Before I See It

1. I have to sense it before I see it

Elijah could have done a disservice to his generation and his people if he would have simply been satisfied to see the miracle.

Fire falling is great…but it doesn’t save a generation from drought.

The fire fell from a public prayer…but the rain required private communion.

When the miraculous happens…it’s time to pray not parade.

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Elijah had the innate sense that the fire falling was to facilitate repentance so that the rain could return.

When we only seek the fire…we only see destruction. Destruction is meant to facilitate restoration.

FIRE IS MEANT TO BRING RAIN!

We have seen God do the miraculous…but there had to be pruning..

In the church

In my heart

In my goals

So now we are seeing God do the miraculous again…He is restoring what was lost.

I want you to sense the undercurrent of growth in this season…

ONCE WE SENSE IT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY!

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2. I have to say it before I see it

1 Kings 18:41–42 NKJV

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,

Elijahs faith wasn’t only in what he felt…but in what He had heard.

He had heard the call to be a prophet

Because he was a prophet He had stated rain wouldn’t come and it didn’t.

Now He is stating that it will.

Elijah made a bold proclamation that it was about to rain…in the midst of circumstances that were still drought heavy.

When you have dreams that are in line with God’s plans…state them with boldness.

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Dream filters

What does it accomplish

Why does it matter

Who gets the glory

The growth of our church meets these three criteria as long as our hearts stay pure.

I AM PRAYING AND WORKING TOWARD 1000 every Sunday.

SO LET’S PRAY FOR GOD TO SHOW US HOW TO SEE THE GROWTH WE DESIRE

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3. I have to sow into it before I see it

1 Kings 18:43 NKJV

and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

The prayer for rain would have been absolutely worthless without someone going to check and see if there was rain.

Often we make the mistake of thinking that prayer is a substitute for work

Or we make the mistake of thinking that work is a substitute for prayer.

We have to figure out how to walk in the balance of both of these realities.

I have to pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on me.

Being still should be an act of obedience, not a default response.

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How do we sow in to the growth of our church?

Serve in spots that don’t seem necessary

Give in ways that don’t seem logical

Invite in spite of repeated rejection.

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4. I have to celebrate it when I see it

1 Kings 18:44–45 NKJV

Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

Elijah gets so excited that he runs back into town in order to let AHAB know that it’s about to get real muddy in the land.

He celebrates the smallest cloud as if it was a Noah level flood

We have to become better at celebrating wins in the kingdom.

I have to become better at celebrating wins in the church! {INSERT SOME WINS}

8 baptisms last week.

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5. I have to see beyond it when I see it

The only thing that is required in our present is our best.

God does not expect for me to give what I do not have or do what I do not possess the capacity to do.

But as soon as I have surrendered my best…

I HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE MY BEST BETTER.