How To Have Faith That Doesn’t Quit
How To Have Faith That Doesn’t Quit
In “How to Have a Faith that Doesn’t Quit”, Pastor Fua shares from Matthew 15:21–28, recounting the story of the Gentile woman who sought Jesus’ help for her daughter. Despite His initial silence and the disciples’ dismissal, she persisted. Pastor Fua draws three lessons from her example.
First, remain faithful when God seems silent. Silence is not absence; it can refine our faith, shaping patience and trust. Second, keep asking when you feel rejected. The woman’s determination to press through barriers reveals that persistence in prayer often precedes breakthrough. Third, lay down pride to align with God’s heart. Her humble worship—acknowledging even “the dogs eat the crumbs”—moves Jesus to commend her great faith and grant her request.
Pastor Fua also connected this to Cultural Sunday, affirming the beauty of every culture while stressing that identity is ultimately rooted in Christ. Culture influences how we express ourselves, but God defines who we are: chosen, loved, and called. He encouraged crossing cultural divides, meeting someone unlike ourselves, and sharing together at God’s family table.
The message challenges believers to hold fast through silence, endure discouragement, and walk humbly, trusting that Jesus honours resilient, humble, and inclusive faith.
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How to Have Faith That Doesn't Quit: Lessons from a Persistent Woman
In our journey of faith, we often face moments of silence, rejection, and challenges that test our resolve. What separates those who persevere from those who give up? The story of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 offers powerful insights into developing a faith that refuses to quit, even when circumstances seem discouraging.
What does persistent faith look like in the Bible?
The passage in Matthew 15 tells of a Gentile woman who approached Jesus seeking healing for her demon-possessed daughter. This encounter is remarkable because it shows Jesus stepping beyond familiar borders into foreign territory - the region of Tyre and Sidon. What unfolds is a challenging interaction that reveals what genuine, unrelenting faith looks like.
The woman approaches Jesus with deep respect, addressing him as "Lord, Son of David" - a messianic title that shows she recognized who He truly was. She pleads, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, for my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely."
What happens next is surprising. Jesus initially gives her "no reply, not even a word." His disciples urge Him to send her away because "she is bothering us with all her begging." When Jesus finally speaks, He says something that seems harsh: "I was sent only to help God's lost sheep, the people of Israel."
Yet the woman persists. She worships Him and pleads again, "Lord, help me." Jesus responds with a metaphor that seems even more challenging: "It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."
Her response reveals extraordinary faith: "That's true, Lord. But even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table."
Jesus' final words to her? "Dear woman, your faith is great. Your request is granted." Her daughter was instantly healed.
How do you stay faithful when God is silent?
The first lesson from this story is learning to stay faithful when God seems silent. When the woman first cried out to Jesus, He gave her no reply. This silence wasn't rejection - it was an invitation to deeper faith.
In our lives, we often face periods when God seems silent. We pray, we seek, we ask - and hear nothing in return. These moments test our faith in profound ways. The question becomes: what do we do when we don't hear from God?
Many of us respond to divine silence with doubt, offense, or by walking away. We wonder if we've done something wrong or if God has abandoned us. But silence in our spiritual journey isn't the end of the conversation - it's often an invitation to a deeper relationship.
God's silence can be a tool for spiritual growth. David cried out in Psalms, "How long, O Lord, will you hide your face from me?" Even Jesus on the cross experienced this: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Sometimes God's silence is like a pause in a song - not the end of the melody, but the moment that gives meaning to the next note. It's in these quiet spaces that we often grow the most.
How do you keep asking when you feel rejected?
The second lesson is about persistence in the face of apparent rejection. When the disciples urged Jesus to send the woman away, and when Jesus Himself seemed to exclude her from His mission, she didn't give up.
Instead of walking away offended, she pressed in further. She didn't just ask once - she kept asking. She wasn't deterred by the disciples' annoyance or Jesus' initial response.
Many of us give up after asking God once, or we become discouraged when our prayers aren't immediately answered. We interpret delays as denials. But a faith that doesn't quit keeps asking, keeps seeking, keeps knocking.
