1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:07,800 First kings together, and as you turn there, place your finger. 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:12,680 Verse 41. We're going to read the verses 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,040 up to the closing of this chapter, beginning in verse 41. 4 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:28,560 And Elijah said to Ahab, go up, eat and drink, for there is a 5 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:33,320 sound of the rushing of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to 6 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,440 drink. And Elijah went up to the top of 7 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,800 Mount Carmel, and he bowed himself down on the earth, and 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,160 put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, Go 9 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:47,080 up, now look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and 10 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,240 said, there is nothing. And he said, Go again seven 11 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,760 times. And at the 7th time he said, 12 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,640 Behold, a little cloud, like a man's hand is rising from the 13 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,760 sea. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, 14 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:04,000 prepare your chariot, and go down, lest the rain stop you. 15 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:08,400 And in the little while the heavens grew black with clouds 16 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,320 and wind, and there was a great rain. 17 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,400 And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 18 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:17,240 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah. 19 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,360 And he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the 20 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:26,160 entrance of Jezreel. Father, we ask for your help. 21 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,920 We are forgetful creatures. And so we plead with you that 22 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,640 you would bind these truths in our hearts and that we would be 23 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:39,200 able to recall these things in the days to come so that we can 24 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,600 be more faithful and we can remember your faithfulness. 25 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:46,200 And so, Lord, we ask for the help of the Holy Spirit as we 26 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,440 expound on these truths, trusting, oh God, that you have 27 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,280 much to say to us personally as believers, as a church, we 28 00:01:54,280 --> 00:02:00,000 anticipate the voice, your voice through your word in our lives. 29 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:08,560 In Jesus name we pray, Amen. The Lord he is God, the Lord he 30 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,040 is God. Who would have thought that such 31 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:17,040 words would gush out of the hearts of a people who have been 32 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:22,360 apostate for decades? And that is what we read last 33 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,760 week. In one miraculous moment, you 34 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,280 had a people who were experiencing a spiritual drought 35 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:36,400 that cemented their devotion and all of a sudden was cascaded by 36 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:41,320 the mercy of God. And as a result, you had worship 37 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,640 springing out of unexpected wells. 38 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,960 And that was the site that we've held together in our last study. 39 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,240 And as refreshing as that site might have been, I'm here to 40 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,560 excite you and let you know that there's still more mercy to be 41 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,600 seen and discovered. Because the spiritual drought 42 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,040 that was taken care of will now be followed by physical 43 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,920 provision for a dry land. This is what Elijah has come to 44 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:10,760 pray for. Now. 45 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,760 We examined last week how this man of God got before the Lord 46 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,720 and prayed that fire would be shot down from heaven. 47 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,440 And it was answered. And now the same man of God on 48 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,880 the same mountain will come before the Lord and ask for 49 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:24,760 rain, and the rain will be provided. 50 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,840 And you and I should expect that the Holy Spirit in this section 51 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,360 will give us many things that will feed our faith. 52 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:37,360 Listen, as we climb with Elijah back up on Mount Carmel, and as 53 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,680 you and I look up to the heavens again with him, we should 54 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,120 believe that God is going to say something to our hearts. 55 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,240 And so I know we read from verse 41, but I want to scale back to 56 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,360 verse 39. Look at verse 39 quickly. 57 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,280 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and 58 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,280 said, the Lord he is God, the Lord he is God. 59 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:59,240 And Elijah said to them, seize the prophets of Baal and let not 60 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,480 one of them escape, and they seize them. 61 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,600 And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishan and slaughtered 62 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,800 them there. We didn't touch on verse 40 last 63 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:11,960 week. We mentioned it briefly as a 64 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,560 cliffhanger, but we have to address this because this seems 65 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,560 to be a disturbing verse in light of the grace of God that 66 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,160 we enjoyed in verse 39. God sending fire, not on the 67 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,920 people of Israel, but on a substitute, on a sacrifice, a 68 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,560 picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. 69 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,000 And we would think it would end there, we would transition from 70 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:32,640 that point. But instead we see Elijah 71 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,400 commanding that these false prophets who failed to call upon 72 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,000 Baal, and Baal failed to hear him because he is no God at all, 73 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,920 now have a death sentence and they were slaughtered. 74 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,160 How can this be? How can Elijah ask for such a 75 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:48,480 thing? How can it be done? 76 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,360 Did he overreact? Well, it's important to remember 77 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,160 that in our three-part series within this chapter alone, what 78 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:57,520 have we realized? What have we learned about 79 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,880 Elijah? That he was completely in step 80 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:03,480 with the will of God. And even in this showdown with 81 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,320 these prophets of Baal, Elijah did not miss a beat. 82 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,120 Everything that he did was completely ordained and revealed 83 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:14,000 by God, and he satisfied the wishes of his master, and we 84 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,280 should have no reason to believe otherwise concerning this 85 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:21,240 command in verse 40, Elijah is still in complete alignment to 86 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,680 the will and the heart and the mind of God and commissioning 87 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,360 the people of Israel to gather these false prophets and to have 88 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,800 them killed. And This is why you're here on 89 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,920 Fridays. I pray that you and I will 90 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,320 continue to grow in the knowledge of the Hebrew 91 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,080 Scripture so that you can grow in your knowledge of the 92 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:42,800 character of God. Elijah here actually, in asking 93 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,920 for this, is encouraged by the law. 94 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,880 What these false prophets experienced was to be expected 95 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,760 because God already made a demand from His law before the 96 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,760 people even entered into the promised land. 97 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,320 And I want you to see it with your own eyes. 98 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,560 So it's in Deuteronomy chapter 13, beginning in verse one. 99 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,760 Here's where Elijah is getting the license to do such a thing. 100 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,480 This man's call for the slaying of these rebel priests was 101 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,760 founded upon what God had asked of the people in Deuteronomy 13 102 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:19,720 verse one. Read it with me, please. 103 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,840 If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and 104 00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:27,480 gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he 105 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:32,520 tells you comes to pass, pause. Even if a miracle transpires, 106 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:37,400 even if a wonder happens through the hands of a man who does not 107 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,680 represent the true and living God, what are you to do? 108 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,480 And if he says, let us go after other gods which you have not 109 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,520 known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the 110 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,440 words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. 