Covenant
United Methodist Church
Sunday School 9:45 Worship 8:30 & 10:45 am
THERE IS A STORY TOLD ABOUT A MAN CROSSING A DESERT LITERALLY DIEING OF THIRST. HE FINDS A WATER PUMP ALL ALONE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. HE HURRIES TO THE PUMP AND BEGINS TO PUMP FURIOUSLY. NOT A DROP OF WATER COMES OUT OF THE PUMP. HE LOOKS DOWN BELOW THE PUMP AND FINDS A SMALL JIGGER OF WATER. ON THE JIGGER IS A NOTE. THE NOTE READS, “DEAR FRIEND, THIS JIGGER OF WATER IS MEANT TO BE HERE TO PRIME THE PUMP. IF YOU USE IT TO PRIME THE PUMP YOU WILL HAVE MORE WATER THAN YOUR HEART DESIRES. IF YOU DECIDE TO DRINK THE JIGGER IT MAY SATISFY YOU TEMPORARILY BUT YOU WILL AGAIN BE THIRSTY AS YOU TRAVEL DOWN THE DESERT. THE DECISION IS YOURS. WILL YOU TRUST AND PRIME THE PUMP OR WILL YOU DRINK THE JIGGER. P.S. IF YOU DECIDE TO PRIME THE PUMP THEN PLEASE REFILL THE JIGGER FOR THE NEXT TRAVELER WHO COMES BY. SIGNED DESERT PETE.
FAITH IS NOT THE EASIEST THING TO PUT INTO PRACTICE IS IT. TRULY PRACTICING BEING FAITHFUL PEOPLE REQUIRES US TO SOMETIMES LEAVE OUR COMFORT ZONES AND TRUST GOD THAT HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING EVEN WHEN ALL THE EVIDENCE POINTS THE OTHER DIRECTION.
THAT IS WHAT OUR SCRIPTURE LESSON TODAY IS ABOUT. IT IS ABOUT THE FAITH OF A WIDOW WHO HAS ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR, A LITTLE OIL AND A LOT OF FAITH. THERE IS A DROUGHT IN THE LAND . BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT EVERYONE IS STARVING, INCLUDING THIS WOMAN AND HER SON. SHE ASSUMES IN OUR SCRIPTURE THAT SHE AND HER SON ARE GOING TO DIE, PRESUMABLY FROM STARVATION. SHE HAS JUST ENOUGH FLOUR AND OIL LEFT TO FEED HER AND HER SON ONE LAST TIME. THEN ELIJAH COMES INTO HER PRESENCE. ELIJAH HAD COME TO HER LAND AND HER HOME BECAUSE GOD HAD TOLD HIM TOO. GOD HAS TOLD ELIJAH THAT SHE WILL FEED HIM. ELIJAH SAYS TO THE WOMAN, “GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DRINK, AND OH YES GIVE ME SOME BREAD TOO.” THE WOMAN SAYS TO ELIJAH, WELL,I HAVE NO BREAD, I ONLY HAVE A LITTLE FLOUR AND A LITTLE OIL. I WAS GOING TO USE THE FLOUR AND OIL TO MAKE SOME BREAD FOR ME AND MY SON AND THEN WE WERE JUST GOING TO DIE.” ELIJAH SAYS TO THE WIDOW, “IF YOU MAKE ME BREAD FROM YOUR OIL AND FLOUR I WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU JARS CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU ALL YOU NEED TO FEED ME, AND YOU, AND YOUR SON.” DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE WIDOW DOES? SHE MAKES ELIJAH BREAD OUT OF THE LAST REMAINS OF HER OIL AND FLOUR. SHE TRUSTS GOD AND ELIJAH! SHE ALSO IS GIVEN ENOUGH FLOUR AND OIL EACH DAY TO FEED ELIJAH HER SON AND HERSELF TILL THE DROUGHT IS OVER.
YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THIS SCRIPTURE IS THAT THIS ISN’T SOME GREAT PROPHET WHO DOES THIS FAITHFUL ACT. IT ISN’T ONE OF OUR BIBLICAL HEROES… IT’S NOT DAVID OR ELIJAH, OR MOSES OR ABRAHAM, SHE IS JUST A WIDOW AND WE DON’T EVEN KNOW HER NAME! JUST A PLAIN OLD EVERYDAY PERSON LIKE YOU AND ME, AND SHE IS PUT IN THE POSITION OF REACHING BEYOND HER COMFORT ZONE AND PUTTING HER FAITH INTO PRACTICE. SHE IS ONE OF THOSE FOLK WHO 200 YEARS FROM NOW WON’T BE REMEMBERED BY ANYONE BUT FAMILY, KINDA LIKE YOU AND ME…BUT THIS WIDOW WHO HAS A LITTLE OIL, AND FLOUR AND A LOT OF FAITH REACHES BEYOND HER COMFORT ZONE AND PUTS HER FAITH INTO PRACTICE. I GUESS THAT IS THE REASON I LIKE THIS SCRIPTURE SO MUCH. YOU DON’T SEE THAT HAPPENING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT VERY OFTEN. DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE DO FIND SHLUBS LIKE YOU AND ME PUTTING THEIR FAITH INTO PRACTICE AND REACHING BEYOND THEIR COMFORT ZONES? WHEN WE LOOK AT JESUS. HE PICKS A BUNCH OF SCHLUBS AS HIS DISCIPLES, TAX COLLECTORS, AND FISHERMEN. THEY HAVE TO REACH BEYOND THEIR COMFORT ZONES TO BECOME HIS DISCIPLES. THEY DO IT RIGHT TO THE POINT OF THEIR DEATH. AND THEN JESUS TELLS STORIES OF THOSE SAME KIND OF FOLK…WIDOWS WITH PENNIES THAT ARE ALL THEY HAVE AND YET THEY GIVE THEM TO GOD, AND SAMARIATANS WHO HELP PEOPLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THEY ARE THE FOLK JESUS LOVES AND THEY ARE THE FOLK IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WHO PUT THEIR FAITH INTO PRACTICE BY REACHING BEYOND THEIR COMFORT ZONES. IT SURE WAS OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE OF THE WIDOW IN OUR SCRIPTURE, YET SHE TRUSTS GOD AND TRUSTS ELIJAH AND SHE ENDS UP WITH MORE THAN SHE COUNTED ON. IT WAS OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE OF THE DISCIPLES YET THEY FOLLOWED CHRIST EVEN TO THEIR OWN DEATH. IT WAS OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE FOR A WIDOW TO PUT MONEY INTO THE POT OUT OF HER POVERTY BUT SHE DOES IT, AND IT IS OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE OF A SAMARITAN TO HELP A MAN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT HE DOES. IN OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY WE SEE A WIDOW WHO GIVES UP THE LAST OF HER OIL AND THE LAST OF HER FLOUR AND SHE AND HER SON END UP BEING SATISFIED TILL THE END OF THE DROUGHT. THAT IS THE WAY GOD WORKS IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO TRUST HIM AND SHOW IT WITH THEIR ACTIONS. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS SEE HIM WORKING, BUT HE IS!
NOW THE BIG QUESTION FOR ALL OF US WHO WANT TO PUT THEIR FAITH INTO ACTION IS HOW DO YOU DO IT? I BELIEVE THAT YOU DO IT INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY. BOTH REQUIRE US TO REACH BEYOND OUR COMFORT ZONES. THE FIRST IS WITH YOUR ATTITUDE, YOUR BEHAVOIOR. YOU PRACTICE THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT; LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, GENTLENESS, FAITHFULNESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. AND THEN YOU ALSO DECIDE TO SERVE GOD IN YOUR CHURCH. FOR INSTANCE, WE NEED SOMEONE TO DECIDE TO BE AN ALTERNATE TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE, WE NEED SOME PEOPLE TO CHANGE OUR SIGN OUT FRONT, WE SOMEONE TO HELP ANNE CHANGE LIGHTBULBS, AND WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE WILOING TO HELP SET UP AND CLEAN UP AFTER POT LUCK LUNCHEONS…. THESE JOBS REQUIRE US TO REACH BEYOND OUR COMFORT ZONES, TO REACH OUT IN FAITH, AND PUT OUR FAITH IN ACTION.
THE DECISION TODAY IS YOURS. WILL YOU REACH BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION.