Odd Methods of God (Part B)

You say listen, this is all life I know is not spiritual in the Bible doesn't hide it from us, tells us right out and if you don't believe it, then you have a lot of explaining to do about human behavior because there are things that humans can do better outside human thought somebody is manipulating the machine. Paul said it this way, we wrestle not against flesh and blood principalities power spiritual wickedness in high places. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Mark chapter 7, as he continues his message body methods of God.

Verse 26 is where we are tells the woman was a Greek spiral Phoenician by birth and another which is really gentle and the significance of the story and you know she's under the Syrian rule and she is from the cities of Tyre and Sidon Phoenician cities. She's Greek. She kept asking him.

It tells us here in verse 26 she's persistent because her need is urgent.

Matthew notes that she first addressed him as Lord, son of David. She's a Greek that's not for her. That's for the Jews. But then, as she continued to address him.

She addressed him as Lord, and I think that what that brings out to us to see his sheep. She saw the clumsy. She knows he's going to help. She's heard about what he is done. She knows this Messiah.

This Jewish Messiah is her hope and that the great principle of life is not race. It is faith.

She's got that much. She knows that he's healed all these people sought to remind us of Rahab, Rahab, she figured it out with issues of conquering everybody they come in touch with and now they're here at Jericho. I'm siding with them. Why didn't everybody else figured out while that's whether judgment is just, and upon them. Why didn't the Pharisees figured out why couldn't they see his miracles and understand that he was everything he said he was. She did taking away their excuse so she starts off with Lord, son of David and then as she dialogued it's Lord's Lord is this term that recognized his superior status in society.

It's a rude term of respect. She's desperate.

The tone is not casual. Mark makes a sound little casual. Matthew turns up the heat a little bit in his presentation of the story, but she is very desperate at this point and that's why she keeps asking him and it says here in verse 26 to cast the demon out of her daughter in the New Testament an unclean spirit of demon or demon possession that their use interchangeably that the same, we believe there elements of the fallen angels. The third of the angels that Satan swayed to go with him. The Bible doesn't give us too much detail about them just enough on a need to know kind of basis of these evil spirits and they are spirits there disembodied until they enter someone they hate us all in the Bible teaches that, especially New Testament acts chapter 5, also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people to those who were tormented by unclean spirits and they were healed. And that's what those unclean spirits do they torment us and these evil spiritual forces and influences are very real, and often they are difficult due, to discern, not all the time sometimes very easy because the flesh can do wicked things without any help from the devil, for example, in the flesh. A man can kill but in the flesh alone.

A man will not cannibalize what he is killed that requires satanic activity and we've seen this at work in the world and we constantly point back to the second world war, the demonic activity and not only Nazi Germany but Imperial Japan. I mean the chopping off heads of of the Chinese and and then putting them in cages like trophies that demonic's not war wickedness, unclean spirits. They take the flesh to more extreme low levels of irreverence directly aimed since Christ on his cross and his resurrection directly aimed at him now. Those in the abortion business. You can't tell me they don't have an unclean spirit.

I mean the things how how can I don't care how oblivious they may be.

This is more than just the carnal activity.

This is something that goes to another level. Child abuse of serial killers, others more noticeably unclean, spiritually, and some not so obvious. Paul says this to let us know the there are spiritual forces hard at work against us. First Corinthians 10 pieces. Rather, the things which Gentile sacrifice is sacrificed to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons because it is possible, it is possible to be in cahoots with demons and not even know that the Christian has nothing to worry about this. The body is a temple houses the Holy Spirit raters. He was in you than he is in the world. We are not susceptible to this as long as we are in Christ we are protected by Christ with the world which scoffs and therefore missed handles the subject entirely. It defies explanation.

The spiritual war from a human standpoint.

God has to reveal these things to us. It defies explanation from science and psychology and philosophy and medicine they cannot handle this. This is a spiritual condition. You cannot take an x-ray of someone who is who has an unclean spirit is seen on the x-ray. That is like that and that the horns and everything. Not true. It is spirit. It is unseen is invisible in human power cannot defeated some in the book of acts we are told tried to take on a man who was demon possessed. Acts chapter 19 and so they try to throw them out they had the calling to come out in someone else's name. So the risk the demon responds through the man. The evil spirit answered and said Jesus I know Paul I know but who you and continues then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpower them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Well, I don't remember in ministry, I know, and in life. I have seen people who were demon possessed, but in ministry have not confronted but I have said to myself if I do, and they get up in my face. I'm gonna knock all the teeth out me on the floor with will.

Maybe you got a different approach, but going in with guns anyway. The fallen angels that likely these characters come from.

