Untitled Sermon (7)

ELIJAH - INTRO

WE CAN LEARN AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS

SIN WILL TAKE YOU FURTHER THAN YOU WANT TO GO, KEEP YOU LONGER THAN YOU WANT TO STAY AND COST YOU MORE THAN YOU WANT TO PAY.

THERE ARE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF ELIJAH

HE WAS SUBJECT TO LIKE PASSIONS AS WE ARE

HE FAILED BIG-TIME FAILING TO DO 2/3 OF WHAT GOD CALLED HIM TO DO.

BUT HE DID MANY GREAT THINGS -HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO EVER SEE ONE RAISED FROM THE DEAD, CALLED A DROUGHT AND THEN CALLED DOWN RAIN FROM HEAVEN.

SO IN SPITE OF HIS FAILURES GOD USED HIM

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEARN THROUGH THE SCHOOL OF HARD-KNOCKS.

SCENE ELIJAH CAME INTO.

TIME OF APOSTACY IN ISRAEL - 1 KINGS 17 - OUTLAWED THE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD OF ISRAEL AND MADE THE WORSHIP OF BAAL THE STATE RELIGION

ELIJAH REJECTED THEIR THINKING AND CAME ON THE SCENE SPEAKING FOR THE GOD OF ISRAEL PUTTING HIS LIFE ON THE LINE

TODAY WE SEE A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH GOVERNMENT MANDATES AGAINST CHURCHES BEING ABLE TO OPEN DECLARING THEM NON-ESSENTIAL. PASTORS ARE BEING FINED FOR HOLDING SERVICES.

ELIJAH’S SITUATION WAS WORSE THAN OURS BUT ELIJAH SPOKE IN GOD’S POWER

ONE LESSON - DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS IN THE NATION IF PEOPLE WILL STAND UP AND SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD, GOD CAN TURN IT AROUND. GOD NEEDS THAT ONE PERSON WHO WILL SPEAK THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. GOD INTERVENED FOR ISRAEL AND ISRAEL STILL STANDS TO THIS DAY.

THE PEOPLE HAD NOT REJECTED GOD BUT THE LEADERS HAD.

MUCH LIKE TODAY. IN AUSTRALIA IF DON’T FOLLOW THE VACCINE MANDATE CAN THEY CAN COME IN AND TAKE YOUR CHILDREN AWAY AND PUT YOU IN A PRISON.

PEOPLE TODAY ARE HUNGRY FOR GOD EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE CONDITION OF OUR WORLD. TAKE A STAND WHEREVER YOU CAN IN ANY WAY YOU CAN. IF YOU ARE LIVING A GODLY LIFE YOU WILL BE PUSHED BACK--YOUR MINISTRY WILL EITHER BRING A REVIVAL OR A RIOT. WHEN PERSECUTED YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 2TIM 3:12 -SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION. EPH 4:15 -SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE

IF ELIJAH HAD NOT SPOKEN UP WITH HIS WORD FROM GOD WE WOULD NEVER HAVE HEARD ABOUT HIM. IS 5:20 LAST DAYS WILL CALL EVIL GOOD, ETC.

FIRST LESSON - WE NEED TO GET A WORD FROM GOD AND SPOKE IT BOLDLY. HE DIDN’T STAY IN HIS PRAYER CLOSET AND CONTINUED TO PRAY. HE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE KING AND PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LIFE TRUSTING THAT GOD WOULD PROTECT HIM. HE HAD NOT GOTTEN THE WORD THAT GOD WOULD PROTECT BUT BRAVELY WENT FORWARD.

GOD GIVES YOU ONE STEP AT A TIME. ACT ON IT AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER WORD. LEAVE THE CONSEQUENCES TO GOD.

DON’T FEAR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. ELIJAH GOT THE SECOND WORD ABOUT HIS PROTECTION AND PROVISION UNTIL HE ACTED ON THE FIRST WORD. MARK 4:28 - PROGRESSION -FIRST BLADE, THEN HEAD, AND THEN THE FULL GROWN HEAD. GOD DOESN’T WANT TO MAKE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THE END RESULT, ONLY WHAT IS AT HAND. JER 29:11 KNOW THE PLANS TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.

GOD SENT ELIJAH’S PROVISION TO WHERE HE WAS GOING TO BE - A PLACE CALLED “THERE.” QUARTERBACK THROWS BALL TO RECEIVER AT THE POINT HE GOING TO GET TO. RAVENS TOOK ELIJAH’S SUPPLY AHEAD OF TIME. ELIJAH KNEW HE WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE WHEN HE SAW THE PROVISIONS.

THERE IS A PLACE CALLED “THERE” FOR EACH OF US.

WE ARE TO BE SALT AND LIGHT. PRAYING IS NOT ENOUGH - JAMES 2:20 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. PRAYER WITHOUT ACTION IS DEAD. IF YOU CANNOT DO, THEN PRAY MATT 9:38 THAT GOD SEND SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS INFLUENCE TO GET IT DONE. GOD USES PEOPLE TO COME ACROSS THE PATH OF PEOPLE.

IF YOU HAVE A DESIRE IN YOUR HEART BUT YOU DON’T KNOW HOW IT COULD WORK OUT. IF IT IS FROM GOD MAKE THE DECISION TO MOVE ON IT. CHECK IT OUT, RESEARCH IT. THEN MOVE ON IT.

THE PLACE CALLED “THERE” MAY CHANGE. YOU HAVE TO STAY IN COMMUNION WITH THE LORD. ELIJAH CHANGED HIS “THERE” WHEN GOD COMMANDED HIM TO GO TO A DIFFERENT PLACE. GOD SENT ELIJAH TO THE WIDOW BECAUSE GOD HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO THIS WIDOW AND SHE WAS BELIEVING AMONG MANY WIDOWS. HE MET HER NEED BY TAKING FROM HER.