Bible Stidy Series: Come Dine With Me. John 21:12

 COME DINE WITH ME

                                    John 21:12

John 21:4-14

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

KJV

"Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine."

— John 21:12

In these words, the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. "Come and dine," implies the same table and the same meat; and sometimes it means to sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Savior's bosom.

Revelation 3:20-21

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.

THE CHOICE

We are given a choice to come to the house of the Lord. Not the physical building, but

the spiritual building which is Christ Himself. When we make a choice, the Lord confirms

His choice for us. Ephesians 1:4

We have to first hear the Word, then act on the Word by opening the door to our hearts.

To open the door to Jesus, what had been controlling our hearts, has to go out the door.

Let’s deal with what “had been controlling our hearts”,

It is us through the influence of Satan.

WHAT’S CONTROLLING YOUR HEART?

Make a list of what you allow to control your heart.

It’s our ignorance of the Word

It’s our hatred

It’s our unforgiving spirit

It’s our envy

It’s our hurts

It’s our pain

It’s our disappointment

It’s our frustrations

It’s anger

The list goes on and on and on and on

God describes this as the old man

Romans 6:6-7

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

The lie is what’s holding us captives is still here. But Jesus has set us FREE;

The problem is we have the door TO JESUS, half open. We have a relationship with Jesus,

but we can’t let go of the old stuff.

DON’T GO BACK TO YOUR OLD WAYS

The disciples had a relationship with Jesus. Absent the presence of Jesus, they went back

to their old ways.

Peter said I am going fishing. Six other disciples followed him. (Verse 3)

The disciples, having lost their leader, the one they put their hope in, the one

they thought would be their king went back to the old man's activities.

They had seen Jesus two times, after the resurrection. But they had not gotten used to 

the idea of not having Him in their physical presence.

Still frustrated, confused, and perhaps feeling guilty, they went back to what they knew most.

Let us go fishing. In times of loss it good to get back to some sense of normality. When you

lose someone it can be like a hole in your heart that can’t be fixed.

Let's God fishing. Involving yourself in some activity can take your mind off of your loss.

They went fishing. Fished all night and caught nothing. Misery has a way of compounding

itself when what you know is unsuccessful.

God will show up in the middle of your misery and provides comfort.

What better way to comfort someone than loving companionship.

THE LORD WILL SHOW UP

Jesus showed up to the disciples with a question. Have you caught any fish?

Friendly conversation stirs compassion.

Jesus gave a command; throw your nets on the RIGHT side of the boat.

Human logic says what use is that. We tried and we failed, lets go home.

Out of God’s right-hand flows blessings.

There was something about the voice that compelled Peter to try again.

Peter didn’t know it was Jesus. When the Lord is involved in your work,

you will be successful.

They caught so many large fish (153) that they knew the nets would tare up.

Peter had to call for help to bring in the catch.

Recognizing the miracle, John knew it was Jesus. During His ministry, Jesus used

large numbers to show his power and authority.

He fed 5000 not counting women and children with fish and bread

He fed 4000 not counting women and children with fish and bread

Large crowds followed Jesus and He healed their sick

When the fisherman got back to shore Jesus had breakfast prepared.

He provided the fish. He cooked the fish, and He served the fish. He provided

bread to go with the meal.

All you got to do is SHOW UP and Jesus will provide what you need

Notice Jesus showed up when the disciples were mentally at their lowest point.

He fed the body then fed the mind.

Nothing like a meal prepared by a loving companion to ease the pain

Come dine with me.

When you belong to the Lord you are never far away from Him. You are never out of

His reach. And you are never out of His mind.

Jesus provided the success that needed for their egos, and families. Once their

stomachs were satisfied, He comforted their needs for their minds.

No doubt, they were glad to be with their Savior.

Jesus made Himself known to them. I am not dead, I am alive

We don’t serve a dead Jesus. He is alive in us.

Focus on the cross, yes. But focus on Heaven, the reason for the cross.

Good preaching doesn’t end at the cross, it begins at the cross.

