The Elijah Element - The Only One Left?

1Kings 19:8-18
“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
 11 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 mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 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?"
 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
Last week we saw Elijah worn out, depressed and discouraged - he ran out of fear - the threat of Jezebel to take his life.
In his discouraged, depressed state he’s also feeling extremely lonely. In this passage alone he states twice he is the only one left who loves and follows God. He’s feeling alone - lost and alone and wanting to give up. there are times we can relate.

A number of years ago the following ad was placed in a Midwestern newspaper: "I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without a comment for $5.00." Sounds like a scam, doesn't it? It was not. Person placing ad received 10-20 calls a day.

As his UCLA football team suffered through a poor season in the early 1970s, head coach Pepper Rodgers came under intense criticism and pressure from alumni and fans. Things got so bad, he remembers with a smile, that friends became hard to find. “My dog was my only true friend,” Rodgers says of that year. “I told my wife that every man needs at least two good friends—and she bought me another dog.”

Loneliness. It's not uncommon.
There are two (2) basic types of loneliness:

a. GEOGRAPHICAL LONELINESS.
1) What special military ops people feel alone in desert.
2) This is loneliness we feel on business trips; phone call helps--not the same as being there!


b. LONELINESS OF SPIRIT.
1) Husband & wife under same roof but distant.
2) Unwed mother whose former lover deserts her.
3) Elderly person who waits for call/mail/visit. 

There are times when we all feel lonely.

1) New town, new job, new school, loss of loved one.
2) That kind of loneliness is natural--won't last.
3) But for some, loneliness runs much deeper.


-Sometimes loneliness is a choice.

We turn back on folks who really care (friends, family).

we can choose against love; to squander relationships;
loneliness is a decision--yours!

with Elijah it was his decision - in vs. 3 he took off on his own, then left his servant and traveled further by himself.

-Sometimes we throw a self-pity party

we make it worse than it really is. Oh whoa is me!
I don’t know why we pout in our self-pity, no one’s around

vs. 4 “while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."

-Sometimes we exaggerate loneliness.

We can blow up a minor mishap into a huge ordeal.
a little argument w/ the spouse can result in sleeping in separate rooms for a few days.

in vs. 10 & 14 Elijah exaggerates his situation and speaks of how he is the only one left.
Funny thing is - he’s not the only one left and he knows it!
1st there was Ob. who he connected with who is a devout follower of God, scripture tells us, and not only just Ob, b/c Ob also told Elijah that there were 100 more hidden from Jezebel.
So now we just went from 1 left to 101 left - that’s a huge increase, especially if you break it by percentage!

You’re not the only one left Elijah.

Regardless of what the case may be, sometimes we create this loneliness ourselves, sometimes we don’t but regardless of how it’s happened the bottom line is if you FEEL lonely, then that’s all that really matters at that point. and this is how Elijah felt.
in vs. 10 & 14 he says I’m the only one left, that’s how he FEELS... it’s interesting that Elijah says he’s alone twice and twice God asks Elijah, “what are you doing here?” mmmm...

Elijah’s in a cave, fearful, alone, no one gets me, no one struggles like me - tell me if this resonates w/ you - no one has the thoughts I have... if you’re married, no1 argues w/ their spouse like me... if people knew the real me, I would die.. people might be depressed, but no1 like me... people don’t hate people like I do, people don’t have an infatuation w/ their middle finger when they’re on I-10 like I do, right?
We’re so afraid to come out of the cave, b/c we feel like no1 gets us - we feel alone and we want freedom from that.

Look here how God remedies that - you see He doesn’t do it by a great worship experience, a fire or earthquake or anything like that. He doesn’t say, “Hey, we’ll sing 8 songs and then you’ll get it” although that can & could certainly happen, but not here, and not usually - look at what God does: He tells Elijah to get back to work (last week)
18 “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

This is what God is basically saying, “you think you’re the only left, but if you head over that mountain you’ll see 7,000 just like you

How does God remedy it? Community
Hebrews 10:24-25

You know it was George Gallop who said, “Americans are among the loneliest people in the world.”
The most advanced society, the most technologically driven people ever created, yet we feel all the time, that we’re in this thing alone, doing life by ourselves.
Although we work in offices and people are around us all the time, we drive into our neighborhoods full of houses, our head can hit the pillow at night and we feel like we’re all alone. Ever felt that way?

How many of you would agree life is confusing at times - raise hands? how about difficult at times?
Then why in the world would we want to try to figure it all alone - why try and do this journey by ourselves? So often in life we think, I’ll just go at it alone and that is not how God created it to be.
God created this network w/in the church to help us do life.

We believe here at FOCUS* that the church must grow larger and smaller at the same time. (Always reaching out to others growing the church and at the same time doing life together in a multitude of small community groups)

I’m not real sure how you walked in here felling this morning and when I mentioned Gallop said Americans are some of the loneliest people it may have resonated with you or maybe you have thought, I have a lot of friends but the relationships are about this deep.
Ladies and gentlemen God did not create you to live alone - He created you to do life with other people
What’s the big deal about community - we all have needs:

1. I NEED OTHERS TO KNOW ME.
Beyond the superficial, I need others to know me - not know who I am, I want others to know me. (it has been one of the frustrating things to deal with in moving here to Houston - left tight knit group of back in Cali.) I want that deep relationship, not just business, not just let’s go play hoops once a month, someone to know me. And there’s not 1 of us in this room that does not have this desire w/in us to be known.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing… Hebrews 10:25a
It’s interesting that the writer continues to make this a plural assumption, ‘Let US not’ - God created us for community - for others to know us. Doing life with others is God’s answer to loneliness

Community is God’s answer to … LONELINESS.

2. I NEED OTHERS TO WALK WITH ME.
I need to know I’m not doing this journey by myself.
What a shame, when we hit difficult spots in life and wish we had someone around to tell us what’s next - God put this process in place, this network called community w/in the church for us to do life with to know we’re not alone.
Maybe parenting issues arise, were not sure how to handle something, “I wish we had some others in our lives to help”
Maybe a job/career change, “I sure would like some input from a close friend” We feel like we’re in it all alone.

Community is God’s answer to … SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY.

Do you know what we learn from others in our lives that we cant get from a seminar or a book, real life experiences, been there done that. Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in life didn’t come from a book or seminar, they came from another persons life b/c they help grow you up. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 Ever hit that phase in life where it's all about you - it’s all about me, my stuff, my life and in that there are times I need others to walk w/ me so I can grow up.

3. I NEED OTHERS TO CARE FOR ME.
Let us consider (think about)how we may spur (encourage, urge) one another on toward love…Hebrews 10:24

Let’s just talk, there’s just times when we get down, isn’t there? Isn’t there times when you just hit a wall -
you just need someone to come along a put their hand on your back and say keep your head up, keep going, you’re gonna make it - do you ever get that? Do you need that? I know I do, even recently

But you know what, we cant get it just coming here for an hour on Sunday - not even if you do lunch occasionally
We all hit a crisis, there are times where there’s just no answers and life is not easy - those days are comin’ and when they do we are going to want someone in our lives walking w/ us and caring for us.
Listen folks, no one will just walk in if we haven’t cultivated that relationship - it happens spending time together -
the best way is to get hooked up in-community, get plugged in to a community group (guys thur, girls tue.)
You see the enemy knows, if he can keep you isolated he can keep you down - look at God’s answer

Community is God’s answer to … DESPAIR.

