New Life
The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting and obeying God, even in the face of problems and difficulties.
Theodore Epp's sermon 'New Life' reflects on the widow's grief over her son's death, which stirred her conscience and led her to question God's treatment of her. Epp emphasizes that such reactions stem from our carnal nature rather than a spiritual perspective. He highlights Elijah's role in restoring the boy to life, demonstrating that God's purpose is to honor Him and fulfill the desires of our hearts when we trust and obey. The widow's acknowledgment of Elijah as a man of God serves as a reminder of the power of faith and submission to God's will. Ultimately, Epp reassures that through Christ, we are granted eternal life, free from the fear of loss.
Text
1 Kings 17:17-24
The death of her son apparently reminded the widow of some past sin. Her conscience was aroused, and she wanted to vindicate her character in her own eyes. Under such circumstances a person wants to turn the blame, if there is any, on someone else.
Perhaps our reaction to some sorrow or loss or problem is "Do I deserve this?" or "Why has God treated me so harshly?" If we have lost a loved one, perhaps we ask why God took that loved one. We wonder why we have to suffer and why our neighbors do not. This is the carnal nature expressing itself, not the spiritual nature.
Elijah's one purpose in bringing this young boy back to life was to honor God. The psalmist said, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Ps. 37:4). God could easily give new life to this lad.
Life flowed into the boy's body again, and Elijah put him in his mother's arms. She said, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth" (1 Kings 17:24). Perhaps others could say that of us if we would only trust and obey God, showing the same spirit of trust and submission that Elijah did.
"I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28).
Sermon Outline
- The Carnal Nature
- Expressing itself in self-blame and questioning God's justice
- In contrast, the spiritual nature trusts and obeys God
Key Quotes
“Perhaps others could say that of us if we would only trust and obey God, showing the same spirit of trust and submission that Elijah did.” — Theodore Epp
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- We should trust and obey God, even when we don't understand His ways.
- Delighting ourselves in the Lord is the key to experiencing new life and fulfilling our desires.
- Demonstrating our faith in God to others involves showing the same spirit of trust and submission that Elijah did.