Thank you for singing The Way You Sang today.
Wasn't it? A blessing?
I could have kept going. Amen.
It's a privilege to be in a
house that loves the Lord with all their hearts and I know that
you don't just love singing, you love singing the word of God and
because of that God is honored and we are edified and we
continue to Worship in the word of God.
So meet me in Mark chapter 7 in verse 24.
We will read a few verses and we'll see what the spirit of the
Lord has to say to us today. Mark 7:24.
And from there, he arose and went to the region of Tyre and
sidon and he entered a house and did not want anyone to know yet.
He could not be hidden, but immediately a woman whose little
daughter had an unclean Spirit heard of him and came and fell
down at his feet. Now, the woman was a gentile a
syrophoenician by birth and she begged him to cast The Demon out
of her daughter and he sent to her.
Let the Don't be fed first for it, is not right to take the
children's bread and throw it to the dogs, but she answered him.
Yes. Lord yet, even the dogs under
the table, eat the children's crumbs and he said to her, for
this statement, you may go your way, the demon has left your
daughter, and she went home and found the child lying in bed and
the demon gone. Among all the fears and all the
concerns that our culture is facing today.
None can be more unsettling than that, which relates to the
safety, the Purity, the development of our children.
I'm not speaking about the natural concerns and anxieties
that we might have for our little ones.
That is not the primary voice of concern that we are hearing
across this nation. I'm speaking about a disturbing
notion that is Raising protests from people all across This
Beloved Country. And as you know, there is a
gross level of evil and perversion that is being pushed
on in our classrooms, in our libraries, in our media, outlets
and they are preying on the most vulnerable Among Us, the most
impressionable. And those who defend such an
agenda, identify this type of movement as being Progressive as
being educational. But anybody who has a basic
biblical worldview can attest and discern.
That this is something much more cynical.
Much more concerning that there is a force behind this
propaganda. It's more than a political plan.
It's more than liberal ideas. it's even more than demented,
people in power who are imposing their Twisted lust, On those
that we love deeply. Know what, we see what we
perceive, because of what we have in our hands, the word of
God, we can safely conclude that at the center of it all is
demonic Powers at work. Unseen forces influencing the
minds of people to adopt doctrines that are deadly and so
many ways. And it seems unprecedented,
right? Like we haven't seen this before
and there are some aspects to that that is true.
But the concept the possibility of unclean spirits harassing
preying on influencing tormenting children is no new
idea, concerning the word of God.
It's throughout the scriptures and one of the strongest
examples of that. Tragic reality is what we have
here before us in this text. Here we have an incident here we
have a testimony of a young little girl who's under the grip
of the evil one. And more than that.
We see here that there is lessons instructions, insights
that proved more than just the highlighting of demonic
activity, that is an example more than just, what the Lord is
able to do over these dark Forces, something that we've
covered over and over. Again, know what we have here,
primarily something that I hope will inspire you and it is this
how one's faith? Properly exercised.
Can actually overcome these forces of darkness in the lives
of those, that we deeply care for.
That's the essence of the story. You have a mother, resilient a
mother courageous, a mother Fearless who goes to Great
Lengths to stand in the gap for her precious little baby and it
really shows simply that your faith can go beyond what God can
do for your own life. But what he can do in the lives
of those that you desire to see changed.
And my prayer in preparation for this message is to fold, it's
very simple. Number one, if you have lost
your grip, if you have lost your Zeal, if you have abandoned your
post in the place of intercession.
That you would be freshly inspired by the word of God.
To put your hands back on the plow and to believe him again
that through your faith, things can happen.
And if you are praying, if you're still believing, I pray
that this message would serve which serve you like the hands
of air and Earth who kept the hands of Moses up, while he was
standing in the gap for Joshua while he was fighting the
amalekites. And so what we have before us is
quite simple. What we have before us here is a
teaching about a woman's Faith, a woman's faith that has certain
qualities. That make it not just Faith, but
great faith. The best way to go about this
teaching is to have marks account with Matthews, version
opened before us. And so I encourage you even from
now, go to Matthew 15 and tuck your hand there while you have
Mark chapter 7 with you because we're going to go back and forth
between these two together. Get a holistic view of what's
Happening Here. And if you don't think that this
is worthy of our time, if you don't think that we need to dig
into this, I want you to let Christ concluding statement
about this woman and her encounter with Christ to settle
the matter. Look there in verse 28 of
Matthew 15. What is Jesus exclaim?
He says Hear o woman. Great is your faith.
What About This Woman's Faith
was so great. And why is it important for you?
And I to know, well I can only think of one main reason why
it's important to know because Hebrews 11:6 tells us that with
him. It is impossible.
It is impossible to please him without faith.
So, here's the point. If you are a person in this
place who desires, who experienced the regenerating
work of God and including in that work, is this desire to,
please? God to actually give him Joy.
A to bless him, then you'll be concerned with this message, if
you don't have that ambition in life, then this will mean
nothing to you, absolutely nothing.
So I hope that it will touch you to consider it.
And so we want to know what it is that pleases God, it's Faith,
okay. But there is a measure of faith
that Christ commends, there are different levels of faith.
And what we want to strive for is the greatest because he is
worthy of the greatest. And so this is more than just
examining a woman's Faith. This is actually looking at the
qualities of great faith, great faith.
