Sermon Central
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Get Ready For The Rain
Contributed by Darren Felarise on Aug 13, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Through the words that Elijah spoke to Ahab, I believe that the Lord is giving a strong message to His church today.
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. (KJV)
Through the words that Elijah spoke to Ahab, I believe that the Lord is giving a strong message to His church today.
Title: ~~~
I) Drought
We all know the story. Elijah prophesied that there would not be any dew or rain until he said it could.
17 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (KJV)
As a result of this, there was a drought in the land.
There is nothing more devastating to a land than a drought. Think about it.
No other natural disaster causes the pain and suffering, nor leave the scar that a drought does.
You see, drought brings forth famine, and famine brings forth death.
Hear the Word of the Lord today, Church! There is a drought and a famine in the land. However, I do not speak of a physical drought & famine. I speak of a spiritual one.
Just what are you getting at, Brother?
The famine that I speak of is a famine for the Word of God. God is saying that His people are starving for the Word!
However, lest anyone misunderstand what I’m saying, it’s not because the Word isn’t being preached from behind this pulpit because it has been. Rather, the Lord is saying that His people are starving themselves.
Notice that Ahab hadn’t eaten yet. I believe that the Lord is saying that we as individuals are not digging into the Word as we should.
You might say, “But I read the Word every day.” Well, that’s great! In fact, I encourage you to continue to do it. However, I also encourage you to do more than just read it.
2 Tim 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)
We need to dig deeply into the Word.
All too often, people are settling with what the preacher is preaching from the pulpit. Hear me Church, we cannot survive merely on Sunday’s sermons. We cry out that we want to be fed, but if and when we sit at the table, we don’t pick up the fork or spoon and eat. WE MUST FEED OURSELVES!!!
It’s the same principle for the drought. It’s not that the rain has been withheld, but his people are not drinking.
But the Lord offers Hope!
He says, get thee up, eat and drink.
II) Make Ready Yourself
How? Eat of the Word and drink of the living waters.
Get yourself ready!
(Popeye – eating his spinach)
(Comic Strip – weakling working out to show up the bully)
Strengthen your spirit man!!!
Why?
God is fixing to do something & He needs a strong people.
What?
III) The Abundance Of Rain
Elijah knew that God was fixing to send the rain.
Hear me, Church!
Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
Make yourself ready. So much so that when it comes down to it, you can do like Elijah and run right past the enemy and he’ll never know what’s happening.
(Close)
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. (KJV)
2 Chron 7:13-14
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (KJV)
21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