Come dine with me

John 6:35-36

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Come take hold of the doctrine of truth. Be not deceived by the lies of man.

Come dine with me. Let go of the misery of life and find satisfaction in Jesus.

Come dine with me. Believe in the atoning blood of Jesus so all sins are blotted out and

the soul purified.

Come dine with me. Receive the love of Jesus, so you can love Him as He loves you.

Come dine with me. Put all your worries on His shoulders, so you can live in peace

Come dine with me. Come be one with me

1 Corinthians 12:27-28

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Don’t you know that Jesus will not neglect His body?

A parent knows the suffering of the children and is there to comfort them.

In times of trouble and sorrow, turn to Jesus your eternal Mother and Father.

Jesus wants to fellowship with you. He desires to be part of your daily

activities.

Loving parents should spend time with their children. Provide for their

physical needs. But more important than that, nurture their spiritual needs.

UNITE WITH CHRIST

1 Corinthians 6:17

17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Come dine with me. It is the parent's responsibility to give encouragement

and directions. Study the Word, and you always find comfort and encouragement.

Since we are born of Christ, we take on the mission of Christ

Notice, how Jesus led the discussion to the most important issue, LOVE.

That is the job of a parent.

You have to make time to talk as a family.

The worst thing we can do is be too busy to check on the family.

Parents must prepare a meal of instruction for their families.

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

GOD’S LOVING REDEMPTION

The meal of Jesus included the following

Forgiveness

Redemption

The Word of Truth

Everlasting Love

The covenant of Grace

The brotherhood of Christ

The atoning blood

Promoted the Mission of Christ

Jesus led the discussion back to the mission

A great leader stays focused on the mission

Let me suggest that this third meeting with Jesus was focused on the redemption

of Peter.

Thursday night at the Lord’s supper, Jesus revealed to Peter that Satan desired to

destroy you.

Luke 22:31-34

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."

Peter remembered the Lord’s words when the roster crowded.

Mark 14:72

Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.

On the morning of the resurrection, Jesus told the women, to go tell the disciples

and PETER.

Mark 16:7

7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee.

It was Peter who quickly covered himself and jumped in the water after

John said the man on the beach, the miracle of the fish was Jesus.

THE LORD SHOWS UP TO REDEEM US

Jesus showed up this third time to redeem Peter.

Peter needed to know his sins were forgiven

Jesus showed up to destroy the pride of Peter

Jesus showed up to restore Peter’s confidence

Jesus showed up to let Peter know he was loved

After vowing never to leave Jesus, Peter denied knowing

Him three times the night of the trial. Peter knew his betrayal.

This was the third time Jesus met with His disciples after the resurrection, The first two times

Jesus did not confront Peter on his denial

The Lord redeemed Peter by questioning his of love before the disciples.

Do you love me more than these? Do we love Jesus more than our family?

Do we love Jesus more than our possessions? Do you love Jesus more

than anything?

To redeem Peter, Jesus had to make him face his failure. He had to make Peter

see his weakness.

Love is the key ingredient in discipleship. Without love, we are just making noise

Peter was quick to say, you know I love you. Love is a verb, an action word. Love takes

responsibility for the one who is loved.

Jesus replied If you love me, feed my lambs (baby sheep)

Babies have a diet different from grown-ups. Special foods are prepared and clothed

suitably for their young bodies.

Baby Christians have to be fed the word in a way that they can digest.

The second question, Jesus asked, DO love me, Feed my sheep

The third question Jesus asked. Do you love me, Feed my sheep

Some say that since Peter denied the Lord three times, Jesus put the

question of love before him three times.

The Job of the ministry is to nurture the lambs to sheep hood

The Job of the ministry is to tend to the sheep

The Job of the ministry is to guide the sheep to maturity.

The full range of ministry covers the new Christians and the mature Christians.

Peter was prepared to take a leading role in the Church.

Sometimes God uses our sins to draw us closer to Him.

Jesus is the great shepherd. He trains us to be his undershepherds.

