Good Morning Beloved,
It's so good to have all of you here today, thank you for joining us.
If this is your first time, we pray you'll return.
And if you're a regular, why not invite someone to join us in worship?
Let us pray..
Heavenly Father,
We're all here today, joined together this morning for the same reason
to worship You
However, we also come, faced with many different challenges,
Some with illnesses, others with broken relationships, financial struggles
For some, we are two parents in one home, two parents in two homes,
single parents, extended family, caregivers, foster parents,
or trying to become parents
Give clarity in the face of difficult decisions.
Where financial resources are stretched and anxiety and depression reigns
Father bring us relief
Where there is estrangement and discord between parents or between parents and children
Give us Your peace.
Some of us are battling within our own families, our spouses, our children
Others, it's our places of employment, or lack of employment
Some of us have hope, while others are losing hope
Some of us, are fighting for our lives
Others of us, are just fighting
Father, we need a Word from You
To restore us, mentally, physically and spiritually
to give a reason to try again...over and over again
Give us patience when love wears thin.
Give us Your renewed energy
Inspire us and give us hope
In Jesus' name. Amen
Today's message I've called: I Won't Settle For Crumbs
Sometimes I have settled for crumbs but that was because I liked them.
And sometimes, I have settled for crumbs because I felt I didn't have a choice
But when it comes to the things of God, I have settled, eaten crumbs and I wasn’t satisfied,
so I looked for and found, in His Word, the best that God had to offer.
Life can deal us a bad hand and we may think the best is for someone else so God can use them and not me. Well that’s not true, God can and will use anyone who is willing to trust Him and believe.
But there has always been those that just sit back sick, lost, down and depressed.
Whatever life deals them, that is the way it has to be.
After all, that's God will for me, right?
Well, let me just say this,
I am never going to settle for a little when I know I have a lot more coming!
Because Jesus said in John 10:10;
"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
I’m not just your average type of guy.
I know who I am. I am a child of God!
I know who my Father is, He is the Almighty God.
I do not have to settle for crumbs and I refuse to eat someone’s leftovers.
Why am I telling you this?
Because if you are also a child of the Almighty God, you don't have to either!
There was a woman of Canaan and she came to Jesus and told him my daughter is possessed with a devil, I need you.
Listen to how she admitted to eating crumbs and taking the leftovers of the children of God, but this time she was desperate. It wasn’t about her, it was about her child and this may be her only chance to get any kind of help.
Let's turn to Matthew chapter 15 and listen to the scripture.
"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.”
Matthew 15:22-27
What do you think Jesus said to her?
Do you think Jesus said, O woman, this is my will for you. Just keep eating the crumbs and be glad?
No, He didn't!
Listen to what Jesus DID say...
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 15:28
Did you hear that beloved?
Great is your faith!
You see, it doesn’t matter who you are, when you have faith it moves the Lord to do the unexpected.
The disciples said “send her away for she cries out after us." What they were saying is she isn’t one of us so she doesn’t deserve what we do.
But Jesus marveled at her faith and reached in to the future, into the dispensation of the gentiles and pulled out a miracle for her.
I’m telling you right now there is a miracle waiting for someone that is willing to believe.
For someone who is tired of eating crumbs
Someone that can reach past their foolish pride and humble themselves just as this woman did.
Someone who will cause Jesus to marvel at your faith.
Aren’t you tired of always coming to church and saying one of these days I am going to get my healing!
When the Lord has already declared that “By His Stripes we are healed!” Isaiah 53:5
"The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
"When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
Matthew 8:8-10
Beloved, Jesus gets exited when we step out in faith!
Not that we deserve it but that we believe in Him for it.
When we do this, Great is our FAITH..
The centurion humbled himself and said “I am not worthy that you come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed"
He didn't say, my servant might be healed. He said "will be healed."
He believed, that if Jesus would only speak a word, it will be accomplished!
So if the Word of God has already declared that by his stripes we are healed, then hadn't we ought to expect it to happen?!?
People who don’t know the Lord have seen miracles happen in their life so why can’t we?
One reason is that we don’t have faith!
We have little or no determination. We settle for crumbs.
Beloved, Jesus wants us to have this: Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Do you think there is sickness in heaven?
No, There isn’t!
Do you think there is poverty in heaven and struggling to get by?
No,There isn’t!
Jesus said, "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"
John 3:12
"If they obey and serve Him,
They shall spend their days in prosperity,
And their years in pleasures."
