The Faith of a Desperate Mother | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

Thank you for singing The Way You Sang today.

Wasn't it? A blessing?

I could have kept going. Amen.

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.

Mark 7 · chapter mention

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.

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

Mark 7 · chapter mention

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.

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

Hebrews 11:6

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

Matthew 15:24

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.

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

Jeremiah 7:16

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.

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.

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

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

Mark 6 · chapter mention Mark 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7, In Mark, chapter 6, you have another mother.

Mark 6 · chapter mention

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

Mark 7 · chapter mention

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?