Face to Face Encounters
Canaanite Woman: Get Over It
November 2-3, 2019
The Holy Land team is ending their time in Israel with great experiences. I’m sure they’ll come back with so many stories to share. We also want to welcome back our Vietnam missionaries.
Kicking off the series entitled Face to Face Series, Encounters with Jesus that Changes us Forever. In Jesus’ day, there were those who heard Him from afar and those who watched Him from the crowd. And there are powerful stories of men and women who encountered Jesus “Face to face.” As we listen to these radical testimonies of healing, miracles, and life-changing truth, we also contend for our own “Face to face” encounter with Jesus that will change us forever. In this four week series, we’ll look at four such Face to Face Encounters: Get over it, Get on it, Get real with it, Get rid of it Encounters. Tonight/Today, we’ll be looking at one encounter and if you leave with one thing, I pray that you’ll leave with the truth of God urging you to “Get Over it”
Have you ever been desperate for Jesus to do something that you only knew Jesus could do: heal you or someone you loved, help recover someone in a bad situation, help him save a marriage, have a child when you’ve tried years and years, desperate for Jesus to show up in power. I wonderif sometimes God doesn’t show up in our lives because we aren’t desperate enough to seek him out. It’s like we know God can heal, but it’s only when you need healing that you desperately seek him out for your healing, for him to provide, for him to orchestrate a breakthrough that God shows up. Desperation is good because it causes us to pursue God even when there are obstacles in our way.
Today, we’ll look at a F2F Jesus encounter with someone who can teach us about the kind of desperation she displayed to “Get Over” the obstacles she faced to get her miracle. These obstacles may hold us back from pursuing God. And some of those obstacles we just got to “Get Over It”! That will be a phrase I’ll have you repeat and remember as you leave here today. You may have to tell yourself or someone else that “I or you gotta get over it” Whatever that “IT” may be for you. And we all have “These Its”
So turn to someone right now and practice, “Get over it”, turn to another, “I gotta get over it”
Reflecting When God showed up big time in my life were in times of desperation: Father needing to be healed of his stomach cancer, desperately looking for diving partners to go diving (god provides them), god bring healing in my marriage and he gets my attention and then he shows me how self centered I am and softens Gayles heart (we’re good today, but there have been times when I’ve been so about myself), but some it’s when my kids go through something, desperate for God to show up for my daughter to find a college to be recruited (doesn’t stick out all but 5’ on a good day), for my son to be accepted into med school and crying out how are we gonna pay for it and then God shows up and covers his costs with a four year grant. Maybe I need to be more desperate in my life for you. I wonder how many of you are here desperate for God to show up big time in some area of your life? If you are not, I wonder, just wonder, if Desperation on our part is one reason.
God doesn’t show up for us. Because I don’t want to communicate, that it’s by our own effort to will God to make something happen in our lives. God is gonna do what he’s gonna do because he’s God and I’m not.
But we gotta see the kind of faith this person had as she encountered Jesus f2f. It’s about the faith of a Syro-Phoenician Woman that encountered Jesus in Matthew 15. We see Jesus initiating many encounters that he had. Woman at the well, Blind man, Tax collector, etc. But in this one, it’s the woman that initiated this encounter.
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Matthew 15:21 – 28 The Syrophoenician Woman
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman 21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”And her daughter was healed at that moment.
I’ll draw out some observations from this face to face encounter to help us “Get Over it”. And my prayer is that we’ll learn to have the kind of faith she had to Get Over whatever threatens to stop us from experiencing our miracle we’re hoping to see happen in our lives. If we can learn from this woman’s face to face encounter, we’ll open our lives to experience the blessings, the goodness of God in our lives. I truly believe we fall short of experiencing his blessings at times, by missing the opportunities that are presented us.
Get Over IT …
The offense of being ignored.
“Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’ But He did not answer her a word” (Matthew 15: 21-23a NASB)
Gotta understand the woman’s background. She’s a Gentile. What’s a Gentile? It’s someone not from the chosen people’s line of the Jews. Let me see, How many full blooded Jews here tonight/today? So it would be like us seeking Jesus for a miracle then.
This woman represents those who are far away from Jesus, wrong religious background, worship other Gods, not the ones Jesus was to reach first! We expect Jesus always to have an open door policy. Always available for us, but we see here, that’s not the case. He did not answer her a word. He had no reply for her. It was like Jesus was making “deaf ear” to her as we say in Hawaii.
But that didn’t stop this momma bear! She obviously doesn’t care about not being of the chosen race, but she knows Jesus can save her daughter. She’s desperate. She’s expects Jesus to heal!
By his very Hebrew name: Yeshua HaMashiach, “Jesus the Messiah.” Yeshua is a shortened version of the name Yehoshua(Yeh-HO-shoo-ah), which means “Yahweh saves.” Mashiach is the Hebrew word for Messiah and means “anointed one.”Jesus is our savior.
So what does he do? He rescues us, saves us in the ordeals, trials, life’s challenges we face. Maybe he doesn’t always save us from our ordeals, trials, and challenges, but he saves us in, while we go through our trials, he saves us.
This woman could have responded, wow Jesus, you healed so many others, why are you gonna ignore me, dis me? “I know I’m from a different race, background, but don’t you care about what I’m going through. I’m out of here!”
That’ didn’t stop her. I think we tell God, “I outa here” to quickly. We don’t reach that point of desperation where are seeking God to be their healer. It’s not how much desperation I must muster, but it’s the posture of our attitude to seek Jesus and not depend on anything else for our solution! She was convinced that one word, one touch of Jesus would undoubtedly heal her daughter.
She wasn’t phased even by being ignored.
Some of us feel like Jesus has ignored our pleas to heal, to work on our behalf, and that’s a stumbling block for us. We say to ourselves, we’ve come to you so many times Jesus, but you seem to be ignoring my needs. Why do you heal, work in other peoples lives, but what about me. And you can’t get over that one. So you check out. Many so called disciples of Jesus today can’t get over feeling like Jesus has ignored their pleas and they stop following Jesus. I’ve tried Jesus, but he doesn’t work for me.
But you gotta like the desperation of this momma bear. Even if she seems to be ignored by Jesus, She gets over it, and I’m not gonna let me feeling ignored stop me! Sometimes we need that Momma Bear attitude! And get over the fact that Jesus may be ignoring us!
As I think back at my dad’s openness to receiving Jesus and experiencing his healing, not on this side of heaven as he died with Stomach Cancer that had spread, but I was desperate for God to reach my dad. I wasn’t gonna let feeling like God ignored my prayers to stop me from pursuing healing for my dad. Well, my dad didn’t get his healing this side of heaven, but he got it on the other side as, he trusted Jesus as his savior, before he succumbed to stomach cancer.
I was so bold as I said to my dad, you’re dying and if you don’t trust in Jesus, I’d be sad that I won’t have confidence that I’ll see you after you die. I was desperate and so was my dad and even if he didn’t get his healing on this side of heaven, he got his healing now
2. The offense of the institution.
“And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us” (Matthew 15: 23b NASB).
Even the disciples wanted to hinder this woman from approaching Jesus with her plea of getting for her daughter. She felt ignored and she’s now being turned away by those close followers of Jesus.
And today, who are the ones with Jesus? That’s us. And that’s the institution, The church. Some of our greatest obstacles we’ll face are from being offended from people in the church. I call these offenses, friendly fire! And we can be like those disciples and turn people away from experiencing their breakthrough, their miracle.
It can be the very followers of God that can offend us the most. Why? We expect better of those who claim to be followers of Jesus. But we can’t equate the people who follow God and God himself even if we should look and act like Jesus in every area of our lives.
We should wear a shirt that says Under construction, grace needed shirt. But unfortunately, the very ones that should be loving and kind are the very ones that can cause offense. But it’s a choice to remain unoffendable.
