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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000708S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:08 Sermon #B708 - Troubler Of Israel 00:19 Pastor Byrd:Now it's time to hear a word from the Lord. 00:22 First Kings Chapter 18. 00:23 First Kings Chapter 18 and I want to go to verse number 17. 00:28 First Kings Chapter 18 and verse number 17. 00:34 First Kings 18 verse number 17. If you have your Bibles turned there with me, the word of God says, 00:41 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 00:52 Verse 18. And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, 01:01 in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. 01:05 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred 01:18 and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. 01:25 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 01:36 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? 01:44 if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follows him. And the people answered him not a word. 02:04 Troubler of Israel is our challenge as we culminate this month. Father bless us now. 02:15 Speak for your servant heareth. 02:20 Go now through the airwaves and the computer waves and the innovation, 02:27 technology and speak to your people right now. 02:35 Forgive me of my sins and hide behind your cross. Praise you in advance for what you're getting ready to do 02:43 and I don't know how you're going to do it, but Lord you going to do it today. 02:50 So we praise you in Jesus' name. And for his sake, we pray. Amen. And Amen. 03:07 Troubler of Israel, you will remember that Israel had been saved from an evil oppressive system in Egypt. 03:24 After their freedom from Pharaoh and Egypt. Now, after spending 40 years in the wilderness. 03:36 Things were going well until the time of the Judgment judges when another generation the Bible says arose after 03:44 them who did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel. 03:53 The situation became worse under a wicked King by the name of Ahab. 04:01 It became worse with his even more wicked wife named Jezebel who forced idolatry on God's people 04:12 and murdered almost all of the Lord's Prophets and Jezebel was arguably the most wicked couple in the Bible. 04:26 First Kings 16:33 says that Ahab did more to provoke the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel 04:35 that were before him. But Elijah. God's prophet. God's man. God's voice. Stood in the gap for God. 04:52 Elijah boldly stood before Ahab and confronted him with his sins and declared the Lord's judgment against him 04:59 and all of Israel. The Bible says that Elijah then prophesied to Ahab. 05:04 That the Lord told him there was going to be a drought, no rain for three and a half years. 05:12 And sure enough the three and a half years. There's no rain. Lake after the lake. Creek laughter creek. 05:22 Stream after stream. River after river. Dry up until there was hardly any water to be found anywhere in Israel. 05:32 It was a time of chaos. It was a time of confusion. 05:38 It was a time of violence as landowners were doing their best to keep people from stealing the little water 05:45 that they had in their rivers and streams. It was a time of protests as people all over the nation demanded 05:52 that something is done. 05:54 Like most government leaders, Ahab looked for a convenient scapegoat because when things are going bad, 06:06 you have to blame something or somebody. Ahab chooses to blame God. He didn't believe in God. 06:15 And his wife Jezebel believed in Baal and the Gods of the Grove, Asherah. 06:21 So Ahab instructed the Israelites to forsake their God for Baal and Asherah. The Gods of rain, blessing, 06:29 and prosperity. But none of their prayers to these Gods of rain. 06:34 None of their prayers to these Gods of prosperity, Baal or Asherah we're working. 06:40 And they wouldn't work because Baal or Asherah wasn't God. They were man-made Gods. 06:49 But friends, today, I'm proud to say that God is God. 06:55 And God is so serious about the fact that he's God that God made it his first command, 07:02 “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me”, I will not put up with rival Gods. I am not a favorite God. 07:11 I am God. Now, I need you to understand that this drought was not coincidental. 07:19 This drought was not accidental. This drought was not unplanned, unexpected, unpredicted, uncalculated, 07:26 or unintentional. But this drought was the direct judgment of the one true God because Israel had rejected God. 07:34 And when you reject God, God one way or another we'll get your attention. 07:41 Three and a half years a half. Ahab. Jezebel. And the people were praying to gods, lowercase G for rain, 07:51 but it wasn't working. God tells Elijah now that I have Israel's attention. Now that I have Ahab's attention. 08:02 I want you to go to Ahab because I'm going to make it rain. Elijah gets ready to meet Ahab. 08:11 Ahab calls for Obadiah. 