And for my personal study, we will draw five qualities.
Of great faith. That come from a desperate
mother. Let's read again in verse 24 and
preparation for this encounter. Mark informs Us in great.
Detail of the whereabouts of Christ.
We're told her that he went to a home, that's not uncommon Jesus
visited many homes, but what is strange and interesting to us is
the location of this home in the region of Tyre and sidon which
is modern-day Lebanon. And why is that interesting?
Because and this mission for some reason, Jesus goes beyond
the borders of Israel and stays within Gentile territory.
Why? Well, from the impression of
this tax, it is not for Ministry purposes and we know that Jesus
primary mission was what To the lost sheep of Israel, not to the
Gentiles. And so from that, we can
conclude that Jesus is not there to necessarily do what he did
within the boundaries of Jewish country know.
Jesus is there for some kind of repose, he's seeking some kind
of solitude. He perhaps is even seeking a
place where he can instruct his disciples privately, something
that he can barely do within the cities of his upbringing and
around Israel itself. But what's more with meditation,
here is Mark's additional phrase because Matthew tells us he goes
to the tyre and sidon but Mark add something else to verse 24
and it is this yet, he could not be hidden.
I love that. And that's to be expected.
And the reason why it's to be expected is because the people
of Tyre and sidon according to Mark 3, you've been with us in
Mark, came to Jesus in Israel because they've heard of him,
his influence went beyond the borders and you had some of
these Lebanese people, right? Coming into Israel and seeking
for a touch from this Jesus that they have heard of.
And so it is no surprise that when Christ comes with his, his
group of disciples that he was noticed, they were able to
recognize him and As we know the new spread very quickly, he
could not be hidden the commentary for this context but
a principle that lives on today, isn't that right?
Christ cannot be hidden in many places.
History. Has to acknowledge Him.
Philosophers cannot ignore him. World, religions and cults.
Cannot silence him. And you have even those who with
all the faces of different faiths, choose to use his name
to Proclaim, dishonorable blasphemies Christ, can't be
hidden. They've tried to buried him,
they try to bury his book and he still dominates history.
He influenced time itself. And if that is true with the
things around our world, how much more true is it?
When Christ chooses to abide in the heart of the repentant, how
much true is it? That when Christ lives in the
home of your soul, he cannot be hidden.
He cannot be ignored. Something happens those around.
You will recognize something about you.
You know, Paul said, many astounding things in his letters
and one of the things that I believe are just remarkable,
Able as a statement, something that we memorize in the danger
of memorization to become familiar and familiarity can rob
us of the power of such statements.
And he says this, I'm crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless, I live and who lives?
It's Christ, who lives in me? It is no longer I who live but
Christ who lives in me, lives in you.
What does that mean? Or you can have a series of
messages on what that means. Christ lives in me.
No wonder this man was unordinary.
No wonder he was different. No wonder.
He interpreted life itself with a different frame of mind
because this unordinary man had an extraordinary person
animating him and energizing and Christ lives in me.
That cannot be a statement made without there being implications
observable implications. He cannot be hidden when he has
received things change. When he has received people
perceive and they'll do a better days than others.
When we walk in the spirit, the fragrance of Jesus, surely
remains on us, but that's not the main point of the message.
What we have here is this woman now in this setting coming to
Christ, and you heard me say that, we're going to look at
five qualities of great faith. And here is the first quality of
great. Faith.
Number one, Faith that is put into action.
When the news of Jesus is arrival became known this woman
according to Mark with this very, very, very familiar word.
In Mark's gospel immediately went to him She did not delay.
She did not wait and this is no insignificant detail.
Because it highlights her urgency and her urgency
communicates. The high honor that she held for
Christ, the great trust that she had in Christ.
She came to him as soon as she could and I believe it's because
this woman knew that the opportunity at hand would be
soon, quickly lost. It's not very common for Christ
to come into this place and I will not miss out on this
opportunity. Must find them because of Christ
says who he says he is and if he can do what he says, he can do
what other people says he can do that.
I must come to him before. I lose this opportunity, I will
not wait, any longer, and it's clear that she had some level of
understanding of who he was as a person because Matthew versions
tells us what that when she came to Christ, she identified them
as the son of David. The son of David.
This is a Canaanite, this is a gentile, this is the one who
lived among pagans and idols. And this is someone who
acknowledged and understood Christ in a way that the Jews
didn't even acknowledge the Jews called Jesus, many things.
And a rarity was the son of David.
And yet this woman confidently, approaches Christ and
acknowledges his Messianic title.
You are the one that the Old Testament for told you are the
one that was Aside about I see you as such.
And so with this knowledge, she acts on it, that's the main
point with what she knew she acted upon, and she did not
delay and I'm afraid that the posture of this woman's heart is
rarely imitated week after week. How many people hear about
Christ? Week after week, how many people
hear about, who he is, what he can do.
The promises in the rewards that await for those who turn from
their sin and embrace him. And yet, with all of that in
our, in our free country, how much of what we learn is applied
with urgency. If applied, at all, let's be
honest. Let me give you a test, my
brother. Let me give you a test my
sister, if you remember, I challenge you at the end of this
message at the end of this message.
