How the Fire Falls

Introduction

Tonight we continue our series on Elijah & Elisha. Two prophets of God whom God would use in mighty ways. In our first few messages we’ve seen:

How God Sustains His People (1Ki. 17:1-6)

We saw the manner in which God mightily supplied the needs of Elijah in the midst of a drought in the land.

How God Uses His People (1Ki. 17:8-24)

We examined how God used the widow woman to supply Elijah’s need, as well as how Elijah supplied her need. Reminding us of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Tonight we move forward and look unto the next miraculous instance of the LORD moving through the work of Elijah in this message titled ‘How the Fire Falls’

It’s important that we understand what is implied by the falling fire.

Acknowledgement

Acceptance

Action - God moving!

So tonight for a few moment, we’re going to look at ‘How the Fire Falls’

The first things we note, is that it was a Feeble Time

I. A Feeble Time

I think it important to recognize the environment to which this story takes place.

A Dearth in the Land

The land by this time has suffered a drought of no rain for about 3 years. People were suffering terribly by the conditions to which they were in the midst of.

Depraved Leadership

Ahab was King of Israel at this time, and as you know Jezebel was his wife.

Jezebel had brought Baal worship from the Zidonians from which she came. The country prior to this had been suffering from idol worship to which their first king Jeroboam had instituted, but now they’ve gone further in promoting Baal worship.

Church, the depraved leadership to which they were now under, was nothing new.

Since the kingdom split 40 some-odd years earlier, the Northern Kingdom of Israel is on their 7th king from 3 different lineages - and every one of them has been Spiritually bankrupt.

NOT ONLY has the leadership in the government been depraved, but the Spiritual leadership has been virtuously non-existent. (More on this in a moment)

Depraved Leadership

Division in the People (v21)

The people were of two minds. They couldn’t settle on which God was true - whether it was Baal represented by the 450 prophets at the behest of the queen of the land, or the God of their fathers to whom only Elijah was standing for.

The people were divided.

Church, I can’t help but see America when I look at the Kingdom of Israel in this state. In America we see:

A Dearth in the Land

Oh not physically - we’re not going through any drought (as evidenced by the storm today), but we are most assuredly going through a Spiritual drought in this country.

Our country is FAR from God - and if you can’t see that, odds are, you’re part of the problem.

Depraved Leadership

In our Government, but more importantly in the church.

(Ill.) I saw a video in the last few weeks a ‘pastor’ by the name of Tullian Tchividjian. He’s the grandson of Billy Graham. He was teaching somewhat on the Commandments of God when he reached the 3rd - Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” to which he began to say - multiple times - ‘GD’ it. He then began to say that it was his favorite cuss word and that it was Biblical.

(Ill.) Another I saw this week was from a church who produced a music video of Jesus as part of a ‘boy band’ who did a cover of Backstreet Boys song ‘Backstreet’s back’

(Ill.) Then as you know, Ozzy Osbourne died this week. I was sent an article from CCM magazine about how Christian Rock remembers Ozzy - and the influence he had on Christian music. (Church that ought to tell you something about this so-called ‘Christian’ music)!

This is an example of the type of influential leadership that is permeating America today!

We see a Feeble Time

II. A Faithful Man

In the midst of all this - we see Elijah. One who stood strong in the midst of this feeble time.

He Challenged the People (v21)

The first thing that we notice is that Elijah didn’t mess around - he challenged the people.

He didn’t didn’t baby them

(That’s what too many preachers are concerned about - hurting people’s feelings).

He didn’t condescend to them

He Challenged them. He said ‘Why are you so double minded? If Baal be god, serve him… etc’.

(Ill.) When my kids were growing up, I’d play games with them. And as they and my wife will tell you, I never let them win. I challenged them. Do you know why? You won’t grow unless you’re challenged. You don’t get better by by playing inferior opponents, you get better by being challenged.

(Ill.) I think that many of you will attest to the fact that I don’t let you get by with slack in your Christians walk, do I? I challenge you - why? for the same reason, to make you better!

Elijah wanted the COI to be BETTER. So he challenged them

He Chastised False Worship (v27)

Next we see something interesting - and completely forbidden by polite society today. Elijah mocked those false worshippers.

(Ill.) Picture the scene: These ‘sincere worshippers’ are crying out and nothing. They are continually doing so - insomuch that they are cutting themselves trying to make this happen, yet to no avail. What’s Elijah doing? He’s mocking them!

THESE WERE FALSE WORSHIPERS LEADING PEOPLE ASTRAY - Elijah wasn’t trying to get along with them, he was openly mocking them & their god.

Today if you mock Islam for the ridiculousness of their religion, you get looked down upon.

If you mock the anti-Christ beliefs of works-based salvation that other churches promote, people get all up-in-arms.

If you mock the Catholic or Mormon churches and their pagan & ungodly rituals, people shudder.

