One God or Many, Part 2

Today on summit line. We are recognizing false God is all you know the true God from a false one. According to Elijah, number one, whereas false gods require strenuous efforts of the true God is known by grace through faith is the other gods say/for me dance for me. There's only one God was slashed for you every other God makes your blood run only this God leads after Jeannie. I'm your host Molly benefits okay let's be real, anything can turn into a false God, even good things right like family health or financial security.

False gods aren't always little gold statues they are things that we place our trust in above the one true God. Today Pastor Jenny explains how we turn good things and to idols and how to spot false gods that are growing up in our hearts. It's part of our study of the prophet Elisha from the book of first Kings any of the previous messages you can find them all@jdgreer.com for now let's jump into the message titled, one that this is a story about this is a battle that takes place in your heart and if you are not aware of this battle is taking place in your heart. You are more diluted than anybody because this is the ultimate battle of your life which God is God first Kings chapter 1870, when Ahab saw Elijah he have said to him, is that you is you you trouble or of Israel. Elijah answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you have in your father's house because you've abandoned the commandments of the Lord, and you follow the bales.

The first question. This passage presents to us is who is the real trouble or maybe the trouble in your life is there is a gift of God to point you to something that is deeply wrong inside of your heart. That's what I have should've of recognize verse 19 now therefore Elijah says send together all Israel to me at Mount caramel in the 450 prophets of Beowulf and the 400 prophets of Asherah to eat at Jezebel's table 22. I have sent all the people of Israel gathered the prophets together, amount, and Elijah came near all the people he said. How long are you going to go one limping between two different opinions Lord is God, follow him.

Bail is God and follow him. If you decide about God being God. Your limping intellectually, if you will decide which God is God your limping along through life.

Elijah says to these people.

He's like look if bail is God's servant will tell you if money is your God.

Serve it with all your heart, see to get it. Seek because money is the ultimate good, but Christ is Christ is the one true God. Serve him with all your heart that God is God and serve him and that was God and serve him. Elijah throws a bagel question out there house and I respond zero 21 and the people did not answer him a word girl looking down the ground kicking rocks of crickets playing in the background.

So I said I will say two goals one could alter their one called earlier for 24 then you call upon the name of your God now called on the name of the Lord and I tell you what the God who answers by fire. He is God and the people answered. It is well spoken words good idea.

Verse 25 and Elijah said the prophets bail, choose for yourselves. One bowl first for your many and call upon the name of your God, but don't put any fire to it. Profitability can you close 150 of us want you. Second of all, our God is the God of lightning. Verse 26 and he took the bull that was given to them and they prepared it and called upon the name of bail from morning until noon, saying oh I will answer us. There was no voice. No one answered. And they left. There's that word again. Readily they limped around the altar that they had made this my favorite part. Verse 27, and at noon Elijah mocked them to cry because he's a God either.

He is using, which means daydreaming, staring aimlessly in the space. Checking his Facebook page on his phone to see how many lights he got on his latest venture.

Maybe he is using all her aura. He's on a journey should yell louder.

What is the best one. Maybe he is relieving himself some your NIV translation of the Bible to clean it up and it is a busy but the literal Hebrew, there is a euphemism meaning on the John. Hey, maybe you're God's taking a dump. Maybe you got the fan on the fan on and he can hear you.

So why don't you yell louder. Or maybe he is asleep, and must be awakened. This is what we call righteous not talking right to smack the holy sarcasm Batman. I just point out, not all sarcasm is wrong. Some things need to be mocked. Verse 28 and they cried aloud and they cut themselves after their customer swords and lances until the blood gushed out upon them in his midday pass, they raved on until the time we offer the ablation. There was no voice. No one answered. No one paid attention to characteristics of false gods. Is down one first of all false gods require strenuous dancing to please them. False gods require endlessly strenuous dancing to please that if you obey well enough, they'll accept you. So their message to you is dance harder, better get on it so like Allah.

For example, of Islam's argument either to manage better you better to be five pillars better you better dance harder.

