1. And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are and for what You do. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. And dear Lord, as I decrease I ask that You would increase.

We thank You, Lord, that our worship and our praise was a sweet smelling savor in Your nostrils today. Father, You said Your Word would not return unto You void. But let it accomplish everything You send it forth to accomplish this day. In Jesus’ holy and blessed Name.

And the people of God said amen. You may be seated in the house of God today.

One of the biggest questions asked by individuals in the body of Christ today is, “What am I called to do?” And the best answer that you and I can possibly receive is that you and I have been called to serve.

Elijah understood that he was called to serve an Almighty God. Because that word “serve” means to worship. He knew that all that he said and all that he did would need to glorify the Father up in heaven.

When we look at Elijah, he was what we call a single-minded prophet. He was committed to God. And when we look at Elijah, how he was committed to God, it challenges us as a people of God that are called by God to also be committed to God. He understood his ministry. He understood what he was called to do.

When we look in the body of Christ today many of us are not sure of our calling. But the Bible says for us to make our calling sure. I got to get to a place that I know that I know that I know that I know that God has called me to whatever it is that He’s called me to.

But the biggest thing that I need to remember is that I have been called to serve. Look at your neighbor and say, “I’m called to serve you.” Serving is what it’s all about in the body of Christ. First you’ve been called to serve God. And then you’ve been called to serve your brothers and sisters. You see, I’m not called to serve myself. You’re not called to serve yourself. We are called to serve God. And we are called to serve one another.

You see, once I understand this concept then I can move on to my calling. Did you hear what I said? Oh, my God. Who am I talking to in this house today? You see, once I understand that concept, then I can move on into my calling. But I can’t move over into my calling if I don’t understand the concept of servanthood.

See, he knew that he was called to serve, serve God, and to serve the people. And therefore, since he understood that, he began to move out in his calling. And he knew that he was not called to comfort anybody. But he was called to confront everybody. He had the ministry of confrontation. He confronted the devil. He confronted those that were serving idol Gods.

You see, God may call you to be a comforter. But every now and then He’ll call somebody to be someone to bring you into confrontation.

See, he had a revelation. And even though sometimes he got into a place where he thought about himself, he still did what God called him to do.

What is it that you’re called to do? Never mind the five-fold, apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist, and teacher. Never mind that today. But do you understand that you’re called to serve? You’re not called just to look good. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today. But you’re called to serve. You’re not called so they can know your name. You’re called to serve. And if you got to be in the background, baby, be the best background person you can possibly be.

He was called to serve. And when I understand that, I don’t have to worry about being raised up. Because He’ll raise me up anyhow.

He brought him forth. And He told him to go to Ahab. And He said to prophesy to Ahab that there is not going to be rain for three years. Ahab was a king that he served an idol God called Baal. He and his wife Jezebel, they worshiped Baal. And they was...

It was thought that Baal was the one that brought rain. So God was trying to prove to Ahab and all of those knuckleheads that were following Ahab that He was a real God in Israel.

He confronted Ahab. Look at your neighbor and say, “I’m going to confront the devil.” He confronted him. He said, “This is what’s going to happen.”

You see, you and I can’t continue to allow the devil to dictate to us what’s going to happen. You see, every now and then you got to look the devil in his ugly face. And you need to tell the devil, “This is what going to happen.”

And so it was that Ahab was, you know, wroth with him. He was upset with him. But God had other business for Elijah to tend to. So He told him to go away. Look at your neighbor and say, “Sometimes I got to go away.”

In verse three he said,

3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

You know, sometimes... Listen very carefully. Sometimes after you confront the devil God will hide you from the devil. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me. You see, sometimes we think that we got all this power. We got all this strength all the time. But sometimes when you confront the devil, you got to go back to your hiding place, so God can fill you up all over again and prepare you for another confrontation. Oh, my God, my God.

See, you and I were not made to confront him all the time. You see, that’s our problem sometimes. We confront the devil so much. And we never go back to that place, that secret place of the Most High, so He can rejuvenate us again.

The devil stands there waiting for you to come back. But if you have not replenished that supply of power that has been placed in you, you going to wind up getting beat down and beat up. And you going to want to go back home. You better clap your hands in this house today.

So when Elijah walked into the presence of the Baal worshiping king, and told him there would be no rain for three years, I’m sure that this king was shocked. Ahab had built a strong military defense. But it would be no help against the drought. He had many priests of Baal. But they could not bring forth any rain.

