A Movie of Faith
Pastor Tan Thai · Mar 6, 2012
This sermon based on Matthew 8:1-4 explores genuine faith through the account of a leper who came to Jesus. The pastor shows that faith is not mere mental belief but must be demonstrated through actions of humility, hope, and boldness.
The sermon opens with a vivid illustration of a circus tightrope performer: the crowd enthusiastically declared their belief but no one volunteered to ride in the wheelbarrow. Through this, the pastor distinguishes between intellectual belief and genuine faith — faith is staking one's life on what one believes. Because faith is action, the sermon is titled 'A Movie of Faith' rather than 'A Picture of Faith.'
The body of the sermon examines the account of the leper in Matthew 8:1-4. In the historical and religious context of Jesus' day, lepers were considered cursed by God, despised by society, and forced to live in isolation. The pastor presents three actions that characterize genuine faith in this account: faith acts in humility, as the leper bowed down in worship and said 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean'; faith acts in hope, as he dared to believe that God might love even a cursed outcast; and faith acts in boldness, as he walked through a hostile crowd despite hatred and danger.
The pastor develops the point on humility by contrasting it with the 'why' questions people ask in suffering. He emphasizes that knowing reasons does not reduce pain, and that true peace comes not from answers but from submission to God's will, just as the leper did not ask why but simply came with humility.
On hope, the pastor shares a moving story about a woman who lost her home in a California wildfire and lived in complete emotional collapse until a disaster relief volunteer shared God's love with her. The story illustrates that only the church can bring hope and meaning to people in despair, whereas government agencies can only meet physical needs.
On boldness, the pastor recounts the story of a long-serving deacon who publicly confessed his faith in Jesus during a revival after more than twenty years of living a spiritual lie, and whose confession prompted others — another deacon, Sunday school teachers, and the pastor himself — to make the same confession. The sermon closes with a challenge: true integrity is not protecting one's public image but humbling oneself before God and making a public confession of faith.