Odd Methods of God (Part C)

I don't think anyone again asked him about his methods.

What's up with spinning Lord, when we come to chapter 8 and he spits on the guys eyes, they're just going to be quiet and write about it and you know Peter doesn't say what is, what it meant.

He just leaves it there for us by close with this verse from Hebrews 11 talking about the faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And then he goes on and says why it the elders obtained a good test 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 today. Pastor Rick will continue his study called on methods of God in Mark chapter 7 Israel was the recipient of visions in Revelation 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 servant, that is a side 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 everything 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 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 articles, the Scriptures, the prophecies they were the length of tie-in to the Gentiles being reached. This was organized was not to be disorganized they were to start in Jerusalem because the Jews 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 losing 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 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 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 cleanse 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 did not reach into reach messages 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 to 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 the 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.

It just didn't work. I kept asking him. I kept asking him, Lord, Lord.

Then he told me that I get to get 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 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 in state what is going on, what's up with that puppies and dogs idea zeal of the bad to just stand there it is.

Groovy looks on their faces that we get when we can't move were powerless and verse 31 now again departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon it came through the midst of the region of the Coppola's to the Sea of Galilee. So now it comes again to the east side of Galilee with the Gentiles were now in dominant people. Nothing else said about Tyre and Sidon as far as his works so he leaves one non-Jewish region to come into another job non-Jewish region region, no protest from the disciples. In fact, this is the same part of the world that he delivered the maniac of the demonic maniac demoniac.

You could say there in the pigs that whole story and that's just briefly review this because Jesus is something very interesting to this man.

The man asked can I go with you and Jesus said no go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he has had compassion on you and he departed and began to proclaim into Coppola's all that Jesus had done for him and all were amazed to catch that verse 31 these in the region of the Coppola's Matthew Mark chapter 5 telling the story that he proclaimed into Coppola's will last time he was there. The people chased them away.

How dare you kill our pigs to save a man and they asked him to go and he left, but he did leave without a seed. He told us medical proclaim it. So now he comes back and everybody's waiting for him. What lessons are built into that for us what what is there for us to read about and understand that we can plant seeds for him to come along and do great things with what we were doing what we were proclaiming verse 32. Then they brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to put his hand on him. Why, because they had the demoniac will no longer demoniac is delivered proclaiming always is about Christ. The people believe that he comes in there. There wanted to visit some of we need you to help this poor man so he did his work well in preaching Christ to see such things and to remain stiffnecked is to forfeit salvation makes perfect sense is one of the most reasonable laws in the universe.

This is the first of two miracles that marked only records we get the other one in chapter 8 where Jesus deals with the blind man in a similar way to dealing with this deaf-mute verse 33. Now any took him aside from the multitude put his fingers in his ears and he spat and touched his tongue united instead of watching this. What what is that. I mean there all the time that he's walked on water, so this is just a walk in the park. Why do you have to do all the trauma. Another method of God in caring for those in need. That's what it is an odd method is methods are not cookie-cutter because of the invisible and visible forces and conditions that were we don't know what's always going on.

We submit to it and when we submit we been to begin to get it whether or not we get it. He's going to do what he does. Did he spit in a display of contempt towards what sin has done to man.

Some commentators believe even some translations believe he actually spent on his hand and touched the man's tongue biohazard today go to to heckle Madden adopt up to death and touching touching your tongue malpractice. I mean, I get sick of watching them spit when baseball hold of these guys will help with the teaching that what comes out of his mouth has healing what comes out of our mouth because this man can't speak, but he is going to speak in the day will come soon when they will spit on Christ when he gets to the blind man he spit on his face is like this is total this odd but we don't have anything of the disciples saying what's up with that Lord can I do that we don't find Paul going to Athens, spitting on people to heal them. And so you come to the Scriptures versus and you say you know I've got too much proof to wasted away on not understanding something like this, verse 34. Then looking up to heaven. He sighed and said to him for that is be open. The Aramaic language, the vernacular of the people remember again Peter like somebody's telling the story. We believe it to be Peter someone was there. They remember these things and remember the look on the woman's face when he said no. Initially and they remember that you know watching this whole thing unfold.

Then they remember trekking across all the way across to the east side of Galilee and then having watch him spit and sigh. What was that of emotional dramatic moment.

They know what he could do.

By this time and to see the Lord go is really grown and what sin is done buddy. He didn't need to say a word. At first he looks up to heaven.

