WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.120 We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christ Church. 00:00:05.560 --> 00:00:09.540 This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:15.439 redistribution, or any other use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christ Church. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:22.660 Please consider donating to this work in the San Francisco Bay Area online at ChristChurchEastBay.org. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:40.620 Today's scripture reading is from 1 Kings chapter 18, verses 1, verse 17 through 39, and verse 45 as printed in your liturgy. 00:00:41.899 --> 00:00:46.359 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:50.900 Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land. 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:56.039 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, Is that you, you troubler of Israel? 00:00:56.039 --> 00:01:01.979 I have not made trouble for Israel, Elijah replied, but you and your father's family have. 00:01:02.379 --> 00:01:05.620 You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:10.079 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, 00:01:10.459 --> 00:01:17.560 and bring the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table. 00:01:18.180 --> 00:01:23.700 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 00:01:23.700 --> 00:01:29.659 Elijah went before the people and said, How long will you waver between two opinions? 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:34.260 If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, follow him. 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:36.299 But the people said nothing. 00:01:37.060 --> 00:01:43.820 Then Elijah said to them, I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left, but Baal has 450 prophets. 00:01:44.600 --> 00:01:46.079 Get two bowls for us. 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:53.759 Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces, and put it on the wood, but not set fire to it. 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:58.599 I will prepare the other bowl, and put it on the wood, but not set fire to it. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:03.879 Then you call on the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the Lord. 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:07.560 The God who answers by fire, he is God. 00:02:08.259 --> 00:02:10.560 Then all the people said, What you say is good. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:17.039 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one of the bowls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.420 Call on the name of your God, but do not light the fire. 00:02:21.159 --> 00:02:23.719 So they took the bowl given them and prepared it. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:26.920 Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:29.259 Baal, answer us, they shouted. 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:30.840 But there was no response. 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:31.939 No one answered. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:34.560 And they danced around the altar they had made. 00:02:35.539 --> 00:02:37.420 At noon, Elijah began to taunt them. 00:02:37.419 --> 00:02:39.019 Shout louder, he said. 00:02:39.239 --> 00:02:40.319 Surely he is a God. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.560 Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. 00:02:44.119 --> 00:02:46.000 Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened. 00:02:46.839 --> 00:02:53.199 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 00:02:53.939 --> 00:02:58.939 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:00.959 But there was no response. 00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:02.159 No one answered. 00:03:02.539 --> 00:03:03.659 No one paid attention. 00:03:04.459 --> 00:03:06.439 Then Elijah said to all the people, 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:08.000 Come here to me. 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:12.919 They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:20.219 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, 00:03:20.620 --> 00:03:21.759 Your name shall be Israel. 00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:30.060 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it, large enough to hold two sayas of seed. 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.579 He arranged the wood, cut the bowl into pieces, and laid it on the wood. 00:03:34.580 --> 00:03:41.280 Then he said to them, Fill four large jars with water, and pour it on the offering and on the wood. 00:03:41.920 --> 00:03:44.500 Do it again, he said, and they did it again. 00:03:44.939 --> 00:03:48.480 Do it a third time, he ordered, and they did it the third time. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:52.780 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 00:03:52.780 --> 00:03:57.079 At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed, 00:03:57.819 --> 00:04:03.699 Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.579 and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 00:04:08.519 --> 00:04:09.319 Answer me, Lord. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:16.219 Answer me so that these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again. 00:04:16.220 --> 00:04:22.340 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.200 and also licked up the water in the trench. 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:29.320 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 00:04:29.640 --> 00:04:30.880 The Lord, he is God. 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:32.760 The Lord, he is God. 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:35.920 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds. 00:04:36.280 --> 00:04:37.080 The wind rose. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:41.340 A heavy rain started falling, and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:44.260 The grass withers and the flowers fall. 00:04:44.259 --> 00:04:46.259 The Lord, he is God. 00:04:47.139 --> 00:04:55.759 We have battled through marathon traffic, found a parking spot, and some of us may have even run this morning. 