A Woman of Faith

If you could sing with me the chorus that's on the screen. It's entitled praise to the Lord the almighty and then we'll stand to sing he lives in just a moment. Let's sing. Right. Yes.

Hebrews seven twenty four and twenty five, but this man, that is Jesus, because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. Seeing he ever live it to make intercession for them. Please stand with me and sing with me 132 in your hymn book, he lives. Amen.

Praise the Lord. Brother Keith Essies, it's good to have you with us this morning. Would you lead us in a word of prayer? Amen. You may be seated but keep your hymn book out.

Turn if you would to 493. 493. And let's sing Since the Savior Found Me. 493. Amen.

Praise the Lord for his grace and power and mercy toward us. Wonderful opportunity he gives us to serve and to worship him today. If you have your bulletin and want to follow the announcements along with me this morning, we will be in Mark chapter seven. The verse I have is from the parallel passage in Matthew 15 here in the bulletin and she said, truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table. Then, Jesus had answered on and said unto her, oh woman, great is thy faith.

Be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her daughter was made whole from that very hour. So, we'll get to the context in a few minutes and that first verse will make a little more sense to you and we'll be in Mark chapter seven and looking at a great woman of faith and then I hope you don't forget about Sunday school. If you did today, it's too late. For today but it's not too late for next week, okay? So, come and join us at 09:45 for our Sunday school hour.

The adults in here are studying forgiveness for the next few weeks and it's good to know that we have forgiveness through Jesus Christ, our savior. But we also need to learn how to forgive others and so, we'll be studying that. Please return on 06:00 tonight for evening service. We are in the book of Proverbs and learning lessons from Proverbs tonight on being prudent. Prudent.

What what does that mean? Well, come and find out tonight from the book of Proverbs. Joy Club Organizational Meeting following the service tonight. If you worked or would like to work or would like to know more about our Joy Clubs which is our children's ministry during the school year. Please join us for that meeting after the PM service.

We'll just meet over here on the first couple of pews after the service tonight. I'd like to know who would be interested in working in that ministry and starting to get ready because it starts on September 5. So, that is only a month away and then in the meantime, summer kids club, my wife does that on Wednesday evenings at seven and then midweek adult bible study and prayer service from seven to 08:15 and then deacons meeting this Thursday with the deacons. Mark your calendar. I've already mentioned Joy Clubs begins on September 5.

And please take the gospel tracks that are on the back tables or the one out here. I have plenty more. So, just because there's a couple small stacks there, doesn't mean that's all we have. So, please take em all and don't forget about the birthdays in August. There is, I believe or there should be a letter birthday card for Dorinda.

She had to leave temporarily. Oh Lord willing to go stay with her mom out in Nevada for a few months and her birthday is this week. So, miss Becky has a birthday card for her and it is or will be on the back table for you to sign at the end of the service. If you would like to do so and happy birthday to all of those who have birthdays in August and that includes miss Judy up here on the organ and we sing happy birthday to other people and she plays for us. So, maybe we ought to sing happy birthday.

Now, we'll wait till next week. Well, well, we we got a week or two yet. It's not your birthday yet. So, we'll think about that but remember the birthdays that are in in the bulletin. If you what's good to see Steve and Nora back.

They've been out a couple weeks and yes, brother Steve. She just had a birthday August 2. Oh, she did. Miss Nora, your birthday is August 2? See.

Let's see. Is that in here? No, we didn't make it in the bulletin. Alright. Alright.

So, miss Nora's needs to be added to this. It's August 2. Alright. Happy birthday. Thank you.

So, what's that? What's happy birthday in Spanish? Felix cumpleaños. See? Yes.

Wonderful. Alright. Let's stand and let's sing our chorus today. It's entitled The Lord Is Good. Standing please to sing.

Take a moment. Welcome somebody nearby to the service today. Amen. Let's sing through it again as we find our way back to our places. Please remain standing.

Amen. Brother Ian, would you lead us in prayer for the offering this morning? Amen. Amen. We're going have to sing that song sometimes.

