Where Faith Begins

1 Kings 17: 17-24

Welcome to our Mother’s Day weekend sermon with Pastor Colin, where we explore the remarkable narrative of a mother’s sorrow turning into profound joy, drawing on 1 Kings chapter 17. For those joining us for the first time on this special weekend, we extend our warmest greetings and invite you to participate in the wisdom gleaned from the life of Elijah—a prophet who spoke God’s words during a time of great idolatry and disobedience, leading to a divine withholding of rain and the subsequent famine that engulfed the land.

In this sermon, Pastor Colin urges us to delve deep into the story from three perspectives—first and foremost, from the vantage point of a mother whose meagre provisions become the foundation of her journey of faith. We reflect on her great sacrifice, her belief in God prompted by a life-changing promise, and the way her life manifests the trajectory of genuine Christian faith. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we question whether our own journey of faith has commenced, if it resonates with the same trusting obedience demonstrated by the widow in Zarephath. We then briefly visit the narrative through Elijah’s eyes, as a prophet, and conclude with the incredible experience of the child who was restored to life—a potent symbol of triumphant faith. Pastor Colin’s message invites us to deeply consider our own faith as something living, tested, and ultimately victorious.

1 00:00:00,180 –> 00:00:02,940 Well on this mother’s day weekend we come to the story 2 00:00:02,940 –> 00:00:06,660 of a mother, a mother whose heart was broken 3 00:00:06,660 –> 00:00:11,260 and then a mother who entered into overwhelming joy. 4 00:00:11,260 –> 00:00:14,740 I hope you’ll open your Bibles at 1 Kings in chapter 17. 5 00:00:14,740 –> 00:00:17,420 If you’re visiting today for this mother’s weekend, 6 00:00:17,420 –> 00:00:19,660 we’re so glad that you are here. 7 00:00:19,660 –> 00:00:22,000 We’re in a series on Elijah, 8 00:00:22,000 –> 00:00:24,940 a great story from the Old Testament 9 00:00:24,940 –> 00:00:27,600 and we’ve been learning from Elijah’s life. 10 00:00:27,600 –> 00:00:29,580 This man was a prophet, 11 00:00:29,580 –> 00:00:32,320 that means that he spoke the word of God. 12 00:00:32,320 –> 00:00:34,139 He lived at a time when the people 13 00:00:34,139 –> 00:00:35,799 who claimed to belong to God 14 00:00:35,799 –> 00:00:39,040 actually didn’t want to listen to what God said. 15 00:00:39,040 –> 00:00:40,099 They turned to idols, 16 00:00:40,099 –> 00:00:43,419 they turned to all the sins that come with them 17 00:00:43,419 –> 00:00:45,240 and so, God held back the rain 18 00:00:45,240 –> 00:00:48,799 and we followed the story of how there soon was a famine. 19 00:00:48,799 –> 00:00:53,020 God provided for Elijah at a brook called Cherith 20 00:00:53,020 –> 00:00:56,340 but then after a while the brook dried up 21 00:00:56,340 –> 00:00:59,380 and God sent Elijah to a widow, 22 00:00:59,380 –> 00:01:04,180 a mother, a woman in Zarephath and provided for him there 23 00:01:04,180 –> 00:01:05,900 and we’re going to take up the story 24 00:01:05,900 –> 00:01:09,820 at First Kings chapter 17 and verse 17, 25 00:01:09,820 –> 00:01:14,220 a story of desperate sadness that ends in wonderful joy 26 00:01:14,220 –> 00:01:16,860 and I want us to learn from it today in three ways. 27 00:01:16,860 –> 00:01:20,419 First and we’re gonna spend most of the time today here, 28 00:01:20,419 –> 00:01:21,860 we’re going to look at the story 29 00:01:21,860 –> 00:01:23,120 through the eyes of the mother. 30 00:01:23,120 –> 00:01:27,339 That seems the place where we should spend our time today. 31 00:01:27,339 –> 00:01:30,180 Then more briefly, we’re going to look at the story 32 00:01:30,180 –> 00:01:33,199 through the eyes of the prophet through Elijah 33 00:01:33,199 –> 00:01:35,500 and then just very briefly at the end 34 00:01:35,500 –> 00:01:39,120 through the eyes of the little boy who died 35 00:01:39,120 –> 00:01:44,120 and amazingly was raised to life again. 36 00:01:44,180 –> 00:01:47,540 Let’s begin here then with a mother’s journey of faith 37 00:01:47,540 –> 00:01:48,699 and I want to suggest to you 38 00:01:48,699 –> 00:01:52,339 that the story of this mother gives us a marvelous picture 39 00:01:52,339 –> 00:01:54,860 of the Christian life. 40 00:01:54,879 –> 00:01:57,180 We looked at the beginning of her faith 41 00:01:57,180 –> 00:01:59,739 in the message last week. 42 00:01:59,739 –> 00:02:02,879 Her foot had all but run out. 43 00:02:02,879 –> 00:02:05,900 She had just a small amount of flour in a jar 44 00:02:05,900 –> 00:02:08,860 and a small amount of oil in a jug. 45 00:02:08,860 –> 00:02:10,779 She had come out to the city dump 46 00:02:10,779 –> 00:02:13,820 in order to gather a few sticks in order to make a fire 47 00:02:13,820 –> 00:02:17,559 and make what she thought would be her last loaf of bread. 48 00:02:17,559 –> 00:02:18,960 And the word of God came to her 49 00:02:18,960 –> 00:02:21,240 through the prophet Elijah, verse 13. 50 00:02:21,339 –> 00:02:24,380 First make a little cake and give it to me. 51 00:02:24,380 –> 00:02:27,039 And we saw last time that God was calling her 52 00:02:27,039 –> 00:02:29,100 to make a great sacrifice 53 00:02:29,100 –> 00:02:32,440 and to do this for the sake of greater joy. 54 00:02:32,440 –> 00:02:34,360 And the promise that was given to her 55 00:02:34,360 –> 00:02:35,699 was that, in verse 14, 56 00:02:44,360 –> 00:02:47,600 So here she’s given this call to a great sacrifice. 57 00:02:47,600 –> 00:02:50,119 She’s given this extraordinary promise. 58 00:02:50,160 –> 00:02:52,779 And what we noted is that up to this point 59 00:02:52,779 –> 00:02:56,000 she had not been a believer herself. 60 00:02:56,979 –> 00:03:00,100 We know that because she talked about the Lord 61 00:03:00,100 –> 00:03:05,100 as Elijah’s God, verse 12, not her God. 62 00:03:06,660 –> 00:03:07,720 Now, folks, straight away, 63 00:03:07,720 –> 00:03:10,160 here is something very important. 64 00:03:10,160 –> 00:03:14,539 It is one thing to believe that God exists. 65 00:03:14,539 –> 00:03:17,740 It is another thing altogether to come to the place 66 00:03:17,740 –> 00:03:22,740 where you would say the Lord is my God. 67 00:03:22,740 –> 00:03:25,460 Remember Thomas did that before Jesus, 68 00:03:25,460 –> 00:03:26,740 after the resurrection. 69 00:03:26,740 –> 00:03:28,779 He knelt before Jesus and he said, 70 00:03:28,779 –> 00:03:32,059 my Lord and my God. 71 00:03:32,059 –> 00:03:34,699 Well, this woman had not come to that point 72 00:03:34,699 –> 00:03:38,740 when Elijah arrived at her town. 73 00:03:38,740 –> 00:03:41,059 But when she heard the promise of God, 74 00:03:41,059 –> 00:03:44,679 she took this great step of faith. 75 00:03:44,679 –> 00:03:47,539 She became truly a believer. 76 00:03:47,539 –> 00:03:48,839 And so I want you to notice 77 00:03:48,839 –> 00:03:51,039 where her faith began in verse 15. 78 00:03:51,039 –> 00:03:54,320 She went and did as Elijah said. 79 00:03:54,320 –> 00:03:56,759 She believed the promise of God 80 00:03:56,759 –> 00:03:58,160 that he would provide for her. 81 00:03:58,160 –> 00:04:01,880 She stepped out in faith in the light of that promise. 82 00:04:01,880 –> 00:04:04,399 She moved in costly obedience to God. 83 00:04:04,399 –> 00:04:08,039 That is where her journey of faith begins. 84 00:04:08,039 –> 00:04:10,919 That is where every journey of faith begins. 85 00:04:10,919 –> 00:04:12,259 Think of it this way, 86 00:04:12,259 –> 00:04:15,520 faith begins where you trust God’s promise 87 00:04:15,539 –> 00:04:17,779 enough to obey His commands. 88 00:04:18,640 –> 00:04:21,959 Real faith is never simply a belief in God out there. 89 00:04:21,959 –> 00:04:25,279 Real faith is when you trust God’s promise 90 00:04:25,279 –> 00:04:30,079 enough to step out and to obey His commands. 91 00:04:30,079 –> 00:04:32,760 Believing in a God who exists out there 92 00:04:32,760 –> 00:04:35,100 is easy, it demands nothing of you 93 00:04:35,100 –> 00:04:37,100 but obeying God is another thing. 94 00:04:38,079 –> 00:04:41,760 Placing your weight as it were upon His promise 95 00:04:41,760 –> 00:04:44,160 that is always costly. 96 00:04:44,160 –> 00:04:46,359 And this is what this woman did. 97 00:04:46,359 –> 00:04:47,839 She believes the promise, 98 00:04:47,839 –> 00:04:51,339 she steps out, she ventures everything 99 00:04:51,339 –> 00:04:54,320 on the promise of God. 100 00:04:54,320 –> 00:04:57,519 And as she did that we read in verse 16 101 00:04:57,519 –> 00:05:00,019 that the jar of flour was not spent 102 00:05:00,019 –> 00:05:02,079 and the jug of oil did not become empty 103 00:05:02,079 –> 00:05:06,559 according to the word that the Lord spoke by Elijah. 104 00:05:06,559 –> 00:05:07,760 So before we move on 105 00:05:07,760 –> 00:05:09,299 because that’s all by way of review 106 00:05:09,299 –> 00:05:11,839 I simply want to ask this question. 107 00:05:11,839 –> 00:05:14,559 Has your journey of faith begun? 108 00:05:15,980 –> 00:05:19,059 Now, here you are on this Mother’s Day weekend 109 00:05:19,059 –> 00:05:21,200 and you’ve come to church, 110 00:05:21,200 –> 00:05:23,100 perhaps with your mother. 111 00:05:23,100 –> 00:05:24,799 The whole family’s come together. 112 00:05:25,779 –> 00:05:27,660 And that is a wonderful thing 113 00:05:27,660 –> 00:05:29,579 I want to ask you this question. 114 00:05:29,579 –> 00:05:34,000 Has your journey of faith begun? 115 00:05:35,059 –> 00:05:36,279 Or you say I believe in God, 116 00:05:36,279 –> 00:05:38,380 that’s not what I’m asking. 117 00:05:38,380 –> 00:05:41,079 I’m asking have you come to believe 118 00:05:41,079 –> 00:05:43,079 the promise of God to the point 119 00:05:43,079 –> 00:05:44,959 where you are ready to step out 120 00:05:44,959 –> 00:05:47,720 in obedience to his commands? 121 00:05:47,720 –> 00:05:50,279 Have you come to the place where Thomas was 122 00:05:50,279 –> 00:05:52,239 after the resurrection of Jesus, 123 00:05:52,239 –> 00:05:54,079 where he was not simply saying 124 00:05:54,079 –> 00:05:56,179 oh the Lord is someone else’s God, 125 00:05:56,179 –> 00:05:58,399 but oh Lord you are my God. 126 00:05:58,399 –> 00:06:01,640 You are my Lord and I submit my life to you. 127 00:06:01,640 –> 00:06:04,079 That is where the journey of faith begins. 128 00:06:04,079 –> 00:06:06,600 Has it begun for you 129 00:06:07,660 –> 00:06:10,380 stepping out in costly obedience 130 00:06:10,380 –> 00:06:12,519 because you believe the promise of God 131 00:06:12,519 –> 00:06:15,100 that is for you in Jesus Christ. 132 00:06:15,100 –> 00:06:16,059 If you haven’t come there, 133 00:06:16,059 –> 00:06:18,619 I hope and pray that you will take that step today. 134 00:06:20,100 –> 00:06:23,859 The woman’s journey of faith, where it began. 135 00:06:23,859 –> 00:06:25,779 Here’s the second thing I want you to notice 136 00:06:25,779 –> 00:06:26,619 as we move on. 137 00:06:26,619 –> 00:06:29,040 I want you to notice how her faith is tested. 138 00:06:29,040 –> 00:06:31,880 And here we take it up at verse 17. 139 00:06:31,880 –> 00:06:35,140 After this, after the woman has taken 140 00:06:35,140 –> 00:06:38,980 this costly step of obedience and faith 141 00:06:38,980 –> 00:06:41,579 and she has trusted God, 142 00:06:41,579 –> 00:06:45,299 after this, the son of the woman became ill, 143 00:06:46,859 –> 00:06:49,579 and his illness was so severe, verse 17, 144 00:06:49,579 –> 00:06:53,260 that there was no breath left in him. 145 00:06:55,119 –> 00:06:55,959 Think of this. 146 00:06:55,959 –> 00:06:59,160 After the miracle of God’s provision for this family 147 00:06:59,160 –> 00:07:02,959 with this amazing jar of flour that never emptied 148 00:07:02,959 –> 00:07:05,760 and this amazing jug of oil that never ran dry, 149 00:07:05,760 –> 00:07:08,739 miraculous provision by God for this family, 150 00:07:08,779 –> 00:07:11,440 every day, after this. 151 00:07:12,779 –> 00:07:15,940 And after this woman’s amazing, costly commitment, 152 00:07:15,940 –> 00:07:17,239 Elijah comes to her and says, 153 00:07:17,239 –> 00:07:19,059 you’ve got almost nothing, 154 00:07:19,059 –> 00:07:23,260 but first make a cake for me and bring it to me, 155 00:07:23,260 –> 00:07:24,679 and this woman does it, 156 00:07:24,679 –> 00:07:27,279 that’s amazing commitment to God. 157 00:07:29,260 –> 00:07:30,940 And after all this, 158 00:07:32,040 –> 00:07:35,100 the son of the woman becomes ill. 159 00:07:36,600 –> 00:07:37,799 And he dies. 160 00:07:38,940 –> 00:07:43,040 And you say, oh God, of all the women who are incited, 161 00:07:43,040 –> 00:07:45,600 why would you allow this to happen to this woman? 162 00:07:45,600 –> 00:07:46,720 To this family? 