Words For An Elijah Generation Series

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?