"It is Well" | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Please meet me in the book of 2nd kings in the Old Testament

and chapter 4. Today, I want to just take the

time to briefly speak to you about a profound statement that

is found in the scriptures made by an unnamed woman.

That has incredible. Meaning for believers today.

And in fact, it is an affirmation that innumerable

Christians have made. And I've declared in song over

decades but more than this statement being found in a well

known him. What we are about to discover

and skim over is in fact, a statement that has the

expression of the security that every single one who has put

their faith in Christ has because of his Mercy And because

he is a good god. And the story where this

precious declaration is found as found in Second Kings.

But before we go to the particular verse, I want you to

understand the background of the story, there is a man named

Elijah. He was a prophet.

He was a servant of God and Elijah was a traveling Minister.

He would do what he had to do throughout Israel and he would

pass by many towns and cities. And there was a particular place

that he would he would travel by called shun.

Mm. And there was a woman there, we

don't have her name. All we are told is that she was

a wealthy woman and she was obviously, Woman who had great

generosity in her heart. She was a woman, had the gift of

hospitality. So, she would see this man of

God, walked by her home from time to time.

And so it was impressed on her heart to, at least invite him in

for a warm meal, a lunch or a dinner so that he can be fed and

fueled as you serve the Lord. And what began as just a

thoughtful lunch, grew into this desire for her to actually build

a room for him in her house. So that this man could come and

lodge and relax and just be replenished and refreshed again

as he served the Lord. And so Elijah, here is

experiencing this great Love From This Woman.

This care, this attention, and it Dawns on him.

I long to do something in return for this motherly st.

And as he's there, he calls his assistant to call for her and

there he is. Relaxing in that room and as

he's relaxing that room, she comes for it.

And he says, something of the sort of what can I do for you.

You've done so much for me. So how can I return?

What you have given to me? And because of her humility and

because of her, her great sense of service to the Lord.

She does not demand anything. She doesn't ask for anything.

She doesn't request a thing. She just longs to serve without

any interest in mind. And so, she stays quiet, but

Elijah would not let her go empty-handed.

And so, he looks at his servant, gehazi has Ghazi.

What can we do for this woman? And gehazi made the observation?

Well, she's childless. And her husband is old.

Maybe it, maybe a son would be nice.

So Elijah makes a prophetic declaration by this time in

Spring. Next spring, you will hold a

baby in your arms and her reaction is so great because

it's almost as though, she can't believe what she's hearing.

It's too good to be true. But sure enough, this man of God

who spoke on behalf of God, made it happen and this barren woman.

Now, not only has a son by has a legacy to continue.

For a husband and his name and with that, understanding we come

now to verse 18. And I'm sure I'm sure we can dig

so much deeper than this. But with the time that we have

left, let's just explore at least a few things.

In verse 18 here of chapter 4, when the child had grown, he

went out one day to his father among the Reapers and he said to

his father, oh my head, my head, the father said to his servant,

carry him to his mother. And we had lifted him and Autumn

to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon and then he

died. Right there in her arms, he gave

his final breath, as she held that Miracle child for the final

time. and we look at this, and we think, How did this happen?

Some time has passed, obviously, since this child has been given

because he was clearly old enough to walk with his dad into

the fields and he was of age to express himself and communicate.

But he was still young enough for somebody to carry him in

their arms and bring him to his mother.

We do not know the precise age but regardless, it's a tragedy

to say the least for you. And I to hear of any child to

pass on from this life as such a youth.

And as such a young plant, not fully grown is.

Gut-wrenching. It's almost difficult to imagine

the pain and the distress and the bitterness that a parent

would feel to see their own child slip away from life right

before them. The same woman who was visited

by Supernatural intervention was also visited by a tragedy.

A calamity. It's worth noting when this

happened notice in verse 18. When the child had grown, he

went out one day to his father among the Reapers that is all

that we need to know to get an idea of when this happened and

how it applies to us for there. To be Reapers means that this

unexpected disaster happened during the Harvest Time for the

nation of Israel. And what that means exactly is

first, it was a very busy time. This is when the men and the

woman would bring themselves to much work in order to gather in

all that they have showed and all that, they have watered and

planted and protected and watched over four months.

Harvest season was not Lex less taxing than sowing season it

demanded so much energy to expel, to ensure nothing was

missed, and nothing would go to waste.

So this is a very tight time in terms of scheduling, the terms

of planning, and in terms of efforts.

But secondly, it was a joyous time.

Whenever there is a harvest, it is often in the scriptures

associated with great joy, both spiritually and obviously

physically, this is when all the hard work paid off this is when

Try. This is where profit was made.

