WEBVTT

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 Take your Bibles tonight, go to 1 Kings chapter 17, 1 Kings chapter 17,

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 because as we began here a few weeks ago, looking at the contrast between these two kings.

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 You have Jehoshaphat and Ahab.

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 You know, while one is experiencing spiritual revival, the other is under the judgment of the Lord.

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 And one's enjoying blessing while the other is struggling just to survive.

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 You know, and we see here tonight we're going to begin looking as the Lord sends the prophet Elijah the Tishbite

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 to confront Ahab and his wife Jezebel along with the nation as a whole

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 to bring them to the point where a decision must be made.

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 You know, a decision has to be made.

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 When it comes to the Lord, the one thing people don't realize, there is no place of indecision.

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 You have to make a decision and no decision or an indecision is a no decision.

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 Because you have to decide what you're going to do with him and especially today of what you're going to do with Jesus Christ.

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 Because as we began a few weeks ago and we remember that Ahab though,

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 one of the things we saw with him and the children of Israel is he married a very wicked woman.

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 You know, very wicked woman by the name of Jezebel.

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 And she had led him to even more towards the worship of Baal.

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 Matter of fact, she was a priestess of Ashtaroth, the feminine counterpart to Baal,

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 the fertility gods that they worshipped.

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 Now understanding that is important when you see God's judgment

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 because you'll find God's judgment is usually somewhat attached to what they're doing

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 or who they're and what they're worshipping.

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 You know, they're worshipping a fertility gods that are supposed to provide blessing

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 and a substance and abundance to them.

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 And we're going to find that God sends a drought.

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 Nothing's going to grow.

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 Nothing's going to take off.

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 There's going to be none of that.

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 And we're going to see this as they promote this worship of Baal throughout Israel.

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 We find, as we looked a few weeks ago at Ahab,

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 we find here that he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger above all the kings before him.

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 You know, now I don't know about you,

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 but I don't think that wants to be something you want to have on your label.

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 You know, that, hey, here's somebody who provoked God to anger more than all those before him.

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 You know, that's not a good label to reach for.

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 I mean, it's not something that we find is somebody ought to desire to have.

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 And so as we pick up here tonight in 1 Kings chapter 17,

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 we're going to go through a couple chapters, Lord willing, tonight,

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 and cover a few things, highlights of things here with Ahab and the children of Israel.

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 But we see here, it says,

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 And Elisha the Tishbite,

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 That one over there don't look great.

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 1 Kings chapter 17, not the second time.

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 All right, there we go.

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 And Elisha the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,

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 said unto Ahab,

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 As the Lord God of Israel liveth,

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 before whom I stand,

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 there shall not be dew nor rain these years,

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 but according to my word.

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 So here we find in chapter 17,

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 we find that Ahab has been introduced to us.

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 And then we find that Elijah just comes on the scene.

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 He's now one of these prophets that we know no backstory about,

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 you know very little about.

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 All of a sudden he just bursts on the scene

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 into the presence of Ahab and Jezebel.

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 And, you know, he's one of them.

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 You might look as Elijah was the first long-term weather forecaster.

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 You know, he comes in and makes a declaration

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 about what the weather's going to do for the next three years.

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 You know, I don't know whether he thought he lived in Phoenix

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 or what it might have been,

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 but, you know, we find here that he gives a long-term weather forecast.

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 And that long-term forecast says,

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 hey, it's not going to rain for three years.

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 There's not going to be any rain according to my word,

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 the word that God had given to him.

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 And so Elijah the Tishbite comes on the scene

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 with his own extended weather forecast.

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 And we find here that this is probably something we imagine

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 that Ahab's royal court the day Elijah enters

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 with this bold announcement.

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 You know, it's just kind of one of those things.

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 I have a feeling as we look through this,

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 I think that they probably didn't really take him seriously.

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 They're like, what's this crazy guy doing?

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 Coming in here and making a declaration like this.

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 Because we find that he comes before Ahab and Jezebel

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 and makes this declaration, turns around and walks out.

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 I imagine that they didn't even think much about it when it happened.

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 They're like, who's this crazy that shows up?

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 You know, and sometimes that's the way people look

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 at people who believe the Bible as, hey, who's this crazy that showed up?

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 Instead of realizing why are they there and what's happening.

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 But we find here that he's a Elijah the Tishbite,

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 though we know is a prominent and powerful prophet of the Lord.

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 I mean, his ministry is noted throughout the rest of the scripture.

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 I mean, you think about all the places Elijah's mentioned.

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 I mean, it's even in reference to Jesus's ministry.

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 Man, it's Elijah has come, you know?

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 It's like you find that over in the Gospels,

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 that oftentimes they would equate Jesus to Elijah, you know,

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 that was to come again.

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 And we see this being played out.

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 You know, matter of fact, in Mark 6,

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 it's exactly what King Herod thought.

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 He said, you know, is he John the Baptist risen from the dead?

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 Or others said it is Elias.

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 And others said that it's a prophet or one of the prophets.

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 You know, talking about Jesus, their first thought was,

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 you know, hey, it's Elijah, come again, you know?

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 It's like Elijah was a powerful prophet of the Lord.

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 Made quite a statement and dynamic.

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 But we see here is the first thing we see about is his declaration that he made.

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 The declaration of Elijah.

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 Elijah enters the court of Ahab

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 and makes his declaration from the Lord God of Israel,

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 the one that he stands before,

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 the one that has greater authority than the king.

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 And each one of them is also a subject.

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 And he turns around and departs.

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 You know, I want you to understand,

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 Elijah didn't speak this in his own authority.

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 The Bible tells us he spoke it from God's authority.

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 God came and spoke to him and gave him the authority and what to say to deal with this.

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 So we find Ahab and Jezebel didn't seem concerned about the prophet.

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 That is, until the rains didn't come and the rains stopped.

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 You know, and I think here in the last year, we can equate to that, can't we?

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 I mean, we can understand the reality when the rain quits, you know,

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 and understand that when it starts getting dry and the impacts of that.

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 But, you know, even Nebraska is not as dry as Israel was during this time.

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 It says it did not rain at all for three years plus.

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 It was going to have a great impact.

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 And the grass began to dry up, the fields failed, and the brooks began to dry up.

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 And the declaration that Elijah had made was both direct judgment

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 upon the gods that they sought to follow.

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 Because, remember, Baal was what?

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 He was a fertility god that was supposed to provide for their needs and all these things.

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 And, well, without water, you know what happens to all your material needs?

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 Crashes pretty quick, doesn't it?

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 Kind of goes downhill pretty quickly because without water, grass dries up,

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 crops don't grow, animals don't live.

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 I mean, all those things are just key essentials to that.

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 And so we see here that the declaration that Elijah had made was that judgment upon Baal that they were worshiping.

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 You know, and we see here that they would put their god to a test.

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 I mean, oftentimes you'll see in Scripture that God sends a judgment related to what people are trusting.

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 God tests them in the area of what they are placing or trusting themselves.

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 And we see here that Israel, Ahab, and Jezebel had trusted themselves to Elijah,

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 or excuse me, to Baal and to worshiping him.