Pause and listen to your heart. What will they say?
Will it be something along the lines of that was pretty
thought-provoking? I never heard a sermon on this
syrophoenician woman like that maybe won't be impressed at all.
Or will your heart turn to the Lord and hopeful confession?
And utter something along the lines of, oh, God.
If that is what great faith is to you.
I want it. You see the difference?
Do you hear the difference between hearing truth and
letting your faith connect with that truth?
You see the difference between it, reaching your ears and it
coming down into your heart and possessing the seat of your will
and your affections. There's a great difference.
Hearing something about Christ is not the same as linking, your
faith with it and linking your faith activating.
Your faith is not some passive thing that awaits emotional
stimulation to engage in. It's a conscious choice.
If this is true, I will believe it and I will act on it and
whatever this truth demands will demand my obedience that's Faith
whether your emotions accompany it or not.
What we do with what we here, greatly matters to God.
Greatly matters to God and ultimately our faith is
demonstrated and materialized with exactly that.
Here's what I will do based on what I just learned be ye doers
of the word and not hearers. Only what kind of command is
that, that's a command that indicates that we are very
susceptible to just being. Here's this woman was not such a
person, she heard about Christ. She knew something about Christ.
And when the opportunity came, she moved on it.
And she said, this is my faith. That's the basis.
Not just of great faith. That's the basis of faith.
Faith without works is absolutely dead.
It's lifeless, it has no breath in it.
And so we see this woman who acts on her faith and all.
There's a desperation. All, there's an urgency.
Oh, she prioritizes this moment and this is something that Jesus
Will recognize as great because it will be built on which brings
us to the second Point. Her faith was not only acted on
the second element is second aspect of great.
Faith is seen here. Her faith was humble.
Great. Faith is humble faith.
And here in verse 25, we see here that this woman not only
came to Christ but fell down at his feet and in Matthew, 15 22.
We realized that there's a full of picture provided about her
humility and it is in her statement.
She says the first thing, she says, when she comes to Christ
she says have mercy on me. O Lord have mercy on me so you
have the physical posture of humility and you have what is
abiding in her heart overflowing out of her mouth.
Have mercy on me. O Lord.
Lord, This Woman's Faith was great know this because her
request was presented on the basis of the mercy of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Prayer alone does not guarantee
God's ear. It's the heart behind the
petition that determines whether we win his attention or not.
And there are so many clear and explicit versus about that, but
one of the most striking teachings is from the Lord
himself from the Lord himself, who gives a teaching about
prayer that inspires those who are discouraged but also
provides warning and gives us a fearful possibility of what can
happen to prayer to what we do with prayer.
And this is where, if you don't have the ESV, it will be more
clear, but if you if you do still, you can still follow
along but quickly go with me to Luke 18 and I want you to see a
verse. There's actually a phrase in a
verse that is often missed. And if you have something like
the King, James of the new King James or the NTSB, it's going to
be more obvious, Luke 18, and verse 11, Jesus teaches about
prayer. Any teachers here in this
chapter about the Pharisee and the tax collector and he
Compares and contrasts as the two and here, in verse 11, we
have the Pharisee and it says, the Pharisee standing by himself
prayed. Thus God, I thank you that I am
not like the other men extortioners unjust adulterers
or even like this tax collector. Okay.
Do you see The annotation there by the word parade if you have
the ESV? See, the number one there.
When you look at the reference, you'll notice that there is an
additional phrase and the additional phrase is something
that was actually added by those translations that I just
mentioned to you. And it is this prayed with
himself or prayed to himself you see that some of you are nodding
your head because you see that prayed with himself, pray to
himself. The ESV for some reason,
translates it as standing. By himself prayed res.
The other transistors would say, standing prayed with himself, or
pray to himself. There's a big difference.
I don't think that this is being given to us to indicate that the
man prayed in audibly. Or that he prayed at a distance.
There's something here that distinguishes, his kind of
praying, it was self-congratulatory praying.
It was a recitation of his own goodness and his own
righteousness and his own worthiness, it was words
packaged. Yes to deliver to God, but
ultimately for him to open up himself in to enjoy himself.
What you have here is a man. Essentially, you ready for this
in his praying talking to himself, God didn't recognize
it. God didn't hear it.
Oh sure, he addressed God in it. But how much of our praying can
actually be addressed to God, but for other people to hear,
you see, he prayed to him self. And I read that and I thought to
myself, Lord, how many people who are actually praying are in
reality talking to themselves? What a frightful miserable
possibility? I don't want that.
Look at this. We're told that this man came to
the temple. We're told that he stood.
We're told that he took him time to, I guess verbalize something
some kind of spiritual discipline and the Lord
overlooked it completely. This man's fruitfulness, and the
effectiveness of his praying was as good as somebody talking to
themselves in a room by themselves.
Wow. How do we assure ourselves?
That this is not something that we fall into?
How do we assure ourselves that our prayers will actually reach
the throne of grace, instead of just remaining in the chambers
of Our Own Heart? Well, you don't have to fear,
Jesus gives us the key and it's not what this Pharisee.
It's with the tax collector and you scroll down and you see in
verse 13. But Luke 11, 18 rather verse 13,
but the tax collector standing far off with not even lift up
his eyes to heaven. But beat his breast saying, God,
be merciful to me. A sinner.
