Power Serve

Prayer target for this week:
Establish the prayer ministry of Life Church
Prepare to proclaim a fast - for leaders or congregation?

Resurrection and the Life Church Vision - exponential growth

Elijah's Ministry - 1Kings 17 - 19

Introducing Elijah - 1Kings 17:1

No background

Speaks truth to power - pronounces judgement

Ahab - King of Israel

Married to Jezebel from Sidon (in modern day Lebanon)

Worships Baal

Elijah on Mount Carmel - 1Kings 18:16-46

Spectacular demonstration of God's power.

This is a later stage of ministry - we need stepping stones to get there.

God's Provision in Sheltered Seclusion - 1Kings 17:2-6

Government hostility triggered by Elijah's obedient action

We don't serve in a vacuum - God usually allows us to be affected by the circumstances of those around us.

Protected from attack by corrupt national leadership

Provided with water, bread, and meat

Food provided by ravens (an unclean bird): Lev 11:15

Water - often symbolic of the Holy Spirit

Bread - often symbolic of God's Word

Meat - symbolic of doing God's will

Bread and meat twice a day - morning and evening.

Elijah had to humbly depend on God.

God's Provision Through Others - 1Kings 17:7-9

Drought affects the brook - time to move on

When your brook dries up find the next source of provision that God has prepared for you.

Some people keep hanging out at a dried up brook.

God often provides for us through others

God tells Elijah what type of person but not who - we often only receive just enough information to take the next step in God's plan

Enter the Widow - 1Kings 17:10-16

Elijah was sent to a widow in Zarephath in Sidon - the territory that was the source of Israel's latest apostasy - Luke 4:25-26

God sent Elijah to bless her by allowing her to give.

Giving releases resources - Luke 6:38

"Make me a cake first" - God's cut is from the top - Ex 23:19; Num 15:17-21; Num 18:25-32;

Elijah moved into an upper room at the woman's home

God wants us to be connected to the lives of the people we serve

Elijah was in position to meet her greatest need - the restoration of her son's life - 1Kings 17:17-24

Her experience of "resurrection" moved her towards full faith

Moving In Your Ministry

Don't try to discover your ministry based on traditional labels

The ministry labels in Rom 12, 1Cor 12-14, and Eph 4 are functional labels.

Discover your ministry by noting

Whom has God placed in your life?

Who responds to your ministry? Who has told you that what you've done blessed them? Write it down.

Who is drawn to you?

Follow the steps:

Seek a Word from God that will "get you in trouble"

Put yourself in a place where God can get you by yourself

Faithfully serve the people to whom God sends you.

Demonstrate God's power from a place of personal involvement.

Faithfully bear witness to the community around you

Demonstrate God's power on a larger scale

Preparation

Main Passage

NIV

Hebrew Study Bible

KJV

The Message

NASB

RSV

Exegetical Idea

Subject

Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why

Complement

Developmental Questions

Explain It: What does this mean?

Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?

Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?

Homiletical Idea

Purpose of the Sermon

Make it plain

Use accessible language and modern parables

Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.

Grow Up

Introduction - 1Pet 2:1-12

Take your salvation seriously - 1Pet 2:1-3

Change your environment

Reject the bad

Embrace the good

Like little kids who've just dressed up and have to stay away from things that will soil their clothes.

Grow up

Present yourself for your assignment - 1Pet 2:4-5

Come to Jesus

Find your place in the house

Be in right relationship with Jesus - 1Pet 2:6-8

Fulfill your destiny - 1Pet 2:9-12

Recognize who you are

Chosen people

Royal priesthood

Holy nation

God's people

Do the work of the Kingdom

Declare (publish abroad) God's praises

Priestly duty - Rom 15:14-16

Priest of the gospel

Make the gentiles and acceptable sacrifice

Israel was to be a kingdom of priests - Ex 19:1-6

Kingdom and priests to serve God - Rev 1:4-6

Kingdom and priests to serve God and reign - Rev 5:1-10

Priests of God and of Christ who reign with him - Rev 20:5-6

Priests, Levites, etc.

