Let It Rain

Let It Rain

1 Kings 18 NIV 

1. THE BIG QUESTION: ?

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions?
If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. 

2. THE GOD CONTEST: .

1 Kings 18:24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.
The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” 

3. THE PAINFUL TRUTH:  .

1 Kings 18:28-29 So, they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. 

4. ELIJAH’S TURN: .

1 Kings 18:31-32a Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. 

5. THE GOSPEL: .

1 Kings 18:36-39 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, (the olah = burnt offering) the wood, the stones, and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! 

6. THE ATONING SACRIFICE WAS ACCEPTED: !

1 Kings 18:41-46 Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So, Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling… 

7. HOW LONG WILL YOU WAVER?

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

Joshua 24:15 If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day
whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. 

Luke 16:13 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.