WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:10.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:15.039 Today we're kicking off a brand new series called Navigating Normal. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:22.320 How do we navigate the normal we now find ourselves in that we're now living and going through? 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:27.440 You know, over the COVID seasons of things, I picked up a new hobby. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:33.359 Some of you picked up bread making, uh, but I picked up a new hobby, and the hobby was golf. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:46.320 Um, I'm not a golfer, I kind of golfed like once a year and thought, like, okay, it's something I can do with my dad, uh, my wife likes it because it's something I can do and not get hurt, uh, which is a fantastic deal. 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:52.159 Um, and also, you know, having just torn my Achilles five months ago, this is something I can do. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:59.119 Uh, and even I I played even in a boot uh a little bit, probably not wise, but still did that. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:02.719 Anyways, and so I hate being bad at stuff. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:03.439 I hate it. 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.319 I'm fiercely competitive, and I'd play with guys and I'm terrible. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:09.040 Like if you play once a year, you're not gonna be good. 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:12.799 Uh and so um I got you know a new pair of clubs. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:18.159 I only had my dad's hand-me-down, so now I felt like an adult golfer because I own my own clubs. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.200 Uh, and then I got you know, golf attire. 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:25.680 In fact, I asked um, I put them on this morning and I was like, Ginny, how's it look? 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:29.519 She's like, no, uh, you know, you can't go to church like that. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.120 That'll just be distracting. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:32.400 And I was so like sad. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:33.359 I'm like, serious? 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:36.239 I was like, I wanted to show off my like Lululemon golf pants. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:40.239 Yeah, I have Lululemon golf pants, hello, and they're fabulous, by the way. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:46.959 Uh and I I got because if you can't play well, you might as well look good and play bad, you know, and look the part. 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:49.519 And I look the I look like a golfer. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:50.879 I look good, gang. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:52.239 You should have seen it. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.480 One day you'll see me when my wife's out of town. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:00.959 Um and so um I started doing this. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:02.719 I'm like, okay, gotta practice. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:05.920 Uh I've played athletics, you know, sports my whole life. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:19.520 And so I got these little foam golf balls, and um I went into my backyard and I'd be start to you know take some practice, and I'd hit the golf balls, uh, these little orange and yellow foam golf balls over my house, you know. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:29.439 Uh so if you're walking past my house, all of a sudden you might see like this foam ball like flying over, and I'd hit them over and then walk around to the front and try to find them everywhere. 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:31.919 So I don't know what all of my neighbors thought. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:41.439 Or I tried to hopefully, you know, but I'm walking around with a club in my hand and just kind of pacing up and down the street, trying to find these golf balls everywhere that I'm hitting. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:48.879 Um, and and then I realized I it's getting expensive because I kept losing these foam golf balls because I had no idea where they went. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:51.280 Uh so then I got a net, okay? 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:54.159 And so I got this net now that I have a golf, you know. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:57.039 I actually I hit a few this morning, if I'm honest. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.879 Um, and I I go back there and I and I practice. 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:05.680 I've been practicing for months. 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:13.199 And I'd go out and play, and it I wasn't really any better. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:15.439 So then I'd watch YouTube videos, right? 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:16.960 That's what you do when you want to learn something. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:32.719 You watch YouTube videos and Instagram videos and watching all these things, and I kept trying as hard as I could, and as hard as I tried, I still was not making, I was making incremental at best progress uh in my golf game. 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:37.120 And uh at Christmas time, my dad got me golf lessons for Christmas. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:41.919 Now, because of my Achilles, I wasn't able to utilize those lessons until August. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:46.159 And so in August, I took my very first golf lesson, and it was amazing. 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:48.319 He asked me, so what do you want to learn? 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:50.719 You know, and I was like, Everything? 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:51.680 Is that a thing? 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:53.520 Like, can I just start from the beginning? 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:54.639 And he said, Well, swing. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:57.039 And he said, Wow, okay, we'll start from the beginning. 00:03:57.280 --> 00:03:57.759 Hello. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.120 And then he began to walk me through there's position one. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:02.159 I'm like, oh, really? 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:02.800 Position one. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:06.960 And he's like, well, when you do it, your golf club's like that, and you're there's no way you're gonna hit it. 