From feeling like you’re going down and there’s nobody there to help you - there’s just something about being there with other people - Christianity, this journey is not meant to be done alone, it’s a team game.

We could have an amazing time together on Sundays, great worship, God’s Word may pulsate within you, I’m talking you walk out of here different - which is incredible and only by God’s Holy Spirit, but that alone is not enough, that is not how God created us. God created us for community.

4. I NEED OTHERS TO SERVE WITH ME.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward … good deeds. Hebrews 10:24
B/c we are selfish-driven people our lives tend to focus only on our needs, our wants, our desires so I need other people around me to remind me that it’s not all about MUAH!
We are to serve others
It’s one of the reasons we’re involved in the Montrose Street Church -
we just give, we just serve... together

Community is God’s answer to … SELFISH LIVING.

It’s His answer to ‘it’s all about us’
5. I NEED OTHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR ME.
…but let us encourage one another… Hebrews 10:25b

Community is God’s answer to … SPIRITUAL ATTACKS.

If you were going out to war and the battle is looming, one of the 1st things we want to know is, “who’s got my back?”
Would you agree?
The Bible tells us in Ephesians we are in a war, and the battle is not on the ground, it’s in the spiritual realm.
We need others to have our backs, to pray for us, lift us up, keep us in mind.

Here’s the deal guys, I know that you know God, I know that you have Christ, I know you have your bible... you need someone with skin on who can talk about your value & the significance of your place, your person, somebody who understands how you’d love to pinch the heads off your kids, somebody who understands what it feels like to work for that pushy boss - life can be hard, it can be a battle, we need others who will be there for us -
you’ll find them in-community... get plugged in, & stay
connected,
Make it a PRIORITY.

A sign of growth in the world of nature is change - change in the dimensions of a tree, fruit appearing on the vine, flowers blooming - in a similar way, change for us means new levels of maturity, of understanding, of the way we relate to family and friends - But what does it take for change to occur?
GET CONNECTED

The Elijah Element - Getting Up when Life Gets You Down

1 Kings 18
40Then 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.
 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
 43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. 
      "There is nothing there," he said. 
    Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." (persistent prayer - push)
 44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." 
      So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "
 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Elijah outruns Ahab back to Jezreel - Ahab is in a chariot!
Now that’s fast! I wonder what his 40 time is?
Elijah runs 6 miles back to the city - why? b/c the clouds are getting dark, the wind is blowin’ maybe thunder in the sky - the storm is here.
Remember in week 2 of our study Elijah confronted Ahab about leading the people of Israel into sin and idolatry.
He then tells Ahab, there’s not gonna be rain or even dew for the next few years expect by my word. Elijah is saying, “These are the consequences God has laid out buddy”
so now here we are a few years later and the rain is here by Elijah’s word (his prayer to God) and the reason he took off to the city was to give Ahab another chance to turn away from his sin. Our God is the God of the 2nd chance, & 3rd, 4th, 5th, 100th - His grace and love for us is enormous!
His greatest desire is to be close to you and for us to draw close to Him. We cannot even begin to fathom the love He has for us - all of our thoughts that we have of His love for us are just like a teaspoon of the ocean. It is astronomical beyond measure.
It is big enough to forgive Ahab and all that he has done.

It is big enough for you - if you ever wondered, or questioned that - let’s just lay that to be bed right now.
Nothing can separate you from God. No sin, no thoughts,
no attitudes, nothing!

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” Isaiah 30:18

whatever the sin may be, if we come to Him and ask for forgiveness - it is gone!

“as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
His grace and love for us is enormous!

1 Kings 19
1 “Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 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 that of one of them."

eewwww scary! You see Ahab went right to Jezebel - That happens to us from time to time - we know we should go to God, but instead we look to ourselves or someone else.
Ahab goes to Jez. and now she is hot! fiery mad! (I’m not sure there’s anything worse, nothing scarier than a mad woman!
Bulldog foamin at the mouth, Cobra head straight up staring at me, stuck in a cage w/ a Grizzly, I’ll take any of those!)

She’s mad, she’s mad b/c she has lost all of her ‘YES’ men.
The guys who told her everything she wanted to hear, and prophesying her future glory & power.
She’s lost her ‘YES’ men & her pride has taken a hit. Plus now her authority has been damaged - opening up questions from others.
So b/c Jezebel couldn’t control Elijah’s actions, she decides, “fine then, I’ll just take him out, kill him.”

3 "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life."

Look at this - Elijah ran on his own this time - not by God’s
direction - a few weeks ago we talked about how God told Elijah to run, to flee for safety, b/c there are times in life we just need to “get the heck outta Dodge” b/c we can’t hang -
God knows that - we’re human, prone to mess up. So there are certain things in life we just need to avoid, to run from.
we looked at a few things God tells us to run from - if God says run, you better run - but here, today, Elijah ran on his own.
Elijah ran out of fear - fear will do that to us wont it?
Fear can cause us to abandon all logic, knowledge, even
common sense of what to do.. causing us to create these “what if” scenerios in our minds - instead of looking to God.
What is FEAR?

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

and that’s exactly how Elijah took this threat from Jezebel - appearing real.

What should we do w/ FEAR?
don’t look inward or outward - look upward.

Trust in God. Instead of listening to others or ourselves, listen to God.

“but whoever listens to me will live in safety 
       and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:33

‘is there something creating fear in your life? What are you doing w/ that? are you giving it to God?
You may say, "Yea Man, I'm prayin" - but is that truly where you're trust lies?

 3 "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."

Elijah now is experiencing the depths of fatigue and discouragement even after his 2 great spiritual victories: the defeat of the prophets of Baal and his answered prayer for rain.
Quite often discouragement sets in after great spiritual experiences, especially those requiring physical effort or great emotion
Fatigue, discouragement, depression all can follow these great victories in our lives, b/c we feel we have completed this huge task and now no longer have this sense of purpose anymore and on top of that you better believe the enemy Satan isn’t happy about this at all - so there becomes the spiritual attacks upon us, creating these depressed and discouraged emotions.

So what should we do when we find ourselves in one of these depressed or discouraged states.
How do we battle discouragement?

Rest

We need to take the time to rest.

5 "Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep."

Hey can I tell you this, for some of you here the most spiritual thing that you could do is take a nap. (Hey, not right now)
Get some rest.
Now there are others of you who may need to wake-up a little more often - but some of you need to take a break!
How about a little perspective - Even God took a day off, right.
On the 7th day He.... rested.
If God is resting.... then how arrogant are we if we think or say, “I don’t have the time to rest, I don;t have the time to take a break” - really?
If we don’t we’ll find ourselves right here w/ Elijah depressed and discouraged.

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; 
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.Trust in him at all times, O
people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
Psalm 62:5-8

Renew

v.5-11      “All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
 7 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." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. 
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

If we find ourselves in a depressed or discouraged place we need to find renewal in the Lord.
God says, come to me, again don’t look inward or outward but look upward so that you may be renewed to continue on.
That’s what God was doing w/ Elijah.

"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

If we feel beaten down, we don’t think we could take another step forward - We can be renewed, have this new found strength in God alone to keep on keepin on.

“who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,who satisfies your desires with good things 
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Ps. 103:4-6

It is in Him.

