Sermon # 328 – SEVEN LOOKS
Historical Background 1 Kings
~ 16:29-34 = Ahab (Jezebel’s, who killed God’s prophets, was his wife) becomes king of Israel (for 22yrs) – v.30 “did many things the Lord said were wrong.” Jericho walls were rebuilt.
~ 17:1-15 = Elijah declares a curse upon the land – no rain for a 3 years. The Lord provides Elijah with food from ravens, stream. After stream dried up…. a widow with her son provided food.
~ 17:17-24 = Widow’s son dies… Elijah laid upon the child 3 times & prayed… the child rose from the dead.
~ 18:1-40 = Elijah battles the prophets of Baal (false god). Fire from heaven consumes the drenched altar.
1 Kings 18:41-46
[41] And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." [42] So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. [43] "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." [44] The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, ’Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ " [45] Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. [46] The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
What we learn from the 7 looks?
1. ELIJAH DECLARED THERE WAS RAIN BEFORE THERE WAS RAIN.
Are you believing for what you’re asking for in prayer?
* Isaiah 45:21a – “Declare what is to be, present it…”
* Jesus said in Matthew 21:22 -- If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Testify: 2002 year of miracles… in 2001, I testified that I will be debt-free and move into our dream home - God did it... all in one year.... jsut as I declared... only b’c He told me first - so I believed!
2. ELIJAH KEPT ASKING… PRAYING… IT TOOK 7 LOOKS BEFORE THERE WAS A SIGN OF HOPE.
Are you still praying for the miracle or have you given up?
Humor: There was a pastor who had a parrot. All the parrot would say was, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.” The pastor tried to teach him to say other things but to no avail. He learned that one of his deacons had a parrot. Thet parrot would only say, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.” So the pastor decided to invite the deacon and his parrot over to his house. When the deacon arrived they put the parrots into the same cage to see what would happen. The deacon’s parrot said, “Let’s kiss, let’s kiss.” The pastor’s parrot said, “Thank you, Lord. My prayers have been answered.”
There’s great power in prayer.
* Matthew 7:7 -- "Ask (keep asking) and it will be given to you; seek (keep seeking) and you will find; knock (keep knocking) and the door will be opened to you.
* Luke 18:2-7 -- He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ’Grant me justice against my adversary.’ [4] "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ’Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ " [6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
3. THE ANSWER TO PRAYER CAN COME FROM A SMALL START.
When you see the small hope… don’t turn from it.
* Zech. 4:10a -- "Who despises the day of small things?
Quote: Matthew Henry: “Great blessings often arise from small beginnings, showers of plenty from a cloud of span long. Let us never despise the day of small things, but hope and wait for great things from it. From what small beginnings have great matters arisen!”
4. ELIJAH RAN DIVINELY UNDER GOD’S POWER, about 25 miles, TO OUTRUN AHAB WHO WAS ON HIS CHARIOT.
The Holy Spirit can empower you to run ahead of your enemies…
* Exodus 23:27 -- "I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.
Conclusion:
What have you given up praying for? What have you discounted as “small” and insufficient or insignificant? Let God rise within you the persistency of prayer.
Quote: Billy Graham said, “Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask.”
