Live with Lon - God Deals with the Desperate

Hello every body so good to have you with us and live with lawn this week and we got a wonderful passage of Scripture to talk about. We've got a wonderful biblical lesson ought to apply to our life. So I'm very excited about our passage this week just before we get into that I want to take much time, but I know many of us out there listening probably have no idea who Jackie Gleason even is and probably very few of us have ever actually heard him say how sweet it is so here's the deal less than 60 seconds. Jackie Gleason was the star of the sitcom called the honeymooners with Art Carney and some other actors and actresses that was a massive hit back in the 50s and 60s and then he learned he was dropped from the network in New York State. Cancel the show and he tried to get back on network TV include new. It anyway.

He moved to Miami and there he was able to get the network to put them back on with a variety show called the Jackie Gleason show, and when he came out the very first time in front of a live audience in Miami. They gave him such a rousing welcome that overwhelmed them and it had been so long since he been in front of the lights in the camera on the audience that spontaneously become a grand is tired and said how sweet it is and then that became a mantra for him every week he would do it. Here's a little clip that I put together to Chile a couple examples of them doing it so that you can relate to what I'm talking about when I do watch. So now you know what, how sweet it is, is all about.

Okay, we're going to get into our passage now. Let's pray dear father, I thank you so much for the privilege of studying the word of God today I thank you so much for the richness and the beauty of the word of God and for how it instructs us in our relationship with God. Teaching us about you teaching us about how to approach you as were going to talk about today so more usual word in our life today in a massive way and I also pray against this coronavirus Lord I just had a very good friend that I've known since a Bible college days of die. He was a pastor in Georgia died this past week of coronavirus and I was just so sad. God, I just pray for his family, that you would give them comfort and I pray against this dreaded disease that you would quickly give us a vaccine for several of them and treatments that will work. In the meantime, protect us, dear God.

From this a very dangerous disease. Now, as we open the word of God. We look to you to guide us to be our teacher to open our heart and eliminate our spirit, that we might understand the word of God and I pray this in Jesus name. And everybody said a man okay well as you know we are tracking our way through the Gospels right now.

Here online with lawn and were in Matthew chapter 15 and were going to skip the beginning of Matthew 15 because we've already talked about it earlier in Matthew where Jesus talks about is not a one goes in a man that the files him or into a woman that the files are, but what comes out of their heart is a beautiful winding here where Jesus says leave them alone. Their blind guides of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind are both falling to work. Very famous saying of Jesus, but were not move on past that to a passage that I'm afraid of is seldomly preached on seldomly referred to and that many, many people I'm afraid I don't even know who the siren Phoenician woman is in the Gospels on the story. This passage is only in Matthew and Mark. It's not in Luke and John. But it's a wonderful wonderful passage so well without any further delay.

Why don't we get into it and I'm of course using the new King James version of the Bible and were to be in chapter 15 beginning at verse 21 are here we go. Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon I he's referred to Tyre and Sidon once before. If you remember he said whoa whoa to you. Of course it and Beth Sidon fully if the miracles that were done in you had been guarding Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented you member that yeah okay what Tyre and Sidon were to Phoenician cities.

They were displaced Canaanites from the time of Joshua who migrated north into what is today Lebanon and their two cities that exist even to this day in Lebanon. So Jesus goes north from the Sea of Galilee to these Gentile cities are, and behold, a woman of Canaan is a why she not from she's from Lebanon yeah, but remember I told you these were Canaanites who had migrated north at the time of Joshua, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him say, have mercy on me. Oh Lord, son of David, my daughter is severely demon possessed that you read Mark's gospel. Mark says that she came forward and fell at Jesus's feet and cried out for mercy on me, and she calls him Lord and she calls him the son of David, which was of course a title for the Messiah. So here we have this Gentile woman who is obviously a believer she's heard about Jesus. She's obviously will a believer in the Lord Jesus calling him Lord and Messiah and coming to him, an amazing thing that someone living in this Gentile Lamb would have embraced him as their Lord and Messiah. So you would think that he would immediately say all this is great.

So good to see you a Gentile who believes and what can I do for you but that is not what happens.

Look at verse 23.

