In this sermon, the preacher reflects on a passage from the Bible about a servant who was dear to a man and was sick and ready to die. The preacher emphasizes that this servant was a slave, highlighting the value that the man placed on individuals, regardless of their social status. The preacher also discusses the importance of having compassion and concern for others, as well as the need to let people into our lives. The sermon concludes with a call to humility and repentance, acknowledging our limitations and surrendering to God's will.

This message is one of the Times Square Church Pulpit Series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. You are welcome to make additional cassettes of this message for free distribution to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission, existing copyright laws apply. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Crazy Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lord, we thank you for your presence in this place. Lord Jesus, I ask you to come now. Lord, I ask you to come upon me. I need you, Jesus. And I thank you that I need you. And I thank you for this word that you've given. Lord, I thank you for your people. And Lord, you've brought us here. Lord, you want your people with a glory upon them. A light and a life that only comes from you. So Lord, I thank you you're teaching us. Lord, you're bringing us to places where we are stripped. Lord, that you may be seen. So Lord, we say it's all worth it. We say, Lord, you are going to be faithful to us. You're going to bring us into a place, Lord, where you are glorified. That, Lord, where a world is given over, Lord, to fear, to decay, to sin, oh God. There's going to be a glorious church Standing in Christ. Purified by a fire. And Lord, you're going to get the glory. And you're going to bring many into your kingdom. Because you're going to be seen and loved in your body. Lord, I ask that you'd be longed for today. You'd be longed for. And I thank you, Lord, you're in this place to do that. In our midst. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. And my message today is called, The Day Jesus Was Astonished. The Day Jesus Was Astonished. And if you would turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 7. Luke 7. Luke 7, the first 10 verses, tells us about a man that when Jesus encountered him, or should I say, he never had a face-to-face encounter with Jesus Christ, but as his story is told, the scripture says that Jesus marveled at him. And marveled at the words he spoke. And that's something about that man. It's something about what his life means. Grip me this week. And it was as if the Holy Ghost was saying, I want you to look in now. I want you to look into this. Because I put this in my Word. I have this story here. And it's easy to read over it quickly. But it was like the Holy Spirit was stopping me here in these 10 verses. And saying, I want you, Teresa, to look into this. Because I have something to say that will alter you. And he has been altering me. And it starts in verse 1 of chapter 7. It says, Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And Capernaum is a place where Jesus lived much of his earthly ministry. And a certain centurion servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servants. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this. For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself. For I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say unto one, Go, and he goeth. And to another, Come, and he cometh. And to my servant do this, and he doeth it. And when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him. And turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. And they that were sent returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. And I love that. What stopped me is that when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him. That word marveled, he was struck with astonishment. And you and I know that Jesus Christ being the living word, and being God himself, would, he who really inspired that kind of faith, would not be caught unaware, and astonished in the sense that he could never know that such a man existed, or that this man existed. But he admired that faith. He was astonished at that faith, I believe. And he turned to the people following him, and said, Did you hear this? Did you see what this man said? And it's like he stopped to admire, or to be astonished by it, so that all those that following, and all those that reading, would be likewise astonished. Jesus was drawing attention to this man. He says, I found not so great a faith, no, not in Israel. I was thinking about this man, and he, this man, he was a centurion, he was a captain, a leader over a hundred men, a Roman. And I was thinking, he was a conqueror, over a conquered people. How did he come to admire a conquered one? He was an oppressor. How did he notice the oppressed? He was a Roman. How did he take notice of a Jew? But most of all were his words that delight. But what got me the most is when that man said, I am not worthy. You see, everything in this man's life, everything in this man's world would be out, causing him to walk like a somebody among nobody. All his training, he's a man with status and respect. He's a conqueror in a conquered land. He had authority, he had all the advantages. But I wanted to know, why did the cry come out of that man? I am not worthy. Why didn't he lord it over all that he met? You know, he lived in the Roman age. He lived in an age when his government, when his country, when his nation ruled the world. He lived in a time when all men looked to Rome as a savior for them. All men looked to Rome as a model. All men would look