05/10/98............. A 21^st Century Woman/Person of God.

By Ronald E. George Jr.

Scripture Text: 1 Kings 17:8-24

1Kin 17:8 (KJV) And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. {Zarephath: Gr. Sarepta} 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman [was] there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch [it], he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, [As] the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I [am] gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go [and] do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring [it] unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. {sendeth: Heb. giveth} 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat [many] days. {many...: or, a full year} 16 [And] the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. {by: Heb. by the hand of} 17 And it came to pass after these things, [that] the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. {stretched: Heb. measured} {into...: Heb. into his inward parts} 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.

Who is a 21st Century Woman/Person of God?

1. A Person Chosen By God...

God Chooses A Single parent for a Blessing. He commands us. He speaks to us as He spoke to Elijah and the single mother. God chooses us to be his people in the middle of a 21^st Century world. This is the "Whatever" Society. Whatever comes or goes is not a problem. In other words it doesn’t matter as along as it is all right with you. You have been choose by God as a whosoever in the midst of a post modern world. Postmodernity is the state of defragmentation that exists today. As long as it is right with you then it is right with the world. Consider how society has viewed the recent White House Scandals. A few years ago Gary Hart resigned because he was under investigation, but today people don’t care.

Rom. 10:13 (KJS) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

2. A Person who Gives to God...

Puts God first and gives to his work as he directs. (Time, Talent, and Treasures.)

So many demands have been placed upon the family today. I can see the bottom of the barrel. There is not enough time, money, or energy left to do all that there is to do. Are you at the bottom of the barrel? 21^st Century is a fast paced live life to its fullest. So have we run out of time for God, have we run out of talent for God, or have we run out of treasures for God. But we want to give the best that we can to our children, yet we give them only the leftovers when we don’t give to God First in our homes.

Mala 3:10 (KJS) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].

The day the church treasurer resigned the church asked the local grain elevator manager to take the position. He agreed under two conditions. That no treasurer's report would be given for the first year. That no questions be asked about finances during that year. The people were surprised but finally agreed since most of them did business with him and he was a trusted man. At the end of the year he gave his report: * The church indebtedness of $228,000 has been paid. * The minister's salary had been increased by 8%. * The Cooperative Program gifts has been paid 200%. There were no outstanding bills. * And there was a cash balance of $11,252!

Immediately the shocked congregation asked, "How did you do it? Where did the money come from?" He quietly answered: "Most of you bring your grain to my elevator. Throughout the year I simply withheld ten percent on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name. You didn't even miss it!" "Do you see what we could do for the Lord if we were all willing to give at least the tithe to God, who really owns it?" And so the new treasurer had made his point. -- Adapted from A Sourcebook for Stewardship Sermons, by James E. Carter

3. A Person who trusts God...

People don’t have anything to trust in but themselves. There is no one else who is trustworthy. 21^st Century society is a trustless Society. There is no one left to trust.

The widow’s son was dead. Even though she gave to God, She still was plagued with death and with problems. But she gave her problems to God and he restored them him unto her. Trust your problems, your children, and your life to the Lord who cares for you. Even though He doesn’t take all of the storms out of our lives He is still there and He still loves you and me.

Matt 6:24 (KJS) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

4. A Person who believes in prayers…

Prayer is the fad. But the words Jesus Christ seem to always get left out.

21^st Century Worlds is a praying society. It prays to the whatever God.

2Tim 3:1 (NIV) But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

The widow allowed prayers to be offered up Elijah for her dead son. But people of the living God call out on the name of the Lord. He prayed three times. They don't quit. They don't give up. They don't blame the preacher. They don't blame the Lord but they just pray.

ARE YOU A 21^ST CENTURY PERSON OF GOD?