I’ll just say this: If Elijah were alive today, he’d have about as many friends as he did by the brook Cherith when the ravens fed him! He would be most unpopular!

He Chastised False Worship - do you know why? IT SENDS PEOPLE TO HELL!

He Chastised False Worship

He Corrected the Basis for Worship (v30)

Here we see that Elijah ‘repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down’.

The altar was where one would worship and sacrifice unto the LORD. AND IN ORDER FOR ONE TO WORSHIP PROPERLY, IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED!

What the majority of what’s called ‘Worship’ in the American church today is not true worship - it’s carnality on display.

It’s music & messages are:

FROM the Flesh

FEED the Flesh

Is FULL of the Flesh!

Worship in America has broken down. Elijah couldn’t build upon that - it had to be fixed first.

Church if we’re to worship God ‘in Spirit and in Truth’ to where the fire will fall, we must FIX the FOUNDATION of our Worship.

He Corrected the Basis for Worship

He had Confidence in God (v24; 33-35)

Elijah was a man full of Faith.

Church, I know that you’ve heard me speak a lot about Faith, and God-willing, I will continue to speak much on the topic of faith. If I speak on faith every service I will begin to do the topic justice, as it is THE most important thing in the life of a Christian!

Elijah was FULL of faith.

By faith he faced Ahab

By faith he challenged Baal

By faith he faced 450 prophets of Baal

By faith he mocked the prophets and Baal himself

By faith he repaired the altar of God

By faith he prepared the Sacrifice

By faith he had the Sacrifice drenched

By faith he called upon God

Faith is the source of every decision he made that day!

Hebrews 11:1–2 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.”

Elijah saw the fire fall BECAUSE OF FAITH!

He had Confidence in God

He Called Upon God (v36-37)

Lastly, we see him here seeking the face of God.

If you desire to see the fire of God fall, you’d better be someone who spends time in prayer.

A Feeble Time, A Faithful Man, lastly a Falling Fire

III. A Falling Fire

This Acknowledgment, Acceptance & Action - God moving in the life of Elijah.

We see that the fire fell Powerfully

Powerfully (v38a)

(Ill.) I was sitting at my desk this afternoon when the storm came. The thunder sounds were constant rumbling and the chaos of the rain coming down… Then <CRACK> came this big explosion what seemed just outside my window - the electric blew for a moment, buzzers went off and I jumped. I made the comment ‘Ok LORD, you got my attention with that one’!

I can imagine that in that day when the fire of God fell from Heaven, it was all that and then some!

And when it struck it consumed the soaked sacrifice entirely

Not only did it fall Powerfully, but Sufficiently

Sufficiently (v38b)

It fell enough not only to consume the sacrifice, but also the wood, AND the stones, AND the dust, and licked up the water from the trench.

Everything that it could have effected, it did.

Church, I don’t know about you - but I want the fire of God to fall in MY life. I want to experience:

His Acknowledgement

I want to KNOW that my God neither slumber nor sleepeth. I want to know that when I cry out unto Him that He is inclining His ear unto me!

His Acceptance

I want to KNOW that what I’m doing is pleasing to the LORD. I don’t want to wonder about the sacrifices that I am making, but I want to know fully that God is pleased and accepts the Worship that I am giving Him

His Action

I want God to work in my life!

Church, don’t you want to see the hand of God move upon your life?

Why do you think that Elijah had them soak the sacrifice 3x? So that everyone would know and be sure that it wasn’t accident, it was God!

The Fire of God fell, Powerfully, Sufficiently

Convincingly (v39)

What an amazing verse!

When the fire fell by the calling of Elijah, it got others to get off the fence and worship the ONE and TRUE God!

As noted, we live in a Feeble Time - fickle people straddling the fence.

AND I’M NOT SPEAKING ABOUT LOST PEOPLE, BUT THE PEOPLE OF GOD!

If we’re going to get them to commit unto the LORD, the Fire has to fall - and the fire will only fall if we display the traits that Elijah did on this day.

Challenging them

Chastising False Gods

Correcting our Worship

Having Confidence in God

Calling out unto God!

If we do that, then the Fire of God will fall upon our Sacrifice and convince others to Whom the TRUE GOD really is!

Convincingly

Effectively (v40)

Not only did they convince fence sitters of the true God, but they also began eradicating false worship in the land.

Some might look at Elijah’s actions here in v40 as extreme - but they were necessary, just and right.

*** NOW I’M NOT CALLING ON THE EXECUTION OF ANYBODY *** However, I would that false gods, false worship & false idols die off from our land - lest they pollute others and take them to hell with them!

Effectively

Conclusion

Do you want the fire of God to fall in your life?

Do you want your sacrifice to be Acceptable in the sight of the LORD

Do you want God to take Action in your requests of Him?

Then begin to train your mind from being like the world, to being more like Elijah.