Transition: Comfort to Challenge

POINT- Change; something no body likes, but everyone wants. Brings anxiety and refreshment all in the same move.

ILLUSTRATION- Chic-fil-a changed…

(NLT) — 1 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” 2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” 5 So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land. 8 Then the Lord said to Elijah,

MAIN POINT- There are going to be times in your life when God transitions you, when he moves you. What will your response be???

-Wonder if he changes that problem or that troubling scenario…

-Wonder if he changes that part of your life you are enjoying…

-Wonder if he changes that part of your life that you are comfortable in…

-Wonder if he changes out something that is familiar with something unfamiliar…

KEY- Elijah announces the that there will be a drought because of how the people had turned from God, but Elijah gets to expereince the “shadow of God’s wings”

(NLT) — 1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

KEY- In that spot Elijah had everything he needed. Water= refreshment, food= needs being met, Isolation= protection from enemies.

POINT- Some of you have been so concerned with staying under the shadow of his wing that you never mount up on his wings to fulfill your purpose.

MAIN POINT- There will be times in your life when your brook dries up and God calls you to move from a place of comfort to a place of challenge. This is to fulfill God’s purpose in your life!

We can learn from Elijah what our response should be when we experience transition from God.

1. When your brook dries up listen up.

(NLT) — 7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land. 8 Then the Lord said to Elijah,

CHALLENGE- When you see your brook dried up is your first thought to ask why or listen for whats next?

ILLUSTRATION- I missed out cause I wasn’t listening.

(NLT) — 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

POINT- God won’t allow your comfort to drown out his call.

Perhaps your brook drying up is God getting your attention… Maybe that relationship that failed was God moving you on, maybe that hard hitting realization that you are not a child is God waking you up to purpose…

KEY- The prophet Jonahs response was completely different.

“God calls Jonah to preach to the people of Ninavah and he runs, but God uses a fish to bring him back… Then Jonah preaches the message and the people repent, this upset Jonah because he thought he was so much better and get’s angry at God as he sits on a desert hill waiting for the city to be destroyed… Even as God was compasionate to Ninivah he was compassionate to Jonah as God gave him a small tree for shade on that desert mountain, but then the next day a worm destroys his shade plant and he then complains God why have you taken away “the shadow” my shade… GOD DID NOT CALL JONAH TO STAY ON A DESERT MOUNTAIN

POINT- When God dries up that relationship, that thing that brought you comfort, that place you loved, don’t claw at the ground screaming why me why now and instead stand up take your place and ask, God what is next???

2. Be obedient to God’s word not your understanding.

(NLT) — 8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

KEY POINT- When God transitions you from a place of comfort to a place of challenge you need to understand that a challenge in God’s plan is better than a comfort in your plan.

KEY- Understand what God was telling him.

Go to Zarephath a town that is a long journey from where he was (during a famine/drought you don’t travel far distances, thats how people die) -Not feasible

Zaraphath was under the rule of Jezebel’s father - the man whose daughter Elijah called out over and over again. -Risky

Have a widow feed you. -defies logic

I know for some of you the transition God is bringing you through right now feel like it makes no sense… feel like the timing is off…

ILLUSTRATION- I was 19 being offered a position at a church in Philadelphia

KEY- Sometimes God simply wants to give you opportunity to be obedient. Will you obey. This is God’s prossess of refinement.

KEY- It is somewhat ironic as Zarephath was a place that was known for melting metals to purify them it was a refinery town… This ment that at times they even would deal with precious metals.

POINT- Obedience is refinement! Every time you are obedient to God you are becoming refined.

When a refiner is purifying gold they heat it up in this process the impurities would come to the top of the gold and the refiner would skim them off… then allow the gold to cool and then repeat it again and again and again and again and again… The refiner knew the gold was pure when he could look at the gold and see his reflection in it.

Each time God transitions you and you respond in obedience he is skimming off the impurities in your life…

Each time God transitions you and you respond in obedience he is breaking down your will and putting his will in you…

Each time God transitions you the heat gets turned up and your act of obedience allows him to make you more like himself…

You might think yeah but I lost so much in the transition… I’m not ready…

Anything I loose when God transitions me I didn’t need anyway!

KEY POINT- In the transition God often calls us to Zarephath, a place of refinement. When we obey God when it does not make sense we become refined, we look more like him, we get better, we get leaner, we fulfill our purpose

3. Look for God’s plan not your opportunity

(NLT) — 8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.” 12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.” 13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

I want to look for a moment not just at the faith of this women, but the faith of Elijah… Elijah is a good man, not evil, does not take advantage of people… Think about what its like to hear that from a widow and say make me some food anyway.

POINT- Stop looking for opportunities to gratify your needs and start looking for your opportunity within God’s plan.

Elijah could have seen this women and thought this clearly is not the one… How am I going to get what I need, how am I going to get satisfied, she can’t even take care of herself how is she going to be able to take care of ME…

ILLUSTRATION- Being in Zimbabwe sleeping on top of a jeep and being able to witness to a boy named Daniel.

Conclusion…

Maybe you are here and you are someone who knows God is transitioning you to a new season and you are the one who is clawing and the ground fighting as hard as you can to stay where you are… I’m comfortable here, life is easier here, it’s not scary staying here

Why? Why can’t I just stay here…

Your purpose is on the move.

This women found new life

Her son was healed coming back to life

He was set up to be launched into the next chapter (Mt. Carmel) we will be hitting next week.

CHALLENGE- When God transition don’t fight it, go with it, and pursue your purpose!

1.) What are the brooks in your life? (The things that are a blessing, but were not intended to last forever. The things that are a blessing, but will one day dry up.)

2.) Are you in a time of transition or are you preparing for the transition? What has your response been in this season? Are you fighting it? Embracing it?

3.) Can you see God’s purpose in the transition? If so what is it? If you can’t, are you looking for it, and why do you believe you are struggling to see it?