Old School Bold

Good morning, brothers and sisters and Welcome to our morning worship service. My name is doctor bill moulden. I currently live in St. Louis, Missouri. I think the last time I was with you guys on any level was in Cebu with the ministry training that goes on there what you guys do such a great job. So honored and privileged to to be able to share this time and this moment worship with you. Especially want to be me and thinking of me as one of those guys that you almost don't want to follow him on Facebook. You know what I mean? Because every time you see him he's doing another try after killing it and Subway you start to watch him with my life is so great to be with you and to be with your In here, and I'm so proud of you guys. So proud of your face. So proud of who you are as Disciples of Jesus and I couldn't be happier to share this time with you. It's so in order to get started when we go to God in prayer and then we will do a dive into the topic today of boldness. Let's pray. Father we thank you so much for this opportunity to meet together across the world father. We know that there are many many things that have challenged US during this pandemic because with every challenge comes amazing opportunity and be able to worship with my brothers and sisters in Manila to be able to to be together on some sort of level today. I just feel honored and father my prayer is that each and every person listening to this message would not only feel my love for them. But more importantly feel your love for them Father. We were talking about boldness and we know that we can't make any sense of a topic like this without your help. So father I pray that you will Empower me. I think I pray that you will give me the words to to communicate something that we Can all do together father and I pray that you will Empower each and every brother and sister to be bold to be confident to be clear to to hear the calling and to embrace the trouble that comes anytime we step forward to be bold. We love you and we praise us all in your son's name. Amen. Well, when do fertile reached out to me? He asked if I would do a lesson on boldness out of the Old Testament prophets, and I really thought I could but I didn't think I could do it in kind of a worship service kind of way because there's just too many great ones to choose from so I I with the with the burritos permission asked if I could just focus in on one and edit see the original OG profit. It's it's Elijah and there's a number of reasons why I chose Elijah, but I think there's some things incredible about him Elijah Is one of those old-school bold prophets. I mean, he's on the way back but he is the prophet that really set the standard for all profits. Are you going to see why you don't because I was actually always Under Fire. He was one of those guys that kind of and kind of a kind of a blaze of glory. He got a good things that were just fiery. I mean, he literally called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel. We'll talk a little bit about that today and then he was little and brought up the heaven and Chariot in a chariot of fire. I mean Elijah's boldness was always Under Fire and his hit his role in the Israelite narrative in the God's law. His role is to stand as a marquee moment. Actually gave Israel its law but all of Israel look to Elijah for an understanding of how to honor that law Elijah. Was there poster boy Testament to the New Testament Church. It's amazing how the early church talked about Elijah passages. It says Elijah was a man just like us he prayed earnestly that it would not rain in the land for three and a half years. This is an amazing statement. Of course James was talking about this amazing true that we have the same connection to God our Father that Elijah that we have a special place in God's story. A man just like us because we have the same scriptures that we have the same God that we have we have even more of the spirit than Elijah had and James is literally calling the church to believe you are just like Elijah, but I want to just kind of point out that when it comes to business. We can be like Elijah to he was a man just like us which means in Elijah's boldness. We also can be bold in to do it in a way. That is God and do it in a way that is helpful and do it in a way that brothers and sisters. We need to be bold more now than we've ever been does overzealous mistakes of are you I'm talking about boldness that God honors show you what I mean. You know Elijah was a man like us and it says true pay attention to how were introduced to Elijah, you know, it says here from to be in Gilead said the Ahab as soon as the Lord the god of Israel Lives who I serve there will neither be Dew nor rain in the next few years, except my word. This is an amazing seen. I mean, this is one of those classic moments because you know, if you read if you read 1st Kings 16, there's no mention of Elijah. He's married a harlot of a religion. They are they are giving themselves away to paganism. Light shows up goes up to a Hab. It says as the Lord the god of Israel Lives who I will neither be due in the next few years except at my word mic drop. I'm out. See you later. But look at what the verse says right after this the Lord came to Elijah Elijah. So before then,

