The Unexpected work of God through ordinary obedience - 1Kings 18- 19

Before Seth comes up to us to bring God's Word, we'll just spend a few moments in prayer

for a few things.

Obviously, Johnny is away in America, and after a few unexpected layovers, a layover

he had, he's there now.

So we'll just pray for him as he goes over and just encourages people in Redeemer Bible

Church.

They came over to us last year.

We had a lovely time with them.

It was a privilege to meet them, and now Johnny's going over, and we pray that he would be an

encouragement to them.

We'll just pray, too, for the Christianity Explored, an opportunity just to share Jesus

with others, and for the upcoming Munster Bible College.

So let's just bow our heads and just spend a few moments in prayer.

Father, we do thank you that you have brought Johnny and Kirsty and the family into Carragalline.

Thank you for the way that they minister to us.

I thank you for the great teaching that you've given Johnny, and that week by week he is faithful

to your Word as he brings it to us.

Thank you for the way that we've been able to grow by hearing your Word week by week.

Thank you for his humility, his service, his willingness to spend time in your Word to be

able to speak each week to us.

Thank you for the opportunity that he has to go over to Redeemer Bible Church.

May he be an encouragement to them as he meets different people, different believers, people

who also have a desire to hear your Word, to bring praise to you, who also will be on

bended knee bringing their praise to God and their Saviour.

I pray, indeed, that it would be an encouragement to him that you'd keep him safe, keep him from

tiredness for the next few days.

I thank you for what he's able to do.

I thank you for the Christianity Explored course.

I thank you for the way that has been put together, for how faithful it is to your Word.

We thank you that we can learn from the Gospel of Mark, and even though we might be familiar

with so much of it, that we still see new things by your Spirit showing us different things

and how wonderful that is.

May, indeed, we be renewed and refreshed as we opened up the Gospel once again, never believing

believing that we know it all, but always having an open heart and willingness to learn

more and more.

We thank you, Lord, for what we read in it, what we have read about you and the authority

that you have over sickness and nature and death and sin.

How amazing that is.

We do thank you for us as members here in Carragalline.

Thank you that we have a desire just to be joined together, to commit ourselves, to be

able to spend time hearing about the different ministries, about different decisions.

I pray, indeed, that our hearts will be always open to you, that we would not be just led

by our own nature, but led by you, that we would be led by your Spirit as we make decisions.

We do thank you for the opportunity for a further Bible study in NBC.

Thank you for the last four years.

Thank you for all that people can learn, for the opportunities people have.

And even coming up in March, when Michael comes over, I pray that there will be many who

have a desire to get into the Old Testament, to learn more.

We just think of how the Old Testament can be such an example to us, that we can learn

so much for it, Lord, and yet so often we don't delve into it, but indeed that our hearts

will be changed, that we'd have a desire to do that, and that indeed that it would be

a blessed week, a week where people will be excited at what you have done and what is

recorded for us in your Word.

Lord, we do thank you that Seth has come along this morning to be able to bring your Word.

I thank you for the work that himself and Jessica are involved in Carrick Tool.

I thank you for their desire to plant churches, to draw alongside people, to share Jesus with

people.

Thank you that their desire is to see believers grow.

May you bless that work, that it may be of your work, Lord, not the work of man, but the

work of God, so that it will prosper and grow, and that in years to come we will praise

you for a church there in Carrick Tool.

I thank you for his desire for your Word.

Thank you that his desire is to be a workman approved unto you.

Thank you for the work and the time he puts in, and as he comes up in his short while,

indeed that he would speak your Word, that we would be encouraged, that we would be challenged,

even rebuked and disciplined where necessary.

May our hearts be open to your Word.

May we not desire to just stand still in our faith, but to continually grow.

May we be teachable believers, those who want to know more of you.

So we thank you for Seth.

Thank you for your Word.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

So Seth, thank you very much for coming up.

Well, thank you very much.

It's wonderful to be here, as always.

We're big fans of this church.

And if you want to turn to 1 Kings chapter 18, we'll be in 18 and 19.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

And if you're in one of the church Bibles, that's on page 359.

That's better.

I'm just not quite as tall as this.

I wonder, have you ever wondered why God doesn't intervene more often with, like, really powerful demonstrations,

like big miracles, just really show up in big, clear, undeniable ways more often than he does?

I mean, he's God.

He can do that any time.

And yet, if you look at history, even if you look at the history of the Bible, with so many miracles recorded,

still there are long, long periods of time without them.

It's more rare than we'd like.

God seems to do most of his work, actually, in other ways.