And so during the Harvest time for these ancient people, it was

not just something personal. It was a communal thing.

People would come over. There would be Feast, there

would be celebration. There would be a sharing among

one another. And it was in fact more than

that. It was a it was a special time

of worship where faithful Israelites would take the first

fruits of their crops and they would come by faith into the

presence of God and say, this belongs to you.

You are The Giver of all things, you are the grower of all

things. This is yours.

The first we will not reserve it.

We will say by faith, all comes from you and all comes back to

you. What does that mean in light of

this? It means this though there is

never a favorable time for Calamity to visit.

It seems especially inconvenient for this tragedy and this

Misfortune to occur. During the Harvest.

Be reminded through this story that trials, tend to interrupt

our schedules. And oftentimes appear when they

are least expected. They catch us by surprise and

they don't wait for things to settle down before they seek to

test. You and me trials, don't knock

on the door of your life and say can I come in?

And it's very rare where you and I are mentally prepared for, for

a Calamity or even open to it. You know, I think this is a good

time for a disaster to come in. And to ruffle my life, they

arrived without warning, they barge in unannounced.

And if we are not strengthened by consistent devotion and

discipline in the Lord, then those the most tribulations can

knock the wind out of you and cause your faith to be shaken

for the worse. That is not what you see with

this woman. It is not what you see with this

woman as she caressed. This child and his final breath

was was breathe out. We read here that once she lies

him in a bed, the same bed that Elijah light.

In, as a guest verse 21, she went up and laid him on the bed

of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out and

she called her husband and said, send me one of the servants.

And one of the donkeys that I make quickly go to the man of

God and come back again. And he said, why, why will you

go to him today? It is neither new moon, or a

Sabbath. She said all is well.

All is. Well, that's the statement.

That's the affirmation, that's the Declaration.

She said, with total confidence would total composure.

All is well. And then she goes on her way to

find this man of God. The man of God, that promise,

this child, that had special authority.

To even give that that wonderful gift to her by the power of God,

and she seeks him. And as she seeks him, Elijah,

Caesar at a distance. So he sends gehazi again, run to

her. And as you run to her, do not

hesitate to ask is all well with you is all well, with your

husband is all well, with the child.

And what is her response as we come down here to verse 26. and

she answered at the end of the verse, all is well, All is well.

How can that be? How can you even utter such

words when your only child the future of your, your husband's

name, the one who introduced a joy that you've never known

before and was suddenly snatched from you within a few hours?

How can you even say With a straight face.

All is well. Well, it's important to

understand what that really means and I think it's good to

see that for this woman to declare.

All is well does not mean that she was insensitive to the

severity of the situation. Nor does it mean that she was

disconnected with the turmoil that she experienced as a human

being look at verse 27 and when she came to the mountain to the

man of God, she caught hold of his feet and gehazi came to push

her away, but the man of God said, leave her alone. 14.

She is in bitter distress. And the Lord has hidden it from

me and has not told me. Do you see there is a genuine

deep pain and none of us can blame her for it.

But to have a faith that says, all is well, does not mean that

you will not know an ache to your soul, doesn't mean that you

won't cry, doesn't mean that you won't be broken.

In the presence of God heard. This stress does not discredit

the fact that she really meant it when she said all is well.

Because it's a statement of faith.

It's a statement coming from a truth that she was convinced by

regardless of the turmoil. That was torturing her at this

moment. You read earlier in this chapter

that this woman is referred to as a wealthy woman.

And it's so obvious that she used her prosperity and she used

her property to bless the work of God and the Servants of God,

including Elijah. But I don't see a wealthy woman

just in the physical. I see a wealthy woman and Faith,

rich. Rich in faith.

And what's important to see here is that the richness of

someone's Faith, the quality of faith that really matters is

always discovered in affliction. It's always found in pressing X.

Common Faith. Easy faith.

Unbelieving faith. Can say all is well, when all is

well. But you can be sure that someone

possesses a trust in God. That is worth something when

they can say all is, well, while they're smelling a little bit of

Hell in their life. When you can say, all is well,

and to a world that doesn't understand who you believe in.

They would think that that's a contradiction to your

circumstances. But she said it and she wasn't

giving lip service. She wasn't trying to impress,

her husband by being a spiritual woman that that quote certain

things to seem as though, you are superior.

She's not trying to impress this minister of God.

She really means what she's saying.

And all you have to do is take the time to realize her

composure throughout this life, shaking event to see the

strength that she has. By giving instructions, she

didn't collapse, she didn't fall apart.