But Jesus answered her not a word. And his disciples said they came to him and urged him, saying, send her away for she cries out after us. This woman who came to Jesus.

Jesus completely ignores her, he doesn't even say no I won't do it doesn't say yes, I'll do it doesn't say a thing to work just acts like she's not even there, which is the greatest insult of all is to just ignore someone and and it's obviously she didn't give up after the first try because the disciples say more. She screaming after us. You know, this is embarrassing. Jesus following us and maybe even crawling on her knees as Jesus walked in, screaming out and crying out and he Jesus doesn't even answer and and love the disciples say Lord please do something.

This is business embarrassing. As I said, but he answered and said to her I was not sent except for the lost sheep of the house of Israel now was shield the house of Israel know was shield lost feet from the house of Israel know she was a loss she but she belonged to the house of Israel. She was a Gentile, former Canaanite by by genealogy. The Bible tells us, and so not only first is Jesus ignore her, but now he's going to insult her watch this she came and worshiped him say Lord help me and he answered and said it is not good to take the children's bread.

Now for the children while the Israelites, children of God abides birth from descendents of Abraham right it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs television wording in Hebrew enemies are a little dog now even today in Arab society and Middle Eastern society. The lowest thing that you can call someone is a dog a you you call and Erin man a dog and you better watch out because that is like the ultimate insult to a Middle Eastern person and it was even in the days of Jesus and go routinely. The rabbis referred to Gentiles as dogs.

And this was meant as an insult.

And so Jesus insult this woman first ignores her and then he insults her and says not appropriate for me to take what belongs to Israelites and forward to tell F2 a little dog like you Gentile say this doesn't sound like Jesus.

I mean, this is not the Jesus I know your mother Jesus. I know it's kind Jesus I know is respectful Jesus I know, it is compassionate. The he called the Bulldogs waited here and I don't understand why would he do that request to tell you why watch verse 26 and he answered and said it is not good to take the children's bread door to the little dogs like you not watch and she said true Lord, you're absolutely right.

But even the little dogs eat the crowns which fall from their masters tape. She's been humiliated. Now, and she says yes Lord, you're right.

I am a dog but even the dogs can eat the crumbs that fall from the tape I present myself as an Israelite who is entitled to. This is worthy of you doing this for my child, the Lord, if you can just give me some prompts are just some crumbs that fall off the table accidentally take those Lord while I watch and Jesus answered and said to her all woman great is your faith let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

What a wonderful passage of Scripture.

What a wonderful woman you know what a wonderful event on this interaction between her and Jesus and you say you want. I still have a problem with Jesus being so mean to her and so unkind to her or wait a minute, Jesus did for reason, you know, why didn't very simple folks.

Jesus did it to pull out of her when he knew was in her and put it on display for the disciples to see and for you and me to see and what was this that he wanted to pull out of her that would not have been so obvious if you just immediately said sure I'll heal your daughter know know by insulting her man by ignoring her remember calling your dog, even humiliating her. He caused per coming out of her quality that was in her that is so important and precious to God that he did those things to make sure it came out of her and went on public display before us in the disciples and what was it that he was trying to pull out of her that he knew was in her very simply humility.

Humility and he wanted that humility to go on broad public display for us all to see, so that we would understand some so that we would understand that God deals with people who have humility that the way to unlock the mercy of God is humility.

The way to unlock the grace of God is humility.

The way to unlock the compassion of God is humility and that's what he wanted to pull out of this moment I'm typing this message. God deals with the desperate. This woman was desperate. She was so desperate that will win. Jesus didn't immediately answer her. She kept crying.

Alan following baby on her knees. I don't know.

She was so desperate that she wouldn't take no for an answer and she was so desperate that she allowed the Lord to ignore her and insult her and humiliated her in front of everybody. The caller dog, but she was so desperate she didn't care and God dealt with her now. That's as far as we were handling the passage today but when I ask our most important question and what is that question well you know it ready, now 123 so it's all yes I hope that you scream that in your head. Even if you didn't out loud and now that we've seen Jackie do it.

We need to do it ready are holding back a couple weeks since my surgery and I want to tell you to be back teaching the word of God ready what we say house and we it is how sweet it is you, Beth. Okay so here's our passage, God deals with the desperate now.

