Against All Odds (Seniors Edition)

i. Warm Up

A little bit about me…

Kids church

God spoke to me through my past of having an absent father.

Statistically:

It’s found that children raised in a single-parent home aren’t as likely to be successful in life compared to those raised in a two-parent home.

- E.g.,

Children from fatherless homes are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.

Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are more likely to experience unemployment in adulthood.

Children in father-absent homes are four times more likely to be in poverty.

Children raised in single-parent homes are more likely to form unstable relationships as adults.

Despite these odds, I stand here today as a living testimony of God’s goodness!

In fact, this coming week I’m seeing my brother and sister for the first time in 15 years.

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ii. Take Off

There are so many examples in Scripture of people who faced great odds (incredibly complex challenges) in the natural, but the God of the supernatural came through for them.

1. Joseph

going from a slave to a prisoner to second-in-charge of one of the world’s most powerful nations.

2. Moses

leading the people of Israel out of slavery from Egypt.

3. Gideon

defeating 132,000 Midianites with an army of just 300.

4. David

a small shepherd boy defeating the giant warrior Goliath.

5. Esther

an ordinary Jewish girl who became Queen of Persia and saved her people from genocide.

7. Daniel

surviving a night in a den full of lions.

8. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego

thrown into a fiery furnace that was 7 times hotter than usual, yet coming out unharmed and not even losing a strand of hair on their head.

Even in the NT we see Jesus moving in the lives of people who faced great odds:

The woman who dealt with the issue of blood for 12 years HEALED.

Jairus’ dead daughter raised back to life.

Mary Magdalene who had 7 demons delivered from her.

Perhaps you’re experiencing a challenge in life where the odds are against you.

E.g.,

Health issues.

Family issues; away from God.

Challenge with your purpose.

The God who miraculously moved in the lives of all these people is the God who will do the same for you!

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v. Main Point

The prophet Elisha’s also someone who had the odds against them…

Elisha’s in a tricky position. When the king of Aram plans to attack Israel, the prophet Elisha repeatedly warns the Israelite king about the enemy's movements. This frustrates the Aramean king, who suspects a spy in his ranks. When told that Elisha is the one revealing his plans, the Aramean king decides to send an army out to capture the prophet.

ELISHA’S SERVANT SEES THE ARMY AND IS AFRAID!

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬,

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my Lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.”

a) ELISHA’S SERVANT COULD ONLY FOCUS ON THE NATURAL.

When all you focus on is the issues/ challenges that you face, it leads you to a life of fear.

Your perspective is limited.

Elisha said, “DON’T BE AFRAID” + prayed for eyes to be opened.

b) The world thinks that “seeing is believing.”

Whereas Kingdom culture says “believing is seeing.”

E.g., Caleb and Joshua’s report vs the 10 spies (Numbers 13:25-33).

Joshua and Caleb believed in God and they were the two of the 12 spies who saw the Promise Land.

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV,

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

c) The enemy wants us to keep our eyes on the natural…

BUT GOD WANTS US TO GET OUR EYES OFF THE NATURAL AND OPEN OUR EYES TO THE SUPERNATURAL.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV,

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

We need to take our eyes off our medical report and fix them on God.

We need to shift our focus from the disappointment of our situation onto who God is and all He’s done for us.

We need to stop worrying about how big the giant we face is and praise God for how much GREATER He is!!! ———————————————————————————————————————————

iv. Testimony

MY ACL JOURNEY

How God healed me.

Even though the odds were against me in the natural, I had faith for God to move in the supernatural to give me breakthrough.

This testimony hasn’t just blessed my life, but the lives of many others through hearing about it.

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vi. Land Plane

Elijah telling his servant, “Those who are for us are more than those who are against us” reminds me of…

Romans 8:31-34 NIV

“…If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Because God willingly gave His own Son to die for us, we don’t need to live in fear or worry about our current situation.

In God we have ALL THINGS given to us! We have breakthrough and victory over the challenges we face (v. 32).

The one who defeated sin and death, and put the enemy to shame, and who is seated at the right hand of God, is also the one who is interceding for us!

vv. 35-37,

“35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

(WE HAVE THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST US EVERY DAY)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US!!!

NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR HIM!

HE HAS MADE US MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

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vii. Pray for Needs