Refining Lessons

Introduction

Recap series

Week 1 -

To be ready to stand for God, speak his word

meaning a willingness to go where he desires us to go and do what he desires us to do

sometimes he wants us to keep our mouths shut… slow to speak!

in order to do this we must know his word

Realize that we ultimately stand in the presence of God

Week 2 -

To keep from standing on our own, sometimes we need to get alone with God

not every dry creek bed is a punishment, Elijah told the king that there would be no rain

Refining Lessons

What does it take to shake your faith

political turmoil, lack of blessings, or maybe you felt like God told you to go a certain way, but it isn’t working out like you thought it would

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

12 But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the LORD God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the surface of the land.’ ”

15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days. 16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the LORD he had spoken through Elijah.

PRAY!

Retell the passage in my own words

After the creek dried up, God told Elijah to move

go to Zarephath, this is not in the kingdom of Israel

in fact this would have been in the territory of Ethbaal, Jezebel’s father

went right into enemy territory

the name is also a little disheartening, it means to refine

he is told that a widow will be taking care of him

I am not sure what Elijah thought of this, but I am sure humbled would be right up there

this would have been a long walk, some believe that it would have been about 100 miles

walking that far would be tough, though maybe not as big of a deal for them at that time

but don’t forget there is a drought, where he started, there was no water, no water where he was

He finds the widow at the city gate

for him to know when seeing her, she would have had mourning dress on, meaning her husband would have passed recently

we know she is poor because she is out picking up sticks

she is doing this at the city gate

she does not have a servant to do this for her

she is picking up sticks to start a fire

these things had no value, as others have passed by these all the time

meaning, she is picking up trash

Elijah asks for a drink and a pancake

the drink she is happy to get for him

not that the drought hasn’t effected them, but the mountains would have natural springs

then he asks for bread as well, now she cannot help him

in the name of the Lord, YOUR GOD...

interesting how she phrases this

does she not worship the Lord, and follow Baal instead

she doesn’t turn Elijah in to the King, as a prophet from Israel

we now know how desperate this woman is, she has just enough flour and oil to make a little bread and then she plans on starving to death

her and her son

What kind of help is this to Elijah

where he was, though it dried up, he had birds bringing bread and meat, not just once, but twice per day

what is God doing, maybe Elijah heard wrong

no, we do not see this kind of attitude at all from the prophet

he, on behalf of the Lord, makes a promise

make me bread first, and then for you, and the Lord will continue to keep your jar and jug full enough

she does it! showing the faith that had been lacking in Israel

after this it says that they all ate for many days

God continued every day to make sure there was enough flour and oil each day to make what they needed

4 lessons learned from this passage from Swindoll

God’s leading is often surprising, don’t analyze it

We often over think everything, especially God’s will

we analyze everything from how we feel, the pushback we receive, the hardships that we face

real or imagined

sometimes we will make decisions based on perceived conversations with others

we assign reasons to all kinds of things

especially when they do not go our way

I must not be hearing God correctly

think of all the things Elijah could have said this about

Walk 100 miles in a drought

go to enemy territory

to a widow, a poor widow at that

me being escorted by security at casino

Part of following Jesus is being willing to submit to his authority

that we go where he tells us to go, do and say what he has us do and say

we are not here for the blessings,

I have been blessed beyond measure

I am amazed at the life that I am able to live, the way that my family is taken care of just because I get am obeying the calling God has put on my life

though I pray I never find out, am I willing to have the attitude of Job,

the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord

So often the calling that God puts on our life looks different, the way he wants us to serve looks different then the pretty, perfect image that we come up with on our own

I am not sure what Elijah thought following the Lord was going to look like

but going from the king to the creek could have been discouraging

the creek drying up and then being sent to a widow with nothing would leave you questioning your calling

The beginning days are often the hardest days, don’t quit

A new ministry can be exciting

even if it is scary what we are being called to do, I told you a couple weeks ago that when Heather found out where Burdett was, she cried

after we came here to visit, I asked her what she thought

she said, it was like coming home from a long trip

this did not mean that it wasn’t difficult

the first night all the kids get sick… it was a Saturday

Heather wakes up that Sunday morning, not able to go to church because all the kids are sick and cries again

this time, she was like, we have no food, in the middle of nowhere, the kids have thrown up all over everything and we have no washing machine

we had no food to make anything to eat and we couldn’t take the kids anywhere to get food

I go to church, and when I get here there was so much food… and the church went and unloaded our rental truck

One thing I remember from that day, Larry Frusher said, “I have never seen a truck so packed with stuff!”

If you went from birds feeding you to a dry creek, to enemy territory to no food…

one of the saddest verses to me is in the parable of the seed

there were four different kinds, but one kind sprouted, shown signs of growth, but when the struggles of life came, when persecution came, they gave up

if the blessing you are looking for is blessings in this life, you will end up disappointed and quit

but if you are looking at eternity… one day, he will be our God and we will be His people in a new heaven and a new earth!

Satan wants to derail us, make us think that it is too hard, make us doubt the calling that God has given us

Do not give up!

God’s promises often hinge on obedience, don’t ignore your part

what does obedience look like

basically, simple obedience without question

Elijah, go… and he went

to the widow, make bread… she made bread

to often we want to analyze what God has called us to do, quit when it is not the nice neat easy thing we want to do

when we should be going where he tells us to go, doing what he tells us to do

don’t just appear to be obedient

what I mean is that you know what you are to do, and you begin to do some things

but you spend so much time in preparation, study, prayer and talking to others that you never actually do what God is called you to do

we do this all the time with evangelism

we know that this something that God has called every believer to do

all believers are called to make disciples

so we talk about it, study what that means and we pray hard that our country would be reached for christ

but nobody opens their mouth to tell the lost guy down the street that Jesus is Lord!

what is God telling you to do

what is your spiritual gift, are you using it in service to your church family

have you asked God

so many haven’t ever asked God how to be used, or even made themselves available to God

we sound like those in the NT with Jesus, let me say goodbye, bury my family member,

I want to follow you, but first allow me to do all the things that I want to do

do we realize that when we do that, we are giving God the leftovers of our life, when we are called to give him the firsts!

Beware of any false teaching that calls you to passivity

a teaching that says that being saved is all about you

what you like, how you feel

instead of calling you to obedience to live the way the Bible says we should live and serve the way the Bible says we should serve

God’s provisions are often just enough; don’t fail to thank him

We mock the Israelites after they came out of slavery

God brought us out here to die

Moses is gone too long, we need a god that we can see and worship

we are starving and had plenty of food in slavery

we are tired of manna… we want meat

in the richest nation in the world we are never happy with the things that we have

there is never enough or it is not good enough

Elijah did have meat… twice a day

now bread only and once a day

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 CSB

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We do not only give thanks to God in the good times, or when we think we have enough

in everything… why

because God uses everything in our lives to shape us into the image of his son

What are you being called to that you would obey if....

if the time was right, the money was there,

Do not over analyze the calling God has put on your life. Don’t quite just because it is hard, simply obey his command and thank him when he supplies your needs to accomplish it.