1 Kings 18:17-39

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“A Call to the Undecided”

1 Kings 18:17-39

As we begin this morning I would like to read to you a passage from an article I read online it's a true story it begins like this

It was Thursday, May 1st 2003, five days after Aron Ralston had first entered Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon on what should have been an eight-hour, 13-mile hike. But on his way, while scrambling through a narrow section of the sandstone slot, Ralston dislodged a 1, 000 pound boulder that rolled on its pinch points and pinned his hand and forearm. His supplies—two burritos and three liters of water—were now gone, and there was virtually no chance of rescue. Unless Ralston did something drastic, he would not make it out alive.

Aron, a 27 year old experienced mountain climber, tried to rig something with his ropes and equipment to move the boulder, but it would not budge. He tried to chip at the rock with his knife, but after ten hours of chipping he had only a pile of rock dust to show for his effort. On Tuesday, day three of his ordeal, he had run out of food and water. On Wednesday, Ralston began sipping the urine he had started saving a day earlier. He pulled out his video camera and recorded a message to his parents. He next etched his name, birth date and what he was certain was his last day on earth into the canyon wall. He topped it off with RIP.

On Thursday, after he had a vision of a little boy running across the floor to hug a one armed man, he realized he had a hard decision to make. It was a decision that would mean the difference between life and death. Aron came to the conclusion that the only way he could survive was to amputate his own arm. After breaking the two bones in the arm, he cut through flesh and tendons and muscle with a pocketknife, amputating his right arm below the elbow. He used a first-aid kit in his backpack to bandage his arm and put it in a sling. He then rappelled 70 ft down a cliff and walked to get help. I can just imagine the turmoil and agony that Aron Ralston must have gone through as he tried to decide what to do in-order to live. It was a difficult and frightening decision, but one that resulted in life.

Some of you here this morning are undecided for Christ.

You’re in turmoil over whether to turn your life to Christ and live or to just remain in your sins and die an eternal death in Hell.

Well I want to say that The decision before you is no less of a decision between life and death than it was for Aron Ralston the day he lay in that canyon with a 1,000 pound boulder on his arm.

You have before you a difficult decision.

A decision between Heaven and Hell.

A decision to sever yourself from the false gods of this world and live or a decision to remain in your sins and die

In just a few moments, I’m going to be inviting you to make that decision

A decision that will result in your eternal destiny

I’m going to be inviting you to respond to God’s invitation to become a follower of Christ.

To be saved and have life eternal in that place called heaven

But first I want to share a story from Gods word

The Bible tells us of a group of Israelites who were spiritually undecided.

They had a decision to make and it was a difficult one.

In 1 Kings 18 the Bible tells us that for more than 3 years there had been a drought in Israel and the situation was desperate.

People were starving and animals were dying.

So The Lord sent His servant Elijah to tell wicked King Ahab to gather all the people at Mt. Carmel along with the false prophets of Baal and Asherah.