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:07.599 I'm like, really? 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:09.599 Okay, so you this way, and then position two. 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:14.879 And he began to walk me through the entire step by step. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.399 And here's the reality. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:24.639 I think many of us in this season that we're in and navigating, we're really trying hard. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:27.360 We're really working hard. 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:45.600 We're we're we're we're hoping that we can just make it through, do better, figure out what to do with the emotions inside, what to do with the anxiety, with the character stuff, with the relationship, and we're really trying hard, but if we're honest, we're just making so little progress. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:51.040 And then you do what I do in that case, right? 00:04:51.920 --> 00:05:03.199 It we put on our best attire, post it on Instagram so everybody thinks we're actually doing well, but on the inside, we're struggling. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:11.680 And the reality is nobody prepared you to enter into a pandemic in the last 18 months and the chaos, right? 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:27.279 Nobody gave you a preparation and said, hey, here's what's headed, and nobody taught you how to navigate the season we're living in, and to compound it, here's something that a word that we've been using that actually is holding us back. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:33.439 It was actually 2020's word of the year for uh the people's choice of word, uh word it was. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:35.199 It was unprecedented. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:36.079 Remember that? 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.319 Remember hearing that like every other day? 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:39.839 This is unprecedented times. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.120 Aren't you tired of hearing unprecedented? 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:45.759 Like, seriously, shut up, okay? 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:52.160 But the truth is, these are not unprecedented times. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:57.279 These are not new or unique to all of history. 00:05:57.439 --> 00:05:59.759 They are new to us, but they're not new to history. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:13.439 In fact, history is replete with these times, and God's word speaks powerfully, insightfully, and authoritative in how to navigate these days, how to navigate the normal we now find ourselves in. 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:20.480 And what we want to do for the next few weeks is actually study the life of Elijah, a prophet. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:27.519 We'll unpack who he was in just a second, and discover together how do we navigate these days together? 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:35.279 How do we actually not just keep trying harder, doing the same thing, hoping to get better, but you're never really making progress? 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:43.600 How do we have God's word then lead and guide and give us the lessons we need to navigate well? 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:48.000 In fact, here's what I want to talk about today as we wrestle with this. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:51.199 Like, why is it trying hard? 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:57.519 In the areas that matter most, it kind of hardly ever works. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:00.240 You ever notice that? 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:01.439 You've experienced that. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:08.800 I'm not talking about at work, I'm not talking about in some of these kind of you know practical applications, I'm talking about your character. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:20.720 I'm talking about, you know, the areas of anxiety or uh fear or worry or some of those core relationships, and you've really tried hard. 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:27.279 You spent the time, you're like, I'm working so hard at this, but it's hardly working. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:31.519 God wants to speak into that today, Lord Jesus. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:45.600 I ask that you would speak to us, that your word would come alive, that that you would move with power, that we would be attentive, and you would be our teacher, you would be our golf coach in life. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:54.720 And God, would you help us to soak that in and be transformed by you in Jesus' name, amen. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:04.639 So let's talk about Elijah because he lived and walked through a time not too unlike the time that we have experienced. 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:10.560 Listen, we're gonna spend the next few weeks looking and doing a character study of the prophet Elijah. 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:17.519 We find his story in 1 Kings chapter 17 through 19 and also parts of 2 Kings there. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:32.159 Uh, and the book of 1 Kings and 2 Kings originally was just one big book that he just broke up into two books to make it manageable, and all it is is telling about the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:46.720 And if you read it, it's kind of a depressing book because it's the kings that really straight away from God made lots of bad decisions, and over and over you just see one bad king after another bad king after another bad king. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:51.679 Then you have a good king, you're like, oh, Josiah, oh, we're so glad you're here, and then another bad king. 00:08:51.840 --> 00:09:00.399 That's the book of kings, and the prophet Elijah shows up in this story of Israel around 9th century BC. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:14.960 Now, we don't know a whole lot about uh Elijah's origins, his family, um, but we do know that he he was a bit eccentric, dressed in this, you know, kind of hair garment that eventually became known as, you know, the uh the garb of a prophet. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:25.360 You know, he was uh much like think how we talked about John the Baptist uh years later, before Jesus there, his name means my God is Yahweh. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:27.039 Elijah means my God is Yahweh. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:42.799 And it simplified his ministry was declaring, Israel, your God is Yahweh, and you've been strained apart to all these other gods, and it was a returning saying, No, no, no, I'm drawing you back to the one true love, your uh your God Yahweh. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:46.159 His role really was to fulfill as a prophet like Moses. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:10:05.679 And as we study his life, you'll see these illusions, and he did miracles just like Moses, and he had this ministry of bringing the people of Israel to and back to Yahweh, and there's all these parallels, and ultimately his ministry was to bring about spiritual and social renewal. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:10.480 And by the way, when there is spiritual renewal, there is always social renewal. 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:12.639 And we begin to bifurcate this. 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.320 Jesus said, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:22.720 And the application of that, he said, the second command is like it, the greatest command is to love your hell, who? 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:25.120 Neighbor as yourself. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:34.080 Like spiritual renewal always brings about social renewal because we can't love God and not love other people well at the same time. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:35.519 And this was his ministry. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.679 So, what were the days of Elijah like? 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.559 How were they kind of like our days? 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:43.440 Well, first there was political corruption. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:50.639 And so Elijah's the main character, but we're introduced to two other characters, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:11:11.759 Now, King Ahab's father was incredibly successful in his reign politically, socioeconomically, made lots of um different alliances, and uh his father then made an alliance with uh the kingdom by the sea Phoenicia to ensure that border would be a safe border. 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:14.320 They would be, you know, on the same team. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:20.159 And so he gave his son uh to be married to their king's daughter, Jezebel. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.080 And we'll get to her in just a second. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:24.960 But here's what the scripture says about Ahab. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:29.200 Now remember, it's just one bad king after another, one evil king after another. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:38.720 And it says of Ahab that he did more evil in the eyes of God than all the other kings behind him. 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:44.320 Like those were really bad dudes, and he was even worse. 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:46.159 And he marries Jezebel. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:50.000 And for some, you're you've known this name as like you maybe used it. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:51.440 Oh, she's such a Jezebel. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:54.080 She's so mean or manipulative. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.159 It comes from this story. 00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:05.919 Jezebel was an incredibly powerful, manipulative, evil queen who led the people of Israel astray. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:12.320 And so they're under political corruption, and then you see that there's spiritual and moral decay. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:30.559 Jezebel, when she is then married into uh Ahab and comes to Israel, she brings with her 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophetess or priestess of Asherah and introduces the worship of Baal and Asherah to their uh country. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.440 Now, Baal is the fertility god. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:56.399 Uh he's said to have um rode on the wings of the clouds, and that when the rains came, it was the exercise of his power and his dominion, and you worshiped him and appeased him, and Asherah was his counterpart, the female counterpart, uh, and you worshiped them to bring about a good crop to make sure that you were flourishing in life. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:02.639 And so much of the worship revolved around fertility and uh sacred prostitution. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.240 In our day, it would be around the lines of human trafficking. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:15.919 And also, when we're desperate, they try to evoke Baal to bring flourishing, they would engage in child sacrifice. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:22.559 And so you see this spiritual and moral decay that then is introduced, and then a great persecution. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:30.000 Jezebel, uh, she wants to eradicate anyone who is a follower and a worshiper of Yahweh. 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:37.600 And so she systematically goes about persecuting and killing every prophet of God. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:47.360 You can imagine and connect it to what we saw in Afghanistan and what Christians were going through and fleeing for their lives in this time. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:51.360 This is the landscape that Elijah is living in. 00:13:51.519 --> 00:14:01.279 And then a word, the word of the Lord comes to Elijah, and he says, uh, tell Ahab that a great famine, I'm gonna bring about a great famine. 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:02.320 Now, this is important. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:03.200 Think about this. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:08.000 Baal is the God of fertility and rides on the crut the clouds. 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:19.440 And so this is in uh a confrontation to Baal's authority, saying, No, no, Yahweh's alone God, and he's gonna stop up the rain and stop up uh, you know, all of the storms. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:24.639 And so he says there's a great famine, and then he has to go into hiding because he's a fugitive. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:33.919 He lives actually in the land of Phoenicia in Sidon, uh, and he's now hiding for his life as they're searching for him to kill him. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.799 For three years, he's hiding for his life. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:45.600 And this is where we pick up the story in 1 Kings 18 of what we'll call the showdown on Mark on Mount Carmel. 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:57.360 And the showdown on Mount Carmel is really probably Elijah's most famous kind of miracle uh moment that happened in his um ministry. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:06.720 And after three years had elapsed, God says to Elijah, go to Ahab and tell him, rain's coming. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:08.399 After three years. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:09.679 Now, this is important. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:11.759 God wants to say, rain's coming. 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:16.399 Not because you prayed to Baal, not because you did this, but because God said it, rain's coming. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:21.519 Not because you did all these sacrifices, God said it, and so he will do it. 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:26.240 And so he shows up, says to Ahab, and he has this Elijah's awesome, by the way. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:27.679 He's he's got some moxie. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:30.480 We don't use that word much, but look it up for those who don't know what it means. 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:31.440 He's got it. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:43.279 Um, and and here's what he does: he goes to Ahab and he says, Hey, um, what what if we had a contest to see which God is the true God? 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:44.960 You up for that? 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:45.759 Sure. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:53.600 So why don't you take the 450 prophets of Baal, 400 prophetess priestess of Ashrah, and let's meet up on Mount Carmel. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:59.279 Now, Mount Carmel is this incredibly fertile mountain right on the border of Phoenicia and Israel. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:08.080 And it's actually known as a as like a place where Baal's power is specifically or more poignantly placed. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:11.759 Like he is, you know, more powerful in that place. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:19.519 So he's actually picking home court advantage for the prophets of Baal, saying, This is where you think your God is most powerful. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:21.120 Let's do something there. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:22.799 You want to try that out? 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:24.639 Absolutely, let's try that out. 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:26.799 So he says, okay, how about this? 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:35.120 How about we each build an altar, slaughter a bull, and the God that responds by fire, he's the one true God. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:35.679 Sound good? 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:37.919 You know, Baal, lightning, fire? 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:38.960 That's his thing, right? 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:39.600 He can do that. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:40.320 Absolutely. 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:41.039 Fantastic. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:42.000 So that's what they do. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:45.120 They gather everyone, they get up onto the Mount Carmel. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:56.720 Uh, the prophets of Baal build this altar, they slaughter a bull, and in the morning, they start early in the morning, start calling on and chanting and dancing and uh and nothing. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:58.320 Noontime. 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.080 You gotta love Elijah. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:04.480 Like I said, he has moxie, um, and he just starts to mock them. 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:09.680 Um, he literally goes, Um, maybe you need to pray louder. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.799 Maybe your God is hard of hearing. 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:15.440 Um, maybe he's asleep. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.160 He could have gone on vacation. 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:19.599 Maybe he's not around. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:22.640 He just begins to mock them publicly. 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:34.240 I mean, think about this one guy standing against 450 prophets, they're dancing, they begin to cut themselves, work themselves into a frenzy, mutilating, just trying to evoke their God. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:38.160 And by late in the day, nothing. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:40.400 And so Elijah. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.400 It's now his turn. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:50.079 And he begins to rebuild the altar of the Lord and takes 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel and puts those together. 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:54.640 They slaughter the bull, put it on there, and then he says, Bring some water. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.960 I know water's precious, but rain is coming. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:58.000 Bring some water. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:06.880 He finds these huge cisterns and they come and he says, he says, they build the altar and then he digs a big ditch around it. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:15.039 And he and they dump the water and it pours over the altar and the sacrifice. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:16.559 And he says, Do it again. 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:17.839 And they do it again. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:19.440 They pour water over again. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.160 Then he says, Do it again, and they do it again. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:31.440 Now the sacrifice is soaking wet, drenched, the wood is wet, and the the trench around it is filled to the brim. 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:48.799 And he calls on his God, and fire hits so dramatically, so intensely, that it not only burns up the sacrifice and the wood wood, but it laughs up the entire water in the trench. 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:52.160 And Elijah says, Now we know who is God. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:19:01.119 And he says, Command the people, he tells the people, grab the prophets who killed all the prophets of God and let them meet the same doom and fate. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:04.640 And then he turns to Ahab, says, Rain's coming. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.000 Go feast. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:17.519 And Ahab goes to enjoy a feast, and God tells him, You better tell Ahab to get home because it's going to be a heavy rain, and his chariot ain't gonna make it through the mud and the muck. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:24.720 And so he tells Ahab, Ahab heads back to Jezreel, about 17 miles away from Mount Carmel. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:36.400 And you gotta think about Elijah is so amped up in this moment, he's so excited, he just starts running ahead of him, 17 miles, beats Ahab to Jezreel. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:49.519 And in chapter 19, we see what happens to this great prophet, and begin to experience how do we navigate the normal we find ourselves in. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:57.599 Chapter 19, verse 1 says this now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he'd killed all the prophets with the sword. 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:12.720 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:16.000 And then notice Elijah's response. 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:21.599 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.480 We'll pick up the rest of the story next week. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:30.880 What happened? 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.359 I mean, what what happened? 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:37.599 Think about the way his day began. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:56.960 Elijah started standing alone on Mount Carmel with 850 of the prophets and priestess of El and Asherah against him, the king against him, and all the people, and by the end of the day, Ahab's standing alone, and Elijah with the people. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:08.720 And then one person gives a threat, and fear takes over his heart, and he runs. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:10.799 What happened? 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:36.960 How could you experience such a mighty move of God, such an incredible demonstration of his power, and not days later, not months later, or years later, hours later, hours later, be completely afraid and run for your life. 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:42.160 How did the mighty prophet collapse before the queen? 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:47.119 Here we find a principle that I think all of us know. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:56.400 And I believe probably some of us have told to other people, but may not have embraced it for ourselves. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.200 The principle is very simple. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.640 After you've poured everything out, there's nothing left to pour. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:16.319 After you've poured all of your energy, your effort, your time, your emotions, your physical, your spiritual, after you've poured everything out, there's just nothing left to pour. 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:18.640 You're on empty your E. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:27.359 See, after a great exertion, no one is immune to a letdown or even a breakdown. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:35.359 After a great exertion spiritually, physically, emotionally, is exhaustion. 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:40.160 Your depletion. 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:56.559 See, and I think for some of us, the way we're feeling and what we're experiencing, we might say something along this, if only I was more spiritual, then I wouldn't feel this way. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:08.640 If only I was more godly, if only I had more faith, and there's all this shame that comes over because you're tired, because you're weary, because you're depleted. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:10.799 And it's no no no. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:17.759 You may not have called down fire from heaven, but for many of you, you've walked through fire, haven't you? 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:27.039 You may not have outrun a chariot, but you've been running hard and you feel really run down, don't you? 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:39.599 See, after you have a great pouring out, there's just the reality that there's depletion, there's exhaustion. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:50.640 And if the prophet Elijah was prone to it, what makes us think that we wouldn't experience the same thing? 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:58.880 One of my favorite lines about Elijah comes in the New Testament, James, when he was pinning his letter, he's talking about the power of prayer. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:06.960 And he's saying, Elijah prayed and the rain ceased for three days, and then he prayed fervently, and God answered with rain right here. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:09.279 And you know what he says right before it? 00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:16.240 He says, Elijah was a human being just like you and me. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:21.200 Just like you, just like me. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:25.119 No one is immune. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:43.440 You know, one of the things that I um when I'm counseling people and sitting down and working through, and someone's walking through, oh man, I'm just the season, it's just been so overwhelming and anxiety, and you know, I just I just feel like anger is just below the surface, and I don't know what to do with that. 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:50.000 I've tried everything, and and the worry and the concerns and the doubts, and you know what I say? 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:54.880 You're normal. 00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:01.279 Maybe God just brought you here this morning just to hear you're normal. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:06.079 I I think I think so often we think we're broken. 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:26.640 We think what we're going through is abnormal, and everyone else with their you know filtered lives presented on Instagram is is got it together, and we know the real world of our interior, and we just feel so broken, and like that nobody could be experiencing what I'm experiencing, and guess what? 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:27.920 You're just normal. 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:34.160 After you've poured everything out, there's nothing left to pour out. 00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:43.759 And this is why, by the way, working harder hardly works when you've poured everything out, because you have nothing to draw from. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:50.319 And it's not about being more godly, it's not about being uh stronger, having more faith. 