to Rome and its civilization and say, now this is as good as it gets, this is as high as it gets. It's the pinnacle of learning. It's the pinnacle of how men ought to live. They are prosperous, they flourish. Their streets, their government, everything about them seemingly was a model to the world. And this man was a representative of that government. It was his age, it was his time. It was a time where they all boasted that they were Romans. And it was a time when the whole world was divided into two classes. Those that were citizens of Rome with all its privilege, and those who were not. So how did this man, who represents the power, the oppressor, the great one, a leader among men, how is it that out of this man came a cry concerning a Jew? I am not worthy. Why didn't he take the press and imprint of his world? Why did he stand out? How did he stand out? How did he get like this? How did he get this kind of thinking? And the more I thought about this man, the more I had to agree with Jesus, this man astonishes me. What does Scripture say about him? I turned there. It says in verse 2, that he had a servant who was dear to him, who was sick and ready to die. And I could see that this servant actually was a slave. You know to this man, slaves are a dime a dozen. If you get sick, you just replace them. And this servant was dear to him even though he was no longer useful. I began to see that that action was telling me that that people weren't things to him. That people mattered to him, big or small. He saw people as individuals deserving of respect and dignity. It did not matter. He was a slave. This man was compassionate. He was moved by suffering. He had a concern for all who lived in his house. The fact that this man was dear to him told me he lets men close to him. He lets people in. And in like kind, I believe he received the love of that slave. But that wasn't fully it. When verse 5 says he loves our nation, that's a highly unusual thing. I'm sure it even astounded the Jews. They weren't used to Romans loving them. And it told me that this man could love others. He did not fear them and despise them. He didn't reject them. He didn't condescend to them. He loved a conquered people. It says in verse 5 he built a synagogue. And it tells me that out of his own provision he built them a place of worship. That somehow there was something connecting in them. There was one and only true God who must be worshipped. And he put his energy and he put his substance to seeing that that happened. Verse 8 tells us in the Scripture that he says, I also am a man under authority. He described himself as a man who was subject to authority and so he could wisely wield it. He knew what it was to be under and therefore those that he directed, he knew what it was to be under authority and he wisely dispensed it. And so he could say, so I say the word and my... He could say to Jesus, just say the word and my servant shall be healed. He recognized authority in Jesus. But beloved, although Scripture is describing him like that, it wasn't answering my question. It still didn't satisfy me to say, why is this man so different from the rest when everything around him should have him full of pride and puffed up. Everything around him should give him a swagger and a conquering mentality. He could be religious but he didn't have to stoop that low. He didn't have to say those words that came right from his gut that was so revealing. I am not worthy. And then it says that Jesus was astonished at him. And I believe the Holy Spirit gave me the insight. Jesus was astonished at this man and he spoke like he did because Jesus finally met a man with his heart. I wonder what that felt like for Jesus. Scripture says he came to his own and his own knew him not. But this Gentile knew him. You know, this Gentile never met him. He only communicated with him through his servants. He didn't know him in the flesh, but he knew him by the Spirit. This man knew him. And beloved, I believe that the Holy Spirit was showing me that this centurion was representing a glimpse of the church that was going to spring forth from the Gentile nations. This man represented he was a type of a sold out, surrendered church that was going to come. I believe that the Father just in sheer delight gave the son, an obedient son, a glimpse of a people that did not know him. Of what, when he shared his heart, what these people were going to be like. That surrendered church. A church called out once from every nation whose privilege would be to astonish the world by showing the heart of the Son of God. A church, beloved, called out having Christ's heart. And the Scripture came to mind that says in Romans 8.32, He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? And here's the Father. He spared not his own son for the world. He gave his best. And there was going to be a people who were going to respond to God's best. And they weren't just going to respond, but they were going to embrace him. And as Jesus was, so they would be. Because the Scripture says that he's going to freely, the Father, freely give that Gentile that should be so proud, that should be so alienated from God, so distant, so living in darkness. God was going to humble that man, put a cry in him, and astonish the whole world that he could humble the great and he can humble the small and bring them to himself. Scripture says that he freely will give us, the Father will freely give the centurion-like people all things that we need. Freely give means he will freely forgive. It means that he will be gracious to us when we didn't deserve it. It means that he is going to yield to the will. That's what freely gives means. That God is going to freely yield to our will