What lessons are there for us. He looks up to heaven. Then he spoke the word. He looks to the throne of his father and this sigh, perhaps due to the spiritual resistance in the unseen world to release this man because there were other healings where there was opposition in the act of deliverance. One young lad convulsed and rolled the demon throwing him down in the process because it arrogant in their reverent when you see someone towards demonstrate your reverence towards Christ. You know there's demonic activity. I remember when I was in reverent towards Christ.

He wasn't the Holy Spirit in me was the absence of the Holy Spirit and had I continued on that line fear to even think about it was the was this groaning just to sort of letting mankind know that God hurts to when we heard. I believe it's a combination of those things verse 35 and more immediately. His years were open, then the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly without speech therapy so you think the tongue muscles not developing got ocean about the work you know my fair Lady Henry Akins.

It's got to learn how to speak properly from his sleep but he doesn't have to go through any that because there was no English. Anyway, verse 36 and he commanded them that they should tell no one but the more he commanded them the more widely they proclaimed it yet. How could you suppress this kind of stuff on the surface, Jesus appears to be suppressing his own ministry. Have you ever met a Christian that was indiscriminate sharing the faith he needed to shut up. There were casting problem nobody wants to hear your mouth that people paying us money to shut you up for them. Okay not really but that that would be a nevermind so you do. I don't know if you've met them, but I have than they do more damage than they do good enough led by the spirit delivered by some sort of self-satisfaction that there I preach the gospel. I must be brave, Christ, or something like that but without leading for this people a little differently there, then just excited over what was happening.

Christ is teaching us how to be careful with what God has done. Yes, he did the miracles but I don't want you going around blabbing this right now.

Where is he told a man before. I want you to go proclaim it because he knows the intricacies. Some things make no sense to us because we lack sense in that area. Some just lack sense hope you know hope is not us right well we must submit to odd methods of God whether we see through them or not. And that's what such a great work of the Holy Spirit is when he tells us, don't say and you just know you got what to say what DC stops you. He knows best. There been a few times in the pulpit that I've since the Holy Spirit say don't say that and I said anyway and then you don't laugh hi nothing is been tragic except on the ride home. Just knowing it wasn't him it was me, but it seemed like the right thing to say at the time and knowing that you did heave it was him telling me don't and so now so often I hear him don't say that. Maybe I does a pet sin that I'd like to go after that one of you were doing and I just want to you know hammer this thing and he says no. And so the comes out some other sermon when he says go, but it comes out softer with more effect, effectiveness, and if that's true for me. It should be true for you do. Why should you get the brakes and not me. Anyway, having been touched by Christ. These people it did have something to shout about to witness and they were doing it yet as noble as that is still disobedient because his word was don't do it and they did it anyway and I think that's one of the lessons for us. The odd methods of Christ. We read the story we say okay there are times when supposed to just not broadcast as we would like to may we not allow our emotions to seek supersede his will that verse 37 and they were astonished beyond measure, saying he is done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.

How many times have in my life I've submitted to this verse.

He has done all things well when in my flesh I don't agree what I submit that is the mark of a believer because unbeliever won't do that and if you wrestling with one arm I save my not say get that settled so you can be moving forward in strength. You accept the Lord Jesus Christ as he reveals himself.

You believe he died for your sins and rose again to sit at the right hand of the father is returning again with the saints. You saved and don't let anybody come and take that from you and don't have that salvation with guilt in all you Christian can ask God for a new job.

He gives it to them. Then they feel guilty for getting the job.

That's not right. Don't do that. Rejoice in the Lord. Again I say rejoice. Rejoicing in Christ is not for amateurs.

You know that Christian is new new Christian does all bubbly and everything will slap him to give him time.

They don't want to slap other people to come along bubbly and everything was they find out that this Christian life is is is a knockdown drag out at times. Well, I don't think anyone again asked him about his methods. What's up with the spitting Lord. And when we come to chapter 8 and he spits on the guys eyes, they're just going to be quiet and write about it and you know Peter doesn't say what he is, what it meant. He just leaves it there for us by close with this verse from Hebrews 11 talking about the faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And then he goes on and says why it the elders obtained a good testimony is by trusting God that we admire men like Abraham and Jeremiah and Peter and Paul relook at those who trust God and we want to learn ourselves, how we going to trust him, it's worth not only do we want to do it ourselves.

We will lead others into it. Also the odd methods of God, not something that chases us away from our faith. Nothing can do that 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.

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