Gospel Project

Elijah

Intro

Courage.

Is something we all want, but are fearful to get.

Courage is not always easy, especially when it goes against the grain.

When you think of courage what comes to your mind?

What does courage look like?

I googled courage here is what came up:

The ability to do something that frightens one.

We have to find courage to stand tall in the face of an ever growing pressure to be part of the world.

How do we do this?

One day at a time, one moment at a time.

Or are we okay with just being okay?

But if we are not okay with living our life in a consistent funk, and not giving our self to Jesus, then lets talk a little more, lets see what this guy named Elijah did.

1 Kings 19:9-18 is where we are going to be at tonight And here is what is going.

Elijah is running away he is a prophet of God and he is on the run.

He is running from this gal names Jezebel.

You see she wanted to kill Elijah and Elijah was fleeing from her.

She had already killed a ton of God’s prophets so this wasn’t an empty threat.

Elijah knew this and so he was fleeing.

Now why did Jezebel want to kill him?

Well, the people of Israel were split on who they should worship either God or this small “g” god Baal.

There were 450 prophets of Baal and only one for God, Elijah.

So Elijah made a wager, and Elijah said, prepare a burnt offering from a bull, do not light the fire, have Baal light your fire for you.

So the prophets of Baal did this and they called Baal all night and day and nothing.

Elijah beings to mocking them, saying hey, maybe he is asleep, and needs to be woken up or maybe he is in the bathroom.

So Elijah gets up and prepares his offering and after dumps tons of water on his offering, to where it was soaked with water, he called upon God and God set fire and showed Israel how the true God was.

So the Baal prophets were embarrassed and then Elijah took them and slaughtered them all.

All 450 prophets of Baal.

This is why Jezebel wants to kill Elijah.

So Elijah is fleeing, God has already helped him a few times while he was in the wildness and now we get to 1Kings 19:9, and what we learn from this is that Elijah was all alone.

Elijah assumed he was only one. (1 Kings 19:9-10)

1 Kings 19:9–10 ESV

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

Explain

So Elijah has fled and he is running away, he came to this cave and he is hiding there and guess what God found him.

And God is like Elijah was are you doing, why are you hiding here?

Elijah was hiding because he thought that destroying the prophets of Baal that it would end that belief and that people would turn to God.

He felt like he shouldn’t have to flee because Jezebel was trying to murder him.

And God calls to him, what are you doing here?

I have a feeling that God asks this questions to us a lot, like what are you doing here, Zach?

No no no I need you here, why are you there?

Anyone ever thing that God has asked that of them?

Of course just like we would answer, Elijah answers the Lord, and says:

Look God I am it, there is no one left, they the people who are coming here to kill me, they have killed all the other followers of you, it is just me, there is no hope, I am all that is left.

I mean if you felt like you were the only believer of God left would you go and hide?

If you felt like no one would help you, would you continue?

Elijah felt pretty alone, he felt like no one was left, that he had to do this whole thing alone.

You get this sense that Elijah feels bad, he feels like he let God down because there is no one to stand for God.

Illustrate

Have you ever felt hopeless?

You had that feeling that no matter what you did or could do nothing matter, you had zero control?

Our oldest was born 11 weeks early, she was 1lb 12oz and 13in long, she was so fragile, she was so tiny, that when they brought me to see her I felt powerless, I felt useless, I felt that there was nothing I could do for her.

I mean how do you snuggle a child that is about the size of a banana?

How do you clam her down, how do you hold her tight and tell her its going to be okay, that the only time you got to hold was for one hour a day and you had to pick between you holding her or your wife.

I felt useless, I felt alone, I felt like no matter what I did or what I could do it didn’t matter.

I know that we all have felt that sense of uselessness.

That feeling that I can’t do anything?

Maybe you feel it right now in your school, and you feel powerless to share your faith, that maybe you feel like you are the only one waiting for marriage, you feel alone because no one is living our their faith, so why should you live out yours.

Application

I know we have all been there, we have had that feeling of just loneliness, that feeling that we did not matter a ton.

But even when Elijah was running away, did you see that God came to him and spoke to him, God calls to him and is just like what are you doing?

I know God has called me out, what are you doing here, why are you fleeing, or better yet why are you falling into this trap again, this trap of lying, of lusting, what are you doing?