You see, that should have told him something, that, “Maybe I’m serving the wrong god. Maybe this god Baal is not all he’s cracked up to be.” He had many priests. And he had many false prophets. But none of them could get rain to come down from the clouds.

Elijah bravely confronted the man who led the people into evil. And he told of a power greater than any pagan God. He bravely confronted him.

You see, you and I can’t confront the devil if we got a spirit of fear in us. Because he is the one that brings forth fear. So if you got fear in you, he already knows what you got in you before you try to confront him.

He confronted him. If you don’t have several revelations, then your confrontation is in vain. If you don’t know that you’re called to serve God, and you don’t know that you’re called to serve His people, when you confront that devil, your confrontation is in vain.

He confronted him. He confronted him.

Look at your Bibles in verse four. Glory to God.

4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

Now look at verse ten and eleven.

10. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

In a nation that was required by law to care for its prophets, isn’t it so ironic that God turned to ravens to feed the man of God? Ravens were considered to be unclean birds. And then after he caused the ravens to feed him, he even made a foreign woman to feed him that was in the kingdom of Ahab and Jezebel.

You see, when you are a servant of the Lord, you don’t know how He going to bless you. But all you got to know is that He’s going to bless you.

See, when you serve God, God will take care of you. But if you serving yourself, you going to have to take care of yourself.

See, when you’re serving God, you can’t put God in a box and tell Him how you want Him to bless. Hey. Glory to God. Anywhere You want to bless me, Lord, I’ll be satisfied.

He didn’t dictate to God what he wanted. God dictated to him the way it was going to be.

If you are His servant, He will take care of you. But you and I have got to let Him take care of us the way He wants to take care of us.

His blessings, his provision came from unexpected sources. You see, when you are a servant of God, your blessing and your provision is going to come from unexpected places. Do you hear what I’m saying today?

See, you thought it was going to be this way. But God done came around the corner this way. He said, “My ways are not your ways. And My thoughts are not your thoughts.” He said, “I’m going to do it the way I want to do it. There’s still a side of Me that you ain’t seen yet.”

He took care of him. Because Elijah knew that he was called to serve. He understood that concept. See, our definitions and our concepts a lot of times of the way things should be, a lot of times are man-made. And you see, when you are a spiritual person, because you deal with a divine God, and you belong to Him, when you commit yourself to Him... Because after that the Bible says that you’re not your own. You been bought with a price. So why do we continue to be our own?

Our narrow expectations don’t leave room for God to be God. We say we want Him to be God. But in order for God to be God, God need a big space, because He’s a big God. He doesn’t come through that just little narrow space that we try to get Him to come through or give Him to come through. He wants to come how He wants to come.

We find provisions as servants of God in strange places. As a man of God Elijah walked by faith. And when we look at what faith is, faith is the step between the promise and the assurance. It’s that step that I take between the promise that has been promised to me and the assurance that I shall attain it.

And it was all working through his obedience. See, a good servant is an obedient servant. I need to say that again. A good servant is an obedient servant.

Even Joseph, when he went into that room where the king’s wife was, Joseph was a good servant. Not only was he a good servant to God, but he was a good servant up under that man. And just because he was a good servant did not mean that the devil was not going to attack him. Somebody need to hear this today. Hello, somebody.

See, a lot of times we thing because we’re a good servant that the devil don’t have (glory to God) no room to attack us, and he can’t touch us. I beg to differ with that today. God’s going to leave room. He’s going to say, “Have you tried my servant Shirley?” Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today, but I’m going to preach anyway.

And even though Joseph was a good servant, when the devil offered him something that he knew that he could not have, he turned around and went the other way.

Even though you’re a good servant, the devil is still going to attack you. The Bible said that he was thrown in the dungeon. “But what did I do, Lord? I’m a good servant. I come to church faithfully.” You don’t want to talk to me.

“I sing in the choir. I preach in the pulpit. I play the keyboard. I play the drums. I dance before You. Why, Lord? Why me, why me, why me? Why me, Lord? Why me? Why me?” Look at your neighbor and say, “Why not you?”

Elijah understood the God he served. But that did not mean that he was perfect. You see, a lot of times when you have a powerful anointing on your life, you think that you supposed to be all alone. But the... Even the world says no man is a island, and no man stands alone. They even understand that you can’t do nothing all by yourself.

In chapter nineteen. Go there with me. Verse nine and ten.

9. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10. And he said, I have been very jealous...

Listen at him very eloquently speaking. And He said,

10. I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, (There’s his mistake right there. And then he went on to say again) even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

You see, Elijah chose to carry out his ministry by himself. Come on. Talk to me today. And because of this, now that he was in this hard place, he was feeling isolated. Even Jesus sent them out two by two. Surely there was somebody that could have done it with him, that could have just been with him.

The Lord had to quickly correct him and say, “Uh, uh, uh, uh. No, no, no, no. I got seven thousand others that have not bowed their knee to Baal.”

You may think you’re doing it all by yourself. But God got many others that are faithful just like you are faithful. You’re not the only faithful one. Who am I preaching to today? He got many more just like you. Because He don’t want you to get the big head. Look at your neighbor and say, “Don’t get the big head now.”

He said, “I got many others like you.” So if God was saying to him, “I got many others like you,” that meant that they had kindred spirits. There were kindred spirits all around him. But he chose to do that thing all by himself.

Surely somebody agreed with him and agreed with his word and his ministry and his labor of love that he was showing. Surely there was somebody, Minister John. Surely there’s somebody that’s called to serve and understand servanthood like you understand. Surely in the body of Christ there’s somebody, Elder Tucker. Somebody somewhere that wants to see the Kingdom prosper the way you want to see it prosper.

God confronted Elijah’s emotions. You see, when you begin to get beside yourself because you’re walking in self... God may have called you to confront. But let me tell you something. He’ll confront you. He’ll shake you up and say, “Who you think you are? Last time I checked that throne got My Name written on it. I am that I am.”

He had to get him back straight about his calling to serve. And sometimes we as pastors and leaders have to get us back straight about what are we really called to do. I’m called to serve in any capacity that I’m needed to serve in.

Whether I need to clean the toilets. Whether I... Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today. Whether I need to vacuum the floor. If I need to wash the windows. Let me wash the... Oh, come on. Talk to me today. I’m called to serve. Called to serve.

When I understand that I can be that apostle He called me to be. I can be that mouthpiece that He called me to be. I can be that shepherd He’s called to me to be. I can be that sent one that He’s called me to be. I can be that one that teaches you and brings you up (glory to God) into the unity of the faith that He’s called me to be.

You’re called to serve. You’re called to serve. And when I understand that then the other calling I can walk in it. But if I don’t understand that, ain’t no need of me saying I’m a bishop; I’m Bishop Abernathy. If I don’t know how to serve you, then I ain’t nobody’s bishop. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today. If I don’t know how to serve you, I ain’t nobody’s pastor.

Servanthood is what you and I are called to. Whether God uses me mightily or what it seems I’m doing is so mediocre that nobody’s taking notice of me, and they just walking by me, and don’t even notice that I’m there. But if I’m doing it for the Kingdom of God, God is recognizing it.

See, that very one that nobody recognizes the very one He’s saying, “That’s my son in whom I’m well pleased.” Come on. Talk to me today.

We’re called to serve, however, whenever, wherever He wants us to. I know you got a power, calling on you, anointing on you. But see, I watch. I see that anointing that’s bubbling up in you. But I want to know if you really know how to serve. Do you want folks to just know your name around the city and around the world? What do you really want? Who are you?

You don’t even try to get your name out there. God will get your name out there. They’ll be talking about you all over the city, all over the state. Do you hear what I’m saying? They’ll be talking about you in other states. They’ll be talking about you in the uttermost parts of the world. You won’t know them. But they’ll walk up to you and say, “How you doing?”

And you’ll say, “Who are you?”

They’ll say, “Well, I’m somebody that heard about you.”

“Well, who did you heard about me through?”

“Well, so and so told so and so. And then they told so and so. And...” Oh, my God. Who am I preaching to today? Are you a servant in the house of the Lord? Hey. Glory to God. I feel Jesus in this place today.

Are you a servant? Do you have a heart to serve? The Bible said that David had a heart after God’s. And I said, “Lord why?” Even though David committed sin just like everybody else the Bible still said he had a heart after God’s heart. Because he knew how to serve God. Remember that word “serve” means to worship. He knew how to worship God. He knew how to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. When things were going right, when things were going wrong, he understood servanthood. In the Name of Jesus. Come on. Give God a handclap of praise in this house today.

