1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,680 This is City Post Church. We're about three things. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:08,160 Build equipped and send. All under the Lordship of Jesus 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,240 Christ. A small church plant in Fort 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,400 Worth, TX. Who decided to do things a 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,880 little differently? Adoramos Ajesu Cristo I love 6 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,480 city post because of the people. It's where I belong. 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,640 We truly preach the Word. I love City Post because of the 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,000 community we've been able to build. 9 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:28,040 To do ministry like Jesus. For light to push back. 10 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,440 Darkness. This. 11 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:38,710 Is city post podcast so. We're going to be. 12 00:00:38,830 --> 00:00:42,230 First Kings chapter. 18 and I think today. 13 00:00:42,230 --> 00:00:44,270 Is. Is one of these stories. 14 00:00:44,270 --> 00:00:47,350 That many of us grew. Up with, especially if. 15 00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:50,110 You went to church. Or you grew up in church? 16 00:00:51,550 --> 00:00:54,680 First First Kings Chapter 18 I want to just. 17 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:56,480 Jump right into it because. We got a lot to. 18 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,640 Cover, but let me. Set the scene. 19 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,080 We're looking at, you know. 2 Two people Tale of the take We 20 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:04,800 do this every week. On one. 21 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,160 Side we have Prophet Elijah. On the other side, we have King 22 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,040 Ahab. What's funny is when I. 23 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,400 First read the story. I thought it was like Elijah 24 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,840 versus the prophets of. Bald. 25 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,280 But then I was like, you know what? 26 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:20,440 It's actually Elijah. I mean, it's actually. 27 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,520 Ahab. That is the one who's causing a 28 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:28,600 little bit of the problems here. And God uses Elijah to kind of 29 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,920 set him straight. So we're going to actually start 30 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,880 reading in verse 16. But I I got to like. 31 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,480 Speed us up because a lot of people, they read this. 32 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,600 Story and they miss a lot of really important details. 33 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,400 In our scripture. So I'm going to give. 34 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,680 Us a lot of back story so that way. 35 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:47,960 We understand what's. Happening and we don't put our 36 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:49,920 own little spin. To it we, we let. 37 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:55,000 The text talk right so. Beginning in chapter 18, there 38 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,600 has been a famine in the land for the. 39 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:02,000 Last three years, Elijah has. Prayed and God has withheld. 40 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,120 Rain from. His people because they were 41 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,040 worshipping idols and and because of. 42 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,160 Elijah there has. Been no rain in the land God 43 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:11,320 has. Withheld. 44 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,360 It and three years later. God tells the prophet Elijah. 45 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,840 OK, I want you to go to King Ahab and go. 46 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,880 Talk to him now. So Elijah obeys the Lord, he 47 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:24,840 goes. And King Ahab has an 48 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:29,280 administrator named Opadiah now. Opadiah fears the Lord. 49 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,240 That's what the Bible says. Like he, he fears the Lord. 50 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:33,840 He. Is a man of God. 51 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,960 So Elijah goes to Opadiah. And says hey I need to. 52 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:38,640 Go talk to your. Kid I need to go talk to. 53 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:42,440 Ahab Opadiah is like. I don't think I want to die. 54 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,000 Today. Because here's the thing. 55 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,440 Ahab and his wife Jezebel they've. 56 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,160 Been killing the. Prophets of God, so Obadiah has 57 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,800 secretly. Been hiding prophets in these. 58 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,280 Caves. He split both. 59 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,640 Of them up 50 and 50, he's been sustaining them and feeding them 60 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:02,280 with bread and water. And he's like Elijah's like, you 61 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:03,600 want to go. Talk to Ahab. 62 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,960 Right now, if he finds out, that's my head. 63 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,720 Ain't no way. But Elijah's like. 64 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,200 Listen, I swear on my Mama, I'm going to go talk to the king. 65 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,320 That's Ricky's version. He's out. 66 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,600 I'm going to go talk to the king because this. 67 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,120 Is what God's asked me to so Elijah. 68 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,720 Goes and this. Is where we leave. 69 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:28,040 Off right now. So verse 16, So Obadiah. 70 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,320 Went. To meet ahab and told. 71 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,280 Him and Ahab went to meet. Elijah. 72 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,480 All right, so Elijah is just. Following protocol, you go to 73 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,240 the King's administrator. Administrator lets the king 74 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,440 know. So but but look what? 75 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,480 16's saying he's like so when Obadiah went to Ahab and told 76 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,640 him Ahab went to meet. Elijah Ahab is like, oh. 77 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,600 Hold on a second, Elijah. 'S in town. 78 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,320 Where's he at? I need to go talk to I. 79 00:03:55,320 --> 00:04:00,040 I need to see this guy. So if you look at the history of 80 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,240 Ahab, if you go back, it goes back. 81 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,800 To First Kings chapter 12. The Bible says that Ahab 82 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:07,800 followed the steps of King. Jeroboam. 83 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,600 All right now, King Jeroboam, let me just give you a little 84 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,880 back story with him. King Jeroboam created idols. 85 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,480 He was an idol. Worshipper he created 2 golden. 86 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,600 Calves and he presented them to Israel and what King Jeroboam 87 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,720 said in Kings chapter. 12 was like Israel these. 88 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,000 Golden calves. These are the gods that freed 89 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:28,960 you from. Egypt. 90 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,000 It wasn't the Lord, the God that you serve. 91 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,480 It was these two golden. Calves that did that, that's. 92 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,880 Jeroboam So what the. Bible says, is that king? 93 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,560 Ahab. Easily followed the steps of. 94 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,560 Jeroboam like this was no thing for him. 95 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:47,320 So that means that Ahab loved. Idols. 96 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,760 He was an idolater. Like, like this is what he did. 97 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,520 He like he was. Worse, and what we know about 98 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,720 Ahab that made him even worse, was who he married. 99 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,160 Don't judge. No, you could judge. 100 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,160 He married Jezebel. I don't know about you guys, but 101 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,400 there's not too many. Kids named Jezebel like Judas. 102 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:15,040 Jezebel was an evil woman. Who loved Idol? 103 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,160 Worshippers. Jezebel was married. 104 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,400 To Ahab, Jezebel was the daughter of F Ball. 105 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,840 King of the Sidonians, I don't know. 106 00:05:23,840 --> 00:05:25,120 They might have not taught you this. 107 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,800 In Sunday school, but there's something called a diphthong. 108 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,040 And a diphthong. In, in, in. 109 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,800 Scripture is when you. See a double vowel. 110 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,040 In a name, and you're supposed to pronounce. 111 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,240 Each vowel. Now I know we're in the South 112 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,920 and many of us have seen like the gods of Baal. 113 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,280 Like they say in East. Texas, but actually. 