And sometimes that leaves us scratching our heads, wondering why he doesn't seem to be answering our prayers

for the things that seem really good and really right and really needed.

When the Bible says that God's ways are higher than ours, it's not kidding.

But what I'd like us to look at this morning is actually a time when God did do incredible miracles

and did answer big prayers, did make a big demonstration of his power.

And yet, alongside that, the unexpected way that he chose to actually complete his work.

So, we're going to start with 1 Kings 18, but we'll get there in just a minute,

because I want to tell you quickly what James tells us about Elijah.

In James 5, you don't have to turn there, but he says this,

Elijah was a human being, even as we are.

He prayed earnestly that it would not rain.

And it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

So, the point that James is making is that Elijah was a normal person.

Just like us, he prayed a big prayer and he was answered by a big God.

We can pray to the same God, and that's amazing.

We have the same access.

It wasn't about Elijah being a particularly, like a different class of person.

He has access to the same God.

He prayed earnestly and God answered.

We have the same God.

But here's the question.

Elijah prays earnestly for something big.

The big thing that he prays for is for it not to rain.

Now, I can understand that living in Ireland.

Sometimes we might want it not to rain.

But even here, if it doesn't rain for three and a half years,

we're going to be in trouble.

I mean, if he's going to ask for something big,

if he's going to pray earnestly for something,

why would he pray earnestly for something that will cause a famine?

Why not pray earnestly for a really miraculous big bumper crop?

I think we have to understand the setting that Elijah is in.

At this time, the nation of Israel is caught up in the worship of a false God called Baal.

And Baal was supposed to be the God who sent rain.

He was the God of rain.

He was also the God of lightning and thunder.

So Elijah prays that God would hold back the rain

because that would show very clearly that Baal was not the real power.

Israel was worshipping Baal, but Baal was not in control of the rain.

God was.

Elijah knew that as long as the rain came,

the people were going to credit that to Baal.

So what they actually needed more than rain

was to know God,

even if the only way to get there was through a famine.

And God answers,

for three and a half years it does not rain.

That's actually quite a miracle.

That's a big thing.

But God does even more.

When he's finally ready to send the rain,

he only does it after one more very big,

impressively clear demonstration of who the real God is.

So we'll read through this.

It's because I can't describe it as well as it's described here.

1 Kings chapter 18, starting in verse 22.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

Elijah said to them,

I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left,

but Baal has 450 prophets.

Get two bulls for us.

Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves

and let them cut it in pieces and put it on the wood

and not set it on fire.

I'll prepare another bull and put it on the wood

and not set it on fire.

Then you call in the name of your God,

I will call in the name of the Lord,

the God who answers by fire.

He is God.

Now, remember,

Baal was supposed to be the God of lightning.

This is his department.

If he can do anything,

he should be able to do this.

And all the people said,

what you say is good.

So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,

choose one of the bulls,

prepare it first,

since there are so many of you.

Call in the name of your God,

but do not light the fire.

So they took the bull given to them

and they prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal

from morning till noon.

Baal, answer us,

they shouted.

But there was no response.

No one answered.

So they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon,

Elijah began to taunt them.

Shout louder,

he said.

Surely he's a God.

Perhaps he's deep in thought

or busy or traveling.

Maybe he's sleeping

and he must be awakened.

So they shouted louder

and they slashed themselves

with swords and spears

as was their custom

until their blood flowed.

Midday passed

and they continued

their frantic prophesying

until the time

of the evening sacrifice.

But there was no response.

No one answered.

No one paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people,

come here to me.

I think maybe Elijah was from Cork.

He said,

come here to me.

They came to him

and he repaired the altar of the Lord

which had been torn down.

Elijah took twelve stones,

one for each of the tribes

descended from Jacob

to whom the word of the Lord had come

saying,

your name shall be Israel.

With the stones

he built an altar

in the name of the Lord

and he dug a trench around it

large enough to hold

two sears of seed.

He arranged the wood,

cut the bull in pieces,

laid it on the wood.

Then he said,

fill four large jars with water

and pour it on the offering

and on the wood.

Do it again.

And they did it again.

Do it a third time.

That's twelve jars of water

that are going on this.

The water ran down

around the altar

and even filled the trench.

At the time of sacrifice,

the prophet Elijah

stepped forward and prayed,

Lord, the God of Abraham,

Isaac and Israel,

let it be known today

that you are God in Israel,

that I am your servant

and have done all these things

at your command.

Answer me, Lord.

Answer me.

So these people

will know that you,

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.

And when the people saw this,

they fell prostrate

and cried,

The Lord, he is God.

The Lord, he is God.