A NEW WAY OF LIVING

Jesus established a new way of living. From the grave we live now to the heavenly hope

promised

In His resurrection, He show his power over death.

John 11:25-26

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Our purpose on earth is to glorify God with our works. We glorify God with our faith

in His works on us.

Hebrews 10:19-23

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

COME DINE WITH ME

SUMMARY

WE HAVE A CHOICE

LET THE LORD CONTROL YOUR HEART

THE LORD WILL SHOW UP

REMEMBER GOD’S REDEMPTION

ENTER INTO A NEW AND LIVING WAY

CLASS QUESTIONS

HOW DO YOU DINE WITH JESUS?

WHAT DOES JESUS SERVE?

WHAT WAY ARE YOU SATISFIED?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Celebrating The Goodness Of The Lord", Liviticus 23:33-44

 CELEBRATING THE LORD’S GOODNESS

Leviticus 23:33-45

V:33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present offerings made to the Lord by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.

The Israelites left Egypt on the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the fifteenth day of the first

month of the Jewish year. Seven is the number of perfection. (See the calendar below)

The feast of the tabernacle was the time God set to Honor his grace and mercy in the desert.

The feast of the Tabernacle (Booths) was set for all of Israel to remember the 40 years

spent in the desert under God's control. He protected them and provided for them as they journeyed

to the promised land, This was commanded by God to be celebrated once a year so they would

never forget their deliverance from slavery, They were to construct tents and live in them

for seven days. This would be symbolized in the minds of generations to come the years spent in the desert.

We should constantly celebrate the grace and mercy of our Lord. The Jews were required to

come together as a nation to celebrate their freedom in the Lord. All believers have been freed

from the bondage of sin by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have the Lord

Jesus to celebrate.

Psalms 84:4

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

During the 40 years in the desert, the Israelites lived in tents.

This celebration took place 5 days after the day of atonement. The Israelites were commanded

to rejoice before the Lord. The first and the eighth day were days of rest. No work was

to do other than to eat or feed the livestock.

The eighth day was called in Hebrew “Shemini Atzeret” This was the day of holy assemble

ending the celebration.

The Church today has the same ordinances given by Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:26-27

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he comes.

Romans 12:1-2

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, given God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.

V37 ("'These are the Lord's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the Lord by fire — the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord's Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)

The burnt offering was to show devotion and commitment to God. It means to ascend or

literally, go up in smoke.

The grain offering represented the Israelite's complete dependence on God to provide

their daily needs.

The drink offering was the promise of eventual victory and settlement in the promised land. Numbers 15:1

These offerings were made each day of the feast.

The freewill offering was the offerings made in addition to the commanded offerings

as result of believers' gratefulness.

Today we do not offer animals at the altar. We do claim the same offerings.

Jesus' death on the cross is our one-time offering for the atonement of sins,

Believers should be devoted and committed to the Lord.

We learn through experience that we can always depend on the Lord for all our needs

We celebrate the promise of eternal life.

We fellowship together in praise and worship of our Lord and Savior.

V:39 "'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day you are to choose fruit from the trees, palm fronds, leafy branches, and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.'"

God wants our best. He commanded the Israelites to look for beautiful trees and take

the branches to make the booths. Palm leaves may have been used as the top covering.

Each family lived in the booths for seven days. These were temporary shelters before entering

the promised land. This is symbolic of our brief time on earth.

This time of rejoicing, and living together in fellowship is symbolic of the kingdom of God.

The seven days may represent our completion in the Lord Jesus.

V:44 So Moses announced to the Israelite's the appointed feasts of the Lord.

Moses read from the book of the law daily.

We should study Word daily. When we study the Word, we are communicating with the Lord.

We are expected to honor the Lord with our obedience to His commands. We honor the Lord

with love for each other.

2 John 6

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.

We currently wait for the second coming of the Lord.

Romans 15:13

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

from the Biblesay commentary

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God's Standard Of Perfection", Levotivus 22, 10/23/2022

 GOD’S STANDARDS OF PERFECTION

LEVITICUS 22

INTRODUCTION

When making an offering to God, there are divine standards that are unmatched by man's ideas or thoughts that are to be followed.