Job 36:11
You see it is God's will to heal you and to bless you. But are we willing to give of ourselves and all that we have to receive what he has for us.
Do we really believe what God has said in His Word?
Are we really willing to obey and serve Him?
"And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him."
Luke 5:12-13
Wait! What just happened here?
The man humbled himself, he acknowledged, Jesus CAN make Him clean.
And Jesus said, "I am willing; be cleansed"
You see it is God’s will to heal you and to bless you!
Multitudes came to him and healed them.
"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions."
Psalm 107:19-20
Wait there's more...
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them."
Matthew 4:23-24
"But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all."
Matthew 12:15
"Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them."
Matthew 15:30
"Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there."
Matthew 19:1-2
"And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them."
Matthew 21:14
Beloved, are you beginning to see a pattern here?
But in His own country, He only did a few miracles but faith still moved Him to heal a few:
"Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them."
Mark 6:5
"So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them."
Mark 6:12-13
And then we see in Luke 4:40-41,
"When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ."
"And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
The Beatitudes
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."
Luke 6:17-23
"And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing."
Luke 9:10-11
Whosoever believed on him He healed them.
They were willing to go where He was and stay as long as it took, to get what they came for.
Beloved, yet we come, looking at our watches, hoping the church service won’t last too long and then make a run for the door as soon as the blessing is given.
We came sick and in need and left the same way time and time again.
We came with no expectation and we left with no expectation.
We think well, I didn’t feel anything today, so I guess it wasn’t my time.
Let me say this as delicately as I can... and still get my point across..
Some of you came today, not expecting anything except for three songs and a message and that is exactly what you got! And you came in whining, complaining, and you're leaving that way!
You did not come desperate for Jesus…
Some of you have gotten use to being sick and hurting and you pop your pills, just to give you two hour relief from a bottle that some man, in a white coat, sold to you on the idea that it would help and you bought it!
You didn’t know if it would work or not but you took it any way....
Now, I'm NOT saying that God doesn't sometimes use, man and modern medicine to accomplish His will.
What I am saying, is we have a Living God, A Great Physician and Healer at our disposal, One who has never lied, deceived us, doesn't charge a co-pay and has no profit to make off of us..
And yet we will not take Him at His Word?
All He asks is that we are obedient to His Word
Because we have to give up, that we are going to die without anyway?
Something that is going to condemn our souls to hell for eternity?
Are you kidding me???
The word of God says BY HIS STRIPES YOU ARE HEALED!!
But we won’t take that verse literally and get it into our thick skulls.
Well, may I suggest you pop a couple of doses of Psalms 107: 20 into your body it says He sent his Word and healed them and saved them from their destruction.
Maybe we need to try some: Exodus 15:26 and call out His name, praising Him in the morning!
"and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
Oh I understand, maybe you need a second opinion?
How about calling on Psalm 91:9-11
"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways."
In Closing....
Beloved, I ask you honestly
When was the last time the Lord was our habitation?
When was the last time you consulted God, in humble desperation about your situation;
and BELIEVED ?
People will go the doctor, demanding they to give them something for pain but we can’t believe God?
We are settling for the crumbs when God wants to give us the kingdom.
Believe, I am not preaching a message to you I myself, didn't have to learn ..
And I am ashamed to say, it's wasn't the first time... Sometime, I can be hard headed.
As many of you already know, several years ago, the doctors told me I had just a few weeks to live.. and I took them at their word.
But then God gave me a wake up call! Flat on my back, with nowhere to look but up
He figuratively slapped me upside the head and asked me,
"Who are you going to believe? Me or man?
I AM The Great I AM!
I AM The Great Physician and they are a practicing one, it is by Me that man has received his knowledge. Yet you forgotten all the other times, I have healed you?
Let me be clear, I am no better than you are. I have no privileges over anyone else seeking God's healing.
And I have complete respect for medical professionals and know God does use them all the time, so understand I mean no disrespect to anyone in the medical field.
But my doctors, still, to this day, cannot give me any medical explanation as to why I am still alive
preaching this message to you today. All they can tell me, is it is medically impossible!
I still keep my appointments, I still have the required routine blood work etc.
But MY FAITH and MY HOPE has been in Jesus!
And miraculously, with no medical explanation in sight, my results soared!
My favorite hymn as a small boy, was "Standing On The Promises"
I recall standing on the pew, and shouting, "One more time.."
I had no idea, that today, I'd be sharing a message with you today
on just that Word from God..
And now,
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries