Rain is Coming
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There was an once a Pastor who really felt he had a message for a particular man in his congregation. He’d preached a message that he thought for sure would get this guys attention, but the man never caught the point. He always thought pastor was preaching to someone else.
One Sunday the preacher was really giving it all he had to get his point across to the man. Following the service, the man came up to the Pastor and said, “Preacher, you sure told ’em today.”
The next sermon, it was the same reaction again.
The third Sunday, the preacher was even more direct. Again the man said, “Preacher, you sure told ’em today.”
The fourth Sunday it rained so hard that no one came to church except the pastor and his man. Preacher thought he’d now have a real opportunity to take aim and hit his target. After a hard hitting thirty minutes and a call to the altar, the pastor went to his place at the door to greet his one-person congregation.
In a moment the man walked up to his pastor, held out his hand, and announced, “Preacher, you’d sure told ’em if they had been here!”
He missed the point! Now, I’m not sure that it’s healthy for a Pastor to preach a message directly to one person intentionally, but I do think that we’ve all been guilty of thinking the message is for someone else.
Today, I want to preach a message meant for YOU! My sincere hope and prayer is that you’ll hear the Spirit of God speak to your heart today. I believe that if you hear the scripture today and apply it’s truth, you’ll be moved to become more persistent in your prayers.
Growing up, I have good memories of times when it rains so hard and so quick that the street storm drains couldn’t keep up and the street corners would flood. There were times when my Mom would like us go out and play in the rain. We’d go right out in the street and play in the water. It was glorious.
There’s a word for this type of rain storm. It’s a gullywasher!
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One thing that’s kind of cool about a gullywasher is that they clean out all the stuff that’s been building up on the streets and sidewalks. The old leaves, sticks, dirt, and trash.
There’s a story in the Old Testament about a gullywasher that only came after a whole bunch of prayer.
Today, you might be like a street that’s full of old leaves, sticks, dirt, and trash that needs to be cleaned up. You’re in the right place because we’ve been praying for a gullywasher. The Lord wants to give you a clean start this morning.
Our main scripture is actually found in the New Testament that will refer us back to the Old Testament.
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!
We are told that there was a man, just like us, who obviously understood how to pray because when he prayed for no rain, it didn’t rain! FOR 3.5 years! That’s insane! Can you imagine if it didn’t rain in Kansas for that long? We’d have no water for the crops, the rivers would dry up, and we’d be in big big trouble.
Why in the world would a man pray for the rain to stop for 3.5 years? Let’s take a look in 1 Kings 17 to find the answer.
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand, there will not be dew or rain these years except by my word.”
Whenever the nation fell into sin and idolatry, God sent prophets to call them back to the true faith. Lack of rain was often a punishment for the sins of the people. And the King that Elijah was talking to was a very sinful man. King Ahab and his wicked heathen wife Jezebel had led the people into Baal worship, a religion so gross and wrong that I won’t even take the time to describe it other than to say that many of the disgusting things we see happening today would fit right in with that type of worship.
What’s stopped the Rain? Sin.
Sin IS Diversion
Sin IS Diversion
God allowed the rain to stop to get the attention of people going down the wrong path. They were doing unspeakable things that were hurting not only themselves, but their society was in a terrible condition. People didn’t care about anything but themselves.
God hates sin.
God hates sin because it opposes His very nature and is the work of the devil .
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
When we walk in sin we are opposing God and are accepting the lies of the enemy. Sin will ALWAYS lead us down paths leading us to places we don’t want to go.
The problem with the lies associated with sin is that they have a bit of truth. People looking for pleasure might find a temporary taste, but it turns bitter immediately after.
I was speaking with a young man who had given his life to the Lord after living believing the lies of the enemy. He told me that he’d use certain apps on his phone to connect with women, but after he connected with them he always felt empty and even more alone.
Sin opposes the goodness of God. How does the Bible describe sin?
6 From your head to your toes there isn’t a healthy spot. Bruises, cuts, and open sores go without care or oil to ease the pain.
Sin is like having an open wound that isn’t healing on it’s own - it needs medicine.
The Bible tells us that sin is a burden in Psalm 38:3-4
Psalm 38:3–4 (CEV)
3 … Even my bones are in pain, and my sins
4 are so heavy that I am crushed.
It defiles:
15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
It’s a heavy debt, when Jesus taught us how to pray He reminded that our sin was a debt that needed to be dealt with:
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
Sin is like a terrible stain that needs to be washed clean:
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Walking in sin, opposition to God, is like being in the dark:
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Why doesn’t God want us to continue believing the lies of the enemy by continuing to live in sin?
He wants us to live Healed, Debt Free, Unburdened, Undefiled, Washed Clean, and living in the Light!
