It's Personal

Y'all believe God still moves, He still speaks? Come on, am I talking to a church that's alive or a dead church this morning? I believe God has a word for us this morning. Y'all done messed up, gave me coffee before I preached. I'm telling you, I preached to myself this morning, took up an offering, and gave myself back to the Lord all over again.

It's going to be a word. Put your seatbelts on. Do me a favor: if you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of 1 Kings chapter 17. 1 Kings chapter 17. 1 Kings chapter 17, beginning with verse 17.

This is what the word of the Lord says: it says, After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness got worse until he stopped breathing. And she said to Elijah, Man of God, why are you here? Have you come to call attention to my iniquity so that my son is put to death? But Elijah said to her, Give me your son.

So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upstairs room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the Lord and said, Lord, my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son? Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times, and he cried out, Lord. My God. Please let this boy's life come in to him again.

So the Lord listened to Elijah. And the boy's life came into him again and he lived. Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, Look, your son is alive. Then the woman said to Elijah, Now I know.

You are a man of God. And the Lord's word from your mouth is true.

Now I know you are a man of God. And the Lord's word from your mouth is true.

Hey, this morning, I want to talk to you from the subject, it's personal. It's personal. Let's pray. Lord God, we just stop and we acknowledge the fact that you're in the room. We give our lives over to you.

Shift us, shape us, mold us. Let us become more like you. Speak to me, speak through me, God. We need you. In your name we pray.

Amen. personal. And I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely love reading my Bible. I absolutely love reading my Bible. Come on, I put myself in a front row seat when it comes to reading my Bible.

I absolutely love it. More importantly, I love reading my Bible, and I love reading about the totality of some people within scripture, whether it's through their entire life or their entire ministry. I love reading about the totality. There is something about doing a character analysis from the very beginning to the very end and still seeing God through the mist that just raises my faith to another level. It raises my faith to another level when I have the opportunity to see God show up in the entirety of someone's life.

Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the blips, the commercials that take place throughout scripture where we see God heal someone like Naaman. Come on, how many of you know that's powerful? I love when God shows up and He heals blind Bartimaeus, but there is something about reading the totality of a character throughout Scripture that raises my faith to another level because you see God through the ups and through the downs. And how many of you know if there's any seasoned saints in the room, you just keep living a little bit and you will experience the highs of life? And the lows of life, the ups and the downs.

And life has a way of twisting and turning and curving, but still the ability to see that God is there, it raises my faith. Here, Elijah is experiencing the ups and the downs within his own life. Oh, come on, how many of you know the high, the up that he must have had whenever God calls him to be a prophet to the living God, the mouthpiece to the living God? He goes in as a prophet to the nations. And he says, thus saith the Lord, the God of heavenly hosts is getting ready to shut the skies and there will be no rain.

Can you imagine knowing that you were sent on a mission, on assignment to be the very mouthpiece of God? Then only to realize, hold up now. If the heavens and the rain stop. What am I gonna do? And here comes God stepping in the midst, saying, Don't you worry, Elijah, I take care of my own.

And he sends Elijah to Cherish, where there is a brook, a stream, a creek, where he is able to drink water and be sustained. And then the Bible tells us that God not only does that, but he sends the birds of the air to provide a meal daily for Elijah.

Now, if you were just reading that, you would think that God was just sending the birds, gonna drop off a little three-course meal and take off again. But please understand that there is nothing wasted in Scripture. And you have to understand that not only was he using the birds, but the Bible tells us that he was using a raven. Why is that important? It is important because in the Old Testament, a raven is considered unclean.

So here is God using an unconventional method of something that is unclean to provide for someone that is holy because God is God all by himself and he don't need to meet with you. He don't need to ask your approval. When God decides to show up, it could be as unconventional as he wants it to be because he is God. And beside him there is no other. He feeds them through a raven.

The highs of life have experienced and the miracle, and then all of a sudden the brook dries up. And there's Elijah again. Oh my goodness, what am I going to do? And God steps in again and says, Don't you worry, Elijah. I need you to go to Zarephith.