If you would, turn in your Bibles with me to the book of First Kings chapter seventeen. First Kings chapter seventeen. When you reach the book of First Kings chapter seventeen, please stand for the reading of the Word today. First Kings chapter seventeen. And if you’re there, say amen. Look at verse one. It said,

1. And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are and for what You do. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. And dear Lord, as I decrease I ask that You would increase.

We thank You, Lord, that our worship and our praise was a sweet smelling savor in Your nostrils today. Father, You said Your Word would not return unto You void. But let it accomplish everything You send it forth to accomplish this day. In Jesus’ holy and blessed Name.

And the people of God said amen. You may be seated in the house of God today.

One of the biggest questions asked by individuals in the body of Christ today is, “What am I called to do?” And the best answer that you and I can possibly receive is that you and I have been called to serve.

Elijah understood that he was called to serve an Almighty God. Because that word “serve” means to worship. He knew that all that he said and all that he did would need to glorify the Father up in heaven.

When we look at Elijah, he was what we call a single-minded prophet. He was committed to God. And when we look at Elijah, how he was committed to God, it challenges us as a people of God that are called by God to also be committed to God. He understood his ministry. He understood what he was called to do.

When we look in the body of Christ today many of us are not sure of our calling. But the Bible says for us to make our calling sure. I got to get to a place that I know that I know that I know that I know that God has called me to whatever it is that He’s called me to.

But the biggest thing that I need to remember is that I have been called to serve. Look at your neighbor and say, “I’m called to serve you.” Serving is what it’s all about in the body of Christ. First you’ve been called to serve God. And then you’ve been called to serve your brothers and sisters. You see, I’m not called to serve myself. You’re not called to serve yourself. We are called to serve God. And we are called to serve one another.

You see, once I understand this concept then I can move on to my calling. Did you hear what I said? Oh, my God. Who am I talking to in this house today? You see, once I understand that concept, then I can move on into my calling. But I can’t move over into my calling if I don’t understand the concept of servanthood.

See, he knew that he was called to serve, serve God, and to serve the people. And therefore, since he understood that, he began to move out in his calling. And he knew that he was not called to comfort anybody. But he was called to confront everybody. He had the ministry of confrontation. He confronted the devil. He confronted those that were serving idol Gods.

You see, God may call you to be a comforter. But every now and then He’ll call somebody to be someone to bring you into confrontation.

See, he had a revelation. And even though sometimes he got into a place where he thought about himself, he still did what God called him to do.

What is it that you’re called to do? Never mind the five-fold, apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist, and teacher. Never mind that today. But do you understand that you’re called to serve? You’re not called just to look good. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today. But you’re called to serve. You’re not called so they can know your name. You’re called to serve. And if you got to be in the background, baby, be the best background person you can possibly be.

He was called to serve. And when I understand that, I don’t have to worry about being raised up. Because He’ll raise me up anyhow.

He brought him forth. And He told him to go to Ahab. And He said to prophesy to Ahab that there is not going to be rain for three years. Ahab was a king that he served an idol God called Baal. He and his wife Jezebel, they worshiped Baal. And they was...

It was thought that Baal was the one that brought rain. So God was trying to prove to Ahab and all of those knuckleheads that were following Ahab that He was a real God in Israel.

He confronted Ahab. Look at your neighbor and say, “I’m going to confront the devil.” He confronted him. He said, “This is what’s going to happen.”

You see, you and I can’t continue to allow the devil to dictate to us what’s going to happen. You see, every now and then you got to look the devil in his ugly face. And you need to tell the devil, “This is what going to happen.”

And so it was that Ahab was, you know, wroth with him. He was upset with him. But God had other business for Elijah to tend to. So He told him to go away. Look at your neighbor and say, “Sometimes I got to go away.”

In verse three he said,

3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

You know, sometimes... Listen very carefully. Sometimes after you confront the devil God will hide you from the devil. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me. You see, sometimes we think that we got all this power. We got all this strength all the time. But sometimes when you confront the devil, you got to go back to your hiding place, so God can fill you up all over again and prepare you for another confrontation. Oh, my God, my God.

See, you and I were not made to confront him all the time. You see, that’s our problem sometimes. We confront the devil so much. And we never go back to that place, that secret place of the Most High, so He can rejuvenate us again.

The devil stands there waiting for you to come back. But if you have not replenished that supply of power that has been placed in you, you going to wind up getting beat down and beat up. And you going to want to go back home. You better clap your hands in this house today.

