Elijah James 5:16-17

Sermon Style Sheet

Write that down in your formation Journal

Illustration

Sermon Text

Sermon Text: Scripture

Call to Worship

test

Psalm 71:14–16 CSB

14 But I will hope continually and will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness and your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up. 16 I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

––––––––––––

Passage:

Formation Journal Page Number: 11:03-11:44 11:56-12:41

James 5:16–18 CSB

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. 17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

Opening Illustration:

there was a man who bought bit coin when it was worthless, only to release that he had forgotten the password.

But this has a happy ending, for the dude, because he was able to use a firm and they got through the encryption and he got the money

The money is a big deal because it’s power - you get things done with money.

the fake golden rule - he has the gold makes the rules

We forget the resource that we really have

[We are HOLY SPIRIT rich.]

time

Getting into the Sermon

time

Let’s go back and look at the passage again

James 5:16–18 CSB

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. 17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

Here’s the question: do you think your prayers are powerful? More powerful than 300 million in bitcoin.

So he is referencing something that happened in the Old Testament

date the OT

1 Kings 16:29–33 CSB

29 Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Asa; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than all who were before him. 31 Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not enough, he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then proceeded to serve Baal and bow in worship to him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole. Ahab did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

He was a bad dude - “Ahab did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him” He was the worst!

1 Kings 17:1 CSB

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, in whose presence I stand, there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”

Here’s what we know about Elijah, he was from a city called Tish from the region of Gilead. That’s it. He wasn’t much. He doesn’t seem to be powerful or influential.

God takes this no name guy and tells him to go and tell the king that there will be a famine.

When the passage in James says that he was just a man, that’s what it is referring to. He was just some dude. Not much there.

Imagine if God told you, to drive up to Washington D.C., somehow get an audience with the president and tell him, “Mr. President, God said that there was going to be no rain unless I command it.”

And then let’s say the rain stops!

Could you imagine God using you in that way?

Now, what do you imagine would happen if you did that. You would probably be hunted by the FBI, they would try to track you down and use force to make you start the rain.

So right after this, Elijah goes into hiding - for three years!!

Now look at 1 Kings 18:1

1 Kings 18:1 CSB

1 After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: “Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.”

So he goes and reveals himself. Even that wasn’t easy because nobody believed him or they thought he was going to run away again.

but then he has a showdown with the prophets of Baal and kills them all.

Immediately after that we get

1 Kings 18:41–43 CSB

41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

How nervous would you be after the first six times!!

1 Kings 18:44–45 CSB

44 On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ” 45 In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel.

After 7 times, the rain finally comes.

Now, when you hear about Elijah, probably your first response is - “I’m no Elijah”

and on one hand you are right. He was a super unique person.

You know he didn’t die. At the end of his life, the Lord sends a chariot of fire to pick him up.

He is a unique person - you aren’t Elijah. Neither am I.

And yet… and yet, look again at James 5:17

James 5:17 CSB

17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.

What was Elijah? He was a human being - he’s a human like me

He’s a guy. He’s just a guy.

Here’s what the writer of James wants us to believe - he wants us to believe that we can see answers to prayer like Elijah did.

[It’s GOD who has the power]

He wants you to have the confidence and the prayer.

So why don’t we see that - Have you prayed over the weather publix - so pray that rain

[Elijah’s prayers matched his MISSION]

Baal was the god of the thunder and rain and storms

You know why you can’t just command the rain at will? You aren’t God. Elijah didn’t command the rain at will. He commanded it when he was told to do so by God.

But you may never command the rain. That’s not your mission.

But you do have a mission.

You have a mission to live for God, you have a mission to reach your family and friends and the people around us. You have a mission to be a light to the world.

See, too often we think that Christianity is just an accessory to our life to make it better. That we are building our kingdom and we want God to be a part of our kingdom.

But that’s not the way it is at all. You are working God’s kingdom and you are given the power to do it.

that’s why we quoted from Piper a few times, where he said prayer is for warfare not for calling for more comforts in the den!

See , we don’t pray and live like Elijah because when we aren’t on mission for God.

Second, [We don’t see answers like Elijah because we GIVE UP too soon.]

He had to pray seven times!

How did he have the patience for that - He was on a mission.

He was praying till the job got done.

I love this quote from E.M. Bounds:

{“Units of prayer combined, like drops of water, make an ocean which defies resistance.”  E.M. Bounds}

I want you to start an ocean of prayer. Things may not change all at once but they will change

See here’s the deal, we are given our mission, we need to have patience but we also need to understand our power.

Acts 1:8 CSB

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

{Abc’s of repentance}

Now you are something else you have the ability to connect with God

[The HOLY SPIRIT empowers the mission to BE WITNESSES]

You have power - the H>S. You have a mission “be my witnesses” you have a weapon “prayer”

So let’s do that! Let’s pray and pray and pray.

Boiling water-

70, 100, 125, 150, 160 - you start to get bubbles, 185 simmer, 212, boil

William Carey 1793 is the boil and The Prayer Call of 1784 was the heat

{photo of William Carey}

There was another famous missionary Hudson Taylor, china in the 1850s

{photo Hudson Taylor}

People know his name, he went to china did some great things. Started something that was called the China Inland Mission - that was the boil, how did he get saved - through the prayers of his mom and sister. You know what else, before he was born, Hudson taylor’s father prayed that if he had a son, that that son would be a missionary to China

Listen, Mercy Hill started through prayer.

There was a church, a small spanish speaking congregation called Berea in Winter Haven, and after some time it looked like it was going to close. So they started to pray. It did close, and they continued to pray. And some of them, were praying that there would be a church that would be english speaking but with some of that hispanic DNA. They were praying for a church like Mercy Hill, so when I came back from Panama and was like “I’ve got this idea” some of them were like “We’ve had that idea for a while! We’ve been taking that idea to God!”

Listen, I want you pause a second and think about your life. Who prayed for you? Nobody is here who wasn’t prayed for. Who was praying for you. Maybe it was your parents, your mom and dad. Maybe it was your spouse or your kids. Maybe it was a friend.

Maybe you say, “Nobody prayed for me, I just came from social media” Listen, you don’t think our social media is prayed for? I pray for everyone who signs up. I know Autumn who handles a lot of it is praying. We pray for that.

We’ve got the sound of the rainstorm - we don’t have the rainstorm

Listen Mercy Hill, we want to see God do things. We want to see people get saved, discipled, we want to see Mercy Hill get established so we can reach people, listen that’s the boil. That’s the public thing, that’s the boil.

Mercy Hill, I am asking you to be the heat. That you would commit to pray and plead and ask God.

That’s our mission. We aren’t trying to control the weather, we aren’t trying to be a mega church, we are trying to help people cultivate the a deep and vibrant relationship with God, that’s the boil, will you join me and let our prayers be the heat, together.

Lord’s Supper:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy

Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontus Pilate, was

crucified dead and buried;

He descended into hell. The third day He rose

again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right

hand of God the Father Almighty.

From there He will come to judge the

living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic

(universal) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.