Ep. 20: The Prophet

We are in episode 20 of the sermon series called the plan, in which we are going over the entire story of the Bible, from beginning to end. We've been, we started with Creation in September and we're going to link up with Easter. I with the Resurrection on Easter and at this point in the story, we are in was called The Divided Kingdom era and our goal for this series is to understand the story that unites the whole Bible so that we can see how they all link together. And so we can know the story that we are being invited into as Christians. And what we are asking people to join with, as we share the gospel with others and the story of the Bible been summarized you just this is God's plan to establish a Place full of people who live out their purpose in his presence. So God made the world and he put people in it and he gave us the function of ruling this place on his behalf, and he wants to live here with us and that's how things started out. But we messed it up and we continually mess it up. And the story of the Bible is the story of God continually working to overcome our rebellion, and to restore that plan. And God has been working for a while now. And in the Bible with one specific family, the Israelites and the goal is to show the plan through them. So the rest of the world can see who got his and be called to him. And at this point, this is called The Divided kingdom are of when the Kingdom of Israel has been split. So 10 of the tribes broke off away from David's grandson and formed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but the problem that they ran into is the fact that the temple is still in the Kingdom of Judah. And so they don't have God's presence in their Kingdom. And so that caused them to make some changes to Play, they worship God in order to to try and keep people from traveling to this now for in nation to worship. And so, the king jeroboam change the religion, so that people would, I stay loyal to him, cuz it was more important to him. That they be loyal to him, then that they've been loyal to God. So, the way we ended the story last week was knowing that that what God was not going to let that stand in. God, when jeroboam died, his son became king but then a man named Basia rebelled and killed his son and took over. But then when Tasha's son was King than someone rebelled and killed him and took over, and we have this, this instability in it because jeroboam set this Norm, that the king does, whatever he needs to do, to hold on to power. And so they keep theirs the series of assassinations and things like that. And it's really unstable until a new guy shows up and takes the throne by winning the Civil War. His name was Aubrey, and Aubrey was kind of the northern David. He was, he took over after winning a civil war. He stabilized the kingdom. He even bought a new capital, Samaria and founded a new capital city the same way, David did. And when he died, he handed off a very stable Kingdom to his son and just like saw him. And his son then took on the project of making. Stable Kingdom prosperous. And so we're going to be looking at the story that begins with Omri son. And as we look at, that story, remembered how we kind of keep our bearings as a reduced, or in the Bible that we want to keep in mind. Who is the story about, where is their home? How can they meet with God and what did God tell them to do? Are we are initially this very short, this time in the 38th year of Asa, king of Judah, Ahab. Son of Omri became king of Israel. Any rain in Samaria, over 22 years. They do at this point knowing that someone is peeing should set up the story for us. We should be able to fill in the other blanks because we know what that arrangement we talked about this for a we've been doing the same kind of arrangement for a while. So who's the story about? The story is about Ahab and the Israelites, the northern kingdom because it's most of the tribes of Israel. They're just called the Israelites. They have is their King and it's so that means it's his job to lead the people in fulfilling their purpose of following. God. Where is their home? Their home is the Kingdom of Israel, which is the northern portion of the Kingdom. So it's not including the kingdom of Judah. Now, that they are the, the Jew diets are also part of God's people, but they're not part of this story. The tricky part for the Kingdom of Israel is how they can meet with God. If they wanted to experience the presence of God where they have to go. They have to go to the temple in Jerusalem, God's presence on Earth, physically manifest in the Temple. And so, if you want to worship In God's Presence, there's one place you can go. Now, the Israelites have created their own shrines where they claim that God Appears over these golden calves, but there's only one place to cut presents actually is on her in that, in that special way. Now, what did God tell them to do you? What did I tell a have to do for the past few weeks? As we look at Kings? What we've said, is the king needs to obey God, and that's still true. But for a habit, we need to actually look, we need to take a step back, not even going to get close to that. Because before you can obey God, you have to commit to ruling on his behalf. And what I need the difference there is that you have to believe that God is King and that he's in charge in your ruling for itsy. Jeroboam would have said I'm rolling on God's behalf. You would have claimed to be following God. He just didn't actually obey him very well. You like it's possible to acknowledge that the government is the government did not be good at, keeping the law. That's different from saying, no. I think this should be the government. That's Rebellion, right? That's it. In between crime and Rebellion. So jeroboam acknowledges that God is God, but he's not very good at obeying him. But that means the first step for a king is I have to acknowledge that God is God, right? That he is the one that they rule for. No question. The other question that we want to look at it. We don't really talk about much with the king is when you got that when the king is supposed to go on God's behalf who who actually tells you, whether they're doing it or not. The most kingdoms, the person who rules on the God's behalf and the person who decides what the God wants, is the same person. So the king tells you what God wants and then the king does what God told him to know. It's all one person, but in the law of Moses, there's a distinct to roll. That is God uses to hold his people and the Kings to account in Deuteronomy. It says, I will raise up for them, a prophet, like you. He's talking to Moses from among their fellow Israelites and I'll put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything. I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. Now we have traditionally and I didn't accurately seeing that as a prophecy about Jesus, but it's also talking about profits in general and what profits do and then God will All people to speak on his behalf and their Authority comes from the fact that what they're saying is what God says, it's not because they hold