APOSTOLIC ACTING OUT
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Scripture text – 1 Kings 18:22 – “22Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.”
Sometimes it seems as if we are the only one around serving the Lord. Whether it be at school, at work, or even in our own homes, there is sometimes the feeling of “why am I the only one around who thinks and believes that the things that are going on around this world are wrong?” or “why am I the only one who realizes the truth that Jesus is the One True God?” Whatever the situation is, or whatever your thoughts are, don’t let them bring you down. Stand up for what you believe in like Elijah did. Don’t follow the majority of the town that follows Baal.
Even if you are the only one around serving the Lord, you can still accomplish something great for Him just like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:20-40. Don’t think that you have to have a bunch of Holy Ghost anointed preachers around to perform a miracle. If Elijah can win 450 prophets of Baal to the Lord and not have the Holy Ghost, how much more able do you think you can win souls when you do have the Holy Ghost? And don’t think that miracles don’t exist anymore, because it says in John 14:13 – “13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” So if you ask it in Jesus’ name it will happen, it doesn’t matter if it is just you or a whole church full of people.
If you think, “what if I don’t want to perform a miracle?” It is not you that performs the miracle; it is God performing it through you and because of you asking in Jesus’ name. “But I am afraid to do something in front of somebody.” The Bible says in Luke 9:26 – “26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” Yes it is a shame to be afraid to do a work for the Lord by yourself. We need some Elijah’s to rise up from our church to proclaim the victory in this world so they can be saved. Yes, you will be alone. Yes, they are going to outnumber you. Yes, it is going to seem like you are the only one trying to change things. But guess what? Faith can move a mountain like it says in Matthew 17:20 – “20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Just imagine what sound, what action this mountain would make if it were to move. It would be a rumbling, and earth quaking experience. That is just our faith! Jesus says in the next verse 21 – “21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Guess what is more powerful than faith? Prayer creates a shaking, quaking, rumbling, shattering affect. 120 people prayed until a rushing mighty wind came storming in and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and it was noised abroad so much that at least 3,000 souls heard it.
But we’re not talking about a bunch of people together, because it is so easy to shout and cry and speak in tongues when everyone else is doing it. What about when we are by ourselves? We already mentioned Elijah; lets find some more examples of 1 person making a rumbling impact through prayer. Jacob, when he was by himself, wrestled with an angel of the Lord until he got a blessing. The result, the nation of Israel was named after him in Genesis 32:24-28. Moses, by himself, went to the top of Mount Sinai and prayed with God almost face to face and there was thundering, lightning, the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain was smoking. The result, God wrote the Ten Commandments and Moses was the chosen leader to give the whole nation of Israel this covenant in Exodus 20:18. In Joshua 24:15, Joshua, by himself, decided that him and his household were going to serve the Lord, even if he was the only one around that was going to. In 1 Samuel 17:45 – “45Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defiled.” The Israelite army did not back up David, he was by himself. Or was he? Notice that he said that he came to Goliath in the name of the Lord, not in David’s name, nor in the name of Israel.
So we know that he wasn’t by himself. Let’s just imagine for a second if he had tried to come against Goliath in the name of Israel or in the name of David. Okay, that’s enough. It definitely would not have been pretty. He came in the name of the Lord and beat Goliath without getting a scratch on his body. So did David’s faith in God and answered prayer make any kind of affect? Well, the Philistine army sure did make a rumbling when they tried to run from the Israelite army after David chopped off Goliath’s head in victory.
So in closing, if you ever feel that you are alone in whatever you are doing for the Lord, just remember that if you have faith that God is with you all the time, and you continually, diligently, and fervently pray to Him to make sure, then He will make a rumbling to make that mountain move. Remember, prayer is still right, in a world gone wrong. One lady once said to a pastor, “Some people can be so ignorant sometimes. But if you don’t tell those young people to stop shouting and yelling at the top of their voices when they pray, then I’m going to have to leave.” Lady, if you were ever in Peter’s shoes when he was walking on the water to Jesus and he began to sink because he saw the storm and the waves about to hit him, you would be just like those young people are right now when Peter CRIED, “Lord, save me!”
