Lord, Help Me

Kate Stevens • May 5, 2021

Summary of sermon on Matthew 15:21-31 from Pastor Ryan Lewis.

Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman is the story of a faith that Jesus called great!


We have to understand the context—Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, is sovereign in all he does. He went to this location for rest, and he knew it was heavily saturated with non-Jews.


He knew he would come across this woman, and he knew the importance of that for her and for us. 



Her Faith was Humble


This woman knew she had nothing to bring to the table. She knew she was a Canaanite and not a Jew. Because of this, she knew she was not entitled to the goodness of Jesus.


Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”


It was this mindset that she clings to the person of Jesus. In it she declares three simple yet powerful words. 


“Lord, help me.”


With these words she humbles herself, bows herself, and she places herself under Jesus because she is in such great need. 


Great faith must be directed at the right object.  The Canaanite woman’s faith was directed at Jesus. Is ours? What do we turn to when we are in need? Self sufficiency? A steady bank account? A secret sin? We must turn away from these things and seek the help of Jesus—like she did. 



Her Faith was Reverent


The Canaanite woman was also a mother who was petitioning the help of Jesus on behalf of her little demon-possessed daughter. 


“Hopeless and desperate as her case appeared, she had a praying mother, and where there is a praying mother there is always hope. Sometimes all we can do for our children is pray for them.” —J. C. Ryle


The woman knew she was empty. She trusted in the Lord, and we see that demonstrated in her reverent acknowledgment of Jesus’s sovereignty over the ability to answer prayer.



Her Faith was Persistent

Great faith does not give up—and the Canaanite woman had great faith. 


Here is a very probable thought pattern from the woman: “I'm a dog, and I deserve judgment. I am without God and without hope in this world, but I know who you are. I've heard stories of what you've done, and there's no way a man can do those things. You are different than any other man who's ever lived. Men don't just walk on water. Men don't feed 5,000. Men don't raise people from the dead, and I know who you are. You're the one.”—Todd Wagner


She never assumed a position for herself.  She just persistently poured out herself to Jesus on behalf of her sick daughter. This was obviously not a last ditch effort on her part. That is what the spiritually bankrupt do. 


However, spiritually mature believers are persistent in their faith and persistent in their prayers. 


John 6:35 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”


She knew this and had tasted this. And as a result of Jesus’s goodness, she approached in humility, reverence and persistency. Let’s join her and do the same when we need Jesus. Let’s start by simply saying:


“Lord, help me.”



--


Discussion Questions: 


What are some ways that God spoke specifically to you during the worship and teaching time? 


How does the story of the Canaanite woman impact your faith? 


What are you currently asking the Lord for help with right now? 


Pray as a group for what is shared….




Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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