[sermon]: Going Higher (part 41) – Pastor E.A Adeboye

R.C.C.G Special Sunday Service; Going Higher (part 41) – Pastor Adeboye

Topic: Going Higher (part 41)

Text: 1 Kings 18: 43-44

Elijah's servant found the promise of rain at the seventh try.

Why must God wait till the seventh time before He answers?

▪︎God is sovereign.

Psalm 115:3, Daniel 4: 34-35, Deut. 32:39, Romans 9: 10-14, Isaiah 43:19; 54: 16-17

In His sovereignty, He controls numbers:

1. He reserved number 1 for Himself. Deut. 6:4, Exodus 3: 13-14

+ Number 1 tells us the power of unity. When people are united, they become as God. Genesis 11:6

2. Number 2 is the number of cooperation.

Ecclesiastes 4:9, Matthew 18:19-20, Genesis 2:24

3. Number 3 is the number of the Trinity. Matthew 28:19

The number stands for

+ establishment,

+ stability,

+ firmly settled.

Ecclesiastes 4:12, Acts 10:38

4. Number 4 is the number of pillars and boundaries.

Genesis 13: 14-15

5. Number 5 is the number of grace - help you don't really deserve.

Genesis 6: 1-8, Ephesians 2: 4-9, John 6:44

• Grace brought you to Christ.

6. Number 6 is the number of man.

• Man was made on the sixth day. Genesis 1: 26-31

• 6 is not a bad number.

• 66 either- the Bible has 66 books

• 666 becomes dangerous because it is man trying to challenge the order of divinity- God's supremacy.

Revelation 13: 11-18

7. Number 7 is the number of perfection and rest.

Genesis 1: 31, 2: 1-3

▪︎ Maybe God was waiting for the prayers of Elijah to be perfect.

▪︎ Because of the sovereignty of God, He chooses when to answer you. It could be the:

+ 1st time. Matt. 14: 22-32

+ 2nd time. Mark 10: 46-52

+ 3rd time. 1 Kings 17: 17-24, 2 Kings 4: 18-37

• Occasionally, God waits for you to pray 7 times.

Joshua 6: 1-20, 2 Kings 5: 1-14.

THE LESSON:

Pray until your request is granted.

Don't count the number of times you've prayed.

Matthew 15: 21-28, John 16:24, 1 Thess. 5:17

• Make sure sin is not the obstruction to your prayers being answered.

Isaiah 59: 1-2

• Sin is an insulator.

It prevents your prayers from reaching God.

It prevents the power of God from manifesting in your life.