What's interesting about this woman is that she wasn't just asking for a miracle - she was seeking the miracle worker. Her plea "Have mercy on me" shows she understood her need went beyond just her daughter's healing. She recognized her own need for divine mercy.
When Jesus explained His mission was first to "the lost sheep of Israel," it might have seemed like rejection. But this wasn't the end of the story - it was setting the stage for a deeper revelation of God's grace that would eventually extend to all people.
How do you surrender pride and align with God's heart?
The third lesson involves surrendering pride and aligning with God's heart. The woman's response to apparent rejection wasn't anger or entitlement - it was worship and humility.
"She came and worshiped him, pleading again, 'Lord, help me.'" This worship wasn't about singing songs; it was about posture - kneeling down, bowing her head in reverence and surrender.
When Jesus used the metaphor of children (Israelites) and dogs (Gentiles), she didn't take offense. Instead, she humbly accepted her position while still believing in His goodness: "That's true, Lord. But even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table."
She wasn't demanding a place at the table or claiming she deserved God's blessing. She was simply asking for mercy, willing to receive whatever fell from the master's table. Her humility moved Jesus deeply.
Pride builds a brand; humility builds a life. Image is what people see; integrity is what God sees. Pride asks, "How do I look?" Humility asks, "Who am I becoming?"
When we surrender our pride, our shame, our guilt, and align our hearts with God's, we position ourselves to receive His grace. Before we belong to a nation, tribe, or people, we belong to God. Our culture may shape our traditions, but only God shapes our identity.
Life Application
How can we develop a faith that doesn't quit? Here are some practical steps to apply these lessons in your daily life:
Stay faithful in the silence: When God seems distant, continue in prayer, devotion, and service. Use silence as an opportunity for reflection and growth rather than a reason to walk away.
Be persistent in asking: Don't give up after one unanswered prayer. Keep seeking God with the same persistence you apply to other areas of life.
Surrender your pride: Approach God with humility, willing to receive whatever He offers rather than demanding what you think you deserve.
Align your heart with God's: Remember that your primary identity is as God's child, not defined by your culture, background, or circumstances.
Questions to reflect on this week:
In what areas of my life am I experiencing God's silence? How am I responding to it?
What have I stopped praying for because I didn't see immediate results?
What pride or cultural expectations might be hindering my ability to fully receive God's grace?
Am I willing to humble myself and accept whatever God offers, even if it's different from what I expected?
Remember, sometimes it's not the loudest faith that moves God, but the faith that simply won't quit. Like the Gentile woman, may we persist until we hear those beautiful words: "Your faith is great. Your request is granted."
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A discussion guide for the sermon can be found here.
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It was always, always a challenge on what to speak on when it comes to a cultural celebration. Right.
Culture has always been something that's close to my heart, you know, so it was a challenge. But I come across the story in Matthew. Challenging story, a story that, you know, it's a striking moment when Jesus steps beyond familiar borders. It's when a story of when Jesus steps out into foreign land, and it's the first recording of him stepping out and who he meets in this foreign land and where this young person is from and what this young person, not so much young, but what this person does in pursuit of having faith. And this morning, I want to talk to you about your faith and what that looks like for you.
What does your faith look like? Where is your faith at this morning?
What unfolds in the story? It's an encounter that challenges cultural boundaries. It reveals deep tensions and draws out a powerful exchange between Jesus and an unexpected voice. And here's what it says in Matthew 15:21, 28.
Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, for my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely. But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. Tell her to go away, they said.
She is bothering us with all her begging. Then Jesus said to the woman, I was sent only to help God's lost sheep, the people of Israel. But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, lord, help me. Jesus responded, it isn't right to take food from the children and sow it to the dogs. She replied, that's true, Lord.
But even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table. Dear woman, Jesus said, To her, your faith is great. Your request is granted. And her daughter was instantly healed. What a passage, eh?
