The Shunammite Woman [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright. This is my woman would see the man of God is a wonderful thing to find some either to feed the man of God. This is a reference to the value of providing silver queen corn in mind right tomatoes for the man of God. Now I'm just saying that master to another message of good news that will help you see your life for no hold. Dino print excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series titled God used to and you may just be surprised, as presented, it written old the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Reich Minister as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastor@an.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright is no longer that you walk with God, the less you should be surprised by how good is the more surprised you are the more that I am the more I grow in the Lord. It seemed like the less I should be amazed because you seem so much of his faithfulness, but in fact the matter because he's a God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond what you ask or think you're going to be always surprised, and there is a part of the Christian life in which you're so surprised you might just be reading of Scripture one day or something that God brings into your life or some insight from the Holy Spirit as a party gives us is too good to be true so I'm here today to tell you about the gospel that seems too good to be true, but is most certainly true.

We are looking at some hidden jewels some unheralded women in the word and today we come to second Kings chapter 4 for an absolutely amazing story that in the end points us to not only how dormant dreams and our hearts can be resurrected by God.

But how the gospel itself seems too good to be true. And yet it is this is second Kings chapter 4 and were verse eight second Kings chapter 4 verse eight. One day Elisha went onto Shuman where wealthy woman lived who urged him to eat some food so were very whenever he passed that way he turn in their eat food that she said her husband behold now I know that this is a holy man of God is continually passing away.

Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bad table chair and a lamp so that whenever he comes as he can go in there one day you came there and he turned into the chamber and rested there and he said to get Heisey his servant called this shoe might when he had called her. She stood before him, and he sent him saying out to her see you've taken all this trouble for us.

What is to be done for you. What would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the Army she answered I dwell among my own people and he said what then is to be done for her go. Heisey answered well. She has no son and her husband is old and he said call her and when you called her. She stood in the doorway and he said at this season. About this time next year you shall embrace a son, and she said no, my Lord.

Oh man of God, do not lie to your servant. But the woman conceived and she bore a son about that time. The following spring as Elisha had said to her.

Some years ago we had some parishioners here dear folks, 11 diversity now Audie and Lily Cassian.

They were married a little bit later in life they wanted to have a family and they had the pain of two miscarriages and after the second miscarriage and all the prayer Audie said symbolically.

He decided he was in go into the backyard and tear down the playset that was in the backyard. They had a house at children's play area in the back any sentence will take it down and that dream die and on that same day was a Saturday. Lily said they just prayed and they prayed differently. They had been praying Lord. Here's what we want, but on that day, they said, Lord, we just want what you want and they came to church the next day and they were approached at church that day by a lady in our church who said that her sister-in-law knew of someone who just had a baby and that they they knew of Audie and Lily and they believe that God was calling them to to give the baby to Audie and Lily to adopt and within 48 hours of that church service I drove to South Carolina and went and met their new baby daughter and shortly thereafter, they adopted her and a few years later by the same biological mother adopted another child, just some things that you can't dream of asking God for you can't come to this point on Saturday, after having been through a second miscarriage and feeling all of your hopes of the family all – you can't.

You can't just get up and pray sunlight. Lord, here's what we really want to have happen tomorrow when we go to church. Would you arrange it such that someone just walks up to us out of the blue could be anybody that you choose Lord. But just have somebody reputable walk up to us out of the blue and tell us that a baby has been born and we are supposed to be the parents that baby and would you arrange it so that oh, let's say within 48 hours. We could meet our new baby and preferably in a state that is adjacent to North Carolina you'll come with prayers like that be why she couldn't think it in the gospel itself is like that you couldn't think of no angel could have conceived of it. The good news is such good news and that's really what this story points us to this hidden jewel. This unit might woman who cares for Elisha and then receives this great promise that awakens within her. This this dormant this dormant dream, and she says don't lie to me man of God. Don't tell me something that is no way that could be could be true… Think about the scene here. This is Elisha. He is the great prophet who had received the mantle, both literally and figuratively. From Elijah and he had mysteriously received a double portion of the spirit of God upon his life and have more miracles were all through Elisha then through Elijah and Elisha is known throughout the land is a great prophet's name means God is my salvation he has come to this place called Shuman, which interestingly means double resting place. It's a place where people rest. That's what it means and it was that for Elisha and there was this woman there who had taken care of him overtime every time that he had passed to show them this shoe might woman would feed the man of God is a wonderful thing to find somebody that will feed the man of God. This is a reference as we approach springtime in the coming summer to the value and importance of providing silver queen corn and vine ripe tomatoes for the man of God. Now I'm just saying that she is a blessing. This woman is a blessing and she takes care of Elisha. But not only for food but she must issue hasn't have some means and so they actually make a place for him to to stay so it's it's not it's not just the silver queen, corn, and the vine ripened tomatoes and it is also a condo that they have built for him so she really take care of Elisha so so many people that are ministered to in the Scriptures are people that are in a desperate place in life there for their hungry there and they're very sick and this is not one of those women.

