Church 11/14/2020
Offering scripture meditations: we serve a God of miracles.
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Genesis 8:22 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Genesis%208:22&version=NIV
Sermon message:
Elijah: great prophet of God. Prayed for it not to rain, prayed for fire, prayer for rain again. To prove that the God of the Bible is the one true God.
Thesis: The powerful prayer of faith.
A jumping-off point:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:16&version=NIV
Confess the sin to who you wronged, apologize (get forgiveness) and then pray. Pray. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful. But clearing our ledger first (wrongs vs God, wrongs vs others) is important.
Another reference:
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
1 Peter 3:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Peter%203:7&version=NIV
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
James 5:17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:17&version=NIV
The powerful prayer of faith is connected to obedience.
After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,
1 Kings 18:1-2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:1-2&version=NIV
As sign of faith is how quickly do you obey; how much of it you do...
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Hebrews%2011:8&version=NIV
We could build our faith by developing a habit of immediately responding to God. Conversely, delayed obedience opens the door for doubt, which weakens our faith.
God honors obedience.
None of us often has the ability to do what God calls us to do. We do it with God's help.
After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,
1 Kings 18:1-2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:1-2&version=NIV
As sign of faith is how quickly do you obey; how much of it you do...
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Hebrews%2011:8&version=NIV
We could build our faith by developing a habit of immediately responding to God. Conversely, delayed obedience opens the door for doubt, which weakens our faith.
God honors obedience.
None of us often has the ability to do what God calls us to do. We do it with God's help.
Faith is based on hearing the inaudible. Based on seeing the invisible. Based on doing the impossible.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Corinthians%201:18&version=NIV
“Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
Ezekiel 12:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Ezekiel%2012:2&version=NIV
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
1 Kings 18:41 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:41&version=NIV
How do we know when it's God talking?
Read the Bible.
Pray.
Listen to someone preaching the word of God.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2010:27&version=NIV
The powerful prayer of faith accomplishes the impossible
Prayer not based on the position of your body but it is based on the position of your heart.
See what Jesus was doing when He prayed:
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%2026:39&version=NIV
Even though it's about the position of the heart and not the body, the position of one's body CAN tell us something about the position of one's heart.
Now consider Elijah:
So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
1 Kings 18:42-44 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:42-44&version=NIV
Elijah has the guy go check because he expects the rain to happen. He expects God to show up and persists in prayer. And God did.
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:45-46 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:45-46&version=NIV
The powerful prayer of faith will work for you.
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:17-18 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:17-18&version=NIV
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
James 5:17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:17&version=AMP
Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
James 5:16 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:16&version=AMP
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and falls into error and [another] one turns him back [to God], let the [latter] one know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and cover a multitude of sins [that is, obtain the pardon of the many sins committed by the one who has been restored].
James 5:19-20 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:19-20&version=AMP
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Corinthians%201:18&version=NIV
“Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
Ezekiel 12:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Ezekiel%2012:2&version=NIV
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
1 Kings 18:41 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:41&version=NIV
How do we know when it's God talking?
Read the Bible.
Pray.
Listen to someone preaching the word of God.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2010:27&version=NIV
The powerful prayer of faith accomplishes the impossible
Prayer not based on the position of your body but it is based on the position of your heart.
See what Jesus was doing when He prayed:
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%2026:39&version=NIV
Even though it's about the position of the heart and not the body, the position of one's body CAN tell us something about the position of one's heart.
Now consider Elijah:
So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
1 Kings 18:42-44 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:42-44&version=NIV
Elijah has the guy go check because he expects the rain to happen. He expects God to show up and persists in prayer. And God did.
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:45-46 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Kings%2018:45-46&version=NIV
The powerful prayer of faith will work for you.
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:17-18 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:17-18&version=NIV
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
James 5:17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:17&version=AMP
Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
James 5:16 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:16&version=AMP
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and falls into error and [another] one turns him back [to God], let the [latter] one know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and cover a multitude of sins [that is, obtain the pardon of the many sins committed by the one who has been restored].
James 5:19-20 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=James%205:19-20&version=AMP
No comments:
Post a Comment