WEBVTT 00:00:02.045 --> 00:00:03.309 All right, good morning TKL. 00:00:03.309 --> 00:00:03.790 How are you? 00:00:03.790 --> 00:00:08.000 Man, I am excited to be with y'all this morning. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.685 Man, I feel like man, I'm feeling big shoes With Pastor Paul. 00:00:13.685 --> 00:00:15.951 Pastor Larry killed it last week. 00:00:15.951 --> 00:00:17.987 If you didn't miss that, you need to go back and watch it. 00:00:17.987 --> 00:00:20.000 And so then it was like, hey, josh, you're up. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.849 And I was like, oh man, don't crumble under the pressure. 00:00:22.849 --> 00:00:24.980 But no, I'm excited to be with y'all. 00:00:24.980 --> 00:00:29.000 Like Swig said, we are a church plant that y'all sponsor. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:40.671 I've been connected to Pastor Paul for about 20 years now, and so we feel like we are a part of TKL, even though we only get to come and hang out with you about once a year. 00:00:41.180 --> 00:00:46.609 So I got the opportunity to pick a movie and my kids kind of helped me. 00:00:46.609 --> 00:00:48.506 They said, hey, what about Spider-Man? 00:00:48.506 --> 00:00:57.000 And I was going I don't know much about Spider-Man, okay, I know like old school Toby McGuire, you know nerdy little photographer guy. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:02.054 And he was like, no, no, no, this is the new Spider-Man, this is Miles Morales. 00:01:02.054 --> 00:01:06.000 And so I said, here's the deal If I'm going to teach about this movie, we got to go see it. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.000 And so we took a picture while we were doing recon. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:10.305 I think we got it up there. 00:01:10.305 --> 00:01:12.426 There it is. 00:01:12.426 --> 00:01:16.000 As you can see, my daughter was not so excited. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:21.000 She was like, dad, I thought we were going to see Barbie and now you're taking me to see Spider-Man. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:26.980 This was not part of the deal, but when we got there we just kind of dove into this idea of Miles Morales. 00:01:27.621 --> 00:01:28.867 I was used to Peter Parker. 00:01:28.867 --> 00:01:32.000 I did learn the difference between a cartoon and a graphic novel. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.167 I did learn that difference. 00:01:34.167 --> 00:01:34.890 It's a real thing. 00:01:34.890 --> 00:01:43.927 But as we were watching I was like you know, I think I like Miles a little bit better, like he's just got a little more swagger, he's just a little cooler. 00:01:43.927 --> 00:01:47.000 And Pastor Larry was like, oh, you probably just relate to him more. 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:50.918 I was like, no, I'm definitely the nerdy white dude, I'm definitely more like Peter Parker. 00:01:50.918 --> 00:01:54.790 I think I aspire to be like Miles Morales. 00:01:55.441 --> 00:02:07.000 But what was cool is, as we were watching this film and I'm going to try not to ruin it for you I hate when people spoil movies, but you kind of jump into like episode two, and so he's already gotten bit by a spider. 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:11.611 He's got like the weird spidey sense tingle thing going on. 00:02:11.611 --> 00:02:21.364 But as the story kind of progresses we see that he kind of gets pitted, and if you're not a Marvel fan, this is really going to make no sense In the multiverse. 00:02:21.364 --> 00:02:23.490 Look it up if you have to, I did. 00:02:23.490 --> 00:02:32.485 He gets in this multiverse and there's all these other Spider-Man that somehow he ends up kind of going against, which sounds very weird. 00:02:32.485 --> 00:02:47.618 But in that process what we find out is that Miles was never supposed to be Spider-Man, and I know I just ruined it for you, I'm sorry I had to do it, but in that moment we see him kind of wrestling with, hey, what is my purpose? 00:02:47.618 --> 00:02:57.902 You know, here I am, I'm a mistake, I'm not supposed to be here, but I'm here and now I gotta figure out what is my role as a hero going to look like? 00:02:57.902 --> 00:03:02.780 And so he doubts his purpose, his ability, his mission in life. 00:03:02.780 --> 00:03:04.200 Is this hitting home with anybody else? 00:03:04.200 --> 00:03:10.219 Because, as I'm reading this, I'm going Miles, I feel you, bro, I am like you, at least in this regard. 00:03:10.875 --> 00:03:28.324 And so, as I was kind of reading through scripture and just praying about, hey, what text kind of aligns with this idea of Spider-Man, I ended up in First Kings, chapter 19, which is where we're going to be this morning, and looking at this guy, elijah, that ends up in a similar kind of situation. 00:03:28.324 --> 00:03:30.057 Now I'm one of those guys. 00:03:30.057 --> 00:03:32.419 I don't want to just jump into the middle of a story. 00:03:32.419 --> 00:03:37.741 You ever you're watching a TV show but it started like 30 minutes earlier and your TV won't let you rewind. 00:03:37.741 --> 00:03:40.058 That's like the worst thing ever, right, first world problems. 00:03:40.058 --> 00:03:44.280 And so you jump into the middle of a story and you're going what's going on? 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:45.483 Who is that guy? 00:03:45.483 --> 00:03:46.425 Why is he mad at him? 00:03:46.425 --> 00:03:47.407 Who is she dating? 