Asking God to Take a Physical Challenge
Let us pray.
I want to ask the kids a question. By a show of hands, how many of you know about or have watched the show Double Dare on Nickelodeon?
Well, I’m here to let you know that show is about 15 years old. I remember when that show first came out, and I remember wanting for me and my friends to go on that show. I would tell them, that if we got on the show, we would win because I would know all the answers to the questions and we wouldn’t get out hair messed up with doing the physical challenges.
I really like that show as a kid. For those of you who don’t know what Double Dare is where two teams answer tough trivia questions or dare the other team to answer first? If the "dared" team "double-dares" right back, then it’s on to the mega-messy "physical challenge." At the end, the winning team gets a one-way ticket to TV’s #1 "slopstacle" course where if completed in a certain amount of time people get tons of prizes and money.
The game show is so popular that it has four spin offs
1. Double Dare 2000
2. Family Double Dare
3. Super Sloppy Double Dare
4. Super Special Double Dare
This game show isn’t popular because of the trivia questions, it’s popular because of the out landish physical challenges that the people are required to do.
For example talk about slime toss for family double dare….
Kids and the young at heart love doing crazy things that seem impossible. The fun is not actually completing the challenge, but in doing the challenge itself.
Just ask the kids. We did something like that for confirmation. What was our physical challenge that we did for confirmation? (If the kids can’t remember or say it right go over it one more time.)
It got to the point that the kids didn’t want to get the answers right… they were ready to beat the highest score. It was to the point to where the children who got the assignment right felt robbed because they wanted to do the “Fear Factor” challenge.
Just like the kids on Double Dare were more than willing to take the physical challenge and how the kids in confirmation were more willing to put their faces in a bowl and dig out twizzlers with their mouths, we need to be more daring with your faith and be willing to ask God to take the physical challenge in our lives.
I was reminded of this when I read about Elijah and what happened on Mt. Carmel. This passage of text comes from the 18th chapter of I kings.
Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah feared GOD—he was very devout. Earlier, when Jezebel had tried to kill off all the prophets of GOD, Obadiah had hidden away a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in a cave, and then supplied them with food and water.
5-6 Ahab ordered Obadiah, "Go through the country; locate every spring and every stream. Let’s see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from dying." So they divided the country between them for the search—Ahab went one way, Obadiah the other.
7 Obadiah went his way and suddenly there he was—Elijah! Obadiah fell on his knees, bowing in reverence, and exclaimed, "Is it really you—my master Elijah?"
8 "Yes," said Elijah, "the real me. Now go and tell your boss, ’I’ve seen Elijah.’"
9-14 Obadiah said, "But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me. As surely as your GOD lives, there isn’t a country or kingdom where my master hasn’t sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, ’We can’t find him; we’ve looked high and low,’ he would make that country or kingdom swear that you were not to be found. And now you’re telling me, ’Go and tell your master Elijah’s found!’ The minute I leave you the Spirit of GOD will whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you’ll have disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I’ve served GOD devoutly since I was a boy! Hasn’t anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the prophets of GOD, how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a cave, and made sure they got food and water? And now you’re telling me to draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, ’Elijah’s been found.’ Why, he’ll kill me for sure."
15 Elijah said, "As surely as GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I take my stand, I’ll meet with your master face-to-face this very day."
16 So Obadiah went straight to Ahab and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah.
17-19 The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, "So it’s you, old troublemaker!"
"It’s not I who has caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government—you’ve dumped GOD’s ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals. Here’s what I want you to do: Assemble everyone in Israel at Mount Carmel. And make sure that the special pets of Jezebel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of the local gods, the Baals, and the four hundred prophets of the whore goddess Asherah, are there."
20 So Ahab summoned everyone in Israel, particularly the prophets, to Mount Carmel.
21 Elijah challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If GOD is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!"
Nobody said a word; nobody made a move.
22-24 Then Elijah said, "I’m the only prophet of GOD left in Israel; and there are 450 prophets of Baal. Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen; let them pick one, butcher it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood—but don’t ignite it. I’ll take the other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire. Then you pray to your gods and I’ll pray to GOD. The god who answers with fire will prove to be, in fact, God."
All the people agreed: "A good plan—do it!"
25 Elijah told the Baal prophets, "Choose your ox and prepare it. You go first, you’re the majority. Then pray to your god, but don’t light the fire."
26 So they took the ox he had given them, prepared it for the altar, then prayed to Baal. They prayed all morning long, "O Baal, answer us!" But nothing happened—not so much as a whisper of breeze. Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made.
27-28 By noon, Elijah had started making fun of them, taunting, "Call a little louder—he is a god, after all. Maybe he’s off meditating somewhere or other, or maybe he’s gotten involved in a project, or maybe he’s on vacation. You don’t suppose he’s overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?" They prayed louder and louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives—a ritual common to them—until they were covered with blood.
