The Attitude of Obedience

Prayer

Give Honor

Text: 1 Kings 18:1-2

1 Kings 18:1–2 NKJV

1 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.

Beloved.

As a man, a husband, a preacher, an entrepreneur, and a pastor..... i can be honest this morning and testify that sometimes it’s hard, being obedient to God.

In a perfect world, Obedience to God will leave you in a great space.

Money flowing

Marriage good

Church members happy

Sermons are great

Business is going well

Rent is paid

Kids are acting right

I mean life is just good.

And while obedience God may have its rewards, and benefits.

sometimes Obedience to God. Will leave you in a drought.

Sometimes Obedience to God

Makes you unliked

Makes you look crazy

Makes you lose some friends

makes you lose money

May make you lose influence in the world

May make you become exposed

The Honest truth is that sometimes obedience to God may leave you in what seems like a drought.

And while obedience to Go may lead you in a drought,

It’s also safe to say that Obedience to God, produces power and provision from God

When you are obedient to God’s command, then God’s power and provision will carry you through what ever season you encounter in your life.

And while it is, that life may seem hard, and everything is falling apart around you,

The beauty is,

that if you made it another day, then you survived another struggle

That if you made it another day,

Then you servived another heartache

That if you made it another day,

Then you survived a sleepless night

That if you made it another day,

That means you survived another low moment

And while it may seem that because you were obedient, you missed out on the pleasures of life,

The truth is, your obedience will cause God’s provision, to meet you in the midst of your problem.

I’ve never seen the hand of God more than when I was in the will of God.

I’ve never seen the hand of God more than when I did what he said.

and I may not have gotten what I wanted when I wanted, but God gave me exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

and it is in these moments where we realize, that an attitude of obedience causes you to see the hand of God in whatever season you are in.

It’s now at the setting of this text we find the prophet Elijah, Being directed by God once again. and the bible says that it’s a famine in the land.

A famine in the land, But Elijah is still following God.

What do you do, when Being obedient to God causes you to be in a famine?

Elijah was...

Faithful in the Famine

v. 1 says that “The word came to Elijah in the third year of the famine.”

So Elijah has been in the famine for three years,

THREE YEARS IN A FAMINE

THIRTY SIX MONTHS, IN A FAMINE

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX WEEKS-IN A FAMINE

ONE THOUSAND AND NINETY SIX DAYS- IN A FAMINE

TWENTY SIX THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND FOUR HOURS- IN A FAMINE

2020, 2021, AND 2022-IN A FAMINE

THREE YEARS, since rain has come.

Three years, since dew has tread over the face of the planet

Three years, AND no production

Three years, AND no work

Three years of pain and agony

Three years of heat

Three years OF PROBLEM, AFTER PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM

ELIJAH HAS BEEN IN A DROUGHT FOR THREE YEARS, BUT ELIJAH HAS BEEN FAITHFUL FOR THREE YEARS.

Three years of serving the Lord.

Three years of moving when God says move.

Three years of a consistent YES.

Three years of trusting

Three years of Believing

Three years of striving.

Three years.

In the midst of the famine, elijah was faithful.

Faithfulness is not tested in fruitfulness.

Faithfulness is tested in famine.

It’s easy to be faithful in when the church is packed.

It’s easy to be faithful when checks are clearing.

It’s easy to be faithful when the lightbill isn’t due

It’s easy to be faithful when you got gas in the car

It’s easy to be faithful when things are fruitful, but can you stay faithful, when things are fruigle?

Elijah was Faithful. He followed God’s command, even when it affected him.

Faithful- playing the organ every Sunday.

Faithful- preaching to empty chairs

Faithful- still preaching when your tithes are more than your income

Faithful- singing by yourself

Faithful-Serving by yourself

Faithful-the first one present and the last one leaving.

Faithful-Still praying even when it seems as nothing is changing

Faithful-Still serving even when it seems you’re over looked

because your faithfulness is not predicated on things going on around you, your faithfulness is should be predicated on what’s inside of you.

