Address—R.F. Bauman
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Started this afternoon with faith, and we've been on faith ever since. And so it's only fitting that we conclude that way. Abraham accounted that God was able to raise him even from the dead. That's faith. That's faith that goes beyond reason, doesn't it? We've had some beautiful thoughts. Our brother Eric Cokington brought us out of chapter 24, what Paul was trying to present to those there. And it was.
Faith in Christ? What? What faith is that? It's the faith of God, but unless it's in Christ, there isn't any.
The faith of God is what we're talking about, but it's in Christ. First Corinthians. Well, we don't have to turn to this one. First Corinthians 13 He had that last verse and now abide his faith, Hope and love, divine love. Isn't it wonderful that faith abides? It's a gift, of course, from God, but it abides and it abide until they shout, 'cause when we go home, we don't need it.
We'll have sight.
Faith comes when you don't see. Faith is believing God when you can't see.
We won't need it up there. We won't need hope up there either. We got fruition. The greatest is love goes on forever. Now in Matthew 17, Matthew chapter 17, we have an interesting expression by the Lord in verse 20. And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief. Now that Father who brought that lunatic son to Jesus that our brother ended up with, he said, I believe that was given to him. It was a gift.
From the Lord.
Help thou my unbelief. There's the problem. The Lord can do that. The problem is with Him.
Not in faith, he says, because of your unbelief. For verily I say unto you, if you have faith, it's a gift of God. Don't forget it. It's the faith of God as a grain of mustard seed. He shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to Yonder place, and it shall remove. Nothing shall be impossible unto you. This is what kind of faith we're talking about. The impossibility is possible if you have faith.
And use it now.
In Matthew 8, Matthew chapter 8 verse Psalm 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way.
As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. That's very simple, isn't it?
He had faith.
But he was exercising it.
The Lord said in verse 10 at the end, I have not found so great faith. He was living in the good of it. That's what we need brethren, live in the good of it.
You can move a mountain in your life.
All things are possible because it's the faith of God. It's not a matter of quality of quantity, it's quality. That's why he says there's a there's a grain of mustard seed.
They're so small you can hardly see it.
That's enough if it's the faith of God. Grace you can have all you need in quantity. Grace you can have all you need, but don't ask for grace that you don't need.
Ask for grace for tomorrow's problem. You won't get it. You probably don't need it, but it says we could have all the grace we need. That's Ephesians 4, verse seven. You can read it, but I want to look at someone who had faith like this man in the Old Testament, and we'll have time, I believe, to glance at it because faith is a wonderful thing, and faith in action is even more wonderful.
James says.
Face without works.
Is dead now in second kings second king chapter 4 verse 8 marginal reading there was a day instead of it fell there was a day that Elijah passed to shoot him. There was a great woman and she constrained him to eat bread and so it was that his office he passed by he turned in thither deep bread.
I love the way God introduces an incident.
He could do it fully in a little short verse.
Elijah means God is Savior, grace is what he represents. Grace, Elijah, God is Jehovah, Truth, the law. So life is here.
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And now it says there's a great woman.
She was great, I believe, for two reasons. She was great in the world because she had substance.
Possessions should wealthy, but God saw her as great because she had faith.
Like that man we read about. I have not found so great faith she had that that made her great in God's sight. That makes you great in God's sight if you use that faith in Christ. Faith in Christ.
She was from Shona. You know. Shunam means double rest. I believe we learn a lot here.
I believe first of all she rested in the Lord for her soul.
But more than that, she rested in the Lord for her life here. Everything about it. Double rest, Shunam.
That's living in the faith you got.
And she was hospitable.
That becomes things. Hospitality becomes Saints. It identifies you to the world. Hebrews 13 Two, be not forgetful of hospitality, it says to entertain strangers, but it's really hospitality. That's this woman.
Oh, I love this great woman.
And I love all the great women among us.
God knows all about it.
She constrained him not only to eat that occasion, but she made him welcome anytime he passed by. That's hospitality. That's wonderful, isn't it? One of her characteristics, she said to her husband, verse 9, Behold, now I perceive this is a holy man of God which passes by us continually because he kept turning in. You know what this is?
Spiritual.
Perception which comes of God by the Spirit.
First Corinthians First Corinthians chapter 2. Let's just look at it.
This is very important and it's beautiful, but she had something here that her husband didn't have and couldn't have because he didn't have faith.
First Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know. He can't know because they are spiritually discerned. There is a spiritual discernment, there is a perception that comes from one who lives in faith, the good of it.
That's his woman.
Verse 10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall, and let us set for him there a bed and a table, a stool, a Candlestick. And it shall be when he cometh to us, He shall turn in thither. No show, no show by this woman. She was a godly woman. She wanted to provide just what he needed.
His simple needs of a man of God.
