1 Kings 18:41-46
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”
So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, [a]‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45 Now 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.
46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded[b] up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Brandon Rex told a story about a time that he had the desire to open a youth center. He said that he wanted to open a youth center for the kids to be able to go play after school and in the summer when they had nothing to do in Coppers Cove.
In the Greek the word hope means expectation. Expectation of what is sure or certain.
We hope we don't get a headache after being out in the sun to long.
We hope that we get a table at the restaurant.
We hope that we can get the tickets for the next Third Day concert.
We need to expect for something to happen that we ask God for.
Look at Elijah in these set up scriptures in 1 Kings 18 it says that Elijah his servant "Go up now, look toward the sea." So the servant went and looked and said "There is nothing." So Elijah told him to go look 7 times before he say a cloud the size of a man's hand.
When we look at the scriptures we need to notice that Elijah was expecting not hoping.
When we look at verse 44 we see that he even sent his servant to go and tell Ahab to prepare his chariot and god down before the rain stops him. Meaning that his expectation was the rain is coming.
It wasn't just a few scripture before this in 1 Kings 18:20-40 that Elijah was expecting another miracle from God.
This is when he told the people that were serving Baal that they would see who God really is. You remember when he cut up the calf and placed it on the alter and poured water all of the calf, altar, and dug a ditch and filled it with water and prayed to God.
In Acts Chapter 2 when they gathered in the upper room they were expecting. You see Jesus had told them that there would be a comforter sent to help them. When they gathered together they did not hope the there was a comforter coming, but they expected what Jesus had promised and stayed until it was received.
If you are having a problem this morning with fear, anxiety, depression, then you need to expect God to take that away from you and heal your broken heart.
You see Elijah expected God to send down a fire that would start the water soaked sacrifice and that is exactly what He did.
God is looking at you this morning and saying when are you going to quit hoping and start expecting what I have for you.
When Daniel was thrown in the Lion's den he didn't hope that God would help, but he was expecting God to help.
When Moses stood at the Red Sea he wasn't hoping that God would part the water, but he raised his rod expecting a parting of the waters.
When you come to church you should be expecting God to do something great in your life.
If you need a healing in your body then you need to come expecting that healing. And remember that Elijah had to send his servant out 7 times before the cloud appeared. We may have to come before God for our healing many time before God will say I see your faithfulnessor expectation.