Refocus

v.9-15
“And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"....  11 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 mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 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?"
 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there...
and God gives specific instructions.
In order to lead Elijah out of this depression and discouragement, 1st God says, get some rest, then come before me to be renewed, now God is getting him refocused.
Elijah I have more for you, God is getting him refocused.
It’s time to return to your mission, there’s still work for you to do.

God’s word to us all is there’s more work to do. Back to the task at hand. Now w/ this new found strength and power from God Elijah moved ahead boldly.
So can we. Regardless of what’s going on. If we force ourselves to slow down and rest - in that time come before the Lord to be renewed we too will have the power and strength to move forward to keep going.
“I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.” Philippians 3:13-15

God is calling us to live for Him

The Elijah Element - The Showdown

1 Kings 18:16-39

“So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"
"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
20“So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

So here we have the showdown.
Ahab brought 850 pagan prophets to M.C. to match wits w/ Eli.
850! Do you ever notice how evil loves to gather together?
Or how negative people just feed off of one-another?

A Farmer had a neighbor that just absolutely was negative, no matter what. If it was raining, the farmer would say to his neighbor, "Boy, look at it rain, God's sort of washing it clean." "Yeah, but if it keeps up it's gonna flood." Then the sun would come out and he'd say, "If it keeps that up, it's gonna just scorch the crops." The farmer thought, "What am I gonna do to win this guy?" So he trained his dog to walk on water. He didn't tell his neighbor, he just took him duck hunting. Boom! Boom! They brought these ducks out of the sky, and said to his dog, "Go get 'em." The dog went across, picked them up, and hopped back in the boat, nothing wet-- just his paws. The farmer said, "What do you think of that?" The neighbor said, "He can't swim, can he?"

Ahab, as well as other evil kings hated God’s prophets b/c they spoke against sin and idolatry. So w/ the kings’ backing many pagan prophets sprang up to counter the word of God’s
prophets.
But Elijah showed the people that just speaking a prophecy wasn’t enough, that one needed the power of the true living God to fulfill it.

21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." 
      But the people said nothing.”

Elijah challenges the people to take a stand - to follow whoever was the true God. Why do you think so many people wavered between the 2 choices? Maybe some people were just not sure
- like the undecided votes we always hear about prior to election times.
However, many of them did know that the Lord was God, but they enjoyed the sinful pleasures and other selfish benefits that came along with siding w/ Ahab.
This really demonstrates the importance of taking a stand for Christ. If we just drift along w/ whatever is pleasant and easy, we will someday discover that we have been following a false god - ourselves.
So many live for themselves - we must take a stand b/c we too can drift into nothingness - meaningless - we think we have all these current, important, even urgent issues, but in reality most of them are meaningless.
Solomon, the wisest man to ever live tells us it’s all meaningless apart from God. in Eccl. chapters 1 & 2 he goes into specific
detail of all the things we consider of great importance are meaningless - work, play, pleasures, fooling around, a full list.

“You gotta stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”
we kinda laugh at that quote, but it’s really quite true.
It’s what happens to alot of us - we fall for anything, the current, urgent issues of each day can keep us from what really matters if we are not settled in already that everything is meaningless apart from God - He must be the center and highest priority.
Listen... is that the case in your life? Or is your life full of “anythings”?
We’ve become accustomed to watching life happen rather than living it. If we want to be heroic we just p/u a copy of BraveHeart, if we want a love story we p/u Sleepless in Seattle,
if we want mystery or adventure we p/u Lord of the Rings or Fantastic 4 - in actuality we deceive ourselves and we think we’re living life when we’re really just watching.
And what God is wanting us to hear is we can live a life more wonderful, more powerful than anything we can observe.

read v.22 on...
Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. 
      Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.”

Although the prophets of Baal raved all afternoon, no one
answered them. Their god was silent b/c it’s not real!
You see the gods were tempted to follow may not be made of wood or stone, but they’re just as false, just as dangerous b/c they cause us to follow something other than the true God.
Be it power, status, money, appearance, or materialism can become our gods if we devote our lives to them - if they have a higher priority then is it a false god in our lives.

30“Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31 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."

I love this... Elijah calling the people towards him - “get closer
I don’t want you to miss this” (Venice Beach entertainer walking on glass - come closer)
Elijah grabs 12 stones to build the altar - you may remember in week 1 of this series we discussed the splitting of Israel into 2 kingdoms - a southern and northern kingdom - the north w/ 10 tribes of Israel and the south w/ 2.
Placing 12 stones around the altar was a silent reminder of they’re selfish reasons for the split.
Do you ever notice God placing these little silent reminders in your life? Little subtle hints, a small tap on the shoulder whenever our selfish wants start taking over?
Hey, don’t miss those - He has our best interest

32 “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 seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."
 34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. 
"Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.”

Totally drown the thing man - like a typhoon
b/c I don’t want there to be any doubt, I don’t want a single
person questioning what’s really happening here.

Something similar ever happen to you?
Just as Elijah doused the altar w/ water basically saying, there’s no way I could even get a spark to land on this much less have it consumed in fire. Only God, the true living God will be able to.
as for us...
I mean you’ve hit rock bottom or you’re at your wits end - there is absolutely nothing more you can do - you’re out of options - if anything is going happen it’s gonna be God - only God can pull this off.

Welcome to God's Waiting Room. It’s that place in your life where there are things beyond your control that you can’t speed up—an answer to prayer, a miracle, a change in a situation—you want it to happen, and happen quickly, but it is totally out of your control and you have to wait on God. Have you been there? Are you there now?

We need to remember what God CAN do and not only what we can do - we must be patient and faithful. - watch what happens -

36”At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, (see his humility - last week)and that you are turning their hearts back again." (check this out)
 38 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.
 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!"

I bet they did! I’m thinking if I were on the other side of this I’d be crying out, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!"

Here God flashed fire from heaven for Elijah.
You know what? He’ll help us too - to accomplish what He commands us to do. The proof of that may not be as dramatic in our lives as in this case, but God will make resources available to us in creative ways to accomplish His purposes.
He will give us the wisdom to raise a family, the courage to take a stand a stand for truth, or the means to provide help for someone in need.
Like Elijah, we can have faith that whatever God commands us to do, He will provide what we need to carry it through.
‘Where God guides, He provides’

Here’s what we’ve seen studying Elijah today:
We’ve gotta stand for something, something real, authentic - something of eternal value - We can only find that in God
Sometimes, God asks us to get closer, don’t miss this.
It appears you may be at a dead-end, out of options, nothing more you can do - and God says, get closer, watch this
and pulls us thru and all we can do is stand in awe, jaw dropped awe - God is breath-taking, awe-inspiring, wonderfully
magnificent!
As we see w/ our own eyes, there’s no way this could have happened other than a miracle, only by the hand of God.
It builds our faith and we draw closer relationally to the Creator of the Universe. Our heart beats w/ His & that’s a good thing.

