Rehoboam's Yoke

This morning I had my regular one-to-one Bible study with a brother in the Lord. We're working through 1 Kings, and have been considering the portrait of the kings of Israel and Judah. Some are good kings, but most are bad. Terrible, in fact.

The question we've been repeatedly asking ourselves is this: why is this in the Bible?

When you read of the folly of Solomon, what is God saying through that? Why has it been included for us and our learning? When you see the increasing wickedness of the successive dynasties of Israel, what can we take away from it?

What we're seeing is that with each king, there is a reflection, a signpost, a pointing forward to what the ideal king would be like. So when Solomon was wise, using his God-given wisdom, we saw how many were drawn to hear him and learn from him. Even the Queen of Sheba (cue Handel's famous tune!) arrived to see Solomon in 1 Kings 10, and so when Jesus, the true king comes, 'behold, something greater than Solomon is here.' (Luke 11:31).

That's fine when we see the positive reflections and shadows (types) of the true king, but what about when the kings are utterly wicked? In these instances, they show in negative what the true king is like. Their wickedness may be great, but his righteousness is greater. They may be surprisingly foolish, but his wisdom is much more.

The prime example jumped out today. Solomon had died, and his son Rehoboam was set to become king of all Israel. The people had been worked hard under Solomon, forced labour and taxes to build the temple and the palace, and so when they all came together for the coronation, they appealed for respite.

Having rejected the advice of the elders (think the old civil servants or Privy Council), Rehoboam goes with the advice of his young friends, and boldly declares:

My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions. (1 Kings 12:14)


This wickedly foolish king, Rehoboam, attempts to be the tough man, increasing the burden on the people. He shows us in negative, what the reign of the true king will look like; what living in his kingdom will be like. Remember these words?

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28).

What a contrast between Rehoboam and Jesus - I know which yoke I want!

(Picture by mtsofan on Flickr.)

Sermon Audio: 1 Kings 19: 19-21

On Sunday night, I was preaching on the life of Elijah, and the call of Elisha, Pass It On. Here's what it sounded like.

Sermon: 1 Kings 19: 19-21 Pass It On

What is it we should look for in gospel workers? How do we spot the next generation of preachers and pastors? How do we ensure that the gospel doesn’t just stop with us, here, and doesn’t impact anyone else? These are the questions that always must be asked in every congregation, to make sure that leaders are being raised up.

Tonight, we see the aftermath of Elijah’s meeting with God at Mount Horeb (Sinai). It looked as if the whole covenant project was finished, the people were still being led by weak Ahab and wicked Jezebel. Elijah was the last public prophet left. Game over. In fact, it’s as if it’s only half time, and God sends Elijah to do some anointing.

Look back verse 15 - Hazael to be anointed king of Syria, Jehu to be king of Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in your place. God is in control, and will get rid of the devilish dynasty of Ahab. Elijah has his part to play, with three vials of oil. Game on.

So it might come as a surprise when we find out what Elijah does next. He never meets Jehu, he never calls with Hazael. His only appointment is with Elisha. That great philosopher of our time, Meatloaf, once sang that ‘two out of three aint bad’. Elijah only does one out of three.

We’re going to look at the call of Elisha tonight, in these three verses, but as we begin, I have to sound a note of caution. There will be things that we can apply today to the raising up of leaders in the church, but at the same time it’s helpful to remember that we’re dealing with an earlier period of time, in the period of the kings, and Elisha is being called to the office of prophet in Israel. So we need to think carefully about what we’re reading before leaping to apply it.

We’ll look at the call, and the obedience, so let’s look first at the call. From the previous passage we already know who is on Elijah’s hit list, but for Elisha, it seems it’s just a normal day on the family farm. He’s a wealthy farmer - ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen (that’s 24 beasts), and he’s walking with the twelfth pair. The land they’re farming is obviously big (to need so much horsepower - if you’ll excuse the mixing of metaphors), and it’s a prosperous farm. That’s like having a new John Deere tractor (retailing at about £60,000) for the ploughing.

