WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?
By Pastor Jim May
One of the greatest prophets who ever lived was Elijah. Here was a real man of God. Not much is known of Elijah’s family roots. We know that he came from the land of the Tishbite’s in Gilead, which was a wild mountainous land bordering on Arabia. Some scholars have tried to make the case that Elijah was more than just a man; that he was actually an angel of the Lord united in a human body. His name, “Elijah” is translated to mean, “Yahweh is my God!”
Now I don’t subscribe to that opinion for the Word of God says in James 5:17, "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months."
If the Bible says he was a man, then he was a man, but he was an extraordinary man to say the least. It is not likely that any angelic being would have the spiritual valleys that Elijah faced from time to time. What angel would run from an earthly queen called Jezebel? Would an angel be afraid of death, or get discouraged enough to want to die while he sat pouting under a juniper tree, or want to just quit when he thought that he was the only prophet left in the land? That doesn’t sound like any angel of the Lord to me. It sounds like a man with the same spiritual highs and lows that all of us have. And yet, there is no doubt that God used Elijah to do some mighty miracles on behalf of Israel.
In this message today I believe that God has given me a word for you who are here right now. God is going to speak to your heart, and to your life, and he is going to get right into your business this morning. And before this message is through, you will have to make some decisions. God’s Word is quick (alive and relevant all the time) and powerful (accomplishing what it sets out to do) and sharper than any two-edged sword (cutting right to the source of our need and our problem) and that’s just what this Word is going to do right now, so get ready for what it has to say to you and hear what the Spirit is saying to you this morning.
All of us have opinions. In fact you have probably heard the saying that says, “Opinions are like noses, we all have one.” I might add that not only do we have noses, but often stick those noses into places where we shouldn’t and it’s the same with our opinions.
If you were to look up the word “opinion” in the dictionary you would find that there are several definitions to let you know the meaning. Here are some of those definitions:
1. A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof:
2. A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert: a medical opinion.
3. A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing: has a low opinion of braggarts.
4. The prevailing view: public opinion.
How many of you are opinionated this morning? Come on, raise your hand, every one of us are opinionated whether we want to admit it or not! I know, because I’ve tried to discuss my own opinions with some of you that I know don’t know what in the world you’re talking about. I know that you think you know all there is to know but you really don’t know what I know and I know that I know what I’m talking about, so I know that you are absolutely opinionated. Did you get all that? Let me say it again. (Read it once again, and then add -) And don’t call me opinionated just because I’m convinced I’m right. I’m not just convinced I’m right – I KNOW THAT I’M RIGHT AND THAT’S IT! I don’t need your opinion to mess with my opinion because I’m not opinionated, I’m right!
Now, if that doesn’t sound like all of us then I’ve certainly missed the mark this morning in this message. Some of you will probably think to yourself that you are like that and you will come to me at some time and say, “Brother May, I am not opinionated like that!” Well, my friend, if you come tell me that, then you will have proven my point because your opinion is that you are not opinionated and no one can convince you that you are! Do you get my point? We are all in that boat together. The only difference is not whether we are opinionated, but how outspoken are we in our opinions?
As a preacher of the gospel, I have to be opinionated in many things. I have charge over this local congregation of Believers and it’s my job to have opinions and to make sure that those opinions are based upon what the Word of God says and not just on my personal convictions! I’m very passionate about my opinions and I don’t mind telling you either, as you well know.
I’m very passionate about freedom, justice and the American Way! I’m very passionate about free enterprise and the rights of the people to determine their own form of government and to decide upon their own future and to make up their own minds concerning the things of their family and their life. I’m very passionate about the fact that the Word of God is the only source of real truth in the world. I’m very passionate about the fact that there is only one way to get to Heaven and that’s through the blood of Jesus Christ and by His grace alone. I’m very passionate about how people should live and be committed to the House of God and the work of the Lord. Yes, I’m very passionate about these things and more – and that passion makes me speak up for what I know is right and will always come across to others as someone who is very opinionated.
Opinions are not always wrong, or bad. Sometimes they are even necessary and if you have a passion for anything, that means that you are going to have to have an opinion that is unshakeable.
But the word that I have for you this morning is this – MAKE SURE THAT YOUR OPINIONS ARE BASED UPON FACTS AND NOT GUESS WORK. AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SPEAK IS BASED UPON TRUTH AND NOT A LIE! AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR LIFE IS BUILT UPON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION AND NOT UPON THE DECEITFUL THINGS OF THE WORLD!
