Faith that Works

2 Kings 4:1–7 NKJV

1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” 2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

2 Kings 4:7 NKJV

7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

James 2:17–20 NKJV

17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

1. Faith is meant to work in our troubled times.

2 Kings 4:1 NKJV

1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

it is easy to get discouraged in troubled times.

especially when your money gets funny.

nothing seems to be as tough as when you don’t have enough.

this was no minor problem either.

this woman was a widow.

her sons where going to be taken away.

that meant she was going to be left alone.

this was going to be a wreak.

God wants to work with us in caring for our needs.

1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Matthew 6:25–30 NKJV

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

2. God is going to work with us. Faith almost always means that we take action.

explain the almost.

2 Kings 4:2 NKJV

2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

as believers we often undervalue what God has already given us.

some of us are looking for great provision and we don't see what we already have.

the woman had nothing but some oil.

and the oil in and of it self is not enough.

but that oil submitted to God’s plan is more than enough.

We need to do our part.

In our culture that would mean work and proper stewardship.

2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 NKJV

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV

8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Ephesians 4:28 NKJV

28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

stewardship

Luke 16:11 NKJV

11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Jesus says that if we cannot be good stewards of our money we will never be able to be trusted with true riches.

3. The widow had to do what was commanded in order to receive the blessing that she needed.

2 Kings 4:3–7 NKJV

3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

she did what the man of God said and God blessed her obedience.

God will bless us but we are going to have to give him our actions.

I have said this every week.

God wants to restore all of us.

we cant have peace if we are going to hold on to worry.

we cant have provision if we wont work.

we cant have restoration if we wont make amends.

we cant have change if we wont move.