We're told later that this man went away Justified and the
Pharisee didn't? And what was, what was the key
that swung open the doors of Heaven?
It was this man knowing that he deserved, absolutely nothing
that he asked for. That's the difference.
If there's going to be any self awareness in your praying, Let
It Be An acknowledgement of your absolute unworthiness and God's
willingness out of his kindness to Grant you what it is that you
are seeking him for and if we come with the confidence of our
own Merit and the false notion that we are deserving of what
God Can give as though we're doing God.
A favor when we come to him, all right?
Lord. You want us to pray?
Okay, here I am. Let's see what you can do.
Ah, aha. No.
You're gonna be praying by yourself and to yourself.
The know we're no better than the Pharisee in this story.
But this woman, this woman reflected, the attitude of the
tax collector. I am not appealing to my own
Holiness or my own godliness. I'm not coming in my arrogance
to assume that just because you are God, and you have this power
that nobody else has that. You have this responsibility to
do something for me, I am appealing solely upon your
mercy. In other words, if you're not
merciful to me, there is no point in me praying.
Might as well pack up my stuff and go and never show my face in
the temple again. The Prophet Daniel was, and is
one of the most recognized men of Prayer in Redemptive history,
and the holy spirit. Gives us one of the most
astounding prayers ever recorded in all of holy writ.
And there in Daniel 19, you don't have to turn there.
This is how he concludes his prayer.
For we do not present are pleased to you because of our
righteousness. For we do not present our please
before you because of our righteousness.
But because of your great Mercy. It's your mercy.
It's you being willing to give me what I don't deserve.
And so if you come to the Lord great but come to him, broken
come to him needy, come to him with a realization that apart
from him, overlooking your sin, overlooking your faults,
overlooking your inconsistencies because you are clothed with
Christ, then there's no praying. There's no point to it at all.
But if you do have that, you'll arrive that much closer to great
faith. Faith.
That has action faith. That is humble thirdly, what?
Makes This Woman's Faith. Great!
That makes us Inspire to see great faith.
Her faith was persistent. Verse 26 of Mark.
Now the woman was a gentile and we're told they're in the second
part of the verse, she begged him begged him to cast The Demon
out of her daughter. The persistence is here in the
begging and other instances. The Lord is willing and has
answered prayer answered request answered, please.
Almost immediately, but he knows exactly what to do with each of
us. And for most of us, if not, all
of us, if our faith is going to be great, if it's going to be
stretched, if it's going to grow that, it must be met with some
kind of challenge. There must be adversity, there
must be something that demands us to lean in demands us to push
forward. The man's ass to, to shine a
little bit brighter as things get Grimmer.
And in This Woman's case was she experienced that called for
greater faith is something you're very familiar with.
I'm sure of it. I'm no Prophet nor my son of a
prophet. But I have a feeling.
What was she met with that? Caused her to beg sound in
Matthew? 15 23.
But he did not answer her a word.
But he did not answer her a word and his disciples came and
begged him. Now, the disciples are begging
saying, send her away for she is crying out after us.
Many reasons why we grow faint and prayer and I think one of
the most devastating blows to consistency.
Is divinely ordained delay. When God chooses not to answer
as quickly as you would like, and how discouraging is that
when you give days and weeks to something?
Only did see no change. Only for the Lord to seem to be
indifferent or maybe even in our gross, interpretation
distracted. But I looked at the store and I
thought to myself, there's another perspective on this.
If I'm experiencing that suspenseful Silence from the
Lord. I should not see this as a
discouraging thing, but as a opportunity, what do I mean by
that? If it was not for this delay we
would not have this display of great faith.
Do you realize that It was through the Lord.
Choosing not to answer that this woman was able to be pulled into
Greater Heights of trust, and to Greater Heights of worship.
The Lord silence here is not a sign for her to give up.
Nor is it a sign for you to give up?
See it as an opportunity to even give him more pleasure.
Look at it this way when he chooses to remain mute, it only
pulled something more out of her and it is no different for you.
And I if we choose to give faith in that moment, what happens
here in Matthew 15:24. It says in 23, he did not answer
a word. Look at what happens.
She doesn't decrease, she increases she doesn't pull away.
She moves forward, she doesn't stop, she succeeds and verse 24.
He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of
Israel, but she came and knelt before him saying Saying Lord
help me. And he answered it is not right
to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.
She said yes. Lord, yet even the dogs eat the
crumbs that fall from their master's table.
Okay, you're not going to answer me things actually look like
they're going in the opposite direction.
I'm sure you felt that too. I felt it.
It's as though my prayers are putting things in reverse and
yet this woman still has the faith to call him Lord Your
silent. The answers are not coming the
way I thought they would come Lord.
Lord, You're Still Lord. I think for many people when
they don't see God doing what they want, they they reconsider
the lordship of Jesus Christ. Now, here's this woman
reinforcing it doubling down. Remain.
Absolutely unshakable. I'm sure you've noticed
something here. That's not easy to ignore that.
We have to address Jesus reference to dogs, right?
All the enemies of the Gospel love to use this text to show
some kind of fault in the Saviour.
