GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR CRISES

GOD CARES ABOUT THE CRISES OF HIS CHILDREN

CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION (ENGLISH)

SUNDAY JANUARY 22^ND 2023

Sermon by pastor Marc E Simeon

WE SERVE THE GOD EXPERT IN MULTIPLICATION  part (I)

2 KINGS 4:1-7

2Ki 4:1 ¶ A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

 2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few.

 4 “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.

 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased.

 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

INTRODUCTION

• The children of God are not spared from the common crises of life. The crises
• The crises that the children of God face are not signs of disownment from God.
• Be it: sickness, poverty, hardship, debt, unemployment, nakedness, divorce, failure, hunger, bareness, widowhood, orphan, rejection, danger, you name it.
• God’s Children are also subjected to the common crises of life.
• The only difference is that they don’t have to go through them alone; they can seek God’s intervention.
• Back in the days in the Old Testament, you had to find a man of God.
• Elisha was the successor of the very well known and very powerful prophet Elijah, who was taken to haven by the chariots of God.
• Elijah and Elisha were two of the mightiest servants of God who ever lived on earth.
• At the time of Elijah, there was a seminary called the school of the prophets.
• Just like the tribe of Levi, these men set themselves apart for the sole purpose of serving God.
• The school of the prophets had similarities to some modern seminaries.
• Since they lived in the Northern Kingdom, and that they were not forcibly of the tribe of Levi, they did not have the same benefits as the priests.
• Although, the Israelites were not under obligation to support the prophets, many acted charitably toward them.  
• One of those prophets got in trouble and borrowed some money.
• Unfortunately, he died before reimbursing the money.
• There was no bankruptcy law to protect the widow back then.
• The barrower had the legal right to even sell your children as slaves in exchange for his money.
• Whether or not the matter the matter appeared in court, we know that she lost the case.
• She had no legal protection against the merciless lender.
• In a matter of days, she had to render the money or else hand her two sons to become slaves.
• No mercy, no grace, no pardon, no justice, just plain business.
• After exhausted all her options, she ran to the man of God.
• No one runs to God to ask permission to borrow money.
• No one asks God whether they should accept a credit card.
• No one asks God for permission before signing a loan,
• No one wants to wait for God’s approval before starting business or a financial transaction.
• But when it goes wrong, we all rush to God for rescue. We all do that, don’t we?
• But the man of God did not give her that lecture.

HOW MAY I HELP YOU?

YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

2Kings  4:2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

• What are your expectations?
• What is it that you desire to accomplish by this conversation?
• What do you want God to do for you?
• You have to know who to call when trouble comes.

Lessons learned:

• God is concerned about your shameful and embarrassing situation.
• God is waiting for you to call on Him.
• The spiritual leaders are to be concerned about the full aspect of the life of the people that God entrusts to them.
• God’s solutions are never common or predictable.
• God has a million plus ways to bring the solution to your problem.
• God has the solution proportionate to your problem and according to your faith.
• You don’t forcibly have to see how God will solve your case, but you have to have the faith that He can bring a solution to your problem.
• Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?

• You have to do your inventory.
• You have to have something for God to work with.
• You have to be honest with yourself and with God.
• You have to be a saver.

YOU NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN GOD’S SOLUTION

2Ki 4:3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few.

 4 “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.

Lessons learned:

• God has no use to publicize your situation to the whole world. (Close your doors.)
• God will often want you to be active in the solution
• The wife of the prophet had to negotiate with the lender
• She had to find the man of God
• She had to go and barrow the containers
• She had to get her sons involved in the process
• She had to follow the strict instructions of the prophet.
• She had to close her doors.
• She had to do the pouring of the oil.
• She had to go and sell the oil
• She had to repay the debt.
• She had to manage the rest of the money to prevent further financial catastrophes.
• She had to know that it was a once and for all favor.

Lessons learned:

• Certain interventions of God are only for emergency situations and not a normative way to respond to life.
• Don’t wait for a miracle for all your problems.
• Don’t plan for a miracle unless God instructed you.
• God wants you to use your common sense for common situations.
• God wants you to live within your budget
• God wants you to think on how your decisions might affect your children.
• God wants you to know that you can always run to him at all times and in all situations.

Faith Lessons learned:

2Ki 4:2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few.

• God can use any medium to bring solution to your problem. (Oil, water, bread, fish, cane, stone, etc..)
• A servant of God must have full confidence in God.
• A servant of God must believe that nothing is impossible to God.
• A servant of God must not draw from common sense to project how God will respond to a situation.
• God takes no pleasure in seeing His children living in shame, or lack, or despair.
• God has more solution than your problem than you can ever imagine.
• Do not venture in debt without consulting God.
• Don’t just accept the verdict when you serve such a mighty God.
• Have respect for the men of God.

CONCLUSION

• Call on God whether or not you are guilty for the mess you are in.
• Do not feel disowned by God when you face adverse circumstances in life.
• God cares for the family of his servants even after their death.
• Think always of the ramification it will have on those you are associated with when you get in debt.
• Remember that the Bible says that the borrower is servant to the lender.
• Claim on the promises of God in your time of need.

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

Pr 24:16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

• I will barrow some words of Psalm 34 to finish this message.

Psalm 34: 1-9, 17-19

Ps 34:1 ¶ <<A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.>> I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.

 6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.

 7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

 9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.

 18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

 AMEN!