I have prepared a woman there that is going to take care of you, a Gentile woman. And not only is she a Gentile, but she's a widow. And there goes God again with his unconventional method, using a Gentile woman to take care of a Jewish prophet. What kind of movement is God getting ready to do? Unconventional again.

As a matter of fact, it is as though God is showing that the presence of God has lifted from Israel and it has now rested upon this Gentile. Woman. whom is a widow? Not only that, but he places Elijah. in the hood of Ahab and Jezebel.

The very people that were looking to kill him. And there goes God with his unconventional method again. as though he prepares a table before me. in the presence of my haters. Because God is unconventional through the highs and the lows of life.

and he needs no explanation. This woman shows up And the Bible tells us that when she shows up, She tells Elijah, I am going to prepare the last meal that I have with the oil and the flour that I might eat it and die with my son. And here goes God again by way of Elijah, saying, Don't you worry, if you would take care of your prophet, I promise you, God will show up. And she finds out that the word that Elijah says is true, and God sustains her daily. Because the Bible tells us that the oil and the flour would continue to renew every single day.

Here is this woman experiencing the miracle of God because she is attached to Elijah. I don't have time to sit here for a long time, but let me tell you, it is imperative who you are attached to. Because sometimes the blessing comes through your relationship.

So make sure you're attached to the right people. Because if a blessing comes through the right people, the curse can come through the wrong people. It is imperative. That you know who you are attached. Two.

And she is experiencing the miracle of God because God. is preparing Elijah for something even greater. Oh, the lows of life that this woman was experiencing that she would be on her last meal, and the highs of life that she would experience in order to see the miracle play out daily. Every single day, seeing God's hand of provision, every single day, seeing God's hand of provision. Can you imagine the elation of this woman to see that God is showing up daily?

Remember, we ain't just reading about it for her, she's actually living it. There is a famine in the land, no food around, no rain around, and yet God is showing up day after day after day after day, providing for this widow woman that she might receive the blessing as well. God is showing up. Can you imagine her excitement every single morning? Come on now, waking up saying, I wonder how God's gonna move today.

Is there gonna be some oil and some flour? Oh, my bad. I know there's gonna be some oil and some flour because God is moving, his hand is upon me. Come on now, waking up every morning, whistling Dixie, ready to make another cat head biscuit. Praise God.

And then all of a sudden. Life. happens. And a little bit of time goes by. And for all my seasoned saints in the room that understand.

that if you have never experienced hardship, Just keep living a while, baby. Because life has a way of knocking you off your Feet. And it is indicative to the fact, my friend, that just because you experience triumph does not mean that you will not experience trials. And now, all of a sudden, life shows up with this woman. Who was experiencing the miracle?

And the Bible says that some time goes by. And all of a sudden, the son of the woman. who owned the house became ill. He has grown sick. Wait a minute, God.

I thought this woman was blessed. Wait a minute, God, I thought this woman was experiencing the hand of God, the provision of God, the miracles of God, and now all of a sudden, tragedy is knocking on the door, and this woman's son has become sick. Wait a minute, God. I thought this woman was blest. I thought that you were with her through the trials.

Now, all of a sudden, her son is sick. The very one she wanted to protect the most, her very world is now in danger of crumbling before her and pain is knocking at the door. Remember. When she shows up with Elijah. She tells Elijah, I am going that I might prepare our last meal, that my son and I might die.

God shows up and allows them to continue living together. Oh my goodness, it is easy to trust God whenever everything is going well. But what do you do whenever everything goes wrong and the report isn't in your favor? This woman was going that she might die with her son. Those were her plans.

But what do you do? When God provides one way. And the miracle takes place. And you go on living. But then all of a sudden pain shows up at the door Because it's one thing to be in control.

We know this by this woman. It's one thing to know the end is coming and you prepare your last meal. It is another thing for the meal to show up at your doorstep. when you are unprepared. and this woman is no longer in control.

And her son is growing sick. Illness has now crept in. And she is experiencing the lows. of life. And the Bible says.