We can’t waver - we need to make God the most important thing in our lives. And you know what, when we do that - life is soooo much better, much better.
It doesn’t mean we will live these pain-free perfect lives - but it sure is alot easier to deal with b/c of the love He has for us and the hope we have in the God who has created everything and in control of everything.
Whatever you are dealing with, whatever difficulty is in your life right now...
God is saying, "Come closer... I don't want you to miss this"

The Elijah Element - Integrity

 7 As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"
 8 "Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.' "
 9 "What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' 12 I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. 13 Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD ? I hid a hundred of the LORD's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!"
 15 Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today."
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" 1 Kings 18:7-17

Something we have seen as we study this together is that Elijah is not only a man of faith, he is also a man of his word.
Ob. is freakin’ out - “no way Elijah, r u kidding me? - you’re gonna get me killed - I’ll be hung at the gallows” - “I’m not gonna tell Ahab you’re here, he’s been looking for you for years and people have died when you weren’t found”
Elijah calms him by reassuring Ob. - “I’m gonna be here - you can bank on that - I’m gonna do what I say”
Ob. knows the character of Elijah and that alone is enough for him to trust Elijah.

“Our character is more caught than taught”
In every sphere of our culture—business, government, sports, education and religion—we face an integrity crisis. Long-accepted ethical codes of conduct are giving way to the short-term pragmatics of ambition, profit, and pleasure.

What scares me the most about all of this is that a lack of integrity no longer shocks people anymore. Ethical compromise is no longer reprehensible, but is actually gaining acceptability.

Some time ago the Dallas Times Herald reported that while on his way to school one day, a young boy found two large canvas sacks lying in the street. When he looked inside he was amazed to find that the sacks were full of money—$415,000 in fact! When he returned the money to the Princeton Armored Service, he received a reward of $1,000 and got his story in the paper. But the young boy was very unhappy about it all. In his interview he said he had expected a larger reward. 

“I don’t understand it,” he complained. “If I had to do it over again, I’d probably keep the money.”

No matter who you are, whether you’re aware of it or not - our character is always on trial.
I read a story recently about a pastor who preached a sermon on honesty one Sunday morning. The next day he took the bus to get to his office. After he paid the fare, he realized that the bus driver had given him back way too much change.

During the rest of the journey, the pastor rationalized how God had provided him with some extra money he needed for the week. But he just could not live with himself, and before he got off the bus he said to the driver, “You have made a mistake. You’ve given me too much change.” And he proceeded to give back the extra money.

The driver smiled and said, “That was no mistake. I was at your church yesterday and heard you preach on honesty. So I decided to put you to a test this morning!”
There are a number of people who think it’s Ok, who rationalize
how they can cut corners in life. “Who will ever know” they say.
But the truth is that other people know.
Your spouse, children, friends, family, co-workers all know.
And more important, even if you cover your tracks really, really well, and others do not see up front what you’re up to, you do!

Just as the pastor on the bus, we don’t want to give away or sell our integrity for any price.
Integrity commits itself to character over personal gain, to
people over other things, to service over power, to principle over convenience, to the long view over the immediate.

But we want the immediate, we don’t want to work so hard - it’s easy to cut corners for our own or even our family’s benefit.
b/c everybody else is doing it - but,
The road of integrity may not be the easiest one, but it’s the only one that will get us where we ultimately want to go.

it appears in - life of Integrity
The Character you Demonstrate

There’s a person at work that you can trust, you know that when they give you their word they’re gona keep it.
1 of ways to BA from crowd of compromise is to live a life of integrity.

It’s the character you demonstrate and not to allow yourself to compromise your ethics.
I’m amazed by the fact that so many believers find it OK to blur the lines and smear their character.

I think it’s just that we live in an envir. where it’s OK to be dishonest, to compromise values and principles - I think what we under-estimate is that we are supposed to be the human personification of the exact opposite of Enron.
We should be the solution to the corruption in the world.

And people whether they believe in God or not, should be able to watch our lives and say, “I don’t know all about this guys belief system, but I know I can trust him. His values, his chara., his morals”
It shows by the Character you Demonstrate
It is then when you can begin to influence the lives of others w/ the good news of J.C.

How do we become a person who can positively influence other people? We need to develop these qualities of integrity and live by them everyday.

Commit yourself to Honesty and reliability

Integrity begins w/ a specific, conscious decision. If we wait until a moment of crisis before settling our integrity issues, we will set ourselves up for failure. Chose today to live a life that honors God, full of integrity and.... determine to stick w/ it.
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this” Psalm 37:4-5

Consistent Character

Solid trust can only develop when people can trust you ALL THE TIME. If they never know from moment to moment what you’re going to do, then we can never get to a deep confident level of trust. 1 Cor. 13 gives us insight of consistent character.
the love of a Christ follower -
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 - it’s consistent

Straight Talk

Honest communication. To be trustworthy, we must walk the talk.
“Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'” Matt. 5:37

Open Up

Value transparency - people eventually find out about your flaws, even if you try to hide them. But when we’re honest up front, admit our weaknesses, they appreciate your honesty and integrity - and are able to relate better to you.
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor” Ephesians 4:25

Humility

People wont trust you if they see that you’re driven by ego,
jealousy, or the belief that you’re better than others.
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”
1 Peter 3:8

Support Others

Nothing develops or displays character better than your desire to put others 1st - above yourself.
“If any of your people become poor and unable to support themselves, you must help them, just as you are supposed to help foreigners who live among you.” Leviticus 25:35

An Attitude of Servitude
“Your attitude must be like my own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve” Matthew 20:28
Giving of yourself and your time to others shows that you care about them. to be known by love

Fulfill your promises

Say what you mean - mean what you say
“be... trustworthy in everything.” 1 Timothy 3:11
Never promise anything you can’t deliver - and when you say you’ll do something - do it - follow thru. A sure way to break the trust of others is to fail to fulfill your commitments. - kids (parents w/empty promises and/or empty threats)

The Elijah Element - You Play a Part

“After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. While Jezebel was killing off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another. As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"
"Yes," he replied. 1 Kings 18:1-8

v.3-4 Ob playing a key role in building the kingdom of God - serving God and building the kingdom by personally taking care of these other men.
His role is much different than Elijah’s - Elijah is out front - up front, connecting with outsiders, teaching God’s Word, speaking with other leaders, confronting issues - he’s is front and center.

Ob. however is working backstage, in the background, not seen, hidden actually - taking care of others who were at 1 time and will be again, front and center.

Ob. is doing his part - playing the role God intended for him to play - moving and acting with the abilities, skills and gifts God has given him.
He is doing his part in building the kingdom.

This leads to the ?, are we doing our part in building the kingdom of God? Do we even know our part?
Are you doing your part? Do you know what your part is?

According to God’s Word, everyone of us has a role, a part to play in building the kingdom of God - of seeing the world
impacted w/ the the good news of J.C.

1 Corinthians 12
“Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” v.4-7

You play a part

Treat everyone as if they have a need, because everybody does

3 needs:
physical - spiritual - emotional


3 ways we can serve:
To God - To believers - To unbelievers

Why should I be interested?

1. I’ve been created to serve - on purpose for a purpose.
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10

2. I’ve been saved to serve
“It is God who saved us and chose for his holy work. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began” 2 Timothy 1:9
giving life to Christ is not the end - it’s not the be-all, end-all - it’s the beginning - saved to serve!

