GOD WILL RESTORED YOUR SOUL Ministry.. Family.. Marriage.. Husband wife children physically financially.. job GOD WILL RESTORE YOUR SOUL Pray and Pour your heart out to God. Don't believe the lie that God is finished with you. Read and Listen to God's Word to you. After you've heard God's Word to you, act on it. FOREWORD:...page 2 Understand and appreciate what Elijah did, until you understand the times in which he lived. A. ELIJAH'S VICTORIOUS WALK... page 2 He Prayed For a Drought and It Didn't Rain For 3 1/2 Years B. ELIJAH'S TRAGIC FALL. page 4 Let s look at Elijah's mistakes. C. ELIJAH MIRACULOUS ENCOUNTER page 5 It's here that we see how God restores this discouraged prophet. D. ELIJAH'S GLORIOUS RESTORATION. page 6 Here we have the man's part in his getting back his courage. E. REVIEW. page 7 Remember How to Get Back On Track 1
Let s read the thought of God, the word of God, open your Bible 1 Kings 19:1-18 Listen to these wise words Elias (Elijah the lord is my God) was a man of passions for God, powerful man of God FOREWORD "You will never understand or appreciate what Elijah did until you understand the times in which he lived. The bible said that Ahab was the most wicked kings Israel has ever had; her wife jezebel a pagan princess takes a complete control over him who corrupted him also, as well as the nation, by promoting pagan worship. Built a temple and altar to Baal Jezebel had also induced Ahab to issue orders for the violent death of all the prophets of Jehovah. The prophets of Jehovah were persecuted and slain or only escaped by being hid in caves This man, Elijah, take a stands, they call him trouble maker A. ELIJAH'S VICTORIOUS WALK. He Prayed For a Drought and It Didn't Rain For 3 1/2 Years. (1king 17:2-6) "[Elijah] prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months." James 5:17 He Experienced First Hand God's Supernatural Provision. (1king 17:2-10) - Ravens bringing him bread & water morning & evening. V.6 - God used a poor and needy widow to shelter & feed him. Vv.8-10 He Revived The Widows Dead Son. (1king 17:17-24) - Not too many believers have done that! He Called Fire Down From Heaven Before a Huge Crowd. (1king 18:20-40) 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." choose one, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull 2
24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire-he is God." Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar. 27 At noon Elijah said "Shout louder!".perhaps he is talking to someone, or busy, he has gone aside or travelling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, until their blood flowed. 30 evening Then Elijah said to all the people, he is my turn Elijah took twelve stones; He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." 34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD-he is God! The LORD-he is God!" He Executed 450 False Prophets of Baal. (1king 18:22, 40) After the 3 ½ Years He Prayed For Rain and It Rained. (Jas.5:18) So What? Elijah was not "a new convert" that we have here or a "babe" in the faith. God has already used him in a very exceptional and powerful way and this man has known first hand what it is to trust the God of Heaven and get some answers. 3
B. ELIJAH'S TRAGIC FALL. Let s look at Elijah's mistakes. If the Lord hadn't included this chapter of Elijah's life we'd probably have a hard time believing that this man was a "normal" man such as we are. But Elijah's severe discouragement indeed convinces me that James words are true when he writes that, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours." James 5:17 1 Kings 19:1-4 19:1 When Ahab told Queen Jezebel what Elijah had done, and that he had slaughtered the prophets of Baal, 2 she sent this message to Elijah: "You killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." 3 So Elijah was afraid and ran for his life; he went to Beersheba, a city of Judah, and left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day, and sat down under a broom bush and prayed that he might die. "I've had enough," he told the Lord. "Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now." TLB 1) He Moved His Focus From God To Man and Was Paralyzed By Fear. Read: verses 1-3 * Same with Peter's Denial. Believing what people say then what God said 2) He Dropped-Off His Friend And Isolated Himself. Read: verses 3b-4 * Typical Human Reaction: "Leave Me Alone!" I done coming back to that church 3) He Succumbed To Self-Pity. Read: 4b, 10b, 14b I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am I have been working very hard I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too Always blaming somebody else 4) He Moves His Focus From God To His Negative Circumstances. Read: 10, 14 * Peter and the waves 4
WHEN ALL YOU SEE ARE OBSTACLES, PROBLEM THAT IS AN INDICATION THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER FOCUSED ON GOD OR YOUR GOAL 5) He Ends Up Very Far From God's Will For Him. Read: 7b, 9b, 13b C. ELIJAH MIRACULOUS ENCOUNTER. It's here that we see how God restores this discouraged prophet. 1) God Sends Him An Angel. (5a) "Are not all [angels] ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14 "[God] shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up " Ps.91:11 "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear him, and delivers them." Ps.34:7 2) God Ministers To His Physical Needs. (5-6) Food, Drink & Sleep 1 Kings 19:8 the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, 3) God Ministers To His Spiritual Needs. (9,13) He speaks His Word to him. 1 Kings 19:9 he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 5
13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. (from New International Version) 4) God Assures Him That He's Not Finished With Him. (7-8, 15-18) "You may be out of God's Will, but you are never out of His concern." God is calling him back to His Will. God is always ready to use again the backslider who is ready to meet Him on His terms. E. God Expects Him To Obey & Follow His Divine Plan. (15a) A. Elijah Prayed. (4) 4. ELIJAH'S GLORIOUS RESTORATION. Here we have the man's part in his getting back his courage. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Ph.4:6-7 B. Elijah Poured His Heart Out To God. (10, 14) "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 C. Elijah Listened To And Obeyed God's Messenger. He ate & drank & rested his head, twice (5-8) How about you and God's messenger to you? D. Elijah Refocuses On God and God's Plan. (19) "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:1-2 6
5. REVIEW. A. Remember How Satan Gets You & Keeps You Discouraged. He has you fear man more than God. He convinces you to isolate yourself from everyone. He fills you with self-pity. He has you focus on your circumstances rather than on God. The Result: You find yourself totally out of God's Will for you. B. Remember How To Get Back On Track Pray and Pour your heart out to God. Listen to the messenger God will send you. Eat right, Drink right and Sleep right. Don't believe the lie that God is finished with you. Read and Listen to God's Word to you. After you've heard God's Word to you, act on it. This is what God taught His servant Elijah. This is what Elijah did. And it worked for him. It can work for you to. I hope and pray it does. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 Amen and God Bless You All. Copyright 2008 Apostolic Youth Ministry 7