Sermon nuggets Mon Feb 8
Theme Facing Tragedy
Verses 1 Kings 17:17-24
Facing Tragedy
Farmers in southern Alabama in a certain area were accustomed to planting one crop every year-cotton. They would plow as much ground as they could and plant their crop. Then one year the dreaded boil weevil devastated the whole area. The next year the farmers mortgaged their holdings and planted cotton again. But as the cotton began to grow the insect returned and destroyed the crop, wiping out most of the farms.
The few who survived those two years of the boil weevil decided to experiment. They planted something the following season they’d never planted before-peanuts. The peanuts proved hardy and the market proved so strong for that product that the farmers who survived the first years reaped profits that third year that enabled them to pay off all their debts. They planted peanuts from then on and prospered greatly.
Do you know what they did? They spent some of their new wealth to erect in the town square a monument to the boil weevil. If it hadn’t been for that insect they would never have discover peanuts. They learned that even out of disaster there can be good things happening.
I dare say that there is hardly a home or a family in which some type of difficulties and tragedies occur. For many it becomes the means of growth and development in ways they could not begin to understand any other way. For others it becomes an experience from which they never recover.
I am hesitant to talk about facing tragedies or hard times because each person and family does so differently. We have different personalities, experiences, and faith levels. There is no right feeling or uniform paths that all should experience. There is one thing such as the tragedy of Haiti that affects the whole country or 100,000s of people. There is another thing when there is a death in the family of a loved one, a child or a spouse. It is one thing, like Job in the Bible, who loses everything in one day-all his possessions as well as his whole family and finally his health. It is another thing when someone loses his or her employment. Both are real, but the multitude of problems can surround a person beyond belief and be overwhelming.
A professor at Asbury Seminary conveyed the story of a country preacher who stood up in a testimony meeting and said, “Christ might near ruined me.” It shocked the people. He had listened to all the glowing reports of things that God did for them and explained sickness in his home, lost crops, financial worries and didn’t think they were any better or worse Christians. How is it when some feel like their prayers are never answered?
The Bible talks about peace with God, but it also addressed suffering.
In our series on Elijah we saw how he stood up to King Ahab, believing in a God who is alive and sovereign. He believed God was in charge not the King of a government, nor other men. He committed himself to obedience as a servant of God. He believed in God’s word and promises and would pray to that end.
Last week we discussed Gods provisions as Elijah learned to trust by taking the step of obedience into the wilderness to be fed by raven and the brook. He was further tested. The brook died up. Circumstances became difficult in the wilderness. God lead him to a widow woman and her son several miles away out of the country. She experienced the power of God when she sacrificed what little she had and gave it to Elijah. She found God provided enough flour and oil each day for their needs.
The Lord isn’t in the business of making us rich and glamorous, nor famous and problem free. The Lord is in the business of making us into the image of his dear Son and wants us to experience all that we need to grow into loving and trusting Him better even through calamities. He is preparing us for heaven.
This week we will look at reactions in tragedies that might allow some self evaluation.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Feb 9
Verses- I King 17:17-18 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.
She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
Emotional Responses
There is no time when feels run so deeply as in times of tragedy. There are feelings that may not be the same to all involved. Certainly emotions differ depending on the incident, people involved, relationships, and history for starters.
I don’t think there is anything as traumatic as a terminal illness of a young child. Compound the crises with the mother who already experienced the death of her husband. She is a widow. She is living in a land going through a draught. She obviously doesn’t have any resources as the four and oil are only enough each day for one day’s food.
One of the frustrations in that society is a woman had little if any rights. She was vulnerable. Work options were extremely limited. It is hard to find a job to provide for herself and her son.
There are no mention of nearby relatives. Aloneness seems to be overwhelming. The one she loves most in the world, her reason for living is her son who needs her and now he is taken from her. She saw him getting worse and the first feeling is hopelessness. This despairing experience that there is nothing one can do, or everything one tries doesn’t work.
When tragedy hits victims feel helpless. They are often in shock. It is hard to comprehend what is happening and confusion as to what they should do. Emotions and psychological turmoil is seeking to bring some balance, but one cannot make emotional sense out of what is happening.
In the past I have had the experience of being with parents of very seriously ill children. That is among the hardest things I have had to do. In the Children’s hospital to watch a younger in pain and not do anything is stressful. You want to do something but there is nothing anyone can do.
I remember when my son was running around and getting into things I wished he would be quieter and sedate, but after my trip to Children’s Hospital I thank the Lord with all my heart that he was healthy and can run around and cause havoc compared to the high fevered moaning of little ones.
