April 11, 2010
Morning Worship
Text: 1 Kings 17:1-16
Subject: Elijah the Prophet
Title: The Seasons of Your Faith
In the last month or so I have been sharing with you about all the important things that Jesus told His disciples on the last night they were together. Last week. Of course, was Resurrection Sunday, and we celebrated His rising from the dead and giving us the promise of eternal life. God has been blessing the church and bringing new people into the kingdom. Praise God, we have seen more saved this year already than what we would normally see in a whole year. God is moving by His Spirit, Hallelujah!
On Easter we celebrate new life and remember when we were saved. I can look back on my Christian walk and see that the new life of faith that I began in February of 1988 was not just a new life but was the beginning of many seasons of faith that I would walk through. Who knew then that it would be a beginning that would lead me through a season of ministry as a pastor?
In one of the great fantasy trilogies of all time, the Lord of the Rings series tells the story of Frodo Baggins. Frodo was called to be the one who would bear a golden ring that had to be destroyed in a volcanic lake of fire in order to put an end to the evil that was overtaking the world. I believe that the ring symbolized the sinful human nature. His journey began as an exciting adventure but quickly turned to danger, sickness, warfare and ultimately the life threatening battle between good and evil. I think that when Frodo began, he had no idea of what was waiting for him.
In very much the same way the new Christian begins his adventure with that same kind of excitement. And in the same way, around each turn in the road waits something different – sometimes dangerous and even life threatening. Isaiah 41:10 tells us what kind of response that believers should have to every threat from the enemy as we walk through the seasons of life; …do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
Today I want to walk with you through some of the seasons of faith that you will experience on your journey to eternity and see how the Lord is always with you through every step.
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
I. A SEASON OF NEED. As we begin this section of 1st Kings there is something that has happened in Israel that has brought inevitable confrontation. It was the evil king Ahab who had married Jezebel. Jezebel promoted the worship of false gods. I think Ahab knew only three words to use when he talked to his wife; “yes, no and dear” Ahab, do you love me?” “Yes, dear” “Ahab, is there anything you wouldn’t do for me?” “No dear”. Ahab will you build me a temple to Baal so we can worship this false God and have drunken orgies and hire male and female prostitutes and do all the things required in Baal worship?” “Yes dear”. That is exactly what was happening. But they didn’t realize that there was a time of great confrontation coming and the man of God, Elijah, was right in the middle of it. 1Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Why is this happening? 2 Chronicles 7:19-22 , 19“But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’” All this because King Ahab was evil. 1 Kings 16:30-33, 30Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. The confrontation that is about to take place will bring a time of great need in Israel. The problem is that there was an enormous difference between their perceived need and the real need. Their perceived need was that they needed rain. The real need was that they needed the LORD. Elijah prophesied that there would be no rain and there wasn’t any for three and one half years. Now Elijah was called by God to be a prophet the same way you are called to be a Christian. I’m sure that when God called him he was just as giddy as you were when you were first saved. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t experience the same drought that everyone else was going to face. The difference is that in Elijah’s case the word of the Lord continued to come to him. He listened and did what God asked him to do. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. There will be seasons in your life when you have to trust God to supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
II. A SEASON OF DESPERATION Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse… Elijah was driven from his home and was fed by ravens. Get this picture. Ravens are scavengers – they pick at the carcasses of dead animals for their food. It makes me wonder what kind of meat that Elijah was getting. You know, when we look at certain situations we kind of get the worse case scenario in our minds. I’m certain that if God sent these birds with meat it must have been T-bone steak – at least in Elijah’s eyes. But things turned worse. 7Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Not only is he eating meat supplied by these birds, now there is nothing to wash it down with. How could it get any worse than that? 8Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9“Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” Now to the casual reader this may appear as no big deal. God is just sending Elijah to a place where He can take care of his needs. But look back at 16:31. Who was from Sidon? Jezebel! Her dad was king. God was sending Elijah right into the very midst of the enemy. I don’t know about you but at this point I’m probably thinking, “Does God know what He’s doing?” But you know that when God sends you into the middle of the enemy’s camp here’s what happens. Psalm 18:29, With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. Joshua 1:9, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Because of Elijah’s great faith he was able to trust God’s word. If God could command raven’s to bring him food then why couldn’t He command this widow in enemy territory to provide for his needs as well? Were it not for the fact that He knew without a doubt that this word came from God he would have questioned the command. What did he do? 10So he went to Zarephath… When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” He did exactly what the word of God said to do. He wasn’t just a hearer of the word, but a doer also… Christians will go through seasons of desperation, but God’s word never fails.
