Tuesday June 28, 2022
Lee's Chapel Revival Service
Go Show Thyself
1 Kings 18:1, “*And it came to pass after amany days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and bI will send rain upon the earth." [1]
I. No
A. Wait
B. Word
II. Go
A. Witness
B. Worship
III. Show
A. Wide-Ranging
B. Wonder
Introduction: We have come through a time of prayer that has lasted about fifty years. Sometimes when others around us are rebelling and resisting authority it seems the right thing to do. Especially if some of those call themselves pastor or some other fancy religious title. Christians are certainly supposed to speak the truth and not hold back, right?
After God has given us the opportunity to speak His truth and people don’t listen, what are we to do then? The prophet Elijah told King Ahab that the drought would last from the time he prophesied until three years were over. To rub salt in the wound Elijah told Ahab that the rain wouldn’t come even then by a king’s command. There would only be rain when Elijah called for rain. I expect that went over well.
Elijah might have wanted to stay around and watch what happened. He might have wanted to see what the king would do next. Instead here is what happened. 1 Kings 17:2-7, "And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 7 And it came to pass †after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land."
The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 17:2–7). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Look again at verse three. Did God tell Elijah to put up a mailbox so that people could find him there by the brook Cherith before the Jordan? God told Elijah to hide there!
Could be that God was protecting Elijah from Ahab’s people who might want to do Elijah harm. The point here is that Elijah didn’t question. He didn’t hold up signs in protest to the king. He didn’t stay back to defend himself. Elijah didn’t stay back to defend God. Why not?
You see God doesn’t need us to defend Him. God defends us. All we need to do is what He tells us to do when He tells us to do it. Sometimes God tells us to hide while He shows others how we act when we trust Him.
So Elijah went to the brook. The big black birds fed him. He drank from the brook. Notice there that God didn’t tell Elijah that the brook was going to dry up. Elijah stayed there and waited until the brook dried up. After that happened; God spoke again.
Our message Sunday at Merry Oaks was about the widowed mother that God sent Elijah to after the brook dried up. She reluctantly took Elijah in and fed him the last of the food that she had. Which would have left her nothing for herself and her son. She did that because Elijah gave her a word from God that if she gave the last of what she thought she had then she would not go hungry and neither would her son. You can read about her in 1 Kings 17:8-16.
What good thing did the woman get for her faith? Her son quit breathing. Apparently he died. She was so angry at Elijah that she blamed Elijah for killing her son. What would you have done? How does it feel when you go on faith only to have faith tested again and again?
After God used Elijah to bring her son back to her alive, this is how she felt. “24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this nI know that thou art a iman of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.” [2]
Scripture: The scripture tonight is 1 Kings 18:1. Please stand if you’re able.
Prayer: Let us pray. Be seated.
Message: In Ecclesiastes 3 Solomon wrote about certain seasons or times things happen. Elijah must have understood what Solomon meant in Ecclesiastes 3:7b, “A time ito keep silence, and a time to speak;” [3] He had been hidden away from the king for some three years. Finally after many days God gave word to Elijah that it was time for him to go and show himself.
During this recent fifty year period of relative silence from the church about the downfall of society; there have been some who have taken up causes that are merely an indication of the important things that we have lost. My nephew recently said that P.T. Barnham would be proud of this generation. Barnham is the guy who said, “There a sucker born every minute.”
We have been programmed to not resist authority and that should be a good thing. We certainly should not resist God. He is the only authority and we have done everything we can to resist Him; from taking prayer out of schools to fighting for the rights of others to push His natural order out of this world. It started the day Adam didn’t explain who God was to Eve.
There have been some of us who have taken up the cause of the rights of the unborn. It has been intertwined in most of the messages God has given me to preach. Many books relate the downfall of this nation having it’s beginning with Roe vs. Wade. Now that part of our national history is behind us. So what do we talk about now?
There are many other causes that the church might pick up and run with; far too many to mention in a single revival service. The devil is rousing his voice to those other things. Those who would put God away are warning of what might come if those who want God gone choose silence. The interesting thing to remember is that God told Elijah to hide himself. The devil will never tell his followers to be quiet.