3. I’ve been called to serve - every believer has been called.
“God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him.” Galatians 1:15
“...You have been chosen by God himself...so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 2 Peter 2:9-10

4. I’ve been gifted to serve
“God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you.” 1 Peter 4:10 - S.H.A.P.E.

5. I’ve been authorized to serve “Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples” Matthew 28:18-19
- not just clergy
“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors” 2 Corinthians 5:20
defin: a person who acts as a representative

6. I’ve been commanded to serve
“Your attitude must be like my own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve” Matthew 20:28

7. I’m to be prepared for service
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

8. Others need me to serve
“Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

9. I am accountable for my part
“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
Romans 14:12
there will come a day when each of us will be asked by God, did you play your part? - how do I know what my part is? shape

10. I will be rewarded for playing my part
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Colossians 3:23-24

you will be rewarded for playing your part.

 14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
 19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
 21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
 22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
 23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
 24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
 26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
Matthew 25

Each of us have a part to play in building the Kingdom of God -
I think that’s incredibly exciting!!!
That God actually wants me, the average Joe to be a part of something so big, so huge, beyond my comprehension - something that matters more than anything else in this world - I get to play a part - WOW!

“In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, 
   I give them a mission in the world.” John 17:18

Each of us have a mission, we each play a part

The Elijah Element - PUSH

Audio on iTunes:

1 Kings 17:17-24
quickly review vs. 7-16 - Amazing miracle - how cool would that be to never have to worry about or even think about getting any food - your pantry is just supernaturally replenishing - your friends ask if you have anything to eat -- uh.. yeah...
Dude I haven’t been to Krogers in 3 yrs. - my frig is full man.

 17 “Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.”

Here is this Big, Huge miracle in this widow’s life, but that doesn’t mean the trouble is over... life continues... we live in a fallen world... bad things are gonna continue to come our way - sad, but true.
This woman may have thought, “well God is providing this miracle of the everlasting food, so everything in my life is good, no worries, no problems... not the case.
God’s provision is never given in order to let us rest upon just that

18 “She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"

She turns on him quickly, right? At 1st he’s this great prophet of God, making way for God’s food miracle, now all of a sudden he’s a bum. She goes bi-polar on him and turns into a hater.

Tragedy will do that to us. Fear will do that do us - it happened to her - ever happen to you?
When things aren’t going as planned, when life isn’t all merry and fun, it’s not always that bed of roses -
something goes awry, something unexpected occurs and really spoils the moment or day, or week, or year.
She’s just lost her son, now she’s lost her control.

In all tragedy or fear we must trust and depend on God.
We need to depend on Him

when the 911 tragedy struck the hearts of every american and others... that tragedy created a lot of fear and anger and raised a number of ?’s and doubt... people began asking how could God allow such a thing? why would he bring this tragedy upon innocent people? lost spouse, parents, children, they hurt, they ?
Many people turned quickly just as this widow did.
What’s important to understand about living in a fallen, broken world, where the Bible describes us as born w/ every inclination of evil - that God doesn’t bring disaster upon anyone, we bring it

B/c we are sinful people, b/c we do not live in a perfect world, bad things are going to happen and we have to be able to trust that Father knows best. Our heavenly Father cares so much for us and knows us better than we know ourselves.
That we can trust that He will guide us thru this and take care of us all the way, and as long as we need.
You mean that much to Him.
And He wants you to call to Him and cry out to Him.

vs.19-20
"Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"

It's OK to cry out to the Lord, it’s OK to ? God. Asking Him, Hey, Lord, what’s going on here? I don’t get it - what’s happening? - I think those thoughts run thru our minds everytime we cross a scenario like this where the child has past away before the parent(s).

David cried out - known as man after God’s own heart -
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.” Ps. 22:1-2
“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God” Ps. 13:1-3
God wants us to express every ounce of our being, every emotion, every thought laid out b/c He cares, He wants you to tell Him, He loves everything about you - even our questioning.

21 “Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
Look at how Elijah prayed 3 times here.
Don’t stop after one prayer. Elijah prays once for child, we’ll geez I tried, sorry lady.
Our tendency is to quit to soon - we pray once, don’t get an answer, “well must not have been God’s timing or will - I quit”
(it can happen... marriage... relat.... job.. school)
If you call someone, let it ring once, didn’t answer, I guess they’re not available, go over to friends house
go up to door, knock once, they don’t answer - you leave.

Here is God teaching us perseverance in prayer.
“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;
 They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Is. 40:31

Sometimes God has a purpose in the wait, in strengthening us - He sees the big picture, we don’t have a clue what lies ahead - so don’t stop praying, seeking God for the answers you need in life.

Daniel prayer in ch. 9 - no immediate response, no immed. idea or sense that God is doing anything at all - then a few days pass, a week passes, then 2 weeks, 3 weeks - here’s what happens:
“Daniel... Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days.” Daniel 10:12-13
an example of a delayed answer to prayer.

P.U.S.H.

Pray
Until
Something
Happens

in me, or the other, or the situation

 22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"

God wants to answer, He wants to please, to bring us great joy in life.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” John 10:10

 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

Jesus also said that He wants to us ask of anything so that our Father in Heaven may be glorified.
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” John 14:13

Jesus wants us to call out, cry out, regardless of what it is, or even the emotion we are displaying as ugly as that may be in that moment, God says, be real with me - he knows how we feel anyway - He already knows, so He says, be real. (vid)
This is one way our relationship w/ Jesus Christ will grow - if we are real, not holding back anything, any emotions.
How many close relationships do you have that are not real? how close are your relationships that you are holding back about yourself, not really letting the know who you are, or how you feel? How close are you to those people?

J.C. wants to be our best friend - Talk to Him just like you’d talk to your best friend.

remember v.23, you son is alive
24“Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

Really? Now you know? The whole everlasting food thing didn’t give you a clue. A little skeptical are you?
Look at how God brings her back around - Everything in life is going great - got the magical replenishing pantry, got a Prophet of God chillin’ in my house - then boom! tragedy strikes
and she loses it - Gets angry at God
and as Elijah crys out to God - PUSH - persevering
God answers - the widows son is brought back to life
and now she believes!

God is faithful - even when we get angry and upset, even if we blame Him, as she did - God is faithful, and He will prove it
everytime.

Doubting Thomas
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
      But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
 A week later (push - didn’t happen immed.) his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" John 20:24-28

The Elijah Element - Where God Guides, He Provides

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Imagine getting this assignment from God... hope you like camping - hope you like roughin’ it
in v. 3 God says, “Hide” (read) - last week we talked about living by faith & that Elijah moved and walked in obedience w/out hesitation - and that we should also apply this Elijah Element in our lives, to live by faith, walk in obedience to God’s Word.

It’s interesting to me here that God tells Elijah to hide, is it to you? When we talk about about walking in obed. to God’s Word sometimes that’s a bit challenging, our selfish wants and desires get in the way, or fear gets in the way so we become a little hesitant - but if God said, “Hey Joe, get out of here, run and hide” You’d think I’d just take off - “You mean you’re not telling me to stand up against the grain or do something that appears extremely difficult... sure... I’ll hide”
But I think, even in God asking us to run, we still question it.
“Why run, what’s the hurry God?” right?
Something in us that always want to ? the will of God.
If God says run, you better run. If God says hide, you better hide
You better put your tough guy Texan pride aside and GO!