Greater is he, that is in me, than he that is in the world.

When you’re faithful God will allow you to flourish when everything is frugile

Elijah was Faithful in the midst of a famine.

Faithfulness and obedience go hand and hand.

Obedience speaks to the COMMAND SENT

Faithfulness speaks to the TIME SPENT

Fruitful in the Famine

Exegesis: The bible says that the Lord says to Elijah, to GO

Where was Elijah coming from?

When the famine started, the Lord told Elijah to Go to the brook of Cherith, and it was there where ravens fed him and the Water hydrated him.

When the brook dried up, Elijah elijah is told to go to Zarepath.

Zarepath is a place of refinement.

Zarepath is a place of purification by FIRE.

So God sends elijah to a place of refinement. and in the Place of refinement, is where elijah was fruitful.

There was a widowed woman who was there who was about to eat her last meal, and she was planning to die

But after feeding Elijah, she never ran out of food, and she Kept living.

In the later verses, her son died,

she brings her son to Elijah, and it is there, where her son is revived by Elijah,

Elijah was fruitful in a famine.

Even in the midst of a problem, Elijah was still able to produce.

Application: and I’m here to tell you that your problems should not stop you from being Productive.

Be fruitful any way.

In the midst of a drought Be fruitful

When things aren’t going your way Be fruitful

Even when it’s not the season, be fruitful

Because you may be the reason some one is able to LIVE or DIE in the midst of a famine.

One of the results of obedience is fruit.

Obedience produces fruit

Not only was he

Faithful in the famine

Fruitful in the famine

but he was

FEARLESS in the Famine

exegesis: He said Go, Show thyself to the AHAB. and elijah went.

The last time elijah seen Ahab was at the beginning of the famine.

Elijah, the one who served Yahweh is told to Go show himself to Ahab one who served BaAL.

This would seem like a suicide mission.

So I had to ask Elijah why is it that you went?

You could’ve gotten yourself killed.

Elijah hit be back and said,

Mike

He Kept me, at Cherith

He kept me, in Zarepath,

He provided for me in the famine,

so why should I be scared now.

and some of you are scared to do what the Lord says,

Scared of how you will look

Scared of what they will say

Scared of who they will talk to

Scared of who is with you or not

and im here to tell you

FEAR NOT.

Be bold in your beliefs.

Be fearless in the famine,

because This is not his first time keeping you.

thats why im not scared of covid, becuase it wasnt my first time being sick

Thats why I wasnt scared when they gave dad surgery, because it wasnt his first time under a knife.

Because this is not his first time healing. He’s always been a healer,

He’s always been a way maker

He’s always opened doors

He’s always been a protector

He’s always been a a providor.

Isaiah 41:10 says

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalms 23: 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 27:1–2 KJV 1900

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, They stumbled and fell.

Most are not disobedient out of competence but fear

It’s fear that keeps us from doing what God says

Be Fearless in the famine. +

He was faithful

He was fruiful

He was fearless

but lastly he was

Favored IN the famine

When there was a drought upon the land,

he was drinking from a brook-thats favor

When the brook dried up.

He went to zarepath.

when it was time for him to go back,-Thats favor

he goes back, tries to show himself to the Ahab. He runs into obadiah,

Tells obadiah he wants to see ahab,

Obadiah says to Elijah he can get killed,

but Ahab says to Elijah, We’ve been looking everywhere for you, and never found you.

Thats favor.

see when you’re faithful, fruitful, and fearless,

God’s favor will attatch itself to you so much, that everyone will see the hand of God on your life.

How are you able to make it? Favor

How are you living today? Favor

How are did you live with, what others died with.

Favor

but this is the shout, It’s about to rain, and no one repented yet.

God promised rain, and they haven’t changed yet,

Before we see rain, we see promise of rain.

Before he turned their hearts, he already put something in place that will make them change.

and that sounds just like the cross.

While we were YET SINNERS. Christ died for the ungodly