111 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:54,000 For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the 112 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,120 Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 113 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:57,880 We touched on that inner study of Deuteronomy. 114 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,480 Why is there all this heresy? Why are there all these false 115 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,640 religions? Why will be somebody in the name 116 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,800 of Christ performing even signs and wonders, but don't preach a 117 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:08,800 true and pure gospel? Let me give you one reason. 118 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,120 God's testing every generation. Will you love me? 119 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:14,960 How are you going to show your love for God that despite the 120 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,600 miracle, despite the sign, despite the wonder, despite the 121 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,960 charisma, despite the programs, despite whatever, because it's 122 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,520 contrary to God's Word, you will cling to the Word about whatever 123 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,760 you see or feel or experience. So God allows it to test our 124 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,160 love and devotion to Him. But that's not the main point. 125 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:37,160 Scroll down to verse five. That prophet or dreamer must be 126 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:42,720 put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your 127 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,040 God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the 128 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,560 land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to 129 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,960 turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to 130 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:57,000 follow. You must purge the evil from 131 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,480 among you. That's exactly what Elijah is 132 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,400 obeying here in First Kings 18, verse 14. 133 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,560 This kind of crime is worthy of capital punishment and it's not 134 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,720 because you had a group of people within Israel believing 135 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,560 differently. No, this group of prophets were 136 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,320 again enticing the people of God, the true people of God, 137 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,280 from turning away from the true and living God. 138 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:25,240 And mind you, Please remember this, put this filter every time 139 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,360 you read something in the in the Scriptures, especially in the 140 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,920 Hebrew Scriptures, that seems to be concerning in terms of what 141 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,200 God demands concerning false religion or false prophets. 142 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:39,760 The Messiah is on his way and he's coming through this seed. 143 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,960 And what Satan has been doing for centuries throughout the 144 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,040 Hebrew Scriptures is to try to corrupt that seed there. 145 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,960 There's no playing around here. The salvation of the world is at 146 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,880 stake, and that attempt to corrupt the seed of humanity 147 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,800 goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 6, and it's happening 148 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:58,440 throughout here in Israel's history. 149 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:02,000 And so this demanded severe repercussions. 150 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,400 And so this is not that's a side point, but this is not just them 151 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,520 believing differently, this is them trying to lure them away 152 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,080 into self-destructive false religion. 153 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,040 And so it demanded severe confrontation. 154 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:18,920 And that's exactly what Elijah is calling for. 155 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,760 You know, it's even possible that these false prophets of 156 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,120 Bill were the instruments that Jezebel used to kill the true 157 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,840 prophets of the Lord. And so we see that this man is 158 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,720 obeying the word of God. And what you and I are going to 159 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,760 learn in this study and in the studies to come, that for such 160 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,280 false prophets to remain in the land would prove to be an 161 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,360 existential problem for the nation of Israel. 162 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,720 And we're going to see that because not all these false 163 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,440 prophets in Elijah's day were present on Mount Carmel. 164 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,040 What's our call in a new covenant concerning false 165 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,920 religion, concerning those who would try to entice other 166 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,800 believers away from the truth, those from from within, or those 167 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,320 are outside? You and I have our marching 168 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,800 orders plain and clear in the New Testament. 169 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,600 The domain of our judgment and the degree of our judgement has 170 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,440 been spelled out clearly and there should be no confusion 171 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,520 about it. You have no right to hurt 172 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,320 anybody because they believe differently or try to even 173 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:12,600 convince you to believe differently. 174 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:15,640 We're told there in First Corinthians 5, and you don't 175 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,080 have to turn there about verse 11 and 12 as a reference that 176 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,640 our call as the church is to deal with those within the 177 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:23,640 church. We don't go chasing those 178 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:25,640 outside of our church and conquest them. 179 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,200 And when people buy the sword, we don't do that. 180 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,920 Our domain of judgement and chastisement and discipline as 181 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,960 demanded by the Lord Jesus is within the church, and Paul 182 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:36,640 declared that himself as an apostle. 183 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,640 And the severest form of judgement that we can apply to 184 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,280 somebody who is unrepentant morally or unrepentant 185 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,240 doctrinally is that they must be removed from the fellowship of 186 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,880 the believers because a little leaven leavens the whole lump. 187 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,920 And even in that severest form of discipline. 188 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,400 What's the aim? Tell me restoration good is that 189 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,560 we would hope that they would see the error of their ways. 190 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:01,120 They would see the privileges that they let go of. 191 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,280 They would see that the church does not agree with what they 192 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,440 believe in and they prove it from Scripture that they would 193 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,720 turn back to the truth or turn to the truth rather. 194 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:15,320 And so this is a picture for us. And when God calls us to even do 195 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,520 something difficult, though our our our orders are different. 196 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:21,520 We must do it nonetheless. And there's another lesson. 197 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,520 Look again at verse 40. And Elijah said to them, seize 198 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,800 the prophets of Bill, let no, not one of them escape, and they 199 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,520 seized them. And Elijah brought them down to 200 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,200 the brookish on and slaughter them there. 201 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,400 Who did he ask to seize these false prophets? 202 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,760 Was it Israel? It was Israel. 203 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,000 Elijah didn't arrest these men himself. 204 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,880 He did kill them, but he did not arrest and he called the people 205 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,800 of Israel to do so. Why is that important? 206 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,320 Think of the larger context. You go back to verse 39, when 207 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,960 God showed up with his power, Yes, power, but mercy. 208 00:11:55,160 --> 00:12:00,040 They confessed the Lord. He is God, the Lord he is God, 209 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:04,720 and we're blessed by that. But that's not where their faith 210 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,320 stopped. That's where many people today. 211 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,760 That's where their faith stops. Verbal confession and 212 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:11,720 profession. Yeah, Jesus Christ is God. 213 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,280 Yeah, the gospel is true. Yeah. 214 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:14,840 Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. 215 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,920 Israel didn't stop with professing it. 216 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:22,200 They demonstrate that he was God because when a very difficult 217 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,160 command was issued, they did not hesitate to obey. 218 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,040 So I want to say that the encouragement of the response of 219 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,080 the nation of Israel is more encouraging than you might have 220 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,480 thought, that they went beyond where most people go. 221 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,680 They didn't just say it. They said, OK, now what does he 222 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:38,720 want from me? If he is God, then let me show 223 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,960 that he is God. And we would hope that this kind 224 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,000 of frame of faith would last. We're going to find out that 225 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,160 perhaps it doesn't. But for the time being, we can 226 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,680 take a breath and rejoice in the fact that something happened in 227 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:52,200 their hearts. Now we come to what? 228 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,040 We read verse 31. Excuse me, 41. 