Archive: Series Sermons Section 7

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Series Sermons Section 7

Elijah: A Prophet for Troubled Times

A Prophet for Troubled Times 1 Kings 16:29-17:1 (Elijah Series - Part 1)
In Israel, in Elijah's day, the people were scattered and anesthetized by a succession of wicked kings and ultimately the appearance of Baalism. God was ready to do something about it - something drastic. He reached out into an obscure group of Nomads and chose a man - a man who, by our standards and those of his day was crude and rough - a man whose voice assaulted the ears and shattered the complacency of people right in the middle of their wickedness. Israel needed a man with heavy artillery to bring her back to her senses so God called Elijah to become one of the most "politically incorrect" prophets of the entire Bible.

The Cutting Place 1 Kings 17:1-7 (Elijah Series - Part 2)
Most of us dread the dark valleys of life. We shun the shadows. We aren't at all interested in the "cutting" places. We prefer the the center of the stage. We want to be where the action is. But there are some things that simply cannot be accomplished in God's will for us without the "cutting" experiences.

The Smelter 1 Kings 17:8-15a (Elijah Series - Part 3)
Don't give up trusting God just because things don't look "reasonable" to you at the moment. In fact, as a test of your faith, perhaps, expect things pertaining to God's providence in your life to look "unreasonable" at times. God is not dependent upon man's wisdom to work His purposes.

The God Who Answers by Fire 1 Kings 18:1-40 (Elijah Series - Part 4)
Any belief system will work for awhile. The acid test comes with a crisis. It is then, when all the other beliefs and philosophies that man has invented are snapping and popping like so many too-tight rubber bands, that the real sense of God's offer of salvation to man begins to make sense.

The Rainmaker 1 Kings 18:40-46 (Elijah Series - Part 5)
Man cannot live apart from his Maker. Eventually it catches up with him. Separation from God means death. Oh, we can depart from Him and seem to do well for awhile, but eventually things dry up. Our self-based resources are consumed, leaving us empty. We end up in a spiritual drought - out of options with nowhere to turn. Depressed, anxious, insecure, and broken, we need water in our lives and we need it badly. We need the Rainmaker.

Discouragement: Causes and Cures 1 Kings 19:1-8 (Elijah Series - Part 6)
The word disillusionment describes perfectly how we set ourselves up for discouragement many times. We become disillusioned when we set up a certain expectation of how we think things are supposed to work out. The trouble is, often those expectations don't match reality and they therefore don't work out as expected. Our hopes are dashed and we lose our courage. We are disillusioned (our illusion is taken away) and we become discouraged.

You Can Beat Despondency 1 Kings 19:1-18 (Elijah Series - Part 7)
Here the prophet Elijah, the man destined never to die, but rather to be translated, the most powerful and successful prophet of his day, is so deeply despondent he is asking God to take his life. What irony! We can learn valuable lessons from these verses about our own despondency.

Answering God's Call 1 Kings 19:11-21 (Elijah Series - Part 8)
The man whom Elijah was to anoint would be as different from him as a tornado is from a Chinook breeze - as different as a fire and an earthquake are from a whispering voice.

Not for Sale at Any Price 1 Kings 21:1-25 (Elijah Series - Part 9)
This message puts the spotlight on two men who each faced a decision amounted to the selling his most precious possession - his soul. One of them, a certain king, went ahead with the transaction. He sold his soul and got a vegetable garden in exchange. The other man, a peasant, stubbornly refused the transaction.

Woe to Him Who Quarrels with His Maker 1 Kings 21:19-2 Kings 1:17 (Elijah Series - Part 10)
Perhaps you do what I do sometimes - I watch people get away with murder and all other sorts of evil and I wonder why God doesn't intervene and do something about it. The "example" here for us here is that God does ultimately do something about it and His judgement can be very harsh. The time for reaping does come for those who persist in kicking over the boundaries.

The Last Mile of the Way 2 Kings 2:1-18 (Elijah Series - Final)
Elijah's work is finished. Much evil is still fills the land, but it is time for the work to be passed on to the next generation of prophets. God has told him to prepare to leave. For him there will be no more Ahabs, no more Jezebels, no more Obediahs, and no more Ahazias. A few last visits with those only friends and comrades he knows in this life - the sons of the prophets - some brief farewells, a last crossing of the Jordan and after that - well, after that, who knows will happen? No one in his day had gone from this life and come back to tell. All he really knew was he was somehow headed "home." This message encourages God's servants to be faithful until the end of this life.