She didn't raise her fist to the heavens.

She's even in her humility submitting to the orchestration

of all that is taking place because she really, really

trusted in God and could say all is well she proved it and all I

would love to say much more than this at this time.

But all I want to say to you at this point is take this truth

for yourself and leave this place today.

By knowing because of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can say, at all times in all things, all is well.

Again, you can say all is well, because no matter what happens

in this flesh and in this world, your soul has been secured by

the savior's blood and you're headed towards eternal life.

You can say all is well, because the same God who times our

blessings like he did for this woman also schedules are trials.

And the duration of them. You can sing it is well as we

will after this. Because we do not serve a God

who plays sadistic games with our lives.

But in all his giving and all his taking away, he has a

glorious purpose to do a work in us that would sanctify us

cleanse us mold us and purify us.

In a way that would bring much glory to him and Gooden us.

And you may be wondering, well, what's the purpose of this?

Why would God grant this woman? A miracle child only to only to

take him away and for her to experience a grief that she

could have just avoided if he didn't give the child to begin

with. What is this?

Here's a child. Now I'm not let me take his

life. This would be an example for the

great skeptic or the hater of God to say, what kind of God is

this? Is it merely to test her faith?

Was it to produce in her even more Sanctified character?

Those she seems so Godly to begin with.

Was it so that she and others can bear witness to a greater

power of God? Who not can just give life, but

can raise the dead to life. I'm sure it includes all of

those things. But there are purposes.

Even in pain that God veils from our eyes, but at the same time,

gives us examples in the scripture so that we can draw

encouragement from as we endure things that are weighty and

profound. And this is one of those stories

where we get a just a little idea of the wisdom of God, as he

becomes Lord of our lives and guides us even through

suffering. because this is not the last time you hear of this

woman, she's reintroduced to us in chapter 8 and verse one and I

would like you to turn their briefly to see Second Kings 81.

We read. Now, Elijah had said to the

woman who son he had restored to life arise and depart with your

household and sojourn wherever you can for the Lord has called

for a famine and will come upon the land for seven years.

So here's this woman. With her, with her child,

raising the dead, and Elijah comes with with an Insight from

the Lord, there's a famine that's going to hit our land.

And it's going to last several years, you need to go wherever

you need to go. She goes to the land of the

Philistines, several years passed by, she comes back home.

She abandoned her home, her land and remember she was a wealthy

woman, she had much and something obviously happened

during that time because she plans to go to the king of

Israel, to appeal, for her land, for her property for her home.

And as she is prepared to do that.

We read later on in this chapter in The Following verses, that

gehazi is actually in the presence of the king, the same

servant who witnessed that child that wants was dead.

Come to life and the king of Israel is there stroking.

His beard curious, knowing that gehazi was a close associate to

the prophet and asked tell me some of the things that Elijah

has done. So gehazi without hesitation

being an eyewitness begins to share about the story of how a

woman, a rich woman son was given miraculously but also died

and was raised to life. And in that precise moment, as

he's explaining this, the woman, the mother of this child walks

in And he looks at her while he's explaining it to him and he

says that's the one. She's the mother.

She's the one that actually had her child raised from the dead.

And has the king, react. How does the king react?

Well, verse 6 tells us? And when the king asked the

woman, if the story was true, she told him.

So the king appointed, an official for her saying, restore

all, that was hers together with all the produce of the fields

from the day that she left the land.

Until now you have to understand that this woman, very likely was

prepared for a difficult challenge through receive all

that she had lost during those seven years.

And I believe for the main reason that this king, the king

of Israel during this time was not a righteous King.

He was not a holy man, he was not a God-fearing man.

I believe when he asked what Elijah done in the name of God,

it was just out of curiosity. But God is going to show in this

moment that because this woman was walking in obedience to him,

he would and Providence, prepare her.

So that what she had known would be preserved and what she had

known would be protected. And so at the right time, The

unbelieving would say this is luck.

This is coincidence. This just happens for the

universe to fall things into place, but the believer knows, I

know, my God and I know that this is Providence, this is God,

orchestrating and moving the people and the pieces to be in

the right place at the right time for the sake of the good of

one of his servants. And that's exactly what it is.

This is not coincidence. But this teaches us much more

than that, that as you choose to live under the lordship of Jesus

Christ, he promises he promises his shepherding over your life,

realize What's Happening Here? You read from verse 1 of chapter

8, down to verse 6. And you'll see how many times

the fact that this boy, This Woman's child was raised from

the dead and it's calling us to make a connection.