229 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,800 And Elijah said to Ahab, we didn't forget about Ahab, did 230 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:00,680 we? So the people of Israel, what 231 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:02,960 did they do? They repented the prophets of 232 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:04,040 Bill. What happened to them? 233 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,120 They were killed. What's now going to happen to 234 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,880 the king? What is going to happen to the 235 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,600 ruler? Here's what Elijah tells him to 236 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,960 do. Go up, eat and drink. 237 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,320 Why? That's a very strange command. 238 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,440 Go up, eat and drink. In other words, have lunch or 239 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,040 have dinner because rain is coming and you need to be 240 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,920 energized for your journey. You know what my first question 241 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:31,960 was? Why wasn't he lined up with the 242 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,640 prophets of bail and slain with them? 243 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:38,800 Don't you wonder the same? We're going to touch on why he 244 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,120 said go up, eat and drink, but why wasn't he killed? 245 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,840 We do not equally guilty of being a rebel and leading the 246 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,640 people of God astray. Here's the answer is a simple 247 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,240 answer, but it's important because it's consistent with how 248 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:55,440 God works in the world. Every man's verdict concerning 249 00:13:55,440 --> 00:14:00,240 their sin that's unrepented is dealt with differently case by 250 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:06,240 case, according to God's wisdom and his justice will. 251 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,040 I have completely escaped God's discipline. 252 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,200 No, it's just going to happen at a different time and through a 253 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,000 different way. Do you remember how Ahab will be 254 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,000 chastised by the Lord? Let me remind you in First Kings 255 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,520 22. Look at verse six with me, First 256 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,400 Kings 22. And this is where it's going to 257 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:33,980 happen for Ahab. This is when the king of Israel, 258 00:14:33,980 --> 00:14:38,140 Ahab, wanted to go to war against Ramoth Gilead, and he 259 00:14:38,140 --> 00:14:39,820 tried to recruit the king of Judah. 260 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,040 And in first Kings 22 six we read then the king of Israel 261 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:48,360 gathered the prophets together, about 400 men, and said to them, 262 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:51,480 shall I go to battle against Ramoth Gilead or shall I 263 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:54,640 refrain? And they said, go up, for the 264 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,120 Lord will give it into the hand of the king. 265 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,520 Pause. Who are these 400 prophets? 266 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,760 Does anybody remember? They're the 400 prophets who 267 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:08,760 didn't show up on Mount Carmel. You had the prophets of Baal 268 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,880 450, and then you have the prophets of Ashraf 400. 269 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,240 They were kept from going. We don't know how or who kept 270 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,000 them, but we can be pretty confident that it was the 271 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,240 leadership of Israel that said no, no, no, we're not going to 272 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,400 send all our guys out there. We don't know what Elijah's up 273 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,480 to. So you have the same 400 now who 274 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,200 are gathered into the courts of the king and they begin 275 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,040 prophesying with a consensus. You should go up against Ramos 276 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,320 Gilead. Oh, Ahab, and I'm sure you've 277 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,920 read this before. If not, it's a riveting chapter 278 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,320 because a true prophet of the Lord arrives and he gives the 279 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,600 insight of what's taking place here. 280 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,840 And here's the summary of it. Look at verse 23 of First Kings 281 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,080 22. Now therefore, behold, the Lord 282 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,840 has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your 283 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,960 prophets. Why the Lord has declared 284 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:09,040 disaster for you. So God allowed a lying spirit to 285 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:12,320 speak through all four hundred of these false prophets. 286 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,720 For what reason? So that Ahab would believe the 287 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,560 lies and walk into his own demise. 288 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,040 Why? Because God is going to judge 289 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:21,440 him in this way. Do you? 290 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,120 Do you realize how heart wrenching the sentencing is? 291 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:30,720 The very same 400 that Ahab try to preserve and keep have now 292 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:32,760 been the agency for his own death. 293 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:39,560 You can't fool God. You can't run from God, you 294 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:43,960 can't hide from God. If you're going to remain in 295 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,400 your unbelief and your sin, judgement will come. 296 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,680 And what a what a picture, Another picture of so many 297 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,120 examples in the Bible that if you and I are not quick to kill 298 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:57,160 our sin, it will find a way to kill you always. 299 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:01,600 I've never seen anybody hold on to their sin and be successful 300 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,040 in doing so. The very same prophets that he 301 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:06,839 tried to keep to himself, thinking that they would be to 302 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:10,119 his benefit, ended up turning on him, lying to him, just like how 303 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:14,720 your sin lies to you, and then end up destroying his life. 304 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:18,359 If Ahab had repented anytime before, we know that the Lord 305 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:19,839 would have been extremely merciful. 306 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,839 But this man kept going back to him himself, kept going back to 307 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:26,319 his false beliefs and rebellion against the Lord. 308 00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:28,319 So now Elijah says go up, eat and drink. 309 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:35,440 Thinking about this, why out of all the things that Elijah could 310 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,520 have said to this man, and I believe it's because Elijah 311 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:42,200 discern what kind of man he was dealing with, Ahab here at this 312 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,080 moment is showing no remorse, is he? 313 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:48,040 He's showing no concern. There's no contrition. 314 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,640 There's no admission of guilt. Perhaps the only thing that's 315 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,680 going on with Ahab is that he is just standing there absolutely 316 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:59,120 shocked as he's witnessing his false prophets being slain right 317 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:04,200 before his eyes. But but there's no heart change. 318 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,640 There's no even inquiry. There's no even concern about 319 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,680 what happened with his men. And I believe Elijah recognizes 320 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:13,000 that. So what is he doing here by 321 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,120 saying go up, eat and drink? It's as though he's just 322 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,840 dismissing him. I just get out of here, go, go, 323 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,800 go eat and drink. Go have a meal. 324 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,360 Because he realizes that this man is completely caught up in 325 00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:29,760 the flesh. Here's what Ahab teaches us at 326 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,960 this point in our Bible study, that a person can witness the 327 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:37,000 miraculous, that a person can have his world view overcome and 328 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:42,160 dismantled by the truth, that an individual can even be defeated 329 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,880 by his sin. All of that taking place and 330 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:46,840 still do what remain in the flesh. 331 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:49,720 Do you realize what a have witnessed? 332 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,720 He witnessed a man praying to the true God, the God that he's 333 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,440 been rebelling against fire came down from heaven. 334 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,120 All his men, they, they availed to nothing. 335 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,200 They died and what's this man concerned with more than 336 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:03,480 anything else? Eating and drinking. 