TELL HIM ... ELIJAH’S HERE

1 Kings 18:1-8

The prophet Elijah is among the most mysterious and powerful characters of the Bible, certainly of the Old Testament.

Elijah seems to pop up out of nowhere, but the very first time you find him, he is already a powerful figure.

Elijah was not a soft type of person.

If the modern day concept that a man of God is supposed to be a

·   Sissy

·   Mamsey pamsy

·   Wimpy whiney

·   Shake your hand like a limp rag

Then Elijah missed the mark.

He wore camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey.

He often preached messages that ended by telling someone: they were going to die, AND THEY DID.

When I read this passage the other day, I pictured a kind of 'Clint Eastwood" figure,

·   Gruff voice

·   riding into town,

·   climbing down from his horse.

(Whistle Eastwood music and take a gunfighter stance)

"Tell him ...  Elijah’s here."

Let me tell you - WHEN ELIJAH WAS AROUND, NOTHING STAYED THE SAME.

And, that should be said about you and me too!

Certainly, it should be said about our church!

Don't you want to be like that?

Don't you want it to be true that - because this Church is here, THIS TOWN IS DIFFERENT?

I want that to be true of everywhere I am.

Not because of me personally, BUT BECAUSE OF THE GOD SERVE AND BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH I PREACH.

Elijah's whole life is filled with significant things.

But let’s just look at three things that happened in 1 Kings 18 because Elijah was there;

I. ELIJAH SHOWED THEM GOD

I Kings 18:21, 39

Israel had gotten to the place where they were compromising about the Lord.

Sure, they still believed in the Lord,

But they also did not see anything wrong with the worship of all the other gods of this world too.

They were "halting between two opinions."

By the way, that is exactly what happens when you can’t make up your mind about something.

YOU HALT!

You stop doing anything productive.

These people had "halted" between two opinions - God is good

But so is Baal.

And because they wouldn't make up their minds to follow one or the other, they weren't really doing anything at all!

I have said on a number of occasions.

"I would rather see someone be totally convinced of something – even if they are wrong - than to see someone who knows the truth, but isn’t really convinced about it!"

These people were halted between two opinions, believe anything about God.

But then

(*Whistle)

ELIJAH CAME TO TOWN.

Elijah knew what he believed, AND he KNEW who God is.

-By the way, He wasn’t afraid to PROVE it either!

A. Elijah challenged their complacency

1 Kings 18:21 (KJV)

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

He just told them

People, - let's make up our mind here.

And that is exactly what I try to do whenever I preach.

I am trying to get people to make up their minds,

First, make up your mind to either be saved or not be saved, but don’t just ignore the issue.

Secondly, make up your mind to be on fire for God, or be backslidden as a Christian, but don't just be wishy washy about all of this.

Next,

B. Elijah criticized their false gods - Baal

1 Kings 18:24-27 (KJV)

And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

Sometimes people get upset with me for taking a critical stand against some of the, false teachings around the world.

They try to tell me that we should be tolerant and agreeable to all views of religion.

I believe with all my heart that a person has a right to believe whatever they want to believe.

BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT I AM OBLIGATED AS A MAN OF GOD to expose the errors of false religions!

***I got a piece of mail one time with a piece of felt and a poor drawing in it.

The people who sent it to me said that the Virgin Mary promised that anyone who was wearing   -one of these when they died would not go the hell!

They were asking me for volunteers to help them make more of these things.

THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE LIE

And it needs to be exposed!

***I read about a guy who went to a place where they were selling religious relics.

He found there two skulls.

Both were supposed to be the head of John the Baptist.

This fella was a little smarter than the average so he asked the priest how two different skulls could both be John the Baptist.

The priest said that the -smaller one was from when John was a boy!

When Elijah came to town, he wasn't afraid to criticize the false god.

third,

C. Elijah constructed their true altar, and then

1 Kings 18:30 (KJV)

And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

See what happens when people halt between two opinions?

They let the things of God run down!

·   Let me tell you who makes sure this Church has enough money to pay the bills.

·   Let me tell you who makes sure the lawn is mowed and the weeds pulled.

·   Let me tell you who cleans the buildings and does the maintenance and who shows up at workdays.

NOT THOSE WHO HALT BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS

**The people who do all that are the people who believe that this Church is the BEST hope this town has for being right with God!

They are the ones who believe this church is important enough to sacrifice time, talents, and treasures for.

Fourth

D. Elijah called down the fire of God

1 Kings 18:36-38 (KJV)

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Our world DESPERATELY needs men who can SHOW PEOPLE GOD!

·   Who will go out and win souls to Christ,

·   Who will tell them about a book that answers their need for godliness

·   Who will stand without compromise on God’s Word

And let me tell you - THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE CAN CALL DOWN FIRE FROM GOD!

Not literal fire maybe - but they make a difference and people KNOW because of them that GOD is REAL!

Then,

II. ELIJAH GAVE THEM COURAGE

1 Kings 18:40 (KJV)

And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

As soon as the people knew who God is, Elijah got them to contend for their faith.

Obviously, we live in a different era than then, and we do not want to go out and start killing people who disagree with us doctrinally.

But the Bible STILL tells us to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints.

AND, THAT TAKES CONVICTION!

Elijah was able to instill in the people a conviction, a courage to stand for what they believe AGAINST those who didn't believe it.

People, we need a courageous and convicted type of Christianity today more than any other day probably in history!

A. Courage Enough To Win Souls.

The greatest battlefield in the world today is the battlefield to win lost souls.

·   I do not believe that we need to picket abortion clinics

·   I do not believe we need to pass out political flyers.

But I do believe we need to get out door-to-door and neighbor-to-neighbor, and tell folks how to be saved!

I am against homosexuality and abortion as anybody I know.

I just do not believe we ought to get side tracked fighting that, when we COULD be trying to win souls.

In fact I THINK some Christians fight those things so they WON"T HAVE TO WIN SOULS.

Secondly we need

B. Courage enough to withstand temptations from the lost

I am talking about those friends that we had before we were saved.

Or people we meet at work or at school.

Those people always try to get Christians to do the wrong things THEY are doing.

And it takes courage as a Christian to stand up and say NO!

·   I won't go to that bar!

·   I won't go to that dance!

·   I won't drink that alcohol!

·   I won't listen to that dirty joke!

And then we need

C. Courage enough to preach what is true

We are living in a EAR TICKLING DAY

People get offended when a person stands up for the truth.

And it doesn’t matter if you are a preacher or an average Christian.

You got to have GUTS to tell people the truth of the Bible!

Elijah showed them God Elijah gave them courage

III. ELIJAH TAUGHT THEM FAITH

1 Kings 18:41-46 (KJV)

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

We are told in the Word of God that we are to walk by faith, and not by sight.                  

Notice three things right here:

A. Elijah Spoke by Faith

1 Kings 18:41 (KJV)

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

It was Elijah that had pronounced the drought to Ahab in the first place.

Now, 3&1/2 years later, it is Elijah who is telling the same king that the drought is over.

He told the king to go celebrate because the rain was coming.

Interesting thing was.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky!

Ahab went to celebrate, and Elijah went to PRAY!

Did you know that I am doing the very same thing today?

I am telling you to celebrate your salvation - BUT YOU AREN’T IN HEAVEN YET!

I am confident, based upon the Word of God, that if you have sincerely asked Christ to forgive your sins and save you

YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN - PERIOD!

B. Elijah PRAYED in FAITH

1 Kings 18:42-43 (KJV)

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

What I mean by that is he prayed and prayed

And kept on praying!

Most of us don't get our prayers answered because we quit too soon.

We pray

Or we pray and pray.

Or if we are REALLY spiritual we will pray and pray and pray.

But Elijah got his prayer answered because he; prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed!

I get a kick out of the story.

I picture Elijah and his servant on the side of the hill - not quite to the top, because the servant went up toward the sea.

He prayed and told his servant to go took for some clouds - nothing                                    

He prayed again and told him to go look for, clouds - nothing

Six times he prayed and told the servant to, look for clouds - NOTHING OUT THERE!

I figure about the sixth time, Elijah has some PRAYER SUPPORT from his servant!  

(“Oh Lord PLEASE let there be a cloud!”)

But then, BE PRAYED THE SEVENTH TIME and the servant came back to report a cloud!

He came back and reported a cloud about the size of a man's hand

There are a couple of ways to read that;

-Sarcastically

Sometimes folks are sarcastic when we tell them what the Bible says.

-Hopefully.

That’s the way I think he meant it.

And I am here today to try to give you SOME HOPE!

And last and I'll be done,

C. Elijah PREPARED in FAITH

1 Kings 18:44 (KJV)

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

Here, all he had to hope on was one small little cloud about -the size of a man’s hand.

But Elijah believed that would be the start of the storm and said,

“Go tell the king to get under cover - the STORMS A COMIN!”

This is Christian Service

You know why you ought to live more for heavenly gains than earthly - BECAUSE YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU ARE GOING THERE.

I want to take good care of my family on this earth.

But I would rather teach them to seek heavenly rewards than earthly ones because I really believe in heaven.

·   I really believe I am going there and

·   I really believe that heavenly rewards last longer than earthly ones.

Conclusion

Elijah was quite a man.

When he was in town, people knew it.

And I want the same thing to be true of YOU.

·   Elijah Showed People God

·   Elijah Gave People Courage

·   Elijah Taught People Faith