And Elijah commanded them,

Seize the prophets of Baal.

Don't let anyone get away.

They seized them

and Elijah had them

brought down to the Kishon Valley

and slaughtered there.

And Elijah said to Ahab,

Go, eat and drink,

for there is the sound

of heavy rain.

The rain is coming.

God had been withholding it

in answer to Elijah's prayer.

Now it is coming.

And now that they know the source,

now that they have seen

this clear demonstration,

God sends the rain as well.

Now, this is a big miracle.

This is a very clear sign

of who God is,

who is the real God.

Baal had not been able

to send rain.

Now he is not able

to send fire.

Even though these are supposed

to be the things

that he is in control of.

So at this point,

Elijah believes,

understandably,

that he is one.

He believed that the worship

of Baal and Israel

is done.

It's over.

And after a victory like that,

you wouldn't blame him.

I mean, how can anyone

deny God now?

How can anyone continue

to worship a God like Baal

after he's been shown,

proven to be so powerless?

But there's one sentence

that turns Elijah's world

upside down.

And it's in chapter 19.

He turned the page.

The first verse

of chapter 19.

Now Ahab told Jezebel

everything Elijah had done

and how he had killed

all the prophets

with the sword.

So Jezebel sent a messenger

to Elijah to say,

May the gods deal with me,

be it ever so severely,

if by this time tomorrow

I do not make your life

like one of them.

So even with all the evidence

that you could ever ask for,

literally falling down

out of the sky

in front of them,

Jezebel and Ahab

will not submit to God.

And even though the people

had just seen

these incredible things,

had seen this incredible display

of God's power,

it's actually not long

before we see them

worshipping Baal again.

It's unbelievable.

It seems incredible.

But it's true.

And to be honest,

we're not so different today.

Evidence alone,

by itself,

no matter how overwhelming it is,

is actually not enough

to change sinful hearts

so that they turn to God.

Even really big,

even impressively clear

demonstrations like this

are not enough

in themselves

to change

our rebellious hearts.

Instead of dealing

with the reality

of what had just happened,

Jezebel and Ahab,

they try to erase

the evidence

by killing Elijah.

And Elijah

starts to wonder,

what's the point of this?

What have I accomplished here?

Look at 19, verse 3.

Elijah was afraid

and he ran for his life.

When he came to Beersheba

in Judah,

he left his servant there

while he himself

went a day's journey

into the wilderness.

He came to a broom bush,

sat down under it

and prayed that he might die.

I have had enough, Lord,

he said.

Take my life.

I'm no better

than my ancestors.

Then he lay down

under the bush

and fell asleep.

Things have really

turned around,

haven't they?

He's basically saying,

this isn't working.

I've done all I can do.

How could you even

possibly make it

any clearer

than we've made it?

And yet it wasn't enough.

And he says,

I give up.

I might as well be dead.

What more can I possibly do?

I'm done.

And I think we can understand

how he feels.

God had answered his prayers

and it should have worked.

But now he's being hunted.

And the whole thing

looks completely different

than what he thought,

how he thought

it should have gone.

Elijah feels like he's done.

But God is not done.

God is still working.

Even though Elijah

can't see it.

Elijah is so discouraged,

he just wants to die.

But God is not actually

finished with Elijah

either.

He's still going to use him.

But I think it's important,

before we get to where

God calls Elijah on,

it's important to note

what he does

before he does that.

Before any new instructions come,

look at verse 5.

All at once an angel

touched him and said,

Get up and eat.

He looked around

and there by his head

was some baked bread

over hot coals

and a jar of water.

He ate and drank

and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord

came back a second time

and touched him and said,

Get up and eat,

for the journey

is too much for you.

So he got up

and he ate

and he drank.

Strengthened by that food,

he traveled 40 days

and 40 nights

until he reached Horeb,

the mountain of God.

Then there he went

into a cave

and spent the night.

God doesn't scold Elijah

for being sad

and discouraged

and depressed

and wanting to die.

Instead,

he sends an angel

to give him food

and water.

And then he waits

and he gives Elijah

time to sleep.

He gives him food

a second time.

And verse 8 tells us

Elijah was strengthened

by that food.

Elijah was wrecked.

I mean,

he's just been through

this huge emotional

rollercoaster,

this huge victory,

followed by

this complete turnaround

that left him

literally running

for his life.

But God doesn't just

drive him forward.

Elijah is tired

in every way.

But God gives him

time and space

for food and rest.

And sometimes

when we feel awful,

actually one of the

most spiritual things

we can do

is eat

and sleep.