Why won't God deal with the people who are not desperate well it's very simple.

God will deal with it. God will deal with anybody who comes to him on his terms its jaws on desperate non-desperate people will not usually come to God on his terms of the nature of man are sinful human nature is such that we will not come to God on the terms he requires until we get desperate and what are the terms he requires very simple, just what this woman did we have to humble ourselves. We have to come with humility in our heart. You remember when Jesus said, he said in Luke chapter 18 at the end of the story of the tax collector in the publican who beat on his breath the publican. And you know said Lord have mercy on me a sinner. At the very end of that passage. Luke chapter 18 verse 14 Jesus said for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

I mean how can you say any simpler than that. This is the this is the magic formula if you will, the supernatural formula for unlocking the mercy of God, the grace of God, the forgiveness of God.

The compassion of God, we come humble. Remember when James and Peter both said God as opposed to the proud but gives grace to the why of the humble and and look at Isaiah I'm reading. See Isaiah 66 now from the NIV.

This is what the Lord says heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me where it will be my resting place as not my handmade all these things and so by my hand. They came into being, declares the Lord, but this is the one I esteem look he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my word. I could go on and on and on.

The market still hours of going to the Bible and in digging example after example of people who humble themselves before God and God show them grace and mercy even though they were wicked people. In some cases, Ahab King Ahab.

You know, the husband of Jezebel and God at the end of his life. Jody mercy as wicked as he was. The Bible says to Manasseh the wicked is King of Judah ever had.

At the end of his life in second Chronicles and God show him mercy is so humility we normally won't show it to where desperate that's just the way the human simple spirit is now, remember what I always say to you, a preacher is no good deed until you so what and how so we talked about so what morning unlock the mercy and grace.

The compassion the answer prayers from God, we come how humble your now let's talk about how how are we humble what is what one of the mechanics of humility what is humility look like biblically well.

Very simply, there are two components one is they are a spiritual component on the inside and the other is more of a physical component on the outside. You ready the first component on the inside is a person who is humble is a person who before a holy God is broken and repentant and mournful of their sin, and other lukewarmness before God and all their iniquity before God and all of the uncleanness of their heart and mind before God. This is a person who is aggrieved before God about their sin on the inside and this is what we just read a list go back on the screen. Let's go back to Isaiah 66 and verse two. This is the one I esteem God says he who is humble, watch and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. To be contrite means to be brokenhearted of means to be mournful in our spirit about our sin.

And David said in Psalm 51. This is the person that God will not despise. He who has a broken and contrite heart over their sin. This is the element number one we have to have that that not at a boastful and arrogant attitude that is so easy for our flesh, our sinful flesh to have that acts like we would. We are a Latino world no-no know we have to come like a tax collector did in Luke 18 it will talk about the past we get. But he he on his breast, and in contrast to the Rabbi he didn't say Lord look at me I'm done this lifetime. This time know he just said oh God, the Bible said he wouldn't even look up at heaven he just settled God have mercy on me a sinner.

This is a broken and a contrite heart. This is why Jesus said that the tax collector went down to his house justified before God, but usually we have to get desperate to come to God but we don't have to be desperate. We can decide that were going to come to God like that each and every day and and ask him to give us a broken heart over our sin number two. The outward part of the more outward part of being humble is well with private status to find the outward part of pride and then just reverse it. Pride is depending on ourselves.

Pride is depending on our own self effort.

Pride is depending on our own and works in our own ability to fix and solve our problems. Pride is self-congratulatory overlooking me what I did. Pride takes the credit look at me. You know I take the credit of this is pride.

So what is humility. Humility is the opposite of humility is a person who doesn't seek to rely on himself. He relies on God some trust in horses some trust in chariots, but we will trust in the Lord our God. Go pride is depends on self X effort and self-help.

Therefore, humility does not depend on self effort and self-help. It depends on God, even if we have to do something like make a phone call to an agent at the airlines or whatever we have to do we pray first and say Lord Jesus. Please prepare their heart to hear my case. I'm not depending on my reading skills with this agent on depending on your grace in her heart. This is humility. Humility is not self-congratulatory and it is not something that takes the credit for self humility honestly means we give the credit to God and so many times you know you'll meet people and they'll you say all that you did a great job that was wonderful and noble no no no no no I was a team effort no-no know the Lord help me but the truth is in our heart. Once I disregard chest outerwear like yes it really was something but when a number on the inside were like yes yes no no no true humility is not them like that on the outside and it's not self-congratulatory on the inside it's like only by God's grace only by God's grace is repulsive.

