Trust God (1 Kings 17:8-24)
Faithful Living in Faltering Times • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Trust God
Trust God
1 Kings 17:8–24 (ESV)
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ ” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. 17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
DT: God Empowers Elijah to glorify Him through miracles/ We cannot lose with God
AIM: We will trust God in every facet of our lives
Introduction: The life of the believer ought be distinctive even in the worse of times. How will others know who God is if there is no witness or any depiction of faith in the life of the Christian.
Sometimes life just stinks.
Today we find ourselves viewing yet another event in the life of Elijah. Elijah shows us what it means to trust God and to glorify God even when life is tough.
We witness the account of a widow who is in duress, destitute and desperation...
Transition: This story should encourage you and me to trust God when life is bad.
When Life is Bad
Elijah Encounters the Widow’s Desperation (vv. 8-16)
God Sends Elijah to Zarephath (v. 9)
God Commands the Woman (v. 9)
Elijah meets the widow (vv. 10-12)
Elijah encourages the widow (vv. 13-14)
The widow believes and obeys Elijah (v. 15)
The widow is blessed abundantly (v. 16)
Application: When life is bad do everything you can to show people who God is. Maybe God has placed you in the presence of desperate people. It is bad all the way around. Its bad for you and bad for them but how can God get glory out of your life? This is not the time to give up on God. You cannot lose with God! You ought to be able to share your testimony and your faith with those who may be going through. Remind them that God has never failed you and that He always takes care of those who trust Him.
Transition: Look, we need to trust God when life is bad but we also need to trust God when life gets worse...
When Life Gets Worse
Elijah Encounters the Widow’s Doubt (vv. 17-24)
The widow’s son is ill (v. 17)
The widow questions Elijah’s motives (v. 18)
Elijah Prays to God for Healing (vv. 19-21)
God hears Elijah’s Prayer (v. 22)
The widow believes God (v. 23)
Application: Trust God to do the impossible in your life.