WHAT IS GREAT FAITH

TEXT— LUKE 7:1—10

INTRODUCTION

In 1986 a disastrous earthquake shook a mountainous region approximately 100 miles from Bogota, Colombia killing over 25,000 people, many of whom were buried alive under a massive Mud slide from the Andes mountains.

The number of dead was so great that many were buried in trenches, wrapped in blankets and even some children were buried in newspapers.

A journalist reporting what he saw said that men and women were holding hands in groups, shouting for God to have compassion. Then he added, “God didn’t grant their request. The earth kept shaking.”

On another occasion an eight—year—old boy and his father were watching a TV documentary about people living in tin shacks in Saigon, dying from diseases because penicillin was being smuggled into the black market.

Turning to his father with tears in his eyes the boy asked, “Daddy, can’t God do anything?”

I am sure you have either known someone who experienced a time when it seemed as though God didn’t hear their prayer.  Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself.

Some cannot understand why a God who has all power at his disposal, would seemingly turn a deaf ear to some of our most earnest prayers.  While it is true that we cannot always understand, we can always have faith.

I don’t understand how God made 263 bones and wrapped them with over 500 muscles and put it under a thin layer of skin. Nor do I understand how that he made one of those little muscles that measures only 6 inches long and 4 inches wide able to beat 70 times a minute— 4,200 times an hour— 100,800 times a day— 36,792,000 times a year— and 2,575,440,00 times in 70 years.

Nor so I understand how that little muscle is able to pump 2 ½ ounces of blood per beat- 175 ounces per minute— 65 pounds per hour— and 7 3/4 tons of blood every 24 hours.

Instead of trying to understand and explain sometimes its sometimes best to simply bow our heads before God and believe with pure, unadulterated faith.

This morning our text is found in Luke 7:1-10 and the title of my message is, “What Is Great Faith?”