Elijah - CD Series

When the prophet Elijah appears on the scene there is a drought in the physical land and in the spiritual world among God's people. As the prophet connects with God he brings the supernatural perspective of God to bear and things change for the better. Have you ever wanted to put the super back into your natural life? In this series Tony Evans will walk you through the method of how to experience the power of the prophet Elijah in your life.

First, you will begin by observing how God demonstrates His power as your source of provision. Then you will learn that the point of contact between the provision of God and the power of God is prayer. This knowledge will help you to understand the urgency of commitment, because the amount of the supernatural you see is linked to your level of commitment as a Christian. When life hits you hard you will learn how to experience His power as you stay grounded in faith and deal with the emotional paralysis of discouragement. Then, as you conclude the series, you will be ready to pass on the baton of faith and leave a spiritual legacy behind for those who follow you.

#1 – Seeing God's Provision (1 Kings 17:1-16): What do you do when you do not have enough? The prophet Elijah faced this same problem when he was led by God to the brook of Cherith where he drank from the brook naturally and was fed by ravens supernaturally. Then the brook dried up and he saw God provide again for him by a poor widow in the town of Zarephath.

In this sermon, Tony Evans shares the secrets to understanding the provision of God. The first important thing to remember is that God is your source—everything else is a resource that provides for you. Also, God will often use unexpected sources (unclean ravens) to provide for you as well. When a resource is no longer providing for you, God is merely shifting providers. The way you access His provision is through obedience to His Word and becoming a source of provision in someone else’s life as well.

#2 – Living Faith (1 Kings 17:17-24): Sometimes in life we struggle with the question, “Does God make sense?” The widow of Zarephath wrestled with this question when her son became sick and later died. When Elijah prays over the boy and he is brought back to life, the widow’s faith in the God of Elijah is restored.

Tony Evans helps us to have an attitude of faith (believing God is telling the truth) in the midst of our trials and bad circumstances. The major key is to never let your circumstances determine your theology. During times of difficulty, rely on others to help be your burden bearers and intercede, on your behalf, before God about your situation. Finally, even in the midst of your trials, be willing to not only talk with God about your problems, but ask Him to help you be the solution to someone else’s problem as well. Whether you are Elijah (the one God uses to meet the need) or the widow (the one who has the need) your faith will be activated to a new level as you see the power of faith in your life.

#3 – Committing to the True God (1 Kings 18:20-40): Tony Evans says there may be undecided voters who have not made up their minds about who to vote for but there should never be undecided Christians. In this sermon, Elijah is on Mt. Carmel, challenging the prophets of Baal and urging the people of God to stop vacillating and commit their hearts to the true and living God. This is so important because, according to Tony, the amount of the supernatural you get to see is linked to your commitment to God as a Christian.

If you are undecided about the true God or just not committed to Him during your present crisis, Tony will help you walk through steps to increase your commitment to God. It begins with understanding that the major roadblock to commitment is double mindedness—the habit of giving God divided loyalty instead of giving Him a wholehearted commitment. Once you have dealt with this impediment you will be encouraged to not worry about being outnumbered in a secular society, because you and God are actually a majority, not a minority. The key is to fix your confidence in God and take your stand out of a relationship, not just mere religion. You will know you are committed as you put your spiritual priorities back in order and as you allow God’s Word to have the final say in the decisions you make in life.

#4 – Praying and Waiting for God's Timing (1 Kings 18:41-46): Elijah tells Ahab that it is going to rain. His fervent and effectual prayer opens up the heavens and rain comes to an area that desperately needs it. Have you ever wanted to see your prayer life become more powerful? In this sermon, Tony Evans moves us from ritualistic communication to relational communication as we start to pray more effectively and see God work in our lives.

Tony tells us that prayer is the point of contact between God’s power and His provision in our lives. Prayer is God’s mechanism for grabbing the invisible and making it visible in our lives. But in our prayers we are not “making God do something.” Rather, prayer allows God to release His decreed will in our lives. By studying and understanding God’s Word, we are encouraged to continue praying until something happens!

#5 – Encouragement that Calms Fear (1 Kings 19:1-6): In this sermon, we learn that spiritual people can sometimes struggle and get discouraged. The prophet Elijah had God’s hand on him and still became discouraged, even suicidal. This is not an issue only with Elijah. Many of God’s greatest servants battled discouragement including Moses, Job, and the apostle Paul. This sermon helps us learn how to deal with discouragement and the need many of us have for a miracle in our minds. Tony Evans walks us through the cause of discouragement, which is the loss of something or an unexpected change in our expectations. Also, the catalyst for discouragement is our thoughts because they affect our emotions and what we feel. The enemy’s job is to keep us living under a threat and to control us by winning the battle for our minds.

Tony gives us hope by reminding us that discouragement does not have to own us. We can take back control by addressing the physical aspects of our lives that may be leading to our discouragement. This should be accompanied by an honest conversation about where we are emotionally with the Lord. In this evaluation of our emotions we should not develop a victim’s mentality because, while circumstances may not change, they don’t have to control us. According to Tony, what will get us refocused is running toward God’s presence and seeking out godly friends who understand His power and can walk with us during the dark times of life.

#6 – Living a Life that Lasts (2 Kings 2:1-14): In this sermon, Tony Evans challenges us to ask the question, “How much of God am I leaving behind?” A true legacy transcends material things and makes a big deal about God. It is within this context that we find Elijah transferring the power of God to Elisha. (Psalm 71:18) Tony will show you the necessary components needed to pass the baton of faith to those who follow you and how to leave something that will truly last forever.

Tony gives us a strategic way to pass faith on to those who follow us. It starts with a desire similar to Elisha’s, who wanted twice as much God as Elijah possessed so that he could do more for God. Secondly, we must be devoted, just like Elisha, to seeing things from a spiritual perspective. If you want to get more of God, you need to be detached from other things that are holding you back from the supernatural. What are you willing to have less of so that you can have more of God? Elisha had to leave a business behind to follow in the footsteps of Elijah. But one of the key aspects of leaving a legacy is the ability to disciple and empower someone else so they can correctly inherit the spiritual mantle of leadership. As Elijah did for Elisha, if we are to pass on a spiritual legacy we must depend on God to guide us as we take another person from development to their God given destiny.