Sometimes it seems as if we are the only one around serving the Lord. Whether it be at school, at work, or even in our own homes, there is sometimes the feeling of “why am I the only one around who thinks and believes that the things that are going on around this world are wrong?” or “why am I the only one who realizes the truth that Jesus is the One True God?” Whatever the situation is, or whatever your thoughts are, don’t let them bring you down. Stand up for what you believe in like Elijah did. Don’t follow the majority of the town that follows Baal.
Even if you are the only one around serving the Lord, you can still accomplish something great for Him just like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:20-40. Don’t think that you have to have a bunch of Holy Ghost anointed preachers around to perform a miracle. If Elijah can win 450 prophets of Baal to the Lord and not have the Holy Ghost, how much more able do you think you can win souls when you do have the Holy Ghost? And don’t think that miracles don’t exist anymore, because it says in John 14:13 – “13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” So if you ask it in Jesus’ name it will happen, it doesn’t matter if it is just you or a whole church full of people.
If you think, “what if I don’t want to perform a miracle?” It is not you that performs the miracle; it is God performing it through you and because of you asking in Jesus’ name. “But I am afraid to do something in front of somebody.” The Bible says in Luke 9:26 – “26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” Yes it is a shame to be afraid to do a work for the Lord by yourself. We need some Elijah’s to rise up from our church to proclaim the victory in this world so they can be saved. Yes, you will be alone. Yes, they are going to outnumber you. Yes, it is going to seem like you are the only one trying to change things. But guess what? Faith can move a mountain like it says in Matthew 17:20 – “20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Just imagine what sound, what action this mountain would make if it were to move. It would be a rumbling, and earth quaking experience. That is just our faith! Jesus says in the next verse 21 – “21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Guess what is more powerful than faith? Prayer creates a shaking, quaking, rumbling, shattering affect. 120 people prayed until a rushing mighty wind came storming in and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and it was noised abroad so much that at least 3,000 souls heard it.
But we’re not talking about a bunch of people together, because it is so easy to shout and cry and speak in tongues when everyone else is doing it. What about when we are by ourselves? We already mentioned Elijah; lets find some more examples of 1 person making a rumbling impact through prayer. Jacob, when he was by himself, wrestled with an angel of the Lord until he got a blessing. The result, the nation of Israel was named after him in Genesis 32:24-28. Moses, by himself, went to the top of Mount Sinai and prayed with God almost face to face and there was thundering, lightning, the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain was smoking. The result, God wrote the Ten Commandments and Moses was the chosen leader to give the whole nation of Israel this covenant in Exodus 20:18. In Joshua 24:15, Joshua, by himself, decided that him and his household were going to serve the Lord, even if he was the only one around that was going to. In 1 Samuel 17:45 – “45Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defiled.” The Israelite army did not back up David, he was by himself. Or was he? Notice that he said that he came to Goliath in the name of the Lord, not in David’s name, nor in the name of Israel.
So we know that he wasn’t by himself. Let’s just imagine for a second if he had tried to come against Goliath in the name of Israel or in the name of David. Okay, that’s enough. It definitely would not have been pretty. He came in the name of the Lord and beat Goliath without getting a scratch on his body. So did David’s faith in God and answered prayer make any kind of affect? Well, the Philistine army sure did make a rumbling when they tried to run from the Israelite army after David chopped off Goliath’s head in victory.
So in closing, if you ever feel that you are alone in whatever you are doing for the Lord, just remember that if you have faith that God is with you all the time, and you continually, diligently, and fervently pray to Him to make sure, then He will make a rumbling to make that mountain move. Remember, prayer is still right, in a world gone wrong. One lady once said to a pastor, “Some people can be so ignorant sometimes. But if you don’t tell those young people to stop shouting and yelling at the top of their voices when they pray, then I’m going to have to leave.” Lady, if you were ever in Peter’s shoes when he was walking on the water to Jesus and he began to sink because he saw the storm and the waves about to hit him, you would be just like those young people are right now when Peter CRIED, “Lord, save me!”
