The Still Small Voice

Intro: Explain the story of Elijah

The question that we have is who is the God that we’re worshipping?

The God of Action

Elijah seemed to worship this God.

He saw God do incredible things, and expected everything to work out.

Worshipping a god of action requires that you are always doing something.

Elijah felt like he had to do stuff in order to be loved by God.

Look at vs 10

He’s saying, “I did stuff! I did everything and the world is still failing.”

He feels like God isn’t doing the things that Elijah expects him to do

If you worship a god of action, you’ll be burnt out and exhausted because you will always have to earn His love.

The God of Power v. 11-12

Elijah also saw God in this way.

He saw God send fire from heaven, food from ravens, and He raised a child from the dead. God is POWERFUL

But a god who is only powerful could only value power in his people

Elijah expected that God would allow Elijah to have a lot of power, and then he was crushed when it didn’t happen.

God even shows His power in vs. 11-12, but He wasn’t in it!

If you worship a God of power, you won’t be able to understand when He doesn’t do what you expect.

I.e. When God doesn’t heal your grandparents, when you do lose that friend, when your parents still split up. What are you going to do.

The God of Love

What Elijah needed to hear was not words of action or of power, but encouragement and love.

That’s why the angel gave Elijah food and a nap before talking to him.

And that’s why God came in a still, small voice, because God is powerful, and He is a God of action, but He’s also a God who is near, and a God who loves.

That’s the God you need. In ever avenue of your life, no matter what is going on, you need a God who loves you.

And the best example of that love is the cross.

We see a glimpse of that in v. 9 in that the Word of the Lord came to see Elijah, not just any angel.

Questions.

Read vs. 2. Why would God allow Jezebel to threaten Elijah like this?

What kind of God do you find yourself worshipping?

Have you ever felt abandoned by God like Elijah did? What did you do in that time?