1 Kings 18:34-46

 

You are well familiar now that we are in the middle of the focal incident

In the entire book of 1 Kings.

 

It is this event that the writer of Kings has been driving us to.

 

He wanted us to see the confrontation of Elijah,

This amazing showdown, and the repentance of the people.

 

We have used this section to talk about the various attributes of revival.

 

In Israel, God’s people had gravitated away from God,

And they needed to be revived.

 

Certainly we are not too arrogant

To assume that we are never in need of such a revival.

 

And so we are studying the elements of revival.

 

God first softened Israel up with a 3 ½ year drought

(while Elijah sought refuge with a Sidonian widow)

 

But after 3 ½ years, God began to move.

He sent Elijah back to Israel,

 

Elijah sent Obadiah to Ahab.

 

You may remember that Obadiah was not too keen on the idea.

1 Kings 18:13-14 “Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water? “And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”‘; he will then kill me.”

 

Obadiah had been a faithful silent witness, but God wanted more.

And thus we learned our first principle of revival.

 

REVIVAL REQUIRES NOT ONLY THE WICKED TO REPENT,

BUT THE RIGHTEOUS TO STEP OUT.

 

God wants us all revived, not just those we label as immoral.

You may not consider yourself immoral, but is it possible,

That you can give more than what you’ve been giving.

 

Elijah had Ahab gather all Israel to Mt. Carmel, for a SERMON

(Sermon of Elijah)

1 Kings 18:21 “Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

They were a vacillating people and they needed to get off of the fence.

REVIVAL REQUIRES US TO MAKE A DECISION

ABOUT WHO WE ARE GOING TO SERVE.

 

Maybe we serve a foreign god…

Maybe we serve a way of life…

Maybe we serve our selves…

 

But revival will never occur

As long as we are hesitating in our convictions.

With God, you must be all in or all out, there is no “lukewarm” allowed.

 

After the sermon of Elijah, the showdown began. (Suggestion of Elijah)

The prophets of Baal were to prepare an ox and lay it on the altar,

But put no fire under it, and then call on the name of Baal to light the fire.

 

But despite their sincere devotion, the ox didn’t even get warm.

Nothing happened, and so Elijah took the opportunity

To publicly humiliate Baal and his prophets.

(Sarcasm of Elijah)

1 Kings 18:27 “It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”

 

AND YOU WILL REMEMBER THE PURPOSE.

Israel needed to see they were trusting in a false hope.

They were relying upon someone who could not save.

 

REVIVAL REQUIRES THAT WE REALIZE THE FALSE SECURITIES IN OUR LIVES THAT ARE STEALING GOD’S GLORY.

 

Before we can fully pledge allegiance to God,

We have to fully reject all other sources of hope and comfort.

 

Then, after Baal’s prophets finally came to a stopping point,

It was Elijah’s turn to do the same. (Sacrifice of Elijah)

Prepare an ox, lay it on the altar, and call on God to light the fire.

 

And last week we saw Elijah begin this process.

1 Kings 18:30-31 “Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.”So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

 

There had previously been an altar on that mountain,

But it had fallen into disarray. Elijah repaired the altar.

 

Israel had forgotten who they were.

 

REVIVAL REQUIRES THAT WE REBUILD GOD’S ALTAR IN OUR LIVES

(That is what revival really is) REBUILD – REMEMBER – RETURN

REVIVAL REQIRES:

• Both the wicked to repent and the righteous to step out…

• That we make a decision as to who we will serve…

• That we abandon all forms of false security in our lives…

• That we rebuild God’s altar in our lives…

 

That is what Elijah has taught us thus far,

But, Elijah did not stop there.

 

VERSES 32-35 “So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.”

 

Apparently it was not enough for Elijah to simply

Beat Baal in a heads up competition.

 

ELIJAH WENT FOR A DRAMATIC VICTORY.

• Not only are we on Baal’s mountain…

• Not only is he outnumbered 450 to 1…

• Not only is he calling for fire, which is supposedly Baal’s specialty…

 

But here Elijah does the unthinkable.

He actually soaks the sacrifice with water.

 

Scripture says that the trench would hold “two measures of seed”

Which is about 11 quarts.

 

So, after the water soaks the ox, and soaks into the wood a little,

The trench is holding a little under 4 gallons.

 

It reveals that Elijah has no tricks up his sleeve.

He has eliminated every possible advantage

And disproved every potential excuse.

 

If this sacrifice is burned, then it will have to happen by the hand of God.

 

And there we pick up with our story.

 

We have seen: The Suggestion of Elijah, The Sarcasm of Elijah, and The Sacrifice of Elijah

 

#1 THE SUPPLICATION OF ELIJAH

1 Kings 18:36-37

 

Here we have that infamous prayer of Elijah

That we actually referenced a couple of weeks ago.

 

If you had any doubts as to Elijah’s motives, they are satisfied here

• He doesn’t want fame…

• He doesn’t want tolerance…

• He doesn’t even want rain…

 

ELIJAH WANTS REVIVAL

 

He is tired of God not getting the glory that God deserves,

And he is tired of God’s people living like Baal is their deliverer.

 

He simply wants to see God’s people

Give God the glory He deserves.

That certainly is not too much to ask is it?

 

“O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known…”

 

And then Elijah lists four things.

1) REVEAL YOUR POWER

“that You are God in Israel”

 

Elijah wanted God to put Baal to shame.

It seems as though there has been some confusion.

 

Popular opinion actually believes that there could be 2 gods,

And that they are pretty close to equal.

(TODAY: Allah or Buddha or Jesus)

 

Elijah wants God to completely squash that notion.

Let it be known “that You are God in Israel”

 

2) REVEAL YOUR PROPHET

“and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.”

 

Certainly you can guess that Elijah would like a little vindication.

He was after all called the “trouble of Israel” by Ahab.

 

But vindication is not the main request here.

Elijah wants God to reveal

That nothing that has been done here is a simple coincidence.

 

• Don’t let them think that drought was just bad luck…

• Don’t let them think that rain was just inevitable…

• Don’t let them think this altar will burn by coincidence…

 

People continually try and explain away God’s wrath in their lives.

 

• If we experience drought or economic trials, surely it is not because God is angry, it’s bound to be because of someone else’s greed.

 

• If we are attacked by terrorists who blow up our buildings, it is not because God has removed His hand of protection, it is because someone made an executive mistake.

 

• If we suffer natural disasters meant to get our attention, people don’t think it is because God is angry, it is because of global warming.

 

Elijah wanted to make sure the people of Israel made no such excuse.

He wanted them to know that the drought, the showdown,

And the fire was all the calculated determined plan of God.

 

“let it be known…that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.”

 

Reveal Your Power Reveal Your Prophet

3) REVEAL YOUR PEOPLE

“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God”

 

Now Elijah gets specific as to whom he is aiming at.

Israel had forgotten who her God was, Elijah wants them to remember.

 

REVIVAL IS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE

 

God doesn’t owe them any more proof, His Law is enough.

But Elijah wants God to answer by fire

To prove to these people that He cares enough to reveal Himself.

 

Elijah wants God to show up so “that this people may know”

 

Reveal Your Power Reveal Your Prophet Reveal Your People

4) REVEAL YOUR PURPOSE

“and that You have turned their heart back again.”

 

Make sure the people know why You are doing this.

 

• Make sure they don’t leave this place amazed…

• Make sure they don’t leave this place entertained…

• Make sure they don’t leave this place disturbed…

 

I WANT THEM TO LEAVE THIS PLACE REVIVED

 

Is that ever a prayer that we could echo.

And from Elijah we learn another real important principle about revival.

 

REVIVAL REQUIRES EARNEST PRAYER

TO THE GOD WHO CAN ANSWER

 

Revival is not solely up to you, nor is it up to me.

• I don’t have the ability to force open blind eyes…

• I don’t have the ability to speak into a dead heart…

• I don’t have the ability to make a person love Jesus…

 

REVIVAL IS THE WORK OF GOD, AND SO IN ORDER TO HAVE IT, WE MUST PRAY FOR IT.

 

Psalms 85:4-7 “Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your indignation toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD, And grant us Your salvation.”

 

Psalms 80:14-19 “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted, And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”

If you want revival, then you have to beg God for it,

And Elijah’s prayer is a great place to start.

