Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, 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.' But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, 'Send her away, for she cries out after us.' But He answered and said, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' 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 masters’ table.' Then Jesus answered and said to her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

-Matthew 15:21-28 NKJV

The message Jesus is teaching here is fundamental to the success of these disciples in achieving the ultimate mission of the Church:

To bring all people—regardless of age, gender, culture, or ethnic group—into a loving relationship with the Creator of the universe.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...

-Matthew 28:19

In the disciples minds, all poverty—physical or spiritual–is earned, but Jesus is opening their eyes to the truth that: No one is too far from God to come home.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

-Romans 6:11-14

Illustration: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

• Sin cannot eventuate in your life unless you lend the members of your body over to sin.

• The power of the Holy Spirit gives you the power to say “no” to sin after our repentance.

• Everyone is convicted of sin, whether or not you have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit because all people are created in the image of God.

Illustration: The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19)

Two men were convicted of the same sin; one repented and the other did not.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'

-Matthew 5:1-3

One Hope, One Life, In Christ

1. There is only one hope for our world and the individual: Jesus Christ.

2. There is only one way to eternal life: Jesus Christ and His all-sufficient, all-atoning sacrifice on the cross.

3. All those in Christ discover their love and life and it is secure for all eternity.

Evangelism is done best one-on-one.

Who is your “one life”?

What do I do with my “One Life”?

1. The Hands: Show Them Your Hands

Mother Teresa

Father Joseph Damien

World Vision and the Tsunami in Southeast Asia

Bill Clinton: United Nations Prayer Breakfast

Do you want to change the world? Let them see your hands!

Blake Mycoskie: TOMS Shoes

2. The Feet: Take the Good News to All People

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

-Romans 10:15b

Lost Sheep

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

-Luke 15:4

Lost Coin

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

-Luke 15:8

Lost Son

'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'

-Luke 15:31-32

Jesus’ life was intentional with people one-on-one! Throughout his ministry, He puts everything on hold for one-on-one discipleship:

- Zacchaeus (Luke 19)

- a Roman Centurion (Matthew 8, Luke 7)

- Jairus (Mark 5, Matthew 9, Luke 8)

- Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4)

- restoration of Peter after his failure (John 21)

- A Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15)

Why does Jesus do this?

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

-1 John 3:16

Just as Jesus sacrificed to pursue us; we sacrifice to pursue others.

What does that look like?

My feet take me “out of the way” to help someone far from God come near.

The Gospel travels well!

3. Arms: Embrace Sinners

Did Jesus embrace sinners into his midst?

Did he eat with sinners?

Did he fellowship with sinners?

The early church opened their homes to the lost and marginalized of society.

- Hospitality was a core value.

- By welcoming strangers and non-believers, early Christians created opportunities to share their faith in a natural and impactful way.

Beware of the Holy Huddle! Who would you not welcome in?

What does inviting and embracing the sinner mean?

What inviting the sinner does not mean?

Jesus is our example:

Hands: Show them your hands.

Feet: Take the good news to all people.

Arms: Embrace sinners.

Make a Decison