Sermon #S015 -
(Claim Your Benefits Part 1)
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Pastor Snell:  Matthew
chapter 15, in verse number 21.
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Now, let me just go and share
with you how we're going to do
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this message. As I was kind of
working through this message,
I'll be honest with you,
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I realized back then I was doing
a little bit too much for one
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sermon. So, I realized this
sermon was going to be about two
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and a half hours. So, what I'm
going to do is going to break
this message up, is that all
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right? All right, Matthew
chapter 15 in verse number 21.
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So, if it feels like we
end a little abruptly, it's on
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purpose. It's only because we're
going to give you part 2 in a
couple of weeks. Matthew 15 in
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verse 21. The Bible says, "Then
Jesus went out there, went out
from there and departed to the
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region of Tyre and Sidon, and
behold a woman of Canaan came
from that region and cried out
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to him saying, "Have mercy upon
Me O Lord son of David. My
daughter is severely
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demon-possessed." But the Bible
says, "But he answered her not a
word, and his disciples came and
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urged him saying, "Send her away
for she cries out after us. But
he answered and said,
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I was not sent except to
the lost sheep of the House of
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Israel. But she came and
worshipped him saying, "Lord
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help me." But he answered and
said, "It is not good to take
the children's bread and throw
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it to the little dogs." She
said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the
little dogs eat the crumbs,
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which fall from the master's
table." Then Jesus answered and
said unto her, "Oh woman, great
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is your faith. Let it be to you
as you desire." The Bible says,
"And her daughter was healed
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from that very hour." But I want
to just put a little emphasis on
verse 23, for the Bible says,
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"But he answered her not a word
and his disciples came and urged
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him saying, "Send her away for
she cries out after us." Today,
I want to talk to for a little
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while under the subject, Claim
Your Benefits. Let's look to the
Lord together in prayer today.
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Father, Lord, would you
elevate our faith today?
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Father, I pray that you would
allow us to be able to see your
goodness in a fresh way,
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in a new way, in a relevant way.
So, Father, we just take a
moment to thank God for your
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nearness. We're thankful for the
assurance that whenever we
gather in your name, you are in
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the mist. So, Lord we pray this
prayer knowing that you're not
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on the way. We offer up
this prayer knowing that you're
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already at work. So, Father, I'm
praying that you would bless the
teaching in the receiving of
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your word. Would you hide in the
shadows of the cross that Jesus
alone might be seen, that Christ
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alone would be heard, and at the
end of our time together made
Jesus alone, be praised? Bless
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us to this, and we pray in the
name of Him who is altogether
lovely. It is in the name of
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Jesus that we pray it. Let God's
people say together. Amen and
amen. You may be seated here in
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the house or whether you're
watching at home. Again, we're
talking under the subject today,
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Claim Your Benefits. As a
pastor, my responsibilities
require me to travel a good bit.
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As a frequent flyer, over time
you earn miles and you gain
access to certain benefits.
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But I'll be honest with you, I
don't pay attention to those
things like I should.
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In fact when I travelled, my
primary goal is to get where I'm
going and to make sure I make it
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back home safely. But a couple
of months ago, my wife and I
were traveling together.
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While I was waiting in a long
line to check one of my bags,
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I noticed that my wife was
reading the verbiage on the
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SkyPriority lane. After a while,
she came to me and she says,
"Honey, why are we standing in
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this line?" Of course, I reply,
"That we are standing in this
line so that we can check the
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bag." She began to inform me
that because I have a certain
medallion status, I'm not
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required to wait in the
line. I can go straight to the
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SkyPriority lane. As we begin
to maneuver through the airport,
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she began to list all of the
different benefits that I was
eligible for that had gone
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unclaimed. She says, "Because of
your status, you don't have to
wait in line. Because of your
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status, you can claim certain
upgrades. Because of your
status, you can pay with miles
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and not money." She said,
"Honey, you need to maintain an
awareness of your status,
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so that you can lay
claim to all of your benefits."
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Now, saints, I'm in
my feelings a little bit
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because I can remember all the
time I spent waiting in line
when I had a status that could
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put me at the front of the line.
