Touré Roberts - Go Again

Well, let’s get to it. There’s so much to cover. As I was studying and praying through this, I realized there’s a ton to unpack, and we don’t have a lot of time. But let me begin with what the Holy Spirit has been really impressing upon me regarding you, and that word is persistence. It’s the word persistence because I believe that God wants us to play a part in what He has purposed for us. There is a sentiment, a paradigm, a false belief that God is going to do everything. It’s even interesting in Ephesians 3:20: «Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly far above all that we can ask or imagine.» We often stop there, but the word literally says «according to the power that works in us.» So, we are going to have to become participants in the plan of God concerning our lives. He has really been dealing with me about this. We must learn to throw everything we have at the vision. I feel God on this! If you don’t get anything else I say today, get this: we are going to have to throw everything we have—and even things we don’t have—at the vision that God communicates to us. It’s not going to happen automatically, and God is looking to raise up a persistent people. Yes, you’re going to have to fight for it, work for it, reach for it, stretch for it, and get uncomfortable for it. You will have to become someone you’ve never been before to obtain it.

So, I want us to look at a passage of scripture in 1 Kings, chapter 18, where we will examine three characters. We will see how these three characters had to be persistent in different ways. Are you hearing me? We are going to study these characters because I believe we will embody one of them, and in fact, we may play all of these characters at certain points in our lives. Let’s turn to 1 Kings 18:41. Are we together? It says, «Then Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat, and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.’»

Let me give you a quick backdrop. Ahab is the king of Israel, and their land is in severe famine. They are in big trouble because they stopped following the true and living God and began to give themselves over to convenient idols. I’m not preaching, but I’m going to keep going to provide context. As a result of embracing convenient idols, how many of us know that it’s a sacrifice to serve the true and living God? There are countless things we can serve and bow the knee to out of convenience. I could bow my knee to this executive because it is convenient for my paycheck. Oh, it’s quiet. I could bow my knee to this circumstance because it is convenient for my comfort. But how many of you know that serving God is not always convenient, yet it will always be worth it?

So, anyway, King Ahab, prior to this chapter, has gotten his entire nation into trouble because he stopped serving God. As a result, the famine comes upon the land. Earlier in this chapter, Elijah, who is a prophet of God, has an incredible showdown with all the false prophets who were promoting those convenient gods. He has this powerful confrontation that ultimately proves that the God of Heaven is the true God, and Ahab repents. Now, back to verse 41, please. It reads, «Then Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat, and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.’» Remember, there was a severe famine and no rain, so when he repents, abundance begins to return. But stay with me.

Elijah then says to Ahab, «Go up, eat, and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.» Let’s keep going. Ahab went up to eat and drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. Then he bowed down, placing his face between his knees, and said to his servant, «Go up now, look toward the sea.» The servant went up and looked, then came back saying, «There is nothing.» Seven times, Elijah said, «Go again.» That’s the title today, by the way: Go Again! Just tell your neighbor right now, «Go again.» Just look to them and say, «Go again, go again, go again.»

So, seven times, Elijah instructs his servant to «go again.» Then, it came to pass on the seventh time that he, the servant, said, «There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising out of the sea.» Elijah said, «Go up and say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’» There’s so much here; stay with me! It happened, in the meantime, that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So, Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.