Sermon Nuggets Week of Jan 25 2010
Sermon Nuggets Mon Jan 25
Theme The Spirit of Elijah
Verses. I King 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
James 5:16-18 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
The Spirit of Elijah
For the next several weeks I want to study the lives of two of Israel’s most famous and powerful prophets- Elijah and Elisha. Many lessons and principles can be learned from them. These are adapted from sermons preached in 1987 at Stanchfield-
Lois Anne William wrote this about prayer,
“I sat and gazed in silence at the azure sky overhead.
In the glory of that moment, a simple prayer was said.
I thanked God for all the grandeur, for His beauty everywhere.
I praised the Great Creator, as I sat in silent prayer.
I found an inspiration, and a peace within my soul.
I took the time to worship and I felt myself made whole”
Each January we have prayer week. It is fitting to begin a series on one of my favorite Old Testament Prophets, Elijah. But to do so I want to introduce him in the practical way that James does. James 5:16-18 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
James precedes this passage by talking bout the prayer of faith. Pray if you are in trouble; praise if you are happy. If you are sick, call the leaders to pray over you and be anointed with oil. If you have sinned pray for forgiveness, confess sin so that there will be healing. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
What is your prayer life like? Is it powerful and effective? Then we must ask is it from the lips of a righteous person?
James tells us that Elijah was a righteous, fervent pray-er. It also says he was a man with like passions as we have. Do you ever think that you are like Elijah? Most of you know the major stories that surround this character. He was one who raise a boy form the dead, called down fire from heaven to consume an offering to God at a contest of gods on Mt. Carmel. He was even taken up in a whirlwind and a fiery chariot.
Does that sound like someone of whom it is said “He had like passions as we do?” In fact when James lived there were many popular legends about Elijah in the Jewish stories. He was regarded by the Hebrews a mix of Daniel Boone, Robin Hood, and Superman all wrapped up in one. He represented all the prophets on Mount of Transfiguration when he and Moses met with Jesus in that miraculous manner. It was the prophecy form Malachi that Elijah would come again. That is why some people thought Jesus was really Elijah returned from the dead.
Harold W. Fife said, “A Man just Like Us.” “The real difference between Ahab and Elijah was not in their passion but in their outlets for it. Ahab incited by Jezebel, allowed it to lead the nation into appalling idol worship and unthinkable sin. Elijah, incited by the Spirit of God, allowed his passion to drive him to prayer. It is not our passion that makes or breaks us. It is the way it is channeled.’
If we put the Bible Characters up on pedestals and halos, it is hard to learn from them, but if we do as James did, identify him as an ordinary man who allowed God to use him and was filled with faith and obedience, then we can see some similarities with people of today.
We will also discover that Elijah was not exempt form incredible stress, intense fear and anxiety and crippling anger and depression.
Because Elijah was a man of intense faith and trust in the Almighty he was moved with indignation over evil. Elijah couldn’t just stand by and be quit. God put within his mouth a speaking tongue to warn the people and rebuke them before the ultimate punishment that comes from rejecting God. He was very jealous for God.
What was it that made him tick? It was the Spirit of God. We begin looking at his life from I Kings 17. We will look more at this verse and glean some important qualities about Elijah. But it seems to begin with a prayer life, according to James.
It is always an important reminder to reevaluate your prayer life and allow your time with the Lord to grow your faith.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Jan 26
Verse- I King 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
The Call of God on Elijah
James tells us the thing that highlighted Elijah was the faithful righteous man who believed in the power of prayer. The very name, Elijah, means “Yahweh is my God.”
Sometimes the Bible tells us that God changes the name of people based on their call or their service for the Lord. We do not know if this is the case with Elijah. But the name is consistent with the call of God on his life and the mission to which he is called. Yahweh is my God is how Elijah is identified by name which runs contrary to the message of his day when Jezebel and Ahab are leading people away from Yahweh to other gods.
We are becoming quite used to many Muslims in the new who bear the name of Mohammed or Allah. They have often been named that by their family, or change their names to so identify with their faith.