She could have given him the best room in the Manor house and I believe it probably would have been an embarrassment to him. She knew that.
Would have made him uncomfortable. You know, it's beautiful to see this. She had discretion.
That comes from God too. And it fell on a day that he came thither. He turned into the chamber and lay there.
Jay and Darby has their upper chamber, I do believe it was.
But it was just a little place with a simple needs provided. But you know the man of God needed to be a part too from this world and rest.
And she provided just what he needed. Verse 12. He said to Cahaya's eyes. Servant called this Shunamite.
And when he called her, she stood before him. And there's a principle here in verse 12 That's so beautiful. Verse 12, verse 15, I think verse 32 has the same principle. It comes out three times. She was a true servant at heart, a true servant.
Is one.
Who? When the Lord calls, he's at the door.
Immediate response. This was this great woman. When he called her, she stood before him, ready. That's the way we ought to be.
That's where every disciple ought to be with the Lord. You know, we could turn to John 11 for just a verse. I know the time is going to run, but John 11 and here we've got a beautiful picture of it, the way we ought to be, John 11, verse 28.
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And when Martha had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister, secretly, saying, The masters come calleth for thee, he calleth for thee. And as soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him, verse 32 at the middle, and fell down at his feet, saying, Lord, that lovely.
That's a true disciple. That's a servant.
As soon as she heard he calleth for her, she rose quickly and came, fell down on his feet. Lord, I believe this woman demonstrates that in our portion, this great woman.
He said unto him, His servants, say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care. What's to be done for these?
A principle here hunt these beautiful things to see they followed through the word of God.
The Lord is never dead, or to any man. God is never dead or to anyone.
Thou hast done this for us. What is to be for thee?
When the Lord borrowed Peter's ship, he gave it back full of fish.
He'll never be dead. Or do you never.
That's a principle. I love it now, he said.
Would thou be spoken for to the king or to the captain? The host? You see, he had just delivered 3 kings from certain doom.
Elijah.
He had just done it. God is savior.
And so he could have introduced this woman into the company of kings, the Society of kings.
He could have introduced her into the company of the commander, chief of the armies, the host of the three kings combined. I dwell among my own people.
Could you find a more beautiful, godly response than that I dwell among my own people? Acts chapter 4. I believe it is. They beat them and let them go, and they went to their own company. Isn't that wonderful, brethren, to have, brethren?
In a wonderful we are the people of God, heavenly people. Isn't the tide that we have now one with the other closer and dearer than those are natural ties even?
She wanted to be with her own people, the people of God.
High society.
Kings didn't affect her at all.
God says this is a great woman, and he said, what then is to be done for her? And gaze I answered, verily she has no child. Her husband's old now the impossibility. And he said call her. And when he had called her, she stood at the door, because this is the servant's response. And he said about this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace the sun.
She said, Nay, my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.
The impossibility to her.
Sarah laughed. 90 years old Abraham 100. No doubt I would have done the same.
The impossibility is the Lord's specialty. Faith comes in now.
The woman conceived and bear a son at that season, and Elijah said unto her, as Elijah said unto her, according to the time of life, first Peter turn to first Peter because we're going into a different phase here and we'll go quickly. But first Peter chapter one, first Peter chapter one, and verse 6, wherein you greatly rejoice. And she rejoiced, of course.
Though now for a season if need be.
If need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the trial of your faith.
Now he calls it your faith it is.
But it's the faith of God.
That woman in Luke seven, he said, go in peace, thy faith has saved thee. It was her faith, but it's the faith of God. But don't forget it's a gift.
And when you receive a gift, it becomes yours.
It's still the faith of God that you have as yours now.
The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found under praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Brethren, every one of us is going to have trials of our faith.
Because God loves us.
And it makes us lean hard on Jesus. It makes us turn to his Son. We'll have those trials in our assemblies. We'll have in our families. We'll have them individually and thank God for them.
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They're wonderful.
Betrayal of your faith is going to come on this woman now because she's got this faith and she's got this gift of a son, the impossibility. She's rejoicing, but he wants her to rejoice more.
And he and he wants her heart all the way to.
Well, when the child was grown.
He died a sort of abrupt, isn't it? He died.
The Father.
When he fell sick in the field, just called a lad, any lad, to take him to his mother. The father didn't even carry him in. And when he was taken to his mother, he brought him to his mother. He sat on her knees till noon, and he died. This is the trial of her faith. It's more frightening than of gold, even if it's tried with fire.
This is a trial. This is wonderful. There's a need be here, perhaps, and sometimes it's just to make that faith in Christ more precious than ever. She went up.
Verse 21 She went up, laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and she went out. You know, that was probably the least desirable room in that hole.
She didn't take that son and lay him on the best bed in the best chamber.
