THE ELIJAH CHURCH IS A KINGDOM REVEALING CHURCH
INTRO: This is part of a series using the life of Elijah as a picture of the last day Church. It is also a stand alone sermon.
1 Kings 17:7-24 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”
Ever nation has an immigration system and a travel policy. To go to most countries you need a passport. When travelling, if you get into difficulty, that passport gives you certain rights at your countries Embassy. At the Embassy will be an Ambassador, who represents his country. That Ambassador has diplomatic privilege and the Embassy is deemed to be a part of that countries soil even though it is in a foreign place. It is the same in God's Kingdom we are His Ambassadors and His representatives, we should reveal the customs and culture, of God.
Elijah had visited the Court of King Ahab he had spoken on behalf of God. He made his trip from obscurity, and in Ahab's court had declared war. Now Elijah had gone through the desert School of learning. He had learned communion, he had drank from a spiritual rock and feasted on manna. He had his flesh cut away. It was time to move on.
Timing is always an issue with us, when to move, where to move! Ecclesiastes 3:1-11.
Time is a period allotted for a specific purpose. Eternity is in our hearts - God knows the beginning from the end yet in the natural world we function in time periods. It is one thing to know Gods Word it is another to walk in it. It is one thing to say we believe, it is another to act in faith. At Zarephath Elijah's faith was to tested, the natural was going to be transformed by the supernatural. Zarephath was a place where the impossible became possible.
Zarephath from the Hebrew means: the smelting or refining place, in other words the refining fire of God! At Zarephath he would find:
A WIDOW - who represents the least likely person;
A LIMITED SUPPLY - which nearly runs out;
THE DEATH OF A SON - representing a promise (the widows heir and hope)
The least would become the unlimited, resurrection power would be evident. In the furnace of testing, faith would be refined, and miracles would occur!
We cannot avoid the process of PROMISE, then PREPARATION, before POWER.
This reminds us of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego who faced the fire for their faith. The amazing thing was that those who saw the three in the fire also saw a fourth person. The person of God. In God's Kingdom we are reminded that we do not accomplish anything it is The Holy Spirit in us that gives us the power. Elijah representing the Last Day Church, does nothing without Him. The Elijah Church needs to walk in the SUPERNATURAL power of God. It needs to live by spiritual principles. Learning to move in the miraculous is a lot like learning to walk on water. We must be prepared to be open. To move in power is withheld from those who seek to perform in the "flesh". Pride and ambition are of no value in the spiritual realm. If we desire to walk in supernatural power we must come to terms with the realm of the Sprit.
Natural and spiritual overlap, a lot of what we see in the natural has its roots in the spiritual!
"Though we walk in the flesh we do not war in the flesh"
"Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven"
Let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"
Ephesians 6:18, Matthew 16:19, 18:18, , 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Colossians 3:2, Revelation 1:10.
The Heavens is not just some place we are headed to as believers, it is a place of thrones, of awe, of worship, of angelic beings. Paul the Apostle says this:
2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows.
Matthew 17:1-6 After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. He said, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus.
The word for transfigured here is "Metamorpho" meaning to change form - to move from one state to another, to become different. Jesus specifically moves to another realm and the disciples are allowed to experience, see and hear, what is taking place. In Revelation John experiences this Kingdom state as many others in the Bible do.
To summarise:
1. Heaven is a way of thinking.
2. Heaven can be a present experience.
3. Heaven is a literal place.
That brings us to the reality of the supernatural realm:
Ephesians 6:12"for our struggle is not against flesh and blood"
2 Corinthians 10:3 "For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does we have divine power"
Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above not on earthly things"
Revelation 1:10 "I was in the Spirit on the Lords day"
WE EXIST IN THE NATURAL BUT NEED TO HAVE A SUPERNATURAL WORLDVIEW
THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM: The Devil counterfeits all that God does. Exodus 17
When we get a perspective of the supernatural realm it directly deals with lifes isuues.
1. Who is in control: which brings emotional stability.
2. What is God doing: which brings direction and purpose.
3. What I need to pray about: which brings solutions.
4. Insight: I see what is really going on here.
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
How do we enter this spiritual realm?
Be open
Transform our minds to God's Word.
Be sensitive through deepening our relationship with God.
Elijah had learned to walk in the supernatural for he was walking in obedience to God. It didn't matter what he saw or experienced naturally, he knew God could make something out of nothing. The Church needs to walk with a biblical view of things in order to see the Kingdom appear in our midst. We are His ambassadors.
REMEMBER AS IN ELIJAH'S LIFE IT IS A PROCESS!
Mark 16:17-18 - And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