What a strong passage of faith. And it invites us to consider something. Consider faith, persistence, and how the kingdom of God reaches further than many first thought. It's in this foreign region, among people considered outsiders, that Jesus teaches us what real faith looks like. Faith that holds on long enough to see the outcome.
Titled my message this morning, Church how to have faith that doesn't quit. Amen.
Church. We have things in our lives that we don't quit on, right? We pursue it, we're persistent. Doesn't matter what's in our way, we just go for it. And I've written a list of those things.
First thing is this. TV shows with seven boring seasons. You know who you are, you know who you are. I don't understand. You watch four Seasons and they're boring and you're like, nah, wait till the end, Wait till the end.
The end's got to be good. Pursuit. I'm not quitting. I'm going to the end. Here's a good one, One of my favorites.
The one pair of jeans that doesn't fit. Nah, keep going. Keep putting them on. Keep doing it. Don't give up, church.
Don't give up. Charging cables, phone chargers. If you're charging your phone against the wall and it's like that, it's probably time to buy a new charger. But we don't, right? We keep going, right?
We keep pursuing it. We do anything to charge their phone. Group chats. They should have died in 2020.
Nah, keep them. It's all good. We're going to catch up one day. Right now. You still got them?
Still alive, right? Here's the favorite one. Macca's drive thru at midnight. There's 14 cars in front of you. Nah, it's okay.
Be persistent. Don't quit, don't quit. Don't give up. There's 12 cars. Keep on going.
Keep on going.
You know what I'm talking about. Church. There are many things in our lives, in our workplaces, in that we don't hesitate, we pursue, we are persistent and we don't give up. Amen. What would happen if we gave the same kinds of stubborn energy to our faith fire this morning?
What happens if everything, all our energy and all our efforts and our passion and the things of this world was the same in our faith in Christ?
Why is it our faith in Christ gets the second best, but we don't hesitate when it comes to things of the world? We're There, great careers, corporate ladder, you get to the top, you do it. Those are great things, right? Those are great things. Achieve your goals and all those things.
But are you putting the same effort into your faith and your walk with Jesus?
It's a challenging one.
There are things in our lives that are worth holding onto and never quit on. And faith is one of them. And we're going to look at Matthew and what happens when faith refuses to quit, even in the face of silence, resistance and rejection. Because sometimes it's not the loudest faith that moves God, but their faith. They just won't quit.
Amen. So how do you have faith that doesn't quit? Here's the first thing. Stay faithful when God is silent. Stay faithful when God is silent.
What do we do when we're speaking to God and we don't hear from Him? What do we do? What are some of the things that we've done? He's not talking to me or he didn't hear my prayer. He's not there, he's not with me.
What do you do when you don't hear from the Lord?
No response, no reaction, no nothing. And this woman, as she encounters Jesus, a gentile woman who lived there came to him pleading, have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me. So this woman acknowledges Jesus with such deep honour and respect. An old school messianic title, Son of David. So somewhere along the lines here, this woman knew of Jesus.
Maybe word was fluttering off this Jesus that was preaching and speaking to the people in there. But already this tells us how much honor and respect this woman has for the Lord, Right?
Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, for my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely. And this is what Jesus does. Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word.
No reply, not even a word.
Even after acknowledging the Father, Son of David.
Maybe in those times there Jesus had people around them that weren't even acknowledging him that way. But you have an outsider gentile, a woman that's seen as unclean, cursed people, right? And yet she oh Lord, son of David.
This is one of the few times in scripture when someone cries out in faith and Jesus doesn't immediately respond. Jesus, silence isn't a rejection church, it's an invitation. A faith that doesn't quit trusts even when there is no immediate answer. The woman didn't walk away at silence. She pressed in even more.
She pressed in even more. Well, how do we know she pressed in even more? Find out soon.
One of the reasons Jesus Remains silent is to test and strengthen the faith of those who approach him. So we need silence in your life in that, right? It's for you to sit and reflect and pray where you are at in your life. How do I respond? Am I offended?