So let's look at it. It's not a derogatory term, it's
not a term that the Jews often use to identify the Gentiles
know. If you look at the Greek, it's a
unique word and it's a word that describes a little dog, a
household pet, something that was cared for by families.
So Jesus here is not speaking about necessarily her identity
as a dog more. So as an analogy of priority
that if you're in a house, the food is going to come to the
children before it comes to the animals.
And the response of this woman gives us the assurance that she
understood the illustration, the Gentiles are second, and this
period of Redemptive history and this part of God's program, the
Jews are to receive a chance and accepting their Messiah.
And so, she sees that right? Because even, Jesus alludes to
that. It says, here about the children
being fed first, this is not an outright denial.
This is a matter of delay and this woman saw that.
And she, and this place recognizes what Christ is
saying. And that's again, something that
is unfamiliar, unfamiliar in the sense that Jesus experienced so
much of the Jews. Who did not understand his
sayings and here's a woman with great Insight, she was able to
perceive it. And based on what Christ said
that positions, her not as the priority.
Not only does she understand the saying, unlike many of the Jews?
She was willing to accept it. How much of the encounters that
Jesus had with the leaders of the Jewish people especially
aroused, arrogance, and pride and self-righteousness.
Not. So with this woman, So as Jesus
resist in a way all it does is highlight her humility.
Even more highlight. Her faith, even more you and I
had the same opportunity to remember that.
Again, that's a conscious Choice Gaylord.
If I'm going to be challenged here, that I'm going to continue
to pray and I will continue to trust in you.
She accepted it. Okay, I'm second place.
Let me be second place. I'm not even going to argue for
the full meal. Is there crumbs left for me.
Do you have any crumbs? Anything from the table that I
can have? Because the crumbs of your mercy
are enough for me. If your power comes to me in
crumbs, I know that it's enough to heal my daughter.
Do you see the faith? Doesn't it move?
You aren't we inspired? Yes, and you should be, but what
did it require delay? What did it require not
immediate Jeannie like answers resistance.
Time. Pressure circumstances that seem
to contradict. And then in that moment, we have
an opportunity to demonstrate and develop.
A beautiful thing of worship. This woman here.
Essentially saying, I may be wrestling for an answer, but you
are still Lord. And I'm not going anywhere.
Now, I don't think that point is new, you know, this point,
prayer, perseverance, prayer persistence don't give up
praying, we all know that. Okay, I'm sure of that.
But over the years, I've heard a very common question and usually
from those who actually do pray. And this is a question that I
really appreciate a question that I've thought about, and the
question goes something like this.
Well, what do I know when to stop?
How do I know that God's silence in this season of prayer is him
demanding? More faith from me?
Or is it him? Just asking me to move on.
Do I continue do I intensify do I put more energy into this?
Is there any indication? Is there anything in the word of
God that instructs me to know when to see spraying?
You know, what's fascinating? That is not even an instruction.
In the Bible, the emphasis is always to continue to strive to
be fervent. Not to give up to ask seek the
there's very little to work with that would encourage and or
entertain the concept of calculating and estimating when
it is that we should stop. You see the opposite?
To continue to press on but it's still a valid question.
It's still a valid question and here's the thing.
According to my own studies, there are one maybe two
instances in all of the Bible where you get an explicit
command from God not to pray, and it's not given and didactic
literature, it's given in a unique instance, does anybody
know one specific? The clearest example, where
Someone was told not to pray. Jeremiah.
I want you to see it for yourself in Jeremiah 7:16.
This is not the only time Jeremiah was instructed by the
Lord, not to pray, but it is the first one and notice what the
Lord says to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 7:16. as for you, do not pray
for this people or lift up a cry or prayer for them and do not
intercede with me for. I will not hear you.
That is the most explicit example of God.
Telling a servant not to pray. You go to the New Testament.
You see the exact opposite? So how do we reconcile these two
things? Well, it's not clear but this is
what I believe we can make of it.
That if you want to know when it is that you need to see sprang
for something one, you got to ask yourself.
Is it even according to the will of God?
Many of us are praying about something that God has already
made. Clear?
Okay. Should I keep praying?
Yes, you should have stopped praying a long time ago.
Actually, God made it already clear.
His word says what it says besides that.
For the unknowns, right? For the gray areas for things
that are not necessarily mapped out, in the Bible concerning my
life. How do I know?
Well, based on this and the rest of scripture, I think the best
way to know is when God lets, you know, when he makes it
abundantly clear, whether you should move forward or not, and
he can do that. Super naturally, I believe that.
And more often, he does a providentially where you will
know the spirit will give you wisdom to know, okay?
This is where I stop. Let me give you an example.
If you're praying about that person being your spouse.
If you're asking the Lord is this, the person I am to marry.
And that girl gets married. You can stop praying.
Okay, you don't need to know. Why should I stop praying?
It's not move on. If somebody else.
All right. Many examples, we can we can we
can look at how do I know if I keep praying for healing?
How do I know if I keep praying for his healing?
Well, you keep praying you keep playing until God, heals or God
takes him home, you keep praying.
And I think that is the attitude that the Bible gives us and
calls us to persistent immovable, constant prayer,
until he makes it known. Here's another example, with
Paul in second, Corinthians 12 and verse 8, three times.
I pleaded with the Lord three times.
