Elijah – First Among Seven Thousand (Part A)

Christian name one reason give up what you say to Jesus. What is my stubbly usual Lord you cannot see and he's kinda sorry Lord. Maybe you have kind of sort of salvation. And if you're willing to risk that at that you have added that thought frightens me so that when things are overwhelming me and I don't feel like trusting God I tell the Lord is the Lord my head and my heart are yours. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the Old Testament book of first Kings chapter 17 as he begins a brand-new study called Elijah first among 7000 that's turning out Bibles to first Kings chapter 17.

How do you begin to prepare a message. Elijah is so much you know you really have to be asking God a lot. What do I say where do I begin the miracles the man epic life life and times of a fireball for God really to do justice to Elijah a series would be appropriate just on him. If you cannot do a series an overview would work.

We will narrow it down to just a selection concentrating on the beginning of his ministry. The announcement of the drought in Israel and this leaves a space to do sequels to return to the man and cover more things about him. Should this Lord so lead, but the parallels between his ministry. The times where he had to bring God's truth out to the people who were resisting and rejecting God. It is indeed a parallel to the time which we live and also in so we look at the prophet Elijah and we are looking at ourselves. Of course we're trying to always discover us Christians what God wants from us as we study what God has accomplished through others who were his children. This prophet Elijah belong to the northern kingdom and the kingdom has now been split into and that the southern part of the kingdom is Judah to the north. The other 10 tribes known as Israel. It is been about 70 years since Jeroboam brought this division about foolish man name Ray hope all had taken the throne, or assume the throne from his father Solomon rail bomb was not only weak.

He was a fool, and he thought he was going to sort of make his own name name for himself apart from his father and he did and it was a foolish name.

In contrast to his father whose name is associated with wisdom, in spite of Solomon's political and spiritual failures. But this Jeroboam this king, who was the first king of the 10 tribes to the north. He was the one that brought to Israel a kind of false worship of the true God is the right name, but the wrong way and does not trivialize his sin, it just brings out how the put people wanted to be manipulated into something else, and he thought that their old associations with the southern kingdom with Jerusalem with the temple still existed in function. He thought that that association might overpower his newborn subjects. Their loyalty would be divided or lost to himself and so he created places of worship to the north of the kingdom and to the south of the northern kingdom. He erected alters their and what we had was what they had was government-funded government supported in government protected idolatry in the name of Yahweh. This happens has been happening throughout history state churches. Churches that have made an agreement with the government.

They're not preaching the truth, but there's still carrying on the name of the Bible. They still use the word church and the symbols of the cross. Nothing new under the sun, and so Jeroboam's weak bid for popularity is not forgotten in Scripture serves as a warning to all of us that to be popular is not what God is after is nothing wrong with being popular in and of itself, that popularity is bought at the expense of righteousness and obedience in the something very wrong with it now that interest big into the story because he sets up this false worship in God's name but by the time 70 years or so pass and Ahab and his wife Jezebel really get their hands into the power of the northern kingdom.

The pretenses gone. It's no longer false worship in Jehovah's name.

It's just false worship. Know that we have a phrase today that that that that is thrown around by some of their out of the closet, just find that closet. Get them back in. There is a big difference between sending and flagrantly sitting in God is very mindful of see the person that sins and snakes often sins often times is struggling fighting that sin, but the person who's flagrantly not doing it doesn't care anymore, and this is what the New Testament addresses quite thoroughly Ahab who is the king at the time that Eliza shows up what was sent is the son of Omri Omri was a military type of king. He was an adventurer when it came to using his military might and he arranged the marriage between his son, Ahab, and a side Tony and princess named Jezebel. It was the prudent thing to do. It was good for the economy.

It was wise. Statesmanship.

I'm sure all of the powerbrokers in the northern kingdom and in side on where Jezebel came from, applauded the move we read about this in first Kings chapter 16 beginning in verse 29, 38th year of Ace, the king of Judah that stating the southern kingdom alongside of the present kingdom that were talking about in the North, Ahab, the son of Mariah became. Omri became king over Israel and Ahab, the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years now I have the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. Interesting, because if you look at verse 25 of first Kings 21st Kings 16 verse 25 says Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did worse than all who were before him.

So Omri Ahab's dad was the worst king until the sun comes along this Sunday is worse than him.

