So, 1 Kings 19 is on page 360 in the Church Bibles.
So, chapter 19, starting in verse 1.
Now, Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say,
May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.
When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness.
He came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die.
I have had enough, Lord, he said.
Take my life.
I am no better than my ancestors.
Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, Get up and eat.
He looked around, and there by his head was some bread, baked over hot coals and a jar of water.
He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,
Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.
So he got up and ate and drank.
Strengthened by that food, he traveled for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him.
What are you doing here, Elijah?
He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.
The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.
I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.
The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord.
But the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?
He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.
The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.
I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.
The Lord said to him, Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus.
When you get there, anoint Heziel king of Aram.
Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king of Israel.
And anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-Moholah to succeed you as prophet.
Jehu will put to death any who escape the word of Heziel.
And Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal,
and whose mouths have not kissed him.
Pens, notes, anybody?
Everybody?
So previous talks from 1 Kings can be found on the church website.
I encourage you to look in there and listen if you've missed anything.
And the purpose of our home groups, yes, it's there to encourage.
And one of the good things about it is we can follow up with anything that we've looked at on a Sunday morning.
So questions that arise, things we want to discuss and share, we can do that.
So, yeah, as we go through this morning's talk, if there's things that you want to write down and come back on,
bring those questions to home group and let's discuss them and let's talk them out together.
Thank you.
Let's pray.
Father, your word has promised that when your word goes out, it will not return void,
but will accomplish the purpose for which you have sent it.
So we humbly submit ourselves to your word and pray that it will accomplish its purpose in each of our lives,
within our families,
and within us as a church family.
Do your work.
We ask this for your glory.
Amen.
Well, this book, the Bible that we have just read together and that you're holding in your hands,
how would you describe it?
How would you describe God's word?
Well, Charles Spurgeon was a famous preacher,
and in one talk, he described God's word.
He said it's like a lion.
This is what he said.
I do not know whether you can see that lion.
A number of persons advanced to attack him,
while a host of us would defend him.
Pardon me if I offer a quiet suggestion.
Open the door and let the lion out.
He will take care of himself.
The word of God is like a lion.
In other words, we do not need to defend God's word.
We just need to let God's word loose.
You see, God's word will always prevail.
People may attack it.
Oh, it's irrelevant.
It's outdated.
It's backward.
Nobody believes that stuff anymore.
Why are you reading that book?
Governments may try and ban it,
making it illegal to own a copy of God's word,
or punished if you preach its message.
Well, despite all the attacks,
God's word is like a lion.
It will defend itself.
God's word will always prevail.
No one and nothing can stop the word of God doing its work.
Well, in 1 Kings 19,
the lion has been let loose.
God's word is at work,
and despite all the attacks,
God's word will prevail.
First,
the word of God is always opposed.
The word of God is always opposed.
Have a look back at chapter 18.
Mount Carmel,
that great event,
had been the highlight so far.
Remember,
there were 450 prophets of Baal
versus one prophet of God.
The prophets of Baal were to call out
and to cry down to their gods
for fire to come.
But in verse 29,
we read,
there was no response,
no one answered,
no one paid attention.
And then,
the one prophet,
Elijah prayed.
Verse 38,
Then the fire of the Lord fell
and burned up the sacrifice,
the wood,
the stones,
and the soil,
and also licked up the water in the trench.
And when all the people saw this,
they fell down prostrate and cried,
The Lord,
He is God.
The Lord,
He is God.
Then Elijah commanded them,
Seize the prophets of Baal.
Don't let anyone get away.
They seized them
and Elijah had them brought down
to the Kishon Valley
and slaughtered there.
Judgment on the false prophets
for leading God's people away
from God's word.
It was a no contest.
God had won.
Everyone would now show up at church
praising God,
right?
Well,
despite the evidence,
not everyone was willing to bow
to the one true God.
There were those
who were still opposed
to God's word.
Look at verse 1,
chapter 19,
verse 1.
Now Ahab,
he was the king of Israel,
told Jezebel,
his wife,
everything Elijah had done
and how he had killed
all the prophets
with the sword.