There is a saying that goes like this, “You have to stand for something, or you will fall for anything.” Standing for something means that you will have an opinion that forces you to believe in what you stand for. What do you stand for today? Is what you are standing for, the right thing, or is it based upon incorrect knowledge and deceitful ways of the devil and you don’t even know it?
So the word that I have for you this morning is simply a question – What is your opinion of God? What do you think of Him? Is your opinion based upon fact, or is it based upon truth?
In 1 Kings 18:21, "…Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."
Have you ever seen someone who was “dumbfounded”? You ask them a question, or make a statement, and they just stand there, with a glazed look in their eye, and a blank stare, as though what you have just said caused an overload in their brain?
I get that look quite often when I try to talk to people about Jesus, and do you know why? It’s because they are opinionated against Holiness living, and against wholeheartedly serving Jesus and against obeying the commandments of the Lord that we find in the Bible! It’s because they have believed the lies of the devil and have based their whole life on those lies and they are convinced that they are right and they refuse to open their minds to the truth.
What’s is worse is when you find those who can’t seem to make up their mind whether they have an opinion or not? They are “wishy-washy”, like Charlie Brown of the Peanuts comic strip; they can’t seem to stick to anything for long.
James 1:6, "… For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." I’ve seen a lot of people, both in the church and in the world, who are tossed about in life like a rag doll, and they are constantly in a turmoil, nothing ever seems to work out for them, and trouble trails after them like a bloodhound on their trail, all because they are “unstable in all their ways” and “wishy-washy” in their commitment to Christ, and “divided in their opinions”. They need to get a grip on the truth of God’s Word and get a firm foundation, or sooner or later, that ship is going down.
Have you ever seen a “wishy-washy, Charlie Brown, wavering” Christian? I have for sure. In fact, the vast majority of those who call themselves “Christians” in the church today fall right into this category. How can you tell? Well it’s very simple.
When you find a Christian who can’t make his mind whether he wants to get involved in the church or not – you’ve found a wishy-washy Christian.
When you find one who can’t make up his mind whether he wants to really be faithful to the House of God or not – you’ve found a wishy-washy Christian.
When you find a Christian who can’t make up his mind whether he wants to study the Word of the Lord or watch the latest movie – you’ve found a wishy-washy Christian.
When you see someone who speaks out of both side of his mouth – one moment praising the Lord, and then the next moment using the name of the Lord in vain - that’s a wishy-washy Christian.
When you find someone who can’t decide whether to serve the Lord and put God first in his life, or to chase after the dollar bill no matter what it cost to get it – that’s a wishy-washy Christian.
When you find someone who can’t seem to make his mind whether he loves the things of God or the things of the world – that’s a wishy-washy Christian.
When you find someone who can’t seem to find the energy to get to church and worship the Lord but they will somehow always find the energy to show up for work – you’ve found a wishy-washy Christian
I could go on forever with this but you should be getting the idea by now! The point is that there are a lot of “Charlie Brown Christians” out there, and there are some in this very church.
Ouch, that hurts. I felt those daggers. Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? If you want to be wishy-washy to right ahead, but I’m going to tell you my opinion based upon the Word of God. It’s time to get in or get out. It’s time to quit being lukewarm and get on fire! It’s time to make up your mind. It’s time to get a different opinion based upon truth and not upon what you think is right for you!
If the Word of God is True, and the Lord Jesus Christ is God, and He is your Savior, then let your life prove it! If the things of this world are more important, and if they will satisfy, and if they will give you eternal life, then serve them! But don’t hang out on top of the fence! How long are you going to sit there in that uncomfortable position? Isn’t your backside getting tired of the edge of the board by now? Get in or out and make up your mind and form the right opinion!
Let’s see if what, or whom, you believe in will really deliver what you need! Let’s do like Elijah before the Children of Israel!
1 Kings 18:24, "And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God."
What’s more important to you today? Is it the things that are of this present world? Are your treasures here on earth? Is that where your heart is? Or is your treasure waiting in Heaven? Is your heart set on getting to Heaven where Jesus is and where there is eternal life, or is your heart set on living the best that life can give in this earth. You can’t have it both ways. That’s being wishy-washy. You have to make a decision. Which is the most important?
