Matthew 8...Acknowledging the extent of the Centurion and Lord's power.

In our previous times together -- in this series -- we have looked at…  

• How the Centurion acknowledged the extent of his servant’s condition.  
• And the extent of the Centurion and the Lord’s positions.  

Today’s Title: Acknowledging the Extent, Part 3. Of the Centurion and the Lord’s power.  

Matthew 8:9 (NKJV) For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go, and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 
 
First, Let’s acknowledge the extent of the Centurion’s power.  

• His authority provided him with the power to distribute commands.  
  • Giving commands was a normal daily practice for this Centurion both in war and in camp.  
  • He had spent a lot of time and effort training and preparing his men to go into battle.  
  • Go! Come! Do! 
  • Go…move to a specific destination. To leave one’s presence, go away.  
    • Not aimlessly.  
  • Come…movement from one point to another, with focus.  
  • Do…to make.  
  • His soldiers and servants (doulos…slave to a master, not pais like he used previously) obey his commands.  
  • Hilarious example of Pilate in  
    • John 19:10… 
      • The Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 
    • Oh, to have had the opportunity to be in the mind of the Lord to hear His thoughts out loud. You think you have power? Don’t you know Who I AM?  
• Limited.  
  • He didn’t have authority and power over any other army or over any illness, which is why he came to the Lord.  
  • I like watching the World Strong Man competitions. These men are put through extensive challenges to see who is the strongest and to see whose body can outlast the other competitors. Most often each challenge has a different winner depending on their skill sets…each competitor is limited in power and only one can hold that title till someone knocks him off the throne.  

Lastly, we’ll acknowledge the extent of the Lord’s power.  

• Matthew 28:18-19 
  • Unlimited and Absolute.  
    • Matthew 28:18-19 (NKJV) – And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.   
      • Authority – the right to control or command, authority, absolute power…of Jesus’ total authority.  
      • He can give all creation commands and expects obedience from all.   
        • Whether it’s the wind and waves to stop, or His followers to go.  
  • Go! -- move to a specific destination. To leave one’s presence, go away.  
    • Isaiah 6:8-9 (NKJV) Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will for go for Us?’ Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people…” 
      • How did Isaiah to the point of “go, and tell”? To the point of “here am I, send me”? He heard the voice of the Lord speaking to him…he was in-tune with God.
  • What happens when He commands His followers to GO?   
    • Some treat it as optional… 
      • They remain idle, no specific destination…no destination at all, no focus.  
    • Others, the obedient, treat it as a command…acknowledging being commissioned and honored to be sent out by God Himself. 
      • An opportunity to take up one’s cross.  
        • Matthew 10:38…And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  
          •  Result? Not worthy of me.  
      • An opportunity to express my love to Him.  
        • John 14:15 If you love me, then keep / obey my commandments.  
      • An opportunity to do His will.  
        • Matthew 21:28-31…our response…  
          • A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not, but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” 
        • Listen…Going is doing His will.  
          • Maybe you’ve regretted telling Him no before and are ready to obey.  
          • Or maybe you said yes and have made no efforts to do anything for Him.  
          • Are you living in His will for you life? Go! 
        • Just like the Centurion…He had spent a lot of time and effort training and preparing his men to go…not inactive.   
    • Action words (words that insinuate movement on the part of the hearer) in the book of Matthew…I tried to arrange these words with some progression to them (not an exhaustive list)…
      • He Commands/Rebukes.  
        • 8:26-27 (nature), 32; 10:5; 14:16, 18-19, 27-28; 15:3-4, 6, 14, 35; 16:20; 17:5, 7, 9, 17-18, 20, 27; 18:10; 19:17; 21:21; 22:37-40; 23:2-3; 26:26-27; 28:20.  
      • Do/Make.  
        • 7:21 (the will of God); 8:9 (Centurion), 24; 10:19.  
      • Called.  
        • 2:15; 10:1; 18:2; 20:16, 32; 22:13-14.   
      • Come/Came.  
        • 2:1; 3:1; 5:1; 8:9 (Centurion), 32 (nature); 11:28; 14:29; 16:24; 19:14; 20:27-28; 21:28; 22:4; 24:4-5; 25:13; 25:34, 36.  
      • Obey.  
        • 8:27 (nature); 9:9 (follow Me); 26:19.  
      • Sit.  
        • 14:19; 15:35; 26:36 
      • Preaching/Teaching/Declaring.  
        • 3:1, 3 (make His paths straight), 17 (repentance); 4:23; 5:2ff (taught His disciples); 10:7, 19-20; 11:5, 20; 12:18; 13:35, 54; 15:9; 21:13; 26:10-13; 28:20.  
      • Prophecy.  
        • 26:21, 31, 34, 54-56, 64, 76.  
      • Gave/Given.  
        • 9:8 (power to men); 10:1; 11:28; 16:14, 19; 19:21; 20:28; 21:23, 43; 25:28-29, 35, 42.  
      • Learn.  
        • 11:29.  
      • Grow.  
        • 21:19.  
      • Be ready.  
        • 24:44.  
      • Stay.  
        • 26:38.  
      • Pray/Ask.  
        • 7:7-8; 9:38; 18:19; 21:22; 26:36, 39, 41, 53.  
      • Will of the Father.
        •   21:31; 26:32, 39, 42.  
      • Permission.  
        • 3:15.
      • Go/Depart/Cast Out/Get, Leave, Went.  
        • 2:12-13, 19-23; 3:10-11 (Jesus told Satan to go away and he did), 22-23 (depart from Me); 8:4, 9 (Centurion), 13 (to the Centurion), 15 (fever left), 16 (cast out), 18 (depart); 9:6, 13; 10:1, 5-7, 11-12, 28, 31, 38; 11:4; 12:28; 14:22; 16:23; 17:27; 18:15; 19:5, 21, 29; 21:2, 6, 28-31 (31…will of the father); 22:9-10; 24:2, 26; 25:41, 46; 26:18, 32, 36, 46; 28:19.
      • Send.  
        • 9:38; 10:5, 16; 14;10; 14:22-23; 21:1-3, 34, 36-37; 22:3, 4, 7; 23:34.
      • Seek.  
        • 7:7-8.
      • Follow Me.  
        • 4:18-22; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:27-28; 20:34.  
      • Take.
        •  11:29; 17:27; 25:28, 43; 26:26.  
      • Tell.  
        • 26:63.  
      • Warning/Listen/Hear (ears to hear).
        •  9:30; 12:16; 13:9, 43; 15:10; 16:6; 17:5.  
      • Watch.  
        • 24:42; 25:12-13; 26:36.
      • Judge/Reward.
        •  8:12; 12:36; 15:20, 28; 16:25, 27; 18:3; 19:29-30; 25:21, 23, 26-46.  
      • Faith.
        • 8:10; 9:22, 29.  
      • Knock.
        • 7:7-8.
      • Forgive.
        • 9:2; 12:31-32.  
      • Baptizing.  
        • 28:19.
      • Rejoice.  
        • 28:9.  
    • REPEAT!!! 
    • This is Disciples making Disciples! 

 
Conclusion:
​Only one can hold that title of Absolute Power till someone knocks him off the throne, which will never happen.
 
He is preparing you daily for the battles ahead…this way when He commands you to go you’ll be ready, confident, and obedient…taking up your cross and following Him along the way.  

Therefore, stop treating His command to go as something optional. Stay focused and move in a specific direction towards a specific destination.