So when Elijah walked into the presence of the Baal worshiping king, and told him there would be no rain for three years, I’m sure that this king was shocked. Ahab had built a strong military defense. But it would be no help against the drought. He had many priests of Baal. But they could not bring forth any rain.

You see, that should have told him something, that, “Maybe I’m serving the wrong god. Maybe this god Baal is not all he’s cracked up to be.” He had many priests. And he had many false prophets. But none of them could get rain to come down from the clouds.

Elijah bravely confronted the man who led the people into evil. And he told of a power greater than any pagan God. He bravely confronted him.

You see, you and I can’t confront the devil if we got a spirit of fear in us. Because he is the one that brings forth fear. So if you got fear in you, he already knows what you got in you before you try to confront him.

He confronted him. If you don’t have several revelations, then your confrontation is in vain. If you don’t know that you’re called to serve God, and you don’t know that you’re called to serve His people, when you confront that devil, your confrontation is in vain.

He confronted him. He confronted him.

Look at your Bibles in verse four. Glory to God.

4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

Now look at verse ten and eleven.

10. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

In a nation that was required by law to care for its prophets, isn’t it so ironic that God turned to ravens to feed the man of God? Ravens were considered to be unclean birds. And then after he caused the ravens to feed him, he even made a foreign woman to feed him that was in the kingdom of Ahab and Jezebel.

You see, when you are a servant of the Lord, you don’t know how He going to bless you. But all you got to know is that He’s going to bless you.

See, when you serve God, God will take care of you. But if you serving yourself, you going to have to take care of yourself.

See, when you’re serving God, you can’t put God in a box and tell Him how you want Him to bless. Hey. Glory to God. Anywhere You want to bless me, Lord, I’ll be satisfied.

He didn’t dictate to God what he wanted. God dictated to him the way it was going to be.

If you are His servant, He will take care of you. But you and I have got to let Him take care of us the way He wants to take care of us.

His blessings, his provision came from unexpected sources. You see, when you are a servant of God, your blessing and your provision is going to come from unexpected places. Do you hear what I’m saying today?

See, you thought it was going to be this way. But God done came around the corner this way. He said, “My ways are not your ways. And My thoughts are not your thoughts.” He said, “I’m going to do it the way I want to do it. There’s still a side of Me that you ain’t seen yet.”

He took care of him. Because Elijah knew that he was called to serve. He understood that concept. See, our definitions and our concepts a lot of times of the way things should be, a lot of times are man-made. And you see, when you are a spiritual person, because you deal with a divine God, and you belong to Him, when you commit yourself to Him... Because after that the Bible says that you’re not your own. You been bought with a price. So why do we continue to be our own?

Our narrow expectations don’t leave room for God to be God. We say we want Him to be God. But in order for God to be God, God need a big space, because He’s a big God. He doesn’t come through that just little narrow space that we try to get Him to come through or give Him to come through. He wants to come how He wants to come.

We find provisions as servants of God in strange places. As a man of God Elijah walked by faith. And when we look at what faith is, faith is the step between the promise and the assurance. It’s that step that I take between the promise that has been promised to me and the assurance that I shall attain it.

And it was all working through his obedience. See, a good servant is an obedient servant. I need to say that again. A good servant is an obedient servant.

Even Joseph, when he went into that room where the king’s wife was, Joseph was a good servant. Not only was he a good servant to God, but he was a good servant up under that man. And just because he was a good servant did not mean that the devil was not going to attack him. Somebody need to hear this today. Hello, somebody.

See, a lot of times we thing because we’re a good servant that the devil don’t have (glory to God) no room to attack us, and he can’t touch us. I beg to differ with that today. God’s going to leave room. He’s going to say, “Have you tried my servant Shirley?” Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today, but I’m going to preach anyway.

And even though Joseph was a good servant, when the devil offered him something that he knew that he could not have, he turned around and went the other way.

Even though you’re a good servant, the devil is still going to attack you. The Bible said that he was thrown in the dungeon. “But what did I do, Lord? I’m a good servant. I come to church faithfully.” You don’t want to talk to me.

“I sing in the choir. I preach in the pulpit. I play the keyboard. I play the drums. I dance before You. Why, Lord? Why me, why me, why me? Why me, Lord? Why me? Why me?” Look at your neighbor and say, “Why not you?”

Elijah understood the God he served. But that did not mean that he was perfect. You see, a lot of times when you have a powerful anointing on your life, you think that you supposed to be all alone. But the... Even the world says no man is a island, and no man stands alone. They even understand that you can’t do nothing all by yourself.