Elisha is working away, when suddenly Elijah walks past and throws his cloak on him. This cloak was the prophetic fashion - all the prophets were wearing them this season (and every season!) - just think of the distinctive dress of John the Baptist, purposely in keeping with this dress code for prophets, but so unusual by the New Testament days that it merited a mention: ‘Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist.’ (Matt 3:4)

It’s unexpected from Elisha’s perspective, and yet as we know, God has already set him apart, has already chosen him, already named him to Elijah. Elisha is God’s man, headhunted by Elijah, and called to be Elijah’s successor.

It’s not a job many people would be applying for - remember that to be the Lord’s prophet means standing up to the people and the king, declaring God’s word to God’s rebellious people. Remember as well that Elijah currently has a death threat hanging over him - from none other than Queen Jezebel. The opponents are all around, it’s a dangerous commission.

I think you can probably see the parallels with gospel workers in our generation. While Elisha is being called to a unique role in the history of Israel, gospel workers continue to speak for God in the midst of opposition and danger. It’s not easy - but there is encouragement from the command of God, having been chosen and called by God.

All Christians are called to follow Christ and speak of him - being a fulltime Christian is for every Christian. But some are specifically set apart for word ministry. Perhaps that could be you - even if you have never imagined it yourself. It seems that Elisha wasn’t expecting Elijah to drop by - yet the call came, clear and unmistakable.

We as a congregation should be looking at those whom God has brought into our church family, and asking - would x be good at leading a Bible study / doing one-to-one ministry / teaching? Things like Taste are great training grounds to experiment, and consider these things, while gaining encouragement. Pray for those taking opportunities, and particularly those considering ordination.

We’ve thought so far about God’s call on Elisha - but what about his response? Over in the New Testament, we’re told of three men’s reaction to Jesus’ call on their life. One pledges to follow Jesus, and Jesus reminds him there’s no comfort with him - the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. The second wants to go and bury his father (with no indication his father is dead), but Jesus shows urgency to proclaim the kingdom. The third gives a very similar response to Elisha’s words here, and he is rebuked: ‘Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

It’s the image of trying to plough in a straight line, but looking backwards all the time. (Or if you’ve never ploughed - imagine you tried to drive home looking backwards the whole time...). Is it the same here with Elisha? Is he also trying to get out of it?

Let’s look again at what he says: ‘Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ Is Elisha also looking backwards? I don’t think so - rather than him always looking back and being hindered, it appears that this meeting with his family is the entry into service, saying goodbye and going to follow Elijah. He’s not dilly-dallying, trying to stall.

After all, his next actions are fairly clear. Those last pair of oxen he’s been ploughing with are sacrificed, with the yoke itself being used as the fuel for the fire. As one of the commentators says, ‘And people ate steak to celebrate it.’ You’ve heard of the saying ‘to burn your bridges’ - no way back, well this is surely it. The equivalent of the new tractor has been sacrificed (although oxen are tastier than boiled tractor), he’s no longer a farmer.

The people share in the feast, acknowledging that Elisha has left the family business, and he’s setting off on this new task of serving Elijah, following Elijah, helping Elijah, and one day, taking over from Elijah.

It’s decisive, total commitment, as he obeys the command of God in the call on his life. It’s like the man finding the treasure in the field, who in his joy, Jesus tells us, goes away and sells all that he has in order to get the treasure. It’s like Levi, the tax collector, who throws a party for his friends to introduce them to Jesus when Jesus tells him to follow him. It sounds great, doesn’t it - living with Elijah, learning from him, days of victory and joy.

Do you see what the last words of the chapter say? ‘Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.’ That’s all we’re told here - but later on, in 2 Kings 3 we’re told of a description of Elisha ‘Elisha... who poured water on the hands of Elijah.’ (2 Kings 3:11). Ministry isn’t all glamour and glitz - there’s the hidden things, often unseen, easily looked down on, but an essential part of the work.

Elisha responds with that great sacrifice, and goes to follow Elijah. The Lord Jesus willingly obeyed the command of the Father to offer up his great sacrifice of himself to bring our forgiveness, and the risen and reigning Lord Jesus continues to call us to follow him, sending out labourers into his harvest field. Rather than the cloak of the prophet, the Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit, to help us follow, and to help us speak for him.

Perhaps you have been considering ordination or some ministry, but have been holding back. How will you respond? What is your next step? Speak to Johnny or myself. Perhaps if you’re a Fellowship Group leader or team leader at Explorers you have noticed someone in the group with a particular gift - are there ways you can encourage them to think about how to use it?