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:55.119 It's about understanding, okay, it's not about working harder, then what is it? 00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:09.039 My coach, my golf coach, I remember I told you briefly, you know, he looked at my swing and then he said, Let me just tell you there's four positions in a golf swing. 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:11.119 I said, fantastic, show me that. 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:12.960 And he said, position one. 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.799 I'm like, really? 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:19.519 See, I thought you just went up like this, and that's what I was doing. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:22.480 And then I come down like this, and no wonder it wasn't working. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:29.279 Because the very first position wasn't up, it's just the pulling of this right back here. 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:34.480 That's the very first position in the golf swing, and I had no idea. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:42.160 I had been doing it wrong the entire time, and I'm wondering why I'm working so hard, trying so hard, and yet I don't even have the very first position. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:44.720 He said, then positions two right here. 00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:59.440 What I want to do, and what God wants to help us through with this moment is just help give you the very first position, the very first step in navigating this season well. 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:05.680 The very first thing in the practice, and here's what's so fascinating Elijah would have known this. 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:11.279 This was written long before Elijah was a prophet. 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:32.400 In fact, he would have had this memorized, but he probably was so caught up in the moment, in the excitement, in the, you know, um the energy and the uh adrenaline that came from it that he pushed well beyond and he moved past it. 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:37.440 Maybe he thought he was above it because he was a prophet, he could move beyond it. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:42.559 And the very first practice is simply found in Proverbs 4, 23. 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:52.000 Navigating well, above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:28:06.079 Above all else, if you do nothing else, above all else, the first and most important thing above your work, above even times with your kids and investing with your in your marriage. 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:18.960 Above all of that, the most important first step, first moment right back here that gets everything set is guard, watch over your hearts. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:20.640 Why? 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:25.039 For everything you do flows from it. 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:26.160 Here's the image. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:29.759 It's the image of a spring or reservoir. 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:35.599 And he says, your heart is the center of your mind, emotions, and will. 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:36.880 It's not just your feelings. 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:45.599 When scripture talks about your heart, it's the seat, seating place of who you are, your mind, your emotions, and your will, all of your interior world. 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:50.559 He says, your heart directs the course of your life. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:59.119 And whatever is in your heart and whatever you allow into your heart then will flow out of your life. 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:04.640 And so I want to show you a picture that I showed our church a couple years ago. 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:16.880 And this is one that I'll come back to time and time again because it's so important that we get this picture, and it's the streams of influence, and thank you very much. 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:22.559 And understanding, okay, what is this first step for us? 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:28.400 And this will explain why trying harder hasn't been working for you. 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.519 And you have this picture in your bullets, and here's what I want you to do. 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:34.000 I want right in the middle of this heart. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:35.839 Um, by the way, this is a lovely heart. 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:38.799 I didn't draw, I can't do a heart that nice. 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:41.200 Um just write your name. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:43.359 So I'm gonna go ahead and write Ryan right there. 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:44.559 Write Ryan right here. 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:54.079 This is the picture that uh the proverb is trying to help us understand that your heart is like a well or like a spring or a reservoir. 00:29:54.240 --> 00:30:02.960 And then right down here, I want you just to kind of draw lines right here, and I want you to write life and identity. 00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:05.680 Identity. 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:06.960 There we go. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:17.119 All of your life, how you think, how you act, how you feel, who you are, what you do, it flows from your heart, is what he's saying. 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:27.519 All of what you are, your character, your identity, your tech all that you put your energy into, it flows right here. 00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:29.279 And here's what he's saying. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:31.599 And here's what's so important. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:35.920 This is why working hard isn't working. 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:40.160 Most of us try to fix the things downstream. 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:46.480 Man, I'm really angry, so I'm trying to fix anger down here. 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:52.720 Man, I'm really struggling with lust, and so I'm trying to fix lust down here. 00:30:54.480 --> 00:31:01.519 Fear and insecurity and doubt, and it's all these things downstream that we begin to address. 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:09.119 These are the outflows of our life, and here's what he's saying: above all else, watch over or guard your life. 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:14.960 Pay attention to the streams that are influencing your heart and life. 