WEBVTT 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:18.559 It is good to be back with you all today, and I am excited about uh this message that God has um wanted me to share as part of this series on the voice of truth. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:20.000 The voice of truth. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:31.120 I mean, you've been looking at characters in the Bible like Daniel, like Jonah, and looking at the situations that they were in and what God was doing in them and through them. 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:36.640 And we learn a lot about God through his interactions with people. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:45.200 That's one of the reasons why he does what he does, because he reveals some things about his nature uh by how he does what he does. 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:57.359 Uh today I want to um uh add another log to this fire as we're talking about being voices of truth. 00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:58.719 Voices of truth. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:07.840 This is such an important time for each of us to really look at where we are in our hearts when it comes to truth. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:11.599 Do we actually believe that there is truth? 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:15.840 And if there is truth, well, what is that truth? 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:19.359 And do I believe that truth and have I committed my life to it? 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:27.840 The reason why I say that is because obviously, as believers, we know the word of God is not just ultimate truth, but eternal truth. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:29.840 Like it does not change. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:35.519 But in our society today, there are a lot of things that are changing in culture. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:37.760 Things are being redefined. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:43.840 Things that were not allowed 20 years ago are not just allowed, but encouraged today. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:55.599 I remember being in a seminary class around 2000 or 2000, 99, 2000, somewhere, and had a class on the rise of postmodernism. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:05.359 And the idea of postmodernism is that there is a period of time called modernism where there was like this search for truth and things like this and uh identification of truth. 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:11.759 Postmodernism is like we're we're past that now, and it's like you just believe whatever you want to believe. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:19.680 And and that the nature of truth changes to where it's more subjective, where your truth is different than my truth. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:32.400 And it's like there are there's some that there's a a bandwidth here where maybe there are things that you have experienced in life that have taught you to believe something that's different than my experience. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:38.000 From that regard, what's true for you might not be what's true for me. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:47.199 On the other hand, when we're talking about eternal truths, we're talking about God making people in his image male and female. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:48.400 Those are truths. 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:54.879 But now, even though there was a time where that was embraced and accepted, now even that is challenged. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:04.960 And when we begin to challenge whether that's true or not, that they're only male or female, when we move that line, then that line opens up to all kinds of other things. 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:10.159 I was uh with my daughters at a park, um, I think it was about last year. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.439 I have three daughters that are 11, 8, and 6. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:25.840 And so because uh we were trying to trying to give my wife a break, she does homeschool, so give my wife a break, I'm gonna take the kids to the park, and they can just run around free and you know, do whatever they need to do. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:30.879 But when they go to the park, it's an opportunity for them to meet new friends and things like that. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:44.800 So I was looking at a couple of girls um who had these headbands on with these uh with these pointed ears on them, and they had these tails, little furry tails, attached to their the back of their waist. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:47.680 And I was like, oh, okay, well, yeah, that's cute. 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:50.560 They think they're they think they're foxes. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:55.759 I I remember when I went to uh the the zoo in Australia. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.919 My parents took us to Australia as a kid to go to the zoo on vacation. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.800 And uh when we're in the military, we can do these these hops. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:09.039 Because we can get on these C5 planes and everyone's flying ten dollars a person, no matter where you want to go, right? 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.680 So we went vacation to Japan one one summer, Australia another summer, Korea another summer. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:15.439 We're just hopping all over the place. 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:24.079 But when I came back from Australia, specifically my experience with the zoo, I pretended to be a koala bear for about two weeks. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.519 Now the thing is, I knew I wasn't a koala, I was pretending. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:33.040 Kids pretend to be animals all the time, right? 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:37.680 These kids at this park, it was a little it was a little different. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:48.160 So I was talking with their grandmother, who was who they're who they were there with, and as we're just talking everything and you know, talking about our faith and Christianity, oh, you're Christians, or now we're talking about the Bible and things like that. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:55.360 And she expressed to me that her two granddaughters actually believe that they're real life foxes. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:10.399 And she can't say anything to them about that because the agreement with her and her daughter is that if you talk to my kids to tell them that they're not foxes, you won't see your granddaughters. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:28.399 So here, so she's expressing this burden that she feels having a biblical worldview of you know of what children mean and grandchildren mean, and you know, and so she's expressing this tension of they're not foxes. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:36.959 And I want to tell them, I want to be the voice of truth, but if I do that, it will cost me. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.720 That's a tough situation for that grandmother to be in. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:47.519 And so she wanted me, so I was praying for her and praying with her right there on the spot, like we're praying, like Lord Jesus, you know. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.000 You know, right? 00:05:50.160 --> 00:06:01.439 So it's not like we can't do anything, but sometimes prayer tills the soil, prepares the ground, prepares the hearts, and moves things forward in ways that we might not know. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.759 But we have to learn to depend on that. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:04.959 Right? 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:11.680 And if and sometimes we don't instead of praying, we try to force it, and then stuff goes bad, and we're like, they can't handle the truth. 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:15.279 No, they couldn't handle either the timing or the way you said it or things. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:16.639 There's a lot to it, right? 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.839 So as we're looking at being voices of truth, there are several things at play here. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:32.240 Number one, the world seems to be going further and further and further away from the acknowledgement of truth and then the embracing of all kinds of things. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:38.720 And then if you say something about it and speak up about it, that you're the one with the problem, not the right. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:43.120 So now grandma's the one with the problem instead of the kids thinking that they're foxes. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.000 Like there are there are bigger issues here, right? 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:48.160 Um if people believe that they're foxes. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:53.040 I saw a live interview, I wasn't there live, where a woman believed that she was a wolf. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:59.519 And the guy was talking to her, like asking her different kinds of questions, and like, and so um, like this is a real thing. 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:01.120 This is a real thing. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:09.360 And and when we see those kind of things, we see a a degree of lostness specifically about identity. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:18.800 You and I know that the word of God tells us that in Christ we move from being uh children of darkness to children of light, like being children of God. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:20.319 It's an identity thing. 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:28.639 So for someone to believe that there's something different than how they were born, not just from a gender perspective, but also from a species perspective? 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:31.199 Like you're a different species? 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:34.879 Here's where that gets really, really bad. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.759 Because Jesus didn't die on the cross to save foxes. 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:45.120 At some point, you see, at some point, how do you talk to someone who believes that they're an animal about sin? 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:49.680 You ever talk to your pet, your dog about sin? 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:52.160 You ever talk to him? 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:53.040 Maybe, okay. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.360 Okay, if you do, that's supposed to be a private thought. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:56.800 That's supposed to be a private thought, right? 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:00.240 Right? 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:01.120 Hold on. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:03.439 Jesus, Jesus wasn't preaching to animals. 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:04.399 So here's my point. 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.600 Like this, this is not just about, oh, well, she thinks she's a fox, it's not a big deal. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:08.800 No, it is a big deal. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:13.759 Because now we're looking at a salvation issue, how can you be a child of God as a fox or a wolf? 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:14.800 Or you see what I'm saying? 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:25.600 When when when we when the line moves as culture wants to redefine it, there it opens up problems to, I mean, bigger doors to bigger problems, you get further and further away from what the word of God is saying. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:32.639 And so if we're going to be voices of truth today, um, it might not be like our character that we're gonna look at today. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:34.080 We're gonna look at Elijah, right? 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:36.159 Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament. 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:42.320 It was really known for his relationship with speaking to Ahab and Jezebel and speaking the truth of God's word. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.960 But not all of us are gonna be speaking to national leaders. 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:59.120 But there are gonna be uh opportunities for us to speak to people who are in our circle of influence, whether they're family, whether they're friends, whether they're coworkers, whether they're neighbors, whoever it is, these topics are gonna come up. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:02.960 And we have been called to be the voices of truth. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:16.639 So one of the things I want to do in our time together uh this morning, as we look at Elijah, is to pull out some observations of what Elijah experienced and to see how that might apply to us today. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:18.080 What are some of the similarities? 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.480 I mean, clearly there are some differences, right? 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:22.399 Uh, but there are also some similarities. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:46.080 So let's let's dive into this because as we look at this, we're gonna see some scriptural support, advice, encouragement on how to be voices of truth, how to endure as voices of truth, what we can expect, and perspectives that we can have that can help us stand when culture is shifting and culture is moving. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:55.840 Before we get into first Kings chapter 17, where Elijah first comes on the scene, we have to look at the end of chapter 16 just for a brief moment. 