This ticket is growing worse and worse. Remember the title of the message is first among 7000 7000 are those living in the northern kingdom who have not bowed to back how false God brought in by Jezebel and protected by Ahab out of perhaps a million people in the north if we can estimate the population. According to the military might of the Army say this even if you say there's 1/2 a million people in the north only 7001. A righteous not much of a percentage. Not much of an influence. Where's the power in that this is because, like the times we live in their many Christians. Maybe not the majority but still many, the question is what are they doing, what are they doing in the evil kingdom. What were the 7000 doing okay good you didn't about about know what one was going to do that will be our text now starting point, but we still have to introduce some of this for 22 years. Ahab instituted spineless rule and brought Israel to a new low. Look at verse 31 first Kings 16 and it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of name that that he took as wife Jezebel, the daughter of bile, king of the side Tony ends and he went and served, but how and worshiped him, and so there he makes the the complete severance from Yahweh, Jehovah, and now he's full-blown into hedonistic idol worship and the influence upon the land will go beyond the ministry of Elijah in the life of Ahab and so this politically prudent economically efficient.

This brilliant move of statesmanship that brings the two kingdoms together, applauded by all of the intellectual and powerbrokers of the land but not applauded by allies somewhere in Gilead and remove places of that side, east of Jordan was Elijah and he knew this was going on in his God was going to raise him up to begin dealing with this and the beneficiaries of his ministry reached or should we say exceed foreign scope beyond the people that he lived with this day. His ministry is still blessing his ministry has been blessing ever since it was put into print. Ever since people were able to remember it and simply because smaller kingdoms joining like this to resist larger kingdoms simply because that was the idea of the day doesn't mean it's right with God doesn't mean it's acceptable and we Christians have to be able to walk the unbeliever through that spiritual ideological position where the ones that have to stand up and say we don't care if something is prudent if it is sinful because it then spiritually is no longer prudent and that's what matters in the end, and everybody knows that every body is willing to accept it, though they know it and not everybody is willing to preach it though. They claim it which side are we on now. If you claim Christ as Lord. That does not therefore mean you preach Christ as Lord about me to come to church and to preach around other believers is not preaching Christ as his making a statement to preach Christ means you preaching in the face of opposition opposing thoughts opposing ideas, cultural inebriation, drunk with the influences of hell. I remember Jezebel this foreign princess brought with her. Her deity, not her deity, but the deities that she worship the God she worship not try to for a moment. Be there in the palace of her father inside on when she is about to leave and go live in Israel as she's leaving home, the priest of bough are urging her vehemently to stay true to the religion of her hereditary of her wedding of her inheritance of her people of her culture. This economy, that the side Tony is enjoyed because of the shipping trade the ports that were there for them to reach around the Mediterranean for all because of but how in their eyes. This justified the worship of their false God what they were able to acquire the lifestyle that the claim to enjoy.

So they passionately believed in this demonic concoction that they bow down to, as do today. Many people passionately believe in concoctions, but without logic you not say were clinically the economy is doing good. That's the clinical evidence. Therefore, I see that I don't need any further proof is not enough as the logical by that you could say the robber who succeeds in robbing someone is doing the right thing. After all, he was successful in stealing from another and taking what did not belong to him and so just because one amasses to themselves things that they want does not mean that they are right with God. This is always been the case of even begin to be the thinking amongst the Jews.

Years later, but here's here's the disturbing thing with this irresistible spell that they had cast over Jezebel. She was quick to obey them. The disturbing part as we watch our young ladies in the church grow up in the church and we ask are you going to be quick to obey the one who loves you the one who made you the one who died for you to take away your sins or are you going to drift. Why is it that a Jezebel can be loyal to a fake God, but our young ladies cannot be loyal to the true God. This is the battle. This is why the secret of Eliza's power is meaningful to all of us. This is why a study of the life of men and women in the Bible is relevant to the time we live in because others have been through this with God and so will our young girls be as courageous for the truth as other young girls are courageous for a lie. Of course we can apply this to the young boys also. So the pretenses gone verse 32 of first Kings chapter 16 then he set up an altar for bile in the temple of but I'll which he had built in Samaria, Samaria is the capital of the northern kingdom now no longer Jerusalem Samaria and so in the capital of the 10 tribes of Israel. He bills for his wife a temple complete with altar and priest to sweep the land of holiness and to replace it with filth and that's what their religion was.

It was based upon filth pain to others as a and they think they tossed away the holiness of of the law of Moses, Moses, and in its place. The filth of the flesh, the satisfaction of the flesh, and that is the story of sin. Show me a bad marriage and I'll show you somebody and that marriage, if not both of them that are Chryslers that are selfish unkempt who name they're using.

They're not following Scripture good marriages in Christ are good because the people in the marriage obey the Lord it's it's really not that complicated. It is made complicated by secret ambitions. It is made complicated by being by by lying to oneself lying to others. We, as Christians, we need to sayest in the world can't get the swing to stand up and say I tell you one of the biggest waste of times of the pastor not in every case but in most cases is to give marital counseling to people who would been Christians and know the Scripture, what else can you say to them, they know the Scripture they're faking it. There lying there, not right and that's what you tell them they don't want that they want five steps to a happy marriage does matter that doesn't work. They want to tell them anyway so they want to make you a liar. Also, and then all those around the situation or angry with you as you not telling them the lie will pastor you just said you know 12 sessions and that said yeah because they already know the truth.