337 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:04,920 Why? Because when Ava AAP says go do 338 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:09,160 it, he does it. And you get frustrated when you 339 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,480 witness to a sibling or a friend and they don't seem to get it. 340 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:14,480 That's not new. Don't think it's because we live 341 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:16,720 in a technological age and people are more distracted than 342 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,840 ever know you have people who are concerned with eating and 343 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:23,240 drinking even then. And this is what we're supposed 344 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:28,040 to see by looking at a hand, that there are going to be some, 345 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,480 that no matter what they see, what they learn, what they hear, 346 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:34,880 what they experience will be bound up and caught up by the 347 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,000 temporal. Should it frustrate us? 348 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,160 Yeah, I should frustrate us. But let it frustrate you to the 349 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,520 prayer closet and not to give up. 350 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,320 You know, I'm reading in my own time. 351 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,240 I'm in Ezra now. But this past week I was reading 352 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,480 through Second Chronicles and looking at different kings from 353 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,360 the Chronicles vantage point. And there was another king and 354 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,760 his name was Ahaz, not a have a has. 355 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:01,000 And he did a lot of wickedness. The catalogue of evil that he 356 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,280 performed was severe in its own way. 357 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,600 But then he experiences discipline from the Lord, like 358 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,000 obvious discipline. What did a have experience here? 359 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,800 Mercy. He wasn't consumed. 360 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,000 God demonstrated that he's the real living God and it still 361 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:16,920 didn't move him. A has, on the other hand, 362 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,880 experienced severe chastisement. And there's this one verse and I 363 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,880 just, I plucked that verse from the Scriptures and I've been 364 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,160 just letting it sit. On my heart all week listen to 365 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:28,200 this I'm just going to read it to you. 366 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,280 This is powerful in Second Chronicles 28. 367 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,720 Listen to this verse and verse 22. 368 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:42,760 In the time of his distress, he became yet more faithless to the 369 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:47,200 Lord. The same king A has. 370 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:52,120 Isn't that amazing? It's as though the author, yes, 371 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:55,920 inspired by the spirits, like yes, the very same A has that 372 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:58,560 you've been reading about. Even with all the distress that 373 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,120 he underwent, he still became more faithless. 374 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:09,520 What this flesh is capable of is astounding and the Scripture 375 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,800 does not hold back in declaring the truth about it. 376 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,640 Ahab is no different here. This man is stiff necked. 377 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:19,080 But then you got guys like Elijah. 378 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,000 Look what Elijah said back in verse 41 of our main text. 379 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,960 And Elijah said to Ahab, go up, eat and drink. 380 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,360 Why? For there is a sound of the 381 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:32,440 rushing of rain. I hear rain coming. 382 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:38,120 How can he say that when not drop one droplet of rain fell on 383 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:41,360 that dry land? How can he say that when not one 384 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:45,960 crack of Thunder or lightning has visited those skies in 385 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,760 years? How can he say that with no 386 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:53,440 sight of even a shadow from the heavens because no cloud has 387 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,720 visited Israel in such a long time? 388 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,680 I can tell you how. Look back at verse one of our 389 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,360 main text. What do you read here in verse 390 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:09,440 one that the Lord said, go show yourself to Ahab because rain is 391 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:15,080 coming. So you know why Elijah could say 392 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,760 this with a great confidence? Because God said something and 393 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,920 He believed it. God said something about a 394 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,400 future event that did not yet take place. 395 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:29,520 But listen to this. Elijah framed his life based on 396 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,440 what God had said about the future. 397 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:33,800 And that is what faith is all about. 398 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,440 You perceive it, though you do not experience it. 399 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,600 You believe it, and you make your way and you order your life 400 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,760 around it, though you have not yet been visited by it. 401 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:48,280 That's what faith looks like and it's the opposite of the flesh. 402 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,560 Look at verse 42. So Ahab went up to eat and drink 403 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,800 and Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. 404 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:56,920 So these these men, you have a men, a man who represents the 405 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:58,680 flesh and a man who represents faith. 406 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:00,480 And guess what? They go their separate ways. 407 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:02,280 You know why? Because if you're a brother or 408 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,080 sister in this place and you are a person who truly believes 409 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:07,840 God's word and live according to God's word, it will be very 410 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,160 difficult for you to fellowship with those who are of the flesh. 411 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:14,640 Doesn't mean you're unloving, doesn't mean you're 412 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,160 self-righteous. But it's very difficult because 413 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,880 obviously here Ahab has no intention or zero appetite to do 414 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,880 what Elijah is about to do on the top of Mount Carmel. 415 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,160 What is Elijah about to do? Read the rest of the verse. 416 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,600 And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between 417 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,680 his knees. He went up to go pray. 418 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:37,080 And what did Ahab do? He went to go eat and drink. 419 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,000 Is there anything wrong with eating and drinking? 420 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,720 Absolutely not. But there's a time and place for 421 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,080 everything, and Elijah understood that in light of what 422 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:50,320 God had just done here, this, this profound, powerful display 423 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,200 of His Majesty, it was time to posture himself, to inquire of 424 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:58,320 the Lord and seek the Lord for the next thing, the thing that 425 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,480 was ultimately promised. And what does Ahab do again? 426 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,200 He's unmoved, unfazed, and he just goes about like nothing had 427 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,640 happened. So now Elijah goes up to Mount 428 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:13,240 Carmel, and this man who goes up here now seeks the Lord in a 429 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,200 very humbling way. He get, I'm not going to 430 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,560 demonstrate it for you, but let your imagination go there. 431 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:21,760 He gets on his knees and he puts his face between his knees. 432 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,560 We're going to touch on that in a moment here, But the careful 433 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,280 reader will realize in our first initial reading that though 434 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:32,000 there is a picture being painted of this man praying, it's not 435 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,680 explicitly stated. We're not being told here 436 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,480 directly that Elijah prayed, but this is where the harmony of 437 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,320 Scripture comes to our aid. Go to James chapter 5 and verse 438 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:44,960 17 and 18, and you get the commentary of this very same 439 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,640 passage, and it's clarified of what Elijah is exactly doing 440 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,040 here. James 517 to 18. 441 00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:01,540 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed 442 00:25:01,540 --> 00:25:03,300 fervently that it might not reign. 443 00:25:03,980 --> 00:25:06,620 And for three years and six months it did not rain on the 444 00:25:06,620 --> 00:25:09,300 earth. That's what we covered earlier. 445 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,280 But hear what we see at the end of chapter 18 of First Kings is 446 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,560 what we see in verse 18 of James chapter 5. 447 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:23,360 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore 448 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:25,640 its fruit. So when Elijah climbs back the 449 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:27,960 mountain and puts his face between his knees, James tells 450 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,040 us he went up there to go pray. He's praying. 