when the known request is in mind. In other words, when we cry out, Oh God, I need to know you. And I need to know you like you know I need to know you. And God is going to say, then I'm going to have to put in you a humble of mind. And God says, I'm going to freely answer that prayer. He says, if you begin to cry out for that, and you begin to see your need of it, he says, I'm going to yield to that and I'm going to give it to you freely. Having Christ's heart, that's our privilege. But how do we get that? How is that formed in us? I went back over the centurion's life and I said, Lord, you know, an evidence of your heart is that people are going to matter to us. Ministry is not about ministry. Ministry is about people. The end is about people. It's about you, Jesus, touching lives one by one. We sit here in a great congregation, but all those that have opened their hearts up to God have met Jesus in an individual way. And forever Jesus will be about people. We're going to have to be given the power to love, beloved. And it's that last time. We need to be given power to love. It's not an option. Jesus says, love one another. Love one another. As I have loved you. That man, he said, he loved our nation and God is coming in a last time for a people that there is no prejudice. God is coming in an age when when ethnos is against ethnos. When people are going to rise up, being riled up by an anti-Christ spirit because the devil, the adversary, is about separation. He's about division. He's about disunity. He's about putting confusion in one against another. He's about planting unsolvable hatreds in the heart and lives of men. And what looks like insoluble problems, that's what he's about. And there has to be a church moving in another spirit. It's going to have to be about loving those that we shouldn't be loving because there's nothing in us to love them. There's no familiar ground. There's nothing in us to like them. But a greater than our own heart will come upon us. And we're called to be radically different and racially united. The Lord called all Gentile nations to himself and we are a family with God as our Father. The family fights, but the family must forgive. Scripture says, a house divided will not stand. And everywhere we see that the enemy wants to come in and divide us, we know that that's an attack. That's a demonic attack and we can pray against it. We can say, I will not fall for that device. Lord, every time you want to put a barrier between us, I want you to search me, oh God. I want you to search me. Scripture says, He built a synagogue. It speaks to me. He built, having a heart of Christ, we're building our lives on truth. We are seeking the one true God and we are worshipping Him. And beloved, when we do that truth, as you know, the Scripture says, sets us free. And so we have a promise to be transformed when we build our lives on truth. And that is the test that we have the heart of Christ is that we are being transformed. The Scripture says, a good tree only brings forth good fruit. When Christ is in our life, there has to be the evidence of good fruit else we are not a good tree. That is not an option. I'm not saying transformation is easy. In fact, when God goes deep, we are confronted with the very issues that rule us and dominate us. And it takes courage to face it. Because we've not been trained to face it. The world wants to mask. The world wants to deceive. The world doesn't want to deal with the real truth. Because truth sets us free. But if we have the heart of Christ, we are going to be transformed. We need to tell the devil that everyday. I don't care what you say to me. I don't care how you paint the situation. I say in Christ I will be transformed. Jesus said, I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. And no matter how the enemy tries to say, look at you, so little transformation, the very fact that we are willing to face it and not run, means we are getting somewhere. Hallelujah. Having the heart of Christ says, I am a man under authority. And beloved, we get under the Word of God. We are led by the Spirit of God to glorify God. And then miracles happened. Miracles happened. Beloved, we need to believe for miracles in this day and age. You know when Jesus called Peter to walk on water. It wasn't because of Peter's ability. It was because the authority of the Word when Jesus said, come, he could come. It wasn't about his ability. We will never have the ability to walk on water. But when the authority of that Word comes, if we will respond to it, that is humility of heart. That is humbleness of mind. That is not looking to self saying, now how am I going to do this? But it's a response. A humbleness of mind will respond to the Word of God. Won't argue with it. Won't rationalize it away. Won't turn the other way. But will let the Word of God be the authority and let it create the faith in us to do the impossible. I'm a man under authority. But that centurion and that cry I couldn't get away from. I'm not worthy that you should come to my house. I'm not worthy to come to you. In the modern day church, that is a very grating words. We don't like to hear that kind of language. We don't like to hear that kind of thing preached. There's something about that cry that sits uneasily on our spirit. We want to hear preached another thing some days. That doesn't sit easily with us. Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But beloved, this centurion that cried that, I'll tell you something, he was the only one of the few that had a clear vision of who Jesus Christ was. Others around seemed confused, didn't seem to know. The professional religionist of his day didn't know, but this man with that kind of cry, who had no background, no former religious training, was not brought to the temple, didn't know the sacrifices, didn't know the rituals, shouldn't know the way to God, was finding a way to God with that heart. That cry, God put that in him. God says no matter what you've been through, what kind of religious painting you've received, or no formal religion, He says there's a cry I can't turn from. That's the cry of the humble. He was a man who lived in reality with himself. A man in touch with his own heart. You see, he was going to ask a miracle worker, I don't know if he understood fully about Jesus, but he was going to ask a miracle worker to do something for him. One he felt he had no right to, no access to. And he was very conscious, coming in wanting something from Him. That he was a sinner, and that he was unholy, and Christ was holy. And I say that in the end times, that God is looking for a true humility in His people. Because a whole people, and a healed people, is a humble people. The power of God does not rest on a proud people. Scripture says God resists the proud. The Pharisees, many in Israel, were missing the fact that the Son of God was in their midst, and the whole time they were crying, we be Abraham's children. They were letting their pride absolutely take their vision. They were being blinded by a religious pride. And beloved, that is what we are going to fight till the day Christ takes us home, is a religious pride. And a worldly pride. Here was this professional faith people who should know, but I'm reminded that God heals where there is a need, and God heals where there is true repentance. God's hand is on a man to show him himself. And I wrote that down, you know, and the way I wrote it down, it wasn't quite clear what I meant by that. But God's hand is on a man to show him himself. God's hand is on a man to show him God. And God's hand is on a man to show him his own heart. And one revelation is inseparably linked to the other. Beloved, God is not going to show him himself without us having to come into the light. God dwells in light. God is light. And we will never approach him except we too come into the light. And we cannot see God and not see ourselves. If we live in darkness about God, we are going to live in darkness about ourselves. And the sign that God's hand is upon us, the sign of sonship that we've been adopted, the sign that God's favor rests on us, is that God will show us our heart to save us from the spirit of the age we live in. To save us from the spirit of the age we live in. Because the spirit of the age we live in that has formed us since childhood up is a spirit of pride. It's the pride of life. It's the pride of eyes. It's the pride. And the thing most contrary to that spirit of the age is a humility. And God sees our heart and God knows our heart. And he knows what we are capable of. Either inside the kingdom or out. And I'm reminded when Abraham with an incredible call on his life and God spoke to him and God made him incredible promises and God said, I'm going to raise you up and through you will be a nation. And God made incredible promises like he's never promised a man up to that point. And then the scripture says that he goes down into Egypt and the first thing he does is sends his wife into the enemy's court. And I wonder did it surprise him that he was capable of that when he got her back? I remember, I wonder without even one word passing from her lips, just the look in her eye, did he see a side he never thought capable? Then his son Isaac did the same thing. But deep down, even though God knows what we are capable of, that doesn't, he sees it all. It's just that he's committed to showing us when he knows we are able to bear it. When it is a time that we're going to turn to him in faith. Or we can turn away disgusted and defeated. But then the enemy wins. But God knows what we are capable of, but that doesn't say my hand's too short from still using you, from still revealing what is there at the center of your core. And the plans I have for you still go on unchanged. Because the plans I have for you are not dependent on your faithfulness. It's dependent on you turning to me, the faithful one. The spirit of this age will say, deep down you know we are all good with good hearts. And when we do something wrong, pride and the spirit of the age will say, justify yourself. Don't look, it's too painful. You'll be vulnerable. You'll condemn ourselves. Sometimes the regret will eat us up and there's a voice that says, I'll be consumed if I go back there. And if I don't stand up for myself, no one will. But scripture says, if we will judge ourselves, we will not be judged. And I believe man, unaided by the spirit of God, will never deliver an impartial or fair judgment on self. Beloved, without a humility, without crying, God, search me, oh God, and try my heart. Lord, begin to show me what's at the core of me. God, I know that your hand is on me for good, and I know you have a plan and a purpose for my life. But God, tied to all that, needs to be an understanding that I live at the bottom, God, by grace and grace alone. Sometimes a church has wrote out saying, we know the end, we have the victory. But realizing that there's no sword at their side because there's no humility in their hearts. It's riding out in their own understanding, in their own strength, in their own purpose, in their own ambition, in their own plan. And too often we've seen the catastrophe that that brings. Beloved, God is showing us our heart because the sin nature can be dealt with at the cross. The centurion says, I am worthy. I am unworthy. And I love that because the closer that Christ draws to his house. See, Jesus is committed to