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 And so Elijah comes from the Lord and tells him that as Elijah comes in before Ahab,

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 he says it's going to be years before you hear from me again.

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 So God sends Elijah away, preparing him for what to come.

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 And so tonight we're not going to spend much time on Elijah because our subject is going to be the kings of Israel.

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 So we're going to look at this focused from the aspect and the study of Ahab and Jezebel and the things happening here with them.

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 And so most are familiar with the brook that God sent Elijah to that provided water for him and the ravens that fed him.

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 You know, we talk about how God miraculously provided for him throughout all this time.

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 And God sends him then onto the land of Zidon, which is one of those things as I read through this.

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 I appreciate the irony sometimes in the scripture.

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 Because God sends Elijah to the very home, you might say, the home country of Jezebel.

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 To hide him.

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 You know, you've got to appreciate the irony.

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 You know, that God would send and hide him there right under their nose.

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 That God is powerful enough to overcome what people think that would be the last place he would go hide.

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 But God sends him there and God takes care of him.

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 And there's a widow without means that's going to sustain him.

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 I mean, the whole thing, when you think about it, it's like God has to be involved.

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 God had to be oversight of all those things.

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 But we see the news there that was sent, you know, the declaration that he made.

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 But that declaration leads to some devastation.

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 There's some devastation that happens because of this.

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 You know, look here in 1 Kings chapter 17.

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 Look at verse 7.

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 And it says,

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 And it came to pass, after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

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 Now, we know that that affected Elijah.

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 But I want you to understand, that affected everybody.

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 When the creeks dried up, it affected everybody in the land of Israel.

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 When those things went away, it impacted there was nobody that was exempt.

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 Those things were having an impact upon everybody.

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 And where the Lord was coming to pass, the land was drying up.

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 The worship at Baal had been pushed even harder, seeking for deliverance from the drought.

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 Well, you know, even though they knew the Lord God of Israel was the one that would deliver them,

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 they would intentionally still go back to worship Baal.

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 You know, when you read this sometimes, have you ever wondered, like, what are they thinking?

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 But then you have to stop and look in the mirror sometimes and ask, what am I thinking?

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 Because we know who God is and what He's done.

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 But yet we can still be drawn to act just like children of Israel.

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 To look someplace else other than to the Lord.

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 Even though the Lord had provided all these things throughout history for them.

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 And we're going to find that Elijah even reminds them of that.

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 You know, the situation became so desperate that Jezebel orders the prophets of the Lord to be killed

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 in an effort to free the land from God's judgment.

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 You know?

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 Well, oftentimes we overlook that in this account, the fact that Jezebel got so upset

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 that Ashtaroth and Baal weren't providing for their needs that she says,

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 I'm going to kill all the prophets.

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 You know?

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 Look over in 1 Kings chapter 18.

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 And we see here as all this is happening, as God's taking care of Elijah in the background

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 and providing for all the needs, we find that there's this other element happening.

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 This other dynamic taking place, the devastation that was in the land that you hear in 1 Kings chapter 18.

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 Look at verse 4.

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 And it says,

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 For it was so when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord.

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 You know?

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 Here she's so upset she cut off the prophets of the Lord.

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 That word cut off means she had them murdered.

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 All she could find.

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 She was so upset they couldn't find Elijah that she was trying to blame.

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 She was so upset that her gods were not responding to her.

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 She was so upset she began to kill people who said they trusted God.

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 You know, I want you to understand that this is a reality then.

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 It's a reality now, too.

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 People get upset at the people of God when things don't go the way they think it ought to go.

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 Don't be surprised.

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 And we're going to look at this as we go through because instead of looking at themselves before the Lord,

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 the problem had to be those prophets.

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 You know, the problem had to be those prophets.

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 You know, today it might see those people who believe the Bible.

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 They're the problem people holding us back.

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 They're the ones causing the problem.

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 And you will hear that oftentimes because today it's okay to be religious.

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 It's okay to be spiritual, but it's not okay, just like it is in this day, to be biblical.

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 You know, we have a lot of spirituality.

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 But there's a difference between being spiritual and being religious and being biblical.

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 And we need to understand the difference.

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 Because something that sounds spiritual or sounds good doesn't mean it's right.

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 You know, today we get people caught up in a lot of things.

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 Every time I'm watching the little different feeds of things.

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 Well, some famous celebrity got baptized.

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 Baptism doesn't save anybody.

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 If they truly got saved and they came and got baptized in obedience to the Lord, amen, hallelujah.

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 But if they didn't come and they just wanted to get wet for a show to be religious,

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 it does more harm than good.

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 And not just for them, for a lot of other people.

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 You know, we have a lot of religious people.

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 And people are turning to spirituality, but there's a difference.

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 The problem in Israel wasn't their spirituality.

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 Their problem was that they didn't want to follow the Lord.

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 Didn't want to follow the Word of God.

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 Same in America today.

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 We have a lot of people who love to be spiritual, but not follow the Word of God.

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 We need to be careful because, in other words, you end up just like Israel.

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 You're doing a lot of religious activity with no substance.

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 We need to understand the importance here.

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 The land had continued to worsen, so much so that Ahab himself begins to look for a place of relief.

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 He calls for Obadiah, his governor of his house, to go with him to search out the water.

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 Look here in chapter 18.

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 Look at verse 3.

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 And it says, Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house.

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 And we see here that now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.

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 Now this is the contrast you're going to see here.

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 And we're going to talk about Obadiah just a little bit here in a moment.

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 But I want you to see here what's happening that when Jezebel sends forth to kill the prophets,

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 what does Obadiah do?

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 He sticks his neck out and he says,

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 Guys, I'm going to hide you in a cave, all that I can do.

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 And I'm going to feed you.

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 I'm going to do everything I can to take care of you.

00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:05.339
 Obadiah was a godly man in an ungodly situation.

00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:10.480
 I want you to understand, you can live godly among ungodly people.

00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:13.120
 And God puts people in that situation all the time.

00:16:13.980 --> 00:16:16.680
 We walk around, you work with people who are ungodly.

00:16:18.060 --> 00:16:20.220
 It doesn't mean you need to be ungodly.

00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.639
 It means you need to learn how to walk where you are,

00:16:24.540 --> 00:16:27.340
 where God has placed you to obey him.

00:16:27.420 --> 00:16:31.139
 But we see here that Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.

00:16:31.139 --> 00:16:37.120
 He said, Hey, I'm going to do everything I can to protect them.

00:16:37.220 --> 00:16:40.100
 Matter of fact, he put them in two different caves and fed them with bread and water.

00:16:40.179 --> 00:16:41.720
 You say, Well, he didn't do much.

00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:43.220
 I tell you what, if somebody's hunting your life,

00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:45.480
 bread and water hiding in a cave don't sound so bad.

00:16:45.659 --> 00:16:47.199
 He's trying to preserve them.

00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:50.899
 The situation's now desperate.

00:16:51.059 --> 00:16:52.980
 The animals were not going to make it.

00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:57.120
 So Ahab goes one way and he says, Obadiah, go the other way.

00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:02.000
 You know, Obadiah here served in a difficult situation

00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.420
 because he served a compromised king with an ungodly wife.