114 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:47,760 The name is Baal. So Jezebel's father. 115 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,280 'S name is Ebal. Which is tied to the. 116 00:05:51,280 --> 00:05:53,760 Idol worship. Now the Sidonians. 117 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,800 They were people of idols. That's what they did. 118 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,680 They worshipped idols and they were. 119 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:02,320 And she was the. Daughter of a Phoenician. 120 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,760 So what that means is that they didn't just. 121 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:09,040 Worship idols Idol worship was. Ingrained in the culture, this 122 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,440 is no no thing for them and because. 123 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:14,680 Idol. Worship was ingrained in the. 124 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,440 Culture the Daughters of. The Phoenicians. 125 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,800 We're actually priestess of Baal. 126 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:24,520 And Ashura, which are two gods that the Canaanites worshipped. 127 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:26,840 All right, So you got to check with me, OK? 128 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,680 Like Ricky, what's the point? There's a point to this, all 129 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,000 right? It's important to understand 130 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,080 this because when Elijah meets. The prophets of Baal. 131 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,160 It's all going to make sense. Right, so this is what's. 132 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,800 Happening and. Really what they would do. 133 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,200 Region wise, is that you? Would go and you would. 134 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,400 This is kind of social. Political as well. 135 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,960 Because if you wanted to kind of take over. 136 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,040 A city or. A town you would marry. 137 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,640 The daughter of that place. And that's kind of what Ahab was 138 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,000 doing. And this is nothing new. 139 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,480 Europeans did this all the time. We see it all through history. 140 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,400 So he married her knowing. Exactly who she. 141 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,160 Was knowing what she represented. 142 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:10,480 It was so bad. That king Ahab actually set up 143 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:16,160 an altar of Jezebel in Samaria, and then he included it in the 144 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,320 culture, and that's why Jezebel and Ahab wanted to. 145 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,240 Kill the prophets of Yahweh because they're like they're. 146 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,600 Getting in the. Way of our gods, so Jezebel 147 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:26,920 goes. On a rampage? 148 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:28,840 And she starts. Killing the prophets. 149 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,280 Therefore, Obadiah finds out and he's hiding them now. 150 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,760 It's a terrible situation. Oh and also like you're like 151 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,160 man, Ricky, what's up with these two idols? 152 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,560 Why people worshipping them? So can't Canaanite religion 153 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:47,560 ritualize sex? So pretty much you had ball and 154 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:49,040 then you. Had Azure of all. 155 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,240 Was the male form. Of the God. 156 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,320 Azure was the. Female form of the God. 157 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,360 And it was pretty much the system that was one big 158 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:02,280 sexualized. Religion and as we know. 159 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,200 Sex is very powerful, So what was? 160 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,400 Happening was that the Israelites, They were 161 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,160 worshipping God. They were. 162 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:12,960 Worshipping Yahweh their God, but. 163 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,480 Then they were also worshipping what Jezebel and Ahab has 164 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:23,800 established in their town. Therefore, drought in the land. 165 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,040 And I just want to say that when there's drought in our lives, 166 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,120 maybe, just maybe, there might be idols represented in your 167 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:36,480 life. There might be something that is 168 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:38,919 in line with the. God that we. 169 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:43,159 Serve and has. Crept its way up and what God 170 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:45,480 says. In the 10 commandments 171 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:51,720 immediately is that you will not have any gods before me, you 172 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,920 will not create any gods, you will not serve any gods. 173 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,400 I'm a jealous. God, so if you. 174 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,160 Want to go ahead and I have an. Idol I will withhold. 175 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,840 The reign in your life. This is a really difficult 176 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,840 passage and we see this here. Oh, and one other thing about 177 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,880 Ball that we want to talk about him. 178 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,040 The the prophets of Ball, what they believe is that. 179 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,200 Ball spoke. They believe. 180 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:19,240 That this idol spoke. And the. 181 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,400 Way that he spoke. Was through Thunder. 182 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,280 Oh, and what Thunder accompanies is lightning, and what lightning 183 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,560 creates. Is fire, so I just. 184 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:33,200 Remember that detail? Look at verse 17 and when he. 185 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,040 Saw Elijah, he said. To him is that. 186 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:40,000 You, you troubler of Israel. Isn't it funny like. 187 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,160 Every fight that we've talked about, there's always. 188 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,200 Been some trash talking. I just think that's so. 189 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,200 Cool, right? Like there's always been like 190 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:47,920 what's? Up then. 191 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,520 Well, what Ahab? Does he goes to Elijah? 192 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,080 And and he does not. Like Elijah, because he 193 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,200 believes. That the reason there's drought. 194 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,720 Is because of Elijah if they would just arrest Elijah if they 195 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,000 would just. Capture him and kill him. 196 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,440 That might release the rain. On the land. 197 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,840 So what he's doing is not working and then. 198 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:15,520 You have Obadiah's fears. Which are legitimate, but Elijah 199 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,360 does not throw Obadiah. Under the bus and say Obadiah, 200 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,160 no, no, he just said I'm the one that wants to see you. 201 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,360 So he. Addresses Elijah. 202 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,360 He does not. Address Obadiah here. 203 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,360 So this is really important, you troubler of. 204 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,200 Israel, listen. The reason? 205 00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:37,920 Say Ahab truly believe he's. Like, man, it's probably not 206 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,760 Paul's fault that it's not raining. 207 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:42,800 It's your fault that's not raining. 208 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:48,600 But if Ahab would have read the scriptures, we see this. 209 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,520 Promise that God gives in Deuteronomy chapter 28. 210 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,320 You could read verse 23 through 24. 211 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:56,880 I'll just go ahead and summarize it. 212 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:59,120 Where God? Says like when you turn to. 213 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:00,560 Idols, it says. I will. 214 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,880 Turn the reign of your country into dust and powder. 215 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,880 God warns his people and Deuteronomy. 216 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,600 If you go to idols. I'm going to withhold the. 217 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,480 I'm going to. Tell you so this was prophetic. 218 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:16,120 God has been saying this all along. 219 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,600 And in verse. 18 He goes, Man, I have not made trouble. 220 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,040 For Israel, Elijah says. So Elijah pops back. 221 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,160 So Ahab is like, oh, troubler of Israel. 