Make A Decision Series

MAKE A DECISION

I Kings 18.1-46

S: Choosing God

C: Idolatry

Th: Life Can Be Hard

Pr: WE MUST BE UNDIVIDED IN OUR ALLEGIANCE.

TS: We will find in our study of I Kings 18 how Elijah courageously called people to make a decision to God.

Type: Inductive

I. INSTRUCTION (1)

II. SITUATION (2-16)

III. ACCUSATION (17-18)

IV. CONFRONTATION (19-29)

V. VERIFICATION (30-39)

VI. RETRIBUTION (40)

VII. PRECIPITATION (41-46)

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• We must be undivided in our allegiance.

• We are never to underestimate the power of a dedicated life.

• When God is on our side, we are unbeatable.

Version: ESV

RMBC 12 November 06 AM

INTRODUCTION:

In our study last week, we learned that…

1. “Life can be hard.”

We probably know in our head that we have it pretty easy.

During the storm, a lot of us were saying that it was like going back to pioneer days.

But that was not really true.

Our lives were supplemented with generators, gas stoves or grills, and batteries.

We were still driving our cars around.

Was it hard?

Sure, but still not anything like it could have been.

It could have been much worse.

But if you were like me, when the electricity came on, you were going… “Yes!!!”

There are times, though, life is hard.

There are times of illness or disease.

There are times when a loved one is wandering spiritually.

There are times when relationships are broken.

There are times when finances are really tight.

But realize this…

2. There are still choices available to us, even when times are difficult.

Sometimes, though, we don’t make good choices.

ILL Choice

This week, I found this list that shows you how you know you have chosen a bad lawyer:

• Just before trial starts he whispers, "The judge is the one with the little hammer, right?"

• When the prosecutors see who your lawyer is, they high-five each other.

• Just before he says "Your Honor," he makes those little quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

• The sign in front of his law office reads "Practicing Law Since 2:25 PM."

• Whenever his objection is overruled, he tells the judge, "Whatever."

Now, there is wisdom when we know we have made a bad choice.

But, there is an even greater wisdom when we do something about it.

Sometimes, when life is hard, we think we are left with little choice.

That is not always true, because we can always make the greatest choice.

We can choose to trust in God.

So in our story today…

3. We will find in our study of I Kings 18 how Elijah courageously called people to make a decision for God.

OUR STUDY:

First, we hear the…

I. INSTRUCTION (1)

After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."

Note first that…

4. The time of hiding is over.

It has been three years that the drought has been in force.

As we saw last week, after Elijah had made the pronouncement, God sent him away.

He said, “Go hide yourself.”

But now, three years later, it is a much different instruction.

It is, “Go show yourself.”

It was time to confront Ahab.

So, here is the…

II. SITUATION (2-16)

I will be reading the entire text, though your supplement only contains a few of the verses…

(2) So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. (3) And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. [Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly, (4) and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.] (5) And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals." (6) So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself. (7) And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?" (8) And he answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, ’Behold, Elijah is here.’" (9) And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? (10) As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ’He is not here,’ he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. (11) And now you say, ’Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here."’ (12) And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. (13) Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD’s prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? (14) And now you say, ’Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here"’; and he will kill me." (15) And Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." (16) So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.