Let's turn again to the chapter we read in 1 Kings 18.
And we find the challenge in verse 21 that Elijah is throwing out towards Israel.
! And Elijah came near to all the people and said,
How long will you go limping between two different opinions?
If the Lord is God, follow him.
But if Baal, then follow him.
And the people did not answer him a word.
As a boy growing up, Elijah was one of my favorite characters in the Bible
because he seemed to be tough as nails.
And he seemed to be just a man who was utterly fearless and would do anything and go anywhere.
And that one mission was to serve God.
And he was, I suppose, like a lot of young boys, Elijah was a hero to us.
And I used to think it was very fitting that when God was taking, as he took Enoch,
he also took Elijah, that he was to take this incredible servant of his out of this world, never meeting death.
But Elijah, although he may appear otherworldly to us,
because sometimes when you read through Elijah,
apart from the one lapse that he had when he ran away from Jezebel,
everything else about his life was unbelievably passionate, zealous.
And you'd almost think he was kind of different to us.
But he wasn't.
James, in his letter, tells us, Elijah was exactly like you and me,
with the same passions, the same kind of character.
They're no different to the likes of you and me.
So James tells us this.
Now in this chapter that we meet here, there's a crisis has come in the land.
And the idolatry of Israel is just beginning to overwhelm the whole place.
And because of that idolatry, God has sent a drought on the land,
so that they were without water for three years.
And it's in light of this that Elijah comes to bring this challenge to Israel.
And they have to make a decision.
Now you and I know life is full of decision making.
We're always having to make decisions.
Some of these decisions are so small, we don't realize that they're actually decisions.
The likes of, what am I going to eat?
Or if you have leisure time, will I read?
Will I watch something?
Will I go for a walk?
These are the kind of sort of little decisions that we make within the day
that have no great consequences at all.
But then there are bigger choices, bigger decisions.
The likes of, when it comes to marriage, who you're marrying,
where you're going to live, the job you're going to have.
These are much bigger choices, bigger decisions.
But the biggest decision, the biggest choice that anybody could ever make
is what we do with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do we follow him?
Or do we push him away?
Do we side with Jesus?
Do we ask Jesus to be our Lord and our King?
Or do we walk away from Jesus?
Do we push Jesus aside every time that he comes near us in the Gospel or in Providence?
What is our reaction to Jesus?
Because we're always making a decision at these times,
either accepting or rejecting.
And so we find that Israel has come to this point where a choice has to be made.
Now as we read here,
Ab was searching the whole land for Elijah
because he blamed Elijah for the drought.
You see, Elijah, according to God's word,
had come to Ab and said to him,
As the Lord God lives, there will be no rain for three years.
Because Ab was leading Israel in a downward spiral of idolatry.
It was getting worse and worse and worse.
And they were going further and further and further away from God.
And so God said,
My judgment.
And this was a judgment in order to bring Israel back to repentance,
to turn again to God.
But it was doing the very opposite.
And you know,
when we look at our own country,
our own land,
can we not see a similar picture?
Because you and I were very conscious.
Things are not improving.
Despite all the advances in technology and medicine
and all these,
and we're thankful for all these advances that are being made
and do make life better.
As a nation,
it's not getting better.
It's not getting any safer.
It's not getting any wealthier.
It's not getting...
We're struggling.
Even our politicians will talk about
us being broken as a society.
And God is speaking to us
through these things.
And rather than turning to God
and repenting of where we are,
that's what should be happening nationally.
It's like digging our heels in and saying,
No, we won't.
We'll go further away from God.
And that's exactly what was happening here
in the time of Ahab and Elijah.
So chapter 18 opens here with
God telling Elijah to show himself
to Ahab because he was going to send rain.
And as we could see there,
the land was in a crisis.
There was so much drought
and people were suffering.
People would be dying because of the famine,
because there wouldn't be the crops
due to the lack of water.
