How God used Elijah’s faith to demonstrate His mighty power to skeptics
Elijah’s Contest – I Kings 18
Illustration:Dr. B.J. Miller once said, "It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it."
Today In The Word, November, 1989, p.11
1. Aim: To lead the people to understand how God used Elijah’s faith to demonstrate His Almighty power to everyone who served other gods.
2. Explanation of the Aim: Idol worshippers usually outnumbered the people who worship the Lord with all their heart. Solomon once wrote in Proverbs, “Many a man proclaims his loyalty, but a faithful man who can find?” God greatly used Elijah because he was courageously willing to contest the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel to determine whose God was more powerful. We should not grow discouraged when there are but a few wholehearted and faithful people of God in our school or community. One with God is always a majority.
3. The Bible Story: God is always able to deliver people of great faith from any problem. In our lesson we learn how God used Elijah’s faith, courage and obedience to display His Almighty power so the world could know of His sovereign control over everything.
When Elijah is falsely accused of being a troublemaker, he senses it is time to let God fight the battle for him. Instead of giving in to intimidation Elijah says, “Summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. Then Elijah spoke saying, “How long will you waver between two options? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” There are times when we must help people separate the non-essential from the essential decisions of life. People of great faith are not hesitant to preach the whole counsel of God to anyone who needs to hear the truth spoken in love.
4. APPRECIATE THE COSTS OF FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. Know and understand the great risk that Elijah exposes himself to in the confrontation with the 450 prophets of Baal.
What do you think might have been going on in Elijah’s mind during this incident?
What do they feel like when they have to confront someone with the truth that may bring conviction of sin?
Why do most people hesitate to tell others the truth of God’s word?
What are some of the qualities that we need to become more used of God as Elijah’s was?
5. The BIBLE STORY teaches us how a man of God is often called to do things that may require courage, faith and bold speech regardless of the intensity of the opposition.
How can you can display greater courage for the Lord Jesus Christ? Try to discover what are some of the fears that you have about witnessing?
Understand the great risk that Elijah exposes himself to in the confrontation with the 450 prophets of Baal.
7. God is always able to deliver people of great faith from any problem. In our lesson we learn how God used Elijah’s faith, courage and obedience to display His Almighty power so the world could know of His sovereign control over everything. When Elijah is falsely accused of being a troublemaker, he senses it is time to let God fight the battle for him. Instead of giving in to intimidation Elijah says, “Summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. Then Elijah spoke saying, “How long will you waver between two options? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” There are times when we must help people separate the non-essential from the essential decisions of life.
8. DO NOT HESISTATE TO SEEK GOD’S COUNSEL. People of great faith are not hesitant to preach the whole counsel of God to anyone who needs to hear the truth spoken in love. Paul the apostle once wrote these words to a church in Ephesus that struggled with unity, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ.” (Eph. 4:14,15)
9. SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. Unless we are willing to speak the truth in love people in our fellowships will fail to mature in all dimensions into Christ Jesus. Many people will continue to distort the truth for their own selfish purposes unless godly men and women speak the truth boldly from the scriptures. There will always be clever people around, like Obadiah and the prophets of Baal who will try to lead people astray. Unless people are progressing in their Christian life they will be spiritually regressing. God always empowers people like Elijah and Paul to act as a prophet of God to confront those who would who try to dilute, pollute and corrupt the people with distorted ideas.
10. ACT IN FAITH AND OBEDIENCE EVEN IF YOU WILL BE MISUNDERSTOOD.
Elijah demonstrated courageous faith when he said, “Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire – He is God!” (I Kings 18:23,24) The people knew that the God with power would ride on the thunderstorm as their divine chariot. Everyone recognized that God would use lightning as His weapon to light the altar on fire. Elijah challenged everyone directly to put their faith on display so nothing would be hidden. There are times when everyone needs to put up or shut up when it comes to who they ascribed their highest allegiance.
11. KNOW GOD WILL VINDICATE AND RESOLVE ALL CONFLICTS.
When the 450 prophets of Baal called on the name of their god from morning till noon, they got no response. Elijah mocked them by saying, “Shout louder. Perhaps he is deep in thought or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened. So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed.” (I King 18:27,28) Then Elijah prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord – he is God! The Lord – he is God!” (I Kings 18:36-39)
12. LEARN LESSONS FROM GODLY PEOPLE.
When we call to God we need to learn several lessons from Elijah:
1). Remind God of His many promises since the Lord is always true to His covenants
2). Do not be afraid of what might happen to you since God’s sovereign will always works everything together for good as long as we love God and obey His purposes 3). Help people remember the holy, truthful and loving attributes of God as you praise Him before asking Him anything.
4). Pray in faith believing that everything you asked in prayer you shall receive
5). Allow the Lord to answer according to His time, His will and His way. Do not think that God is a magician that will do tricks for your own selfish purposes or entertainment or manipulation.
PRAY WITH CONFIDENCE.
Pray in the same ways that Elijah prayed with courageous faith.
Pray with that same boldness.
William Carey, the father of modern missions who became a pioneer missionary to India is remembered for his Elijah like prayer: “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” How can you follow in the footsteps of these great men of faith?
Memory Verse – Heb 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Response
Song – “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able. To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.”
Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you to pray and act courageously in the same way that Elijah did this week in sharing the good news with others.
At Home: Ask your family members how they share the good news of Christ with some of their peers?
Conclusion:"It is not the importance of the thing, but the majesty of the Lawgiver, that is to be the standard of obedience...Some, indeed, might reckon such minute and arbitrary rules as these as trifling. But the principle involved in obedience or disobedience was none other than the same principle which was tried in Eden at the foot of the forbidden tree. It is really this: Is the Lord to be obeyed in all things whatsoever He commands? Is He a holy Lawgiver? Are His creatures bound to give implicit assent to His will?"
Andrew Bonar, referring to the laws found in Leviticus, quoted in J. Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, p. 23.