You know, he said in first Corinthians 15, but by the grace of God I am what I am and he meant that wasn't him and he didn't want to take the credit for what he gave credit to God, both outside with people and in his heart, so folks, this is humility means being broken over our sin before a holy God reading over our sin before a holy God eating arborist like this woman got on her knees and worship the Lord and it means not upon not aligning ourselves, not relying on our effort not relying on our own smarts and not taking the credit for anything that God might do for us, but giving it to him and this woman came to Jesus not aligning herself say well maybe even she knew better.

She knew she could. She's not able to heal her daughter.

That's right that's right you you you right, but she came to him and dependent on the Lord because she was desperate and that's what made her desperate. She knew she couldn't do anything but let me just say in closing, God deals with the desperate because the desperate are. You don't have to be desperate to be home and that's what I want to appeal to you and me.

We can humble ourselves before God without being desperate.

We can make up conscious decision that were going to come to God, to the best of our ability with humility, brokenness over our sin.

Total dependence on God, not laying hands on on our meeting not taking the credit for anything God we can make up our mind and ask God to help us be those kind of people. If we want and that's my challenge to you and me list. We don't let some way to we get desperate we can be those kind of people but most people who haven't heard this message and thought the issues through most of the time it's winter desperate, let me just close by saying you know, as you know I have a daughter named Jill who severely has severe disabilities and intellectual disabilities, mostly seizures, physical disabilities, and I remember in 2000 she lost the ability to walk, which is gotten back praise Lord she lost the ability to feed herself, which is gotten back praise Lord to Aussie building even sit up in a chair or sit up straight on the floor, which is gotten back praise Lord we took her to see our doctor in December.

He said you know lawn. I just think seizures have caught up with you.

She had probably 5000 grandma seizures by then she would have succeeded 10 every day every day and at night and he said I just think they caught up with her long I and and then after Brenda left the room and took Jill out.

He said you know, the doctor said this to me. He said you know if you have any final arrangements that you need to make for Jill. He said I think I would go and make said that to me so this was not this was not just a passing thing. This was dire and I remember I came home I was desperate for the life of my daughter just came up here.

My study and I fell on my chair. My knees my head on my chair and when my arms stretched out and I cried out to God, oh God, please spare the life of my child. Oh God, please heal my child. God please give me back the life of this child and I wept. I was desperate.

I was desperate. I was like I normally · I know I do so many things wrong. Lord, I'm so sorry. Please don't punish my daughter because me and I said, Lord, if you do this always give you the credit never the medicine. Nothing, and I'm here today to tell you. God answered that prayer my daughters almost 29 years old she was eight times and I give credit to God today and every day I give credit to God and friends. I know God didn't do it because I'm a righteous man. I'm not a righteous man, I'm only a righteous man because Jesus's blood covers me, but in the flesh. I'm I'm a sinner like I feel like Peter departed from the Lord, for I am a sinner like Paul first Timothy 19 the cheapest of sinners. Yeah.

And I confess that open leading you into the Lord, but I was desperate and God answered, not because I was desperate because I was on my knees humbling myself before you and I tried since there to always remember if I can come to God that same way in everything of life God will give me mercy because this is who he esteems the one who is humble and contrite heart trembles at my word. Folks you need. Let's be those kind of people in our everyday relationship with God without God having to make us desperate teachers that was whispering your Jesus, thank you for your word today. Lord, remind us that you deal with the desperate because the desperate or humble may come to you with humility and its humility that you are not desperation but humility just most of us can get there to we get desperate Lord we can get there without being desperate and I pray that's what you would help us to do overs learn from this moment, or you pulled this humility out of her to teach us how to come to you and Lord, how to access and activate your mercy and your grace. So change the very way we come to you and we relate to you because of our time in the word of God today and we pray this in Jesus name. Everybody said a man okay well thank you so much for being with us and were willing and the creek don't rise. We will see you next week on life