This instead is woman. Evidently is happily married and has some wealth and she has a gift of hospitality and I think that the shoe might woman actually is one of those women you would have to look at her and say boy she has got it all together. She is woman that seems to have no problems. She's a giver.

She's a leader and that she has so much going for her. She has a secret grief.

Just because somebody looks happy just because someone seems like they have really got it made. Beware of thinking that somehow they've had it easy, is one of the things that makes me chuckle is when I hear somebody say well I wish I had so-and-so's life.

They really got it made, and the problem is that I also know so-and-so and I know what they been through and one of the pillars of ministry as you get to hear the secrets of people's hearts, and every single person has been through something that I have found to be true.

There people who have a very difficult circumstances and abundant joy and their people who seem to have everything in their depressed. The fact of the matter is that life with God is one in which she grants the fruit of the spirit of love and joy and peace are available to all in the same way. There are those who might have every worldly thing and yet have very little of the love and joy and peace of Christ and this woman. She is she's a giver.

And yet there was a secret pain in her life. She had no son talent right will have more teaching moment.

Today's important series that you've heard about it with you believed in mind. My experience in height with the left lover of myself as a love story from beginning to end spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bike.

The Bible tells about his kind moms are the links to walk with Fremont Hispano member.

The woman tasted the sweetness of God's love for you is that pretty woman who searched for 25 2014 only be found fully, Gary Chapman, Dr. the five love languages size incredible reality that God pursues us in life comes to an lover of my cell ancient biblical accounts explode in the heart except Christ proposal and showing his embrace raveling after the match made in heaven, lover of my soul, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past at.like today's teaching now continues here once again is Elisha gets a word from the Lord. But before he does.

He is just seen as in the moment just a human being who wants to be a blessing to another human being because she's been a blessing and you reap what you sow is something about selling kindness in the somebody's life just draws kindness back out of them and and it was happening was having a natural and but is also having a supernatural level. Elisha had been blessed and want to be blessed.

I said it what what could be done for you is it could ask a word to the king. This is how powerful Elisha is his direct access to the king were to the command of the Army what it was he saying a thing III could I could put in a word for you. It might mean a promotion to your husband. It might mean that you could be relocated to even a finer estate. It might mean a number of things he says is what he saying her and she says well a 12 month loan people meant what she means by this is that in today's lingo I'm good teaching is need something else that that's what essentially that that she saying Elisha's deposition. We just want to be a blessing you must know this is the heart of God that there's a way in which of you felt that you just know you're so blessed that's what you want to be a blessing. People that want to be a blessing to other people, they do so because they themselves have been so blessed is the nature of God himself you to understand God didn't create the world out of emptiness and out of his need because he was overflowing with so much goodness and beauty and wonder and holiness. All of creation, including you, your your and overflow of the of the beauty and that the holiness and the wonder of God is so full. Reminds me of David, after he had had come into the palace after all the promises of God come true for his life and he was now king over the whole land and he had everything. It is disposal and he remembered a covenant that he made with Jonathan and he just looked out over the palace that day, he said, is anyone left of the house of Saul, that I could bless anyone that we could just we could show steadfast love to all for the sake of the covenant may which are that, in other words on his mind was just that I'm so blessed could I be a blessing to someone else. Misunderstand this is the nature of God is always been the nature of God. God is a God of blessing God is never been anything other than a God of blessing and the reason they came in the person of Jesus Christ is that he so so deeply so profoundly wants to pour out blessing upon your life that he wanted to find a way to satisfy justice. They demanded that sin be paid for and so he sent Jesus his only son to become that sense of that you could be reckoned as the righteousness of Jesus, so that he in all fairness could pour out blessing upon your life so there'd be no reservation in the heart of God that there be no, no, no cry of justice that would come against you when God pours out blessing upon you.

What is Paul say in Ephesians chapter 1, but we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ is the nature of God.

He is loving he is created he is beautiful he is holy. He is a healer. He is a lover and he loves you and he wants to pour out blessing upon you.

That's what you see going on Elisha's heart right here. It is a what can be done for this beautiful woman who every time I come to town. She feeds me and I would come through now she's even built some quarters on her own out just so that the matter.I would like to read what could be done for her.

She says I'm good.

She said I don't need anything so is as a servant is and what what what can be done for for her and this is the service as well.

She has no son. And this is not just about her longing to have family.

This is this is this is a critical matter and that ancient Middle Eastern culture any of us, and you've ever experienced the pain of childlessness or difficulty conceiving children or difficulty adapting to, you know, there's a very unique pain to this. So there is that pain but there's something even more.