222 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,760 He pops back at him immediately. He's like no, no, no. 223 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,120 But you and your father's family have. 224 00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:38,920 I'm not the troubler of. Israel, it's y'all. 225 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,440 Are the troublers of Israel. You have abandoned the Lord's 226 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,560 commandments and you have followed. 227 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,440 The Baals? What's Elijah? 228 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,840 Telling him right here I. Want us to look at? 229 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,960 This this is so. Vital, there's two. 230 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:59,800 Things you have abandoned the. Lord's commands and you. 231 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:04,680 Have followed your idols. That's exactly what Elijah is. 232 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:07,520 Saying. He's like listen the issue here, 233 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,240 the problem here the the reason why you're like nothing is is 234 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,000 working. Here is because you have. 235 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,360 Abandoned the Lord's commands and you have followed. 236 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,720 Your idolatry, you have followed your. 237 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,800 Idols, now I know some. Of us are, you know, like man 238 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,280 Ricky, Why would anybody? Why? 239 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,000 Would anybody worship these like? 240 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,160 Golden calves. You know, when we went to India 241 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:34,800 this year, we. Were able to go to like the 242 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,520 second largest. Hindu temple in the. 243 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,880 World no phones allowed like they. 244 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:40,320 Search you, they pat you. Down. 245 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,120 And as we're walking around like we're. 246 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:47,400 Seeing these massive golden. Statues of idols. 247 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:49,560 Like I mean like. It's like I get. 248 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:51,320 The like, man, we're learning culture. 249 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,160 India's about 80% Hindu, but I mean, there's. 250 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,320 Literally like 30 to 50 feet tall. 251 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,120 Like statues of gold like. It's like man, this. 252 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:02,640 Is probably what Daniel felt like. 253 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:04,280 And we're trying to be. Polite. 254 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,680 And they're they're trying to evangelize us. 255 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:09,880 And we're trying to talk back to them and it's so awkward. 256 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,720 It's weird. But what's hard is that as 257 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,200 we're. Walking through the temples. 258 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,560 Like there's actually. People praying to these idols 259 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:19,600 like they're throwing. Money. 260 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,560 They're doing their like. Ritual stuff. 261 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,720 They're dressed a certain way. And as I look. 262 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,880 At that I was like, why idols? I think I'm this is not going to 263 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:28,960 be on the screen but I think like. 264 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,360 Why are why is idolatry so I'm like, why do people like look at 265 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,120 idols like I? Think I want to worship that. 266 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:37,520 Well, in this time, think about an idol. 267 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,160 You could see it. It's there, it's visible. 268 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,080 What the Bible says that we worship. 269 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,720 What we can't see. But what they do, what idols is 270 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,440 where? You worship what you can see. 271 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,920 Idols are portable. You can take your idol. 272 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,360 Anywhere you go, if you grew up in the 90s, there was a toy 273 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:57,080 called My Buddy. Anybody know what I'm talking 274 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,400 about and the commercial got? Stuck it get. 275 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,640 Stuck in your? Head right, it's like my. 276 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,560 Buddy, wherever he goes, we go. I guess that's like it's. 277 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:08,800 Stuck in your mind and it's the same thing for. 278 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,960 Idols like I could take. My idol with me, it's. 279 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,440 Portable I could travel. With my idol, I could. 280 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,960 See it I could talk to it. And then also, idols are 281 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,040 tangible. That means that they're 282 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,080 manageable. I could. 283 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,480 Serve them and listen. All of us have this this God 284 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,600 shaped. Hole in our hearts where we want 285 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,000 to do something, we want to serve something. 286 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,920 So if I could serve my idol, if I could clean my idol, if I 287 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,320 could give money to my idol, if I could give food to my idol, 288 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,120 Man, it makes me feel really good up inside of here. 289 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,720 And many of us think like man Ricky. 290 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,120 Who in the world would worship a golden calf? 291 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,760 Why are idols? Why don't we worship idols? 292 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,560 Guys in the Old Testament we had I they. 293 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,320 Had idols that they worship. In the New Testament guess. 294 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,320 What We all have idols that we worship. 295 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,560 Anything can become an idol in our lives. 296 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:03,040 I'm going to put a definition of what? 297 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:08,360 What is an idol anyway? So biblical definition of idols. 298 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:13,000 Pretty much anything. Anything in the world that 299 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,360 successfully competes with our love. 300 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:20,520 And affections to God. Anything in the world now 301 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,440 listen, it doesn't successfully competes not. 302 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:28,320 Wins. Competes for our love and 303 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:32,560 affections for Jesus. Anything in the world that 304 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,640 competes. Listen guys, anything. 305 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,680 Anything. Can be an idol, it could be 306 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,480 sports, it could be money. It could be status. 307 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,680 Can we get a little bit honest with us it? 308 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:44,440 Could be our kids, It could be our wives. 309 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,120 It could be a loved one. Listen, it could. 310 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:50,080 Even be ministry. It could be the pulpit, It could 311 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,920 be the stage. Anything that competes for our 312 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:58,080 affections and love for God is an idol, and what the Bible 313 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,800 commands is that there shall be no idols except me. 314 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:07,200 How do we know it's an idol? Well, because you. 315 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,640 Pretty much become what you worship. 316 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,960 What do you talk about? Where's your money going to? 317 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,840 What dictates your life? What do you say? 318 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,360 What? Do you do all those things? 319 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,040 What do you? Prioritize. 320 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:24,080 That is up here where God is supposed to be. 321 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,760 That. Becomes an idol in your life, 322 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:29,360 man. I'm just going to. 323 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,120 Spit out a few verses of this Exodus 20. 324 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,120 Four and. Five says you shall. 325 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,360 Not make. For yourself, a carved image. 326 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,640 Or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above and that is 327 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:44,760 in the earth. Below. 328 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,320 And that is in the water under the earth. 329 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:52,560 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I am the Lord 330 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,640 your God, and I am a jealous. God. 331 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,680 I love this one. Deuteronomy 2828 Man. 332 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:00,120 God spits here. He's like. 333 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:05,040 Man, the Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and 334 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,960 confusion of. Mind if you worship idols? 