Grief is the normal response to death or loss. Elizabeth Kuber Ross studied grief and noted some similarities depending upon the relationship and circumstances around a death. Initially there is often shock. Sometime people feel like they are going crazy because they are flooded with all kinds of thoughts. Your system is numbed and sometimes sick. Many have a lot of nervous energy. Denial of reality is the mind’s way to process it slowly. Maybe this is just a bad dream or one goes over and over in their mind how things could be different. The big “if” is asked, “If only I had done this, or didn’t do that”
In our relationship with people there are always things that we do wrong and they do wrong. Common thoughts are “What did I do to deserve this? Why Me?”
As a chaplain I learned that when many people are really mad at God they take it out on one who is suppose to represent him like clergy, or Christian friend or the church.
The sense of overwhelming despair is having what little hope the woman had taken away from her. Perhaps you’ve known folks who have struggle with a tragedy in their lives. Even people of faith can feel devastated and bitter. That anger turns toward God or those who represent him. The widow let’s Elijah have it with her anger. It is not his fault. What does he have against her?
Out of their confusion and anger man feel bitterness toward God. They can no longer worship a God who has the power to change the event, but God doesn’t Or they are disillusioned into thinking that there must not be a God who would keep his grace and mercy from situations such as these. I’ve seen pastors and church leaders who have held responsible and significant Christian position, today defeated spiritually and quit. They have rejected the Lord.
Anger can do that. Self pity can do that. In grief it is not at all unusual or people to reject and distance themselves from folks who are near. It is not uncommon for grief people to lash out as if they need to pace blame on someone. One of the reason doctors often have malpractice suits against them is the grief and anger to those unable to keep their loved one from dying.
When folks react to the situation, especially in the early responses, listen and love. Time is a great healer of emotions when people can feel free to talk it out. Do not try to correct their theology or preach at them, but help them by your prayers, presence and love.
More to be said in the next days.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Wed Feb 10
Verse- 1 Kings 17:18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
Guilt Responses
In addition to emotional responses that are typical with grief, the widow expressed something also common-her guilty feelings. Many will replay in their minds following a death of a loved one, “I should not have said this” “I should have been a better mother (father, wife, husband)” “Maybe things would have been different if only I….”
Unresolved guilt can turn into depression, as well as inward anger. We get a glimpse of this type of response from the widow when she blasts Elijah.
When tragedies hit home people ask, “Why?” “What did I do to deserve this? “ Is there some sin in my life that caused this to happen?” We like to see cause and effect of things even if it is beyond our understanding.
The widow immediately thought of her sin when her son died. It is as if God is punishing her for something she did in the past “Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” There is no detail of actually what happened in the past. It might have been her heathen Baal worship, since the whole county is being punished for it. Maybe it concerned her husband. Possibly since it was directly relate to her son. Maybe the son was illegitimate, Maybe not her husband’s? Maybe had a son after her husband died. We just don’t know, but she knows and immediately that is what comes to her mind.
Either way this shows that there is a hidden sin that she did not deal with. It is unconfessed and needs to be handled with the Lord. There are times when you are under the conviction of the Spirit that someone’s word may raise it into your conscience. Or a song, or a sight of something or someone else and anguish, guilt, fear, suspicion all can be part of this hidden and unconfessed sin.
When crisis comes people do re-evaluation of their lives. Sometimes it is a means of re-prioritizing one’s commitments. Sometimes it prompts change in behavior or even accepting Christ to be one’s savior. Sometimes we take our weaknesses and sins and want to make things right before we died. Sometimes we hang on to things in the past that we cannot let go of because we can forgive others but cannot forgive ourselves. Satan is a master at making us feel unforgiven.
Loved ones, for God sake take care of it. Confess it and repent of it. Don’t carry around that burden. I Jn 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Unresolved guilt can get in the way of spiritual growth or can affecting your relationship at home or with others. Get rid of it and be free from that bondage. Confess it to the Lord and anyone else that needs to know. Ask forgiveness of others and clean your conscience.
If you bring your sin to Christ then God has forgiven you. There is no need to keep reminding yourself of it. And pity the other Christian who throws that up in their face of the offered often. As far as the East is form the West that is what the Bible says. God wipes it from his mind completely, buries it in the deepest sea. That is the reason Christ died. His blood cleanses you from all unrighteousness. Not some, not part, not only a few, but all unrighteousness and God picked murders adulterers and liars, and cheaters, and prostitutes and swindlers to prove it. As they all became his follows and served him in joy.
