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2 Kings 4 (Part 2) Bible Study (Elisha and the Shunammite Woman) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for this
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  time. We do lift up this nation to
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  you. We know that between now and
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  November 5th and beyond, there can be many plot twists.
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  But we pray for your supernatural hand to be upon
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  this nation, that your favorable hand would be upon this nation.
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  That especially at this election, Lord, that
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  righteousness would prevail, that evil would be subdued, that
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  it would be set back, that whatever Satan has in mind to
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  destroy this country, this generation, this culture would
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  be kept at Bay. And instead, Lord, your church
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  would thrive and take advantage of the freedoms that you would
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  provide to be effective, to be busy, to be zealous with the
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  gospel of Jesus Christ. So, Lord, we pray for our
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  politics because our politics comes into affecting people,
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  policies that will affect people and, and Lord, we want
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  righteousness. We want the reflection of your
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  goodness to to shine and to be known in every sphere of this
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  nation. So we pray, Lord, intervene,
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  intervene, Lord, and let goodness and kindness and mercy
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  and justice rule and reign longer in this land and
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  strengthen your church in the midst of it.
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  May we not fall asleep Should you give us four more years of
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  peace and tranquility, at least a little bit more peace and
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  tranquility than not. Your church be asleep and her
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  plenty. We pray, Lord, that this would
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  be a wake up call for not just us, but the church at large to
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  again see what we have ahead of us and to make use of it to work
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  while it is day, for night is coming when no man can work.
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  We ask these things in the precious name of the ruling,
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  reigning living name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen Amen.
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  Preach the word in season and out of season, even an election
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  year. So let's come to 2nd Kings
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  chapter 4. As we read from verse 8 down to
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  verse 17. This chapter is absolutely
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  filled with the miraculous. We studied a miracle in the 1st
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  7 verses of this chapter, and miracles will only continue as
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  we advance with this particular section of God's Word.
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  So let us do this. If you're there with me, follow
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  with me with your eyes, more importantly, with your heart.
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  And let's read from verse 8 down to verse 17 before we unfold
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  these things together. Verse eight.
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  One day Elisha went on to Shunam, where a wealthy woman
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  lived who urged him to eat some food.
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  So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat
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  food. And she said to her husband,
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  Behold, now I know that this is a holy man of God, who is
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  continually passing our way. Let us make a small room on the
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  roof with walls, and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair,
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  and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us he can go in there.
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  One day he came there and he turned into the chamber and
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  rested there. And he said to Gehazi his
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  servant called the Shunamite. When he had called her, she
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  stood before him. And he said to him, Say now to
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  her, see, you have taken all this trouble for us, what is to
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  be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on
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  your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?
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  She answered, I dwell among my own people.
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  And he said, What then is to be done for her?
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  Ghazi answered, Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.
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  He said call her, and when he had called her, she stood in the
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  doorway. And he said, at this season,
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  about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.
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  And she said, no, my Lord, oh man of God, do not lie to your
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  servant. But the woman conceived, she
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  bore a son about that time, the following spring.
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  As Elijah has said to her, it is a good habit in your study of
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  God's Word and whenever you come across a reference of a village,
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  the name of a city or a town, that you meditate on that and do
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  a little bit of exploration to see the significance of that
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  city or the history of that city or the cross references
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  concerning that city. If you make that a discipline,
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  you will indeed enrich your study of the very passage that
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  you are confronted with, and I believe that to be the case with
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  what we have in this passage today.
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  We are told that Elijah went on to a place called Shunam.
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  Now Shunam is only mentioned a total of three times and all of
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  the Old Testament one time here, another time in First Samuel
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  chapter 28 and verse four, and for the very first time in the
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  book of Joshua. And it is in the book of Joshua
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  where we are told which tribe Shunam belong to, where it was
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  located in terms of the sons of Israel and their allotted land.
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  Can anybody guess where Shunam is found?
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  Somebody I think said it but is nervous to say it louder.
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  If you know it, say it. If you don't know it and you
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  want to know it, you have to turn to Joshua chapter 19 and
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  look at verse 17 and 18. And if you get there 1st and you
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  find the tribe, say it out loud for us to hear it.
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  It's a car. Not a very well known tribe, but
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  here it is. It's a car according to verse
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  1718 of Joshua chapter 19 had Shunam in its boundaries.
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  It's a car now. Do you remember that in Genesis
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  49, when Jacob was still alive, and his twelve sons, who later
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  became the tribes of Israel, before his departure into glory,
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  he brought them in and he prophesied over each of them
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  concerning not just their own lives, but the destiny of their
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  descendants. And I want you to see with your
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  own eyes what Jacob said to his son Issachar.
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  So go to the very beginning, the first book of this divine
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  library, Genesis 49. Look at 2 verses with me in
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  Genesis 4914 and 15 of that chapter.
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  Notice what Israel says to Issachar.
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  Issachar is a strong donkey. Now that might be an insult in
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  our day, but it wasn't in this context.
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  Issachar is a strong donkey. Crouching between the
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  sheepfolds, he saw that a resting place was good and that
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  the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear and
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  became a servant at forced labor.
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  So remember, Jacob and his sons are still in Egypt.
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  They haven't arrived to the Promised Land just yet, but he
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  tells Issachar that your descendants, when they come to
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  that promised land, are going to find a good resting place, and
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  they're going to find a piece of property that will be pleasant.
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  But above that, he says that the people of Issachar would be an
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  industrious people, right? Diligent to work, willing to
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  embrace the burden of the soil. That's what he says.
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  It says that he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a
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  servant at forced labor. Now, you can either interpret
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  that in a positive way or in a negative way.
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  The positive way, in the way that I just explained, that they
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  would be hard workers. The negative that because they
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  were in such a prosperous place, they would often be the object
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  of foreign oppression, trying to take advantage of what they have
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  and at a cost, they would be forced to be servants.
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  If we look at it from the positive lens, this people would
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  be hard working. And when you trace the people of
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  Issachar specifically in the book of Judges and Chronicles,
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  what you discover is that many warriors arose from this tribe.