And what is King Ahab doing at this point?
When his people are in a crisis,
he's looking for a bit of grass and water
for his mules and horses.
No word about the people.
All he's concerned about are his mules
and his horses.
He's looking for a bit of grass
and water for them.
And it's here we see,
here's this king who's supposed to be
caring for the people,
looking after the people.
But he's so self-centered,
so self-obsessed,
that his horses and his mules
count far more to him
than the people that he's looking after.
And you know,
it's almost like the picture
of the rich man and Lazarus.
Remember the rich man
and he had all the wealth
and he was there indulging himself
in all his finery
and the beggar Lazarus at the door
starving, full of sores
and he had no word of him.
And you know,
the sinful heart
that becomes self-obsessed,
can't see others,
can't empathize with others,
can't sympathize,
void of compassion.
And it's an awful picture
of how we can go.
Anyway,
we see here
that the time has come
there's to be a showdown.
And we've got to remember
it's a fearful thing
to be instrumental
in leading people away
from the Lord.
And it's a,
I'm not going to go bad,
I'm not making this
any political sermon
in any shape or form,
but you know,
when you think of our
our governments
and the policies
that they are passing,
the laws that pass,
everything that takes us
further away from God,
everything that pushes God
further out
is not to our well-being,
it's to our detriment.
And it's an awesome responsibility
before God
for people to do that
because one day
they're going to have to
stand before him
and to give an account
as we all have
for everything
that they've done.
Well,
the thing is,
Ahab was somebody
who had sold himself
to sin,
to idolatry.
But bad and all
though Ahab was,
he was nothing like his wife.
Jezebel was the power
behind the throne.
She was utterly evil.
She was the one
who was just,
she had a hatred
for God
and for the cause
of Christ.
And she was just
somebody who wanted
to obliterate,
out of the land,
everybody
that followed the Lord.
Bad and all
though Ahab was,
he wasn't that bad
because we find
as we look at the life
of Ahab,
there was a side
somewhere in him
because he knew,
he knew who God was.
There was a God consciousness
in Ahab
that was not in Jezebel.
And we find
that there's a period
later on
where Ahab
actually
humbles himself
before God
because of the judgment
that's going to come.
And God said,
because Ahab
has humbled himself
in this way,
I won't bring it
in his day
but in his family's day.
So you see
that bad and all
though he was,
there was this
God side,
God awareness
in his heart.
But as I said,
he was nothing
like his wife
who was the power
behind the throne.
And we see
another instance
of this
is that
the chief man
that Ahab had,
the man
who was his governor,
like his lieutenant,
his main man
in operations
was Obadiah
who was a devout
God-fearing man.
And there's no doubt
that Ahab
had to intercede
or had to plead
for Obadiah's life
when Jezebel
was doing a purge
of trying to remove
all the God-fearing people
in the nation.
So you see
there was this
side to him.
And Obadiah
tells us
there was a period
when Ahab
was killing
all the prophets,
when Jezebel
was killing
all the prophets
of God,
that Obadiah
took a hundred
prophets
and hid
fifty in one cave,
fifty in another,
and he fed them
with bread and water,
probably out of
his own expenses.
But the thing is
he tells us
in verse 13
that Ahab
actually knew
what he did.
Has it not been
told, my lord,
what I did
when Jezebel
killed the prophets?
So Ahab knew
what Obadiah
was doing.
So that shows us
that there was
this other side
to Ahab
who was totally
different
to his wife.
Anyway,
the time comes
and Elijah
meets Obadiah
and tells him,
go tell Ahab
that I'm going
to meet him
today.
And Obadiah
says,
I can't.
I can't do that
because
Ahab has searched
the whole land
and the land
is round about
and I know
what's going
to happen
because when
I go and
tell Ahab,
Elijah's going
to meet you,
the spirit
of the Lord
will take you
away.
And then Ahab's
going to kill
me for this.