up an office that's been given to them, or they inherited. It's because what they say is what God Said. And so, and God says he's going to hold people accountable to that job is to acknowledge that God is God and to listen to God's prophets among many other things. That a perfect king would do. He should at least do those things. Those are the ones that are relevant to a Hab story. Do now. Do you understand the situation and the expectations? And I'm what success would look like in a Habs position. Let's look at how a hug does. I have some more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit, the sins of jeroboam, son of Nevada. But he also married Jezebel daughter of FAO, King of the sidonian and began to serve bail and worship him. Now there's a hub is doing something that no other king in Israel has done yet. And it's it's important for us to understand what's going on to make that distinction. Because we often aren't clear on exactly what the sins of the Kings of Israel are, and we mix them up at self first. It says he didn't, he didn't consider it trivial play in the wrong ways that were self-serving but you still worshiping Yahweh the god of Israel, right? That was trivial with something different. So I have married Jezebel the daughter of the king of the sidonian. So that's Phoenicia. Basically, it's the there's this Coastline country called Tunisia. That's really wealthy and involves a lot of trading. Ashley Solomon became wealthy in large part through deals with the king of Tyre, that's part of this area. And so ahab's prosperous the same way Solomon did by making a deal with this prosperous. Country. Do you marry their daughter? And then because we talked about was Solomon, when when you marry a Queen Sheba, can we marry a princess? She becomes an ambassador? So she gets to bring her with her, the same thing Solomon did. But then they have starts worshipping with her, which is also a solemn and did, but then I had to takes it. One step further. They have starts to serve bale as the chief God, what would happen in at other times, as the Israelites would worship Yahweh as the chief God. And then they would worship all these other gods as semi demigods, right? So, it's God, Yahweh and he's other God, but it was still the chief God. That's, that's the prettiest far as they took it, but Ahab takes it further by actually dethroning God from the top and putting Dale in that place. What was the most important thing to Solomon did? He built the temple, right? And Ahab is the, the northern Solomon. So what is solid? What does he have to do? He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, that he built in Samaria. They have also made an asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the god of Israel. Then did all the kings of Israel before him. There isn't the temple to Yahweh to the god of Israel in Samaria. There's no Temple for him. In that, in the capital city. His shrines are in other places, but, but they have built a temple to bail, any puts an altar in it, because he has now shifted Israel's loyalty to bail. That's what's happened. Here. Is now bail, is that you've got? So they have built his Empire by transferring Israel's Allegiance from God to bail and that's what makes a have something different out. He is taking Israel's Rebellion to a whole other level because he is now actually breaking off the Covenant. He's he's withdrawing from the covenants and we don't want to be Israel. We don't need yahweh's. People wear to be bails people. We don't want to be part of God's plan. We're going to be part of this relationship with this guy. Now, in today sexualize culture, we don't necessarily always recognize what's entailed in that because it for some people that can see, my goal is just like switching sports teams, right? Like it's still a football team. Biggest were different colors and they come from a different town. But if it's all the same, right? But this is not at all the same thing to change from Yahweh. The god of Israel to bail is to change, not just the name of the god, or the origin of the god or the story, the background story of the guy that worshiping. But it also changes who you understand, God, to be who you understand Humanity to be. And, and if it changes everything because the god of Israel has a plan for the world. He has a plan for you, man, and he calls us to be something better than we let ourselves be. He has a mission for us. He has something to Aspire to any assets to, to give things up to give up. What we may want in a particular moment, to be part of what is right for the world. Bill does not do that. Bale asked you to make sacrifices in to put money in the coffers and he'll give you whatever you ask for bail, is the god father in Heaven, but he makes a deal with you to give you what you want. As long as you give him, what he's not going to ask you to become more than you are. He doesn't care. He just wants to get his sacrifices and have you know do the test that he assigns you in and he'll do you give him enough sacrifices. He'll give you Victory about. He doesn't care who you're fighting, or what would cause you're fighting for how just your cause is as long as you pay the toll, you get, what you ask for. It's a completely different understanding of what the relationship between humanity and God is supposed to be. It's a completely different understanding of right and wrong of the importance of right and wrong if it changes everything. And it's probably a big part of why I have made this choice. The obvious part of it that I think we're pretty secure on saying is that he did this. In order to bolster his treaty with the Phoenicians. They put him in a stronger political Alliance, but it seems to me that if he's going further in this way. He's going further than he needed to for diplomatic purposes. It's probably because they have once that kind of a guy he wants that kind of a religion that kind of a relationship. He prefers a God who doesn't ask anything of him except that he pay his sacrifices and and God will making wealthy. God will make him prosperous. I'll give him whatever he wants. It seems to be what what they have to do. You take this extreme step of removing Israel from the Covenant. And as I read the story, I think it is because of that extreme step has been taken that all of a sudden, the profits and Israel. Take on a different role at this point. A profit. Is that elevates a prophet in Israel? Cuz we talked about a lot of profits before, but no one is really going to play the same role that this new prophet and his successor play, and we're going to have profits like this while. Israel is following bail. It seems to be because the Israelites have left the Covenant until they need someone to call them back on God's behalf. So now Elijah the tishbite from tishbi. And Delia had said to Ahab, as surely as the Lord, the god of Israel Lives who my sir there will be neither do nor rain in the next few years except at my word. Alright, so here's what he saying. Elijah says. Hey, I represent Yahweh the god of Israel and I say there's going to be no rain for until I say differently.