00:04:56.500 --> 00:04:58.740 But we're here today to worship. 00:04:59.019 --> 00:05:02.639 We're here, as Andrew said, to honor Isaac and the Lee family. 00:05:03.599 --> 00:05:10.579 We are here today to have a congregational meeting, which I know all of you are excited about after this worship service. 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:14.199 It's kind of old school church for a really long time today. 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:15.819 But it's going to be great. 00:05:15.899 --> 00:05:16.879 We hope you'll stick around. 00:05:17.620 --> 00:05:23.019 We're also on, you know, 10 weeks of having preached about revival. 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:26.339 And this simple prayer, Revive Us. 00:05:26.339 --> 00:05:37.500 And that means that Andrew and I have one more shot apiece at convincing you that this is something we should be praying about and preparing for. 00:05:37.599 --> 00:05:44.439 And so we've chosen some of your favorite texts in the scriptures to preach on. 00:05:44.599 --> 00:05:47.779 First Kings and Second Chronicles next week. 00:05:47.899 --> 00:05:49.939 So you can be excited about that. 00:05:49.939 --> 00:05:55.139 But we've been looking at the last five weeks at Moses and his prayer for revival. 00:05:55.899 --> 00:06:01.100 And we're shifting today to talk about Elijah and his prayer for revival. 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:05.980 And I just want to remind you some of the definitions we've used to describe revival. 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:09.439 Revival is a visitation from on high. 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:11.720 A great religious awakening. 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:16.720 The unusual outpouring and manifestation of the Spirit of God. 00:06:17.259 --> 00:06:18.319 That's Martin Lloyd-Jones. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:29.240 Revival is a movement of the Holy Spirit bringing about a revival of New Testament Christianity in the Church of Christ and its related community. 00:06:29.420 --> 00:06:31.060 That's Edwin Orr. 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:35.500 Allow me to just answer this question. 00:06:35.659 --> 00:06:41.920 What's the context for this revival that we see happening in 1 Kings 18? 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:45.560 It's the 8th or 9th century B.C. 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:49.480 Ahab and Jezebel are the king and queen of Israel. 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:56.079 And they've organized a deliberate effort to make the people of God religiously pluralistic. 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:59.280 They've been encouraging the worship of Baal. 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:02.879 This nature god and this rain god in Canaan. 00:07:03.340 --> 00:07:06.600 And they've been spreading this idolatry around Israel. 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:10.920 And so the Lord sends his prophet Elijah with a message. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.400 And the Lord says, I'm going to send a drought. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:16.040 And you're not going to have a drop of water. 00:07:16.840 --> 00:07:19.900 And this is God's challenge to Baalism. 00:07:20.300 --> 00:07:23.740 And he basically says, we'll see who's the lord of the rain. 00:07:23.820 --> 00:07:25.340 We'll see who's the lord of the storm. 00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:28.780 And so a drought comes for three years. 00:07:28.780 --> 00:07:30.340 And their economy is ruined. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:32.220 They're way beyond inflation. 00:07:32.460 --> 00:07:33.740 They're way beyond recession. 00:07:34.400 --> 00:07:36.780 Life is extremely desperate. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:40.040 And that's where verse 1 opens up our story. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:43.460 After a long time in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. 00:07:44.180 --> 00:07:48.439 Go and present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the land. 00:07:49.500 --> 00:07:52.139 What happened when Elijah showed up? 00:07:52.980 --> 00:07:55.860 Verse 17 says that Ahab met Elijah. 00:07:55.980 --> 00:07:59.800 And when he saw him, he said to him, is that you, you troubler of Israel? 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:04.660 I have not made trouble for Israel, Elijah replied, but you and your father's family have. 00:08:04.819 --> 00:08:08.939 You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:14.620 Now this is interesting because when people have abandoned the Lord and his commands, 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:19.160 they often misinterpret prophetic accountability. 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:23.379 And they misinterpret prophetic challenge as troublesome. 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:27.959 Prophetic truth becomes irritating and annoying. 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:33.299 And that's why the prophets of Israel suffer as they do. 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:36.019 But Elijah doesn't waver. 00:08:36.139 --> 00:08:37.100 He's not deterred. 00:08:37.779 --> 00:08:40.360 And we see that in verses 19 to 20, he says, 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:47.360 Come and meet me on Mount Carmel and bring all the prophets of Baal, bring all the people of Israel, 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:51.399 and we're going to have a contest to see who's the true God. 00:08:51.399 --> 00:08:54.500 And what does Elijah say to the people when they get there? 00:08:54.579 --> 00:08:58.059 In verse 21, Elijah went before the people and said, 00:08:58.299 --> 00:09:00.840 How long will you waver between two opinions? 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:03.399 If the Lord is God, follow him. 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:06.779 But if Baal is God, follow him. 00:09:07.959 --> 00:09:12.100 That word waver means to go lame or to fall down. 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:13.319 How long will you fall down? 