A similar situation happened just about 1000yrs. earlier when we read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed.
Look at what God’s message is to His followers:
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."
 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away! Gen. 19:14-17

If God says run... run!
There are different occasions in Deuteronomy and in Jeremiah
where God tells the people of Israel to flee or run b/c disaster is about to fall upon the cities they were in.

in 1 Corinthians 6:18 God tells us all to
“Flee from sexual immorality”
in 1 Corinthians 10:14 God tells us all to
“flee from idolatry”

Why is God telling us to run or flee from such things?
B/c disaster is about to fall - He is basically telling us, “you can’t hang - it will get the best of you, you can’t stand against it alone so get out of there. - don’t put yourself in compromising situations.
If God says run... run!

continuing in 1 Kings 17...
Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."
 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:2-16

In a nation that is required to take care of it’s prophets, it is ironic that God turned to ravens (considered unclean birds)
and a widow who is a foreigner from Jezebels homeland to take care of Elijah.
Where God leads, He feeds, Where God guides, He provides.
God has help where we least expect it. He provides for us in ways that go beyond our limited imaginations or expectations.
No matter how difficult life becomes or how hopeless our situation may appear we can count on God to pull us through.
Where God leads, He feeds, Where God guides, He provides

It’s usually a matter of timing:

God has made it easy for us to understand His timing. He made it simple to discover His time by giving us the seasons of life.
So we must understand that everything has seasons.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” Ecc 3:1

You see, to know the time for everything we need to understand that every activity has a season. Seasons are God’s clue to timing.
God’s Timing in your life can be discerned by determining what season you’re in, and when you find out the season you’re in, you can act accordingly.
For example, if it’s winter and cold outside, then it is time for you to wear a coat. You don’t have to pray real hard to figure out if you should wear a coat. Simply look outdoors and you’ll know what to do.
The same is true of life. In order to know what to do, simply find out what season it is in your life, and then act appropriately.
The key to success is acting relevantly to your circumstances. Simply waiting around for your ship to come in will never bring you success. Don’t wait for success? Success is who you are and what you do every day of your life. found in obed.

The problem with many of us is that we don’t know what to do.
Listen, it is easy to know what to do. Just as there are seasons of nature, there are seasons of life. Each season corresponds to a particular action that we need to take. For example, there is a time to plant and a time to reap. How do you know if it’s time to reap? You know it’s time when the harvest is ripe.-if it is ready. The same is true of your life.

So to find out God’s timing you simply need to ask yourself, "What season am I in?"
and listen He will provide.

God’s Provision

God is referred to as Jehovah-Jireh. which means "the Lord will provide."

This name comes from the story in Genesis of Abraham's obedience to offer Isaac to the Lord. You will find the story in Genesis 22. God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Deciding to obey the Lord, Abraham took Isaac and set out to the place where God had chosen. He bound his son and laid him on the altar. As he was about to slay his son, God stopped him. He commended him for his willingness to obey and called his attention to a ram that he had provided for Abraham to offer. As Abraham offered the ram as a burnt offering to God, he called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh. He had experienced the provision of God. He had come to experience first-hand the reality that God could provide. 
ever had a Jeh.Jir. exper? Obviously God made this happen.

As a father provides for his own children, so God is our provider. James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights."
Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

God not only gives us the stuff we need, He gives us the good stuff. He gives us what we really need, not simply what we think we need. And much of what God gives us you simply cannot buy with money. When you are overwhelmed, you may be able to buy a bottle. When you sober up, however, the problem is still there. What you need is supernatural peace in the midst of the problem. What you need is the ability to deal with the situation. Only God Jeh.Jir. can give you that.

Let me give you some thoughts on receiving from God.
The first is the principle of obedience. If we want to receive from God, we must be in God's will.

The first area in which we need to be in the will of God is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Jesus must be maintained if we are going to be in a position to pray for and receive what we need. Jesus said, in John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you."
This is our first priority. Maintain that love relationship with Jesus Christ.

Another area in which we need to make sure we are in the will of God is our relationship to the church. If we neglect our fellowship with one another then we will find ourselves out of the will of God
Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another"
If we want to be in the will of God, we must be in right relationship to one another in a local church where we can serve God.

A final area of obedience is obedience in giving. So many people take themselves out of a position where they can receive from God because they will not be obedient in this vital matter.

God has promised that if we bring His tithes into the storehouse, He will pour out blessings upon us. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." Malachi 3:10
You see, the principle God has established is that we first give than we receive. Luke 6:38 reads, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.".

v.13-14 -
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "

Give to God 1st and He will provide!

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

So we must be obedient to God in terms of our relationship with Jesus Christ and with His church, and in terms of our giving.

When we walk in obed. putting God 1st - He will provide.

Where God guides, He provides

The Elijah Element - Live by Faith

“Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 1 Kings 17:1

Elijah was the 1st in a long line of important prophets sent to Israel and Judah. Israel, the northern kingdom didn’t have a single faithful king throughout it’s history. Each king was wicked, actually leading the people into worshiping pagan gods. This is God’s chosen people in the promised land and this is how far they’ve fallen. There were few priests left in the land and the priests that were appointed by Israels kings were corrupt and ineffective.
So with no kings or priests to bring God’s Word to the people, God called prophets to try to rescue Israel from it’s moral and spiritual decline. Elijah was the 1st .
v.1 Elijah says to Ahab...confronts Ahab...think about this...
Ahab is the King of Israel - the power of life and death in his hands - to confront him....would be like walking up to Scarface and calling him a little girl - it could get bad.
We talked a bit last week of how Baal was worshiped as a weather god who brought the rains and big harvest. So when Elijah walks into the presence of this Baal-worshipping king and told him there would be no more rain for several yrs. - Ahab was shocked. there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
How brave, how courageous - realizing the ramifications of who he is speaking this to.
Elijah gallantly confronts the man who has led his people into evil.
What comes to mind when you think of confrontation? How do you feel when it’s time to confront someone or something?
Does the word confrontation make you feel uneasy? If so, you aren't alone. Although there are people who enjoy taking the bull by the horns, most of us would rather experience flight than fight, therefore make it our habit to avoid confrontation at all costs.
But there are many times, just as here w/ Ahab that it is absolutely necessary to confront an issue or att. or whatever...
(proper way?) vid

How to confront with success:

Get it from God - lines up w/ His Word

•You take the first step. Your goal is reconciliation rather than revenge. First, pray that God will grant you the love you need to speak the truth. Reconciliation is a two-way street, and unless both parties want to rebuild, reconciliation is impossible. Confrontation simply means coming together, articulating the problem, and allowing the other person to choose whether to be part of the solution. If so, you both move toward a fresh start. If not, you move toward a fresh start alone.

•You choose the right time. Timing is everything. Choose a time when you both won't be hurried and can really communicate.
•You choose the right place. Choose a location that is pleasant, private, and, if possible, neutral territory.

•You choose the right attitude. Confront caringly with real concern for the other person. Your main objective is to rebuild the love you once had for him or her. Do it gently, not offering more than the relationship can bear. Be constructive, taking into consideration any possible interpretations of blaming, shaming, or punishing. Be accepting of the other person's response and intentions.

•Don't confront when you are still too angry to control yourself.
•Don't confront when it's none of your business.
•Don't confront if you aren't sure about what really happened. Hearsay evidence doesn't count. - do your homework
•Don't confront when it's wise to overlook the offense. pic battle

•Focus on the issue. Don't wander off the subject or get diverted to another subject. Say, The situation I want to discuss with you is _______. If I get off the subject, please get me back on track, and I'll try to do the same for you, so we can resolve this problem.