00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:10.799
 His own commitment to the Lord would put him to the test.

00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:16.960
 His loyalty that he took a personal responsibility to sustain those hundred prophets

00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:20.640
 that he hid in the cave from the death sentence of Jezebel.

00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:25.220
 Now I want you to understand, by him doing that, what did he put on his own head?

00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:26.059
 A death sentence.

00:17:26.059 --> 00:17:29.639
 Here he's willing to step out and say, I'm going to trust God to do right.

00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.779
 And we're going to find here, there's another detail of the account

00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:37.059
 that just adds to the fact that God's over everything that we see here.

00:17:37.179 --> 00:17:40.799
 Consider Elijah's here hiding among the queen's own people.

00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:45.839
 And in Zidon, I just still think that's just kind of one of those fun ironies that God does.

00:17:45.919 --> 00:17:47.919
 He's like, we'll look here a little later.

00:17:48.019 --> 00:17:51.000
 They looked every place for him, sent people to search him out.

00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:56.220
 And here he is hiding out with the widow that nobody thinks has anything,

00:17:56.220 --> 00:17:59.000
 but she has everything she needs because God sustains him.

00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:02.900
 You know, God keeps refilling the barrels.

00:18:04.819 --> 00:18:06.920
 God's providing for all that's needed.

00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:11.779
 And so Obadiah does as his master Ahab tells him,

00:18:11.860 --> 00:18:16.340
 and he starts going to look for the water that is there.

00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:20.240
 You know, we come to look here in chapter 18, verse 1.

00:18:20.300 --> 00:18:20.440
 It says,

00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:37.900
 And we go on down and we look at verse 5.

00:18:37.900 --> 00:19:05.040
 Here's Obadiah trying to do what he's supposed to do,

00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:10.460
 and trying to find water to help the animals to survive.

00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.940
 And he meets Elijah in the way, and he recognizes him right away.

00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:18.879
 You know, here is Elijah.

00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:21.839
 He shows back up on the scene after three and a half years, you know,

00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:25.420
 of all this devastation that's taken place.

00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:31.559
 And we see here that Obadiah had faithfully served both the Lord and Ahab

00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:33.159
 through a difficult situation.

00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:37.820
 You know, there are times that God places you in a position for just this purpose.

00:19:39.040 --> 00:19:42.160
 You know, sometimes we don't always understand why God puts us in situations.

00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.300
 But, you know, God, if you look at the story,

00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:50.720
 God put Obadiah exactly where he needed to be to have an impact.

00:19:52.900 --> 00:19:54.320
 Exactly where he needed to be.

00:19:54.380 --> 00:19:57.400
 It allowed him to preserve the life of those hundred men.

00:19:57.740 --> 00:20:00.860
 It allowed for a righteous witness in a dark place.

00:20:00.859 --> 00:20:04.859
 You know, when there's darkness, there needs to be light.

00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:11.500
 There needs to be somebody that God puts there that promotes the things of God.

00:20:11.619 --> 00:20:14.959
 Remember that we cannot always withdraw,

00:20:15.219 --> 00:20:19.659
 but we must sometimes trust God to protect us through the situation.

00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:21.859
 You know, look at this principle.

00:20:22.139 --> 00:20:24.339
 Look over to John chapter 17 for a moment.

00:20:24.339 --> 00:20:27.339
 John chapter 17, we find Jesus,

00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:31.019
 his high peace priestly prayer, you might say,

00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:32.699
 right before he goes to the cross.

00:20:33.199 --> 00:20:36.539
 Here in John 17, and Jesus prays for his disciples,

00:20:36.699 --> 00:20:38.199
 but he also prays for you and me.

00:20:39.259 --> 00:20:43.119
 He prays for all those that are going to believe on his name.

00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:47.039
 And look here in verse 15 of chapter 17 in the Gospel of John.

00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:47.779
 It says,

00:20:47.919 --> 00:20:50.639
 I pray that thou shouldest take them out of the world,

00:20:51.699 --> 00:20:55.219
 but thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

00:20:56.299 --> 00:20:57.139
 You know what?

00:20:57.219 --> 00:20:59.699
 Sometimes God puts us places where there's going to be evil.

00:21:01.179 --> 00:21:05.239
 And it takes God to protect us from that by living and doing what we ought to do.

00:21:06.099 --> 00:21:08.399
 Because we're not removed from this world.

00:21:08.459 --> 00:21:09.699
 We have to live in this world.

00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:12.920
 In this world, there's a lot of evil going on.

00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:18.299
 We have to learn to live separated from amongst the evil.

00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:20.160
 And Obadiah here, though,

00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:24.160
 when Elijah comes to him,

00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:26.360
 and Elijah's afraid of the outcome

00:21:26.360 --> 00:21:29.539
 when Ahab hears that Elijah has returned,

00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:31.600
 and it was him that found him.

00:21:31.860 --> 00:21:34.440
 You know, the implications here are great,

00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:38.019
 because I want you to understand that maybe Ahab would assume

00:21:38.019 --> 00:21:39.240
 that maybe, you know,

00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:42.579
 hey, did he know where Elijah was all the time?

00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:45.460
 And you say, well, why is that?

00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:48.960
 Well, we find that Ahab knew

00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:53.519
 that Obadiah had hid the prophets from his wife.

00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.180
 Look in verse 13, chapter 18.

00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:00.420
 It says, and notice what Obadiah says to him.

00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:03.160
 He says, was it not told my Lord what I did

00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:05.240
 when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord,

00:22:05.320 --> 00:22:08.500
 how I hid the hundred men of the Lord's prophets

00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:11.340
 by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water?

00:22:11.820 --> 00:22:13.000
 You know, what's he concerned about?

00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:14.640
 He says, Ahab knew about that,

00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:16.820
 but Ahab was kind enough he overlooked it.

00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:20.360
 What's he going to do now when I show up with you?

00:22:20.580 --> 00:22:21.800
 That's a legitimate concern.

00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.660
 Obadiah is concerned with what's happening here,

00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:30.880
 and he was wondering what was going to take place

00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:36.759
 and that Ahab had found out about the other prophets

00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:38.820
 and overlooked it, but we, you know,

00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:40.180
 that's we don't know why,

00:22:40.580 --> 00:22:41.940
 but I think as we look through here,

00:22:41.940 --> 00:22:45.880
 you're going to find that Ahab did what a lot of people do today

00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:48.740
 and tried to blend things together to make everybody happy.

00:22:49.320 --> 00:22:49.759
 Syncretism.

00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:53.600
 That's a word you need to be familiar with

00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:56.519
 because what Ahab did, I want you to understand,

00:22:56.679 --> 00:22:58.779
 Ahab wasn't totally anti-God.

00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:00.359
 He just wasn't for God

00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:04.279
 because he allowed people to worship the Lord,

00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:06.279
 but yet he wasn't for God either.

00:23:06.899 --> 00:23:08.439
 He wanted to promote Baal.

00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:10.000
 He wanted to blend things together.

00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:12.439
 Let's make everybody happy.

00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:13.719
 Let's do whatever it takes,

00:23:13.819 --> 00:23:16.500
 kind of be missy and wishy-washy in the middle

00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:18.159
 and kind of just make everybody happy.