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:17.299 How long will you keep sinking between these two thoughts? 00:09:18.139 --> 00:09:20.199 How long are you going to sit on the fence? 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:23.340 How long are you going to have a foot in both camps? 00:09:23.420 --> 00:09:28.600 How long are you going to have two minds, two loyalties, two sets of priorities? 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:35.460 Do we see how this describes perhaps the North American church in the 21st century? 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:42.800 I hope that as we explore this story, you'll see the necessity of making up our minds 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:47.039 and choosing this day whom we will serve. 00:09:48.139 --> 00:09:56.319 And I think the message for us today, our message today is that the church needs altar repair 00:09:56.319 --> 00:10:01.240 and revival prayer to the God who answers. 00:10:01.359 --> 00:10:02.319 That's what I want to say today. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:10.800 The church needs altar repair and revival prayer to the God who answers. 00:10:11.780 --> 00:10:14.580 First of all, the church needs altar repair. 00:10:15.300 --> 00:10:20.300 The problem is not that Christians have rejected the Lord, 00:10:20.460 --> 00:10:23.460 but that we have idols alongside the Lord. 00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:25.720 And that's what's happening in Israel. 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:30.800 They worship the Lord, but alongside the Lord, they follow the practices of the Canaanites 00:10:30.800 --> 00:10:33.220 and especially this nature cult. 00:10:33.379 --> 00:10:36.379 And everybody in Israel is basically saying, well, what's the problem with that? 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:38.820 We're just going along with what everybody else is doing. 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:45.120 And as Christians, we say, well, you know, we worship the Lord, our God, with our heart, 00:10:45.500 --> 00:10:50.460 our soul, and our mind, but not necessarily all of our heart and all of our soul and all of our mind. 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:53.820 We don't want to worship Him exclusively and close off all our options. 00:10:54.980 --> 00:10:57.379 We also worship other things in our life. 00:10:57.920 --> 00:10:59.580 We worship our reputation. 00:11:00.500 --> 00:11:02.060 We worship money and success. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.620 We worship our family and the dreams of our kids. 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:08.440 We worship our leisure time and our comfort. 00:11:09.920 --> 00:11:11.080 Ask yourself this question. 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:17.139 Do I have any priorities that compete with the worship of God? 00:11:17.139 --> 00:11:24.199 Do I have anything when God's gathering His people together that's keeping me from worshiping Him? 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:27.639 Do I have any priorities that's keeping me from prayer? 00:11:28.439 --> 00:11:31.340 If you do, you probably have an idol. 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:35.500 An idol is not just worshiping something other than God. 00:11:35.620 --> 00:11:38.379 It's worshiping something alongside God. 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:41.419 What's the first commandment of the Ten Commands? 00:11:41.419 --> 00:11:46.840 It's, you shall have no other gods before me or beside me. 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:51.879 Now, isn't this also the position of the New Testament as well? 00:11:52.819 --> 00:11:54.819 What does Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount? 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:55.919 He says in Matthew 6, 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:57.720 No one can serve two masters. 00:11:58.539 --> 00:12:00.179 You'll either love the one and hate the other. 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:02.740 You'll despise the one and be devoted to the other. 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:06.279 But you cannot serve both God and fill in the blank. 00:12:06.980 --> 00:12:11.279 And in that particular moment, He says you cannot serve both God and money. 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:16.559 In Revelation 3, Jesus is speaking to His church and He says, 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:21.459 I know your deeds, that you're neither cold nor hot. 00:12:21.539 --> 00:12:23.939 I wish you were either one or the other. 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:28.000 So because you are lukewarm, because you're neither hot nor cold, 00:12:28.100 --> 00:12:31.699 I want to spit you out of my mouth, Jesus says. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:34.579 But you see, Elijah's not lukewarm. 00:12:35.520 --> 00:12:37.400 Elijah is not double-minded. 00:12:37.540 --> 00:12:39.160 He's not divided in his loyalties. 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:42.780 He sees the nominal faith of the people of God. 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:46.720 He sees that they're being assimilated into the surrounding culture. 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:50.879 He sees that they're syncretized and pluralized and confused. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:53.639 And he says, this isn't the real thing. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.399 And it will not hold up in a contest with the real thing. 00:12:58.580 --> 00:13:01.039 And so Elijah takes this bold risk. 00:13:01.299 --> 00:13:04.159 He puts himself in a vulnerable position. 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:09.980 Here he is as the one prophet of the Lord versus 450 prophets of Baal. 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:11.799 And he says, let's have a test. 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:15.820 Let's have a test between the true and the false. 00:13:15.820 --> 00:13:21.060 And he says in verse 24, he says, then you call in the name of your God, 00:13:21.520 --> 00:13:23.720 and I will call in the name of the Lord. 