Words For An Elijah Generation
Malachi Series (12 of 12)
August 11, 2013 Chester FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson Speaker
Introduction:
A The Bible is always relevant, even when it teaches about history.
1 Malachi 3:6 (NASB) 6 "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8 (NASB) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
a The truths that stood true in Malachi’s day as the curtain dropped on the OT still stand true as we near the end of this age.
b God was about to go silent to Israel for 400 years but promised that He would speak to them again.
aa The last prophet, John the Baptist, would speak in the Spirit & Power of the prophet Elijah.
bb He would herald God’s final word to man: Jesus Christ.
2 Malachi showed us the marks of impeding judgement: failure of government and religion. (Flashing yellow lights)
a He made a very unusual promise as we learned this morning - - - a promise of a the coming of an “Elijah” before the end of time.
b I believe the same prophet that ministered during the reign of Ahab & Jezebel, whose Spirit & Power John the Baptist operated in, is yet to come in these last days.
aa Students of prophecy place him as one of the two prophets of Revelation 11.
bb I think there is more!
B I believe Elijah is here today in the Church.
1 In Matt. 17, Jesus gave a strange prophecy about an Elijah yet to come, whose ministry will be to restore.
a Matthew 17:10-13 (NASB) 10 And His disciples asked Him, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
b When we compare Matt. 17 to Acts 3.19-21, we see an amazing discovery.
Acts 3:19-21 (NASB) 19 "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
2 I believe there is enough of a mystery to here to see that there will be an “Elijah” that rises before the rapture.
a Just as Elijah preached, prophesied and then raptured, so it will be with this promised Elijah.
b It is possible that Jesus was speaking about the last-days church.
aa If we are the mouth-piece point people to Jesus we must recover our voice we’ve lost to spiritual laryngitis.
bb The church today may be both the restorer and the restored preparing the way of the Lord!
C See the similarities the last-days church have with Elijah.
1 He appeared suddenly.
a We don’t know Elijah’s roots, origin . . . he just appeared out of history (blazed a path of righteousness for Israel.)
b The church was birthed “suddenly” when a sound from heaven at Pentecost, as a mighty rushing wind hit the disciples & filled them with the Holy Spirit power.
c These men & women would spread the news of Jesus abroad and turn nations upside down with the message of Christ.
2 He came at a time of national & spiritual crisis.
a Ahab/Jezebel had driven the nation into political chaos.
aa Evil rulers that brought uncertainty, unrest, spiritual decay that wrought havoc on Israel.
bb The nation was on the brink of implosion.
b There is a leadership vacuum in our world like never before.
aa The masses are manipulated/decived by many power-driven men & women.
bb Our nation (world) is in a crisis.
3 Elijah spoke for the Lord.
a Elijah spoke as God’s voice on earth, even if the message was unpopular, he brought the message the nations/leaders needed to hear.
b We speak for the Lord today and it is an awesome responsibility.
4 Elijah’s prayer life was primary.
a James 5:17-18 (NASB) 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
b Could it be God is waiting for the cry of those of us in the church?
aa Desiring revival for the nations, world.
bb Broken for the lost souls of men & women.
cc Willing to stretch our energies/resources to see souls come to Christ.
5 He was gifted with supernatural power.
a Elijah’s ministry was followed with miracles.
aa Hungry fed, the needy cared for, the dead/dying raised.
bb Manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit.
b The “last days” church should exhibit the same powerful supernatural signs, embracing the power of the Holy Spirit to heal/deliver those in need.
6 Elijah lived by faith.
a Elijah lived in the center of God’s will.
aa Easy. Right?
bb He once found himself in the desert w/o food/sustenance: God sent ravens to feed him.
cc He lived in God’s provision.
b Being self-sufficient is highly celebrated in our world, but for the church to operate in the Spirit & Power of Elijah, we must return to believe that God is the sole source of our strength & power.
7 Angels attended to his needs.
a Scriptures tell us in Elijah’s darkest times, angels came to strengthen his heart and provide for his needs.
b These same beings are available to us:
“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.”Heb. 1.14 (NKJV)
8 He discovered his great need for others.
a There was a time when Elijah thought he was the only voice for God (loneliness.)
aa God revealed to him there were 7,000 souls who were still true to YHWH.
bb He was not alone!
b Today’s church must get over the practice of denominational isolation.
aa We are all in this together as New Testament churches.
bb We must reach into the lives of believers everywhere to feed & support each other!
9 Elijah came to restore the family.
a Elijah restored the relationship between a widow and her son: restored relationships!
b Mal. 4.5,6 declares that the family must be restored in the last days.
Malachi 4:5-6 (NASB) 5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6 "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."
aa No wonder such an attack on families today!
bb The church should be a place where the family is lifted up & renewed.
10 Elijah was not surprised by his rapture!
a Elijah is one of two men in Scripture who were transported to heaven directly, without experiencing death!
aa Taken to heaven in a whirlwind accompanied by chariots of fire.
bb The church will also be caught up one day like Elijah was.
cc 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB) 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
b There will be two groups in the church who will be surprised on the day of the rapture:
aa Those left behind (never been saved, depended on good works/intentions to get them to heaven.)
bb Those who find themselves face-to-face with Christ in the air and realize that never got around to holiness/service for God they intended to do.
Conclusion:
A We have an ongoing mission.
1 When we see the comparisons to Elijah & the last-days church, Malachi becomes more relevant for day.
a We see failed religion, wicked morals, financial irresponsibility to God.
b Our families are in a nose-dive, churches are dead.
2 What is the church’s call of duty in these last days?
a We must embrace our prophetic calling!
aa Malachi’s name means “messenger”, the church must lift up the message of the “Sun of Righteousness.”
bb Nobody else will do it!
b We must begin to extend healing & forgiveness toward those who have experienced the pain of divorce.
aa Follow Scriptural principles for maintaining their ministry.
bb Restore their fellowship in the church.
c We must also start believing that lost people have a burning, fiery hell awaiting for them if they refuse the appeals of God’s grace.
d We must have believers who practice the proper proportion, to the proper place, for the purpose in their giving.
e We must pray with passion and pursue a love relationship with Jesus more than ever.
B Let’s look ahead with joy/gladness to the hope of the coming of Christ, but not fail in our responsibility to this generation that desperately needs the grace of God.
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
