Elijah Lesson 6

Elijah

Lesson 6

Religion

Me:

What’s the greatest commandment?

a. The Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:1-11

You shall have no other Gods before me

You shall not make for yourselves an idol

iii. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God

iv. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy

v. Honor your father and your mother

vi. You shall not murder

vii. You shall not commit adultery

viii. You shall not steal

ix. You shall not give false testimony

x. You shall not covet

b. Jesus said what?

i. Matthew 22:37–40 (NIV) — 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37–40 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Religion

How would you define it?

i. the belief in and worship of a superhuman (supernatural) power or powers, especially a God or gods.

ii. By that definition I am religious.

iii. Now we don’t we like be called religious.

iv. It has a negative connotation.

v. We would define a religious person as some who puts their faith and trust in their rituals or service and good deeds.

vi. The truth is we really do that.

How the soul works.

i. You say, “Not me!

ii. I’m not a worshipper. I’m not religious.

iii. That’s not how the soul works.

iv. You might not be religious in a traditional sense but you have found something that gives you worth.

v. Something that makes life worth living.

vi. It makes life worth living.

vii. You have to have it.

viii. DESIRE

ix. You cannot turn off your drive for worship by not being religious.

We:

Idol worship

a. God’s replacement

i. An idol is something that has taken on ultimate worth for you.

ii. You couldn’t imagine life being good withoutit.

iii. It, instead of God, becomes your primary security; fulfillment; or identity.

iv. An idol is not usually a bad thing; it’s usually a good thing that you make into a god thing.

Money

i. For many, MONEY is their primary form of SECURITY.

ii. Nothing wrong with money.

1. We have to have it.

2. But it can become the thing that at all costs you have to have!

3. We lie cheat and steal to get it.

iii. We are worried about it all the time.

iv. We won’t obey God and be generous or tithe.

v. We become willing to sacrifice our integrity to get it.

Family

i. For some, FAMILY is FULFILLMENT.

ii. You can’t imagine being happy in life single, or without the perfect family structure; kids living close.

iii. You put so much weight on it that you are constantly unhappy; bitter—at the fact that you don’t have the family you always dreamed about.

iv. Or you are bitter at how your familyhas neglected you.

Accomplishments

i. Some people find their IDENTITY in their ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

ii. Being a bi-vocational pastor.

iii. My identity was not in being a child of God, but in being an admired and successful pastor.

iv. We all want to someone of influence.

v. Maybe just to be looked up to.

vi. Pride

e. You have as many “Baals” in your heart as Israel.

i. This is what makes this lesson so powerful.

ii. It will teach us to recognize these idols and how to turn our hearts toward God.

The Battle

a. 1 Kings 18:1-40

b. Choose today whom you will serve?

i. Joshua 24:14–15 (ESV) — 14 “Now therefore fear the Lordand serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:14–15 ESV

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

ii.