00:03:47.407 --> 00:03:58.381 You know you're trying to put the pieces together, so I want to kind of give you an update First Kings 17 and 18, just kind of a sprint through those so you're up to speed when we jump into our text this morning. 00:03:58.775 --> 00:04:12.881 So in First Kings 17, we have a guy named Ahab who becomes the king of Israel and as soon as he does, he turns everybody away from God and starts going after Baal and Asherah and all these other idols. 00:04:12.881 --> 00:04:20.201 And if you don't know Ahab, I promise you you've heard of his wife, jezebel, bad, bad news. 00:04:20.201 --> 00:04:27.221 And so, as all of this is going on, god goes if you're going to turn away from me, I'm going to bring a famine on the land. 00:04:27.221 --> 00:04:42.682 So, Elijah, go and tell them a famine's coming, can I just tell you, being a prophet of God in the Old Testament, it was not a fun job, cause usually you were like, hey, man, you know what it's about to get awful, like, I hope you're not comfortable, cause it's really about to get bad for the next little bit. 00:04:42.682 --> 00:04:44.502 And so that's the news that he brings. 00:04:44.502 --> 00:04:53.480 He says, hey, a famine is coming, so we're talking about no rain, no, do nothing, and we don't even know how long it's going to go, just indefinitely. 00:04:53.480 --> 00:05:04.278 And so, as that happens, god finally tells him three years later hey, go back and tell them that the famine is coming to a close and they need to turn from their idol worship and turn back towards me. 00:05:05.115 --> 00:05:12.622 People usually don't like to see the guy who brought bad news, and so when he shows back up, ahab even calls him the troubler of Israel. 00:05:12.622 --> 00:05:17.841 Like, oh, there's that dude that always has bad news, right, I don't know if you have people like that in your life. 00:05:17.841 --> 00:05:19.341 I just avoid them at all costs. 00:05:19.341 --> 00:05:21.836 You know it's like, oh, here they come, let's, let's. 00:05:21.836 --> 00:05:23.422 Oh, somebody called my name. 00:05:23.422 --> 00:05:25.394 I gotta go over there, I gotta get away from this guy. 00:05:25.394 --> 00:05:27.583 That's kind of how they treated Elijah. 00:05:27.915 --> 00:05:30.744 And so in that moment he tells King Ahab hey, how about this? 00:05:30.744 --> 00:05:32.641 We'll figure out who the real God is. 00:05:32.641 --> 00:05:40.339 We'll go up on Mount Carmel, you bring your prophets of Baal and the Sharia and we'll meet up there and we'll just kind of have like who's God is the real God? 00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:47.781 And so we'll cut up a bull, we'll put it on an altar and whoever brings fire down from heaven, that is the true God. 00:05:47.781 --> 00:05:53.660 And Elijah, being a baller that he is, said, and I'll tell you what, you could even go first, right, he kind of throws that out there. 00:05:53.660 --> 00:05:57.766 And so for hours, these prophets are screaming and wailing. 00:05:57.766 --> 00:06:00.841 They even start cutting themselves, trying to get their God to bring it on. 00:06:01.154 --> 00:06:04.360 And Elijah, who is like me, he's a little bit competitive. 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:05.605 He was like, hey, you know what? 00:06:05.605 --> 00:06:06.718 You should probably scream louder. 00:06:06.718 --> 00:06:10.562 I bet he walked away from the phone. 00:06:10.562 --> 00:06:11.706 His phone's on silent. 00:06:11.706 --> 00:06:13.319 Maybe he's in the restroom. 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:15.341 He's throwing those kind of ideas out there. 00:06:15.341 --> 00:06:17.382 So after hours and hours of nothing, he goes. 00:06:17.382 --> 00:06:18.538 Okay, guys, that's enough. 00:06:18.538 --> 00:06:19.678 Now it's my turn. 00:06:20.314 --> 00:06:25.483 And I love the prayer that he prays in chapter 18, verses 36 and 37. 00:06:25.483 --> 00:06:36.762 He says Lord, the God of Abraham, isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God and Israel, and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 00:06:36.762 --> 00:06:38.358 Answer me, lord. 00:06:38.358 --> 00:06:47.124 Answer me, so these people will know that you are Lord, that you, lord, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again. 00:06:47.124 --> 00:06:50.024 He prays this prayer and he goes hey, you know what? 00:06:50.024 --> 00:06:51.360 I'm gonna take it up a step too. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:56.202 I'm gonna add jars of water, so it's not enough that, like this is dry, we haven't had rain. 00:06:56.202 --> 00:06:59.595 I'm gonna put 12 jars of water on top of this man. 00:06:59.595 --> 00:07:06.887 Fire comes down, it consumes the bull, it consumes the wood, the stone, the soil is burned. 00:07:06.887 --> 00:07:09.723 Even all of the water is completely gone. 00:07:09.723 --> 00:07:17.925 And we get to verse 39 that says when all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried the Lord, he is God. 00:07:17.925 --> 00:07:19.779 The Lord, he is God. 00:07:20.675 --> 00:07:26.603 As soon as this happens, elijah gathers these prophets and just slaughters all of them, 450 of them. 00:07:26.603 --> 00:07:29.480 He goes I mean, you are gone, we are taking care of you today. 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:38.141 And he tells King Ahab hey, why don't you go back to your castle and go ahead and celebrate, because the famine is over, the rain is coming. 00:07:38.141 --> 00:07:47.401 Now, when we get ready to kind of lean into First Kings 19, we see, hey, this is like the mic drop of all mic drop moments, right? 