And yours is a bale is a god of thunderstorms. Right. So bail is supposed to be in charge of the rain. So this is, this is a pretty big fight. This Clean Cuts to the heart of whether or wether 1/2 change in religion was accurate or Weis, right? Because if, if Elijah and nothing happens, then Elijah can be ignored. But if what Elijah says will happen, does happen that cuts to the very heart of this kind of this issue because it means that Bales not actually control the storms and guess what happens? A lot of things happen, but it doesn't rain. For almost 3 years. There is no rain simply. Because Elijah said, so and Elijah represents God.

Eventually, God tell Elijah to go present himself to Ahab cuz it's time to settle up. It's time to settle. This thing is. So Elijah goes to Ahab and says, alright, we're going to settle this thing once and for all. So I went to The Gather is all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, and we're going to sort this out.

So I have sent word throughout all is real, and assemble, the prophets on Mount Carmel, Elijah went before the people and said, how long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, but if bail is God, follow him? But the people said nothing, this is Elijah's troll. This is what the prophet does. When when the Israel leaves the Covenant is he boldly? Confronted 1/2 rebellion, and he called is real back to God. This is what the prophets do. Normally the prophets, say. Hey, you forgot this part of the Covenant. Are you using this power for this email. But now he's simply follow God at all on any level. Come back to God, choose to follow him. And so 8, Elijah Elijah proposes this test, so he's going to sacrifice a bull and put it on an altar. Anders 450 prophets of Baal and they're going to do everything they can to convince their God, to send down fire to burn up the the sack. Right? Because that's the important part burning up of the animal because that's the god excited that you remember that. This is what God did with the first sacrifice of the Tabernacle Choir came out of the Tabernacle and burned. The sacrifice is that shows he's accepting itself. The gods that the prophets of Baal are going to do all of this and try and get God to burn up the sacrifice. And then Elijah's going to have a go lonely old Elijah, and it may even do this on Mount Carmel, which is right across the border from Phoenicia, which is Bales Homeland though. He gives Bale every advantage and the prophets of Baal. They do. All of their, their ceremonies are jumping around their yelling cuz they think they actually do. Have to get Bales attention, cuz Bale can get distracted. They start cutting themselves. They do all kinds of things and eventually they give up.

