Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church - Jesus Is Coming Again

Sermon Summary: Pastor Dale Tunnell’s sermon explores the experience of feeling “forgotten or abandoned”, using Elijah’s time at the Brook Cherith in 1 Kings 17 as its central story. After Elijah courageously confronted King Ahab and announced that there would be no rain, God unexpectedly told him to withdraw into isolation at the brook, where ravens supplied his food. Eventually, however, the brook dried up. Pastor Tunnell compares this experience to those moments in our own lives when something God seemed to provide—a job, relationship, opportunity, or source of security—suddenly disappears. A “dried-up brook” does not mean that God has forgotten us or is displeased with us. Even during our darkest trials, “God is still alive, still on His throne, and still in control.” Elijah’s isolation at Cherith also served a purpose: God was developing his character and teaching him to depend upon divine provision “one day at a time”. When the brook dried up, God was not abandoning Elijah; He was simply moving him into the next phase of His plan. God directed Elijah to Zarephath, a pagan territory associated with Jezebel and Baal worship, where an unlikely person—a poor widow—would provide for him. Although she did not possess all the spiritual privileges enjoyed by Israel, she was faithfully living according to the light God had given her. Her example challenges believers to ask whether they are doing the same. Having greater knowledge of God is not enough; what matters is whether we faithfully respond to the truth and opportunities He has already placed before us. When Elijah arrived, the widow had only enough flour and oil to prepare one final meal for herself and her son before they expected to die. Yet Elijah asked her to trust God and put Him first, promising that her flour and oil would not run out until the drought ended. She obeyed, and God provided—not necessarily by filling her containers all at once, but by giving her enough “day after day”. Through both Elijah and the widow, the sermon emphasizes a life of daily dependence upon God. We may not understand where He leads us, why a particular “brook” dries up, or how tomorrow’s needs will be met, but we can trust that God has not forgotten us. When we follow the light He has given us, put His kingdom first, and trust Him for today, “God will provide and take care of us.” ---Welcome to Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church! We hope that you will find this sermon to be a blessing to you, as you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. If you would like to learn more about our church, check out our website: https://www.mesapalmssdachurch.com Bible Studies: https://itiswritten.study/homeReading Library: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-libraryDonations: https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANP4CG/envelope/start