00:07:47.401 --> 00:07:50.043 Hey, everything has gone incredible. 00:07:50.043 --> 00:07:53.461 Honestly, as I was reading this, everything to me is a movie. 00:07:53.461 --> 00:07:56.661 I think it's because I'm a millennial and so that's just how my brain works. 00:07:56.661 --> 00:08:02.541 But I just feel like there had to be like a post-dual interview with Elijah, right? 00:08:02.541 --> 00:08:10.024 And they go hey, elijah, you just defeated all of the prophets of Baal, and now God has been restored and the famine is over. 00:08:10.024 --> 00:08:11.199 What are you gonna do next? 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.442 He was like I'm going to Disney World, right. 00:08:13.442 --> 00:08:14.639 Like it's that kind of moment. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:16.437 Hey, I have arrived. 00:08:16.437 --> 00:08:18.725 It doesn't get any better than this. 00:08:20.214 --> 00:08:23.281 But then we get to First Kings 19 and it kind of takes a weird turn. 00:08:23.281 --> 00:08:24.259 Look at verse one and two. 00:08:24.259 --> 00:08:32.744 It says now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 00:08:32.744 --> 00:08:45.024 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 one of them. 00:08:45.024 --> 00:08:47.917 I don't know that. 00:08:47.917 --> 00:08:49.842 That's part of the Disney Parade, right? 00:08:49.842 --> 00:08:52.062 Like he's thinking hey, I'm on top of the world. 00:08:52.062 --> 00:08:53.400 Hey, this is as good as it gets. 00:08:53.400 --> 00:08:56.344 This is the pinnacle of being a prophet of God. 00:08:56.654 --> 00:09:00.282 And then the next verse is like and the queen says she's gonna kill me. 00:09:00.282 --> 00:09:03.120 That was not what he had in mind. 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:11.960 He thought, man, I've gone through three years of being the troubler of Israel and now I'm finally getting over that hump where everything is gonna be good, we're gonna see God's blessing. 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:13.801 And now she's gonna try and kill me. 00:09:13.801 --> 00:09:17.919 Now the irony is I don't know that she necessarily was gonna kill in there. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:19.740 She wanted to make him run. 00:09:19.740 --> 00:09:24.700 And what's crazy is Elijah had failed where he was the strongest. 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:31.471 He who had been the most courageous man of all is now fleeing for his life from a woman. 00:09:31.471 --> 00:09:34.484 And it's so crazy how the story can turn. 00:09:34.484 --> 00:09:41.202 And so we get to verse three and it says Elijah was afraid and ran for his life when he came to Beersheba in Judah. 00:09:41.202 --> 00:09:46.942 He left his servant there while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. 00:09:46.942 --> 00:09:48.822 He came to a broom. 00:09:48.822 --> 00:09:53.003 Bush sat down under it and prayed that he may die. 00:09:53.003 --> 00:09:54.458 I've had enough, lord. 00:09:54.458 --> 00:09:58.725 And he said take my life, I am no better than my ancestors. 00:09:58.725 --> 00:10:01.745 And then he laid down under the bush and fell asleep. 00:10:02.116 --> 00:10:16.722 Now a commercial and kind of a marketing scheme came out a few years ago, and as I read this, it was just so crazy to see how you can go from being on top of the world to defeat in just a matter of minutes. 00:10:16.722 --> 00:10:22.277 And I don't know about you, but I've had that experience in my own life where I feel like everything is falling in place. 00:10:22.277 --> 00:10:25.167 God has blessed in everything that I do and just like that I'm going. 00:10:25.167 --> 00:10:25.995 Man, everything fell apart. 00:10:25.995 --> 00:10:27.413 Like what is the deal? 00:10:27.413 --> 00:10:33.804 God, I'm taking the steps you asked me to take and things are getting hard and they're getting difficult. 00:10:34.976 --> 00:10:38.706 And he had forgotten the fact that people reject God. 00:10:38.706 --> 00:10:44.083 Excuse me, he had forgotten that people reject God despite the evidence, not because of the evidence. 00:10:44.083 --> 00:10:49.365 And so here you have these people that are like, hey, the Lord is God, hey, it's him, yahweh is God. 00:10:49.365 --> 00:10:54.855 And then two seconds later it's like where are all these people that were backing me up on Mount Carmel when things were going good? 00:10:54.855 --> 00:10:56.942 Hey, they're nowhere to be found. 00:10:56.942 --> 00:10:58.865 And so he goes to God. 00:10:58.865 --> 00:11:01.421 And he goes, man, will you just kill me? 00:11:01.421 --> 00:11:03.923 Like I'm just tired of this, I'm exhausted. 00:11:03.923 --> 00:11:08.351 I've tried to do the right thing the entire time and it's getting me nowhere. 00:11:08.351 --> 00:11:12.461 Now if that hadn't hit home for anybody else, I promise you that wore me out Cause I'm going. 00:11:12.461 --> 00:11:15.721 I don't know that I've prayed to die, but I've been like hey, God, can I go do something else? 00:11:15.721 --> 00:11:17.039 Like this is not fun. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.601 This is challenging every single day. 00:11:20.394 --> 00:11:26.259 And then we get to this next verse Says all at once, an angel touched him and said get up and eat. 00:11:26.259 --> 00:11:34.844 He looked around and, there by his head, with some bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water, he ate and drank and then laid down. 00:11:34.844 --> 00:11:42.323 Now there was a marketing scheme that came out a few years ago and they said hey, when you're hungry, you're not yourself, right? 