Sermon Tone Analysis
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INTRODUCTION:
A- Background
1- The evil rule of Ahab, son of Omri.
a. Led the Northern Kingdom of Israel to worship Baal of the Phoenicians.
b.
Married Jezebel, a Sidonian princess, who incited Ahab to promote the worship of Baal and Ashteroth.
c. Became known as the most wicked king to that date.
(1 Kings 16:30, 33)
2- God sent His prophet, Elijah to announce judgment upon Israel because of their idolatry.
a. God sent Elijah to hide by the Kerith Brook from Ahab.
God fed Elijah with food brought by the ravens and water from the brook until the drought became so severe that the brook dried up.
He then sent him to a widow in the homeland of Jezebel to sustain him.
B- Preview:
GOD CHOOSES UNLIKELY CANDIDATES FOR HIS PURPOSES.
GOD CLAIMS HOPELESS CIRCUMSTANCES FOR HIS GLORY.
GOD CHANGES INEVITABLE DISASTER BY HIS POWER.
GOD CONFIRMS HIS DIVINE INTERVENTION TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH.
I- GOD CHOOSES UNLIKELY CANDIDATES FOR HIS PURPOSES.
(1 Kings 17:9)
A- The widow was an unlikely candidate for God to use.
1- Her heredity made her an unlikely candidate.
a.
Notice where she lived:
She lived in the town of Zarephath.
Located in the land of Phoenicia between the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
(Outside of Israel)
Phoenicia was the homeland of Ahab’s wife, Jezebel.
Phoenicia was a stronghold of Baal worship.
Baal was the Phoenician god of rain and vegetation.
2- Her plight in life made her an unlikely candidate.
a.
She was poor.
b.
She ha no one to help her.
Widows in that culture were in trouble if they had no family to take care of them.
c.
She had a son who lived at home, who evidently was too young to help earn a living.
d.
The drought had reduced her resources to a “last-meal” status.
B- God has a documented history of choosing unlikely candidates to use for His purposes.
1- God looks at the heart instead of the outward appearance of an individual.
(1 Samuel 16:7)
God chose David to be king instead of his older brother (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
God chose an unknown man named Gideon from an insignificant family to deliver his people.
(Judges 6:15)
C- God still chooses to use unlikely people to accomplish His purposes.
(1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
1- Don’t ever accept the idea that God can not use you because you are an unlikely candidate!
2- Never sell-short the role that you play in God’s work.
Your role may be a major one in the eyes of God!
II- GOD CLAIMS HOPELESS CIRCUMSTANCES FOR HIS GLORY.
(1 Kings 17:10-12)
A- Circumstances that appear to be hopeless from a human perspective are not hopeless to God.
1- The situation appears hopeless:
a.
A severe drought is taking place in Israel and Phoenicia.
The drought is so severe that brooks and streams had dried-up and food was becoming scarce.
b.
The widow was down to her last little bit of flour and oil.
She had enough to make one more meal for she and her son.
They would then likely starve to death.
c.
When Elijah entered the city, the widow was gathering some sticks to cook the last meal.
d.
Evidently others were in the same situation, for she fully expected to starve after the meal she was fixing.
2- God has proven himself to be the one who brings hope to hopeless situations.
a. God snatched victory from the jaws of inevitable defeat for King Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32: 20-21)
b.
God rescued Elisha and his servant from capture by the Arameans.
(2 Kings 6:14-18)
3- God has promised that He will never abandon us.
(Hebrews 13:5)
a.
Even when our circumstances seem hopeless, God is with us!
III- GOD CHANGES INEVITABLE DISASTER BY HIS POWER.
(1 Kings 17:13-16)
A- God has a plan when we have no plan.
(1 Kings 17:13-14)
1- The widow had no plan beyond eat the last meal and die.
2- God had a plan to multiply the food supply of the widow.
3- God’s power is limitless.
His wisdom is infinite.
It is foolish to fail to seek Him for His plan.
4- God calls upon us to seek Him for wisdom in impossible situations.
(James 1:5-6)
(Jeremiah 32:17)
B- When we follow God’s plan, He changes the circumstances by His power.
(1 Kings 17:15-16)
1- The widow chose to follow God’s plan and reaped the benefits.
a. Instead of living for a few days on her own provision, she and her son and Elijah lived on God’s provisions until the harvest of new food after the drought ended.
2- God has shown He has a plan to do the impossible and will do it.
a. Jesus had a plan to feed the 5,000 and carried it out (John 6:1-15) (Note John 6:5-7)
Jesus supplied the needed food with abundance.
(John 6:12-13)
IV- GOD CONFIRMS HIS DIVINE INTERVENTION TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH.
(1 Kings 17:17-24)
A- God rewards faith with confirmation of His intervention.
1- When the widow went to Elijah when her son died, God confirmed His intervention.
a.
The son grew sick and died.
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