Truth That Changes Lives

JP Jones: I love Elijah because of the ministry that God called him to. He was a man of prayer. Not to us, but to your name be the glory.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us on Truth That Changes Lives. Pastor JP Jones is the senior pastor of Crossline Community Church in Laguna Hills, California, and a professor in biblical studies at Biola University. Today on Truth That Changes Lives, Pastor JP will be giving us a message from a series entitled Heroes. Let’s listen in as JP gives us part one of Elijah.

JP Jones: If there’s any question or consideration about what I believe, I believe every word in this book. I believe the Bible is the Word of God. It’s truer than anything we feel, it’s truer than anything we see, it’s truer than any opinion that’s ever been offered. That’s what this church stands on, and that’s what this church will always stand on. That’s what this church will preach and proclaim because there’s freedom in the truth.

Jesus said, speaking to an audience of people who just heard him make a declaration that he was the Messiah and the Son of God, speaking to those who believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." This congregation is made up of people who have come to discover that and people who are in the process of discovering that. If you know with certainty that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and the Word of God is true and it’s setting you free, continue to walk in the truth.

If you’re here with questions, you’ve been invited as a guest, you’re curious, you’re a seeker, this is a safe place to hear a life-changing message. We’re glad that you’re here. Keep asking questions and keep studying this book because I’m not the authority and no one here is the authority, but this book is, because it’s true and its message will change your life, as it’s changed my life and is changing the life of this congregation. Well, that wasn’t even my sermon, but I got jacked up by hearing that offertory.

We’re talking about Elijah this morning. Elijah was a man of prayer. I love Elijah. I’m enjoying every one of these messages and it seems like each guy I’m looking at is the guy I like the most. But I’ve got to tell you, big picture, I love Elijah because of the ministry that God called him to. He was a man of prayer and he was a bold prophet. Elijah prophesied to the nation of Israel around the 9th century and he was a guy who didn’t hesitate telling you what he thought.

He spoke the truth and he confronted kings, he confronted false prophets. He was a bold communicator of truth. He was used by God to call the nation of Israel back to the worship of the one true God because during Elijah’s ministry, Israel had its worst king ever. There were a whole bunch of bad kings in Israel, but Ahab was the worst and he took the whole nation into idolatry into worship of Baal. Elijah confronted Ahab, confronted the nation, called for a showdown, and was used by God to awaken the people back to the worship of the one true God.

There’s a lot of prophecies in the Bible related to Elijah. In fact, the prophet Malachi said that before the coming of the Messiah, Elijah would come back, and John the Baptist was identified with that role of Elijah. In fact, Jesus was actually identified with Elijah because when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" they responded back in Matthew 16 and said, "Well, some say you are Elijah, some say one of the prophets." The reason people thought Jesus was like Elijah was because he boldly preached the truth and he did miracles.

In the book of Revelation, there’s a prophetic passage that before the second coming of Jesus Christ during the tribulation period, God will raise up two witnesses who have miraculous powers to point to the one true God as part of the revival that takes place in the end times and many people believe that one of those two witnesses is in fact Elijah in the ministry. Elijah is mentioned in the gospels as appearing with Moses and Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration. Elijah has a very important role in the Bible.

But we’re actually told in the book of James what we’re specifically to learn from Elijah. In James chapter 5 verses 16 to 18 it says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. 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." James, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us what we are to really learn from Elijah was that he was a man of prayer.

God heard and answered his prayers. But Elijah was just like us. You know as my old coach said, he put his pants on one leg at a time like anybody else. He was a man just like us and so we can have confidence that God will hear and answer our prayers. God will do the miraculous in response to our prayers because that’s what he did for Elijah. So that’s what I want to look at as I look at some of the things related to the life of Elijah.

In fact, Elijah prayed many prayers that were answered miraculously. The first one we’re told about is in 1 Kings chapter 17. Elijah prays and it stops raining. In fact, we’re introduced to the story of Elijah here. It says in 1 Kings 17:1, "Now Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead said to Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'"

So here’s the king of Israel who has wickedly taking the nation into idolatry. Elijah the prophet says, "I have prayed as part of God’s judgment against you and the nation that it would stop raining so that you will be brought to your knees in humility and come to understand that the God that I pray to controls the weather. He’s not like Baal, who’s a false idol. He is the one true God. So I pray it’s going to stop raining." Ever been in the Middle East? They kind of need rain there. It’s not the tropics. James tells us that this several-year period was actually three and a half years.