They followed Satan in their rebellion against God Almighty. After having seen him on the throne lived in heaven will we call heaven and their condition is your revocable. They are unredeemable. Satan the antichrist, the beast, the unclean spirit, the fallen angels appalling all those characters are doing. They are not going to get say there's a lake of fire them and their in Matthew 2541. God even tells us it was prepared for them. But the loss will go there to and their number one deception is about a relationship, a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. First Timothy four now the spirit that is the Holy Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons out of these demons teach their doctrine through people. So we come away from such a verse or section of this inscription, we say a that is a reminder of God that we are in spiritual war and human beings as we read in chapter 5. One human being can house more demons than 2000 pigs. God is saying this is serious and I have not given you the spirit of fear of power and of love sound mind and a good right hook. If if if you know the girls less you maybe used pepper spray is something I don't know anyway they need humans to post Matthew chapter 12.

This speaks of wood demon that is cast out of someone. Then he says I returned to my house. That is person that hosted him from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept input in order so that you have a man that was demon possessed. Then he is dispossessed and he is sort of in his right mind is organizing his thinking, but he is empty. There is no Lord there to protect him, so he is refilled seven times worse because that particular demon bring seven more with him and you say listen, this is all sci-fi know it's not your actual in the Bible doesn't hide it from us. It tells us right now and if you don't believe it, then you have a lot of explaining to do about human behavior because there are things that humans can do better outside human thought somebody is manipulating the machine.

Paul said it this way, we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

The principalities power spiritual wickedness in high places and on the Scripture goals and revealing to us one. I think reason why we don't get a lot about them is because we would be in all the devil made me to it. And I gotta say no.

Your sin made you do this one's on you. And even if the devil did you open yourself up to him.

So the warnings in Scripture for bidding God's people from tampering with witchcraft and astrology. Necromancy ill contacting the dead having a séance that's messing with Satan, and we are not to do this all the spiritual power with interested in contacting except the Holy Spirit.

God the father, God the son God the spirit and that's it. We don't talk to angels.

We don't talk.

The loved ones that have died and gone.

We don't pray to Mary, we don't do that stuff is forbidden and it comes with a high consequence if you can, because it opens the door to demonic activity and if you want to learn from experience in this area, you may be a fool. Well, I'm not sure let me have a séance to find out.

It may be the last sensible thing you ever do well not the less opportunity to do something sensible. Well, that's what I'm saying about unclean spirits because I believe that is much of what the Bible teaches about them verse 27 but Jesus said to her that the little let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw to the little dogs. What an odd reply.

She is see that coming. My daughter is demon possessed, and he says yeah well we are not gonna get with those of the children to puppies. Metaphorically, the children of the Jews, the puppies of the Gentiles.

She is not going to back down and he loves he is extracting from her. Her faith and it is you. Here is an opportunity for her light to shine for faith to come forward again. He is about 70 miles round trip out of Israel in Gentile land.

Why we have no record of any other activities from him in this. At this time.

It is for. That's why he's there.

So if you come as a skeptic to the Scriptures are as harsh. That's mean I can follow Jesus. I you stupid because you just you did not even open to truth if condemned the situation yourself in a situation you know nothing of Israel was the recipient of visions and revelations to share with the world.

From the onset, God said to Abraham I'm going to bless the world through you.

The whole world is going to be less through you in other words God's intention was to reach everyone he could, long-suffering, willing, none should perish. Isaiah 49 Isaiah brings us back up. He says indeed, he says, speaking about Messiah. It is too small a thing that you should be my sermon that is inside to rise to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore and preserve ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

This is being fulfilled one of many places in the ministry of Christ but is being fulfilled right here because Isaiah is saying that when Messiah comes, it is not enough that he ministers to Israel and to the Jewish people. He is here for all who will come. That's what the prophecy is about Jesus began his resurrected ministry. You could say in Jerusalem, place of the empty tomb opportunity for the skeptics.

A short walk out of the empty tomb. If he is there, go get him. I mean it's ridiculous to suggest that a platoon of Roman soldiers was overcome by the apostles. Have you seen those guys they can fish every time we see the fishing to catch nothing. I mean it just so we're supposed to believe they just took out this Roman platoon. I don't think so. So he said to begin in Jerusalem. Luke 24 verse 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem because they had the oracles the Scriptures the prophecies they were the link, the tie-in to the Gentiles being reached. This was organized and it was not to be disorganized they were to start in Jerusalem because the Jews and come first. In that sense. Romans chapter 1 Paul said, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

What is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Then he said to the Jew first and also the Gentile method is a lesser brand of salvation because they don't get first as a people, but because there is order. There is a system it comes to the Scriptures. Somebody had to hold the Scriptures and they were the ones verse 28 and she answered and said to him. Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs. Her faith gave birth to brilliance. This is what he was after. This is what he was pulling out of her. She knew he would not refuse her. She knew he was capable of taking a miserable life and restoring it and again if she understood this. What was the excuse of the rabbis she addressed him as commander of the universe when she called him Lord will take it from Matthew verse chapter 15 and behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him, saying, have mercy on me. Oh Lord, son of David, my daughter is severely demon possessed. Then she came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me see the desperation in Matthew's account.