But just in case you’re sitting thinking, well, that’s not me, I’m not being called to anything grand - don’t stop listening! You see, each of us should be responding to Jesus in our Christian life. It can be so easy to mystify ‘the call’ and elevate it to so-called special people like missionaries and ministers and then think that it doesn’t apply to you.

Rather, the call to follow Jesus comes to all - and with that so many different applications in how you live, what you say, what you spend your money on, what you pray for, how you spend your free time, and so much more. In trying to dodge a big call, don’t miss those things in your life, those situations you might be able to take that a minister would never even encounter.

It might look different for all of us, but at the heart of it, the call comes to each one of us - to follow Jesus. How will you respond?

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 20th February 2011.

Sermon Audio: 1 Kings 19: 9-18

On Sunday night I was preaching on that well known passage of Elijah's life with the wind, earthquake, fire and still small voice, with Elijah Before the LORD. Here's how it sounded.

Sermon: 1 Kings 19: 9-18

The question I want to ask tonight is this: What can God do when his people fail him? It’s a question we could ask when we look at the state of the churches today - we often hear of declining numbers, and the church becoming increasingly like the world. Is God powerless to stop the rot? Does God not care?

As we bring this question tonight, though, it’s not the first time it has been asked. Just think of the crowds who saw Jesus doing miracles like feeding five thousand people or raising Lazarus from the dead, yet they refused to believe, and carried on in their rebellion. Or, as our passage flags up, the aftermath of Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal.

You might remember the story. Israel, the northern kingdom, the people of God, have turned away from following God, and instead have turned towards Baal, a false pagan god. The prophet Elijah called them to turn back to God, demonstrating God’s power first of all over the rain (by causing a drought), and then by sending fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice (after Baal’s prophets failed to get an answer from him). The prophets of Baal have been slain, the people have confessed ‘The LORD, he is God.’ All looks well, until the wicked woman wields her warning: ‘So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ (2)

Elijah sees that there’s no change at all in the royal family, that it has been a hollow victory. Off he goes, fed and strengthened by angel cakes, to whole way to Horeb (also known as Sinai), the mountain of God. It’s likely he has come, not to a cave, but ‘the’ cave - the very place where Moses encountered God in Exodus 34. Elijah has returned to the place where it all began, where God made his covenant with his people, having rescued them from Egypt.

Sometimes when you read about this passage, it can become a playground for amateur psychologists and psychiatrists, trying to analyse Elijah, but let’s focus on the real hero of the story - not Elijah, but God. Through the passage, we’ll see that God draws near to his people; God judges his people, and God keeps his people.

First of all, God draws near to his people. Elijah has travelled a very long way to get to this point, and as he sits in the cave, then the word of the Lord comes to him, and asks: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ Remember, that here is where the covenant began, and so Elijah reports on the state of the covenant (to slightly modify the State of the Union address the US President gives each year). While Elijah has been very jealous for the Lord, we find that he’s on his own: ‘For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.’

Some commentators are very hard on what they see as the whiney Elijah, melodramatic Elijah. Actually, Elijah is stating things as they are. The covenant project looks as if it has failed, God. Time to shut up shop. It’s useless, because the people are so sinful, and now they’re trying to kill the last public witness to the faith.

What God does next might seem very strange. It’s not quite what you expect, is it? Elijah is told ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.’ Elijah isn’t told off, or told not to worry. Rather, he’s reintroduced to the power of God, or should that be, the God of power?

Just as with Moses after the people of Israel (while Moses was still receiving the Ten Commandments up the mountain) had broken the Commandments with the golden calf; when Moses sees the afterglow of the back of God’s glory as he passes by, so also here for Elijah. The LORD is passing by, and it’s awesome - the wind that shatters mountains and rocks; the earthquake that shakes the mountain; the blazing fire.

Yet despite the power and the noise and the amazing signs, we’re told that ‘the LORD was not in the wind.’ (11) Elijah may have been used to the big powerful showy signs of God’s power - it’s only been a few weeks since the fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice. Yet now, it’s not those things that point to God’s presence. Rather, it’s ‘the sound of a low whisper.’ A still small voice, as an older version puts it. A voice, because, as we’ll see, it is by God’s word that he draws near to his people, as he still does today.