•Focus on I, not you. Don't be accusative: You really made me mad. Or you have this lousy habit of... Instead start with the word I. I felt angry when you said... or I feel frustrated by your habit of...

•Focus on growth. Accept the fact that you, too, have contributed to the problem you're having. Enter into your confrontation with a willingness to hear the other person out, admit your faults, learn from your mistakes, and make amends.

•Focus on gentleness and mutual understanding. “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Phil 4:5).
Remember, the person you are talking to is more important than any issue. Affirm the person - confront the issue

Elijah steps up to the plate and confronts Ahab. He gets it from God and confronts Ahab.
It takes faith to live like that! (vid) We are to live by faith.

That means in it’s simplest form - obedience.

When we live by faith, walk in faith great things happen.
When we walk in obedience to God, in what His Word already says it is not only going to make a huge impact on our own lives, but a significant impact on the lives of others around us.
How cool is that! God’s Word will not return void/empty - the promises are true. All we have to do is live by them, walk in them - what are wanting to see happen? what are you dreaming of? what do you want to see happen that is much bigger than you alone can make happen?
Simply live by faith - and watch the Creator of the Universe work

This is exactly what we see in the life of Elijah

Look at how often scripture shows us Elijah walking, moving in obedience -
17:2-5; 8-10; 18:1-2; 19:5-6; 7-8; 11-13; 15-19; 2 Kings 1:3-4; 15

in every command of God, Elijah moved in obedience, w/out hesitation (oh... im not sure about that God.. that doesn’t make any sense.. really, you want me to do that?)
Elijah went for it - w/ a heart completely in line w/ God - it was easy for him to live by faith.

Amazing, amazing things happened in his life, as we see will together in the weeks to come - but I want to show you this before we move on... walking in obed. affects others.
read 17:9-15a
She went - she moved in obed. to the will of God
Obviously, this is a man of God, who is walking in obed. - in line w/ the heart of the Father and it creates in her this willingness to move in obedIence! WOW!

walking in obedience to God, in what His Word already says it is not only going to make a huge impact on our own lives, but a significant impact on the lives of others around us.

We are to be people who live by faith.

Charles Blondin tight rope illus.

Think about that. What does that mean? What could that look like even in a smaller community, a small group right here -
FOCUS*
The impact we can have even today is HUGE!


Let’s commit to being people who live by faith.

The Elijah Element - Polarity

As we begin this series, let's take a quick look at Israels history.
Following the reign of King David, his son, Solomon reigned in what scrip. says, in wisdom and the strength of God for approximately 30-35 years before his own decline and downfall.
After Solomon, Israel divides into 2 separate nations - Judah (southern) & Israel (northern) - the Kings of Israel all did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forsook His ways to serve idols, and led the people themselves into idolatry.

Conspiracy and assassination were the methods used in ascension to the throne; a sharp contrast to the anointing that God gave His chosen Kings; David, and Solomon.
Finally, fifty-five years and six kings later, Ahab comes on the scene. The Bible tells us that Ahab did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him.
What a legacy; to be known as one who has excelled in evil!

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. 1 Kings 16:29-33

I Kings 16:31 tells us that Ahab considered it ‘no big deal’ to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, who had raised up idols in the land after the death of Solomon; and so little did sin and the
doing of evil matter to Ahab.
Making light of less sins makes way for greater sins, that he even marries Jezebel, a devout worshipper of Baal and the daughter of a king who worshipped Baal.

He marries this wicked woman, who he knew would bring in the worship of Baal, and seemed to marry her with that design. As if it had been a light thing to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, he took Jezebel as his wife(v. 31), she’s a God hater, extremely malicious in her natural temper, addicted to witchcraft (2 Ki. 9:22), and every way vicious. considered 2day:
High Maintence wicked Pysho-babel babe

Ahab built a temple in Samaria, the royal city, because the temple of God was in Jerusalem, the royal city of the other kingdom. He would have Baal’s temple near him, that he might the better frequent it, protect it, and put honour upon it.
He built an altar in that temple, on which to offer sacrifice to Baal, and they acknowledged their dependence upon him and sought his favour.

To sum up the life of Ahab we could say,

Completely ignoring God and living for self.

We've seen people like this in our world. We know folks who fit this description don't we?
Completely ignoring God and living for self.
I think if we look really close, I think we'll see we all have a little Ahab in us. Not nearly to the extreme he took it, but something there.
Ahab walked his own path, did what he wanted to do - we do that from time to time. “Aahhh it’s not that big of deal is it? I live under God’s grace”
Ahab choose to serve and worship other gods - we don’t do anything like that do we? That sounds so harsh. I don’t worship other gods! Really?
I do everytime I place something above God or at a higher priority than Him, or things I even choose to spend more time in or with - we have so many interests, hobbies, things we love to do,
watch on TV, and submerge ourselves totally in to. There are 1000's of things that fit this description.

In every instance, if not done in balance and with the proper
priority in order w/ God, we too serve these other gods - we think they’re serving us, giving us great pleasure, but how naive we are.
Then we look at the people Ahab chose to be with. Jezebel in particular b/c she had the greatest influence on him.
We just talked about influ. a couple of weeks ago, but who we hang out with, spend our time w/ matters. it matters.
It doesn’t mean we forsake all contact w/ those we know who are not true Christ-followers, but it certainly matters what kind of impact is taking place. Now that really matters!
Are you impacting/influ. them w/ the love of Christ or are you using this time w/ them to drop our guard a bit,
b/c “they won’t mind, and I can’t do this at home, so... it’s ok today”
Oh, there’s a little Ahab in us all I’m afraid.
This hard heart that sometimes ignores God and lives for self.

Let's set up this next verse. Baal was worshipped as a weather-god. Later, the weather-god should have been able to strike his priest’s sacrifice with lightning, there on Mt. Carmel. But God would mock this false god by consuming Elijah’s sacrifice with fire from heaven.

In like manner Elijah, first coming on the scene in chapter 17, mocks Baal’s power by announcing that there will be no rain...not even morning dew...until he, Elijah, says so.

“Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." v.1

Now as a legitimate prophet of God, we know that Elijah didn’t just decide on his own initiative to make this declaration.
That would be stupid - get you killed.
It must have followed very earnest and real-time in prayer, that God told him to go to Ahab and make the announcement. Ahab would understand that it was Elijah’s God who would hold back the rain; but I don’t want you to miss the way God honors the man who is truly close to His own heart. He has promised Elijah that when the rain finally comes, it would be at Elijah’s bidding. (“...there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”)
This can only be done by a man who truly loves and seeks God in all and every area of life that his heart is in complete line w/ the heart of God - WOW!
What a contrast to Ahab.
He is the polar opposite - a true follower of the Most High God.
One with a heart after God.

A Heart after God

The Beatitudes do not describe many separate individuals, but rather the characteristics of those who are wholeheartedly,
passionately pursuing God.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 4Blessed are those who mourn,
      for they will be comforted.
 5Blessed are the meek,
      for they will inherit the earth.
 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
      for they will be filled.
 7Blessed are the merciful,
      for they will be shown mercy.
 8Blessed are the pure in heart,
      for they will see God.
 9Blessed are the peacemakers,
      for they will be called sons of God.
 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you. Matthew 5:3-12

Let’s look at each of these & how they describe those with a heart after God


I. Seek God (3) ...poor in spirit...
Know they don’t know it all
Know they need outside help

2. Mourn Sin’s Results (4) ...they that mourn...

Sad from what they see, not proud of the world
around them - people lost w/out Christ (what do you see in regards to people
when walk into rest... groc.. mall... ballgame...?)

