May 30, 2010 by PastorDave.

#385 Great Faith, Pastor David McIntosh, Sunday, 05-30-2010

Text: Matthew 15:21-28

Introduction

• Jesus’ ministry was all over Israel. One day while He was up in the northern region of Israel by the sea (Mediterranean Sea) is was called Tyre & Sidon. These we two port cities about 20 miles apart.
• Jesus was up in this region and a woman who lived in that area came up to Him and began to talk with Jesus.
• Now, what took place between Jesus and this lady has great significance for you and me today.
• I want to begin with the end of their encounter today. When they were finished with their encounter this is what Jesus declared:
• Matthew 15:19 – Woman you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
• That is why what took place between this local woman and Jesus matters to you and me today. What did she do or say that caused Jesus to declare that she had great faith.
• Another version says, “O woman great is thy faith!”

TRANSITION: I hope this has caught your spiritual attention today because what we have in these verses of Matthew 15 is an example of what great faith looks like to Jesus. And we also discover that this great faith caused Jesus to grant the request she asked Him.

FOCUS ON FAITH

1. Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (more about hoping in God’s promises than what we see happening with our own eyes)
2. James 2:17 – In the same way faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (it can die if we take no action at all)
3. Luke 17:5 – The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (it can increase)
4. Jesus said, woman you have great faith! Your request is granted. Let’s see what this woman did that cause Jesus to declare her faith great.

READ MATTHEW 15:21-28

FAITH

1. V.22 – “She came to him” the first thing this woman did was she went to Jesus.
2. Great faith begins when someone (just as they are) decides I need to go to Jesus!
3. We usually do 100 things before we go to the Lord. First thing, bring it to Jesus!
4. Jesus made the first move and went to that region of Israel, and now that He was there and available, she went to him!
5. It is a good thing to believe in Jesus, but a greater thing to go to Jesus.
6. V.21 – she was a Canaanite woman. She was not of the commonwealth of Israel. As a matter of fact there was phrase used back in bible days, “Cursed be Canaan.”
7. This woman could not change who she was, she could only come in faith to Jesus!
8. V.22- Crying out Lord, Son of David have mercy on me. She cried out, this speaks of passion, urgency, desperation. She desired mercy. She called Him Lord, Son of David.
9. When Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey all the people cried out shouting; Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
10. This title (Son of David) was an outward evidence of an inward faith that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Christ.
11. V.22 – My daughter is suffering terribly form demon-possession. The mercy she wanted was for the Lord to help someone else. Her daughter was in big trouble.
12. Her daughter was filled with the wrong spirits, not Holy Spirit.
13. 1 Peter 5:8 – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
14. The enemy was devouring this Canaanite woman’s daughter and she came to Jesus, just as she was and cried out for mercy that her daughter would be released.
15. She is hungry, she is desperate, and she is passionate. What will Jesus do next? Is this the great faith?

UNEXPECTED RESPONSE

1. V.23 – Jesus did not answer a word. Wow, what do you do when Jesus says nothing?
2. Can you relate to this woman today? Have you poured out your request and cried for mercy and haven’t heard a word from the Lord? Then don’t give up yet, there is hope.
3. Remember faith is being sure of what we hope for and evidence of what we do not see!
4. The disciples get involved next. When they saw Jesus had nothing to say, they assumed they could read His mind. He wants nothing to do with her.
5. So they come to Jesus and urge him to send this woman away…why, what is she doing that causes them to urge Jesus? “She keeps crying out.”
6. Faith is crying out to God, great faith grows when we keep crying out to God!

JESUS ANSWERS

1. V.24 – I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus tests her. He does not lie.
2. V.25- She comes and kneels before Jesus, Lord help me! She does not get into a debate with Jesus. She humbles herself and asks for help!
3. Great faith continues to humble itself and ask Jesus for help despite the situation.
4. Jesus statement disqualified her from getting help from Him, yet she continues to humbly ask for help. She does not try to qualify herself, she cries for help!

