Before Seth comes up to us to bring God's Word, we'll just spend a few moments in prayer
for a few things.
Obviously, Johnny is away in America, and after a few unexpected layovers, a layover
he had, he's there now.
So we'll just pray for him as he goes over and just encourages people in Redeemer Bible
Church.
They came over to us last year.
We had a lovely time with them.
It was a privilege to meet them, and now Johnny's going over, and we pray that he would be an
encouragement to them.
We'll just pray, too, for the Christianity Explored, an opportunity just to share Jesus
with others, and for the upcoming Munster Bible College.
So let's just bow our heads and just spend a few moments in prayer.
Father, we do thank you that you have brought Johnny and Kirsty and the family into Carragalline.
Thank you for the way that they minister to us.
I thank you for the great teaching that you've given Johnny, and that week by week he is faithful
to your Word as he brings it to us.
Thank you for the way that we've been able to grow by hearing your Word week by week.
Thank you for his humility, his service, his willingness to spend time in your Word to be
able to speak each week to us.
Thank you for the opportunity that he has to go over to Redeemer Bible Church.
May he be an encouragement to them as he meets different people, different believers, people
who also have a desire to hear your Word, to bring praise to you, who also will be on
bended knee bringing their praise to God and their Saviour.
I pray, indeed, that it would be an encouragement to him that you'd keep him safe, keep him from
tiredness for the next few days.
I thank you for what he's able to do.
I thank you for the Christianity Explored course.
I thank you for the way that has been put together, for how faithful it is to your Word.
We thank you that we can learn from the Gospel of Mark, and even though we might be familiar
with so much of it, that we still see new things by your Spirit showing us different things
and how wonderful that is.
May, indeed, we be renewed and refreshed as we opened up the Gospel once again, never believing
believing that we know it all, but always having an open heart and willingness to learn
more and more.
We thank you, Lord, for what we read in it, what we have read about you and the authority
that you have over sickness and nature and death and sin.
How amazing that is.
We do thank you for us as members here in Carragalline.
Thank you that we have a desire just to be joined together, to commit ourselves, to be
able to spend time hearing about the different ministries, about different decisions.
I pray, indeed, that our hearts will be always open to you, that we would not be just led
by our own nature, but led by you, that we would be led by your Spirit as we make decisions.
We do thank you for the opportunity for a further Bible study in NBC.
Thank you for the last four years.
Thank you for all that people can learn, for the opportunities people have.
And even coming up in March, when Michael comes over, I pray that there will be many who
have a desire to get into the Old Testament, to learn more.
We just think of how the Old Testament can be such an example to us, that we can learn
so much for it, Lord, and yet so often we don't delve into it, but indeed that our hearts
will be changed, that we'd have a desire to do that, and that indeed that it would be
a blessed week, a week where people will be excited at what you have done and what is
recorded for us in your Word.
Lord, we do thank you that Seth has come along this morning to be able to bring your Word.
I thank you for the work that himself and Jessica are involved in Carrick Tool.
I thank you for their desire to plant churches, to draw alongside people, to share Jesus with
people.
Thank you that their desire is to see believers grow.
May you bless that work, that it may be of your work, Lord, not the work of man, but the
work of God, so that it will prosper and grow, and that in years to come we will praise
you for a church there in Carrick Tool.
I thank you for his desire for your Word.
Thank you that his desire is to be a workman approved unto you.
Thank you for the work and the time he puts in, and as he comes up in his short while,
indeed that he would speak your Word, that we would be encouraged, that we would be challenged,
even rebuked and disciplined where necessary.
May our hearts be open to your Word.
May we not desire to just stand still in our faith, but to continually grow.
May we be teachable believers, those who want to know more of you.
So we thank you for Seth.
Thank you for your Word.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
So Seth, thank you very much for coming up.
Well, thank you very much.
It's wonderful to be here, as always.
We're big fans of this church.
And if you want to turn to 1 Kings chapter 18, we'll be in 18 and 19.
And if you're in one of the church Bibles, that's on page 359.
That's better.
I'm just not quite as tall as this.
I wonder, have you ever wondered why God doesn't intervene more often with, like, really powerful demonstrations,
like big miracles, just really show up in big, clear, undeniable ways more often than he does?