They know that there selfish. They know that they're not yielding this was the case in Israel. People knew they were going against Jehovah God, but they wanted. Would bough have to offer, which was what did my holiness that stuffed in the way other appetites I can be satisfied with other things. Why why subject myself to the 10 Commandments when I can just go to ballast temple little offering their go about my way and I'm done that's it. This is what we find in our own culture, worship of Jehovah in that land, one would ask at this time would it ever again acquire its lost prestige and power with what Jezebel has now brought into the land without pretenses is full-blown now living through this in our culture, we now have a government. This is, I don't care I don't care that you think your children are yours. I don't care that you think you have rights under the Constitution. I don't care I don't get what tell the biggest lie we don't care if we get caught with got the culture on our side we have enough dumb voters to do whatever it is we want. That's how it was in this rail for Elijah. This is the relevance of God's word. That's what he was up against scattered remnant of 7000. The hiding disciples mother did not hide from God, but we don't read about them really yeah that was Obadiah and others like them they they did make an effort but none stepped up like allies, we name our children after life we get excited when we hear, study is on him or something attractive about him is not something it's the holiness is the power of God working through a lifelike Elijah, I want that as a Christian I say but am I really ready God ask.

Well, if they had counted Jehovah down and out of the 10 tribes. At this point, it is because they did not factor in God raising up a man with liquid fire in his blood that was Elijah's see Ahab and Jezebel.

Okay were done we we've established our power in the land. We've gotten rid of the altars of Jehovah and now who's there to challenge us. There were the people in the land who halted petite between two opinions they could make up their mine. I don't knows about worship better than Jehovah. Maybe I can do them both with a 7000 who were nervous Nelly's.

Perhaps wondering what's going to happen to us if we get caught believing in Jehovah. After all his worshipers of Jehovah have been persecuted in this land before by our own Kings. They all may have thought that the power and prestige was gone.

They did not count on God raising up this man that is a signal to me to not give up. These maybe dark things are going my way.

I may have suffered loss that is no reason to give up fat can a Christian name. One reason to give up when you consider Jesus what his why stop believing you use your Lord, you cannot say that and he's kinda sorta your Lord maybe you have kinda sort of salvation.

And if you're willing to risk that at death you have added that thought frightens me so that when things are overwhelming me and I don't feel like trusting God I tell the Lord is the Lord my head and my heart are yours.

There are things about me that I can't seem to get under authority, but I am telling you right now whether I feel it or not, you are my God there is no other and I have not backed away and inch that's what the father was saying to Jesus not not that our father in heaven. But the father whose child wasn't dying.

He said, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief help me that I have doubt Lord honored that he appreciated that the Holy Spirit recorded that moment as he knew we all would identify with it, but he doesn't record it on every page. Because we would identify with it too much, that would be because that would become our Christian model, I believe, but I am still trying to get to that place where I can say I believe that's it right my name down. Faithful is a tough place to get to is impossible in the flesh, but it is possible in the spirit so they did not count on God raising up Elijah but we have a saying, do we not night brings out the stars in Israel.

It was night in America. It is night. We have such an increase in phony baloney, priceless Christians who go to phony baloney. Chrysler's churches withered they feel good about being there amongst the people.

While they do whatever they want doesn't matter. God has forbidden this feel good about it and they get quite irritated when we point to them in Scripture say this is not what the Lord wants of us and then when they get irritated at us, pointing it out. It's one thing to stop pointing it out because were led to do so is another thing to stop pointing it out because we are afraid to do so.

Maybe not be afraid to do so. This idolatry was rapid was prevalent in the land of the Bible were not even in the land of the Bible in its rapid and it's prevalent. So now we would pause for a moment just to consider the prophet's name. The name of Elijah is made of two words.

Eli, my God, and God is a truncated and abbreviated form of Yahweh, Jehovah Jehovah is my God that was his name so so now he shows up in the midst of all this idolatry the land in front of the king and his name is Jarvis my God. But how is yours. Satan is yours.

They know they had Moses Scripture the most is it already said that all those fake gods are products of demons, and all the Jews knew it so whether they liked it or not adhered to it or not. They all knew it was so.

The name began to grow on the man like his beard like his garment he gave life to the name.

Others could have been named Elijah nothing like allies. Others could've had that may been burning incense to bow, not this man. Others go around with Christians and Christian names.

Nothing about them is Christlike. So from false worship about true worship of Jehovah the living God wherever he went. He spent his life upholding the truth, holding next to the false worship the true worship who you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast.

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