THE CRUSHING BLOW

1. So far we have a Canaanite woman who came to Jesus, crying out, believing He is the Christ, and asking for mercy, that Jesus would deliver her daughter from the work of the devil.
2. Jesus doesn’t say a word, his disciples urge him to send her away, she keeps crying out and finally Jesus speaks: I am not sent to anyone but the people of Israel, and she continues to humble herself and ask for help.
3. So now He will help right? This is it, here it comes, she has done enough.
4. V.26 – It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs. Jesus looks her in the eye and says it is not right to give the kid’s food to the dogs! He calls her a dog!
5. Jesus offends her! It is one thing when people offend us, but when Jesus does.
6. Matthew 11:6 – And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7. John 6:61 – Does this offend you? (He asked his disciples after teaching them)
8. What happens when even the words of Jesus do not bring comfort or hope?

GREAT FAITH

1. What will be her response?  V.27 – Yes, Lord, she said.
2. Jesus called her a dog and she replied, yes Lord! Great faith requires great humility.
3. Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.
4. She received whatever Jesus had for her and said yes Lord; can you give this dog a crumb? (She had no idea how important her response was to what Jesus said)
5. Matthew 19, Jesus was having a conversation with another person, a well to do rich young ruler. He asked Jesus what he lacked. Jesus offended him as well.
6. He said, Sell all that you have, give to the poor and come follow me.
7. But the rich young ruler went away sad because he couldn’t receive it.
8. But Jesus looks at this Canaanite woman and I can see a big smile on his face, you have great faith, your request is granted!
9. Jesus was looking for great faith. A faith that will come to him no matter what has happened or who you are, a faith that will cry out for mercy, a faith that will not be shaken when they don’t hear right away from the Lord, a faith that will keep crying out and a faith that receives even a hard word from the Lord and a faith humble enough to ask for a crumb from the master’s table.

CLOSE

I close with Matthew 15:28b – Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

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May 23, 2010 by PastorDave.

Before being taken up to heaven, here is what Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised–in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5-6).  Jesus gave his final instructions before he left this earth to sit at the right hand of His Father, “wait for the gift.” The Holy Spirit is the gift the Father wants each one of us to receive in full. In the next chapter, as they obeyed Jesus and waited in Jerusalem, we read, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” As we gather today to worship the Lord may we be open to the move of the Holy Spirit among us as individual believers and as a body.

Pastor David McIntosh

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May 16, 2010 by PastorDave.

#384, There is Life in This Death, Pastor David McIntosh, Sunday 05-16-2010

Text: John 11

Introduction

• One of the greatest challenges of living a life committed to following Jesus is that His ways our higher than our ways. (and his thoughts are not our thoughts)
• God will often allow things to happen that we would never let happen if we were God.
• It is at these times that our faith gets really challenged. Do we still believe today what we believed yesterday, even though something incredible has happened?
• Did Joseph still believe the dream when he was thrown into prison?
• Did Daniel still believe when we was thrown into the lion’s den?
• Did the disciples still believe when Jesus was hanging on the cross?
• Believe = to think to be true, to be persuaded of, put confidence in.

TRANSITION: Even though the Lord allows difficult situations into our lives, even death at times, we can still believe Him and His Word!

A FRIEND IN NEED (John 11:1-6)

1. Jesus had friends when He walked around the countryside. Three of His closest were two sisters and a brother. The sisters were name Mary & Martha and their brother Lazarus.
2. V. 2 – we discover that Lazarus was sick. It had to be serious because Mary & Martha sent word to Jesus; “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
3. V.4 – we hear what we expect to hear from Jesus; “This sickness will not end in death. No it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
4. Praise God, we knew Jesus wouldn’t let anything happen! We knew He had a plan all along! I keep telling everyone just have faith like me and believe and Jesus will come though!
5. V.6 – Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
6. Proclaiming that Lazarus wouldn’t die was just what I expected; staying away for two more days is NOT what I expected.
7. Why not just come and heal him, he is really, really sick, he won’t make two days!