00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:21.939
 You know, that's kind of like a national prayer service

00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:24.220
 or whatever they wanted to call that fiasco.

00:23:25.059 --> 00:23:27.420
 That was a prime example of syncretism.

00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:29.380
 Everybody, you know,

00:23:30.080 --> 00:23:32.500
 I guarantee you that most of what they called prayers

00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:33.799
 didn't make it outside the building.

00:23:34.140 --> 00:23:35.299
 They might have been a good show,

00:23:35.420 --> 00:23:37.120
 but they weren't, had no substance.

00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:39.360
 Syncretism, and then we find this

00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:42.440
 and we find that God had just,

00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:44.900
 maybe had just protected Obadiah.

00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:45.600
 We don't know,

00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:48.380
 we weren't told all the heart behind what was happening,

00:23:48.380 --> 00:23:51.500
 but now if Elijah's not there when he returns,

00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:53.040
 Ahab's surely going to kill him.

00:23:53.120 --> 00:23:54.540
 You know, Obadiah's like,

00:23:54.600 --> 00:23:55.380
 man, you've disappeared before,

00:23:56.060 --> 00:23:57.380
 and if you do this again,

00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:58.540
 this is not going to be good.

00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:01.540
 Now, you know, you can read that and say,

00:24:01.600 --> 00:24:02.900
 well, Obadiah should have trusted,

00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:03.340
 I don't know,

00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:04.840
 I can even relate to Obadiah.

00:24:06.300 --> 00:24:07.940
 It's like, dude, don't be pulling this.

00:24:08.760 --> 00:24:10.500
 You know, don't be tricking me here.

00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:12.360
 You know, this is not a good thing.

00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:13.880
 He says, I'll go to Ahab,

00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:15.840
 but you better be here when I get back.

00:24:16.540 --> 00:24:18.620
 You know, that's a pretty legitimate concern.

00:24:20.020 --> 00:24:23.160
 But Obadiah goes and he gets Ahab,

00:24:23.600 --> 00:24:24.720
 and he returns.

00:24:24.840 --> 00:24:28.240
 We find here the defiance that comes

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.100
 because notice here as we look in chapter 18,

00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:32.520
 look at verse 17,

00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.920
 it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah,

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:36.980
 and Ahab said unto him,

00:24:37.100 --> 00:24:39.680
 art thou he that troubleth Israel?

00:24:40.520 --> 00:24:43.820
 You know, here's the defiance that he has,

00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:47.020
 and Ahab arrives and confronts Elijah

00:24:47.020 --> 00:24:51.580
 with the accusation about his role in the situation.

00:24:53.100 --> 00:24:54.840
 You know, one thing you need to be careful

00:24:54.840 --> 00:24:57.300
 and understand is that when people accuse

00:24:57.300 --> 00:24:59.840
 God's people of causing evil,

00:25:00.100 --> 00:25:01.580
 you'll see that throughout history.

00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:03.500
 It should not surprise you

00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:05.800
 when God and his people are blamed

00:25:05.800 --> 00:25:07.160
 for the effects of sin.

00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:12.120
 You know, sin has a course it's going to run.

00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:13.420
 There are certain things you're not,

00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:15.580
 you might thwart it for a while,

00:25:15.700 --> 00:25:16.700
 but I want you to understand,

00:25:16.900 --> 00:25:18.900
 sin has an impact that's going to happen.

00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:21.000
 It's going to impact the life of a person.

00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:22.580
 When we understand that,

00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.120
 but notice in verse 17,

00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:25.259
 what he tells him here, he says,

00:25:25.660 --> 00:25:27.580
 art thou he that troubleth Israel?

00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:29.279
 Like Ahab's looking at him and says,

00:25:29.320 --> 00:25:31.420
 you caused all sorts of misery for me.

00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:34.680
 You're the one that caused my problem.

00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:36.360
 You know, we often do the same thing.

00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:39.679
 We think, well, it's God that caused my problem.

00:25:41.139 --> 00:25:44.059
 No, God might have allowed the problem to play out

00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:45.099
 because of your choices,

00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:47.139
 but God didn't cause your problem

00:25:47.139 --> 00:25:48.619
 when it comes to the effects of sin.

00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:53.179
 Those are there of your own fruition.

00:25:53.339 --> 00:25:56.559
 The truth will often draw the ire of those caught in sin.

00:25:57.159 --> 00:25:59.339
 You know, it's your fault this is going wrong.

00:25:59.459 --> 00:26:01.779
 You know, I was fine until you pointed it out.

00:26:01.779 --> 00:26:04.759
 You know, it didn't bother me until you came along.

00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:08.480
 You know, Ahab here is faced with that dynamic.

00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:10.500
 But notice Elijah here.

00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:13.500
 He points to the nature of the issue.

00:26:13.940 --> 00:26:17.240
 He says, Ahab and his house is what has happened.

00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:20.019
 Look here in verse 18, here in chapter 18.

00:26:20.299 --> 00:26:21.680
 And he said this, and he answered,

00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:23.779
 I have not troubled Israel,

00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:26.579
 but thou and thy father's house,

00:26:27.420 --> 00:26:30.039
 in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord,

00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:32.639
 and thou hast followed Balaam.

00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:34.539
 You know, I want you to see here,

00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:35.740
 he tells them very clearly

00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:40.879
 that the core issue here is not the drought.

00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:43.559
 The drought's the side effect

00:26:43.559 --> 00:26:45.079
 of them not following the Lord,

00:26:45.399 --> 00:26:47.559
 of forsaking the Lord and his commands.

00:26:47.740 --> 00:26:49.980
 I mean, think about what's the primary command

00:26:49.980 --> 00:26:51.299
 Ahab forgot about.

00:26:51.940 --> 00:26:53.559
 He didn't even get past the first one.

00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:56.920
 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:59.820
 I mean, what did Ahab do?

00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:02.400
 He says, God's okay, but I'm going to worship Baal.

00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:05.759
 It's not that he wasn't familiar with who God is.

00:27:05.800 --> 00:27:07.400
 He says, I'm going to put God down here

00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:08.420
 and put Baal up here.

00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:10.980
 I like worshiping Baal better.

00:27:12.300 --> 00:27:13.860
 You know, we've talked about that earlier,

00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:15.740
 those things that took place with it.

00:27:16.380 --> 00:27:19.080
 We find that people like the same things today.

00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:24.700
 The vulgarity and the immorality attached to it.

00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:29.080
 You find those same things played out today, don't you?

00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:32.039
 You know, we can dress things up

00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:33.819
 and make it sound good, but it's all the same.

00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:35.819
 You know, people want to do their own thing.

00:27:36.100 --> 00:27:38.299
 But we find here that when Israel rejected

00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.799
 and turned away from the Lord,

00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:42.860
 we find God doing something continually.

00:27:43.720 --> 00:27:45.120
 You know, oftentimes we forget

00:27:45.120 --> 00:27:48.279
 that God always wants restoration.

00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:52.880
 People try to paint God as such a mean, wicked contrast,

00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:54.420
 but whenever you read the scripture,

00:27:54.560 --> 00:27:56.940
 you'll find that God always calls people back.