I pleaded Are you speaking about the sort thorn in his flesh?
Three times. I came to God and he said to me,
what did he say to me, right? Then he tells them about how his
grace is. Sufficient.
I wonder if the Lord did not speak to him three times.
How many more times Paul would have prayed?
It's on the third time that the Lord chose to reveal says look,
this is not going anywhere. My grace is sufficient for you,
this is staying, but you're going to know my power in your
weakness. So I see another example there.
Paul kept praying until some kind of answer came, some kind
of clarity, some kind of Revelation.
And this woman was persistent, she believed and even in Christ
answer that seemed to be a no it wasn't really a no?
Remember it was the children must be fed first.
And so she saw an Open Door there with those piercing eyes
of faith. Okay, fine.
But they're still crumbs. Can I have some?
That doesn't offend God. It moves, God persistence.
Did you lose your persistence? Did you receive clear indication
that you should stop? Or did you just lose heart?
Persistent, faith is great faith but it's not the only thing that
makes Faith grade. We see here in Matthew now, In
the same verse that I quoted to you about the Lord, not
answering her word. Look at Matthew, 15:23 for the
fourth. Mark of great faith.
It says your, but he did not answer her word and his
disciples came and begging him saying, send her away for.
She is crying out after us. So this is close to number
three, but it's not really. Number three, is her.
Faith was persistent and the battle with her persistence was
mainly between her and the Lord. But here in point number four,
is her. Faith was immovable immovable,
not by her own doubts, not by her.
Own sense of discouragement by outside forces.
This is actually my favorite point.
Her faith was a movable. So, what happens here is that,
this Lord, that this woman is clearly coming to the Lord, in a
way, that's very, very obvious. And so obvious was that the
disciples were right there, and they were engaging in this
moment, they were aware of it and it annoyed them.
I don't know how she did it but I just try to imagine there's a
lord. Slightly leaning over to the
other side. And here's this woman trying to
get his attention and they're the disciples around saying when
is this woman gonna stop? We came here, not for this.
All of that kind of stuff is back there in Israel.
We're here on a little vacation and Lord do something please.
You got to put an end to this. And I realized you that this
woman was not just challenging her faith by silence, or by
Bleak, hope it was confronted by the lack of spirituality of the
Disciples of Jesus Christ. Magic coming to Jesus with your
problem, hearing those, who traveled to them, those who were
closest to him treat you in this way, Express how annoying you
are. that your presence is actually a pesky thing in that
you just want her to go away. Whether her problem is solved or
not, imagine being a gentile. Holy heard from a distance of
this Messiah and what he could do.
And when you were visited by his Representatives, this is the
kind of stinking attitude. They give is it a strange
concept for those who claim to follow answer Jesus to
demonstrate disappointing? Behavior?
Answer? No, no it's not a strange thing
at all. Unfortunately too common That's
exactly what this woman is facing.
You know what's so sad? Is that that's all it takes for
people to lose faith. That's all it takes for people
to cut their commitment with Christ just because some of his
disciples treated you or said something about you.
Write your parents come to church.
Hallelujah. Amen.
When they go to, when they go home, they cuss and throw things
at each other. This is Christianity.
Mom and Dad.
Come in here. Amen.
Brother. How are you in the car?
They were eating each other alive.
This is Christianity. Are you coming to this place?
And you see people worshipping, you see?
Even people may be in Ministry and then you go on their social
media during the week and they look no different than the
heathen. They post worldly things, they
look worthy, they sound worldly. This is the same person at
church. And here is this, what?
Christian, I don't think I want anything to do this.
If this is Christianity, especially if they're serving in
Ministry teams. No, thanks.
Huh. Or how about this one?
This one might hit close to home.
Forgive me. You know, my friends don't go to
Prairie meeting anymore. Not really worth it.
If they go, I'll go. But they haven't been in a
while. I think I'll just hang out at
home. It's not great faith.
That's bottom of the barrel faith.
That your commitment to the cause of Christ vacillates based
on your environment, namely the people around you.
Here you have these disciples begging Jesus, to send this
woman away. Can you imagine that?
You don't want to my first exposures as a born-again
Christian when I went to a meeting.
As I went there, freshly fresh out of the oven saved.
And somebody in this room can attest to that because they were
there with me, there are people there openly making fun of me.
During that I'm not trying to like poor on that.
There's not like counseling session.
I'm just trying to make a point. And I couldn't believe it.
This happens. This happens.
What are you going to do? Are you going to let your faith
be dependent upon what other people claim to be Disciples of
Jesus do to you? Nothing of the sort with this
woman. This woman did not allow the
poor attitudes of others, even Christ closest followers to
deter her prize. Run Christ, her eyes were on
Jesus. Her eyes was on his power, his
character, his word, his will. And so she stayed laser focus on
him and him alone. And that is what Grace Faith,
entails that you stay. The course, no matter what other
people do there and with their Lane, you just stay the course.
And you trust. That as Christ Caesar
conviction. Being unmoved.
That Commendation is on the way Commendation is on the way
immovable faith, not dependent upon people grow or not grow,
whether people are consistent or inconsistent with pure people
are hypocritical or faithful who cares?
This is Christ in me. I will be held accountable for
the Lord. He is worthy of My Worship.
