Sermon Tone Analysis

Faith of A Caananite Woman

Context:

What does faith look like, specifically the life of faith.

This is an odd little story, but I believe it gives a brief image of the sort of life that faith calls us to.

There are two stories in the new testament where Jesus commends someone for their faith, the centurion, and this woman.

And so I want us to look and see..how a burden shapes us, and what faith looks like!

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“Jesus Withdrew”- Had just fed 5000 people the chapter before.

Was likely tired and wanted rest.

Syro-Phonecian Woman

A Faithful Life is

Fueled by a Spiritual Burden

Prays with Desperate Persistance

Listens with Humble Acceptance

Receives with Thankful Reverance

Fueled by a Spiritual Burden

This is a woman who is desperate for her daughter to be healed!

She has been plagued with a demon this burden, for the spiritual well being of her daugher has brought her to Jesus!

Where do we go first with our problems?

What is your biggest worry?

What is it that keeps you up at night?

Pray for the Right Things!!

Notice first where she goes!

For a Gentile to approach a Rabi, knowing the tension and problems that existed between them, she had to have exhausted other options.

She had heard of Jesus, and comes with recognition of who He is..and with trust that only He can do what she is asking!

We often treat prayer like a break glass in case of emergency.

That we can handle it.

Go to God…first!

Second!

Third!

I’ll let you in on a secret, most of the problems we face are caused because we tried it our way, went to someone else for the answer only God could give!

This burden in her heart has broken her, to see her daughter suffer, and she cries out to Jesus for help!

Notice secondly what she brings!

She brings her problem, but this isn’t just a physical issue..we don’t know what the specific problem that the daughter had, and how this demonic influence was affecting her, whether physical or mental.but

she brings the request to God, not simply for the physical cure, but a spiritual one!

We have to have a burden not simply for the physical (though important) but he have to have a burden for the spirtual well being of others!

Over the past 3 years I have been here, we have been through 2 once in a lifetime storms.

I have helped at the baptist building, saw how many came in and needed help!

I went down harpers ferry road, knocked on doors to see what the damage was, prayed for people..and I was encouraged by how many in our churches and community would get out, serve, donate, do whatever they could to help people who had lost everything.

My question is, why does it take a storm for church people to get out and give..or for church people to get along.

Why does it take that?

Because the bible says there is a greater storm coming, not of wind and rain, but of fire..and that if we don’t recieve the salvation of Jesus..we will be destroyed.

It is one think to lose your home..it demands our help..but what about those daily who are heading to hell..that will be there spiritual home for eternity if nothing changes!

"Lost people matter to God, and so they must matter to us." — Keith Wright

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell."

— C.T. Studd

Our hearts have to break for lost people, for those around us!

As the pastor mentioned yesterday, we may share a testimony about how God have us a home, or car, or job, or even health..but if we don’t know Jesus as our Lord and savior..all of that doesn’t matter.

It is this burden, that has pulled me to mission work.

That if nothing changes, there will be people, family, who will go to hell!

We must do something!

Our hearts have to break for lost people, for the spiritual well being of others!

When is the last time we have cried or been broken by the lostness around us?

Most of the worries in our life have little eternal significance!

Notice Who She Brings: She didn’t come for herself, but for something else!

When you carry a spiritual burden..you run to God because he is the only one that can help, you pray for the deeper spiritual issues, not just superficial, and you spend time in prayer for others!

We often do the exact opposite, we pray do God after we’ve tried everything else, we pray not for the Spiritual issues, but superficial ones (money, job, comfort), and we don’t pray for others…we pray for ourselves!!

When God had appeared to Isaiah, he says send me…because he was at once burdened with the spiritual well being of those around Him! I’ll go, because they need to see you God like I did!

What is your why for your walk with God?

Is it to have a good life, comfortable life, just go to heaven..or is it becuase your heart breaks for the lost around you!

Billy Graham!

Pray With Desperate Persistence

Matthew

Matthew wrote his gospel with a Jewish Audience in mind!

Now this statement almost shocks us.

Jesus says, “ I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.

Again, let me remind you, Jesus is not trying to demean or devalue her, He is testing her.

And he says this, essentially…I was sent to the Jews.

These are the chosen people, I have given them the word, the special revelation, I have been sent to this people, at this time..to reveal to them that I am the Messiah.

Now notice what He says, I was sent to the Jews..and as far as the disciples knew, that was it, but Jesus is about to reveal that though he came to the Jews as his chosen people, it will be through the root and revelation given to the Jews, that he will reveal that he comes FOR all people.

Jesus says yes I come only to them…but not only for them!

But it is from this statment that this woman responds, persists..and starts this wrestling almost with Jesus.

Keep Praying!

And Jesus says some startling thing here!

Notice first God’s delay: Jesus heras her, but does not even respond?

What do you do when you pray and pray, but it seems as if there is no response..and nothing gets better?

She Keeps Going!

She doesn’t give up!

The burden was too heavy to give up, to quit!

If you are here today and you can’t hear God..wonder where he is..keep going!

Anyone God has used greatly he has tested greatly!

Jesus was seeing the genuineness of her faith, and sometimes..it is in the delay that the integrity of our fiath is revealed!

Joseph spent more than 10 years in prison and a pit, Abraham spend years and years before seeing his promise, David spent years serving and waiting before he was king…Moses spent years and years in the wildnerness, they even wanted to kill Him! Be patient..keep going, do not give up!

Notice, other’s criticism: What do the disciples say?

What happens when you are following God and it seems like everybody else starts criticizing you?

Is your faith deterred by the words of people?

Notice her desperation..she was so desperate for her daughter…that she didn’t care what they thought about her, she didn’t care what they said..she knew what she needed, where she had to go..and nothing could turn her around!

If you live your life in fear of what others think of you, you will never be able to follow God!

You have to be ok, if for the sake of Jesus..you stand alone, because critisism and obstacles will try and detour you!

Some of us live for the approval of people than God!

Beggar: Anyone ever met a begger?

When a beggar comes to you, how do you feel?

She keeps at it, and at it, she is too desperate to quit!

Keep praying!

Keep at it!

Jesus wasn’t trying to demean or devalue her, he was testing her!

Jesus reminds us that if we who are wicked will answer the request of someone we don’t like because they keep asking and asking, how much more will God answer the prayer of those who persist!!

Encourage!!

Some things we face in life, we can’t let it go!

Father: Drugs.

Listen With Humble Acceptance