Preparing for the Lord's Day
Kingdoms in Conflict
The boll weevil arrived in Alabama in 1910, traveling north from Mexico. This insect wreaked havoc on the cotton fields of Alabama. As these pests multiplied across the state they destroyed millions of dollars in crops. Small farmers who were already in debt could not afford this loss. What were the farmers to do amid such a situation? How could they respond to such devastation? By eating their cotton, the boll weevil was destroying their very livelihood. The farmers of the region were in a desperate situation.
In our passage for Sunday we come to a widow who is also in a desperate situation. Her husband has died, she has two young sons to care for, and a mountain of debt that cannot be repaid. There is nothing within her power to stop it.
Have you come to a situation like this? A time when you could see no way of escape? The outside forces of life have converged upon you and there is nothing that you can do to deliver yourself. Like the southern cotton farmers who were losing their crop or a widow with more debt than she can handle? How do you go forward without losing hope? What we will see in our passage for this Sunday is that when we come to such places of desperation we cannot give in to fear, but rather we must call out to the Lord in prayer, trust his response, and obey in humility. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon 2 Kings 4:1-7, 2 Chronicles 20:12, Matthew 14:13-21, 2 Corinthians 12:9, and Ephesians 2:18.
This week we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during our worship service. As we receive the elements of bread and wine look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. For as we physically receive the signs of the Lord’s body and blood, spiritually we feed upon him and all his benefits. Our hymns for this week include “Give to Our God Immortal Praise,” “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!,” and “In Christ Alone.”
Sermon Information:
Text: 2 Kings 4:1-7
Title: Fear No Weevil
Outline:
- Every Christian Must Call Out to God (v. 1)
- Every Christian Must Trust God's Response (vv. 2-6)
- Every Christian Must Obey in Humility (v. 7)