That not only does her son get sick. But it gets worse. Oh my goodness, have you ever been in a position where you thought you could handle all the bad that has come your way, only to find out that it is getting worse? You ever been in a position where life has delivered you some blows and you're saying, Enough is enough, I can't take anymore. And here comes one more blow.

Have you ever been in a position where the pain is great and you think you can't take anymore? And here comes life again, just lifeing through the twists and the turns, and here comes another burden. Have you ever been in a position? Where bad goes from worse. And the Bible says that not only does it go worse, But it goes worse.

Until he stops. Breathing. And now all of a sudden Death. is upon her. She is seeing the effects of the illness on her son.

And now he is pronounced. Dead. The Bible says that he stops breathing. Oh, come on, the very breath that initiated life. is now ushering in death.

How do you praise God when the pain is great? How do you praise God with the very breath that He has placed on the inside of you to continue on in your miracle while the very one that you love has lost the breath that was inside of him? How do you trust the deliverer, mama? When the very one that you delivered is now pronounced dead. Yeah.

The breath that initiated life. has now ushered in death I would submit to you that there are some of you in the room that are experiencing this, maybe not physically, but definitely in a spiritual manner, because there are some things on the inside of you that once gave you life that are now bringing you death, and it almost feels like a betrayal because, God, I thought the breath was for life. Little did I know that it was going to blow and give me death.

Now, death is knocking at the door, and I am here to tell you that this woman's faith was tested. And not only that, Her hope. was lost. Because at least When it got worse. There was still hope.

But now The final hit has taken place, and he has been pronounced dead. How do you praise God? when the pain is too heavy to bear. The Bible Shows us that this man stops breathing. And I'm here to tell you that not only was her faith tested, But she had lost all of her hope.

as well. Because remember She was a widow. And in the ancient Eastern world, It was the man that provided. And here is this woman Who not only had to deal with the loss of her husband. The main provision But but at least I have a son.

that maybe one day will grow old enough to provide for me as well. And here is this woman having to deal with the death of her husband. While simultaneously grieving the death of her son, all while realizing there is no longer provision in the house for me. World is spinning. She is having to deal and grieve multiple things at once.

Have you ever been in a position where the grieving was just so much, and all you could do was just spin around as the world and the room is spinning around you, trying to make sense of it all? She had lost her hope. Not only that, but in the ancient Eastern world, inheritance was passed down through the male. And if there was no male, my friend, there was no inheritance.

So not only is she dealing with losing provision in the moment, but she also has no provision for the future. How do you live? How do you have hope? How are you expected to continue living when the very dream is dying? And not only that, but her protection is gone.

Because it was the male that protected the household. And I'm here to tell you, not only was her faith tested, but she lost her hope as well. I'm here to tell you that in that moment, her dreams died. with her son. Have you ever been in a position?

Were your dreams have died, but you were expected to go on living. Her hope is lost. There is a gloom over the atmosphere. And the only thing that she was left with Were her dangerous? Conclusions.

You ever been in a position But the pain was so great. That the only thing you were left with were your dangerous thoughts. It's a different level of pain. It's a different level of pain. Hear me, it's a different level of pain.

When not only are you going through it, but you got no one else to do it. to talk to. It's a different level of pain. When not only are you going through it, but you feel as though you're all alone, it is a different level of pain. When the only person you have to talk to is yourself, and you ain't even fully there, it's a different level of pain.

Whenever the world is spinning around you and you have no one to bring a solution, this is the type of pain that this woman is going through. Listen to what the Bible says. Says that she immediately looks at Elijah and says, Man of God, why are you here? Wait a minute, lady. It wasn't why are you here whenever you were experiencing the miracle?

It wasn't why are you here whenever the blessing was flowing. But now, all of a sudden, pain has shown up, tragedy has shown up at the doorstep, and her shift in her thought process is beginning to take place. Elijah, why are you here? Not only that, but the Bible says this. That she finishes her thought process by saying, Have you come to call attention to my iniquity so that my son is put to death?