Claim the promise of Heb 10:17 “There sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” and for the racer in the faith He instructed in 12:1 “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders , and the sins that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
False guilt is carrying that feeling that we have been responsible for something when we haven’t at all. Some feel guilty that they are alive after a tragedy while others have died. They should have died in their minds because others are “better than me.” False guilt is guilt that individuals place on themselves for their regrets, failures to live up to the expectations of themselves or others. Talking about your past may be a good way to begin the healing process and to realize that you are not at fault.
We say we cannot change the past, but God can. We might not change the circumstances but God takes our past sins, real or imagined and by the works of Jesus takes our burdens upon himself and removes them from us. Do what you can do and leave the rest up to a merciful God who is full of compassion and ready to forgive. Even if the person we have offended has died I found it helpful to give that to the Lord who works even in our unseen world.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Feb 11 – Practical Responses
Verses- 1 Kings 17: 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.
20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"
21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
Practical Responses
If we concentrate on the responses of Elijah we see some practice things he did regardless of the outcome. In v1 9 we see he listened to her grief and anger and rather than respond to it in defense he centered on the need most pressing. “Give me your son.” He went upstairs. He didn’t take it personally thinking “Well if that I the way she is going to speak and think about me then it is probably a results of her attitudes that her son died anyway.”
Elijah was concentrated on the situation more than his own need to defend himself. One of the things I learned as a chaplain is to be listening and seeking to understand the other person more than trying to think of how I am going to respond or how I feel. I ask myself, “Are you doing this more for them or for you?”
Elijah listened to her situation and her anger. He didn’t try to correct her thoughts of God or himself or her sin at that point. He didn’t’ hold a grudge. He didn’t stop speaking to her. He didn’t let his own feelings get in the way of what was really important to her and to him.
People are sensitive. I am sensitive. I don’t like to be spoken ill of any more than anyone else. Yet, I’ve been in people’s hospital rooms and in situations where they called me names. When it first happened I left the room and felt sorry for myself and anger toward my verbal attacker. I wanted to be a help and instead seemed to be the opposite in their need. I felt like a failure.
In our class the supervisor talked about projection and abuse directed toward God, or past reactions that people have had with ministers. The next time it happened I chose to reflect over their feeling and said, “It sounds like you had some back experiences with pastors” and that was all it took in that incident for them to unload the grudge they held. Sometimes staying to listen didn’t help and I had to ask myself again, “Whose needs am I trying to meet?”
Elijah shows that one’s feelings aren’t nearly as important as the well being of the child and mother’s.
Obviously the most important need at that moment was the emergency of seeing if something could be done with the boy. Was there anyway to help save his life? Was he really dead? Now Elijah could have thought of the Jewish law not to become unclean by touching a corpse. Lev 21 talks about that. It is defilement. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath so did Elijah recognize the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law and did Gods’ will. From unclean ravens to unclean Gentile widow and to touch an unclean body was part of his ministry call. The Lord sometimes brings us into situations that we might be uncomfortable. It may be easier not to get involved than to work in messy situations. Our world is messy. There are people without Christ. We may have contact with people that have bad reputations. People might talk negatively about us. What can be done to show compassion and help in their situation? What practical things need to be done?
For some it may be food, clothes, money, water, or transportation. The practical thing in this situation was health and healing. As Elijah sorted out the priorities of the situation the boy needed immediate attention. That is what the mother would have wanted also. He I willing to save a life.
So what is the next thing he does? He shares his doubts. I am glad that Elijah was a man like we were. He didn’t understand the situation either. Here was the widow woman kind enough to let him stay there and God had blessed him and her son with the gift of daily food. Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you are exempt from problems death or tragedies or questions. Even as a minister on is open enough to lay open his doubts and questions. Elijah didn’t know the answer either in vs 20. It didn’t make sense to him either.
Jesus was at the synagogue and the disciples came to him and inquired about this man who had been born blind. ‘Lord, who sinned, this man or his parents?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (Jn 9).
I wonder if I can have enough faith to say when the clouds of life are dark this is happening so the work of God might be displayed in my life?
Elijah spread the problem before the Lord. That is the great part. He knew didn’t have the power to change anything, but he still believed in the living God, the sovereign God, the God who gives us his promises and power. Elijah spread the problem out before the Lord and prayed. He exercised faith and didn’t give up. He laid outstretched upon the boy and prayed three times. The one practical thing people of faith can do is pray. Leave the matter to the Lord. Express your doubts, your feelings, and your requests. Talk to the one who does understand. Seek direction and wisdom from above. Don’t stop praying.
What can we do in troubled times as a helper? Listen. Seek to address the immediate needs, recognize your limitation, express you doubts and not try to answer questions that you don’t know, and pray. Just be there and show your compassion from a sincere heart! And wait upon the Lord.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Feb 12
Verses- 1 King 17:21-24
21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.