Leviticus gives details of God's requirement for making offerings to Him.

God is holy and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth.

The spirit is the Holy Spirit and the truth is according to His Word.

The standards for making offerings to God exclude man’s thoughts and ideas. The reason is that any standards that man derives will be corrupt. Left to ourselves, we will do what is convenient to us, which oftentimes 

Ignores God’s commands.  God is holy and Incorruptible.

God’s standards of cleanliness include:

           The person whose sins need atonement    Leviticus 19,  20:7

           The priest making the atonement                Leviticus 16:3

           The place of atonement, the Tabernacle     Leviticus 16:18-20

           The animals to be sacrificed for atonement    Leviticus 22

Leviticus 22 gives God detailed instructions regarding the holiness

Of the offering to him.  Detail preparations before the sacrificing of

The offering was also given.

The cleanliness of the priest handling the offering  verses 22:2-4

The cleanliness of the person eating the offering    Verses 22:5-16

The quality of the animals offered for sacrifice         Verses 22:17-30

GOD’S REQUIREMENTS FOR A SACRIFICE

Leviticus 22:17-21

V:17. The Lord said to Moses, 18 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'If any of you — either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel — presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 

1. Any offering made to the Lord must meet His standards

Man cannot be involved in making standards because his

Standards will be corrupt

The setting of God’s standards is exclusive. Only God is capable of making standards of holiness and righteousness.

God’s standards include every living being. Anyone coming to God,

Must come to Him according to His standards.

John 4:24

 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 

         God’s Standards cannot be left to man’s interpretation.

         If we interpret God’s standards we interpret by our corrupt 

         Thoughts. 

2. It is important for the believer to allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to teach the meaning of God’s standards.

The Holy Spirit that lives within us will guide us to the correct

Interpretation. 

It is up to us to consult the Holy Spirit while meditating on the Word

For guidance in the practical application of the Word.

3. We must be careful who we associate with. Those who don’t know the Lord can corrupt us with their ways. God gave a warning against

Accepting offerings from strangers.

Leviticus 21:24

 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.'" 

   

THE QUALITY OF THE OFFERING

Leviticus 22:21-22

21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. 

1. God did not leave the words defect or blemish to man’s interpretation.

          He was specific in His meaning.

          The quality of the animal offered included its health and structure.

2. It must not be blind, injured, or maimed

It must not have warts, festering, or running sores

It must not be deformed or stunted

It must not have bruised, crushed, cut, or torn testicles

3. Any offering that did not meet God’s standards was not accepted by Him.  There were no exceptions.

God is aware of the heart and the actions of everyone. He holds His

Chosen people to a high standard for the world to follow.

THE AGE OF THE ANIMAL

Leviticus 22:26-28

V:26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 "When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be accepted as an offering made to the Lord by fire. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and it's young on the same day. 

The animal must be at least 8 days old.

God created the earth in 6 days and on the seventh day He rested.

The start of a new week was on the eighth day.

The animal was not mature or self-sustaining during the first week.

In addition, the relationship between the parent and its offspring was to be honored.

Leviticus 22:28

A law intended to remind the Israelites of the sacredness of the relation between the parent and its offspring. 

(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997-2014 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

A number of different offerings were commanded by God where 

a perfect animal without blemishes or defects was required.

All had age and health requirements.

Leviticus 22:27

Bullocks, i.e., steers or young oxen of more than a year old, are frequently mentioned and prescribed for the festal sacrifices (for the young ox of less than a year old is called 

±eegel

; Leviticus 9:3), viz., as burnt-offerings in Leviticus 23:18; Numbers 7:15,21,27,33,39 ff., Numbers 8:8; 15:24; 28:11,19,27; 29:2,8, and as sin-offerings in Leviticus 4:3,14; 16:3; - sheep (lambs) of one year old are also prescribed as burnt-offerings in Leviticus 9:3; 12:6; 23:12; Exodus 29:38; Numbers 6:14; 7:17,21,27,33,39 ff., 28:3,9,19,27; 29:2,8,13,17 ff., as peace-offerings in Numbers 7:17,23; 29:35 ff., and as trespass-offerings in Numbers 6:12; also a yearling ewe as a sin-offering in Leviticus 14:10 and Numbers 6:14, and a yearling goat in Numbers 15:27. 