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:27.860 And the God who answers by fire, he is God. 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:33.280 But something needs to happen before Elijah calls on the Lord. 00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:34.840 And what is that that needs to happen? 00:13:35.520 --> 00:13:36.820 We see down in verse 30. 00:13:37.640 --> 00:13:40.340 Then Elijah said to all the people, come here to me. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:44.960 They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:49.259 And Elijah took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:53.379 to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, your name shall be Israel. 00:13:53.800 --> 00:13:58.040 And with the stones, he built an altar in the name of the Lord. 00:13:59.860 --> 00:14:06.160 The authentic biblical faith that's been revealed to the people of God, 00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:11.240 the authentic biblical faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is in need of repairs. 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:15.000 It has become broken down. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:20.700 The people of God are no longer thinking biblically about God. 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:27.200 The youth in Israel, the children of Israel, they couldn't really even tell you who God is. 00:14:28.860 --> 00:14:33.159 There's massive spiritual decline and moral decay. 00:14:33.299 --> 00:14:36.240 There's very few true prophets left. 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:38.139 And what does that mean for us? 00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:48.740 I think it means that we too need to repair and rebuild the altar of the Lord here in the Bay Area. 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:56.279 Why did this altar come to be in such disrepair? 00:14:57.100 --> 00:14:59.379 Why did it come to be so broken down? 00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:06.480 It says in verse 31 that Elijah took these 12 stones, one for each of the 12 tribes descended from Jacob, 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:09.759 to whom the word of the Lord had come. 00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:15.399 And that's the problem, that the people of God have been neglecting the word of God. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:19.939 They've been neglecting this word of the Lord that had come to their fathers and mothers in the faith. 00:15:20.019 --> 00:15:24.580 They've been ignoring the word of the Lord that came to the 12 tribes of Israel, 00:15:24.580 --> 00:15:26.500 and now they've forgotten that word. 00:15:27.300 --> 00:15:30.520 And they're basically a biblically illiterate people. 00:15:31.580 --> 00:15:41.180 And instead, what they have on offer to them are these words that are uttered by these false prophets, 00:15:42.180 --> 00:15:44.200 bankrolled by Queen Jezebel, 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:49.560 who take these false prophets, they take the authentic biblical word of God, 00:15:49.620 --> 00:15:56.240 and they dumb it down as something less exciting and less intoxicating than these new words 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.320 and these new ideologies from the prophets of Baal. 00:15:59.400 --> 00:16:03.180 And they basically create a compromised faith that's not bound, 00:16:03.300 --> 00:16:06.560 that's not defined by biblical truth. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:11.439 And Elijah sees what's going on among the people of God. 00:16:11.819 --> 00:16:12.639 And what does he do? 00:16:12.839 --> 00:16:14.219 He rolls up his sleeves, 00:16:14.699 --> 00:16:18.819 and he starts to restore the authentic biblical faith, 00:16:18.959 --> 00:16:20.379 repairing the altar, 00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:23.099 rebuilding the altar of the Lord, 00:16:23.479 --> 00:16:26.139 stone by stone by stone. 00:16:27.539 --> 00:16:32.039 And do you see how this applies to us and to our lives at Christ Church? 00:16:33.239 --> 00:16:36.079 How might we need to roll up our sleeves? 00:16:37.459 --> 00:16:45.000 How might we need to break a sweat on these fallen altars of the Lord here in the Bay Area 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:49.219 where the reviving fire of the Lord is supposed to fall down? 00:16:50.739 --> 00:16:55.299 Have you built an altar to the Lord in your home where you begin your day? 00:16:56.519 --> 00:17:02.699 Have you set up sacred stones, a sacred place, a sacred time where you listen to this word of the Lord 00:17:02.699 --> 00:17:05.000 that came to Israel and came through the prophets? 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:13.940 Do you take the time to listen to the word of God that came in Jesus and came through his apostles? 00:17:15.500 --> 00:17:19.619 This is the urgent and the desperate need of the Bay Area 00:17:19.619 --> 00:17:23.359 that Christians would repair the torn down altar of the Lord, 00:17:23.420 --> 00:17:26.000 that we would rebuild this biblical faith, 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:29.039 that we would restack these stones of Scripture, 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:32.740 and that we would reconstruct the deconstructed word of God. 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:38.879 In the history of the church, it's always a necessary prerequisite 00:17:38.879 --> 00:17:43.899 to a season of revival that the people of God recover the word of God. 00:17:43.900 --> 00:17:50.560 We need to be preparing stones where the fire of God's power can come down from heaven. 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:54.300 We need to be creating a landing strip, as it were, 00:17:54.380 --> 00:17:59.720 where the Holy Spirit can be poured out and can actually touch down and come and be at home among us. 00:18:01.600 --> 00:18:02.040 Amen? 00:18:02.040 --> 00:18:02.180 Amen? 00:18:02.180 --> 00:18:02.220 Amen. 00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:09.799 The church is in need of altar repair. 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:16.500 But the church is not only in need of altar repair, the church needs revival prayer. 