Sermon Notes
If the Lord is God, Follow Him
1 Kings 18:1-40
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor
Overview: In the third year of the drought, the Lord instructs Elijah to present himself to Ahab in anticipation of sending rain upon the earth. As Elijah enters Samaria, he encounters Obadiah, a servant of the Lord who has hidden a hundred prophets from Ahab by sheltering them in caves and providing them with bread and water. Obadiah is startled by Elijah’s presence and reluctantly agrees to tell Ahab where to find him. Ahab refers to Elijah as the troubler of Israel, but Elijah accuses Ahab of abandoning the commandments of the Lord and following the Baals. Ahab agrees to send the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel in order to publicly confront Elijah and challenge his claims. Elijah calls upon the people to choose between the Lord and Baal based upon which of the two will visibly consume their sacrifice by fire. Even though the prophets of Baal outnumber Elijah and repeatedly call upon Baal to respond, the sacrifice is not consumed. When Elijah calls upon the Lord, He sends fire from heaven, thus making it evident that He is God. Elijah’s challenge to the people of Israel is an appropriate call for us today to commit ourselves to the Lord and follow Him without reservation.
01. The Lord is God. Believe on Him because there is no other.
02. The Lord is God. Follow Him like there is no other.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. According to 1 Kings 8:35-36, what is the reason for the drought in Israel? How long did this drought last, according to 1 Kings 18:1? What indications from the text suggest how difficult this drought was on the daily life of people in Israel? Why do you suppose it was so hard for people in Israel to simply repent and return to the Lord with the promise of rain? How does the Lord get our attention today for the purpose of exposing our sins?
2. What did Obadiah do on behalf of the prophets of the Lord? Imagine how difficult it would be to conceal a hundred prophets and keep them alive during a famine. Why did Obadiah take such a risk? How does his reaction to Elijah’s presence speak to the reputation of Elijah at this time? Have you ever risked something for the Lord that threatened either your life or your livelihood?
3. Why does Ahab call Elijah a “troubler of Israel”? How does Ahab’s opinion of Elijah reflect the opinion of the world toward Christians who are likewise committed to serving the Lord? Note that Ahab believes Elijah is a troubler of Israel when, in fact, Elijah has a positive message to bring, namely that the rains will soon come. Likewise, how can we bring the gospel to a world that questions our motives?
4. What is the essence of the challenge between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Asherah? Notice how dedicated the prophets of Baal were—they stood up for Baal, they cried out to Baal, and they cut themselves for Baal. Did any of these actions benefit them or make their religion true? What does this text lead us to conclude about religion in general, outside of Christianity? Is their religion true just because people want it to be true?
5. How did the Lord make Himself known to Elijah, Israel, and the false prophets on Mount Carmel? In what way has the Lord made Himself known to us today through Jesus Christ? If someone were to suggest they could believe in Jesus if they saw His miracles today, how would you respond?
For Further Reading: Erwin Lutzer, Christ Among Other gods: A Defense of Christ in an Age of Tolerance (Moody, 1994; 2016)