00:11:42.323 --> 00:11:46.159 And so they said hey, why don't you take a break and why don't you eat a Snickers? 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:48.902 I feel like that's what God is doing for Elijah. 00:11:48.902 --> 00:11:50.538 Okay, he's going. 00:11:50.538 --> 00:11:55.905 Hey, you showed up and you were like hey, that's it, I'm done, I quit, kill me, take me out. 00:11:55.905 --> 00:12:01.364 And then God goes hey, bro, why don't you just take a break, take a breath, eat a Snickers? 00:12:01.364 --> 00:12:02.779 You're not yourself when you're hungry. 00:12:03.654 --> 00:12:05.763 We have a term we use in my house hangry. 00:12:05.763 --> 00:12:06.940 Does anybody else use that? 00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:09.121 Hey, when I get hungry, I get angry. 00:12:09.121 --> 00:12:12.942 They go together, hand in hand, and I'm not myself when I'm hungry. 00:12:12.942 --> 00:12:20.241 And my wife has learned that when I get hungry and I get short, she didn't necessarily slide me a Snickers, but she's like hey, you wanna get some food? 00:12:20.241 --> 00:12:20.878 I'm going. 00:12:20.878 --> 00:12:23.195 Yes, 10 minutes ago I wanted some food. 00:12:23.195 --> 00:12:24.519 Yeah, let's do it right now. 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:26.741 And so that's what God does here for him. 00:12:27.196 --> 00:12:33.547 And I want you to see something in this Never underestimate the healing power of a nap and a meal. 00:12:33.547 --> 00:12:49.299 Right, and what I love about that idea and that sounds like I'm making fun, but I'm being so serious Because when we get tired and we get weary and we're trying to do everything on our own, we have to take time to go. 00:12:49.299 --> 00:12:51.960 Hey, pause, man, I need to rest in the Lord. 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:53.419 I love that. 00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:57.342 When God created everything, what's the first thing we got to do as people? 00:12:57.342 --> 00:12:58.116 Taking a nap. 00:12:58.116 --> 00:13:01.524 My kids are like dad, we don't wanna take a nap. 00:13:01.524 --> 00:13:02.846 Man, this feels like punishment. 00:13:02.846 --> 00:13:10.519 And I'm going hey, one day you will be an adult and you will praise God for every nap that you get, even if it's five minutes. 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:15.575 And so, as I read that, I'm going hey, a nap is me going. 00:13:15.575 --> 00:13:21.562 Hey, god, I know that my body needs to be refreshed and I know that I can sleep knowing that you're in control. 00:13:21.562 --> 00:13:28.336 And so when I say, don't underestimate the healing power of a nap and a meal, hey, the nap is real, the meal. 00:13:28.336 --> 00:13:28.960 I love this. 00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:29.682 Look at verse seven. 00:13:29.682 --> 00:13:34.841 It says the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said get up and eat. 00:13:34.841 --> 00:13:37.802 The journey is too much for you. 00:13:37.802 --> 00:13:40.299 So he got up, ate and drank. 00:13:40.299 --> 00:13:47.943 Strengthened by that food, he traveled 40 days and 49ths until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 00:13:47.943 --> 00:13:48.676 Man. 00:13:48.676 --> 00:13:56.402 Can I just tell you in verse eight, I love that one little word right in the middle, strengthened by the food. 00:13:57.495 --> 00:14:05.818 We have to understand that when God tells us to go somewhere, or he sends us to go do something, he is strengthening us for the journey that he is sending us on. 00:14:05.818 --> 00:14:11.241 We are so quick to quote Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me. 00:14:11.241 --> 00:14:14.336 Oh, we're seeing a pattern here right Now. 00:14:14.336 --> 00:14:16.938 That's not talking about kryptonite, where I can do anything. 00:14:16.938 --> 00:14:17.662 I'm Superman. 00:14:17.662 --> 00:14:19.422 Oh, I forgot I had this special power. 00:14:19.422 --> 00:14:19.735 It's going. 00:14:19.735 --> 00:14:27.001 Hey, I can endure all things because Jesus is the one strengthening me for the journey that's ahead. 00:14:27.001 --> 00:14:31.320 I love knowing that when I get sent into something and I feel overwhelmed by it. 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:32.703 Did you catch what the angel said? 00:14:32.703 --> 00:14:43.682 Hey, the journey is too much for you, and so I've gotta come in and I've gotta provide something for you that's gonna help you see it through and go and do what God is calling you to do. 00:14:43.682 --> 00:14:45.080 Man, love it, love it. 00:14:45.914 --> 00:14:49.265 And so this Mount Horeb is actually Mount Sinai. 00:14:49.265 --> 00:14:50.177 Now, 40 days. 00:14:50.177 --> 00:14:55.099 Now here's what's crazy the distance that he traveled should have only taken about seven or eight. 00:14:55.099 --> 00:15:02.845 But what I've learned about myself is sometimes I just need some time and space to vent, right? 00:15:02.845 --> 00:15:26.942 So my son plays baseball and we kind of have this understanding where, if we play a game and we don't win and we're just feeling bad about it, we get in the car and we have what we call car talk and I go look, here's the deal, when we're in the car, say anything that you want If you're frustrated this dude missed that ground ball and he made the wrong call and this and that I said man, you, just you empty it, and then when we get out of the car, it stays in the car. 00:15:26.942 --> 00:15:27.865 It's done. 00:15:27.865 --> 00:15:34.186 I just need a window of time that I can vent, and so I think that God gave Elijah 40 days. 00:15:34.186 --> 00:15:35.455 It should have only taken seven. 00:15:35.455 --> 00:15:39.278 He's like hey, why don't you just take like a 40 day walk and you just get it all out? 00:15:39.278 --> 00:15:41.975 Man, you know, I think we need that as people. 00:15:41.975 --> 00:15:45.044 If we just hold it all in, you know, it's like this is not gonna end well for me. 00:15:45.044 --> 00:15:46.441 It's eating me up on the inside. 00:15:46.441 --> 00:15:48.241 I harbor bad feelings toward other people. 00:15:48.241 --> 00:15:53.662 He's like bro, take a 40 day walk, get it all out, and then we'll be ready to talk and be productive. 00:15:54.455 --> 00:15:55.298 So we get to verse nine. 00:15:55.298 --> 00:16:01.480 It says there he went into a cave and spent the night and the word of the Lord came to him. 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:02.980 What are you doing here, elijah? 00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:13.965 He replied I've been very zealous for the Lord, god Almighty, that Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars and put your prophets to death with the sword. 00:16:13.965 --> 00:16:18.943 I am the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too. 00:16:20.735 --> 00:16:28.640 Now, what's ironic about this is, I know for myself, when I feel like everything is coming against me, what's the enemy try to do to me? 00:16:28.640 --> 00:16:31.341 First, he tries to make me feel like I'm on isolation. 00:16:31.341 --> 00:16:39.590 Hey, I'm in there by myself and there's nobody that has my back and I'm the only person to ever go through this right. 00:16:39.590 --> 00:16:50.235 Those are the feelings that start overwhelming me, which is exactly what Elijah is telling God hey, everybody else is dead, nobody loves you, I'm the only prophet left and they're trying to kill me. 00:16:50.235 --> 00:16:52.142 So can we just end this thing already? 00:16:52.142 --> 00:17:00.302 But I like to think that God was kind of looking at him, going hey, didn't I just give you a meal that literally lasted you for 40 days? 00:17:00.302 --> 00:17:03.519 Like, why do you think that I'm not in control of this situation? 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:07.201 Why do you think that I can't take this and turn it into something good? 00:17:07.201 --> 00:17:09.682 Or that this wasn't part of my plan for the whole time? 00:17:09.682 --> 00:17:16.539 And so I think for people of God, when we follow him, we have to understand that God's got this and God's got you. 00:17:16.539 --> 00:17:26.709 We forget that we're right in his hand and we're protected by him, and he's planning out every single step that we're gonna take, because we feel isolated. 00:17:26.709 --> 00:17:33.674 We feel like man, there's nobody here that feels what I'm feeling, the pain that I've gone through, and now I gotta figure this out on my own. 00:17:33.674 --> 00:17:36.201 And God's going hey, man, you don't have to do that. 00:17:37.203 --> 00:17:37.945 Look at verse 11. 00:17:37.945 --> 00:17:44.480 The Lord said go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:52.121 Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart, shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. 00:17:52.121 --> 00:17:56.221 After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 00:17:56.221 --> 00:18:01.001 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. 00:18:01.001 --> 00:18:04.644 And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 00:18:04.644 --> 00:18:11.364 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 00:18:11.364 --> 00:18:15.836 Then a voice said to him what are you doing here, elijah man? 00:18:15.836 --> 00:18:21.981 I love that, because God was not in the wind, he was not in the earthquake, he was not in the fire. 00:18:21.981 --> 00:18:23.486 And I don't know about you. 00:18:23.595 --> 00:18:34.035 But when I pray for God to give me some kind of sign, give me a call, give me an affirmation, like I need something, you know I'm like looking in the clouds like he's gonna spell out shut up and do it. 00:18:34.035 --> 00:18:42.315 You know, like that doesn't happen, god is not gonna give us these big signs that we're looking for with flashing lights, but instead what he's gonna do is he's going. 00:18:42.315 --> 00:18:45.845 Hey, I want you to listen for that still small voice. 00:18:45.845 --> 00:18:50.025 See, every believer has what I like to call Spidey Sense. 00:18:50.025 --> 00:18:57.900 You see what I did there, where it's kinda hey, there's something inside of me that I feel nudging me to do something that I don't wanna do. 00:18:57.900 --> 00:19:00.441 That's the irony of following Jesus. 00:19:00.441 --> 00:19:01.878 You wanna follow Jesus? 00:19:01.878 --> 00:19:03.958 You wanna talk about how hard it is Every time you go? 00:19:03.958 --> 00:19:05.202 Man, I really don't wanna do this. 00:19:05.202 --> 00:19:07.583 God goes cool, that's exactly what I want you to do. 00:19:07.583 --> 00:19:08.617 How did you know? 00:19:08.617 --> 00:19:12.444 And so we're constantly being stretched. 00:19:12.796 --> 00:19:19.744 But I'll tell you, man, the more that I dove into this idea of this quiet, this gentle whisper. 