What a beauty. Sometime, I don't think many of you know it entitled What a Beautiful Day for the Lord to Come Again. But we'll have to get to that another day and another service. At this time, if you turn in your hymn books once more to 228, 228 and we'll sing song entitled My Faith Is Found a Resting Place. Two twenty eight.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you, David. That's somebody in here's favorite song, I think.

Not mine but and interesting enough that arrangement that he played was sent to him by one incoming freshman at Bob Jones where he'll be heading off here in about three weeks and this friend of his just distant friend at the moment is sending music to him to try out so he can see how to write for trombone. So, anyway, so it's neat that he was able to play that today and praise the Lord for his grace day by day that he gives unto us. Children can be dismissed for children's church at this time and so if they can head on out and if you take your Bibles, if you would, and turn to Mark chapter seven, Mark chapter seven. Amen. So, and it's nice of Joshua to help out this morning.

So, I think he'd like from you to tell you that. So, you know, he doesn't, he's not a child anymore but he's helping out with children's church. Mark chapter seven and we're going to begin reading in verse 20 verse 24 of Mark seven. And from thence, he arose, that is Christ, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, when if no man know it, but he could not be hid. For a certain woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him and came and fell at his feet.

The woman was a Greek, Syrophenician by nation, and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, let the children first be filled for it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it under the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, yes Lord, yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs and he said unto her, for this saying, go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Lord, thank you for your word today. Thank you for the grace and power of God. We see demonstrated here in the scriptures and that we see demonstrated in our lives every day. We thank you that we do serve a risen savior. We thank you Lord for the faith that you give that we might know you and that we might serve you, that we might walk in that faith each day.

Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to praise and worship you here this morning and for your mercy and grace that has been bestowed upon us. We thank you for this opportunity to look into your word. We pray Lord that as we do today, we would be changed more into the image of your son. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen.

So, the message this morning, a woman of faith specifically a Gentile woman of faith which is say, well, that's no big deal. We all know the gospel is for the Jews and the Greeks or the Gentiles and most of us here hitting here today are are Gentiles and that we're not Jews. However, in Jesus's day, that was not known especially among the Jews. They thought salvation was only for them. In several cases in Jesus ministry, he demonstrated that salvation is for all and that he came to help all.

But important on this woman's part is her faith and so we're going to look at her as an example of faith this morning. Jesus wanted to avoid a conflict at this time in Galilee between his disciples, the Pharisees, and the people of Galilee. His disciples obviously following him. He wanted to focus on teaching and training them. The Pharisees had traveled up from Judea earlier in the passage as we studied last week and were questioning him and causing and stirring up trouble in Galilee now and some of the people there wanted to crown him king over Caesar.

So, there was a lot going on in Galilee and Christ wanted to avoid some of that conflict for the time and so he left Galilee and he went north up into Sidon or Phoenicia. This is one of the only two or three times that Jesus traveled at all outside the borders of Israel and even then not very far. It says that he wanted to be alone, that he wanted to get away from the crowds but that he could not be hid. While he was there, he met a woman, a Gentile woman who searched him out. His reputation followed him and he couldn't couldn't be in secret a very long word got out and people started coming to him as they had in Galilee and this Gentile woman came to him.

Her daughter was in great need. She was possessed to a demon or uncalled an unclean spirit here which caused her a great amount of trouble. Now, we we aren't told exactly all the kinds of trouble but obviously it affected her life greatly and she could not function normally because of this. There can be no doubt that some but not all or even most but some of what is termed mental illness today could be demonic in nature. Shouldn't jump to that conclusion but the devil is still active.

Demons are still active and there is certainly often a spiritual component in the needs of people's lives that is overlooked by the world in which we live but that was not overlooked by who? Was not overlooked by Jesus. This woman here, we see first of all, her heritage. She was a Gentile of Tyre and Sidon. Again, just North Of Galilee.

It was a place of former wealth and glory. When Israel came into the land, Tyre and Sidon were in their heyday. They were some of the most powerful city states in the world that made up Phoenicia. They had long been merchants and travelers on the Mediterranean Sea and had grained a tremendous amount of wealth and a great deal of power back in Solomon's day. He dealt with Hiram, the king of Tyre and they were in I can't find the word.

