when “NO” is NOt eNOugh

by Rocky Whitely

1.     I.      Introduction

1.                             A.                           Very stinging rebuke of worldly Christians: “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2 NASB)

1.                                          1.                                          Many Christians do not have blessings from God simply because they do not ask God for them

2.                                          2.                                          How fundamental a contradiction!

1.                                                      a)                                                      God — the provider of all blessings

2.                                                      b)                                                      It is only natural for God’s children to ask Him for blessings

2.                             B.                            Asking—principle in Scripture and in life

1.                                          1.                                          As a door-to-door salesman for a famous-maker brand of

1.                                                      a)                                                      Cutlery—I did not make any money

2.                                                      b)                                                      Vacuum cleaners—I did not make any money

3.                                                      c)                                                      I did not have because I did not ask

1.                                                                  (1)                                                               I did not go hungry
2.                                                                  (2)                                                               I was still living at home

2.                                          2.                                          Later I learned, “You do not have because you do not ask”

1.                                                      a)                                                      I sold prearranged funerals door-to-door for a local funeral home

1.                                                                  (1)                                                               I asked for the appointment
2.                                                                  (2)                                                               I made the presentation
3.                                                                  (3)                                                               I asked for a check

2.                                                      b)                                                      Had I not asked,

1.                                                                  (1)                                                               I would have gone hungry, and my wife and my children, too
2.                                                                  (2)                                                               I had a need to ask

3.                             C.                           Text: when Jesus sought privacy in the region of Tyre and Sidon above Galilee (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30)

2.    II.     Jesus’ privacy interrupted (cf. Matthew)

1.                             A.                           A Canaanite woman sought Jesus

1.                                          1.                                          The Canaanites were one of the groups of people living in the Promised Land when the Israelites came to conquer over a thousand years earlier

2.                                          2.                                          She came as a supplicant, not as an enemy but

1.                                                      a)                                                      Her daughter was struck ill by a demon, at home and in bed (Mark 7:30)

2.                                                      b)                                                      What was the nature of the daughter’s illness, when demons caused many things, fever, deafness, muteness, and so forth

2.                             B.                            The woman’s request

1.                                          1.                                          She begged Jesus, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed” (Matthew 15:22)

1.                                                      a)                                                      Mark 7:26—she continually begged Him

2.                                          2.                                          Jesus’ disciples were clearly agitated

1.                                                      a)                                                      Not only did He seemingly not listen to her, she did not listen to them and their attempts to send her away

2.                                                      b)                                                      They, in turn, appealed to Jesus, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us” (verse 23)

3.                                          3.                                          What is wrong with this picture?

1.                                                      a)                                                      With everything that we know about Jesus, when people needed help, He helped them

2.                                                      b)                                                      He did nothing

3.                                                      c)                                                      Also, here were His disciples being anything but helpful

3.                             C.                           Jesus’ crushing blow

1.                                          1.                                          He responded to her pleas(e) for her daughter by saying, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (verse 24)

2.                                          2.                                          She should have gotten the message

1.                                                      a)                                                      We would have, would we not?

2.                                                      b)                                                      It would have been rude to carry on, right?

3.                                                      c)                                                      Then again, what was Jesus doing outside the land of the Jews?

4.                             D.                           The woman’s persistent/obnoxious requests

1.                                          1.                                          I learned in sales that selling begins after the third “No”

1.                                                      a)                                                      If someone buys before that time, they did not buy because of your ability to sell; they bought because they had already decided to buy

2.                                                      b)                                                      You just happened to be at the right place at the right time

2.                                          2.                                          The first three “No’s”

1.                                                      a)                                                      First “No”: Jesus did not answer her

2.                                                      b)                                                      Second “No”: the disciples pleading with Jesus to send her away

3.                                                      c)                                                      Third “No”: Jesus stating that He was not sent to her but to Israel

3.                                          3.                                          Her simple response, “Lord, help me!” (verse 25)

1.                                                      a)                                                      She would only accept a “Yes” from Him

4.                                          4.                                          The fourth “No”

1.                                                      a)                                                      “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (verse 26)

2.                                                      b)                                                      “The dogs” reference not to be viewed as insulting

1.                                                                  (1)                                                               A common illustration of life, just like He always did.
2.                                                                  (2)                                                               Mother does not spread a feast on the table before her family only to yank the tablecloth and bring the food down to hungry pets

5.                                          5.                                          The Canaanite mother grabbed Jesus’ heart when she agreed, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master’s table” (verse 27)

1.                                                      a)                                                      All pet owners know of this truth

2.                                                      b)                                                      “Showings of blessing” fall at dinnertime! From the plates of little children!

3.     III.           Jesus testing her faith

1.                             A.                           Giving her what she asked, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish” (verse 28)

1.                                          1.                                          The little girl was healed immediately

2.                             B.                            If we want our needs taken care of, then we must ask God in prayer

1.                                          1.                                          Don’t ask, then sit

1.                                                      a)                                                      Some think that they only have to sit back and wait for God to answer their prayer

2.                                                      b)                                                      Examples of ask and do:

1.                                                                  (1)                                                               David called upon God for deliverance, and still had to flee his enemies
2.                                                                  (2)                                                               God promised Abraham a child, and Abraham still had to perform husbandly duties to produce a child
3.                                                                  (3)                                                               God gave the Israelites the Promised Land, and they still had to conquer and take possession of the land

2.                                          2.                                          In life, we must ask

1.                                                      a)                                                      If you want money, then you must ask for a job

2.                                                      b)                                                      If you want a wife, then you must ask for a first date

3.                                                      c)                                                      If you want a house, then you must look to buy

3.                                          3.                                          In Christianity, we must ask

1.                                                      a)                                                      If we want to increase our attendance, then we must ask others to come

2.                                                      b)                                                      If we want our membership to grow, then we must ask others to join

3.                                                      c)                                                      If we want to bring people to Jesus, then we must ask them to learn of His way

4.                                                      d)                                                      If we want to help more people, then we must ask others to give

5.                                                      e)                                                      If we want more Bible teachers, then we must ask others to teach

4.     IV.            Conclusion

1.                             A.                           Do you get the idea? We all sell

2.                             B.                            The choice is simple. If you don’t ask, you won’t get

A.                           A.                           Instead, do as Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (7:7)