 

• Beg God to show up and REVEAL THAT HE ALONE IS GOD.

• Beg God to REMOVE OUR EXCUSES and reveal that the hardships we face are a direct result of our disobedience to Him.

• Beg God to move FOR THE SAKE OF HIS PEOPLE.

• Beg God to move in such a WAY THAT REVIVAL IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCE.

 

If you and I want revival, then we have to pray for it.

 

Let’s see the answer

 

The Supplication of Elijah

#2 THE SUCCESS OF ELIJAH

1 Kings 18:38-40

 

A couple of weeks ago we learned from James:

James 5:16b “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

 

Once again we learn that it is true.

It is not just that we pray for revival,

But it matters what state our heart is in when we pray.

We cannot pray for others to be revived

If we have not given our all to God.

 

Be wholly devoted, be sincere to God, and pray for revival,

BECAUSE PRAYER TO THE ONE TRUE GOD WORKS.

 

• Baal’s prophets prayed for hours…

• Baal’s prophets jumped on the altar…

• Baal’s prophets cut themselves with lances…

And they got no answer.

 

This righteous man offers one prayer, and the response is instant.

(38) “Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

God answered!

And He answered with fire.

 

Fire hot enough not only to burn flesh and wood,

But fire hot enough to incinerate stones, dirt and vaporize water.

 

GOD ANSWERED

Isaiah 44:6-9 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. ‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'” Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.”

 

Isaiah 46:8-9 “Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,”

 

Psalms 135:5 “For I know that the LORD is great And that our Lord is above all gods.”

 

Isaiah 45:20-25 “Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; They have no knowledge, Who carry about their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save. “Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. “I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. “They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame. “In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will glory.”

 

And that is precisely what happened for Elijah

(39) “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, he is God.”

 

All of a sudden this vacillating people display a little conviction.

 

Now they are off the fence.

 

HOW DO WE KNOW?

(40) “Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”

 

The brook was formerly dry, and now it flowed

With the blood of those who deceived Israel.

 

Last week we read about idols:

Psalms 115:8 “Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.”

 

And so it happened to those who prophesied for Baal.

 

And here we see revival.

REVIVAL HAS OCCURRED WHEN OUR HEARTS ARE WHOLLY DEVOTED TO GOD AS REVEALED BY OUR CONFESSION AND OUR ACTIONS.

 

When you publicly proclaim Christ…

When you publicly obey Christ…

Then we will know revival has come.

 

For centuries the church has had those who proclaim Christ but who never obey Him.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

 

If you are hiding from the world, afraid to take Jesus to work, or afraid to take Jesus to your friends, you are in desperate need of revival.

 

On the other hand, we have those who try to obey without publicly confessing.

John 12:42-43 “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”

 

If you are publicly confessing Him, but then living a life inconsistent to your claim, you also are in desperate need of revival.

 

NEITHER DEMONSTATES THE SPIRIT OF REVIVAL THAT GOD DESIRES.

 

God desires those who will speak up and step out.

Until that is us, then revival has not occurred.

Elijah wanted these people wholly devoted,

As evidenced by their confession and their actions.

 

WHERE ARE YOU?

 

These people experienced revival, you could as well.

 

Now let me show you the blessing of revival

#3 THE SHOWER OF ELIJAH

1 Kings 18:41-46

 

As a side note, see that Elijah is a man of great faith.

• He predicts rain

• He prays for rain

• He doesn’t stop even after discouraging results

 

AND ELIJAH’S PRAYER WAS ANSWERED WITH A FLASH FLOOD

 

ELIJAH RUNS – to submit to Ahab and to lead the city to revival as well.

 

BUT THE MAIN PICTURE HERE IS THAT

As soon as God’s people turned their hearts toward Him,

The drought was lifted and the showers came.

 

It sort of reminds you of that often quoted seldom followed verse.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 

For some reason people often fear the thought of revival.

 

They are afraid if they give God full control of their lives

And devote themselves only to Him

That it will immediately result in pain and suffering.

 

They are afraid to give God control,

For fear of Him saying, “Africa” or some other scary place.

 

And so, instead of exercising faith,

They remain in fear and keep revival far from themselves.

 

BUT SHOW ME ONE TIME IN SCRIPTURE

IN WHICH REVIVAL WASN’T WORTH IT FOR THE PEOPLE.

 

Show me one time in which their lives were not drastically better

After they fled from sin and wholly devoted themselves to God.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

 

And such was certainly true here.

Their lives were instantly better after the returned to the LORD.

 

Many of you could give similar testimonies.

 

God asked something of you that you dreaded or feared,

But after you obeyed, it was extremely worth it.

 

THE SAME IS TRUE OF SALVATION.

People fight it, resist it, put it off, and neglect it.

But I have yet to see one person who submitted to it who didn’t immediately say, he wishes he had done it sooner.

 

But People often resist when God calls for revival.

• They hold on to their false securities…

• They respond like Israel to Elijah’s sermon (they do nothing)

 

And yet, when they finally give in, they find that they only wish they had done it sooner and saved themselves 3 ½ years of drought.

 

The same could be true for you today.

• The spiritual drought…

• The bitterness…

• The confusion…

• The doubt…

 

It could all go right away, and you could rejoice under a heavenly shower, But to do so, you must wholly devote yourselves to God like Israel did.

 

And I wonder today, if you would be willing

To let God bring revival in your heart.

 

In a moment we are going to have a time or response,

And if you are willing I just want you to offer up this prayer to God.

 

“Lord God, I know here today that I am not as close to You as I should be. I want that to change, and I am asking You to do whatever You desire to do in me, that I may experience revival.”

 

Give God full permission in your life, and see if life doesn’t turn out better.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 

1 Kings 18:22-33

 

We are presently studying the climax of the book of 1 Kings.

 

The writer has carried us from Israel in her faithful state under David,

To Israel in her idolatrous state under Ahab.

 

And now he is showing how God is working

To draw His people back to Himself.

 

• It started with 3 ½ years of drought to soften them up.

• Now Elijah has been sent back, and all Israel is gathered.

 

Last week we saw Elijah’s sermon:

1 Kings 18:21 “Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

And from that we learn why Israel was in such need of revival.

They were “hesitating” they were “vacillating”

 

At times they sought the approval of Jehovah

At times they sought the approval of Jezebel

 

MUCH LIKE THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA:

 

Revelation 2:19-20 “I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”

 

Thyatira was of course the worldly church.

They were devoted to “guilds” and were having to choose between faithfulness to God or faithfulness to their worldly securities.

 

God had a stiff warning for them:

Revelation 2:21-25 “I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them — I place no other burden on you. ‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.”

 

Essentially Jesus told them the same thing that Elijah told Israel.

GET OFF THE FENCE, AND SERVE GOD ONLY.

 

That is why Elijah has come.

To tell God’s people to return to Him

But unfortunately, after the sermon:

(21) “But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

And so Elijah sets out to make their decision easier.

We know it as “The Showdown on Mt. Carmel”

 

Three things (as we study the first part of this contest)

#1 THE SUGGESTION OF ELIJAH

1 Kings 18:22-24

 

Elijah begins with a statement of reality.

“I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.”

 

This is one of many advantages that Elijah yields to the prophets of Baal.

1) They are on Baal’s mountain

2) Elijah is outnumbered

3) They will call for fire (Baal is the storm god)

4) Elijah will actually pour water on his sacrifice

 

All of these incidents are meant by Elijah

To reveal to the people that he has nothing up his sleeve.

 

And then comes the suggestion.

(23-24) “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.”

 

It is a simple showdown.

We both make a sacrifice, and we just wait to see which God can light it.

(After all, Baal was supposed to be the storm god)

 

It was a clear test

And the people liked his suggestion.

 

“And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

 

THE REASON WAS TO:

1) Identify the true God.

2) Lead Israel to FOLLOW the true God.

 

(21) “Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

And as we talked about last week, this is important for all mankind.

 

It doesn’t matter if God fits your requirements…

It doesn’t matter if God fulfills your expectations…

It doesn’t matter if you think He is right or wrong…

YOU HAD JUST BETTER FIND OUT WHO IS GOD AND FOLLOW HIM

 

WHY?

Because if there is a God, then you will stand before Him,

And the God you stand before

Better be the God you’ve been serving.