The identifying title we have is Christian. Christian means Christ follower, or Christ’s disciple. Technically we bear the name of little Christs even if it isn’t our surname.
Little is known about Elijah’s beginnings other than he was a Tishbite which is an area in Gilead. It is a mountainous country. People there were sometimes thought of as rural, individualistic, sort of the reputation of the mountain people of the hills of Arkansas. His personality was consistent with one from the outdoors, rugged, independent with hermit like tendencies. He probably wouldn’t feel comfortable in the urban areas, or in the courts of a king. But he went where God led him to say what God wanted him to say. That was the call of God on his life.
We should remind ourselves of the circumstances which surrounded Elijah’s call. This was the period during the times of the Kings. He was called to speak the word of the Lord to the Northern 10 tribes who identified themselves now with the name “Israelites”. The Southern 2 tribes were known now as “Judah.” After King David’s death, his son Solomon reigned for many years. After Solomon died his son Rehoboam was the new king on the throne. He was not the leader his father was. Rehoboam was cruel and wouldn’t listen to the wiser advisers.
The oppositional leader, Jeroboam, lead a revolt and 10 tribes in the North split from the nation and developed its own king. The problem with going on our own and not according to the plan of God is that many who are called into the service of God, as Jeroboam was, find the power or the popularity to go to their head and moved in a direction God did not intend. The Lord needed a leader who was strong to lead His people, but not in a different direction and emphasis.
Jeroboam made Samaria the capital and built altars in two cities, Dan and Bethel, so that the people of the North didn’t have to go to Jerusalem to the temple to worship God. It wasn’t long before they started to also worship false gods and idols.
Twenty four years after the reign the Jeroboam’s death Omni became the 10th king in Israel. He was evil. It was not uncommon for the king of one name to have his son or daughter to marry the king of another names for the sake of alliances and expansions and protection. Ahab was the son of Omni and Jezebel was the daughter of the Phoenician king, who was also a high priest of Baal. On order to keep his new wife happy along with his father-in-law the King of Phoenicia, Ahab and Jezebel built shrines to the gods Baal and Asherah. Jezebel was given great power. After Omni died she spearheaded a campaign to have all the followers of Yehwah be put to death. She made the Jewish religion to God illegal. (read about that 1 Kings 16:29-33).
Ahab was more evil than all before him. Even to bear the name for Yehweh would have put Elijah in danger for his life. But into that situation God raised him to testify and demonstrate the power of God .
Gods’ laws have our own best interests in view. One does not break Gods’ laws but Gods’ laws break those who transgress them. Ahab and Jezebel will learn the hard way. But God had given warning. Obey His word. Israel was once rich in spiritual heritage, but wandered from the Lord.
Interestingly there are many parallels in American with godly heritage, the religious founders. The system of law and justice were founded on the law of God. The opportunity to follow Christ and trust him was evident in the early history of our nation. Even “Trust in God” is on our coins, which will probably be removed in our generation. In this last 30 years we have raised up a generation of people who do not know God. The roots of faith have been removed to relative political correctness where to embrace anyone and everyone faith root the Christian principles have been quickly eroding. We bear the consequences of the tearing down in the morals by increase living and making laws where idols of license replace the throne of God. Rights now are for free choice in areas of pornography, homosexuality, abortion, greed, rights, drugs, and drunkenness.
When leaders follow power, money and prestige they become self serving.
Let us be aware that there are two nations. Jesus was clear in his conversation to Pilate. I have a Kingdom that is not of this world. Regardless which country or leaders are in power, like Elijah we have a call. It is to make the Lord our King and be identified with Him.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Wed Jan 27
Verse- Verse- I King 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
He believed God was Alive.
He believed that Yahweh lived and was alive and real. Elijah was very angered at what was happening. Ahab did not believe anymore in the Lord. He felt Baal and Asherah were stronger. He listened to his wife. He put up several idols to Baal. He agreed the prophets of God should be put to death.
