Our Scripture reading is taken from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 8. Matthew's Gospel in the chapter 8. It is a long chapter. We're commencing to read at the opening verse and reading the opening verses of the chapter. Matthew chapter 8, commencing to read at the first one. The words, of course, concern the Lord Jesus Himself. When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. May I say, in the light of all that follows, of which I shall make mention tonight, that's a very important thing to note. Great multitudes followed Him. In all that is recorded in the chapters that follow, we are immediately reminded of a simple fact. There was no shortage of witnesses to all that is recorded for us as we find it in these chapters. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, see thou tell no man, but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home, sicketh with palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers unto me, and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh. And to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self's same hour. Amen. May God add his defiant blessing to this reading from his inspired and precious truth. Now let us bow together in prayer as we turn afresh to the word of God. Let us seek for heaven's help. Our God and our Father, we do approach thee upon the ground of that shed blood. We were once far off, strangers, aliens, but we've been made now by the blood of Calvary's cross. Oh God, by that blood we seek to enter into the holiest and to spread now the burden of the preaching of the word of God. The letter killeth, the spirit alone giveth life. Oh, grant the breath of heaven. Grant that gracious and effectual ministry of thy Spirit. Grant that fresh oil from the sanctuary above. Cleanse this vessel. For what the blood has cleansed, the Spirit of God can fill and use. And we desire to be but a vessel only, blessed Master. And yet with all thy wondrous power flowing through me, thou canst use me. every day and every hour. Use me now to thy glory, to the good of souls. Remember any in the meeting who are yet out of Christ and without a Savior, any that are unsaved and unconverted, yet found in nature's night. Oh, that the glorious light of the gospel would shine in upon them, Oh, that this would be a night never to be forgotten. The happy day experience would be theirs, that they would be brought in repentance and faith to the feet of the crucified one and have a saving look to the Lamb of Calvary. Crown our service with Thy salvation, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I'd like you please to open your Bible in the Gospel of Matthew and the chapter 8. Chapters 8 and 9 of this gospel are very noteworthy because they are full of the Savior's miracles. No less than 10 of them are recorded for us in these two chapters. This sheds light upon the structure of this gospel. If you turn just for a moment back to Matthew's gospel, chapter 4, and look at the verse 23. Chapter 4 and the verse 23. Here we have the summary of the Holy Spirit of God concerning the Galilean ministry of Christ. And you'll notice in verse 23, And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Teaching and preaching, and immediately. you'll know the passage. Just glance at the opening words of chapter 5. We have there in those three chapters what is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. We are introduced immediately by Matthew to this teaching and preaching ministry. Now read on in verse 23, we read concerning the Savior that he went about healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And then as we come to the chapter 8 here and the chapter 9 of this gospel, we have the record of that healing ministry. of our Lord Jesus Christ. And surely it is so fitting that the greatest sermon ever preached should be followed by the signs that He who was the preacher was none other than God incarnate in the flesh, of whom we can say never man speak like this man. But you see, this grouping together of our Savior's sayings and doings is characteristic of Matthew's gospel. But of course, significantly, it is in keeping with the skills and methodology of one whose profession had been that of a publican. It's a very striking thing in the Gospels that Matthew always refers to himself as Matthew the Publican. Mark doesn't, Luke doesn't, John doesn't, but Matthew always, because he cannot forget the pit from which he was digged and the rock from which he was shewn. And of course, as a Publican, It was his business to keep accounts. And of course, that's what we see in this gospel, his skills being utilized. And that reminds us of a wonderful but a simple fact. You see, the grace of God that saved Matthew the publican also sanctified his gifts and abilities in the service of the master. And that's why we want you young people to be saved early in life. Because you see, you have gifts. You have abilities. And it's our desire that you would know the reality of God's grace in your heart and life, that those gifts and those abilities would be utilized in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, as you read these chapters eight and nine, you certainly see how amazing, how abundant was the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As you read these chapters, you see His wondrous compassion, and you certainly see His mercy, and you see the tenderness of the Savior. Because you see again and again in these two Gospels, we read of the touch of the Master's hand. We read of it tonight. Great multitudes followed him, witnessing those miracles. But oh, there's a disturbance. And you can see in the multitude, there are those who are shrinking away. Why? Because a leper is doing the unthinkable. He is seeking to come to Christ in a day when lepers would be stoned. And so you can see there's a parting among the multitudes as this dear man is so determined to get to Christ. And then we read there in the opening of this gospel, Words so wonderful, Jesus put forth His hand and touched him. You can just imagine the shock of that among the multitudes. The Lord Jesus was touching the untouchable. But you see, that was the touch of tender compassion. None of us here could even begin to understand what that touch meant to that leper. So read the chapters and just take note of those places where we read of the touch of the Master's hand. Of course, in these chapters, we also see how amazing and almighty is the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, there is no need He cannot meet. There's no condition that He cannot cure. And don't we as the saints of God love, even in the place of prayer, to give utterance to those words of the hymn, the touch of the Master's hand has lost none of its ancient power. You see, that's the Savior I preach tonight. Oh, there is no heart like the heart of Jesus, filled with a tender love. Oh, that you would taste and see that the Lord is good tonight. And no matter what your need is, the Lord Jesus can meet you at the point of that need this evening. But I draw your attention in Matthew chapter 8 to another very amazing and wonderful thing. Look at verse 10, Matthew chapter 8 and the first 10 that really is my text. It follows upon the words of the centurion. And we read, when Jesus heard it, he marveled. And he said to them that followed, fairly I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. What a statement that is. Among all the multitudes that were thronging him there in Israel, he had not found one instance of faith like that of this Roman centurion. And we read the Lord Jesus marveled. That's one of those very remarkable expressions in the gospel record that remind us of the reality of our Savior's true humanity. And of course, it ought to be of deepest interest to us. It certainly is full of precious meaning. and there's mystery in it. Indeed, we might say, great mystery. Bishop Hall said, what can be more wonderful than to see Christ wonder? You see, it's the mystery of the divine incarnation. The union of the divine and the human natures in that one glorious person of Jesus Christ reminds us that he was made like unto us in all things and except. What a Savior therefore he is because he's touched with all of the feelings of our infirmities. There's only two instances in the Gospel record where we read that the Lord Jesus marveled. And in a sense, both of them have respect to faith. Just turn over a page or two to Mark chapter 6. Mark chapter 6. And when we come to Mark's Gospel chapter 6, we find ourselves in Nazareth. This is the very village where the Lord Jesus had been brought up. So to what an extent they had known his presence among them. They had heard his preaching, and we know that they had witnessed somewhat of his power. And yet you'll notice in Mark 6 and verse 6, the Lord Jesus marveled because of their unbelief. You see, those of Nazareth, blinded by their prejudice, in unbelief persisted in saying, is not this the carpenter's son? And the Lord Jesus marveled at the absence of faith, where everything was conducive to it. where it might very well have expected to be found, the Lord Jesus marveled at the absence of faith in Nazareth. And you only have to glance, of course, at the first five to see how their unbelief robbed them of further gracious manifestations of His power among them. Unbelief is a robber. Every child of God knows that. Unbelief can stifle the spirit of prayer. Unbelief can choke praise in us. And if you're not saved in this meeting, unbelief to this moment in time has robbed you of God's salvation. For you have not come to believe in Him that you might be saved. But of course, in Matthew chapter 8, It's markedly different, isn't it? Because here the Lord Jesus is marveling at the greatness of faith. Now I know that in Matthew chapter 8 it has specific reference to the healing of this servant. And yet I do believe as we look at it tonight we will see that it has all of the elements of a true and a saving faith. And I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, I believe that this Roman centurion had been the subject of a saving work of God. Reasons for that can be given. There is, for example, the delineation of his character in the Gospels. His humility, we'll come back to that. His tenderness concerning his servant. in those days when servants were treated just like a piece of furniture. Again, as we shall see tonight, he was a lover of Israel, so much so he had built them a synagogue. Yet we know from history that the Romans despised the Jews. Indeed, they referred to them as a filthy race. Well, you see, I believe there's only one thing can account for all of this recorded concerning this century, and this dear man had been saved by the grace of God. And I believe, of