Priest

Represents the people to God (distinguished from prophets)

Burnt Offering - Lev 1:1-17

Sprinkle the blood

Skin the offering

Put fire and wood on the altar

Wash the inward parts and legs with water

Burn the offering

Wring off the head of a bird

Remove the crop and contents

Change clothes

Take the ashes to a special place

Levites

Rewarded for their commitment to the LORD - Ex 32:25-29

Do the work of the tabernacle - Num 1:44-53; Num 3:5-13; Num 8:5-22; Num 18:1-7

Don't usurp like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram - Num 16

Other Israelites

Received ministry

How does this apply to us?

Inside the Church Walls

Priests - Clergy

Levites - Deacons, ministry workers

Israel - Congregation

Outside the Church Walls

Priests - you in your sphere of influence

Levites - your ministry partners

Israel - the rest of the people in your sphere of influence

Paul as Israelite, Levite, and Priest

Paul's conversion - Acts 9:1-22; Acts 22:1-21; Acts 9:22-30

Paul was in the role of an Israelite

Ananias (the cloud of the Lord) operated as a Levite

Barnabas operated as a Levite (which he was)

Paul's early ministry - ; Acts 11:19-30; Acts 13:1-5; Acts 15:36-40

Paul was pulled into the role of a Levite

Barnabas (son of encouragement) operated in the role of priest

Paul's apostolic ministry - Acts 16:1-4; Philip 2:19-23

Paul operated in the role of priest

Timothy (honor of God; valued of God) was pull into a Levite role

Where do you fit in?

Clergy and ministry workers model this paradigm so that you can duplicate it outside the church walls.

Connect other people to God's Kingdom

Primary Kingdom Activity

Kingdom Questions

Where are you from?

What do you do?

Do you come from a particular church background?

Are you sitting around doing nothing?

Are you assisting someone else in ministry?

Are you leading in ministry?

Get started

Ministry is an adventure based on key relationships. It requires openness and commitment rather than prior expert knowledge. Ministry is a demonstration of God’s love rather than a recitation of accumulated scriptures and theological arguments. It’s an open book exam.

Get involved - pray for God to give you a Word for someone and then deliver it.

Find someone else who is doing Kingdom work and assist him/her

Pray for someone systematically and consistently

Know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. Some of you are going through great hardship because the Lord is calling you to become prayer warriors.

Reflect on 1Pet 2:1-12; Rom 15:14-16

What have you "gotten rid of" from your pre-Christian life?

In what ways do you demonstrate a craving for "pure spiritual milk"?

In what ways do you "declare the praises of him who called you"?

How have you served God in the past? How are you serving him now?

Reflect on Acts 9:1-30; Acts 11:19-30; Acts 15:36 - 16:4; Philip 2:19-23

Have you ever connected an unbeliever to believers that you know? If not, what would it take for you to do so?

Have you ever led someone to salvation? If not, why not?

Are you assisting someone else in ministry? Are you leading in ministry?

Have you ever recruited someone to help you in your ministry?

Reflect on 1Kings 17:1-4; 18:1-19 (repeated from last week)

Do you know professing Christians who also follow other religions?

What happened the last time you spoke up on God's behalf?

Review the current prayer partnerships in your life group.

Make sure that everyone has someone to pray with on a weekly basis.

These can be long-term assignments or your can rotate them.

If you rotate them, the assignments should last at least one month.

Review the list of people you are praying for in your life group.

Make sure that everyone knows who to pray for and how to pray for them.

Make sure that the people who need salvation are getting prayed for every day by the members of the group.

Review each person on the list of people you are reaching out to.

Has anyone invited him/her to lunch/dinner or some other informal activity along with at least one other life group member?

Has anyone invited him/her to a life group fun event?

Has anyone invited him/her to a life group meeting?

Has anyone invited him/her to a Sunday service?

Grow Up

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday January 14, 2007