Am I offended? Am I hurt that I do something wrong? It helps you to sit with it, not to dwell with it. There is a difference. I'm not dwelling in my struggle.
I'm reflecting on who I am in Christ. Right? Silence reveals things in our lives, right? It grows us, it empowers us, it settles us, it settles the nerves, any anxiety, right? It empowers us.
We learn new things. As long as we don't quit. And a lot of time in the silence, we quit. Amen. Raise your hands if you had moments where you don't hear from God and you're just like, nah, that's it.
Yep. I remember a time when I lost my dad in 2020 in lockdown, you know, the lockdown season. And then watching his service on. What is it? Zoom on.
Zoom in that. Yeah, around. Now I'm like, where are you, man? Silent, not a word. Not a word.
Silence. Not a word. Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word for me. Then I got nothing. You know what I did?
Where are you? Why aren't you here? And that whole time, and I look back at it now, that was a moment. Jesus saying, I need you to see what I see. I'm testing you.
I'm refining you in that. And in the right time, I'm going to show you something in the silence, right? You learn so much in the silence. My old man was a mechanic. Have we got mechanics, any mechanics in here?
Just Steve. Steve's like everything. Builder, mechanic, plumber. Oh, yeah, this fella here, Justin, just as a mechanic, right? I grew up working on cars with my dad and stuff.
And it got to a certain age where I was confident enough to. To. To pull apart an engine and then put it back, right? Don't. Don't ask me to do that now.
You'll be lucky to get your tyre changed. That's about it. Forgotten everything. But in those times there with my dad and I learned so much, when he gave me nothing, when his response was nothing, I would ask him a certain something. No response.
He would be annoyed at something quiet. But it's helped me to reflect and go, well, what do I do in that quietness? If I'm waiting for God and if I'm waiting for my dad to give me an answer, then what am I doing? So it forced me to kind of think, all right, what am I going to do in this moment of silence? And I learned everything about cars in those moments of silence.
And when the Lord doesn't reply to you, he doesn't respond to you because he wants you to dig even deeper and go, what do I need to do to have a faith that doesn't quit? What can I do today?
In scripture, God's silence is often a tool for spiritual growth. You see, David cried out in Psalms, how long, O Lord, will you hide your face from me? We're seeing Jesus on the cross. Seeing Jesus, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Sometimes God's silence is like a pause in a song. Not the end of the song, but the moment that gives meaning to the next note. It's that crucial moment. It's that small little window where you go, ah, there it is. And then God will give you something new for the next season.
It's in the silence. Church. If you stay faithful enough in the silence, watch him do a work in your life. Amen. What do you do when you don't hear from God?
You can keep coming to church all you want, but what do you do when you don't hear from God?
Are you willing to wait in the silence and still believe?
Silence is not the end of the conversation. It's an invitation to a deeper faith. Stay faithful when he's silenced. Even when we don't hear anything and you're getting nothing in there, stay faithful. Stay in prayer in your devotions.
Intercede for someone. Pray for one another. Right. Serve God with your life. Keep serving.
Stay faithful. He hasn't left you when he's silent. He hasn't abandoned or deserted you. He is refining your faith. And that is the first thing.
Church, faithful in the silence. You with me? Amen. Next one is keep asking when you feel rejected.
Keep asking when you feel rejected. Who's ever felt rejected?
Many of us. Huh? Who's ever felt rejected because the color of the skin.
Who's ever felt rejected because of what they wear?
There are so many things in our lives that seem like rejections. They seem like they are against us. But can I tell you that a lot of those things, if anything, it's part of a refining stage, just like the silence, to see what you're made of, to see what your response is. If I got offended every time someone questions me about my tattoos or my color, what I wear, I'm not doing what I need to be doing. I'm not aligning myself with the Father and go, I'm just getting angry and frustrated in that.
And we see this woman here. She gets pushed away, and it seems like a rejection. Verse 23. Then his disciples urged him to send her away, tell her to go away. She is bothering us with all her begging.
Disciples said to Jesus, brother, tell her to go away. She's so annoying.
