WEBVTT 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:04.320 Welcome to the North Iron Church Podcast. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:09.759 Our mission is to take the gospel from the upper peninsula to the ends of the earth. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.480 We pray this message will inspire and encourage you in your faith journey. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:22.000 Enjoy our Elijah series where we learn truths from the story of Elijah in 1st and 2nd Kings. 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:23.519 Good morning, everyone. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:25.039 Glad you're here with us. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:26.480 I want you to grab your Bible. 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.440 If you need a Bible, you don't have one, raise your hand. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:31.039 We have a great version for you. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.719 Maybe you're new to God's Word. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:37.600 We're right in the middle of a series called The Story of Elijah. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.880 We're going to be in 1 Kings chapter 18. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:43.920 In just a moment, 1 Kings chapter 18. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:51.280 If you're having trouble finding it, uh it's going to be in the in the 500s more than likely. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:52.799 It's in the Old Testament. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:55.840 It's right in front of 2 Kings, if that helps you any. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:57.200 Maybe not. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:02.399 But we're glad that you're here and we're going to study God's word just for a moment. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:12.879 As typically what we do, if you're new here, not only do we declare who Jesus is through singing, we're actually singing scripture, declaring what he's doing in our lives. 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:14.719 That's important for us. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:20.799 We're celebrating transformation in our lives and the attributes of God and his promises. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:24.959 But also we believe that God's word is alive and active. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.200 You need a physical Bible, everyone. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:30.319 I know all of my notes and everything is on the phone. 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:35.519 That's really convenient, but it's also important to have a physical Bible and use it as a tool. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:37.200 We believe that God's going to speak to you. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:40.239 So we're going to be, again, 1 Kings chapter 18. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:44.319 We're looking at the prophet, Prophet Elijah this morning. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:45.280 Want to say thank you. 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:49.840 Would you guys welcome all of everyone who's online onto Nogden Lance? 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:54.879 We have people in the Republic, Manistique, all over the UP, Munisine. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:00.239 We constantly get uh texts and information from people who are, hey, we're with you. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:02.959 We're meeting in a small group in our city. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.200 Please bring North Iron to our city. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:07.120 We get those kind of requests all the time. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.680 And we're we're glad that you're you're with us. 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:12.159 And uh we know that the Lord's going to speak. 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:13.199 We love the internet. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:18.960 It it it pr it it moves the kingdom of God forward in a powerful, powerful way. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:24.479 And of course, my name's Mark Broberg, and I'm uh the lead pastor here along with my wife, Jennifer. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:35.199 Would you also uh welcome John and Naomi Brett uh Brady, sorry, not Brantley, Brady, they are former pastors at Northiron. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:36.879 So we're so glad that they're here. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:38.159 I think they're in the back there. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:47.120 John, do you want to pastors like to sneak in, by the way. 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:54.639 They don't like to be recognized, and so uh, so I I just uh I like to like to pull the cord a little bit there. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:56.159 Uh we honor you guys. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:57.039 We're so thankful. 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:02.479 We're in the place we are because of of your leadership, and we're so thankful across the UP. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:11.120 We know that God's gonna do something powerful, and it takes generations of leaders and pastors and people to come together uh to accomplish such things. 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:12.479 Let me start off. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:18.479 Uh, we're at a an apex or a pinnacle this morning with the story of Elijah. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:22.319 And please forgive me if I accidentally say Elisha. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:25.680 He is also a prophet that we find in the next chapter. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:33.280 Sometimes uh whoever came up with those two names, uh they didn't they didn't uh have me in mind as Mark Broberg. 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:34.639 Uh so you'll hear me. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:39.919 A lot of people were confused uh the first week I spoke because I was going from Elijah to Elisha. 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:43.520 But we're talking about Elijah this this morning. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:48.639 Chapter 18 is the pinnacle of the story of Elijah. 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:52.319 As we talked about in the past, we've been in this for a couple weeks now. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:04:12.960 Everything leading up, all the trials, all the concerns, all the things that are going on as God has raised up Elijah to bring a message to the northern tribe of Israelites about their relationship with God is coming to a climax as we find in chapter 18. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:30.240 This is the moment where the people of God are going to have to decide if they believe God is real and he is worthy of being worshiped, or they will continue their worship of false gods. 