I’m sure I’ve done stuff or said stuff to you that you could be offended about: I have been known to be “In your Face Earl” “Yeah” and I know I could come across as controlling and pushy. If you’ve felt that, I hope you can cut me some slack, choose to be unoffendable. As I think of Jesus, He offended many people by his life and teaching, so I think I’m in good company. This is what Jesus has to say about offenses:(not in notes)
Jesus said to his disciples: Then He said to the disciples,“It is impossible that no offenses (stumbling blocks/obstacles “Other translations”) should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Other translations say stumbling blocks and offenses. Things that will cause you to fall. Spiritually speaking, there are many things that could offend us make us offended create an obstacle for us (Illustration) Pretty soon we are cut off from others and we cut ourselves off of Jesus.
We’re stuck on a matter. We can’t let it go! But as we learn from this woman, we gotta “Get over it”!
We live in such an offend able culture. What you said, what you did offended me. Pastor Mark spoke about this a few months ago on this when we spoke on the life of David who could have been so offended by the actions of King Saul who wanted David killed when we did our summer series, Overcomer.
Think of another example:
I must confess I am guilty of this, especially in my driving on the road so desiring to be a kind driver. When someone signals to turn to into my lane and I give them space and they cut in, there’s no thanks! No hand wave. Or when I wanna cut into a lane, the other driver makes like they don’t see me wanting to merge and just drives. Again, this is what I do and I need prayer. I can’t over this, so I drive next to the person and see who it is, checking to see if it’s a woman driver or a mainlander? That’s why I say I need prayer.
3. The offense of feeling insignificant.
“But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matthew 15:24-25 NASB).
You mean to tell me Jesus that you’re hand to save only extends to those of special people, you’re people. I’m not gonna let that hold me back. I know you can heal, I’ve seen you heal, and you gotta heal my daughter! A demon has taken over her!
4. The offense of being insulted.
“And He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she said,
(not in your notes)
“Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Jesus indirectly called her a dog! You could argue that the word used here is not a wild dog, but could be taken as a pet dog. But in any case, wild dog or pet dog, it wasn’t a term used to encourage someone. You’re a dog, 2nd class person. But that still didn’t stop her from pursuing Jesus for her daughter’s miracle of deliverance of this evil spirit. She looked past this insult and responded, I’ll take anything, if the crumbs mean you still can make a difference in my daughter’s life, please hear my cries. I’m desperate.
She overlooked that insult.
(Not in bulletin notes) Last slides: Get Over It . . .
So you can Get INTO the Blessings of God.
Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once” (Matthew 15:26-28 NASB)
Jesus recognizes her for her faith. There is only one another encounter that Jesus says this, Roman Centurion,
Our savior Jesus Christ so wants to rescue us, heal us. And he recognizes this woman’s faith, that she’d get over so much to pursue the touch of Christ that he says, “Woman of great faith, I’ll do what you wish, what you’re desperate for, and her daughter was healed at once”
I don’t know about you, but I’d like Jesus to tell me “Oh man of great faith. You didn’t allow any offenses to hold you back from me
Can I give you one piece of advice regarding offences that will guarantee come our way: Choose not to be offended. Ask God for an unoffendable spirit and when you do and have heart to pursue God in desperation, you’ll see Get into blessings he has for you along the way. Why? To show the people around you how awesome are Jesus is for the world to see.
So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.
Questions for personal reflection and discussion
1. Think of and share a moment in your life that you approached Jesus in desperation to do miracle in your or someone’s life.
2. Of the different stumbling blocks of offense that the woman faced: feeling ignored, being offended by someone in the church, feeling insignificant, and feeling insulted, which of these have you experienced? Share how you have “Got over it”. Would you feel open to sharing of an Face to Face Encounters
Canaanite Woman: Get Over It
November 2-3, 2019
The Holy Land team is ending their time in Israel with great experiences. I’m sure they’ll come back with so many stories to share. We also want to welcome back our Vietnam missionaries.