So Jezebel sent a messenger
to Elijah to say,
May the gods deal with me,
be it ever so severely,
if by this time tomorrow
I do not make your life
like one of them.
Now let's remember,
Elijah is God's prophet.
The prophet was God's mouthpiece.
God spoke his word
through the prophet.
So to put an assassination order
on Elijah
was a full-on attack
against God's word.
Put a bullet in Elijah's head,
you kept God silent.
Now this is really
nothing new, is it?
God's word has
and is always undermined.
While every other voice
is to be heard,
God's voice
is to be silenced.
We don't need God
telling us how to live
or what to do.
We know what's best.
Keep God's word
out of the schools,
restricted in our national debates,
close the Bible,
don't open it.
Now the reality is,
if you stand up
or speak out
for the truth
of God's word,
you too
will become a target.
You will be a marked person.
It mightn't be
a crazy Jezebel
who's vying for your blood,
but you will be told
by your boss,
no religious talk in here.
keep those views
to yourself,
please.
Or you will find
that you are no longer
liked on Facebook
or followed on Twitter.
And that can be
really hard.
You see,
speaking the truth
of God's word
will be costly.
You get hit enough times
and you will want
to give up.
Get sidelined
and rejected
by your peers.
You may find yourself
doing an Elijah.
Look at him
in verse 4.
He came to a broom bush,
sat down under it
and prayed
that he might die.
I have had enough,
Lord,
he said.
Take my life.
I am no better
than my ancestors.
Elijah
is suffering
with spiritual burnout.
This guy's done.
Do you ever feel like that
as a Christian?
No one takes
what you believe seriously.
Friends laugh.
Family think
that you've gone
a bit extreme.
And then we get
the aggressive attack
through the media
which continues
to take swipes
at God talk.
It's relentless.
And some days
it becomes too much
and you want to stop.
I've had enough,
Lord.
I can't do this
witnessing thing anymore.
No one believes.
No one listens.
Nobody wants
to know about you.
What's the point?
The word of God
is always
opposed.
Second,
the word of God
is always
enough.
You see,
when the pressure
comes on,
God's word
is what we all
need.
First,
let's see
how God's word
meets
our physical needs.
Look at verse
five.
Elijah
fell asleep.
He lay down
under the bush
and all at once
an angel
touched him
and said,
get up
and eat.
He looked around
and there by his head
was some bread
baked over
hot coals
and a jar
of water.
He ate
and drank
and then went
back to sleep
again.
I love
the practicality
of God's word.
Get up
and eat.
No sermon,
no Bible study,
just bread
and water.
You see,
God knows,
God understands,
God sees
what his servants
go through
and by this
simple word
of command
to get up
and eat
is all met
by God's
provision
to eat.
sometimes
I can be so
focused
on asking
what
I want
from God
that I forget
to be thinking
and thanking
God for what
I already have.
Wanting God
to do what
I command,
ready to bring
all my complaints
and all my
discouragements
rather than
seeing
all the goodness
in his provision.
So let me
encourage you
and myself
as you
munch your way
through your
cornflakes
in the morning
or your porridge
or whatever you have
and you sit
there wondering
how am I
going to face
another day?
How am I
going to go
into work today?
How am I
going to face
those people?
Well,
thank God
for your daily
bread
and water.
thank God
that by
his word
he loves
you.
He provides
for you.
He gives
to your
physical needs.
But we need
more than
just bread
alone,
don't we,
to face
the opposition.
We need
spiritual
nourishment.
God's word
comes to
Elijah
again.
Verse 7.
The angel
of the
Lord
came back
a second
time,
touched
Elijah
and said,
get up
and eat
for the
journey
is too
much for
you.
Now,
Elijah
isn't so
much
running
away.
Elijah
is on
a journey.
Now,
I'm not
sure
if this
has all
been planned
by Elijah
that he's
kind of
worked out
all the
steps or
not.