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  Many of them, in times of oppression and war, did not
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  hesitate to come to the aid of the people as a whole, their
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  brethren. So not only did they carry their
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  own burdens, but they also were willing to carry the load of
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  others. All that to say that we are
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  introduced to a woman who comes from Shunam and she will prove
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  that she was not distracted by the rich opportunities of the
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  land, but that she made the most important investment that you
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  can make in this life, a spiritual one.
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  She will prove to be a hard working servant, but not just
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  for agriculture and gain and business before the advancement
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  of the purposes of God. Let me add this.
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  Does anybody have an idea what the name Shunna means in the
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  Hebrew? I know one person here who would
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  know it. Double resting place.
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  So remember Jacob told Issachar, you're going to find a good
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  resting place. And within the resting place,
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  the allotment of the land given to Issachar, there was a town
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  that was not just the resting place.
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  Double resting place. And so you get the impression
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  from this that Shunam was perhaps a very picturesque,
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  broad, tranquil, relaxing, beautiful place.
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  And what we learned is that Elijah and his frequent travels
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  in the ministry would often pass through that place.
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  But what we're going to discover is that Shunam double resting
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  place will offer something to Elijah through a person who had
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  the gift of hospitality and who cared enough for a man of God
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  and the ministry of God to bring rest and help.
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  And I want to investigate further to see what we can learn
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  about this woman. Let's come back to 2nd Kings 48.
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  From that one verse. What do you learn about her?
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  What stands out to you about this woman?
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  She was wealthy. She was a wealthy woman.
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  Now, you should not be inspired by the fact that she was rich,
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  but what she did with her riches, her prosperity, listen,
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  it did not do what material fortune often does to people,
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  especially those who grew up in the church or who are connected
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  to the faith. It did not overtake her to the
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  point of becoming spiritually debilitated.
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  Instead. What do you read when you when
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  you read about her in this introduction, you see that she's
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  eager to serve, looking for opportunities to do so.
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  And she found one. And then she used her resources
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  to contribute to the cause of the truth.
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  That's what you find in this woman.
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  And when she saw and learned that Elijah, this man of God who
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  is gaining notoriety, when when she learned that he frequently
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  traveled through her neighborhood, she saw an
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  opportunity right there. And she said, I want to do
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  something for this man of God. I want to come to his aid.
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  I want to support him. And listen, she was not
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  reluctant. She was not coerced.
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  In fact, if there's anybody that was hesitating with this
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  interaction of receiving help, it was Elijah.
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  Look back here. What do we read?
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  Verse 8A, wealthy woman lived who urged him to eat some food.
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  She wouldn't take no for an answer.
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  Like, no, no, you're going to eat.
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  I already prepared the food. You're coming inside.
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  And I was like, no, you know, he doesn't want to be a burden.
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  No, it's OK, man. Thank you so much.
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  No, no, no, no, no. You're eating no matter what you
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  say. And finally, he gave in, and he
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  became very comfortable because we're told in the same verse
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  that whenever he went that way, he would turn in there to eat
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  food. It's worth pausing here and
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  making a few comments. The Bible does not prohibit
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  Christians from becoming financially successful, nor does
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  it suggest that wealthy Christians should be ashamed of
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  their assets. However, the same Bible also
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  warns every man, including those in the faith, of the perils of
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  pursuing wealth and offers unique instructions to
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  Christians who are materially blessed.
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  And one of the clearest examples of this in the New Testament is
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  found in First and the chapter 6.
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  And I want you to see it with me in verse 17, First Timothy
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  chapter 6, verse 17 and 18. Let's look at this together.
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  Paul is about to tell Timothy in the closing remarks of this
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  epistle, As for the rich in this present age, just stop there.
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  Don't you love that, Timothy? I want you to address a
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  particular demographic in your church.
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  As for the rich. But he doesn't just say As for
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  the rich, he says As for the rich in this present age,
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  meaning it's possible to be wealthy and affluent in this
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  world and for that not to transfer over into an eternal
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  currency. In fact, it's possible to be
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  very, very prosperous in this life and void of any eternal
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  reward in the life to come. So speak to the rich in this
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  present age. Their present situation and
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  circumstance and comfort does not mean that it will transfer
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  over into the world to come. But there is something that this
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  particular group of people in your church, in the church at
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  large, can do to ensure that they make an impact in this life
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  and in the age to come. And in the first verse there he
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  provides the negatives. Make sure they don't do this.
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  Make sure they don't act like that.
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  Make sure they don't think this way.
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  And then in verse 18, he gets into the positives.
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  And notice what he says as we read this in its entirety.
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  As for the rich and as present aides charge him not to be
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  haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,
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  but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
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  I like that last part. God can give you things to
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  enjoy. It's not spiritual to be solemn
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  and to not see the blessings and things that are material.
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  But enjoyment in those things are not an end in itself.
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  It's not the goal of the accumulation of our wealth.
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  Notice what he says in the next part.
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  They are to do good, to be rich and good works, to be generous
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  and ready to share. Here's a summary of what Paul is
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  saying by the Spirit. Christians who are financially
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  successful followers of Christ who have that kind of favor in
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  their lives cannot be hoarders. They cannot be hoarders.
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  They cannot live with this mindset that they work hard and
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  they they accumulate more and more in order for them to keep
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  these things for themselves. Instead, a believer who is
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  spirit filled will understand that resources are to be
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  actively and thoughtfully used to seek opportunities to bless
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  others, particularly in the name and for the cause of the Lord
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  Jesus Christ. That's that's how not just
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  Christians should think, but especially Christians who are
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  unusually and uncommonly favored in their finances.
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  Which is the most enjoyable thing, is it not?
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  Is it not? The Lord Jesus said, according
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  to Paul's words, that it is more blessed to give than it is to
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  receive. I I just want you to think about
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  it. What a thrilling thought it is
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  that as, as we go on to this world and we work hard and we
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  accumulate an income and bonuses and all these different things,
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  that the wealth of the world, we can take that and then take a
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  portion of it and place it in the advancement of the eternal
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  Kingdom of God. So this should excite us.
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  And now I get it. I, I get a lot of Christians,
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  maybe even now you're, you're squirming and a lot of
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  believers, including pastors, get nervous of talking about
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  this from the pulpit, which is understandable because of the
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  vast abuses of it. You have every right to be
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  unsettled if you hear from this microphone something along the
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  lines of sow $91.00 so that you can reap the Psalm 91 blessing.