Turn on, Elijah takes over.

And sorry, I just realized, I missed one thing. We need to update the people because now we realize that Elijah is an important part of the story. He's carrying the story for because he's calling people into all the plan it. So the story is about Ahab and Elijah and the Israelites and Elijah stands up to make this with this sacrifice, and he has them drench it in water to soak it because he wants to make this as clear as possible with really going on. And then he makes this prayer the time of the sacrifice Prophet. Elijah step forward and prayed Lord, the god of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and I've done all these things at your command answer me. Oh, Lord, answer me. So these people will know that you Lord, Our God and that you are turning their hearts back again. What's about to happen is supposed to serve the purpose pacifically of showing them. Who the true God is. He's put everything in this moment. In the fire of the Lord fell, and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones in the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried the Lord. He is God the Lord. He is God. Then Elijah commanded them. Sees the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away, They seized them. And Elijah had them brought down to the Keyshawn, Valley and slaughtered. Their We're going to talk about that violence a little bit later. But the point of this story, the point of what's Happening Here. Is that God showed up on Mount Carmel to remind Israel that God is still in control. Everything was stacked against him. They were closer to bails Homeland, then to, then to the temple. They, you know, his thing was drenched in water. There was only one lonely profit and yet God showed up. And bail didn't. And it was such conclusive proof that everyone present presumably including Ahab. Agrees with with Elijah and participates in the killing of the prophets of Baal because now the prophets of Baal have been revealed to be misleading. The people away from the only true God and away from their purpose.

And so as as conclusively as could be demonstrated, they had now have proof that Yahweh. The god of Israel is God and fail is not How many of us wish that we could have that conclusive proof or be like, have that prove to us or be able to bring that prove to others, right? I how awesome would it be to be able to call down fire to prove to people that God is God is real too. His butt and you would think, okay. So they all see this, they all see the prove it's irrefutable proof. And so now because of that all the Israelites repent and a have certainly is convinced that he leads his real back into the covenants and Israel's back on track at least for a generation, right. Kind of Miracles. Got to be good for at least one generation of repentance, right?

Oh, you for this story? Now they have told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how you'd killed all the profits with a sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say May the gods deal with me. Be it ever. So severely, if, by this time tomorrow, I do not make your life like that of one of them. This is unique. We don't know exactly what ahab's, what they had was thinking at Mount Carmel. He didn't stop and eat anything that was going on. Killing the prophets of Baal. He seems to participated but it's not uncommon for a person to have a powerful experience and then go home and talk to someone about it and suddenly, it's not, they start to have second thoughts. Right? Suddenly decide to come down off of that experience a day, right? Especially when you got Jezebel, who's reaction to this? Irrefutable proof of God? Of Yahweh, mean, God, is to say it is to get angry and to want to murder, Elijah. She couldn't have sent this message without it beat without ahab's, okay, which tells us that ultimately the reaction that they have in Jezebel, to decide on, to this amazing moment is that they doubled down on their allegiance to bail?

Now the question is, as I look at it and I wonder why, why would a rational person go through an experience like this? And reject it. And to be honest, the Bible doesn't tell us. It doesn't give us that Insight. So I'm going to speculate. I'm just going to acknowledge your speculation. This is based on what I know of myself and my experience of human nature. If I had to guess, I would say that it's because they haven't Jezebel cared less about which God was real than they did about which God. They wanted to be real.

That it wasn't in the end. They still wanted bail to be God because they still wanted a relationship with that kind of God. They still wanted a God, who would give them whatever they want. As long as they pay the toll, they didn't want to follow a god, who's going to call them to be something different didn't want to be. They want to follow. God was going to ask them to follow his plan instead of theirs. They knew what kind of God they wanted and they would rather stick with that. Then stick with the evidence of which God was actually real.

They're dedicated of the kind of plan. They want to be a part of this, their own plan not gods.