(from Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This reminds us that Jesus died for our sins in the fullness of time.

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

KJV

OUR ACCEPTABLE OFFERING

Leviticus 22:29-30

V:29 "When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord. 

The Lord holds tomorrow in His hands. We are not to worry about tomorrow.  The Lord’s prayer that Jesus gave us highlights this

Principle. 

Matthew 6:11

Give us today our daily bread. 

The Israelites traveling in the desert had no way of preserving food for another day.

The Lord provides new grace and new mercies each day. We should

Offer to the Lord new thanksgiving each day. 

While we are not under the law today, our offering should follow God’s commands. We do not offer animals for sacrifice because Jesus Is our one and only sacrifice for the atonement of sins for

All times.

Malachi 3:10 describes our grace offering required by the Lord. 

It is to be an offering without blemish or defect of our thought 

process.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8

7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

When we hesitate to give or give out of compulsion we corrupt the

Offering. The moment we remove love and gratefulness from our offering, it is corrupt. A corrupt heart cannot give an uncorrupt offering.

Our offerings must be given in faith that God’s promises of provisions

Will cover us.

Matthew 6:30-31

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

The Israelites grew up through 400 years of slavery. They were forced to live and work under oppression. They were treated less

Than the animals of Egypt. They had no say in their daily lives.

They learned the worship of idol gods.

Now that they were free, God gave them a new set of rules to live by.

They were now required to see God as their Holy authority.

We are no different. We grew up learning to live for ourselves. Now

That we have Jesus in our lives we have to learn daily to live for God.

Before Jesus, our authority was the man. Although our authority is Jesus,

We have a difficult time summiting ourselves completely to Him. 

Let us see and worship God as our Holy Authority

Rev. M. Mitchell

Bible Study Series: Chasing After Jesus, Matthew 15:21-29

 CHASING AFTER JESUS

 

Matthew 15:21-29

 

 INTRODUCTION

 

Jesus had left Galilee where He fed 5000 men. He was visited by Pharisees and teachers from Jerusalem who asked why His disciples ate before washing their hands.

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, then quoted Isaiah ;

Matthew 15:8-9

 8 "'These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

9 They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

 

Let me suggest He left Israel and traveled some 60 miles to Tyre and Sidon

To the regions of the Gentiles in search of some true worshippers.

It may have taken 2 and a half days to get there.

 God works in ways that are mysterious to us.

 

GOD WILL COME AND SEE ABOUT YOU

V:21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession."

 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So, his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

1.      There are times when you come to Jesus, and you get no answer.  There are times when it appears that your prayers are not answered. When you know He has worked in the lives of others, you wonder why He wants to do it for you.

           This woman came to Jesus with a plea for help for her daughter and at   

           first, was ignored.  Lord have mercy on me was her prayer.

A.    Perhaps she had heard about large crowds who came to Jesus (Matthew 14:13) and healed their sick. Perhaps she came because she knew that he bestowed a blessing on those that were in His presence without discrimination.

B.     She was not an Israelite. She was a Gentile. Jesus was not in Israel. He had traveled 60 miles outside of Israel.        

              Was she being ignored because of her race?

              Was she ignored because He only healed in Israel?

C.     She persisted in her cry to Jesus and got no answer. She was even ignored

By Jesus’s disciples. They said send her away.

She was making too much noise.  She is a distraction.  Instead of pleading with Jesus to help this woman, they pleaded to ignore her.

D.    She knew Jesus’ background. She called Him Lord. She also called Him the

           Son Of David. She knew more about Jesus than the crowds that followed   

           Him.

 

               I suggest that she knew Jesus as the Messiah of Israel. She came by faith.