In chapter nineteen. Go there with me. Verse nine and ten.

9. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10. And he said, I have been very jealous...

Listen at him very eloquently speaking. And He said,

10. I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, (There’s his mistake right there. And then he went on to say again) even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

You see, Elijah chose to carry out his ministry by himself. Come on. Talk to me today. And because of this, now that he was in this hard place, he was feeling isolated. Even Jesus sent them out two by two. Surely there was somebody that could have done it with him, that could have just been with him.

The Lord had to quickly correct him and say, “Uh, uh, uh, uh. No, no, no, no. I got seven thousand others that have not bowed their knee to Baal.”

You may think you’re doing it all by yourself. But God got many others that are faithful just like you are faithful. You’re not the only faithful one. Who am I preaching to today? He got many more just like you. Because He don’t want you to get the big head. Look at your neighbor and say, “Don’t get the big head now.”

He said, “I got many others like you.” So if God was saying to him, “I got many others like you,” that meant that they had kindred spirits. There were kindred spirits all around him. But he chose to do that thing all by himself.

Surely somebody agreed with him and agreed with his word and his ministry and his labor of love that he was showing. Surely there was somebody, Minister John. Surely there’s somebody that’s called to serve and understand servanthood like you understand. Surely in the body of Christ there’s somebody, Elder Tucker. Somebody somewhere that wants to see the Kingdom prosper the way you want to see it prosper.

God confronted Elijah’s emotions. You see, when you begin to get beside yourself because you’re walking in self... God may have called you to confront. But let me tell you something. He’ll confront you. He’ll shake you up and say, “Who you think you are? Last time I checked that throne got My Name written on it. I am that I am.”

He had to get him back straight about his calling to serve. And sometimes we as pastors and leaders have to get us back straight about what are we really called to do. I’m called to serve in any capacity that I’m needed to serve in.

Whether I need to clean the toilets. Whether I... Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today. Whether I need to vacuum the floor. If I need to wash the windows. Let me wash the... Oh, come on. Talk to me today. I’m called to serve. Called to serve.

When I understand that I can be that apostle He called me to be. I can be that mouthpiece that He called me to be. I can be that shepherd He’s called to me to be. I can be that sent one that He’s called me to be. I can be that one that teaches you and brings you up (glory to God) into the unity of the faith that He’s called me to be.

You’re called to serve. You’re called to serve. And when I understand that then the other calling I can walk in it. But if I don’t understand that, ain’t no need of me saying I’m a bishop; I’m Bishop Abernathy. If I don’t know how to serve you, then I ain’t nobody’s bishop. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me today. If I don’t know how to serve you, I ain’t nobody’s pastor.

Servanthood is what you and I are called to. Whether God uses me mightily or what it seems I’m doing is so mediocre that nobody’s taking notice of me, and they just walking by me, and don’t even notice that I’m there. But if I’m doing it for the Kingdom of God, God is recognizing it.

See, that very one that nobody recognizes the very one He’s saying, “That’s my son in whom I’m well pleased.” Come on. Talk to me today.

We’re called to serve, however, whenever, wherever He wants us to. I know you got a power, calling on you, anointing on you. But see, I watch. I see that anointing that’s bubbling up in you. But I want to know if you really know how to serve. Do you want folks to just know your name around the city and around the world? What do you really want? Who are you?

You don’t even try to get your name out there. God will get your name out there. They’ll be talking about you all over the city, all over the state. Do you hear what I’m saying? They’ll be talking about you in other states. They’ll be talking about you in the uttermost parts of the world. You won’t know them. But they’ll walk up to you and say, “How you doing?”

And you’ll say, “Who are you?”

They’ll say, “Well, I’m somebody that heard about you.”

“Well, who did you heard about me through?”

“Well, so and so told so and so. And then they told so and so. And...” Oh, my God. Who am I preaching to today? Are you a servant in the house of the Lord? Hey. Glory to God. I feel Jesus in this place today.

Are you a servant? Do you have a heart to serve? The Bible said that David had a heart after God’s. And I said, “Lord why?” Even though David committed sin just like everybody else the Bible still said he had a heart after God’s heart. Because he knew how to serve God. Remember that word “serve” means to worship. He knew how to worship God. He knew how to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. When things were going right, when things were going wrong, he understood servanthood. In the Name of Jesus. Come on. Give God a handclap of praise in this house today.