But Elijah
gives his word
and he said,
I am going
to meet Ahab
today.
And it's very
interesting how
Ahab addresses
Elijah
in verse 17.
When Ahab
saw Elijah,
Ahab said
to him,
is it you,
you troubler
of Israel?
Isn't it
incredible
how sin
distorts
the picture?
The one
person
who was
capable
of turning
things,
this great
man of
prayer,
and yet
Ahab
is the one
who has
caused
all the
havoc
and yet
he blames
Elijah.
You see,
that's what
sin does.
Sin distorts
our understanding.
There's no
discernment,
there's no
awareness,
there's no
spiritual
understanding.
And we can
see it so
often what
people call
evil good
and good
evil,
and that's
the way
they look
at it.
And they
genuinely
think because
sin has
so distorted
their thinking,
they think
good is
evil and
evil is
good.
And we
see it,
we see it
in our
own
nation.
Anyway,
Elijah is
saying enough
is enough.
And Elijah
says,
you're the
one who
has troubled
Israel.
And he
said to
Ahab,
I'm throwing
down a
challenge to
you and
to the
whole of
Israel.
Enough is
enough.
And I want
you to meet
on Mount
Carmel,
all the
prophets of
Baal and
the prophets
of the
Asherah,
that would
be 850
altogether,
450
prophets of
Baal and
400 of
the Asherah.
and I
will meet
and where
there's going
to be a
challenge to
see who
is the
living and
the true
God.
And so we
find that
they gather
together,
there's to
be two
altars and
two sacrifices
and two
bulls,
one,
Elijah is
going to
sacrifice one
bull and
the prophets
of Baal will
sacrifice another.
And there's no
doubt that
Elijah in
planning for
this would
have,
or because
people wonder
where does the
water come?
Well,
Mount Carmel
is just
beside the
Mediterranean
Sea.
And there's
no doubt
that Elijah,
in order to
prove what
was happening,
would have
asked people
to bring up
water from
salt water
from the
Mediterranean
because he
was going to
soak the
sacrifice as
well,
just to
prove to
the people
what was
happening.
And so
everybody
comes together
to watch.
Now,
I wouldn't
imagine the
whole of
Israel would
have been
there,
but
representatives
from all
the different
tribes would
have been
there.
And Elijah
throws down
this challenge
to Israel.
How long
will you go
limping between
two different
opinions?
If the
Lord is God,
follow him.
If Baal is
God,
follow him.
And the
God who
answers by
fire,
he is
the Lord.
And the
people initially
said nothing,
but then when
he threw out
the challenge
again,
they said,
more or less,
they said,
this is
well spoken
or this
is a fair
challenge.
And you
know,
it's a
solemn
thought because
this challenge
that Elijah
threw out
is a challenge
that is relevant
today as well.
Probably nearly
3,000,
not far off,
3,000 years
ago,
when that
challenge
boomed out
across
Carmel,
it echoes
out to this
very day.
How long
will you
go limping
between
two?
How long
will you
go halting
between
two decisions?
If the
Lord is
God,
follow him.
And can I
say that
that's a
question that
we have to
ask ourselves
today.
If the
Lord is
God,
if you're
here today
and you
have never
yet begun
to follow
the Lord,
you have to
ask yourself
why not?
Now I
don't believe
there's anybody
in here
today who
isn't at
one level
or another
interested
at some
point.
There's some
level of
interest in
your heart
or it's
not very
likely that
you would
be here
today.
But the
thing is,
it's not
enough simply
just to
come to
church.
It's
important that
we deal
with what
we see
and what
we hear
and what
God requires
of us
because he's
our maker.
He's
the one
who we
have to
give an
account to
at the
end of
the day
and he
has made
a provision
for us
in Jesus
Christ so
that everything
can be right.
At the moment
it's all
wrong.
The Lord
alone can
make it
right.
And so he
says,
come on.
