Joel Diya - Faith Against Opposition

Courageous Faith against

opposition.

Why was Elijah Scared of Jezebel right after seeing the

powerful move of God.

JAMES Chapter 18 and 19

 Summary of the story of the contest on mount Carmel

33  He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the

wood. [e] Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the

offering and the wood.” 34  After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!”

And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he

said,  35  and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench

 Elijah knowing that there is drought in the land, he tells the people to pour a

considerable amount of water on the offering.

38  Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the

young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the

trench!  39  And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried

out, “The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!”

 Elijah’s courageous faith causes the nation to turn the eyes back to God.

2  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if

by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” 3  Elijah was afraid

and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant

there.

 Elijah had just witnessed the power of God. But when jezebel threatens to

take his life he is consumed with fear and runs away.

 The distance between Jezreel where Elijah was and Beersheba is

approximately 173km. so Elijah was so afraid that he fled that considerable

distance.

 Elijah let his feelings get in the way of what God had done. He lost focus and

had his eyes on fear instead of looking to God

 We see the same scenario in the story of Paul walking on water. Jesus had

called him, and he responded but as soon as he lost focus on Christ he

began to drown.

 We see this in our own life. We let our human nature get in the way of what

God has done. We have Highs in life, but how do we respond in the valleys.

 The spirit of jezebel wants us to focus on its lies and deceit, but we need to fix

our eyes and attention on what god says we are and what he has done in our

lives.

8  So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel

forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, [a]  the mountain of God.  9  There he came to

a cave, where he spent the night. But the LORD said to him, “What are you doing

here, Elijah?” 10  Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But

the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and

killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to

kill me, too.”

 Elijah goes off course and God is saying, “What are you doing here Elijah?”

 We do the same thing God restores us but we go through the same cycle of

moving of course. and God is prompting us, saying “What are you doing

here” I’ve already set you free where are you going??

 But we let our human faults get in the way of God and we offer these

excuses.

 Refer to your own life

11  “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah

stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was

such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the

earthquake.  12  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the

fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  13  When Elijah heard

it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the

cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 Summarise the story of the gentle whisper.

 All it takes in the voice of God to silence all fear

 Perfect love casts out all fear

 When we fix our eyes on Jesus we are empowered and strengthen to do what

he has called us to do.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-

discipline.

 Begin to declare the through the holy spirit we can overcome the fears and

inequities that trouble us.