She came and worshiped him. There was a lot of faith flowing from this woman. She said yes Lord, even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the Masters table. There is enough of you in your power and your blessing in your love and your sovereignty to spread without Luke that without anyone suffering you get you. Jesus said that one human being has enough self-love to love everyone else and not lose any of their own self-love should love your neighbor as you love yourself. Problem is when someone has too much self-love and no other love that kind of esteemed self becomes very problematic. While the dogs were allowed to have with the children did not eat because there was enough and that is the idea it was enough of his mercy to go around even outside of Israel and at this time in history when we read the stories in the Bible we come to Christ in a similar situation with the Lord help my daughter. She severely demon possessed no changes lately or whatever right, even if she is, we don't see him always act so quickly that he drags his feet and mothers have gone to their graves not getting their prayers answered. But they've also gone to the throne of heaven trusting him believing in him because that's what it's about.

And when we get there.

It will all come together.

I have a list of questions when I get to heaven that I'm not going to ask because it is going to all be satisfied, and we know that by faith and that faith comes from enough exposure to things he is revealed and made solid to us. This again is the crime that lays upon those who reject from the nose at him. Verse 29 then he said to her for this saying go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter. He does it in Scripture, the desperate parents come to him in the New Testament there in Mark chapter 5 and Luke seven and Luke nine in John four here in Mark seven and he does not ignore them.

Gentiles also came. He did not ignore them either. Jesus honored her Gentile faith in him in front of Jewish witnesses could because it wasn't all about her.

It was not all about her and her daughter, though they were very important.

As important, but it was also to the bystanders. These odd methods. They had to see this. Not only did he draw a confession from her. He was eroding Jewish exclusivism that was in them so that they could then be used to reach Gentiles to and we are the fruit of such exhibitions of truth from our Lord. God's methods may appear odd but they are sound and they are spiritually invincible and she did not have to become a Jew to benefit from the care of the Jewish Messiah. That is one of the great lesson further developing the theme that God's kingdom reaches all that will submit to it.

This is the story of of Nebuchadnezzar.

It's the story of Job is the story of Jethro there. There are others that heard the truth and surrendered to it without becoming Jewish. He had already given a glimpse to his apostles of the church to come without Judaism. Matthew seven verse 15 there is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him that flew in the face of Jewish dietary law, and he just laid it out there and left it to be developed later on to a series of miracles and teachings from himself and men like the apostle Paul. So ingrained was Judaism clouding their understanding of reaching lost souls that when Peter was when God began to deal with Peter to send him to Gentiles. He gave him a vision three times. That's what it took and it still didn't register. And in that vision. Is that what God has called clans, you must not called common three times he had to repeat that. And again, Peter struggled to understand.

I think it even in America we have Christians who they they have a sense of family and what is good and what do Jesus is, but they really don't have a burden for lost soul. They have a burden that maybe goes goes as far as the kitchen table and that's about it really not into reaching lost soul than not reach into reaching Hennessey just comes to them and this is what Christ was faced with his apostles. They had no burden for Gentiles, the Gentiles would never have been reached. Had Jesus not started with things like this. Do you think that Paul ever forgot this lesson, you thinking and never came up again with Peter will Peter is telling the story to Mark. Decades later to find out what God wants and then go try to do it. Should consumer lives without making us what was what would be called fanatic fanatics so disconnected from reality. We are supposed to be more connected with reality than anyone else, especially spiritual reality. Verse 30 and when she had come to her house. He found the demon gone out and her daughter lying on the bed. No record of her questioning him off. She went how beneficial to this mother and daughter to not only be freed from the demon but to also have Christ preached and minister to her the way he did Sheila tell the story to her daughter. I went, I saw him I called him son of David existed in Warwick. I kept asking him. I kept asking him, Lord, Lord. Then he told me that him again again what goes of the children of the little puppies and islands responded those two going to talk about that long time not only educating the mother and the witnesses, but the subsequent readers of the story, such as ourselves.

And as it will be there with the next miracle he's going to it, we come to an end when we get to verse 31 in just one moment. Another odd miracle. I don't think any of the disciples when he said this to her wanted to interfere and say what is going on was that the parties involved using only the bad understand there is the looks on their faces that we get when we can't who were powerless to move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

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