Now maybe
there are
people,
might even
be people
here today
are saying,
well you
know,
I intend
one day
to get
this sorted.
It's my,
as sure
as I'm
sitting here,
one day
it's my
aim to
become a
Christian.
I want to
get,
before I
die,
I'm going
to get
this sorted.
But right
now,
don't push
it.
Because
if I
became a
Christian
just now,
it's going
to really
interfere
with my
schedule,
with the
plans I
have.
I have
certain
things I'm
going to
do.
Can you
not leave
it another
year or
two?
And honestly,
I have
every intention
of seeing
to this,
it's one of
the things,
it's on
my to-do
list.
Well,
the thing
is,
we can't
guarantee a
day or
an hour.
And the
very fact
that today
you might
be saying,
I do
want to
be a
Christian
at some
point,
there might
come,
the Lord
might spare
you a
few years,
and in a
few years
you might
not want
to think
like that.
I sadly
know people,
and there
was a day
that they
appeared
interested,
and today
they're as
far away
with not
as far
as I
can see,
no interest
at all.
That's a
solemn thing,
it's a
challenging
thing.
So God
is saying
to us
today,
this is
absolutely
essential,
and it's
important
that we
confess the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
And can I
say to
those who
have come
to faith,
and there
might be
some here
like that
today,
you've
come to
faith in
the Lord
Jesus Christ,
you've
come to
trust him.
you love
Jesus,
but you've
never
publicly
confessed him.
We had a
communion last
week,
and that's
the time
for the
public
confession.
Because remember
what the
scripture says,
we are to
believe in
our heart
and confess
with our
mouth that
Jesus Christ
is Lord.
And Jesus
wants that
public
confession.
That's what
you do when
you come
before the
church
says,
it's not
a big
question,
all the
session
wants is
to hear
your
confession,
that you
love the
Lord Jesus
Christ,
and that
he is
your
savior.
And so
it's
important,
some people
they just
say,
I can't
do it.
Well,
think of
what Jesus
has done
for you.
Because there's
going to
come a day
when you
have to
meet him.
And he's
going to
say to
you,
think of
all I
did for
you.
And all
I asked
you to
do was
to publicly
confess my
name.
And maybe
you're saying,
oh, I'm
not worthy
to do
that.
None of
us are.
There's
not one
single
passion who
is worthy.
All the
worthiness
belongs to
Jesus.
It's for
unworthy
people that
the Lord's
Supper has
been given.
And it's
a wonderful
privilege.
church.
So,
I want
you,
if you
love the
Lord and
have never
done so,
to think
seriously and
pray for the
grace to
do that when
the next
communion comes.
So anyway,
we find,
and just in a
word,
we find that
the prophets
of Baal,
they shout,
they dance,
they sing,
they call,
and nothing
happens.
Nothing
happens.
Elijah begins
to mock
them.
I might
be sleeping.
And of
course,
nothing
happens.
They cut
themselves,
the self-mutilation,
all the process
that goes on.
And of
course,
Baal is a
dead God.
Nothing.
And then
Elijah rebuilds
the altar of
God,
puts the
slain bullock
on the top,
the wood,
everything on
there,
and then he
asks that
they'd be
soaked with
water.
and then
prays to
the Lord,
and the
Lord answers
with fire.
And the
people just
fall down
on their
faces.
It must
have been
the most
extraordinary,
awesome spectacle
that they'd
ever seen
in their
lives.
This
visual
representation
of the
power of
God,
answering
the call
of this
lonesome
prophet,
Lord,
show that
you are
God.
By sending
down fire
on the
sacrifice.
And the
fire came
down,
consumed the
bull,
consumed the
wood,
consumed even
the stones,
dried up,
nothing left,
obliterated.
And the
people fall
down on
their faces
saying,
the Lord,
he is
God.
The Lord,
he is
God.
I hope
today that
that's what
you're seeing
in your
heart.
The Lord,
he is
God.