Let the world go in a different direction, let people in my
church, Go a different direction.
This is between me and my master is their Mutual accountability.
Yes. Is there a called for us to look
at each other and to call each other out?
When we need to it? Yes.
Does that mean that we should tolerate people's sin?
No. But your faith is your faith.
Is it a movable? we see here the last and final
point of great faith and it's really perhaps to us a strange
characteristic but it has biblical verification Great
faith is not only faith that moves in action.
It's not only a faith. That radiates humility.
It's not only a faith that is persistent.
It's not only a faith. That is immovable.
It is a faith. That knows how to stand in the
gap. There are only two places in all
of the New Testament where Jesus identifies somebody's Faith as
great. Here, we see it in Matthew 15.
We see it in Mark 7, and we see it.
Also Matthew chapter 8 with the Centurion.
What are the both of those things have in common?
Yes, they were Gentiles. I understand that fully, I'm
fully aware that what made these people's Faith grades that they
were Outsiders, who showed more trust and belief than the people
that you would expect it from but there's more to it.
There's something about these two instances right where you
have the Roman Centurion and this woman coming to Christ and
I believe one of those things. Additionally to the fact that
they were Gentiles is that they sought God.
For someone else. The Roman Centurion for his
servant this woman for her daughter.
And I think we can learn from this.
And what we can learn is that the Lord is deeply moved and
pleased. When he sees us exercising our
faith on behalf of someone else And this is where the message
comes full circle, right? What you have here is a young
girl tormented by a demon and you have a mother who comes with
absolute trust in the Lord that she can experience his grace.
And we don't know the details of her condition, but it was enough
for her, as a mother to discern. This is not erratic Behavior.
This is not some psychological disorder.
This is Satan attacking my baby. And so, she obviously Discerning
that knew where to go. Evidently whatever she trying to
do in the natural had no success.
It came to no avail. And so with what she knew, she
came to Christ. And she said I have no strength.
I have no strategy. I have no solution.
You have to step in. Give me some crumbs.
You need to do something here. As I was meditating on this, I
thought that perhaps many parents are feeling the same
many uncles, aunts, grandparents, you've done
everything that you can and all you're really doing.
At this point, is witnessing. Someone that you invested so
much in slipping away into the hands of the evil one.
Their minds being infiltrated by demonic Doctrine, Satan's agents
being sent to entice them away from The will of God that you
would hope that your son or daughter would walk in.
And you've done your part years of EBS years of Sunday, school
years of personal discipleship to come to what And so you're
discouraged and even more discouraged because whenever you
sit down with that teenager, whenever you sit down with that
college student, you have the serious conversation, you tried
to be as as Discerning as gentle as possible, and all you're met
with is blank stares. Like, you could talk about
anything else in the world and their eyes will light up when it
comes to faith in Christ. And his word is, Will you're
talking to a hollow shell, maybe even worse with others
resistance? Rejection.
Mockery. And there's this almost Panic as
you're seeing somebody become a vessel for the evil one.
Instead of a vessel for God. Let me quote j.c.
Ryle to you and I hope this encourages you quote, even when
they being your children, even when they will not let us speak
to them about religion, they cannot prevent us speaking for
them to God. That is right.
Be like this woman. All right, you're not going to
let me talk to you. I'll talk to God for you.
They're up against something when you do that.
Let me encourage you. That's going to be a lot more
difficult for them to sin when you do that.
Let me tell you that there will be like, lot Divine
interruptions even though while they live in Sodom.
That's that's the whole point. I love that story about Abraham
and lot. Here's a man who does not know
whether he wants to evade judgment or stay with the people
that are going to experience the judgment.
And we're told there in Genesis that it was because the Lord
remembered Abraham that law was delivered.
Not because of lots Faith. Abraham's faith.
Have you lost that? Hope are you seeing them going?
Wayward do you see no sign, no pulse of Life, are you praying?
I'm not trying to beat you here over over your head with a
Bible. So you better be praying.
Trying to give you hope. I'm trying to get you excited
not to condemn you into the closet.
Are you praying? Have you called upon Heavens
resources? Have you called upon the holy
spirit as an agent to come and to knock on their hearts and in
a holy way to hunt them? until they realize their need
Great faith knows how to intercede.
Great faith says, I'm not just believing what God can do for
me. I'm believing that what I can
do. Yes, poor little me.
What I can do in prayer because of God's greatness, and mercy
can change somebody else that moves God, you believe that if
you pray for someone so I can do it, watch me do it.
It's a wonder to God. It's a spectacle.
It's something that he actually Praises.
You know? What's so sad?
The opposite is just as much as a Wonder to God.
Let me prove that to you and Isaiah 59. 16, we're told them
that verse he saw about God, he saw that.
There was no man he saw that. There is no man and wondered
that there was no one to intercede.
When Judah was going to hell in a handbasket.
You know what are the one of the things that made God Wonder as
he looked down whose interceding Who has the faith, who has the
heart to actually believe that. If they stand in the Gap, in
prayer, I can do something. And it says, here that no one,
no one. No one to intercede.
He wondered How is it that nobody's taking advantage of
this weapon? How is it that?
Nobody is actually boldly coming to my throne and believing that
I can do something from my Throne, how is it?
