Live Like Jesus
Learn: Be Acceptive

Sunday February 17th, 2019 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

Matthew 15:21-28

INTRODUCTION

The focus of the third Sunday in the series To Live Like Jesus is to learn. Be Acceptive. Learn the stories of others. Appreciate and accept other people, their culture and their spiritual journey. At this stage you may have cultivated relationships with your neighbors, so now is the perfect time to learn more about them. You may have the urge to unload everything you know about God. But first, learn more about your neighbors. Read and educate yourselves about others and ask questions. Learn about them so you can articulate your faith intelligently and confidently.

SETTING

In this sermon we will closely follow Jesus to study how He interacted with the Canaanite woman. I will layer the event in Matthew chapter 15 with an encounter I had with a man from India. Jesus revealed the danger of how mere traditionalism could stand in the way of spiritual transformation.

THE GOAL OF THE SERIES

• 1. Grow like Jesus. He is the model for well-balanced, Four-Dimensional Growth Wisdom: Cognitive and Emotional Intelligence
  Stature: Physical
  Favor With Man: Social
  Favor With God: Spiritual
  
• 2. The Four-Dimensional Growth model will lead to a Four-Dimensional Growth Impact

To learn about and accept others

CONSIDER THE CULTURE OF OTHER PEOPLE

"Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon." Matthew 15:21

Jesus was receptive of all cultures and races
He expanded His mission beyond His own people (Jewish)
He went to the Canaanite area not to condemn but to redeem
Read about the culture of the people in your areas of influence

CONSIDER THE CONDITION OF OTHER PEOPLE

"A woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.' Matthew 15:22

Jesus was perceptive of all cultures and races
Jesus included non-Jewish people in His mission (Canaanites)
He met the Canaanite woman to set the precedent for how His disciples would go into the world
Learn the worldview of other people to respond to their concerns with a solution

CONSIDER THE COST OF THE PEOPLE

"Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!' But He answered and said, 'It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.' And she said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.'" Matthew 15:27

Jesus was redemptive of all cultures and races
Jesus extended His blessing to a non-Jewish person (Canaanite woman)
He welcomed non-Jewish people into His kingdom
Accept people of different cultures and races as God's children