And here's the connection. Who would have known that

several years before this moment?

How the testimony of This Woman's child dying and being

raised would contribute to her future being secure and kept for

her and her family? in other words, it would be very

difficult to believe that this woman from should mm when she

was visited by this crisis. Thought to herself all is well

because seven years from now, a king is going to hear the story

of this miracle and it's going to so move his heart that he's

going to actually Crown me with favor when I probably wouldn't

receive it. There's no way she knew that

because she's not omniscient, there's no way she knew that but

there is Reason to believe that God knew that.

That God knew that that if you want to see the multi-faceted

purpose of God. Yes, he was doing a work in her.

He was doing a work to glorify his name but this God Who Loved

this servant because she loved him and served him for saw.

There is going to be a famine in this land and my servant has

much and she's going to have to relocate and she's going to have

to come back and she's going to have to make an appeal to a King

who's not righteous. And so I will prepare a The

money that will be presented to this King and his heart will be

moved and he will dispense Mercy to her.

God knew. God knew how that miracle

though. It didn't make sense in the

moment and didn't seem to provide any benefit for that

time would bring about a good many years from then. so that's

why you and I can say all is well because we serve the same

God that when we cannot reconcile, how this pain has a

purpose, God has already had something determined before even

came about That we can rest in that truth, that we can trust in

that truth that we can as James says, now, only be stable.

And steadfast and on shaken. But what is James say, count it

all joy. Huh.

Count it all joy. It's not just neutral.

You can actually have reason to praise God.

For the various sufferings that you may be enduring because

there is a purpose behind that and this woman would know it for

chapters later from when she experienced that inconvenient

that inconvenient tragedy. Now many students of the Bible

as I closed a now. Make the inspirational

association between all is well with the woman from shown mm.

But in my personal reading of this book in Second Kings, I've

come to realize that she was not the only one that said all is

well. Somebody use that same

terminology something to use that same phraseology.

But had a whole different circumstance.

Ghazi gehazi in chapter five after he served Elijah for some

time witnessed another miracle, and that was a man covered in

leprosy from Syria. He was miraculously healed.

And this man Naman came to Elijah and says, I'll give you

whatever you want, you want gold, you want clothing and

Elijah refused. He would not take payment from

this Foreigner, less. You come under the idea that

these Servants of the true God do things for God for profit and

I should was a very wise man. But name rather gehazi saw name

and walk away. And there was there was a

disturbance in him to think we're going to just let this

Rich this rich man walk away. This this man of profit and of

prestige just leave when we can have more and so he conjures up

a plan, he conjures up a plan to run towards naming without

Elijah's knowledge. And what does he want to do?

He wants to receive something for himself and so in chapter 5

and verse 21, look what happens. So gehazi followed Amen.

And when name and saw someone running after him, he got down

from The Chariot to meet him and said is all well.

Sound familiar. Is all well gehazi verse 22 and

he said all is well. All is well.

My master has sent me to say, they're just come now to me from

the Hill Country of Ephraim two, young men of the sons of the

prophets, please give him a talent of silver and two changes

of clothing. Gehazi.

Is everything? Okay?

It is well. Same wording.

Confident. Couldn't be more wrong.

There are people today in this place.

Who can say all is well, because Jesus Christ saved you and he's

Lord of your life. And you have this assurance.

As you heard from these testimonies that you have a

relationship with the Living, God that he made possible

because of what he's done on the cross, you can say all is well

you can worship Him in tragedy and Triumph and it's very likely

today that in this room, there are some people who are visiting

that Jesus Christ is he's an idea.

He's just another historical figure.

You're just here. Soaring support to a friend or

relative and you can say like a hazy.

All is well your life is good, you're healthy.

You're healthy, you have a good job, you have a stable home,

your future is planned, and you're good.

And so if somebody were to come to you and say how's life, you

can say all is well. And it is my duty to say to you

in love. How can all be well?

When your soul is not saved. How can all be?

Well, when like gehazi your soul is riddled with greed.

And the cancer of lust is eating away at you day after day night

after night, how can all be well?

When you know, in the deepest corridors of your conscience

that if you were to stand before a holy God, you would not have

eternal life. And even if you were to offer

him some good, it would be like, filthy rags in his side because

he is just so brilliant, and holy and pure.

How can you say all is well, how can gehazi say all is?

Well, when he is in this moment, lying and coveting.

And misrepresenting the God that he said he would serve at one

point. if you say all is well, And Jesus Christ is not your

lord and savior, then you were just as mistaken as gehazi was.