08:14 Obadiah is Ahab's Chief of Staff. But Obadiah fears the Lord and I say this because when Jezebel, 08:23 Ahab's wife tried to kill off all the prophets of God. Obadiah hid 100 of these prophets into caves 08:31 and supplied them with water. 08:34 Let me remind you today that in the name of Jesus. God always has an Obadia. In the name of Jesus. 08:42 God always has somebody on the inside to work out his sovereign purposes. God always has an Obadiah. 08:51 God always has a Joseph. God always has Mordecai in the king's courts. 08:58 Ahab tells Obadiah to look everywhere in the country for some water. Obadiah goes looking for water. 09:06 But instead of finding water, Obadiah finds Elijah. Elijah tells Obadiah, 09:12 go back to Ahab and tell Ahab that you have seen me. But Obadiah is scared to do this because, 09:21 for three and a half years, Ahab has been looking high and low for Elijah 09:27 because he's going to try to kill Elijah. Because he believes it's Elijah's fault that Israel is in the mess 09:34 it's in. But in the three and a half years Ahab couldn't find him. 09:38 So Obadiah's afraid to go tell Ahab that he has seen Elijah for fear that Ahab will kill him, Obadiah. 09:45 Obadiah then tells Elijah. I've risked my life for the Lord. But now you want me to go and tell Ahab, 09:54 I've seen you and when he comes looking for you, you're going to disappear and then he's going to kill me. 10:02 But then Elijah said, as sure as my God liveth, I will meet Ahab face-to-face. 10:12 Obadiah obeys the man of God. And he goes to Ahab. And he tells Ahab, I've seen Elijah. 10:20 Ahab goes out to meet Elijah, and as soon as Ahab sees Elijah, he says, if it's not the Troubler of Israel. 10:30 Ahab pins the droughts. The famine. And all the troubles Israel is facing on the Prophet Elijah, 10:38 but let me remind somebody today that anytime you rebuke sin. Anytime you stand for the right. 10:45 Anytime you speak truth to power. You're going to be a troubler, 10:50 but I believe that sometimes it's necessary to be a troubler because according to John Lewis, 10:57 there is something called good trouble. To speak for those who can't speak for themselves. 11:03 To trouble systems that are slavish, sinister, and sorry. To speak truth to power. All 11:09 threw-out scripture Jesus challenged authorities,rebuking them for their self-serving, self-promoting ways. 11:19 He upset the elites by spending time with the poor and marginalized. He healed those considered unclean 11:26 and returned them to wholeness. He ate with the underprivileged and he treated them with class and dignity. 11:32 He listened to those who had been disregarded and deprived. He questioned current laws 11:38 and challenged the status quo. And as a result, became the target of those in authority 11:44 and ultimately those authorities killed him. But despite knowing he would be killed by the very people 11:53 he was trying to help, Jesus shows us that there are times when we must trouble the waters 11:59 and stand up and speak out and speak truth to power in constructive, meaningful, 12:04 and unyielding ways despite the potential consequences. 12:09 Just as Jesus troubles things. There are times when we must do the same 12:15 and trouble public concern about an issue in hopes of prompting action, 12:22 but have we become more concerned with bright lights, big crowds, and big donors rather than mercy, justice, 12:33 and love. Have we become more interested in knowing who's who 12:38 and who whose of the world rather than helping the least of these. 12:42 Have we become more focused on being politically correct as opposed to benevolently expedient, 12:49 but sometimes, got to trouble things. 12:54 Elijah makes good trouble with Ahab. He says look Ahab. I haven't been to the trouble of Israel. You have. 13:04 You're the trouble. You're the problem. You're the one who disobeyed God. 13:10 You are the one who has worshipped Baal. 13:13 Elijah, in his holy boldness, then challenges Ahab, the prophets of Baal, 13:20 and the prophets of Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah says, your Gods against my God. 13:28 The venue of this battle is Mount Carmel. But why Mount Carmel? 13:34 Mount Carmel was a stronghold whoever controls Mount Carmel controls the northern half of the nation militarily 13:40 and politically. Whoever controlled Mount Carmel controlled the nation spiritually. 13:46 So this fight was going to be a showdown. A fight for the ages. Elijah versus Ahab. 13:55 The God of Heaven versus the Gods of Baal on Mount Carmel. No ticket price. No pay-per-view. No box seats. 14:07 Attendance was first come first serve. Now, the crowd on Mount Carmel was made up of three groups of people, 14:15 and everyone who would come and could come can. 14:20 The first person or first group was just one person, Elijah. He was all by himself. 14:29 The second group on Mount Carmel was the 850 prophets, 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah. 14:37 The third group was made up of the majority of people who were present and wavering between two opinions. 14:45 Now, if you were in the crowd, you might have felt sorry for Elijah 14:51 because Elijah was one man going up against 850 prophets. 