Speak the Word, Run Toward It

The Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) and David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

Today we're looking at two people who believed in God… in two completely different situations, in two completely different ways — and what we want to do is… read about those two ways of believing in God. And they're both legit. Please turn to Mathew 8.

Here’s the two scenarios. We've got a Roman centurion who believes quietly, from a distance. Then we've got a teenage shepherd who believes and runs headfirst toward a giant.

Both ways of believing… get the same result, which is: God backs up what you believe for. If I believe in something, the Word, God's Word, which is his will, it says that He will do what he promises in his word. It's a contractual obligation he has written down for us to read. We believe. He delivers. We receive.

In the next several minutes, I want you to see that believing action doesn't have to be… in just one standard way.

Part One: Only Speaking the Word

Matthew 8:5

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him.

Jesus is in Capernaum — that's a fishing town up on the Sea of Galilee, and it's basically become his home base during his ministry. Now, into that scene walks a centurion. A centurion was a Roman army officer — he commands a hundred soldiers. Centurians were the backbone of the Roman military — battle-tested, respected, they were used to being obeyed… the instant they gave an order.

Here's what makes this moment interesting. This centurion isn't Jewish. He's a Gentile, and on top of that, he's part of the very empire occupying Israel at the time. Jewish teachers, rabbis like Jesus, usually wouldn't even go inside a Gentile's house. So there's real social distancing policy going on here, real tension, before either of them says a single word.

And yet this Roman officer… comes himself, personally, and humbles himself in front of a Jewish teacher. That's the scene.

Verse 6

And saying, Lord (which just means “sir”. This is before Romans 10:9-10), my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

This is a real need… with details. His servant — someone under his care, not even family… is in serious pain.

Verse 7

And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Jesus says “yes” immediately.

Verse 8

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Here's where this whole story turns. Jesus offers to come in person (“I will come and heal him. (v7)”), and the centurion says — no. Don't. This soldier knows that Jesus doesn’t have to be physically close to his servant, standing right next to him in the same room, for the healing to happen. Distance wasn't a factor. He's saying, don't even bother coming near, your word alone covers the distance.

"Speak the word only." (v8). 

Verse 9

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under 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.

He is explaining his understanding of how things work. He lives inside a chain of command — he says jump, everyone jumps. If that's true of him, he assumes it must be true for Jesus.

Verse 10

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed him, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

This is the only place in the Gospels where Jesus says he’s "marvelled" at someone's believing. This guy is not one of his disciples. He’s not a follower. Not an elder. Not a rabbi. This centurion is just a man… who understood one thing clearly.

Verse 13

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 selfsame hour.

Here’s instant healing. No physical presence of Jesus… or a healer… was required. Just the word, and the word believed. Believed by the centurion, in his own way, “as thou hast believed.” 

What Believing Action Actually Looks Like

Believing isn't just something that happens quietly in our heads — it shows up in steps. The centurion took two steps: (1) he went (Matthew 8:5: “there came unto him a centurion”). And (2) he made a specific request (Matthew 8:8: “speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed”). 

Both (action and the request) came out of something… already in his mind… before he ever opened his mouth. And that was.. believing. 

Romans 10:17

So then faith (believing) cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Believing comes from hearing the Word. You hear the word - spoken to you or taught to you, or shared with you. And you decide to believe it. 

There's a real, practical thing to this, and it's not complicated. We can feed our minds with spiritual truths. We can get nourished on the Word regularly, with a teachable heart (1 Timothy 4:16; James 1:21).

There’s two ways to eat:

• by your stomach and

• by your mind.

Make sure it is really good food you’re eating. 

Keep your thoughts arranged according to the Word, in alignment and harmony with the spiritual truths in the word, NOT according to the world or whatever's happening around you (Matthew 9:22; John 16:33).

Fear not (Joshua 1:9; Mark 5:36; Romans 8:15).

Pray with confidence. And expecting an answer. Not just hope for one. Believing equals receiving. It’s a universal law. (Mark 11:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 John 5:14-15).

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

"Supplication" there just means a specific petition, a real ask — not a vague, general hope, but an actual, real request.

1 John 5:14-15

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Put those two verses together and you've got the key - the key… to life: (1)  let your request be made known — and then (2) have the confidence that it is already yours - know that we have the petitions that we desired. 

It’s the same thing the centurion did — one specific request, fully expected to be answered.

Part Two: He Ran Toward the Challenge

Now let's look quickly at a completely different method of believing. Turn to 1 Samuel 17.

David's a young shepherd, just delivering food to his brothers at a battle, when he hears Goliath mocking the armies of God. Everyone else in Israel's army has been listening to this Goliath taunt them for forty days, and they’re scared frozen. David isn't. He's mad, and he volunteers to go fight.

1 Samuel 17:33-34, 36-37

(33) And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. (34) And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: (36) Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear... (37) David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

Look at what David actually does here before the fight even starts. He refers back to two times God already delivered him — the lion, the bear — and this builds his confidence. Remembering what God has already done for you… is fuel… for believing… believing God… for what's in front of you right now. 

1 Samuel 17:45, 48-50

(45) Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. (48) And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. (49) And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead... (50) So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.

David didn't wait for Goliath to close the distance. He ran toward him. No hesitation, not giving doubt… any chance to catch up with him. That's believing action, full speed, in public, with everyone watching.

Two Different Shapes, One Source

The centurion believed quietly, privately, from a distance, with a single sentence — "speak the word only." 

David believed loudly, physically, running straight at the danger with a sling in his hand. 

Two completely different ways of believing. Which one is wrong? Neither. Both got the same result: God backing them up and delivering exactly what they believed for.

The lesson is: Don't measure your own believing (nor the fruit or the manifestation of your believing) against anyone else's. 

1 Corinthians 12:11

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as she will."

Some of us are wired like the centurion — quiet, reasoned, confident without needing to make a scene. 

Some of us are wired like David — you need to move, to act, to run at the thing. 

Neither one is more spiritual than the other. Neither one is more advanced than the other. Frequency, fluency, and boldness was not a requirement by Jesus to receive the impact of God’s power. 

For us today, the evidences of the holy spirit in the spirit-filled believer in the senses world are according to each person’s believing... our believing, makes possible the reality of our receiving into manifestation. 

What both of them share (the centurion and the shepherd boy) was confidence… confident believing… that showed up as… action… right when it mattered most.

We do your part, taking believing action on the Word you know, and then we rely on God to do His part. You do your best. Then God does the rest.

Do the Word

This week, pick one specific thing you're believing God for. 

Settle it in your mind, state it plainly and confidently, and let it be done according to how you believe. 

Whatever way you believe — do it. Then let God do the rest.

You're the best.