1. Why Did This Happen? Pastor Nathan Weller June 18, 2017
Series: Cries of the Heart

3. We can cry out to God because we are in relationship with God

5. 8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in
the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon.
I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”
10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going
to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of
bread, too.” (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NLT)

6. --1 Kings 17.8-24 (NLT) 12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God
that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug.
I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go
ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use... (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NLT)

7. ...what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and
your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive
oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah
and her family continued to eat for many days.
16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left
in the containers, just as the Lord... (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NLT)

8. --1 Kings 17.8-24 (NLT) ....had promised through Elijah.
17 Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.
18 Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to
point out my sins and kill my son?”
19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was... (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NLT)

9. staying, and laid the body on his bed
...staying, and laid the body on his bed. 20 Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”
21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”
22 The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of
the child returned, and he revived! (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NLT)

10. 24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for
23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”
24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for
sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”
--1 Kings (NLT)

14. Faith consists of highs and lows

16. --1 Kings 17.8-16 (NIV) 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9“Go
at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and
stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath.
When he came to the gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked,
“Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he
called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12 “As surely as the Lord your God... (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NIV)

17. ...lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—
only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil
in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home
and make a meal for myself and my son, that
we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home
and do as you have said. But first make a small
loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring
it to me, and then make something for yourself
and your son. 14 For this is what the... (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NIV)

18. ...Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour
will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her.
So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
--1 Kings (NIV)

20. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written
down for our instruction, on whom
the end of the ages has come.
--1 Corinthians (ESV)

22. Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me
--Psalm 23.4 (ESV)

24. Anger needs to be properly directed

26. 17 Some time later the woman’s son became sick.
He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.
18 Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what
have you done to me? Have you come here to
point out my sins and kill my son?”
19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he
took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid
the body on his bed. 20 Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you... (cont’d)
--1 Kings (NLT)

27. ...brought tragedy to this widow who has opened
her home to me, causing her son to die?”
21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! 23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”
--1 Kings (NLT)

29. here to point out my sins and kill my son?”
Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come
here to point out my sins and kill my son?”
--1 Kings (NLT)

31. to me, causing her son to die?”
19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. 20 Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home
to me, causing her son to die?”
--1 Kings (NLT)

33. 21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! 23 Then Elijah brought
him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”
--1 Kings (NLT)

35. Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know
for sure that you are a man of God,
and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”
--1 Kings (NLT)

37. It took tragedy to bring truth

39. “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth of falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it?...

40. ...God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness box, and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down.”

42. “When I first discovered the Ayres family story in Fairview Cemetery, I was heartbroken as I realized their continual suffering (and imagined my own suffering magnified eight or nine times). But as I read the testimonies of these parents who chiseled God's Word on the memorial stones of their children, I saw God's grace at work in their suffering, just as it is in our family's suffering. We know what they know: God is faithful to his Word and can always be trusted. He should be praised from one generation... (cont’d)

43. is our life appears, then we will also appear with
...to the next. We can trust our Lord no matter what suffering we may endure because he has already endured it for us. He will help us until the day he returns. Until that day, we must hope in the Lord as we lift our voices to bless the name of the One who gives and takes. We will remember that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who
is our life appears, then we will also appear with
him in glory.” --Kristen Gilles

45. Why Did This Happen? Pastor Nathan Weller June 18, 2017
Series: Cries of the Heart