course, that that is borne out because of the words that follow from the lips of the Savior. You'll notice immediately there in the first 11 that the Savior goes on, and I say unto you that many shall come. just like this Roman centurion. Many shall come from east and west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out. This is one place again in the Gospels where evidently the Lord Jesus is rejoicing to see, as it were, the earnest of that great harvest yet to come. How in the centuries to come and to the ends of the earth there would be that innumerable multitude of souls among the Gentiles who would be brought into the fold And the Savior's rejoicing to see in that Roman centurion an earnest of that harvest. So I have no doubts at all about the fact that this dear man had been the subject of a saving work of God. So I draw your attention tonight to marvelous faith. Marvelous faith. And first of all, and quite simply, the surprising fact of his faith. And that's why I've had the introduction that I've had. It certainly is marvelous when you consider the person who exercised it. He was a Gentile. That means he was by birth a heathen. And to the Orthodox Jew, he was a dog. That's the term they used. He had been a stranger to all of the spiritual advantages of Israel. They had received the word of God's revelation. They had been instructed in the way of God's redemption. He had not enjoyed those spiritual privileges. He was a Roman soldier. Soldiers of Rome were notorious for their brutality and licentiousness. Moreover, he was a centurion. That is, he held a position of honor and authority, as we see in our very reading. And as Spurgeon said, the honors of this world are seldom helpful to belief. And yet, do you see the point? with all of those apparent disadvantages, unlike those in Nazareth. What greatness of faith this dear man displayed in our Lord Jesus Christ, so much so that the Savior said, He had not found one single example of faith to be compared to it in all of the multitudes that were thronging his ministry. Marvelous faith. You know there's such rich encouragement when we consider this. Rich encouragement for the people of God in Tremor. My, we should never despair of the confession of any individual, no matter the circumstances in regard to their upbringing, or indeed the calling that they follow, or the coarseness and the corruption of their character. For some of the most unlikely of people, have been saved by the grace of God and have become eminent saints and servants of Christ. And I remember the days in the free church, the early days as we now refer to them, standing in gospel campaigns, in the tent or in the hut, in the church, and hearing men say, Well, I never thought that man would ever darken the door of a gospel meeting. I never would have believed to see that woman in, and yet such God was saving in those days. And some of those men, and I could name names, of whom that was said became elders in our church, and they're coming now to the end of their ministry and their life. down through these last 40 years and more they have faithfully and fervently served the Lord. Who would have thought that the swearing tinker amusing himself on the Sabbath day in Elstow Green and the women of the village at times were horrified by his language? Who would have thought that he would become such an eminent saint and servant of God and the penman of that great classic, Pilgrim's Progress, God Saved, John Bunyan. Or what about the old African blasphemer? And you love to sing his hymn, Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." That's how John Newton often refers to himself, that old African blasphemer. God saved him. You see, where sin abounds, my Bible says, grace doth much more abound. So let's find encouragement in that and keep on sowing the seed. even if it is being sown in unlikely and unpromising places. For where sin abounds, grace can much more abound, and we can see those wonders of His grace. You know, that's what all of our churches need to see today. When I was a young man, Attending the Ravenhill Free Presbyterian Church, I remember how Dr. Paisley used to take us out sometimes on a Friday night. The prayer meeting started at 11 p.m., and we had to get down on our knees at the seats in the old Ravenhill Church, and the big man said, I want you to pray that God will bring in the worst of sinners and put them in that seat on Sunday night and save them. It was his prayer when he went to the Ravenhill Road. And God saved the worst of sinners on the Raven Hill Road. There was a man, a drunkard, whose life had been ruined, lived in a hovel now, lost everything. And God saved him. And I can't remember his name. I have a real problem with memory. Just ask my wife. But we'll call him Jimmy. And you know, everybody was talking. Did you hear it? Jimmy's good living now. He's got religion. Would you believe it? He's going out twice on Sunday. He's carrying a Bible. And then sometime after that, the people were saying this. Not only did Jimmy get converted, his houses got converted. Because he cleaned up the house. Everything got cleaned up. What a testimony. Caused a stir. Caused people to wonder. And there's no doubt there are those in this town, and if God saved them and they were brought in here under the gospel and brought to Christ, there would be a stirring. People would find it a wonder indeed. Pray for that. must move on, the significant features of his faith. As I said, I believe all of the elements of a true and saving faith are here. And the first essential element, indeed it is primary, it is foundational, is simply this, he flees directly to Christ. That's the first element. in a true and saving faith is to flee directly to Christ. It's the response of the soul to the invitations of the gospel, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. When the Lord Jesus gave that beloved promise, and every Christian loves this promise, and He's speaking in the terms of this promise of those who are his, those who are true Christians, how does he designate them? Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Him that cometh to me. You see, if you are ever to be saved, you must deal immediately, directly, and personally with the Lord Jesus Christ. You must come to Him. We're not in the business of preaching up a church, but we are in the business of preaching Christ. Used to be a proverb among us. I don't know if it's often said. I said it so many, many times in Australia that we wouldn't cross the street to ask someone to be a free Presbyterian, but we would go halfway around the world to invite sinners to Christ. Come to Him. Only thus can you find acceptance with God, come to Christ. The second thing is, here is a man who forsakes, he repudiates all personal merit. Now turn to the Gospel of Luke chapter 7. Luke's Gospel chapter 7. It gives us an insight to this history And it is indeed a wonderful insight. You see in Luke chapter 7 concerning the need of this centurion servant. We read in verse 3, And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews. Now they're beseeching the Savior on this dear man's behalf. Look at verse 4, And they besought him instantly, saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this, for he hath loved our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. You can see how they're advancing these reasons why the Lord Jesus should heal the centurion's servant. But you remember that Matthew tells us that the Roman centurion doesn't say a word about that. Rather, the very opposite, he says, I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof. And remember, he's a Roman centurion, so this is no mean abode. We can well understand it would have had its marble pillars, it would have had its beautiful mosaic tiles, and yet this Roman centurion felt, Lord, I'm not worthy that thou should come under my roof. But there's even more, of course, here in this chapter. If you come down to the end of verse 6, you'll notice that he said, For I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof, wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. You know, this is the only occasion in the Gospels where we find a man who felt such a deep sense of his own unworthiness that he felt he couldn't even go initially personally to Christ, and he wasn't worthy that he should come unto us. It's an amazing thing to see the citizen, the centurion of all pride, imperial, imperious Rome, and he's clothed in humility. Of course, that's a principal work of the Holy Ghost in the heart of man, to convince us of our sinfulness and our unworthiness before God. To convince us that we have no claim on God, that salvation cannot be bought with the price of any religious exercises or supposed good works, that if we're ever to be saved, we must be saved by the grace of God alone. We have to come as beggars to the gate of mercy. We have to, in the words of the old hymn, say, nothing in my hands, yes, dare I bring, but only cling to the merits of that cross. It is amazing to see this Roman centurion and what a sense he has of his unworthiness before the Lord. And then you'll notice thirdly how he focuses in upon the person and authority and the power of Jesus Christ. Look at verses 6 and 8. He twice addresses him as Lord. But it's the words of verse 9. that are singularly expressive of his faith in the true deity and absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ. And it's those words in verse 9 to which he gave utterance that caused the Lord Jesus so to marvel. Look at the text, and it is important, I think, for us to read it in the context there, beginning in the verse 8, where he said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. And then notice this, for I'm a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this man, go, and he goeth. and to this man come, and he cometh, and to my servant do this, and he doeth it." By the way, isn't that a wonderful example of the way we ought to obey the Lord? Unhesitatingly, prompt obedience. But you see what the Roman centurion is saying? He's saying, Lord, just as my servants obey me instantly, when I speak that word of command." Just you speak. Just you speak. And that disease that so grievously torments My servant, it'll be gone. It'll be gone. and the Lord Jesus. Marveled! And true faith always focuses in upon the person and the power and the authority of Jesus Christ, who He is, the God-Man. God's dearly beloved Son whom he did not spare, but delivered him upon to the death of the cross for us, upon all that he has accomplished at the place called Calvary, of his perfect obedience in life, his righteousness and his perfect offering in death, his blood. Oh, true faith focuses in upon Christ who is what he has done. But then there's