He wondered but in this case with this woman, he wondered of
her faith because in love she came and prayer. you know,
someone cleverly made a contrast between Mark chapter 6 and Mark
chapter 7, In Mark, chapter 6, you have another mother.
Who influenced her daughter for evil, remember herodias.
She encouraged and stimulated. Her daughter to sin for her
selfish pleasure. And then you come to Mark
chapter 7 and you see a completely different mother.
One who came in, love for her daughter, and prayed for her.
This week, we were away for a funeral.
Had a chance to sit with Some of jewels family members to hear
different just hearing different testimonies, you know, the one
thing I came away with those conversations.
Is that those Saints those early Saints?
The saints that had less distractions in life.
They prayed. They put that's why I took they
prayed very simple people. Nothing Fancy no big churches.
But boy, did they have testimonies and the common
denominator was? They prayed a lot, they prayed a
lot. One of the stories I heard was
how one of the men. Whenever a guest would come
over, he wouldn't do anything before they prayed together.
If anybody came or if you're going to somebody's house,
you're going to pray with that guy before you do anything else.
And I thought to myself, he jokingly said that made some
people not want to go over to his house.
But they had testimonies they had stories.
And I was convicted. I was convicted.
And one of the things that touch me as well. was from one person
who said, To this day, I'll never forget.
Waking up every single morning as a teenager and hearing my
father in the other room. Pray, and the way he prayed some
mornings made me weep the way he talked to god.
Father mother What kind of Legacy are you going to leave?
Look at this woman. She pray.
Look at her tortillas. What she made her daughter
worldly. She made her daughter since she
encouraged her daughter to go out to dance.
In an evil wave before an evil man.
And you come to this mother while her baby was sick.
She went and prayed. I'm sure that when she came back
home and she found her daughter lying on her bed that they had,
an amazing conversation of that encounter with Christ.
I wonder what the relationship became like after they learned.
Of a mother's faith and a daughter's need.
Be encouraged today. You and I can graduate in faith.
You've been given the curriculum you've been given the answers.
You got a cheat sheet. You and I can do great faith by
five simple elements. I'm sure there's some you can
add, but let me give you five from this chapter again.
Fate that is acted upon. Let me remind you of the test.
What will your hearts say when we say Amen?
Today will say, well, Pastor did better than last week.
Will you say Lord if that's what great faith is.
I want it. Are you humbled today?
Because Christ is attracted to humility.
Or is there a part of us that says I believed in you, I walked
away from my family. I walked away from my sin and
this is how you're going to treat me.
You're praying to yourself. Persistence the hardest thing,
trust me it's hard. The persistence have I given up
I've given up, why did I give up?
Here's the beauty of it. If you get back if you get back
he is so merciful to hear he does not condemn us.
He does not frown upon us. He encourages us.
He knows how fickle we are. He knows how far away we are
from time to time. He knows that's why we have his
word. That's what we have sermons like
this. To remind it.
Hey, get back. Her faith was immovable,
immovable, the disciples, didn't influence her, even the fact of
her Gentile neighbors. Imagine that in a pagan place,
she comes to Christ when she was essentially, doing is turning
her back on these Idols. They do nothing.
I'm coming to the Living God. So you have enemies of this God
and you have people who claim to be for this God being your
enemy. What are you gonna do?
Say, I'm never gonna go to church again and watch Facebook
live and that will be my church. That's not the will of God.
And her faith was so big, so great.
That it could not stay for herself.
I believe that my faith connected to God's mercy can
touch that person. I'm going to pray for my son.
I'm going to make through my prayers and God's goodness.
Him absolutely miserable in his sin.
A Praying mom is a scary mom. Trust me, I know.
And so be encouraged, leave this place to say, great faith.
Lord, this is what I desire. Enable be my, your mercy, to be
able to do it to walk in and to grow in it, and he will do it.
Amen. Amen.
But we thank you for this word. Oh, we bless you, Lord.
We bless you. Thank you for reminding us.
What great Faith Can Do. Thank you for reminding us that
great faith is not dependent upon societal status.
Not even based upon knowledge. Just by taking you by your word.
And remaining there in your word.
Lord, we ask that if names have come to us That you would help
us to Target them again. Lord, we ask that when we feel
weak. That these words would remind us
again that in those moments of testing and trials and delays
and circumstances, that contradict what we're asking
for. Then those moments is an
opportunity to say I will give you my faith still, I will give
you my worship still, I will acknowledge my unworthiness and
your worthiness still and in those moments where I don't see
what I need, I will ask you for the crumbs.
And Lord, we pray that in the disappointments of people in the
Church of Believers, a family members helped us put our faith
in you. Not them, you, you alone?
And to be a testament to the world, a watching world that you
are worthy of our devotion. At all times and all places,
Lord, a word like this can easily condemned, but that is
not our desire. We pray to be inspired Not our
obedience from this place would be from Love.
We asked, oh God, that you would help us to hear your voice of
love and to give you back our love and Jesus name.
We pray. Amen.
Well, let's stand together and Worship the Lord shall we?
We asked, oh God, that you would help us to hear your voice of
love and to give you back our love and Jesus name.
We pray. Amen.
Well, let's stand together and Worship the Lord shall we?