I mean, he's God.
He can do that any time.
And yet, if you look at history, even if you look at the history of the Bible, with so many miracles recorded,
still there are long, long periods of time without them.
It's more rare than we'd like.
God seems to do most of his work, actually, in other ways.
And sometimes that leaves us scratching our heads, wondering why he doesn't seem to be answering our prayers
for the things that seem really good and really right and really needed.
When the Bible says that God's ways are higher than ours, it's not kidding.
But what I'd like us to look at this morning is actually a time when God did do incredible miracles
and did answer big prayers, did make a big demonstration of his power.
And yet, alongside that, the unexpected way that he chose to actually complete his work.
So, we're going to start with 1 Kings 18, but we'll get there in just a minute,
because I want to tell you quickly what James tells us about Elijah.
In James 5, you don't have to turn there, but he says this,
Elijah was a human being, even as we are.
He prayed earnestly that it would not rain.
And it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
So, the point that James is making is that Elijah was a normal person.
Just like us, he prayed a big prayer and he was answered by a big God.
We can pray to the same God, and that's amazing.
We have the same access.
It wasn't about Elijah being a particularly, like a different class of person.
He has access to the same God.
He prayed earnestly and God answered.
We have the same God.
But here's the question.
Elijah prays earnestly for something big.
The big thing that he prays for is for it not to rain.
Now, I can understand that living in Ireland.
Sometimes we might want it not to rain.
But even here, if it doesn't rain for three and a half years,
we're going to be in trouble.
I mean, if he's going to ask for something big,
if he's going to pray earnestly for something,
why would he pray earnestly for something that will cause a famine?
Why not pray earnestly for a really miraculous big bumper crop?
I think we have to understand the setting that Elijah is in.
At this time, the nation of Israel is caught up in the worship of a false God called Baal.
And Baal was supposed to be the God who sent rain.
He was the God of rain.
He was also the God of lightning and thunder.
So Elijah prays that God would hold back the rain
because that would show very clearly that Baal was not the real power.
Israel was worshipping Baal, but Baal was not in control of the rain.
God was.
Elijah knew that as long as the rain came,
the people were going to credit that to Baal.
So what they actually needed more than rain
was to know God,
even if the only way to get there was through a famine.
And God answers,
for three and a half years it does not rain.
That's actually quite a miracle.
That's a big thing.
But God does even more.
When he's finally ready to send the rain,
he only does it after one more very big,
impressively clear demonstration of who the real God is.
So we'll read through this.
It's because I can't describe it as well as it's described here.
1 Kings chapter 18, starting in verse 22.
Elijah said to them,
I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left,
but Baal has 450 prophets.
Get two bulls for us.
Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves
and let them cut it in pieces and put it on the wood
and not set it on fire.
I'll prepare another bull and put it on the wood
and not set it on fire.
Then you call in the name of your God,
I will call in the name of the Lord,
the God who answers by fire.
He is God.
Now, remember,
Baal was supposed to be the God of lightning.
This is his department.
If he can do anything,
he should be able to do this.
And all the people said,
what you say is good.
So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,
choose one of the bulls,
prepare it first,
since there are so many of you.
Call in the name of your God,
but do not light the fire.
So they took the bull given to them
and they prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal
from morning till noon.
Baal, answer us,
they shouted.
But there was no response.
No one answered.
So they danced around the altar they had made.
At noon,
Elijah began to taunt them.
Shout louder,
he said.
Surely he's a God.
Perhaps he's deep in thought
or busy or traveling.
Maybe he's sleeping
and he must be awakened.
So they shouted louder
and they slashed themselves
with swords and spears
as was their custom
until their blood flowed.
Midday passed
and they continued
their frantic prophesying
until the time
of the evening sacrifice.
But there was no response.
No one answered.
No one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people,
come here to me.
I think maybe Elijah was from Cork.
He said,
come here to me.
They came to him
and he repaired the altar of the Lord
which had been torn down.
Elijah took twelve stones,
one for each of the tribes
descended from Jacob
to whom the word of the Lord had come
saying,
your name shall be Israel.
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 sears of seed.
He arranged the wood,
cut the bull in pieces,
laid it on the wood.
Then he said,
fill four large jars with water
and pour it on the offering
and on the wood.