335 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,079 Idol. Worship. 336 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:12,839 Think about men, madness, blindness. 337 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:15,400 And confusion of your mind. Idols are present. 338 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,160 God is telling us this. Man, I love this passage. 339 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,400 Right. Psalms 115 four through 8 man 340 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,119 write this down. You should highlight this in 341 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:23,560 your. Bible. 342 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:28,119 It's a great, great passage here since their idols are silver. 343 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:30,680 And gold, the work of human hands. 344 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,520 They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not. 345 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,920 See, they have ears. But do not hear noses, but do 346 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,320 not smell. They have hands, but do not feel 347 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:43,280 feet. But do not walk. 348 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,360 And they do not make a sound in their throat. 349 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:50,400 Those who make them become like them. 350 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,640 So do all. Who trust them, you become what 351 00:17:54,640 --> 00:18:00,040 you worship and what God says. Listen, you want an idol, you're 352 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,720 going to get an idol and you're going to become that idol. 353 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,040 So whatever you worship, whatever is all like, whatever 354 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,520 you. Bring up here is going to be 355 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,400 what you become like, and God is going to. 356 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,120 Give yourself over to that and say. 357 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,480 Man OK, go ahead. We see this in Romans chapter 1 358 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,360 where we're in our sin and God turns you. 359 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,680 Over to your sin because. What's going to happen is you're 360 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,120 going to hit rock bottom. It's not going to sustain you. 361 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:29,840 It's not going to. Save you it. 362 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,040 Has a mouth, but it can't talk. To you it. 363 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,520 Has ears, but it ain't listening to you listen. 364 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,840 It's not about little gods, no, there's only one God, and 365 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:40,920 everything else are. Idols, that's when people. 366 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,360 Come up to me and be like, no, that's the wrong. 367 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:44,280 No, there's only one God. Everything else. 368 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,120 Is is just is fake. They're all idols. 369 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,280 Yahweh is the only God. And that's what. 370 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,120 The Bible tells us. And what Elijah's going to do 371 00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:58,960 here is Elijah, before the rain comes, he's going to make. 372 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,280 Sure that the. People know. 373 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,200 The people of Israel know. That it was Yahweh that. 374 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:08,240 Brought the rain and not BA. So look what? 375 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,640 He does look at verse 20. This is so cool. 376 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:12,080 He says so. Ahab. 377 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,080 Sent word throughout all Israel. And assembled the prophets. 378 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:17,840 Or Mount Carmel. Or Carmel. 379 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,960 I'm hungry, right? I want some candy. 380 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:26,840 Right some Carmel. So Ahab's like, OK. 381 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:31,160 It's going to go down South. Mount Carmel becomes like the 382 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,560 Octagon. Let's bring them together. 383 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,520 You on one side, I'm on the other side. 384 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:38,280 And what? Ahab. 385 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,880 Probably thought was if people saw Elijah. 386 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,160 They're going. To be so mad. 387 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:46,600 That there's been a famine in the land for three years, 388 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,040 they're going to blame Elijah for that? 389 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:56,560 But the prophets of all also show up and look what Elijah 390 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,120 says. I love verse 21. 391 00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,960 This is so like. This is so strong, Elijah went. 392 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,840 Before the Lord and said, how long will you waver between two 393 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,280 opinions if. The Lord is God. 394 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,480 Follow him if. Ball is God follow. 395 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:15,000 Him, guys, this is simple. Listen, you got to decide who 396 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,760 you're going to follow because Israel was doing both. 397 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:23,720 Israel wanted to follow God, so. Israel was the bride, but they 398 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,760 also had a side chick. Which was the Canaanite 399 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,360 religion. They wanted both of them. 400 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:31,280 They wanted commitments to both of them. 401 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,880 They didn't want to decide. How do we know that? 402 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:35,480 Because look what? It says at the bottom. 403 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,360 But the people said what? Nothing. 404 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,640 Elijah made this massive statement and the word. 405 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,160 Waiver there a better. Translation is limping. 406 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,040 So you're limping in between both of them. 407 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,320 When you limp, you're like, not. Sure, but you're doing it anyway 408 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,840 and they say nothing. And I just want to say this. 409 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:57,400 Listen when you. Say or do nothing. 410 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,120 You said something. You made a decision. 411 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,200 You try to stay quiet. Listen, I already know what you. 412 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,600 Said so I tell our. Guys, man, everybody wants to 413 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,480 like like shout and like type. Stuff up, but you don't show. 414 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:11,920 Up man. It's lazy activism. 415 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,880 You not saying something, you not doing something. 416 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:20,200 You've said something already, Israel said something here. 417 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,520 Israel did not repent. Israel did not cheer. 418 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,400 Israel did not go and pray to. Elijah, they just sat there. 419 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:36,320 Sitting on their hands because they understood what they were 420 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:37,840 doing. They knew exactly what they were 421 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:39,880 doing and listen, they. Rather live a life. 422 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:45,560 That's unexamined and of low conviction then for them to pick 423 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,360 a side. They're happy where they're at. 424 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:50,120 Remember. The Canaanite religion highly 425 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:52,840 sexualized. They're like, I kind of like 426 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,840 this, but Elijah's like you need to choose. 427 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,280 And I think that's the question of all of us have to ask 428 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:02,840 ourselves this morning. You have God the Lord. 429 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:07,760 And you have something else. You must decide which one is 430 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,760 going to take priority in your life. 431 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,800 You can't have both ruling. You can't call Jesus Lord and 432 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,160 have something else determine your all your priorities. 433 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:22,160 In life, you have to decide. You have to choose. 434 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,280 So they said nothing. So we have. 435 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:27,680 Ball that doesn't. Speak. 436 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:29,600 We have the people. Of Israel that don't speak, 437 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,320 there's a lot of not speaking going on. 438 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:35,360 It's kind of quiet right now because they sure we're talking 439 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:38,440 a lot. But now Eliza shows up and he 440 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,400 draws. A line in the sand and now what? 441 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,800 But look who shows up. Verse 20. 442 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,000 Verse 22. Then Elijah said to them, I am 443 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,360 only one of the Lord's. Prophets left but ball. 444 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:53,520 Has 450. Prophets. 