Elijah: A Study in Bold Faith
Sermon Notes
But first, remember last week (1 Kings 17).
1. He was convinced of the reality of God – He is alive!
2. He was convinced that he was a personal representative of God.
3. He was convinced that he had divine resources at his disposal.
Remember the Brook Cherith (17.2-7).
1. A prophet must live under his own prophecies.
2. God provides in unusual ways – the raven – a foreign widow.
Remember the Widow of Zarephath (8-24).
1. This widow is a most unusual person to help Elijah (see Luke 4.24-26).
2. This widow teaches us great lessons in faith.
3. The death of her son (and his resurrection) teaches us that God’s word can be trusted (and ought to be trusted) however dire the circumstances (see v.24).
Remember – these are lessons for repentance and God’s love for the people of God.
Be Courageous – A Call for Boldness in the Face of Disobedience (1 Kings 18).
1. Learn from both Obadiah and Elijah – God uses different kinds of people
(1-18).
2. Understand the disturbing implications of theology and discipleship (19-40).
a. The appeal of Baal worship might be three-fold.
1) It carried the royal sanction.
2) It carried the appeal of tradition and history.
3) It appealed to sensuality.
“If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if Baal is God follow him.” The existence of a real God is not a detached but a demanding matter. The God of the Bible refuses to be the topic of your rap session. He is not an idea you play with but a King to whom you submit. You’d better understand up front all that is involved.
(Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Kings, p.233)
b. The nature of God is so different.
1) Yahweh is the God with whom geography is no hindrance.
2) Yahweh is the God for whom numbers are no consequence.
3) Yahweh is the God for whom activity is no inducement.
4) Yahweh is the God for whom handicaps are no obstacle.
c. The provision of God is so gracious.
d. The severity of God is so condemning.
3. Celebrate God’s faithfulness and follow Him in discipleship (41-46).
a. He gives rain after 3½ years.
b. He calls Ahab to follow Him – what will he do? What will you do?
Food/Questions for Thought:
1. Remember – God is unpredictable – don’t box Him in.
2. How does the world shape our lives so that we hedge on discipleship? “How long will you vacillate between two opinions” (1 Kings 18.21)?
3. How does Elijah’s faith stir us to a greater level of faith and discipleship?
4. How is God calling us to the prophetic role of “confronting” the false gods we may be making room for in our own culture?