Do it again.
And they did it again.
Do it a third time.
That's twelve jars of water
that are going on this.
The water ran down
around the altar
and even filled the trench.
At the time of sacrifice,
the prophet Elijah
stepped forward and prayed,
Lord, the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Israel,
let it be known today
that you are God in Israel,
that I am your servant
and have done all these things
at your command.
Answer me, Lord.
Answer me.
So these people
will know that you,
Lord, are God
and that you are turning
their hearts back again.
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 the people saw this,
they fell prostrate
and cried,
The Lord, he is God.
And 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.
And Elijah said to Ahab,
Go, eat and drink,
for there is the sound
of heavy rain.
The rain is coming.
God had been withholding it
in answer to Elijah's prayer.
Now it is coming.
And now that they know the source,
now that they have seen
this clear demonstration,
God sends the rain as well.
Now, this is a big miracle.
This is a very clear sign
of who God is,
who is the real God.
Baal had not been able
to send rain.
Now he is not able
to send fire.
Even though these are supposed
to be the things
that he is in control of.
So at this point,
Elijah believes,
understandably,
that he is one.
He believed that the worship
of Baal and Israel
is done.
It's over.
And after a victory like that,
you wouldn't blame him.
I mean, how can anyone
deny God now?
How can anyone continue
to worship a God like Baal
after he's been shown,
proven to be so powerless?
But there's one sentence
that turns Elijah's world
upside down.
And it's in chapter 19.
He turned the page.
The first verse
of chapter 19.
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 one of them.
So even with all the evidence
that you could ever ask for,
literally falling down
out of the sky
in front of them,
Jezebel and Ahab
will not submit to God.
And even though the people
had just seen
these incredible things,
had seen this incredible display
of God's power,
it's actually not long
before we see them
worshipping Baal again.
It's unbelievable.
It seems incredible.
But it's true.
And to be honest,
we're not so different today.
Evidence alone,
by itself,
no matter how overwhelming it is,
is actually not enough
to change sinful hearts
so that they turn to God.
Even really big,
even impressively clear
demonstrations like this
are not enough
in themselves
to change
our rebellious hearts.
Instead of dealing
with the reality
of what had just happened,
Jezebel and Ahab,
they try to erase
the evidence
by killing Elijah.
And Elijah
starts to wonder,
what's the point of this?
What have I accomplished here?
Look at 19, verse 3.
Elijah was afraid
and he 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'm no better
than my ancestors.
Then he lay down
under the bush
and fell asleep.
Things have really
turned around,
haven't they?
He's basically saying,
this isn't working.
I've done all I can do.
How could you even
possibly make it
any clearer
than we've made it?
And yet it wasn't enough.
And he says,
I give up.
I might as well be dead.
What more can I possibly do?
I'm done.
And I think we can understand
how he feels.
God had answered his prayers
and it should have worked.
But now he's being hunted.
And the whole thing
looks completely different
than what he thought,
how he thought
it should have gone.
Elijah feels like he's done.
But God is not done.
God is still working.
Even though Elijah
can't see it.
Elijah is so discouraged,
he just wants to die.
But God is not actually
finished with Elijah
either.
He's still going to use him.
But I think it's important,
before we get to where
God calls Elijah on,
it's important to note
what he does
before he does that.
Before any new instructions come,
look at verse 5.
All at once an angel
touched him and said,
Get up and eat.
He looked around
and there by his head
was some baked bread
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 he ate
and he drank.
Strengthened by that food,
he traveled 40 days
and 40 nights
until he reached Horeb,
the mountain of God.
Then there he went
into a cave
and spent the night.
God doesn't scold Elijah
for being sad
and discouraged
and depressed
and wanting to die.
Instead,
he sends an angel
to give him food
and water.
And then he waits
and he gives Elijah
time to sleep.
He gives him food
a second time.
And verse 8 tells us
Elijah was strengthened
by that food.
Elijah was wrecked.
I mean,
he's just been through
this huge emotional
rollercoaster,
this huge victory,
followed by
this complete turnaround
that left him
literally running
for his life.
But God doesn't just
drive him forward.
Elijah is tired
in every way.
But God gives him
time and space
for food and rest.
And sometimes
when we feel awful,
actually one of the
most spiritual things
we can do
is eat
and sleep.