I know we have heard that before right?

And yet we feel so lonely, but are we?

Elijah was the only one.

Elijah was answered by a whisper.

Elijah was answered by a whisper (1 Kings 19:11-14)

1 Kings 19:11–14 ESV

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

Explain

God tells Elijah to go and stand on the mountain before the Lord, Elijah is going see God pass by him, if you are familiar with the story of Moses, yes this happened there as well.

And God sent a wind, and this wind was mighty and powerful I mean it tore into the mountain, and broke it into pieces but yet, God was not in the wind.

And then an earthquake, and still God was not in the earthquake.

And then fire came and went but yet God was not in the fire either.

I mean Elijah had seen God bring fire onto his alter of the bull while it was soaking wet, he knows the power of the Lord and he was waiting for God to show up and display his power.

And finally God came in what?

A low whisper.

A whisper.

Not wind, not an earthquake, not fire, but a low whisper.\

Elijah had to be focusing on listening to God, because at that moment he covers his face because, he does not want to die, because no one can see the face of God or else they would surly die.

So God calls to Elijah and he asks him the same questions as before, what are you doing here!

Illustrate

I don’t know about you but when I get asked a question not once but twice I begin to rethink my answer.

I begin to go, either they did not hear me or that is not the answer they wanted to hear.

My kids will ask can I have a snack?

And I’ll say no we are going to have dinner soon.

That is mostly followed by another questions, can I have a snack? And Its like what did I just say?

No, and they run and ask mom!

I mean I know I am not giving them the answer they want to hear so they ask again.

Do you ever feel like God does that to us, that we are going through our day and we get those thought or ideas not once but twice, or maybe we got those same questions over and over again.

Do we stop and think about it or do we just keep giving the same answer.

Elijah gives God the same answer.

He goes into the whole I am alone I am by myself, I am mad for you God that all your prophets are dead and no one is carrying for you besides me.

Its only me God.

I don’t think that is what God wanted to hear he didn’t want the same answer!

In the next part we are going to see what God wants Elijah to do.

Application

I think its pretty powerful that God chose to answer Elijah in a whisper.

I mean there is no one around, God could have pulled out all the stops but he came in a whisper.

Let’s think about this just for a moment, lets talk for a second, lalalalalla and put your hand over your mouth do you feel anything?

Now whisper lalalaalalalala and put your hand over your mouth do you feel anything? What do yo feel?

You feel your breath, God whisper is literally God breathing onto Elijah, I mean how cool would that have been?

The God of the universe whispering to you, breathing on you to tell you something or to ask you something?

So how would we respond?

Do we give God the same answer when asked a question?

Do we do this with others, do we run and hide, fearful for what might happen to us?

Elijah fled because he didn’t think God could take care of his problem.

There is not other reason for him to flee, Elijah was scared that God couldn’t save him.

We tend to do the same thing, we say we believe I God but when it comes to giving him total control we say, nah I got this, or then when things don’t go our way we think man it sure would be easier to just be part of the world, so we join in.

We want to be followers but yet when things get challenging we tend to give in pretty easy?

Why is that?

I mean Elijah was the only one

Elijah was answered by a whisper and:

Elijah was not alone (1 Kings 19:15-18)

1 Kings 19:15–18 ESV

And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Explain

God is like yeah I heard you the first time, get up and go!

God is telling Elijah, listen I am not through with you yet, You need to go, he is pulling him back into service.

God says look you are going to go and anoint some people, these people do play a big role, you should read up on them!

And then God tells him, oh you are not alone, there are 7000 in Israel who have not bent the knee to Baal, meaning you are not alone.

Stop thinking you are and go do my work!

Elijah was not alone, he may have felt alone, but he was not.

Illustrate

In the process of feeling alone, I wasn’t, I had Brittni there with me and while we may not have been able to fully embrace Evey until she was 54 days old we had each other to get through the storm.

Application

When you feel alone, when you feel like no one else is want to live for Jesus, just stop and realize that you are not alone in your struggles, in your sin, in your fights, in your battles you are not alone.

People all around the world are with you.

Believers are with you.

Heck people in this very room may have the same struggles!

Do not stop pushing and do not stop leaning onto Jesus!

Have the courage to stand up and say I will follow Jesus all of my days.

Let’s pray!

You are so loved