Fire and Rain

Your beliefs vs. your decision

Commercials - are trying to get you to make a decision. To purchase something. to vote a certain way.

Opinion to change opinion

Opinion to change opinion

Ford Vs. Chevy

Knock agains social media - no one wants to hear an opinion that doesn’t echo their own.

Kibe Bryant’s death

Impeachment

Superbowl

weather

We want to hear fact!

football

football

What about a good old contest.

Superbowl

But some will say it was a fluke....The game was rigged. The refs weren’t fair.....etc..

This morning we are going to look at the contest between God of Abraham, Isaac and Isreal

This morning we are going to look at a different contest.

Between the God of Abraham, Isaac and Isreal, and Baal.

Elijah set up the contest.

1 Kings 18:17–19 NASB95

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals. 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

1 Kings 18:17

Get off the fence

1 Kings 18:20

1 Kings 18:20–21 NASB95

20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

Elijah is the one that is grieved.

The mistress is jealous of the wife.

The bar isn’t jealous of the church.

The world will tell you, it’s ok to be in the world and in the church.

Matthew 6:24 NASB95

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

The people are just like people today. They don’t want to not choose God, but they also don’t want to let go of sin.

Joshua 24:15 NASB95

15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Jo

No choice, is a choice.

Elijah proposes the contest

1 Kings 18:22

1 Kings 18:22–24 NASB95

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24 “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

Normally you never accept a bet as it. Because usually the person make the bet knows the trick. They know how to win the bet.

Elijah know the trick. His God is real.

Game Day

1 Kings 18:26–29 NASB95

26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” 28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

1 Kings 18:26

Sincere belief in a lie, doesn’t make it truth.

An argument for the resurrections of Christ is that the apostles were eye witnesses and that if it didn’t happen they would not a endured torture, pain and death to keep the lie.

No one is willing to suffer and die for something the know isn’t true.

People are willing to suffer and die for things the believe are true. That doesn’t mean what they believe is true.

Elijah mocked them

Elijah is not worried about that these “prophets” believe. He is concerned about the people of Isreal.

He is removing excuses by his mocking.

Call out louder, maybe he is occupied or gone, on a journey asleep.

Elijah reminds the people who they are.

1 Kings 18:30–31 NASB95

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

1 Kings 18:

Stacks the odds

1 Kings 18:32-

1 Kings 18:32–35 NASB95

32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34 And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah prayerd

1 Kings 18:36–39 NASB95

36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

1 Kings 18:36-

Elijah eliminated the competition

1 kings 18-

1 Kings 18:40 NASB95

40 Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

Elijah had confidence in the Lord.

We obviously aren’t setting up impossible feats for God and then calling Him to accomplish them.

We should have that attitude.

Elijah destroyed those that would lead the people astray.

We again can’t go slaughtering people that don’t agree with us.

Whatever is in our lives that leads us away from God, we have to completely eliminate.