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:39.680 It's a moment of conviction, it's a moment of verdict, it's a moment of decision making. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:05:08.160 And as I was kind of diving in for the last couple of weeks, this this passage of scripture, again and again and again, I was reminded, and you'll hear me say these kind of things all the time, it's really following Jesus comes in the almost mundane, small decisions of your lives that will always lead to a large decision in your life. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:12.399 Are you going to serve God or not? 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:18.959 You've heard me say there is no half measures when it comes to serving God. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:27.360 You're either all the way in or you're all the way out, and that's what's happening in chapter 18. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:43.199 Our families are affected, our towns are affected, our streets, our schools, our businesses are all affected by the decision-making process or the lack of decision-making process. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:45.199 Either one, it is a decision. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:51.920 You make the decision or you decide not to make a decision, it's still a decision that affects everyone around you. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:59.680 Richard uh Doug Dale, thank you. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:01.759 AJ read my notes. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:13.600 In 1874, Richard was working at a prison in upstate uh New York. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:16.800 And he was there just to kind of keep an eye. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:24.319 He was a sociologist, just walking through uh the American prison system that was relatively new. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:37.279 America was going through a transformation, all kinds of people were coming into America, laws were being established, and the justice system was convicting people and putting them in prison. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:45.600 And so we had individuals that were kind of going throughout our prison systems, just making sure that we were doing the right thing by these inmates. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:52.000 He started to study different individuals that he found had a connection with each other. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:07:10.959 That's not so much even that they had the last name, but he kind of stumbled into this kind of criminal family that he didn't know existed because of the prisons that I believe there was nine prisons that he was uh going from in uh to and from in upper state New York. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:34.879 And he started to recognize that a lot of these inmates had relationships with each other, and he started to study those people who who were cousins and brothers in our prison systems, and he found that they all went back to the 1700s of one Dutch immigrant, his name was Maxim Juke. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:40.399 And Maxim wasn't the kind of person you would definitely pattern your life after. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:45.920 He was, as they say, he was lazy or a bum or an alcoholic. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:52.480 He uh had 11 children uh with multiple, multiple, multiple uh uh women. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:08:11.920 He was a womanizer, and because of his decisions in life, may they be small or large, a majority of his family, they studied five generations, were all in prison or honestly lived horrific lives. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:30.639 Look at what happened after five generations, uh, 310 pulpers or or people on welfare or people in destitute, 400 drunks, 190 prostitutes, 150 criminals, seven murderers, all from one man. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:42.399 Then Richard took, in contrast to another individual that did not live too far from him, that took a different path in life. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.320 His name was Jonathan Edwards. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:52.399 He was a theologian, he was a pastor, he was the starter of the first great awakening in the 1700s uh in America. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:09:16.240 He also looked at five generations uh of those that came after Jonathan, 13 college presidents, 65 college professors, 75 military leaders, 80 public servants, 60 authors, 60 doctors, 30 judges, 100 pastors, 100 lawyers, three US senators, one vice president. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:20.159 Fascinating. 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:26.399 Small decisions always lead to large decision decisions. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:32.399 And you've heard me say it, and it's been a focus even here in my ministry at North Iron. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:48.720 And you've heard me say this, pastor say this a lot, and you I'll say it in various ways, but when you when you have to make a choice in life, when it comes to your family, if you want to change the family, you change the man. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:51.440 You've heard me say this statistic. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:10:02.639 If a if a young person, a child, or a teenager comes to know who Jesus is, there is a 3.5% uh chance that the rest of his family will serve the Lord. 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:09.360 If a single mom comes to church, there's a 17% chance that your children will serve the Lord. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:19.679 But if a husband or a father comes to church leading his family, there is a 93% chance that they're going to serve the Lord. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:22.480 That's staggering. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.320 And it comes down to choices. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:33.440 And when it comes to choices, you have to make that choice. 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:37.840 There's a lot of men I come across who just simply don't want to make any choices. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:48.639 They just want to skate through life, they just want to not ruffle anyone's feathers, they they just want to be a nice guy. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:55.279 But when you have to make a choice and you don't make it, that itself is a choice. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:04.080 I'm leading up to something here that is going to happen with the people of Israel. 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:08.159 The king is about to make a choice. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:20.000 The people of Israel are about to make a choice, a major choice in their life, but they made a lot of small, inappropriate choices to get to this large choice that they're having to make. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:25.600 You say, well, Pastor Mark, I'm I'm kind of just, yeah, I'm that guy. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.080 I don't want to ruffle any feathers. 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:39.759 But you need to understand that that in this life, you are probably, though you know it or not, making a choice to worship something. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.240 That's the thing that you need to understand. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:46.879 That all humans are worshipers. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:49.200 It's a part of your DNA. 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:53.919 You're making a choice to either worship God or not worship God. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:56.559 This is where the people of Israel are. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:59.120 Well, Pastor Mark, I'm not a worshiper. 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:05.519 Do you know that that that the word worship really comes to the word worth? 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:13.120 Like you worship whatever you ultimately find worth in. 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:16.879 That's why we worship that thing. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:20.159 You can you cannot stop being a worshiper. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.759 You're going to point to something that's how you're created. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.879 Worship is worship. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.120 I find this one thing. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:39.120 If I don't have this one thing in my life, let me tell you, I'm not gonna be happy, I'm not gonna be able to find my identity, I'm not gonna be fulfilled. 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:50.159 And so we we we tend to ultimately point our lives to whatever we find, this ultimate worth in our lives. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:57.440 An idol ultimately is something that has taken on ultimate worth for you. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:02.000 John Kelvin says that the human body is an idol factory. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:07.440 We're always pointing to something. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:17.360 It might, and here's the thing that I I come to realize ultimately, those idols in our lives they represent good things sometimes. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:24.080 You're like, Pastor Mark, I'm not out, I don't have a statue in my backyard, and I'm not out there worshiping that thing. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:30.399 But listen, those those things that we worship oftentimes are good things in our life. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:38.960 Money is a good thing, but we we worship money as the primary form of security. 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:42.879 Like, Pastor Mark, I don't know if I have enough money for retirement. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.240 Pastor Mark, I don't know if I have enough money for rent. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:55.440 Like those are real issues in our lives, and oftentimes we find our places, we find ourselves in places in a lack of security. 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:59.360 Or or family is that ultimate fulfillment. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:04.320 Pastor Mark, I need that that ultimate family, that image of family. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:07.039 So I'm not gonna be alone in my life. 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:11.440 It'll bring satisfaction, fulfillment, and so you become this bitter thing. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.799 Either you don't have that, you've not obtained that, or you have a family and it's not a great family. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:18.799 You're like, I want a new family. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:29.120 And you find your fulfillment and satisfaction in that idol of family. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:36.480 That's where you find your worth, or maybe it's your identity in your accomplishment. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:52.000 Even as your pastor, I would, I, I would, I would, I put too much emphasis or worth on being a good preacher or not. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:55.759 And if I didn't preach good, it would wreck me for the whole week. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:57.679 Now I just don't care. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:02.720 I care. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:04.639 A little bit. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.039 This is where the people of Israel are at. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:12.879 Who are you gonna worship? 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.720 Now you remember the context of what's going on here. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.039 The people of Israel, the kingdom is split. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:20.240 There's a civil war. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:28.720 We have the tribe of Judah that have their own set of problems, but the people of the northern tribe of Israel have not served the Lord well. 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:34.080 They've had 19 consecutive kings who have led them astray. 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:40.639 Even their current king, ultimately, who kind of is the pinnacle of things going wrong here. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:16:07.919 He he even has this kind of pseudo halfway measure with God, where we he knows the history, he understands that they're the children of God, he even names his two boys under really God-honoring names in a way, and yet he goes and marries the wicked witch of the West, Jezebel. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:14.240 Can you see kind of this half-measure in his attempt? 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.000 And she brings in this worship of all these foreign gods. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:23.200 You can imagine we talked about this a couple weeks ago. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:28.240 They had multiple, multiple, multiple gods for every need that they had. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:39.039 Maybe it was the God of sex or power, uh, riches, prosperity, of weather, whatever they felt in need in, they would create this God of Baal. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:45.200 It was a general term for whatever there were they were in need of. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:17:00.080 And so Jezebel comes in with her prophets, serving false gods, and we come to the place where Elijah, through circumstances, is brought before the king. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:01.200 Now he's ready. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:04.480 The test is about to happen on the top of a mountain. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:18.400 And so we find in 1 Kings chapter 18 when Ahab, speaking of the king, Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel? 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:26.480 You gotta ask the question, who is the troubler? 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:33.359 Like, do you have a a troubler in your life? 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:45.599 Someone who can who represents the right thinking or the presence of Jesus or the wisdom of God in your life? 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:49.200 Do you have a troubler in your life? 00:17:49.359 --> 00:18:10.319 Someone who will come to you, and this is one of the great purposes of the church, that you would be walking with Jesus alongside men and women of God who would rattle you every once in a while and say, Do you not understand what scripture says in the way that you're leading and making decisions and choices for yourself and your family? 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:24.559 Like one of the most disappointing things, heartbreak in my life, is seeing people surround themselves with a party of fools. 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:38.559 Where they don't listen to either God's word or the leadership and the authority of the church, but they go their own way thinking my path is better than their path. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:47.119 They simply take themselves away from the presence of God through small choices. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:58.000 Oftentimes, if people don't like what they I say, I'll find that they'll go to someone else and they'll go to someone else and they'll go to someone else until they can find the justification for the sin in their lives. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.559 That's the beauty of pain, isn't it? 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:10.160 Some of you are like, ah, I hope he stops preaching soon. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:12.240 My back is killing me. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:17.680 Pain is an incredible thing, everyone. 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:26.720 It's an indication, is it not, that something's wrong in your in your system, in your in your body. 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:35.759 It's an indication that something needs to be fixed or tuned or slapped or whatever. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:49.359 But there's something wrong in your system, and yet we spend all this time trying to litigate or manage or take away that very pain which is the alarm going off in our lives. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.880 And we do that with people even around us. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:01.680 Pain's a beautiful thing, it's an indicator that something's not. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:10.880 Do you know in in when you get leprosy, one of the most horrific things about leprosy is you do not feel pain anymore. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:16.640 That the disease eats away at your nerves and you become numb. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:25.119 Do you know that that leprosy is a a not a sign of but a representation of sin in your life? 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:39.759 And yet we oftentimes come into the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit speaks to us, maybe even in the form of a metaphorical pain, like the guilt or the shame or the conviction of sin in our lives. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:47.440 And after a while of ignoring that, it's like we have spiritual leprosy where that conviction is gone. 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:50.240 That is the ultimate level of sin. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:21:00.480 And you can see, even in our society today, people who would say, Man, I'm just gonna live my life the way I want to live my life. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:05.200 That's the ultimate level of painless sin. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:10.319 But it's a sign that the conviction of God has left your life. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:16.079 You need a troubler. 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:22.799 Because you're in the room. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:27.839 I need to be rattled. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.519 I need to be making moves towards the presence of Jesus. 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:34.480 I need to listen to the Holy Spirit. 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:42.160 The word troubler here means pain in the hind end, by the way. 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:43.759 In Hebrew. 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:49.279 The king says, Oh, the canker sore is here. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:59.119 And Elijah answers the king and says, I have not troubled Israel, but you have. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:04.880 Your decision and your father's decision. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:12.079 Because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed false God. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:18.880 So therefore, Elijah says, it's time to make a choice. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:22.400 It's time to make a choice. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:42.079 So he gathers all of Israel to meet at Mar Mount Carmel, and 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 other prophets, all serving false God, who eat at Jezebel's table, had to be a large table, show up. 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:44.960 Scripture goes on. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:58.079 So the king sent all the people of Israel together, the prophets together at Mount Carmel, and Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you need to underline this in your Bible? 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:04.880 How long will you go limping between two different opinions? 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:09.440 How long will you limp in life? 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:13.680 How long will you have half measures or halfway? 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:20.079 Instead of going all the way, you're kind of just on the fence, really serving God or not serving God. 00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:22.720 It's like a decision almost every morning. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:29.359 You get up and you just kind of slowly drift and walk away from God, limping through life. 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:39.440 So Elijah asks a question to the people of Israel. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:44.640 So if the Lord is God, then follow him. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:49.920 And if Baal is God, then you should follow him. 