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  You can be squirmish when you hear something like that, and
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  you can be squirmish if any ministry leader pressures the
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  people of God to empty their bank accounts in the name of
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  investing in the Kingdom of God while you're left struggling and
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  your family can't put food on their table or pay their bills.
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  That's evil. That being said, you cannot deny
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  that the Bible, by the mind and the wisdom of God, seeks to
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  train the Church of Jesus Christ to be spiritually strategic with
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  their money. You can't deny that.
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  If you deny that, then you are in a proverbial way taking out
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  scissors and cutting up parts of the Bible.
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  You can't deny. I can't deny it.
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  And I remember on a personal level, at some point in my walk
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  with the Lord, as I examine my own sanctification, I examine my
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  consecration to the Lord, thinking to myself, have I
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  consecrated every part of my life except my wallet, except my
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  bank account? And so that was a turn around
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  for me and thinking about how to pray and come before the Lord
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  and saying, Lord, you have my time.
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  You have my, my, the gifts that you've given me, my energy.
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  But Lord, is there anything, is there anybody that you want me
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  to help? If there is there any ministry
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  that is faithful that you want me to invest in?
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  And I'll tell you this, that overtime your heart will begin
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  to fill with joy as you realize that you and I are invited to
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  contribute to the Kingdom of God in this way.
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  And that's something by the Spirit.
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  And so we see here that Timothy was instructed to charge this
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  particular group of people. And as he's charging them, let
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  me charge you. If you are seeking financial
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  growth, multiplication, accumulation, if you are
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  enjoying the fruits of your labor, or if you're even ready
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  to be the recipient of a grand inheritance, for example, but
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  are not stirred in your service to the Lord along the way, you
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  are treading on dangerous ground.
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  You've lost sight of your true purpose as a follower of Jesus
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  Christ, and I've possibly become self absorbed instead of being
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  again strategic for the gospel. And if you're not careful,
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  listen, I say this in love, if you're not careful to put money
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  in its appropriate place, to put your pursuit in light of
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  eternity, then one of the worst things that can happen to you as
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  a Christian is to become successful in this life.
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  That's one of the worst things that can happen to you because
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  success, unfortunately, has sabotaged the devotion of many
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  disciples of Jesus Christ throughout the age.
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  So let your heart always live in light of God's wisdom of how to
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  handle mammon and how to always have this understanding that
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  you're only going to live a few decades in this world, and you
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  want to ensure that every part of your life makes some kind of
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  contribution to the Kingdom of God.
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  And this woman is a tremendous example of how the rich in this
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  life should be like. In fact, when you come back to
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  2nd Kings Chapter 4, I want you to notice a couple of references
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  that reflect her posture of heart.
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  Come back to 2nd Kings chapter 4.
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  Look at verse 12. And he said to Gehazi, his
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  servant called this Shunamite. When he had called her, she did
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  what? What does it say in your Bible?
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  What did she do? She stood, She stood before him.
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  Look, look at verse 15. He said, call her.
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  And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
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  Listen to stand is a posture of servitude.
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  It signifies a position of readiness to be commissioned.
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  And what this woman shows us is that in her material gain she
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  did not allow her ego to be inflated.
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  She did not become more selfish or demanding.
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  No, her devotion to God allowed her to remain sensitive to the
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  needs of others even in her surplus.
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  She stood. She stood.
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  You know, it's worth making this beautiful observation before we
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  move on because we studied Elijah in the beginning of this
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  chapter and his interaction with a different kind of woman.
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  And as now we continue, we see him interacting with a woman
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  once more. But what a contrast there is
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  between these two women in their circumstances.
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  If you think about the woman from the first 7 verses, we
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  realize that she was what a widow, while the Shunamite was
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  what she was married. The widow at the beginning of
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  this chapter was destitute whereas this one was wealthy.
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  The woman expressed her faith in the 1st 7 verses in her need,
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  whereas the Shunamite practice her faith in her plenty.
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  The widow, did she have children?
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  How many? She had two sons.
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  The Shunammite, did she have any children?
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  No, she didn't. She was barren.
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  Here's the point of this. Despite their differences, what
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  these two women demonstrate that it's possible to honor God
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  regardless of your circumstances, regardless and if
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  your situation changes, whether it's financial, whether it's
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  physical, whether it is relational, the goal of our
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  lives remains the same. God wants to be glorified, and
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  in His Providence He positioned you in a way to glorify Him in a
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  particular manner. In this case, this woman had
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  much she was able to glorify God.
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  In the former case, this woman had virtually nothing and she
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  was still able to glorify God. As I told you last week, I was
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  so moved by this widow in the 1st 7 verses and this wealthy
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  woman moves me just as much. Look at what we find in verse 9.
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  Now all of this was just verse 8, so let's move on to verse 9.
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  And she said to her husband, Behold, now I know that this is
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  a holy man of God who is continually passing our way.
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  This woman was not just wealthy in her materials, she was
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  wealthy with her wisdom. She was discerning.
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  You know, Proverbs 1616 says how much better to get wisdom than
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  gold? To get understanding is to be
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  chosen rather than silver. So she's wealthy where it
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  matters. She possessed discretion and
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  prudence. And how does she demonstrate
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  that over time, as Elisha came over for a meal, we don't know
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  how many meals she picked up. This man is a true man of God.
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  He is truly holy and it impressed her.
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  She was able to process his faith, his character, and come
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  to the conclusion that he is the real deal.
• 24:09
  And I want to say this in light of Elijah, or Elijah rather,
• 24:14
  this says so much about this man of God because the sincerity of
• 24:18
  his faith was proven in one of the most challenging places in
• 24:22
  this world. You know, where it is, the home.
• 24:27
  It's very difficult to put on a show, to put on a spiritual
• 24:31
  facade and the comfort, familiarity and the privacy of
• 24:34
  your home, is it not? You know, it's much easier to
• 24:40
  come to a place like this on a Friday or on a Sunday and seem
• 24:43
  to be something as spiritual and connected to God.
