Days of Elijah
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro:
Endless water
Elijah and the widow (oil to live, and pay taxes)
Elijah on the mountain (still small voice)
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
Three Truths from Elijah’s Life
Three Truths from Elijah’s Life
James uses Elijah as an example of a righteous man with prayer power.
Elijah was a prophet in Israel.
1. He thought he was the only righteous person alive
(1 Kings 19:10
He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
But the Lord assured him there were still 7,000 other righteous Israelites.
Though we live in sinful times,
God has many righteous people today.
We often think prophets and other great men of God are effective because they are super-human.
But James tells us,
2. "Elijah was a man just like us ."
(James 5:17
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets,
yet he was just a common man.
He struggled with the same kinds of emotions and weaknesses that other humans face.
Every believer since Jesus has a greater understanding of God and His ways than Elijah had.
3. When Elijah prayed, the power of God came.
(James 5:17-18
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
Then, the nation turned back toward God.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful with God.
Three Truths About Elijah's Prayer.
Three Truths About Elijah's Prayer.
1. He was a righteous man
(1 Kings 19:10
He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
2. He prayed "earnestly."
Elijah did not just repeat religious words.
The Greek emphasizes with earnest prayer he prayed (James 5:17
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
This means that he prayed intensely.
(1 Kings 18:44- 45
It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ ”
In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
3. Elijah prayed what he knew was God's will
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
God told him to go to the brook where the ravens fed him
Brook dried up
God told him to go to the widow
Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.
“For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’ ”
Widow’s son dies
He called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”
Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”
The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.
God tells Elijah to go to Ahab to end the famine
Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”
Elijah sets up the showdown with the prophets of Baal
calls all of the people of Israel to witness
Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.
“Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.
“Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”
Elijah mocks the prophets of Baal at noon
Elijah waited until the time of the evening sacrifice for his turn
Took 12 stones to make the altar
dug a large trench around the altar
drenched the wood and ox in water until the trench was filled
3 trips of water
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.
“Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”
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.
When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”
Commands the people to slay the prophets of Baal
Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.”
So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times.
It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ ”
In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.
- When we know God's will and word, we too can pray and receive help from God.
D. Prayer Key
Reach Out As You Reach Up
Reach Out As You Reach Up
James 5:19-20
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
1. We are our brother's keeper.
God commands us to love others as we love self.
- Love is active. It does not just sit and watch.
Rather, it takes steps to help those who stray from the path to heaven.
Sinners like Cain may ask, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
But the righteous seek to help those trapped in sin find their way back to our Father.
Some wander away from God
like a sheep that strays,
eating one blade of grass at a time.
The Old Testament word for this is backsliding (Jer. 15:6
“You who have forsaken Me,” declares the Lord,
“You keep going backward.
So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
I am tired of relenting!
Believers can backslide one inch at a time and slowly wander from the truth.
hot water in the fridge gets one degree colder over time unless it is kept in the fridge.
2. We wander from the truth when we resist the Holy Spirit, instead of resisting the devil.
We wander from Christ when we stop obeying the truth we know (Gal. 5:7
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
In some countries, a special food is lobster from the sea.
Some cook it by boiling.
If you place a live lobster in a pot of boiling water,
he will try to escape.
However, if you place the lobster in cold water and slowly heat it to boiling,
he will not try to escape.
The water gets hot one degree at a time.
By the time the lobster realizes the danger,
it is too late.
So it is with believers who wander from the truth.
How can we avoid wandering from the truth?
How To Avoid Wandering From The Truth.
How To Avoid Wandering From The Truth.
1. Let us guard and search our own lives.
- When we study God's Word and ask the Holy Spirit for help, He will guide us into truth
(John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
3. Let us live high standards of righteousness and holiness, avoiding even the appearance of evil
(1 Thess. 5:22
abstain from every form of evil.
4. Let us beware of becoming lukewarm.
5. Let us practice loving what is right and hating what is wrong
(Rom. 12:9
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who preserves the souls of His godly ones;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Isa. 61:8 Zech. 8:17
‘Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.”
For I, the Lord, love justice,
I hate robbery in the burnt offering;
And I will faithfully give them their recompense
And make an everlasting covenant with them.
- Let us hate Satan and all forms of evil, such as lust, pride, sexual sins, stealing, lying, gossip, slander.
- Let us love God, people, Scripture, obedience, righteousness, unity, purity, humility, mercy, truth, and worship.
When a brother or sister wanders from the truth,
let us pray for him or her.
Remember that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful.
We can help bring wandering believers back to God through powerful praying.
When a brother or sister wanders from the truth,
we should not point a finger of condemnation.
Rather let us reach out a hand to help this person.
Paul said, (Gal. 6:1
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Jesus told of the shepherd who searched for the sheep who was lost (Luke 15:1-7
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.
Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
So He told them this parable, saying,
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Likewise, let us seek to help those who wander.
For if we are successful,
we will save them from eternal death
and help cover their sins with the blood of Christ (James 5:20
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
We are our brother's keeper.
So let us pray for others, as well as ourselves.
When a believer wanders from the truth, let us respond with a helping hand, and not a pointing finger.
When a believer wanders from the truth, let us respond with a helping hand, and not a pointing finger.
