Sermon by: Dr. Todd Morris
Text: I Kings 17: 8-16
Title: Empty Barrel Graduate School
Date: March 7, 2004
Introduction: Well, Elijah holds in his hand his diploma from Dry Brook University. He has trusted God to take care of him in a desperate situation. He trusted God to send ravens to feed him. He trusted God to supply his water. He has watched day in and day out as God has met his needs. He watched God dry up his little brook, surely all that should count for something! Surely things would get better now.
Yet, when God speaks to Elijah it is to send him into another situation of difficulty. The prophet’s training isn’t over yet. God is creating a man of God, and that process is not easy or quick. Elijah may have graduated from Dry Brook University, but he is about to enroll in Empty Barrel Graduate School. At Cherith God broke the prophet’s flesh: He taught Elijah to depend on God. At Zarephath, God will beak Elijah’s pride. Here, he will learn that God, not Elijah, calls the shots in life. He will learn that things are seldom as they appear. He will learn that God can use the humblest of means to train His children for His glory.
Remember, God intends to use this man in a mighty way! When we get to chapter 18, we will see why God put the prophet through such rigorous training. God is building a man of God.
Now, with that in mind, there are times when it seems that our trials come back to back to back to back. That is, it seems that before our trial can come to an end, another begins. When these times come we my be tempted to question the Lord as to what He is doing. Simply put, don’t despair, God is getting you I a position where He can use you to His greater glory. May I remind you that before He can mold us He must first melt us! God’s goal for every child of God is that we be made into the image of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, lets us join the prophet Elijah as he continues his training at Empty Barrel Graduate School. There are lessons here that we need as well, lessons that will help us in our times of testing.
I A FRESH PATH (8-11)
A. The Call (8) – As Elijah sat there beside the dried up brook, it must have felt like he had been abandoned, but God had not forgotten Elijah! God knew exactly where Elijah was, and He knew all about the dried up brook, and it was at that precise moment that God chose to speak to Elijah.
B. The Command (9a) – God tells Elijah what He wants him to do. He commands him to go to Zarephath. This is extremely strange since Zarephath is a Gentile nation. As a matter of fact it is Jezebel’s home country. It is a wicked place, and to top it all off, Elijah is going to have to walk 100 miles across territory ruled by Ahab, who is looking everywhere for Elijah to kill him.
C. The Challenge (9b) – Notice that again Elijah is told to “dwell there.” He is to go to Zarephath and stay until he received further instructions. God’s assignments don’t always come with time limits attached. He merely sends us to it and leaves us until His work is finished.
D. The Comfort (10-11) – When Elijah gets the command he does not hesitate he simply obeys, and when he arrives at his appointed destination God shows him who it is that He has appointed to care for his needs.
II A FANTASTIC PROMISE (12-15A)
A. A Doubt (12) – When Elijah asks for bread the widow’s fear is brought to the surface. God has already commanded her to care for His prophet, but she is trapped in the fear of faithlessness. She has her eyes on circumstances and not on He Who controls the circumstances.
B. A Demand (13-14) – When Elijah hears the widow’s sob story he makes what appears to be the coldest demand in the entire Bible. He tells her to go ahead and fix her last supper, but to feed him first. On the surface it seems cruel, but in reality it is a plea for faith and surrender.
1. It Involved Encouragement – “Fear Not!” She is told she can trust God.
2. It involved Enlightenment – “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.” She gets a direct word form God concerning her situation. She has God’s word that He will take care of her.
3. It Involves Excitement – Neither the barrel of meal nor the cruse of oil will fail…”
C. A Decision (15a) – When the widow heard the Word of the Lord she went and did as Elijah said.
III A FABULOUS PROVISION (15-16)
A. The Grace Of It – Because the widow obeyed the Lord and fed Elijah, God allowed the widow and her son plenty to eat while hundreds around them starved to death. The difference was that she learned to live by faith.
B. The Greatness Of It – For years, until it rained every meal was a miracle. God worked a miracle in their lives every single day.
C. The Glory Of It – The glory of the story is that the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil were never full! Elijah and the widow were taught to live day by day. Every day she scraped the bottom of the barrel, and every day there was just enough meal to fix their food. Not one day was any left over! Every day they had to trust!
Conclusion: George Mueller, born into a German tax collector’s family, was often in trouble. He learned early in life to steal and gamble and drink. As a teenager, he learned how to stay in expensive hotels, then sneak out without paying the bill. But finally he was caught and put in jail. Prison did him little good, and upon his release he continued his life of crime. Then one Saturday night in 1825 he met Jesus Christ.
Mueller married, settled down in Bristol England, growing daily in faith and developing a burden for homeless children running wild as he used to. At a public meeting is Bristol on December 9, 1835 he presented a plan for an orphanage. Several contributions came in and on April 11, 1836 Mueller opened the doors to his orphanage with twenty-six children living in it.
From the beginning he refused to seek funds or even speak of the ministry. He believed that if he prayed earnestly the Lord would provide. And the Lord did provide, although sometimes at the very last minute. The best known story involves the morning that the children sat waiting for breakfast while Mueller led in prayer for their daily bread, knowing that there was no food or milk in the building. Mueller’s prayer was interrupted by a knock and when he answered the door it was the baker, who said, “I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you needed bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 and baked some fresh bread. The baker left and Mueller again began his blessing, a second knock came and it was the milkman. He had broken down right in front of the orphanage and wanted to give the children milk so he could empty his wagon and repair it.
Such stories became the norm of Mueller’s work. During his 93 years he housed more than 10,000 orphans, prayed in millions of dollars, traveled to scores of countries preaching the Gospel, and recorded 50,000 answers to prayer.
Friend, where does this message find your faith? Does God seem to be moving you from one hard place to another? Does it seem things get harder and harder as you journey through life? You must remember that God is refining you! Don’t fight Him! Follow Him!
Some here may be lost. You need to be saved today. Whatever your need this altar is open and here you will find what you need.