She wanted that son on the man of God's bed, and once he was there, she shut the door. And now faith comes in, faith and action. Faith without works is dead. Called her husband and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, one of the ***** that I may run to the man of God. I'll come again.
She's in haste now to get to him. She's going to run to the man of God. This is part of the trial of faith. It's precious. It turns you to him, the only one faith in Christ.
He said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? This isn't the holy day. This isn't a religious day. This isn't the new moon. This isn't even the Sabbath day. He was religious, but that's all.
How solemn it is.
She saddled the ***.
She's determined, isn't it lovely? She's determined. She saddled the *** and said to her servant Dr. And go forward marginal reading refrain not for me to ride in that lovely except I bid thee she's going to run.
The *** was to carry some effects, I'm sure for her some water and other things change, change arraignment and other things. She wasn't going to ride that ***. It would have slowed everything down. She's going to run.
This is faith in action.
You got it.
I've got it. Faith. It's that kind of faith. You move mountains with it.
She's getting ready to move them out.
The impossibility that the situation or life that's beyond hope, That's the mountain.
So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel.
It's a mountain garden, that's what it means. Caramel garden, a mountain garden. That's where the man of God is pleasant to get there, isn't it? But you know, before she got to the mount, where the man of God was, there's foothills, there's the approach, and it's pretty hard going when you're running. Faith did it, came to pass with the man of God. Saw her far off. He said to his eye, Behold Yonder is that Judah Mike, that Shootamite woman, Double rest She's rested.
In me, in God, for her soul, and she's resting for her life, and now for her son Shunamite.
Run, I pray thee, Demeter, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with the husband? Is it well with thy child? You know, Is it well with thee? She couldn't have a son, and she has the son and the son's dead.
Is it well with thy husband? He mocked her in a way for going to the man of God. He wouldn't even help or call a servant to help her get ready to go. Is it well with thy son? He was dead on the bed of the man of God. She said it is well, peace in my soul. Why? Why peace in her soul?
She's there.
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Faith took her right where she should be, a man of God. All is well, all is well. I see time running, and when she came to the man of God, she caught him by the feet. She fell on her face, humbled in his presence.
We had by our brother Franklin, who he is.
He's the Lord of glory, the King of kings, the Creator of this world, sustainer of all life, the Son of God, Jesus.
Humbled in his presence, I trust you are too, when faith brings you to his presence. And then Gazai said, I mean the man, the man of God said to Gehazi, Gird up by loins. Verse 29 Take the staff in thy hand and go thy way. And if thou meet any man through them, not go with dispatch. In other words, don't answer one if they salute thee, and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
But that wouldn't satisfy this great woman.
No one but the man of God.
No one but Jesus. That's it for me. That's what my faith has done. That's what the faith of God does. No one in between, no one in the meanwhile direct to Him. That's all she says. As the Lord liveth, as my soul liveth, I will leave thee. I will go with these eyes. And she didn't. But he always responds to faith, brethren. And let's don't forget it always. This was faith.
He arose that he went with her.
That lovely, she said I'll come again. He arose and he went with her. This is beautiful faith, isn't it?
Muges, I found out there was number life there verse 32 The child was dead. Behold the child was dead and laid on his bed there it is so the power of God can be manifested.
So the power of God can be shown out to this woman S her faith can be demonstrated. The grain of mustard seed now move the mountain.
We will get into the detail of what he did. It's nice. There's a lot of lessons here, but we won't. The man of God in verse 36 said Paul, this Shunamite, he called her and she was there and he said take up thy son. She moved the mountain. Now her faith did it. She lived in the good of it. It's the faith of God.
What if it was it? Take up thy son. She didn't do it.
She had no question her son was living. That's faith. She didn't do it.
What did she do?
Said she went in and fell down at the man of God's feet. No question her son was alive. Isn't that wonderful? That's faith. Great woman. First she's going to pay homage where homage is due. That is faith. She thanked him. She fell down at his feet and bowed herself to the ground. She couldn't get any lower or she would have caused that.
Exalts him. That's faith. Then she took up her son and went out. Great woman, says God.
Amen. If you have faith, brethren, as a grain of mustard seed.
You can move the mountain in your life. Isn't that wonderful? It's the faith of God. When you get it, you've got it.
Use it. It's proper to say help my unbelief. Lord will do that.
Because the problem is with you.
Will not increase my faith. When the disciples ask him to do that, he didn't do it. He told him if you got the faith of God as a grain of mustard seed, you've got it.
We've got that. What an encouragement it is.
What an encouragement it is, but when we use it, we pray in the Spirit.
Knowing that if he doesn't do what we would think should be done.
It's going to be something far better. Perhaps we could just see. Let's just sing. 44 in the appendix. 44 in the appendix. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace. Behind the frowning Providence he hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.
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The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to earth, and seeing his work in vain, scan his work in vain. God is his own interpreter, He will make it plain.