going and seeing him because the call comes, I have a sick servant. And Jesus starts moving towards his house. And the closer that Christ begins to draw to us and the more that we want to live with him and walk with him, there is going to be that deep inward cry. There's going to be the same response. Lord, I am unworthy. I'm not worthy. Lord, anything that you're going to do in and through me has got to be about grace. But beloved, we can make such mental assent to that. But till it becomes a reality and we know who we are, if the Spirit of God lifts from us at any time, we have to be so convinced of that truth. I think we shrink from the cry that I'm unworthy because we don't see, beloved, embedded in us the sin. We don't understand the depth of our restlessness and our carelessness and our casualness. We can make the mental assent, God, I know you are everything. It's only by your grace. It's only by your power. But beloved, when the Spirit of God, when the worship starts and we're to block out everything and we're to raise our hearts to him, where is our mind and heart? When we're put in a place where we don't understand and we're demanding an explanation. When there are times when we just don't understand what God is doing or we're being bored or we find the way too narrow, we're intimidated when we're out there. When we all of a sudden can't seem to open our mouth and name the name Christ. When all these things, all the things we know we should do and all the things we know we should be. But beloved, when the rubber meets the road, why are we powerless? Christ does not stand as our condemner at that moment. But one thing I do know, he's looking for a bended knee that says I cannot. Beloved, much of the preaching of the age is a genuflect repentance. Just down and up. Just get me out of pain and let me continue on so I can co-direct my life with you, Jesus. I just want a quick genuflect repentance. Down and up. I don't want to stay down there. I don't like it down there. That bended knee makes me vulnerable and that bended knee seems like I'm losing control. Which it is. But beloved, when that censoring began to cry out, Lord I am not worthy, I'll tell you what. The humble know the utter privilege of living in repentance and the humble know what it is to hope in his mercy. You see that censoring, know who he was, did not prevent him from crying out, Lord come and heal my servant. That understanding of who he was didn't in any way block the cry, Jesus come and do what only you can do. It is like the humility truly opens our eyes to see who is in our midst. Because when we go down and say God speak to my heart, take me to the root issues, why this restlessness, why what is driving me in my heart, why is there such contention, why can't I get along with this one, why every time I'm around them something rises up and the Lord is saying I want you to go down before me and stay down till I show you. And he will. The world taught the censoring to be haughty, but I tell you the hand of God was on him. The world was trying to say, now you are the conqueror, you are the man, this is your hour. But there was something, the hand of God, the spirit of God upon this man, and he who should know nothing about God was being drawn to the very heart of God. He was exhibiting even though he didn't know the law, he was beginning to act like a man that was a shining example of a Christian. He had a heart for people, he loved truth, his eyes were open to those around him. Why? Because I tell you there is no such thing with humility without brokenness. The Scripture doesn't tell us how he was broken. The Scripture only tells us the fruit of that brokenness. But every time a man has been humbled, you know it has been painful. Because the spirit of the age would keep him haughty. But beloved, humility was making him a very great man. Scripture says, blessed happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit are the humble hearted, the tender towards God, and the tender towards the suffering, and the tender towards the needy, because they know what it is to suffer. They know what it is to be needy. We can be poor materially, we can be poor emotionally, we can be poor physically through illness, we can be poor intellectually. But Jesus says a very strange thing. He says, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed if you are beginning to know your true need before a holy God. Blessed are you if you begin to see you've been so full of self that I have had to resist you in your ways. But now that my hand is upon you, you go down and you bend before me. He says, blessed are they. And then they begin to share the heart of God, because God always sees the needy, He always sees the depressed, distressed. He sees the fatherless. He's come, He will do justice for those that are poor on the earth. And God's saying, you're going to have a chance now to side with me. You're going to have a chance to see as I see things, and that my heart and my power will go out to the poor in spirit. And we will begin to cooperate with the spirit of God throughout the earth instead of resisting it, or instead of being blind. So often, the insecure and the proud oppress those they consider weaker or inferior to themselves. So often, the weak fear the weak. Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit. You don't have to oppress and you don't have to be fearful anymore, because when you acknowledge your poverty before me and your weakness, you find out I am on your side. You find out I am with you. You find out that there's going to be a cry produced in you that I must come and answer. I'm going to be with you. You're going to have me. Those that are proud, those that don't want to see, those that don't want to know, those that are tuned out or blind to the suffering, and to those around them, are so far from the heart of God. Are so far from how He's thinking and how He moves and how He acts. He says, blessed are you if you're poor in spirit. You have me. You're going to live with an understanding heart. You're going to live understanding your times. You're going to live understanding you don't have to rise up in despair. Where art thou, O God? Where are you in the midst of suffering and pain? Because the poor in spirit, I know where He is. He's with me. And He's with them. You know Paul, he said he was the least of apostles. He said he was the greatest of sinners. His cry, I am unworthy, was the continual heart cry of his ministry. And yet we know that Paul was rich in spiritual graces and gifts. Because that poor in spirit of not having to puff up himself and not having to proclaim himself, he was going to leave it to Christ to do that. In himself, he knew what he was, the least of all. But in Christ, he began to move because he had his heart. He says, I can move out in boldly to proclaim His name because I have Him and I understand Him. And this is what I say to you, because he knew. Because he understood. Beloved, the poor in spirit are getting emptied of self. Because they know their need of God's grace on a daily basis and are able to extend it to others. I say that a mountain of pride must be moved in our hearts. Because otherwise it's obscuring Christ in us. You know, we don't need to turn there, but Psalm 10 is an incredible summary of how the proud act. And I want you to know that pride is so much to protect. Pride has to protect its own effort. Pride has to protect its own turf, its ambitions, its self-interest. In Psalm 10, it talks about the wicked who through the pride of their continents, they oppress the poor. It talks about the pride being so unconcerned and consumed with themselves. They say, I'll never be in adversity. What an incredible boast. Psalm 10 tells us that the pride, they are going to seek their own way. And their ultimate judgment is that they are going to be so removed out of the understanding of God. They are going to be blinded to God. They may say, you know, the wicked in the pride says, God is not in all his thoughts. You see, the proud folk can speak about God. The proud folk can say many things as if they have an understanding. But the litmus test is the confusion and the contention that comes into their life because they really can't see. Because when pride overtakes a heart, even though it says, I am of God and I understand His ways, and wants to preach to all those around Him, they are shut out and they have no idea of what God is really about and what He is up to. And Christ has to remove our pride to be seen in us. In 1 Peter 5, 6 it says, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Beloved, we've got to go down and we've got to stay down till due time. Because the scripture says that the humble He has promised to exalt. He only can exalt the humble. But He says, there is a time in due time you will be lifted up. The heart of man will say, that's it, I know, I understand and want to get up. But when we will say, God, I need this humbleness of spirit. If You say I'm to stay down, if I'm to walk through this valley now. Oh God, of a humbleness of mind. Of God, You having to take the pride out of me. Take the contention out of me. Take the blindness out of me. Take the discontent, the restlessness, the casualness. Where I want to say, God, I seek You because You remember the five minutes. Where God is saying, I've got to break through in truth. And the only way I can speak is to a humble heart. And we go down, it says, humble yourself, beloved. He's going to give us the grace to humble ourselves. He will give us that grace to go down. But beloved, then He will give us the grace to stay down. Because the scripture says, God gives grace to the humble. God is going to give us the grace to go down before Him and say, God, now you're going to bring situations in my heart. You're going after that pride. You're going after that deep-seated thing in me. You know that I was born into it, weaned on it, raised in it, and I don't know anything else but it. And so I'm not going to even pretend to tell you when the work is done. But I'm going to humble myself and you tell me that at the right time, you are going to be able to lift me up and speak through me and use me as I've never been used before because I have a humble heart. Because I can truly represent you. Because I'm siding, oh God, You want my eyes to the needy and the oppressed and I'm not intimidated and I'm not afraid and I'm not overburdened by what I see. But the humble heart are filled with the Spirit of God and they can come and make a difference. Beloved, the pride can't make a difference because they can't see. They don't even know what's going on around them. Scripture says a truly humble Christian, as we can see in this life of this centurion, is a greatly used Christian. A truly humble Christian. Now beloved, if we are truly humble, we don't know we're humble. If we are going thinking we are humility, we need to stay down. We'll just think when we're truly humble, we're going about our business. We won't even see a lot of change. It'll be those around saying, you know, you have really changed. And don't take offense. If they say that, say thank you. It's the Lord. You know, so many times we will not give glory to God and we will not give Him all the credit because the pride in our heart. We like the praise. How often do we give God the glory? There's a little meter on our humility meter. Is there a day that goes by that we