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Elijah was was standing in the presence of the King trying to get his attention. Elijah prayed that the rain would stop and for three and a half years that is what happened. Diversion. Sin robbed the people of life giving water.
If they had not fallen into rebellion they wouldn’t have lost those years. Sin steals. It takes us the wrong way.
We need to learn not to play with Sin. We should repent. We bow our hearts in the presence of God and ask for Mercy. We want to get on the right track and STOP opposing God by believing the lies we tell ourselves.
Here’s the good news. WE HAVE THE VICTORY over sin and death through Jesus!
We can say no to the devil. We can say no to our nature. When we come to Christ we have a NEW nature.
Victory IS Possible
Victory IS Possible
Let’s move ahead in our story. If you read through chapter 17 you’ll see that Elijah had some pretty amazing things happen in his life during this three year drought. God provided food and water for him through miraculous ways, he prayed for a you man who had died and the boy came back to life, and in chapter 18 he proves that he is the Lord’s prophet by disproving 450 prophets of Baal.
Remember what happened? Elijah took them up on top of Mt. Carmel and had them build two altars. They cut up two bulls and placed them on the altars. Then he told those false prophets to pray to Baal to send down fire.
Well, they prayed all morning, but nothing happened.
I like what Elijah told them:
27 At noon, Elijah began making fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “Baal must be a god. Maybe he’s day-dreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he’s asleep, and you have to wake him up.”
It got pretty gruesome, those false prophets started to cut themselves, and screaming but nothing happened.
Then Elijah had his altar saturated with water, He prayed, and immediately the Lord sent fire.
38 The Lord immediately sent fire, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. It scorched the ground everywhere around the altar and dried up every drop of water in the ditch.
Elijah had the Victory! Evil didn’t win that day because the True God showed up when he prayed.
When we walk in victory over sin, people will be saved! Our obedience to the Lord will help ourselves but it will also point people to the truth. Our victory isn’t ever only for us!
39 When the crowd saw what had happened, they all bowed down and shouted, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”
There are so many applications from this scripture, but the main thing I want you see today could change your life.
After the Lord gave the Victory Elijah turned to the King and said something:
41 Elijah told Ahab, “Get something to eat and drink. I hear a heavy rain coming.”
King Ahab left and Elijah was alone on Mt. Carmel.
What did he do?
He prayed. That’s what I want you to see. He prayed for no rain (repentance), then he prayed for the fire on the altar (God is able), and now he’s about to pray again for the Lord to bring back the rain (restoration).
We ALL need to pray these prayers. Don’t be like the guy who thought the sermon was for someone else.
Think about your life - What sin is producing a diversion in your life? Do you believe the Lord is ABLE to bring you victory? Do you know that even though you’ve messed up that God can restore you and the the past doesn’t need to define your future?
Prayer IS Essential
Prayer IS Essential
So, here’s the thing, Elijah told King Ahab that rain was coming, but there was NO SIGN that rain was coming!
I’m telling you that you might feel like there’s no hope. But I am telling you the same thing that Elijah was telling the King. A gullywasher is coming!
You might be like a street that’s full of old leaves, sticks, dirt, and trash that needs to be cleaned up. You’re in the right place because we’ve been praying for a gullywasher. The Lord wants to give you a clean start this morning.
Here’s the key to restoration:
42 Ahab left, but Elijah climbed back to the top of Mount Carmel. Then he stooped down with his face almost to the ground
He fell on his face in the presence of God and committed to praying. Let’s read what happened.
43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.
44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’ ”
45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.
What do we see here? Reality wasn’t lining up to what Elijah knew what God’s will so he prayed.
When the enemy reminds you of your past what do you do? Pray.
When you are tempted to go back to the sin that once bound you what do you do? Pray
When you face depression? Pray
When you hate yourself? Pray
When you remember what people said about you? Pray
Seven times Elijah fell on his face on the ground in the presence of the Lord in prayer!
Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray!
NEVER give up in your prayers. When was the last time you fell on the ground in the presence of the Lord?
Remember, we need to repent, the Lord is able, and He WILL restore!
After the seventh time the servant came back and said there was a cloud the size of a fist.
That’s all Elijah needed. You know that I see there? Prayer brought him FAITH!
You might only have a tiny fistful of faith, but that’s enough to bring a gullywasher in your life today!
What did Elijah do with that faith?
45 A few minutes later, it got very cloudy and windy, and rain started pouring down. So Elijah wrapped his coat around himself, and the Lord gave him strength to run all the way to Jezreel. Ahab followed him.
He RAN!
He RAN like a man on fire. Prayer gives us strength to run.
Who’s ready for the rain today?
