Reformation Training: Be an Elijah, Confront the Demonic

PRE-PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, Come

Fear, Go

Distractions, Go

Demons, Flee

Mind, Open

Heart, Receive

Last week, we talked about John the Baptist and how he was a reformer for the Kingdom of God. I don’t think I mentioned this title last week, but last weeks message was focused on “Be a John the Baptist, Prepare the Way”. Over the next 5 weeks, our focus is going to be on the prophet Elijah and our title is, “Be an Elijah, Confront the Demonic”.

There is a spiritual realm, unseen to our physical eyes.

The angelic realm is REAL.

The demonic realm is REAL.

Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

The demonic realm has a system of authority just like the United States Government and even the Kingdom of God.

Evil rulers and authorities, mighty powers, and evil spirits are all a part of that demonic hierarchy of rule in the unseen realm.

Make no mistake, these demons are still inflicting our world with their influence today through all the awful stuff we see in our world today. The sin of Adam and Eve opened a door for the demonic realm to begin to bring the curse of sin into our world. In today’s world landscape…

The conflict in the Middle East of Iran and multiple countries wanting to destroy Israel isn’t just some other world war, it is a war in the spiritual realm too.

The transgender and LGBTQ movement isn’t just an alternative lifestyle. It is a demonic attack on God’s very design for humanity that He displays in His Word.

Abortion is not simply a women’s rights issue, it is a demonic idea that seeks to steal life, which is what God wants to give us through His Son.

There are issues in the world. Issues in the church. Issues all around that come from one source only: Satan and his demonic realm.

What if I told you that Elijah, in the OT, faced some of these similar situations that you and I are facing today? And what if, through Elijah’s ways of handling the evil of his day, I told you that it is possible to STAND UP in a sit down culture?

BACKDROP OF 2 KINGS 16:

God’s chosen people were living in disobedience.

King Solomon, David’s son, led God’s people into disobedience and God promised that the kingdom would be divided after his death

Solomon dies, his son comes to power, and a former worker of Solomon’s comes to lead a revolt against his son.

This results in Israel splitting into two different kingdoms, Judah and Israel.

Judah was blessed by God due to God’s promise to David. They had good kings and bad kings. Israel, however, had all evil kings, starting with Jeroboam, the guy who began the revolt against Solomon’s son.

Every king after Jeroboam was referred to sinning just as he did.

This is where our story begins (4 kings of Israel later):

The King at the time was a man named Zimri. Zimri stole the throne by murdering the previous king.

Elected by the people to be commander of the army, a man named Omri revolts against Zimri and as he realized his city was being overtaken and he would be killed shortly after, he takes his own life.

Omri begins to rule and when he dies, his son Ahab takes the throne.

Listen to what the Word of God says about this man:

1 Kings 16:30 “But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.”

His father was known also as doing worse things than any king before him and his son followed suit

What sin you allow today could lead to yours and others demise tomorrow.

Omri was a history-maker (in terms of evil) and so was his son Ahab.

1 Kings 16:31–33 “And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.”

So on top of being the worst of the worst, Ahab got EVEN MORE worse.

In his marriage to a woman named Jezebel, he was introduced to Baal worship and began to surrender his life to this demon god. Even so much so, that he built an altar to sacrifice to it, and a temple and an Asherah pole to worship it.

Jezebel’s father’s name King Ethbaal literally means “with Baal”. This family didn’t just causally worship this demon, the name means that they were “beside Baal, even married to” Baal.

This is what Baal is:

He was a weather god. If there was drought and crops began to suffer, Baal worshippers would need to call out to their god to act.

To worship him required participation in eating sacrifices of the dead, wild and abnormal sexual activity with people and even animals.

Asherah was the mother of this demon god Baal and their worship coincides along with Baal’s, as it involves sexual activity and other rituals. The Asherah poles were used to worship her along with Baal.

In other areas of Scripture, you see where these demon worshippers would even sacrifice their children to these gods.

You will even see later that they would cut themselves to even get the gods to listen to them.

Make no mistake:

God does not tolerate demonic worship.

God is THE only God. You may have heard of others, but all other “gods” are only demons and Satan who try to win the age-old battle of the ultimate throne.

Anything God condemns is SIN.

God creates, Satan counterfeits.

So in the mess of all the culture of the time, when it seems like all hope is lost, Satan and demonic forces have taken over a nation who once have worshipped God, GOD RAISES UP A REFORMER.

1 Kings 17:1 “Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!””

Elijah has never been mentioned before this. His heritage is never mentioned, his family is never mentioned, and all we know is he came from Gilead and he was called a Tishbite (there are many thoughts of whether this was an actual town or since the name means “dweller, sojourner” that he could’ve just been called that referring to him living in that region).

The point: Elijah lived in obscurity (unknown, unseen, not famous) just like John the Baptist did before his time to rise up had come.

Elijah’s name meant “Yahweh is my God” and he lived out that prophetic call over his life.

GOD HAS A ROLE FOR YOU TO FILL IN FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THE ENEMIES PLANS.

When it was time for Elijah to raise his voice, God let him know and he did so straight to King Ahab’s face without hesitation.

Elijah’s word from God to the enemy was very direct and called him out: Elijah was coming against Baal’s, claim to have control of the weather. Elijah reminded the enemy of his place in accordance to God: he is below him!

GOD WILL GIVE YOU WISDOM IN HOW TO ADDRESS THE ENEMIES YOU FACE.

Luke 12:11–12 ““And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.””

1 Kings 17:2–7 “Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.”

Kerith: to hollow out, cut off/down

God brought Elijah to a place to be hollowed out and for things to be cut off and cut down.

When you hollow out something, you remove what is inside to make room for something else. (PUMPKIN ANALOGY)

Before God could deal with this demonic family, before God could bring judgement on the prophets of Baal, before God could do the miracles and signs He had planned to do through Elijah, Elijah needed to be hollowed out and have some things cut off.

Students, God is inviting you tonight to a place of separation. To come hide away with him in this place of hollowing out and cutting down/off so he can use you for His Kingdom for what He has planned for you. Not what you have planned for you.

God sent ravens to bring Elijah bread morning and evening and the Kerith Brook gave him something to drink. God sent provision for this place of separation. God prepared the place with everything Elijah needed to survive, but Elijah had to take the step of obedience.

Students, what if God is calling you to separate yourself from….

Your toxic friend group

Your sinful habits and addictions

Maybe even your plans and thoughts for your own future

IT IS IN THE STEP OF OBEDIENCE THAT YOU FIND YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH

When it is time for you to move on, God will send a Word to you. The brook dried up eventually and the provision left that place because it was time to move forward in the plans God had for Elijah.

WHAT STEP OF OBEDIENCE DO YOU NEED TO MAKE?