When God Puts You on the Spot

When God Puts You on the Spot

1 Kings 18:21-24;

1 Kings 18:21–24 KJV 1900

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

Text. Text 1 Kings 18:21;

1 Kings 18:21 KJV 1900

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

The phrase “Put on the Spot” means To force someone to do something instantaneously, without preparation, that often causes them unease or embarrassment.

Children will try to do that to their parents sometimes to get them to allow them to do something that they normally wouldn’t be allowed to do.

No one likes to be put on the spot, they are caught off guard.

Here in our BR this evening this is an instance where God wanted his people put on the spot. He wanted them to choose whether they wanted to serve Him or to continue to serve the gods of the land. Today God is still putting people on the spot asking them to choose.

I. Israel’s Decline

To understand how it got to this point we need to understand Israel’s history.

At this time in Israel’s history Israel was in rebellion and had forsaken the Lord.

The God that brought them into the Promised Land

The God that parted the Red Sea

The God that provided manna from heaven

The God that made the bitter waters sweet

The God that brought down Jericho’s walls

The God that brought Israel to prominence under David and Solomon

They forsook this God and began to serve the god of their fleshly lusts.

Baal didn’t care if they fornicated, got drunk, in fact it was encouraged

Israel went headlong into sin following the examples of their wicked King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

II. Elijah

God was about to remind Israel who he was.

God had a man named Elijah that knew and trusted God.

Elijah had built up experience with God and knew that God would keep his word. It’s one thing to say you believe, but it’s another thing to act upon your belief.

Saying we believe isn’t enough, the Bible says that the devils believe and tremble. WE NEED TO TRUST

Faith isn’t just believing God. Faith is ACTION.

Faith causes a person to raise from their seat and come down to the altar.

Faith causes a person to make a stand for God when no one else stands.

Faith caused Elijah to walk up to Ahab and say, “Thus saith the Lord there shall not be rain or down these years until I tell you”

Common sense told Elijah that the king would have him put to death, but Faith led him to be God’s voice.

III. Results of Sin

Famine had been on the land just as Elijah had prophesied, and now it was time.

God had the peoples attention – It’s sad that sometimes things have to go bad before people are paying attention!

A pastor asked a man, “What’s it going to take for God to get your attention?” The man replied, “I guess God’s going to have to knock me upside the head” Well the next day the man fell down the stairs and hit his head.

The people of Israel were desperate, and God had their attention.

God had the attention of the king, and now it was time for action.

1 Kings 18:21; And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

God was asking them, how long will you be on the fence. When will you jump in.

Jesus told the church in Laodicia Rev 3:15-16; 15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth

Revelation 3:15–16 KJV 1900

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Some people are half in half out and not getting anything out of either side. They want and desire the promises of God but can’t taste them because they are holding onto the things of the world. They want the things of the world, but their living under conviction and condemnation because they want to do right before God.

Tonight God is putting you on the Spot!

Elijah began to address the people. Notice that he didn’t try to persuade the religious hypocrites. How long halt ye between two opinions?

When will you join the Lord.

Notice that they didn’t answer “And the people answered him not a word” They weren’t all in for God or baal, they were used to their mixed lifestyle.

IV. The Challenge

V.22; Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

It was one prophet of God and 450 prophets of baal, and it wasn’t a fair fight! God and one man/woman is a majority.

It was under these seemingly insurmountable odds that God was going to show his people exactly who he was!

V.26-29; 26And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Elijah was having some fun with this thing. He was mocking them. They screamed, jumped up and down on the altar, broke the altar, cut themselves so that the blood gushed out, and nothing happened. The people were witness to this!

V. God on the Spot

Now it was Elijah’s turn, Elijah was on the spot. But it wasn’t really Elijah, God was on the Spot. He wasn’t on the spot unprepared, he was on the spot ready to go!

V.36,37; 36And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

After all that mess that prophets of baal made, all it took Elijah was 63words. And he couldn’t done it in less.

The Fire Fell

V.38; 38Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

The peoples reaction

V.39; 39And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God

The people turned back to God. Everyone wants to be on the winning side.

Burning Bridges

V.40; 40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

God wants us to burn our bridges with our old gods. We can’t keep the connections with sin, we have to cut them off. Get rid of them.

That is what true repentance is. God put them on the spot!

Conclusion

God puts us on the spot. He calls things to our attention and demands that we make a decision.

We shouldn’t be content in the struggle, but do something about your situation. Run to God. Pray through, make the commitment. Burn the bridges of the past, and go ALL IN WITH GOD!