Coming out of Lockdown
Audio File
0:00 - Introduction
2:50 - First Song (not on recording)
3:00 - Children't Talk
6:40 - Second Song (not on recording)
7:00 - Prayer
10:45 - Bible Reading
12:50 - Sermon
Introduction
- Why was Elijah in hiding for 3 years?
- Many of God's people had departed from worshiping God
- Ahab had begun killing God's prophets
- God commanded Elijah to hide
- (Obadiah had hidden 150 prophets)
- God provided food
- God commanded him to go out of the land
- After 3 years, God commanded Elijah to return to King Ahab
- To challenge the false prophets
- To challenge the people of God
- The story is known well - explanation
- The people of God fell on the faces and said "The Lord, He is God!" - 1 Kings 18:39
- Elijah prays with confidence for rain (which God had withheld) - which comes
- Elijah was convinced that 'lockdown' was over
- Overview:
- Signs of Hope
- God's Sovereign Will
Signs of Hope
Elijah
- God speaks to his servant and tells him to go to Ahab
- God's word is coming again - after a time of silence and a lack of public ministry for 3 years
- God gives favour to his servant Elijah before Ahab (who was a blood thirsty man)
- He listens to Elijah - he was not killed!
- He agreed to the contest of Mount Carmel
- Elijah is encouraged by the reaction of the people of God falling before Him in worship
- God provides a sign of hope in respect to the cloud on the horizon
- God provides a great deluge
- Elijah arrives at Jezreel before Ahab - he was given supernatural zeal (v46)
Us
- What about us?
- We have been in lock down not for 4 years but 4 months
- Physical signs of hope:
- Give thanks for our government - churches are opening
- Give thanks for the Oxford vaccine - though we don't know what will happen with this
- Spiritual signs of hope:
- More people listening to sermons online
- Gospels of John taken from our church leaflet box
- Spiritual conversations
- More people engaged in spiritual activities during the week - examples
- Listening to sermons
- Give thanks - pray that God would do a great work
- Llanharan - 1858, Williams Griffiths - explanation
- Consider Elijah
- A man like us - weak, with health problems
- God heard Elijah's prayer - James 5:17-18
- "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" - James 5:16
- He persisted in prayer and God heard his prayer of faith
- Oh that we would be stirred up to pray
God's Sovereign Will
- In chapter 19, not running in joy but in fear - explanation
- He has descended into deep depression - explanation
- Have you ever had your hopes dashed?
- Examples
- Elijah did not feel that God was being faithful
- We saw last week how God provided for Paul - explanation
- This was not true for Elijah who felt all alone
- Elijah felt he was the only one left - 19:14
- However, God has reserved 7'000 servants who had not bowed to Baal - 19:18
- Elijah was mentally exhausted - in deep depression
- God provided him with food and rest
- God sent him to the mountain where He spoke to him
- God provided a co-worker
- God would provide a new king
- Elijah had to understand that his ways were not God's ways
- Elijah wanted to die - 19:4
- God had great plans and made great provision
Closing Remarks
- Elijah had to trust in God
- We must trust in God's righteousness
- Consider the song - 'Before the throne of God above'
- Let us trust in God's sovereign plans
- Let us learn from Elijah
- God is still the same God
- May we be encouraged as we come out of lockdown