• 24:47
  Why? Because the show only lasts for
• 24:49
  like an hour and 45 minutes. But in the home, if your faith
• 24:56
  is real in your living room and your bedroom and your kitchen,
• 25:02
  that's something that is something noteworthy.
• 25:07
  You see, Elijah's spirituality did not turn on and off at will.
• 25:10
  It did not turn on and off depending on his surroundings.
• 25:13
  He was consistent no matter where he found himself.
• 25:18
  I was reflecting on a brief testimony that a young man
• 25:22
  shared with me concerning his struggles to be a true
• 25:28
  Christian, especially around his unbelieving peers.
• 25:33
  And more than that, he was often tempted to fit the mold of the
• 25:37
  world and to give in to their desires and their ways.
• 25:42
  And this was a growing concern for him for the obvious reasons.
• 25:45
  But something happened that struck him to the core that he
• 25:49
  admitted would change the trajectory of his ways.
• 25:53
  And I hope it does. He'd said that with one of his
• 25:56
  roommates after living with him for a few weeks, again fearful
• 26:00
  of witnessing, not even bringing up any idea that he is a
• 26:03
  Christian, not intentional about witnessing at all or
• 26:08
  demonstrating any qualities of holiness.
• 26:11
  Somehow the conversation of the afterlife came up between these
• 26:14
  two, and what this roommate said pricked his heart.
• 26:19
  At some point in that dialogue. The roommate said to this
• 26:22
  believer who again was struggling.
• 26:25
  The following statement. Well, even if there is a hell,
• 26:28
  it doesn't really matter because we're both going there.
• 26:34
  What what was he saying in that? The way this young Christian
• 26:38
  registered it was this guy doesn't believe that I'm a
• 26:41
  Christian. Whatever this guy perceived, he
• 26:45
  thinks that I deserve to go to hell, that I'm no different than
• 26:50
  him. So didn't shine.
• 26:55
  We were supposed to shone in the day-to-day.
• 27:00
  It was not real. It was not perceptive.
• 27:08
  Do you notice how when she shared this with her husband,
• 27:11
  she started with look at the 1st 2 words and she said to her
• 27:14
  husband, behold. Now behold means look at this,
• 27:21
  look at this. We're not told her name or her
• 27:23
  husband's name, but for her to say, behold now may indicate
• 27:27
  that this woman had more spiritual insight than her
• 27:31
  husband, that she was able to pick up on the quality of this
• 27:35
  man of God's faith more than him.
• 27:39
  And if that is the case, then there's even more things
• 27:41
  praiseworthy about this woman that though she may have been
• 27:44
  more spiritually mature than her husband, she did not disrespect
• 27:48
  her husband because she's asking him if they can pursue this
• 27:55
  project. She is honoring his authority,
• 27:58
  she is coming to him and presenting a idea and didn't
• 28:04
  assume that this is something that she can do on her own.
• 28:09
  And this teaches us that being spiritually mature does not give
• 28:12
  us the right to act superior to others.
• 28:17
  And she might have seen what he did not see, but it didn't cause
• 28:20
  her to look down on him. Moreover, her words, behold now
• 28:28
  also, I think, indicate that she was thrilled to find out that
• 28:33
  Elijah was sincere. Why would she be thrilled?
• 28:38
  What was the spiritual climate of this time?
• 28:40
  Was Israel filled with faithful men of God, compromising voices,
• 28:44
  inept spiritual leadership? And so when she came across a
• 28:48
  genuine man of God, behold this, we got to do something.
• 28:56
  It's so overwhelmed are the sight and the interaction of a
• 29:00
  genuine servant of God that she could not sit still.
• 29:03
  She wanted to do what she could to strengthen and help and come
• 29:08
  alongside this man. And in her own way, here's her
• 29:13
  idea. We're going to do a building
• 29:15
  project. We're going to assist him by
• 29:21
  adding an extension to our home. Now, her wealth allowed her and
• 29:25
  enabled her to do such things. Her wealth allowed her to not
• 29:28
  just provide one meal, but a consistent menu whenever he came
• 29:31
  through those streets. And again, so we see the heart
• 29:36
  of this woman. She, she's not just trying to
• 29:38
  reluctantly be charitable, just so she can, you know, satisfy
• 29:43
  her 'cause she really wants to do this.
• 29:45
  And all the more when she discovered that this man was a
• 29:48
  truly holy man. And I believe there's a lesson
• 29:51
  here for us. Pay attention to this when you
• 29:52
  and I come across a man of God, a woman of God, and they are not
• 29:57
  reserved just for pastors. Actually, sometimes men and
• 30:00
  women of God are not pastors, and they're more men and women
• 30:02
  of God than pastors. But when you come to know a man
• 30:06
  or a woman of God through a growing relationship, here's
• 30:09
  what I here's what I take from this.
• 30:11
  I should recognize them as a blessing and be willing to
• 30:15
  support them even if I have nothing to offer.
• 30:20
  See, this woman, she could build an extension for this man of God
• 30:24
  in our home. You may not be able to do that,
• 30:26
  but you know what you can do for men and women of God,
• 30:28
  Christians, genuine followers of Christ, build them up.
• 30:33
  Build them up. You know, we often reserve our
• 30:39
  encouragement for those who are struggling, for those who tend
• 30:42
  to go back and forth, who disappear for a season, who for
• 30:46
  a few weeks are here with the Lord.
• 30:48
  They're on a mountaintop and they're serving.
• 30:50
  And then they disappear for a few more weeks and then it's
• 30:52
  just kind of a cycle. And we we tend to reach out to
• 30:55
  them with our upbuilding words and rightfully so.
• 30:57
  We need to encourage the faint hearted and we need to stir up
• 31:00
  the idol. But consider, consider
• 31:05
  encouraging those who are rock solid in their faith.
• 31:10
  Consider looking to those who go out and witness and who love
• 31:16
  their families well and raise their children in the fear of
• 31:19
  God, who honor their husbands, who love their wives like Christ
• 31:22
  loves the church, who who don't just come to church to consume,
• 31:26
  but you recognize they participate.
• 31:28
  Consider those people and consider supporting them,
• 31:36
  building them up. They're human.
• 31:39
  Add more fuel to their fire. Don't just don't just think that
• 31:43
  people who have allowed their fire to become embers, that they
• 31:46
  need sparks. Add some gasoline to those who
• 31:49
  are actually burning for the Lord.