If you want me to accept you. The Buddhist version of God said you better add dry because of not you come back to something you want to be. I will crush you if you don't dance well enough secular. Like popularity or money or beauty. What they say is if you succeed if you dance hard enough you'll get me and then you'll be happy but if you don't dance hard enough not to get me to be miserable so you dance like a slave to get into the right school you dance to get in the right job is as you have the right kind of money if beauty is your God use zumba so hard right because you got a beautiful beautiful United say they don't like you popularity to God in your continually dancing for your circle of friends are you want to do it you I like me highlight every day I put on the clothes you want either the reply. I go anywhere now. Hey I'm using these words I'm saying these things you like me now. This is endlessly like your life is one long audition for American Idol where you're always on the police on Simon Cowell to say you don't state your God endlessly dancing that always characterize worship a false god.

Pushing for destruction. What you to structure not more, work harder, do better.

Hey, I did not. Attention/yourself. For some, this literally becomes flashing.

They don't get the attention of the friends they crave so they cut themselves brothers the slashing is more metaphorical base/their bodies to crash diets or become anorexic so they can get that perfect figure that they feel like they need in order to fill what they have worth, they/their families by overworking to make that extra money so that all their financial dreams can come true. They/their souls by compromising their integrity to get everyone's attention, or so that they can succeed you want to know how you can know if there false idols in your life. Look for the weary dancing and then look for the slashing. Wherever there is weary dancing, and wherever there is slashing that's what you can know that there idols. Verse 30 then Elijah said all the people come near to me and all the people came near him and he repaired the altar the Lord that had been thrown down. Now you get this picture here okay Elijah, who's been sitting back on his lawn chair for about five hours watching all this go down.

He's got his robe on his shades on the Margarita in his hands. These I believe prophets was the long Duck Dynasty beard right and he is smack talking this is like the perfect picture of uncle side undocking on Duck Dynasty correct users lounging around making fun of the prophets bail so we cannot clamors. I slowly gets up walks over verse 33 says fill four jars of water import on the burnt offering on the wood which is not what you do when you try to start a fire and you will know that by verse 34. Many said do a second time that it is a do it 1/3 time, I did the third time in the water was so much that it ran on the altar until blue trench around open water minute the time of the offer to be ablation, which by the way, means the normal time to be offering nothing special about this Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that you're the God in Israel answer me oh Lord answered me that this people may know that you oh Lord our God, and that you have turned their hearts back. Verse 38 then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering in the wood and stones in the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench Dr. so and all horny like that is just showing off you like I you will ask for some here verse 39 when all the people saw, they fell on their faces and they said the Lord he is God, the Lord, he is got by the lay public. With that he made his Ellie job Ellie job there changing his name but it's not his name to chaining the work how cool the name is that for either profit and people change your name directly worshiping God to then Elijah goes over to get into a kneeling position because it is less for the job and he is to pray after price for a few minutes, he tells a servant, a friend, he says, go over and check off the side of the mountain look for the ocean, if you see anything.

The guy was Jackson's is anything to do it again. They do it seven times on the seven-time guy comes back is that I see a cloud rising out of the ocean, about the size of a man's fist and as they watch it it says it gets deeper and it gets darker, and it gets heavier so that by the time it gets to the shoreline where Israel is.

It is a huge black cloud that begins to pour down torrential rains upon the land for the first time in 3 1/2 years. Here's what you take away from that story not taken notes start taking them right now they are how to know the true God from a false according to Elijah.

Here's how you know the true God from a false one. According to Elijah, number one, whereas false gods require strenuous efforts, the true God is known by grace through faith rest. False gods require dancing the true God is known simply by grace through faith.

They danced all day to get bills attention to no avail. Elijah simply got down on his knees and prayed in faith.

You see, every other religion in the world here this every other religion in the world concocted in the mind of man operates by one principal and that is if you obey well enough, you will be accepted in the gospel flips that on its head.