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:21.279 The church needs altar repair, but it also needs revival prayer. 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:25.500 Why do we need God to revive his people? 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:34.019 Because the rivals that are set up alongside the Lord are so attractive and so seductive. 00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:38.240 What was the attraction of Baalism in its day? 00:18:38.339 --> 00:18:41.220 I'm guessing that not many of you are tempted to worship Baal. 00:18:42.639 --> 00:18:48.339 It's disappeared in history long ago, but what it stands for is alive and kicking. 00:18:48.339 --> 00:18:51.319 And I want to read this to you from an Old Testament scholar. 00:18:51.500 --> 00:18:51.740 He says, 00:18:52.179 --> 00:18:57.319 Baal worship offered an appeal of relevance, an ability to touch felt needs. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.379 What, after all, did Baal theology claim about its premier deity? 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:08.139 Baal was the storm and fertility god who bestowed upon man and soil the blessings of fruitfulness. 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:11.319 He sent forth lightning and fire and rain. 00:19:11.399 --> 00:19:12.980 He gave grain and oil and wine. 00:19:12.980 --> 00:19:18.259 He could revive the dead and heal the sick and grant blessings of progeny. 00:19:19.019 --> 00:19:24.959 What could be more relevant in the life of any Canaanite farmer anxious over his wheat crop and his cattle shed? 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:30.119 When Baal was in top form, the world was pregnant with life. 00:19:30.659 --> 00:19:32.879 Oh, bounteous Baal. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:38.299 You see, Baalism is where you went for prosperity and success. 00:19:39.459 --> 00:19:41.559 Do you want to have a fruitful family? 00:19:41.699 --> 00:19:43.939 Do you want to have vitality in your vocation? 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:46.220 Do you want to have bounty in your community? 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:48.519 Well, don't rely solely on the Lord of Israel. 00:19:48.600 --> 00:19:50.920 Don't waste your time praying to him about those needs. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:52.579 Go to the Baal gods. 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:55.860 And they'll meet all your practical needs. 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:02.059 And the bonus of Baal worship is that Baal's sex ethic is pretty loose. 00:20:03.600 --> 00:20:05.740 He doesn't put limits on your desires. 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:08.220 He appeals to your sensuality. 00:20:09.100 --> 00:20:09.299 He says, 00:20:09.299 --> 00:20:10.480 Do whatever you want to do. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:11.599 Do what feels right to you. 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:13.180 Get your needs met. 00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:14.559 This is the cult of Baal. 00:20:15.659 --> 00:20:22.119 Baalism combines both prosperity and broad-minded moral permissiveness. 00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:28.639 And we see many forms of Christianity in the 21st century that combine these elements, do we not? 00:20:30.259 --> 00:20:36.479 We see ideologies creeping into the church where Christians are worshiping the Lord, 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:39.359 but alongside of that we're worshiping money and sex and power. 00:20:40.659 --> 00:20:47.899 We see Christians bowing down and worshiping the market and business and all the prosperity that it can give to us. 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:55.420 We see Christians bowing down and worshiping the state and politics and all the freedoms that it can protect for us. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:02.400 And my friends, idolatry is taking these good things and turning goods into gods. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:07.580 Money, sex, and power, these are good things, but they're not ultimate things. 00:21:08.600 --> 00:21:12.980 The market and the state, these are wonderful servants, but they're terrible masters. 00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:17.900 And the people of God here in this moment, they want the best of both. 00:21:17.980 --> 00:21:22.660 They want to worship the Lord, and they want to worship at the altar of prosperity and liberty. 00:21:25.059 --> 00:21:31.099 They say, we want to worship God, but we also want self-indulgent lives like all of our Canaanite neighbors are living. 00:21:32.420 --> 00:21:38.660 And they're wavering between these two opinions, these two loyalties, these two sets of priorities. 00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:43.380 Now, how do we know that we have a Baal in our lives? 00:21:43.840 --> 00:21:47.759 How do we know that we have this false God in our lives? 00:21:48.460 --> 00:21:49.900 Well, look at verse 26. 00:21:51.779 --> 00:21:55.580 Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon, Baal, answer us. 00:21:56.340 --> 00:21:58.259 They shouted, and there was no response. 00:21:58.360 --> 00:22:01.279 No one answered, and they danced around the altar they had made. 00:22:02.740 --> 00:22:07.380 You have to go before this God, and you have to perform for it. 00:22:07.380 --> 00:22:09.580 You can't be assured that you have a relationship. 00:22:09.820 --> 00:22:12.140 You can't know that you have a friendship with this God. 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:13.260 You have to put on a face. 00:22:13.360 --> 00:22:14.560 You've got to put your makeup on. 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:21.940 You've got to go and impress this God and do your dance steps and get everything right so that this God will give you what you need and what you want. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.660 You have to work very hard for this God. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:27.440 Verse 27. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:29.400 At noon, Elijah began to taunt them. 00:22:29.539 --> 00:22:30.620 Shout louder, he said. 00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:31.779 Surely he is a God. 00:22:31.880 --> 00:22:35.100 Perhaps he's deep in thought or busy or traveling. 