00:19:19.744 --> 00:19:29.369 One commentator even said that God speaks through a voice of gentle silence, as if silence has become audible. 00:19:29.369 --> 00:19:37.623 You know, I've learned as a parent with two small kids man, silence can be deafening. 00:19:37.623 --> 00:19:38.384 Right? 00:19:38.384 --> 00:19:45.022 We always laugh and say you know, god makes our kids look so peaceful when they're sleeping, so we don't kill them, right? 00:19:45.022 --> 00:19:48.037 I mean, that's why that's like their defense mechanism, they fall asleep. 00:19:48.037 --> 00:19:50.319 We're like man, they're so cute, I guess we'll keep them, you know. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:53.058 But in those moments we just go. 00:19:53.058 --> 00:19:56.518 Oh, it's so quiet, I just love it. 00:19:57.535 --> 00:20:01.576 Now I'm a lot like Paul, where I think I'm allergic to silence. 00:20:01.576 --> 00:20:07.623 And so when my kids finally get quiet and now I can have a conversation with my wife, I'm like, babe, let me tell you everything that happened today. 00:20:07.623 --> 00:20:13.041 And she goes no, no, no, don't ruin this moment, I just need nothing. 00:20:13.041 --> 00:20:16.624 But what's beautiful is in those moments, man. 00:20:16.624 --> 00:20:19.576 That's where God speaks to us and he's going. 00:20:19.576 --> 00:20:40.097 I don't want you looking and trying to make something out of a wind or a fire or an earthquake, man, I want you so tuned into my voice that, just like Elijah, when you hear it, all you can think is man, I gotta cover my face, man, I have to be in reverence to God because he is getting ready to speak to me in this moment, in the silence. 00:20:40.097 --> 00:20:42.243 He's gonna direct my steps. 00:20:42.243 --> 00:20:44.480 So beautiful, love it. 00:20:45.454 --> 00:20:55.378 So then we get to verse 15, and I love that we kind of get this repeat of everything that's happened in verses nine through 10, because he's like, hey, what are you doing here? 00:20:55.378 --> 00:20:59.058 But this time God gives Elijah something to do, he gives him a task. 00:20:59.058 --> 00:21:00.298 Look at verse 15,. 00:21:00.298 --> 00:21:05.705 The Lord said to him go back the way you came and go to the desert of Damascus. 00:21:05.705 --> 00:21:09.503 When you get there, anoint Hazel, king over Aram. 00:21:09.503 --> 00:21:21.061 Also, anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, king over Israel and anoint Elijah, son of Shefat from Abel Mahola, to secede you as prophet. 00:21:21.061 --> 00:21:29.279 Jehu will put to death any who escaped the sword of Hazel, and Elijah will put to death any who escaped the sword of Jehu. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:40.981 Hey, elijah's task was hey, go and assemble the team, because what you started in Mount Carmel you're gonna need some other people to help you carry out. 00:21:40.981 --> 00:21:55.526 And I love that, because we went from I feel isolated, I feel like I'm by myself and God's going hey, now I'm gonna build a team around you to carry out your purpose and what I called you to do. 00:21:56.556 --> 00:21:59.042 And then we get to this last verse, verse 18. 00:21:59.042 --> 00:22:14.603 And man, I'll just tell you, it just really hit me hard when I read it, because he said yet I reserved 7,000 in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him. 00:22:14.603 --> 00:22:22.345 These 7,000, they were not the ones that showed up when the fire fell and they said hey, the Lord is God. 00:22:22.345 --> 00:22:56.008 Now, these were the ones that, during the three years of famine, god was using Elijah's ministry to build them up and say I think it's so easy for us to get in those moments and be like man I'm all by myself and God goes hey, remember how I speak to you in silence, man, I'm working out things that aren't even on your radar, and I'm using you in the silent moments to gather my people together and to strengthen their faith, because we're gonna grow the kingdom with a big K, not the little K. 00:22:57.085 --> 00:23:01.750 And so, as all of this is going on, you know Elijah's just complaints and his concern of verses 10 and 14. 00:23:01.750 --> 00:23:02.634 And hey, I'm the only one left. 00:23:02.634 --> 00:23:20.189 God uses this opportunity to let him know hey, I never left you, Elijah, and there are other people that I'm gonna surround you with that are gonna stand with you when we reclaim my nation and my people turn from their wicked ways and turn back to me. 00:23:20.189 --> 00:23:27.151 Hey, so what I need you to hear this morning when you get ready to fulfill your purpose, you are not alone, no matter what the enemy tells you. 00:23:27.151 --> 00:23:31.511 There are other people who are around you that are going hey, we wanna stand with God too. 00:23:31.511 --> 00:23:33.671 Hey, we need someone to lead the way. 00:23:34.265 --> 00:23:36.472 You know, I love what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, 1. 00:23:36.472 --> 00:23:40.673 He says follow my example, as I follow the example of Jesus Christ. 00:23:40.673 --> 00:23:41.729 You know what that tells me? 00:23:41.729 --> 00:23:44.573 Hey, I need somebody who's gonna bridge that gap? 00:23:44.573 --> 00:23:50.413 You know, I talk to young parents all the time and they're like dude, how do I point my kids toward Jesus? 00:23:50.413 --> 00:23:52.791 And I'm going one step at a time. 00:23:52.791 --> 00:23:57.815 Hey, you follow Jesus and they are constantly watching you. 00:23:57.815 --> 00:24:00.432 If you don't believe me, slip up and say a bad word. 00:24:00.432 --> 00:24:02.709 Watch how many times that bad word comes back out of their mouth. 