 

This is what Paul said to the city of Athens.

They were worshiping every imaginable god.

 

Acts 17:23-31 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

 

Paul said, you had better quit worshiping many gods,

And determine to worship only the true God,

For He is the one you will answer to.

 

That is precisely why Elijah is holding the showdown.

He wants them to see who is the true God,

And then he expects them to follow Him.

 

You and I must make the same decision.

 

The Suggestion of Elijah

#2 THE SARCASM OF ELIJAH

1 Kings 18:25-29

 

Elijah actually lets Baal’s prophets go first

(Another part of the advantage they supposedly had).

 

(25) “So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

They are to pick the ox, (presumably the one that looks the most flammable), cut it up, place it on the altar and then cry out to Baal to light the fire.

 

And that is what they do.

In fact they do it OVER and OVER and OVER

 

(26) “Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.”

 

All morning long, it is the same chant:

“O Baal answer us.”

 

In fact, they repeated it on purpose.

For it was their assumption that their repetition

Made their prayer more likely to be heard.

 

The same thing happened to Paul at Ephesus:

Acts 19:34-35 “But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

 

It was just a senseless, mind numbing, chant,

Intended to cause the deity to show up.

 

This prompted Jesus to say:

Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”

 

But that is what they were doing.

They cried “from morning until noon”

 

At the end, you see ANOTHER TACTIC they were using.

“And they leaped about the altar which they had made.”

 

“Here I’ll get on the altar as well,

And you can have me too, if you will just light the fire”

 

AS FAR AS COMMITTED PRAYER IS CONCERNED,

THESE GUYS WERE SOLD OUT.

 

“But there was no voice and no one answered.”

 

There is actually a very good reason why their prayers were not answered.

THEIR GOD WAS NOT REAL

 

Psalms 115:4-8 “Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.”

 

Jeremiah 10:5 “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.”

 

The reason Baal did not answer is because he could not answer.

He is not real, he is a figment of the imagination.

He is some man’s invention.

 

And as strange as it may sound,

This is a theological truth that even

Christians of late seem to have forgotten.

 

FALSE GODS CANNOT RESPOND

 

Every time you turn around,

You get some new poll out that says even among evangelical Christians, that there is an increasing majority among us who believe that there is MORE than one way of salvation.

 

People grow sympathetic to Muslims and say,

“Well if they are sincere in their faith, then I believe they will be saved.”

 

Or the same about Buddhists,

“If they are sincere in their faith, then I think they will go to heaven.”

 

Look at these prophets of Baal,

It doesn’t matter how sincerely devoted you are to a false god,

Your sincerity will not cause him to be alive and able to save.

 

If you cry out to a false god, you get no response.

They may have eyes, but they cannot see.

They may have ears, but they cannot hear.

They may have a mouth, but they cannot talk.

 

Crying out to them is absolutely useless.

BUT IT DOESN’T STOP THEM FROM CRYING OUT

 

But Elijah apparently picks up on the difficult time they are having.

And what he does would today be considered un-Christian.

 

(27) “It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied (i.e. meditating) or gone aside (lit. “relieving himself”), or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”

Elijah literally mocks them and their god.

 

Today, people would get mad at Elijah for such a thing.

 

In 2002 Jerry Vines was preaching at Pastor’s Conference in St. Louis and he called Muhammad “A demon-possessed pedophile” (because his last wife was a 9 year old girl)

And the outcry began.

Sure some by Muslim followers, but mostly from evangelicals:

 

Rev. Dick McEuen of Orange Park Presbyterian church said:

“It’s the inflammatory words that are bad … ‘pedophile’ and the other…I think Jerry probably used the wrong words, and it sure doesn’t help relationships in the day … This is a pluralistic society. It showed a lack of perspective.”

 

I suppose he would really take offense to Elijah

Insinuating that Baal was stuck in the bathroom.

 

Rev. Davette Turk, an Episcopalian priest

“I’m saddened. We can’t go on like this. We can’t think like that, I’m sure [Vines] will be shown by the Lord how these remarks do not help the unity God desires for his family.”

 

Rev. Paul Hooker, executive presbyter for the Presbytery of St. Augustine.

“We find regrettable the comments attributed to Rev. Vines because they appear to represent an ungenerous spirit, which we find out of character with the Christian faith, I would think that [this] will make interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims in our community more difficult in a time when such conversations should be taking place.”

 

Monsignor Daniel Logan

“It is far better to affirm the good in every religion than it is to condemn the bad, we can radically disagree, yet affirm the things we have in common. That’s what we should do to try and make the world a better place to live.”

(All quotes from: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061302/met_9655580.html)

 

Today, that is the mindset of religion.

They would run Elijah out of town.

 

“I can’t believe Elijah was so degrading to Baal.”

“Elijah’s remarks will make it so difficult to reach Baal worshipers now”

 

DO THEY SUPPOSE THAT BY GIVING CREDIBILITY TO FALSE GODS THAT IT WILL BE EASIER TO DRAW PEOPLE AWAY?

 

There is no cause to offer any courtesy to any false deity.

They are guilty not only of deceiving millions,

But also of stealing God’s glory.

 

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

 

If a false god is false…

If a dead god is dead…

If a mythical god is a myth…

If a powerless god is powerless…

LET THEM BE LABELED AS SUCH!

 

God Himself certainly doesn’t pull any punches about these false gods.

Isaiah 41:21-24 “Present your case,” the LORD says. “Bring forward your strong arguments,” The King of Jacob says. Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.”

 

Jeremiah 10:8 “But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion — their idol is wood!”

 

Jeremiah 10:14-15 “Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish.”

 

I suppose Jerry Vines could have said: “Behold, Allah is of no account and all who choose him are an abomination. Indeed they are stupid devoid of knowledge, their god isn’t even real!”

 

Baal was guilty of deceiving people, condemning people,

And Elijah reveals that he is a false hope.

 

BUT THEY CONTINUE

(28-29) “So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.”

Despite their desperation…

Despite offering their own blood…

Despite their endless chants…

 

“there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.”

(x3 = magnify the point)

 

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, ELIJAH DID THIS ON PURPOSE.

He could have just shown up on Mt. Carmel and asked God for rain,

And left the others out of it. BUT HE DIDN’T

 

Elijah first made sure he publicly humiliated Baal,

Before he asked God to deliver.

 

These people had been trusting in Baal,

And before they could fully trust in God,

They had to have all the other things pulled away.

 

HAS GOD EVER DONE THIS IN YOUR LIFE?

Maybe He allowed something you trusted in to fail

In order to remind you that He alone is your deliverance.

 

You trust too much in a job – so God allows you to lose it to see that He is your provider.

 

You trust too much in a relationship – so God allows you to lose it to see that He is all you need.

 

You trust too much in a drug – so God allows you to lose it to see that He is your healer.

 

You trust too much in a program – so God allows it to fail to prove that He alone can change your life.

 

If you have any other thing in your life that you can’t live without,

You are guilty of idolatry, and are dependent on something other than God

 

Before He reveals Himself,

He first allows our false hopes to fail.

That is to make sure no one but Him gets the gory.

 

In order for revival to occur, we must realize that God alone

Is worthy to receive glory in our lives.

 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”

 

The sarcasm of Elijah is to make sure that all Israel

Sees just how foolish it is to trust in things that cannot save.

 

The Suggestion of Elijah The Sarcasm of Elijah

#3 THE SACRIFICE OF ELIJAH

1 Kings 18:30-33

 

Now obviously we don’t see the full effect of Elijah’s sacrifice here,

 

What I want you to see is the necessary next step

In the progression of the people if they are to be revived.

 

Not only do they need to see that what they are trusting in is foolish,

They also need to see how far they have fallen away from God.

 

DID YOU CATCH WHAT ELIJAH DID?

“And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down.”

 

That is often overlooked.

Apparently God had an altar on that mountain already.

Years earlier it had been built, but at some point, they had torn it down.

 

That altar was a picture of the spiritual state of Israel.

Once a nation of worship, not a nation of apostasy.

 

(31) “Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

 

He is reminding the people of WHO THEY REALLY ARE.

 

For the last decade or so, they had forgotten who they were.

• They were the children of Israel.

• They were God’s chosen people.