• 31:52
  You'd be amazed to know what a brief few sentences after a
• 31:56
  Sunday service can do to somebody for the next few
• 31:58
  months. You'd be amazed to know what a
• 32:02
  text, a sincere, prayed up text message can offer somebody who
• 32:06
  leads one of the ministries in this church.
• 32:10
  So here's a woman who is willing to help and to come alongside
• 32:15
  somebody who's already serving God in a remarkable way.
• 32:20
  And I think it provides us instruction to build those who
• 32:25
  are building God's Kingdom. Shall we continue?
• 32:32
  We shall. So she builds this house, and I
• 32:35
  love it. Look at verse 10.
• 32:36
  Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there
• 32:39
  from a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he
• 32:42
  comes to us, he can go in there. She just wanted to provide a
• 32:44
  secluded place for Elijah to do what men of God who preach God's
• 32:48
  word really do, be alone with God to have a table to study, a
• 32:54
  chair to sit on, a lamp so that he can study at night, like on a
• 32:58
  Saturday. When a pastor preaches, he often
• 33:00
  does so late into the night. So what happens?
• 33:06
  Look at verse 11. So one day he came there and he
• 33:09
  turned into the chamber and rested there.
• 33:13
  Seems like Elisha is really getting comfortable at the
• 33:15
  Shunamite's house, right? And he said to Ghazi, his
• 33:20
  servant called this Shunamite. When he had called her, she
• 33:23
  stood before him. Aha.
• 33:24
  So in our study of this great man of God, Elisha, we are
• 33:28
  introduced to a new character. His name is Ghazi.
• 33:31
  We've never seen him before and this is not going to be the last
• 33:33
  time that we see him in this book.
• 33:37
  Now, if you're familiar with the book of Second Kings and you
• 33:40
  realize that Gehazi had a tragic end.
• 33:43
  He did not follow on the pattern of Elijah and Elijah where
• 33:46
  Elijah emulated his tutors, faith and consecration.
• 33:50
  He he goes in a different direction.
• 33:52
  And we'll we'll come to that in a few weeks.
• 33:54
  But just from our introduction, just from what we see of him, do
• 33:57
  you get a good impression or a bad impression of Gehazi?
• 34:01
  What stands out to you that says, you know, from what I see
• 34:04
  so far, he seems pretty promising.
• 34:06
  Any idea? Consider the whole passage that
• 34:08
  we read today. There are two things that stand
• 34:12
  out to me. Let me put it this way.
• 34:17
  Was it the popular thing to do to be associated with ministers
• 34:20
  of Yahweh at this time? No, no, no, no, no, it wasn't.
• 34:26
  It was actually costly. Baal ISM and all these false
• 34:31
  gods and these false priests, they were the prominent ones.
• 34:35
  They were the praised ones. So to be associated with the
• 34:37
  remnant of the prophets of Yahweh caped with a price.
• 34:43
  And for Ghazi to be willing to assist Elijah says something
• 34:48
  about this man's willingness to serve and to honor God,
• 34:51
  supposedly. Here's a second one contextually
• 34:55
  that that makes an impression on me about Ghazi.
• 35:00
  Elijah now, in his gratitude, wants to bring something and
• 35:03
  offer something to the Shunami, right?
• 35:05
  I mean, he receives all this. He sees the sacrifice, He sees
• 35:08
  the room, the building project, just amazing.
• 35:10
  And he's so moved that he wants to do something in return, but
• 35:13
  he doesn't know what to do. And you probably face that
• 35:16
  dilemma when you're trying to figure out how to give a gift to
• 35:18
  a relative or a friend that owns everything or has so much that
• 35:23
  they can just get whatever they want.
• 35:24
  Like, what do I buy this person? And so in a sense, there's that
• 35:28
  kind of tension. There's that dilemma.
• 35:30
  And so he's figuring out what to do.
• 35:33
  He asked Ghazi to ask her. And when she was like, you know,
• 35:37
  I'm fine. And we're going to get to a
• 35:38
  response in a moment, It was Ghazi that solved the issue.
• 35:44
  Look again here at verse 14. And he said, what then is to be
• 35:49
  done for? Ghazi answered well, she has no
• 35:52
  son and her husband is old. Gehazi is observant, Gehazi is
• 36:01
  attentive, Gehazi is thoughtful and he was able to spot out and
• 36:06
  all the things that this woman had a need.
• 36:09
  She really wanted a child. Especially in this time.
• 36:14
  There was such stigma. If you were if you were barren,
• 36:18
  it was almost seen like a curse if you could not have a child,
• 36:20
  which I find absolutely mind blowing concerning our society
• 36:23
  today. Can I pause and say this?
• 36:25
  This is how warped we have become as a culture since then.
• 36:28
  What was recognized as a blessing, as a gift from heaven
• 36:32
  today is seen as a curse, seen as a burden.
• 36:38
  I mean, you're going to see how this woman reacts when she's
• 36:41
  told by a prophet that you're going to have a child and she's
• 36:43
  just elated. What do we do in our culture
• 36:46
  today when they find out they're pregnant?
• 36:47
  Those people who don't fear God, they go and murder the thing.
• 36:52
  So this is how this is where we are at a society.
• 36:54
  This is a culture that we're studying in the Old Testament on
• 36:56
  Fridays where a child was seen as one of the greatest things
• 37:00
  that you can experience in this life.
• 37:01
  And today we throw them in the trash bin.
• 37:08
  And so we see that Ghazi is the one who says she has no son and
• 37:10
  her husband is old. So he also perceives that her
• 37:13
  husband's older than than her. If there's anybody that's going
• 37:16
  to leave before the other, it's this man.
• 37:19
  So what's the problem here that she might be left alone.
• 37:22
  She is she has nobody else. Nobody's going to be there to
• 37:25
  take care of her when her husband was older passes on who
• 37:28
  observes this Ghazi Even Elijah the prophet missed it.
• 37:34
  And I meditated on this this morning.
• 37:35
  I looked at this and I thought to myself there's something here
• 37:39
  instructive about the blessing of working on side other
• 37:43
  servants of God. We see here that this man shows
• 37:48
  us that we need one another to see things more clearly.