Psalm 103

celebrates the fact

that God

knows how we are formed.

He remembers

that we are dust.

even though God

himself is infinite

and strong,

he doesn't forget

that we are not.

He doesn't roll

his eyes

and turn up

his nose

at our weakness.

He reaches down

to give us

his strength

to dry our tears.

He could have

chastised Elijah

for being depressed,

but he doesn't.

He gives him food

and he gives him rest.

And he draws him in

to show him

how he's been working

in ways that Elijah

had never seen.

And he shows him

that God still has

a role for Elijah

in his plan,

even if it's a different role

than Elijah expected.

So he goes on

this journey.

God sends him

to Mount Horeb,

which is another name

for Sinai,

the mountain where

Moses received

the Ten Commandments,

or the law,

the whole law.

And God speaks to him.

So if you look

in 19 verse 9,

the word of the Lord

came to him,

What are you doing here,

Elijah?

And Elijah replies,

I have been very zealous

for the Lord God Almighty.

The Israelites

have rejected

your covenant,

torn down your altars,

and put your prophets

to death with the sword.

I'm the only one left,

and now they're trying

to kill me too.

The Lord said,

Go out

and stand on the mountain

in the presence

of the Lord,

for the Lord

is about to pass by.

Then,

a great

and powerful wind

tore the mountain

apart

and shattered

the rocks

before the Lord.

That's a powerful wind.

But,

the Lord was not

in the wind.

After the wind,

there was an earthquake,

but the Lord

was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake,

there came a fire,

but the Lord

was not in the fire.

And after the fire

came a gentle whisper.

Then,

when Elijah heard it,

he pulled his cloak

over his face

and went out

and stood at the mouth

of the cave.

Then a voice said to him,

What are you doing here,

Elijah?

He replied,

I have been very zealous

for the Lord God Almighty.

The Israelites

have rejected

your covenant,

torn down your altars,

and put your prophets

to death with the sword.

I'm the only one left.

Now they're trying

to kill me too.

The Lord said to him,

Go back the way you came

and go to the desert

of Damascus.

And when you get there,

anoint Hazel,

king over Aram.

Also anoint Jehu,

son of Nimshi,

king over Israel.

And anoint Elisha,

son of Shephat,

from Abel Melhub,

to succeed you

as a prophet.

Jehu will put to death

any who escape

the sword of Hazel.

And Elisha will put to death

any who escape

the sword of Jehu.

Yet I have reserved

seven thousand in Israel,

all whose knees

have not bowed down

to Baal,

and whose mouths

have not kissed him.

So,

here on the mountain

of God,

God listens

to Elijah's complaints

twice,

patiently,

the exact same complaint.

He doesn't even

answer directly,

but he does answer.

He sends these

powerful things.

He sends a wind

that breaks stones.

He sends an earthquake.

He sends a fire.

But the Lord was not

in those powerful things,

the wind and the earthquake

and the fire.

And then he sends

a gentle whisper.

See,

Elijah had expected

God to destroy

Baal worship in Israel

through overwhelming

miracles,

which happened.

Fire from heaven.

So impressive.

But God says

his power

is actually working

in what was happening

in the background,

in the quiet

of much more

ordinary things,

like seven thousand people

who never had

worshipped Baal,

who never had

bowed down to him,

even before

the miracles.

Elijah thought

he was the only one.

He didn't even know

these people existed.

But God was working

in them,

quietly,

under the radar.

Then he gives us

the second part

of his answer

to Elijah.

He gives him

what seems like

fairly ordinary jobs,

anointing ordinary

political and religious

leaders.

No more fire

from heaven,

but God is working

through these

ordinary things.

In fact,

I don't have to turn there,

but 2 Kings 10

describes how Jehu,

who Elijah

is sent to anoint,

was the one

who put an end

to Baal worship

in Israel.

2 Kings 10

18 says specifically,

Jehu destroyed

Baal worship

in Israel.

Elijah himself

was not the man

who would accomplish

what he wanted

to see happen.

But God gives him

an important role,

and the miracles

are part of that role.

But God actually

finishes the job

of destroying

Baal worship

in Israel

through Elijah's

obedience to

ordinary tasks

that God gives him.

See,

God had been working

under the surface

long before the

miracles ever happened.

And his work

continued under the

surface in spite

of the people's

rejection of those

miracles.

And he would

continue his work

in the same ways

normally through

ordinary quiet

means going forward.

Now Elijah lived

a long time ago,

but our God

is the same God,

and our ministry

comes down

largely to the

same things.

We also are

calling people

back to God,

trying to show

them the greatness

of his power,

of his love,

of his salvation.