So, when I get to the counter
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with an attitude, I asked
the person at the counter,
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"Why don't you all just
automatically apply the benefits
you know someone is eligible
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for?" With an attitude, she
responded. She says, "Sir, we
send you a monthly statement
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with your status on it. In other
words, it's up to you to make
sure you claim your benefits. We
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cannot apply them without your
consent. The only thing we can
do is make sure you are aware of
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your status." Can I suggest
friends of mine, that as
children of God, we are eligible
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for certain benefits and
blessings because as a child of
God, you have an octopi status.
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Do you realize that the
Bible refers to you as sons and
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daughters of God? In Galatians,
Paul says, "That through Christ
you become Abraham's seed and
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you become heirs to all of his
promises." Do you realize that
the Bible says, Jesus says, "I
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no longer call you servants, but
I call you my friends." When you
understand your status in
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Christ, you recognize that
you're eligible for certain
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benefits. It is why in Psalm 103
in verse 2, the Bible says,
"Bless the Lord O my soul and
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forget not his benefits." In
other words, saints, I need you
to understand that you are
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eligible for a healing today
because in Psalm 103 He says, "I
am the God that forgives your
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iniquities and I heal all your
diseases." Do you realize that
you're eligible for His
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provision? For in Philippians,
He said, "My God shall supply
all your needs according to His
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riches in glory." Do you realize
you qualify for a personal
security detail for the Bible
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says, "The angel of the Lord
encamps about those that fear
Him." Do you realize that you're
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eligible for the Holy Ghost? For
He said, "If you're willing
being evil, know how to give
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good gifts to your children, I'm
that much more willing to give
the Holy Spirit to them that
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ask." How many of us know you
qualify for His grace for the
gift is greater than the
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trespass? For where sin abounds
grace does much more abound.
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Somebody ought to shout because
you qualify for the kingdom of
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heaven because He said, "If I go
and prepare a place, I will come
again and receive you unto
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myself." See, part of
unrealistic faith is
understanding the status that
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has been assigned. When you know
who you are to Him and you know
who you are in Him,
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you realize that you don't have
to wait at the back of the line.
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You've got priority in Jesus. Is
there anybody that knows that
because He's promised abundant
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life, you're eligible for an
upgrade as soon as you abide in
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Covenant with Him? [
Congregation: Applauding]
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Are you hearing the word today?
So today, as we unpack this
message briefly today,
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I'm praying that God begins to
multiply your faith in
unrealistic proportions today.
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See, friends of mine, in order
to claim your benefits, there
are just a few things that
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you've got to know. See, in
order to claim your benefits,
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number one, the first thing
that's got to happen is you've
got to change the way you view
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Jesus Christ. In other words,
saints, how many of us
understand that your greatest
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benefit - hear me - is not what
Christ does. Your greatest
benefit is Christ Himself.
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Let me say it to somebody on
this side that your greatest
benefit is not what He does.
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Your greatest
benefit is Christ Himself.
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Now, let me just be clear
because when you look at this
story from the outside,
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it actually looks like a story
of chance or coincidence. In
fact, if you look at it only
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from a surface level, it looks
like this woman just happened to
be in the right place at the
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right time. But I need you,
saints, to know that there is
nothing coincidental or random
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about this encounter. This woman
is moving with intentionality,
and so is Jesus Christ. In other
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words, I need you to get that
there is no luck involved in
this meeting between the woman
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and Jesus. In fact, I love what
desire of ages page 400 says,
where my favorite author says
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that, "Christ, knew this woman's
situation. He knew she was
longing to see Him and He placed
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Himself in her path." [
Congregation: Applauding]
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Lord, help me. Let me just say
to anybody who is searching for
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Jesus. I need you to know that
before you ever start searching
for Jesus, that Jesus was
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already searching after you. I
need you to get that if you
continue searching for Jesus,
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it's just a matter of time
before He puts Himself in your
path. Are you hearing me today?
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[ Congregation: Applauding]
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Now, I need you to get because
see, that statement provides
some context about Jesus'
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response to the woman. In other
words, what He does is He tests
her faith by playing a little
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bit hard to get. But I need you
to understand that she does not
control Jesus to do something
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that He did not already want to
do. In other words, it was to
supply her need that Jesus
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showed up in this region in the
first place. See, friends, I
hate to be redundant, but I'm
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doing it with purpose because
see, I need somebody to get that
faith is not a crowbar that
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prize the hand of God open. In
other words, I need you to get
that faith is not something that
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strong arms God into doing
something that God does not
already want to do.