All we
know,
if you
look back
in verse
3,
Elijah
was afraid
or can
be translated,
Elijah
saw what
was going
on.
He saw
what was
ahead.
He saw
what Jezebel
was up
to and
he ran
for his
life.
His life
is in
danger
so he's
done the
sensible
thing
and he's
got out
of town.
But where's
he off
to?
Well,
it seems
that God's
word is
directing
his every
step.
Look at
verse 8.
So he
got up
and ate
and drank
strengthened
by that
food.
He
travelled
for 40
days
and 40
nights
until he
reached
Horeb,
the
mountain
of God.
Now,
Bible
readers
will
remember
Horeb,
sometimes
called
Mount
Sinai.
That's
why it's
called
the
mountain
of God,
the
mountain
that
Moses
had
climbed
to
meet
with
God.
Mount
Horeb
is
where
God
spoke
to
Moses
and
revealed
himself
to
Moses
and gave
the law
and the
commands
to
Moses.
You see,
Elijah was
spiritually
done,
wasn't he?
Look at
him here.
He's
sitting under
the broom
tree.
I've
had
enough,
Lord.
So God
in his
grace
provides
food.
But God
knows that
he needs
more than
just bread
alone.
Elijah
needs
spiritual
nourishment.
And by
taking
Elijah
to
Horeb,
God
is
reminding
Elijah
and us
that we
are
ultimately
fed
and
strengthened
by an
encounter
with the
living God
who speaks
to us
through his
word.
Just as
God had
said to
Moses
all the
years
before,
man
doesn't
live on
bread
alone,
but on
every word
that comes
from the
mouth of
the Lord.
You see,
God knows
our needs.
We need
the nourishment
of a good
meal,
God's
generous
provision.
But how
much more
do we need
to be
nourished
by the
word of
God?
It will
feed you.
It will
grow you.
It will
strengthen
you.
It will
give to
you all
that you
need to
keep going
in life
as a
Christian
and to
go on
serving
him
amongst
all the
opposition
and all
the rejection
of God's
word.
So,
the word
of God
is always
enough.
Third,
the word
of God
will always
sustain.
not
surprisingly,
God
begins to
nourish
Elijah
spiritually.
Look at
verse 9,
the second
part of
verse 9.
And the
word of
the Lord
came to
him.
What are
you doing
here,
Elijah?
Now,
God knows
why
Elijah
is there.
It's not
a surprise.
God knows
what has
been going
on.
He's been
directing
his steps.
He simply
asks Elijah
or invites
Elijah,
what are you
doing here?
Tell me,
Elijah,
what's going
on?
You see,
God is not
some distant,
impersonal being
who's immune
to the struggles
and the hardships
that we go
through.
God is
desperately
concerned
about us
and his
word invites
us,
talk to
me.
Tell me
what's
going on.
What's
your trouble?
Verse 10,
Elijah
replied,
well,
I've been
very zealous
for the
Lord God
Almighty.
The
Israelites
have rejected
your covenant,
torn down
your altars
and put
your prophets
to death
with the
sword
and I'm
the only
one left
and now
they are
trying to
kill me
too.
That's
my concern,
Lord.
All this
preaching,
all this
witnessing,
all this
speaking of
God's word,
it's really
not working.
I've done
what you
commanded,
but nobody
seems interested.
I'm longing
and praying
that people
turn back
to you,
but no one
believes.
no one
listens to
your word.
People say
they're going
to come to
the Children's
Rock,
but they're
not coming.
People say
they're going
to come to
Christianity
Explored,
but they
don't.
In fact,
it seems like
I'm the only
one who seems
to be hanging
in here.
Nobody
listens,
nobody wants
to know.
don't you
love the
way God's
word invites
us to
talk with
the sovereign
king of
the universe?
What are
you doing
here?
Just tell
me what's
going on.
What's on
your heart?
What's
troubling you
as my
servant
today?
he is
deeply
concerned.
Tell him
what is
going on.
Well,
talking we
can do,
but there
comes a
time when
we must
listen.
Verse
11.