Because of Elijah’s prayer, it actually stopped raining. So that dry desert land became even drier and more of a desert. But God took care of Elijah, we’re told as the story continues. He took him off to a little ravine where there was a brook and the ravens came and delivered him food and then he took him to another place where a widow took care of him. He was taken care of during this time and God was working on the people’s hearts and working on Ahab to present the truth to them that he was the one true God. But in response to Elijah’s prayers, it stopped raining.

Next, we’re introduced to the fact that Elijah prayed and healed a sick boy from the very verge of death. In 1 Kings 17:17, it says, "Sometime later the son of the woman who owned the house," this is where Elijah was staying, "became ill. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, 'What do you have against me, man of God? Do you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?' 'Give me your son,' Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on the bed."

"Then he cried out to the Lord, 'O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with by causing her son to die?' Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, 'O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him.' The Lord heard Elijah’s cry and the boy’s life returned to him and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, 'Look, your son is alive.' And then the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God and the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.'"

God took pity on this woman and her son. God raised up Elijah who believed him and spoke his truth and asked him to do miracles. Elijah prayed and we’re told that he was sick and became worse and worse and stopped breathing, possibly he actually died or he was at the very verge of death, and Elijah prayed that God would heal him and resuscitate him and God gave life back to that boy and did a miracle. A miracle in healing him in response to Elijah’s prayers. Elijah, we’re told in James, was a man just like us.

God did a miracle in response to Elijah’s prayers. He prayed and stopped raining, he prayed and brought life back to a sick and dying boy. In 1 Kings 18, we’re presented with what is probably the most famous story in Elijah’s life where he has a showdown with the prophets of Baal. Elijah prays and fire descends from heaven. There’s a big statue at Mount Carmel, just right outside the modern city of Haifa, probably if not exactly very close to the occasion where this happened.

A showdown finally is brought about between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Elijah and Ahab. It’s like the ultimate fighting championships. Elijah stands there and all these prophets of Baal come out. Elijah says, "We’re going to see who the true God is because the true God is going to be able to hear and answer prayer and send down fire from heaven." In 1 Kings 18 verse 20, it says, "So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 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."

"Then Elijah said to them, 'I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood, but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood, but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord. And the god who answers by fire, he’s God.' Then all the people said, 'What you say is good.' Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, 'Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first since there are so many of you.'"

"Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.' So they took the bull given them and they prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. 'O Baal, answer us,' they shouted. But there was no response, no one answered, and they danced around the altar they had made. And at noon Elijah began to taunt them. I like this guy. 'Hey, shout louder,' he said. 'Surely he’s a god, perhaps he’s in deep thought, or he’s busy, or traveling. Or maybe he’s sleeping and you’ve got to wake him.'"

So they shouted louder, they 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, and no one paid attention. Did you get that? Now you could put in the place of Baal any god that anybody has ever worshipped at any time. Any god that anybody worships here in South Orange County. No response, no answer, no one paid attention.

And then Elijah said to the people, "Come here to me." They came to him and he repaired the altar of the Lord which was in ruins. Elijah took 12 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." And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. And he arranged the wood and cut the bull into pieces and he laid it on the wood and then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."

Now remember it hadn't rained in over three years. Water is a precious commodity. So he is taking great pains to demonstrate the miraculous. Verse 35, "The water ran down the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed, 'O Lord, 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, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you’re turning their hearts back again.'"

Did you catch the intent of the prayer? The prayer wasn’t, "Have fire come down out of heaven." The prayer was, "God, show yourself for who you are. God, show these people that you’re the one true God. God, reveal yourself so that people would be brought back to you. God, show that Baal isn’t God, you’re God." Verse 38, "And then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, 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. The Lord, he is God.'"

