Sermon Notes

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

MARK 7:24-30 // Faith That Honors

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” -Luke 18:8

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” -Hebrews 11:1 

“Faith is acting like God is telling the truth” – Tony Evans 

MARK 7:24-30

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Sermon in a Sentence:

The faith that Jesus honors is the faith that honors Him.

3 KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF A FAITH THAT HONORS GOD

1.    A FAITH THAT ACTS 

“But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.”

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” 

2.    A FAITH THAT PERSISTS 

“Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter."

Luke 18: 1-8

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

“Why would God work that way? Why not give what we ask for the first time? I have a guess. I think God responds like this because he is glorified through our persistent boldness. By pounding on God’s door, praying, and refusing to give up, we declare our confidence in the goodness and the power of God. The more the pounding, the greater the declaration of confidence. – JD Greear

And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”  But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 

3.    A FAITH THAT IS HUMBLE

"And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone."