How to Make the Dead Live

We examined how God used the widow woman to supply Elijah’s need, as well as how Elijah supplied her need. Reminding us of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

How the Fire Falls (1Ki. 18)

During a Feeble time w/ Depraved leadership & Divided people

God provided a Faithful man, who challenged his people; chastised false worship; Corrected the Basis of Worship; who had Confidence in God & Called upon the same

A Falling Fire

Came Powerfully; Sufficiently; Convincingly & Effectively.

How to Get Back in the Saddle

I. The Immorality of the Enemy (v1-4)

Unmistakable; Unconverted; Unsettling

II. The Indulgence of the LORD (v5-8)

Elijah Retreated; God allowed him Rest (v5-6b); God provided Refreshment for the Moment (v5b-6a); God gave Resources for the Journey (v7)

III. The Insight of the LORD (v9-12)

A Prophet Disheartened; God’s Power was Demonstrated; God’s Presence was Discovered

IV. The Instruction of the LORD (v13-18)

Get Back Where you Belong (v15a); Bless the Next Generation (v15b-16)

Be Encouraged

I Have a Plan (v17)

You are Not Alone (v18)

How to Have Peace Under Fire

I. The Reason for the Fire

For Following the Spirit’s Lead (v3); For Declaring the Word of the LORD (v4); For Having a Familiar a Description (v7-8)

II. The Right Way to Handle It

Be Situated Properly (v9b); Stand Fast in your Heritage (v10a); Stay Firm in Your Position (v9-12); Be Perceptive to the Spirit (v13-15)

III. The Rest of the Story

God Protected (v15); God’s Word was Proclaimed (v16); God’s Will was Performed (v17)

How to be Faithful in Times of Trouble

I. A Troubled Time

The Burden of Loss

The Opportunities it Presented;

Reviving of the Brethren; Remembering of the Past; The Resolve to Continue the Work

II. A Testimony of Faithfulness

Through the Pressures of the Known; Through the Pressures of the Unknown; Through the Voices of Discouragement

III. A Transformative Result

Because He was Faithful…

His Prayer was Answered; He Performed Miracles; He Proved His Calling

How to Set the Tone

I. The Waters were Cured

A Pitiful Land (v19); A Pristine Vessel and a Powerful Agent (v20); A Pronouncement Made (v21); A Purification Provided (v22)

II. The Mockers were Cursed

A Fallen City (v23a); A Faithless Generation (v23b); A Fury Unleashed (v24a); A Future Altered (v24b)

How to Solve a Problem

I. The Problem (v1a)

A Lack of Plan / Preparation; A Passing; A Pledge Unfulfilled

II. The Petition (v1b)

He had the Right Standing; She had the Right Source

III. The Plan (v2-6)

Was Faith Based; Faith in Procuring; Faith in Pouring

IV. The Providence (v7)

A Debt Settled; A Future Supplied

How to Bear Children

I. Our Conduct Unto Men

Her Description (v8a); Her Disposition (v8b); Her Duration (v8c)

II. Our Countenance Toward God

Her Discernment (v9); Her Devotion (v10); Her Deference (v13)

III. Children will be Born

Her Child was Born (v13)

Today's message is going to be similar to last week in a sense. In that it has to deal with a new birth. This time, however, we'll look at it from a different angle.

Last week dealt with the direct action on our part so that God uses us to bear children. Today is more the indirect action and the attitude - specifically, the manner in which we approach God in prayer for them - that is required of us if we are going to see the dead live.

I. A Mediating Force

Her Care for him (v20)

Once attention was brought unto the woman that her son needed help, she did what she could for him. It was only so much, but then again she did what she could.

Once you and I discover someone's need for salvation, we need to do what we can for them.

Again going back to last week. We need to do what we can. We need to play our part. We need to be telling them about Jesus, giving them a godly example of what it means to be born again. Warning them, instructing them, helping them in every way that we can, because we want to do our part to win them.

There is no doubt that this woman loved this child of hers. So she did what she could, although that in and of itself proved feeble. Much the same. You and I need to do our part. Though ultimately it will be feeble, it's still important. For if we do not this first step, we will not do any others.

We see her care for him.

Her Commitment of him to God (v21)

Once again, as we look at this passage of scripture, we will be looking at Elijah as though he were God himself. He obviously is not God, but because of the situation in that day, he was as close to God as she could get. So what does she do? She commits him unto God…

Notice first what she didn't do: she didn't bury him.

Often times, when we do all that we can for someone to see that they are saved, yet they don't get saved, we will write it off and essentially bury them spiritually in our mind.

(Ill.) We were out door knocking one Saturday, and I was with Little Bobby. We came to a house where the man was not receptive to receiving our tract or hearing the gospel. Ultimately, he handed it back to me and he said, "You give this to somebody that cares because he don't." As we're walking away, Little Bobby is amazed. And he said, "He just gave that tract back to you." Then he says, "Well, we'll just let him go to hell."

Now when he said that, I got a laugh out of it, but that's certainly not the attitude that we should take when it comes to lost souls.

This woman didn't bury him. She committed him unto God. She took him and laid him upon his bed and shut the door. She was trusting that God would intervene in this situation.

And that's exactly what you and I need to do.

We see her commitment of him to God.

It was Crucial to Her (v22)

Notice that one word in verse number 22, "run." She did not act like she had all the time in the world.

What's interesting is this: Technically, she did have all the time in the world. He was dead, and he wasn't getting any deader. But you and I treat the living as though they're going to live forever.

She treated it with urgency.

If you recall last week, I gave the illustration about me being in a burning house and how we should treat that with urgency. This is where we see some overlap. Because you and I, when we commit a thing unto God and pray for that thing, we should treat it with urgency. It should mean something to us. It should matter to us.

We need to be running to Jesus with our petitions for the lost.

It was crucial to her.

Her Confidence (v23)

Now, as she comes to her husband and tells him she's going to run to the man of God, he begins to ask why. He in essence states, "It's not a holy day, so why?" Her response is simply, "It shall be well."

Church, that's faith.

Here it is. Her son is dead. Her only son, the one that was God-given unto her. He lay dead, and her response is, "It shall be well." She had faith that things were going to be okay. She just needed to get to God.

Corrie Ten Boom said: “Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.” “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Charles Spurgeon stated: “A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul.”

The Bible tells us a story: Luke 5:17–20 “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

Did you hear that? THEIR Faith.

It takes one to personally place their faith in Christ for salvation, but our faith in getting them to Jesus, will Jesus honour as well! We need to be praying in faith, believing that God is going to move upon the hearts of those that are lost.

We see her Confidence

Her Clarity (v24)

Notice she instructed the servant to go forward and make haste, essentially. In other words, she was single-minded in that she was going to get to God for her son.

Now church, I'm not saying that you cannot think about other things except for the salvation of souls. But what I am saying is we need to be thinking about the salvation of souls.

Be honest, how much time have you spent in meditation and prayer for lost souls over the last week? How much have you considered those that are dead in trespasses and sins?

We should consider the single-mindedness of Christ when he was on the cross for you and me.

We should consider the single direction he gave before leaving this earth.

Philippians 3:13–15 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

Too often church we are ‘Otherwise minded’. We need some clarity of thought.

We see Her Clarity

Her Conviction (v27)

This woman was broken over the condition of her son. And why shouldn't she be? He was dead.

But might I remind you that being spiritually dead is far more important than being physically dead. If one is physically dead, if they have Christ, then they are actually more alive now than they ever have been. But if they're spiritually dead at any moment, their foot could slip and fall off and into an eternal damnation. Shouldn't that affect us?

Shouldn't we be broken over the lost? It makes sense to be, but why aren't we?

We must be praying for the lost, as if it matters, because it does.

We see her conviction.

Her Continuance (v30)

At this point, Elisha had tried to remedy the situation by sending Gehazi with his staff, but she wasn't having any of that. She was going to stay right there with Elisha.

And of course, it's a good thing she did because Ghazi with Elisha's staff didn't accomplish anything.

When we're talking about our mindset and attitude toward the lost, and especially in how we pray for these people, it needs to be a continual affair. Until something gets done, it needs to be continual.

We're told of this parable by Jesus in Luke 18:1–8 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

(Ill.) I think about my family. How day after day, month after month, year after year, we prayed that my family would come to know Christ as their Savior. Well, it took 20 years, but mom and dad were both born again. And we've been praying for well over 20 years for Dina's brother. But I believe that God's going to save him as well. But until he does, I will be praying for him every day as I have been.

We see her continuance.

We see a mediating force. Next we'll see a miracle-working God.

II. A Miracle-Working God

An Intervention (v30b)

We see that after she showed confidence and that it was crucial to her, she had committed him unto God. She had conviction and faith that God would move, and she continually pled with him. Then He Intervenes.

I believe this is a fair point to make. It's certainly fair to say that Elisha would not have intervened had the woman not done what she did. And if we are created with free will, then it's safe to say that if we do not do our part, then God is under no obligation to do His.

But because she did her part, God did intervene. And that's the thing, God is the only one that can make a true difference in those that are dead.

Paul wrote: 1 Corinthians 3:6–7 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

Church, I believe that God is still in the intervening business today. We just need to make sure that we do our part.

We see an intervention.

An Intimate Encounter (v32-34)

It is certainly interesting to see how God used Elisha to bring this young man back from the dead. A few things to note about it:

First, it was an intimate encounter.

2 Kings 4:34 “And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.”

Secondly, it took multiple efforts.

After the first one, he literally began to "warm up”, But he wasn't brought back to life just yet.

It also happened behind closed doors.

So she wasn't privy to see God working on her son. And that's the thing. As we pray and pray and pray for those lost souls, we don't know what God is doing. God may be warming them up and working, whether we know it or not, we must trust that He is.

An Indwelling & Expelling (v35)

Lastly, we see that when life came in, death went out. The breath of life was restored unto the child, and what was dead was now alive!

We see that God has the power to make the dead to live.

An Indwelling & Expelling

Conclusion

Church, it's very clear that God has the power to bring the dead to life. The only question is, do you have the function to commit yourself to pray for the dead and seek God's face as this woman did?

How many of you know someone that's dear to you that needs the Lord? Maybe you should take this time right now to come up and pray for their souls, that God intervenes in a mighty way.

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