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.400 How long are you going to go limping between these two gods? 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:07.200 You've heard me talk on a multi it's it's kind of been my my soapbox as of late, right? 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:08.559 All paths to God. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:11.039 Are you tired of me talking about this stuff yet? 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:13.519 Because I'm tired of hearing it. 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:25.680 I'm tired of seeing influencers and people wrestling with this ideal and almost like they're preaching a different gospel and doctrine. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:30.640 They are, in that you can just choose whatever path you want to go on. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:36.720 It doesn't matter if you're you're Muslim or Buddhist or Mormon or Jehovah's Witness. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:44.400 Eventually everyone's gonna go up their trail on the mountain and they're gonna reach the pinnacle of who God is. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:50.160 We can take different paths, but we're all going to reach God at some level. 00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:53.119 Listen, everyone, that is demonic garbage. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:56.720 It's garbage. 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.480 And I don't really even have that big a problem with pagans. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:09.359 I have problems with heretics, Christians who twist and muddy the gospel and live lives that are convenient to them. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.759 Pastor Mark, there's just you know, I'm a good person. 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:13.839 I can just get to God however I want to. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:15.920 How convenient for you? 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:22.559 At least the Muslims have dogma, everyone. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:25.759 At least they radicalize. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:44.640 And yet we blaspheme God with half-lived lives, limping through life instead of making a choice to serve the true God. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:47.519 Like, why even be here? 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.160 Like, that's the part I don't understand. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:53.599 Like, be all the way in or don't be all the way in. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:58.000 I I heard Matt Chandler, he's a pastor, I believe, in Texas. 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:02.799 He he made the statement, he said, church is a terrible hobby. 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:09.599 And I was like, oh man, you said it. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:12.559 Like, why come and fight in the parking lot? 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:19.200 Why come and fight with a bunch of people where you're gonna come in and I'm gonna talk to you for 45 minutes and make you feel bad? 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:23.920 I mean, we got donuts, I get that, but you can go to Huron Mountain Club. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:27.200 Or bakery, sorry. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.480 You can't go to Huron Mountain Club. 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:33.680 You can't. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:37.680 Unless you live in Skany, they got a back door up there somehow. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:40.640 I don't know how they make it, but anyway. 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:44.240 Forgot what I'm talking about. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:48.240 Church is a horrible, a horrible hobby. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:51.440 It's like Halloween. 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:53.680 You go get dressed up, right? 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:58.400 Put a mask on, get some lame candy, and you go home. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:12.319 It's a horrible, like I I sometimes I get nervous about this where people are more in love with the movement of North Iron instead of being in love with Jesus. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:19.440 Because we accomplish a lot of incredible things here. 00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:24.240 Serve people, love people, lives are transformed. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:32.079 I I can understand why people would fall in love with what we do, but you need to fall in love with Jesus. 00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:54.240 And the church is so important, and it's not because I'm in charge of church that it's important, it's it's Jesus created of like-minded community people who move the kingdom of God forward through conviction because we believe Jesus is who he says he is. 00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:57.440 That's why we work so hard in what we do. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:05.200 And I can't emphasize the importance of making a decision to be a part of a church. 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:09.200 Join North Iron or join another church. 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:11.200 There are plenty around everyone. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:15.200 North Iron isn't for everyone, but man, do something. 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:17.039 Just don't show up every once in a while. 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:18.000 Start volunteering. 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:24.079 I promise your life will change just because of the fact it won't be about you all the time. 00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:27.200 At least one day a week, everyone. 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:43.359 Give generously, get into branches, which is our small groups, or start sharing your faith, go on forward trips, be passionate about who Jesus is, consume his word, and I promise your life will change. 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:53.920 So Elijah goes to the people and he says, Listen, choose God or choose Baal, which is it going to be? 00:28:54.160 --> 00:29:00.400 And the people did not answer crickets at everyone. 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:07.039 So Elijah calls, has a plan. 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:10.160 He calls the people up. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:14.160 He says, You call upon the name of your God. 00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:16.640 Sorry, he calls the prophets of Baal up. 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:27.279 You call upon the name of your God, and I'll call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God, and all the people answered. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:29.039 That sounds like a pretty good idea. 