• They were objects of God’s compassion.

• They were the ones God had delivered from Egypt.

• They were the ones God had given this land to.

 

And yet somehow in their pursuit of worldliness,

They had forgotten who they were.

 

Elijah is reminding them.

 

THIS IS ALL PIVOTAL TO REVIVAL.

If you are to experience revival in your life,

Not only do you have to let go of all the false idols

But it is imperative that you remember who you are.

 

Acts 11:26 “…and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

 

1 Peter 4:16 “but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

 

• Was it not for you that Jesus Christ bled and died?

• Did God not spend the precious blood of His Son for you?

• And did you not pledge your life to Him?

 

To become a Christian, do you remember what you did?

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

 

The Bible says that if you really are a Christian,

At some point you fully surrendered everything about you to Him.

 

Have you forgotten the vows you took?

 

That’s what Israel had done.

Jeremiah 2:32 “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number.”

 

Israel had forgotten that she was the wife of God.

Today, many in the Church seem to have forgotten

That they are the bride of Christ. (we are betrothed to Him)

 

That is why Jesus told two of the churches in the Revelation:

Revelation 2:5 “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent.”

 

Revelation 3:3 “So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.”

 

The point is that if revival is to occur in your life,

You must remember who you are.

You are not a teacher…

You are not a worker for the telephone company…

You are not a lineman for the electric company…

You are not a secretary…

 

That is what you do, but it is not who you are.

YOU ARE A BLOOD PURCHASED CHILD OF GOD

AND HE DESERVES YOUR WORSHIP.

 

Does the altar of God need to be rebuilt in your life?

 

THAT IS WHAT REVIVAL IS.

It is rebuilding God’s altar in your life.

 

This morning I want to ask you to do that.

• Put everything else aside,

• Return to the God who saved you from sin.

• Remember what He did for you,

• Renew your vows to Him.

 

Psalms 50:7-15 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God. “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me. “I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats? “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

 

1 Kings 18:17-21

 

We are now in a fascinating section in the Word of God.

It is really the climax of the book of 1 Kings.

 

We have seen the nation Israel go from glory to the pit of depravity

As they worship Baal and have begun to walk away from God.

 

However, God is not one who readily allows His people to stray from Him,

And therefore God is at work to call His people back.

 

God started this work 3 ½ years earlier when he sent drought on the land.

(interesting since Baal was the “storm god”)

Since that time Israel has been suffering

While God is getting their attention.

 

And now, the time has come.

 

We’ve begun to study that famous story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel.

It is Elijah vs. the 450 prophets of Baal, in a winner take all contest.

 

And although it is a cool story.

And although we are mesmerized by the supernatural.

THE REASON ELIJAH MADE THE CHALLENGE IS THE HOPE OF REVIVAL

 

This is seen most clearly in the prayer that Elijah will pray

 

(36-37) “At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”

 

Notice Elijah gave four very specific requests.

“today let it be known”

 

And then these four statements:

1) “that You are God in Israel”

 

The people are in a state of confusion they can’t seem to tell who God is,

Elijah wants that to become clear.

 

2) “that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.”

 

This drought is not coincidental.

The drought is the direct judgment of the one true God

BECAUSE HE IS ANGRY THAT YOU HAVE REJECTED HIM

 

3) “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God”

 

In a very personal sense, Elijah wants God to show up,

And the people to know who He is.

 

4) “and that You have turned their heart back again.”

 

Elijah prays for God to win the battle of Mt. Carmel

In order to woo His people back to Himself.

 

ELIJAH’S PRAYER IS FOR REVIVAL

 

You and I then understand the main purpose of chapter 18.

It is far more than just a cool story to tell our children.

1 Kings 18 is all about revival.

 

Last week we actually saw God’s first step in bringing the revival.

God started the revival by asking the righteous to step out.

God asked Elijah to go to Ahab.

Elijah asked Obadiah to go to Ahab.

 

Certainly Obadiah was hesitant, but obedience won the day, and he went.

 

And just as we saw Obadiah respond in faithfulness,

Now Elijah does the same.

 

He confronts a man who has searched for him.

He rebukes a man who wants to kill him.

 

1 Kings 18:17 “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

 

It is obvious that Ahab had thought hard on what he would say to Elijah.

For Ahab’s accusation is both calculated and sharp.

 

In fact Ahab calls Elijah “you troubler of Israel”

 

That is a name with a history.

There has been one other man in history who carried that title.

 

1 Chronicles 2:7 “The son of Carmi was Achar (Achan), the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban.”

 

That brings to mind a very interesting incident.

 

God was very clear to the children of Israel

Upon conquering Jericho.

 

Joshua 6:17-19 “The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. “But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. “But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”

 

The spoil of Jericho was “under the ban”.

In other words, it is absolutely off limits to you.

 

Of course not everyone obeyed that command.

Joshua 7:1 “But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.”

 

Achan disregarded the warning of the LORD and he took some spoil

And the Bible says God was angry.

 

THE RESULT OF GOD’S ANGER IS STAGGERING

Joshua 7:2-5 “Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.” So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.”

 

God removed His hand from the armies of Israel,

And they weren’t even able to defeat a very vulnerable foe.

 

• Joshua sought God.

• God revealed that someone had violated the ban.

• Joshua cast lots and it fell to Achan.

• Joshua confronted Achan and he confessed.

 

And notice Joshua’s response to Achan for this sin.

Joshua 7:25 “Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.”

 

That is how Achan became known as the “troubler of Israel”.

He committed one sin that caused the entire nation to be judged severely.

 

That is exactly what Ahab has in mind when he confronts Elijah.

“Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

 

Ahab pins the drought, the famine, and all other judgments

Onto the back of Elijah.

 

And then notice the boldness of Elijah in his response.

1 Kings 18:18 “He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals.”

 

This was the man who had searched for him.

This was the man who wanted to kill him.

AND YET ELIJAH SPEAKS WITH BOLDNESS

 

“I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals.”

 

That is what God expects from His missionary.

Go where He sends, and say what He reveals

 

Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.”

 

That was certainly Elijah.

God sent the drought because Ahab had led Israel

Away from the true God, and the only God who can send rain.

And Elijah made sure he knew it.

 

No doubt at this point he has Ahab a little shell-shocked.

I seriously doubt Ahab expected such a bold response from Elijah.

 

And so Elijah takes control and actually gives and order to Ahab.

1 Kings 18:19-20 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.(not hard to find the allegiance of the king’s wife)” So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.”

 

The tables have been completely turned.

Ahab is taking orders, and Elijah is giving them.

 

And so the people gather, and the prophets gather,

And we are about to find out who is really god.

 

This morning I want us to see the sermon of Elijah.

We’ve briefly seen the SUPPLICATION of Elijah… (praying for revival)

Later we will see the STRATEGY of Elijah… (the showdown was Elijah’s idea)

Later we will see the SARCASM of Elijah… (as he mocks the prophets of Baal)

Later we will see the SLAUGHTER of Elijah… (as he kills Baal’s prophets)

 

This morning I just want us to hear his sermon.

It is brief (20 words), but it is directly to the point.

1 Kings 18:21 “Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

You could actually divide this sermon into two points.

#1 THE ACCUSATION

1 Kings 18:21a

 

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions?”

KJV (“how long halt ye between two opinions?”)

 

It paints the picture of a person frozen unable to decide.

They are given two options, and can’t seem to determine which is best.

 

It reveals this people have a tremendous lack of knowledge

And an even greater lack of conviction.

 

Psalms 119:113 “I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Your law.”

 

James 1:6 “…the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

 

That was certainly the people of Israel.

They had no clue what they really believed.

 

• They were tossed here and there by the most convincing argument.

• They were given to emotion, to fear, and to manipulation.

• They succumbed to peer pressure and quickly followed the whim of the day.

 

And the consequence of their hesitation was PLURALISM

 

That’s really what PLURALISM is.

IT IS THE RELIGION OF THOSE WITH NO CONVICTION

If you can serve more than one god,

You obviously aren’t too afraid of any of them.

 

THAT WAS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

They found a comfortable life simply worshiping both Gods.

 

They were a people who vacillated back and forth

And could not make up their mind.

 

They lacked the conviction that we so often admire,

And the conviction that is required of one of God’s children.

