Get Up and Look Again!

Intro:

It was the summer of 2008, the Walker family was at the Kansas State Fair.

The kids were excited, the parents were happy to see the excitement and joy of adventure on their faces.

Hands on area - a bit larger than the platform but not a huge area - was an area we had stopped so the kids could have fun with hands on stations participants had set up.

We always had our kids in sight (helicopter parent) and they had us in their sight.

At the same time we were taking pictures of this memorable occasion, and after getting a picture of some of the kids we turned around and in that split second, we lost sight of one of them, and they had lost sight of us. McKenna was missing and no where to be found.

Immediately confusion set in trying to figure out where she could have disappeared to and how she had disappeared without us even knowing.

Then fear gripped my heart.

As thoughts of other kids’ disappearance began to fill my mind, we began to frantically search for McKenna. I wondered how I would find a small 4 yr old in the middle of this ocean of people. It stopped our mission of fun and adventure at that point in time.

My reason for sharing this Walker story, is to demonstrate how easy it is to lose sight of someone or something. And once we have lost sight of them how dismal things can be.

I want to talk with you today for the next few moments about what happens when we lose sight of God, and the confusion, it brings, as well as fear, and other things that can hinder us from fulfilling God’s mission for our lives.

I want to begin with a story in God’s Word found in1 Kings 18 containing a conversation that took place between a king by the name of Ahab and a prophet named Elijah.

Pray

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1 King

1 Kings 18:17–18 NLT

17 When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” 18 “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.

When you follow evil, you loose sight of God.

A question we could ask is WHY did Ahab address Elijah in this manner.

History:

God had blessed the country of Israel, His chosen people, over and over again. He delivered them from slavery in Egypt in a very powerful way;

He parted the Red Sea allowing them to cross once they had left Egypt enabling them to walk through on dry ground.

God fought battles against fierce enemies for them as they traveled through the dessert heading to the land God had promised to give them.

He brought down walls for them, He rained special bread from Heaven for them, sent quail into their camp so they could eat meat - have some meat to balance out those carbs

God brought water from a rock so their thirst could be quenched;

God even made time stand still for Israel so they could win a battle

God showed tremendous love for these people. - BUT -

they turned to other gods who were not gods at all.

they rejected God’s leadership and asked for a king; so God gave them kings who passed down their kingship for many generations. Not all of the kings followed God.

they turned to other gods who were not gods at all.they rejected God’s leadership and asked for a king;

Ahab, born into a royal family became king over Israel. In chapter 17, we are told that Ahab was worse than all of the kings before him; and to make matters worse he married Jezebel daughter of the king of the Sidonians!

Ahab bowed down to worship Baal - a false god in the land - built a temple and altar for Baal in Samaria and even set up an Asherah pole - another god worshiped by his wife.

The Bible says Ahab did more to provoke the anger of God than any of the other kings of Israel before his time.

He was a bad dude!!

Because Israel joined him and continued this behavior God brought consequences ; one of them being a drought on the land of Israel for many years.

This drought took its toll on the land and began to affect even the king.

God sent Elijah to Ahab to tell him He was sending rain once again.

This is why the conversation took place between these two men.

Israel is having trouble. They lost sight of God.

God had done so much for Israel - His chosen people - and poured His love into them time and time again.

When you follow evil, you loose sight of God.

Deliverance from slavery in Israel;

Parting of Red Sea;

Brought down walls;

Sent them food and water to them in the dessert in a miraculous way;

Even stopped time for them so they could be victorious in battle;

and they in return turned to worshipping idols and rejecting God as their king and asked for an earthly one.

Describe Ahab’s kingship

The people of Israel followed Ahab’s evil example; and by doing so lost sight of God and who God truly is.

1 Kings 18:21 NLT

21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

1 Kings 18:21-

When you worship false gods, you engage in irrational behavior.

We come to a famous face off in Scripture

1 Kings 18:26-29

1 Kings 18:26–29 NLT

26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 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!” 28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

The behavior of those following the king in idol worship was irrational behavior

Shouting out to blocks of stone or wood for an answer;

dancing around this blocks of stone or wood for favor and an answer

then cutting themselves with knives and swords until blood gushes until evening is not rational behavior

But Elijah, who had not lost sight of God, acted differently.

He took the left over bull; put it on his altar and then, demonstrating the authority God has; had water poured on the altar so the offering was saturated, the wood was saturated, and even trenches that Elijah had built around the altar were filled with water.

Elijah then prayed.

In we see God demonstrates is power leaving no question who is really God

1 Kings 18:38 NLT

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!

vs 39 tells us by the response of the people they once again caught sight of God.

Now you would think the story ends hear. But if you continue reading you find the story contains the death of the Baal prophets; rain comes to the land again - notice it is after the people catch sight of God; and in chapter 19 we see that Ahab reported to Jezebel what happened at the Face Off on MT. Carmel.