She's so annoying. Who is this outsider, this outcast, this gentile woman?
Tell her to go away, Jesus. Words seemed harsh, but they're part of a test, not cruelty. Her persistence reveals her heart. She's not in it for position or titles, just for help from the Lord. A faith that doesn't quit, doesn't let people discouragement or delay.
Push it away. She keeps asking, persistent, Lord, help me please. Lord, son of David, help me please. Have mercy on me, please. How many of you guys have cried that out?
How many times have you cried out, lord, have mercy on me. Forgive me.
How many of us give up after asking once?
How many of us give up without even asking?
How many of us just wake up and just give up? I can keep going for days. Church, keep asking, right?
Here's the thing.
I keep asking my church, but I want to challenge you. What are you asking for? Who are you asking for this woman? If we go to the top, right, have mercy on me, not my daughter. Have mercy on me.
All right? So who are you asking for? Who are you interceding for?
What is God stirring in your heart that's making you go, you know what? I'm going to keep on asking and keep on persevering. I'm going to keep on being resilient and persistent in my walk with Christ. You almost have to be annoying, right? We all have annoying people in our lives.
Raise your hands if you've got annoying people in your lives. Let's be honest. See, the humble ones are kind of like this, like that, even though the person next to them is the one.
Amen.
That's what I love about knowing people, you know? I love about knowing people. They're persistent. Hey, they are, man. They're persistent.
Like, amen to that. Like, they just don't know when to stop, right? And you're. And you're. You're a loving friend.
You love them as a friend, right? You love them so much. But, oh, it's one of those ones. And you know what? Church, you know who the worst offenders are?
Kids.
Who's that? Oh, that's my kid right there. Kids. If you have kids, bless you. Bless your heart.
Bless your Family, right? I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry. And it goes on and on. And then when you say as a parent, go eat something, and then the next one comes, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired. And then you go, well, go have a nap.
And they go, I can't because I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry. And it just goes on and on and on, right? Non stop. I see some of your parents preach it for. Preach it, preach it, brother, Preach it.
You know who's second on the, on the hit list? Young adults, right? When, when did ever, like, I don't know what happened, right? But when did young adults get their own personal Uber driver? Mum, take me here.
Dad, take me there. Mom, pick me up here. Dad, take me. I'm sorry. I'm raised up on the days where you walk or there's the bus.
Amen. There you go. Amen. Yeah, that's right. Amen.
Wisdom, that's what they need. But it's the truth, isn't it? We live in such a world where the things that we are persistent in and nag for and want are the things that don't even matter. Don't even matter. You know, what matters is the chance and the opportunity.
That the same energy I pour into telling mom to drop me here, left front sinner is the same energy that I'll pour into what the father wants of me. A faith that doesn't quit.
They don't give up. They keep asking, right? Even partners, right? Yeah. It's a tricky one, partners, husbands and wives.
You love each other dearly, you know, and if you're a couple in there, you're a good relationship. God's a sense of your relationship. But let's be real, be real. We know one of you guys annoys the other. Amen.
Amen. And we're praying for that other one, right?
But it's that persistent attitude and energy is what we need in our faith with Jesus. Amen. If I just went, oh, I had faith. And then someone comes up to me and goes, fool, you don't have faith. And then I go, okay, I'm just going to go sit down.
That is not the faith. I'm talking about church, right? That is a surface faith. That is the faith. You go home and you tick the box that you've done church for the week.
That is not the faith. Faith I'm talking about is no matter the rejection, no matter what comes against you, Here I am. Send me. That's the attitude that no matter what, seems like something is hitting you in the face right here, you can see the Lord for your own eyes. Because the thing about this woman in here, she's not crying out for a miracle.
She's crying out for the miracle worker.
She's crying out for the miracle worker, have mercy on me. She didn't say, have mercy on me, O Lord, heal my daughter. Have mercy on me.
How many of us here, in our moments of challenges, or whatever it is in our lives, see Jesus, actually see him in your life, see him doing a work in your life? Are you caught up going, why haven't you done this? Where are you? Here? Why haven't you healed my daughter?
