SERVANTS HAVE SIGNED IT!

This Is What Servants Do!  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  58:09
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1 Kings 17:8–16 NKJV
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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.” And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ” So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
Introduction: WHEN WE PUT OUR MONIES IN A BANK, WE ARE PUTTING IT IN IT’S CUSTODY. WHEN WE DROP OUR CHILDREN OFF AT THE DAYCARE, WE ARE PUTTING THEM IN THEIR CUSTODY. THOSE EXAMPLES ARE TEMPORARY BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO

I. When You Accept the Unlikely Place

1 Kings 17:8–9 NKJV
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
The prophet Elijah received instructions from the LORD to a place called Zarephath in the region of Sidon. (explain the significance of the city)
Zarephath was a Phoenician city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, about seven miles south of Sidon. It was well known in the ancient world for its olive oil, purple dye, and wine (Pritchard, “Sarepta,” 101–102). During Elijah’s time, it belonged to the kingdom of Sidon (1 Kgs 17:9; Cogan, 1 Kings, 427).
It was north of Israel which means it was not a part of God The city is mentioned in writings as early as the thirteenth century bc, and Unlike other key Phoenician cities, the area around Zarephath has been largely undisturbed by modern development, making excavations a valuable source of information on the Phoenician cultures (Pritchard, Sarepta, 3).
So what did Elijah do after receiving instructions from the LORD. Did he delay? No. Did he ask questions? No! Look at verse 10
1 Kings 17:10 NKJV
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”
He got up or got his stuff together and went to Zarephath. What would make this prophet respond to the instructions in this fashion? I will tell you why because he understood that the LORD God is an All-Wise, All-knowing Counselor. Proverbs says
Proverbs 19:21 NKJV
There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
Did you hear it husbands? Did you hear that wives? I pray it did not get past you parents, singles, old and young, middle age. Elijah may have thought that another city or some other place would be better. Yet, he knew that God’s counsel will stand. His counsel, what He advises. what He instructs? It will stand! How long will it stand? Because this counsel or instruction was for Elijah. Help me out psalmist, How long will God’s counsel stand?
Psalm 33:11 NKJV
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.
Not Only when you accept the unlikely PLACE

II. When You Accept the Unlikely Provision

1 Kings 17:9 NKJV
“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
The LORD told Elijah to go to an unlikely person, a widow, in the midst of a famine. Her husband is dead and God sends the prophet to have a widow to provide for him. Yet, Elijah trust God stepped out on His Word. Look at verse 10
1 Kings 17:10 NKJV
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”
He asked for some water and then in verse 11
1 Kings 17:11 NKJV
And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
He asked her for something to eat. Now up to this point many of us would have asked for water and for a little bread but listen to her response in verse 12
1 Kings 17:12 NKJV
So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, 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.”
Let’s recap. She is a widow and she has a son. She doesn’t have any bread only a little flour and a little oil and she was going to make a last supper so her and her son would eat and die.
What is Elijah’s response. Look at verse 13
1 Kings 17:13 NKJV
And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
Elijah asked an unlikely person an unusual question. Go and follow your plan but make me a small cake first. Elijah ACCEPTED GOD’S PROVISION, because he trusted the Counsel and Wisdom of God but he also knew the power of God. Look at the beginning of chapter 17.
The LORD told Elijah to go and stay be the Brook of Cherith because He would provide for the prophet.
Elijah in trusting God became receiver of the LORD”s delivery service. You know He instituted the first food delivery services, before the pizza chains, before GrubHub, Uber eats, and Door Dash.
2nd God sent a raven to everyday to feed the prophet Elijah.
1st A matter a fact before Insta cart started delivering groceries, Shipt, Walmart, and Kroger, God sent the children of Israel bird and biscuit mix everyday while they were in the wilderness.
So when the LORD sent Elijah to the widow (who explain her situation). God knew what He was talking about.
So he told her in ‘verse 14
1 Kings 17:14 NKJV
For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ”
And look at her response in verse 15
1 Kings 17:15 NKJV
So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
1 Kings 17:16 NKJV
The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
Elijah did what the LORD said because he entrusted the LORD with his affairs
The prophet gave the responsibility of ruling his life to the LORD God Almighty.
The prophet’s confidence was not in himself but in the wisdom of God, character of God, in the ability of God, and in the strength of God. He did not say he knew what to do because he knew he and every other person is
Man is God is
God-existent Self-existent
Dependent Self-sufficient
Temporary Eternal
Finite Infinite
Foolish Wise
Mutable Immutable
Lowly Sovereign
Comprehensible Incomprehensible
Unholy Holy
Corrupt Righteous
Faithless Faithful
OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD
I CAN’T OVERPOWER HIM
I CAN’T DEFEAT HIM
OMNISCIENCE OF GOD
I CAN’T OUT THINK HIM
I CAN’T OUT SMART HIM
OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD
I CAN’T OUT RUN HIM
I CAN’T HID FROM HIM
POWER OF ATTORNEY IS WHEN YOU APPOINT A TRUSTED PERSON TO ACT ON YOUR BEHALF AND MANAGE MEDICAL, FINANCIAL, REAL ESTATE, BUSINESS, OR PERSONAL AFFAIRS
After you put your custody, your care, your life in His hands
After you have signed over control of your life to God, the only things left for you to do is to let go and let God have His way
LET GO CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. PUT THE CARE OF YOUR LIFE IN HIS HANDS. PUT EVERY THING IN HIS CUSTODY. I HAVE GIVEN OVER CUSTODY
Lean on God (to rely on)
Look to the LORD
Limited power of attorney (specific limited purpose)
Durable power of attorney (only if you are unable to act for yourself or it begins and continue
Springing power of attorney (only when you are incapacitated)
The reason I gave Him Power of Attorney because He is
Dependable through every difficulty.
Trustworthy through every trial
Competent in all circumstances
What about you have my brothers and sisters in Christ?
Have you found Him to be
Effective in every environment
Capable in every condition
Steadfast in every situation
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