 

Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”

 

He later said:

2 Timothy 1:12-13 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”

 

There is a constant call for conviction from God’s people.

Joshua said:

Joshua 24:14-16 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.”If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;”

 

ISRAEL HAD NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH

They couldn’t make up their mind.

One day they served God, and the next they served Baal.

 

AND BY THE WAY, THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

 

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

 

Jesus spoke of people who were vacillating financially.

They proclaimed allegiance to God, but gave allegiance to wealth.

Their lips spoke of God, their actions spoke of greed.

 

The Corinthians were no better.

1 Corinthians 10:21-22 “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?”

 

One day taking the Lord’s Supper, and the next eating in an idol’s temple

By watching them, you would have been hard pressed

To tell what they really believed.

 

Perhaps you remember the famous church in the Revelation:

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

 

This was the church that proclaimed allegiance,

But who really served themselves.

They said they loved God until they were too tired to serve…

Or until they were too broke to give…

Or until something better was on television…

 

THEY ALL LACKED CONVICTION

 

ISRAEL WAS JUST LIKE THEM

They were characterized as those who hesitated “between two opinions”

 

They needed to get their act straight,

Which is the second part of Elijah’s sermon.

The Accusation

#2 THE EXPECTATION

1 Kings 18:21b

 

And please notice the ONE THING Elijah wants them to evaluate.

 

He doesn’t say:

• “Pick the god you like the best and follow him…”

• “He doesn’t say pick the god your friends like and follow him…”

• “He doesn’t say pick the god that is the coolest and follow him…”

 

Elijah says, “FIND OUT WHO REALLY IS GOD AND FOLLOW HIM”

 

Carrie and I were at a graveside this past Thursday in Joy, TX.

(Preacher said “Jesus wept” because others were weeping)

 

He then said, “I can worship a Savior like that”.

 

I wanted to say,

“Well, that’s certainly good to know.

After all, we were waiting for your approval.”

 

• What if Jesus had laughed at their grief?

• What if Jesus had gotten angry and sent them home?

• What if Jesus had told them to get over it?

(Could you worship Him?)

 

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU LIKE HIM OR NOT.

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF HE IS ACCEPTABLE OR NOT.

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF HIS ACTIONS MAKE SENSE OR NOT.

HE IS THE ONLY SAVIOR, YOU WORSHIP HIM OR GO TO HELL.

 

That is in essence what Elijah is saying.

Someday your life will end,

You will actually stand before the true God.

It would serve you well to figure out who He is.

 

Don’t use any other criteria by which to measure

The worthiness of God, other than whether or not He really is God.

 

If He is God, you will answer to Him.

So you had better figure out who He is.

“If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

 

In other words, the way you are living will tick both of them off.

Neither will accept you with this sort of half-hearted commitment.

 

You had better decide who really is God

And then sell out for Him.

 

AND THAT IS THE KEY TO REVIVAL

 

REVIVAL IS ALL ABOUT DECIDING WHO TO SERVE

Elijah says to identify the true God and then “follow Him”.

 

Don’t just acknowledge Him…

Don’t just give lip service…

If He really is God, then put your money where your mouth is.

Stop serving Self

Stop serving your Occupation

Stop serving your Possessions

Stop serving your Passions

Stop serving your Pleasures

START SERVING THE LORD.

 

When you make that decision, revival is sure to follow.

 

Later, in 2 Kings, we will study the Josianic revival.

King Josiah found the book of the Law, and realized that Israel was living in sin.

 

He called the people to do the same thing Elijah said here.

2 Kings 23:1-3 “Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.”

After that event, revival came to Israel.

 

Remember after the incident of the golden calf?

 

After Moses came down he gave a command:

Exodus 32:26 “then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him.”

 

The Levites chose God, and it was God who also chose the Levites

To be the ones who were able to come near to Him as priests.

 

Revival is all about a decision to deny self and follow God.

 

• Obadiah had to choose to speak to Ahab.

• Esther had to choose to enter the kings court to save her people.

• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, chose not to bow.

• Paul chose to enter Jerusalem, after being warned of the danger.

• Matthew chose to leave his tax booth after the Savior came by.

• Peter, Andrew, James & John chose to leave their nets and.

 

And all of these found not only revival,

But new life on the other side.

 

Contrast them to those who would not choose.

• The Rich Young Ruler who chose not to forsake his wealth

• The children of Israel who chose not to enter the Promised Land

• The Pharisees continually chose not to repent

 

They forsook not only revival,

But ultimately the new life that God had for them.

 

REVIVAL IS ALL ABOUT A CHOICE TO FOLLOW GOD FULLY

If there is to be revival in your life, or in this church,

Then you must decide to get off of the fence.

 

You cannot serve God and mammon,

You must not hesitate between two opinions.

 

Jesus is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.

 

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

 

Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

 

You are either all in, or all out.

 

That is precisely what Elijah wants from the people of Israel.

 

EITHER SELL OUT FOR THE LORD, OR GET OUT OF HERE.

 

I suppose a similar charge would be appropriate in the church.

Either sell out for Jesus,

Or get out of here and go be devoted to the world.

 

But the last thing we need is a bunch of half-hearted Christians

Claiming to love Jesus, while drinking up the world.

 

“If the LORD is God, follow Him;”

BUT YOU WILL NOTICE A DISCOURAGING REALITY.

“But the people did not answer him a word.”

 

They sat back, like the faithless generation

Who isn’t going to do anything, until they get more proof.

 

John 4:48 “So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”

 

Let me say to you, that is not the way to approach revival.

 

John 20:29 “Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

 

The Lord Jesus is looking for those who would say:

“You don’t have to prove a thing to me.

I believe you really are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

And because you are the Christ, I will follow You and You alone.”

 

I’M WONDERING IF YOU WOULD BE THAT PERSON TODAY

• Quit vacillating about what you believe.

• Quit doing things that are inconsistent with your confession.

• Quit lagging behind in diligence.

 

Stand up and determine that nothing in this life

Is going to come before your decision to follow Jesus.

 

Jesus, I believe You are God,

That alone deserves my total surrender.

As for me, I will serve the Lord.”

 

If you will, you will find revival.

 

IF NOT,

You might as well go and totally yield yourself to the world,

Because you are of no use to God.

 

Revelation 3:15-21 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

 

1 Kings 18:1-16

 

Last week, we began this very important section in the book of 1 Kings.

It is this section that the writer has been driving towards.

 

He has taken us on a methodical journey thus far in the book.

He started us with the glory days of David and Solomon,

And has taken us to the lowest point of depravity.

 

HE HAS BEEN REVEALING:

When we seek God and obey His commands, all is well,

But when we begin to put God on the shelf, and seek other things,

We are in for disaster.

 

Solomon began this rapid descent

By giving preference to the religious desires of his many wives.

And really, it snowballed from there.

 

The glorious kingdom Solomon inherited from David is no more.

 

In fact, at this point that one kingdom has split into two.

SOUTH: Jehoshaphat reigns (Good heart, but lacks conviction)

NORTH: Ahab reigns (The most wicked King ever)

 

Ahab’s dad (Omri) introduced Baal worship into the land,

Ahab went one step further and replaced God with Baal.

 

And thus Israel is a mess.

 They are trapped in immorality,

 They are rapidly headed for judgment,

 They are in desperate need of revival.

 

In comes the hero of the book – Elijah.

 

We first saw Elijah last week,

He was seen as a picture of just how deprave Israel had become.

 

• Instead of seeking Elijah to pray for them, they refused his services and instead chose 3 ½ years worth of drought.

 

• Instead of turning to this man of God, they rejected him, and Elijah was forced to travel to a Gentile country to find one who would appreciate his services.

 

AND SO THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO DO FOR ISRAEL, BUT SUFFER

 

They are a nation in desperate need of revival,

And for now they don’t even realize it.

As we embark on our study from here through the end of the book, THE MAIN THEME WILL BE REVIVAL.

 

Many times today when we hear the term “Revival”

We think of some 4 day church program that carries the name.

• A preacher visits…

• Casserole’s are baked…

• Love offerings are taken…

And the whole affair is affectionately called “Revival”.

 

And while God can most certainly work during those events,

There is no guarantee that revival will occur.

 

You and I know that revival is not a flash in the pan.

