Why Revival Tarries, Part 3 Series

Why Revival Tarries, Part 3

May 25, 2011

A And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 2 Kings 2:14 (KJV) “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”

1 Where He’s always been-on His throne...

a Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalms 90:1-2 (KJV)

Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. Psalms 93:2 (KJV)

b (IL) Thinking back to nothing, to just God on His throne, thinking about you.

aa I know where God is!

bb Here, there, & everywhere...yesterday, today, & tomorrow.

c Where are the Elijahs of God?

2 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. James 5:17 (KJV)

a He was a man like us, but we’re not men of prayer as he was.

aa Too educated, talented, well-financed, professional

bb Too busy, too preoccupied

b Our abilities, talents, & resources have handicapped us, our talents are stumbling blocks.

aa Why do we need God, we have a plan!

bb God’s bypassing some churches/large denominations because people aren’t praying.

c One praying man stands as a majority with God!

B Let’s get to know Elijah (locked the rain in heaven for 3 ½ years, prayed fire down from heaven).

1 We just know that he shows up, fully grown, to preach to Queen Jezebel (daughter from hell). Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." 1 Kings 17:1 (NASB)

a Replaced the priests of God with priests of Baal.

aa Spiritual darkness covered the lands, people.

bb Smoke rolled daily from idolatrous altars.

b The children of Abraham (called Abraham father).

aa Generations in the past cried out to Him, sought His face/favor.

bb How had the glory/favor departed? Salt savor, gold glimmer

2 God didn’t raise up a committee, board, church, angel...but a man.

a I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezek 22:30 (NASB)

aa God didn’t look for a teacher, preacher, song leader...

bb “Stand in the gap...”-PRAY

b Like Abraham before, God raised up Elijah.

aa “Stood before God”-praying for God’s people

bb God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? Romans 11:2 (NASB)

c Elijah prayed

aa I can’t really do anymore for you other than agonize in prayer.

bb I can’t really do anymore for God other than agonize in prayer.

d If the church had as many agonizers as advisors, we would be in revival by this time next year.

3 It’s a wonderful thing when God gets a hold of a man-but there’s something arguably even greater when a man gets a hold of God.

a Elijah spent time in agonizing prayer, shedding tears, heard a voice, saw a vision, tasted power, sized up his enemy, and, with God as his partner, saw victory come.

aa After spending time in great prayer...he discovered the will of God, prophesied with divine infallibility.

bb He knew the mind of God.

b Strangled a nation, altered the course of nature.

aa With a prayer of faith, Elijah shut the heavens up for 3 ½ years.

bb The key of faith locked heaven-Elijah pocketed the key & made Ahab tremble!

4 There is not any power anywhere that does not have God as its source! (Power of intellect, spirit, soul, dynamite, storm, magnetic attraction, atom)

a If there is power anywhere, its author is God.

b When Elijah had preached/prayed the drought, he went to a widow’s home in Zarephath, stayed with the widow & her son. "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Please get me a little water in a jar , that I may drink." 1 Kings 17:9-10 (NASB)