We Can Do It Also
The sermon emphasizes that, like Elijah, we can achieve great things through faith and trust in God despite our human limitations.
Theodore Epp emphasizes that Elijah, despite being a man of like passions and nature as us, achieved great things through his unwavering faith in God. He reminds us that Elijah's accomplishments are attainable for us today if we trust in God and seek Him earnestly. Epp encourages believers to recognize their shared humanity with Elijah, highlighting that we can also seek God's will and strength in our lives. He reassures us that just as Elijah walked with God, we too have the privilege to do so and can rely on God's promises to empower us. The sermon calls us to believe in our potential to fulfill God's calling in our lives.
Text
James 5:16-18
The Bible says Elijah was a man subject to like passions, or as another translation says it, "A man of like nature" (James 5:17, RSV). God permits us to see where Elijah failed so that we need not think we are dealing with a perfect man. He was human just as we are; what sets him apart from most of us is that he fully believed God.
What Elijah accomplished is possible to us today if God should call us to such a ministry and if we will believe and trust Him for it. It is true that we know nothing of Elijah's family background or of his life before his public ministry began. He appeared suddenly, and he went away suddenly. Yet he was a man who had the same fallen nature that we have; he was subject to temptations similar to ours; he faced the same tests and trials that all humans face. He walked with the same God we have the privilege of walking with. He sought the Lord for the same things that you and I seek Him for. We may seek the Lord as Elijah did, for our Saviour made God's will very plain: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). The Apostle Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13).
"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27).
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to Elijah's humanity
- Understanding our common struggles
- The importance of belief in God
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II
- Elijah's sudden appearance and ministry
- The significance of his faith
- Lessons from Elijah's life
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III
- The call to ministry today
- Trusting God for our own challenges
- The power of prayer and seeking God
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IV
- The role of Christ in our strength
- Encouragement from scripture
- Application of Elijah's example
Key Quotes
“Elijah was a man subject to like passions.” — Theodore Epp
“What sets him apart from most of us is that he fully believed God.” — Theodore Epp
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- Believe in God's ability to work through you, just as He did with Elijah.
- Engage in prayer as a means to seek God's guidance and strength.
- Recognize that your struggles are shared by many, and God can empower you to overcome them.