451 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,840 And in what we're about to read in detail, you're going to have 452 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,160 the insights to strengthen your prayer life. 453 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,720 Can I tell you something when you read about Elijah praying 454 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,240 and fire coming down in a miracle and revival breaking 455 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,120 out, that that should excite your prayer life? 456 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,800 But there's something in this part and this section of his 457 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,720 praying that will resonate a lot more, I believe. 458 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,480 So let's look at a few components of what's happening 459 00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,720 here with this praying. The first thing that you and I 460 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:05,160 learned from verse 42 is that Elijah, after experiencing this 461 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:12,200 wonderful, fruitful, successful feat, pulls himself away and he 462 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:16,800 meets with God in private. Here's an important lesson about 463 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:18,640 this man of God. No matter what kind of things he 464 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,680 experienced publicly, he maintained and secured his 465 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,960 private time with the Lord. Many people miss that. 466 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,600 Many people miss that especially when they're doing really well. 467 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,840 I believe why Elijah is doing this is because Elijah is 468 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,480 disclosing the secret to the effectiveness of his ministry, 469 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:43,400 communion with God, staying on his knees before God, sitting at 470 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:47,640 the feet of God, pouring out his heart privately before God. 471 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,080 And this man was willing to separate himself from the crowd, 472 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,280 separate himself from the audience of the king. 473 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:00,160 And he realized that the God who gave me success yesterday is the 474 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,960 same God who must give me success today and must give me 475 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,960 success for tomorrow. You have many people over time 476 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:12,080 in ministry and even in their Christian mark, they get very 477 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,600 comfortable with the routine. They realize that they have a 478 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:18,880 gift, and so they serve, they sing and they preach. 479 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:24,200 And over time, that time with the Lord becomes thinner and 480 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:29,120 thinner and thinner. But this man is not fooled. 481 00:27:29,120 --> 00:27:32,640 This man realizes that unless I meet with the Lord consistently, 482 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,680 I will not know the fullest measure of His power, of His 483 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,960 mercy, of His wisdom, of His protection. 484 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:43,240 Do you know the number one common denominator for 485 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,240 backsliders? Maybe I'll get your attention 486 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:49,520 now more than before. I've talked to many of them, and 487 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,840 I know people who have talked to big ministers who have fallen 488 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,240 from grace. Can I tell you the number one 489 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,040 common denominator, even from men who have preached the Word 490 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,560 of God faithfully, who had wonderful history and 491 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,240 reputation? And if for some reason falling 492 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,560 off, they all can confess with confidence. 493 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:08,680 We stopped meeting with the Lord in private. 494 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,640 We stopped reading the Bible for ourselves. 495 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,840 We stopped spending time in prayer on a daily basis to 496 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:24,840 commune with the Lord. Got busy, got confident, got 497 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,840 caught up. And it's like, you hear that I 498 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:30,240 I've heard that. I've seen it happen to people. 499 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,520 And yet you can still feel the temptation to pull yourself away 500 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,280 from exactly what Elijah is doing here. 501 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,480 You can't afford to do it. People ask all the time, how do 502 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,000 you discipline yourself to be able to seek the Lord every 503 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:46,160 single day? How do you do it? 504 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,720 And I say, it's not a matter of what I what I want, it's a 505 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,120 matter of survival. So you don't see it that way. 506 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,440 You just see it as a luxury. You see it as an optional thing. 507 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,240 But you have to come to the point and believe in your heart 508 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:01,880 that this is not something that I can afford to miss out on if I 509 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,960 want to know this thing for long term, if I want to know 510 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:09,760 longevity. So let that little truth there 511 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,280 just add a spark to the fire that you know that that might be 512 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:14,720 getting weaker. And it's not because you're 513 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,520 necessarily sinning. You just fight for it if you 514 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:20,040 have to. If days go by where it's not 515 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,160 realized, get back to it. Don't get comfortable coasting 516 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,920 away from that place. I love you too much to say 517 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,520 otherwise. And so this man does it. 518 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,400 But notice the second thing, the humility of Elijah. 519 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,920 He bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between 520 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,400 his knees. And this is something so 521 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,920 significant for many reasons. And the main reason is because 522 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:48,120 it happened after a great experience of ministry. 523 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:53,360 This man saw a nation, not a couple people after a Bible 524 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,360 study or Sunday servant you're talking about. 525 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:59,200 Let's just imagine the state of Illinois coming to one of your 526 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,320 meetings, you preaching God, backing up your message with 527 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:03,680 power. That's undeniable. 528 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:07,400 And you see the state of Illinois getting on its knees 529 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:11,120 saying the Lord Jesus Christ is God, the Lord Jesus Christ is 530 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,240 God. What do you think that would do 531 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,240 to the common man? Wow. 532 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,200 I'm a pretty good preacher, I think. 533 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,600 Wow. Surely after this I'm going to 534 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:28,240 get a lot of invitations to conferences. 535 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,320 Now, you know what you see this man doing? 536 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:36,400 He goes up and he humbles himself before God and he gets 537 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,920 low. So yeah, he stood tall before 538 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:43,160 kings, and he pointed his Bony prophet finger before a nation. 539 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,920 But when it came to the presence of God, he humbled himself. 540 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,240 He says, God, this is all about you. 541 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:50,720 This couldn't have happened without you. 542 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,600 And now for this next thing, I'm going to need you. 543 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,240 I can't produce this. I can't cause anything to 544 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,200 happen. It has to be Your grace. 545 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:03,680 And so true servant of the Lord will never allow even the 546 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,120 success of his spiritual journey caused him to waver from 547 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,840 acknowledging, praising, loving, worshipping, and attending to 548 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:13,360 the presence of God. It will only reinforce and 549 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,560 strengthen him in that place because He realizes what God 550 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:18,600 allowed me to experience yesterday and what He did 551 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,280 through me yesterday is by His grace. 552 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,680 And anything I'm going to know or do for him today or tomorrow 553 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:25,600 is also going to be by His grace. 554 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:28,280 They never lose touch with that reality. 555 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,480 And this man did not. There's still more to learn. 556 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,720 Remember James said that this man is a model for prayer 557 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,200 concerning the Christian. So look at verse 43. 558 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,920 And he said to his servant, go up now look toward the sea. 559 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,000 And he went up and looked and said there is nothing. 560 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,440 And he said, go again seven times. 561 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:56,360 This lesson is obvious is not it's a lesson on perseverance 7 562 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:00,920 times. So he prays, tells a servant, 563 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:05,120 go, comes back, nothing prays. And he does that several times. 