We must turn back to 1 Kings 17:1-3 to hear what God told Elijah to do once he had brought God’s word to the king. 1 Kings 17:1, "*And †Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, aAs the Lord God of Israel liveth, bbefore whom I stand, cthere shall not be dew nor rain dthese years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.” [4]
Why would God tell Elijah to leave there and hide himself? Elijah knew God much better than most anybody today knows God. We seldom consider that when God answers prayer it is often with a no. We receive from God in God’s time; not ours. When we accomplish what God has for us to do or say it is time for us to wait and see what, and when He will give us the next word to proceed. We want everything now. Who would have known that our prayers for the unborn would wait fifty years for God to show His power and love?
Is it time? Are we there yet? That was a hard lesson for this child to learn. We’ll be there when we are there!
So the three years were apparently up and Elijah is there with the widowed mother and her son had ceased to breath. Now what? 1 Kings 17:21-24, “And he †stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come †into him again. 22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he mrevived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the kchamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this nI know that thou art a iman of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.” [5] God had something more pressing for Elijah to do. God used Elijah to make a believer out of doubter. What are we to do that is more important?
Look back to our focal verse. After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah. He was to go and show himself to the king. Finally after all the years of drought that even caused Elijah to suffer, now it is God’s time for Elijah to go. Now it was time for Elijah to witness the power of God. The time for worship never stopped. Elijah knew that God could be counted on. Even as he prayed for a miracle for the child, Elijah knew God. The only source of life is to be worshipped. Now a mother knew that too. Now it was time for others to make their decisions.
Go and show yourself to Ahab. That was Elijah’s part. And I will send the rain upon the earth. That is God’s part. It is not man’s part. He controls climate change. We are to worship Him.
We are here for revival! What does that mean? If we are here simply to bring local churches together for a few nights then that is a very good thing. For the past two plus years we have been brainwashed into believing that to not congregate is the right thing to do. The apostle Paul warned us that we should never forsake the assembling with other believers. We are strengthened when we come together with God in our center.
That is not the best part. God wants is to have His best part. When Elijah showed his self, God showed Himself. An earth shattering thing happened that day. God showered the earth with rain and the rain came down. People were changed. Some came to believe. Truth is though, some left in anger. Jezebel threatened Elijah and he fled again. The time of decision was wide-spread throughout to world and many came to know the truth when God poured down His rain.
Prayer: Let us pray
Invitation: This is a time of wonder. God has shown His truth over and over again that when He shows up decisions are made. God is here. The Holy Spirit is in this place. He is calling you right here right now to show yourself. Will you come or will you stay where you are?
The altar is open and this is the place alterations are made. God is ready to change lives and He will when you are ready to go. It may be that you did make a decision to know Jesus. Maybe somebody told you that was all that you needed to do. Truth is you must know Jesus to the point that you trust Him. It must be a trust that says to the world that you have faith in Him alone. It does not mean that you have to give up it means that you have to give in.
Have you truly done that? Can you mark a time that you said for Him to have His own way? This is a cruel world and we have made it that way. God knows that you are here and God knows the plans that He has for you. They are good plans. They are His plans. What do you want? What is your decision?
There are decisions being made in this place right now to either accept the truth or to continue to let others make you believe what is good, what is not so good. The invitation tonight is to show yourself as one who is humbled in the sight of God. The Holy Spirit is here with us and He is ready to take you places that you have not dreamt of going. Let that first place be here kneeling in worship to God. There will be someone here to talk with after the service if you have made a decision. Right now as we sing let Him have His way to your heart.
Let us sing… Let us worship…
* About B.C. 906.
a ch. 17:1. Comp. Luke 4:25.
b Deut. 28:12.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 18:1). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
n Comp. John 3:2. & 16:30.
i See Judg. 13:6.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 17:24). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
i Ecclus. 20:6, 7. So Amos 5:13. Comp. Ecclus. 32:4.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ec 3:7). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
* About B.C. 910.
† Heb. Elijahu. Luke 4:25, he is called Elias. (As also Luke 1:17).
a ver. 12. ch. 18:10, 15. & 22:14. 2 Kin. 3:14. & 5:16. See Ruth 3:13.
b ch. 18:15. So Deut. 10:8.
c Ecclus. 48:3. James 5:17.
d See ch. 18:1.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 17). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
† Heb. measured. Comp. Acts 20:10.
† Heb. into his inward parts. ver. 22.
m Heb. 11:35.
k ver. 23 (Heb.).
n Comp. John 3:2. & 16:30.
i See Judg. 13:6.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 17:21–24). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
