Is the God n my life bigger than the problems in my life? -- Larry Ray

From the June 30 service.  

 

Sermon Notes below:

 

2kgs6-7 Is the G n my life bigger than the problems n my life?
(does my faith influ my probs or do my probs influ my faith?)

A. Read 2kgs6-7 & discuss its background/summary
1. last wk we looked @ ab/his big chall2believe Gs prom n lite of imp cirs
  *gen18 Is anything2hard4the L? Ill return2u next yr & sara will have a s.
2. J said n jn8: if u r abs children then Gs calling u 2 a life of faith like ab. 
  *rm1 the just r called 2 live by faith  *heb11 its imposs2please G w/o 
    faith   *2cor5 we live by faith not by sight.
3. N 1kgs Isr is n state of dire declin/dark/disobed/discour/despair/disaster
4. yet G still reg sends wds of hope/luv/restore. G never stops reaching out
5. siege was effec tools of warfare both2 conquer/deplete lands of resours
a. sever fam n sam. *shekel=mthswages *usually war horse=150shekels 
b. cannibalism story 2 emph no hope/bleak/desperate/imposs sit/no sols

B. why does this story matter?
1. ps143 my enemy has pursued my soul crushing my life2the ground&
       making me dwell n darkness like those long since dead, wthn me my 
       spirit grows faint/dismayed but I remem the dys of old; I meditate on all 
       ur deeds; I consider the wks of ur hands.
     *dav@xs of difficulty/darkness/despair facing enemies2big4him2defeat 
      found renewed strength/faith rehearsing the stories of Gs mighty acts.
2. blaming others4my probs/pain. We live n angry world quick2blame others4ownbadchoices/pain. a&e/saul&dav/dav&ark/ahab&elijah
*pr19 pep ruin their lives by their own foolishness & r angry @ G. 
*happiest pep I know focus on “wat now” not “how come”.
3. why should I wait on G anymore? *where n my life am I asking this?
a. is64 no1 has seen a G like Jeh who wks on b1/2 of pep who wait4him
b. mic7 I look2the L4help/I wait confid4G2save me/my G will hear me
c. ps37 wait on the L&he’ll help u/all who wait on G willpossesstheland
d. ps63 I will cling(wait4)2u, 4 ur strong r hand holds me securely
e. is41those who wait upon the L will renew their strength; theyll mount up wth wings like eagles/run & not grow weary/walk& not faint.
4. this couldnt happen even if *where n my life am I saying/hearing this?
a. wat n my life is 2 hard/big2thwart Gs power/wisdom/grace/help?
b. goal isnt2have nameitclaimit faith but faith n Gs power/good/wisdom
c. do I really believe G can do great/mighty things n my life/others or do I let the size/duration of my needs/probs deter/defin wats possible? 
d. R there sins/needs/probs/fails 2big/lasted 2long 4G 2solve/overcome?
e. must remove faithless voices/resist being a faithless voice.  
5. Gs best answers/prov werent ever wat Gs pep ask/hope/expecting.
a. 1cor2:9 ur eye/ear/mind has never seen/heard/dreamed all Gs has 4
b. jer33 ask me&Ill tell u amaz things u know nothing about.
c. Gs prov is often n ways never expected: a/e, noah, mos, josh, cross
6. it occurred just as the L had promised/so the wd of the L came true  
      *jos21 Gs fulfilled all his proms *jos23not1of Gs good proms has failed
      *ps145 G always keeps his proms *ps146 G keeps every prom 4ever

C. no more vital ? 2answer: is my G greater than my probs/need/fails/enem?
1. lk18:27 J replied wats imposs wth man is possible with G.
2. jer32 I am the L, the G of all mankind. Is anything2hard4me?

D. Lords Supper/Prayer/Blessing/Announcements/Call 2 worship
1. LS: Gs promise: those that call upon the L shall be saved.
2. Prayer: prayer n back: jon cantrell/justin/matt/sandra’s husband
3. Bless: ps63 my soul clings 2 the L 4 ur right hand clings 2 me! 
4. Announcements: SGs/Juarez/homeless bags/giving
5. Call2wors:ps27/30/33/34/42/50/51/95/100/105/122/135/136/jer33/is12
later kg ben-hadad of aram mustered his army&besieged sam resulting n a great famine n the city. The siege lasted so long a donkeyshead cost80 shekels&a cup of birdpoop cost5shekels. 1day the kg of isr was walking along the citywall&a lady called2him: please help me o kg! He said, if the L doesnt help u wat can I do? Ive neither grain/wine2give u. But the kg asked: wats the matter? She replied: this lady said2me: lets eat ur s 2day&my s tom so we cooked/ate my s&the next day I said, kill ur s so we can eat him but she hid him. Hearing this the kg tore his clothes&as he walked along the wall the pep could c he was wearing burlap under his robe. MayG strike me &kill me if I dont kill elisha2day the kg vowed. Elisha was sitting n his house wth Isr elders when the kg sent a messenger2summon him. But b4 the messenger arrived elisha said, a murderer has sent a man2 kill me. When he arrives shut the door/keep him out/soon his master will come2. While elisha was speaking the messenger arrived&the kg said, all this misery is from the L! Why should I wait4the L any longer? Elisha replied, listen2the Ls wds: n24hrs n the markets of sam, 6qts of flour will cost1shekel&12quarts of barley will cost1shekel. The kgs asst said2elisha, that couldnt happen even if the L opened the windows of heaven! But elisha replied ull c it happen but u wont eat any of it! Now there were4lepers sitting@the citygate saying why should we sit here&wait2die? We’ll starve if we sit here&starve if we return 2the city. So lets go&surrender2the aram army. If they let us live good&if not we die either way. So@twilight they set out4the aram camp. But when they arrived no1was there4the L had caused the aram army2hear the sound of chariots/horses/great army. The kg of Isr has hired the hittites/egyptians2 attack us they cried. So they panicked&fled n2the nite abandoning their tents/animals/supplies. When the4lepers arrived@the camp they went n2tent after tent eating/drinking/carrying off silver/gold/clothing&hiding it. Finally they said2each other: this is wrong. This is a day of goodnews&we arent sharing it! If we wait till am, something bad will happen2us. Lets go nform the palace. So they went back&told the gatekeepers the news. We went2the aram camp&it was empty! The animals were tethered&the tents were all setup but no1was there! Then the gatekeepers shouted the news2the palace. Hearing the news the kg said, the arameans know we r starving so they have left their camp&hidden n the fields. They r expecting us2leave the city&then theyll capture us&the city. 1of his officers replied, we better send scouts2check n2this. Let them take 5of the remaining horses, it wont matter if we lose them. So chariots were prepared&scouts sent2c wat happened2the aram army. They went all the wy2the JR following a trail of clothes/equip the arameans threw away n their rush2flee. The scouts returned&confirmed the report. Then the pep of sam rushed out&plundered the aram camp&it was true that on that day6qts of flour cost1shekel&12qts of barley cost1 shekel just as the L had prom. The kg appt his asst2control the traffic@the gate but he was trampled2death as the pep rushed out. So all occured exactly as Gs proph had said. He had said, by this time tom n the markets of sam 6qts of flour will cost1shekel&12qts of barley will cost1shekel. The kgs asst had replied, that couldnt happen even if the L opened the windows of heaven&elisha had said, ull c it happen but u wont eat any of it &so it was 4the pep trampled him2death@the citygate.