564 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,160 And we're all we're we're all very familiar about Jesus 565 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,960 teaching the Bible's examples of how to persevere in prayer, how 566 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,360 to persevere, how to. But this is what blessed me even 567 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:17,000 more about Elijah's example. It stands in such contrast to 568 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,680 his previous experience of prayer. 569 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,120 So you read last week with me that the moment he comes down 570 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,200 before the Lord, as he stands before this altar, and he asks 571 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,960 for the fire of God to come and consume that sacrifice, the 572 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,920 moment he said Amen, so to speak, the fire came. 573 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,960 And then now you have this man, the same man on the same 574 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:42,200 mountains praying to the same God, and he's asking for rain 575 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,840 this time and this account. The first time does it come? 576 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:46,200 The second, does it come the fifth time? 577 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,240 Seven times. What are you supposed to take 578 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,760 from that? You and I are supposed to learn 579 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:59,320 that unless you're not careful, you will be weighed down in 580 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,200 prayer. There are times when God can 581 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:06,000 answer in the very before you even say Amen, He can answer 582 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:08,680 even if your prayer is in thought form and you haven't 583 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:10,240 even expressed that you can answer it. 584 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,320 And there are other times where you will pray and you will pray 585 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:18,320 and you will pray and you will pray and never mind hints, there 586 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:25,200 will be nothing, nothing. Expect both from God. 587 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:28,680 Expect both. Why do I say expect? 588 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:31,280 Let me put it this way. Every time I pray, I pray and 589 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,760 anticipate that God will do it. Every time I pray I want to see 590 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,200 a miracle, but I'm also ready for it to come in a different 591 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:43,560 way, which is really the next point because look what happens. 592 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:45,600 Go up. Now look toward the scene. 593 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:47,400 He went up and looked and said there is nothing. 594 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,240 And he said go again seven times. 595 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,720 And at the 7th time, verse 44, he said, behold, a little cloud 596 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,720 like a man's hand is rising from the sea. 597 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,480 And he said, go up, say to Ahab, prepare your charity and go down 598 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:03,840 unless the rain stop you. Look at verse 45. 599 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:07,680 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds 600 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,159 and wind, and there was a great rain and Ahab road and with the 601 00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:15,760 Jezreel. So again, compare it to Elijah's 602 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,320 experience for praying. When he prayed for fire, he 603 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:23,000 prayed once fire came. Did the fire come like with a 604 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,920 spark? And then he had to feed the 605 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:26,159 fire, and then he grew up into a flame. 606 00:34:26,159 --> 00:34:29,560 Is that what happened? No, look at verse 38. 607 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,679 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering 608 00:34:32,679 --> 00:34:36,280 and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water 609 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,000 that was in the trench. You know why I love that verse? 610 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:42,080 Because all was needed for the challenge was the the sacrifice 611 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,760 to be consumed. That's all that was needed to 612 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:46,320 prove that this was the true and living God. 613 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,120 You know what God does when he sends the fire? 614 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,719 He consumes more. You know what that's a picture 615 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:52,920 of? You pray for something and God 616 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:57,600 does more. But look at this. 617 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,520 So he prays and fire comes right there and then. 618 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:06,640 Now he prays for rain, right? Does he pray once, seven times? 619 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:12,400 And on the 7th time, do the clouds just suddenly appear and 620 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:16,160 it just starts raining and pour? Is that what happens? 621 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,440 No, a little cloud like the size of a man's hand comes. 622 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:24,440 And in verse 45, you read why? And in a little while the 623 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:26,520 heavens grew black with clouds and wind. 624 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:33,080 It's not very dramatic, is it? It's those are not the kind of 625 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:37,640 prayer testimonies you hear or asked to be shared at the prayer 626 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,600 meeting. It's the fire coming down right 627 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,320 away. Wow, is this any less of a 628 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:46,920 testimony? So you know what God can do when 629 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:48,840 you pray. God can heal your loved one 630 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:53,600 instantly. God can provide for your need 631 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:59,360 with your next blink. God can put a stop to that trial 632 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:04,360 with a breath. God can halt persecution right 633 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:07,920 away. He can do all of that like he 634 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,520 did with Elijah and the fire, but you know what else he might 635 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,840 do? You can pray for that loved 636 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,200 one's healing and you know how He's going to do it in stages. 637 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:19,360 And you need some. You need something. 638 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:21,280 You need a financial breakthrough, so to speak. 639 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:22,960 You need a job. Whatever the case may be, you 640 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:24,920 need something to be taken care of. 641 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,760 And how does God do it? Little by little, you need an 642 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:32,760 opportunity. And God can swing wide open a 643 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:34,960 door. A random guy calls you, doesn't 644 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,400 even know you, and it's this opportunity of a lifetime. 645 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:41,800 He can do that, or it can be several calls and a few 646 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:47,080 interviews. He can stop the persecution, or 647 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,440 he'll let it go for some time. So it can purge you in a certain 648 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,040 way. He can extinguish the fiery 649 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:58,240 trial, or he can extend it and manifest his presence within it. 650 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,400 So don't get frustrated if it doesn't come right away. 651 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,880 And if it doesn't happen when you pray once, and if you feel 652 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,600 discouraged, remember that some of God's greatest men are 653 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:13,360 experiencing what you're experiencing. 654 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:20,000 And here's one of them, Elijah. So I don't, I try not to allow 655 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:24,600 myself to go to a place where I think what's going on here? 656 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:26,760 Because I see a man who prayed 7 times. 657 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,000 So OK, if you have to pray a week, pray a week. 658 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:30,600 If you have to pray a year, pray a year. 659 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:32,720 If you have to pray years, pray for years. 660 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:34,680 You're saying, well, when do I stop praying? 661 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,640 I can't keep my head between my knees for too long, can I? 662 00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:40,720 Can I? Can I tell you when you stop 663 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:42,680 praying? When God makes it clear when to 664 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,200 stop praying depends on the request, but I trust based on 665 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,520 the testimony of the Word of God, If you're persistent and 666 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:53,480 God hears you and there's an answer coming in terms of when 667 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,440 you should stop, He'll make it abundantly clear and you will 668 00:37:56,440 --> 00:38:01,440 know it as he did with David with his sick newborn, when he 669 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,040 interceded on behalf of that little baby who is dying and he 670 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:08,000 did not get up from the floor until his men said the baby is 671 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,760 dead. He anointed his face, he washed 672 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,040 himself, he worshipped the Lord and he had his meal. 673 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:15,600 He stopped praying. What about Paul with a thorn in 674 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:18,160 his flesh? He prayed, he prayed the third 675 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,200 time the Lord said, I'm not removing this. 676 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,760 My grace is sufficient. So here's how I want to 677 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:25,440 translate. I know it might sound difficult. 