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:02.240 Now, most of chapter 16 says this this person was king, they did evil. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:04.480 When they died, their son became king. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:06.879 When their son became king, he did evil. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.120 When he died, his son became king. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:16.320 When his son became king, he did evil, and when he died, his son became king. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:18.799 All right, so that's part of what's happening in chapter 16. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.639 And we get to Ahab, the son of Omri. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:28.080 So Omri did evil in the sight of God, and when Omri died, Ahab became king. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.399 So Ahab is the king that's going to be a part of our story. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:37.279 So let's look and see how he starts and why it's important for Elijah to be called by God to speak a message to him. 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:48.240 So at the end of chapter 16, it says this Ahab, son of Omri, began to rule over Israel in the 38th year of King Asa's reign in Judah. 00:10:48.559 --> 00:11:00.159 So Israel was the northern kingdom, Judah was a southern kingdom, and typically when they're talking about different people, they say, Well, when this person became king in this kingdom, it was at the same time of this person's reign in the other kingdom. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.039 That's kind of what how they write the history. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:05.440 He reigned in Samaria 22 years. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:16.240 But Ahab, son of Amri, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, even more than any of the kings before him. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.840 Okay, so Ahab is not just doing evil. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:24.720 He like broke the record for wickedness and evil. 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:25.279 Okay? 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:42.639 He did more, and then as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, a previous king, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down and worship in the worship of Baal. 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:46.399 Okay, so Jezebel in Sidon, they worshiped Baal. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:55.519 Baal was a fertility god, Baal was a god of agriculture, Baal was a god of rain, Baal was a god of all that stuff that had to do with like growth and multiplication and things like that, right? 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:56.320 That's important. 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:05.120 And so one of the reasons why God did not want his people to marry outside of their group in other countries is because other countries worship other idle gods. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:10.159 And if they married them, they would bring those into the people of God and lead them astray. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:11.519 That's why he didn't want that to happen. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.480 Well, so that's why the that's why the text says it the way it says it. 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:22.559 If it wasn't bad enough that Ahab did more evil than Jeroboam, he married Jezebel from another country who worshiped Baal. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:28.240 And then he brought the worship of Baal into the nation of God's people. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:33.200 First, Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria, which was their capital. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:38.399 Then he set up an Asherapole, which is another idol, idolic uh idol worship uh relic. 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:44.879 He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, more than any of the other kings of Israel before him. 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:47.279 That's Ahab. 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:48.399 Okay. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:52.159 Now we need a messenger from God. 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:58.159 So now we roll right into chapter 17, verse 1, it says this. 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:16.000 Now Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbi in Gilead said to Ahab, As the Lord the God of Israel, lives before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:25.759 And the Lord came to him and said, Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cheris, which is the east of Jordan. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:42.480 Okay, so picture this scene of you've seen some of these movies where you have ancient Middle Eastern times, big old palace, and the king is sitting on his throne, maybe have a queen right there, and you got people who are dancing, and you got the guards and the whole court of people just hanging out. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:44.720 You got this big old aisle right down the middle. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:52.720 So imagine those big doors open up, and this old guy from a country town called Tishbah comes walking in, and nobody knows him. 00:13:52.879 --> 00:14:01.840 We don't have his genealogy, we don't have his credentials, we don't have his education, we don't know anything about him except that his name is Elijah from a country town called Tishbah. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:07.840 He comes up, he walks up to the king and said, There's not gonna be any rain, not even dew in the morning when you wake up. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.360 No water until I come back and say so. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:16.320 And he drops the mic and he walks off like this. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:19.519 Right? 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.919 So it's like, well, who's this guy? 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:23.600 Like this guy is crazy. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.279 Number one, we need to beef up security. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.639 That never should have happened. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.399 That never should have happened, right? 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:32.480 And then and then number two, who's this crazy guy talking to us about there not gonna be any rain? 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:36.159 Because we worship Baal, and Baal is in charge of the rain. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:43.440 Baal's in charge of the water, Ba's in charge of agriculture, so we we're not even worried about this stranger who we don't even know because we worship Baal. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.639 Then three years goes by with no rain and no dew. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:49.519 And they're like, what was that fella's name again? 