445 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:56,240 Man, that's a lot of. People. 446 00:22:57,560 --> 00:22:58,840 Yeah, because the other. Prophets were. 447 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,840 Being hidden in caves. Because they were trying to kill 448 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,440 them. So Eliza shows up. 449 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,960 And I'll be honest, I think these are the kind of. 450 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,120 Odds that God likes? This is. 451 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,560 More of a fair fight to God one versus 450. 452 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:18,520 Oh, but it gets better. It's not just 4. 150 Because the 453 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,960 Queen brings her peeps too. From Asherah so. 454 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,000 Actually it's more like 8. 100 to. 455 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:29,160 And 50 to 1 now God's like now we're talking, let's go ahead. 456 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:35,600 I like this is more like me because God is going to show his 457 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,040 power. He wants to make sure he gets 458 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:39,360 all the credit. Man, I. 459 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:42,680 Love this right here. Man and I, just a side note, 460 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,560 man, I love talking to people about our church. 461 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,120 You know when you go to pastor conferences. 462 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:49,840 Everybody's always like strategies. 463 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,040 And all this stuff and they're like, man, Ricky, how much you 464 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,440 running on a Sunday? And I was like, I don't know, 465 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,360 maybe 40-50 strong. And they're like, man, we're 466 00:23:57,360 --> 00:23:58,640 running 300. I was like, yeah, but. 467 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:04,800 You don't have a Monica. You don't have a Mr. Robert. 468 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,000 You don't got to miss Ali. You don't miss Annie. 469 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,600 Like, like, man, our people, like, you don't understand. 470 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,800 Like, yeah, we're like. 4050 strong. 471 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,840 But listen. Bring 800 verses. 472 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,200 Listen. God doesn't need. 473 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,480 A lot of people he. Just needs faithful people. 474 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:21,600 God needs people. Who are going to obey him? 475 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:25,760 You don't need numbers. Like God could do so much more 476 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,600 with just people. Who are saying yes I'm. 477 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,880 Faithful listen, Jesus. Did more with 12 followers than 478 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,920 anybody could do with 1200 followers of. 479 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,920 Religion and listen as a. Church people ask me all the 480 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:40,040 time, like, man, I don't care about numbers. 481 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,520 I care about faith like people. Growing in Christ because man, 482 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:46,880 the more faithful you become, the stronger you are. 483 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,600 Like the more you're. We disciple one another the more 484 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,400 we could do some great things and God's going to. 485 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:58,120 Use us more and listen. Talent could shift the room. 486 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,000 But anointing could break cycles. 487 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,480 And I rather have a small number of. 488 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,680 People that are anointed than a large church that could sing 489 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:13,080 great. And guys, we need to understand 490 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:13,760 that. These are the. 491 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,880 Odds that God works with. And God is the one that's going 492 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:19,360 to bless it. God's the one that's going to 493 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:21,680 blow on the ministry. God is the one that's going to 494 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,120 make things move and grow things in it's time. 495 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,160 But we're going to be. Faithful during that time, like 496 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,640 Elijah's faithful. So all these people. 497 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,920 Show up in verse 20. Three get 2 bulls for us. 498 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,880 Let balls prophets. Choose one of them. 499 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,440 And then cut them into pieces and put it. 500 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,640 On the wood but not set it to not set fire to it. 501 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,800 I will prepare the other boy. And put it on wood, but not. 502 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,600 Set fire to it. Then you call on the name of 503 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,840 your God, and I will call the name of my God and the God who 504 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,920 answers by fire. He's the real God. 505 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,520 Then all the. People said, yeah, that's. 506 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,080 Good, let's do it. You see, whenever you go to 507 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,840 battle, whenever you fight, there's always terms. 508 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,840 Of war. That both sides must agree to. 509 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,040 Then let's go ahead and we could throw down. 510 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:15,920 That's exactly what. Happened. 511 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,440 And listen, King Ahab fell right into Elijah's trap. 512 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,680 That's what Elijah wanted. And he's like, he's going to do 513 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:28,760 my terms now. And remember when they say what? 514 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,480 You say is good this. Is not a confession of faith 515 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,440 here. They're not agreeing with 516 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,480 Elijah. They're pretty much saying bring 517 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,240 it. They're not saying yeah. 518 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:40,400 Elijah, that's great. Let's. 519 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:41,000 See it? No, they're. 520 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,360 Like all right. Let's fight, let's go, let's see 521 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:45,800 who's. Going to win now, remember? 522 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,800 When I describe ball. What they believed in. 523 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:50,960 Right. So for them, they're like, oh, 524 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:52,280 this is easy. There's a bunch of. 525 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:57,120 Us, we have our God. Only one of him Cakewalk. 526 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,880 So verse 26. So they took the bull. 527 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,800 Giving it them and. Prepared it and look what they 528 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:06,640 start. Doing they then they called on 529 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:08,680 the name of. Ball and and from. 530 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,280 Morning to noon, Ball answered us. 531 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,680 I would say Ball, answer us, they shouted, but there was no 532 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,200 answer. No one responded, and they 533 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,000 danced around the altar that they've made. 534 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,640 At noon. Elijah began to taunt them. 535 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,640 Because sometimes sarcasm is the only thing you could do. 536 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:33,400 Shout louder, he said. Surely he is a God perhaps? 537 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,120 He is in deep thought or busy, or traveling. 538 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,600 Maybe he's asleep. Maybe he's doing Mimi's. 539 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:43,360 Maybe he needs to go get woken up. 540 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,360 A man, Elijah. Is taunting their response He's 541 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:51,880 being. Sarcastic, but I, I. 542 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:56,160 Want us to understand something? Elijah is not taunting their 543 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,440 response. He's taunting their claim that 544 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:04,360 this is the only God. Because our God, when we pray to 545 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:06,680 him, he listens. Our God. 546 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaks to us through His word. Our God shows us things. 547 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,560 I love Psalms 121 verse. Four, he says. 548 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:15,280 He who? Watches over Israel. 549 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,320 Neither sleeps or. Slumbers. 550 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,920 God is not hungry. He doesn't need a meal. 551 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,400 He doesn't need a bathroom. Break. 552 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,000 He doesn't need a nap. He's not needy of anybody. 