Anyway, they were friends, allies, so to speak in some ways. However, her people that is the the Phoenicians worshiped false gods. They worship Baal and they worship Ashtaroth. These are the male and female God and goddess of the people of Phoenicia. These this worship had earlier been a great stumbling block to Israel during the time particularly of the kings.

Particularly during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. Jezebel was the son was the daughter of Ethbaal who usurped authority over the king and took over Phoenicia for a time. He had previously been the priest of Ashtaroth and his daughter became the queen of Israel and she brought in Baal worship with her and tried and persecuted Christians greatly to the point to where God says to Elijah, there were 7,000 in Israel had that had not bowed the knee to Baal and that was to encourage Elijah but at the same time, out of millions, there were only what? 7,000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal. So, great stumbling block to Israel and and great great trials to Christians that this worship brought and so Phoenicia had not been in a had not been helpful.

Had been a great stumbling block to Israel and their idol worship was well known. So, that is this lady's heritage. Now, mention her need, her need. You know, there are many different types of needs that people have. Some people suffer from addictions.

Some people suffer from illnesses. Some people suffer from other consequences brought on by sin. Some people suffer from loss. And this lady suffered. And her suffering was brought about by this demon who had possessed her daughter and over which she had no what?

She had no control and no solution to. Sin brings trouble. And we do not have the solution in ourselves. And it's only when we realize that. That we can come to the one who does.

And so we see this here. In this particular case, her daughter was possessed of a demon. In pagan in cultures where pagan worship is practice, interference from evil spirits, demons rather, and the lives of people is more common maybe than it is here. I have heard many stories of this type of demonic activity in pagan tribal areas where witch doctors and voodoo and other things are practiced. I've heard tapes of voices and and little more common maybe than it is here where the devil is more or less welcomed in to people's lives through the worship of these idols and these pagan practices.

I don't think we see as much of this here in The States because it serves Satan's cause better to work under the radar and let people think there is no spirit world or life after death. Satan has a lot of people in our country convinced that once you die, you're dead. That's it. There is no spirit world. There is no life after death.

You evolve from something that's devolved into something that evolved into you and there is no god and so Satan works maybe in a different way. Yet, that does not mean that he is not at work. He is very much at work. More and more, we do see occult practices here in The States and it becoming more and more mainstream. Don't be deceived.

Satan is alive and well but not forever. For we see here, he is no match. He is no match for Jesus. Bible says, greater is he that is in us. Praise the Lord.

Than he that is in the world. Satan is a powerful fall. But Satan, I mean, but Jesus is far greater and the spirit that dwells inside of us is far greater than than the devil who is our enemy. We see that here expressed. Number three, we see her cry for help.

She came in and she fell at the feet of Jesus. She fell at the feet of Jesus and she cried out for mercy. Now, in the parallel passage in Matthew chapter 15 and verse 22, Matthew describes it this way. He says, behold, a woman of Canaan Phoenician came out of the same coast and cried unto him saying, have what? Have mercy.

She fell on fell to on her knees before him and she cried, have mercy on me. Oh Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. She came unto Jesus and she cried out for help and she cried out for what? For mercy, for mercy.

This is Luke chapter 18 verses thirteen and fourteen. Jesus is trying to explain to the religious crowd around him that we can only be saved by God's mercy and not by our own self righteous works. He told the story. There was a publican standing afar off in the temple worship who would not lift up so much his eyes unto heaven. This is yes and smote upon his breast saying, God be what?

Be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that's exalted himself shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. The Christ also tells in that same story of the Pharisee who came in and looked to God and said, oh God, I thank you that I'm not like that guy over there pointing to the publican. But the publican couldn't lift up his eyes to heaven or of his humiliation in sin.

And he cried unto God, Lord, what? Have mercy. He knew that he was not deserving. Therefore, he cried unto God, not for what he deserved but for what he did not deserve. He cried out to God and laid before God.

Said, please have mercy on me. Titus three five, we read this in Sunday school too, not by works of righteousness which he have which we have done but according to his what? Mercy. His mercy, he saved us. According to his mercy.

It's the only way we can approach God is through his what? Is through his mercy and that's what this lady did. She came to him in humility and she cried out for mercy. Like the publican in the temple. She asked for mercy to receive that which which she had not earned and that which she had no claim to.