And just like human nature, this woman is looking for someone or something to blame. And she looks at Elijah and says, my goodness, you're a holy man of God. And God, you are holy all by yourself. But when I look at myself, I don't measure up. I don't line up.

I am imperfect. And so my only conclusion is this. If you're holy, Elijah, and you're holy, God, and I know that I am unholy, then the only variable is myself. She has taken the burden upon herself. And has formed this ideology.

That says to her that because she is imperfect, God must have struck my son down.

Now before you bless her heart Please understand that I am not ignorant to the fact that in a church this size, there are many of you in the room carrying tragedy as your identity, thinking that God was up there waiting to strike you down. And because of your imperfections, and because you didn't read your Bible enough, and because you don't pray enough, and because you don't fast enough, you carry this idea that God is just here, just placing his thumb down on you, squishing you like a bug, pushing you down, and you bear the weight of the world. And I am here to tell you that just because this woman thought this does not mean that her theology or her perspective was correct. Let me remind you: as a pastor this morning, all have fallen short of the glory of God. And I don't stand here because I'm perfect, I stand here because he is holy.

Some of you have been carrying a tragedy for 20, 30, 40, 50 years. And you know how to throw it off whenever you come into the church. I'm good, everything's good, but on the inside, you are rotting, dying away, and I am here to tell you he wants to renew you this morning. This woman is left with her dangerous conclusions. And I love How Elijah Response.

Because he doesn't even acknowledge her incorrect thinking. Because sometimes when people are going through it. I love you, historian. I love you, theologian. But sometimes they don't need your theology.

Sometimes. They may just need your presence. Oh, come on.

Sometimes they may just need you to pray.

Sometimes they just may need you to stand in the gap. Elijah doesn't even acknowledge it. He just looks at the woman and he says, Give me your son. Here's this woman. She is made the death of her son about herself.

The self-loathing, the self-pity, the frustration, the burden is about herself. And what has been done? But Elijah steps in and says, Oh, honey, it ain't about you and what's been done. It is about him and what he can do. And the Bible says that he takes this young man of God into his arms.

He tells her, he says, Can you trust me with your son like you trust me with the oil and the flour? And the Bible says he takes him to the upstairs room where he was staying.

Now, before you just think holiday in, come on now. with a mint on his pillow. You're Hampton in. Please understand that this was the place Where Elijah would spend time with the living God. This was the place where he would get his marching orders from the Lord.

This was the place where he would spend time spending time in the presence of the creator of the universe in Essence Church. This was his prayer room. And I want to remind some Christians this morning, your prayer room should be a place where you take dead things and contend that they come alive again. Oh, come on.

Your prayer room should be a place where you have faith enough to say, if you're the God of resurrection, then resurrect this dead dream. If you're the God of resurrection, then resurrect this dead issue. Your prayer room should be a place where you contend for dead things to come alive again. Shouldn't it be a cute little place where you got your mama's doilies? Just your sticky notes, your pumpkin spice latte, and your selfie before you go into devotion.

It should be a prayer room where you contend. The Bible says he takes this dead, lifeless Rigamorse ridden body up to the room and he lays him on the bed. Listen to what he says. He says he cried out to the Lord. Kaha, that is the Hebrew word for cry out, literally to contend.

Cries out to the Lord and he says, Have you also brought tragedy? on the widow I am staying with. by killing her son. And I love that the Bible shows this. Because in essence, what Elijah is doing Is he starting off in the same place as the lady?

He's asking. Why? Why? But before he stays there, It is as though something kicks in with Elijah. As though he reminds himself, hold up now.

God, if you are the God that can shut the heavens and still bring rain for me that I might drink through a brook, if you are a God that can give me a meal daily by way of the ravens, if you are a God that can send me into the enemy's camp and still protect me, if you are a God that could multiply the oil and the flour, then surely, God, you can do something about this issue. And the Bible says that he doesn't stay on the why, but rather he begins to contend. And the Bible says that he looks down at this young man and he says, Lord, my God, please let this boy's life come into him again. A bold prayer. A prayer filled with faith.

