Sunday Message 7th Oct 07

An Unreasonable Request - 1Kings 17：8-16
The Widow at Zarephath
7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." 12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."
 13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "
 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

1. An unreasonable request
 How could a man of God takes away the very last meal from a widow?
 Only obedience to seemingly un-reasonable request brings forth unreasonable reward!

2. For without faith, it is impossible to please God! (Heb 11:6)
 We must act from the eyes of faith
 Fear not! v13
 See how an unreasonable request yielded unreasonable blessing
 One meal in exchange for more than 2 years of supply!

3. Background of the story
The prophet Elijah spoke the very word of God – the judgment to a rebellious people. A rebellion made more severe and poignant because they have repeatedly tasted God’s goodness. No other people in history has all the Exodus experiences, seen so much miracles of provision and deleiverance. The disobediecne and decay was on a slippery slope - sliding all the way downwards
As we read from 1King 16:29-34; King Ahab married the princess of Sidonite king, Jezebel – don’t tell me that you can marry anyone you like. It has the most crucial decision which will impact on your faith and your eternal destiny!!

In this case – it even affects the whole nation – our little action can affect our whole family, the whole church, and even the whole nation!!

So God told him to speak – words have power – and the drought came- usually because of sin. Let us no forget that we have to live the incarnation life – that means if we want to communicate massage we have to live among the people. We have to suffer the effect of sin with the people we minister. Elijah did that.

4. Grace at unexpected places
 God’s work is not confined to the church!
 Let us not have a false sense of security
 See Luke 4:26 – the recipient of healing are not Israelites!

5. What about reasonable requests
 Before we wrestle with those seemingly unreasonable demands
 What about those reasonable requests? Eg come to church on time, Worship God with all your heart and soul, give tithes, be friendly to people. How can you say you love God and hate people?
 How is your prayer and reading the word? No body is to blamed for your spiritual dryness. Some where along the line, you must have neglected to obey, neglected to read the word.
 Have you obeyed or fulfilled them? Or you have grown so self confident and so self-sufficient to not need God. Drs & surgeon start to think that the yare god!!
I am deeply conscious of how easy we allow our God given dreams to slip past us – because the devil specialize in stealing (John 10:10 – it started with little
- I'll tell you what is reasonable – when God bless you – go ands tell, when you have tasted God go and tell. Bless the people who seem to have offended you, pray for your neighbor. etc

6. Giving out of our lack is the best form of faith exercise!
 Give – your heart, your emotion, your substance – even in times of lack
 And the Lord will filled it again, and again
 We don’t just go through life, we shall grow through life.
 Are you willing to walk the extra mile? Jesus did so much for us. He wants to remove the false security so that he can become our real security. The false God for the real God.

7. This is the season of Great blessing and break through
But first, we must response in faith and not fear.
 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)
 You cannot say you have been swimming when you are not even wet! Or go to a football match and jus sit still!
 Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
 2 idols in our lives - Personal fulfillment & avoiding hurt/or self preservation; it can develop into such an obsession that we are living for happiness more than living for God! Repent!

Isaiah 6:1-8 – Vision of the King message on 12/8/07

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

1. Contrast the Heavenly Court with the earthly Court
Uzziah was a great king – See 2 Chron 26
Good warrior, administrator, inventor – reign 52 yrs. But pride entered his hearts
He was struck with leprosy – His son reigned as puppet.
Isaiah was apprehensive – power struggle, troubles and turmoil
A timely vision at a time like this

Prov 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall “

2. Let us learn from the attitude of the seraphim
The flaming ones. They are glorious and bright but will never be as glorious as the Lord of Heaven.
 Two wings cover their face - reverence
 Two wings cover their feet – humility and modesty
 two wings in flight- serving, with praise and action.
3 fold holy – Trinity? Or just a repeat to emphasis the intensity


3. An Unshakable kingdom
Hebrews 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."[e] 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire.
Is your world being shaken? What are you depending on?. Is it worth it? What are you banking all you have upon?

4. Touched by the fire of God
Only he who is touched by the fire of God will be changed. Experience is just as important – Moses had and encounter and yet he asked for God’s presence over and over again. We need it… Also we need to be faithful regardless. But have a divine discontent.
Fire from the Altar – Sacrifice, Jesus was on the altar…

Zech 3:1-5 - High priest Joshua was pronounced clean – God clothe him personally with white robes and turban -

5.A renewed service comes from a renewed Life
2Cor 5:17 – a new creation.
Isaiah was pronouncing judgments on all the nations before this, now he knew – a lot more tender and compassionate.

The power of the gospel! Latin America – Spanish culture- ranking of saints – so they just change the names of their pagan God with Christians ones. But the life and belief systen is unchanged.
A cute baby Jesus and a death one on the cross – full of sentimental value but make no demand on our lives. NO, this same God of Heaven, The El-Shaddai, Adonai, Yahweh demands that you honour Him! He will draw you but you must crave for a continual encounter with Him. So that yuou may fulfill your purpose till the end.

Conclusion:
1 Seek an encounter with God
1. Recognize our limitation and sinfulness
2. We have an unshakable kingdom!!
3. Grace is everything – he who is touched by God cannot remain the same!
4. Do not be satisfied with one encounter – make it our lifelong pursuit.