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	A Prophet for Troubled Times 1 Kings 16:29-17:1 (Elijah Series - Part 1) In Israel, in Elijah's day, the people were scattered and anesthetized by a succession of wicked kings and ultimately the appearance of Baalism. God was ready to do something about it - something drastic. He reached out into an obscure group of Nomads and chose a man - a man who, by our standards and those of his day was crude and rough - a man whose voice assaulted the ears and shattered the complacency of people right in the middle of their wickedness. Israel needed a man with heavy artillery to bring her back to her senses so God called Elijah to become one of the most "politically incorrect" prophets of the entire Bible.
	The Cutting Place 1 Kings 17:1-7 (Elijah Series - Part 2) Most of us dread the dark valleys of life. We shun the shadows. We aren't at all interested in the "cutting" places. We prefer the the center of the stage. We want to be where the action is. But there are some things that simply cannot be accomplished in God's will for us without the "cutting" experiences.
	The Smelter 1 Kings 17:8-15a (Elijah Series - Part 3) Don't give up trusting God just because things don't look "reasonable" to you at the moment. In fact, as a test of your faith, perhaps, expect things pertaining to God's providence in your life to look "unreasonable" at times. God is not dependent upon man's wisdom to work His purposes.
	The God Who Answers by Fire 1 Kings 18:1-40 (Elijah Series - Part 4) Any belief system will work for awhile. The acid test comes with a crisis. It is then, when all the other beliefs and philosophies that man has invented are snapping and popping like so many too-tight rubber bands, that the real sense of God's offer of salvation to man begins to make sense.
	The Rainmaker 1 Kings 18:40-46 (Elijah Series - Part 5) Man cannot live apart from his Maker. Eventually it catches up with him. Separation from God means death. Oh, we can depart from Him and seem to do well for awhile, but eventually things dry up. Our self-based resources are consumed, leaving us empty. We end up in a spiritual drought - out of options with nowhere to turn. Depressed, anxious, insecure, and broken, we need water in our lives and we need it badly. We need the Rainmaker.
	Discouragement: Causes and Cures 1 Kings 19:1-8 (Elijah Series - Part 6) The word disillusionment describes perfectly how we set ourselves up for discouragement many times. We become disillusioned when we set up a certain expectation of how we think things are supposed to work out. The trouble is, often those expectations don't match reality and they therefore don't work out as expected. Our hopes are dashed and we lose our courage. We are disillusioned (our illusion is taken away) and we become discouraged.
	You Can Beat Despondency 1 Kings 19:1-18 (Elijah Series - Part 7) Here the prophet Elijah, the man destined never to die, but rather to be translated, the most powerful and successful prophet of his day, is so deeply despondent he is asking God to take his life. What irony! We can learn valuable lessons from these verses about our own despondency.
	Answering God's Call 1 Kings 19:11-21 (Elijah Series - Part 8) The man whom Elijah was to anoint would be as different from him as a tornado is from a Chinook breeze - as different as a fire and an earthquake are from a whispering voice.
	Not for Sale at Any Price 1 Kings 21:1-25 (Elijah Series - Part 9) This message puts the spotlight on two men who each faced a decision amounted to the selling his most precious possession - his soul. One of them, a certain king, went ahead with the transaction. He sold his soul and got a vegetable garden in exchange. The other man, a peasant, stubbornly refused the transaction.
	Woe to Him Who Quarrels with His Maker 1 Kings 21:19-2 Kings 1:17 (Elijah Series - Part 10) Perhaps you do what I do sometimes - I watch people get away with murder and all other sorts of evil and I wonder why God doesn't intervene and do something about it. The "example" here for us here is that God does ultimately do something about it and His judgement can be very harsh. The time for reaping does come for those who persist in kicking over the boundaries.
	The Last Mile of the Way 2 Kings 2:1-18 (Elijah Series - Final) Elijah's work is finished. Much evil is still fills the land, but it is time for the work to be passed on to the next generation of prophets. God has told him to prepare to leave. For him there will be no more Ahabs, no more Jezebels, no more Obediahs, and no more Ahazias. A few last visits with those only friends and comrades he knows in this life - the sons of the prophets - some brief farewells, a last crossing of the Jordan and after that - well, after that, who knows will happen? No one in his day had gone from this life and come back to tell. All he really knew was he was somehow headed "home." This message encourages God's servants to be faithful until the end of this life.

The Preacher's Study Archive Series Sermons Section 7

The Preacher's Study Archive
Series Sermons Section 7