00:24:02.709 --> 00:24:08.326 So I've heard, supposedly, but it is. 00:24:08.326 --> 00:24:13.654 We need someone to bridge that gap, to show us practically what it looks like to follow Jesus. 00:24:13.654 --> 00:24:17.208 But I wanna throw one more kind of wrinkle in this, and I'll be honest with you. 00:24:17.228 --> 00:24:18.511 This was not a Josh original. 00:24:18.511 --> 00:24:21.113 This was a guy that I listened to, a guy named Levi Lasko. 00:24:21.113 --> 00:24:22.349 He brought this up a couple of weeks ago. 00:24:22.349 --> 00:24:31.971 When I look at Elijah, I think the thing that I see dominate his life and dominate this passage we just read through, was just doubt. 00:24:31.971 --> 00:24:35.553 Going man, god, did you really call me to do this? 00:24:35.553 --> 00:24:39.555 Am I really gonna get to see your nation restored to you? 00:24:39.555 --> 00:24:50.893 You know, we had this amazing mountaintop experience on Mount Carmel, and then, five minutes later, I'm running for my life because people are trying to kill me, and so just doubt is just pouring in all over him. 00:24:52.164 --> 00:24:57.527 But what's so cool is to see that doubt is not the enemy of faith. 00:24:57.527 --> 00:25:06.973 Certainty is, and I love that because I think so often we're like, hey, if I'm gonna act in faith, I can't have doubt. 00:25:06.973 --> 00:25:12.771 Doughts are natural, they're human, I mean, it's just natural part of things. 00:25:12.771 --> 00:25:18.718 But the difference is we can't let doubt be a verb. 00:25:18.718 --> 00:25:30.592 We need to view our doubts as nouns and not verbs, because a verb is something that I'm acting in, I'm right in the middle of it, I'm actively doing it, but a noun is something I just acknowledge. 00:25:30.592 --> 00:25:31.515 That is there. 00:25:31.515 --> 00:25:34.855 Hey, doubt is just the occasion where our faith can shine. 00:25:34.855 --> 00:25:39.690 Hey, I don't know what's gonna happen, I don't have certainty. 00:25:39.690 --> 00:25:55.451 But, man, I know that God is good, and so I think sometimes what we try to do to be big, strong Christians and believers is we don't acknowledge our doubts when God's going hey, man, cast all your cares on me. 00:25:55.451 --> 00:26:00.394 Hey, bring it to me and let me show you that I've got this. 00:26:00.394 --> 00:26:06.414 So the noun version, like I said hey, natural, normal, human, it just doesn't make sense, right? 00:26:06.414 --> 00:26:08.211 Has God ever told you to do something? 00:26:08.211 --> 00:26:09.470 That just made no sense at all? 00:26:09.470 --> 00:26:12.772 You know, I laughed when I talked to Paul about three years ago. 00:26:12.813 --> 00:26:15.133 I said, man, I think God's calling me to plan a church. 00:26:15.133 --> 00:26:17.874 And he was like, okay, cool, you coming to Dallas. 00:26:17.874 --> 00:26:19.932 I was like, no dude, texarkana. 00:26:19.932 --> 00:26:23.424 He was like, ooh, man, good luck with that. 00:26:23.464 --> 00:26:28.253 I said, well, here's the other wrinkle man, god's calling me to plan a multicultural church. 00:26:28.253 --> 00:26:31.413 And he was like in Texarkana. 00:26:31.413 --> 00:26:34.634 And I was like I know, man, it makes no sense at all. 00:26:34.634 --> 00:26:36.407 I mean Texarkana. 00:26:36.407 --> 00:26:37.894 I mean it's like stepping back in time. 00:26:37.894 --> 00:26:40.112 Everything is so segregated. 00:26:40.112 --> 00:26:52.153 And I was going man, but I feel like, if the church is supposed to represent the kingdom and it's also supposed to represent the community, that it, how could it be anything but multicultural? 00:26:52.153 --> 00:26:56.172 And so we jumped into it and I was like, dude, this is gonna be crazy, man. 00:26:57.146 --> 00:27:00.054 And so I laughed because our launch team was all white. 00:27:00.054 --> 00:27:02.871 And so here we are going hey, we're gonna plan a multi-ethnic church. 00:27:02.871 --> 00:27:06.645 And it's like, oh cool, how many different cultures do you have One? 00:27:06.645 --> 00:27:09.795 Yeah, I was like this doesn't make any sense, god. 00:27:09.795 --> 00:27:12.765 But we knew this is what God had pressed us to do. 00:27:12.765 --> 00:27:15.828 And so he said, hey, this doesn't make sense, but we're gonna take that step. 00:27:15.828 --> 00:27:26.593 And what's crazy is now we have people from different cultures, from different backgrounds that are doing life together, and it's the most beautiful thing that I've ever seen. 00:27:26.593 --> 00:27:33.933 But three years ago, when we were just a bunch of white folks, it was like, how is this even gonna be possible? 00:27:33.933 --> 00:27:35.489 It did not make sense. 00:27:35.489 --> 00:27:37.890 But we knew, hey, this is what God has called us to do. 00:27:37.890 --> 00:27:45.074 We're just gonna keep walking in it, and I even had white pastors in town going how in the world are you gonna plan a multi-ethnic church? 00:27:45.074 --> 00:27:46.210 I went try. 00:27:46.210 --> 00:27:47.247 You know I was going. 00:27:47.288 --> 00:27:57.674 I don't have the answers, I don't know exactly how this is gonna work out, but I learned that doubt as a verb is asking the question hey, what do I believe more? 00:27:57.674 --> 00:28:01.970 What I can see and what is my reality, or what God has called me to do? 00:28:01.970 --> 00:28:04.672 That's the big difference between those two. 00:28:04.672 --> 00:28:13.769 Doubt is only a sin when you choose to believe it instead of believing God, and so we can either walk in faith or we can walk in doubt. 