163 00:07:46,720 –> 00:07:49,880 The very family that you have been providing for 164 00:07:49,880 –> 00:07:51,760 by a miracle of grace 165 00:07:51,760 –> 00:07:54,760 throughout these last days, weeks, and months. 166 00:07:54,760 –> 00:07:56,200 Have you noticed, friends, 167 00:07:56,200 –> 00:08:00,200 how often God seems to act in contradictory ways? 168 00:08:02,480 –> 00:08:04,959 The woman’s son’s been at the point of death, 169 00:08:05,920 –> 00:08:08,119 and down to their last meal 170 00:08:08,459 –> 00:08:10,739 God steps in, saves the boy’s life, 171 00:08:10,739 –> 00:08:13,399 saves the mother’s life with a miracle, 172 00:08:13,399 –> 00:08:16,239 and now the same God who saved the boy’s life 173 00:08:16,239 –> 00:08:17,359 allows him to die. 174 00:08:17,359 –> 00:08:19,140 What is the sense in that? 175 00:08:22,320 –> 00:08:26,559 Sooner or later, every Christian comes to a point 176 00:08:26,559 –> 00:08:31,440 where you wonder at God’s seemingly contradictory ways, 177 00:08:32,679 –> 00:08:35,799 and most of us can relate to that experience. 178 00:08:35,799 –> 00:08:38,000 Some of you will be there now. 179 00:08:38,000 –> 00:08:41,299 All of us will be there again at some point in the future. 180 00:08:42,640 –> 00:08:44,239 You come to a place in your life 181 00:08:44,239 –> 00:08:45,520 when you kind of scratch your head 182 00:08:45,520 –> 00:08:49,359 and you simply cannot figure out what God is doing. 183 00:08:50,940 –> 00:08:52,960 God seems to open a door for you, 184 00:08:52,960 –> 00:08:54,919 and you say, ah, now this is a wonderful door 185 00:08:54,919 –> 00:08:55,760 of opportunity. 186 00:08:55,760 –> 00:08:57,320 God is opening it for me, 187 00:08:57,320 –> 00:08:59,520 and the next thing it closes in your face. 188 00:09:01,440 –> 00:09:03,840 You have a loved one who is in hospital 189 00:09:03,840 –> 00:09:05,960 and seriously ill, and you pray, 190 00:09:05,960 –> 00:09:07,479 and you exercise faith, 191 00:09:07,479 –> 00:09:10,099 and there seems to be some improvement in her condition, 192 00:09:10,099 –> 00:09:12,039 and you tell her, friends, this is wonderful, 193 00:09:12,039 –> 00:09:14,400 God is answering prayer, it’s a marvelous thing, 194 00:09:14,400 –> 00:09:16,919 and then what, you hear that her condition 195 00:09:16,919 –> 00:09:18,260 has changed for the worse. 196 00:09:19,780 –> 00:09:21,059 We’ve all been there. 197 00:09:22,460 –> 00:09:24,599 The place in life where God’s ways 198 00:09:24,599 –> 00:09:26,320 seem to be contradictory. 199 00:09:27,599 –> 00:09:31,219 And you say, what in all the world is God doing? 200 00:09:31,219 –> 00:09:33,900 Is He playing games with me? 201 00:09:34,859 –> 00:09:38,359 And how can God allow such a thing to happen 202 00:09:38,359 –> 00:09:41,340 to a mother who has already suffered so much? 203 00:09:41,340 –> 00:09:44,179 Not only that, this woman is a new believer. 204 00:09:44,179 –> 00:09:46,479 How can God allow this to happen to a new believer 205 00:09:46,479 –> 00:09:50,260 and when she has suffered so much already? 206 00:09:53,020 –> 00:09:57,119 Elton John gets to the question 207 00:09:57,119 –> 00:10:00,960 in his song, Written in the Stars. 208 00:10:00,960 –> 00:10:02,219 Do you know these words? 209 00:10:02,919 –> 00:10:06,520 Is it written in the stars? 210 00:10:06,520 –> 00:10:11,059 Are we paying for some crime? 211 00:10:11,059 –> 00:10:13,200 Is that all that we are good for, 212 00:10:13,200 –> 00:10:17,900 just a stretch of mortal time? 213 00:10:17,900 –> 00:10:21,679 Is this God’s experiment 214 00:10:21,679 –> 00:10:23,479 in which we have no say, 215 00:10:23,479 –> 00:10:28,640 in which we’re given paradise but only for a day? 216 00:10:28,640 –> 00:10:34,739 That gets to the quest. 217 00:10:34,739 –> 00:10:36,140 That’s what it must have felt like, by the way, 218 00:10:36,140 –> 00:10:37,760 for this woman, mustn’t it? 219 00:10:37,760 –> 00:10:39,580 She was given paradise, 220 00:10:39,580 –> 00:10:40,979 she’d come to the end of her road, 221 00:10:40,979 –> 00:10:42,059 the end of her resources 222 00:10:42,059 –> 00:10:46,299 and now she has a miracle of the oil and of the flower. 223 00:10:46,299 –> 00:10:50,479 But now the son who was delivered by God’s grace 224 00:10:50,479 –> 00:10:52,640 lies dead in her arms. 225 00:10:52,640 –> 00:10:54,200 She was given paradise, 226 00:10:54,200 –> 00:10:57,440 but it was only for a day. 227 00:10:57,440 –> 00:10:58,580 You step out in faith 228 00:10:58,640 –> 00:10:59,840 and in obedience to God, 229 00:10:59,840 –> 00:11:02,140 it will not be long before you look at the events 230 00:11:02,140 –> 00:11:05,000 of your believing life and you say, 231 00:11:05,000 –> 00:11:07,640 this makes no sense. 232 00:11:07,640 –> 00:11:09,359 This woman who is a young believer 233 00:11:09,359 –> 00:11:12,039 and she’s now besieged by questions 234 00:11:13,140 –> 00:11:14,919 and it’s not much help to her to say, 235 00:11:14,919 –> 00:11:16,679 well now dear just pray about it, 236 00:11:16,679 –> 00:11:18,739 that doesn’t help at all at this point. 237 00:11:18,739 –> 00:11:22,359 How can she pray to the God who has done this? 238 00:11:22,359 –> 00:11:25,320 And so she says verse 18 to Elijah, 239 00:11:25,380 –> 00:11:29,280 what have you against me, oh man of God, 240 00:11:29,280 –> 00:11:31,260 and then notice what she says after that. 241 00:11:31,260 –> 00:11:34,700 You have come here to me to bring my sin 242 00:11:34,700 –> 00:11:38,299 to remembrance and to cause the death of my son. 243 00:11:39,700 –> 00:11:41,940 She feels now that Elijah who has looked 244 00:11:41,940 –> 00:11:45,080 like her savior seems more now to be her judge. 245 00:11:46,719 –> 00:11:49,820 It seems that God who seemed to be so for her 246 00:11:49,820 –> 00:11:52,619 seems now very much to be against her. 247 00:11:52,619 –> 00:11:56,299 And I want you to notice there in verse 18 248 00:11:56,299 –> 00:11:58,700 where she talks about you’ve come to bring 249 00:11:58,700 –> 00:12:00,280 my sin to remembrance. 250 00:12:00,280 –> 00:12:03,000 She says to Elijah that the word sin here 251 00:12:03,000 –> 00:12:06,919 is singular, that would seem to suggest 252 00:12:06,919 –> 00:12:08,919 that somewhere in her background 253 00:12:08,919 –> 00:12:12,059 there was a particular sin that haunted her. 254 00:12:13,400 –> 00:12:14,659 Maybe you’ll relate to that, 255 00:12:14,659 –> 00:12:17,539 something that made her feel ashamed. 