00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:00.980
 You know, take a look over to Deuteronomy for a moment.

00:28:01.860 --> 00:28:03.000
 Deuteronomy chapter 8.

00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:06.860
 We find over here in Deuteronomy chapter 8 in verse 5,

00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:10.340
 all the way back here when they're still coming out of Egypt.

00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:11.800
 Excuse me, look here at verse 5.

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:12.040
 It says,

00:28:12.600 --> 00:28:14.720
 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart

00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:16.820
 that as a man chastens his son,

00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:19.880
 so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.

00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:22.560
 Why is God chastening?

00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:24.260
 Why is God correcting them?

00:28:24.560 --> 00:28:26.820
 Why is God trying to get Ahab's attention?

00:28:27.080 --> 00:28:29.640
 Because God cares and wants him to come back.

00:28:29.880 --> 00:28:31.540
 Look over to Proverbs chapter 3.

00:28:32.580 --> 00:28:33.860
 Proverbs chapter 3,

00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:36.920
 verse 11 tells us this.

00:28:37.040 --> 00:28:37.260
 It says,

00:28:37.420 --> 00:28:39.800
 My son despise not the chastening of the Lord,

00:28:39.900 --> 00:28:42.860
 neither be weary of his correction.

00:28:43.700 --> 00:28:46.100
 For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth,

00:28:46.420 --> 00:28:49.000
 even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:50.720
 I want you to understand,

00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:52.420
 God delighted in Israel.

00:28:52.779 --> 00:28:54.200
 He's calling them back.

00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:57.319
 This whole thing with Elijah

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:59.720
 is God calling them back to him.

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:01.339
 Trying to get their attention.

00:29:01.579 --> 00:29:04.640
 Trying to get them to understand the importance

00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:07.599
 of what's happening.

00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:11.200
 And this sets the stage for a great showdown.

00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:15.539
 It would be the prophets of Baal on one side

00:29:15.539 --> 00:29:17.619
 against Elijah the prophet on the other.

00:29:17.619 --> 00:29:19.139
 You know?

00:29:19.939 --> 00:29:21.719
 You've got a huge crowd

00:29:21.719 --> 00:29:24.479
 of crazy individuals

00:29:24.479 --> 00:29:26.479
 cutting themselves on one side.

00:29:27.939 --> 00:29:31.259
 And a calm, cool, and collected prophet of God

00:29:31.259 --> 00:29:32.119
 on the other side.

00:29:32.339 --> 00:29:34.559
 I mean, this is like a showdown from the ages.

00:29:35.079 --> 00:29:37.759
 You know, when you look and see what takes place here.

00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:41.420
 And we find here that the prophets of Baal

00:29:41.420 --> 00:29:42.879
 had spent three and a half years

00:29:42.879 --> 00:29:44.059
 trying to make it rain,

00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:45.420
 and they had failed.

00:29:45.779 --> 00:29:47.879
 God's judgment was upon Israel.

00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:49.460
 God set it forth

00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:51.140
 and established it

00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:52.579
 by his prophet.

00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:53.660
 And we find here

00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:56.160
 that for the last three and a half years,

00:29:56.259 --> 00:29:57.359
 and the prophet of the Lord

00:29:57.359 --> 00:29:58.740
 had stayed the rain.

00:29:59.420 --> 00:30:00.839
 And Ahab is instructed

00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:02.500
 to gather the prophets of Baal

00:30:02.500 --> 00:30:03.359
 to Mount Carmel

00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:05.000
 along with the people of Israel

00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:07.359
 for a call to a decision.

00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:08.599
 This whole thing,

00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:10.640
 this whole three and a half year sequence,

00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:14.460
 was God calling Israel

00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:16.359
 and Ahab back to a decision.

00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:17.859
 God was patiently

00:30:17.859 --> 00:30:20.059
 working and waiting

00:30:20.059 --> 00:30:22.339
 to get the people's attention.

00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:23.059
 You know what?

00:30:23.059 --> 00:30:24.460
 Sometimes we're pretty hard-headed too.

00:30:24.779 --> 00:30:25.940
 You know, God takes a while.

00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:27.660
 I'm glad that God's long-suffering.

00:30:27.940 --> 00:30:28.880
 That God cares.

00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:29.580
 But we see here

00:30:29.580 --> 00:30:32.160
 the decision that's being called.

00:30:32.300 --> 00:30:32.840
 You know, look here

00:30:32.840 --> 00:30:34.780
 in verse 21 of chapter 18.

00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:36.080
 It says this,

00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:38.100
 And Elijah came unto all the people

00:30:38.100 --> 00:30:38.520
 and said,

00:30:38.600 --> 00:30:39.220
 How long?

00:30:39.620 --> 00:30:41.280
 Halt ye between two opinions.

00:30:41.820 --> 00:30:42.940
 If the Lord be God,

00:30:43.040 --> 00:30:43.700
 follow him.

00:30:43.780 --> 00:30:45.160
 If Baal, then follow him.

00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:46.760
 And the people answered him

00:30:46.760 --> 00:30:47.500
 not a word.

00:30:47.800 --> 00:30:48.540
 You know, here we find

00:30:48.540 --> 00:30:49.440
 the crowd gathered

00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:51.120
 atop Mount Carmel

00:30:51.120 --> 00:30:52.240
 and Ahab alongside

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:54.700
 with his 450 prophets of Baal,

00:30:55.100 --> 00:30:56.740
 the representatives of the people

00:30:56.740 --> 00:30:58.759
 and the prophet Elijah.

00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:00.620
 The first challenge

00:31:00.620 --> 00:31:02.299
 is a call to decide.

00:31:02.779 --> 00:31:04.120
 Elijah looks at him and says,

00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:05.079
 What are you going to do?

00:31:05.420 --> 00:31:06.259
 What are you going to do?

00:31:06.579 --> 00:31:07.279
 How long?

00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:08.500
 Halt ye between what?

00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:10.759
 Two opinions.

00:31:11.059 --> 00:31:12.539
 Even the very word opinion

00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:13.839
 suggests the reality

00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:14.920
 of having to make a choice.

00:31:16.019 --> 00:31:17.120
 What are you going to believe?

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:18.680
 What are you going to follow?

00:31:18.819 --> 00:31:20.680
 What are you going to attach to?

00:31:21.880 --> 00:31:22.859
 You know, you find that

00:31:22.859 --> 00:31:24.440
 God oftentimes does that.

00:31:24.500 --> 00:31:25.359
 He makes a call

00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:26.879
 and says, Make a decision.

00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:28.119
 You're either in

00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:29.439
 or you're not.

00:31:31.179 --> 00:31:33.159
 Look back in Exodus chapter 32

00:31:33.159 --> 00:31:33.779
 for a moment.

00:31:34.859 --> 00:31:36.119
 Exodus chapter 32.

00:31:37.719 --> 00:31:39.279
 Look here in verse 26.

00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:41.619
 Exodus 32 and verse 26.

00:31:41.959 --> 00:31:42.599
 Here Israel,

00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:43.919
 God's calling them here

00:31:43.919 --> 00:31:45.139
 also for a decision.