Not a prayer that says, well, let your will be done, God. Not a prayer that says, well, I guess he just needed another rose for his garden. No, a prayer where he is contending for the dead son to come alive again. The Bible Says that he prays this prayer three times, which I love. Because it is a depiction of the fact that it may not come on the first time.

But I'm not moving God until you move. Don't take this the wrong way. This could be so misused. But Smith Wigglesworth, the revivalist of old, used to say this: if God isn't moving, then I will move the heart of God. It is this idea that I will contend until God moves.

And some of us need to remember what it means to contend again. Dumb. Oh goodness. He lays this young man out on a bed.

So that he can pray. His bed was his prayer altar.

Some of us are stuck sleeping. When we've been meant to be called to pray. The Bible says this. That the Lord Listened. To Elisha.

Yeah. This idea That man would have the ear of God. Who am I, Lord? that you are mindful of me. And the Bible says That through the relationship That the boy's life came into him again.

And he lived. And he lived. Her faith was tested, her hope was lost, her perspective was wrong, but Elijah stepped in. filled the gap, and the Bible says that the young man lived. Says he took the young man downstairs.

And he gave him Two. His mother. The very woman that was self-loathing. The very woman that was struggling with her insecurities, the very woman that was struggling with the hidden sin, the very woman that was believing the fact that God must have cursed her and judged her and taken her son out because she isn't living well.

Now, all of a sudden, life comes back into the boy, and Elijah delivers the young man alive again into her arms. And, my friends, that is the depiction of grace. This woman was making it about her. I must be the reason. That he is dead.

And Elijah is saying, no, he is the reason. That he's alive. Elijah delivers this young man into her arms. Remember, all she was thinking about was herself. But you gotta remember His ways are higher than ours.

And the way he moves. is different from the way we move. And the way he thinks is different from the way we think. You remember, I told you that Elijah Shuts the heavens and God tells Elijah there will be no more rain.

Now, you would think that, okay, it ain't just going to storm anymore. Praise God, it ain't going to be like North Carolina. Is it going to rain? Is it not going to rain? It's just not going to rain.

But you have to understand that within that region during that time, There was a deity by the name of Baal. Baal was known as the deity of rain.

So when God says, shut the heavens, He isn't just shutting the heavens and pronouncing judgment. He is showing Baal, I am the God. that controls the heavens and the earth. Not only that. But Baal was also known as the deity of agriculture.

And you know what you need in order to make yourself a little bit of oil and flour? It's wheat and barley. And so when God shows up and he says, look, I'm telling you, even when there is no rain and you think you're the God of agriculture, I'm trying to tell you, I am the one that multiplies. I am the one that provides. I am the one that sustains.

It is I all by myself. And he is setting himself up as supreme. Hallelujah. Even down to the point. That Baal was also known as the sustainer of life.

And here comes God again. with his unconventional ways. Because he could have stepped in and healed the sick man. Instead, he chose to step in and raise a dead man that banned. might know and all around him might know that he is God and he will share his glory with no one.

Because it ain't just a miracle when it comes to God, it's Arsenal. And not only Is it personal? With God. and this deity that thinks he can live up to who he is. But hear me When it comes to God and his people.

When it comes to God and his creation. It is personal as well. Because oftentimes His presence is only acknowledged in the highs. But I am here to remind someone this morning. That his presence is with you.

In the lows. Because our God is a personal God and he desires a relationship with you. And I love The way the story Unfolds. The Bible says Then the woman said to Elijah, Now I know. That you are a man of God.

And the Lord's word from your mouth. Is True. It is as though This woman receives the miracle with gratitude. and looks at Elijah. And right when it seems as though she is getting ready just to give her flowers to Elijah and say thank you.

It's like she does this. Elijah, you're a man of God. But now I know. That the word he says The word he speaks. Yeah.

Yeah. It's true. Because Elijah Whenever God performed the miracle, with the oil and the flour. It was to feed you. And my son had died.

