In Mike Davenport's sermon titled 'The Centurion: The Man Whose Fear Led to Doxology,' the focus is on cultivating the fear of God, using the story of the centurion at the crucifixion of Jesus as a key example. The sermon begins by highlighting the importance of fathers teaching their sons the fear of God, as supported by scriptures like Deuteronomy 4:10 and Psalm 34:9-11. The story of the centurion, who witnessed the crucifixion and ultimately feared God, serves as a narrative of how divine grace can lead to reverence and potentially saving faith. The centurion, who initially mocked Jesus, came to recognize Him as a righteous man and the Son of God after witnessing the events surrounding the crucifixion, including the tearing of the temple veil and the resurrection of saints. This transformation exemplifies how fear combined with grace can lead to a form of doxology, or glorifying God. The sermon further explores the distinction between having a fear of God and having saving faith, emphasizing that while one can fear God without having saving faith, genuine saving faith cannot exist without a proper fear of God. The sermon concludes with a call to young men to cultivate this fear of God, as it is essential for guiding their lives and glorifying God.

In that last session, Jason talked about you young men cultivating the fear of God. And as I was thinking about that, I was thinking about how easy it is for me as a dad to turn to my sons and say cultivate the fear of God sons cultivate the fear of God but my mind ran to a couple of verses one in Deuteronomy 4 10 says especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in horror, when the Lord said to me, gather the people to me and I will let them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days they live on the earth and that they may teach their children. So men we need to continue to cultivate this in our own hearts even as we challenge our children and realize that we need to be teaching them. The psalmist says the same thing in Psalm 34 and as you go away maybe these are some verses that we as fathers and sons can work on in our homes. Psalm 34 verses 9 through 11 and here's what the psalmist says in Psalm 34 9 through 11.

Oh fear the Lord, you his saints. There is no want to those who fear him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

And so I just want to say to you and to myself as fathers that as we look at our children, our sons, and say, cultivate the fear of the Lord while you're in your youth, let's also make sure that we're teaching and saying, come, son, Let me show you the fear of the Lord. This is what it looks like in real life. And may God give us grace to do so. Well, if you could take your word and turn to Matthew chapter 27, Matthew chapter 27, and stand as I read verses 51 to 54. Matthew 27, 51 through 54.

Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And the earth quaked and the rocks were split. And the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming out of the graves after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying truly, this was the Son of God.

You may be seated. Also before I begin, I'm going to read Luke 23 verse 47. And it simply is another portion regarding the same event. And Luke writes, so when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was a righteous man. So the centurion, I love the scriptures.

I love their surprising narrative. They reveal the ways of God and demonstrate that His ways are not like our ways and his thoughts are not like our thoughts. As we stand and gaze upon the scene of the crucifixion as set before us in the four Gospels, Two unlikely, unlikely characters arise before us as the recipients, I believe, of divine grace. The thief on the cross and this Roman centurion. Only God himself would orchestrate such a scenario.

All that stand looking on, God grants a vision of Christ that exhibits faith and not mere human sight. One is a thief, a breaker of God's law in his last hours here. And the other is his own son's chief executioner. Let that soak in for you, with you for a moment. That of all the people looking on, the ones who are receiving on some level divine grace is a thief, a man who is known for breaking the law, who is condemned to die and rightly so, and the other, a Gentile and the very one who is the chief executioner, who's overseeing the death of God's Son.

Well, men have debated for centuries whether this centurion described in the gospel narratives was exercising saving faith or not. Some commentators write of a legend that speaks of this man as indeed becoming a believer. His name reported as Longinus, Longinus. Longinus, Longinus. But whatever the case was of that man's heart, we are told specific things in this gospel narrative of Matthew and of Luke.

What was the basis of this Roman soldier's fear? How did he go from one who actually oversaw the crucifixion and most likely joining in with those who served under him, joining in on the mocking. How did he go from that to one who feared God? Well, I think the text gives us several windows through which we can peer and See from whence this fear arises first of all this centurion was an eyewitness of the events of the crucifixion. He was an eyewitness of the events surrounding this crucifixion.

The way in which Christ arrived at the mount of crucifixion, the way the crowds mocked him, they themselves, the Romans joining in this mockery. He witnessed the response of Jesus as a lamb before its shearers. He witnessed the words of Jesus, the words of Jesus to the thief, the words of Jesus to his own mother and a disciple of his, John. They witnessed his words to his father in heaven. He witnessed the darkness that came over the earth for three hours.

He witnessed the earthquake and the stories of certain dead that had come up out of their graves that came later. And no doubt at some point he witnessed the reports of the curtain that was torn in two, but there were certain things that had happened that he witnessed right there at the scene of the crucifixion at Golgotha that drove him to this fear. Second, he was an eyewitness of the righteousness of Jesus. He was an eyewitness of the righteousness of Jesus. He and his fellow soldiers confessed him to be a righteous man.

To look upon one who was numbered with the transgressors, who had managed to offend all of the religious leaders of his own people, who was hanging there naked, dying in agony. Think about that. He was numbered with the transgressors. He had managed to offend every leader, religious leader of his people. And he was hanging there in nakedness and in shame.

And yet, in the midst of all of that, to be able to see and come to the conclusion that this was a righteous man. And now the centurion confesses openly that truly, truly, that is to say surely certainly in reality of a truth This was a righteous man You see this confession struck at the heart of the suffering of Jesus that Jesus underwent the Centurion is declaring that Jesus was not deserving of the punishment That he was receiving That is huge Because all of those surrounding him saying he's deserving of this, and yet he now looks And yet he now looks upon Christ and confesses, this man did not deserve the death that my own hands were the instruments of. This was a righteous man. How was he able to do that? It was the fear of God that had fallen upon him because he had seen the events of the crucifixion because he was an eyewitness of the righteousness of Christ.