So this point as Elijah, Elijah received this, this message, a real life, amazing boolprop and steps out of the Wilderness and confronts the king and says, and you was not going to rain in less, I say so and then he goes off and and he was he hiding during the drought. He's miraculously fed by Ravens and then he goes and hides with a a widow and God miraculously gives her oil and enough to to feed him throughout this whole droughts. And then he has miraculously brings that widow's son back to life and, and then Mount Carmel thing in all of this, right. Until how does this bold powerful Prophet respond when he goes to Sangre note from Jezebel.

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life when he came to Beersheba in Judah. He came through a broom Bush, sat down under it and pray that he might die. I've had enough Lord. He said take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.

I can relate to that. You ever had a moment where you know, you've been you've been putting up with a lot, you in fighting the good fight. You've been enduring. You've been, you've been pushing your way forward doing, what God is calling you to do what, you know, you know what, you know, you supposed to ride and then all the sudden you hit 12 ft. Meet. Maybe it's the tenth of a doesn't or maybe it's just one, but it just hits you in a way that takes the wind out of you. Just knocks you down. Maybe it's because it's the latest in a long line of defeats. And it's just one too many. Maybe it's because you were so certain that it things were going to go the right way. This time. There's so many reasons why, but every once in awhile. You'll just hit a brick wall. Just really knocks you down. I totally get where Elijah's at in this moment, even in spite of everything. He's in cuz at this point, what more could he do? Right. He had a trial in front of the king of Israel and he threw him. God, be 450 prophets of Baal. The thing was drenched in water. They were right on the border with the what more could he possibly have done to convince the king to lead them back to God and things got worse.

I could totally understand, Elijah, just being. Hit in the gut from that. And so, what we find this reaction this, this normally very bold, man. Is he fled Jessup? Jezebel's persecution, and he despaired for his message.

So at this point, Elijah is at the southern end of the kingdom of Judah. And so God sent an angel to feed him, and he's falls asleep, and God sent an angel to give him food and to give us strength for the journey. Cuz what the first thing. Elijah needs is a nap and a snack. And then he Journeys on down to Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai is the mountain where God's presence waited for the Israelites. As they came out of Egypt. It's where Moses experience God. And it's where the presence of God came from Mount Sinai. Into the Tabernacle. He's, he's going to have a Mountaintop experience with God, literally is where we get to turn Mountaintop experience. So he goes to the mountain and he gets that Mountaintop experience. God shows up in the same, went with the same elements that he, that Moses experience. There's an earthquake, there is fire. There's when there's all this chaos, and then it says, there was the sound of Stillness.

So kind of the echoing reverberations as this whole copy, all this noise ends.

You know, I just heard he pulled his cloak over his face and went out instead of the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him. What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied. I've been very zealous for the Lord. God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected, your Covenant, torn down your altars and put your profits to death with the sword. I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me to. This is the burden. That Elijah is carrying a notice the pronouns.

Notice what he's saying and I'm not criticizing Elijah for this but it's it tells us his state of mind. I have been very zealous for the Lord Almighty. He is right to reject. In your Covenant, torn down your elders and put your profits to death with a sword. I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me to. Why has Elijah lost hope? Because Elijah has been overwhelmed because Elijah has done everything Elijah can do. And it hasn't fixed the problem. And now they're trying to kill him to. Elijah is out of resources. Elijah is out of options. And so Elijah has despaired of his ability to fix the situation. I think it's important for us to recognize that aspect of what he's saying. That Elijah is worn out and Elijah can't fix the problem. Breast understand how God respond to his Gods response, response is otherwise a little bit puzzling. Here's what God says. The Lord said to him, go back the way you came and go to the desert of Damascus. When you get there and 9th has IL King over Erin. Also anoint. Jehu, son of nimshi King over Elijah Israel and and how annoying tell Elijah son of shafaat from album the whole to succeed you as profit. First thing he says, is go home. I don't want you to anoint these three people for their role in my plan. Which is first of all, a reminder. Oh, yeah, there are other people with roles and God's plan. Wake, my job isn't to go and accomplish this like my next step isn't going to accomplish. This thing, is to go and appoint people who are going to accomplish things.