Jezebel is none too happy.

In vs 2 she pronounces a death sentence on Elijah.

When we see Elijah’s response, we see this truth:

When you listen to the voice of fear, you tend to run away from God’s mission.

When you listen to the voice of fear, you tend to run away from God’s mission.

1 Kings 19:2–3 NLT

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.

1 Kings 19:2

Jezebel’s death sentence on Elijah should not have been taken lightly, she had a track record of killing off God’s prophets.

In response to fear brought by Jezebel’s message, Elijah ran as far away from Jezebel as he could. The man who had just experienced a great victory on the mountaintop was now experiencing the agony of defeat as he is propelled by fear.

The distance from the top of mt Caremel to Beersheba is 120 miles which would take a regular traveler about 6 days, but less if he ran part of it.

We see in the following verses of chapter 19, that

Fear robs you of hope.

In verse 4 Elijah has so lost hope that he wants to die.

Fear robs you of strength.

In verse 5 he laid down and slept, he was exhausted.

Fear robs you of peace.

In verse 6 we see that God provided food and water for Elijah and even after eating and drinking he lay down again because every ounce of strength, energy, and stamina was gone.

This is not the end of the story (and it is not the end of your story).

When you meet God and His grace, you experience renewed vision and purpose.

Up to this point Elijah had been responding only to Jezebel’s message, and it had drained him mentally, physically, and spiritually.

But now God has a message of His own!! We see in verse 7 that now Elijah who has no where else to go or anyone else to turn to; God is taking an initiative to lead him back to the path of faith he had strayed from; to fulfill the mission that God had originally planned and called Elijah to.

God provided grace to Elijah in the form of food. When Elijah ate the food GOD provided; and drank what GOD had provided; it gave Elijah the strength necessary for the 40 day journey to Mt Horeb - the mount of God - that God was leading him to.

We see in verse 9 a question God asks Elijah

What are you doing here, Elijah

Elijah’s answer tells us that he is not focused on the miracles God performed through him earlier, such as miraculous provision, raising a child from the dead, and the victory on the mountaintop.

Now, in his mind, Elijah’s focus is his feelings rather than faith. He feels that all is lost in Israel and he is all alone.

But God provides Elijah an opportunity to reset.

It appears that Elijah did not obey God’s command to go out of the cave and stand before him on the mount.

God passed by in a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire, and finally a low whisper.

Then we see in verse 13 that when Elijah heard it, he wrapped himself in his cloak - which would make it difficult to see - and then went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

It was not until after his act of obedience that God again asked the same question

What are you doing here, Elijah

Elijah gives the same answer indicating his heart is still full of what is natural eye and mind have perceived.

But God provides grace to Elijah, even in his moment of self pity, He gives him an opportunity to refocus with God in sight

God gave Elijah grace by giving him new direction.

Rather than running in despair to the dessert; Elijah is going to the very north in obedience.

God gave grace to Elijah with affirmation that He knew what was bothering Elijah the most

God was saying : A new order will come - political and religious - that will have final victory over Baal worship.

But it will not come through obvious spectacular demonstrations like the wind, earthquake, and fire, but it will come through the low whisper of others as God removes individuals and sets others in place - others that had not bowed the knee to Ball.

But it will not come through obvious spectacular demonstrations like the wind, earthquake, and fire,

but it will come through the low whisper of others as God removes individuals and sets others in place - others that had not bowed the knee to Baal.

When we know God’s vision for our life; and our purpose, that is when we are at peace, we are fulfilled, and we are full of hope.

Conclusion

come through low whisper of others as God removes individuals and sets others in place - not the obvious spectacular demonstrations like the wind, earthquake, fire

Remember my story about McKenna? When we got separated from her; when she lost sight of us; and we lost sight of her, we began to pray.

McKenna knew what to do.

She went to a police officer just as we had instructed our kids to do if in a dangerous situation - find a safe person - a police officer is your friend.

When we turned the final corner of booths at the fair, there was McKenna talking with an officer on his knees eye level with her.

When she caught sight of us, as we caught sight of her, there was relief, joy, and peace.

Separated there was fear, anxiety, and confusion.

For so many of us, that is how we live our life today. We live a life full of fear, anxiety, confusion, helplessness, and hopelessness; until we throw our hands up in despair and sit down and give up.

But thats not God’s plan for our lives. Instead He encourages us to fill up on His substance that gives us strength, and get up and look again.

For so many of us, that is how we live our life today. We live a life separate from God and living a life separate from God. But that is not His plan.

We must not follow the crowd or those around us so that we don’t lose sight of God.

We must worship only Him. (religious leaders in N.T. and what could be worshiped today) When we worship Him only, our behavior will line up with God’s Word.

We must listen to God’s voice, so that we remain on the path He has planned for us to carry out the mission to which He has assigned us.

We must embrace and receive God’s grace because it is by His grace we receive renewed vision and purpose.

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