III. A SEASON OF DOUBT There is a stark contrast here between Elijah and the widow. It is the same contrast that exist between word of faith Christians and other Christians. I can’t speak for all of you but I am a word of faith believer. For many Assembly of God people that phrase strikes fear in their hearts. When I say I am a word of faith believer what I mean is, that if God’s word says it I accept it by faith. Every promise that He has made for my benefit I will accept and claim as mine. Every warning of judgment for sin I take seriously too. God spoke to Elijah – he did it. According to verse 9 God spoke to the widow also - I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food – but she was doubtful. What was her response to Elijah’s request? 12“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Jesus prayed for his disciples in John 17, 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH!!! God’s word is truth. God’s word is truth. God’s word is truth… I want to make sure you get that. That’s why I am a word of faith believer - because God’s word is true. He’s the same. He never changes. James 1:17, Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Why did the widow doubt? Probably because she didn’t recognize the voice that spoke to her as the voice of God. She was walking by sight and not by faith. She saw only her circumstances and not the power of God that was getting ready to bring blessing into her house. Christians must refrain from doubting God’s word regardless of their circumstances.
IV. A SEASON OF ASSURANCE 13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’” I have heard men and women of God tell me that personal prophecy is not intended to be in the church today. But that is exactly what this is. And it is being used exactly the way that God intended it to be used. Listen, there are some who go from church to church – from revival service to revival service – looking for someone to prophesy over them and let them know what God wants to do in their lives. Let me be blunt… that’s crazy. In my humble opinion that is an example of someone who is too lazy to seek God’s face for themselves to see what He wants for their life. They want someone else to do all the work for them and they get the Holy Ghost goose bumps. But God’s purpose in this as in other personal prophecy is to confirm what He has already spoken to an individual. God had already commanded her to do it. What she needed was confirmation – and that is what Elijah gave her. Christian, you need to know that you are not going through your seasons alone. God has placed someone near you to assure you, to hold up your hands in the time of battle, to operate in the gifts of the Spirit on your behalf. You will have a season of assurance.
V. A SEASON OF BLESSING Do you know that you are blessed? Most of you would agree that God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. That’s what the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. Ephesians 1:3, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. And if you were honest most of you would probably say that you think that refers only to spiritual things. But the Bible is clear about the fact that God desires to bless you in this life with material blessings. Deuteronomy 28:2-6, 2All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: 3You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. Did you notice that this is talking about material blessings? Did you n, also, notice that it is conditional? What does it say that we must do in order to receive blessings? Now look at Elijah and the widow. What did the word of the LORD promise her? …The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land. But it was conditional. How did she receive her blessing? 15So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Elijah. Am I asking you to believe that God will do the same thing for you that He did for this widow? Yes, My God still supplies all your needs. Am I telling you that God still desires to bless those who are obedient to His word? Yes, God still desires to bless your obedience. The question is, are you willing to accept it?
You know, every day when we wake up we don’t know what waits for us. Every day is different with its own set of problems. But this I do know, the longer you walk with the Lord, the more you strive to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, the more you take “self” out of the picture and replace it with ‘spirit man” the more God’s plan for your life will unfold.
You will see seasons of need and desperation that may lead to a season of doubt. But obedience to God’s word will get you through those seasons and take you to seasons of assurance and blessing.
In the Lord of the Rings books, the characters experienced those same seasons. Ultimately, the victory was won, the battle was over, the ring was destroyed and along with it evil was conquered. Because the characters went through those seasons and held fast to the promise and the work that was theirs to complete, their lives were changed. They didn’t make through unscathed or without battle scars, but they made it through. They didn’t finish the race in their own power, but in the power of the one who called.
Regardless of what you are going through right now, God is able to see you through to blessings. Are you ready to respond and receive those blessings?