I’m opinionated – I’m absolutely convinced that the only thing that will really satisfy is the things of God and the things that are eternal! Sure I would love to have more of the things that this world has to offer. I see the nicer homes than I have. I see the nicer clothes, the nicer cars, the motor homes and the vacation spots around the world. I even became caught up in chasing those things for a while. But I soon found that they weren’t satisfying. No matter how much you get, it’s never enough. No matter how much money you have there’s more to get. No matter how many toys you have in your garage, there are always more to get. Where does it all end? What does it all mean when you draw your last breath and leave it all behind? What then my friend?
Will your gods of possessions, fame and fortune then answer you? Will they deliver you from the pits of hell? I think not!
The only God that will answer by fire and deliver you from the fire is the Lord Jesus Christ! Serve Him and Him only and He will satisfy your every desire!
1 Kings 18:26-29, "And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded."
I challenge you – take the gods that you serve – the gods of pleasure, the gods of wealth and prosperity – the gods of the good life – the gods of money – the gods of a good job – the gods of beautiful homes – the gods of fabulous vacations – the gods of drugs – the gods of alcohol – the gods of tobacco – any other gods you serve – and call upon them to set you free from bondage of sin, call on them to deliver you from the pits of despair, call on them to give you peace – call on them to save your eternal soul.
God ahead, sacrifice your life to them if you want. Call on them for a lifetime! Serve them with all your heart and all your might! Give to them all that you are! Cut yourself until it hurts, until you bleed for them! Give your blood, sweat and tears to them!
I guarantee you this – when you have done all you can to serve them – those gods are going to be nothing but cold, dead and silent images with no power to do anything for you in the end.
Cry a little louder, maybe that house you worship is just sleeping! You need to cry louder to wake it up so it can deliver you in the hour of trouble!
Sweat a little more on the job, give your life’s blood for the cause of prosperity, maybe if you just work a little bit more, a little bit harder than anyone else, that god of prosperity will finally notice you and provide eternal life!
Go ahead, take a bigger, more expensive vacation, or travel the world in pursuit of your god. Maybe the god of pleasure and entertainment is at your next destination and maybe he will meet you there and give you the desires of your heart that will satisfy for eternity!
Let me give my opinion of your gods! They are dead! Now let me give you my opinion, based upon Truth!
1 Kings 18:30-32, "And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD:"
If you will only draw near to Jesus, he will draw near to you. He wants to be your God, your only True God! He wants you to repair the altar of your heart that has been broken down. He wants you to take the stone that the builders rejected and make that stone, the Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of your foundation. He wants you to fall on that altar and give yourself as a living sacrifice to Him and call upon the name of the Lord.
John 6:37, "… him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
I challenge you to call upon the name of the Lord in faith. Jesus will hear your cry and he will answer by fire and burn the sin out of your life.
In 1 Kings 18:37-38 these are the words of Elijah’s prayer, "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench."
Now comes my final challenge – will you fall on the altar before God and let his fire burn within your heart? Let him consume you. Let the fire of God burn away the wood, and the hard, stony heart. Let the fire of God burn away the desire for the things of this world that shall turn to dust. And let the fire of God even consume the things in your life that you think you just have to have just to live!
God will consume it all and then give you much more in return. He will give you peace you never knew, love beyond description, a life worth living, and eternal life in Heaven. Let the fire of God light your life and ignite you to serve the Lord with all your heart.
In closing let me say this. In 1 Kings 18:40, "…Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there."
The time has come to kill the prophets of Baal in your life too. The time has come to kill all the false gods and to rid yourself of all the voices in your life that keep you serving the things of the world. The time has come to get rid of everything in your life that comes between you and serving the True God that is the only One who can answer by fire and supply the needs in your heart and life. Don’t let one remain. Let none escape. Clean out every corner of your heart! It’s time to bring them to the altar and kill them right now, right here, this very day!
Let us pray!
I want to pray the same prayer for you that Elijah prayed for Israel that day.
Lord, hear the prayer of your servant this day. Show your people this morning that you are the only True God and that there is no other. Turn our hearts back to you once again and take our eyes off the things of this world. Reach down into the hearts of each one that hears these words and show us where our opinions have been wrong, and then change those opinions by your mighty power. Bring us back to you, Jesus.