256 00:12:17,539 –> 00:12:19,140 Something in the past that she wished 257 00:12:19,440 –> 00:12:20,599 she had never done, 258 00:12:20,599 –> 00:12:23,219 and she’s left with this feeling 259 00:12:23,219 –> 00:12:27,359 that because of that God has it in for her. 260 00:12:28,400 –> 00:12:32,460 That God in some way was going to pay her back. 261 00:12:32,460 –> 00:12:34,960 And now that this man had come, Elijah, 262 00:12:34,960 –> 00:12:37,599 and it had seemed that he had brought so much good, 263 00:12:37,599 –> 00:12:39,280 actually this was just a cover 264 00:12:39,280 –> 00:12:41,119 for what was really going on, 265 00:12:41,119 –> 00:12:45,739 that God had finally caught up with her after all. 266 00:12:46,640 –> 00:12:49,479 Is it written in the stars, 267 00:12:49,479 –> 00:12:53,559 are we paying for some crime? 268 00:12:55,219 –> 00:12:57,119 Well, you see, that’s what she thought. 269 00:12:58,080 –> 00:13:01,719 And it’s not just the unbeliever who asks that question, 270 00:13:01,719 –> 00:13:03,440 as Elton John did. 271 00:13:03,440 –> 00:13:06,940 It’s the believer who’s asking that question too. 272 00:13:06,940 –> 00:13:08,539 Is this what it’s about? 273 00:13:09,799 –> 00:13:13,140 Pastor, do you think that God is judging me? 274 00:13:13,840 –> 00:13:17,580 And this young mother’s faith is tested, 275 00:13:19,200 –> 00:13:22,460 and your faith will be tested as a Christian. 276 00:13:22,460 –> 00:13:25,419 There will be times when you look at events in your life 277 00:13:25,419 –> 00:13:28,940 and you say, well, it almost seems that God is against me. 278 00:13:28,940 –> 00:13:31,799 Your past seems to come up against you. 279 00:13:31,799 –> 00:13:34,599 Your own heart condemns you. 280 00:13:36,739 –> 00:13:38,559 And when that happens, you need to know 281 00:13:38,559 –> 00:13:39,979 that you are not alone. 282 00:13:40,580 –> 00:13:44,940 This is not an unusual experience in the Christian life. 283 00:13:46,859 –> 00:13:50,380 When the Apostle John writes to Christians 284 00:13:50,380 –> 00:13:55,380 he says, whenever our hearts condemn us, 285 00:13:56,580 –> 00:13:59,979 this is 1 John and chapter three and verse 20. 286 00:13:59,979 –> 00:14:02,739 Whenever our hearts condemn us. 287 00:14:02,739 –> 00:14:04,099 He’s writing to Christians. 288 00:14:04,099 –> 00:14:07,340 Now that clearly communicates that a Christian 289 00:14:07,340 –> 00:14:09,239 will experience from time to time 290 00:14:10,000 –> 00:14:12,320 your own heart condemning you. 291 00:14:12,320 –> 00:14:13,960 Whenever your heart condemns you, 292 00:14:13,960 –> 00:14:15,599 it’s not gonna happen just once or twice. 293 00:14:15,599 –> 00:14:18,179 But there will be many times in the Christian life 294 00:14:18,179 –> 00:14:20,659 when the memory of your own failings, 295 00:14:20,659 –> 00:14:22,599 the knowledge of your own weaknesses, 296 00:14:22,599 –> 00:14:24,320 sort of rises up and you feel 297 00:14:24,320 –> 00:14:26,840 that your own heart condemns you. 298 00:14:28,859 –> 00:14:32,299 And John tells us what to do when you come to that place. 299 00:14:32,299 –> 00:14:34,520 He says this, 1 John 3, 20. 300 00:14:34,520 –> 00:14:38,679 Whenever our hearts condemn us, 301 00:14:38,679 –> 00:14:43,679 God is greater than our hearts. 302 00:14:44,159 –> 00:14:45,619 That’s what you need to know. 303 00:14:48,239 –> 00:14:53,239 Quick illustration, suppose you owe money to the bank 304 00:14:53,799 –> 00:14:58,799 and suppose the bank manager just clears your debt. 305 00:14:59,760 –> 00:15:01,760 That’s a big suppose, right? 306 00:15:01,799 –> 00:15:04,479 You think this is pretty fanciful now? 307 00:15:06,760 –> 00:15:10,479 When the bank manager clears your debt, 308 00:15:11,460 –> 00:15:16,460 you don’t have to worry if the teller complains. 309 00:15:17,280 –> 00:15:18,599 Think about it. 310 00:15:18,599 –> 00:15:21,559 You walk into the bank where your debt has been cleared 311 00:15:21,559 –> 00:15:23,840 by the manager, by the highest authority. 312 00:15:23,840 –> 00:15:27,539 But there at the counter, there is a miserable teller 313 00:15:27,539 –> 00:15:28,760 who doesn’t like you. 314 00:15:29,559 –> 00:15:32,059 And she always wants to remind you 315 00:15:32,059 –> 00:15:35,080 that you used to be a debtor. 316 00:15:35,080 –> 00:15:37,760 And when you go to the bank and you’re doing your business, 317 00:15:37,760 –> 00:15:41,200 she sort of mutters under her breath while you stand there. 318 00:15:41,200 –> 00:15:43,380 She says, you owed the bank money. 319 00:15:43,380 –> 00:15:45,340 You didn’t pay that money. 320 00:15:45,340 –> 00:15:48,080 You couldn’t have paid that money back if you tried. 321 00:15:48,080 –> 00:15:52,159 Listen, who cares about what the teller says 322 00:15:52,159 –> 00:15:54,960 when the manager has cleared your debt? 323 00:15:55,840 –> 00:15:58,239 Now your heart is like the teller 324 00:15:58,239 –> 00:16:01,619 and when your heart condemns you, 325 00:16:01,619 –> 00:16:03,640 here’s what you need to know. 326 00:16:03,640 –> 00:16:05,739 God is greater than your heart. 327 00:16:05,739 –> 00:16:08,239 You’ve been cleared at the highest level. 328 00:16:08,239 –> 00:16:11,200 So when there is muttering at this level, 329 00:16:11,200 –> 00:16:14,880 you tell your heart that God is greater than your heart. 330 00:16:14,880 –> 00:16:17,359 You tell your heart that condemns you. 331 00:16:17,359 –> 00:16:22,359 There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 332 00:16:23,200 –> 00:16:24,840 That’s how you deal with it. 333 00:16:26,159 –> 00:16:28,580 So her faith begun. 334 00:16:28,580 –> 00:16:30,919 We’ve looked at her faith tested. 335 00:16:30,919 –> 00:16:33,880 Your faith will be tested if it’s begun, 336 00:16:33,880 –> 00:16:35,919 and perhaps sooner than you think, 337 00:16:35,919 –> 00:16:37,900 even as a young Christian. 338 00:16:39,099 –> 00:16:41,940 And then I want you to see this third snapshot 339 00:16:41,940 –> 00:16:42,880 in our Faith Journey. 340 00:16:42,880 –> 00:16:46,000 It’s her faith triumphant, verse 24. 341 00:16:46,000 –> 00:16:48,580 The boy is raised from the dead, 342 00:16:48,580 –> 00:16:51,619 the woman received back her son, 343 00:16:51,640 –> 00:16:55,280 and at the end of the story, she says to Elijah, verse 24, 344 00:16:55,280 –> 00:16:58,280 “‘Now I know that you are a man of God 345 00:16:59,919 –> 00:17:02,520 “‘and that the word of God in your mouth is the truth.’” 