Embrace the Hill Elijah

The Pre-run…

You have to decide How you're gonna handle That hill… Hate it? Or embrace it?

You don't get a choice Of whether or not You'll go through Trials and hardships…

Things you've done Things done to you Just life It will happen…and it can hit so hard and fast…paralyzing you

No matter what happens… Every hardship has a blessing The trials come with gifts If we trust God through them

No ridiculous little sayings Hardships and trials hurt It's not about "Try harder" "Overcome" "Be stronger"

Elijah… Persecution and judgment

Prophets of God put to death False prophets celebrated

Elijah is being hunted Death of an innocent man 3 years no rain

1 Kings 18:21… "Go tell King Ahab That I'm right here…and Bring the false prophets, too"

Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him…”

Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it

And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it

And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God”

And all the people answered, “It is well spoken”

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it”

And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!”

But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened”

And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them

Their god desires their blood To show devotion to him Our God went to the cross Because of his devotion to us

And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him

And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down

Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”

…and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed (almost 15 liters)

And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood”

And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time

And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water

And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel… And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel…

…let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word

Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” Not a great thing…

And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them

And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there

…they have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal - Jeremiah 19:5

Rain comes…after 3 years

God was looking for: Single-minded Faith in the One who supplies Rather than self-sufficiency Backup plans and other sources

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword This is that moment!

If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead - Jesus, Luke 16

Discussing the Faith Sharing what God has done Telling your story Arguing someone to Faith

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow”

Elijah's Response?

Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying…

“It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree

"I haven't changed anything" "I haven't done my job" "I can't make a difference" What's the problem with that?

God didn't call Elijah to be Accountable for results He called Elijah to be Faithful to the Call of God On his life

God didn't call you to be Accountable for results He called you to be Faithful to the Call of God On your life

Great Falls often follow Great Victories

When our eyes are on God There's nothing that can beat us When our eyes are on our Circumstances, we can't help But be beaten

Every hardship has a blessing The trials come with gifts If we trust God through them Every hardship has a blessing The trials come with gifts If we trust God through them

Couldn't the God who answered By fire and brought Great victory Also protect Elijah? Or…bring him home?

Spiritual Rut= One hardship after another: Permanent- Nothing will change "They're still trying to kill me!"

Spiritual Rut= One hardship after another: Blinding- all I can see "I gotta run or I'll die" (No room for faith)

Some of you… Everything filtered through Your hardship. Can't even Engage in relationships with People who love you

Spiritual Rut= One hardship after another: Personal- all about me "The whole universe is against me!"

And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water

And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you”

You're trying to do In your own strength What I never called you to do Alone

And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God

Blinding: "You're not alone I'm here…I never left"

Living in a cave… …the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

“I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword…

…and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away”

It's personal, God It's all about how hard I'm trying and how good I am Compared to everyone else So why do I have to suffer?

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord”

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind

And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake

And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper

And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave

Elijah is fresh off victory The moment he put his eyes on The success rather than God's call… He set himself up for a Fall

We can get so busy looking For God on mountaintops That we miss his Presence In the Valleys and the Ordinary things of life

Karaoke

Quit trying to reproduce An experience and Start seeking the God Who is there regardless Of your feelings at the moment

Good times will come Hardships will come God won't change And won't walk away Keep your eyes on a fixed object

And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars…

…and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away”

"It's not personal… It's about my Call My glory and your blessing As you follow Me"

It's not personal… It shouldn't blind you… But nothing has changed, right?

And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria

And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place

"You don't get to decide What's unchangeable With a wave of my hand I can change everything"

And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death

Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” - 1 Kings 18-19

I'm so special…working so hard Why is God doing this to me? Sucker…I got 7,000 just like you Who said you were alone?

And just like that… It changes Nothing is permanent but God So he's our focus Our goal is the Call of God

Permanent Not if your faith is in Jesus "New creation" Cross guarantees it

Blinding If all you can see is you You ain't seeing near enough God is greater…always And he has a Call on your life

Personal We all struggle The enemy says "You're alone" God begs to differ

Hate the hill… Or embrace the hill

Hardships come, Trials come Today…choose your focus and The purpose of your life Everything else flows from it

Questions, Comments Disagreements

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Next Sunday Baptism at 4 PM Salem Greenway