Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
U.S. Army Chaplain
12 November 2006
Fort Ord Military Chapel
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THE BIG IDEA: TRUSTING GOD IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HE IS IN CONTROL OF THE BELIEVER’S LIFE!
REFERENCES: I Timothy 5:3-16 MSG (Take care of widow who are destitute. If a widow has family members to take care of her …); Deuteronomy 14:29 KJV (Keep it in reserve for the Levite who won’t get any property or inheritance as you will, and for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow who live in your neighborhood. That way they’ll have plenty to eat and God, your God, will bless you in all your work.; Deuteronomy 24:17 KJV Make sure foreigners and orphans get their just rights. Don’t take the cloakof a widow as security for a loan; Deuteronomy 26:12 Every third year, the year of the tithe, give a tenth of your produce to the Levite, the foreigner; Mark 5:28-34 KJV (For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” And immediately the hemorrhage ceased ….”); I Timothy 5:5 (KJV) A widow who has no family …; Luke 4:26 (KJV) But God didn’t send Elijah to anyone except a widow at Zarephath in the territory of Sidon; Mark 12:41 (As Jesus sat facing the temple offering box, he watched how much money people put into it. Many rich people put in large amounts. A poor widow dropped in two small coins, worth less than a cent …);
Pericope: 1 Kings 17:8-16
PURPOSE: To motivate the BELIEVERS to affirm to others that TRUSTING GOD is important because He is IN CONTROL OF THE BELIEVER’S LIFE.
TEXT: 1 Kings 17:9,12 (Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die).
SERMONIC THEME: “WIDOW IN SPIRIT”
INTRODUCTION: My brothers and my sisters let us not forget that we are a NATION AT WAR. As a result of our NATIONS Wars … there are many WIDOWs. As the result of sin, and the Enemy of our Faith … there are many “WIDOWs in Spirit”. Appropriately, on Saturday, 11 November 2006, all across America (in various forms) America celebrated VETERAN’S DAY.
Now, as Americans and historians, most of you are aware that it was November 11, 1918 when America originally celebrated signing the treaty which ended the war of all wars – World War I.
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One year later, on November 11, 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. But, in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen in the Nation’s history; and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “ARMISTICE” and inserting in its place the word “VETERANS”.
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Consequently, with the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Please join me by standing in unison for a “Moment of Silence” … in honor of all Veterans in the past and all veterans in our PRESENCE … that have served and is serving OUR GREAT NATION … Please join me in applauding all of them! You may be seated.
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MOVE I: Now, according to Webster’s Dictionary, the word “WIDOW” can be defined as … a woman who has lost her husband by death and has not remarried.
a. WIDOW … can also be used as a VERB with object as to make (someone) a widow. For example, one might write a sentence saying, “She was widowed by the war.”
b. In our text today, we find a WOMAN who is simply known (by God) as a WIDOW. The scripture doesn’t tell us specifically how this WOMAN became a widow … it just simply says that she is a Widow Woman.
c. For you see my brothers and sisters … in the Bible there is no provisions made for WIDOWERS – men who had loss their wives; the provisions were for women who had loss their husbands.
d. In fact, Biblical Research shows that “Widow” in the Old Testament refer mainly to the question of remarriage.
e. If a man died without children, his widow was obliged to marry her deceased husband’s brother, and if the latter refused to take her to wife he was put to shame before the people (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).
f. The support of widows was commended to the charity of the Israelites, and they were to have the gleanings of the cornfields, olive trees, and vineyards (Deuteronomy 24:19-22).
g. Nevertheless, the LOT of the widow in the Old Testament times was generally a hard one and the LOT of widow in the Old Testament that was A GENTILE and not an Israelite was even harder … therefore let us examine this WIDOW’ condition, this widow’s confession, and this widow’s miracle …
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MOVE 2: - THIS WIDOW ’S CONDITION:
a. Imagine … living in an age … where there is no television or radio …If you were religious … the only way you could WORSHIP GOD was by attending CHURCH ..
b. NOW … ATTENDING CHURCH … IS A PROBLEM FOR YOU.
c. YOU ENJOY WORSHIPPING GOD … BUT YOU’RE NOT THE TRADITIONAL WORSHIPPER … YOU DON’T WORSHIP THE MANNER IN WHICH MOST WORSHIPPERS WORSHIP … AND YOU DON’T LIVE WHERE MOST WORSHIPPERS LIVE …
d. AFTER ALL … YOU’RE NOT A JEW …
e. TIME IS HARD AND IT’S VERY EXPENSIVE TO LIVE WHERE YOU’RE LIVING.
f. YOU ARE NOT RICH, SO YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SERVANTS SERVING YOU.
g. YOUR SPOUSE IS DEAD. AND THERE WAS NO INHERITANCE TO LEAVE YOU … BUT THE SON.
h. IT’S JUST YOU AND THE SON.