• It cannot be scheduled or manipulated.

• It is very rarely quick, and is often painful.

• And it almost never begins corporately. (It can spread)

 

The Church cannot vote to be revived,

 

Individual members of the body must independently determine

To turn from sin and yield completely to God,

With the hope that others will do the same.

 

Revival is when a person who is pledged to walk with God determines to once again take that commitment seriously.

No more lip service…

No more complacency…

No more half-hearted obedience…

No more second best…

 

It may be a believer in immorality turning from their uncleanness…

It may be a believer who is stagnant determining to step out once again…

 

But the main objective is that after revival,

Everyone is a sold out and committed follower of the Lord.

 

Revival is what God is trying to accomplish in Israel

Through the prophet Elijah.

 

And this morning it begins.

And it doesn’t begin with the immoral, it begins with the righteous.

 

This morning we study a man you may have never heard of before.

He is a little mentioned figure in Scripture,

Yet when God starts to move for Revival in Israel,

This man is the first heart that God confronts.

His name is Obadiah. (“Servant of the Lord”)

And when God starts, Obadiah is the first one who is asked to respond.

He isn’t asked to turn from immorality, he is asked to step out for God.

 

This morning, I want you to see:

REVIVAL NOT ONLY REQUIRES THE WICKED TO REPENT,

BUT ALSO FOR THE RIGHTEOUS TO STEP OUT.

 

There are three main divisions to our text this morning.

#1 A CRITICAL FAMINE

1 Kings 18:1-6

 

After a period of 3 ½ years God is again about to move.

 

Previously Elijah has dwelt in Sidon, living with a widow,

While Elijah was waiting,

God was allowing the situation in Israel to grow extremely desperate.

 

Now the time has come.

“Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”

 

God is about to bring the judgment to an end.

Not that God has just gotten over His anger,

But rather that God is about to send revival,

And the people’s response will bring about God’s blessing of rain.

 

Rain was directly tied to the obedience of God’s people.

 

Moses listed rain as one of God’s BLESSINGS on an obedient people.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2,12 “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. “All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God…(12) “The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”

 

However the flip side is that if God’s people grew disobedient

Then the rain would be withheld.

 

Deuteronomy 28:15, 23-24 “But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…(23)”The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. “The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.”

 

You may remember Isaiah’s pronouncement of judgment:

Isaiah 5:1-6 “Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones. “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard. “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? “So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.”

 

God and God alone is responsible for rain.

Man cannot generate it.

There is no generic substitute.

 

If God doesn’t send it, it doesn’t come.

Jeremiah 14:22 “Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O LORD our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things.”

 

Therefore rain became an accurate indicator

Of just how pleased God was with His people.

 

And the fact that it has not rained in Israel for 3 ½ years

Should have their attention.

 

God reveals to Elijah that He is about to send rain,

Which means that His people are about to repent.

 

God is about to start revival, so it is time for Elijah to go and meet Ahab.

 

And Scripture says that is what he did.

(2) “Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.”

 

“Now the famine was severe in Samaria.”

 

This is given just to show you the desperate scene in the land.

No rain, eventually means no food,

And that was certainly the case in Samaria.

 

Allow me for a moment to paint you a picture of a severe famine.

 

One indicator will be seen in a moment in verse 5, “Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

 

This is Ahab and his manager searching for their own personal livestock.

Even the Kings house has grown desperate.

If the King is in this poor of a state,

One can only imagine the state of the poor man in Israel.

 

There are other pictures of famine and drought in Scripture.

Jeremiah 14:1-6 “That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah in regard to the drought: “Judah mourns And her gates languish; They sit on the ground in mourning, And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended. “Their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads. “Because the ground is cracked, For there has been no rain on the land; The farmers have been put to shame, They have covered their heads. “For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young, Because there is no grass. “The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; They pant for air like jackals, Their eyes fail For there is no vegetation.”

 

Here is another

2 Kings 6:25-29 “There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” He said, “If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ “So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

 

That is what we call desperation.

There is absolutely no food.

 

This is the point God has been forced to drive His people to,

In order to bring about revival in the land.

 

Don’t ever underestimate the extreme God will go to

In order to make sure His people are devoted to Him.

 

He cares far more about your soul than He does about your comfort,

And if it means extreme physical distress to cause you to call upon Him,

Then get ready.

 

God has brought Israel to a point of hardship that is truly horrifying.

 

But obviously God knows that the people are ready for revival,

And so Elijah is sent back to Samaria, and he went.

 

MEANWHILE:

(3) “Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household.”

 

This means that Obadiah was in charge of all of Ahab’s possessions.

(Joseph was this to Pharaoh)

 

Obadiah is an important man.

The writer gives you a parenthetical statement

To reveal to you what kind of man Obadiah was.

“(Obadiah feared the LORD greatly; for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)”

 

It is obvious that the drought was blamed on God’s prophets.

 

When Elijah and Ahab finally meet, this is evident.

1 Kings 18:17 “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

 

Ahab faulted God’s messengers (who pronounced the drought)

As the cause of it, and the killing began.

 

Jezebel tried to slaughter them all.

 

No doubt it was these men that the writer of Hebrews referred to

In the faith hall of fame.

Hebrews 11:38 “(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”

 

One reason they were in caves is because Obadiah hid them there.

 

THE POINT IS EASY TO SEE.

It was a dangerous time to be a believer.

 

God’s prophets were being massacred,

A wicked man was on the throne,

In order to follow God, one risked their own life.

 

Certainly any obedience must be done secretly,

And that is precisely what Obadiah had done.

 

(5-6) “Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.” So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.”

 

SO UNDERSTAND THE SETTING OF THE DAY:

• There is a terrible drought, and it has been blamed on God’s people.

• Not only is Baal worship popular, but obedience to God is deadly.

 

This is like a Christian living in a Muslim world.

This is like what the early Christians faced in Rome.

 

IT IS HARD TIME TO BE A CHRISTIAN

First a Critical Famine

#2 A CRISIS OF FAITH

1 Kings 18:7-15

 

(7) “Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?”

 

Obadiah can hardly believe his eyes.

Certainly Elijah could find grass, certainly Elijah could help.

 

But before another word is spoken Elijah rocks Obadiah’s world.

(8) “He said to him, “It is I. Go, saying to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’”

That may not seem like a big deal to you,

But it was a big deal to Obadiah.

“What sin have I committed?”

 

LOOK AT HIS RESPONSE:

READ 9-14

 

DID YOU CATCH WHAT HE WAS AFRAID OF?

(9) “to put me to death?”

(12) “he will kill me,”

(14) “he will then kill me.”

 

Obadiah realizes that obedience to this simple command

Could very easily result in death.

 

WHY?

READ (9-11)

 

Ahab has searched every country in the world for you,

And he made them swear that they didn’t have you.

If I show up and say, “Here he is”, he will think I have known all along.

 

Or worse yet:

READ 12

I’ll tell him I found you, then you will disappear,

And he will think I hid you again, and he will still kill me.

 

READ 13-14

 

What if Obadiah’s secret as a prophet hider becomes known?

 

Then certainly Ahab will think that I have been the one who is hiding you,

And he will kill me.

 

I HOPE YOU NOTICE OBADIAH’S CRISIS.

 

God was not about to allow this man to remain a silent believer.

God wanted Obadiah to now step out and step forward.

 

REVIVAL NOT ONLY REQUIRES THE WICKED TO REPENT,

BUT THE RIGHTEOUS TO STEP OUT.

 

In order for revival to occur, everyone has to get obedient.

 

Obadiah faced a crisis.

Obey God and be killed.

Disobey God and be judged.

 

His name means “Servant of the LORD”

His legacy is already one who “feared the LORD greatly.”

 

Would he be willing to risk his life in obedience if it meant bringing revival to Israel and glory to God?

 

MANY IN THIS ROOM HAVE BEEN IN THAT CRISIS.

No, you didn’t die when you obeyed,

But you didn’t know that when you made the choice.

 

Some have set in these January services in the past

And heard God whisper words like: “Africa” or “China” or “Guatemala”

 

And immediately the crisis began.

“God, Africa is not safe. There are lions, and snakes, and muslims in Africa.”

“God, It’s illegal to witness to people in China.”

“God, you have to fly on an airplane, across and ocean, to get there.”