3. Wait for God to Act (5) ...the meek...

Not resisting God’s directions
Following God and letting Him change your life

4. Work to Further God’s Impact (6) ...after righteousness...

Work to satisfy strong desires for what’s right. Balance God’s grace and our good works (“speak truth in love” Eph.4:15)

5. Help Suffering People (7) ...the merciful...

Desire to be a “neighbor” (Luke 10:25-37)
Distributing mercy and relief - Montrose

6. Seek Another’s Best (8) ...the pure in heart...

Pure hearts share service and love
Pure motives, putting others above yourself - known by love

7. Help Strengthen Relationships (9) ...the peacemakers...

Builders, not breakers
bringing people 2gether and to Christ ()

8. Stand Up for What is Right (10-12) ...for my sake...

Does the “unusual” for God - go against the grain/ the world
Taking a stand for God & His ways - Elijah

It’s amazing to see as we study the life of Elijah just how
passionate and obedient and willing he was to move and
stand for God.
Over the next weeks we will see these in Elijah.
What a heart! What an example. study the life of Elijah this summer to learn, glean from God’s Word how to implement
The Elijah Element into our own lives.

It begins in the heart

HEROES - The Success Journey

There's this time of discovery for every HERO - discovering their powers, abilities, gifts, talents.
They all come to this moment, this place of... what does it all mean? What is the purpose?
The begin to discover a true meaning and goal in life.
However, each of them discover that it's a journey - it may even be a long journey toward the ultimate goal
or dream or vision. That is filled with difficulties and obstacles along the way.
There are examples of this all through scriptue.
moses
noah
joseph

Our lives are very much the same.
recap series

1. TWO SIDES TO SUCCESS: Finding the Right Way +
Persevering in it. 

1a. Finding the right way is essential. Illustration: Climbing a ladder up a wall with great perseverance over one’s entire life, only to find out in the end that you were on the wrong ladder 

1b. Persevering in it is essential. Illustration: The couple who has gotten in debt and decides to dig out. They plan a workable budget, which over time will get them out of debt. But after a couple of months, they fall back into their over-spending ways.

Success is obedience - it’s really that simple

Success is a matter of being where God wants you to be
“We live by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7

Success is growing to your potential.

Our potential is God’s gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift back to him. In truth, our potential is probably our greatest untapped resource. Henry Ford said, "There is no man living who isn’t capable of doing more than he thinks he can do." We have nearly limitless potential, yet too few ever try to reach it. Many people let everyone around them decide their agenda in life and as a result they never really dedicate themselves to their purpose in life. They become a jack of all trades, master of none--rather than a jack of few trades, focused on one.

Let me give you some principles on growing toward your potential

1. Concentrate on one main goal.
Reaching your potential requires focus, that’s why it is important to discover your purpose. Once you decide where to focus your attention, you must decide what you are willing to give up to be successful, for there can be no success without sacrifice. If you want to accomplish little, sacrifice little, but if you want to accomplish great things, be willing to sacrifice much.
2. Concentrate on continual improvement.
This is the key to reaching your potential, each day you work to be a little better than you were the day before, it puts you one step closer to your potential.

3. Forget the past.
Jack Hayford said, "The past is a dead issue, and we can’t gain any momentum moving toward tomorrow if we are dragging the past behind us." Maybe you made a lot of mistakes in your life, or you’ve had an especially difficult past, work your way through it and move on, don’t let it stop you from reaching your potential.
Think of people like Booker T. Washington who was born into slavery, denied access to the resources available to white society, but did not let that prevent him from pursuing his potential. He founded the Tuskegee Institute and the National Black Business League. He said, "I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
Think of Helen Keller who lost her sight and hearing at nineteen months old. She overcame her severe disabilities, went on to graduate from Radcliffe College and became an author, lecturer and champion for people who are blind. 
Think of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1921, at the age of 39 he had a severe case of polio which left him disabled and in severe pain. He never walked again without assistance. But that did not stop him from pursuing his potential. Eight years later he became governor of New York and in 1932, he was elected President of the United States.
I know there are others you can think of who have overcome past tragedies or mistakes and pursued their potential. Let them inspire you to do the same because God has placed within you the potential to become an overcomer.

4. Focus on the future.
Your potential lies ahead of you, no matter what your age. You can become better tomorrow than you are today.

And remember that God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). The purchase price for all of God’s blessings has already been paid. All we have to do to receive them is to keep believing, and keep praying.

2. THE TEMPTATION TO QUIT.

2a. The biblical history shows us the type, those who start but do not finish, those who draw back and are lost (Heb 10:39).
“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, (they quit - tough, obstacles) but of those who believe and are saved.”
We maintain in good times, in bad times, in all circumstances.

2c. One characteristic of the “quitting” phenomenon: There are signs leading up to it. It is a sliding back, not a falling off. They are just - hanging on - barely.
“strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” Heb. 12:12

2d. One thing that commonly leads up to it: the feeling that it is a “futile perseverance.”

-It is the feeling that whatever fruit it produces is not worth it (Illustration – pastoral license).
We can be sure, however, that to persevere for GOD’S SAKE is worth it. Hebrews 6:10.
“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”
-Or it is the feeling that it cannot be done, that we’ve gotten ourselves in over our heads in taking this one on.

So let’s consider some things that will relieve us of this feeling of futility....first, that we must be relieved of any false models that we hold of perseverance.

3. MODELS OF CHRISTIAN PERSEVERANCE

3a. A false model of perseverance leads to despair.
Example: The Perfectionist Model. The Comparison Model

3b. We must develop a true model of perseverance, and keep it ever in view.
The Apostle Paul
Jesus/carpenter 30 years 3 yrs ministry

Elements of a true model of perseverance:

(1) Persevering in FAITH, in looking to Christ Jesus as the Mediator, the Author of your salvation. In other words, in trusting in God and seeking personal salvation in the ways the Gospel directs us too. 
“He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” Rom. 4:20

(2) Persevering in DISCIPLESHIP. In learning. In growing. In eating the bread of life.
“Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.” 1 Thes 4:1 - purple book

(3) Persevering in WORSHIP.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thes 5:16-18. In Prayer, Joy and Thanksgiving.

(4) Persevering in GOOD WORKS.
“So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.” Gal 6:9.

In using your talents, in shining your light. Think especially of these three areas: FAMILY, CHURCH, JOB
It has been said that we make a living by what we get, and we make a life by what we give. 

4. HOW CAN WE PERSEVERE?

4a. Only with self-determination
It begins in the heart and travels to the mind - Rom. 12:1
ILLUS: Story of Glenn Cunningham (Found in "Chicken Soup for the Soul").

4b. Only with the help of others.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together,
as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another
Heb 10:24-25

4c. Only with the help of God.
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Phil 1:6;
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
1 Thes 5:23-24;

Conclusion. Perseverance is essential. What would Christianity on earth be without it? What will be the destiny of your soul without it? But when it’s all said and done, it will be to the praise of God that we endure. All glory and praise be to him, the creator and sustainer of Christian perseverance. Amen