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:41.680 Which is interesting that he chooses fire because the Baal that they're dealing with, you understand it hasn't raised rain for three, three, three years, is the God of rain. 00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:49.119 And so Elijah says, Whatever is consumed by fire, he will be the God. 00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:53.759 And so we find that the prophets begin to get together. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:56.880 Guys could hit that next slide for me. 00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:57.839 Thank you. 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:10.160 And they took the bowl that was given them and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, Oh Baal, answer us. 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:14.640 But there was no voice, and no one answered. 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:23.119 And I love that it's this is in here again, and they limped around the altar that they had made. 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:30.720 And so they began to pray and wail for God, their God, to show up. 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:33.680 And I love this next portion of scripture. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:36.640 It's it's it's my love language. 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:39.599 Elijah started mocking them. 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:46.559 I'm sure he was in a lawn chair, just sitting back. 00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:48.640 Cry louder. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:58.880 For he is a god, and maybe maybe he's daydreaming, maybe, maybe he's doom scrolling on on Facebook. 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:03.359 Or listen, maybe he's just gone. 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:05.599 Maybe you serve a traveling God. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:07.599 He's on a journey somewhere. 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:10.720 We we find he says that in the next portion of scripture. 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.799 Or or or listen, maybe, maybe he's on the John. 00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:22.480 Maybe he's relieving himself. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:26.480 Or maybe he's just he's just sleeping. 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:30.400 Maybe he needs to be awake. 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:41.680 And they went on again praying, and they cried aloud, and they cut themselves to try to get the attention. 00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:55.680 And as midday passed, they raved until the time of the offering of obligation, and there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:58.079 So let me tell you a couple things about false gods. 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:04.720 Here's the first one that false gods require, they require dancing to please them. 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:14.960 And again, I know none of you are out in the backyard dancing before a stone god somewhere. 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:19.039 But you're still in need of the same kind of interaction. 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:29.440 And what I mean by that is you're trying to get the god of money's attention. 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:33.119 So you're dancing hard. 00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:35.680 Dancing hard. 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:38.640 Trying to make it happen. 00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:42.720 Or you you need the attention of your friends. 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:46.240 So you dance before that idol, look at me. 00:32:49.039 --> 00:33:01.279 Or maybe you dance for your family from this thing to that thing to this thing to that thing, this thing, trying to create this idealistic image of the perfect family. 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:03.119 You're still dancing. 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:15.039 All false gods require dancing, and all false gods always push you towards destruction. 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:26.559 I just I need more money, so I'm gonna cut myself in this job in a way. 00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:48.319 Sometimes metaphorically, listen, some of you actually do cut yourself, but a lot of times we do it metaphorically in our families with money, with sex, whatever we're we're worshiping, dancing, and destruction. 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:57.119 And so we find that Elijah says to all the people, Come near. 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:18.159 He says, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood. 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:21.039 And he said, Do it a second time. 00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:22.639 And they did it a second time. 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:27.599 Then he says, Listen, I want you to do it a third time, and they did it a third time. 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:31.519 Everything is drenched in water. 00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:37.440 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trenches also with water. 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:48.719 And at that time, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are the God of Israel. 00:34:48.880 --> 00:35:01.199 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that these people may know that you are the God that they need to worship and serve, and that you are turning their hearts back to them. 00:35:02.159 --> 00:35:15.679 And then it says that the fire of God came down and consumed the burnt offering, the wood and the stones, the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trenches. 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:19.440 And all the people saw. 00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:30.159 When they saw it, they fell on their faces and they began to worship. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:40.559 What's interesting here, I think I told you this a couple weeks ago, that Elijah's name actually means the Lord is God. 00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:48.320 So when they're worshiping, they're actually mouthing the words of Elijah, his name. 00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:53.920 Not worshiping Elijah, they're declaring who God is in their lives. 00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:55.679 The Lord, he is God. 00:35:56.079 --> 00:35:58.159 The Lord, he is God. 00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:02.960 Let me tell you a couple things about false gods again. 00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:17.119 False God always require this incredible strenuous effort, and yet the true God is known by grace through faith. 