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Message Notes
“After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.’” —I Kings 18:1
The Prefight Interview
“So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.” —1 Kings 18:2
“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’” —1 Kings 18:17
“And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.’” —I Kings 18:18
The Challenge
“Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” —1 Kings 18:19
“When God’s passive of wrath is expressed, which is what we’ve been experiencing in America and in our world right now, the net result is that God pulls away His manifest presence, leaving a vacuum where the consequences of sin and rebellion and dismissal of God fill that void.” —Tony Evans
“God will not skip the church house to fix the White House. He will only work through the church. He will not bypass the church.” —Tony Evans
“So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.” —1 Kings 18:20
“And 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.’ And the people did not answer him a word.” —1 Kings 18:21
“Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 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 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.’” —I Kings 18:22-24
“And all the people answered, ‘It is well spoken.’” —1 Kings 18:24b
The Fight
“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.” —1 Kings 18:25-26
“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.’” —1 Kings 18:27
“And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 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.” —1 Kings 18:28-29
“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.’” —1 Kings 18:36-37
“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.’” —1 Kings 18:38-39
“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.” —1 Kings 18:40
The Post-fight Takeaways
- When we are walking in God’s will, we do not have to be afraid…even if we are walking alone.
“God’s man or woman in the center of God’s will is immortal until God is finished with them.” —David Jeremiah
“Nothing intimidates those who know that what they believe is based on what God has said.” —Chuck Swindoll
The most effective weapon we have in the fight is prayer.
Never underestimate the power of one person totally committed to Jesus.
Today is the day to get off the fence, destroy our idols, and commit our lives to Jesus.