Sometimes there are philosophical arguments concerning the existence of God. The God is dead movement by Frederick Nietzsche proposed we no longer needed a God created from our simple emotional needs. In our superior knowledge and scientific age belief in God is something of the past.
When one lady heard that God was dead, she was surprised and responded, “He can’t be. I was just talking with Him this morning.”
I was reading an article in the paper about the place of science and faith. The author proposed that science looks at fact and faith remains for the unexplainable. Some might say there is something aesthetic and spiritual watching a sunset in the glowing hews of the evening. The color, the majesty and the beauty inspires our emotions. That unexplainable appreciation falls into the category of faith according to their arguments. Does science take away the spiritual dimension explaining by measuring guidelines the atmospheric data to explain the color wave and optical frequencies?
Increasingly there are debates over evolution and creationism that I didn’t think possible when I grew up. The lines were more clearly defined that religion and faith had no place in the realm of science. Since then more serious scientists have found no plausible explanation for many scientific phenomena without an intelligent designer.
Psychologists explain away guilt and sin and need for forgiveness based on “mistaken” belief systems.
Religions itself can be practiced with programs and performance without any heartfelt involvement. Prophets of old warned against sacrifices without commitment of love or obedience. That would be dead worship.
Elijah was willing to prove God’s existence by means of a miraculous contest, which we will look at in another chapter. Although people believed in spiritual forces Elijah had a personal relationship with God Almighty. Today we need people who will show God is alive by their own life changed by the Holy Spirit.
` But the greatest step for a Christian is to acknowledge that Jesus Christ had lived a real life. He died a real death. At His crucifixion there were real spikes and wood, real sword and thorns, real death and burial. But that is not all or we would be worshiping a dead God. But we worship one who rose from the grave and is living today. One who is just alike and with us as if he saw him walking it the street. “I am he that lives. I was dead and behold am alive forever and ever. And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Rev 1:18)
The world is full of dead gods and idols. Most of the people of this world are still pagan and living with idol worship. In Japan they worship ancestors and build shrines to them. Buddists have the idol of Buddah. Hindus have prayer temples for various gods with the grotesque figures. You talk to missionaries in South America and in Mexico. When someone is killed or dies, people will come with all kinds of gifts and trinkets and statues and make that place a place of worship and prayer and superstition syncretism that combines Christian Catholicism with pagan idolatry.
But we also must beware of idols which take the place of honor of God. Romans 1 warns us from worshipping the creation instead of the Creator. Since man himself is a created being it applies that too often we worship people- Elvis Presley, Brett Favre, rock stars, or even political powerful people who capture people’s commitment, money, devotion and love.
Is God alive for you? Have you placed your confidence that he is alive within your own soul through His Holy Spirit? Have you the complete awareness that God is active and alive in our world?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Jan 28
Verse- I King 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
God was His King
It wasn’t King Ahab that Elijah was subject to. It was God. Ahab could make all the rules and laws that he wanted, but Elijah was the servant of king Yahweh. The Lord was the one before whom he stood accountable. Elijah grasped an idea that is important. We must all stand before the Lord. We can do it now or later. We stand before Him now as his servants, or stand before Him later to be judge. Elijah was the servant.
It is difficult to go against the opinions of King Ahab and the majority. It is hard to be an individual when being an individual means rejection and even danger. That is hard for a young person who wants to live for the Lord, or a business man who makes decisions for his boss. However, for Elijah he knew whom he would serve whether or not it was popular. He knew to whom he belonged, if standing for God meant his life. Jezebel was out to kill all the prophets and Elijah was so identifed publicly.
God wasn’t only Elijah’s God, but the God of Israel, not Baal. That is the God all should worship. God loved Israel and redeemed his people. The Lord was a God that showed love and was personal to Elijah unlike Baal to anyone.
Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab was confronting the wickedness and evil in the land. He was the one sent to cry out against the sins of his day. Isa 59:19b “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”That was being realized in the person of Elijah who made his King the Lord.