At that sound of the low whisper, Elijah covers his face and goes to meet God. Again, the voice comes to him, and asks him exactly the same question. God draws near to his people, particularly when they are in need, not in terrifying splendour, but in tender nearness.

Our God has not changed - just think of the words of Isaiah describing the Lord Jesus: ‘Behold my servant, whom I uphold... He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.’ (Isaiah 42:1-3) Our God draws near to his people, taking on flesh, coming to us in our need.

But that’s not all. If God were only to come near in tenderness, then we have someone who sympathises, but is powerless to save. Again, we’ve noticed that God asks Elijah the same question - what are you doing here, Elijah? And again, Elijah gives the same reply. It’s not that he’s still whiny, that (as you might say), you couldn’t like him if you reared him. He’s stating things as they stand. Israel, the people of God have failed him, and Elijah tells it as it is.

Elijah can’t do anything about it - he has tried, and the people are still against him, led by Jezebel - it must be God who does something to rescue the situation. So we come to our second aspect of God working when his people fail him - that of judgement. Perhaps surprisingly, seeing Elijah has just travelled the xxx miles from Jezreel to Horeb, God now sends him back! On the way, Elijah is given three important tasks to complete: ‘Go, return on your way... you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu... you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha... you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.’

This anointing with oil on the head is a sign that God has chosen the person for special office - for kingship or prophetic ministry. Did you notice it’s not just the king of Israel to be anointed, but also a new king of Syria. Why is God sending Elijah to do this? Is he moving into the realm of Middle Eastern politics, like an early forerunner of Tony Blair’s middle eastern peace mission?

These anointings are the means that God will use to judge wicked Israel, and remove the house and dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel from the throne. Did you see, it’s Jehu the son of Nimshi (not a son of Ahab), so a new dynasty will begin, and Ahab’s family will be removed. Or, as God tells Elijah, ‘The one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.’ This bloodshed will be the temporal means of judgement on those who have turned away from the Lord and his covenant. Indeed, some see another parallel between the terrifying display of power (wind, earthquake, fire) and the three anointings and the promise of bloodshed.

God cannot stand by while those who bore his name turned away to follow other gods. God is in control, even if his judgement can seem a long time in coming. Remember that this judgement here is primarily aimed at the leaders of God’s people, those who have led them astray - Jesus says something along the same lines when he says ‘whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.’ (Matt 18:6) Pray for Christian leaders, that they won’t lead people astray.

So far we’ve seen God draws near to his people, as well as acting in judgement. While Elijah may have lamented he was the only one left (in public anyway), the last verse of our reading displays God’s special grace of the preservation (and perseverance) of the saints. God keeps his people. While those who have followed Baal will be judged, there yet remains a remnant of faithful people - ‘Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’ God keeps his people free from idolatry - even despite the wicked times of Ahab’s day.

Those doctrines of God do not change from Elijah’s day to ours, because God does not change. Yet as the early church was growing, the very same question was being asked of Paul. Has God’s promise failed because so many Jews are not trusting in Jesus? When the visible people of God appear to be failing God, what will God do about it? God draws near to his own, judges those who reject and rebel, but keeps his own people. Turn with me to Romans 11. Paul is speaking of this very passage as he looks to Israel failing to believe in Jesus the Messiah: ‘I ask then, has God rejected his people? By no means!... Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?... But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself...” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.’ (Romans 11:1-5)

Within the visible church there will be those who are far from God. To all intents and purposes, it looks as if we have failed utterly. But God draws near, judges, and keeps his people. Don’t fear - keep trusting in God through the hard times. God is in control.

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 13th February 2011.

Sermon Audio: 1 Kings 18: 17-40

Last Sunday evening I was preaching on the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, trying to find The God Who Answers. Here's how it sounded.

Sermon: 1 Kings 18: 17-40 The God Who Answers

The challenge is set. On one side, Richard Dawkins and the other new Athiests stand, desperately seeking to disprove God’s existence. On the other, you have one Christian leader. Except this time it’s not a public debate, rather, it’s a showdown. After months and years of the new atheists seeming to triumph, they’ve been brought to this public showdown, where God will fully and finally demonstrate that he exists. Supernatural fire from heaven. Dawkins is convinced.