The Lord
is my
God.
Because
the
alternative
doesn't
bear
thinking.
Now,
we find
that Elijah
orders that
they get
all the
prophets of
Baal,
and they're
taking them
down to
the brook,
and they're
slaughtered,
and people
say,
oh my
goodness,
that's
harsh,
that's
brutal.
So it
is.
But the
point that
Elijah is
so on
fire for
the Lord,
he's saying
if they
continue to
live,
they will
continue to
take people
away from
the God,
and they
will lead
people to
hell,
they're doing
the devil's
work.
And so
there is a
pictorial
representation
here of
the judgment
that faces
those who
spend their
life taking
people away
from God.
It's an
hopeful
thought.
There are
people today,
and you
know and I
know,
there are
people who
give their
lives.
God gives
them their
life,
sustains
them,
blesses
them,
and yet they
give all
their time and
energy in
trying to
lead people
away from
God.
There is
no God.
What an
end,
unless God
has first
mercy on
their soul.
But the
wonderful thing
for us
today is
the fire
of God's
wrath has
fallen on
his son,
and his
son was
consumed on
the cross
in order
that we
can go
free.
And all
we have
to do
is accept
and believe.
well will
you?
Let's
pray.
Lord our
God,
we pray to
bless us.
And we
give thanks
that you
are God
of heaven
and earth,
and that
you have
set before
us life
and death,
and you
have shown
us the
way of
salvation.
And we
pray that
we will
not have
resistant
hearts,
but hearts
that are
molded,
and hearts
that are
willing to
be
embracing
Jesus as
Lord and
Saviour.
Lord,
bless and
pity us,
shine on
us with
thy face.
Have
mercy upon
us,
we pray.
Take us
to our
home safely,
forgiving us
of every
sin.
In
Jesus'
name we
ask it.
Amen.
We're
going to
conclude
singing in
the 80th
Psalm,
Psalm
number
80,
and this
is from
the
Scottish
Psalter,
Psalm
80,
from the
Scottish
Psalter,
and we're
going to
sing the
last three
verses of
the
Psalm.
Psalm
80,
from
verse,
from
verse,
it's
verse 17,
maybe I
put the
wrong,
did I,
if I
put 19,
I'm
sorry,
it's
verses
17 to
the end,
the last
three
verses of
the
Psalm.
O let
thy hand
be still
upon the
man of
thy
right
hand,
the
son of
man,
whom
for
thyself
thou
made
us
strong
to
stand,
so
henceforth
we
will
not
go
back,
nor
turn
from
thee
at
all,
oh,
do
thou
quicken
us,
and we
upon
thy
name
will
call,
turn
us
again,
Lord
God
of
hosts,
and
upon
us
about
safe,
to
make
thy
countenance
to
shine,
and so
we
shall
be
safe.
Verses
17 to
the
end
of
Psalm
!
Oh,
let thy hand
be still upon
the man of thy right hand,
the son of man who
call thyself,
a
mede
strong
to
stand,
a
mede
strong
to
stand,
a
mede
strong
to
stand,
a
mede
strong
to
stand.
Oh,
hand
from
the
evil
Lord
go
back,
nor
turn
from
me
at
all,
nor
turn
from
me
at
all,
O,
do thy
quicken
us
and
we
upon
thy
name
will
come,
upon
thy
name
will
come,
upon
thy
name
will
come,
upon
thy
name
will
fall.
Hark
us
again,
Lord God
of
holds,
and
upon
us
our
save,
and
upon
us
our
save,
through
it
thy
fountain
and
to
shine,
and
so
we
shall
be
saved,
and
so
we
shall
be
saved,
and
so
we
shall
be
saved.
I'll go to the door on my left.
Now may the grace,
mercy,
and peace of God,
the Father,
Son,
and Holy Spirit,
rest and abide upon each one of you,
now and forevermore.
Amen.
Thank you.