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Matthew 8:2: And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 5, And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him

I. Who they are. Needy people (needy of Jesus and his kind of help) – Not self-sufficient – Not self-dependent.

A. Matthew 4:17 – Jesus preached repent for the kingdom of is at hand.

B. Matthew 4:19 – A special call to those who would become apostles.

C. Matthew 4:24,25 – A needy people –

1. of physical healing.

2. To understand spiritual truths and how they relate to everyday living.

D. Matthew 8:1 – They wanted more, after the sermon on the mount, therefore they followed Christ.

E. Matthew 8:2 – Leper – personal diseases and problems – stress, so forth.

F. Matthew 8:5 – The Centurion – those in power who want to help those under their control.

G. Matthew 8:16 – Others who bring acquaintances because of their problems.

H. They believe Jesus can help them.

II. They come because they know they have no power to help themselves.

A. They recognize their total inability to help themselves or the ones they love.

B. They see that Jesus is the only one that can help them.

1. He is powerful.

2. He can do the impossible.

C. Those that don’t come.

1. The religious people of the day because they have their own religion, and don’t need Jesus.

2. Matthew 9:10-12 – And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

3. People trying to work out their own problems don’t come to Jesus.

4. People that haven’t reached the "end of their rope" don’t come to Jesus.

5. People that are full of good health don’t come to Jesus.

a. They believe they do not need Jesus’ help.

b. They show by their not coming they believe Jesus can not help them.

III. They recognize that Jesus is God, and what he does for them is real.

A. They realize there is something vastly different about Jesus.

1. His message is not like the scribes and the Pharisees because he speaks with authority – Matthew 7:29.

2. Jesus is not like other "gods" because he can do something about our problems, troubles, and trials.

a. He can fix them, if we will only give them over to him, and make a request about them.

b. But we must remember to leave the end result to him.

c. God will always do us good, and not evil.

d. He just might not fix it the way we want it fixed.

3. There is something vastly different about the gospel message.

4. IBC is not like many churches. The message we preach will set you free, because it is the message of God.

5. It is God’s power, not our power that will set you free, and give you relief, however it turns out.

B. They have faith in Christ, therefore they come to Christ.

1. Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2. James 2:20 – But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

a. The person who says they believe in Christ, yet does not live for Christ does not have faith in Christ.

b. There must be an outward expression of that faith in order for that faith to be real.

c. I heard a preacher say one time a man was saved when he stepped out of the pew and came forward, yet the man told the preacher he needed to be saved when he got to the front.

1) I asked the preacher what he meant by his statement, but he did not tell me.

The truth is that faith in Christ was evidenced when the man stepped out to come to Christ.

If the man had just come to the front of the church or to the preacher, that might not be faith.

Faith and believing is evidenced when the person serves Christ, starting from where they are now, regardless.

d. The sick were not healed when they came to Christ, but their coming put them into the position to receive the power of God.

3. Matthew 9:28 - And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

4. Matthew 27:42 – He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

a. Unbelievers desire evidence before they commit themselves.

b. True believer have faith and that is evidence enough, therefore they commit themselves to Christ.