• 37:55
  Do you see that even prophets have blind spots and can benefit
• 38:01
  from the presence and partnership of other believers?
• 38:03
  Pay attention to this please. There are some Christians who
• 38:07
  think that they are better off walking and ministering alone.
• 38:10
  Can I ask you a very humbling question?
• 38:11
  Are you more perceptive and powerful than the prophet
• 38:14
  Elijah? I think you think you can walk
• 38:19
  solo independent from being hand in hand with other believers.
• 38:24
  I see one of the most powerful miracle working prophets in
• 38:28
  redemptive history and he received help of being a more
• 38:31
  effective minister through one of his assistants.
• 38:35
  Who are you to think so lowly of the Church of Jesus Christ?
• 38:40
  Who are you to think that you don't need brothers and sisters
• 38:43
  and like Elisha and if you're a leader in any capacity, take
• 38:46
  note of this. Elisha asked Ghazi what can we
• 38:48
  do for he was willing to humble himself and ask somebody else's
• 38:51
  assistant. Is there any way that we can
• 38:53
  that I can be more efficient and helpful, ask questions, get
• 38:59
  accountability. Here is here's a wonderful
• 39:02
  example of a man of God who is even more effective as a man of
• 39:05
  God because of another person who served God.
• 39:09
  So you're in La La land. I say this in love.
• 39:12
  If you think that you can just cruise through your Christian
• 39:14
  journey without running with other believers, what would
• 39:21
  become of your marriage, what would become of your inside of
• 39:25
  scripture? What would become of your
• 39:27
  ministry if you had people in your life that were willing to
• 39:31
  speak into you and help you see things more clearly?
• 39:34
  That's what I take from this. And so moving on, before we move
• 39:41
  on to anything else, I want us to retract here and look at
• 39:45
  Elijah's initial ideas when he had sent Gehazi.
• 39:48
  Look at verse 13, before Gehazi gave the precise prescription,
• 39:53
  verse 13. Initially he said to him, say
• 39:57
  now to her, see, you have taken all this trouble for us, what is
• 40:01
  to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on
• 40:03
  behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?
• 40:06
  So obviously Elijah had some connections with royalty and
• 40:10
  with politicians. We saw in Chapter 3 how he came
• 40:12
  to the aid of three kings. So he was up there and this is
• 40:17
  what he could think of. He's asking this wealthy woman,
• 40:19
  look, do you, do you want some kind of word spoken on your
• 40:23
  behalf? Is there any situation, legal
• 40:24
  problems that I can, I can speak on your behalf and ask the king
• 40:28
  or the commander of armies. And this was her answer.
• 40:30
  She goes, I dwell among my own people, and I think her answer
• 40:36
  when she says as I dwell among my own people, reveals two other
• 40:39
  gems on the crown of her faith. How do you understand this?
• 40:48
  I understand this in two ways. I understand this in terms of
• 40:50
  her contentment, and I see something about her character.
• 40:56
  She was content. She didn't care about having an
• 40:59
  audience with the king of or with the general of army.
• 41:01
  She I do among my people. I'm happy where I'm at now.
• 41:06
  You would think that the reason why she's content is because she
• 41:08
  was so wealthy already. But you know this about wealthy
• 41:13
  people, right? That just because you've
• 41:14
  accumulated wealth does not mean you're satisfied.
• 41:17
  Is that not true? That if your identity and your
• 41:21
  purpose is in that no matter where you arrive, you're going
• 41:24
  to want more. So if you can acquire more, I
• 41:27
  want more. If you can dominate more, I want
• 41:29
  to dominate more. And when you get bored with the
• 41:32
  billions, you know what happens to some of these people?
• 41:34
  They move on to the next goal, power, control.
• 41:38
  That's what we're seeing in our culture today.
• 41:40
  All these elites, they have the snap of a finger.
• 41:44
  They can have whatever they want, any car, any house.
• 41:47
  And because they're not filled with God, they now have to move
• 41:51
  on to the next fleshly thing. And many of these guys are
• 41:52
  operating under demonic influence to control people.
• 41:58
  So don't, don't believe. At least I don't believe that
• 42:01
  this woman is saying I dwell among my people.
• 42:03
  I don't want any political help or any connections or networking
• 42:07
  because I already have all this. I don't think it's that.
• 42:09
  I believe it's because she is so deeply satisfied with her walk
• 42:13
  with God. Don't you get that impression
• 42:18
  from these verses that she finds her true joy in serving the
• 42:22
  things of God? So let's just be a reminder to
• 42:24
  all of us that nothing can leave you being and feeling fulfilled
• 42:28
  like savoring in the knowledge of God and serving His church.
• 42:33
  Nothing, nothing, nothing comes close to that.
• 42:38
  Savoring in the knowledge of God and serving His Church is the
• 42:41
  greatest thrill in your brief existence in mind.
• 42:47
  Here's a wealthy woman that proves it.
• 42:49
  I've talked enough of very wealthy people who are shriveled
• 42:55
  in their soul because they thought if they reached that
• 42:57
  number, they would be happy. Then they got there and they
• 42:59
  thought, you know what? I can get to that number and
• 43:00
  they get there and they realize, why does it feel like I'm
• 43:04
  stuffing myself with these things?
• 43:07
  And it's just going into this black hole in my soul.
• 43:11
  And it's because nothing will leave you more fulfilled than
• 43:15
  knowing God and making him known.
• 43:17
  Nothing. But her response also says
• 43:21
  something about her character, not just her contentment.
• 43:25
  You know, when she says I dwell among my own people?
• 43:27
  In other words, she's saying, like, I don't need anything.
• 43:30
  I'm fine where I'm at. And what that shows is that when
• 43:34
  she helped Elijah and the way she helped Elijah, she wasn't
• 43:37
  looking for anything for herself in that she was not trying to
• 43:40
  gain anything personal. She was not trying to climb a
• 43:42
  ladder or trying to manipulate the situation so that she can
• 43:45
  arrive somewhere else. Can I say something?