He's the same God.

He has the same

power that was

displayed by fire

on Mount Carmel.

He can do that

any time.

But in our prayers

for God to do

his work,

we don't have to

wait for some

massively impressive

sign from heaven

for our friends

to see.

In our prayers

for God to do

his work,

we don't have to

wait for those

things.

We don't have to

worry if God

doesn't answer

our prayers for

big demonstrations

of his power.

We already have

the biggest sign

of all.

We have a

Savior who came

down from heaven

to die,

die for our

sin,

and rise again

in victory over

it.

And he's still

working.

God's still

small voice,

his gentle

whisper,

is still

speaking life

into rebellious

hearts.

And really,

the biggest

and most

beautiful miracle

is when God's

power reaches

into a cold,

rebellious human

heart and

makes it bloom

with the beauty

of his love

and his life

by the power

of the cross.

And that's a

miracle that he

is doing now.

And he's been

doing it all

along.

But often it's

done under the

radar.

no matter what

seems to be

going wrong

around us.

See,

Elijah,

Elijah couldn't

see anything

good from his

perspective.

All the

headlines were

bad.

His personal

life was,

I mean,

he was running

for his life.

He was a

fugitive.

And yet God

shows him

that God

has been

working in

ways that

Elijah couldn't

see and

couldn't have

even imagined.

and that

God will

continue to

do his

quiet,

incredible

miracles in

the hearts

of people.

And he's

going to keep

doing that

until Jesus

returns.

So don't

think,

don't think

for a second

that God

is not

working.

Just because

you may not

see the

powerful

demonstrations

and answers

to prayer

that we

long for,

the good

things that

we ask

for,

or the

impressive

miracles

that we

want,

Elijah saw

those answers.

He saw

those demonstrations

of God's

power.

And yet he

also saw

that people

still refused

to accept

God.

They still

rejected him,

even with all

the evidence

literally coming

down from

heaven.

He saw

that what

people really

need is not

a big display

of power

out there.

We need a

miracle in

our hearts.

And that's a

miracle that

God is

doing right

now.

It's a

miracle that

he chooses

to do

through our

ordinary,

unimpressive

obedience to

seemingly small,

mundane things

as a means

to his

greatest work.

God is not

limited,

he's not

caught off guard,

even when things

seem to be

going wrong.

Often God is

doing his

quiet work behind

the scenes in

ways we never

would have

thought to look

for.

So my

encouragement

for you

this morning

is just to

relentlessly

hang on to

him.

No matter

how small

it may be,

just simply

take the

next small

step of

obedience as

he leads.

We have a

God who

chooses to

use that

small,

simple

obedience

more often

than he

chooses to

use the

big,

impressive

miracles.

people.

His still

small voice,

his gentle

whisper is

still at

work through

his people,

through you.

So don't

discount your

ordinary

obedience.

Jeremiah says,

do not

despise the

day of

small things.

Our God

loves to

use small

things,

unimpressive

things,

weak people

doing small,

unimpressive,

obedient things

to do

his greatest

work.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you,

sir.

often when

we hear

God's

word,

so we

quick to

just move

on to a

song,

to something

else.

Let's just

take a few

moments just

to think and

dwell on the

things that

Seth has been

talking about.

We'll be going

out of here,

we'll be doing

ordinary things

in our lives

this week.

We'll be going

to jobs,

we might be

minding children,

we might be

going to

college,

we might be

meeting people,

but in all

that it's

amazing to

think that

God is still

working.

We don't

always see

what God

is doing,

but we can

take encouragement

from his

word that

he is

working.

What a

wonderful picture

as well of

that gentle

voice of

God just

whispering into

a cold

heart,

changing them

from being

a rebellious,

sinful human

being,

blossoming

into a

child of

God,

someone who

is loved

by God

as they

repent of

their sin

and turn

away and

turn to

Jesus.

let's

just pause

in our

seats,

just close

our eyes,

maybe bow

our heads

and we

can thank

God that

he does

work in

the ordinary

things in

life,

not to

be discouraged

when we

don't see

these big

exciting

things because

we're people

who have

lost our

awe of

things.

We see

so much

on the

internet,

on television

and we've

lost that

sense of

awe of

things and

we want

really

something big

to happen,

but God

works in

those small

things.

So let's

just bow

our heads,

perhaps even

to pray that

God would

work a

miracle in

those that

we love,

who do

not know

Jesus yet,

that he

would change

that cold

heart,

a heart of

stone to

be a heart

of love

for the

Lord.

Let's just

respond in

quietness

before God.

That

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