There was a man who was going skydiving for the very first time. He had taken all the lessons and now it was time for his first solo jump. He leaps out of the plane but he panicked and couldn’t remember how to open his parachute. As he was falling rapidly to the earth he suddenly met another guy who is going UP! He seizes the opportunity and shouts, “Hey buddy, do you know how to work a parachute?” The guy shouts back, “No! Do you know how to light a propane stove?”
Illustration taken from Raymond Perkins @ sermoncentral.com
A. To get “fired up” Elijah had to confront sin.
Elijah had to confront the worship of false gods. He had to confront sin.
If the church is going to be on fire for God we must confront sin in the church.
If God is going to be able to work in your life, then you must confront and repent of the sin in your life.
B. Elijah was “fired up” because God is plenty.
One prophet vs. 450 prophets of baal.
One God vs. a false God.
God was all that Elijah needed.
God is all we need.
Don’t need houses
Don’t vast wardrobe
Don’t need one more miracle
Don’t need fancy title in front of my
name
Don’t need one more leadership seminar
Don’t need the latest Max Lucado book
(although I truly love his writing!)
All I need is God. He is plenty. He gave his son. He gave the Spirit.
C. Elijah was “fired up” because God is present.
Elijah began taunting the prophets.
Maybe your God is deep in thought, busy, traveling.
God is present. Not watching us from a distance on a cloud.
God is right here in our midst. We can feel his presence and see his hand at work in our lives.
D. Elijah was “fired up” because God is personal.
They slashed themselves with swords and spears.
They were into rituals to get God’s attention.
It doesn’t work.
God isn’t into rituals, he is into relationships.
It won’t matter how many Sunday School attendance pins you have on the day of judgment.
It won’t matter how much you gave to missions.
It won’t matter how sophisticated your prayers have become.
All that will matter on the day of judgment is your relationship with Christ.
God is into relationships, not religion or rituals.
E. Elijah was “fired up” because God is powerful.
God set fire to everything! He did way more than was required.
What is the most powerful thing you can think of?
Super Glue?
A mother’s love?
A military jet?
A 350 pound defensive back?
God is much more powerful.
He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine!
God is so powerful that he can:
Restore a broken marriage
Reduce the size of a tumor
Reverse an incurable disease
Rescue a lost soul for eternity
F. Elijah was “fired up” because God is pure.
All the prophets were led away and slaughtered.
God is a pure God and he demands purity from his followers.
We can have purity through the blood of Jesus Christ.