And as you read what he's saying, if you know the story that's coming. Then you will see what God is. Also telling him that he is anointing these three people because of these three people will play key roles in the defeat of the armor Dynasty and the defeat of Baal worshippers. Is he says, J, who will put to death, any who escaped, the board of sort of has a l and Elijah will put to death any who escaped, the sort of J who see how the hell is going to be king of Aaron, and he's going to grow in Howard hughes's. Started talking is real and staking territory and destroying their power. And then Jay who is going to lead a rebellion against a have son and he is going to Massacre 1/2 family down to the last person. He's going to execute Jezebel. And then, he's also going to kill all the bail. Worshippers is going to be. Just this, bloody bloody thing and Elijah is going to be active in carrying on Elijah's moves through the whole thing. God has a plan for how he's going to deal with Ahab and deal with the Baal worshippers and everything, but the plan just isn't for Elijah to be the one that finishes it. So he kind of lays out for Elijah, what the plan is going to be in to recognize. Elijah doesn't have a central role in it all the way through. And then, he also tags on this little, this little, yet. I reserved 7,000 and Israel, all whose names have not bow down to bail and whose mouth and not kissed him. Don't forget. There's also 7,000 people at least they're in, is really you aren't aware of that are serving me. So it's not just you. Give me clear. God, doesn't shame Elijah for his despair. He doesn't sit. He wasn't criticizing. He doesn't make him repent. Everything is understandable. He just opens up Elijah's perspective to recognize that. Even though he feels overwhelmed personally that it's not up to him. It's not at all on him to solve this problem. God met Elijah at Mount Sinai to remind Elijah that God was still in control because the Elijah had spent such as I've been such a central role, it would have been doing so far. He forgot. God, doesn't depend on him for that. That God works in other people cuz of Elijah stood up and said it won't rain. Unless I say, so, and it worked. But it works because God made it work until Elijah needed to be reminded that God works through people out and Elijah. God and God's plan will be fulfilled.

It's all Elijah leaves Mount Sinai and he Journeys back into Israel and he continues on in his mission. But ultimately it is through jehu and Elijah and it into 2nd kings that the armor Dynasty in the veil of worshippers are actually defeated.

But I want to stop here because I think this teaches us some really important lessons about what it means to follow God and what God asks of us. The first thing we learn from the story that I use really, really important, is that it is possible for people to understand exactly who God is and still reject him.

I have, I've heard that perspectives out there that ultimately everyone is going to be saved because anybody who truly experiences God will Embrace him. And so whether it's in your maybe in the next life, anybody who sees God will Embrace him and will want to be saved. And then hopefully everybody will be saved. And I think that would be awesome. I would love for that to be the case and maybe it is I'm I could be wrong. But what I see in Scripture. What I see in scripture is that human beings can see God for exactly who he is. And, and still say, I don't want that. Personally, I think that hell exists because of humans choices. Not because of God's choice. The we can see God for exactly who he is. And so, I know you're real, but I don't want to be a part of that. I flat-out don't want your plant. I want my plan.

And so it's not a matter of agreeing with facts. About who is the real God? It's a matter of choosing what kind of life you want to live in? What kind of plan you want to be a part of? And what kind of principles you want to serve and what kind of Kingdom you want to build. And it is possible. For people to see God for exactly who he is and to reject him. We see that in Scripture. We see that in the ministry of Jesus.

A word that means the next level. What that means for us is it is possible for God's people to do everything, right? And still faced rejection and failure. This is why Jesus says, if they rejected me, they'll reject you because you could reflect God perfectly to your neighbor. And if that neighbor doesn't want God, they will reject you to know. I don't think we should jump to that assumption every time that we Face rejection, because it's also possible. You didn't reflect God in that moment. We should jump to that assumption. But what that means is that we can do everything right and still faced rejection and failure. And those are, those are the moments were like Elijah. I think we're most easily knocked off off track. Those are the moments that can be the most discouraging. When you say, I don't think I did it wrong. I don't know. I said the right things, I represent in God the best I possibly could, and they still said, they still rejected me, but they still rejected. God. Because there is no guaranteed way to bring people to Jesus.

There is no guaranteed way to bring a Revival. The reality that genuinely keeps me up at night. There is no guaranteed way for me to raise my kids to love Jesus.

I can't make that happen.