Jesus had to give I continue to be shocked by the number of people who come to me thinking that God owes them Matter of fact, I see that all the time We live in a world where anything goes wrong, God gets blamed. Anything goes right, God does not seem to get the credit for it but if anything goes wrong, God gets the blame. God owes me. Entitlement is the word of the day. We all think we're entitled.

Well, let it be known. We are not entitled by God. Do anything. What we do have from God is solely by his what? Grace and mercy.

God doesn't owe me anything. Many of who many people who who seemed to think at times that God owes them. Our people who claim to know and serve Christ. Yet, they do not understand one of the basic doctrines of our faith. The consequences of sin and the grace and mercy of God.

God doesn't owe you. He doesn't owe me. I owe, I owe him. We deal with all types of disease and illness, addiction death, troubles and trials in this world. They are all a result of what?

They're all the result of sin. And that was humanity's choice. Not God's. Romans five twelve, wherefore is by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. These things that we we suffer from in this life.

The the car accident that took the life of someone we loved. The child that is is born handicapped, debilitated, the the terminal illness that people deal with and just the everyday illnesses we deal with and struggles and pain and suffering. That's all the result of what? Sin. Now, maybe that's not the result of a specific sin that you sinned but as result of sin being in the world.

Sin brings what? It brings death and destruction and illness and suffering. God did not choose sin. Who did? Humanity did.

We did. And so we have to deal with in this life the consequences of sin. Even as Christians, we still live in a sin cursed world and we still have to deal with the consequences of that. Praise God. We knew how know Christ as savior.

Know that we have a home, incorruptible, undefiled, that God is reserving in heaven for us. Praise God. Where there is no what? Where there is no sin. So, we have hope.

Not not a hope that I think it'll happen or it might happen. We have a certain hope that we know it will happen. It just hasn't happened yet. The Bible tells us the Holy Spirit is the earnest of that inheritance. We already have part of that inheritance in the spirit who lives within us.

Praise God. He is the promise of more to come. But down here, we still suffer with these things just like the rest of the world does and you know something, God does not owe us to not have to deal with those things. God has given us something better. But we're going to have to still deal with some of that.

We deal with many difficult situations in life because we make bad or poor choices. Sometimes, the things we suffer with are a result of our our choices. When somebody gets behind a wheel drunk and decides to drive drunk down the road and they have an accident, they end up hurt in the hospital. Who's fault is that? That was theirs.

When you decide to walk across a crosswalk when the sign says, don't go and somebody hit you, who choices, whose choice was that? Well, that was yours. Maybe that wasn't a sin. Maybe that was just a poor choice. But see, we make poor choices and we suffer as a result of those as well.

Matter of fact, sometimes we just outright rebel against God and we suffer as a result of that. James says in James one, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. James was saying, God doesn't tempt us. Don't be deceived. Temptation comes from where?

From within. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. That's that's what sin does. Sin brings destruction in our lives and if we're not for Christ, the wages of sin is death and not just death is in physical death but eternal death in hell. Praise God for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is what?

Eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Galatians six seven, it says, be not deceived. God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. We do reap from consequences of things that we do. This particular case, this daughter was suffering because of a sinful world she lives in ruled by the the the prince and power of the air who was Satan.

And and it was a result of sin. God sometimes steps in to protect us from that which we are not ready for. Sometimes, steps in to protect us to those things that we ask for in prayer but he is not obligated to deliver us out of every trial or erase all the consequences of our poor, foolish choices and our outright sins. Praise God. If we know Christ, they've been washed off the books of heaven.

That we still have to deal with consequences here. Again, it is not God who owes us, it is us who owes God. What has God done for us? What has God offered to do for those who come to him in faith? Well, he offers to redeem us from an eternity of misery and hell.

That word salvation means deliverance and if you know Christ as savior, you have been delivered from the condemnation of hell. He has given to us eternal life and a home in heaven. He has freed us from the enslavement of sin and Satan. He has given us his spirit to guide and comfort us in the way. And as we walk through this sin cursed world, we do not walk alone.