There is a vulnerability because her husband is old. The servant says it means it or she becomes a widow and she has no son. There's no one to care for her and there's no one to run the estate. There's no one to keep the family business going Italy very very very vulnerable position. So it's not just something that hurts her heart is something that that makes her whole future become vulnerable and Elisha gets moved by the Holy Spirit and he has a word for Lauren and he said by this time next year you'll have a son.

This is something to gets really tricky right here is when he says that he awakens something in her along standing dormant dream, something that she'd let fall to the side, something that she just moved on and he awakens it and that's why she says that no no no no no don't say that to me know. Tell me something is too good to be true, but a lot of the man of God that now you got too deep, not just you just calm into that cave in my heart where were where there's a is a longing now is a tricky thing is in it because it's a beautiful thing to be content, someone has defined contentment not is having everything you want, but wanting everything you have is a beautiful place to be content with your life, contentment with godliness.

A beautiful thing Scripture says, and so don't just run around ruining someone's contentment by bringing up something that they've successfully move beyond see is the prophet has has stirred something now that my installation here this church 20 years ago.

The preacher who came to preach the message was a friend in Pastor Dan Charlotte to David Chadwick and never forget the middle of his messages at Alan.

He said someone has said that the job of the pastor is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable and there is something to that nonoffensive like oh shaming, but I'll take what can afflict the comfortable more than anything, some good news. It rocks your world, something that awakens you to a higher destiny than you knew before and so it was that a vision was aroused and her heart that had died or wasn't there anymore without vision the people perish. I member talking some years ago to visionary leader – someone who helped others in their fundraising efforts in.

He said here's the keys. I forgive you $10 million for your ministry. How would you use it, answer me quickly and I remember this many many years ago when I can stumble around for a while. Well, this is a well see you not ready for $10 million.

Since that time I have figured out what I do a $10 million so bring. I am glad that we have dreams I I'm a dreamer, I would consider myself a dreamer. I was on airplane this weekend. I'm glad that the Wright brothers dream that a machine could fly through the air. We got the lights on glad that Thomas Edison dreamed that electricity could light up a room glad that 100 years ago Catherine Reynolds dreamed that there could be a church on this location here that could reach people out in the country glad that Martin Luther King had a dream. I'm glad that we have a dream of a new campus in Clemens you seek God works through dreams that get planted down in our hearts and and what happens on this day is a dream gets awakened within the word of the Lord came and what happened with this was such good news that if that good news is true then is gonna change everything in her life.

I think some people misunderstand what so life-changing about the gospel because people tend to think well there's a lot of bad news in the world and God probably got some bad news for me because it's mainly about what a bad person I as I said, no, it's the good news of the gospel that changes everything. Good news will change your life far more than badness, and something has to happen where with NS, we get tuned in to good news, good news will rock your world. That's what story the Bible is all about right. Got a call up somebody like Abram.

Other early call these as I got some good news for you.

You're going to the father of a nation look up to the stars in the sky. So numerous were your descendents be like calling a man named Joseph was just a use given the dream in the middle of the night that would bespeak of his brothers bowing down before him and change his life. Fugitive name Moses appears to have a burning bush says I got some good news for you is gonna rock your world and deliver my people out of their bond right teaching from the series God used who Alan is back in a moment with additional insight on this teaching for your life. In today's final word. Glad you've heard about it with you. You believed in mind my experience it in the hybrid. The left lever of myself as a love story from beginning to end spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bike. The Bible tells about his kind moms in the links to walk with her anymore. It's gonna member the woman tasted the sweetness of God's love for you is pretty woman who searched for 25 2014 only fully gauge my doctor.

The five love languages size incredible reality that God pursues us in life comes to an lever of myself ancient biblical accounts explode in the heart except Christ proposal and showing his embrace. Evelyn after the match made in heaven, lever of myself call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work. I love throughout this entire teaching and especially predicting it today. The shoe might woman in part two is on its way we can pause here and say it echo what you said already that good news can rock your world.

And that's what the gospel literally is that I think that's what we want to say over and over again as so many people think well if we just take unfettered good news of Christ, then it'll make us lazy will give us a license to sand will people like riots of what no no and no. What happens is when you get really good news.

It completely rocks your world and changes everything. I don't know why, just as leapt to my mind I was thinking about after Anna and I had tried for some time to conceive our first child in we began to wonder if we are going to have that blessing or not. And after a long time went and came to me with the news that that she was expecting it, not live because of such joy is absolutely rock our world wonder that good news did what they had good news brought with it I changed it part of our life that we can. We wasn't a chore to become parents. It was a joy to become parents. Was it the most work probably ever put in our lives. Yeah, but one that you take on because of the good news is I think that's what happens when the gospel come if you just go credible. It almost seems too good.

True, but the more you take it in, the more it will change every aspect of your today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan White ministries