And thirdly, because he was an eyewitness of the righteousness of Christ, and thirdly, because he was an eyewitness of the deity of Jesus. He was an eyewitness of the deity of Jesus. He and his fellow soldiers confessed Christ as the Son of God. They saw past the circumstances and were able to see clearly that Christ was no mere man. They had joined in with the Jews in the mockings of Jesus, but after the things that have occurred, The fear of God has fallen upon them Now they confess openly truly Certainly surely in reality of a truth this was the Son of God You see this confession struck at the heart of the mocking and the taunting that Jesus received.

The centurion is declaring that Jesus was not deserving of the mocking from the Jews or the Romans, yea, quite possibly his own lips. To be able to come to that conclusion. And think of it, these two unlikely ones who come forth as recipients on some level of divine grace, the thief and this centurion both of them mocking Christ both of them in disdain looking upon him And yet now the thief seen in this bloodied one whom Isaiah says He was not recognizable He was beyond recognition because of the suffering the beatings the crown of thorns the the nails driven into his hands in his feet and the loss of blood that had already been because of the beating upon his back he was not recognizable in his form and Yet here in his nakedness in his dying hour the thief looks and says this is a king Oh Lord when you come into your kingdom remember me when you come into your kingdom how is he able to look at Christ and see a king it was the fear of God that had fallen upon him? How was it this Roman centurion who had mocked Christ, at whose hands Christ had died, who executed the Lord of glory, and now he looks and says, this certainly was a righteous man.

Certainly this was the Son of God. It was the fear of God that gripped his heart. So even though I do not find the evidence regarding the centurion salvation absolutely conclusive that he had come to faith, I do find these elements of his fear encouraging toward that end that this was a man who was beginning at some level even if not fully yet this was a man who was tasting of saving grace This seems to me that fear which Newton wrote of, that fear that was teaching him, or that grace that was teaching him to fear, and I think maybe his fears relieved. But we must also consider along with these things the significance of the addition of this account in the gospel narratives. What purpose is it to say that this man just feared God if it's not intended to declare on some level that this man had come to or was about to come to a faith in this one as his Savior?

And that thought accompanied with the gospel writers testimony that Jesus prayed, Lord forgive them for they know not what they do. Did the Pharisees know what they were doing? They absolutely did. Jesus had asked them point blank, who is the son of David? Who do you say that I am?

They would not answer. They knew. Their own words would condemn them. When he spoke of the Father coming and destroying those wicked vine dressers, They knew he was speaking of them. Their hearts condemned them.

They knew what they were doing in crucifying the Son of God. But Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, those who do not know what they are doing. I believe this man fell into that category of one who knew not the significance of what he was doing until God opened his eyes and the fear of God fell on him and then he knew what he had done. This was a righteous man in that he's confessing his sin. I was wrong to have carried out this order.

This was a righteous man. Truly this was the Son of God. In addition to these things, I add to that, we must also note the chief result of this fear that found in Luke's gospel that I read, Luke 23, 47. What did it say? It says that this centurion glorified God.

This fear caused him to glorify God. Do you know what Greek word Luke uses for glorify? Doxatso. Doxatso. What does that sound like?

Doxology. This man spoke a doxology. He glorified the God of heaven. So dear young men, as I come to a close, please take these two things to heart. Since we do not know for certain where this man's heart rested at the end.

First, it is possible, it is possible to have a proper fear of God and still fall short of saving faith. There is a fear that grace will teach, that grace will relieve, but there is a level of a proper fear of God And to have that and still fall short of saving faith. James tells us in the second chapter of his book that the very demons of hell have a right understanding of God and that understanding brings them to fear him and to tremble. But they have no saving faith. They remain unchanged in their rebellion to God.

So it is possible to have some level of a proper fear of God and yet still fall short of saving faith. But Secondly, it is not possible to have saving faith without this proper fear of God. So while it is possible to have a proper fear of God without saving faith. It is not possible to have saving faith without a proper fear of God. Show me a man who does not have a reverent fear of God, and I will show you a man who is a stranger to grace.

So young man, do you fear God? Do you fear God? You remember the writer Solomon in writing the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon had a goal that maybe it's your goal. Young man search your heart this morning.

Is it your goal to find out pleasure? You may be holding back now What's in your heart as you think about leaving mom and dad's house? What's in your heart? Do you have a heart to seek after pleasure to find your own way Well Solomon said I had that in my heart. I sought pleasure in all of the places and unlike you young man, he had the money to seek it out.

You don't have an endless supply to seek out all that your heart. He had all of it at his fingertips. And what did he say in the end? He said, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.

This is what we were created for. To find pleasure, yes, to find it in God. And that begins with the fear of God and the keeping of his commandments. And why should you fear God? Why should you run from the seeking of your own pleasure?

Well, Solomon ends the book saying, for God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or whether evil. Fear God, young men. As we were just challenged in the hour before, cultivate a fear of God so that when you do leave your parents house, you are guided by a fear of God. And may you have a fear like this centurion that will cause you to glorify him. Let's look to him in prayer.

Oh Father, we thank you for your goodness and your mercy. I pray for each young man here and each father that you will teach us your fear, that we will cultivate this fear in our hearts, that Lord we will look at all that you've given around us, that we will be overwhelmed by it even as this centurion, and that our fear would result in glorifying you, in declaring who Jesus really is. He was a righteous man. He was the Son of God and we we are but sinners that need his saving grace. In his name we pray amen.

But we will break for a few minutes and spend some time discussing these things and then reconvene in a few moments.