He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us and he has promised to hear and answer our prayers in accordance with his will and we could go on. All of those things God has given to those who know him by faith. He has given those things to his children out of his grace and mercy. He owes us nothing. We owe him everything.

Our faith and trust, our love, obedience, and our very best service. Romans twelve, one and two, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your what? Reasonable. Reasonable service. As a result of the grace and mercy of God that has been bestowed upon us, it is our reasonable.

It is the least we can do to offer our lives in service to him and be not conformed to this world but you transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect God. Praise God for his mercy and grace and as this woman came to Jesus, she came and she called out not for what she was owed but she cried out for mercy. She called him Lord and specifically in Matthew 15, the son of David, a title for the Jewish Messiah, indicating that she had heard something about him. She may have known something of the Old Testament scriptures. That she believed.

She had what? She had faith. Number four this morning, I'd like to see her treatment from the passage in Matthew seven. How was she treated when she came to Jesus? It says, let's see.

It says in verse 27, but Jesus said unto her, let the children first be filled. For it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it unto the dogs, okay? Now, you'd have thought, here she is. She lies at Jesus' feet. She cries out for mercy.

You would have thought Jesus said, oh yes, I'll do it. Which he did. But first, he had something to teach. You know, we cry out to God. We say, God, deliver me from this trial.

God, deliver me from this. I I my back's doing doing great today. I've had a little setback the last week but it's it's doing good but but little over a year ago, I was laid up in bed for a couple weeks and I was hurting really bad for a couple months. And I prayed and asked God to take that away. Well, for the most part, he did.

But not right away. Not right away. And there's a reason. Because there was something there was something I needed to learn. Jesus had something to teach me He has something to teach you.

Says, count all joy when you fall into diverse temptations and trials. Why? Because God has something to teach us. And sometimes he takes us right out and sometimes, he goes with us through. He is teaching us.

There's something he had here to teach. When she first came, if you read in Matthew 15, she first came and she was crying to Christ and he didn't right away respond and in Matthew chapter 15, his disciples came to him and said, will you send her away? She's aggravating us. Tell her to go away and leave us alone. That's not the only time his disciples did that.

They did that with the children as well and Jesus said unto them, allow let them come to me. For such is the kingdom of heaven. His disciples saw her not as an opportunity They saw her as an aggravation. Sometimes I think that we see people around us that grit on us. They don't treat us well.

They just can't seem to get it together. As aggravations. They're not. They're opportunities for us to show the love of God. Does not the Bible say the second greatest commandment is what?

Love thy neighbor as thyself. This woman was the Jew's neighbor. Like the Samaritan. And they saw her as an aggravation. But Jesus finally turned to her and at first seemed to reject her plea citing Israel as the recipient of his ministry.

See, Matthew, do I, yeah. Matthew ten five through seven. These 12, Jesus sent forth talking to the disciples and commanded them saying, go not in the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go preach saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus ministry at this present, first and foremost was to the people of Israel as he presented himself as their what?

As their Messiah. He had come as their Messiah and he his first foremost ministry at this time was to present himself to them as such. This was necessary to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy and would result as he knew not in his reception but in his what? Rejection. He came unto his own and his own.

Received him. Received him not. That's one of the reasons he was up in Phoenicia and not down where? In Israel. And indeed they rejected him and they crucified him and after his resurrection, they still would not receive.

Yeah. He was not insulting the woman so much as he was testing her faith. Salvation is simple. Jesus said, come on to me. It's simple but it doesn't mean it's what?

It doesn't mean it's easy or it's not easy for a proud human being to admit that they can do nothing to save themselves. They can nothing to change themselves and come to Jesus to do for them. That which they cannot do for themselves. And he gives her an opportunity to to test her faith but also to demonstrate her faith so that others around her could see it. You know, the Bible says that God will always make a way of escape that we will be able to bear it.

God will not put on us more than we can bear or handle. You see, God knows our frame. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our struggles and God tests us at times. He allows things to happen to us.

Job, the story of Job. Did Job lose his faith? No, he did not. Did Job struggle? Oh, yes.

He struggled. Did he cry out to God? Oh, yes. He cried out to God. But he didn't lose his faith.