346 00:17:02,520 –> 00:17:05,180 Christian, your faith has begun. 347 00:17:08,060 –> 00:17:09,819 Your faith is tested. 348 00:17:10,719 –> 00:17:15,160 One day you will stand in the presence of Jesus 349 00:17:15,160 –> 00:17:17,119 and you will say, 350 00:17:17,119 –> 00:17:18,359 “‘Now I know’.” 351 00:17:18,619 –> 00:17:21,540 I know what a day that’s gonna be. 352 00:17:23,359 –> 00:17:25,920 That is the whole point of the resurrection day 353 00:17:25,920 –> 00:17:29,520 and that’s the application of what we’re learning here. 354 00:17:29,520 –> 00:17:32,660 Faith will one day for you be turned to site. 355 00:17:32,660 –> 00:17:34,920 Every question you have struggled with 356 00:17:34,920 –> 00:17:36,579 will one day be answered. 357 00:17:36,579 –> 00:17:40,199 Every tear will be one day wiped away. 358 00:17:40,199 –> 00:17:42,839 Now the Bible says we know in part. 359 00:17:42,839 –> 00:17:47,500 Then we will know fully, even as we are fully known. 360 00:17:47,500 –> 00:17:49,500 None of us is there yet, 361 00:17:49,500 –> 00:17:52,520 but one day every person in Christ will be. 362 00:17:52,520 –> 00:17:57,000 And until then, faith lives on the promise of God 363 00:17:57,000 –> 00:18:00,099 even when we cannot understand His ways. 364 00:18:01,819 –> 00:18:03,219 So friends, it seems to me 365 00:18:03,219 –> 00:18:06,140 that the whole of the Christian life 366 00:18:06,140 –> 00:18:11,140 is really laid out in this one mother’s faith journey. 367 00:18:11,420 –> 00:18:14,180 Faith begun, faith tested, faith triumphant. 368 00:18:14,180 –> 00:18:16,979 There’s the Christian life right there. 369 00:18:16,979 –> 00:18:19,660 If you are not yet a Christian, 370 00:18:19,660 –> 00:18:22,859 I hope that you will begin a faith journey 371 00:18:22,859 –> 00:18:24,900 with Jesus Christ today. 372 00:18:26,359 –> 00:18:29,380 If you have begun a journey of faith with Jesus Christ, 373 00:18:29,380 –> 00:18:32,300 you must know this, that your faith will be tested. 374 00:18:32,300 –> 00:18:34,140 That will you will come to places where you say, 375 00:18:34,140 –> 00:18:37,060 I just do not understand what God is doing in my life. 376 00:18:37,060 –> 00:18:39,979 You may come to places where your own heart condemns you 377 00:18:39,979 –> 00:18:42,900 and you need to say, God is greater than my heart. 378 00:18:43,900 –> 00:18:47,780 But when your faith is tested, remember this. 379 00:18:47,780 –> 00:18:50,839 In all the questions that you cannot answer now, 380 00:18:50,839 –> 00:18:52,920 the promise of God to you is very clear. 381 00:18:52,920 –> 00:18:55,780 One day you will stand in the presence of Jesus 382 00:18:55,780 –> 00:18:59,380 and on that day, you will be able to say, 383 00:18:59,380 –> 00:19:03,000 now I know, now I know. 384 00:19:07,819 –> 00:19:12,819 Faith begun, faith tested, faith triumphed, 385 00:19:13,319 –> 00:19:15,319 faith triumphed. 386 00:19:15,319 –> 00:19:19,739 Now more briefly, I want us to look at this story 387 00:19:19,739 –> 00:19:22,780 through the eyes of Elijah. 388 00:19:22,780 –> 00:19:26,219 And so let’s look at it from a different angle here, 389 00:19:26,219 –> 00:19:28,180 the prophet’s journey of love. 390 00:19:28,180 –> 00:19:30,459 We’ve thought about the woman’s journey of faith. 391 00:19:30,459 –> 00:19:35,060 Let’s look here at the prophet’s journey of love. 392 00:19:35,060 –> 00:19:36,819 This is a series on leadership 393 00:19:36,819 –> 00:19:39,699 and I want to pick up one or two insights on leadership 394 00:19:39,699 –> 00:19:42,380 from the example of Elijah. 395 00:19:42,420 –> 00:19:46,380 Remember that Elijah is really a Christ figure 396 00:19:46,380 –> 00:19:49,979 in this story, or as we sometimes call it, 397 00:19:49,979 –> 00:19:54,060 Elijah is a type of Jesus Christ. 398 00:19:54,060 –> 00:19:56,699 Another way of saying that is simply this, 399 00:19:56,699 –> 00:19:59,239 that Elijah is the person in the story 400 00:19:59,239 –> 00:20:02,900 who most obviously points us to Jesus. 401 00:20:02,900 –> 00:20:04,420 And our Lord Jesus Christ said, 402 00:20:04,420 –> 00:20:05,579 When you read the scripture, 403 00:20:05,579 –> 00:20:07,859 remember the whole thing is about me. 404 00:20:07,859 –> 00:20:09,800 How is this story about Jesus? 405 00:20:09,800 –> 00:20:11,300 How does it relate to Jesus? 406 00:20:11,300 –> 00:20:14,640 The answer is that Elijah is the person in the story 407 00:20:14,640 –> 00:20:18,800 who most obviously points to Jesus. 408 00:20:18,800 –> 00:20:21,140 Now remember, and we will see this later in the series, 409 00:20:21,140 –> 00:20:24,040 Elijah doesn’t always do that because he is not perfect. 410 00:20:24,040 –> 00:20:27,920 No one can, in every respect, point to Jesus. 411 00:20:27,920 –> 00:20:30,839 But he clearly points to Jesus here. 412 00:20:30,839 –> 00:20:32,699 And you find that with other characters 413 00:20:32,699 –> 00:20:35,160 like Joseph and King David 414 00:20:35,160 –> 00:20:38,280 and Daniel in the Old Testament. 415 00:20:38,300 –> 00:20:41,819 They point to Jesus and shine a light 416 00:20:41,819 –> 00:20:45,319 on who he is and what it is that he came to do. 417 00:20:46,540 –> 00:20:48,660 Now we already began last time to think 418 00:20:48,660 –> 00:20:52,160 about how Elijah is like Jesus and points to Jesus. 419 00:20:52,160 –> 00:20:54,199 We said that just like Jesus, 420 00:20:54,199 –> 00:20:57,439 he comes into a situation of desperate need, 421 00:20:57,439 –> 00:21:00,920 he asks for a great sacrifice and he promises greater joy. 422 00:21:00,920 –> 00:21:02,819 That is exactly what Jesus does. 423 00:21:02,819 –> 00:21:04,959 But now look at some additional ways 424 00:21:04,959 –> 00:21:07,500 in which he points to Jesus. 425 00:21:08,900 –> 00:21:13,900 Elijah is the super prophet of the Old Testament, 426 00:21:14,479 –> 00:21:17,319 he’s as high as you get along with Moses. 427 00:21:17,319 –> 00:21:19,239 If you’re to say who are the greatest characters 428 00:21:19,239 –> 00:21:21,599 in the Old Testament, it’s Moses and Elijah. 429 00:21:21,599 –> 00:21:23,060 So he’s right up there 430 00:21:23,060 –> 00:21:25,380 at the very highest level of leadership. 