Why haven't you healed me?
Sometimes we can feel like we're not part of it, right?
Jesus says this to the woman, I was sent only to help God's sheep, God's lost sheep, the people of Israel.
This is different to the rejection of the disciples are talking about the disciples to tell her, go away. She's bothering us, right? This is different. This seems like a rejection. Seems like she's not part of it.
Seems like she's not welcomed into the family, right? When Jesus says this, he isn't rejecting the woman. He's explaining that his mission started with the people of Israel. They were God's chosen people, right? So I was sent only to help God's lost sheep, people, Israel.
But that doesn't mean others weren't excluded forever. And this is God's heart, right? It actually sets the stage for a deeper revelation of God's grace. When you're persistent just long enough, you'll see that your culture, your upbringing, your background, whatever once was seen as a barrier can't keep you from the grace of God. So in your rejection moments, in your challenges and what things may seem difficult or upfront or from far, keep asking, keep asking, keep believing, keep asking.
Don't give up. Too many of us give up too soon because it's too hard. Keep asking. I'm seeing a number of people here, Vic back there. I see.
Keep asking. It's tough, it's hard, but keep asking, keep believing. Keep knowing that in the silence, he's doing the work, right? He sees your heart. He wants something more from you.
He's testing you in those moments.
What areas in your journey require you to persist just a little bit longer? I can get Moses up, please. What's stopping you from asking the Lord over and over, what have you stopped praying for?
What Makes you feel like God's promises are for others, just not for you.
Jesus was never afraid of rejection. He never stopped inviting people to think, reflect and respond.
And when God is silent, he's refining us. We stay faithful when there's rejection. We have a faith that never quits. We're persistent, we're resilient. We keep going, we keep asking.
And leads to my third and final thing.
Surrender, pride and align with God's heart.
A faith that never quits, is faithful, persistent, surrenders pride and aligns with his heart.
Man, pride is a killer.
Pride, prideful.
All about me, my image.
Look at me, I'm preaching. I've made it. Well done, Pastor Fu.
I don't care about that pride.
The woman's response to the silence, to the rejection. She says this.
She came and worshipped him, pleading again. Lord, help me.
She wasn't angry. She wasn't angry. She wasn't upset. She wasn't prideful. She didn't say to Jesus, you know what, Jesus, you can get lost.
I don't want to be a part of your family. And I'm going to go back to my people because they love me. She knew there was a deeper love in Christ.
But her response, she came and worshiped him, pleading again. Now, we have to understand this verse here about worshiping. She didn't bring out a guitar and start jamming away. It's not the worship I'm talking about. Worship I'm talking about is her posture in worship.
Her kneeling down, her head down.
Kneeling and bowing. Unjust traditions. They're powerful signs of surrender and reverence. When we kneel before God, we're saying, you are Lord, not me. When we bow, we humble ourselves, laying down our pride, control and expectations.
You saw it this morning, Alex, our worship leader. You heard her talk about it this morning. Semika on her knees.
Mr. Funke on his knees. We fall down.
How many of us seek the Lord before getting offended?
How many of us are worried about our image, what we look like in front of people?
How many of us worship the Lord before we get angry? How many of us plead to the Lord before reacting out of pride?
Pride builds a brand. Humility builds a life. Image is what people see. Integrity is what God sees. Pride asks, how do I look?
Humility asks, who am I becoming?
That's the Lord.
Bring the fire. Yep. Okay. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.
Here I am.
So you see this, right? She responds, she worshiped pleading again. Jesus says this to the woman, it isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. First glance at this for the very first time I started asking myself, well, hold on. Did Jesus have a dog?
Did Jesus have kids? Did the kids have a dog? Right? Nah, dug a bit deeper. Children and dogs.
Jesus uses a metaphor to describe the difference between Jews the children and the Gentiles. The dogs, right? This was commonly Jewish expression referring to Gentiles who were often seen as inferior or unclean. Culture Dogs. Rabbi.