Now, that wasn't just a test of Job. That was actually a test of who? A test of God. Satan was challenging God that God could keep his child, Job. And God allowed Satan to do that so Job could demonstrate his what?

Could demonstrate his faith. Pastor, why is it that I've lost this loved one? Pastor, why is it? That I'm struggling with this temptation. Pastor, why is it I'm dealing with this illness?

God is giving you an opportunity to demonstrate your what? Your faith and to grow in your faith. To learn to trust him. Now, Satan may have other reasons but if you're a child of God, God is watching over you and he allows this stuff in our life to test us and to give us an opportunity to grow in our faith and to demonstrate our faith. God gives us many opportunities to do so.

Sad to say, sometimes, we miss them. Because we're not looking for them. We're looking as his disciples did at this woman as an aggravation. Rather than an opportunity. And when God says, no, not yet like he did to this woman.

We say, God, why? But that's not what she said. She didn't get upset that he referred to her as the Jews would have referred to her at first. She demonstrated her faith and her humility before God. Her final plea we see here in verse 28.

She answered and said unto him, yes Lord. She didn't say why did you call me a dog? What do you mean? It's only for them. Why why is it that you're not and I don't have any care about no.

She didn't say any of that. She said unto him, yes Lord. Yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. She said, yes, Lord. She humbled herself.

She didn't debate that she was not a Jew. She didn't debate that the Jews were God's chosen people. She didn't debate even their false and prejudiced opinion of her. She said, yes, Lord. But even the dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from the master's table.

In doing so, she demonstrated two things that are necessary to receive the grace and power of God to bring healing to our lives and to our soul. The first one is humility. She demonstrated humility. She humbled herself as a sinner, an Amen. With We're Amen.

Midst to Lord of the We're We're be with with be hell. To then you are yet in your sin because the only way to receive it is to surrender to his mercy. Quit trying to earn his favor. You cannot earn it. And if you're here and if you've been saved by his grace, why are you still in some measure thinking you've got to earn his grace?

He has paid the price. He has washed away all your sins. She demonstrated humility that is necessary and she demonstrated faith. James four six, it says, he giveth more grace wherefore he say it, God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble. You know, when she when she surrendered humbly to the Lord, he giveth what?

More grace. More grace. He didn't just give the crumbs. You see? And she demonstrated faith which is necessary Without faith, it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he is rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God offers salvation but only those who come to him in faith receive it. For without faith, it is impossible to be rewarded by God. To be given something that we don't deserve and as Christians, as we walk and live the Christian life, we're supposed to live and walk by what? By faith. Still by faith.

By faith. As we grow in our faith, and we come to God by faith. This lady did not require the whole meal. She would be glad to take the crumbs. Such was her faith like the woman who thought if I can just touch the hem of his garment.

Both were rewarded not for their what? Not for their works. They weren't rewarded for their heritage. They weren't rewarded for their gender or their race or their religion. They were rewarded by God for their and their humility Sad it is how many will reject God's offer of salvation because their pride will not surrender to God.

How sad it is? How many people sit in a service and hear the gospel preached and when the invitation is given, they will not come. They will not yield because their pride will not allow it. If we do not come to God and receive his forgiveness of sin, then we will have to deal with its penalty in hell forever. What a terrible price to pay.

When Jesus has already paid it, if you will but receive it. Sad that others will reject God's love. They just cannot bring themselves to trust him with their soul. You must trust him. You can only be saved by faith and you must trust him with your soul.

It's the only way to be saved. How about you? Are you too proud to admit your need? This lady wasn't. She probably an open public.

Ran over to Jesus and fell flat on her face before him and cried, have mercy on me. She wasn't afraid to let her need known. Until we acknowledge our need, we cannot be saved. And Christians, if you're having problem with the sin in your life, you're not going to get victory over that sin until you what? Until you confess it, until you admit that you're struggling.

You can't hide it from God. He already knows. Please be willing to admit it. Confess your sin so he can forgive and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Are you too proud to admit your need?

Are you too proud to confess it? Before others? Confess before others the finished work that Christ has done for you. Christ said, he that denies me before men will I deny what? Before my father in heaven but they which confess me before men, he will I confess before my father.

