Bake The Flour And Pour Out The Oil

I Kings 17

Introduction

If you missed Wednesday night you missed Sister Rhonda Holland craft a powerful message from 2 Kings 4. I was listened intently as she shared with us 1) a reminder that there is famine in the land. This was a famine in the story. Famines were mainly built on lack of water which contributed to crops not growing, no way to water the animals and starvation.

She reminded us that there is also a famine in the land today. A famine for the Word of God and a loss of hunger for God Himself. Finally, she shared another passage I have never heard preached on. The passage of the “bitter poisonous stew”. It was there because of a poisonous gourd that was chopped up in the pot.

A little sin can infest a lot. A little dirt on a good brownie. Wayne’s brownies

It was not until the flour was thrown in the pot that food was safe to eat. She reminded us of the process of getting flour. The sifting. The sacrifice. The work that it takes.

Flour and Faith

I am reminded this morning of another story in the Bible that shows us the importance of flour.

This widow was on the brink of quitting. In her mind she had just enough flour to make bread for herself and her son and that was it. But she runs into the prophet of God who challenges her faith. Read with me here in 1 Kings 17

God will send you out to help others.

God will put people in your path.

We need to be careful just in case we are “entertaining angels”

1 Kings 17:8-16 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, (9) "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." (10) 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." (11) And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." (What is in your hand? God will use it. Ask Moses, the rod.) (12) 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." (13) And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear (have faith in God “God has not given you the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind 2 Timothy 1:7); 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. (14) 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.' " (15) So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. (16) 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.

Illustration: Story of the man in the dessert

Man traveles across the desert for days. He finally came across an old shack. There in it was an pump that led down to the water table. On the pump was a note and old jar full of water. Thevnotevread "Pour this water in the pump to prime the pump to get more water." This man had a choice he could drink the water or trust that the water will prime the pump.

- This was a challenge of her faith, not just to say it but to be obedient.

- This was not an easy decision, it was a challenge that not only affected her but also her family.

Does really care about the giving side of faith? Yes

God takes care of the widows and expects us to take care of their need!

Reminder: Luke 21:1 – 4 The Widows mite.

Luke 21:1-4 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, (2) and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. (3) So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; (4) for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, [136] but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."