Kicking off the series entitled Face to Face Series, Encounters with Jesus that Changes us Forever. In Jesus’ day, there were those who heard Him from afar and those who watched Him from the crowd. And there are powerful stories of men and women who encountered Jesus “Face to face.” As we listen to these radical testimonies of healing, miracles, and life-changing truth, we also contend for our own “Face to face” encounter with Jesus that will change us forever. In this four week series, we’ll look at four such Face to Face Encounters: Get over it, Get on it, Get real with it, Get rid of it Encounters. Tonight/Today, we’ll be looking at one encounter and if you leave with one thing, I pray that you’ll leave with the truth of God urging you to “Get Over it”
Have you ever been desperate for Jesus to do something that you only knew Jesus could do: heal you or someone you loved, help recover someone in a bad situation, help him save a marriage, have a child when you’ve tried years and years, desperate for Jesus to show up in power. I wonderif sometimes God doesn’t show up in our lives because we aren’t desperate enough to seek him out. It’s like we know God can heal, but it’s only when you need healing that you desperately seek him out for your healing, for him to provide, for him to orchestrate a breakthrough that God shows up. Desperation is good because it causes us to pursue God even when there are obstacles in our way.
Today, we’ll look at a F2F Jesus encounter with someone who can teach us about the kind of desperation she displayed to “Get Over” the obstacles she faced to get her miracle. These obstacles may hold us back from pursuing God. And some of those obstacles we just got to “Get Over It”! That will be a phrase I’ll have you repeat and remember as you leave here today. You may have to tell yourself or someone else that “I or you gotta get over it” Whatever that “IT” may be for you. And we all have “These Its”
So turn to someone right now and practice, “Get over it”, turn to another, “I gotta get over it”
Reflecting When God showed up big time in my life were in times of desperation: Father needing to be healed of his stomach cancer, desperately looking for diving partners to go diving (god provides them), god bring healing in my marriage and he gets my attention and then he shows me how self centered I am and softens Gayles heart (we’re good today, but there have been times when I’ve been so about myself), but some it’s when my kids go through something, desperate for God to show up for my daughter to find a college to be recruited (doesn’t stick out all but 5’ on a good day), for my son to be accepted into med school and crying out how are we gonna pay for it and then God shows up and covers his costs with a four year grant. Maybe I need to be more desperate in my life for you. I wonder how many of you are here desperate for God to show up big time in some area of your life? If you are not, I wonder, just wonder, if Desperation on our part is one reason.
God doesn’t show up for us. Because I don’t want to communicate, that it’s by our own effort to will God to make something happen in our lives. God is gonna do what he’s gonna do because he’s God and I’m not.
But we gotta see the kind of faith this person had as she encountered Jesus f2f. It’s about the faith of a Syro-Phoenician Woman that encountered Jesus in Matthew 15. We see Jesus initiating many encounters that he had. Woman at the well, Blind man, Tax collector, etc. But in this one, it’s the woman that initiated this encounter.
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Matthew 15:21 – 28 The Syrophoenician Woman
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman 21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”And her daughter was healed at that moment.
I’ll draw out some observations from this face to face encounter to help us “Get Over it”. And my prayer is that we’ll learn to have the kind of faith she had to Get Over whatever threatens to stop us from experiencing our miracle we’re hoping to see happen in our lives. If we can learn from this woman’s face to face encounter, we’ll open our lives to experience the blessings, the goodness of God in our lives. I truly believe we fall short of experiencing his blessings at times, by missing the opportunities that are presented us.
Get Over IT …
The offense of being ignored.
“Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’ But He did not answer her a word” (Matthew 15: 21-23a NASB)
Gotta understand the woman’s background. She’s a Gentile. What’s a Gentile? It’s someone not from the chosen people’s line of the Jews. Let me see, How many full blooded Jews here tonight/today? So it would be like us seeking Jesus for a miracle then.