“God, if I do that, I could die.”

 

We call it a crisis of faith.

What you do reveals what you really believe about God.

 

There could be some fighting that missions battle right now.

 

God wanted to bring revival,

It started with the obedience of one faithful but silent Christian,

Stepping out of his comfort zone and into a life of faith.

 

(15) “Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

 

There was a promise.

WOULD OBADIAH BELIEVE IT?

A Critical Famine – A Crisis of Faith

#3 A CHOICE TO FOLLOW

1 Kings 18:16

 

You see Obadiah’s favorite verse in the Bible.

“So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.”

 

It is Obadiah’s favorite verse, because now, watching from eternity,

It is that verse that brought Obadiah’s reward.

He overcame fear…

He pushed through the crisis…

He showed that God mattered more than his life…

 

His was the first life changed in the revival God brought to Israel.

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

The word revival gets mentioned, and the immediate thought is,

“I don’t have any sin that I need to repent of.”

 

BUT IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU COULD STEP OUT MORE FOR GOD?

• Could you follow closer?

• Could you travel farther?

• Could you witness longer?

• Could you pray harder?

• Could you study deeper?

 

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE

TO SEE GOD DO SOMETHING AMAZING IN YOUR LIFE

AND IN THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND YOU?

 

TURN TO: MATTHEW 10:16-31

 

Verses 16-25 admittedly paint a bleak picture.

 

(16-25)

Jesus promises hardship, persecution, and possibly even death.

AND AT THAT POINT, HE LEAVES YOU AT A CRISIS OF FAITH.

 

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

• Determine to be silent about your faith?

• Stay in the comfort and security of your own little world?

• Just try to be a silent, closet Christian?

 

Or will you push through the fear as Obadiah did

And determine to step out for God anyway?

I CAN TELL YOU WHAT JESUS EXPECTS:

 

(26-31)

Jesus expects you to GIRD up your loins, STRAP on your armor,

LISTEN for the voice and PROCLAIM to the world.

 

“But I’m afraid…”

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

 

ISN’T THAT WHAT THE MISSIONARY ON THE VIDEO SAID?

“I’m afraid not to do what God’s called me to do.”

 

That was the decision Obadiah made as well.

And revival began.

 

God is asking you to trust Him.

Isaiah 51:12-13 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?”

 

Elijah got up and went…

Obadiah got up and went…

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Will you be willing to offer up your life to God for obedience?

Would you give Him a blank check that He can cash however He likes?

What if God wrote Africa or China or Iraq or Rio de Janeiro?

 

How will you respond to your crisis of faith?

 

Revival begins when the righteous step up and step out.

 

Isaiah 51:1-8 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug. “Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he was but one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him.” Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, “Pay attention to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples. “My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly. “Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane. “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings. “For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations.”

 

 

1 Kings 17:1-24 (1-9)

 

This morning we begin a very important section of Scripture.

The writer of 1 Kings has been driving us to this section.

 

He started with Israel’s glorious past: (David & Solomon)

He has taken us through Israel’s pathetic fall (The Rapid Descent)

 

Through continuous wicked kings, not only has God been rejected,

But He is also being replaced by Baal.

To put it mildly, Israel has hit bottom.

 

THIS IS WHERE THE WRITER OF KINGS HAS BEEN TAKING US

Because this is where he will start making his theological points.

 

He introduces the main hero of the book.

His name is Elijah.

 

Elijah in 1 Kings & Elisha in 2 Kings,

They both serve a great purpose.

 

NOT JUST THAT THEY WERE PROPHETS

Israel has had many.

 

We have already seen Shemaiah, “The Man of God”, & Ahijah.

Soon Isaiah will show up, as will Amos, & Hosea.

The time period ends with Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

 

Rather, the writer focuses on Elijah

Because through him we see just how far Israel has fallen.

 

It takes light to reveal the degree of a person’s blindness.

It takes a straight line to gauge how crooked something is.

 

Elijah provides the contrast,

Through his ministry, we are allowed to see just how far Israel has fallen,

And how they reached such an awful point of depravity.

 

Through Elijah the writer will show us

That neglect of God’s word brings judgment,

And restorationonly comes by returning to God and His word.

 

IT BEGINS IN CHAPTER 17

Verses 1-8 reveal the DROUGHT and God’s provision through the ravens.

Verses 9-16 reveal the DEPARTURE as Elijah finds support from a Sidonian widow.

Verses 17-24 reveal DELIVERANCE as Elijah raises the widow’s son from the dead.

 

THIS CHAPTER PROVES TO BE THEOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT

For much of this chapter

Is referenced and explained in the New Testament.

 

James explains the drought to us in James 5:13-18

Jesus explains the departure to us in Luke 4:16-30

 

And once we understand those two points,

The deliverance will make perfect sense.

 

We are truly blessed to have so much information

Available to us to aid in our understanding.

 

BUT BECAUSE OF THIS, I NEED TO ASK YOU TO STICK CLOSE WITH ME.

 

A preaching professor told me not to use cross-references

“Most people in Church can’t handle it.”

 

What he was saying is that “Most church members are too shallow and immature to feast on the meat of the word.”

 

It sounds just like Paul when he told the Corinthians,

1 Corinthians 3:2 “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,”

 

It sounds like the writer of Hebrews when he said:

Hebrews 5:11-12 “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

 

This morning I am going to ask you to prove him wrong.

I need you to stay with me and really focus,

I am going to dump a lot of information in your lap.

 

As I told you, there are three divisions.

#1 THE DROUGHT

1 Kings 17:1-8

 

It begins with Elijah the settler turned prophet

Actually confronting the King of Israel.

 

And the message is a stiff one.

“there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

 

As we saw two weeks ago,

Israel has fallen far from God,

And God is bringing judgment for their defection.

 

THIS JUDGMENT IS ALSO SYMBOLIC.

The drought is not just for water, but is also a drought of spiritual things.

Because the drought is bad, God sends Elijah away,

And promises to supernaturally provide for his needs.

 

(3-4) “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. “It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”

 

And so Elijah left, and God did just as He promised.

(6) “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.”

 

And so we see

• God’s prophet deliver a message,

• God’s hand of judgment on a nation,

• God’s supernatural provision for the man who is faithful.

 

NONE OF THOSE ARE THE REASON FOR THIS PASSAGE

(The drought and the ravens make a nice children’s story, but the point is much more)

 

THIS PASSAGE IS ABOUT THE STUBBORNNESS OF ISRAEL.

We might not see that, were it not for the explanation

We get in the New Testament from James

 

TURN TO: James 5:13-18

 

James actually references this event in the history of Israel.

The fact that he references it, and why he references it

Helps us gain much insight into what the text is meant to show us.

 

So bear with me as we untangle an important passage from James.

(This particular passage is given to much confusion)

 

CONTEXT OF JAMES: James’ letter is all about spiritual weakness.

Some are PERSECUTED, some are SINFUL, some are DISCOURAGED

 

THIS LETTER IS CONFRONTATIONAL AND CONVICTING

As James tells the spiritually immature to “grow up”

 

THE SECTION WE ARE READING SERVES AS THE INVITATION

 

Supposing you are under conviction from what James has written,

This is what you need to do.

 

Then James lists 3 CATEGORIES that you could fall under.

(13-14) “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

 

THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING – being poorly treated in the world.

THOSE WHO ARE SAINTLY – they were confirmed by James’ letter, not convicted.

THOSE WHO ARE SICK – they need to be restored

 

I believe this verse to be victim of some poor translation,

The effect is that people have missed the point of what James intended.

 

The word “sick” translates ASTHENEO

And it can mean physically sick. But that is not it’s only meaning.

 

14 times in Scripture it does not refer to physical sickness at all,

But rather spiritual weakness.

 

Romans 14:1-2 “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”

 

CONTEXT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE:

James has not mentioned physical sickness

James has not mentioned spiritual gifts

JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY OR WEAKNESS

 

WHAT JAMES IS SAYING:

After reading this letter, if it is revealed

That you have fallen into one of the sins that I have written about,

Then here is what you need to do.

 

James is writing about being spiritually restored from falling into sin.

 

It is very similar to what Paul wrote to the Galatians.

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

 

There Paul tells mature to help a weaker brother.