678 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:29,560 I'm, I know it might might sound even daunting, but be encouraged 679 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,360 to know that if you're praying for that backslidden child of 680 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:37,000 yours, don't give up until God makes it clear when to give up. 681 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:40,440 And if God needs to make it very, very clear, there are 682 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,480 examples of prophets who are praying for a nation or praying 683 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:45,600 for an individual and God says enough, it's time to move on. 684 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:50,120 I have a different program here. So don't lose hearts, don't lose 685 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:54,160 focus and remember this as a testimony to keep you in that 686 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:57,720 place. So we see here that Elijah prays 687 00:38:57,720 --> 00:39:01,840 and he prays and he prays. Now look at here verse 44. 688 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:05,280 In a little while, while the heavens grew black with clouds 689 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,440 and wind and there was there was a great rain and Ahab rode and 690 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:13,440 went to Jezreel. So here, this this is so 691 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,680 important because we could have ended here with the rain coming. 692 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:19,000 But he instructs Ahab to do something else. 693 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:26,320 He tells Ahab, I want you to get up, take your car and drive up 694 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,680 to Jezreel. Why Jezreel, go to 1st Kings 21. 695 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:39,760 Look at verse one and a certain, excuse me now neighbor, the 696 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:45,400 Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of 697 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:49,880 Ahab, king of Samaria. So the capital was in Samaria, 698 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:53,480 but Ahab had a palace in Jezreel, and that was probably 699 00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:58,320 his main place of abiding. And so he tells him, go to your 700 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:01,680 home. And Ahab listens. 701 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:06,560 But we're not done here with a miracle or the theme of 702 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,360 miracles. Rather look at verse 46. 703 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:13,800 And at the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up 704 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,800 his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 705 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:21,440 That's how the chapter ends. So Ahab says the rain is here. 706 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,160 Excuse me. He tells Ahab the rain is here, 707 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:26,520 get in your chariot and go to Jezreel. 708 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,400 And then we're told the hand of the Lord comes upon the prophet. 709 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,920 And he runs ahead and he beats him to Jezreel. 710 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:38,200 Can anybody explain the miracle behind this? 711 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:44,240 What's the miracle behind it? In one sentence, What's the 712 00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:53,580 miracle behind this? The rain didn't stop him. 713 00:40:53,580 --> 00:40:54,460 That's one. Yeah. 714 00:40:55,380 --> 00:40:58,580 So this wonderful overflow of rain didn't hinder him. 715 00:40:58,580 --> 00:41:06,160 The Lord, what the Lord wants. The Lord was on Elijah and what 716 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:11,240 was he on him to do exactly to what I feel like people are 717 00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:14,840 scared to answer. It's not teleportation. 718 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:22,000 He ran before the chariot speed. I think that's the general 719 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,040 commentary of this, right? That this man was able on foot 720 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:30,360 to run ahead of a chariot and beat the chariot. 721 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:35,920 That's pretty significant, and perhaps that's part of it, 722 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:38,440 because this man worked all day, did he not? 723 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,120 He challenged false prophets. He didn't eat or drink himself, 724 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:45,280 at least yet. And with all that he spent, all 725 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:47,000 that he gave out praying, seeking the Lord. 726 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:48,640 Interesting. Praying is hard work too. 727 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,640 He was able to be energized by divine power and make his way to 728 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:56,320 Jezreel on foot. Is that? 729 00:41:56,320 --> 00:42:02,960 Although I wonder if that's it. Can I ask you another question? 730 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,640 Is this the only time where you see a man running before a 731 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:14,640 chariot in the Bible? I think people are scared to 732 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,200 answer still. OK, let me show you one example. 733 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,480 Go to second Samuel with me in chapter 15. 734 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:28,360 I won't just give you one man. Look at Second Samuel chapter 15 735 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:36,520 and verse one. After this Absalom got himself a 736 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:40,320 chariot and horses and 50 men to run before him. 737 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:44,240 And I can show you other examples of others doing the 738 00:42:44,240 --> 00:42:48,240 same. So Elijah running before a 739 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:52,600 chariot is often understood at being a miraculous enablement 740 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:59,480 from heaven to outrun horses. But there are other places where 741 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,800 men run before Chariots. Now you can make the case that 742 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,360 maybe it was at a different pace. 743 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,400 Elijah here is out running something that's full throttle 744 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:10,440 perhaps. But can I remind you of a 745 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:12,440 command in our study of First Samuel? 746 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:17,560 In First Samuel, when the prophet told the people what 747 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:21,880 they should expect by having a human king, he warns them 748 00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:26,200 because God was their king and God was going to bring a 749 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,600 tangible king at the right time. It was a premature request and 750 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:31,440 it was in the flesh. They didn't want to be like God. 751 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:33,080 They don't want to be according to God's program. 752 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:34,160 They wanted to be like the world. 753 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:36,520 So Samuel tells him, you want it. 754 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:39,240 OK, let me tell you what you're getting yourself into. 755 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,760 And here's one of the things that they should have expected. 756 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:44,720 Look at First Samuel 8 with me. It's worth it. 757 00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:55,230 First Samuel 8. Look at verse 10. 758 00:43:56,430 --> 00:43:59,350 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were 759 00:43:59,350 --> 00:44:05,000 asking for a king from him. He said, these will be the ways 760 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:06,640 of the king who will reign over you. 761 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:10,520 He will take your sons and appoint them to his Chariots, 762 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,320 and to be his horsemen. And to do what? 763 00:44:15,240 --> 00:44:21,120 And to run before his Chariots. So one of the things that kings 764 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:24,440 would demand following this is that they would have some of the 765 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:30,680 men of Israel, as an act of service and loyalty to the king, 766 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:37,320 run before him as a way of displaying the majesty of that 767 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:39,320 king. Look at these men who are 768 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:41,320 running before me. It's almost as though it's a 769 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:44,000 parade. And these men, in doing so, 770 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:49,080 we're doing so in service, in humility, before this king. 771 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:58,040 I believe Elijah is doing more than just trying to outrun Ahab. 772 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:04,640 I mean, think about it, why is Elijah not just telling Ahab to 773 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:08,480 go, but meeting him there? What does that have to do with 774 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:14,400 him? Here's a thought that Elijah and 775 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:18,560 commanding Ahab to go is also going to follow him, but lead 776 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:22,840 the way, running before the chariot, perhaps with the high 777 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,480 hopes that this man would have some kind of change of heart, 778 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:29,480 especially as he is experiencing this rain flowing over him. 779 00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:33,840 And he's going to now come to the palace and testify before 780 00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:37,880 Jezebel, maybe with the hopes of a royal repentance. 781 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:43,160 Perhaps if that is not necessarily the desire of 782 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:45,480 Elijah. What he is doing by running 783 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:50,240 before him is pretty clear. Elijah up to this point has been 784 00:45:50,240 --> 00:45:56,320 very confrontational, very direct, bold, and by running 785 00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:58,880 before the chariot, what it would communicate to Ahab and 786 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:02,560 even onlookers when you connected to First Samuel 811. 787 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:08,920 That this Elijah is not personally against a that his 788 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:13,000 rebuke, his challenge to the king is not to dishonor his 789 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:16,400 authority or his position, but as a prophet to fulfill his role 790 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:20,040 as a duty. And so by running ahead of this 791 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:23,440 chariot, if First Samuel 811 means what it means that to run 792 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:28,360 before his chariot is some kind of a demonstration of loyalty, 793 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:32,160 then perhaps Ahab here is trying to communicate. 