WHEN GOD LETS THINGS DIE (John 11:11-16)

1. The first thing that happens next is confusion between Jesus and his disciples.
2. After the two days, Jesus says let’s go see our friend Lazarus, he has fallen asleep.
3. His disciples reply, well let’s let him sleep, he will get better then.
4. V.13 – “Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.”
5. Now let’s step back for a minute: V. 4 – This sickness will not end in death; V.14 – Lazarus is dead.
6. Wow, what is going on here? When things die in our lives that God said wouldn’t die, what do we do then?
7. John 11:14 – Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.
8. Jesus allows death into the situation because He wants to increase our belief in who Him, His Word and His promises!
9. Sometimes things have to die for our benefit.
10. Loving God, waiting on God, hoping in God, praising God when things are “dying” around us grows a deep faith, trust and belief in God that goes deep.
11. V.17 – On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for 4 days.

JESUS, MARTHA & MARY (John 11:21-37)    (read verse 21-27)

1. Martha told Jesus (v.21) that if he were only there Lazarus wouldn’t have died. But she did have faith because she told Jesus she knew God would give him whatever he asked.
2. V.23, Jesus declares this statement, “Your brother will rise again.”
3. But this didn’t faze Martha, because she knew that she would see him again in heaven.
4. John 11:25-26 – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live; even though he dies…Do you believe this?
5. What is Jesus saying here? He wants Martha to understand that Jesus wasn’t preaching life, HE IS LIFE!
6. V.32 – Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (Mary shares Martha’s sediments)
7. Experiencing all the weeping and mourning V.35 Jesus wept. Jesus has emotions and is compassionate and understandings the pain.
8. V.37 – Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?  (the people question)

REFLECTION

1. Jesus declared from the beginning (v.4) that this sickness would not end in death.
2. V.14 Jesus declared, “Lazarus is dead.”
3. Martha & Mary declare that if Jesus was there he wouldn’t have died. Jesus declares that He is life and Lazarus will rise again. People question couldn’t he have done something?
4. What are the things you are going through right now, that you know Jesus declared victory at the beginning, but as the days have moved on, death not life has shown itself and you find yourself saying, where is Jesus? Where is Jesus? If he would have been here none of this would have happened! (others are telling you to move on as well)

JUST BELIEVE

1. Jesus went to the grave, had the stone rolled away. Family & friends were concerned because there would be a bad odor, four days dead.
2. John 11:40 – Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?
3. V.42, Jesus prayed, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
4. Jesus calls to Lazarus to come out and V.4 declares the dead man came out!

JESUS KNOWS

1. Jesus knows the beginning from the end and he knows what NEEDS to happen in our lives so that new strength and faith will grow inside of us.
2. The kind of strength that would enable us to run and walk without worrying about circumstances or situations.
3. What have you been waiting for? Getting out of debt? Waiting for that new job or opportunity? Focus your attention on His promises, and what he has declared to your situation….and wait.
4. John 20:24 – Stop doubting and believe.
5. Galatians 6:9 – Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

ALTAR

1. Call up altar workers, open the altars for prayer. Do you feel like something in your life has died, a dream is dead or dying. It seems like Jesus isn’t there.
2. Maybe Jesus said you will have victory and right now you are not.
3. Come and get prayer for the Lord to increase your faith and belief in Him and what he said. Come we want to agree with you in prayer for your victory even if it seems like it is dying!

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May 14, 2010 by admin.

I want to thank Manny Onos and Pastor Darryl Riehle who will be joining me as part of the interim pastoral team. Also, I want to thank Melinda Salliby who has graciously accepted to minister to us as the worship director in the interim. Please keep all of us in prayer as we look to the Lord to lead and guide us. May His perfect will be done.

God’s best,
Pastor David McIntosh

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