Elijah in the Wilderness

Welcome/Intro/ Prayer

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning? It feels like we have been going non-stop the past several weeks with all of the transitions in our lives. It is good to be here this morning with our church family.

Prayer: God we come before you this Morning, grateful for the opportunity to gather. Thank you for church family that we have become, that you have formed among us. We thank you for those who were able to make it to today’s service, we thank you for our brothers and sisters that are away from us this morning. We thank you God that you are with us this morning. Our collective prayer this morning is that you would you would meet us where we are at and transform us to look more like Jesus when we leave this place than when we came in. Holy Spirit I pray that you would fill me up and annoint to share your word today.

In the previous weeks we have seen the wilderness as a place where we are brought to for hannah, she was forced out by Abram and Sari. Moses was forced out into the wilderness by fear and failure, faced to deal with his own inner wandering and struggles.

This idea of wilderness has been a place that's uncomfortable, a desperate last ditch effort, and a place where God reveals himself in times of our most pressing need.

But can the wilderness be a place we choose to go to when we are burned out, stressed, emotionally overwhelmed or simply a place where God is calling us to come so He can speak to us.

Where do we go when we need to hear from God? Where do we go when we dont know what God has for us next? Where do we go when we feel like We have reached the end of what God has for us. Where do we go to find answers from God? In Elijah’s story, the prophet goes into the wilderness, afriad, burned out, desperate, depressed, at the end of his rope, with no hope for whats next and returns a changed man!

Transition: if you havent already please turn to Kings 19 and follow along as We dive into the story of Elijah in the Wilderness!

Walking through the Text:

Context!

Can anyone summarize what has happened in chapter 18 right before this story on Mount Carmel?

. Context: Elijah has just come off an emotional and spiritual High. He has taken on evil and idolatry of baal. He has taken on the prophets of Baal in this ultimate show down. He gets the people to come back to Yahweh. Then goes total warrior mode and kills 450 prophets with a sword.

. Jezebel's Response to Yahweh’s Victiory

Threat of Death- this is a solem swear that the Queen of Israel makes here.

Elijah’s response was to run for his life. (He is running for his life and with his servant.)

1 and 2 Kings for Everyone The Low, Murmuring Sound (1 Kings 19:1–21)

Has his young assistant had enough when they get there? Elijah has not had enough. Does he know where he is going? Is he just running like a maniac?

Elijah’s first Stop

He says it is too much, take my life. I am not better than my ancestors.

God does not respond to his desperation except to provide for him physically

Gives him food and water not once but twice

If we learn anything from this series is that God always provides in our times of need, it may not always be in the way we expect or in our timing , but He always does.

God has done this twice for us in the past two weeks

Elsie and Packing (texted Jess she will be there at 6, she was going to make food) God told her to come help.

Issac’s Game - cancelled so we have another week to plan.

He continues into the wilderness and ends up at Horeb the mountain of God

Think about the Parallels between Elijah and Moses

Just killed people, on the run, in the wilderness these stories are so cool.

God speaks to Elijah

Why are you here Elijah?

1 and 2 Kings for Everyone The Low, Murmuring Sound (1 Kings 19:1–21)

He said, “I have been very passionate for Yahweh, the God of Armies, because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant. Your altar they have demolished; your prophets they have slaughtered with the sword. I am the only one who is left, and they are seeking to take my life.”

God Tells Elijah to come out as He passes by

The Wind, Earthquake, and Fire

These are all ways that God has revealed himself in the Hebrew Bible

God revealed himself on Mt. Carmel in Fire

But the last thing is a still small voice.

Now Elijah doesn’t experience God in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire.  Elijah experiences God in the sound of sheer silence.  The original Hebrew has yielded different translations of this idea.  The King James Version’s translation is perhaps the most famous, relating that the Hebrew phrase translated into English is “a still small voice.”  The New Revised Standard Version (which we heard) is “a sound of sheer silence.”  The New International Version relates that it’s “a gentle whisper.”  The Common English Bible reads, “After the fire, there was a sound.  Thin.  Quiet.”  We could go on and on.  Isn’t it fascinating that all of these English versions of that Hebrew phrase are different?  (This just goes to show how mysterious this moment with the prophet Elijah on the mountain of God played out.  The sound of sheer silence.  A gentle whisper.  There was a sound.  Thin.  Quiet.  A still small voice.

the structure of the text implies that it is in this stillness that Elijah somehow encounters the Lord.”[3]

God tells Elijah whats next, a three fold commission for Elijah.

Anoint a New King of Israel in place of Ahab- Ahab has been clearly not a good choice at this point

Anoint a New King of Aram, which is modern Syria.

Anoint Elijah’s sucessor Elisha

The last part of the chapter is where we see Elijah follow God’s command by passing the boton or in this case the cloak to Elisha and the new apprentice immediately begins to follow Elijah.

Transition: So what do we take from this story? How does it change our lives? How does this story about Elijah and God speak to our spiritual lives today? What needs to change in our lives?

Application: Scripture Speaks today

The one thing we must know in our minds and hearts from this story

is that God always meets us in the and provides for us.

No matter where your at or what your going through: overwhelmed, burdened, burned -out, even if you just killed 1 person or 450 people God is there (The last part might be true, but I hope no one here falls into that category.

One thing that we learn about God in this story is that He doesnt always show up the same way or how we expect.

God has shown up in the wind

God has shown up in the fire

God has shown up when the earth shakes.

But God can also show up in the silence!

Question: When was the last time you took the time to listen for God in the Silence?

This brings me to the one thing we must change in our lives after hearing this story: Seeking God in the Wilderness or Time for Retreat!

We need to take time to retreat and listen for God as a spiritual practice.

This requires us to make intentional steps to hear his voice, you dont have to travel to mount Horeb like Elijah or even go a long distance, but find a place that is quite secluded and away from all the noise of life.

Take your bible and journal and just go and listen.

Go and share your heart with God like Elijah did, yes you have permission to be dramatic like elijah was!

pour out your feelings, thoughts , and desires

Listen for God’s response and commission:

He may tell you what he has planned next

He may tell you what you need to hear

He may tell you why you are out in the wilderness.

My story of God in the Wilderness this week.

This season has been overwhelming, We have endured, pain, transition, heart ache, I have felt like Ive dropped the ball over and over in multiple areas of my life. (School, Church, Marriage)

On friday, I shared at Lenten Lunch to spend time in prayer this season of lent and let God speak into your life. As I was speaking the words I realized I have failed to do this.

God told me to go into the wilderness: Oppossum lake is a Holy Place for me

As I went I had things running through my mind: Time, Weather, Comfortability.

Yet I stayed- Sat and Listened.

Here is what God said to me:

This season that you are going through this hurt that has left you with more questions than answers: This was the only way that you and Jess could fully heal.

God spoke to my spiritual life- as I watched the water

Moving from Path of least resistance to Water that is empowered by external force (storm, flood, rivers/canyons)

God says if you let me I will fill you and empower you to do great things for the Kingdom

I have freed you so that you can continue working once again for what I called you. This next season is for the growth and benefit of the Kingdom through the work in the Church

God renewed my spirit, renewed my call and renewed my hope (all in an hour of just sitting and listening!)

Challenge: To incorporate this spiritual practice of retreating into the wilderness to listen for God’s still small voice.

find a place that is quite secluded and away from all the noise of life.

Take your bible and journal and just go and listen.

Go and share your heart with God

Listen for God’s word to you in the silence.

I would now like to invite Jess up to lead us in our closing song, but as she comes up , Would you pray with me?