431 00:21:27,079 –> 00:21:28,800 But I want you to notice that this man 432 00:21:28,800 –> 00:21:32,040 who has a calling on a national scale 433 00:21:33,239 –> 00:21:36,119 to call a whole nation to repentance. 434 00:21:36,939 –> 00:21:41,959 That he enters the home of one family 435 00:21:42,579 –> 00:21:47,540 and shares in the life of one family. 436 00:21:48,619 –> 00:21:51,140 And in this he beautifully points us 437 00:21:51,140 –> 00:21:54,420 to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, 438 00:21:54,420 –> 00:21:58,359 who when he comes enters into the most ordinary 439 00:21:58,359 –> 00:22:00,599 of human lives and does so 440 00:22:00,599 –> 00:22:04,079 in the most amazingly personal way. 441 00:22:05,040 –> 00:22:07,520 When Jesus enters into our lives, 442 00:22:07,520 –> 00:22:09,459 he shares in our suffering. 443 00:22:10,800 –> 00:22:12,719 Elijah became part of this family 444 00:22:12,719 –> 00:22:15,359 and when paint came to this particular home, 445 00:22:15,359 –> 00:22:17,319 the paint touched his heart too. 446 00:22:18,560 –> 00:22:20,920 And that is how it is with Jesus, 447 00:22:20,920 –> 00:22:23,400 who is far greater than Elijah. 448 00:22:24,839 –> 00:22:28,339 Here’s Elijah, this colossus of the Old Testament, 449 00:22:28,339 –> 00:22:32,119 tough as steel, is gonna be calling down fire 450 00:22:32,160 –> 00:22:35,060 on Mount Carmel later in the story, 451 00:22:35,060 –> 00:22:37,760 but here he is growing in compassion 452 00:22:38,859 –> 00:22:40,959 by ministering not to a whole nation, 453 00:22:40,959 –> 00:22:45,400 but to one family in an ordinary home 454 00:22:46,439 –> 00:22:51,420 and helping to share the burden of a single mother. 455 00:22:53,260 –> 00:22:55,260 Here’s something for every leader then, 456 00:22:56,599 –> 00:22:59,640 you have to be tough and strong to lead, 457 00:23:00,540 –> 00:23:05,180 but God wants you to grow in tenderness 458 00:23:05,180 –> 00:23:06,760 as well as in toughness. 459 00:23:08,359 –> 00:23:12,939 To grow in sensitivity as well as in strength 460 00:23:14,339 –> 00:23:18,579 for the high-level vision to be earthed 461 00:23:18,579 –> 00:23:22,099 in the real needs of an ordinary home. 462 00:23:23,719 –> 00:23:26,780 So where is the family to whom you can minister? 463 00:23:27,780 –> 00:23:31,719 Where is the one person bearing a burden 464 00:23:31,719 –> 00:23:33,800 that you can help to carry? 465 00:23:34,900 –> 00:23:37,640 What is the need that you can help to meet? 466 00:23:37,640 –> 00:23:40,699 However high the level of your particular calling 467 00:23:40,699 –> 00:23:44,359 within a business or an organization, 468 00:23:44,359 –> 00:23:46,780 what is the particular situation in which 469 00:23:46,780 –> 00:23:51,780 you can, like Jesus, enter into the suffering 470 00:23:52,140 –> 00:23:54,579 the suffering, and bring help to 471 00:23:55,579 –> 00:23:57,540 the situation of one individual? 472 00:23:58,780 –> 00:24:01,359 God sends Elijah to the widow 473 00:24:01,359 –> 00:24:04,000 before he sends Elijah to Carmel. 474 00:24:05,260 –> 00:24:09,300 And he does that so that with all his toughness, 475 00:24:09,300 –> 00:24:12,439 this man is going to grow in tenderness 476 00:24:13,420 –> 00:24:18,300 as he walks with one widow through the depth of her pain. 477 00:24:18,300 –> 00:24:21,079 And doesn’t that make you think about the incarnation? 478 00:24:22,180 –> 00:24:25,020 Isn’t this the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? 479 00:24:25,020 –> 00:24:28,400 He’s at the highest level, He’s in heaven. 480 00:24:28,400 –> 00:24:30,319 And He’s the Lord of the universe, 481 00:24:30,319 –> 00:24:33,060 and He’s got all power, and He’s got all authority. 482 00:24:33,060 –> 00:24:33,900 And what does He do? 483 00:24:33,900 –> 00:24:37,760 He humbles Himself, and He takes the form of a servant, 484 00:24:37,760 –> 00:24:39,380 and He enters this world of need, 485 00:24:39,380 –> 00:24:41,300 and He comes alongside 486 00:24:41,300 –> 00:24:45,640 particular families experiencing human pain. 487 00:24:45,640 –> 00:24:48,660 He ministers to a widow at Nain. 488 00:24:48,660 –> 00:24:50,020 You can go through the stories 489 00:24:50,099 –> 00:24:51,739 in the New Testament of Jesus 490 00:24:51,739 –> 00:24:56,719 entering into the life of one individual, one family. 491 00:24:56,719 –> 00:24:59,260 And then He experiences pain in His own soul 492 00:24:59,260 –> 00:25:01,660 and into His own body in the New Testament says, 493 00:25:01,660 –> 00:25:05,339 He is the Savior who is able to help those who suffer 494 00:25:05,339 –> 00:25:07,579 because He Himself has suffered. 495 00:25:09,900 –> 00:25:13,140 So see how Elijah points to Jesus here 496 00:25:13,140 –> 00:25:15,420 as he enters into the home. 497 00:25:16,520 –> 00:25:18,880 And then think of how Elijah points us to Jesus 498 00:25:18,979 –> 00:25:20,339 when the child dies. 499 00:25:21,459 –> 00:25:24,500 As we come to this point in the story, 500 00:25:24,500 –> 00:25:29,500 try to let Elijah fade and look through him 501 00:25:30,060 –> 00:25:35,060 as if he was translucent and see Jesus behind him. 502 00:25:38,920 –> 00:25:40,239 This little boy has died. 503 00:25:41,640 –> 00:25:43,979 And Elijah said to her, 504 00:25:43,979 –> 00:25:47,859 verse 19, give me your son. 505 00:25:49,819 –> 00:25:52,939 Many in this congregation have experienced 506 00:25:52,939 –> 00:25:54,640 the death of a child. 507 00:25:56,920 –> 00:25:59,339 And for many others, this day makes you 508 00:25:59,339 –> 00:26:02,900 think about your mother who no longer is with you 509 00:26:02,900 –> 00:26:04,819 and may now be with the Lord. 510 00:26:05,819 –> 00:26:08,219 You think about her, you thank God for her. 511 00:26:09,160 –> 00:26:12,339 You remember her, and you remember how she died, 512 00:26:12,339 –> 00:26:13,459 and you miss her. 513 00:26:15,300 –> 00:26:16,739 What happened to your mother? 514 00:26:17,739 –> 00:26:20,219 What happened to your son or to your daughter 515 00:26:20,219 –> 00:26:21,819 who died early in life? 516 00:26:23,839 –> 00:26:25,099 Here is what has happened. 517 00:26:26,719 –> 00:26:30,099 The Savior in his tenderness 518 00:26:31,380 –> 00:26:33,819 has said as that life expired, 519 00:26:34,819 –> 00:26:36,119 give me your son. 520 00:26:38,520 –> 00:26:40,500 Give your mother now up to me. 521 00:26:42,660 –> 00:26:44,719 This life has come to an end, 522 00:26:45,260 –> 00:26:46,760 but it’s not going nowhere. 