cannot, with our hearts, say God be praised? Thank you Lord. I give glory to You. That's because of the Lord in my life. That's not me. Beloved, a truly humble Christian is greatly used in a powerful Christian. Because humility seeks to obey. Humility seeks to obey. Scripture says in Philippians 2.8, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. He being Jesus, humbled himself and became obedient unto death. He humbled himself and became obedient. Now there was never a time that Jesus was not obedient. But it's linking inseparably a humility with obedience. And beloved, you know what I've come to realize? To obey God means we love Him. I used to think to obey God means we submit to Him. But I have found in my proud, rebellious heart that submission only goes so far. That when I am forced to my knees, I inevitably pop up. But when I begin to pray, God I would love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Then beloved, that obedience becomes something I do because I love Him. And until we have to say, God, there are areas I don't, you know, I would like to say I love You. But Lord, show me this. Show me the reality of that. Show me, God, the full depth of it. Because I know You're not going to cast me out when You show me where I lack. But Lord, that You will open up to me and You'll always speak hope and mercy when I'm humble. You will always speak hope and mercy. And so beloved, I believe that the humble Christians are the powerful ones in their generation because they have another spirit. The world doesn't know what to do with humility. A worldly spirit can't handle humility. It is so opposite to the spirit of the age. Because the world will say, stand up for yourself. Fight your battles. Make yourself known. The flesh will lead out and the sin nature will dominate. But in humility there's a check and there's a restraint on us. In humility there is something coming upon us now. We've been taught better. When the flesh wants to lead out, we begin to understand. That's my pride leading out. That's my pride wanting to be heard. That's my pride wanting to make its point. But when we begin to say, Lord, I need another spirit upon me, the world won't know how to handle that. Because the world, you see, has to bow to the crowd and keep the crowd's favor. Keep being loved. Keep being appreciated. But when we begin to say, God, I need that humbleness and spirit of mine. That you can take me where you need to take me and show me what you need to show me. And God, I stay humbled under your hand, beloved, when he raises us up. We're not following the crowd. We have another spirit upon us and we're able to stand separate from the world. Not in a pride. But in a humility that says, oh God, I dare not go any other way. You have humbled me and I have an understanding heart now. I know who I am and I'm staying close to you. And God, nothing that you've promised me and nothing that I've sensed in my heart will be accomplished. But I stay one with you. And Lord, to stay one with you, I need to stay humbled. Because then you'll move in power. You'll give me another spirit. And the world won't know what to do with that spirit. Beloved, finally, I believe that that humility is going to build a wall around us. That humility is going to build a wall. And you know, the scripture says that an unwalled spirit is like a city. A spirit that's allowed to just go out is like an unwalled city. In other words, that we can have in ourselves, we can say we can name the name Christ. But if our walls are not up, the least little provocation, the enemy goes by and we run out after them. Or the enemy comes in because there's no defense and we are defenseless. But beloved, the grace that comes, because it gives grace to the humble, the grace will come and build a wall around us. And before, when we were provoked. And before, when we used to succumb to the enemy's taunts. Before, when pride would come knocking and we would just answer it in like spirits. We know that there's going to be a wall around us. And inside, yes, I believe will be anger and resentment and natural dislike and mistrust and suspicions. But it will be contained inside the wall. And I believe that to the outside that God will put grace upon us and the world will see a different spirit. That God will be faithful and He will deal with what's inside the wall. One by one. And what He reveals, He's committed to heal. And beloved, it won't be easy, but we're going to learn every time that God begins to show us at the root what we're really dealing with. Because it takes humility to want to know. But as we begin to say, God's saying, you're dealing with envy. You're dealing with distrust. You're dealing with guarding your own turf. Every time we let the Spirit of God go to the root of the issue, we're going to get free. Because the Holy Spirit's going to reveal it. And we're going to repent. And we're going to know a freedom in that area. Because that's why Christ died. Beloved, I've called out people free from pride. And then you see, that's the people of faith. Because you know the story ends. You know, we think we're talking about humility. But Jesus turned it all around. They didn't say, my gosh, what a humble man. No, Jesus said, that man with that heart cry. That man who exhibited the heart just like Christ. Jesus didn't say, what an incredibly humble man. He said, no, I have never found such faith. No, not in Israel as I see in this man. Because, beloved, humility in the end produces an astounding faith. Humility produces an astounding faith. Would we have a faith, beloved, like this man that astonishes our Jesus? Would we have the kind of faith that we could say, Lord, you don't even need to be present because