And I had lost all of my security. and all of my provision. And this miracle didn't have to take place. And the oil and the flour was to feed you, Elijah, but... Here, I understand now.

That the resurrection of my son? It was to feed me. It is as though this woman is looking at Elijah saying, I believed because of the miracle that you. Oh, but now? It's personal.

And this woman's Faith. was restored. It's personal. It's personal. He is a God that is personal.

And this morning I couldn't think of a better way. Then to remind us this morning that through the ups and the downs, He is with you. Because he is personal. See, this morning we read about the first resurrection. ever spoken of in scripture.

But now through the cup We have the opportunity to partake. in the resurrection. that resurrects you and I.

So with every head bowed and every eye closed, I want to pray for you. I want to pray that God would remind you of who He is. And no matter where you're at in your life, that he would remind you that he is with you. Lord, I pray for those in the room under the sound of my voice. God, for those That are in the midst Of a low.

God, I thank you that you are the one that lifts the head of the discouraged. God, I pray. that we might remember. that you are with us through it all. And we trust You.

In Jesus' name. Amen. This morning Would you stand with me? As we partake of the communion. The Bible says That on the night He was betrayed.

He took the bread. And when he had given thanks, He broke it. And he said, this is my body. Which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

You may partake of the bread. And the Bible says. In the same way, After supper, He took the cup. Saying this cup Is the new covenant in my blood? Oh, come on, the old saints used to get excited about the new covenant of the blood.

because it is the blood that washes away sins once and forever. The Bible says do this whenever you drink it. In remembrance of me. Can we remember together? what he's done for us.

Now, for a moment. I know, I know, you gotta go. But can you sing the song together? as we worship together as a family. Remain standing and let's worship.

Sing your good. Cause you're good and I've witnessed it. And you're strong and I've witnessed it. You're constant, I've witnessed it and I'm comfortable. I'll see it again.

Again, you love and I've been missing. You heal and I've witnessed it. You saved and I've witnessed it. And I'm comfortable. I'll see it again and again.

You're good and I've witnessed it. Oh, yes, you're strong and I've witnessed it. You're constant, I've witnessed it. And I'm confident I'll see it again and again. You love it, I've witnessed it.

But if you need a mirror, They want to come to the front. I'm going to invite you to the front. Because he is the same God that still does miracles today.

So at any point, if you want to come forward, come forward. Let's worship together. You move it, I'm witnessed. You heal and I'm witnessed. You say that I'm witnessed.

And I'm conflicted. I'll see it again and again. I've witnessed your faint moments. I've seen you breathe life with it.

So I'll pour out my praise again. You're worthy. God, you're worthy of all of it. Your promise is never made. I've got stories I live to tell.

So I'll pour out my praise again. You're worthy. God, you're worthy of all of it. Oh, yes, God. Oh, I witness your glasses.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, come on, Sabrina Legislative. You're good and I've witnessed it. Yeah, come on. Come on.

Come on. You're strong and witness it. You're constant, I witnessed it. And I'm confident. I'll see it again and again.

You're good, and I'll witness it. You win and I'm witnessing. You say that I've witnessed it. And I'm confident. I'll see it again and again.

You're good, and I'm witnessing. You're strong, and I've witnessed it. You're constant, I'm witnessed. And I'm confident. I'll see it again.

Father, God, I thank. You for what you're doing in this moment. Lord, I thank you that the same God that resurrected that young man. from the dead is the same God that still moves today. And Lord, I pray for some of the dead things that we've brought into this place that need to be revived again.

I pray the bold prayer that Elijah prayed, that the breath of heaven enter into that thing once again, that we might see the resurrection occur over and over and over again in our lives as the direct result of the resurrection that occurred on the cross, because you've come to give life and life to the full. And I speak a blessing over everyone here this morning.

So church, the Lord bless you. Keep you! Cause his face to shine upon you. grace and peace now and forever. God bless you, church.

Let's go win this world for Christ. If you want to remain worshiping, you can.