23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."(NIV)
Faith Responses
Elijah in his confusion poured out his heart to the Lord. The happy news is that the Lord heard and answered his prayer. Remember what James said, “The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Remember who was praying? It was the one who not only had faith, but a heart right with God. He had passed the tests placed his way, The Lord was preparing Elijah for the conflict on Mount Carmel and I believe this was one of the steps of preparation. God was showing the repeated lesson that only He was the one who can do the impossible.
Elijah was gentle with the widow. He was not a complainer. Imagine having the same food day in and out. How we like variety and change of diet, but Elijah was willing to take whatever the Lord provided as long as the Lord provided it, whether a barren cave in the hills with food from ravens, or bread from a poor widow staying at her humble home. He was grateful to receive these from the hand of the Lord. He emptied himself of pride and was prepared to let God use him. He was open to God’s word and promise. They were on close talking terms. The boy was brought back from the dead.
I think of my life and the activities that fill up the day that limit my time with the Lord. I think of not only of personal interests and hobbies but good things that little by little nudge the walk and talk time with God to a few minutes. He is waiting, I am impatient. He wants to show me more of His character and love, and I want to be about busy religious work as a pastor. Only in times of need and sometimes tragedies do I look again and re-evaluate and remind myself that wasted time is in my activity- not in my waiting, quiet and listening times. In those uninterrupted times God shows Himself to be faithful and has more things of Himself to show me. I am a poor listener.
To empty myself is on my terms and my negotiations of what I want to give to Him. It seems so trite to hang on to things that will disappear. It is a hard to step to understand naked I came into this world and naked I shall return. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
So God raised the widow’s son. Elijah had seen miracles in his life, not caused by his own efforts, but given by God’s grace and love. Now he had seen the best miracle of all from man’s perspective. It is to raise the dead.
Some have concluded that when Elijah laid on the boy he was probably breathing into him. They suspect this was early form of CPR. It was artificial respiration and resuscitation. It was fast thinking of the man who helped his heart beat again.
That seems so unlikely in the boy’s gradual declining illness and rapid recovery. The skeptics are so quick to think of natural reasons instead of acknowledging the miracle. They fail to also see the timing and the power in natural causes which are also the inventions of our Almighty creative God.
God uses circumstances to prepare us for bigger challenges in life when we are able to face smaller ones.
I hear of stories often of people who seek to demonstrate their faith and prove God by refusing medical treatment for loved ones and instead seek to trust only in the Lord. There are too many stories of people expecting God to raise their loved one from the dead. Daniel Rogers was in the news a few years back when his mother died. Believing God raises the dead refusehd to have her embalmed or buried. He kept her dead body in his living room, until the smell of her rotting flesh alerted authorities. The judge intervened and weeks later she was buried for public health reasons.
What does that do to the faith of many people who have a loved one- spouse or child who dies? There is much prayer for healing, for recovery for God’s glory. People gather around in faith believing, yet there is no miracle.
Paul prayed that God would remove his physical infirmity. Three times he sought the Lord to answer his prayer for relief of his “thorn in the flesh” his physical pain and ailment, but the answer he received was “My strength is made perfect in your weaknesses”. So Paul was willing all the more to boast in his weaknesses so that God would do what God wanted to do and if that meant his glory in pain or death so be it.
There are only 8 or 9 recorded incidences in all the Bible of people who were brought to life again. It was authenticating ministry pointing people to God, to truth, to His glorifying power. But is He any less when out of His sovereignty he decides to act differently than we want him to act? All those who were brought to life in the bible eventually died again including this boy. Jesus was the only one after his resurrection days later returned to his Father, and so shall all who believing in Hm. But remember Lazarus also had two funerals.
We live in a world filled with effect of sin and fallen nature. Evil is rampant toward the just and the unjust all will die unless Jesus comes first. All will experience death. There is illness, tragedy, circumstances that are impossible to explain. It is proper to pray for healing for divine intervention, to have God be glorified through normal and supernatural means. It is Scriptural that his grace is made known even to endure sufferings of various sorts. He is still God.
What do you do in tragedy? Express your emotion, your questions, your heart ache and your despair. Release the doubts. Recognize normal grief includes shock, anger, bargaining, depression. Seek to be a helper to others by practical ways of listening, helping, loving, and praying. But don’t fail to trust and trust and keep on trusting in the God who will never leave you nor forsake you. For to each one who has held tight to His hand find it is His hand that is holding us. In Him is hope. I will praise Him in my joys and in my sorrows. The woman had a new found faith in the Almighty.
Pastor Dale