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In other words, Jesus places
himself in her path because He
came to bless. Y'all didn't get
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that. He's here to bless. It is
His desire to bless. In fact,
faith for her is simply laying
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claim to benefits, even though
she is a gentile and not a Jew.
See, a part of unrealistic
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faith, my friends, is getting to
a place where you change your
perception of who God is.
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Is there anybody that
understands that God isn't open
hand and not a clenched fist?
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[ Congregation: Yes]
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You see, the problem with some
of us is the way that we look at
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God. We see God as a stingy
savior who only blesses those
who are deserving of His merit
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and deserving of His grace.
There are some of us that see
God as a tyrannical dictator who
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is sovereign and not sensitive
to our various needs. But the
thing I need somebody to get
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today is that, God's intentions
for you are all good intentions.
[ Congregation: Applauding]
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See, I love what He says in
Jeremiah 29. He says, "I know
the thoughts that I think
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towards you. Thoughts to prosper
you and not to harm you. My plan
is to give you a future and a
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hope." Do you realize in John 10
and verse 10, He says, "The
thief comes not, but to steal
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kill and destroy." But He says,
"I have come that you might have
life and have it more
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abundantly." In James, He says,
"You have not because you ask
not, but He says, "Ask and it
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shall be given. Seek and it
shall be found. Knock and it
shall be opened unto you." But
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see, the problem with some of
us, we are seeing God as the
bank and not the co-signer.
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[ Congregation: Yeah.
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In other words, we see God as a
loan officer that's going
through all of your history with
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details and sending it to
underwriting so that somehow
they can figure out a reason not
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to approve you. But how many of
us know that God is not the
bank? God is the co-signer,
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and what the cosigner does
is they risk their credit...
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[ Congregation: Applauding]
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...so that you can get approved.
In other words, you have a
cosigner because your credit is
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bad because you
don't meet the approval.
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But how many of us know Jesus is
the co-signer who says I'm going
to apply my perfect credit to
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your bad credit. You go get
approved, not because you're
deserving, not because you're
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good, but because they're
judging you based on my record?
Are y'all hearing me today?
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[ Congregation: Applauding]
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So, we got to know that we have
been approved because Jesus
co-signed for us. Are y'all
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hearing me today,
saints? [ Congregation: Yes]
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Second thing, friends of mine,
that this story teaches us that
your greatest benefit friends,
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is access to Jesus. Okay, y'all
still not with me. Know your
greatest benefit is access to
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Jesus. See, I love the story
Lois, because before Jesus does
anything for the woman,
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see, part of a miracle is He
makes Himself accessible to the
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woman. You see the supremacy of
Christ is not His capabilities.
The supremacy of Christ is His
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accessibility. What separates
Christ is His willingness to
function as Emmanuel who is God
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with us. Are you with me today?
So, some of the beauty of the
story, and like we said,
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we won't get
through it all today,
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is there is this Canaanite woman
who rose up upon Jesus with a
need for her daughter.
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Now, I need you to be clear that
the Canaanites, they were
polytheistic in their worship.
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Meaning that they worshipped
a variety of idols or deities.
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See, the funny thing about the
Canaanites is that they actually
dabbled in the black arts and
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witchcraft. In fact, there are a
number of scholars that believe
that the girls demon possession
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is as a result of being exposed
to the things of the occult. So,
that if you were to look in this
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woman's house, it would actually
look like a haunted house where
there are a number of
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inappropriate deities and spells
and idols that would be erected
in the name of her former belief
00:18:01.84\00:18:08.75
system. In fact, when she rolls
up upon Jesus, she's got half
moon symbols and calls.
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She's even got brands in her
flesh that give credit and
homage to the Gods that she used
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to serve. But I need you to
understand, in order to know the
woman, what was the draw of idol
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worship? In other words, that
was the reason that people
worship idols. See, I need you
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to get, friends of mine, that
these people when they had a
block of wood or a block of
00:18:37.18\00:18:46.22
metal, they recognized that the
idol was not God. The idol was
the representation of their God.
