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Introduction

Sermon text with /italics/ and *bold* and John 3:16 and [[v.

20|bible:Jn 3:20]].

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* Level 1

* Level 2

* Level 2

* Level 3

Have devotional leader to read: *1 Kings 17:1-6** *

*PRAYER:…let the fire from heaven come down as it did on mount Carmel, for Elijah.

Let your fire come through me, your servant.

Bless me to honor you in your Holy tent.

Send your pillar of cloud, as you did for Moses.*

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*Read (1 Kings 19:1-4 NIV) *

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*/Introduction/*

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*POINTS*

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* God’s covenant promises threatened by disobedient people.

* God’s patience with the kings of Judah.

* How easily you change from fearing God to fearing powerful people.

* What substitutes do you prefer to God?

* Whom are you trying to imitate when you are lead to depart from God?

 

The book of Kings records the history of the kings of Israel.

It talks about a rebellious Israel.

How they prostituted themselves to foreign gods of the land, forsaking God and broke His covenant.

It shows the success of any obedient king and the failure, decline and captivity of the disobedient kings.

This message begins with God’s prophet Elijah.

Elijah was well known and respected prophet of God.

God sent him to king Ahab, to warn His people of their wickedness.

* *God’s covenant promises threatened by disobedient people*

 

The reign of Ahab and Jezebel was godless.

And his wickedness provoked the Lord God to anger.

It brought the nation of Israel to an era of depravity and immorality.

To make matters worst, Ahab married Jezebel, who advanced Baal worship in Israel.

*(Exo.

20:3 NIV) You shall have no other gods before me.*

Jezebel’s people believed in fathers marring daughters, mothers marring sons, and brothers marring sisters.

The consequence that Ahab faced was the */anger/* of God.

Baal worship threatened the existents of worshipping the true God, in Israel.

Elijah told Ahab there would be no rain or dew for the next few years.

This meant that the brooks and streams would dry up.

When famine came upon the land, God hide Elijah in the Kerith Ravine and provided him with a brook, for water, and a Ravens to feed him.

* *What substitutes do you prefer to God?*

 

Without faith, */your spirit is dry.

/*When you substitute other things in the place of God, */your spirit is dry./*

The nation of Israel was dry.

Wherever there is no God in government, the nation is dry.

This country seems to be headed in that direction.

We have allowed atheists to take prayer out of school.

Teachers cannot call the name of the Lord in fear of losing their jobs.

But when you come from a family rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ, you can pray anywhere, anytime and Lord will be right there.

You don’t have to say a word for the Lord knows your thoughts.

When you know that you know that you know, you know the */Lord is my Sheppard and I shall not want./*

When you know */the Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear./*

There is no substitute for God.

For Jesus is the living water.

Jesus said in *(John 4:14 KJV)14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life*.

It is dangerous to think that the brooks of life will always be there and to take the blessings of God for granted.

Whatever brook is in your life, you better acknowledge that it is not there because you worked for it, it is not there because you deserve it.

*/Whatever you have, God gave it to you./*

You don’t miss the water until the well runs dry.

* *How easily you change from fearing God to fearing powerful people*

* *

 *(1 Kings 19:1-2 NIV) Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

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*     *Elijah received some distributing news, that Jezebel was out to kill him for doing God’s well.

So he ran for his life.

Here is a man who faced the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, besides people from all over Israel, for a show down on Mount Carmel.

But when he heard bad news, it challenged him.

Life experiences */challenge/* our character and test our spirit.

Life’s wars are not merely physical but are fought on the battlefield of the mind.

Along with these experiences come many questions that demand an answer.

One of the first questions may be, why me?

Or what am I living for?

In our life’s journey we encounter some ups and downs, some joy and sadness, some trials and tribulations, nevertheless I still have joy.

*/Jesus had his ups and downs, for you and for me.

One Friday, along time ago, Jesus laid down on the cross for me.

But he said, (John 12:32)..if I be lifted up from earth, will draw all men until me./*

Then they laid my Lord in a borrowed tomb.

I often wondered why the tomb was borrowed.

For when you borrow something, you must give it back.

For Jesus know he had to go to the grave.

And on day one, the grave held Jesus.

On day two, the grave held Jesus.

But on day three, the grave couldn’t hold him any longer.

They say there was a shaking, a rocking, and a rolling.

The stone was rolled away.

An angel proclaimed, why do you seek the living among the death.

He lives!

He lives!

Our Lord and savior is no longer dead.

He lives.

* *

*~*~* Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail.*

*Paul and Silas were challenged when they heard bad news.*

*(Acts 16:25-34) *Paul and Silas, two suffering servants of God were beaten and thrown into the inner prison of Philippi.

But they still had joy.

How much happier are true Christians than their enemies.

As in the dark and out of the depths, we cry unto God.

*/No place and no time is amiss for prayer, if the heart be lifted up to God. /*

*/No trouble, how grievous, should hinder us from praise.

But Praise is what I do.