AWAKENING THE COMMAND OF GOD
Gtcotr/ss032104
Rarely does God work by Himself
There was that creation thing, but since then:
From Noah, “build a boat” to, Paul & Silas in the prison
God usually demands that we participate in our miracles
With that in mind our text for today will be found in 1 Kings 17
The year is about 910 BC
Ahab, the 7th King of the Northern 10 Tribes of Israel, is reigning
Ahab had married Jezebel who was exerting evil influence over Israel
1 Kings 16:33 says that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all …
1 Kings 17 God sends the Prophet Elijah to prophesy “no rain” …
In order to protect and preserve Elijah, God speaks to him:
I. 1 Kings 17 (NKJV)
3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
4 "And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
A. vs. 1-7
1. drink from the brook (this represents a natural supply)
2. commanded the ravens to feed (the supernatural supply)
3. God expects the natural and supernatural to work together
4. sometimes the natural supply is lacking or dries up
5. without the natural supply, God may not choose to continue the supernatural … God does not seem to like working all by Himself.
B. God often marries the natural and the supernatural, the practical and the spiritual to accomplish His purposes.
II. 1 Kings 17
8 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."
A. vs. 8-9
1. there must have been something in Zarephath that was not available in Cherith, a well perhaps … (the natural supply)
2. “I have commanded a widow there to provide”
a. I would have expected a rich widow
b. Lets see who God chooses
B. 1 Kings 17
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink."
11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
1. Notice here that God chose a woman doing all she could, where she was, with what she had.
2. When God wants to bless someone He often chooses someone who needs a blessing to bless them.
A. She was limited by what she saw
B. She was limited by what she expected
C. She was limited by what she planned to do with what she had.
* She had an ‘eat what I have and die’ mentality
* Elijah was about to wake her up
* Elijah was about to challenge her theory of life; what she believed about survival, blessing and increase.
III. 1 Kings 17
13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
14 "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’"
A. This woman had an “eat what I have and die” mentality
B. Elijah challenged her to change her “eat what I have and die” mentality to ‘share what I have and live’ mentality
C. What type of person are you? Does it take all you have for you?
D. Have you ever wondered?:
1. Where did Elijah get that boldness to ask for her last meal?
* it was not his word nor his boldness
* 1 Kings 17:16 The 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.
2. Why did this woman believe him?
* Something miraculous happened in that widow woman’s spirit!
* Something that happens to people all around you all the time.
* Something that can happen to you and will give you courage and confidence beyond your circumstances, in spite of your situation, without regard to your limitations.
* That something …
The spoken word of God awakened the sleeping command of God in her life.
* she could have missed the miracle
* she might have said, “we will fix ours first and then if your God can increase what is left over, we will make you one from the miracle.”
* she would have died believing that Elijah was wrong
IV. Awakening The Command of God
A. The story of leading the waiter in Cancun to the Lord
1. why was it so easy?
2. Acts 17:30 God had already commanded him to repent & be saved
3. The story of leading the waitress in Louisiana to the Lord
4. why?
a. the Lord has already commanded them
b. all I did was awaken the command of God in their lives.
(1) some aren’t ready (ripe for the picking)
(2) don’t bruise the green, unripe fruit! be gentle!
(3) leave people with a good witness experience
B. Jeremiah 1:5 Before God formed you He knew you & called …
1. Job 33:14 God speaks but man does not always perceive
2. In God’s time He speaks to awaken those commands
a. Don’t miss the day of your visitation
b. Mark 10:22 don’t go away sad like the young rich ruler
c. John 6 don’t claim that the word is too hard
d. Luke 14 all with one accord began to make excuses
C. God has commanded and is commanding His church
1. We are not always aware when He speaks to us
2. Believe me, He has a plan and He will awaken us to His Will
a. Like the little widow woman,
b. The word of God awakens us to greatness
c. God calls greatness out of obscurity
d. God has commanded nobodies to become some bodies
e. What it takes is to Hear The Word Of The Lord
f. Where can a person hear the Word of God?
(1) Moses on the backside of the desert heard it in a bush
(2) David as a little boy heard it from a prophet
(3) Daniel while in captivity heard from an angel
(4) Joseph as a young man heard it in a dream
(6) Samuel separated from his family heard a voice in the night
(7) Ester while a queen, heard it from her cousin
(8) Ruth, a widowed foreigner, heard it from her mother-in-law
(9) Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus, heard it in a light
(10) Millions upon millions have heard it from:
(a) fishermen
(b) shepherds
(c) housewives
(d) former prostitutes and drug addicts
(e) athletes
(f) from all who will dare to speak what God has spoken.
3. Hear the word of the Lord:
4. God is awakening His command in you for this last days revival, this great harvest of souls for the world which is to come.
V. Conclusion
A. God has plans for your life
B. He has already laid those plans in your heart
C. He has commanded you to play a part, & you may not know it
D. Open your ears to the voice of God’s word
E. Instead of hearing my voice this morning, Hear the voice within the voice
F. Does not your heart stir within you, yearning for spiritual things
G. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit is upon you
1. What is He saying
* Repent - Confess - Witness - Love - Forgive
* Surrender To The Calling Of God On Your Life
* Sow a seed in faith to break yourself free from financial distress, demons of darkness and overwhelming odds
* Hear the word of the Lord
2. Take a step of faith
3. Do it … Do it … Obey God and live!
4. Adopt a ‘share what I have and live’ mentality.
VI. Two Things We Can All Do
A. Get Right With God - confess your sins - tell God your are sorry
B. Then do the very next thing the Holy Spirit inspires you to do
God demands we participate in our miracle
