Position Matters
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8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
The questions that God ask
The questions that God ask
The were not questions about
++His Love for God
++His Commitment to God
His Question is about
++His Location
++His Position
When you want to receive from God Your position matters.
When you want to receive from God Your position matters.
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
The right position is marked by obedience
The right position is marked by obedience
The Old testament centered on Human participation
The Old testament centered on Human participation
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
Our Participation is connected
++Our Identity _If you will… you will be_
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Our Participation is connected
Our Identity (If you will… you will be)
++His Activity _If you will… then I will_
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “...let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
Elijah Obeyed God
Elijah Obeyed God
The prophet Elijah
++Heard the voice of God
++Acted upon the word
++Saw a great victory
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
God Answered Him
God Answered Him
The Fire of God
++Fell on the burn offering (the sacrifice)
++Consumed the wood, the stone and the dusk
++Licked up the water in the trench
The right position is marked by relationship
The right position is marked by relationship
More than a satisfied servant
More than a satisfied servant
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
We are called
++informed friends
18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
We are called
informed friends
++Sons and Daughters of God
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
You must join the family
You must join the family
There are two ways to enter a family
++You are born into it
++You enter by covenant
A covenant is a relationship established based upon a promise.
A covenant is a relationship established based upon a promise.
The theology of covenant
++Is found in the life of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the new covenant
++provides a structure for understanding the biblical narrative
Biblical covenants combine
++Divine will
++Human participation
The Right Position is marked by a fresh perspective of God
The Right Position is marked by a fresh perspective of God
Preservation or Pursuit
Preservation or Pursuit
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
God Created us to
++Do more than survive
++Do more than Consume
++Make a difference
No one makes a lasting difference
++By pursuing there own good
++At no cost
++Without risk
10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
God remembers us
God remembers us
God remembers
++What we do
++The work of our hands
++The love that we show
++The ministry to others
The fight was not over
The fight was not over
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
Jezebel
++The wife of King Ahab
++Was a worshiper of Baal
++Killed the prophets of the Lord
She was
++A ruthless person
++Angry at Elijah for his victory at Mt Carmel
++Ready to carry out her vengeance by killing Elijah
Now Elijah is man
++On the run
++Running for His life
++He is running from Jezebel
The Lord Strengthens Elijah
The Lord Strengthens Elijah
8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
He received what God had given
He received what God had given
God Gave him
++Something to run too
++A purpose bigger than his fears
++What he needed to get him into position.
Let us go to the Mountain of God
Let us go to the Mountain of God
7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
When you are in position
++You declare good news
++You bring glad tidings of good things
++You proclaim Salvation
++You declare “Our God Reign”
Position Matter
++When under threat
++When life is unsure
++When facing fear
++When facing adversity
On the mountain
On the mountain
He rested in a cave
He rested in a cave
9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
The Cave was
++A place of safety
++A place of security
++A place to persevere his life
In the Cave God reviled something
In the Cave God reviled something
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
He was called to Stand
He was called to Stand
God Passed by
++There was a great wind
++There was an earthquake
++There was a fire
++There was a still small voice
God was not in
++The wind
++The earthquake
++The fire
What Are You Doing Here?
What Are You Doing Here?
The Cave was not the calling
The Cave was not the calling
God was calling him
++Not just to be around the mountain
++To the mountain
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
It was a demonstration of great power
It was a demonstration of great power
The presence of God is not known by His demonstrated Power
The presence of God is not known by His demonstrated Power
6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
God was not
++In the wind
++In the earthquake
++In the fire
In a still small voice
++The Lord took refuge
++The presence of the Lord is known
The small voice of the Spirit speaks today
The small voice of the Spirit speaks today
9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
God is at work even when we
++Don’t see it
++Don’t feel it