• 43:48
  If you are serving in a manner to arrive at a selfish goal and
• 43:52
  using that kind of a ministry as the means, that is a very
• 43:55
  shameful thing. It's a very shameful thing
• 44:00
  because true greatness in the Kingdom of God is to serve with
• 44:04
  all your heart, mind, soul and strength wherever God places
• 44:07
  you. And if He should promote you,
• 44:09
  the Bible says promotion comes from the Lord.
• 44:12
  So this is a woman who just she found her delight and knowing
• 44:16
  that she can help this man of God full stop.
• 44:21
  Not so that Elisha can put a word for me and I can get there
• 44:24
  and I can get invited there. None of that.
• 44:27
  Just in knowing that she could do her part for the ministry.
• 44:35
  And so she she says, I do all my people.
• 44:37
  And then she asked Gehazi or he asked Gehazi as you know, and
• 44:40
  guys said, well, she has no son and her husband is old.
• 44:42
  Let's finish this Bible studying the last few verses.
• 44:45
  Verse 15. He said call her.
• 44:48
  And when he called her, she stood in the doorway and he said
• 44:50
  at this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a
• 44:53
  son. And she said, no, my Lord, oh
• 44:56
  man of God, do not lie to your servant.
• 44:58
  I like her personality. You can see it here, right?
• 45:00
  It's like don't pull my leg. No, no, no, no, no.
• 45:05
  She's not accusing him of being a liar, of course.
• 45:07
  She's just responding in a very natural way.
• 45:11
  Verse 17. But the woman conceived, she
• 45:13
  bore a son about that time, the following spring, as Elisha had
• 45:18
  said to her. Does this remind you of any
• 45:20
  other promise that was made in the Bible in terms of a woman in
• 45:24
  a very difficult situation, maybe even impossible situation,
• 45:27
  receiving a child? Sarah, Abraham and Sarah.
• 45:34
  And there's almost like a nudge here that as we, as we go from
• 45:37
  Genesis to 2nd Kings, so much has changed in terms of the
• 45:40
  people of God and things are not looking too bright in terms of
• 45:44
  the projection of the people of God.
• 45:47
  But this miracle with the familiarity is supposed to give
• 45:49
  us this kind of a, an impression that the God of Abraham is, is
• 45:55
  at work. He's still at work.
• 46:00
  But here's how we're going to end here.
• 46:02
  This woman did not want a reward.
• 46:05
  But guess what? It came to her anyway.
• 46:08
  It came to her anyway. Because though the the promise
• 46:14
  of a child, this reward, this treasure is unique to her.
• 46:18
  The principle of receiving a reward for serving God's
• 46:22
  purposes in the way that you believe you should is not unique
• 46:26
  to her. Let me give you a couple of
• 46:29
  references in the New Testament. Before we wrap this up and pray,
• 46:32
  I want you to consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 10 verse 41.
• 46:35
  Turn there with me because Second Kings 4, at least in this
• 46:41
  part, is a wonderful illustration of a few New
• 46:45
  Testament promises. Look at Matthew 1041 speaking to
• 46:53
  his disciples. He says the one who receives a
• 46:55
  prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward,
• 47:00
  and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a
• 47:02
  righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.
• 47:08
  So the context here is reminding us that whenever we receive
• 47:12
  anybody who serves God in any capacity, a genuine disciple of
• 47:15
  the Lord Jesus Christ, we're receiving Christ.
• 47:18
  How we treat them is ultimately how we treat the Lord, and
• 47:20
  that's how he understands it and He's letting us know that's how
• 47:23
  we are supposed to perceive it. But notice what he says here and
• 47:25
  being very specific. He says the one who receives a
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  prophet. So it's a specific title and
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  role. The one who receives a prophet
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  will receive a prophet's reward. And the idea of reception here
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  is hospitality, support of various kinds, assistance in any
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  way. The one who sees a prophet and
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  like the Shunammite takes that opportunity to bless that
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  prophet will receive a prophet's reward.
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  And not just a prophet, but a righteous person because he's a
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  righteous person. So for the reason that he's a
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  righteous person, if anybody receives that person, welcomes
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  that person, blesses that person, they will receive a
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  righteous person's reward. Now, this can be one of
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  different things. And one way to understand is
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  that if you receive a prophet, the reward is that what the
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  prophet has to say. It becomes your portion, the
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  truth becomes your inheritance as well.
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  You benefit from that individual's ministry.
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  And that's one part of it, I think.
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  But I think the promise is even greater than that, that if I
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  receive somebody, a man of God or woman of God, because of what
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  they do for God, how they serve God, if I honor them in that
• 48:26
  way, then the reward that God will bestow, the prophet or the
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  righteous person will spill over and become your reward.
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  That's what he's saying here, that the, the reward that's
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  reserved for that individual and how they are serving God will be
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  shared with you. You say, well, I don't have much
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  to give. I can't build a house, I can't
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  build a room. I'm still trying to fix my
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  house. So look at verse 42.
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  And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of water
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  of cold water, because he's a disciple, truly, I say to you,
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  he'll by no means lose his reward.
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  What can be more transient and temporary than a glass of water?
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  Like after this, I'm going to go before I greet and and see some
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  people, I'm going to grab a little bottle of water and I'm
• 49:14
  going to drink it because I'm parched, right?
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  Guess what's going to happen in a couple hours?
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  I'm going to need water again. So it's like a glass of water.
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  Either a bottled water being shared, even something as brief
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  and short lived as a glass of water will be recognized by God
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  and you'll be rewarded for it. Think about this, God is much
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  more gracious than we imagined Him to be.
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  I think I believe at least that when we stand before the Lord,
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  before the judgment seat of Christ, and that that judgment
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  seat is not going to determine our eternal destination.
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  It will determine the degree of our reward when we stand there.
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  I think all of us are going to be shocked when our records are
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  pulled out and the Lord will begin to reward us for things
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  that we didn't even think deserved the reward.
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  I can't do much. Can you give a glass of water?
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  Can you send an encouraging message?
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  Can you pray for people for 60 seconds on your way to work?
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  When you know somebody is serving the Kingdom of God with
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  all their hearts, you do that, God will reward you.
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  Let me give you another example. Here's our final text.
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  Look at third John, not often referenced, but it's in the
• 50:27
  Bible, the third epistle of John.
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  There's no chapter, so we only have verse references.