00:18:46.25\00:18:51.76
In other words, the purpose of
serving an idol was to create a
scenario where their God could
00:18:51.79\00:18:58.87
feel close to them. Okay. Y'all
didn't get it. The purpose of an
idol was to help create
00:18:58.90\00:19:04.44
security. The purpose of an
idol was to experience intimacy.
00:19:04.47\00:19:08.28
The purpose of an idol was to
feel man's need to have
closeness with the Divine.
00:19:08.31\00:19:15.65
But understand the
supremacy of Christ shows up
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because Jesus does not wait
for the woman to get all the way
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into Jerusalem. But Jesus shows
up in the woman's path to let
the woman know that, "When life
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comes for you, you only got to
get all the way to me, but I'm
going to come and bring myself
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exactly where you are." In other
words, before He does anything,
the woman is impressed simply
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because she's given access. In
other words, she can't get that
from Baal. She can't get that
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from their God. She can't get
that from Chemosh. You can only
have that type of intimacy when
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you're in a relationship with
Jesus. Are you hearing me today?
[ Congregation: Yeah.]
00:20:07.60\00:20:09.14
See, friends of mine, how
many of us understand that your
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greatest blessing, it is not a
house you live in, it is not the
car you drive, it ain't the red
00:20:14.38\00:20:22.78
bottoms on your feet, it is not
the Louis on your arm, but your
greatest benefit is unrestricted
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access to Jesus Christ.
[ Congregation: Applauding]
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Oh, I thought I'll be
shouting better than that today.
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Is there anybody that's just
thankful today that God had put
no restrictions on His access?
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He doesn't make you wait to call
at a certain hour. He doesn't
charge you by moment, but guess
00:20:44.44\00:20:51.31
what? He says, "Whenever you
call early in the morning, late
at night, in the middle of the
00:20:51.35\00:20:59.49
noonday, even if you don't call
in a number of years, whenever
you call on my name
00:20:59.52\00:21:05.76
[ Congregation: Applauding]
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I'm going to grant access to my
children." See, friends, this is
one of the under celebrated
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mercies of God. See, some of us
will only praise God for things,
but I'm just at of place where I
00:21:16.97\00:21:23.11
praise God because I've got
access. I praise God, that the
veil has been torn.
00:21:23.14\00:21:27.95
I praise God that He is
available to those that are
00:21:27.98\00:21:34.46
seeking after Him. Are you
hearing me today? Now, the
reason some of us aren't
00:21:34.49\00:21:45.20
rejoicing yet, is because we see
the woman as having an advantage
over us because she's talking to
00:21:45.23\00:21:58.11
Jesus in His bodily form. But
how many of us understand that
she's got no advantage? She
00:21:58.15\00:22:10.49
doesn't have any access that
these sons and daughters of God
do not have. See, that's why in
00:22:10.53\00:22:21.70
John 14 and 15, Jesus said,
"It's good for you that I go."
That's it. That was a reason He
00:22:21.74\00:22:29.71
says, "It's for your benefit
that I go." Because He says, "If
I do not go, then guess what?
00:22:29.74\00:22:40.56
The counselor, the helper, the
comforter, which is the Holy
Spirit, cannot come. In other
00:22:40.59\00:22:48.26
words, what He's doing by going
away is He's multiplying His
access. You realize that Jesus
00:22:48.30\00:22:56.10
never left the earth. Guess
what? You would have to fly all
the way to Jerusalem, Jesus
00:22:56.14\00:23:01.34
would have just been a regional
Palestinian folk hero. But do
you realize that we are under a
00:23:01.38\00:23:06.45
better dispensation? Because
under the old Covenant, you had
to go to a temple, but under
00:23:06.48\00:23:13.89
this Covenant, you became
a temple... [ Congregation:
00:23:13.92\00:23:15.19
Applauding] ...so that the
Holy Ghost lives inside of me.
00:23:15.22\00:23:20.50
See, that's why He wanted
us to know that the Father,
00:23:20.53\00:23:23.67
Son and Holy Ghost are one
because the Holy Spirit is just
00:23:23.70\00:23:30.31
Jesus multiplied. Oh God, where
y'all up today? The Holy Ghost
is just Jesus in you, and in
00:23:30.34\00:23:37.55
you. Are y'all hearing me today?