Psalm 103
celebrates the fact
that God
knows how we are formed.
He remembers
that we are dust.
even though God
himself is infinite
and strong,
he doesn't forget
that we are not.
He doesn't roll
his eyes
and turn up
his nose
at our weakness.
He reaches down
to give us
his strength
to dry our tears.
He could have
chastised Elijah
for being depressed,
but he doesn't.
He gives him food
and he gives him rest.
And he draws him in
to show him
how he's been working
in ways that Elijah
had never seen.
And he shows him
that God still has
a role for Elijah
in his plan,
even if it's a different role
than Elijah expected.
So he goes on
this journey.
God sends him
to Mount Horeb,
which is another name
for Sinai,
the mountain where
Moses received
the Ten Commandments,
or the law,
the whole law.
And God speaks to him.
So if you look
in 19 verse 9,
the word of the Lord
came to him,
What are you doing here,
Elijah?
And Elijah replies,
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'm the only one left,
and now they're 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 mountain
apart
and shattered
the rocks
before the Lord.
That's a powerful wind.
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,
there came a fire,
but the Lord
was not in the fire.
And after the fire
came a gentle whisper.
Then,
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'm the only one left.
Now they're trying
to kill me too.
The Lord said to him,
Go back the way you came
and go to the desert
of Damascus.
And when you get there,
anoint Hazel,
king over Aram.
Also anoint Jehu,
son of Nimshi,
king over Israel.
And anoint Elisha,
son of Shephat,
from Abel Melhub,
to succeed you
as a prophet.
Jehu will put to death
any who escape
the sword of Hazel.
And Elisha will put to death
any who escape
the sword of Jehu.
Yet I have reserved
seven thousand in Israel,
all whose knees
have not bowed down
to Baal,
and whose mouths
have not kissed him.
So,
here on the mountain
of God,
God listens
to Elijah's complaints
twice,
patiently,
the exact same complaint.
He doesn't even
answer directly,
but he does answer.
He sends these
powerful things.
He sends a wind
that breaks stones.
He sends an earthquake.
He sends a fire.
But the Lord was not
in those powerful things,
the wind and the earthquake
and the fire.
And then he sends
a gentle whisper.
See,
Elijah had expected
God to destroy
Baal worship in Israel
through overwhelming
miracles,
which happened.
Fire from heaven.
So impressive.
But God says
his power
is actually working
in what was happening
in the background,
in the quiet
of much more
ordinary things,
like seven thousand people
who never had
worshipped Baal,
who never had
bowed down to him,
even before
the miracles.
Elijah thought
he was the only one.
He didn't even know
these people existed.
But God was working
in them,
quietly,
under the radar.
Then he gives us
the second part
of his answer
to Elijah.
He gives him
what seems like
fairly ordinary jobs,
anointing ordinary
political and religious
leaders.
No more fire
from heaven,
but God is working
through these
ordinary things.
In fact,
I don't have to turn there,
but 2 Kings 10
describes how Jehu,
who Elijah
is sent to anoint,
was the one
who put an end
to Baal worship
in Israel.
2 Kings 10
18 says specifically,
Jehu destroyed
Baal worship
in Israel.
Elijah himself
was not the man
who would accomplish
what he wanted
to see happen.
But God gives him
an important role,
and the miracles
are part of that role.
But God actually
finishes the job
of destroying
Baal worship
in Israel
through Elijah's
obedience to
ordinary tasks
that God gives him.
See,
God had been working
under the surface
long before the
miracles ever happened.
And his work
continued under the
surface in spite
of the people's
rejection of those
miracles.
And he would
continue his work
in the same ways
normally through
ordinary quiet
means going forward.
Now Elijah lived
a long time ago,
but our God
is the same God,
and our ministry
comes down
largely to the
same things.
We also are
calling people
back to God,
trying to show
them the greatness
of his power,
of his love,
of his salvation.
He's the same God.
He has the same
power that was
displayed by fire
on Mount Carmel.
He can do that
any time.
But in our prayers
for God to do
his work,
we don't have to
wait for some
massively impressive
sign from heaven
for our friends
to see.
In our prayers
for God to do
his work,
we don't have to
wait for those
things.
