Monday 5 August
As new Chairman of New Horizon, Gilbert Lennox is so thrilled to be sharing in the teaching during the Evening Celebrations helping each one of us to “To live intelligently, to witness compassionately, graciously and wisely and to take a courageous stand for Jesus.” Now a retired church leader, Gilbert has been a regular teacher at New Horizon for many years.
These two evenings I am speaking, I am focusing learning lessons about God’s extraordinary call on our lives from the life of Elijah.
Reading from 1 Kings 18:41 – 46.
Last night we talked about the problem of wavering between two gods, two worldviews or understandings of reality. These people had been brought up to worship the one true God but through the influence of Ahab and Jezebel they started to worship the creation rather than the creator. Elijah stepped in and challenged them to a contest. That contest was decided on the basis of sacrifice.
Elijah got the prophets of Baal to lay a sacrifice on the altar and ask them to pray for fire. There was no response. Then Elijah set up a sacrifice and poured water on it. It wasn’t about working himself up into a frenzy as if he could influence God. But he simply called out to God who answered with fire from heaven.
The one true God is the one who speaks through sacrifice. Living in a moral universe as fallen human beings is a solution to the problem of our sin and guilt and God has provided uniquely through Jesus.
When I was in university, there were lots of voices clamouring for attention. But the thing that convinced my heart was the fact that none of those voices ever laid their lives down in sacrifice for me. I could find not sense of value, meaning or purpose other than in Jesus Christ. That was last night’s message, to encourage us not to waver. Not to chase after the creation instead of the Creator.
But I want to take it a little bit further and follow the story of Elijah and see in particular what is involved in following. What are we engaged in. This is an amazing little scene.
He says after three and a half years of famine the rains were coming. Elijah sits down on the mountain and prays. He had prayed and God had answered by fire. Now he was praying that God would bring the rain. He kept telling his servant to go and look towards the sea. And the seventh time, a cloud appeared and it rained.
A remarkable thing happened. The power of God came upon Elijah so he outran Ahab and his chariot all the way to Jezreel. That was the scene here. Up until now, Ahab and Jezebel had been seeking Elijah’s life.
These two major incidents of God’s intervention, a sacrifice followed by rain were clearly connected. The living God, the true God of sacrifice is also the God who spoke in power through the coming of the rain on a thirsty land to bring back the harvest.
I find it hard not to see a little picture of something that would happen in history. The God who spoke through Elijah also spoke through His son at the cross and through His Spirit at Pentecost.
Just as the rains came in response to Elijah’s prayer, then the Spirit of Truth came in response to the prayers of the disciples. We serve a living God. This is not theory. It is not mere theology.
We live and serve in the presence of the living God and with the presence of the living God within us.
James writes about Elijah’s prayer. James 5:16b – 20, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
Fascinating. Elijah was uniquely gifted by God. There was no one like him except perhaps Moses. Surrounding Elijah and Moses there was an explosion of the supernatural power of God as is actually quite rare in the Old Testament.
And yet James tells us that Elijah was like us. Ultimately Elijah’s purpose was to help turn people’s hearts back to God. It was about turning people from sin and get them to live loyally for the Lord.
Isn’t this something that we can be involved in? I have been praying for this kind of rain all my life. Praying for the work of the Spirit of God and a harvest in people’s lives. In my family. In my workplace. In my country. In the world. That is what I work towards.
I listen to Paul’s words to Timothy. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16
Saving Lives
We are involved in saving people’s lives. Can you be used by God in another person’s life in that way. To pray, to encourage, to give hope, to change that person’s life? One the things that thrills me about New Horizon, is the gathering by thousands of people over the last 35+ years committed to saving lives in their generation.
So many of us could tell that story. The dedication of 500 volunteers who are working together to invest in New Horizon to see this happen in people’s lives and in our nation.
But this is not easy work. It is often tiring and discouraging to watch people you love decide to walk away from the Lord. That is difficult. I guarantee that there is nobody in this tent tonight who is truly involved in the ministry of Elijah who doesn’t know disappointment, disillusionment and heartbreak.
It doesn’t surprise me that the next thing we read about Elijah is that he is on the run. 1 Kings 19:1-9
This is reality. Ahab told Jezebel what Elijah had done. She didn’t repent. She was furious. It had been Jezebel who had persuaded Ahab to build a temple to Baal. She began to breathe out threats against him. And Elijah descends into doubt and depression.
Disappointment, Disillusionment and Heartbreak
V3 When he saw what the situation was. When he realised that far from getting converted Jezebel had doubled down in her worship of Baal. However impressed Ahab had been, Jezebel was the real power. After all he had gone through, he was exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He was disappointed and brokenheartedly.
Have you ever tried to lead a revival? Have you ever invested hours of life in prayer? Have you ever had a spiritual confrontation like Mount Carmel? When the person you invested in turns away from Jesus. When the church you have put years of your life into, collapses. That was what Elijah was dealing with.
How did God respond? Not with criticism. He put him to sleep and then an angel provided him with some lovely freshly baked bread and water. And he laid down and rested again. This wasn’t God dealing with a man full of himself. This is how God deals with a person who is exhausted and worn out and disappointed. God still has His angels who do this kind of thing from time to time.
Probably the last thing you need is another Bible study or prayer time. You need a good sleep and a good meal. And another sleep and another meal and a journey away from the crowds. Spiritual work is work. Being a youth leader. Being a pastor. Leading a small group Bible study. Leading children’s work.
Let us be supportive rather than destructive towards one another. Rather than seeking to find the fault. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God changed you into an angel (not with wings but an angel who nourishes and feeds those who are exhausted and disillusioned)? I am so grateful to all who have come to my rescue from time to time. When someone turns up at your door and provides a meal or gives you a chance to get a break.
Elijah went south to Horeb. Elijah went there to meet with God, to talk the situation over with Him. On that very mountain where the Israelites had made the covenant with God. Elijah talks about his disappointment and how alone he feels. God tells him, “I have reserved for myself 7,000 who haven’t bowed the knee to Baal.” You are not the only one.
Here is good news. You are not the only one. It doesn’t all depend on you.
I remember going to France in my GAP year and I found it really hard. I wish I could tell you it was wonderful, but it wasn’t mainly because I discovered my personal limitations. Going out and trying to sell Bibles and talk to people about Jesus. I ended up exhausted. No body was seeking my life but I felt alone and discouraged.
When I get home and I told my spiritual mentor, here is how he dealt with me. He laughed. Then he said, “Gilbert, you are bit late to the party. It is a pity that God had to wait a few thousand years for you to come along to help Him realise He has a big problem and not a lot of followers in France…”
God knows. He is in control. He is working out His purposes. God is still on the throne. He gives us a new perspective and sends us back to continue His service.
Following God’s call is not an easy option but it is the only option that makes sense.
As I finish I bring us back to the sheer cold logic of Elijah. We prefer emotion but sometimes we need to face the logic. If God is the true God. If Jesus is the Son of God and gave Himself for me, then the sheer logic is that He is the one to follow.