Finding God's Voice in the Chaos
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
YEARS ago, mental institutions were crude in working with people who were disturbed. In Europe, a particular sanitarium had a very antiquated way of determining whether an inmate was sane enough to be released back into society. They would put the patient into a janitor’s closet. Then they’d put a stopper in the sink and turn on the water. The water would eventually overflow and the inmate would be given a mop and told to clean up the mess. For about five minutes or so, the person would be left in the closet alone, and then a doctor would come back to check on him. If he was mopping the floor with the water still running, the doctor would know that the patient was not ready to go anywhere because he did not make the connection and fix the root of the problem. That patient would not be declared sane.
Many people today are trying to mop up messes in their lives, families, or circumstances and they are mopping hard! The problem is that, even with all of that effort, there is still a mess because no connection has been made between the cause and effect of the situation. We must start with the cause or else we will forever be cleaning up. We’ll forever be mopping but things will not get clean and dry
I thin we can all agree we live in a chaotic world, that can take our spiritual sanity.
Where we can mop up our lives all we want but sometimes we feel like all we are doing is constantly cleaning
So this morning I want to look at 1 Kings 19 to see what is the key to ge tout of the endless cycle of mopping
Often when we think of characters in the Bible we have a tendency to put them on a pedestal. Elijah is one of those we do this to, so as we approach his story this morning keep the words of James 5:17 close to your heart
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
What do we see happen in 1 Kings 18?
Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal
The offering is consumed by fire after being drenched and Baal never consumes his offering.
Then the 450 prophets are slaughtered
Chaos That Makes Us Forget the Goodness of God (v. 1-8)
Chaos That Makes Us Forget the Goodness of God (v. 1-8)
if you are doing the work of God the world is not going to take kindly to it.
Chaos is going to come after you
Hateful words are coming
This is why to not grow complacent and not to forget the goodness of God
Elijah had experienced the power of God, the authority of God, but very quickly in the chaos to follow he forgot about the power of the goodness of God
How often are we guilty of that?
On Sunday morning we are saying amen, but Monday morning all hope seems gone
We loose sight and memory of the mountain top while in the valley
So often after a mountain top high/victory what do we do?
Grow complacent and just reminisce about yesterday
The complacency comes out of an attitude of I made it
God is really moving through me and then we start to depend on ourselves and start to neglect our relationship with Christ
In this place we start loosing ground and stop maintaining and growing and the devil sneaks in fear
And what happens when we let fear in?
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
We walk in fear, a way God did not intend for us
Fear makes us run as Elijah did
Fear makes us run and hide from the calling God has put on our lives
We forget the power of God
We forget God’s power does not depend on us, he can act with or without us (the fire)
We forget the authority of God and the power he has over the enemy (the slaugtering of the prophets)
We forget the love of God
In God’s love he sustains us
In God’s love he desires to reach the lost
We forget how to walk in self control
In the lost of control we loos control of our thoughts leading to a lost of control in our actions
Don’t get me wrong reminiscing can be good
allows us to look back at the faithfulness of God
allows us to see how we can improve
The danger though is getting trapped in the reminiscing and making it the gospel truth
Just because it has worked, just because it was successful does not mean it is what will be successful and effective tomorrow
The common thread in any spiritual warfare is the Word
but apart from that there can be variance. God moves in different ways in different situations
When we cave to the chaos it leads to needless wandering, Elijah had 40 days of it, the Israelites had 40 years
But what is beautiful about it is God even sustains us in our self inflicted wandering
God still sustains us even when we loos sight of Him in the chaos
Finding God’s Voice in The Chaos (v. 9-18)
Finding God’s Voice in The Chaos (v. 9-18)
So the question is when we find us in the place Elijah found himself how do we navigate out of the chaos? How do we hear from God in the chaos?
Very simple, listen to God
Easy right? Simple does not mean easy. Simple often means there is a clear way to do something, but that simple path takes really embracing the words of 2 Timothy 1:7.
Fear blinds and must be removed to clearly see the words of God
Fear though cannot be removed in our own power, but by the power of God
What hindrances do you have present in God moving?
Sin/living in disobeience?
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
Motives?
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Bad relationships?
leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Lack of belief?
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Trust in your own words?
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Simply not asking
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
These are things we must address or else we can be like Elijah realizing so much but missing everything. 1 Kings 19:10 shows he realized a lot
He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
he had a clear desire for God to be honored, and was passionate for him
But does God need us to defend his honor? Does our passion display affect the power of the words of God?
Elijah was offended and angered by sin
In the chaos it appeared bigger to him and he forgot the power of God. He forgot the vision off God that there was a bigger picture
Many of us are in that place. We have a passion for God, but not an all consuming passion. Many of us are angered by sin but yet overwhelmed by its presence at the same time, feeling as if it is going to destroy us
Like Elijah we need to refocus
What led to Elijah refocusing?
he got alone with God, with some drastic measures. 40 days to a mountain
He got alone and experienced God. Not in the flashy, but in the simple
God was not in the flashy lights and ground shaking. God talked to him in a low whisper
Psalm 97 reminds us these things are a product of being exposed to God
His words shake us and set us on fire
What will lead to you refocusing?
Getting alone with God
Being willing to restructure your life to do so
may be using some vacation time when the kids are at school and the spouse is working to go get alone with God
May be leaving the rifle in the truck when you go to get in the deer stand and taking the word with you instead
In other words what do you need to fast from in order to get your life re-priotized?
Realizing God speaking to you is not gonna necessarily be loud and flashy
Not getting an encounter with God confused with an emotional experience
Slowing down to listen, and sometimes God may be saying I have already answered that, open the Word and you will see the answer to your question
Outroduction
Outroduction
This morning in the chaos of this world find the quiet where God can remind you of his goodness and refresh your soul.
As we focus our vision on God, the big picture fades into the background as we focus on the picture God puts in front of us
Elijah thought he was the only one left, but god was working in ways he couldn't see. he just needed Elijah to be faithful where he had put him and leave it to God.
7,000 were left and God was not done.
You still breathing, God is not done with you. How do you need to refocus your vision this morning? What vision hinderances do you need to get rid of this morning?