We don't have to
worry if God
doesn't answer
our prayers for
big demonstrations
of his power.
We already have
the biggest sign
of all.
We have a
Savior who came
down from heaven
to die,
die for our
sin,
and rise again
in victory over
it.
And he's still
working.
God's still
small voice,
his gentle
whisper,
is still
speaking life
into rebellious
hearts.
And really,
the biggest
and most
beautiful miracle
is when God's
power reaches
into a cold,
rebellious human
heart and
makes it bloom
with the beauty
of his love
and his life
by the power
of the cross.
And that's a
miracle that he
is doing now.
And he's been
doing it all
along.
But often it's
done under the
radar.
no matter what
seems to be
going wrong
around us.
See,
Elijah,
Elijah couldn't
see anything
good from his
perspective.
All the
headlines were
bad.
His personal
life was,
I mean,
he was running
for his life.
He was a
fugitive.
And yet God
shows him
that God
has been
working in
ways that
Elijah couldn't
see and
couldn't have
even imagined.
and that
God will
continue to
do his
quiet,
incredible
miracles in
the hearts
of people.
And he's
going to keep
doing that
until Jesus
returns.
So don't
think,
don't think
for a second
that God
is not
working.
Just because
you may not
see the
powerful
demonstrations
and answers
to prayer
that we
long for,
the good
things that
we ask
for,
or the
impressive
miracles
that we
want,
Elijah saw
those answers.
He saw
those demonstrations
of God's
power.
And yet he
also saw
that people
still refused
to accept
God.
They still
rejected him,
even with all
the evidence
literally coming
down from
heaven.
He saw
that what
people really
need is not
a big display
of power
out there.
We need a
miracle in
our hearts.
And that's a
miracle that
God is
doing right
now.
It's a
miracle that
he chooses
to do
through our
ordinary,
unimpressive
obedience to
seemingly small,
mundane things
as a means
to his
greatest work.
God is not
limited,
he's not
caught off guard,
even when things
seem to be
going wrong.
Often God is
doing his
quiet work behind
the scenes in
ways we never
would have
thought to look
for.
So my
encouragement
for you
this morning
is just to
relentlessly
hang on to
him.
No matter
how small
it may be,
just simply
take the
next small
step of
obedience as
he leads.
We have a
God who
chooses to
use that
small,
simple
obedience
more often
than he
chooses to
use the
big,
impressive
miracles.
people.
His still
small voice,
his gentle
whisper is
still at
work through
his people,
through you.
So don't
discount your
ordinary
obedience.
Jeremiah says,
do not
despise the
day of
small things.
Our God
loves to
use small
things,
unimpressive
things,
weak people
doing small,
unimpressive,
obedient things
to do
his greatest
work.
Amen.
Thank you,
sir.
often when
we hear
God's
word,
so we
quick to
just move
on to a
song,
to something
else.
Let's just
take a few
moments just
to think and
dwell on the
things that
Seth has been
talking about.
We'll be going
out of here,
we'll be doing
ordinary things
in our lives
this week.
We'll be going
to jobs,
we might be
minding children,
we might be
going to
college,
we might be
meeting people,
but in all
that it's
amazing to
think that
God is still
working.
We don't
always see
what God
is doing,
but we can
take encouragement
from his
word that
he is
working.
What a
wonderful picture
as well of
that gentle
voice of
God just
whispering into
a cold
heart,
changing them
from being
a rebellious,
sinful human
being,
blossoming
into a
child of
God,
someone who
is loved
by God
as they
repent of
their sin
and turn
away and
turn to
Jesus.
let's
just pause
in our
seats,
just close
our eyes,
maybe bow
our heads
and we
can thank
God that
he does
work in
the ordinary
things in
life,
not to
be discouraged
when we
don't see
these big
exciting
things because
we're people
who have
lost our
awe of
things.
We see
so much
on the
internet,
on television
and we've
lost that
sense of
awe of
things and
we want
really
something big
to happen,
but God
works in
those small
things.
So let's
just bow
our heads,
perhaps even
to pray that
God would
work a
miracle in
those that
we love,
who do
not know
Jesus yet,
that he
would change
that cold
heart,
a heart of
stone to
be a heart
of love
for the
Lord.
Let's just
respond in
quietness
before God.
That
ale