This woman represents those who are far away from Jesus, wrong religious background, worship other Gods, not the ones Jesus was to reach first! We expect Jesus always to have an open door policy. Always available for us, but we see here, that’s not the case. He did not answer her a word. He had no reply for her. It was like Jesus was making “deaf ear” to her as we say in Hawaii.
But that didn’t stop this momma bear! She obviously doesn’t care about not being of the chosen race, but she knows Jesus can save her daughter. She’s desperate. She’s expects Jesus to heal!
By his very Hebrew name: Yeshua HaMashiach, “Jesus the Messiah.” Yeshua is a shortened version of the name Yehoshua(Yeh-HO-shoo-ah), which means “Yahweh saves.” Mashiach is the Hebrew word for Messiah and means “anointed one.”Jesus is our savior.
So what does he do? He rescues us, saves us in the ordeals, trials, life’s challenges we face. Maybe he doesn’t always save us from our ordeals, trials, and challenges, but he saves us in, while we go through our trials, he saves us.
This woman could have responded, wow Jesus, you healed so many others, why are you gonna ignore me, dis me? “I know I’m from a different race, background, but don’t you care about what I’m going through. I’m out of here!”
That’ didn’t stop her. I think we tell God, “I outa here” to quickly. We don’t reach that point of desperation where are seeking God to be their healer. It’s not how much desperation I must muster, but it’s the posture of our attitude to seek Jesus and not depend on anything else for our solution! She was convinced that one word, one touch of Jesus would undoubtedly heal her daughter.
She wasn’t phased even by being ignored.
Some of us feel like Jesus has ignored our pleas to heal, to work on our behalf, and that’s a stumbling block for us. We say to ourselves, we’ve come to you so many times Jesus, but you seem to be ignoring my needs. Why do you heal, work in other peoples lives, but what about me. And you can’t get over that one. So you check out. Many so called disciples of Jesus today can’t get over feeling like Jesus has ignored their pleas and they stop following Jesus. I’ve tried Jesus, but he doesn’t work for me.
But you gotta like the desperation of this momma bear. Even if she seems to be ignored by Jesus, She gets over it, and I’m not gonna let me feeling ignored stop me! Sometimes we need that Momma Bear attitude! And get over the fact that Jesus may be ignoring us!
As I think back at my dad’s openness to receiving Jesus and experiencing his healing, not on this side of heaven as he died with Stomach Cancer that had spread, but I was desperate for God to reach my dad. I wasn’t gonna let feeling like God ignored my prayers to stop me from pursuing healing for my dad. Well, my dad didn’t get his healing this side of heaven, but he got it on the other side as, he trusted Jesus as his savior, before he succumbed to stomach cancer.
I was so bold as I said to my dad, you’re dying and if you don’t trust in Jesus, I’d be sad that I won’t have confidence that I’ll see you after you die. I was desperate and so was my dad and even if he didn’t get his healing on this side of heaven, he got his healing now
2. The offense of the institution.
“And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us” (Matthew 15: 23b NASB).
Even the disciples wanted to hinder this woman from approaching Jesus with her plea of getting for her daughter. She felt ignored and she’s now being turned away by those close followers of Jesus.
And today, who are the ones with Jesus? That’s us. And that’s the institution, The church. Some of our greatest obstacles we’ll face are from being offended from people in the church. I call these offenses, friendly fire! And we can be like those disciples and turn people away from experiencing their breakthrough, their miracle.
It can be the very followers of God that can offend us the most. Why? We expect better of those who claim to be followers of Jesus. But we can’t equate the people who follow God and God himself even if we should look and act like Jesus in every area of our lives.
We should wear a shirt that says Under construction, grace needed shirt. But unfortunately, the very ones that should be loving and kind are the very ones that can cause offense. But it’s a choice to remain unoffendable.