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MOVE 3: ALTHOUGH YOU DON’T HAVE A COMPANION, YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU DO HAVE …
a. ALTHOUGH YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR NEXT MEALING IS COMING FROM, IF IT COMES AT ALL …
b. STILL YOU’RE GRATEFUL THAT GOD SAW FIT TO BLESS YOU WITH LIFE (AND THE SON) …
c. GOD HAS ALSO BROUGHT YOU FROM A MIGHTY LONG WAY …
d. SO TO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE SAINTS OF GOD … AND OTHER BELIEVERS … is EASY AND RIGHT TO DO … THE PROBLEM IS THERE AREN’T ANY BELIEVERS NEAR YOU ( OR AT LEAST IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE IT)
e. UNTIL … YOU SUDDENLY YOU WERE ON YOUR LAST DROP OF OIL AND YOUR LAST SCRAPING OF FLOUR …
f. AND YOU COULD NO LONGER MAKE ENDS MEET …your unsaved neighbors were all struggling to survive and live too …
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MOVE 4: AND GOD SENDS A HOUSE GUEST … you’re grateful that God has sent a Man your way … and you’re really grateful that He’s RELIGIOUS MAN that hears from GOD … BUT YOU FEEL LIKE it’s a bit too late …
a. SO your mind is set and your heart is fixed…
b. this is how God has decided to allow your life to end;
c. and you’re going to make the best of it … (with your handful of meal, your oil, and your two sticks) with the SON he has bless you with ….
d. AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE GOD ALL FIGURED OUT … HE ASK YOU FOR YET ANOTHER SACRIFICE …
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MOVE 5: – THIS WOMAN’S CONFESSION
a. SO WHAT DO YOU DO?
b. Unlike Jarius - the Synagogue Worship Leader – YOU ARE AFRAID and ASHAMED to publicly say IN FRONT OF THE CROWD what YOUR ISSUES ARE …
c. YOU KNOW according to THE MOSIAC LAW that YOU’RE NOT TO BE PROVIDED FOR BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT AN ISRAELITE
d. AND THIS MAN OF GOD … COULD HAVE ISSUES WITH OTHER WOMEN AS HE HAS WITH JAZEBEL …
e. … If YOU publicly SPEEK of YOUR concerns …
f. IT COULD MAKE MATTERS WORST … THE MAN COULD LEAVE … AND THE HOPE THAT GOD HAD PROVIDED WOULD BE GONE … TOO …
g. DO YOU TRUST YOUR FAITH AND YOUR INSTINCT THIS LAST TIME?
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MOVE 6: - THIS WOMAN’S MIRACLE
a. SO … WHAT DO YOU DO …?
b. YOUR BACK IS UP AGAINST THE WALL …
c. YOU’RE SPIRITUALLY … AND NATURALLY …DYING …
d. YOUR SON IS DEPENDING ON YOU … AND HE UP TO NOW … HAS BEEN ALL YOU’VE HAD FOR QUITE SOME TIME …
e. … AND ELIJAH … (FULL OF CONFIDENCES; ASSURES YOU OF GOD’S BLESSINGS … PERSISTENTLY INSTRUCTS YOU HOW TO BE A RECPIENT OF GOD’S MIRACLE … IS WAITING FOR YOU TO BRING HIM YOUR LAST LITTLE WATER IN A VESSEL; BAKE HIM A CAKE WITH YOUR LAST FLOUR AND LAST DROP OIL …)
f. YOU DON’T HAVE HOURS DECIDED … YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION TO TRUST GOD … NOW …
h. WHAT DO YOU DO?
i. … YOU TAKE A CHANCE … BY FAITH …
j. YOU CARRY THE MAN OF GOD THE WATER … YOU BAKE THE CAKE … AND YOU FEED GOD’S SERVANT FIRST … AND WATCH WHAT GOD DOES ….
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CELEBRATION: YOU DON’T HAVE TO ASK … JUST BELIEVE …
…As broken as you are … GO … as marred as you are … GO … WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH THE SANDS OF DOUBTS OF CONFUSIONS … AND PRESSURES … prejudices …
AND TRUST GOD …FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELF … AND RECEIVE YOUR MIRACLE ….