523 00:26:46,760 –> 00:26:51,760 It’s into the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. 524 00:26:52,400 –> 00:26:54,280 And notice as you follow this, 525 00:26:54,280 –> 00:26:58,040 what happens to your son, to your daughter, to your mother 526 00:26:58,040 –> 00:27:01,760 as they are released into the hands of Jesus Christ. 527 00:27:01,760 –> 00:27:06,500 Verse 19, and he took him from her arms 528 00:27:06,500 –> 00:27:11,500 and carried him up into the upper chamber 529 00:27:12,000 –> 00:27:14,020 where he lodged. 530 00:27:14,020 –> 00:27:16,920 You see the beauty of what we’re being told here 531 00:27:16,920 –> 00:27:19,640 is the light shines on Jesus Christ, 532 00:27:19,640 –> 00:27:22,540 the child who is no longer in your arms 533 00:27:22,540 –> 00:27:25,540 now rests in the arms of Jesus. 534 00:27:25,540 –> 00:27:27,780 The mother who is no longer in your home 535 00:27:27,780 –> 00:27:31,140 is now at home with Christ. 536 00:27:31,140 –> 00:27:33,599 And where does Christ take your loved one? 537 00:27:33,599 –> 00:27:38,599 To the upper chamber where he lives. 538 00:27:40,140 –> 00:27:40,979 Beautiful. 539 00:27:41,939 –> 00:27:46,939 Give me your son, and takes him to the upper chamber. 540 00:27:51,359 –> 00:27:54,380 But most of all, the place where Elijah points to Jesus 541 00:27:54,380 –> 00:27:57,579 is, of course, in this amazing resurrection 542 00:27:57,579 –> 00:27:58,739 that then happens. 543 00:27:58,739 –> 00:28:01,739 Elijah calls on the Lord, and the life of the child 544 00:28:01,739 –> 00:28:03,420 comes back to him, we are told, 545 00:28:03,420 –> 00:28:05,800 and the child lives again. 546 00:28:08,199 –> 00:28:09,180 Now pause for a moment. 547 00:28:09,199 –> 00:28:13,400 It is very important to apply this correctly. 548 00:28:14,579 –> 00:28:17,119 The point of the story here is not to say 549 00:28:17,119 –> 00:28:19,660 that if we Christians today were more like Elijah, 550 00:28:19,660 –> 00:28:22,800 we could go to cemeteries and raise people from the dead. 551 00:28:22,800 –> 00:28:25,359 That is not promised to us, and that would not be 552 00:28:25,359 –> 00:28:27,479 a right application of the scripture. 553 00:28:28,359 –> 00:28:31,599 Elijah is shining a light on Jesus. 554 00:28:32,619 –> 00:28:36,520 Elijah is showing us, beautifully, the promise of Christ, 555 00:28:36,520 –> 00:28:37,880 and what is that promise? 556 00:28:37,880 –> 00:28:39,859 John chapter six and verse 40. 557 00:28:39,859 –> 00:28:42,339 This is the will of the father, 558 00:28:42,339 –> 00:28:45,739 that everyone who looks on the son and believes in him 559 00:28:45,739 –> 00:28:48,280 has eternal life, and, Jesus says, 560 00:28:48,280 –> 00:28:52,420 “‘I will raise him up,’ when, at the last day.” 561 00:28:53,819 –> 00:28:56,640 So here is our marvelous hope, 562 00:28:56,640 –> 00:28:59,040 that those who have died in Christ 563 00:28:59,040 –> 00:29:02,020 are carried in His arms, think of it, 564 00:29:02,020 –> 00:29:05,839 to the upper chamber where He lives. 565 00:29:06,839 –> 00:29:09,959 And His promise is this, that He will raise them up, 566 00:29:09,959 –> 00:29:13,060 and we will be together with the Lord. 567 00:29:14,160 –> 00:29:16,439 And as you think about the anticipation 568 00:29:16,439 –> 00:29:18,239 of that marvelous day, 569 00:29:18,239 –> 00:29:21,060 I want you again to look through Elijah, 570 00:29:21,060 –> 00:29:22,780 as if he were translucent, 571 00:29:22,780 –> 00:29:25,739 and to see Jesus in verse 23, 572 00:29:25,739 –> 00:29:28,739 “‘Elijah took the child, 573 00:29:28,739 –> 00:29:32,760 “‘and brought him down, from the upper chamber 574 00:29:32,859 –> 00:29:36,020 “‘into the house, and delivered him to his mother, 575 00:29:36,020 –> 00:29:37,780 “‘and Elijah said, 576 00:29:37,780 –> 00:29:42,359 “‘See, your son lives “‘ 577 00:29:42,359 –> 00:29:45,319 And you read that, and the light shines through Elijah 578 00:29:45,319 –> 00:29:48,040 into Jesus, and you bring to mind 579 00:29:48,040 –> 00:29:49,500 that Jesus has promised 580 00:29:49,500 –> 00:29:52,640 that one day He is coming down from Heaven. 581 00:29:52,640 –> 00:29:55,119 He’s going to come back from the upper chamber 582 00:29:55,119 –> 00:29:57,020 where He is at this time. 583 00:29:57,020 –> 00:29:59,119 And when He does that, who is He going to bring with Him? 584 00:29:59,119 –> 00:30:01,300 He’s going to bring with Him believers 585 00:30:01,359 –> 00:30:04,140 who have died in the Lord. 586 00:30:04,140 –> 00:30:05,939 And just as Elijah says, 587 00:30:05,939 –> 00:30:07,640 “‘See, your son lives.’” 588 00:30:07,640 –> 00:30:10,439 Can you imagine the joy on that day 589 00:30:10,439 –> 00:30:12,680 when Jesus returns and He says, 590 00:30:12,680 –> 00:30:15,420 “‘See, your mother lives,’ 591 00:30:15,420 –> 00:30:17,880 “‘See, your son lives,’ 592 00:30:17,880 –> 00:30:20,760 “‘See, your friend lives.’ 593 00:30:20,760 –> 00:30:21,599 And Paul says, 594 00:30:21,599 –> 00:30:23,260 “‘On that day as we gather together, 595 00:30:23,260 –> 00:30:28,099 “‘so we shall be with the Lord forever.’” 596 00:30:29,099 –> 00:30:31,219 So look at Jesus here. 597 00:30:32,300 –> 00:30:35,739 In all the losses and the crosses of your life. 598 00:30:37,099 –> 00:30:41,459 Are you not thankful today for Jesus? 599 00:30:41,459 –> 00:30:44,040 The Lord and the Savior who enters our sorrows 600 00:30:44,040 –> 00:30:45,699 and heals our wounds, 601 00:30:45,699 –> 00:30:48,800 and even at the point of death, 602 00:30:50,020 –> 00:30:51,599 He is the one, the only one, 603 00:30:51,599 –> 00:30:56,560 who is able to hold out the promise of life everlasting. 604 00:30:58,739 –> 00:31:00,079 Friend, one day you will die. 605 00:31:00,079 –> 00:31:03,040 That is true, obviously, of every person here today. 606 00:31:03,040 –> 00:31:04,359 One day you will die. 607 00:31:04,359 –> 00:31:06,560 And when that day comes, be it sooner or later, 608 00:31:06,560 –> 00:31:09,180 whenever it is, you want to be sure 609 00:31:09,180 –> 00:31:11,699 that you will be in the arms of this Savior 610 00:31:11,699 –> 00:31:15,000 as that boy was in the arms of Elijah. 