Let me say it this way. When
Jesus was on earth,
00:23:37.58\00:23:43.05
He was the landline, but the
Holy Spirit is a cell phone. Oh,
y'all didn't get it.
00:23:43.08\00:23:49.02
In other words, Jesus on earth
was Bellsouth, but the Holy
Ghost is Sprint. Y'all not
00:23:49.06\00:23:56.40
hearing me today? [
Congregation: Applauding]
00:23:56.43\00:23:58.10
Y'all remember the landlines
where you had to go to the phone
in order to have access,
00:23:58.13\00:24:03.57
but when you got a cell phone,
you can have access no matter
where you are, no matter what
00:24:03.61\00:24:11.68
you're doing. When you got the
Holy Ghost, He puts a cell tower
on the inside of your heart so,
00:24:11.71\00:24:21.09
I ain't got to go home to meet
Him. I ain't going to come to
church to meet Him. Wherever I
00:24:21.12\00:24:29.50
am, I'm in His coverage map and
I've got access. In Jesus, there
ain't no dead spots. Are y'all
00:24:29.53\00:24:35.30
hearing the words
today, friends? [ Congregation:
00:24:35.34\00:24:38.34
Applauding] Can you hear me now?
00:24:38.37\00:24:40.24
[ Congregation: Yeah.]
00:24:40.28\00:24:40.88
Are you hearing me today?
00:24:40.91\00:24:43.24
[ Congregation: Yeah.]
00:24:43.28\00:24:46.45
Now, I got to say, there is one
problem that is affecting our
00:24:46.48\00:24:55.82
access, and the problem is not
with Jesus. Do you realize that
Jesus is accessible to us?
00:24:55.86\00:25:07.57
The problem is that, we are not
accessible to Him. I know it's
going to get a little quiet in
00:25:07.60\00:25:16.71
here today. See, the problem is
not that we can't get in touch
with Jesus. The problem is we're
00:25:16.75\00:25:25.82
so busy, and we're so
important.We got so many irons
in the fire. The issue is that
00:25:25.85\00:25:39.23
Jesus can't get access to our
lives. It's amazing how Pew
Research Center says that of
00:25:39.27\00:25:44.64
most professed American
Christians, that the average
American Christian spends less
00:25:44.67\00:25:56.38
than 7 minutes a week in prayer.
No, don't raise your hand. See,
I need us to understand that the
00:25:56.42\00:26:01.76
lack of access, friends of mine
it's not on Jesus. The lack of
access is on us. See, I need
00:26:01.79\00:26:13.10
somebody to understand the
reason we're not seeing the
unrealistic is not because we
00:26:13.13\00:26:22.31
can't access Him. The
unrealistic is not happening
because He can't get access to
00:26:22.34\00:26:28.85
us. See, there are certain
things that are becoming
deficits because Christ doesn't
00:26:28.88\00:26:36.36
have any access to you. The
reason you don't know His will
is because He doesn't have
00:26:36.39\00:26:38.59
access. The reason you can't
hear His voice is because He
doesn't have access. The reason
00:26:38.63\00:26:44.67
friends, you can't recognize
when you're wrong is because He
doesn't have access. The reason
00:26:44.70\00:26:52.94
you don't have sorrow or
conviction over sin anymore is
because you become a master of
00:26:52.97\00:26:59.45
avoiding and eluding the access
of the Holy Ghost in your life.
I need somebody to get that you
00:26:59.48\00:27:04.45
cannot have the benefits of
Christ. See, I need you to get
that His benefits - y'all still
00:27:04.49\00:27:07.42
with me Church? [
Congregation: Yes]
00:27:07.46\00:27:08.99
Y'all got quiet. See, His
benefits are not transactional.
They are relational.
00:27:09.02\00:27:18.10
Thank you so much for joining us
for the Breath Of Life Televison
Ministries Broadcast, with
00:27:18.13\00:27:23.47
Pastor Debleaire Snell. We hope
and pray that you have been
blessed by today's message.
00:27:23.51\00:27:28.21
And that you claim the benefits
of God as his child. Join us
next week for part 2
00:27:28.24\00:27:34.95
of "Claim Your Benefits."
You don't want to miss it.
00:27:34.98\00:27:40.12
(Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:27:40.16\00:28:33.94
[END]
00:28:33.98\00:28:48.99