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Sunday Message for the Bilingual Brethren - 12 July 2020 : "Great Faith"

Text: Matthew 15:1-28; Mark 7:24-30
12 July 2020

BILINGUAL WORSHIP 12 JULY 2020

Title: Great Faith
Texts: Matthew 15:1-28; Mark 7:24-30

INTRODUCTION

1. Helping people find faith was the Mission of the Lord Jesus

a) The children of Israel
b) Ministry in Galilee

2. Not everyone wanted His help

a) The Pharisees rejected His teachings
b) They preferred their own traditions (Matthew 15:9)
c) Their hearts were far from God (Matthew 15:8)
d) They kept finding fault with the Lord (Matthew 15:1-2)

3. The Disciples of the Lord Jesus

a) They had not grown much in their faith
b) They struggled in their understanding of the teachings of the Lord
c) Their faith remained small

GOING TO TYRE AND SIDON (Matthew 15:21-28)

1. These were the main seaports of Rome in this region

2. These were Gentile cities

3. Jesus was going to spend a bit of time there away from the Pharisees and Scribes
Who were always giving Him trouble

4. He would withdraw from time to time

a) Sometimes He would go to the mountains alone
b) At other times He would go to a wilderness
c) This time He went to Tyre and Sidon for a bit of quiet

HIS PRESENCE BECAME KNOWN

1. It was very hard to be unknown

2. But there wasn’t the usual multitude

A WOMAN OF CANAAN

A Woman of the region came to know that the Lord Jesus was in town

1.. Description of the Woman

a) She was a Greek
b) She was also described as a woman of Canaan
c) She was a Syrophoenician by birth
d) She was a native in the cities of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21-22)
e) She had a young daughter who had an unclean spirit (Mark 7:25)

2. She found out where the Lord Jesus was staying

3. She approached Him

a) She fell at His feet (Mark 7:25)
b) She kept asking the Lord to cast out a demon from her (Mark 7:26)
c) She pleaded:
i) “Have mercy on me”
ii) “O Lord, Son of David”
iii) “My daughter is severely demon-possessed” (Matthew 15:22)

AN UNUSAL RESPONSE FROM THE LORD JESUS

1. He did not acknowledge her

2. He was silent to her cries (Matthew 15:23a)

3. This was unusual response from the Lord Jesus Christ

THE SUGGESTION OF THE DISCIPLES

1. They urged Him to send her away (Matthew 15:23b)

2. They thought that Jesus was not going to help her

3. They said to the Lord that she was crying out after them (Matthew 15:23c)

4. They had not interpreted the Lord Jesus’ silence correctly

THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE LORD AND THE WOMAN OF CANAAN

1. The Lord’s first word to the Woman of Canaan
“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)

2. The Woman’s reply

a) She came
b) She worshipped Him
c) She still called Him Lord
“Lord, help me!” (Matthew 15:25)

2. The Lord’s second word to the Woman of Canaan

a) “It is not good to take the children’s bread
And throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 15:26)
b) “Let the children be filled first.” (Mark 7:27)

3. The Woman’s reply

a) “Yes, Lord”
b) “Yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs
which fall from their master’s table.” (Matthew 15:27) (Mark 7:28)

4. The final word of the Lord to the Woman of Canaan

a) “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28a)
b) “Let it be to you as you desired.” (Matthew 15:28b)
c) “For this saying go your way.” (Mark 7:29a)
d) “The demon has gone out of your daughter.” (Mark 7:29b)
e) Her daughter was healed from that very hour (Matthew 15:28c)

5. The Woman of Canaan returned to her home

a) She found the demon gone out (Mark 7:30a)
b) Her daughter as lying on her bed (Mark 7:30b)

CONCLUSION

1. Great faith is possible

2. What it takes to cultivate such a faith

a) A truly humble heart
She fell at the feet of Jesus and worshipped Him
b) A well-focused heart
Focused on Jesus as “Lord”
c) A persevering heart
i) When the Disciples tried to turn her away
ii) When the Lord kept silent
ii) When the words of Jesus seemed hurtful and unfeeling