794 00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:36,840 I'm not against you, Ahab. I'm against your sin. 795 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:39,520 I'm against your idolatry. And I want to show the people 796 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:41,240 here that I'm not trying to overthrow you. 797 00:46:42,240 --> 00:46:46,680 I want to see you saved. I want to see you one over to 798 00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:49,960 the truth. And, and with all that I have 799 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:53,800 done, with all that I have performed, in the end it's for 800 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:57,680 you to come back to the Lord and let me show it in this way. 801 00:46:57,680 --> 00:46:59,320 I'll, I'll run before your chariot. 802 00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:03,400 Let people see even up to your palace that I'm going to run 803 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:09,160 before your chariot. If that is the case, then you 804 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:14,320 have a great miracle I play here, one that is greater than 805 00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:17,920 somebody who is now working with superhuman strength and is 806 00:47:17,920 --> 00:47:21,280 running on his feet in a way that an older man shouldn't. 807 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:25,360 You have the hand of the Lord who comes upon Elijah to do 808 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:27,360 what? Perform a great act of humility 809 00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:34,440 to run before a chariot. Not just any chariot, a chariot 810 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:39,000 that is unworthy, a chariot with a man in it that has caused much 811 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:42,080 trouble and dishonour to the Lord and his people. 812 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:46,040 And yet still you have Elijah willing to after great victory, 813 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:50,200 after great showdown to say, OK, Ahab, I'm going to show you and 814 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:53,000 others now that I want you to come to the truth. 815 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:59,560 And so he does it. You know, there might be people 816 00:47:59,560 --> 00:48:03,720 in your life that you have great trouble honoring, great trouble 817 00:48:03,720 --> 00:48:05,360 respecting. Could even be your husband. 818 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:09,040 It could be a friend, it could be a sibling. 819 00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:11,520 It could be somebody from your. I don't it doesn't matter who it 820 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:13,240 is. It could be a Christian in the 821 00:48:13,240 --> 00:48:21,080 church. It could even be elders and you 822 00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:23,680 are going to be called at times. Actually, we're called all the 823 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:29,000 time to humble ourselves and to with the wisdom of God know how 824 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:36,960 to navigate between challenging yet respecting, standing against 825 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:40,040 yet showing that you're still for them and you want them to 826 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:42,200 know the truth and all the scenarios vary. 827 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:44,040 The spectrum is very wide and long. 828 00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:48,440 You know what you're going to need in order to do what Elijah 829 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:51,800 did in this time. What was on him to do this? 830 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:56,000 The hand of the Lord. You can't do it without God's 831 00:48:56,000 --> 00:49:00,360 help you. You won't be able to submit 832 00:49:01,280 --> 00:49:05,000 without God's help. You won't be able to respect and 833 00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:07,720 be patient and gentle and kind without God's help. 834 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:10,960 You won't be able to endure patiently with other believers 835 00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:17,160 who in the flesh deserve dishonor, disrespect, but in the 836 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:18,480 Spirit you know you're a call to hire. 837 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:21,160 You can't do it without the hand of the Lord. 838 00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:25,520 Elijah had the hand of the Lord upon him to run before this 839 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:28,200 chariot. I could point to the other 840 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:30,600 couple examples where men ran before Chariots and they did not 841 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:32,160 have the hand of the Lord upon them. 842 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:36,000 There's something more significant here, more personal, 843 00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:38,200 more real, more relatable, even to you and I. 844 00:49:39,720 --> 00:49:44,160 But how do I get the hand of the Lord upon me to love and respect 845 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:46,320 and honor and care and cherish and submit? 846 00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:49,920 In some cases, we'll think about what Elijah did before this. 847 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:54,960 What was he doing? He was on a mountaintop alone 848 00:49:54,960 --> 00:50:00,440 with God. And I believe that continuation 849 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:03,080 is no accident. There he is with the Lord, 850 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:05,800 praying. And not only did God provide 851 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:09,560 rain, He provided a power on him to do what we read here at the 852 00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:12,920 end of this chapter. You know how we're going to end 853 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:16,040 this Bible study? Not by saying a quick prayer, 854 00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:21,240 singing one song, and then leaving, but you're going to ask 855 00:50:21,240 --> 00:50:24,400 for the Lord. I hope for His hand to be upon 856 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:29,280 you so that when you leave here, you're more energized to relate 857 00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:31,600 to other people in the way Jesus Christ asked of you. 858 00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:35,800 I can't do without the hand of the Lord, and I'm not going to 859 00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:37,920 get the hand of the Lord unless I get on my knees before the 860 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:42,040 Lord. So maybe you came as Pastor Mark 861 00:50:42,040 --> 00:50:44,240 opened up. Maybe you came in here a little 862 00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:49,400 defeated, little deflated. Maybe you argued with your wife 863 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:51,760 or husband or your kids on your way here. 864 00:50:52,200 --> 00:50:54,640 Maybe you dishonored your father, your mother on your way 865 00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:58,160 here. Maybe you're struggling and 866 00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:01,440 doing what Elijah was able to do for a person that really didn't 867 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:04,880 deserve it. I invite you not just to take 868 00:51:04,880 --> 00:51:07,520 this truth into treasured in your heart, but to act upon and 869 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:12,400 say, Lord, I'm going back to an environment tonight that is very 870 00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:16,240 difficult and I need your hand on my life. 871 00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:21,640 I need your hand on my tongue. I need your hand on my temper, I 872 00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:28,040 need your hand on my reactions. People often want fire, they 873 00:51:28,040 --> 00:51:32,600 want rain, they want miracles. That's all wonderful, but how 874 00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:35,000 often do we hear of this miracle in Elijah's life that he was 875 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:41,160 able to run before Ahab's chariot with grace and humility? 876 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:49,920 Lord, we ask you that you help us, please, to recognize our 877 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:57,800 neediness. Thank You that we can pray and 878 00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:01,920 You can place your hand on our lives, and not just in a general 879 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:03,440 way. You can place your hand in an 880 00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:08,240 area in our life that requires your help, your power, your 881 00:52:08,240 --> 00:52:12,280 energy, your animation for it to be realized in a way that 882 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:17,400 glorifies you and testifies before watching world that we 883 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:21,720 are servants of the living God. Lord, tonight we pray that you 884 00:52:21,720 --> 00:52:26,120 would bring things to mind that we would ask you for, to help us 885 00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:33,280 do what may even be impossible. And Lord, sometimes, often 886 00:52:33,280 --> 00:52:36,000 times, what seems to be impossible are the relationships 887 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:42,900 that we have to deal with so low. 888 00:52:42,900 --> 00:52:46,620 We pause now, and we want to respond to this Bible study. 889 00:52:47,380 --> 00:52:51,260 We're truly seeking you. Help us not be like Ahab after 890 00:52:51,260 --> 00:52:53,900 hearing a study like this. Be concerned with the flesh. 891 00:52:54,940 --> 00:52:58,780 Help us respond to these wonderful truths in the way that 892 00:52:58,780 --> 00:53:02,860 this man of God did so. Lord, even in the silence of 893 00:53:02,860 --> 00:53:07,040 this moment, we seek your face and we ask, Oh God, that your 894 00:53:07,040 --> 00:53:11,480 hand would be upon us in Jesus name, Amen. 895 00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:17,560 Why don't we do that? I'm going to join you. 896 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:23,760 I'm going to join you in seeking the Lord and saying Lord, I want 897 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:28,760 your hand on my life, yes, to deal with maybe certain people, 898 00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:34,360 but also your hand on my life to administer more effectively, to 899 00:53:34,360 --> 00:53:39,280 endure more in prayer, to know how to protect and maintain that 900 00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:43,280 time alone with you. Let's just make this a time of 901 00:53:43,280 --> 00:53:47,560 responding to God's voice, his speaking in this past hour, 902 00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:49,800 shall we? Don't rush out of here. 903 00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:53,760 Don't waste this moment. Just sit there and focus on the 904 00:53:53,760 --> 00:53:57,880 Lord and trust that he hears you even now and he will honor your 905 00:53:57,880 --> 00:54:00,640 request before we close in prayer together, shall we? 906 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:07,320 Let's do that and as as a praise team comes and prepares to lead 907 00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:09,840 us in worship, we're not going to sing right away, but just 908 00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:13,120 seek the Lord and He will be found.