The gospel says no you don't obey and then become accepted. You are accepted by an act of God's grace. Therefore, you obey. Do not say all religions teach the same thing because this is fundamentally different. Every religion in the world says if you obey, you will be accepted in the gospel says no you are accepted. Therefore, you will obey because your obedience becomes a loving response to the God who accepted you as a gift of his grace. Not because you danced well enough. Jesus paid the penalty and you accept as a gift and then you you dance in response to joint number two. Whereas false gods mutilate you the true God mutilate himself for you. They cut themselves to get males attention Jesus was cut for us is a very illuminating reference to this in Luke chapter 9 going to turn their but on the disciples and Jesus have just gone through Samaria were Jesus was rejected because Samaria had their own God. So they reject Jesus as of the disciples remembering this story say hey Jesus, you want us to call down fire from heaven like Elijah did and post these people was sold with a real God is either thinking back about the story Jesus is response essentially is this is I know you don't really get a in the story of Elijah calling on the fire from heaven. Jesus says I'm not Elijah calling down fire on my enemies and that story on the sacrifice is going to take the fire of God's justice into himself.

I'll take the fire of God's justice so that the fire of my love can be ignited in the hearts of my people is the other guy say/for me dance for me. There is only one God who was slashed for you every other God makes your blood run only this God bleeds for you. Number three, whereas false gods are ultimately powerless the true God answers by miracle now know what you might be thinking this may also do this today. Minute argument with a guy at work in my love come outside was billed to little piles of sticks also become personal flames. Also, ecologist, bishop, and possibly drive away split an ocean vacancy state when a national basketball championship something that's is utterly impossible, then we know there's a God think Wilson the greatest miracle was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, something that no other God and no other religion has ever been able to touch the thing about remember the excessive conditions that Elijah created that made the fire improbable three times in water, cover the altar.

The middle trench around the altar and filled it with water so that that was just completely on me was not just like needed spontaneous combustion using spontaneous combustion in a big way and how to got answer.

He answered just as excessively burned all love not just the offering of the award and the stones you turn those in the lava and the dust. Jesus was not just killed.

His body was mutilated just like you know the poison and die. His body was mutilated and after he died on the cross. They stuck a spear into his heart after he was dead and pierced his heart, so the water and blood flowed out and they put a minute soon and put a bagel several ton rock in front of that tomb and put a Roman garrison the 12 soldiers out in front of that rock. Now I know they're not degrees of deadness, but that's really dead but your body is mutilated when you die in the mutilated again and they put you in up to you several ton rock in front of it and then 12.

The best trained soldiers in the world, standing guard in front of it. That's really dead, and in God response just as excessively just like restart Jesus heartbeat, but in here some strange knocking coming from inside the tomb like a neuroma says he was raised in power which means you roll away the stone by himself. He scared the Roman guard so badly that they passed out 12 soldiers passed out from fear. Then Jesus ascends on his home on his own heavens to the right hand of the father then comes back down and walks through walls. That's got to show saying I'm not nearly not nearly conquered death destroys I destroyed and then in the book of acts chapter 2 when the disciples finally get the spirit of the resurrection inside of you know what it says happened what appears above their heads fire. The fire of Elijah. The fire that is able to do in their souls, the fire of love. What nothing else could do it turns them in the champions. It turns them into men and women of God to submit an atheist couple years ago and I was interviewing me should you realize that's what you believe might very well be just a myth, just a religious myth that makes you feel good night. Just a way for you to explain the world of sitting on my desk as he was interviewing me a letter And have a letter from a lady here in our church. You might be right now.

She wrote this letter, and she sent us in the one say thank you Pacifica for 10 years. My husband was on drugs and she said he abandoned me and he demanded our children and I'd given up hope for him, she said, but to the ministries of your church. He heard the gospel he believed God is not only saved him.

The goddess delivered him off of drugs is me back into our house. He is a completely different man is a husband always yearned for the father always wanted my kids to know and I just wanted to say thank you because I know it wasn't you but you are a vessel through whom God's power came in the gospel that transform my family and I slid that letter that it is a set budget others gives a myth that's not my only proof of Christianity, but it certainly gets my attention when you see the lead in the Almighty God begin to work.

