Can You Hear The Sound?

Preacher: Pastor Ayo Fatokun
Tweets: #PstAyoFatokun

There is a sound of the abundance of rain! Can you hear that sound? As we journey into this message, I want you to ponder on hearing the sound, not the abundance of rain. According to 1 Kings 18:1-46, there are five categories of people on Mount Camel:

1. The Crowd (The people of Israel). These are deceived and immature people. Several of whom are undecided and most unsure of God. The majority were unbelieving, and were neither here nor there. 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people and said, How long are you limping over two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
2. The Prophets of Baal. These were satanic agent; all demon possessed and controlled. There were given to deception; leading the people of God to go outside His service to idols. There believed in what they were doing and sold out to it. 1 Kings 18:19-20 And now send and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table. And Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
3. King Ahab. An anointed king set by God over the people but backslided, turned away from Him and sold himself to doing evil. 1 Kings 18:17-18 And it happened when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Are you he that troubles Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and you have followed the Baals.
4. Elijah’s Servant. He was just a regular Christian; had no faith and simply moved by sight. He only believed what he saw. He must have grumbled after the third or fourth time Elijah asked him to observe the sky for the formation of the clouds. In his heart, he would have questioned Elijah in this manner: can’t you see God isn’t going to answer your prayer? Can’t you see you made a mistake saying you heard the sound of rain?  Don’t you know you were going to disgrace yourself when you should have kept your mouth shut? After the seventh time of reluctant observation, he came announcing the hand full of cloud formed. Many Christians today are like him¾regular church going Christians. 1 Kings 18:43-44 And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, Nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it happened at the seventh time, he said, Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Bind up and go down, so that the rain does not stop you.
5. Prophet Elijah (The Man of God). He was a faithful believer. He was committed to God and His things. Consistent in His work and fellowship with God. He was prayerful, full of faith, importunate and wouldn’t give up. He was sure of his God that He will deliver in time of need. He was full of faith, kept at it and was never afraid. 1 Kings 18:41-42 And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, because of the sound of plenty of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. And he threw himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.

1 Kings 18:46 And the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah. And he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

What Is Faith?

The dictionary defined faith as confidence or trust in a person or thing. Other write-ups state it is a belief that is not based on proof. Also, it is the belief in God, in a person or thing. But the bible defined faith as “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen – Heb 11:1”. Prophet Elijah had this kind of faith. Amidst dryness, he claimed he heard the sound of abundance of rain. He alone could see rain in a three and half year of drought. Faith is not a physical hearing; rather, a spiritual hearing of the rumbling and gathering of the clouds beyond the sight of ordinary men.

The other four categories of men couldn’t hear the sound of the rain for the following reasons:

1. They had broken fellowship with God. 1 Kings 16:30-33 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of Jehovah above all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he also took Jezebel, the daughter of Eth-baal king of the Sidonians, for a wife. And he went and served Baal, and worshiped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. And Ahab did more to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
2. They didn’t know who was God. They had lost touch of Him. They worshipped Baal. You can’t serve two God nor masters at same time. Exo 20:5 You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them. For I Jehovah your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those that hate me.
   Mat 6:24 No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Elijah heard the sound of abundance of rain for the following reasons:

1. Prophet Elijah had consistent fellowship with the Lord. He could make an open boast of his God. 1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As Jehovah, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word.
   1 Kings 18:15 And Elijah said, As Jehovah of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely be seen by him today.
2. Prophet Elijah heard from God clearly.  1 Kings 18:1 And it happened after many days the Word of Jehovah came to Elijah in the third year saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab. And I will send rain on the earth.
   John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
3. Prophet Elijah believed God. 1 Kings 18:36-37 And it happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word. Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that You are Jehovah God, and that You have turned their heart back again.
4. Prophet Elijah was zealous for God and His things.  1 Kings 17:1  And Elijah the Tishbite, of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As Jehovah, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word.

1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down to the torrent Kishon and killed them there.

1 Kings 18:22 And Elijah said to the people, I, I alone, remain a prophet of Jehovah. But Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

What Did Prophet Elijah Do To Call The People Back To God?

1. He called them to repent and commit themselves to God. 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people and said, How long are you limping over two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
2. He rebuilt the altar of God. 1 Kings 18:30 And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the broken down altar of Jehovah.
3. He removed evil from their midst. 1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down to the torrent Kishon and killed them there.

Deu 13:5 The false prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

Mat 13:40-42 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

4.      He prayed until something happened. 1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. And he threw himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
5.      His faith did not waver. 1 Kings 18:43 And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 

To hear the sound of an abundance of rain, you will need to do the following:

1. Repent. This is not the repentance of sin alone but of your wrong attitude and disposition to God.
2. Cleanse your heart. James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, double-minded ones.
3. Rebuild your altar. Your altar is the fellowship you have with God which your are supposed to maintain on a regular basis. Ezra 3:2-3 Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak with his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family began to rebuild the altar of the God of Israel so they could sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the law of Moses, the man of God. Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they immediately began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD. They did this each morning and evening.
4. Remove evil from your midst. 2 Chron 7:14  Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.
5. Maintain a vibrant, active and on-going relationship with God. Gen 5:22-24 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived another 300 years in close fellowship with God, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years in all. He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life. Then suddenly, he disappeared because God took him.
6. Maintain a life-style of prayer. Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Luke 6:12 One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.
7. Open your ear to hear and your heart to receive from God. 1 Sam 3:8-9  The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

CONCLUSION

I want you to ponder who and where are you in this mix (the five categories of people on Mount Camel). The fact that you come to church doesn’t make you a man like Prophet Elijah. That you come to church doesn’t mean you are not like King Ahab. Your coming to church does not mean that you are not like one of the multitude in Isreal. God is calling out to every one of us to a place of restoration, communion and fellowship.

Josh 24:15-16 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

Josh 24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

Josh 24:24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

God bless you.