Here's the twist. Two words for two Greek words for dogs. The Pharisees would say kind was referred to the Gentile people as dogs. But wild dogs, Scavengers, right? Reckless.
The Lord says dogs in the Greek word canarion which refers to a household pet. Gentle and loving. Right?
When Jesus said it isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs, her response is this. That's true. But even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table.
Let me say that again. That's true, Lord. She acknowledges he's right. You are, Lord. But even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table.
As if she is saying, I know I'm an outsider, but I also know who you are. And even a crumb from you is enough to change everything.
Just a crumb response of humility.
She's not asking for a place at the table. She's not asked. She's not saying I deserve to be there because I have nothing. She's saying, whatever falls, whatever scraps. What have you got lying around, Lord?
I'll take it.
She's asking for mercy. She's not asking for a place at the table. And Jesus loves this. He isn't offended by her persistence. He's moved by it.
He's moved by so much. In verse 28 he says, Your faith is great. Your request is granted.
And her daughter was healed.
A faith that doesn't quit right here. An outsider. Not from these lands. Cultures are different.
Yet she wasn't only persistent. She was so respectful, loving and caring. So much honour and her acknowledgement of the Father.
She was willing to take whatever that would fall from the Lord. Whatever you have. Many of us here probably gone through seasons.
Just give me something, Lord. Just give me. Just give me just a little bit, just to get through this. I can do it, but I just, I need a bit of a top up. Lord, give me, give me something so I can just keep going.
Such humility. Humble. Humble. Not no position, no title, no nothing. It's the unclean woman.
Accursed people. And yeah, she was humble to the Lord.
What's keeping you from fully aligning with God's will?
Is it your pride? Is it your culture? Is it your hurt? Is it your offence?
Her boldness and humility demonstrated that God's mercy is not limited to Israel alone. And it's through this interaction that we see God's grace becoming available to all people.
To all people. You and I, you, you, you, you.
Celebrating culture. Celebrate the opportunity to serve God together. After the service, we'll break bread as a family. We'll get to know each other, serve, challenge each other in a loving way, keep each other accountable in a loving way.
The thing about this woman, she wasn't bothered or worried about anything. And sometimes we can come from cultures where we don't feel like we're enough.
Maybe you're here now and you're going, oh, my background, we don't have much. And I wasn't brought up with many things and struggled my whole life. And what can I tell you that this woman, she didn't have much at all either. What she did have and what I see in each and every one of you is a faithful heart in the silence. It's the persistence and the resilience heart to keep going, keep asking, keep seeking the Lord over and over and over.
A surrendered heart. Surrender your pride, your shame, your guilt. Align your heart with the Father's.
Many years ago, I preached my first message at Connect. And it was a message called Culture versus the Kingdom. If I can remember it, it's a testimony, my culture, my first time ever preaching at Connect, shared my heart, shared my, you know, story of my dad being the high chief and my family and all these things and the word of God and just poured on my heart as you see now.
And then after I preached it, I was persecuted. Text messages, phone calls. But the ones that love me, my own blood, right, you should have this, you should have not done that. You should have. And I kept going.
The whole week, kept going.
But at not one point did I buckle under pressure.
You know what I did? I stayed faithful, kept on preaching, kept on serving God with my heart, kept on being real, authentic as best as I can. And you know the amazing thing? Church, fast forward many years, God has truly done an amazing work. Myself and my family, where those people that once persecuted me are actually the ones now sending me messages and watching me online and they're going, fuwa, don't give up.
Keep seeking the law. Keep seeking the law. And I'm like, yeah, should have Said that five years ago, right? They're the same people. The same people that persecuted me are now going.
Keep going, keep going. If you think that your journey in your life is just for you and the culture you're brought up in, you've got it wrong. Who are you impacting? If the word is to go make disciples, who is it?
Throw it a challenge right now, when we get out there, I challenge you to talk to someone that does not look like you, find out things about that person. The persecution that I received from my family, it actually wasn't for me. It was for them. It was an opportunity for them to see. Jesus didn't respond out of anger, frustration, right?
And one of them is my mom. Out of all people.
You want to celebrate culture? Celebrate it.
You want to honor God? That's a different story. You want to pursue God and have a faith that doesn't quit. Dig deep. Stay faithful.
Stay faithful.
And I wrote this down before you belong to a nation, a tribe, or a people, you belong to God.
Your culture may shape your traditions, but only God shapes your identity. Your culture may influence how you express worship, but only God determines who you worship. Where culture creates labels, God speaks identity. Where culture sets limits, God releases purpose. Where culture says you don't belong, God says you are chosen.
You are chosen, each and every one of you. If you're from cultures where you don't feel like it's for me or whatever, I want to challenge you that you are chosen by name.
And before we finish up, we're going to go into the song. We fall down.
Stay faithful. When he is silent. Church.
Keep going. You don't have to have it together. Keep going. Just you. When he calls you by name, doesn't just call you, but he calls you by name.
To live a life, to prosper, to have a good future. Keep asking when you feel rejected. Keep asking when you feel rejected. Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David. Even when Jesus in verse 23 had no reply, not even a word.
Keep asking. Keep believing.
Surrender, pride, and align with God's heart.
Verse 25, she worshipped him, pleading again, lord, help me.
But even the dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master's table. Whatever you have for me, Lord, whether it's big or small, I will receive with such humility in my heart to align my heart with the Father's. Then you'll see the Lord work in your life. And he will say to you, my dear, faithful child, your faith is great. Your request is granted.
Whatever you ask for of the Father in time will be granted. So I want to invite everyone to stand.
So we're going to sing We Fall. And we're just going to have a moment just to reflect on this.
We lay our crown at the feet of Jesus the greatness of his mercy and love at the feet of Jesus Come on. We fall down we fall down we lay down we are crowned at the feet of Jesus the greatness of his mercy and love at the feet of Jesus and we cry Holy, holy, holy we cry Holy, holy, holy we cry Holy, holy, Holy is the Lamb Come on. We cry what do we sing this out? Church ready? Clear this morning.
Holy, we cry Holy, holy, holy we cry Holy, holy, holy is the lamb Ethereum. I close here, and I don't know what it is that you're going through this morning, but I hope this word has stirred something in your heart to ask questions. What questions? What do I ask the Father? To be faithful in the silence.
Even when you don't hear from the Lord, you stay faithful. Keep serving him, church. Keep serving him with your life. Even when he's not around or feel like he's not around. Keep serving him with your.
Your life. Surrender your pride, your shame, your guilt. It is not for you to carry, but for the fathers. Surrender yourself. Surrender at the feet of the Father and align your heart with his and watch him do a work in your life.
Watch him impact generations just using one life.
Father.
We thank you, Lord, that we are reminded. We are reminded of the power of sitting at your feet.
We are reminded, Lord God, that in the silence, Heavenly Father, it's not that you are absent. It's that it's an invitation to dig deeper, Father. To get to know you even more. To be in your word, Father.
Lord God, I ask for courage for your people. Give them courage and no fear attitude towards asking questions. To keep asking, to be persistent, to be persistent. To be faithful. To keep going, keep asking, keep believing.
I want more. I want that attitude. Heavenly Father, for your people and Lord God. I pray, Lord God, that they would surrender their hearts, Lord God, that they will surrender anything that's holding them back, Father. And that you would align their hearts with yours.
We thank you, Father, for this opportunity and a reminder to have a faith that doesn't quit. A faith that honors and gives you glory and praise, Lord. And we thank you, Lord, and all his people. Say amen. Why don't we give him a hand?
Amen. Amen.
Awesome church. Well, we have Pastor Katrina next weekend. Apparently we've got a feast we have a feast out there, so please hang around, join us, and we'll see you next time. Thanks, guys.
Related Bible Verses
Matthew 15:21–28 (New Living Translation)
21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”
23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”
24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”
26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.”
28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.