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:17.039 What is coming into your life? 00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:24.160 So, one potential stream might just be past hurts that you've walked through. 00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:28.720 One stream, maybe family of origin. 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:53.359 And you have have a history of what you grew up with and what was spoken over you, and and you've just, it's been an influential thing in your life, and the words that have been spoken, you are trying to live out, or or you're trying to, you know, somehow prove that they aren't true. 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:56.079 Maybe it's your self-talk. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:07.839 I have a buddy that once said, you know, if you if someone else talked to you the way you talk to you, you get a restraining order against them. 00:32:09.519 --> 00:32:14.160 And we have such destructive self-talk and shame and pain. 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:18.160 I'm a nobody, I'm worthless, you're no good. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:18.960 How could you? 00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:20.640 What were you thinking? 00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:24.799 Okay, let's let's get personal here. 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:30.240 Um what about your friends? 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:33.440 Your friends are a stream of influence. 00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:39.920 You know, who you surround yourself with, you'll become like. 00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:46.400 And for some, you have some friendships that that honestly have pulled you away from Jesus. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:48.880 For some, you're dating somebody you need to break up with. 00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:57.359 Let's just be real, and I just said it out there, uh, and you realize, you know what, this person is an influence, and my heart is being drawn away from Jesus. 00:32:57.519 --> 00:33:00.079 Let's get real personal with social media. 00:33:03.119 --> 00:33:06.000 You guys all saw the Wall Street Journal article? 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:07.440 Remember that? 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:09.920 If you didn't, you missed it. 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:14.960 Groundbreaking uh news from Facebook. 00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:16.400 Not really. 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:21.359 Uh Facebook, you know, their internal documents got leaked and discovered that. 00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:22.400 Guess what? 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:26.160 I uh Instagram is terrible for teenage girls. 00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:29.359 We didn't need leaked documents to tell us that. 00:33:29.519 --> 00:33:34.799 Here's what we know is social media, Instagram, TikTok, um, and the rest? 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:43.839 God, anxiety, comparison, depression, suicide, all those things skyrocket up. 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:50.640 What about COVID newsfeed? 00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:57.440 Didn't our newsfeed just amp up over this season? 00:33:57.680 --> 00:34:02.319 And you just begin to like digest all of that constantly and what's happening? 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:04.400 Okay, Ryan, why don't you get to some positives? 00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:05.200 Thank you very much. 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:06.400 I'm getting depressed. 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:07.599 All right, thank you. 00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:09.679 So, how about this? 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:11.920 Another stream of influence, God's word. 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:13.440 Getting into God's word. 00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:17.760 You know, uh Romans 12, 2 tells us how we're to be transformed. 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:35.599 It says, do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, that we are to actually stop up the areas that are uh the patterns of this world and the things that are drawing us away from God, instead uh be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you amp up the streams of influence in your life. 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:36.880 Maybe it's your group. 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:42.880 You're like, I really don't feel like going to group, but it's a stream of influence that is going to be filling your life. 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:52.239 Worship and worship music and beginning to play that in your life, church, godly mentors. 00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:56.639 Here's the point. 00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:07.679 We work so hard down here, and yet it's hardly working. 00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:16.079 And the stress and the anxiety and the pain and the delay and the fear. 00:35:16.800 --> 00:35:27.039 He says, above all else, pay attention to what's entering into your heart, guard it diligently, because all of life flows from there. 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:28.960 You know, from me. 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:33.679 Um, I'll just tell you how I'm applying this. 00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:41.679 Because I started to wrestle with this, you know, like what are the streams of influence in my life? 00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:45.760 Are they polluting or are they purifying? 00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:51.840 Are they just so I can numb out or are they actually nourishing my soul? 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:55.519 And then I begin to ask this question. 00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:57.599 This is pretty convicting. 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:02.880 What are the things that I embraced because of COVID? 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:08.239 That I wouldn't have previously. 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:11.840 You know, we just go, it's just a season, it's just a thing. 00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:14.239 I'm just trying to cope to get by. 00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:19.039 It's just because of this that we embrace it, and so I I excused it. 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:23.360 And then now it's still a part of my life. 00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:25.360 I'll I'll just be real with you. 00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:30.000 Mine was Instagram social media. 