00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:34.480 We see this again and again and again, where most all, I would say all world religions, I don't know them all, but all, in my opinion, all world religions ask for you to act. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:44.800 That if I do what I'm commanded to do, then I'm accepted. 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:53.119 Christianity is the only one that doesn't the opposite, where you're accepted and then you obey. 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:56.559 Think about that. 00:36:57.039 --> 00:37:05.599 Number two, false gods mutilate you, but the true God mutilates himself for you. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:10.239 Again, the opposite, isn't it? 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:34.639 In Luke chapter 9, there's a really fantastic story of Jesus in Samaria, and the Samarians are rejecting him, and the disciples say to Jesus, hey, just like in Elijah's day, Jesus, why don't you call down fire and consume all these Samarians and show them that you are truly God? 00:37:34.719 --> 00:37:36.000 And Jesus says, no, no, no. 00:37:36.079 --> 00:37:39.440 He rebukes them and he's like, no, you guys are getting it wrong. 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:41.599 Like, I'm here. 00:37:42.639 --> 00:37:45.280 I'm here to be the one that sacrifices. 00:37:46.079 --> 00:37:54.159 Jesus isn't Elijah calling down fire, he's the sacrifice who will receive the fire of judgment. 00:37:55.440 --> 00:38:00.320 Number three, false gods are ultimately powerless. 00:38:00.719 --> 00:38:04.719 The true God answers by a miracle. 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:16.639 The greatest miracle is not fire falling from heaven, but Jesus raising from the grave. 00:38:18.559 --> 00:38:21.039 That's the greatest miracle. 00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:27.039 It would be, and I would love to walk through a split Red Sea. 00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:31.119 That would be an incredible miracle. 00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:35.119 Or if Lake Superior just disappeared one day. 00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:37.199 No, that wouldn't be great. 00:38:38.639 --> 00:38:39.840 I take that back. 00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:44.000 But wouldn't it be great if we saw those kind of over-the-top miracles? 00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:50.880 But you need to understand that the greatest miracle has already happened, and that is the resurrection power in your life, in my life. 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:58.000 The greatest miracle, as I look out to some of you, is seeing a changed life. 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:13.679 Where the resurrection power resides with inside of you, and it begins to change your heart and the way that you think, and you find yourself as you're following Jesus, you're just not the same person as you used to be. 00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:19.280 That's the power of the resurrection. 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:26.960 And lastly, false gods lead us to a soul drought. 00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:32.559 The true God pours it upon us with living water. 00:39:34.880 --> 00:39:46.719 I like how Tim Keller says it this way: Jesus is the only God that if you find him will satisfy you, and if you fail him, will forgive you. 00:39:48.800 --> 00:40:00.800 So after this incredible miracle on this mountaintop, we find that as the people are worshiping God, that Elijah starts to pray for the drought to cease. 00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:05.280 It hasn't rained for, I believe, three, three years, six months. 00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:07.679 And he keeps on sending out his servant. 00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:09.679 I want you to go to the cliff, look out over. 00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:11.039 Do you see any clouds? 00:40:11.199 --> 00:40:13.760 He comes back, he goes, he comes, he goes back. 00:40:13.920 --> 00:40:19.679 Eventually he comes back, he says, I think I see a cloud the size of a fist, Elijah. 00:40:20.719 --> 00:40:25.119 And Elijah gets up and tells the king, listen, you better get back. 00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:31.519 Because your chariot's gonna get struck, because the Lord's returning the rain. 00:40:32.239 --> 00:40:36.559 Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain will stop you. 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:41.920 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. 00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:45.760 And the king rode and went to Jezreel. 00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:48.719 And the hand of the Lord, I love this part. 00:40:49.039 --> 00:40:51.840 You remember all the limping that's going on? 00:40:53.039 --> 00:41:00.320 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before the king into the entrance. 00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:02.400 He outran the chariot. 00:41:05.599 --> 00:41:08.159 I think God's just showing off at that point. 00:41:12.719 --> 00:41:18.639 The whole point of this morning comes down to the decisions of your life. 00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:23.199 The small decisions to be a follower of Jesus. 00:41:24.159 --> 00:41:27.679 There's no half measure. 00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:33.519 The world would want you to think that that is an option. 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:36.800 That Jesus is just like this buffet. 00:41:37.119 --> 00:41:49.679 I could take a little bit of Jesus, I can take a little bit of Eastern religion, I can take a little bit of this, a little bit of this, and like build a bear. 00:41:49.920 --> 00:41:52.800 I'm just gonna build myself a savior. 00:41:55.440 --> 00:41:57.599 It's not what scripture says. 00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:01.679 That Jesus is the only one and true God. 00:42:02.559 --> 00:42:06.800 And either you serve Him or you don't. 00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:32.480 There was a radical missionary movement in the 1900s called One Way Missionaries, where at the turn of the century the world started to open up not only for travel but missionary work, and so there were areas that were unreached with the gospel, still true today. 00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:47.920 And missionaries would sell everything that they had, they would buy a one-way ticket to whatever destination they were going, and they would pack everything that they had in a coffin. 00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:56.559 They would pack their coffin because they're never coming back. 00:42:58.480 --> 00:43:08.400 A young man in in Scotland who was a pastor was inspired to follow Jesus to the South Pacific. 00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:14.719 To an island in the Hebride area. 00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:23.199 It's no longer called that, but at the time that was the chain of islands in the South Pacific, mostly cannibals and headhunters. 00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:30.960