Resurrection power somebodies heart. Number four, whereas false gods lead to soul drought. The true God. Did Lucius us with living water that land had been in a famine in a drought for 3 1/2 years and in a moment, God open the heavens and flooded it so that there was righteous rivers running through it.

Now this was hard to describe their brilliance. All I can say is you know you know it. After you've experienced it. There's a senseless and which, when you come home to God. You know, you have finally come home to the place you have been yearning for all your life. Even though you did know exactly what to call it when you finally find God when you know that he's the one you've always been searching for when you finally are at home in God's house and realized that all your life you been home sick for a home and you did know this was it in your water. Your soul begins to run and overflow with righteous waters of joy and peace and new life and it floods your parcel Tim Keller says it this way. Jesus is the only God that if you find him will satisfy you and if you fail him will forgive you how to God's will satisfy this would be thirstier in other God's listen if you fail them. They flush you so I live in Buda say if you fail me. I'll crush secular godlike money beauty. If you fail me if you don't get me miserable every single you're going to be poor and that's miserable. Jesus, as you have failed. Stress some arms and I die for you and I forgive you never see you on the base is not on how well you dance but on the basis of what I've done.

The price I paid to safety is the only God that if you find him will satisfy you and if you fail him will forgive you now watch the ending. I really had a couple sermon here, but I got a series last is awesome.

Verse 41 is totally random but it's it's not random it's a little frantic for 41 and Elijah said they had adverse fortitude to go up say they have prepare your cherry go down less the rain stop is making fun of them again by a range come in and you better get home so so in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and it was a great rain and Ahab Road like a man trying to escape a storm home and went to Jezreel not suffer for the Emma handler was on Elijah and gathered up his garment and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. He outran a chariot I was I would like to hear if they have tiny goal for the rain.

Here's his logic is like a man. It's free try by now. Why is that, detailing their ischemia contrast to lifting, that's why the people and Ahab were in indecision and they live along through life here is Elijah resolute in God being God runs as he waits upon the Lord God renews his strength that he mounts up with wings like an eagle. He runs and is not where you walk is not faint and it's given you a picture what you like to get a look like when you actually come up or redesign the God of God.

That's what I want for you. I want you and your supplier but you I don't need you volunteer for our sake, I need you to know God's will begin to run you will live on through life living. You always are happy amateur person on your face, joyful, strong to begin a sword faith, you begin to soar in extravagant generosity. You begin to sort through trials. That's what I want for you to do to show that you are no longer time to get fishing today maybe receive Christ as your Savior's baptism or church membership maybe serving on a volunteer team are joining a small group Bible study whatever it is take that step today. You're listening to Senate life and if you happen to join us a little late today you can hear this entire message. Again, free of charge. When you visit Katie Greer.com Katie in this series we been seeing how God revealed himself to Elijah and how as allies, as we have got expanded actually learn to trust God more and the focus of our countrymen restudy as well.

Right absolutely knowing God for who he really is. That's the key right just because you and I can't make up truth about you and say well this is the Molly that I prefer to know so we make up some characteristics and qualities about you. I would have to just know you as you are right on the same way God has to be known for who he is. Many people have kind of a deity they assemble. I call to build a bear deity or insight you assemble to God that makes you feel warm and fuzzy, but that's not the true God, the true God has revealed himself and that's battleground that Elijah stepped into this a part study that we produce the just. It just goes along with the stories about Elijah and Elisha that you hearing about a summit life or the Bible, a resource I think will really help you happen to find yourself wanting to give it to somebody and say hey let's go through this together is when your kids are unable to reach out to us today@jdgreer.com see some information on the front page that allow you to get connected to our ministry.

Elijah be a part of what we do and your resources and assist with anything we let's get you a copy of this resource today. Learn more about the line and only God keeping the air and land for something better something greater that he might pastor Janie Jenny level of $25 and how 833535 what might be easier to get online.

Katie Greer.com and Molly that events inviting you to join us again tomorrow thank you church. Be sure to listen when my Greer ministry