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:34.079 Years and years ago, uh, I just took it off my phone. 00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:36.880 It did nothing good for my soul. 00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:43.039 My own personality, my own struggles, and then my addictiveness. 00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:44.719 Like, I just do this. 00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:59.440 And I found that my times with Jesus in his word were distracted, were shallow, that I that I couldn't even be present in those moments. 00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:04.320 And not too long ago, about a week ago, I just took my phone to Jenny. 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:12.719 I deleted Instagram off, and I had her set the code so I can't like add back on because my own personality is I'll make an excuse later. 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:13.760 That's me. 00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:19.679 Because I'll be like, oh no, I I feel so disconnected from everybody. 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:21.440 I need to let everybody know. 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:24.639 Oh, wait, I don't hardly ever post, anyways, never mind. 00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:27.920 Can I tell you? 00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:33.360 This isn't something that like you take a year or two and all of a sudden you see a difference. 00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:50.400 One week, one week right here, filtering the social media, the settledness, the presence with my savior, my times in the morning with Jesus. 00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:59.119 And then I realized just part of me, one of the streams of influence that was so refreshing was going for a run, listening to worship music. 00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:01.920 And because I tore my Achilles, I haven't been able to do that. 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:05.119 So I started, now I can walk, and I'm walking with worship music. 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:08.559 I'm like, oh my gosh, that was one that got taken away. 00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:15.280 That now, oh, I used to listen to worship music, and it was just so filling my soul, cutting that out, amping that up. 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:17.199 I just gotta tell you. 00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:19.440 It's powerful. 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:22.719 How about for you? 00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:30.960 What are the streams that you look at and go, man, I need to be attentive to that, or I need to cut that out, or I need to, you know, limit that? 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:34.000 What are the ones you need to amp up? 00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:41.679 You know, for some, as you walked in, he's like, you know, Ryan, I'm really empty and I'm really weary. 00:38:42.559 --> 00:38:45.440 And the invitation of Jesus, I love this. 00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:48.639 Jesus says this to you as you walk in. 00:38:48.880 --> 00:38:52.800 He says, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:54.159 Are you thirsty? 00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:55.519 Are you tired? 00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:01.360 He says, Whoever believes in me literally puts the full weight of their life in him. 00:39:02.559 --> 00:39:07.440 As scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him. 00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:09.519 Like, think about this. 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:11.679 Come on. 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:19.840 Jesus wants you to flourish, but it's even better than that. 00:39:20.559 --> 00:39:22.800 He is your flourishing. 00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:29.360 Jesus wants you to flourish, but it's even better than that. 00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:32.079 He is your flourishing. 00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:37.840 In him is life, living waters, the things that you go, man. 00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:45.440 I'm so tired of what's going downstream, and you come and you surrender your life to him and you say, Jesus, you are my life. 00:39:45.599 --> 00:39:52.480 He says, I want to bring flourishing and life and peace and hope. 00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:55.280 And for some, you've never said yes to Jesus. 00:39:55.440 --> 00:40:00.880 You've been a part, you've kind of been on the fringes, but you've never put the full weight of your life on him. 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:07.360 You've liked him, but you've never invited him into your heart. 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:18.960 I want to invite you simply to pray after me, just a very simple prayer, a conversation where you say, no, no, no, Jesus, I believe you are my flourishing. 00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:20.480 Would you pray with me? 00:40:20.800 --> 00:40:27.280 If this is where you're at, Heavenly Father, I'm tired, I'm weary. 00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:30.159 It's been long. 00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:37.280 And today I believe, Jesus, you are my flourishing. 00:40:40.239 --> 00:40:46.239 And so I put the full weight of my life, my trust, my hope, my expectations on you. 00:40:48.320 --> 00:40:50.800 Would you come into my heart? 00:40:51.280 --> 00:40:54.320 Would you fill me afresh and make me new? 00:41:04.159 --> 00:41:04.800 I need you. 00:41:06.159 --> 00:41:07.679 I can't do this on my own. 00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:17.760 And he in this moment will meet you and will refresh you and will fill you with his spirit and his presence. 00:41:18.719 --> 00:41:23.599 God, right now, in this moment, would you draw our hearts close to you? 00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:26.880 May we have a moment where we lean in. 00:41:28.159 --> 00:41:32.880 And for some, there's some decisions about the influences we've allowed in. 00:41:36.239 --> 00:41:41.920 Would you show us exactly what you want us to do and give us the courage to take that step. 00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:44.880 In Jesus' name. 00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:47.679 Amen. 00:41:49.360 --> 00:41:51.760 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:56.960 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:41:57.199 --> 00:41:59.440 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:05.519 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.