a fourth thing here. If you came to the pulpit and had a look at this Bible open now, and you were to look at the concluding words of verse 8, you would see that I have underlined in double red those words, but speak the Word only. You see, his faith was founded on the Word of Christ. To use Ironside's expression, he was content with the naked Word of Christ. Do you remember in that day how the sneering Pharisees in their own belief that the man they made on Christ shows a sign from heaven? Men will believe. Here is a man who doesn't need any help from sight or sense. The word of Christ is enough. That's why I chose the hymns that we sang tonight. You see, the night I was saved, I didn't know a verse of the Bible. I couldn't have quoted any verse. I was having difficulty accepting that I could ever be a Christian. I don't know how many times I might have said that in the inquiry But when God in mercy and grace dealt with me there and brought me to my knees in that inquiry room at an old wooden bench, I stepped out on the promise. I got under the blot. And what was the promise I stepped out on? Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It takes you in, Michael. That's what the big man said, whosoever. That's a simple enough thing, isn't it? Shall call, because you know your need. Upon the Lord, look to Christ. And he took me to Calvary in Isaiah 53. And isn't that sure enough for you? Isn't that certain enough for you? Shall be saved. That's the only warrant you need to come. You say, preacher, you don't know who I am. True. You don't know what I've done. You don't know what torments my conscience. You don't know how far from God I've been. All true. But the only warrant you need to come is the warrant of the Word of God. You're invited. As old Bunyan said, come and welcome to Jesus. I could not start. Could I not start now and quote all the promises of this book? The gospel promises, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Come unto me, all ye that labour under heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Look unto me, and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, what are there? Multitudes of them. That's the only warrant you need to come. is the warrant of the Word of God and the promises of free grace in the gospel. Lastly, briefly, look at verse 13 of Matthew 8 and the sure fruit of his faith. Because you notice, Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the south, Here's the sheer fruit of his faith, perfect healing. Luke's gospel puts it in the words, he was made whole. I tell you this, the salvation of God is perfect. The Lord Jesus Christ has done it all. Nothing has been left undone. Nothing needs to be added to what Christ has done. There is that perfect righteousness in Him. There is that perfect acceptance in Him. There is a full and free pardon of sin in Him. Jesus has paid it all. What a message that is. All things are ready. The gospel feast is spread. The doors open. Come, all things are now ready. There was perfect healing. And did you notice it was present healing? Look at verse 13, in that self-same hour. For I have always loved the old hymn that has the line in it, I suppose I have loved it because I feel so much of an affinity with the words, the filest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. You can be saved tonight. I don't remember if I've ever given my testimony here. But I've never had any hesitation in saying and giving my testimony that I have never heard anyone giving a word of testimony who were dragged to a gospel meeting like this young man back then, who went so unwillingly, who went in such a file temper. who went with such determination, not only that I would not get saved that night, but my girlfriend, who is now my wife, would not get saved that night. And if you'd have met me back then, and I use the word advisedly, being dragged to the meeting, not wanting to go, I still would have told you I'm an atheist. I don't believe in God. And yet God and mercy saved me that night. God and His amazing grace and mercy saved me that night. And I went into a meeting in that frame, but I came out saved by grace, a child of God, and here we are. I'm trying to do the arithmetic just in a moment. It must be fifty-four years now. That night I was ushered out of darkness into light. You can be saved tonight. You can go home. As the preacher said to me, Michael, you go home. He told me to get to my knees at my bedside. Apart from calling on the Lord, this is the first time I prayed on my own. I said, just remember this, Michael, just get on your knees and say, thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. I wouldn't have remembered the rest of it. I may have been told it, but I remembered those words. My first prayer. You could go home and get on your knees at your bed tonight and say, thank you, Lord, for saving my soul in remore tonight. Will you come to Christ? How precious faith is, not precious in the estimation of the world, but in this book of God, in the economy of heaven, God says it's precious because it brings us into union with a precious Savior. So, will you come to Christ? Will you come to the person of Christ tonight? Will you come confident in the power of Christ? Will you come content with the promise of Christ? Will you come? That's the essential thing. Will you come? Oh, may the Lord bring you to himself tonight.