Which is in heaven. And are you too proud to repent and accept God's gift of grace to you? There was a man in the Old Testament. His man, his name was Naaman. Naaman had leprosy.

He was the highest ranking general in the Syrian army and he came down with leprosy. He had it all. He had fame. He had power. He had money.

He had it all. But he came down with an incurable disease and one that was so contagious that he had to separate from everybody else in shame and he came to Israel because you've been told by a little servant girl from Israel that they had taken captive that there was someone in Israel who could heal him. Of his disease and so he came. He came to the king and the king said, what are you talking about? I can't do that.

Another person around the king said, yeah, I, isn't that this man Elisha is in his name? Haven't I heard that he's been doing that in the name of Jehovah? So, Naaman went and he went to Elisha's house and he knocked on the door and Elisha sent his servant out, Gehazi and his servant said to Naaman, well, Elisha says, go down to the Jordan River, dip yourself in seven times and you'll be cleansed. And Naaman almost did what? He almost walked away because he was too proud to dip himself in the muddy water which was illustrative of his sin and his disease to be cleansed.

By God's grace. And one of his servants said, master, if he had asked you to do some great feat, you would have done it. Why don't you try it? Just do what he says. And praise God, Naaman listened and Naaman was healed and God was magnified.

God wants to be magnified in your life but he can only be magnified if we will repent and accept his what? Accept his gift of grace. And maybe you're here today and you have yet to accept that gift of grace and mercy and love. Don't be too proud Receive him today For he says, for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But you must be willing to admit.

You must be willing to repent and accept his gift by faith. Well, what happened to this lady? What was the result? Well, Jesus met her knee, didn't he? Just like he met mine and just like he met and meets all those who come to him by faith.

He said unto her, for this saying, go thy way. In Matthew 15, I think it uses the word faith. She expressed her faith and he said, for this saying, go thy way, the devil has gone out of thy daughter and when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed. Meaning that she was well. Jesus met her need.

When she came to him in humility and faith. God wants to meet your need. He wants to save your soul but Christian, he also wants to give you victory over that sin in your life. He wants to give you joy and peace that passes all understanding but we must continue day by day to grow in our faith. And to humble ourselves before his grace and he giveth more grace Jesus immediately acknowledged her faith and healed her daughter.

God saves the souls of those who receive him by faith. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. The Greek. Praise God. That's who?

That's me. That's me. John six thirty seven. All that the father giveth me shall come to me and he that cometh to me, I will what? I will in no wise cast out.

You know, that lady may have wondered what Jesus would do. She knew he could but we don't have to wonder for we know. We know. He says so in his word. He that cometh to me, I will no wise cast out.

Praise God. I came to him was not when I was nine years old and he has not cast me out. It's not because I'm perfect or even a good person. I have a wonderful savior. And if you know Jesus, so do you.

And if you're here today and you don't know him as savior, he offers you He offers to heal you by his power To save your soul. If you'll come to him. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord for your message today. Thank you for your and your grace Thank you for the illustration of this lady of her great faith Lord and how you responded and you always respond to those who put their faith in you Lord, I pray that if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior and they've never humbled themselves before you and by faith cried out to you to save their soul from sin and hell.

I pray that they might come as we give this hymn of invitation and do that today. Lord, I pray we didn't know you as savior. Lord, would get it out of our head that you owe us any more than you have already given. Lord, the sad thing is we don't recognize what you have given to us. And Lord, that we owe you so so much.

Lord, remind us of that today. Give us hearts full of Thanksgiving and gratitude Help us Lord to continue to humble ourselves before you and come to you each day in a growing faith. As we look to you and as we give ourselves in your service. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Turn your hymn books to him 359, three fifty nine this morning.

If we give this hymn of invitation, if you've never trusted Christ as savior, if you're unsure, if you have any doubts, I plead with you. Please come as we sing. Let's stand please. 359. On the first verse, my faith looks up to thee.

Amen. Just because we quit singing doesn't mean the invitation is closed. If you have a need, please come see me after the service. I'd like to ask this time, brother Steve, it's good to have you back. If you would close our service with a word of prayer.

Amen.