I mean, it's like we see Elijah do something incredibly. I mean that is that is like old school King in and then the scripture is very careful to say that then the word of the Lord. Came to Elijah, but what about before then the Brilliance of Elijah's example when it comes to boldness because before this moment when I stop and put that he had what we had. He had scripture. He had the word. You don't and what's amazing is that he literally must have been reading Deuteronomy and in came across this passage in Deuteronomy, 11 verse 16 that says take care leave your heart be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them. Well, that's exactly what a have had led Israel into he wasn't raised to be Pagan boy. He bought in any married of a Pagan religion. Convert 17 says then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you. He will shut up the Heavens so that there will be no rain in the land will yield no fruit and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord has given you up before then Elijah had what you and I had had the law. He had the word. He had the words of God and he did something that wasn't very he believed it. And so when he went to confront a have I really believe it wasn't under special Revelation direction from God. I think Elijah just looked at his bible and said is clear. This calls me to action. And even if there's trouble I'm going to be bold. Because brothers and sisters. The one thing I want to do today. It's kind of answer the question. What makes someone bold and I think from Elijah's example, you can see the first thing that comes from clarity. Having a clear understanding of what God wants and what pleases God Is So necessary to being bold in a Godly way. You don't we think we think about Elijah kind of reading Deuteronomy in Toronto me. When you chase after foreign Gods. I'm going to shut up the heavens and they're not going to give you any rain as if no one else is going to call out scripture. I'm going to do it. It was clear to him and think about moments when you had to have bold conversations with people. Is it always when you really are clear about what you believe, you know, it's funny because it's Saint Louis my transition from Chicago to St. Louis was kind of an interesting. It was a little bit. I was approached and this this this situation that hey here is a family of churches in the Heartland don't have a lot of senior evangelist and they don't have any teachers. Would you would you be willing to move and go help them out? And at first I was offended because I recognize that when they said senior evangelist they meant have I really crossed over because I sent the Berto a picture of myself when I still had hair did you guys notice?

Set an old picture of old there's more salt and pepper in my beard. I have crossed over and and so I was asked to come down and and we came down and what's the need you need something deep. Do you need something something juicy? What you do? What do you want bro? I'll give you anything I come. I got a lot of stuff I can teach and it was amazing the request not only from the church here in St. Louis, but across the Heartland and I think across the movement is could you just make something clear? Think about how bold we are when things are clear you remember the first time you read Acts chapter 2 and you got to the question Brothers. What shall we do? You remember that moment and you were hoping that the answer was going to be something simple something you could do and it was incredibly bold wasn't it? It was repent and be baptized. You know what I'm saying that I think we need to be is that that is still radically because you look around Manila as you look around your communities. There's a lot of different brands of Christianity and religion going on around you have people that are in order to be right with God you have a lot of people there like no just say a prayer say the sinner's prayer all around people that are others to believe in this certain way of doctor in this certain types and really here we are with the simple truth and it says, you know what it's not that complicated. If you want to get right with God repent and be baptized to as what does this mean but once you figure out all about Jesus, he's the Lord Jesus Christ and what you get that the only thing left for you to do is take a good long. Look at your life and repent and then get back remember how it's still bold because it's clear. It doesn't say anything that can be mistaken. It doesn't believe these four spiritual laws save these prayers it just too straightforward. Teeth Elijah letra.