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  But go to 3rd John. It's on the right side, the very
• 50:38
  right side of your Bibles. Keep going, keep going.
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  It's near Revelation. If you've gone through
• 50:42
  Revelation, you've gone too far. 3 John, Third John.
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  Look at what the apostle John says to this particular
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  individual and how it puts and ties everything so wonderfully
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  together. He's speaking to a man named
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  Gaius. And notice what he says in this
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  brief letter. Beloved, it is a faithful thing
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  you do in all your efforts. For these brothers, strangers as
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  they are, who testified to your love before the church, you will
• 51:20
  do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of
• 51:24
  God. Pause here.
• 51:24
  What's going on here? Gaius evidently has opened his
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  home for travelling ministers to remain in for some time before
• 51:32
  they moved on in their journey. Hospitality was greatly needed
• 51:38
  in the early church, especially for those who are part of this
• 51:41
  new movement called Christianity.
• 51:43
  Followers of the way. There was hostility, there was
• 51:45
  pushback. And so the church really
• 51:47
  depended on Christians, especially missionaries, to be
• 51:53
  welcomed and taken care of when they would go from town to town.
• 51:55
  And Gaius was was one of those people.
• 51:58
  And John commends her for that. He goes, listen, it's a faithful
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  thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as
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  they are, they didn't even really know.
• 52:05
  All they know is that they're missionaries.
• 52:06
  They're faithful teachers. I don't really know them that
• 52:08
  well, but I heard they're coming through this town.
• 52:10
  And so I want to open my home to them.
• 52:12
  And John says, you're doing a faithful thing.
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  And and they say here in verse 6, the reason why John's writing
• 52:18
  this is because they testified to your love before the church.
• 52:20
  So these these strangers to Gaius at least came before the
• 52:24
  church that they were traveling through saying, look, we were so
• 52:26
  blessed by brothers so and so they opened their home in these
• 52:29
  past few days. May God bless them and John
• 52:31
  wants to bless guys. But notice his language here in
• 52:33
  verse 7. For they've gone out for the
• 52:35
  sake of the name pause. They left their families, their
• 52:39
  comforts, the homes that put themselves in danger and need.
• 52:43
  Why? For the sake of the name,
• 52:47
  accepting nothing from the Gentiles, They would not be a
• 52:50
  burden on the unbelievers. They would not put place
• 52:53
  themselves at the hands of those who did not trust in the Savior.
• 52:58
  And here's what moves me. It's verse 8.
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  Therefore, we ought to support people like these that we may be
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  fellow workers for the truth. Notice that he says we.
• 53:12
  This is a you. He includes himself, and notice
• 53:17
  what he says, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
• 53:24
  So Gaius and others like him, in their support of these men of
• 53:29
  God, become partners in the cause of the gospel being
• 53:34
  advanced. They become fellow workers.
• 53:38
  That's how God sees it. What you see is a woman who's at
• 53:43
  home who makes wonderful meals and provides a room for a
• 53:47
  passerby, somebody who just ministers and preaches and does
• 53:50
  miracles and needs a place to sleep.
• 53:52
  That's what you see. You see a very nice lady who has
• 53:54
  free time on her hands, who has a little bit extra resources.
• 53:57
  You know how the Bible sees a fellow worker in the truth and
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  who will one day share in the prophet's reward.
• 54:06
  So really, this Bible study is supposed to inspire each of us
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  in this place, each of us in this place, because we all have
• 54:14
  the opportunity ahead of us and before us to contribute
• 54:18
  something in our plenty, maybe not even in our plenty.
• 54:22
  And here's the promise. God looks from heaven and he
• 54:25
  wants to reward us for it. Have you lost your sight of what
• 54:33
  you can potentially contribute to the Kingdom of God?
• 54:36
  At one point in my life, it was even me looking at what God has
• 54:41
  given me over the years to say, Lord, how can I partner with
• 54:44
  your purpose? I'm asking your wisdom and your
• 54:46
  guidance in that area. But even if you don't have
• 54:50
  anything, barely savings in your bank account, you know what God
• 54:55
  is asking of you. Reach out for a glass of water
• 54:59
  if you need to and extend it to somebody and ask God for the
• 55:02
  opportunity, and He'll give you that opportunity.
• 55:04
  All to say that there's no excuse for any of us not to be
• 55:08
  partnering in the Kingdom of God.
• 55:11
  Not one, not one. And that should excite us.
• 55:15
  Well, I better stop here before I keep you longer.
• 55:17
  I want you to pause with me now at this time, sit back, reflect
• 55:21
  on this brief Bible study, and ask the Lord to help you and
• 55:28
  your contentment, to help you and your character to have a
• 55:33
  greater vision of what you can do for God's Kingdom.
• 55:37
  You'd be amazed to know how the Lord can answer those prayers.
• 55:44
  Ask Him to make you excited again, to know that you're
• 55:47
  playing a part in this time of world history to advance the
• 55:54
  purposes of God. Lord, we thank you from the
• 55:56
  bottom of our hearts for this study.
• 55:59
  We thank you how we don't know what we will expect as we move
• 56:02
  from chapter to chapter, section to section.
• 56:06
  And Lord, tonight your voice was loud and clear.
• 56:10
  We pray, O God, that You would energize us in our participation
• 56:15
  of Your purposes. Open our eyes to see those who
• 56:19
  are a blessing and to bless them.
• 56:24
  Help us practice our faith, Lord, especially in America,
• 56:27
  just like the land of Issachar, where there is so much
• 56:30
  availability, so much potential for growth and increase.
• 56:34
  But maybe be like this Shunamite woman who is not distracted,
• 56:38
  would not allow herself to become spiritually crippled
• 56:42
  because of her wealth. We want to be wealthy in you.
• 56:47
  We want to be rich for the glory of God.
• 56:49
  So train us through your word, by Your Spirit to know how to be
• 56:52
  positioned there. We trust you and we worship you
• 56:56
  this evening, giving you thanks for speaking to our hearts.
• 56:59
  In Jesus name we pray, Amen. He is worthy of praise.
• 57:05
  If the praise team can come and join us and assist us as you
• 57:07
  have been so wonderfully doing this evening, let's give Him
• 57:12
  praise and glory.