00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:37.980 Maybe he's sleeping and must be awakened. 00:22:39.360 --> 00:22:43.360 You know you have a false God in your life when you change places with that God. 00:22:43.420 --> 00:22:47.620 You switch roles with that God so that you're the one who has to be in control. 00:22:47.619 --> 00:22:50.259 Because God might be on a journey. 00:22:50.419 --> 00:22:51.959 God might be distracted or asleep. 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:54.899 And so you have to do everything for him. 00:22:54.979 --> 00:22:57.879 You have to know better than he does what you need. 00:22:57.939 --> 00:23:01.939 And you have to provide all the information to him because he's clueless. 00:23:01.959 --> 00:23:05.559 And you have to put pressure on him to get what you deserve. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:10.459 Do any of us sometimes pray like that? 00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:14.460 That's not the Lord. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.220 That's Baal. 00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:18.500 Verse 28 says that, 00:23:19.180 --> 00:23:25.460 So they shouted louder and they slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 00:23:25.460 --> 00:23:27.380 You see, we try to be in the driver's seat. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:31.620 But we can't get what we want or what we need. 00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:32.519 And our God fails. 00:23:32.620 --> 00:23:35.400 We get angry and we just start slashing ourselves. 00:23:37.140 --> 00:23:39.700 I find this shockingly contemporary. 00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:45.059 And relevant for our lives three millennia later. 00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:50.340 And I hope you can see why Elijah is praying for revival. 00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:51.819 Right? 00:23:51.860 --> 00:23:53.480 Here comes Elijah the Tishbite. 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:55.940 Elijah the prophet from Gilead. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:57.680 Elijah the troubler of Israel. 00:23:57.980 --> 00:24:00.220 And what does he have the audacity to want? 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:04.319 He wants the people of God to know God. 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:11.000 He wants the people of God to experience the reality of the living Lord. 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:14.079 He's coming to them and saying, you don't need to perform for him. 00:24:14.460 --> 00:24:15.939 You don't need to help him. 00:24:16.159 --> 00:24:17.980 You don't need to bleed for him. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:20.419 All you need to do is come and pray by faith. 00:24:20.420 --> 00:24:26.060 And we would think that this would be absolutely no contest. 00:24:26.800 --> 00:24:27.320 Right? 00:24:27.380 --> 00:24:29.240 Because here are all the prophets of Baal. 00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:32.060 They have all the resources. 00:24:32.320 --> 00:24:34.140 They have all the status. 00:24:35.400 --> 00:24:37.019 They're the clear majority. 00:24:37.300 --> 00:24:39.060 Elijah's a minority of one. 00:24:39.120 --> 00:24:42.300 And he's put himself at a distinct disadvantage. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:43.180 Right? 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:45.580 What in the world is he doing in verse 33? 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:50.340 Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood. 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:53.019 Now do it again, he said. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:53.779 And they did it again. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:56.360 Now do it a third time, he ordered. 00:24:56.420 --> 00:24:57.539 And they did it the third time. 00:24:57.600 --> 00:25:01.440 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:08.340 Why in the world would Elijah have 12 jars of water poured out on this altar? 00:25:09.779 --> 00:25:10.720 I mean, lighter fluid? 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:11.720 Yes. 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:12.160 Water? 00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:14.500 I don't know. 00:25:16.100 --> 00:25:20.680 I think it's because Elijah's so confident in the Lord. 00:25:21.900 --> 00:25:30.600 And he wants it to be clear that when he comes down in power, that nothing is too difficult for him. 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:35.039 Absolutely nothing is impossible for him. 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:38.019 And so what does Elijah pray for? 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:41.160 Finally, he prays in verse 36. 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.079 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and he prayed, 00:25:45.539 --> 00:25:55.460 Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:57.240 Answer me, Lord. 00:25:57.380 --> 00:26:04.500 Answer me so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again. 00:26:04.500 --> 00:26:07.980 What a contrast to these prayers to Baal. 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:12.119 It's just a simple, direct address to who? 00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:14.440 To the Lord. 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:18.460 And we learned the meaning of that name last week. 00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:19.519 The Lord, Yahweh. 00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:21.720 I am who I am. 00:26:22.840 --> 00:26:24.920 The self-existent one. 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:29.860 The covenant-making, covenant-keeping redeemer. 00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:33.619 The one who comes down to save. 00:26:33.679 --> 00:26:40.839 And Elijah is saying to him, Lord, show that you and you alone are God over against these false gods. 00:26:41.719 --> 00:26:50.000 Lord, show that your truth and your word and your commands are good over against these false prophets and their words and their commands. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.299 Lord, turn the hearts of your people back again. 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:57.599 Give them a heart knowledge of you, the living God. 00:26:57.660 --> 00:27:01.960 Let them experience you as the God who is a consuming fire. 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:07.220 And isn't this a prayer for the revival of the church? 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:10.539 Lord, turn their hearts back again. 00:27:11.700 --> 00:27:17.779 This prayer is undergirded by faith that though God's people are mostly dead. 00:27:17.779 --> 00:27:20.039 God, Princess Bride. 00:27:21.700 --> 00:27:29.299 That though God's people are mostly dead, God can come and raise his own suddenly from spiritual death. 00:27:30.660 --> 00:27:35.039 And brothers and sisters, if you've gotten nothing else from this sermon series on revival, 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:45.059 I hope you've gotten the fact that revival historically does not come until men and women of bold faith 00:27:45.059 --> 00:27:51.799 step up to this water-saturated altar of impossibility and they pray, 00:27:52.399 --> 00:27:55.740 Lord, all things are possible for you. 00:27:57.740 --> 00:27:59.159 Awaken the sleepy. 00:28:00.619 --> 00:28:02.339 Enliven the dead. 00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:05.099 Quicken the lethargic in your church. 00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:07.139 Come down in power. 00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:10.000 Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us. 00:28:10.099 --> 00:28:12.240 Turn our hearts back to you again. 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:17.819 Make us to know, Lord, that you and you alone are God. 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:25.140 Christ Church, are you willing to keep praying that prayer with me until it happens? 00:28:25.220 --> 00:28:29.359 Can we keep praying that prayer together until revival comes? 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:38.799 The church needs altar repair and revival prayer to the God who answers. 00:28:40.099 --> 00:28:40.539 Right? 00:28:40.579 --> 00:28:45.519 We need altar repair and revival prayer to the God who answers. 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:47.099 What happens in verse 38? 00:28:47.099 --> 00:28:53.279 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, 00:28:53.399 --> 00:28:55.219 and also licked up the water in the trench. 00:28:55.959 --> 00:28:57.139 Then all the people saw this. 00:28:57.259 --> 00:28:59.319 They fell prostrate and they cried, 00:28:59.439 --> 00:29:00.519 The Lord, he is God. 00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:02.259 The Lord, he is God. 00:29:03.379 --> 00:29:04.179 Verse 45. 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:06.059 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds. 00:29:06.199 --> 00:29:08.559 The wind rose and a heavy rain came on. 00:29:09.500 --> 00:29:11.980 And Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:15.059 What is this fire contest? 00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:18.019 It's a prayer for lightning. 00:29:18.639 --> 00:29:18.740 Right? 00:29:19.079 --> 00:29:21.740 Baal is the God of the storm and the rain and the lightning. 00:29:22.579 --> 00:29:25.299 But God caused this drought to come to show that, 00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:28.159 No, actually, he's the Lord of heaven and not Baal. 00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:29.440 He's the Lord of the storm. 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:30.579 He's the Lord of the lightning. 00:29:30.740 --> 00:29:32.460 He's the Lord of the rain. 00:29:33.919 --> 00:29:34.279 He says, 00:29:34.399 --> 00:29:36.819 I sent you three and a half years without water, 00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:40.759 and now I'm ready to send you water with a thundercloud, 00:29:41.379 --> 00:29:42.720 with bolts of lightning. 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:48.400 And maybe you too have found that God sometimes sends events into your life 00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:51.299 that, you know, singes the hair off your eyebrows, 00:29:51.620 --> 00:29:53.079 like it did for these people, 00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:55.640 that it sort of knocks you off your feet and wakes you up 00:29:55.640 --> 00:29:58.440 and tries to save you from your own spiritual blindness. 00:29:58.440 --> 00:30:08.720 And what we see is that God answers in a way that reveals his amazing power in this moment 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:10.720 in a few different ways. 00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:11.759 And I'll close with this. 00:30:12.900 --> 00:30:17.240 One of the things we see is we see the Lord's power in this praying life. 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:18.880 Right? 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:21.580 And in verse 24, Elijah says, 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:24.760 Then you call the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the Lord. 00:30:24.780 --> 00:30:28.500 And the God who answers by fire, he is God. 00:30:29.840 --> 00:30:33.100 The main point is that the Lord is a God who answers. 00:30:33.260 --> 00:30:36.260 He's not dumb, and he's not deaf like Baal. 00:30:36.500 --> 00:30:41.380 He speaks a living word, and he answers prayer with power. 00:30:41.380 --> 00:30:46.560 And we should not think that this is the first time that Elijah's ever prayed this prayer. 00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:52.300 Because he's just passed through a painful three-and-a-half-year season 00:30:52.300 --> 00:30:55.180 of wilderness preparation before this prayer. 00:30:55.280 --> 00:30:59.060 If you go back to chapter 17, Elijah's had to trust in God 00:30:59.060 --> 00:31:01.240 through this drought for his daily bread. 00:31:01.320 --> 00:31:05.200 He's had to live under this corrupt government, this corrupt queen and king. 00:31:05.660 --> 00:31:09.360 He's had to experience intense loneliness and humiliation. 