553 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,160 There's nothing he needs. Because he is God, always 554 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:32,400 existed, all powerful. Beginning and end, Alpha and 555 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,120 Omega. He is the Trinitarian God. 556 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,160 And what Elijah? 'S pretty much doing. 557 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,960 He's not just mocking them, he's pretty much telling them, 558 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,720 listen, you want an idol? You got yourself. 559 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,720 An idol. This is what you wanted, right? 560 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,000 Look at y'all. And then? 561 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:55,400 They get hyped up. And then it says so in verse 28. 562 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,640 So they shouted louder. And they started cutting 563 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,440 themselves with swords and. Spears. 564 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,880 As was their custom until. Blood flowed. 565 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:09,640 Midday passed and they continued their frantic prophesying until 566 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,160 the time for the. Evening sacrifice. 567 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,600 But there were look at the three fold here there. 568 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,200 Was no response. No one answered and no one paid 569 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,000 attention. How crazy is that? 570 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,000 All of that drama, and I love where it says they, they 571 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,160 continued. They shouted louder the a better 572 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:28,840 translations. They raved on. 573 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:31,440 They kept going. They kept. 574 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:32,880 Louder. That means that it wasn't 575 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,720 working for them, so they got more incoherent. 576 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,000 They got. More emotional? 577 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,560 Like what else? Can I do, I don't feel God here. 578 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,080 There's, there's got to be something wrong and Elijah's 579 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,600 like that's not proper worship because. 580 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,920 God is real. He's here all the time. 581 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,480 He's omnipresent. His spirits with us. 582 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:55,000 Listen, God is always with us. And if we're not careful? 583 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,320 We have to be real careful with this because we look at what the 584 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,960 false prophets. Did for worship and we got to be 585 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:07,200 careful we don't match that listen, we went to the villages 586 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:11,440 of India and I have. Felt the spirit move there bro 587 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:12,640 this. This last year. 588 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:13,680 We were in India. It was a. 589 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,360 Brother on the guitar barely could sing and the Holy Spirit 590 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:22,440 wrecked the room. It wasn't about the environment. 591 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,200 It was not. It was about the substance. 592 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:29,280 It was about him and the prophets of ours going nuts. 593 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:30,760 They're like, oh, I don't feel nothing. 594 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:32,560 I got to keep. No, and Elijah's like. 595 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:35,600 Keep cutting yourself, keep yelling, keep dancing. 596 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,480 Keep doing what you do. He's not answering. 597 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:41,720 And then look what he. Does. 598 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:44,680 And then Midday Pass and there's no answer. 599 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:46,240 There's nothing. And what Elijah? 600 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:47,880 'S showing them is that listen to God. 601 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,320 That you serve as fake. He's non existent. 602 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:53,000 You do all you want to, you're not going to get it. 603 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:55,920 And then verse 30. Then Elijah said to all the 604 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,640 people. Come here, look at the 605 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,800 difference one. Says confidence and the other 606 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,280 says insecurity. One says I know who I'm talking 607 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:09,520 to and the other one says I need to show who I'm talking to. 608 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,600 One says truth and the other one says maybe. 609 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,360 One says certainty. One says. 610 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,760 Situational. Elijah. 611 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,400 Knew the God that he served, that's why. 612 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:25,000 He's like y'all done yet? All right, everybody. 613 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,360 Come here, let me show you something. 614 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,040 Bring it in, bring it in. Check this out. 615 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:31,520 That's confidence knowing that you know who. 616 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:35,120 Your God is. Elijah knew who his God. 617 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:37,040 Was. He knew. 618 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,440 That God spoke. To him he saw the. 619 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,600 Lord, do some things then. Elijah said to all his people, 620 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,360 come here. They came to him and they 621 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,200 repaired. Then he repaired. 622 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,920 The altar of the Lord. Which had been torn down. 623 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:53,480 Elijah took. 12 Stones, one for. Each of the tribes. 624 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,680 Descended from Jacob to whom? The word of the Lord. 625 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,640 Had come saying your name shall be Israel. 626 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:01,520 Remember him? Didn't we talk about him last 627 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,600 week? Yeah, Jacob, right. 628 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,280 That's what I want to do, just for the next couple of moments 629 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,520 as we can finish the story. How do we fight idols? 630 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,000 We all have them. We all struggle. 631 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,400 With them, they just look. Different they show up different 632 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,840 in our lives. Many of us point but. 633 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,440 Like look what they're like bro, you struggle with it too. 634 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,600 We all have idols, guys, we all have. 635 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:27,880 Fights. So what I want to look at is 636 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,600 Elijah is going to walk. Us through what it looks like to 637 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:35,120 fight idols. In our lives, and I think these 638 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:37,840 are great truths and I hope they're reminders for us moving 639 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:39,600 forward. So #1. 640 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,120 How do we fight idols? The first thing you got. 641 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,960 To do is reestablish worship. And you repair the altar. 642 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:51,560 Here's the problem. When idols creep in, the altar 643 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,280 gets wrecked. When you make an idol of 644 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,440 something, the first thing you eliminate is the. 645 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,840 Altar Why is the? Altar so important. 646 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,160 Because the altar of the. Lord is where you bring your 647 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:07,840 sacrifice and you cannot follow Jesus and live however you want 648 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,960 to in this life. That just makes no sense. 649 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,040 So when you have a worship, an idol, it's what drives. 650 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,080 You. It's what drives your decisions. 651 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:19,920 It's what drives your allegiance. 652 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:23,240 It's what drives your pride. Your passions, your. 653 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,920 Commitment and the first thing. Elijah does as he. 654 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,160 Brings people in, he's. Like check this out the. 655 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,800 First thing he. Does is he rebuilds the. 656 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,160 Altar. He's like, no, hold on a second, 657 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:36,360 this altar is. Destroyed. 658 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,280 Wait a second. I'm going to rebuild the. 659 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,920 Altar. Because you cannot re establish 660 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,120 worship until the altar is rebuilt. 661 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,840 Many of us want to cover a broken altar with loud worship, 662 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:54,360 and that's not how this works. God is all about your heart. 663 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,440 He's after your. Heart and if your heart. 664 00:33:57,440 --> 00:33:59,480 'S not right. Listen, you could. 