₦Sermon 8
(A Sermon Preached By Rev. Fortune Chinemerem Nwaiwu)
"Run now, I pray the, to meet her and say unto her, is it well with the? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, it is well"- 2 Kings 4:26 KJV.
Blessed be the name of God, the maker of heaven and earth. By his breath the earth was formed. We praise him. Beloved, consider our sermon topic today and I pray by the grace of God, The Spirit will open our hardened heart to receive God into our heart. I believe God will teach us to learn that in every situation we find ourselves, we should say, it is well with our souls.
There was a deer, particularly, a pregnant doe in a thick forest. This pregnant doe was in a serious labour and was roaming and panting in the forest. The pain of labour began to arise. She then moved forward and was caught by a deadly trap. She struggled with the outrageous trap for many time and then yelled a piteous cry. God heard her in her anguish and then he rescued her from the trap. The chain and hook of the trap became broken. She ran further in the thick forest as the pain of her labour became increasingly serious. Unfortunately, there was a hunter standing at her left side, and a vicious tiger at her right side. She looked upward, lo and behold; the forest had been engulfed with a blazing furnace. She did not know what to do again. It seemed to her that all hope is gone. She then looked up to heaven as the scripture says: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth"- Psalm 121:1-2 KJV.
As the doe looked up to heaven , God caused rain from heaven to extinguish the blazing furnace that had completely engulfed the whole forest and instead of the bloody hunter to shoot her with his gun, God caused him to battle with the tiger in the forest and the doe had the opportunity to run away for her dear life. The hunter as he was battling with the tiger got injured so seriously and died while the tiger as he made a move was caught by a trap and died. The deer settled at a safer area and graciously delivered her baby fawn.
If God would rescue a deer from such series of dangerous situations, you that he created in his own image, wouldn't he do same to you? Christians will surely be rescued from the trap of the wicked.
The hunter and the tiger represent those satanic agents who curiously desire to devour our souls, while the blazing furnace symbolizes the harsh condition which Satan has planned to subject men to suffer in life. It represents suffering and sorrows. Amidst of the terrible conditions which the doe faced, God finally rescued her.
Take not thought of anything, whether you eat or not, whether you have cloth or not, whether you have money or not, God is in control of everything happening around you. You need to say it is well with my soul. Christ says: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?- Matthew 6:26-30.
Men that say it is well with their souls are men of faith. Jochebed had the faith that the God she serves would not allow her son, Moses, to die in the Nile River. She took Moses after hiding her away from Egyptians for three months and kept him floating on the Nile River until Pharaoh’s daughter discovered him there. It was well with her soul as the Princess ordered Miriam to look for a Hebrew woman to nurse the child (see Exodus 2:1-10). The fact remains clear, when we profess it is well with our soul, it is the very moment that Satan will bring all his problems trying to make some alterations of our professed faith in God.
Psalm 46:1 says: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in time of trouble. This particular verse affirms the protective power of God to those that seek him diligently. To the weak, he gives them strength to survive and become victorious in their conditions. Thus when we feel that we are weak to pray, God strengthens us with groaning of his Holy Spirit interceding for us and he is ever ready to help us in time of troubles. As we have God who helps in time of trouble, let all men of faith say it is well. God being our refuge literally means he is God that men could run to for protection and be saved from evil devourers. Therefore we should not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea (see Psalm 46:2).
We should summon courage from the three Hebrew men who said to King Nebuchadnezzar: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up"— Daniel 3:16-18 KJV. What a great faith! The three young Hebrew men believe tenaciously that even if the God they serve would not come to deliver them that nothing would make them to compromise their faith. On the other word it is well with their souls. A blazing furnace was heated up to seven times for them. This was done against them for their immediate death. No one had a good thought of life to them, they were known as a threat to the king. But their faith that says: it is well with their soul caused God to be with them. No harm was able to touch them but rather they were able to conquer harm. Those conspirators who ventured to put them on fire died by the fire. This is called peripeteia. The reverse has been the case.
I don't know the type of blazing furnace you have been subjected by devil who want you through your ugly situation to denounce your faith in Christ. As you have focus and say it is well with your soul, that situation will be consumed by fire.
When we have a God that is always ready to help in time of trouble, we are not meant to fear when earthquakes come and mountains crumble into the sea (see Psalm 46:2).
