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Book: Matthew
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Matthew 15:21-28 Prevailing Faith
I. The obstacles her faith had to overcome.
A. The silence of Jesus. "He answered her not a word."
1. I think one of the most difficult things in our
Christian walk is the silence of God.
2. We pray and nothing seems to happen.
a. We don't see any changes.
b. If anything it seems that things are getting
worse.
3. This woman of Canaan was crying after Jesus and He was
ignoring her, it is as though He did not even hear her.
4. She was driven by her desperate circumstances.
a. According to her own account, her daughter was
grievously vexed by a devil.
b. It is hard to see our children being destroyed
by their foolish decisions and actions, as they
flirt with worldy things.
c. They seem to come to that age where they
resent our sound advise.
d. They want to rebel against their upbringing,
and find their own way.
e. You may be having a hard time with your child,
but I dare say that you are not ready to
declare that they are grievously vexed with a
devil.
5. She was addressing Him by one of His messianic titles.
Son of David.
a. And she was calling for mercy.
b. Hard to understand when we know how
compassionate Jesus is to understand His
ignoring her.
B. When Jesus finally speaks, it is not to her, but to His
disciples.
1. The disciples had begun to intercede for her. They
said, "Send her away for she is crying after us."
a. What they were suggesting is that He would
heal her daughter so that she would leave them
alone.
2. Still not addressing her but in response to His
disciples, He said, "I am not sent but unto the lost
sheep of the house of Israel."
3. Jesus was declaring that she was outside of the
covenant that God had made with Israel. Jesus was sent
as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the
descendants of Abraham.
4. If the silence of Jesus was difficult to face, His
words, when He spoke, must have been even more
difficult to receive.
a. You are outside of the scope of those I came to
minister to.
b. She was not deterred by His words.
5. She came and worshipped Him and said, "Lord help me."
C. The statement of Jesus to the woman. "It isn't right to take
the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."
1. The Jews had little use for the Gentiles. Some of them
declared that God made the Gentiles only to stoke the
fires of hell. It was common for the Jews to call the
Gentiles dogs.
a. The word they used for dog was a reference to
the wild vicious dogs that roamed the
countryside attacking people and other animals.
b. Jesus used the diminutive (kunaria) or little
puppy.
2. She responded, "Truth Lord, yet the little puppies eat
the crumbs that fall from the masters table."
a. You are right Lord. It isn't right to take the
children's bread and feed it to the little
dogs.
b. But the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from
the table.
c. Lord, I am only asking for the crumbs.
II. The commendation of Jesus. "O woman, great is thy faith." Look at her
great faith.
A. Against prejudice she came.
B. Against the silence she persevered.
C. Against exclusion she proceeded.
D. Against the rebuff she won.
E. It is my opinion that Jesus knew all along that He was going to
heal her daughter. He knew the faith that was in the heart of
this desperate mother. He was seeking to draw out her faith to
its fullest expression.
1. Every time He took a step back, she took two forward.
2. She held on until she heard the words, "Be it unto you
as you will."
F. Lessons we can learn from this experience.
1. Silence is not God saying no. Quite often it is a
matter of timing.
2. We must not get discouraged when the answer is not
immediately forthcoming.
3. Hold on until you hear the words, "Be it unto you as
you will."
or, "My grace is sufficient for you, My strength will
be made perfect in your weakness."
III. Contrasts of faith and unbelief.
A. Faith believes the promises of God, unbelief doubts the
promises.
B. Faith believes the word because it is true, unbelief doubts
that it is true.
C. Faith sees more in the promise of God to help, than in all
other forces to hinder. Unbelief looks at the problem and
says: "It can't be done."
D. Faith will cause you to see the love in the heart of Christ
even when He is reproving you. Unbelief will imagine that He is
angry even when He is speaking words of love.
E. Faith will help the soul to wait even when God delays. Unbelief
will throw it all over if there be any tarrying.
F. Faith will give comfort in the midst of fear. Unbelief will
bring fear in the midst of comforts.
H. Faith will find sweetness in God's rod. Unbelief will find no
comfort even in the greatest mercies.
I. Faith makes heavy burdens light. Unbelief makes light burdens
heavy.
J. Faith helps us when we are down. Unbelief brings us down when
we are up.
K. Faith brings us near to God when we were far from Him. Unbelief
puts us far from God when He is near.
L. Faith sets man free. Unbelief holds a man in .
M. Faith purifies our hearts. Unbelief pollutes our hearts.
N. Faith makes our most feeble works acceptable unto God through
Christ. But unbelief makes our greatest works unacceptable for
whatsoever is not of faith is sin, and without faith it is
impossible to please Him.
O. Faith brings peace to the soul. Unbelief causes strife,
tossings and trouble like the restless waves of the sea.
P. Faith causes us to see preciousness in Christ. Unbelief sees no
beauty that we should desire Him.
Q. Through Faith we experience fullness in Christ. Unbelief leads
to leaness of soul.
R. Faith gives us the victory. Unbelief brings us defeat.
S. Faith causes us to see the glory in the things of the unseen
world. Unbelief sees only the misery in the things of the
present material world.
T. Faith makes the things of God pleasant and joyful. Unbelief
makes them heavy and intolerable.
U. By faith Abraham was given the land of promise. By unbelief
Moses was not able to enter.
V. By faith the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea, by
unbelief they perished in the wilderness.
W. By faith Peter walked on the water. By unbelief he began to
sink.
X. Through faith our cup runs over. Through unbelief it is always
empty. Maybe it seems that the Lord has been silent. You have
called but it is as though He is ignoring you. Maybe you have
been troubled by some misunderstanding, I would encourage to
just come and worship Him. You have become one of His
children. As a child you have the right to come to the table
and eat of the bread, you do not need to wait for the crumbs
to fall. May He this day say to you, "Be it done unto you as
you will."
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