665 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,560 Say and do and feel however you want to, but the Lord knows your 666 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,000 heart the 1st. Thing we got to do How do we 667 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,600 battle our idols? Re establish worship? 668 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:13,000 How do we re establish worship? By fixing our altars, listen, 669 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,280 when the altar is fixed, then we're able to bring things to 670 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,840 the Lord, we're able to present our idols, things that are we 671 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,400 struggling to the Lord and God will take care of it, not you. 672 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:28,480 And then look what happens. Verse 32 With the stones he 673 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,600 built an altar. In the name of the Lord and he 674 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,679 dug A trench around it, large enough to. 675 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:38,400 Hold 2 seas of seed. That's about four. 676 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:40,600 Gallons so think. About like somebody carrying a 5 677 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,120 gallon bucket. He arranged. 678 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:44,840 Wood he he cut the. Bull into. 679 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,360 Pieces like just like they did. And then he, he. 680 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,960 Said to them, man, you know what, Like let's, let's make it 681 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:54,560 a fair fight. Fill four large jars with. 682 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,920 Water and pour it on top of the offering and on the wood, and 683 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:01,800 then do it again. And you know what? 684 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,800 Just make sure, let's do it a third time. 685 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,520 Do it a third time. You order them and it says in 686 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:09,400 verse 30. Five that the. 687 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,640 Water ran down around the. Altar it even filled. 688 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,960 The trench up. So he soaked this. 689 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:17,480 Thing like there ain't no way this is. 690 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:23,200 Working unless God does it, and then at the time. 691 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,240 Of the sacrifice, says the prophet Elijah stepped. 692 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:28,840 Forward and prayed Lord the. God. 693 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:33,160 Of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today. 694 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,200 That you are God in. Israel and that I am your. 695 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:41,120 Servant and have done all. Things to your command. 696 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:45,600 So how do we? Fight our altars #2 Elijah prays 697 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,640 to God. Elijah prays and he. 698 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,360 Calls out to God. Because you know what happens 699 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,680 when usually we struggle and idols are present? 700 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:57,800 The last thing we tend to do? Is pray. 701 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,800 When I talk to people, man, and they're like kind of my my first 702 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,320 question is how's your. Prayer life. 703 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,760 And most of the time I'll hear things like, well, it's not not 704 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:09,040 really doing anything. You know why? 705 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,520 Because when idols are present, prayer is vacant. 706 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:15,080 Idols take all of your attention. 707 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,080 Idols start speaking, wait a second. 708 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,400 But they can't. Talk, then we see that. 709 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:24,000 In Psalms idols. Can't hear you, they have. 710 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:25,320 Ears, but they can't hear. They have talk. 711 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,120 So then who's doing that? Because behind every idol, 712 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:29,880 there's a. Spirit. 713 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:33,280 And he's not from God. Right. 714 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,120 So there's a spiritual. Battle happening here. 715 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:41,560 So what Elijah does is. Immediately after he rebuilds. 716 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,320 The altar he prays, but who is he? 717 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:47,480 He makes sure he lets. Them know that the God he's 718 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:49,960 praying to is the one true. God, how? 719 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:51,960 Does he let him know? That because of what he. 720 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:55,680 Calls them the God. Of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, 721 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,320 and then? Look at there's three things. 722 00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:00,120 There's three things that Elijah. 723 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,720 Says in his prayer he says today, let, let. 724 00:37:03,720 --> 00:37:05,600 It be known today. That you are God. 725 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:10,280 Let it be known today that you are the one true God #2 I'm your 726 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:12,640 servant and number. Three, that you're. 727 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:14,400 The one that commanded this and not me. 728 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:19,600 It was your idea and not mine. Elijah doesn't pray asking for 729 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,000 validation. He doesn't pray asking for 730 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,440 vindication. He doesn't pray asking God, hey, 731 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:26,960 listen God, there's an opportunity here. 732 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,400 No his. Prayers straight up, he's like. 733 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,760 Listen, God, you're God. I'm your servant. 734 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,760 This is all your plan. It's nothing to do with me. 735 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:41,120 Then verse 37 and. Then look what he says, this 736 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:43,840 prayer. Answer me Lord, answer me so 737 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,880 these people will know that. You Lord our. 738 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:50,480 God and that you are turning their hearts back. 739 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,040 Again, this is man. You know this. 740 00:37:54,040 --> 00:38:00,720 Is so good his request. Was like, I want you to know, I 741 00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:05,520 want people to know who you are and you're the only one that's 742 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:09,560 going to be. Able to do this, what Elijah did 743 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:11,840 was Elijah. Removed himself. 744 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,640 And he let God do. The work what? 745 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:20,280 We want to do sometimes. We quench the spirit when we 746 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:22,400 throw ourselves in there. Remember we talked about that, 747 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:24,320 how we want that same shine. That God gets. 748 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:26,920 And God's like, no, no, no, it's, it's me. 749 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:32,920 So he prays. And when he says God, you are 750 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,560 turning their hearts back again. And when he. 751 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:40,240 Prayed that the fire fell. Look at his prayer. 752 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,800 It had nothing to do with him, had nothing to do with what I 753 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:45,720 can do, everything. Was about God. 754 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:48,960 It was all about what? He can do, he gave. 755 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:50,680 God all the praise he gave, God all. 756 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,320 The he gave God everything and he look how and he did it so 757 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:58,080 confidently and he's like. Lord, this is the prayer right 758 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,960 here. And then in 30. 8 The fire fell, 759 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:03,840 it says the fire of the Lord. Fell and burned up. 760 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,560 The sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil. 761 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:09,120 And looked up all the water pipe, burned up all the ants, 762 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,760 everything. There was nothing. 763 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:16,520 That that fire left. Untouched, burned everything up. 764 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:21,600 Which leads me to my last point. How do we fight? 765 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:27,160 Battle our idols? God sends the fire and listen. 766 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:33,120 When God sends the fire, it consumes everything and anything 767 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:36,920 that's in place with God will be destroyed. 768 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,440 And listen, as a pastor, I'm warning us as a. 769 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:44,200 Church. When you have idols in your life 770 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,600 and God is trying to compete. With them, he will destroy them 771 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,600 and I'm pleading. With you don't get to that 772 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:56,160 point. I've experienced this in my 773 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:59,000 life. He got rid of it. 774 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:04,920 Literally he got rid of it. Listen when the Lord shows. 