Harper Lee in her book, To Kill a Mockingbird” said, “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” A conscience cannot agree with what is wrong if that conscience is committed to Jesus and He reigns in your life. It was a Bobby Dylan’s song in Slow Train Coming album-“You’ve got serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’ve got to serve somebody.”
Years ago when I went to a Conference meeting I listened to a Pastor Klaus, president of the Baptist World Alliance. He was German. He communicated with church leaders in East Germany under communist rule at that time. He had friends there who were not allowed to preach. No children would be allowed to go to Sunday School. Just like the Russian Christians I met, parents could be arrested to teaching their children about Jesus and baptisms was something done in the middle of the night so as not to be persecuted. Hundreds passed around handwritten Bibles because it was illegal to buy then or print them.
Pastor Klaus told about an underground Baptist church and how literally under ground they built a place that would sit over 2,000 in East Germany. Why? Because they believed with all their Heart that God was the only they served.
There are rules and regulations whereby we as a nation must be governed. It is right to obey those rules. Scriptures often tell us to do so. But when God’s truth conflicts with government we are to serve the Lord. That was Daniel’s decision which led him into the lion’s den. That was the decision of the Hebrew young men willing to go into the fiery furnace. Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed because they preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. And many who made God their king against the commands of Ahab and Jezebel were killed.
God raised up Elijah to bring judgment on Israel and its leadership. God must be sovereign . He must be your King. If that is true then he has ownership of our money, our entertainment, or pleasures, our hobbies, our work, our homes and our lives.
When Elijah obeyed Him he found a renewed strength through faith. He found courage. He found purpose. He found His peace in the midst of national turmoil.
Where is God in your priorities and decision of life today?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Jan 29
Verse I King 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.
Believing God’s Word
Elijah acted on that which he knew to be God’s word both written and revealed. God would bring a draught by his word because of the sin of Ahab and those who allowed it to happen. This draught would come to everyone, children, and women and destruction until people would be brought to their knees. This was a Biblical warning long before Elijah came on the scene.
Duet 11:16-17 “Be careful or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you. And he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce and you will soon perish form the good land the Lord is giving you..”
Elijah was aware of Moses’ writings. They were often read in Judah. He knew it was important to remember God’s word and this blessing of the land was conditional. He saw the people were allowing such horrible apostasy to occur. He believes God and prayed that heavens would be stopped from rain. Elijah believed God could be counted on to keep His word both for blessing as well as for judgment. He must preach judgment against sin. James tells us that he brought on this draught by prayer.
Israel believed Baal was the god of fertility. They believed Baal would give the harvest. He controlled the weather to allow the fruit to grow and the crops to be harvested. Elijah was already beginning the contest between false Baal and the God who lives. If Baal was the god of the harvest and the god of the weather then let’s see what he does when it doesn’t rain until I say so through the spirit of God. It was a direct attack on the falsehood of Baal.
Elijah he took God’s truth and prayed it into a reality.
While serving as a St. Paul reserved police chaplain, there was a man who had bombed out a Shell gas station. He did so because the S on the sign was out. He read the Bible and listened to a voice that he believed was from God and acted in his emotional and psychological state that indeed was misguided. He needed to bring judgment on the _hell gas station.
Some people try to prove their point by turning to the Bible and taking passages out of context. The abuses of verses and principles in the Bible are the beginning of many cults and false teachers. Fortunately in our age we have our personal Bibles and can check out so many false claims.
Do you believe God’s word? Most would say yes. But many do not act on their belief. What about keeping our promises, or tithing, or forgiving one another, or loving our enemies?
One plus God make a majority. It made a difference with Elijah. he prayed and believed and acted on his faith. That is the spirit of Elijah.
Elijah prayed earnestly. He had no power within himself. But he had a spirit that knew God lives, God is sovereign and God’s word is true. He believed that.
Elijah could have said like the apostle Paul, “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Tim 2:12
Pastor Dale
