2024.08.11 Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Notes
Transcript
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.
In 1933, Walt Disney produced an animated short titled The Three Little Pigs. Most of us know this story, and we likely know at least part of the reason for the title of today’s sermon.
When the Wolf started threatening the three little pigs, the pigs mocked the wolf with a song. Few of us likely remember the song other than these lyrics:
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
The big bad wolf, the big bad wolf?
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
Tra-la-la-la-la!
In the story of the Three Little Pigs, their lack of fear of the Big Bad Wolf turns out to be dangerous. And in the end, the Big Bad Wolf destroys two of their three houses … only one was prepared for life’s turmoils.
So … Brothers and Sisters in Christ … how do we prepare for life’s turmoils?
[non-rhetorical]
How do we walk through life’s turmoils?
Today, I’m not asking as the Answer Man. I’m asking because I recognize I don’t fully know the answer to that. We could easily take the children’s Sunday School answer and just say, “Jeee-sus.” But I think even the kids know that’s not a sufficient answer for most questions.
Sure, the basis for our preparation is Jesus, but what’s that look like? How does that preparation look practically?
Well, if we look at Elijah in today’s story, we may be able to find some help.
We read from 1 Kings 19. Does anyone remember what happened in 1 Kings 18?
Elijah is one of a dying breed. The prophets of Yahweh are dying off in large numbers. Do you remember why?
Obadiah was a servant in King Ahab’s court, and he had been hiding Yahweh’s prophets … because Ahab’s wife Jezebel had been killing them all! Jezebel was a worshiper of rival gods Baal and Asherah, so she was trying to wipe out anyone who led the people of Yahweh.
So Elijah goes to meet with the king. Ahab calls Elijah a “troubler of Israel,” and apparently them’s fightin’ words!
Some words are exchanged, and Elijah calls for a duel. He tells Ahab to bring the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah and all the people of Israel to a showdown on Mount Carmel.
Elijah calls the people to make a decision. Their loyalties keep wavering between Yahweh, Baal, and Asherah (and probably other gods). He tells the prophets of Baal and Asherah to prepare a sacrifice, but not to light the fire. He says, call on the name of your god and see if he shows up. And when their gods don’t show up, Elijah gets nasty:
►►►CLICK [taunting]
27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”
But their gods didn’t show up. So, Elijah instructs the people to dig a trench around the sacrifice. Then, he said to pour four vats of water on the sacrifice and the wood to make it harder to light. Then he said to do it again … so eight vats of water - then a third time - so TWELVE VATS OF WATER!
►►►CLICK [trench filled]
35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.
Everything is soaked!
NOT ON SCREEN
36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
I can’t imagine the sound! The Bible doesn’t record a rumbling, but I imagine a movie scene where the ground starts shaking and thunder starts rolling. Imagine this scene:
►►►CLICK [Consumed]
38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!
Elijah has just won the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the World Cup all in one! His God showed up and demonstrated that he was right! His God was the real God! I can’t imagine the noise of the people, and the immense jubilation and relief Elijah felt!
Elijah slaughters the prophets of Baal, telling the people, “Don’t let a single one escape.” And as a rain storm comes up, Ahab goes home and tells Jezebel what’s happened. And that’s how we get to today’s reading.
►►►CLICK [Jezebel threatens]
2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
So brimming with the confidence of the events on Mount Carmel, when Elijah hears Jezebel’s threats … he runs. He runs away.
►►►CLICK [title]
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
There are three movements in Elijah’s running:
First, Elijah flees.
After confronting the King ...
after confronting the prophets of Baal and Asherah ...
after confidently making fun of them ...
after his God showing up big time! ...
after slaughtering all of the rival prophets ...
he runs. He runs.
Elijah gains ZERO confidence from this experience, and at the first threat, he runs away. Can God use flawed human beings? Can God use YOU?
Surely, you’re all way too flawed for God to use you to do something so amazing, right? No. Elijah shows his brokenness IMMEDIATELY after his God affirms him. So … don’t beat yourself up. Whatever God wants you to do … He can use you to do it! We’ve all forgotten the same thing Elijah suddenly forgot: It’s not about you. God’s call in your life is about Him. You can! If God wants you to do something, availability is the hardest response. You can!
