Little+God=Much

On one gloomy morning in New York City in 1857 there was a man by the name of Jeremiah Lanser. He was scanning through the newspaper as he was writing to his office in downtown New York City. At that moment he became distressed when he read about how the depression of 1857 was gripping the nation, causing fear and panic among all people.

About how factories was stopping production of thousands of people being laid off and unemployed. Although Lanser himself was not a man of means.

He was not a famous industrialist. He was not a prominent businessman. It was only a clerk but he was a man who believed that little plus God equals much with unwavering faith. He sent out letters to his business acquaintances and he told him that at noontime he will have a prayer meeting in his office. Will you please join him, and without unwavering faith. He went ahead and put 20 chairs in the form of a circle but no one showed up. He found himself alone with 19 empty chairs crying to God say Lord change me and change America second day nobody turned up but a few days later he began to get encouraged a handful of friends came within a short period of time. All the 20 chairs were occupied very short. Later, a similar meeting began to take place on Wall Street, then a few weeks later another prayer meeting began to Take Pl. in William Street and then on Broadway and before long, there was a genuine Holy Spirit revival awakening that was sweeping across the land. In fact, some historians including secular historians of said that this movement of faith was an integral part of the economic recovery of the depression of 1857 in auditory or doubts of the regional told me the story is because I don't want a single person who sitting here today. The site manager speaking about a larger he's talking about some big profit but I want to tell you how God uses people because it might be big profit for us today, but in their day there were nothing.

Don't you ever forget that and because I believe with all my heart that one man who believed that the little plus God equals much was able to make a difference in this nation. I believe with all my heart that any man any woman with the largest faith or with Lanser's faith to make a difference today because this is the kind of faith that honors God and it is a kind of faith that God honors. This is the kind of faith that is willing to put everything on the line that God wants to see happen among his people. This kind of faith that is willing to risk everything on the promises of God that God responds to this kind of faith that says I may be nothing but with God. I can do all things that kind of faith moves God to action. Elijah was such a man. He was a man of God who came from nowhere. No genealogy, no big family tree.

Nobody would know what he come from Elijah. This man, whose name means Jehovah is my God one solitary man who came and confronted Israel, the nation who confronted the king with the corruption with her immorality.

One man, Elijah, who after experiencing a prophetic ministry of declaration to the king and his wife, the Queen and all the palace guards that the him go to the sheriff which means to be cut off to be hiding for a while. Elijah only as an object lesson we see how God works when God works, and I pray to God that each of you would think this is a word from the Lord for you during psychosocial was not here. I was so separate here this is for you. In verse 710.

If you have your Bibles first Kings 17 Elijah is facing a new test. Do you know the way you handle a crisis in your life the way you handle a challenge in your life.

It can either honor God and dishonor him.

Yes, you heard me right there where you handle a crisis. You can either honor God or dishonor him. In verse seven we are told that the book of chairs has dried up and now God is putting his men through a back to back testing.

In verses eight and nine, the first Kings 17 God said to Elijah arise and go to the village of Xenophon near the city of Sidon there is a widow who will feed you know I wish that the word of God would've told us how Elijah reacted when he heard those words. I really would've loved to know how he reacted. But we don't have it in the Scripture, but I can tell you how most of us would've reacted. What are you really sure about this and I heard you right, and beginning of God or a geography lesson God do you know that Sarah Seth is about 7200 miles. On the other side of the wilderness • offenses in the land of the Phoenicians. Zara furthers a smelly in the polluted place because there they melted metals. Zara felt Lord's work bail worshipers is actually worse. Why is FF Lord God is doing. Don't you he was preparing Elijah for the greatest moment, not only in his life, but in biblical history. God was going to teach Elijah that little is much when God is in it something we need to learn in these last days were still living by Cytomel by faith God is going to teach Elijah that little plus God equal to much. God does not always ask you to go to places that are logical.