it's just one word. You don't have to be there. I don't have to feel your presence. I don't have to see this whole formula go on before I can believe. But, Lord, you have taught me and humbled me and given me your heart. And now I know I don't have to plead. I don't have to beg. I know you. And I'm come to you and with one word. Lord, I know if you speak, it shall be done. Humility produces an astounding faith. Jesus said in this Gentile church in this last hour, this is what I want you to be. A humble church with an astounding faith. He says, I alone can produce that. I alone in the end times can give my body an astounding faith. But it's got to go my way. It happens my way. I pray that in this last days that God will give us the grace to be humble and stay humble under the mighty hand of God. That we will have years to hear and not be foolish and proud. Unknowing and living in confusion. But all who have a hearing ear will have a humble heart. Will you stand with me? As the musicians play, those here, that you are in a battle over something that God wants to speak to you. It's been an area of repeated failure. And the enemy wants to condemn you. What you're hearing by the Spirit of God, he's saying that if you will bend your knee to me. If you will ask me for the humility. To say, God, I cannot. I've made promises to you. You know I want to. And I'm starting to rationalize it. I'm starting to justify it. I'm starting to harbor even in my heart a little bit of resentment. Saying, God, why have you become such a hard task master? You know where I live. You know what I face. You know the people I'm with. For those of you that are battling and you're sensing you're starting to lose the battle. That you are in contention with so many and there's an unsettledness in your heart. The Lord is going to make a way today. To bring a humility into us. That we may hear Him. A humility that we are going to say, God, is it I? Those that are believing God for that breakthrough, for that grace, would you come? Scripture says, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. And He will lift you up. It says to me that we can choose humility. Not the power to stay down there, but we can choose it. Beloved, I have a word for you. For those that are saying at that moment of contention, that moment of heat. In that moment when everything in us wants to rise up. Be anything but humble. We can choose it. But then I want... You know, God cannot resist the cry of the humble. And I believe that we are under that hand of God that we are to ask largely. The centurion came and he knew who he was. But he came and he still asked Jesus for what was on his heart. And God was delighted to answer him. And for those that are saying, God, I want you to teach me the path of the humble. The way of the humble. Then I feel like God is saying, and while you have that heart and my hand is upon you. I want you to ask largely. For I'm delighted to answer you. I want you to believe for me when that chastening comes upon your spirit. And we're made low in his sight. And we begin to see, God, I've been so arrogant with you. I've been so careless with you. God, I need a new heart. I need a new change. And I've wanted it so many times. But God, I'm believing because today I'm coming humble knowing I can't. Only you can. But then Lord, I'm going to ask largely. When I'm down here, I'm going to say, God, everything that's in my heart I pour out to you. And he hears the humble. He hears the cry of the humble. He delights. The cry of the humble in a humble heart astounds him. He brags on that heart. So, beloved, if we've come today and we say, God, I'm trusting you now to teach me a humbled walk. Not one that's self-conscious, but one that's Jesus conscious. And Lord, I'm not going to be intimidated from going through the doors that you opened for me. But I know that I can only go in your power. And I can only move by your Spirit. And Lord, I'm going to stay humbled because I feel secure there. I feel your love there. I know your peace there. And Lord, every time I step out in my own flesh and in my own pride and my own arrogancy, Lord, you're going to be faithful to convict me and put me down again. And then he says, you're going to lift me up in the power of Jesus. And the power of your Spirit. Beloved, ask largely when that chastening comes upon our soul. And we're going to be able to see a church glorious. A church that knows what it is to be humble in Spirit. Be able to see the need around us. And be able to give them Jesus. Hallelujah. Would you lift your hands with me? Jesus, we ask you to give us a humble heart. Lord, I repent of my proud ways. And my proud thoughts. And my proud actions. Convict me. And then change me. I trust you to do this work in me. And to bring me low. That you may lift me up. That you may open my eyes. That I may see you high and lifted up. And that I may see myself small in your presence. I thank you you love me. And I thank you that you're going to use me. When you lift me up. I thank you you'll hear my prayer. When I'm humble before you. Lord, I give you the praise. Lord, I give you the glory for this. I praise you and trust you in Jesus' name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Is that the humble can truly rejoice. They truly know that it is God doing a miracle. And when God's presence is on our spirit, I'll tell you. We become supermen in a humble way. I don't know if that makes sense. But there is something about a surrendered heart, a humble heart. A heart that God can't resist and loves. He's astounded. Beloved, let's treasure a humble heart and see him do great things. Let's give him the glory. Hallelujah. This is the conclusion of the message.