And when he acted upon it when he's when he saw the calling he immediately she immediately went forward and said hey until I say so I'm going to say I'm going to call God's word true and say there's not going to be another drop of rain and you know what God honored it. And then the word of the Lord came to Elijah. The second thing that makes someone's bold is answering the call. You know, it would be awesome. If God would call us up and go. Hey, you know Bill here's what my will is for you but there is always a calling to two things. There is always a summoning when things get clear the calling becomes obvious and often times that calling feels a little bit dangerous. It's way outside of our comfort zone. It's way outside of what we feel like we can give it's always something That called us to trust God in a way. It's always has been when he felt that bird in his heart to go say something to a new that calling him somewhere and third part of the pattern of baldness in trouble. You know because God wants us to be bold in this way. He wants to make it clear. He wants to give us a message that we can share two Scholars school kids are like to have something in the book. This is what it always has a call if there's always an action or being summoned to there's always something that we're being called to do and when we go and do those things often times, it's followed by trouble if you were to keep reading 1st Kings chapter, 7:17, you would know that when the word of the Lord told Elijah. You better run. I'm going to lead you to a brook drink out of the Brook and I I have some Ravens going to some bread and some food because Ravens were they were being all throughout that area where Elijah was told to go? You can imagine people at the table outside having a picnic get something they come back and a raven came and swooped up and took their bread, but didn't you know that beat was off a dead animal somewhere so but it's amazing how when the with God's word spoke to him. It wasn't to say. Hey now go see this. It was actually to protect is coming and going to be part of the pattern. There is a pattern baldness Clarity calling in trouble. Anything else? I want you to really think about that when we understand God's word. There is Clarity, but then there's a little bit of trouble to it. But that's okay. That's part of the pattern was keep going in our study of a little after being fed by Ravens for a while. He decides it is time to get going and it's amazing. What in what ends up happening here? You don't Elijah goes if he finds that Widow at Zarephath you remember the story, you know, this woman is coming Elijah sitting by the roadside. This woman is coming and ask her for something to drink and a piece of bread. Because apparently the Ravens had stopped coming to him and the Widow says something devastating to him. Yoshi says I only have enough water and food for my son. My son and I to have one last meal and then we're planning on dying. And then Elijah does something bold. He says as surely as the Lord lives if you give me bread if you give me water God will provide for you each and every day the amazing thing is that this Widow was not of Israel. She was outside of the Covenant people the Covenant people are chasing false gods Elijah's in no man's land. This woman is not totally sold on the fact that there is a God who would care for her like that and Elijah does something. He says I am calling you to be hospitable when Hospitality shouldn't make sense. And she does she goes back and the Miracle starts happening, right? She starts using the flower and the flower kind of x to use with the oil to oil kind of X. She keeps feeding Elijah she takes up in and and all of a sudden or son are living our are thriving in the midst of a drought because Elijah had shut off the heaven. There's no water. There's no there's no grave. Everything should be failing and this woman is surviving. But then with everything there was a clear call to hospitality, even when it didn't make sense. There was a called a calling to action and the Widow was faithful, but then it for all of that fateful that you remember what happened. gross thick and he dies and then Elijah is confronted while I have been very bold with this woman. And now for all of that bonus this woman is now in trouble and you know what he does. He prays a very bold prayer. You know, he says to God. Oh Lord my God. Why have you brought Calamity even upon this Widow who buys who I live with by killing her son. Did he stretched himself upon the child three times and price of the Lord. Oh Lord my God bless. This child's life coming to him again. And the Lord listen to the voice of Elijah. In the life of the child came back into him and he was revived and then the Widow said now, I know that not only are you a man of God, but there is a God in Israel biblical boldness has Clarity calling and trouble because the ultimate goal is not to be bold, but still allow God to start converting the world around him Jesus remember he would actually say hey there's a lot of widows in Israel when Elijah was any one of them you want to know why because God had always had asked boldness Clarity calling trouble. He was going to imprint upon those who couldn't believe Something to Believe. And he was just looking for a man. Someone like Elijah someone like us who would trust him enough to do pulled things you do. It didn't stop with the Widow you do the chapter goes on over in chapter 18 where he comes across Obadiah know I actually worked for Ahab and Obadiah was the palace administrator for administrators. Come on administrator was instrumental in keeping prophets of God alive, even though it was all about killing the prophet Obadiah was kind of his foile. Like he was he was The Pianist rudess a snake and innocent as a tub, right underneath Jezebel's knows he was he was in the process of God is in Elijah comes and says, hey man, I need you to go get a abs.

He's right there in the bottom corner of my slide. He's a little freaked out because if I go to Ahab and said I saw you and that you're going to meet him. You don't show up interested in killing you anymore. He's going to kill me. I am a dead man. What are you doing? And that of course Eliza does something incredibly bold as surely as the Lord lives. I will present myself to Ahab. So bold stove and Ted and of course Obadiah goes and then if we have that great discussion with Ahab and Elijah is that you owe troubler of Israel. I have not brought trouble at Israel, but you have great that great seen in chapter 8, you know, there is a need for boldness. That's what's great about. About really thinking through Elijah because what we love most about Elijah is not his his walk with a widow. Is it his boldness with Obadiah or any of the military confrontations when they kept sending people up to any of those what we love most about Elijah. Was that moment on Mount Carmel? When he made good on that bold claim that he was going to present himself to to Ahab you do and when he does actually does what Israel really needed Israel was torn between two Gods the god of Baal in the god of Israel. You don't often times in this. Of time. We have archaeological evidence that shows that Israel was actually still conducting worship services for Yahweh. While at the same time and usually on the same day, they would go to the shrines of bail and commit all sorts of of of acts of violence in which all in the same day. They were torn and it's amazing to me how the First Kings 18 and verse 20. It says so Ahab sent all the sent to all the people of Israel in the prophets together at Mount Carmel and said, how long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God follow him, but if Baal then follow him. And the people did not answer him in words. The NIV says they said nothing the pattern of boldness in this moment. They have said, okay. We're going to have a showdown going to get all the people of Israel. I'm going to get all the prophets of Baal. Let's hear what you have to say and listen to the Bowl this year. like shoes choose this day. Yo, it's clear. It was simply pointing out that our faith is is is got to be thought of as loyalty. I am going to be I'm going to pledge you cannot be divided and faithful. He was saying you have to make a choice if if Yahweh is God then follow him if it's bailed then follow him, but don't stay on the fence that was part of the calling. There was a clear message. You have to choose there was a clear call it you have to say it here are your options. It's either Yahweh or its bail and then there was trouble Because the people said nothing it wasn't enough to just be confronted. They did not know how to choose which is why we as God's people have always got to keep room in our hearts to be bold to know to know our Lord and to always have at the answers for our faith. People don't know what to believe in like just like then as it is now people need to be reminded. You need to choose. But I think a lot of times we need a showdown and that's what happens next after 18 in 1st Kings. Even I only left of the prophets of the Lord but Bale but Baal prophets are 450 men, like two bulls be given us and then let them choose for themselves, but put her on it and I will prepare the other Bull and wait on the wood and put no fire to it and you call upon the name of your God and I will call upon the name of the Lord and The God Who Answers by fire he is God is I love this. I mean Elijah is being clear. Isn't he? He's like Peg There is only one way to settle. This was just settling whoever whoever is God called. She's obviously John right? That's it. That's what you need to know. That's what we need to see you do it. And it was clear and then of course the great barbecue test was there and of course, it's awesome because you know Elijah is just hardcore bad. He is old-school what I mean. It's the prophets of Baal immediately started calling on their God and they say there's no answer you do any other collymore the starting to whip themselves fan. Look how much we're sacrificing dancer R Us and Toys R Us and then there's a Liza over off in the corner joint on a trip. I mean, that's Old Testament smack talk right there. It's biblical. You can talk to people if you need to. And then there was not going to be any answer at the time of the evening sacrifice. We know what happens Elijah says a bold prayer. God I need you right now. I need you to answer. Not for my sake but so that the people will know that you are God. If only we as a church would pray bold prayers like that. God we need you now. This pandemic has people fearful. The economic crisis is is causing people to lose hope We we who have been faithful for a long time are struggling with this with this lack of fruit. God please not for our sake. But so that the people will know. Pour out your blessing that is a bold prayer. But there was that was Clarity there was a test setup for Elijah and then when God answered there was a clear call rid yourselves of these false prophets, but then as soon as they did the next day there was trouble. The next day you would think that it was all said and done but the next day we we know what happens, right?

This is the first Kings chapter 19 beginning reverse one told Jezebel everything and how he killed all the profits with the sword. So just the Bell sent a messenger to Elijah to say May the gods deal with me ever be it ever. So severely if by this time tomorrow, I do not make your life like one of them. You know, you would think Elijah would go bring it on chick. Do you know what just happened? My God is a God that answers by fire. But that's not what happened. It says it know what happens is that Elijah? bails It says it says while he himself with a Day's Journey Into the Wilderness. He came to a broom brush set down under it and pray that he might die. I have had enough Lord. He said take my life. I'm no better than my ancestors. Danny lay down under the bush and fell asleep at Once An Angel touched him and said get up, but do you hear what's happened to our man of great boldness? And there's a number of reasons why you don't Jezebel obviously was disappointed in her profit because she was disappointed in her. But she didn't repent. She says that I'm going to take it out on you. Why is you realize if you don't if you don't take care of a jezebel you have a changed and when Jezebel made it known there was no one that stuck up for Elijah. There was no just about remember God. He is Yahweh. He is God, we don't care about you anymore. No one stood up against no one did that at Elijah just panicked because he was afraid to die because he felt nothing has made a difference.

Put Elijah does something. I don't know if it was just out of instinct or desperation when Trouble Comes. He prayed. You know, it's funny that we as disciples we kind of have this weird relationship with disappointment because I think deep down we all believed that if I do what is right. I'm never going to have to sing the song If trouble comes my way. You got to pray sometimes have trouble in my way. You got to pray sometimes cuz by Jesus will fix it. We forget that song says trouble is coming our way and yet we are always surprised when we're disappointed when things don't play out the way we think they should and I don't know that this is true for many of us. Feel this sense of I've had enough, but we forget to bring that to God In Prayer.

