Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning.

There are all kinds of influences in our lives all the time.

Some are stronger than others, some are welcome, some are oppressive, but only One influence actually loves you.

This is why the spiritual discipline, or ability, of discernment is so critical for believers to develop and mature in their lives.

If you have your Bibles, you can turn to 1 Kings 19:9.

Discernment is perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

"without providing for a time of...discernment, there will be no hope of living through this present moment without a shattering of our common life" (unknown)

The Purpose of Discernment is to enable believers to recognize God’s voice at all times.

Think about how much information that is available to us today.

Seemingly, anything and everything you might want to know is discoverable virtually instantly.

Not only that, but for every piece of information we can find, there are thousands of smart and intelligent sounding opinions and interpretations regarding that information and its getting more and more difficult to sort the truth from the lies and the fiction.

Over the years, I’ve heard many professing Christians say Godly sounding things that are not Godly at all.

In fact, some have based their understanding of their worldviews and their lives on these clever, but ultimately false phrases.

And when we talk about recognizing God’s voice, we need to be careful to remember that there is a difference between hearing a voice, and recognizing whose voice it is.

This is where mature spiritual discernment comes into play, and that’s why discernment is so essential in the lives of believers.

Today, we continue to look at the life of Elijah and we will notice his discernment in hearing God’s voice as he sought His direction in a moment of rebellion, yearning, and despair.

Let’s Pray

To set up the scene, Elijah has fled Israel and gone to a cave.

Jezebel had threatened his life after Elijah discredited their pagan priests, and Elijah ran.

While Elijah ran under the pretext of fleeing for his life, in truth, after he had been used miraculously by God, the people still rebelled, and Elijah felt isolated and alone.

So he ran away.

He quit.

Now, objectively, we all can understand why Elijah would do this.

I mean, when you lay it all on the line following the Lord, and you’re met with rejection and threats of death, we’d probably say, “to heck with this,” too.

Ok, let’s pick up

Elijah and the Lord (19:9b–18)

9b–10 At length the word of the Lord aroused Elijah.

The penetrating interrogation called for minute self-evaluation (v.9b; cf.

Gen 3:9).

Did Elijah yet understand his failure and God’s gracious guidance in bringing him to this places Elijah’s reply indicated that he did not.

Like Phineas of old, he alone had been very zealous for the Lord in the midst of gross idolatry (v.10; cf.

Num 25:7–13).

His soul was somewhat bitter at having served God so earnestly and spectacularly and yet having experienced rejection and solitary exile.

11–14 The Lord did not comment on Elijah’s self-justification but offered instruction.

He was to come out of the cave and stand before the Lord, for he would soon pass by (v.11).

Suddenly a rock-shattering tempest smote the mountain around Elijah.

Surely this would announce the divine presence.

But the Lord was not in the wind.

There followed a fearful earthquake, but still God was not there.

A sudden fire followed (v.12); yet God had not come.

All these physical phenomena were known to be often precursors of God’s coming (Exod 19:16, 18; Judg 5:4–5; 2 Sam 22:8–16; Pss 18:7–15; 68:8; Heb 12:18).

There followed a faint whisper, a voice quiet hushed, and low.

Elijah knew it instantly (v.13a).

It was God! What a lesson for Eiijah!

Even God did not always operate in the realm of the spectacular!