"And then Elijah commanded them, 'Seize the prophets of Baal, don’t let anyone get away.' They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there." Wow. This past spring when I was in Israel again, went up to Mount Carmel, stood there where this scene played itself out, read this passage of scripture, and I was just trying in my mind’s eye to envision what that must have been like. When Elijah stood there, 450 guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and boldly prayed for God to do a miracle and God did it.

And then without hesitation rounded up all the prophets, walked down the hill, and slashed their heads off. Wow. Elijah was a man just like us, James says. And he prayed and in spite of total opposition, God came through. God heard his prayer, God answered his prayer, God glorified himself through the prayers of Elijah. God did a miracle. Elijah prays and it begins to rain. Remember that’s what James says, he prayed and it stopped raining, he prayed and it started to rain again.

So now it’s kind of come full circle. He confronts Ahab, he prays, it stops raining. He prays and raises this sick boy, dying boy, back to life. He prays, fire comes out of heaven. Everybody sees that God is the God who answers prayer and with that audience gathered around in that moment of God’s victory, Elijah says, "Ahab, you better get yourself ready and go get an umbrella and a raincoat because it’s going to start pouring."

Guest (Male): What a great message for all of us today. Pastor JP provides us with great insight. That is why we’d like to make it available to you on CD. Just get in touch and mention today’s date. We’ll send it your way for just five dollars. Or if you’d like to support this ministry, you can write us at Truth That Changes Lives, 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 92653. Or give us a call at 949-916-0250. That’s 949-916-0250.

For your gift of 25 dollars or more, we will send you a signed copy of JP’s new book, *Facing Goliath*. Please join us every Sunday at 9:00 or 11:00 AM at Crossline Church in Laguna Hills. The address is 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 92653. Or check us out on the web at crosslinechurch.com. We’re going to get to the address and phone number again in a moment, but before we do that, Pastor JP, do you have any insight from today’s message?

JP Jones: Thanks, Greg. You know, we’re looking at this whole series on heroes and what the Bible says about men and women who made a difference in their generation for God. And we can be those kind of men and women ourselves. We can be people who stand up for Christ, live in the power of the Holy Spirit, and make a difference, not because there’s something about us that is unique, but because we’re people who trust in God and allow Jesus Christ to transform our lives. Elijah was a person like that.

In fact, the Bible says Elijah was a person just like us. For many of us who have an understanding of the Old Testament, we know that Elijah was the bold prophet who stood up for God. In fact, faced hundreds of false prophets on Mount Carmel and made a declaration that God alone was God. Sometimes we can read stories like that and think there’s something unique about those kind of people. There was something unique about Elijah that enabled him to do that. He had an anointing from God, a special anointing, and that’s why he could be so bold.

And yet the book of James in James chapter 5 tells us that Elijah was a man just like us, a man who had a nature just like us. Elijah was a person who had struggles and fears and weaknesses and yet he turned that over to God and he experienced the power of God in his life. In fact, the Bible actually tells us that side of Elijah. After Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah experienced depression. He had this great spiritual high and it was followed by a spiritual low. In fact, that’s what many of us experience.

That’s a typical human experience. It’s an emotional response to what goes on in our lives and so we may have great spiritual highs and quite often they’re followed by spiritual lows. Elijah had that and in his spiritual low period, he cried out to God. In fact, he experienced real depression and in that experience of being honest with God, he felt and experienced the power of God in his life, the answer of God to his prayers, and he saw God change his life. Elijah had highs, Elijah had lows. Elijah was a person just like us and God says in James chapter 5 that God can use people like that.

God can use people who are real people, who have highs and lows but turn their lives over to God, call out to God in prayer. And when we do that, God hears and answers our prayers. He makes us bold, he gives us courage, he gives us the power of the Holy Spirit so that he actually uses us. That’s what it means to be a hero. It means to be a person who’s used by God because we surrender our whole lives to him, we call out to him in prayer, we ask him to do powerful things for his glory, and then we see God answer our prayers.

Guest (Male): We want to help you in your relationship with Christ. Please get in touch with us at Truth That Changes Lives, 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 92653. Or call us at 949-916-0250. On the internet you’ll find us at crosslinechurch.com. We hope to see you at one of our services every Sunday at our new campus in Laguna Hills. For more information and directions, please go to crosslinechurch.com. Please join us next time on Truth That Changes Lives.