All is not well. Because the author of life is

not the Lord of your life. And your sins will give you a

bill one day and you will have to pay for them for yourself.

All might be well on the surface for the mere 60, 70, 80 years of

your missed of an existence on this planet.

But there is another world more real than this one.

And it is eternal. And so, I invite you to sit all

is well on a different premise on a different foundation and

that is because Christ has entered in and he is washed you

from your sin and he is filled you with his spirit and he is

allowed you to know the joy of fellowship with him fellowship

with the people of God, and a future fellowship with his

presence that can never be taken from you because he is a savior

that completes his saving work in you.

And so if you're here today and you heard testimonies and you

heard a brief message, I believe that this is God and His

Providence just like this woman who came in at the right time in

the right place to receive good for her future.

This is God, bringing you at the right time at the right, place

to hear the right words for you to know Salvation And it's free.

And it's extended to you today as we heard from one of our

sisters. Not because you're perfect, not

because you impress God, nothing of the sort.

But because you are a sinner, and because you are broken and

because, you know, that you have violated God's law, you come, as

you are to him, you come in your filth, you come in all your

failed attempts to try to even impress, God, you come to me.

Even though prior to this moment, you've ignored God and

you've shunned him. You've probably even Walked him

with all of that into consideration Christ, still bids

you to come and he's ready to forgive you.

This instant he's ready to change you and to transform you

to make you his child, and the way in which that is experienced

the access to that is laid out in the Bible, repent and

believe. Realize what your sin has done

to Christ on the cross, realize the great depth of the painting

that was made something that we laugh about and we joke about

something that might prick, our conscious from time to time it,

put the sinless Savior on a cross.

And he did it for you. And he did it for you.

You turn from that sin and you put your faith and trust in the

finished work of Jesus Christ. As you heard so many times

today, I mean, you got an extraordinary service.

You didn't just hear a preacher come up here with his Bible to

preach you though. That is sufficient.

The word of God is sufficient. The testimony of the Gospel is

sufficient but on top of that you got real life stories of

people saying, Christ changed me.

How much more do you need? What is it that you require for

him to get your attention? Know that he is with total

confidence. He is in this moment.

Calling you to be safe today and you can walk out of here, not

just meeting nice people. Not just seeing somebody, do

something with good moral conviction.

Today, a friend or a family member.

You can leave your today with the assurance that you are his

And that you have the same hope that was declared by so many

today. I invite you today, you don't

have to go through a preacher, you don't have to go through any

Booth. You don't have to sit in any

session. We believe in a risen Christ.

Who in this moment is more real than anybody else.

And you can speak to him in your Contrition, in your Brokenness

and confess that sin, and at the same time confessed that Christ

did died. He was buried, he was raised and

that he is the savior of the world including you.

Why would you, why would you reserve yourself from such a

gift? Why would you hold back?

What do you have? What do you have?

That is greater than this news. What do you have?

That is greater than this life Christ that I've come to they

might have life and have it more abundantly.

Somebody asked me two days ago. Curious is making Jesus Christ,

Lord. Something that only affects

where I spend eternity or does it does as I do something for me

now. What a question.

I said, oh, he does so much more than you can imagine.

He breaks the shackles of sin, he infuses you with a piece.

There is something of a joy of knowing that you are in right

standing with him. And then on top of that, he

gives you a purpose on this planet broken shattered.

Dark depraved to be a light among many lights to make an

impact on other people for his glory.

Why would you say no to that? Say yes.

Today he is awaiting for you to give him your heart.

Let's pray. Well, we thank you for this

wonderful time together in your presence.

And we ask Lord that as we sing, it Is Well with My Soul.

That we can. All really mean what we say,

Thank you that in that. In that statement, we can say it

at all times. In all things.

And we pray for those who cannot say it confidently, you cannot

say it beyond the moment beyond the day-to-day, but even for

eternal life, that today would be the day where they can say it

with a total trust and joy and assurance that it is really well

with them. So, Lord, we've done.

What we can the testimonies have been declared.

The word has been has been preached but Lord, only your

Holy Spirit can change the human heart, please Lord.

Have your way with those that you've called to be in this

place for this purpose to hear of your love for them and lure.

We glorify you for all these testimonies we pray for every

person that was baptized that you would Empower them to be

Faithful Servants. That Lord, they would continue

on in a life of obedience that they would glorify you beyond

the time that they did today, then you would protect their

families that you protect their children, their spouses or God.

And if they don't know you that what happened today, might

affect Their hearts to realize that this is real.

Crisis real be blessed. As we close this service,

singing Because of You, it is well, in Jesus name, amen.