I’m sure I’ve done stuff or said stuff to you that you could be offended about: I have been known to be “In your Face Earl” “Yeah” and I know I could come across as controlling and pushy. If you’ve felt that, I hope you can cut me some slack, choose to be unoffendable. As I think of Jesus, He offended many people by his life and teaching, so I think I’m in good company. This is what Jesus has to say about offenses:(not in notes)
Jesus said to his disciples: Then He said to the disciples,“It is impossible that no offenses (stumbling blocks/obstacles “Other translations”) should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Other translations say stumbling blocks and offenses. Things that will cause you to fall. Spiritually speaking, there are many things that could offend us make us offended create an obstacle for us (Illustration) Pretty soon we are cut off from others and we cut ourselves off of Jesus.
We’re stuck on a matter. We can’t let it go! But as we learn from this woman, we gotta “Get over it”!
We live in such an offend able culture. What you said, what you did offended me. Pastor Mark spoke about this a few months ago on this when we spoke on the life of David who could have been so offended by the actions of King Saul who wanted David killed when we did our summer series, Overcomer.
Think of another example:
I must confess I am guilty of this, especially in my driving on the road so desiring to be a kind driver. When someone signals to turn to into my lane and I give them space and they cut in, there’s no thanks! No hand wave. Or when I wanna cut into a lane, the other driver makes like they don’t see me wanting to merge and just drives. Again, this is what I do and I need prayer. I can’t over this, so I drive next to the person and see who it is, checking to see if it’s a woman driver or a mainlander? That’s why I say I need prayer.
3. The offense of feeling insignificant.
“But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matthew 15:24-25 NASB).
You mean to tell me Jesus that you’re hand to save only extends to those of special people, you’re people. I’m not gonna let that hold me back. I know you can heal, I’ve seen you heal, and you gotta heal my daughter! A demon has taken over her!
4. The offense of being insulted.
“And He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she said,
(not in your notes)
“Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Jesus indirectly called her a dog! You could argue that the word used here is not a wild dog, but could be taken as a pet dog. But in any case, wild dog or pet dog, it wasn’t a term used to encourage someone. You’re a dog, 2nd class person. But that still didn’t stop her from pursuing Jesus for her daughter’s miracle of deliverance of this evil spirit. She looked past this insult and responded, I’ll take anything, if the crumbs mean you still can make a difference in my daughter’s life, please hear my cries. I’m desperate.
She overlooked that insult.
(Not in bulletin notes) Last slides: Get Over It . . .
So you can Get INTO the Blessings of God.
Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once” (Matthew 15:26-28 NASB)
Jesus recognizes her for her faith. There is only one another encounter that Jesus says this, Roman Centurion,
Our savior Jesus Christ so wants to rescue us, heal us. And he recognizes this woman’s faith, that she’d get over so much to pursue the touch of Christ that he says, “Woman of great faith, I’ll do what you wish, what you’re desperate for, and her daughter was healed at once”
I don’t know about you, but I’d like Jesus to tell me “Oh man of great faith. You didn’t allow any offenses to hold you back from me
Can I give you one piece of advice regarding offences that will guarantee come our way: Choose not to be offended. Ask God for an unoffendable spirit and when you do and have heart to pursue God in desperation, you’ll see Get into blessings he has for you along the way. Why? To show the people around you how awesome are Jesus is for the world to see.
So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.
Questions for personal reflection and discussion
1. Think of and share a moment in your life that you approached Jesus in desperation to do miracle in your or someone’s life.
2. Of the different stumbling blocks of offense that the woman faced: feeling ignored, being offended by someone in the church, feeling insignificant, and feeling insulted, which of these have you experienced? Share how you have “Got over it”. Would you feel open to sharing of an offense that you are still having a hard time to “Get over it”?
3. Which of the woman’s desperation attempts in seeking her miracle has urged you to do likewise in a situation you are experiencing now?
4. What specifically do you discern you need to do now?
5. Pray each other for a breakthrough to experience your miracle.
Notes and recordings of these messages can be found on NHCOHawaii.org