HERE: James tells the weak to seek out a stronger brother.

 

(14) “Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

 

NOT SOME MYSTICAL FORMULA FOR HEALING

The word “anointing” here never refers to

A ceremonial anointing in the New Testament.

 

James is speaking metaphorically,

Similar to the way David did in Psalms 23.

 

Psalms 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”

Psalms 133:1-2 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.”

 

The anointing of oil was a picture of refreshing,

And that is what James refers to.

 

The prayer of your elder will be refreshing to you.

 

No only that:

(15) “and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick [weak], and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”

 

SO HERE IS JAMES’ POINT:

If you are spiritually weak, then go to one of the elders (pastors)

Ask them to pray for your condition.

God will honor it and you will be restored.

 

And that is James application:

(16) “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

 

If you are weak – seek the prayer of the strong. (People do at times)

If you are strong – be faithful to pray for the weak. (Peter affirmed)

 

SO WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE DROUGHT?

 

It is at this point in James’ letter

That he draws us back to that very event.

(17-18) “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured forth rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

 

We knew there was a drought, but it wasn’t until reading James

That we learned that the drought was the result of Elijah’s prayer.

 

Certainly James is illustrating

How powerful one man’s prayer can be.

But we also find a troubling reality about Israel in Elijah’s day.

 

• They WERE SPIRITUALLY WEAK, they needed restoration.

• They SHOULD HAVE HUMBLED THEMSELVES before Elijah and sought his prayer.

• But THEY REFUSED and instead it took 3 ½ years of drought to bring any repentance.

 

THE DROUGHT IN 1 KINGS IS MEANT TO SHOW YOU

THE EXTREME STUBBORNNESS OF ISRAEL.

 

• They were weak and would not admit it,

• They had fallen and would not humble themselves.

• They clung to their sin,

• They were content in the immorality,

• Their lives were characterized by drought.

 

OUR APPLICATION THERE IS EASY

It is one thing to fall away from God into sin.

It is one thing to get on the down-grade.

 

But once it is revealed that you have fallen away from God,

Do not be too proud to confess your sin, & seek spiritual renewal.

 

God has appointed the spiritually mature who are able to pray for you

And bring about restoration in your life.

 

Don’t be too proud to seek them.

Israel was, and instead of Deliverance, they got a Drought.

 

So back in 1 Kings, the first thing we see is a drought.

#2 THE DEPARTURE

1 Kings 17:8-16

 

God now sends Elijah out of Israel into Sidon.

(Not for drought relief, the drought covered the earth)

 

But God was doing something important.

(9) “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

 

Earlier God commanded a raven,

Now God commands a widow, and so Elijah goes.

 

And you are familiar with the story.

• He asks for water (in a drought) and she consents.

• Then he asks for food, and it really is not possible.

 

He calls her to believe, she does, and God supernaturally provides again.

 

BUT WE CAN LEARN MORE:

TURN TO: Luke 4:16-30

This text is when Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth

To reveal to them who He really was.

 

He entered the synagogue and made an amazing announcement.

He reads Isaiah 61:1

“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

And then makes a startling statement:

(21) “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

If someone comes and says

“I have come to set you free and to open your eyes”,

It automatically insinuates that you must be blind and in bondage.

 

That is what Jesus was saying to His hometown.

You are blind, you are in bondage, and I have come to set you free.

 

That is why, as the insinuation began to sink in,

They began to reject it.

 

(22) “And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, ” Is this not Joseph’s son?”

At first they were intrigued,

Then they grew insulted, and were given not to believe Him.

 

(23) “And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’”

 

You will say to Me, “Physician, heal yourself!”

 

That is to say,

“Quit worrying about my sin, you worry about your own problems.”

 

In Jesus day it was the equivalent to today when people say,

“Get the log out of your own eye” or “Judge not”.

 

DON’T YOU PREACH AT ME,

IF YOU WANT TO PREACH, YOU GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

 

Instead, “Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.”

 

We don’t want You coming here confronting our sin,

We want You coming here to meet our needs.

 

They didn’t want preachers of truth.

They want chaplains who would visit the sick and bury the dead.

NO PREACHERS – JUST PASTORS

 

And to that Jesus said:

(24) “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.”

 

That statement reads more like a proverb than a prophecy,

But we do know what Jesus meant to those people.

 

Jesus condemned the people of Nazareth for rejecting God’s Word

They rejected God’s word simply because they did not like the fact

That God’s Word insinuated that they were sinners.

 

THAT CERTAINLY APPLIES TODAY

 

And then Jesus gives the illustration.

(25-26) “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”

 

NOW DON’T MISUNDERSTAND.

You are not supposed to read what Jesus said, and say,

• “Oh, those poor widows under God’s judgment.”

• “Oh, why did God reject all those widows in Israel?”

• “Oh, why didn’t God send Elijah to one of them instead?”

 

I’ll tell you why.

BECAUSE THOSE HARD-HEARTED WIDOWS IN ISRAEL

WOULD NOT HAVE FED ELIJAH IF HE HAD COME.

 

God wasn’t trying to be mean to the widows in Israel,

God was just simply revealing that the widows in Israel

Were too hard-hearted to do what a Gentile widow did.

 

Jesus then tells of the leper Naaman from Aram that Elisha heals.

Again the insinuation is not that God refused to heal the lepers in Israel. But that none of the lepers in Israel sought out God to heal them.

They were too stubborn to do what Naaman did.

 

The widows and the lepers are pictures of those who are weak

Both should have done what James said and humbled themselves

And sought out someone to pray for them and restore them.

 

But both were too stinking arrogant to do so,

Therefore Elijah was forced to depart to those who would seek God.

 

And Jesus’ insinuation is that the people in Nazareth

Were just as hard-hearted as the widows and lepers in Israel.

 

BUT YOU SEE THE POINT TO 1 KINGS.

It is not just a story of a drought and hard-times.

 

The point of the story is to reveal that Israel had reached

A drastic point of stubbornness, rebellion and arrogance.

 

They would rather have DROUGHT than DELIVERANCE.

They would rather SUFFER than HUMBLE THEMSELVES.

 

AND AGAIN OUR APPLICATION IS EASY.

 

When you fall away from God and fall into sin, it is a bad thing.

But you do not have to stay there.

 

But if you insist upon remaining in your fallen state,

And are too stubborn to obey the command of the Lord,

Then judgment is your only alternative.

 

Israel had fallen far from God and was too stubborn to repent.

That is why we see Drought, and Departure.

 

#3 THE DELIVERANCE

1 Kings 17:17-24

 

This passage DOES NOT reveal the deliverance of Israel,

They still have not repented.

 

This passage reveals the deliverance that Israel could have had

But was forfeiting because of their stubbornness.

 

 

And here we see it in a drastic setting.

It begins with the unexpected death of her son.

 

But the point of the passage is what she does in response.

 

She doesn’t get mad at God, she doesn’t get rid of the man of God, INSTEAD SHE ADMITS HER SIN AND ASKS FOR HIS HELP.

 

(18) “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!”

 

She actually blames the death of her son on her own sin.

 

She came to the one who could deliver.

 

AND HE DELIVERED

(21-22) “Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.” The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.”

 

IS THAT NOT WHAT JAMES SAID WOULD HAPPEN?

Go to one who can help, confess your sins and seek his prayer.

“And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is weak”

 

God heard Elijah’s prayer and God restored the weak one.

 

And the end result was the glory of God.

(23-24) “Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”

 

That is a physical story with spiritual significance.

Israel could have had what this woman had,

But they would not do what this woman did.

 

HOW ABOUT YOU TODAY?

Is it possible that like Israel you have fallen away from God?

• Maybe you have gotten discouraged and are stagnant…

• Maybe you have actually been snared by a sin and you can’t get free…

 

James told us how to get free.

Seek the prayer of the elders,

And God will honor both your humility and their prayer.

 

But don’t do like the people of Israel

Who were angered at the very insinuation that they were in bondage or that they were blind.

 

They didn’t even like Jesus mentioning that they might have a problem,

And so they remained in their sin.

 

This morning you can leave the drought behind.

This morning you can find restoration like the Sidonian widow.

 

Simply humble yourself before God,

Confess your sins to one another,

And let God bring victory in your life.

 

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”