God does not ask you to do what is rational all the time. Xenophon was illogical and irrational as far as Elijah was concerned, Xenophon was both logical and rational as far as God was looking see how God works in this message. First of all was on the last message that Elijah was on king I have most wanted list. If there were 12 you will be on top of the list. King, I have is furious at Elijah because Elijah came and announced a draft and then he left and is been trying to find him. I have his men were looking for a larger everywhere. That is logical.

They were looking for him everywhere. That is rational, but Zara Pfaff was a Phoenician city. It was only 7 miles away from Sidon where Jezebel Queen Jezebel's father was the king. As I read it superficially.

First, not really go back and begin to focus on the passage a little more of an unaudited initial you know what I read this passage many times before but honestly felt is almost like God was playing a practical joke on Elijah play a practical joke on sending them to Zana fast. The man is going to confront the profits of bail ascending to the very center in the heart of worship of bail ascending to Jezebel's hometown. Have you ever found yourself in places in your life where it doesn't make sense at all and just doesn't make sense. Have you ever sat down and said all God, I go anywhere except that I do anything except this. And then you find yourself ending right there in Xenophon. Not only that God sometimes takes us to a seems to us to be irrational places in illogical trips.

There's a second thing that I want you to notice here. God often works on more than one front of the same time God is often working on more than one level.

I think most of us are able to work at 123 maybe four levels of some of us are brighter than others I guess have the capacity more than others are Working too many fronts of the same time, but there are some of you cannot on our thank God for that. But I don't how many fronts you can work on but you know God was working his purposes out here on so many fronts at the same time that Elijah couldn't even see a limit the obvious front to proceed here in the passage that God is taking Elijah from Sheriff to Zana fast simply because the brokers dried up, and he wants to save them from starvation.

That's the obvious one, but there are a lot more not very obvious things that God was working out in Elijah's life in a way that he could never have expected a division of some of these God was showing him that he had a larger purpose than just the nation of Israel. He was showing him that he is the God of the universe that God called Israel out of Egypt in order to be his ambassadors. The great commission was given in Genesis chapter 12 when God called the Abraham and he said to him, and you all the nations of the world shall be blessed. The very reason why God calls you the very reason why God called Israel in order to make it known in the world. But when you stop being effective.

God takes you and put you on the shelf and God wanted to tell a larger Elijah, I have the world in my heart. I love the whole world did you ever think that this seemingly illogical trip. This seemingly irrational place would serve for Jesus's text of his very first sermon that he preached in the synagogue in Nazareth. Luke chapter 4 Jesus comes in in the beginning of the planning of his Messiah ship and the first sermon he preached was in his hometown of Nazareth, he goes to the synagogue and he picks up the Scripture.

He opened the door as I start reading and then he said this day, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears. I am the expected Messiah on there probably mumbled something is a lawyer. That's interesting. We've heard that before. And then he goes on verse 24, Luke four onward and he said there were many widows in Israel in the largest time yet. Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of the Gentiles, the widow of Xenophon in the region side. You know what how the reacted after that he told him about how there were many lepers but God healed the Syrian general depict stones and they wanted to kill. They have failed in their narrowminded nests in their self-sufficiency to realize that God loves the world that God has a purpose for the whole world and so many of us are comfortable in this book of the Bible Belt to think God just loves us and become navelgazing as God is our God doesn't care for anybody else know you really God loves the Hindu. He loves the bonus he loves the Muslim God loves the world and the second front of God was showing Elijah is precisely this that God loves bail worshipers, though he detests bail because two years from this very point in history. Elijah was going to have his greatest showdown between him and the prophets of bail between Jehovah and bail and Elijah was going to exterminate nearly 1000 priests of bail. But here God is saying Elijah I love these people and that is why I want you to live with this widow for two years with her son.

When we obey God.

God works for many levels that we cannot even fathom. We cannot understand we cannot comprehend. And God knows that.