00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.399
 To make a decision

00:31:47.399 --> 00:31:48.519
 of what they're going to do.

00:31:48.919 --> 00:31:49.259
 It says,

00:31:49.419 --> 00:31:50.319
 Then Moses stood

00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:51.559
 by the gate of the camp

00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:51.939
 and said,

00:31:52.419 --> 00:31:52.699
 What?

00:31:52.700 --> 00:31:55.680
 Who is on the Lord's side?

00:31:56.580 --> 00:31:58.059
 Who is on the Lord's side?

00:31:58.140 --> 00:31:59.100
 Let him come unto me

00:31:59.100 --> 00:32:00.180
 and all the sons of Levi

00:32:00.180 --> 00:32:02.080
 gather themselves together unto him.

00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:03.140
 You know,

00:32:03.180 --> 00:32:04.539
 you'll find statements like that

00:32:04.539 --> 00:32:05.340
 throughout the scripture.

00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:05.819
 It's like,

00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:07.140
 you have to make a decision.

00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:10.019
 What are you going to do?

00:32:11.640 --> 00:32:12.860
 Think about Joshua.

00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:14.460
 Joshua chapter 24,

00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.720
 verse 15.

00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:16.480
 He's getting ready

00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:18.279
 to depart off the scene

00:32:18.279 --> 00:32:20.039
 and he looks over the people

00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:21.440
 and he makes that declaration.

00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:22.920
 Choose you this day

00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:24.579
 whom ye will serve.

00:32:25.379 --> 00:32:26.639
 Elijah's just making a,

00:32:26.700 --> 00:32:27.319
 you might say,

00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:28.420
 a repeat statement

00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:30.960
 that God's called Israel

00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:32.159
 many times before.

00:32:32.359 --> 00:32:33.099
 Make a decision.

00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:35.420
 What are you going to do?

00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:38.519
 Are you going to serve

00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:40.500
 your heart

00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:41.539
 and what you want to do?

00:32:41.619 --> 00:32:42.680
 Or are you going to serve the Lord?

00:32:42.980 --> 00:32:43.740
 What are you going to be doing?

00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:44.180
 You know,

00:32:44.180 --> 00:32:45.259
 it's a constant thing,

00:32:45.319 --> 00:32:46.379
 but I want you to note something

00:32:46.379 --> 00:32:47.240
 because you know what?

00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:49.099
 I think a lot of times

00:32:49.099 --> 00:32:50.339
 we can relate to the crowd

00:32:50.339 --> 00:32:52.220
 because what did the crowd do here?

00:32:52.480 --> 00:32:53.539
 Looked like a bunch of Baptists

00:32:53.539 --> 00:32:54.240
 on Sunday morning.

00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:54.779
 I mean,

00:32:55.259 --> 00:32:56.380
 you think about it

00:32:56.380 --> 00:32:58.079
 since they said not a word.

00:32:58.359 --> 00:32:58.519
 You know,

00:32:58.559 --> 00:32:59.900
 oftentimes God calls

00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:01.140
 or asks us to do something

00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:02.759
 and we can be pretty lethargic

00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:03.259
 of saying,

00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:04.319
 I'm going to sit.

00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:05.039
 If you consider

00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:05.920
 what's happening here,

00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:07.079
 it's no time to say,

00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:07.259
 well,

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.319
 I'm going to wait and decide.

00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:09.120
 They should have been

00:33:09.120 --> 00:33:09.960
 making a decision.

00:33:11.140 --> 00:33:11.900
 They should have been

00:33:11.900 --> 00:33:12.740
 voicing something,

00:33:12.859 --> 00:33:13.539
 but instead,

00:33:15.059 --> 00:33:15.579
 silence.

00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:16.240
 Silence.

00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:17.359
 They said not a word.

00:33:17.620 --> 00:33:18.799
 You know what silence says?

00:33:18.859 --> 00:33:19.819
 I don't want to decide.

00:33:20.099 --> 00:33:21.480
 It often seems easier

00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:22.640
 not to make a choice

00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:23.299
 or just kind of

00:33:23.299 --> 00:33:24.160
 keep floating along.

00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:25.920
 You know,

00:33:25.940 --> 00:33:26.799
 sometimes it's easier

00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:27.500
 because you know,

00:33:27.579 --> 00:33:27.720
 hey,

00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:28.539
 time's running out.

00:33:28.579 --> 00:33:29.099
 We'll be good.

00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:30.059
 They could worship

00:33:30.059 --> 00:33:31.500
 who and what they wanted

00:33:31.500 --> 00:33:33.140
 or even both together.

00:33:33.259 --> 00:33:34.019
 The children of Israel

00:33:34.019 --> 00:33:35.359
 had blended their worship

00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:36.500
 with the things of Baal,

00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:38.380
 corrupting the whole thing.

00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:38.900
 You know,

00:33:38.940 --> 00:33:39.500
 now most of us

00:33:39.500 --> 00:33:39.980
 are familiar

00:33:39.980 --> 00:33:41.440
 with this part

00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:42.059
 of the account

00:33:42.059 --> 00:33:43.279
 where the prophets of Baal

00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:44.759
 prepare one altar

00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:45.839
 along with the bullock

00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:47.279
 and they spend all day

00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:48.519
 calling out for fire

00:33:48.519 --> 00:33:49.959
 to devour the sacrifice

00:33:49.959 --> 00:33:51.480
 and the Bible talks

00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:52.659
 about them cutting themselves

00:33:52.659 --> 00:33:53.399
 and crying

00:33:53.399 --> 00:33:54.839
 and trying to gain

00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:56.240
 the attention of their God

00:33:56.240 --> 00:33:57.139
 all for nothing.

00:33:58.579 --> 00:33:59.819
 And here's Elijah.

00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:00.980
 He waits all day.

00:34:01.299 --> 00:34:02.079
 I want you to understand

00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:02.799
 when it talks about

00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.799
 the people said nothing,

00:34:03.899 --> 00:34:04.899
 they stood around all day

00:34:04.899 --> 00:34:05.740
 to watch the show.

00:34:06.019 --> 00:34:07.139
 Look down in verse 30.

00:34:08.779 --> 00:34:09.579
 Chapter 18,

00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:11.279
 Elijah said unto all the people,

00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:12.320
 come near to me

00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:13.160
 and all the people

00:34:13.160 --> 00:34:14.140
 came near unto him

00:34:14.140 --> 00:34:15.460
 and he repaired

00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:16.640
 the altar of the Lord

00:34:16.640 --> 00:34:17.820
 that was broken down

00:34:17.820 --> 00:34:18.800
 and Elijah took

00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:20.300
 twelve stones

00:34:20.300 --> 00:34:21.200
 according to the number

00:34:21.200 --> 00:34:21.840
 of the tribes

00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:22.900
 of the sons of Jacob

00:34:22.900 --> 00:34:23.860
 unto whom the word

00:34:23.860 --> 00:34:24.600
 of the Lord came

00:34:24.600 --> 00:34:24.900
 saying,

00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:27.700
 Israel shall be thy name.