               None of this got an immediate response from Jesus.

 

It is helpful when you are waiting on a response from Jesus to remember His promises.

 

 

 

Colossians 1:11-13

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

NIV

 

Romans 15:3-4

 Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."  4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

NIV

 

1.     To God a no answer is not a no but a test of patience.

2.     This Canaanite lady teaches us to persevere and stay in prayer.

3.     She teaches us to never give up on Jesus.

4.     She teaches us in trials and tribulations to stay encouraged.

  

TRIALS ARE A TEST OF OUR FAITH            

V:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

A.    When Jesus answered it was not the answer she expected.

1.     Have you ever got an answer from the Lord you didn’t expect?

           Instead of a solution, you got another problem.

        2. Jesus gave her His mission.

            Was His mission only for Israel?  What about the Gentiles?

             If He came for Israel, why was He sixty miles away in the place of

             Gentiles?

 

Genesis 17:4-6

"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.   Look at Romans 1:16

 

B.     It appeared that her issue was being minimized.

             He healed others. But her daughter, a Canaanite, was not as important as

             The Israelites

1.     We have this situation going on today.

2.     Phrases like, “Black Lives Matter, Asian Lives Matter” are an indication

           That people are made to feel as if their lives are minimized.

           Inequalities among people of any kind are injustice.

C.     The lady was persistent to get help for her child.  No was not an option.

            She had faith in the power of Jesus.

        1. She fell on her knees and worshipped the Lord.

        2. She continued her prayer, Lord help me.

            

 

LEARN TO RESPOND IN LOVE NOT HOSTILITY

 V:26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their   

  dogs."

A.    When Jesus responded, He compared her to a dog.    Wow!!

               1. The flesh in me would have reacted in a hostile way.

               2. When we call someone a dog, we make them less than human

                    When calling a person a dog we usually mean he/she is no good,

                    Can't be trusted, evil-minded, and everything less than a child of

                    Of God.

HAVE YOU EVER CALLED SOMEONE A DOG?

WHAT WAS THE REASON?

 

3.     The flesh may see the world valuing the animals as more important than

               People.

              There is nothing wrong with love for your pet. But they should never be   

              Valued more than a person.

               God never said to love your pet as yourself.

               The Greek word for dog, in this case, means a puppy.  

                We can know that, but the flesh sees the comparison to a dog as  

                 troubling.

               

             

LEARN THE LESSON OF HUMILITY

 V:27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

A.    You should never get rattled because someone tries to minimize who you are with their mouth. The problem is their ignorance, not yours.

1.     A negative word can throw you off track. You must keep your focus

              On Jesus.

2.     The lady was sharp and quick wit.

              She could think on her feet. She would not be outdone.

              She responded to the positive side of a house pet.

B.     She didn’t see a dog as derogatory but as a friendly statement.

She understood the love for a pet.

Her response was how valuable the pet was to the family.

Pets were taken care of by family members

C.     She saw herself as the love of the owner.

She saw Jesus as her owner.

 

NEVER LET CIRCUMSTANCES GENERATE DOUBT ABOUT JESUS

V:28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

A.    Jesus came 60 miles looking for true worshippers.

             1. He found faith in the mother of a sick child.

             2. Your circumstances are designed to draw you to the Lord.

             3. See your circumstances as God’s design to test your faith

B.     God hears your prayers, but it is up to you to pray without ceasing.

 

SUMMARY

WHEN YOU GOT A PROBLEM TAKE IT TO JESUS FIRST

BE PATIENT, WAIT ON THE LORD

DON’T LISTEN TO NEGATIVE FOLK

DON’T LET OTHERS DEFINE WHO YOU ARE

PLACE YOUR HOPE IN THE LORD

 

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT IS YOUR PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING PROBLEMS?

HOW DO YOU HANDLE FOLK WHO CALL YOU A DEROGATORY NAME?

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN PEOPLE DOWNPLAY YOUR WORTH?

ARE THERE PRAYERS YOU SHOULDN’T PRAY?

 

Rev. M. Mitchell