The
Lord
said,
Go out
and stand
on the
mountain
in the
presence
of the
Lord,
for the
Lord is
about to
pass by.
Then a
great and
powerful wind
tore the
mountains
apart and
shattered the
rocks before
the Lord,
but the
Lord was
not in
the wind.
After the
wind,
there was
an earthquake,
but the
Lord was
not in
the
earthquake.
After the
earthquake came
a fire,
but the
Lord was
not in
the fire.
And after
the fire
came a
gentle
whisper.
When
Elijah heard
it, he
pulled his
cloak over
his face and
went out and
stood at the
mouth of the
cave.
This is a
display.
of awesome
power.
A mighty
wind, a
rumbling
earthquake, a
bolt of
fire.
But let's
not get
distracted by
all this
fireworks.
Yes, this
is the God
who is over
all creation,
but this is
just a mere
sideshow to
the all
powerful God
who speaks
his word to
his people.
God's
power is
demonstrated
supremely, not
in the
natural world,
but in
God's
spoken
word.
Yes, we
can admire
the creator
behind the
sun, but
God is not
in the
sun.
The sun
isn't going
to speak to
you.
We are to
listen to the
word of God
that spoke
this very
creation into
existence and
now speaks
that word
to his
people.
In other
words, there
is more
power in
the voice
of God
than the
shattering,
crushing,
bashing of
nature.
Look at the
end of
verse 13.
Then a
voice said
to him,
what are
you doing
here,
Elijah?
He replied,
well, I've
been very
zealous for
the Lord
Almighty.
The same
question is
asked, the
same answer
is exactly
given, but
what's
different?
Well, Elijah
is now
ready to
listen.
He is
ready to
hear the
voice of
God, to
stop looking
at what's
out there
and hearing
and listening
to what God
has to say.
Well, before
we hear what
God has to
say, I
think it
would be
good for
us to
ask that
question,
how am I,
how are we
going to
hear God's
voice?
Well, let
me say two
things.
First,
don't go
into the
woods of
Corabini and
sit down
amongst the
trees and
expect God
to speak to
you through
the shade
of light
that comes
through the
branches,
or go and
sit in some
rocks by the
edge of the
cliff and
expect to
hear a
thundering
voice.
Nature will
display God's
power and
beauty, but
it's not how
we hear
God.
We hear
God speak
to us as
we read
the Bible,
God's
written word.
God spoke
in an audible
voice, and
what God
spoke, he
commanded that
it would be
written down
for the
first hearers
of that
word and
for future
readers.
And here
we are,
hundreds,
thousands of
years after
this audible
voice spoke
to Elijah,
written down
and written
for us.
What we
have in the
Bible is
God's
sufficient
revelation
of himself.
In other
words, every
time we
open the
Bible, we
hear God
speak.
Now I know
the wind and
the earthquake
and the fire
sound rather
more spectacular,
doesn't it?
I know
we'd all
love to
climb up
the mountain
and hear a
gentle whisper
from God.
Who wouldn't
want that
experience?
But God's
written word
to us
has the
same power
as God's
audible voice
to Elijah.
We don't
need to go
looking for
God up
some mountain.
We don't
need to go
into some
special place
in creation
to meet
God.
We meet
God in
his word.
This is
where we
discover,
this is
where we
do business
with God.
Where he
hears us
and we
hear him.
And as
we open
his word,
his word
will sustain
you and
his word
will keep
you and
his word
will provide
the very
voice that
you need
in the
moment of
your trial
and struggle
and hardship
that you
are going
through.
So the
word of
God
always
sustains.
Fourth,
the word
of God
always
prevail.
God
says,
so what
does
God
have to
say?
Well,
thankfully,
we don't
have to
guess and
make up
what God
says.
Look at
verse 15.
The Lord
said to
Elijah,
go back
the way
you came
and go
to the
desert
of
Damascus.
Elijah,
I want
you to
go back
to where
unbelieving
Ahab and
Jezebel
are.
I want
you to
go back
to the
people who
are rejecting
God's
word,
who don't
want to
listen and
don't want
to know.