29 This went on until well past noon. They used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on the altar, but nothing happened—not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of response.
30-35 Then Elijah told the people, "Enough of that—it’s my turn. Gather around." And they gathered. He then put the altar back together for by now it was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom GOD had said, "From now on your name is Israel." He built the stones into the altar in honor of GOD. Then Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar. He laid firewood on the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, "Fill four buckets with water and drench both the ox and the firewood." Then he said, "Do it again," and they did it. Then he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water.
36-37 When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, "O GOD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I’m doing what I’m doing under your orders. Answer me, GOD; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are GOD, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance."
38 Immediately the fire of GOD fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench.
39 All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, "GOD is the true God! GOD is the true God!"
Let’s think about it. Elijah asked God to physical make his presence known to Ahab, and the prophets of Baal, and the other people of Israel. On Mt. Carmel, Elijah asked God to take the physical challenge. And what happened…. God met the challenge and exceeded all expectations!
Now I have a question for the grown up…how many times have you called God out and God met the challenge and exceeded all expectations? Now everyone in ear shot should have raised their hands. Because of what I’ve been through in life… well, I’m going to raise both of my hands.
Because when God showed up in my life… God showed out!
Now, this is just me, but I personally believe that God doesn’t mind taking the physical challenge. I think that God has a problem with us doubting. Not questioning or asking but doubt. I have been around seasoned Christians who got made at me because they confuse doubt and questioning.
Let’s just look and see what the Bible says about that subject…
In the 18th chapter of Genesis, when Abraham found out that the Lord was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, what did he do? For the sake of his nephew Lot, Abraham began to barter with God. He asked to take physical challenge. Abraham said, “Forgive for being so bold, I’m just dust and ashes, but will you destroyed the city if you find 50 goods folk there?”
God agreed, and Abraham stepped the challenge up. He said Ok, please forgive me again, like said before I’m only dust and ashes. Abraham continued until he convinced God not to destroy the city if 10 good people were found there. Unfortunately, God only found Lot and his family worth saving, but Abraham felt comfortable enough to ask God to take the physical challenge.
What about Gideon? Gideon was thrashing wheat on day and the angel of the Lord came to him. The angel said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
13 "But sir," Gideon replied, "If the LORD is with us, why all this has happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ’Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midians."
14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?"
15 "But Lord, [a] " Gideon asked, "How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
16 The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."
17 Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you."
After that, Gideon had the confidence needed to go into town and destroy the shrines and statues of idol gods. He was in a heaping load of trouble and by this time, the courage that he had was shaken, so when the Lord told him that he needed to gather an army and that they Lord was going to deliver the midianites into the hands of Gideon, well, he had asked to Lord to take not one but two physical challenges.
(Talk about the challenge of the fleeces….. (1) fleece covered in dew, and the ground dry…(2) the ground covered in dew and the fleece dry.)
Scripture tells us that those who call on the name of the Lord will not be put to shame.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… Well if you find yourself in wanting, then you should go to the Shepard right.
The Lord said that he would never leave us or forsake us, so we shouldn’t let hearts be troubled or afraid. He gives us the peace that the world can’t understand. For example… you know that you have peace that passes all understanding when you are praising God when you have just lost your job and you don’t know how you’re going to pay your bills. That’s peace in the valley right there. In fact I did that. I resigned from one my previous jobs without having another one. I knew God was going to take care of me, and I got out the stressful situation that I was in.
Whatever you’re going through don’t ever be ashamed or scared to ask God to show out in your life!
I remember mother’s day, when Miss Carol was so sweet and sincere when she asked the congregation to pray for Angel as she goes on to take her test for licensure in nursing. The thing is what does Angel have to say about the situation. We know that Miss Carol has fasted for Angel and prayed and prayed and prayed, but has Angel asked God to take the physical challenge?
But the thing is, as long as we pray for Angel’s success, if she doesn’t believe then our prayers are going to be in vain. Her faith in this case is the spark and the prayers of Miss Carol and us is what fuels the flame. So what are we going to fan the flame with? The Power of the Holy Sprit….
Think about it when we are on one accord in faith and in prayer we are asking God to take the physical challenge. And you know he’s going to come and show out because anything asked in the name of Jesus is going to be granted by the Father.
Not only should we believe and ask God to take the physical challenge, but we have to look to scripture and see how Jesus was asked to take the physical challenge… will you lay down your life for people who
Lied on you.
Betrayed you.
One minute ready to die with you and the next minute denies ever knowing you!
People who in the future will start wars and slaughter innocent women and children …
Well, Christ’s answered was yes! And we are able to ask God to take the physical challenge in our lives because of his willingness.