611 00:31:15,000 –> 00:31:18,339 You want to know that because you belong to Christ, 612 00:31:18,339 –> 00:31:21,260 He will be taking you to the upper chamber 613 00:31:21,260 –> 00:31:25,660 and that you will therefore share in his great resurrection. 614 00:31:25,660 –> 00:31:27,819 You want to be sure that you have put your trust 615 00:31:27,939 –> 00:31:31,199 and have taken the path of obedience in Jesus Christ 616 00:31:31,199 –> 00:31:34,500 who says, I am the resurrection and the life. 617 00:31:36,060 –> 00:31:39,579 And he who believes in me even though he die yet 618 00:31:39,579 –> 00:31:42,400 shall he live. 619 00:31:44,500 –> 00:31:48,359 So we’ve looked at a mother’s journey of faith. 620 00:31:49,800 –> 00:31:53,540 We’ve looked together at a prophet’s journey of love. 621 00:31:54,939 –> 00:31:57,780 And very, very briefly, just this last thought 622 00:31:58,819 –> 00:32:01,060 a child’s journey 623 00:32:01,060 –> 00:32:02,099 in grace. 624 00:32:03,619 –> 00:32:05,400 Think about this little boy. 625 00:32:07,040 –> 00:32:10,400 Of course, we’re not told how old he was. 626 00:32:10,400 –> 00:32:12,219 But from the description of Elijah 627 00:32:12,219 –> 00:32:14,859 carrying this boy in his arms up the stairs 628 00:32:14,859 –> 00:32:17,339 to the upper chamber I’m concluding 629 00:32:17,339 –> 00:32:20,959 that this boy was fairly small, that he was fairly young 630 00:32:20,959 –> 00:32:22,219 which raises the question, 631 00:32:22,219 –> 00:32:24,459 did he even remember this event? 632 00:32:24,780 –> 00:32:26,300 Perhaps only vaguely. 633 00:32:26,300 –> 00:32:27,459 We’re not told. 634 00:32:28,500 –> 00:32:33,500 Perhaps he had a vague recollection of feeling ill 635 00:32:33,520 –> 00:32:35,339 and then rather like you can remember 636 00:32:35,339 –> 00:32:36,760 just about falling asleep 637 00:32:36,760 –> 00:32:38,819 but you don’t know what happens next. 638 00:32:41,140 –> 00:32:45,459 Can you imagine his mother telling him the story? 639 00:32:46,719 –> 00:32:50,260 As this boy grows up and he becomes a middle school student 640 00:32:51,380 –> 00:32:53,739 and then he becomes a high school student 641 00:32:54,619 –> 00:32:57,099 and his mum is saying to him something like this 642 00:32:57,099 –> 00:32:58,140 as he grows, 643 00:32:58,140 –> 00:33:01,640 ”Son, here’s what you need to know about yourself. 644 00:33:03,619 –> 00:33:08,599 Your life is a very special gift of grace from God. 645 00:33:09,920 –> 00:33:10,859 You were dead. 646 00:33:12,160 –> 00:33:13,900 You became ill, you died 647 00:33:15,660 –> 00:33:17,560 but God gave you life again. 648 00:33:20,099 –> 00:33:23,099 Your life is a gift of grace, son 649 00:33:23,119 –> 00:33:25,140 and so here is what you must do. 650 00:33:25,140 –> 00:33:27,979 You must offer that life back to the God 651 00:33:27,979 –> 00:33:29,239 who gave it to you. 652 00:33:31,260 –> 00:33:35,180 Give your life into the hands of the God who loves you. 653 00:33:36,420 –> 00:33:40,060 Embrace the Lord, who has power to sustain life 654 00:33:41,140 –> 00:33:44,680 and has power to deliver you even from death. 655 00:33:46,219 –> 00:33:50,459 Make him your God, son, as I have made him mine. 656 00:33:51,020 –> 00:33:53,719 And for all of us who’re parents here 657 00:33:54,780 –> 00:33:57,140 and for those who are dedicating children this weekend 658 00:33:57,140 –> 00:33:59,180 this is what we need to teach our children. 659 00:33:59,180 –> 00:34:02,739 Your life is a gift of grace from God, 660 00:34:02,739 –> 00:34:04,739 now offer it back to him 661 00:34:06,739 –> 00:34:09,540 and so here’s the invitation for every son, 662 00:34:09,540 –> 00:34:14,540 every daughter, every student in the congregation today. 663 00:34:14,540 –> 00:34:16,739 Listen, the strength of your body, 664 00:34:18,020 –> 00:34:19,580 the agility of your mind, 665 00:34:19,580 –> 00:34:22,300 your gifts, your opportunities where do they come from? 666 00:34:22,300 –> 00:34:25,379 These things come to you from the hand of God. 667 00:34:26,659 –> 00:34:29,540 What do you have that you did not receive? 668 00:34:29,540 –> 00:34:32,379 And everything that you have received comes from him. 669 00:34:34,179 –> 00:34:36,659 So I want to invite you to come to God today. 670 00:34:38,340 –> 00:34:41,000 To come to him through the Savior Jesus 671 00:34:41,000 –> 00:34:43,120 who loved you and gave himself for you 672 00:34:43,120 –> 00:34:44,699 and to say something like this, 673 00:34:45,600 –> 00:34:50,500 Father, I offer the whole of my life 674 00:34:50,500 –> 00:34:52,739 in faith and obedience to you 675 00:34:54,219 –> 00:34:55,820 because you are the one 676 00:34:55,820 –> 00:34:59,840 from whom I have received all things, 677 00:34:59,840 –> 00:35:04,020 make me now yours. 678 00:35:05,439 –> 00:35:06,679 Will you pray with me? 679 00:35:09,540 –> 00:35:11,739 Father, pray that today will be a day 680 00:35:11,739 –> 00:35:14,139 when some will begin the journey of faith 681 00:35:15,540 –> 00:35:19,199 when others whose faith is being tested 682 00:35:20,760 –> 00:35:25,760 will find confidence in the love of Jesus Christ 683 00:35:27,120 –> 00:35:31,399 that is demonstrated in the cross 684 00:35:33,260 –> 00:35:34,639 and the hope that one day, 685 00:35:34,639 –> 00:35:39,199 what I cannot understand now will be made known 686 00:35:39,199 –> 00:35:42,100 and I will say, now I know. 687 00:35:45,000 –> 00:35:48,179 Help all of us whatever the levels of our responsibilities 688 00:35:48,179 –> 00:35:51,100 and whatever the toughness that’s needed in our world 689 00:35:53,000 –> 00:35:56,360 to grow in that tenderness that we see in Jesus Christ, 690 00:35:56,360 –> 00:35:58,639 our savior and our Lord. 691 00:36:00,479 –> 00:36:02,159 Grant that knowing more clearly 692 00:36:02,159 –> 00:36:05,479 that all that we have has been received from your hand. 693 00:36:06,719 –> 00:36:08,739 We may offer ourselves back to you 694 00:36:09,959 –> 00:36:11,179 through Jesus Christ, 695 00:36:11,179 –> 00:36:12,820 our Lord in whose name we pray 696 00:36:13,820 –> 00:36:15,500 and everyone together said, 697 00:36:16,439 –> 00:36:17,280 Amen.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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Explore the unexpected impact and enduring legacy of living a life rooted in faith and righteousness, as illustrated through the life of Elijah.

Colin Smith

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