Earthquakes are disastrous and capable of destroying souls. Thus when Satan brings disaster, it should not move us to fret about. The only thing we ought to do is to be still and know that God is LORD. He is the LORD of all mortals who knows all our afflictions and he is always - all time ready to help us especially in the perilous time.
When the son of the Shunemite woman died, the woman did not raise alarm. She bore the tragedy stoically and saddled her horse to meet Elisha, the man of God. When Elisha saw her afar, he sent his servant Gehazi to inquire about the matter with her. The man of God put words into Gehazi what he would ask the woman: "Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, it is well"- 2 Kings 4:26 KJV. Looking at the pathetic situation which the woman was passing through, if we happen to be in her shoes, most of us will not say it is well but this woman did it whether unconsciously or consciously, and her faith set her free from weeping.
Note, when we have the spirit of optimism, we get positive responses from heaven. Faith conquers every ugly tendency in our lives. It was faith that pushed the woman to build a house for Elisha and his servant and the same faith that pushed her to call Elisha when her son was dead and with that same faith she claimed in the time of her sorrows that it is well. Because of this singular fact, God heard the cry of his servant Elisha and Elisha was able to raise the child up from death and the woman became happy. When we say it is well with our souls, it brings joy and hope. It breaks the bound of tangled problems.
Consider the story of Horatio Spafford who lost his estate in the fire outbreak in Chicago and four daughters to sea. Horatio was a professional lawyer in Chicago. He had estate and property which were destroyed by fire outbreak that happened once in the history of Chicago. This terrible incident rendered him restless. Before this, he lost his only son. His wife and four daughters were to go to France with him to spend Holidays. But later on, Horatio declined and asked the wife Ann to go with the children that he would meet them in few weeks' time. The news had it that his four children drowned in a shipwreck at a spot. His only survived wife sent him a telegram: "Saved Alone".
Thereafter, Horatio boarded a ship to join his wife, reaching to the place in the ocean where his four daughters died; a ship crew member showed him exactly where his daughters met their doom. He, in his bedroom, composed this hymn: “It is well with my soul”. My question to you now is that, do you believe that it is well with your soul even when peace is like a river in your life? May God have mercy upon us, amen.
(A Sermon Preached By Rev. Fortune Chinemerem Nwaiwu)
"Run now, I pray the, to meet her and say unto her, is it well with the? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, it is well"- 2 Kings 4:26 KJV.
Blessed be the name of God, the maker of heaven and earth. By his breath the earth was formed. We praise him. Beloved, consider our sermon topic today and I pray by the grace of God, The Spirit will open our hardened heart to receive God into our heart. I believe God will teach us to learn that in every situation we find ourselves, we should say, it is well with our souls.
There was a deer, particularly, a pregnant doe in a thick forest. This pregnant doe was in a serious labour and was roaming and panting in the forest. The pain of labour began to arise. She then moved forward and was caught by a deadly trap. She struggled with the outrageous trap for many time and then yelled a piteous cry. God heard her in her anguish and then he rescued her from the trap. The chain and hook of the trap became broken. She ran further in the thick forest as the pain of her labour became increasingly serious. Unfortunately, there was a hunter standing at her left side, and a vicious tiger at her right side. She looked upward, lo and behold; the forest had been engulfed with a blazing furnace. She did not know what to do again. It seemed to her that all hope is gone. She then looked up to heaven as the scripture says: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth"- Psalm 121:1-2 KJV.
As the doe looked up to heaven , God caused rain from heaven to extinguish the blazing furnace that had completely engulfed the whole forest and instead of the bloody hunter to shoot her with his gun, God caused him to battle with the tiger in the forest and the doe had the opportunity to run away for her dear life. The hunter as he was battling with the tiger got injured so seriously and died while the tiger as he made a move was caught by a trap and died. The deer settled at a safer area and graciously delivered her baby fawn.
If God would rescue a deer from such series of dangerous situations, you that he created in his own image, wouldn't he do same to you? Christians will surely be rescued from the trap of the wicked.
The hunter and the tiger represent those satanic agents who curiously desire to devour our souls, while the blazing furnace symbolizes the harsh condition which Satan has planned to subject men to suffer in life. It represents suffering and sorrows. Amidst of the terrible conditions which the doe faced, God finally rescued her.