Elijah was a man of boldness. Not only when he was on the offensive trying to help bring about an honor of God's word of law, but he was also bold when he was disappointed when he felt like I let him down. Do you have enough wisdom to say I have had enough Lord? And he prayed about it and although Jesus didn't fix it. We could already see God gets involved. He rolls up his sleeve and check this out later on in the story. God calls some 40 days away in the wrong direction summons Elijah to come far away from his car and look what it says. It says there he went into a cave and spent the night and the word of the Lord came to him. What are you doing here Elijah?

the word of the Lord came

and just do that just so I wouldn't be confused. He says okay because Elijah had like he had this this answer like all the promises that killed that nothing good is going to happen anymore. Forget. It. It's over and it has come out here on the edge of the roof of the cave. And you remember what happens the three awesome manifestations of God's power an earthquake a fire and rock all happen. Every time the word of the Lord says and God was not in that he was not there. He was not in the fire. He was not in the wind he was he was right there in the cave with Elijah asking the question. What are you doing here? See God was bold. was clear I'm not out there in the just the big things Elijah. I'm in the cave with you.

And God was in the cave with Elijah because God wanted Elijah to come back out.

Yo-yo after after these manifestations. God says you don't what are you doing here? Elijah gives them the same answer and God has not offended. God immediately goes here's what's going to do. I'm going to give you some clarity you need to go back the way you came and then he goes and I need you to annoy some people you're going to annoy this guy. He's going to take care of the political mess of Israel. I need you to annoy this guy because he's going to take care of the military mess of Israel, but I also need you to anoint Elijah. and I think that's so significant because God was clear. What are you doing here? God gave him a call you need to go to anoint. But for the trouble that was still going to happen. He goes Elijah pick up this answer. You need a disciple. You need to trust my plan of discipleship. I need you to go throw your mantel and not worry about how they're going to respond. I need you to go do this thing. You need someone to walk with you you need someone to be with you. This guy is going to help you. This guy is going to keep your faith. This guy is going to encourage you because I have many who have not bowed their knees. I have many that are anxious to hear the words. Don't you quit on me Elijah, don't you give up? God was bold with a man of boldness. That's exactly what Elijah did. Is it of course we have This brilliant pattern. As a man of boldness Clarity calling in trouble. But can't you see the pattern between this and what Jesus? Has done for us. Because we receive something from Jesus that is absolutely clear. We were given the invitation to come and follow me.

And with that invitation came a very bold calling and I will make you Fishers of Men. I mean that has ball that is amazing because I am going to transform you. I'm going to I'm going to help you. I'm going to empower you I will make you into the into the sub people of mission and make a difference in the world in the community around them, but there's going to be trouble. Because you said anyone who would come after me. What's deny himself? And take up his cross from me.

Brothers and sisters. We have a clear message. Jesus is the best news we could share with anyone. It's good news because it's not about just coming to church. It's about transforming your allowing the amazing power of Our Lord to bring people to repentance showing them what they're going to the Cross but if you're going to follow Jesus as a disciple, there will be a transformation of you from where you are now into someone that actually fishes for men that makes other disciples there has to be a willingness to carry across and that is trouble But remember this solution is always the same as the same for Elijah. What he was told to go grab himself a disciple and Elijah. It's the same for us as Jesus says hey. I need you right now no matter how long you've been doing it. I need you right now to do something bold.

Answer the answer the call. It's clear. Come follow me. If there's anywhere where your foot may have slept Now's the Time to start walking again. If there's anywhere that you have let go it is now time to grab God is warning us to join him. Now more than ever before now that the world is we're down at the world is uncertain that the world is trying to come up with so many different flavors of true that doesn't even know what to choose Now's the Time to come in with the with the with our Lord who died for them on a cross and said listen come follow me and I will make you into something more that will always work. But we have to be willing to carry our cross. Brothers and sisters. I hope this is encouraged you. I hope you feel warm and well-fed. I hope God will bless Every Act of boldness. Let it be clear answer the call it when it comes to trouble. Jesus will fix it. But he's going to fix it as we decide to love one another all the days of our life to God be the glory. Amen.