But here's the comforting message that we learn from the story of Elijah. Is it? God doesn't expect me to make that happen. That's not the job. God doesn't expect us to solve that problem. He invites us to trust in his plan.

I can't make my kids follow Jesus. Their whole lives. I can do every use. Every opportunity. God has given me to build that into them, and I can also trust him that there will be a lot of other adults that he brings into their lives. There be a lot of other people that he brings into their lives to influence them to follow Jesus. This is not just me. I do everything I can in the opportunities. I've been given, but I also am not expected to be the all sufficient Savior for anyone. Cuz there's only one all sufficient savior, Mommy.

It's my job. Is to do what God has placed in front of me. The most faithful way I can and to trust him. That he is going to do what is best and what is right through all of the people that he worked through an all the power that he has.

There is one difference and it is the biggest possible difference there. Could be between our hope and Elijah Tope. Because all Elijah really got was to know that there would be people who would defeat defeat his, the people who are opposing, God and kill them, and take power instead of them. And even that you and the people of power, instead of they have work that much better like marginally better. That's not the hope that we have. We have hope and a different form seat in the New Testament. There's a story. But Jesus. And a young man comes to him and ask what it takes to get into the kingdom of heaven. And this young man is rich. He he he is very similar to a head where he wants to be prosperous and he wants a relationship that will that will allow him to hold on to his wealth in Jesus's, you're going to have to give that up and the young man rejection, he walks away. Jesus said, to his disciples. Truly. I tell you, it is hard for someone who is Rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Again. I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who's rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I need a way you can connect that with what we've been seeing is it's hard for somebody who wants bail. Did she was God? It's hard for someone who's dedicated to their life to this other way of living to want God and his plan. Hard. When the disciples heard that they were greatly astonished and asked who then can be saved. Jesus looked at them and said with man, this is impossible.

But With God, all things are possible.

With God, all things are possible.

That means that while there are people that I cannot reach that, you cannot reach. There's no one that God cannot reach. We still have the ability to reject him. But God has so much more at his disposal than simply, what you are. And I can do. Through Jesus, God has the power to reach the people. We can't reach the power of the Gospel. The power of the Holy Spirit, the power of God, that changes lives. And so there's a person in your life that you feel. I just can't be reached know that. God can reach them.

Continue to be faithful. Continue. To trust continue to pray, continue to, to use the opportunities. He gives, you know that God can reach anyone in. If you are a person who feels like you can't be reached. Who feels like you're too far gone and just can't be brought back and you can't seem to fit through the eye of that needle. God can reach you.

We believe that every time you hear the gospel, preached, God is calling you to respond. So I'm asking now to think about what is God calling you to do. What has God placed in front of you? What do your next steps look like? Maybe it means. No maybe has. God is calling you to witness to someone who needs to be called to God. Maybe God is calling you to be a bold profit in some way. Maybe God is calling you to pick yourself back up on from that mountain cave and head back into The Fray. I don't know what God has put in front of you. Maybe God is calling you to come to him for the very first time. Today is the best day to give your life to Jesus. Whatever God's calling you to do. I encourage you to accept that call and give you a couple ways that you can respond to God's call through this congregation. First of all, you can give your life to Christ this morning. God calling you to trust him and follow him for the first time. We would love to walk you through that. We would love to pray with you. We love to baptize you. We love to to walk you through that. And if you're online with us, we encourage you to get in contact with us or talk to a Christian that you trust. Make that decision. If you're a follower of Jesus, but you need help. You need, no support. You need people to go through this journey with because like Elijah, none of us can do it alone. That's what we have. Our small groups and service teams for we can do things together. We can do the work together. We can pray together. We can study together. We can support each other. If you want to join one of those groups, you can mark that on your connection card, and we can get you to get in touch with you. Finally, if you are looking for a family. A family that does this struggle together that walks this path together, that supports each other, that prays for each other, that sympathizes with each other. And and face is this battle together? That's who this congregation is seeking to be in. We would love for you to be a part of that. And so you can use your connect card to sign up for a class where we we just talked for about an hour and a half over lunch. About what what it means to be a part of this church and and how you can join with us. So you can place your membership with our congregation. 10 hours, we stand and sing. I encourage you to consider. What is God calling you to do? Please join us.