OPENING STATEMENT:

Let God be God. Let Him have full authority in your life. Let Him cook!
Why? Because he has the right recipe for your life. His recipe is based on the truth of His Word.

In God’s recipe, He takes everything about you, your personality, your attributes, your character, your talents and your abilities and He mold that into the image of His son – Jesus.

In God’s recipe, He takes your good days as well as your bad ones; He takes your greatest accomplishments as well as your biggest mistakes. Nothing is discarded in His recipe.

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER [AS A PLAN] FOR GOOD for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. (Romans 8:28 AMP)

Only when God is allowed in the kitchen of our lives can we experience this.

FOCUS: What happens when God is no longer allowed to cook, when God has been kicked out of the kitchen of our lives.

Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group.” (2 Kings 4:38 NLT)

• This famine was a natural one but it was also a spiritual one.
• The definition of a spiritual famine is a state of spiritual hunger arising from a failure to experience the presence of God.
• A spiritual Famine is when God has been kicked out of the kitchen of your lives.

Without the bread of His word sustaining you on a daily basis, a spiritual famine will settle in.

• The reason why Elisha was meeting with the prophets, was to intercede on behalf of the people and address this spiritual famine.
• There can never be a natural solution to a spiritual problem.
• Until we see the need for God in our lives, the spiritual famine will remain.

“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land -NOT A FAMINE OF BREAD OR WATER BUT OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD. PEOPLE WILL STAGGER FROM SEA TO SEA AND WANDER FROM BORDER TO BORDER SEARCHING FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD, but they will not find it. (Amos 8:11-12 NLT)

When God is kicked out, the people starve. Not from bread or water from His Word

“One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with A POCKETFUL OF WILD GOURDS. He shredded them and put them into the pot WITHOUT REALIZING THEY WERE POISONOUS.” Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “MAN OF GOD, THERE’S POISON IN THIS STEW!” (2 Kings 4:39-40 NLT)

• By adding the cucumber, he not only messed up the recipe, but it turned into poison.
• When God is kicked out of the kitchen, the enemy steps in. He will alter the recipe.

The solution is: Let God back in the kitchen and let Him cook.

Elisha said, “BRING ME SOME FLOUR.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them. (2 Kings 4:41 NLT)

Here’s how God wants you to fix the stew: You overwhelm the stew with Jesus, the bread of life.

• The flour in the story is symbolic for Christ, the bread of life.
• Only Jesus, the bread of life can remove the curse of death from the pot of life.

RECIPES FROM THE MASTER CHEF

#1: FORGIVENESS AND RESTORATION

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 RESTORE THEIR LAND. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. (2 Chronicles 7:14-15 NLT)

#2 FULLNESS AND SATISFACTION

“For he SATISFIES THE THIRSTY and FILLS THE HUNGRY with good things” (Psalm 107:9 NLT)

#3 GUIDANCE AND STRENGTH

“The Lord will GUIDE YOU CONTINUALLY, giving you water when you are dry and RESTORING YOUR STRENGTH. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” (Isaiah 58:11 NLT)

CONCLUSION
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?