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.519 Well, where where is he? 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.200 Here's what I want you to know. 00:14:53.440 --> 00:15:04.480 As a voice of truth, what I really love about a part of this verse that we might have overlooked is what is all of Elijah's credentials? 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:12.799 It just says, now Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbe in Gilead. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:14.240 That's it. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:17.279 That's it. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.240 That's his whole biography. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.080 That's all we know about him. 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:23.840 Here's why that's important. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:32.639 Because in our world today, in our society today, people act like they can't believe what you're saying unless you are credible. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.519 Unless you are an expert, unless you have some expertise, some background. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:48.960 As a matter of fact, it is so much a part of our culture today that that it is so normal if there is something uh controversial uh on on social media that you want to talk about. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:55.600 No matter what the topic is, people put at least one sentence of their credentials before they comment. 00:15:55.679 --> 00:16:03.440 Okay, maybe something is on there about the medical field and somebody says, I've been a nurse for 30 years, and this is what you ever seen that? 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:08.240 They say, This is my or or you have some people who have like the the weakest credentials ever. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:13.679 Uh my dad's sister's best friend's cousin is a doctor. 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:17.759 And he said, that's like, no, just skip the post. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:18.480 Skip the post. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:19.759 Don't put that stuff on there. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:20.159 Right? 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:21.679 And maybe even you've done it. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:27.600 Maybe even you felt like I have got to tell people what my experience is so that people believe me. 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:28.159 All right. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:29.840 Here's why this is so important. 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:32.799 Because that is not what's happening in this text. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:34.960 That's not what's happening in this story. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:44.159 Elijah doesn't have to say, listen, I've been in ministry for 30 years, I've been a prophet for 25, and I have not ever missed one prophecy at all. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:52.240 I went to the school of prophecy, I graduated with my PhD in prophecy, so this is why you need to listen to me when I say there's not gonna be any rain for three years. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:53.039 There's none of that. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:53.759 There's none of that. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:54.960 Here's why this is important. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:17:01.279 Because as a voice of truth, you need to know that your only credential is knowing God and speaking his word. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:02.320 That's it. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.160 That's it. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.920 That's your authority, that's your credit, your credit, that that's it. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.400 But the world is gonna say, well, you're not a doctor. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:15.440 The world might say you're you're not a lawyer, the world might say, Oh, you don't even have kids, you can't even speak about somebody else's kids. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:21.920 The world will try to imagine those kind of those courtroom scenes where one side brings up a witness, right? 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:23.680 A witness that's for their case. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:30.720 Well, if you're the other side, you're trying to shoot down up witnesses' credibility so that what they're saying gets dismissed. 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:31.839 Right? 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:32.480 Okay? 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:36.400 Okay, so uh you say that you were a witness to the car accident. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:38.000 Uh yes, I was right there. 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:41.920 Okay, I noticed that uh you're wearing glasses right now. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:45.200 Uh were you wearing glasses when you saw the car accident? 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.279 Uh well, well, no, not that day. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:48.880 I rest my case. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:49.680 Right? 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:57.200 They try to shoot down the credibility, but but if the person saw the car accident, there's things that they can say because they're still a witness. 00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:58.160 You see? 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:05.599 Our culture is gonna try to look to see if you have expertise or experience in what you are talking about. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:17.920 And the fact of the matter is, when we're speaking the word of God and the truth of God, you don't have uh human credentials and human expertise in the thing God might be calling you to speak. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:27.440 And if you don't stand on that like Elijah did, then it could cause you to be insecure about what you're saying, and worst case scenario, you don't say it at all. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:31.920 The same doubts they have about you and your experience, you might have in your own mind. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:46.480 There are things that might be happening in the medical field, in politics, in government, in your local community, in your national or or even the global scale, and God can be speaking something to you straight from the word about what the truth really is. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:48.559 And you can't go, well, I'm not an expert in that. 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:50.480 No, no, you don't have to be an expert. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.400 You don't have to be an expert. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:53.359 Right? 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:56.720 I don't have to be a veterinarian to know the difference between a dog and a cat. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:00.400 I know what a dog is, I know what a cat. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.440 I don't have to be, well, what veterinarian school did you go to? 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:07.039 None, but this is a dog, and this is a cat. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:10.559 Well, how can you be so sure? 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:12.000 Are you kidding me right now? 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:29.359 Right, that's the world we're in, and I'm telling you, don't let the world's emphasis on human credibility and credentials cause you to doubt your authority when you're speaking the truth of God's word. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:31.039 Okay? 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:40.559 So as a voice of truth, truth can stand alone, truth can stand on its own, and truth doesn't need you to have a long resume in order to say it. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:45.200 Truth doesn't need to have you for you have a whole whole long resume in order for the truth to be the truth. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:48.160 So I just like that. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:51.680 That's it. 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:54.000 Right? 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:54.720 That's it. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:20:00.720 One of the things that I I find interesting is that there's always this kind of um battle in this area. 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:07.519 Even in the New Testament, uh, some of the apostles, uh Jesus' disciples, kind of faced some of the same thing. 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:23.039 In Acts chapter 4, we see where um people were kind of criticizing them and saying in verse 13, now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and they perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:24.720 How are they speaking so clearly? 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:28.000 How are they speaking with so much boldness that they didn't go to any of our schools? 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:34.480 They were astonished, and they recognized, good on them for recognizing, but they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:36.319 That's the authority. 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:38.799 You see, that's the authority. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:43.680 And you have got to be settled with that personally, that this is my authority. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:46.319 I've been with Jesus, this is my authority. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:50.559 I am a child of God, I know the word of God, speaking the truth of God. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:54.079 And it's based on that that I'm not budging, I'm not moving. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:56.559 No, I didn't go to medical school, but I still know the truth. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.319 No, I didn't go to law school, but I still know the truth about this issue and this situation. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:05.920 And I'm not going to allow you to cause me to doubt what I know to be true in God's word. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:08.640 You may have changed, but this word has not changed. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:11.759 And because this word has not changed, my position hasn't changed. 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:14.799 Well, because my position hasn't changed, I'm not changing. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:19.599 Okay. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.680 Are we ready for the next point? 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:25.599 So look at this. 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:27.200 We gotta see. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:41.440 Ahab represents the direction the culture is moving, and Elijah represents the word of God that refuses to move with it. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.039 Ahab represents the direction the culture is moving. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:56.000 Culture always moves and with the winds of change, and different people get into positions and politics and influences and the law system and all kinds of things, and education system, and want to change stuff, and they want to go this way. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.759 But but Elijah represents the word of God going, No, you can you can go over there if you want to, but no, this is this. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:01.359 Has always been true. 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:02.640 This will always be true. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:04.000 And I'm standing with this. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:08.319 So then we see in this verse. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:11.839 Verse uh verse one again. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:19.599 Elijah the Tishbite says, As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives before whom I stand. 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:21.680 Go to that slide where it's in yellow. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:24.720 Before whom I stand, there should be neither dew nor rain. 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:25.359 Now wait a minute. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.839 I thought you're standing before Ahab, the king. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:32.160 Physically, yes, but spiritually, he's standing before God. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:40.319 See, that's why he can say what he's saying, because he knows that as he's standing there, he, even if there's no one else physically with him, he knows he's not alone. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:44.640 The same person he is speaking for, he is speaking with. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:49.920 I am standing before God as I'm speaking to you. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:54.400 And this is where this idea comes from of standing with God and standing for God. 00:22:54.559 --> 00:23:00.000 That when you are when you are the voice of truth, you have to got to know that God's presence is with you. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:09.359 It's very troubling to try to speak God's truth without an awareness of God's presence because you need God's presence for the boldness to speak the truth without changing it. 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:12.319 You need to know he's with you. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:14.799 So you got to know what he actually said. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:16.400 You can't just go by hearsay. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:20.160 You can't stand on the truth and say, Well, uh, Pastor Nate said such and such. 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:20.880 No, no, no, no. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:23.680 Pastor Nate might have brought it up, but you've got to read it or for yourself. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:24.960 That's why I put these scriptures on here. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.039 You can read it for yourself and then go home and study it. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:28.000 Go home and read it. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:29.519 Go home and talk to God about it. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:34.480 Talk to God about the parts you have you have trouble uh understanding, or even have trouble believing. 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:35.759 And the Spirit of God will help you. 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:38.960 Like that's how you get rooted in the word for yourself. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:45.359 You don't have to be a Christian for 30 years to be able to open up the Bible and to hear God speak to you and teach you from His Word. 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:51.839 He gave you His Word as His child, and He gave you His Spirit so you can understand it. 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:54.400 You can have conversation with Him about this. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:59.920 So even as I'm talking about being a voice of truth, it's not just about the content itself. 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:16.960 It's not just about saying what you know God is saying, but you got to know that God is with you because when you face the resistance, when you face the rejection, when you face the criticism, when you face the accusations that you're being hateful because you disagree with somebody's lifestyle, you got to have peace when God's presence. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:20.559 And no, listen, I hear what you're saying, but I'm not moving. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.079 Well, isn't that hate speech? 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:22.720 No, no, no. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:27.680 This is love speech, and love speaks the truth, whether you like it or not. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:37.680 As the God of Israel before whom I stand. 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:45.680 As I'm saying what I'm saying, it's his message, and he is with me when I say it. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:49.039 He is with you when you speak it to your family and your friends. 00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:50.319 He's with you. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.640 Now, here's what's interesting. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:58.319 When Elijah went up there and said, Look, it's not gonna rain until I come back, God said, Hey Elijah, you better run. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:01.440 Okay, it's about to go down. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:03.359 Uh, it ain't time for you to come home yet. 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:09.519 So I want you to go over here by this brook because since it's not going to rain, stuff is about to dry up. 00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:10.720 And I'm gonna feed you. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:15.519 I made specific provisions for you at a brook, right? 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:21.200 And so you shall, uh verse 4, you shall drink from the brook, and I've commanded the ravens to feed you there. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:23.759 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:35.279 He went and lived by the brook cherith that is east of the Jordan, and the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:37.359 So so here's several things that are happening here. 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:50.000 Number one, the issue of the rain is because Baal worship was connected to the rain, it proves to everybody that Baal is not in charge, that Baal is not real, that Baal has no real power. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:53.920 So for three years, they might have initially thought Elijah doesn't know what he's talking about. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:55.680 We're gonna pray to Baal, we're gonna be fined. 00:25:55.839 --> 00:26:01.200 But after three years of no water, not even dew on the grass in the morning when you wake up, they're like, wait a minute, right? 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:03.279 We're talking to Baal and Baal's not helping us out. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:07.119 Whoever God, Elijah's God is, must be the one really in charge. 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:08.880 But now we got a problem. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:09.920 We got a problem. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:22.559 So all this time, God has told Elijah, I want you to go to uh to this brook, and I've got some ravens who are gonna be doing DoorDash just for you in the morning and door dash in the evening, and you're gonna be all right. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:31.279 And then the time comes for that to for that to transition, and the time comes for now Elijah to go to speak to Ahab. 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:32.880 Now the three years are over. 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:38.880 Elijah's gonna come to Ahab and say, Listen, all right, now it's about to go down, it's it's it's a it's about to rain. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:43.519 But before that happens, here's how the conversation goes. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:46.000 The conversation goes this way. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:50.160 When Ahab, uh 1 Kings 18, verse 17. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:57.119 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel? 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:02.000 And Elijah said, Uh, I haven't troubled Israel, but you have. 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:05.039 And and your mama. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:08.720 You know, he that's kind of what he didn't say that specifically, but that's kind of what he's saying. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:20.240 He says, He says, You have troubled Israel and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the bails and the worship and all that kind of stuff. 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.279 Here's what's interesting. 00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:27.599 See, the voice of it, it was not popular for Elijah to say to Ahab, what Ahab, what he just said to Ahab. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:28.000 Right? 00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:32.079 Ahab says, You are the troublemaker, and Elijah goes, No, player, that's not me. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:33.359 No, that's you. 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:37.119 That's you because of your disobedience, because you violated what God has told you to do. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:37.920 That that's you. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:43.359 Don't don't don't call me the problem because I'm bringing up the problem. 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:53.599 The voice of truth, the voice of truth is speaks when it's unpopular. 00:27:54.400 --> 00:28:05.200 And when the voice of truth speaks when it's unpopular, sometimes it also means that that the voice of truth is going to be seen as the problem for bringing up the problem. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:13.519 Grandma would have been seen as a problem for bringing up the problem that your kids are not foxes. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:20.720 Mom would have said, Why are you not letting my kids just be themselves? 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:22.000 Why are you causing a problem? 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:22.400 Why are you? 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:25.359 It's like, no, they're not foxes. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:28.400 How is it that I'm the problem? 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:30.000 That's kind of what Ahab is doing. 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:33.119 We haven't had any rain for three years, and and Elijah, it's your fault. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:34.640 Elijah's like, no, no, no, no, no. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:37.759 I wouldn't even have a job right now if you've been obeying God. 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:45.279 Uh, you never, I would have been fine over in Tishba, but I'm here because you've been acting a fool and God's trying to tell you to get your act together. 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:49.200 So sometimes we need the voice of truth. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:51.279 You gotta speak with something popular. 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:56.559 And uh and sometimes there's a voice of truth, especially our culture. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:04.000 Now they're gonna call Christians who stand on God's word, you are the problem. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:07.759 No, I'm not the problem. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:10.000 I'm not even gonna believe I'm the problem. 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:11.920 You are the problem. 00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:13.599 Right? 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:16.880 What you're you're what you're believing is not true. 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:21.599 What you're allowing is harmful, what you're saying is not true. 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:28.079 And I'm speaking the voice of truth based on God's word, based on what I know is his design. 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:35.440 And I know it's uncomfortable for you, but what you cannot do, and what I'm not gonna believe, is that I'm the problem for bringing it up. 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:36.880 Right? 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:44.319 But calling you the problem is gonna be an intention to push you back and to silence you because no one wants to, it doesn't feel comfortable being called a problem. 00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:47.440 That's gonna be a silencing technique, right? 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:48.799 You are the problem. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:53.519 So I wanna end by saying this. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:55.759 There's a lot more to the story. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:57.200 There's Mount Carmel. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:30:04.079 Elijah says, when Elijah's talking to Ahab, he's like, look, get out, you have 450 prophets who've been worshiping Baal, bring all of them. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:08.240 The 450 prophets of Baal, the 400 prophets of Asherah, bring them all. 00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:09.279 We're gonna have a showdown. 00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:13.359 You're gonna put a bull on a sacrifice, I'm gonna put a bull on a sacrifice. 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:17.279 And whoever God responds by fire, that one is the real God. 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:18.720 You've got to make a decision. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:22.079 The voice of truth calls to make a decision. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:25.440 But also the voice of truth, it doesn't try to just start arguments. 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:29.839 The voice of truth doesn't try to win arguments, the voice of truth tries to point people to God. 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:33.039 And so Elijah's like you, you, you, you, you all go first. 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:40.480 They prayed and prayed and prayed, they cut themselves and all kinds of stuff, try to pray to Baal to bring fire down on this altar to burn up this bull, and nothing happened. 00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:44.960 And then Elijah prayed and fire came down and consumed the entire altar. 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.440 That was the turning point for people. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:50.319 That was the turning point where eyes began to open up. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:53.200 But of course, Jezebel, who brought the Baal worship, didn't like it. 00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:57.119 And Jezebel said, Um, I'm gonna kill Elijah. 00:30:57.200 --> 00:30:59.440 And Elijah's like, no, I don't think so. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:03.039 Uh Elijah took off running. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:12.079 He sat down under a tree and he was depressed for a while, feeling the weight of being the voice of truth. 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:19.519 And God sent an angel, strengthened him, and encouraged him, and helped him move on to continue doing what God has called him to do. 00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:24.319 These are just some observations from Elijah's story about what it means to be the voice of truth. 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:25.920 It's not gonna be popular. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:29.119 When you call out the problem, you might be called the problem. 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:29.519 Right? 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:30.960 It's not gonna be easy. 00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:34.960 Uh, but but when you kneel before God, you can stand before anyone. 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:36.000 That's not my quote. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:37.279 I can't remember where I heard that from. 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:39.279 But that's where Elijah stepped upon the scene. 00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:40.880 He had a relationship with God. 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:42.480