- Sermon Notes from Bill Hybels Sunday service
I am being challenged with ther sermon officiated by Senior Pastor Bill Hybels to his church in WillowCreek Community. So I would like to share with you the sermon notes Ive taken (actually taking down notes simultaneously listening to the sermon)
Part 1 of the Series is emphasized on Elijah's radical life; from challenging 400 pagan prophet's to a duel, enjoying God-crafted picnic lunch, and hearing a mountainside whisper from the Lord.
Psalm 145:3 - Great is the Lord and greatly to be praise -- His greatness is unsearchable.
There is a lot to know about God.. Basic commitment of God to people in the sense of HOliness, but as knowable as God is, there is a limit to what the finite human mind can comprehend to what God mysterious plan in your life.. So we cannot put God in a box here.. Talk about unpredictability God is.. how unsearchable God is..
Elijah's Victory at Carmel. Ahab, Djesebel, King and Queen of Israel, and forbid anyone to worship the true God. Then prophet Elijah came to the scene and he see what the King and Queen has made to Israel.. I cant stand no more -- Elijah.. If it caused me my life, I am going to turn this way around - Elijah.. Then Elijah invited and challenged the 850 pagan prophets at that time and made a duel to the prophets of the pagan's god to bring fire to the mountain and whoever sends out Fire to the mountain, they need to worship the true God. Midday past, nothing happens after the prophets cries, dances and sacrifices to bring Fire to the mountainside, Until Elijah's turn came.. Elijah ddnt just call out the fire from the sky.. He ordered some people nearby to fill 4 huge water jars and start dousing the sacrifice and start pouring water to do this 3 TIMES.. other prophets could not understand.. Then until Elijah calls out God in a very cool way.. and IMMEDIATELY, FIRE FALLS OUT FROM HEAVEN.. and not only burns the wood but also the stone and all the matreials Elijah ordered for the sacrifice.. HAND'S DOWN.. the pagan's prophet was astonished to see the blast of the Fire..
Elijah set it up with this contest but Why did God demonstrated His power to the people? Because of Elijah's prayer..
37 Answer me, LORD, answer me, SO THAT these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
2 MOST IMPORTANT WORDS IN THAT PRAYER: 1. SO, 2. THAT..
God knows that Elijah did not set up this contest for his own purposes and his own games or fame.. on the contrary, Elijah was jealous to be acknowledge as the one True God and aching to see the pagan's turn their hearts FROM THEIR IDOLS TO GOD.. Elijah is willing to put his life on it.. Have the fire not come, Elijah could have been killed..
there is something PREDICTABLE ABOUT GOD.. You can bank on this all the time.. It relates how He willed his power.. He flows it to people who are jealous to see His name made Great.. He flows his power to people who put his purposes in front of their own.. He flows it to people who yearns to freed from false god or no got at all..
When you are on your knees, Is it usually for GOD's sake, fame or purposes and glory.. or your own? true confession.. if majority of prayers are about MY PROGRAM, MY WANTS MY WISHES SELF, MY REQUEST, MY MY MY... AND IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL, I WILL WANT MY KINGDOM, MY WILL TO BE DONE AND ARRANGE EVERYTHING FOR ME..
Instead of the other way around when you beg for GOD to answer your prayer, SO THAT GOD'S NAME WILL BE MADE GREAT..
Maybe you've been asking GOD to do something for you, and you keep praying that you got disappointed because GOD seems to be not listening and doing it.. SEEM LIKE PRAYERS ARE MANIPULATED FOR OWN SAKE.. God often refuses to grant our prayer request because at the end of the day, he discerns our motives and he sees that were just trying to manipulate our power for our own purposes..
JAMES 4: 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Elijah pleaded for God SO THAT ISRAEL WILL TURN AWAY FROM IDOLS AND SO THAT GOD CAN BLESS ISRAELITES LIVES..
HAVE YOU ANALYZED YOUR SO THAT LATELY? HAVE YOU RE-READ YOUR PRAYERS RECENTLY? HAVE YOU REVIEWED YOUR RECENT PRAYERS AND ASKED, WHAT IS THE SO THAT OF MY PRAYERS? IN WHAT WAY IF THIS PRAYER IS ANSWERED, WHAT WAY WILL HELP TO SEE GOD BY OTHERS AND BETTER ESTABLISHED GOD'S KINGDOM ON EARTH..
serious SO THAT.. your name will be made GREAT.. THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THE ONE TRUE GOD IS ALIVE AND LOVING..
PREDICTABLY, GOD WILL HONOR THE SO THATS..
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