That's why he doesn't give us everything he doesn't reveal to us his full purpose and God is saying to Elijah, at this very point of his life that his purpose is beyond Israel that his purposes for the whole world with obedience is always comes at testing. Here is a test you know I have to tell you that one of the greatest temptation when you are abrading and you know you fully obeying the will of God in your life. The greatest temptation you have to fight is what I call the first impression blues. Some of you know what I'm talking about is getting all the what seems to be impossible but look verse 10. Here it is the first impression blues market down right this words down circle first and then say first impression blues we obey God.

Elijah arrives to Zana fast and I wanted to imagine that he is can the 75 or so miles is cottonmouth starving to death and he just gets desire for rough in his assignment welcome to Zana fast population of two and will be dead tomorrow. Sounds like you're playing a practical joke on Elijah.

He sees the waiter collecting the sticks and the Oscar for water and then he said to give Nick taken in the latest is located on the stand is good little bit of flour a little bit of oil and mix them together to make a fire with the sticks going to cook them. My son and I go and eat them in them both going to die.

You don't understand the Sonoma melody. You don't understand to be worshiping bail for too long.

I want to tell you about Jehovah, but you see there's also in this first impression blues what he saw. First, was not necessarily what he expected to know if they had a big sinuses welcome Elijah Zana fast welcome Elijah we glad the Lord brought you here he already told us you coming in on a welcoming committee and a big barbecue violation would've really felt good. Bless God will look what God is doing what is always at first impression blues we obey God. And I have to confess to you every time I obeyed God I would sure it and I want to tell you it is lack of faith.

It is unbelief. As far as I'm concerned. In my case because first impressions can be wrong and I have been always wrong in my case, Elijah went beyond that first impression blues want beyond what is impossible, and he risked his phrase on God's will. Please listen to me very carefully and tell you are willing to risk everything in trust of God's provision.

You have not learned how it is to live by faith is everything in your life is calculated uncomfortable and sayings you have not learned what it is to live by faith.

Listen to what Elijah tells this bail worshiping widow. I mean she's poor than a church mouse is in before you break that last cake for you and your son break one for me.

What is Elijah saying is being selfish is being self-centered. No listen, that's what he was saying to her, please saying to her bank account first rescuer all the God of heaven trusting my Jehovah God because my God delivers the goods. I don't know about this woman. She probably trusted and bail. She probably called upon bail. She probably saw bail. With all her heart, but bail failed bail it down and now she's ready to believe in the God of Israel. I was asking myself this week. Why is it sometimes is so often that people who have trusted in the God of Mammon and they made this appointment. The people who trusted in materialism and ended up in misery that people who believe the lie that money, prestige and possession would make you happy and then find themselves to be an emotional wreck. Why is it sometimes people have to come to this point before they turned to the living God. Most likely this was this woman's condition. Elijah already had experience God when he left Gilead and went to confronting Ahab.

Elijah had the root experience God when he left Ahab's palace and went to the chest, broke Elijah had to really experience God when the ravens were bringing him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat at night and now he's asking a woman he doesn't know a woman who does not believe in his God and he is asking her to risk in faith is one thing for you to risk in faith. And it's another to challenge somebody else to do it. You know there are people who are just did have one comes to physical risks. They love to go on the exciting and dangerous.

You know they go bungee jumping go parasailing and parachuting and that some people got skiing in the hard sections and even jump from helicopters and skiing. You know what all admire them will think is not great and there are people who take financial risks of investing unproven businesses. They pour themselves adventuresome all admire them the same again will she began with borrowed money. Look what they are.