Take not thought of anything, whether you eat or not, whether you have cloth or not, whether you have money or not, God is in control of everything happening around you. You need to say it is well with my soul. Christ says: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?- Matthew 6:26-30.
Men that say it is well with their souls are men of faith. Jochebed had the faith that the God she serves would not allow her son, Moses, to die in the Nile River. She took Moses after hiding her away from Egyptians for three months and kept him floating on the Nile River until Pharaoh’s daughter discovered him there. It was well with her soul as the Princess ordered Miriam to look for a Hebrew woman to nurse the child (see Exodus 2:1-10). The fact remains clear, when we profess it is well with our soul, it is the very moment that Satan will bring all his problems trying to make some alterations of our professed faith in God.
Psalm 46:1 says: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in time of trouble. This particular verse affirms the protective power of God to those that seek him diligently. To the weak, he gives them strength to survive and become victorious in their conditions. Thus when we feel that we are weak to pray, God strengthens us with groaning of his Holy Spirit interceding for us and he is ever ready to help us in time of troubles. As we have God who helps in time of trouble, let all men of faith say it is well. God being our refuge literally means he is God that men could run to for protection and be saved from evil devourers. Therefore we should not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea (see Psalm 46:2).
We should summon courage from the three Hebrew men who said to King Nebuchadnezzar: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up"— Daniel 3:16-18 KJV. What a great faith! The three young Hebrew men believe tenaciously that even if the God they serve would not come to deliver them that nothing would make them to compromise their faith. On the other word it is well with their souls. A blazing furnace was heated up to seven times for them. This was done against them for their immediate death. No one had a good thought of life to them, they were known as a threat to the king. But their faith that says: it is well with their soul caused God to be with them. No harm was able to touch them but rather they were able to conquer harm. Those conspirators who ventured to put them on fire died by the fire. This is called peripeteia. The reverse has been the case.
I don't know the type of blazing furnace you have been subjected by devil who want you through your ugly situation to denounce your faith in Christ. As you have focus and say it is well with your soul, that situation will be consumed by fire.
When we have a God that is always ready to help in time of trouble, we are not meant to fear when earthquakes come and mountains crumble into the sea (see Psalm 46:2).
Earthquakes are disastrous and capable of destroying souls. Thus when Satan brings disaster, it should not move us to fret about. The only thing we ought to do is to be still and know that God is LORD. He is the LORD of all mortals who knows all our afflictions and he is always - all time ready to help us especially in the perilous time.
When the son of the Shunemite woman died, the woman did not raise alarm. She bore the tragedy stoically and saddled her horse to meet Elisha, the man of God. When Elisha saw her afar, he sent his servant Gehazi to inquire about the matter with her. The man of God put words into Gehazi what he would ask the woman: "Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, it is well"- 2 Kings 4:26 KJV. Looking at the pathetic situation which the woman was passing through, if we happen to be in her shoes, most of us will not say it is well but this woman did it whether unconsciously or consciously, and her faith set her free from weeping.
Note, when we have the spirit of optimism, we get positive responses from heaven. Faith conquers every ugly tendency in our lives. It was faith that pushed the woman to build a house for Elisha and his servant and the same faith that pushed her to call Elisha when her son was dead and with that same faith she claimed in the time of her sorrows that it is well. Because of this singular fact, God heard the cry of his servant Elisha and Elisha was able to raise the child up from death and the woman became happy. When we say it is well with our souls, it brings joy and hope. It breaks the bound of tangled problems.
Consider the story of Horatio Spafford who lost his estate in the fire outbreak in Chicago and four daughters to sea. Horatio was a professional lawyer in Chicago. He had estate and property which were destroyed by fire outbreak that happened once in the history of Chicago. This terrible incident rendered him restless. Before this, he lost his only son. His wife and four daughters were to go to France with him to spend Holidays. But later on, Horatio declined and asked the wife Ann to go with the children that he would meet them in few weeks' time. The news had it that his four children drowned in a shipwreck at a spot. His only survived wife sent him a telegram: "Saved Alone".
Thereafter, Horatio boarded a ship to join his wife, reaching to the place in the ocean where his four daughters died; a ship crew member showed him exactly where his daughters met their doom. He, in his bedroom, composed this hymn: “It is well with my soul”. My question to you now is that, do you believe that it is well with your soul even when peace is like a river in your life? May God have mercy upon us, amen.
Comments
Post a Comment