00:28:13.769 --> 00:28:31.983 You don't get to do both, and so what I love is knowing that God has a call on every believer's life and a specific purpose that he wants each of us to carry out, and there's gonna be times that we get down because we don't see what God's hand is doing. 00:28:32.650 --> 00:28:34.325 You know, I laugh with my kids because we'll go. 00:28:34.325 --> 00:28:42.000 And I remember we went to Disney World a couple years ago and we like got back in town and they were like hey Dad, can we go to the beach? 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:49.728 Like bro, do you know how much money I just spent going to Disney World so you could meet Mickey and Pluto and all that Like, do you remember? 00:28:49.728 --> 00:28:55.829 Oh yeah, I forgot about that and we laugh at that when I'm going. 00:28:55.829 --> 00:28:57.349 As believers, we do the same thing. 00:28:57.349 --> 00:29:02.169 God does something amazing for us and then five minutes later we're like God, why don't you love me? 00:29:02.169 --> 00:29:05.070 And he's like have you not seen everything that I've done? 00:29:05.070 --> 00:29:07.349 You know, even Elijah here. 00:29:07.349 --> 00:29:08.769 He's like God, will you just kill me? 00:29:08.769 --> 00:29:09.652 Man, I'm just done. 00:29:09.652 --> 00:29:14.191 He's like bro, don't you remember I fed you that meal that lasted for 40 days. 00:29:14.191 --> 00:29:17.930 Man, I got you, I got this, I am in control. 00:29:18.785 --> 00:29:25.846 He is the one who strengthens us to carry out the mission at hand and I love Ephesians, which we read before service this morning. 00:29:25.846 --> 00:29:30.770 But we are his workmanship and I'll tell you that word workmanship. 00:29:30.770 --> 00:29:47.314 And Ephesians, chapter two, it's one of my favorites because the Greek word there is poema, which means like a poem or a masterpiece, and it's like hey, what I have done with you, man, that is my crowning jewel, that is the greatest thing that I have accomplished as God. 00:29:47.314 --> 00:29:54.846 And he says we are created, in Christ Jesus, to do good works, that he is prepared in advance for us to do. 00:29:54.846 --> 00:29:56.251 What's that? 00:29:56.271 --> 00:30:05.151 Tell me, hey, every single believer, god has a plan and a purpose for your life and he's already put things in place because he wants to use you. 00:30:05.151 --> 00:30:07.713 God did not save you to sideline you. 00:30:07.713 --> 00:30:11.128 He saved you because he wants you to be a part of what he's already doing. 00:30:11.128 --> 00:30:14.731 And the beautiful thing is, it's too much for you. 00:30:14.731 --> 00:30:20.594 Like he told him hey, this journey is gonna be too much for you, so let me come behind and strengthen you. 00:30:20.594 --> 00:30:25.913 Hey, do it with the power and the sustenance that I am going to provide. 00:30:25.913 --> 00:30:35.045 And when we walk in obedience, just like the prayer that Elijah prayed, man, god gets all the glory, because people are gonna look at you and they're gonna go. 00:30:35.045 --> 00:30:38.115 Hey, why are you different than you were before? 00:30:38.115 --> 00:30:47.017 Hey, why do you look different than other people I know that claim to follow Jesus, and the answer is man, because I'm letting him strengthen me every step. 00:30:48.644 --> 00:30:51.693 Hey, following Jesus is not a 12 step process. 00:30:51.693 --> 00:30:53.931 It's not a guide to a better life. 00:30:53.931 --> 00:30:57.166 It's not trying to self improve, it's going. 00:30:57.166 --> 00:31:02.134 Hey, god, every day when I wake up I want my life to be about you and not about me. 00:31:02.134 --> 00:31:20.143 Every day I wanna wake up and go hey, my purpose is to give you glory, not to try and steal it for myself, because when we try to make it all about us, it's like that kid that builds a sand castle way too close to the shore and the first wave that comes in, it's gone. 00:31:20.143 --> 00:31:31.664 Hey, god did not call us to build a temporary kingdom, but when we follow him, we're putting bricks in place of an eternal kingdom. 00:31:33.194 --> 00:31:42.457 And you know, I was in student ministry for about 15 years and there's so many churchy words that we use like glory and we're like man. 00:31:42.457 --> 00:31:46.084 What does it mean to give God glory through this situation? 00:31:46.084 --> 00:31:47.140 How does that work? 00:31:47.140 --> 00:31:54.380 And I remember one day I was reading and it just hit me hey, to give God glory is to go in everything that I do. 00:31:54.380 --> 00:31:57.303 God, I wanna make you famous. 00:31:57.303 --> 00:32:03.215 In everything, I wanna put you center stage when people look at me and go. 00:32:03.215 --> 00:32:04.862 Hey, how are you able to do this? 00:32:04.862 --> 00:32:10.221 And my only answer is it's Jesus, and Jesus, provided. 00:32:10.221 --> 00:32:11.965 Jesus took control. 00:32:12.315 --> 00:32:21.000 How you're walking through a difficult time, you're stressing over how you're gonna make decisions, how you're gonna provide, how this is gonna work out, is that business deal gonna go through? 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:25.000 In the midst of that, as believers, we just take a deep breath. 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.238 I'm gonna get a meal, I'm gonna go take a nap. 00:32:29.238 --> 00:32:31.256 How can you? 00:32:31.256 --> 00:32:38.324 This is stressful time, maybe because I know God's in control and God's got this and God's got me. 00:32:38.324 --> 00:32:40.878