We admires him, but you know what when it comes to spiritual risks of very very very precious few takers and that is why I began this series telling you the James gives us a large as example of being a man like us a human being like us to get a parade and it stopped raining and then a parade on a tray. I because he was willing to risk his all in God's promises because he was willing to stand on the bare naked unadorned word of God and what a promise because he was willing to tell the starving bail worshiping widow risk are all on the Jehovah God, fully believing that God will not let him down. That God will not let her down. You know what Elijah was able to do this because he had come to believe that his God works on both ends of the equation. Did you hear that Elijah believed that his God was already working on both ends of the situation. He believed that when God told him to leave that sheriff Brooks and Dr. Zana fast that God is already working in the heart of the widow's artifacts. When God told Jacob to send his family to Egypt. It was because God has already working with a Joseph when God told Joshua to send some spies to Jericho. It was because God has already been working in the heart of the prostitute. Rahab when God told the European unit turn into the book of Isaiah, because he already told Philip the deacon to go and then to the chariot and explained to him what's he reading when God told Cornelius be ready some is coming to see you. He had already told Peter to get up and go to Cornelius's house and the way you risk in faith is the believe that God has already been working on both ends.

People of God. The Christian faith is not give me give me give me feed me entertain me best stuff the suggestion box is not what we like and what we don't like in these last days.

I believe with all my heart. Since God is gathering his sheep and separating them from the goats. This shallowness has the company I believe with all my heart with the world was thirsting and hungering for is to see God's people living with absolute faith. Things have you done with your pagan neighbors did not do.

Think about that. What have you done for God.

What kind of face risks. Have you taken the rest of the world is not doing. Look at verse 15 the widow went away and she too risked in faith and did exactly as a logical letter to do and there was food every day for Elijah for the woman in the Bible said her son and then her whole family. Where's all this family come from diverse. The only conclusion I can come up to is when God blesses you. Everybody wants to be your cousin. How did you do it. How is it flower continued to multiply and the oil continued to multiply. I don't know the Bible doesn't tell us what the God who said, let there be light and there was was able to say B on cruise works little plus God equals much well I must confess to you I guess it wasn't much of a variety of food was viscous with oil in the morning and oil with biscuits of night and I wasn't much a variety but you see, God is not guaranteed to give us everything we desire.

All wanted but he guaranteed everything we need not tell the Philippines my God shall supply everything that your name and claim he said my God shall supply all your needs according to riches in Christ Jesus thought of the story that I have known years ago was a little boy who was standing on the sidewalk in what seemed to be in the middle of the block and he seemed to be waiting for something in an older man comes in and he sees a month and as he approaches me sitting there said young man what you waiting for a little boy confidently told him his arm waiting for the bus and the old man laughed and a citizen the bus. The bus stopped in the next block and a boy acknowledge that fact. But he insisted that the bus will come stop for him) and the old man really became annoyed and of what he thought his insolence on the part of the boy in and he raised his voice and told the boys so you better start walking. If you are hoping to catch the next bus and the boy politely turned down the suggestion and said the he would wait for the bus to shrug where he was. The man was fuming and then finally start walking away before the man could get away too far.

He heard the screeching of the breaks of the bus and it came to a standstill and stopped right there is a boy was about to board the bus door open. Boy looked out the window before the bus will start moving and he said hey Mr. my daddy is the bus driver.

Those who have risking faith are precisely those who know that their heavenly daddy comes to them and he comes for them in ways that are seen as impossible by the rest of the world world does not understand risking faith in me asking this in the witness of God the Holy Spirit. And so the question did you have a risking faith or are you comfortable with your calculators and with your logic and we equation in different only in the realm of the possible. Only you can answer that between you and God has God been telling you to trust him fully trust him completely trust him unhesitantly and you just holding back his God been asking you to risking faith and do something great for garden digging your heels. I don't know what God is saying to you has God touched your heart in a special way. I don't understand it.

Maybe even your spouse doesn't understand it.

Probably the nearest in the dearest doesn't understand God is calling you take risking faith respond to him because they lie the secret of blessing. The secret of how all velocity today could be just words. New words would only give you a headache of the Holy Spirit is not using them to touch you in a special way and get to a decision in your life.

I don't know what you doing on doing what but I know that if God is touching and say yes Lord Jesus by thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.Ward