775 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:08,160 Up your idols. Do not stand a chance. 776 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:12,440 There ain't no talking through. It there ain't no Well, maybe. 777 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,280 54 like 6040. Split No no. 778 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:18,240 No, no, no, no. When God shows up and your idols 779 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:23,360 are present, they will become destroyed and when all the. 780 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:24,760 People saw this. They fell. 781 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:29,200 Prostate and cried the Lord. He is God, the Lord. 782 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,840 He is God. Then Elijah commanded them. 783 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:36,360 Seized the prophets of. All don't let them get away. 784 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:42,360 They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to Keyshawn 785 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,520 Valley and he slaughtered them there. 786 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:50,240 Now I don't think that's our call, but what we see this in 787 00:40:50,240 --> 00:40:54,440 the. Story is we see how serious God 788 00:40:54,440 --> 00:41:00,080 takes idol. Worship and idolatry and to 789 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,840 finish off the story how do we finish this Rick because I think 790 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:05,400 many of. Us get to a place. 791 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:08,160 Where we are limping. Back and forth where we're 792 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:11,760 limping in life it. Feels like there's a drought. 793 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:14,560 And we're trying all these things to. 794 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:17,720 Break out of it. We're doing all these things. 795 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,480 We're working, we're worship, we're doing all these things. 796 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,880 And honestly, what God requires. For you is to come to the altar, 797 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:31,160 pray and seek him, and submit your idols to him. 798 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:34,720 I love how the story. Ends because. 799 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:37,760 Elijah after all this? Goes down just to summarize. 800 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:41,520 Elijah goes to Ahab after all this goes. 801 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:47,360 Down and Elijah's like I hear some rain coming so Ahab I want 802 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,640 you to go, go home, eat something, you better get going 803 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:56,320 before this rain hits. Then Elijah tells his servant to 804 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,560 look out into the sea. And the servant says I see 805 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:02,000 nothing. And Elijah's like look again I 806 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,280 see nothing. Look again, I see nothing. 807 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:07,560 Verse 43 says he. Told him to look 7 times and on 808 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:09,680 the 7th. Time he saw a little. 809 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:12,880 Cloud the size of a. Hand coming from the sea. 810 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:15,240 Now remember, it hasn't rained in three years. 811 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:20,880 And it starts to develop because what ends up? 812 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:26,440 Happening is when you submit. Your idols to God, you're able 813 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:28,360 to see his. Promises more clearly now. 814 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:34,000 I don't see it go back and look. I don't see it go back. 815 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,960 And listen, I know he he just like rained. 816 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:39,120 Fire from the. Sky, why are you tripping about 817 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:41,480 a cloud? It's there. 818 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,360 And listen, sometimes the idols in our lives and in our hearts, 819 00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:49,840 man, it's blocking us from the promises that God is putting on 820 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:51,280 us. And God is calling you to 821 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:52,320 something like I don't. See it? 822 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:53,640 I don't see it. I don't see it's like. 823 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:58,480 Because it's there, something's blocking that remove the idols. 824 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:04,480 And then I love how this ends verse. 46 will end here. 825 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:09,040 Then it says as the rain. Started to develop. 826 00:43:10,240 --> 00:43:14,360 The power of the Lord. Came on Elijah and tucking his. 827 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:19,640 Cloak into his belt, he ran. Ahead of Ahab all the way to 828 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:24,640 Jezreel. You know what happens when you 829 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:28,320 eliminate idols in your life? It doesn't just unlock the rain, 830 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:32,520 you also stop limping and now you're able to run. 831 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:39,520 How do you go from limping around to running a marathon 832 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:41,120 overnight? You know, I looked up. 833 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:42,480 You know, I'm like, man, how's this? 834 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:43,560 Full running? How do you beat them? 835 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:44,840 How? Far is this. 836 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:48,080 It's 31 miles easily. Doable. 837 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:55,320 Just pumped up his chunk, I'll tell you how. 838 00:43:56,360 --> 00:44:00,600 The Spirit of the Lord. Now, Elijah is not the hero of 839 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:03,640 this story. We can't be like man, I won't be 840 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:04,960 like Elijah. Nope. 841 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:08,040 Because in chapter 19, heroes don't go cry in caves. 842 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:11,040 Because Elijah saw the fire. Falling in. 843 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:13,200 Chapter 19 he's like. They're going to kill me. 844 00:44:13,240 --> 00:44:17,640 Like it's like you just forgot. The real hero of the story is 845 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:19,720 Christ. He's the hero in our. 846 00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:23,400 Story because. We fight with our idols. 847 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,800 And we get to a place where we're here. 848 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:35,840 We can't do it no more. And God's like, you want an 849 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:37,360 idol, you have an idol. How? 850 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:38,400 How? Did it go for you? 851 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,080 I spoke to it. Didn't say nothing. 852 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:45,360 I prayed to. It didn't heal me. 853 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:48,920 I did everything I thought I could do It didn't. 854 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:55,000 And God's like, well, I'm here to burn your idols up. 855 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:58,080 Come to the altar. Come back to me, you. 856 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:02,600 Need no show like just. Come, and he healed them. 857 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:07,880 And you go from. Here to here. 858 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:12,880 To here, you're just springing off now, running through life, 859 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,080 enjoying life. Listen last. 860 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:17,960 Night, man, When we were out here, I was telling people like 861 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:21,160 man, there was nothing better. Than serving with my brothers 862 00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:24,280 and sisters out here loving on. People. 863 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:26,960 Man, selling stuff like we're. Trying to figure out some 864 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:29,960 electronic stuff. Man, it it there was a rainstorm 865 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:32,880 that fell. It's the most randomest 866 00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:36,520 rainstorm ever. We're trying to figure. 867 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:37,960 Think, man. But listen, let me tell you 868 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:38,840 something. I got home. 869 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:41,120 I'm not going to lie, man. It was hard for me to sleep and 870 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:45,800 it wasn't. Because I drank too many sodas. 871 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,120 I just kept thinking about like how? 872 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:50,400 Awesome, last night was. And what made it awesome wasn't 873 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:52,240 the movie, wasn't the car. You know what made it awesome, 874 00:45:52,240 --> 00:45:52,640 man? It was. 875 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,920 It was us serving. Together, brothers and sisters 876 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:58,320 together. Loving our community. 877 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:00,360 Together, loving each other together. 878 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:05,640 Because when it comes to. God, there is no idols. 879 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:10,160 He burns him up. He was our focus and when he's 880 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:10,680 our. Focus. 881 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:12,520 We're able to run. We'll pray for us.