Well,
what does
God's
word have
to say?
Well,
two things
we need
to hear.
First,
God's
word
delivers
on
judgment.
Look at
the rest
of verse
15.
When you
get there,
anoint
Haziel,
king over
Aram.
Also
anoint
Jehu,
son of
Nimshi,
king over
Israel,
and anoint
Elisha,
son of
Shaphat,
from Abel
Mahaloah,
to succeed
you as
prophets.
Why is
he appointing
all these
new leaders,
a king
for Israel,
a king
for Aram,
a kind
of foreign
nation,
and a
new prophet?
What's
he doing?
What's
all this
for?
Well,
verse 17
tells us,
Jehu
will put
to death
any who
escape
the sword
of Haziel,
and
Elisha
will put
to death
any who
escape
the sword
of Jehu.
It's a
word
of judgment.
Remember
what Elijah
had been
crying out
to God?
Have a
look back
in verse
14.
Elijah
said,
I've been
very zealous
for the
Lord God
Almighty.
The
Israelites
have rejected
your covenant,
they have
torn down
your altars,
and they
have put
your prophets
to death
with the
sword.
They've
turned away
from God
who made
them and
who loves
them.
the God
who redeemed
them and
entered into
a relationship
with them.
The God
who's provided
for them
and kept
them and
given to
them everything
that they
need.
And what
have they
done in
return?
But they've
rejected God's
word, but
in rejecting
God's word,
they're rejecting
God himself.
And after
all these
years, God
says, well,
I am going
to reject
them.
justice
will be
done.
Judgment
will fall.
You see,
God will
not allow
us to go
on ignoring
him and
fighting him
if we
reject the
one true
God who
made us
and who
provides us
with all
that we
have.
And if
we insist
and persist
in pushing
God's word
out of our
lives and
have nothing
to do
with him,
well, he
says, I
will give
you what
you want
and what
you deserve.
Judgment
will come.
So he
delivers on
his judgment,
but he
also will
declare his
grace.
Verse 18,
God
will
fall on
those who
fight him,
but his
grace will
cover all
those who
will submit
to him.
God
isn't
cranky or
quick-tempered.
He's
patient.
He
loves us.
He
longs for
people to
turn to
him.
He
longs that
people will
bow to
him so
that they
might know
his grace,
experience
his forgiveness
and enjoy
God's
presence.
God
will
deliver on
judgment,
yet he
declares
his grace.
Don't
believe me?
Don't
believe this
word that
Elijah is
speaking,
that God
would actually
do this?
Well,
look and
listen to
the word
about the
cross where
Jesus died.
Because when
we look at
the cross and
listen to the
word of the
cross, it
tells us that
God takes
our rebellion
seriously and
judgment must
take place
because that
is what we
deserve.
But when we
look at the
cross and
when we
listen to the
word about
the cross, it
tells us that
God loves us
enormously,
that Jesus
dies in our
place, we
don't get
what we
deserve.
The cross
delivers on
judgment,
judgment.
But it's
not us.
So he
declares the
brilliance and
the greatness
of his grace
towards all
who will come
and bow
before him
and kiss
the sun.
We need to
listen carefully
to his
word.
God's
judgment will
fall on
those who
fight him.
But his
grace covers
all who
will submit
to him.
You see,
this is the
word that
will prevail.
The word of
the cross.
This is the
message Elijah
was to speak
and proclaim
and it's
the message
we are to
speak and
proclaim.
This
gospel message
is like
a lion.
We don't
need to
defend it.
We don't
need to
make excuses
for it.
We just
need to
let it
loose.
And
nothing
and no
one
will ever
hinder
or prevent
God's
word
doing
his
work
through
his
servants.
in the
midst of
hard times
and difficult
times.
God's
word will
prevail.
God's
word will
sustain you
and keep
you.
And
God's
word will
do his
work.
He will
display the
glory and
greatness of
his power
through his
word.
Let us
trust him
and let us
listen to
him.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.