00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:28.780
 And with the stones

00:34:28.780 --> 00:34:29.660
 he built an altar

00:34:29.660 --> 00:34:30.580
 in the name of the Lord

00:34:30.580 --> 00:34:32.720
 and he made a trench

00:34:32.720 --> 00:34:33.460
 about the altar

00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:34.080
 was great

00:34:34.080 --> 00:34:34.720
 so it contained

00:34:34.720 --> 00:34:37.500
 two measures of seed.

00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:38.579
 You know,

00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:39.400
 so we find here

00:34:39.400 --> 00:34:40.559
 that he builds an altar

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:42.360
 in the name of the Lord.

00:34:42.900 --> 00:34:43.760
 Elijah does

00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:45.019
 and he prepares everything

00:34:45.019 --> 00:34:45.980
 for the sacrifice

00:34:45.980 --> 00:34:46.739
 and then he says,

00:34:46.820 --> 00:34:47.300
 hey guys,

00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:49.079
 he gets some volunteers

00:34:49.079 --> 00:34:49.920
 from the crowd.

00:34:50.199 --> 00:34:50.480
 He says,

00:34:50.539 --> 00:34:50.800
 guys,

00:34:50.860 --> 00:34:51.420
 I want you to go

00:34:51.420 --> 00:34:52.480
 fill up buckets

00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:54.880
 or barrels of water.

00:34:55.179 --> 00:34:56.199
 And so they go gather

00:34:56.199 --> 00:34:57.639
 the water.

00:34:59.500 --> 00:35:00.679
 They come and he says,

00:35:00.900 --> 00:35:02.219
 I imagine they were

00:35:02.219 --> 00:35:02.840
 trying to figure out

00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:03.480
 what he's doing.

00:35:05.159 --> 00:35:06.139
 I imagine they look

00:35:06.139 --> 00:35:06.780
 pretty shocked

00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:07.480
 when he looks at them

00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:07.760
 and says,

00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:08.340
 okay guys,

00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:09.340
 thanks for hauling it up here

00:35:09.340 --> 00:35:10.320
 and I'll dump it on top

00:35:10.320 --> 00:35:10.960
 and go get more.

00:35:13.159 --> 00:35:13.740
 And everybody went,

00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:14.079
 whoo!

00:35:14.260 --> 00:35:14.880
 But they went

00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:15.579
 and they got more

00:35:15.579 --> 00:35:16.539
 and they dumped it on there.

00:35:18.360 --> 00:35:19.179
 And then they're like

00:35:19.179 --> 00:35:20.219
 probably sweating

00:35:20.219 --> 00:35:20.860
 at this point

00:35:20.860 --> 00:35:21.460
 getting it up there.

00:35:21.500 --> 00:35:21.840
 You've got to remember

00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:22.460
 it hadn't rained

00:35:22.460 --> 00:35:22.980
 so where did they get

00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:23.380
 in the water?

00:35:23.980 --> 00:35:24.900
 That took some work.

00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:27.760
 He sends them back

00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:29.099
 twelve barrels of water

00:35:29.099 --> 00:35:29.840
 he pours over

00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:31.280
 and Elijah prays.

00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:32.780
 Really Elijah's prayer here

00:35:32.780 --> 00:35:33.400
 when you read it

00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:33.980
 it's God

00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:36.139
 stir your people

00:35:36.139 --> 00:35:36.860
 to a decision.

00:35:36.860 --> 00:35:38.140
 It's a turn to a decision

00:35:38.140 --> 00:35:39.000
 who are they going to follow?

00:35:39.220 --> 00:35:39.620
 This day

00:35:39.620 --> 00:35:40.559
 who are they going to follow?

00:35:40.980 --> 00:35:42.300
 The prayers of Elijah

00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:43.260
 made a difference.

00:35:43.760 --> 00:35:45.019
 God sends down fire

00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:45.579
 from heaven

00:35:45.579 --> 00:35:46.880
 licks everything up.

00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:48.480
 The water,

00:35:48.579 --> 00:35:49.099
 the stones,

00:35:49.220 --> 00:35:49.539
 the altar,

00:35:49.640 --> 00:35:50.039
 everything.

00:35:50.420 --> 00:35:51.240
 I want you to understand

00:35:51.240 --> 00:35:52.200
 it was one man

00:35:52.200 --> 00:35:52.960
 that made a difference.

00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:54.300
 You don't have to be Elijah

00:35:54.300 --> 00:35:55.160
 to make a difference

00:35:55.160 --> 00:35:56.980
 when God is on your side.

00:35:56.980 --> 00:36:00.240
 The effectual fervent prayer

00:36:00.240 --> 00:36:01.300
 of a righteous man

00:36:01.300 --> 00:36:02.219
 availeth much.

00:36:02.519 --> 00:36:03.519
 Take a look at what happened.

00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:04.780
 Look down in verse 37.

00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:06.599
 He says,

00:36:06.659 --> 00:36:07.539
 Hear me O Lord,

00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:08.099
 hear me

00:36:08.099 --> 00:36:09.519
 that this people

00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:10.260
 may know

00:36:10.260 --> 00:36:11.019
 that thou art

00:36:11.019 --> 00:36:11.820
 the Lord God

00:36:11.820 --> 00:36:12.599
 and that thou hast

00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:13.639
 turned their heart

00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:15.480
 back again.

00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:17.300
 And when the fire

00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:18.059
 of the Lord fell

00:36:18.059 --> 00:36:18.679
 and consumed

00:36:18.679 --> 00:36:19.760
 the burnt sacrifice

00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:20.280
 and the wood

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:20.840
 and the stones

00:36:20.840 --> 00:36:21.420
 and the dust

00:36:21.420 --> 00:36:22.380
 and licked up the water

00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:23.340
 that was in the trench

00:36:23.340 --> 00:36:24.340
 and there were all

00:36:24.340 --> 00:36:25.199
 the people saw it

00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:26.239
 they fell on their faces

00:36:26.239 --> 00:36:26.779
 and they said,

00:36:26.879 --> 00:36:27.339
 The Lord,

00:36:27.480 --> 00:36:28.139
 He is God.

00:36:28.219 --> 00:36:28.799
 The Lord,

00:36:29.199 --> 00:36:30.239
 He is God.

00:36:30.919 --> 00:36:31.199
 You know,

00:36:31.219 --> 00:36:32.039
 when fire fell

00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:32.679
 from heaven,

00:36:33.659 --> 00:36:35.299
 they decided

00:36:35.299 --> 00:36:35.839
 it was time

00:36:35.839 --> 00:36:36.679
 to get off the bench,

00:36:36.899 --> 00:36:37.859
 get off the sidelines

00:36:37.859 --> 00:36:39.000
 to make a decision.

00:36:39.419 --> 00:36:40.299
 I want you to understand

00:36:40.299 --> 00:36:41.299
 though as we look at this

00:36:41.299 --> 00:36:42.679
 that Elijah was not sent

00:36:42.679 --> 00:36:43.799
 to destroy the people

00:36:43.799 --> 00:36:44.619
 but to call them

00:36:44.619 --> 00:36:45.239
 to repentance.

00:36:47.579 --> 00:36:49.199
 To call them back to Him.