00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:14.039 And in the midst of that, for three-and-a-half years, he's waiting on God in prayer. 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:16.359 And he's crying out for revival. 00:31:16.719 --> 00:31:17.759 And he's bowing down. 00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:20.559 And he's saying, Lord, make it known that you are God. 00:31:20.679 --> 00:31:23.639 Lord, turn the hearts of your people back to you. 00:31:23.699 --> 00:31:25.839 For three-and-a-half years, he had to pray that. 00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:29.479 How long might we have to pray? 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:30.339 We don't know. 00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:34.759 But he didn't just start praying on this day. 00:31:35.959 --> 00:31:38.519 And that's where we see the Lord's power in this praying life. 00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:41.879 But we also see the Lord's power in the turning of hearts. 00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:47.160 I want to point out that the pastor in this story, he did not bring the fire. 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:48.940 Right? 00:31:49.019 --> 00:31:50.279 Elijah did not bring the fire. 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:52.639 That was something that God did. 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:54.480 That's not Elijah's job. 00:31:54.579 --> 00:31:56.059 That's God's job. 00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:58.039 And it belongs to God and God alone. 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:02.639 And in the same way, Elijah can't turn the hearts of the people back again. 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:05.259 That's not his job either. 00:32:05.360 --> 00:32:07.720 That belongs to the sovereignty of God. 00:32:07.800 --> 00:32:12.840 To turn a human heart is the greatest supernatural miracle. 00:32:13.040 --> 00:32:19.160 And Elijah and all the people, really, are desperately dependent on God to sovereignly send revival. 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:29.700 And that's what we see is that the Lord, the giver of fire, and the Lord, the giver of rain, the sender of the rain, he's also the turner of hearts. 00:32:30.840 --> 00:32:33.060 And that's what revival is. 00:32:33.100 --> 00:32:39.759 It's the Lord working simultaneously on many hearts all at once. 00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:47.700 So that we fall down and we worship and we say the Lord and the Lord alone is God. 00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:49.759 That's how you know revival has come. 00:32:50.379 --> 00:32:53.240 When all the people of God are doing that together. 00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:58.559 And the final thing I want to point out is that we see the Lord's power in this praying life. 00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:00.220 We see it in the turning of these hearts. 00:33:00.379 --> 00:33:04.500 But we also see the Lord's power in this bleeding sacrifice. 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:07.400 Look at verse 29. 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:14.940 It says that midday passed and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:17.120 But there was no response. 00:33:17.280 --> 00:33:18.019 No one answered. 00:33:18.180 --> 00:33:19.880 No one paid attention. 00:33:21.360 --> 00:33:23.259 What a devastating verdict. 00:33:25.100 --> 00:33:29.660 That this sacrifice for sin was found unacceptable. 00:33:30.500 --> 00:33:30.600 Right? 00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:32.220 Nobody responded to it. 00:33:32.220 --> 00:33:39.519 And yet the Lord honored Elijah's altar repair and his revival prayer and he accepted his sacrifice for sin. 00:33:41.100 --> 00:33:49.240 And what I want us to remember, friends, as we come to this Lord's table is that we have a far greater sacrifice for our sins. 00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:54.019 That the gods call to us and they say, dance for me. 00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:56.319 Slash yourself for me. 00:33:56.700 --> 00:33:57.420 Bleed for me. 00:33:57.420 --> 00:34:01.000 But there's only one Lord who has slashed himself for you. 00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:02.980 He didn't go up Mount Carmel. 00:34:03.080 --> 00:34:04.460 He went up Mount Golgotha. 00:34:04.800 --> 00:34:08.320 And his blood ran red for you. 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:13.400 Every other God will make your blood run. 00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:18.700 But there's only one God who's caused his own blood to run. 00:34:19.139 --> 00:34:20.619 Out of love for you. 00:34:20.619 --> 00:34:26.500 At the cross, the fire of God came down in justice upon Jesus. 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:31.299 In order that the fire of God's love might come down on us. 00:34:32.420 --> 00:34:38.659 And when the church is revived and the church comes to a fresh sense of the power of that truth, 00:34:39.279 --> 00:34:42.980 we begin to sing out with all of our hearts and we say, 00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:46.740 He left his father's throne above. 00:34:47.740 --> 00:34:48.900 So free. 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:51.000 So infinite his grace. 00:34:51.880 --> 00:34:54.099 Emptied himself of all but love. 00:34:54.440 --> 00:34:55.280 And he bled. 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:58.300 He bled for Adam's helpless race. 00:34:58.420 --> 00:34:59.740 Tis mercy all. 00:35:00.119 --> 00:35:01.519 Immense and free. 00:35:02.240 --> 00:35:03.619 For oh my God. 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:05.900 It found out me. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:06.659 The Lord. 00:35:06.960 --> 00:35:07.900 He is God. 00:35:07.900 --> 00:35:10.660 The Lord Jesus Christ. 00:35:11.380 --> 00:35:13.180 Who died on the cross for you. 00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:14.420 He is God. 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:16.559 He is God. 00:35:17.380 --> 00:35:19.619 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:35:20.420 --> 00:35:20.720 Amen.