"Doomed Intention Without Divine Intervention" Text: 1 Kings 17:9-24
Introduction:
The Background of this text:
1. Elijah is told by God to go to Ahab the King and tell him that God was not going to let it rain (3 1/2 yrs.) because of his sins.
2. God then told Elijah to go hide himself at the brook Cherith & that God command ravens to feed him.
3. God then dried the brook up and sent Elijah to Zarephath to the widow woman's home & her son.
4. God sustained him with the handful of meal in a barrel and little oil in a cruse.
5. Now the woman's son has died while Elijah is there,
What is he to do next ?
Marquee at a church read; "Make your plans so big that they are bound to fail unless God Intervenes". D.L. Moody said, "If God is your partner, make your plans Big".
Psa. 81:10 "open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." ( Dentist favorite verse ).
It is a Biblical principle to plan your life this way!
Moses and the Red Sea experience would have failed without God.
Every miracle began with a problem with out God.
Only that which lies in the realm of impossibility is that which lies outside the Will of God and outside our faith
2 Things:
1. If it is in the Will of God
2. I have faith to trust God, ( it can be accomplished.)
**Matt. 13:58 "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."
God is able and desires to bless us if we put Him to the test.
1. Elijah tested at Cherith (cutting place- IS GOD ABLE) and
2. Elijah was tested at Zarephath (smelting place - DOES GOD CARE)
3. Now for the 1st. Time in the Bible a death occurs and the dead one is brought to the man of God
- IS GOD REAL! Vs. 17 "And it came to pass after these things..."
AFTER A GREAT TIME OF TRIUMPH COMES A TIME OF GREAT TESTING!
Every event was preparing Elijah for the next test and finally Mt. Carmel.
He had to pass in order to be ready for the next phase of the WILL OF GOD.
I. NOTE THE IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION - Death
A.
No Plan or Preparation - no literature or lecture on the subjectB. Not Public or Performance - just Woman, Son & Elijah
C. Now Pray or Panic - In a time of Crisis it will be one or the other! - Panic Cry..or
Could have reviewed the past and he was only obeying God!
- Paul's & Silas ..... in Fallopian jail for preaching the gospel
- David as shepherd boy .... bear & lion before Goliath. They prepared him for Goliath -
"Is there not a cause". (IF HE HAD RUN FROM THE BEAR & THE LION, HE WOULD HAVE RUN FROM THE GIANT.)
II. NOTE THE IRREPRESSIBLE SERVANT - Tight spot
A.
Collected and in Control - takes the boys body James 5:17 "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are..." What would you do ?Illustration. Buddy Dodd was the Athletic director of Georgia Tech and he told the story about two football teams playing a big game. The winning team was ahead by a score of 7 to 6. They had the ball on opponents 10 yd. Line and time running out. The coach sent word to his quarter back to sit on the lead and run out the clock. In no way was he to pass the ball. The play was called and the ball snapped. The quarter back saw his favorite receiver wide open in the end zone and he thought, why end the game 7 to 6 when it could be 14 to 6, so he throw the ball and it was intercepted by the fastest man on either team. The man ran down the sidelines toward the opposite goal, time had expired, when out of nowhere he was run down and tackled by no less than the quarter back. After the game the two coaches were shaking hands and the losing coach said, "I have never seen anything like that before in my life, your boy ran from nowhere to catch my fastest man. How did he do it?" The winning coach said, "You see your boy was running for a touchdown to win the game but my boy was running for his life."
B. Confronted he climbed and clinked to His Special Place **
Ps 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
1. David needed God's Intervention - before giant with sling & 5 stones
2. Samson needed God's Intervention - between pillows, (blind, weak)
C. Cried & called on His Special Person ... vs. 20
1. He Positioned Himself - "stretched over the body"
2. He Partitioned God- Why ? (He didn’t have 911!)
III. NOTE THE INCOMPRESSIBLE SAVIOR - vs. 22
A. God is Listening - "the Lord heard"
1Jo 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:B.
God Is Real - "the soul of the child came into him again" Proved Himself !Eph 3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,Conclusion:
When tested we must not run or shirk it, that will disqualify us for Mt. Carmel in our life. It also leaves a testimony to others that are watching (widow woman). WHAT HAD BEEN A "DOOMED INTENTION WAS CHANGED BY DIVINE INTERVENTION".What is your challenge ?
Illustration. Of the Pilgrims: 1st. yr. in the new world they established a town. In the 2nd. yr. they established a town council. In the 3rd. yr. the town council began to plan about stepping out into new horizons. In the 4th. yr. the council proposed to the town the vision of building a new road 5 miles into the wilderness. In the 5th. yr. the town tried to impeach the council because of their proposal saying it was not needed & to costly.
The same people that 5 yrs. earlier had seen across the Ocean to a new land could now not see 5 miles into the wilderness.It happens to Christians and churches
if we don't plan big and call upon the Lord to intervene in our lives.