Stranger Stories: Week 4
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Intro
Intro
Do you know one of the biggest reasons people refuse to follow Jesus?
They claim it’s because of so many hypocrites
People that claim to believe in Jesus, but then don’t live like it
Claim to follow Jesus but don’t act like it
Today we are going to look at story that teaches of the dangers of doing this
Are you double-minded
Are you double-minded
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Ahab was king of the Israelites at this time
Under his rule the people of Israel stopped worshipping YHWH and instead starting worshipping Baal
Baal was the pagan god of the land
The King had been following Baal for so long, he thought that Elijah the prophet was the problem in Israel
The nation of Israel had fallen so far away from the Lord, they didn’t recognize the voice of the Lord
Elijah told him to bring all Israel to Mount Carmel and all the prophets of Baal up there with him
20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
Mount Carmel was chosen as this area because it was said to be the dwelling place of Baal
It was also a mountain range big enough to house thousands of people, so all the people could see it
Elijah then stepped up and spoke to the people of Israel telling them that it is time to stop being double-minded
They need to determine who the real God is and follow that one
If it is YHWH they need to follow Him
If it is Baal it is time to follow Him
No more double-mindedness
This leads to the first thing the text is showing us
Are you double-minded?
Are you today trying to worship God and something else?
Are you being double-minded?
You cannot love broccoli and hate broccoli
That sounds silly, but it’s exactly what we do
Jesus said it this way
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
You cannot serve two different masters
You cannot be lovers of God, and lovers of the world
You cannot come to church on a Sunday/Wednesday and claim to love God and seek Him, then in your daily life run from Him
This is the same thing that Elijah is telling the people of Israel
You cannot be double-minded
You cannot serve two masters
Elijah said “figure out which one is correct and follow that one”
So are you being double-minded?
Are you following two different masters?
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
We need to stop being lukewarm Christians
We need to decide who we are going to follow, and then follow them
The test
The test
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”
Elijah sets up a way to see which God is real
Is it YHWH the one that they have the stories of old
Or is it Baal the new hotness that came in
Is it the one that everyone in culture is crying out is the most important?
Or is it the tried and true option?
Look at how the test unfolds
25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.
The people of Baal went first, choose a bull and prepared it
They built the alter and....................
No one answered
27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
Elijah even started mocking what they were doing
Saying maybe their god is using the bathroom, just playing around with them, or maybe he left and is on a journey somewhere
Maybe Baal is just asleep
28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
They tried even harder
Even started mutilating themselves, yet Baal didn’t answer them
No one paid attention
Imagine the embarrassment they must have felt
Now it’s Elijah’s turn
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
Elijah starts building an alter to the Lord
He builds a trench around it
And even has people pour water on it three different times to make it more dramatic
To prove that what was about to happen was from God and not a trick
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
God showed up
He sent fire down to consume everything
The wood, the meat, the water, all of it
Scorched earth!
Here’s the second thing
When we seek, God shows up
When it came to the test - Baal vs YHWH it was no contest
God was going to win
God showed up in a huge way
In a way that made everyone realize he is the Lord God!
The same is true today
If you are unsure if God is God - seek him out
He will show up in a big way
He always does and always will
Jesus said it this way
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
If you are unsure if you are following God, or if it is someone else, seek God
He makes himself known
He always shows up
He never leaves
He is there
Seek Him and you’ll find Him
You seek him in a lot of ways
Prayer
Bible Reading
Asking others
Meditation on His word
Logic in what you are being told
Seek God and you’ll find Him
Don’t get confused, God isn’t hiding and will not make it difficult
There’s consequences
There’s consequences
40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
Elijah then after all the people saw the true God told the people to round up the false prophets
He then ordered them to kill all the false prophets
Here’s the last point
Turning from God leads to punishment
The prophets of Baal were killed because of their sin
Not only that but we know that if they didn’t believe the true God that they are eternally separated from God
Sin separates us from God
Jesus told us
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He is the way, there is no other way
If you are seeking God anyway other than Jesus there is punishment
You will not find God
Jesus is the way
Conclusion
Conclusion
This story is crazy because it shows you the power of God
Elijah comes and challenges the people and in a way is challenging us
You can’t be double-minded
Either serve God or don’t. You can’t have it both ways
If you are unsure how to find God seek Him, He isn’t far and will always answer you
There is punishment for getting it wrong. Sin is serious, if you aren’t following God there is punishment
Let the prophets of Baal be a warning to you, that God is merciful, but there is consequences for getting Him wrong