00:36:49.519 --> 00:36:50.339
 Just as today

00:36:50.339 --> 00:36:53.000
 God doesn't want us

00:36:53.000 --> 00:36:53.919
 to preach a message

00:36:53.919 --> 00:36:54.839
 of condemnation

00:36:54.840 --> 00:36:55.539
 but a message

00:36:55.539 --> 00:36:56.140
 that's saying

00:36:56.140 --> 00:36:57.440
 come to God.

00:36:57.760 --> 00:36:58.300
 Come to Him.

00:36:58.539 --> 00:36:59.280
 He is the one.

00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:01.300
 I mean,

00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:01.880
 look back over

00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:02.519
 in the New Testament

00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:03.100
 for a moment

00:37:03.100 --> 00:37:04.140
 and we'll close here tonight.

00:37:04.240 --> 00:37:05.519
 2 Peter chapter 3.

00:37:07.019 --> 00:37:07.440
 You know,

00:37:07.460 --> 00:37:08.559
 when you read this account

00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:09.100
 of Ahab

00:37:09.100 --> 00:37:09.900
 and the people

00:37:09.900 --> 00:37:10.860
 and the children of Israel,

00:37:11.160 --> 00:37:11.820
 I can tell you what,

00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:14.019
 God's way more merciful

00:37:14.019 --> 00:37:15.140
 than you or I would have been.

00:37:16.460 --> 00:37:17.680
 If we had a group of people

00:37:17.680 --> 00:37:18.559
 acting like that

00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:19.780
 and had the authority

00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:20.340
 and the power

00:37:20.340 --> 00:37:21.000
 we would have said,

00:37:21.600 --> 00:37:21.880
 Gotcha!

00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:22.140
 Yeah,

00:37:22.140 --> 00:37:25.579
 you got what you deserved.

00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:27.280
 But look at how God responds

00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:28.200
 even to us today.

00:37:28.380 --> 00:37:28.559
 He says,

00:37:28.720 --> 00:37:29.579
 The Lord is not what?

00:37:30.220 --> 00:37:32.000
 Slack concerning His promises

00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:33.500
 as some men count slackness

00:37:33.500 --> 00:37:35.500
 but is long-suffering

00:37:35.500 --> 00:37:36.780
 to usward,

00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:39.400
 not willing that any should perish

00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:41.180
 but that all should come

00:37:41.180 --> 00:37:42.940
 to repentance.

00:37:43.260 --> 00:37:43.500
 You know,

00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:44.200
 even today

00:37:44.200 --> 00:37:45.340
 we can keep in mind

00:37:45.340 --> 00:37:46.220
 the importance

00:37:46.219 --> 00:37:48.939
 that our task

00:37:48.939 --> 00:37:50.379
 is not to condemn people

00:37:50.379 --> 00:37:51.339
 it's to lead them

00:37:51.339 --> 00:37:51.980
 to repentance

00:37:51.980 --> 00:37:52.980
 to a loving God.

00:37:54.659 --> 00:37:55.719
 They're going to look at it

00:37:55.719 --> 00:37:56.659
 as condemnation.

00:37:56.919 --> 00:37:57.500
 They're not going to be

00:37:57.500 --> 00:37:58.319
 comfortable with it

00:37:58.319 --> 00:37:59.139
 but the truth

00:37:59.139 --> 00:37:59.879
 of the Word of God

00:37:59.879 --> 00:38:00.699
 always brings

00:38:00.699 --> 00:38:01.619
 and points people

00:38:01.619 --> 00:38:03.259
 back to Him.

00:38:05.099 --> 00:38:06.179
 We need to be focused.

00:38:06.299 --> 00:38:06.739
 We can learn

00:38:06.739 --> 00:38:07.799
 some great things

00:38:07.799 --> 00:38:09.559
 from Elijah

00:38:09.559 --> 00:38:11.219
 and we're going to look here

00:38:11.219 --> 00:38:12.619
 as we continue on next week.

00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:13.519
 This had an impact

00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:14.699
 upon Ahab also.

00:38:14.699 --> 00:38:16.639
 Even as wicked as he was

00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:18.819
 God still wanted

00:38:18.819 --> 00:38:20.460
 to call Ahab back

00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:22.379
 to Him.

00:38:22.539 --> 00:38:23.519
 God wants you

00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:25.599
 with Him.

00:38:27.339 --> 00:38:28.119
 Let's pray.

00:38:28.279 --> 00:38:28.739
 Heavenly Father

00:38:28.739 --> 00:38:29.919
 as we come before you tonight

00:38:29.919 --> 00:38:31.000
 Lord we just thank you

00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:32.759
 for the opportunity here

00:38:32.759 --> 00:38:33.359
 as we have

00:38:33.359 --> 00:38:35.039
 to see the reality

00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:35.960
 that you want to

00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:37.039
 to reach

00:38:37.039 --> 00:38:39.019
 those in this world

00:38:39.019 --> 00:38:39.419
 and Lord

00:38:39.419 --> 00:38:40.199
 that you're the one

00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:41.599
 that corrects.

00:38:41.639 --> 00:38:42.319
 Lord you're the one

00:38:42.319 --> 00:38:43.579
 that allows

00:38:43.579 --> 00:38:45.480
 the judgment

00:38:45.480 --> 00:38:46.239
 and the things

00:38:46.239 --> 00:38:47.619
 to get our attention

00:38:47.619 --> 00:38:49.539
 to be what it ought to be

00:38:49.539 --> 00:38:51.059
 to get a hold

00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:51.699
 of our hearts

00:38:51.699 --> 00:38:52.380
 and our minds.

00:38:52.519 --> 00:38:52.920
 Lord help us

00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:53.719
 to be focused

00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:55.039
 upon you

00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:56.079
 and what you would desire

00:38:56.079 --> 00:38:57.039
 and what you would have

00:38:57.039 --> 00:38:57.519
 for us.

00:38:58.119 --> 00:38:58.539
 Lord we pray

00:38:58.539 --> 00:38:59.519
 you might be challenged

00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:00.380
 even this week

00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:01.619
 as we work

00:39:01.619 --> 00:39:02.480
 through these things

00:39:02.480 --> 00:39:03.279
 Lord that you might

00:39:03.279 --> 00:39:04.880
 be mindful of them

00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:06.259
 as we are in contact

00:39:06.259 --> 00:39:06.980
 with people

00:39:06.980 --> 00:39:08.059
 even in our own lives

00:39:08.059 --> 00:39:08.619
 before you.

00:39:08.719 --> 00:39:09.239
 Lord that we might

00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:10.219
 always be mindful

00:39:10.219 --> 00:39:12.059
 of who you are

00:39:12.059 --> 00:39:13.000
 and what your purpose

00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:15.299
 and what your desire is

00:39:15.299 --> 00:39:17.459
 even towards ourselves

00:39:17.459 --> 00:39:18.480
 and towards others

00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:20.259
 and Lord help us

00:39:20.259 --> 00:39:21.019
 not to sit

00:39:21.019 --> 00:39:22.759
 in silence.

00:39:22.760 --> 00:39:42.780
 And that we pray

00:39:42.780 --> 00:39:42.780


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