The second movement is Elijah’s time in the wilderness:
The Scripture says that he traveled all day into the wilderness. ONE DAY!
And he stops under a broom tree and prays to die! Holy cow! What’s wrong with this dude?
Nothing is wrong with this dude … that isn’t wrong with every one of us.
When the chips are down, our first response is often to throw in the towel.
So Elijah falls asleep, and an angel of Yahweh wakes him up and tells him to eat. … and eat some more.
The third movement is his encounter with God when he gets where he’s going, which is AMAZING! But I want to sit in this wilderness today.
The angel tells Elijah to eat a LOT of food “or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
Now … He’s just experienced Yahweh showing up on Mount Carmel. He has an experience in the wilderness with an angel. But he’s not done in the wilderness. The food the angel made him eat carried him through a journey of 40 days and 40 nights. Wait. See if this rings any bells:
Elijah ate a lot beforehand … but then he fasts in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. What bell does that ring? What’s familiar about that?
Jesus began his ministry with a 40 day/40 night fast in the wilderness, didn’t he?
Now - Somebody either with their Bible open or a Bible app tell me where Elijah goes next: [Mount Sinai/Horeb - the mountain of God]
He fasts and he goes to the place he knows God will show up.
What’s going on in your life?
Where are you afraid?
Where are you concerned that the right thing may not happen without God’s intervention?
Where can we go? Where will God show up for us? Does he not show up in prayer?
Have you ever partnered fasting to a prayer for a deep need? There is nothing magical about fasting. It’s a discipline. It helps train us in righteousness.
God gains nothing when we fast … except a better hold on us.
Explain fasting produces a physical symptom - physical reminder to continue praying. Every time my belly rumbles, I pray.
Our fledgling denomination is in a shaky situation. We understand that our foundation is critical to our future. We know that a thriving church has to begin as a healthy church. Last week, Bob gave an impassioned plea to pray for 40 days leading up to the convening General Conference of the Global Methodist Church. The plea also included fasting, but most of us don’t practice that discipline, so it’s easy to overlook that part of Bob’s plea.
So … let me add to Bob’s plea, a pastoral call to the entire church! I call on every one of you to be like Elijah … to be like Jesus! If we want the Global Methodist Church to be different than what we experienced before - the beginning is critical!
Today is day 5 of the 40 days. So I call the entire Church of Bartlett Chapel to fast and pray for the remainder of the 40 days leading up to the convening General Conference.
Now let’s get practical … I’m not asking you to fast food for 40 days. Let me offer a couple of alternatives:
You could fast one meal every day - but make it a meal you’d miss so you feel the hunger pains.
You could fast one full day every week - you want those hunger pains.
You could fast something else for 40 days - just like Lent. Just make sure it’s something you’ll miss … so you have some reminder to pray (like the hunger pains).
Talk about no radio in the truck.
►►►CLICK [prayer booklet]
I call the Church to run to the mountain of God in prayer - and fast along the way as a discipline - as a demonstration that we don’t really need the stuff we’re giving up - we need God. If you need one of the prayer booklets, they’re available at the Welcome Center or online at sotheworldwillknow.org/pray(QR code)
But it’s not just about the Global Methodist Church.
Some among us are having a rough time. Some of us are sitting under the broom tree wondering if living is worth it.
I especially call those folks to fast and pray. Maybe the prayer prompts in the booklet are just a beginning for you. Maybe your real prayers are much more personal than praying for our denomination.
40 days - prayer and fasting - ask God to show up, and sacrifice something your lifestyle tells you is necessary … and see what God does.
As we begin this time, I’d like to ask the Church to pray together to beginning words of Psalm 130
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Psalm 130 [NLT]
From the depths of despair,
Yahweh, I call for your help.
Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.
---
Yahweh,
if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you.
---
I am counting on Yahweh;
yes, I am counting on you.
I have put my hope in your word.
---
I long for you Lord
more than sentries
long for the dawn,
yes,
more than sentries
long for the dawn.
---
Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.
And let God’s people say: Amen.