14:57 He was all by himself going up against all these people. In our everyday vernacular, he was about to get jumped. 15:08 One person versus 850 people, but let me remind somebody today that every move of God that happened in the 15:17 Bible never started with the committee. It never started with the board. It never started with a group. 15:24 But it always started with one person. 15:27 Elijah was by himself. But all it takes is one. Group number one. I feel my help come. 15:35 And group number one is Elijah. Group number 2 are the 450 prophets of Baal 15:40 and the four hundred prophets of Asherah. And group number three, everybody else who was watching. 15:47 And so then, Elijah comes now to verse 21, our final text. And he utters those famous words. 15:54 How long halt ye between two opinions, if the Lord be God follow him. But if Baal, follow him. 16:07 This last sentence and the people answered him not a word. 16:12 Lord have mercy.For generations 16:14 Israel has been trying to worship Jehovah and Baal at the same time. They want it both ways. 16:21 They want the power of Jehovah, but they want the decadence of Baal. They were doing a little bit of God 16:28 and a little bit of Baal. They had been double-dipping, riding the fence, 16:34 becoming polytheistic they believed in the one true God, but they also believed in Baal. 16:41 But you can't make a career of sitting on top of two fences. You have to come to a decision. 16:48 Neutrality with God is like treason or disloyalty. You can't run with the devil all week 16:55 and then stand with Jesus on the Sabbath. You can't go to bed with Satan and then wake up with Jesus. 17:02 Joshua said choose you this day whom you will serve but as for me and my house, we are going to serve the Lord. 17:09 Paul told the Corinthians, you can't drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. 17:13 You can't partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Jesus himself said, 17:18 no man can serve two masters for either you'll hate one and love the other. 17:23 Elijah said how long halt ye between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him If Baal follows him. 17:33 Elijah is calling them to make up their minds and the people answered him not a word. 17:42 In other words, the people were silent. 17:45 Elijah asks, who's on the Lord's side, And the people are silent. Silence suggests complicity. 17:55 To be silent means you don't disagree with what's going on. You're silent. You're complicit. 18:03 Things can be going wrong, but you don't say a thing and too often today at the church of today is like 18:09 Israel of old silence. The church is silent on wrongdoing. The church is silent on sin, 18:20 afraid to call sin by its right name because we're too afraid in 2021, to offend somebody 18:29 or hurt somebody's feelings. 18:32 The church is silent on injustice. Far too many people in the house of God who profess to love the Lord are 18:40 only concerned with me. Myself. And I. But we can't send checks for disaster relief 18:47 and avoid examining the lifestyles that contribute at least in part to some of these natural disasters. 18:53 We can't then just send water to Houston and think we've done our part and that's enough. 18:59 We can't do hunger walks but refused to change our consumerist lifestyles. 19:04 We can't sit in church or watch Church on the internet and say Amen, 19:09 but turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the cries of erroneous exploitation, prejudicial profiling, 19:16 and malicious mistreatment. 19:18 How are you going to be a Christian for fifty years and you don't do anything to marginalize? 19:24 How are you going to be a seven-day Adventists all your life and yet not help the oppressed? 19:29 The greatest sermon is not the one that's preached. But it's the one that you live. 19:35 Jesus is not so impressed with how we know the word. He's most pleased with how we live the word. 19:42 Jesus is not so concerned with our standing in the community as much as he is about whether we're making a 19:49 difference in the community. Jesus is not concerned so much about our membership, and club organizations, 19:57 fraternities, or sororities as much as he is about us doing something to help the least of these in these same 20:04 clubs organizations, fraternities, and sororities. 20:08 We cannot subscribe to the thought that one must pull himself or herself up by their own bootstraps. 20:15 Some people don't have any bootstraps to be pulled up from. What are we doing? What are we saying? 20:24 With who and what are we troubling? Do something. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, shake your leg. 20:36 If you can't shake your leg, wiggle your toes. But do something. 20:42 And yet, it is that many times people of faith talk a lot, but they are inclined to do nothing. 20:49 We wait, we watch, we look to see if somebody else is going to do something but the kingdom suffereth violence. 20:58 But the violent take it by force. Be a voice, not an echo. Do something and be a troubler. 21:06 So I'm getting ready to close and Elijah says, all right, I'll tell you what. Get your 850 prophets of Baal 21:13 and Asherah. And to end this drought, you call on your gods and I'll call on my God. 21:22 And the God that answers by fire, let him be God. The God who wins will be the God that Israel serves. 21:36 Everybody agrees. And it's time for the battle to begin. 21:41 Now. Let me take you inductively back to the three groups. Let's start with group number three. 21:48 And remember these are the people who are gathered on Mount Carmel 21:51 and they don't believe anything is going to happen because after all, 21:55 all these people have been praying to Baal, Asherah, and anyone else they can pray to for three 22:00 and a half years and nothing has happened. 22:03 Then there's group number two who followed Baal and Asherah and they were excited because finally, 22:09 they would get to prove that God, the God of heaven was a fake. 22:15 They would finally be able to get rid of this old man Elijah and after this showdown on Mount Carmel, 22:21 nobody in Israel would ever dare to call upon the name of the God of Heaven again. 22:27 Then we have group number one. One person, Elijah, all by himself. No, praise team. No musicians. No pastors. 22:43 No elders. No ushers. No large banners or congregation of worshipers following him. He was all by himself, 22:55 but I'm so glad that the man of God was not scared. He had an ace in the hole. He had a secret weapon. 23:07 He had God in his corner. He had God on his side. It has been said that U plus God are a majority, 23:17 but let me change that right now. God is the majority. 23:22 Elijah all by himself goes up against 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah and says, 23:30 there's a lot of you so you go first. They prepare their altar. They placed an ax Ox, 23:38 on the tight-top of the altar. And they started to dance around the altar. 23:44 And they started to call the name Baal. They began to worship Baal and Asherah 23:50 and everybody that is gathered together. They sang They praised, they danced, they sang some more. 23:58 They praised some more, they yelled, they screamed. They yelled some more, they danced some more. 24:04 But nothing happened, not a cloud appeared in the sky. Not a sound of thunder was heard. 24:12 Not a drop of rain fell, nothing happened. The only thing that took place with some noise they were making. 24:19 They then take out the Bible, say some knives 24:22 and start cutting themselves trying to show their gods that they are 100% committed. 24:28 They began pouring their human blood on the altar. And now we have singing, we have praising, 24:34 we have yelling, we have dancing and we have blood dripping everywhere. It's crazy. 24:40 It's outrageous. Surely now Baal and Asherah would come to the rescue, but nothing. 24:48 Elijah has had enough of their show. He has had enough of their shenanigans. 24:56 He has allowed them to make fools of themselves. He allows them to prove that their gods were nothing more 25:05 than stone and wood. It was time for evening worship. Elijah tells them we've had enough. It's time to stop. 25:14 It's now his turn. The man of God sets up his altar. 25:20 He invites the people to now join him in the worship of the God of Heaven. 25:26 It wouldn't be the kind of worship that had been going on all those hours with cutting and shouting and dancing. 25:32 But his service would just be 63 words. but not only that, Elijah's prayer is not condemning. 25:49 It's not condemning but it's a prayer inviting Israel back to God. It's a prayer to God for God's grace 25:56 and mercy. It's a prayer asking heaven to invade Earth. It's a prayer of salvation. 26:03 And just as soon as Elijah's prayer is prayed something happens. 26:19 The heavens open up. 26:21 Fire comes down. And then the Bible says, the people begin to repent. 26:28 They had experienced an encounter with God and as a result, they repent. 26:35 They turn back to the Lord. Elijah didn't mind being a mouthpiece for God. 26:41 Elijah didn't mind standing up for God. Elijah didn't mind speaking Truth for God. 26:49 Elijah didn't mind giving him good trouble for God. And God rewarded him. God spared his life. 26:57 Israel returned to God. 26:59 Today, I just got to ask somebody. Who or what are you going to trouble? I don't know about you, 27:06 but I want to get in some good trouble. I said I want to get in some good trouble. 27:11 Let's trouble the world for Jesus. Let's trouble the community for Jesus. Let's trouble inequality racism, 27:20 discrimination, and besought journey for Jesus. Let's trouble Senator systems for Jesus. 27:30 Let's trouble the status quo for Jesus. Let's trouble boring, irrelevant, antiquated, out of touch. 27:44 No impact having Ministry modalities for Jesus. But most importantly, let's trouble Satan for Jesus. 27:59 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 28:03 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 28:08 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 28:10 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:16 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 28:22 [END] |
Revised 2021-03-04