Jesus issued forth the original voice, he could receive answers immediately transcending space and time. What is the secret to his receiving such answers?
( )
* Weekly Assignment
Read the sermon summary and the sermon for Cell Group Service and highlight important sentences.
* Let's Learn about It!
Centurion
A centurion in the Roman army was the commander of about 100 men. A basic unit of the Roman army originally consisted of 100 men. A 'legion' consisted of 6,000 men, and it had 60 centurions. There were "cohorts' composed of 6 infantry-like units called 'centuria' each commanded by a Centurion who led about 100 men. The centurion received a high salary and their job was recognized as a great job. The general term of service was 20 years, but if they wanted to they could extend their time in service. |
|