It’s what you’ve been dreaming about for ages. You wonder why God doesn’t do a big public display to silence his critics once and for all.This would be a great opportunity - just as he did with Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

Or maybe your dreams aren’t so grand. Perhaps they’re no less fervent, but closer to home. You have someone in your workplace who is a different religion. They like to hammer your faith, mocking Christ, and leading others to come along to their religious gatherings. You would love to challenge them in this way - some indisputable proof that God exists and that Jesus is the only way to God - some miraculous sign. Why doesn’t God answer in this particular way when you ask him to?

Perhaps it’s even closer to home. You come to church, but a family member is sceptical. Despite you trying to witness at home, through how you live and what you say, they still refuse to believe. Just one sign, one spectacular moment, it’s all you’re asking. No fiery bulls, just something that would bring them to finally say ‘The Lord, he is God.’

Why is God so slow to do it for you? Has God stopped answering? These might be the questions you are dealing with as we come to our passage this evening. There’s a fair chance that most of us already know the story, so if possible, let’s try to come to it fresh, to see what it teaches us about God, and how God displays his power and glory.

Our route through the passage will be our theme sentence: A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. This choice is required of God’s people in every generation - perhaps as the Anglican Primates conclude their meeting in Dublin today, that idol is the prevailing liberal culture, to which the holiness of God’s people is being sacrificed. For the people in 1 Kings 18, the choice is made very clear by the prophet Elijah in verse 21. ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’

This confrontation has been brewing for some time, you’ll remember, if you’ve been with us over these last few weeks. We’re in the northern kingdom of Israel, where King Ahab has been bringing trouble (v18) by abandoning the Lord to serve Baal, the foreign false idol god. Elijah, sent by God, announced there would be no more rain until he said so - something that Ahab believed Baal was responsible for. It seems that the ordinary Israelites were caught in the middle - one day they were for Baal, the next for the Lord (Yahweh). It’s make your mind up time. Ahab has summoned the people to Mount Carmel, where Elijah lays down the challenge to the prophets of Baal.

Two bulls, two sacrifices - ‘And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.’ (24) While the people didn’t answer earlier, they now think this is a great idea - you can imagine the TV news cameras jockeying for the best positions, the best angle on the proceedings; it’s on all the channels; everyone watching along to see who will win in this version of ‘God Gladiators’.

From verse 25 we see Elijah letting the prophets of Baal go first. There are 450 of them, compared to just Elijah. They’re crowding around their altar and their bull, some of them probably can’t even get very close, there’s so many of them. The bull is prepared, laid on the altar, and the ritual begins. Look at the middle of verse 26: they ‘called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying “O Baal, answer us!”’ They’ve been going for at least three hours, shouting themselves hoarse, ‘But there was no voice, and no one answered.’

Elijah chimes in with some classic sarcasm, as he urges them to keep going: ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ There are plenty of reasons why Baal might be busy at the moment - perhaps he’s on the toilet; or he’s far away, or he’s sleeping. Shout louder! It gets worse in the afternoon - maybe if Baal won’t respond to our words, he’ll respond to our blood, and so they cut themselves, becoming as bloody as the bull, yet with the same end result, even as they raved on: ‘there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.’

A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. The 450 prophets of Baal slump to the ground, exhausted, hoarse, weak and bleeding, a graphic exhibition of how voiceless and powerless idols really are. The danger for us, though, is that we read this and think, well, of course Baal couldn’t answer. Silly people, thinking he would. Yet at the same time we continue to limp towards our own idols - not of wood or stone, but of money, fame, family, relationships, work, leisure, car, or whatever.

Modern idols are just as powerless to answer or help as old Baal was in Elijah’s day. But we could easily miss that Elijah is addressing the nation as the people of God - they were together embracing idolatry - are there idols we’re chasing as a congregation? It could be that we’re known for being a congregation with (hopefully) good Bible teaching - does that become an idol if we worship the Bible teaching and not do what God says in the Bible? Do we chase after success in terms of numbers - bums on seats, rather than growth in godliness?

Like the people of Israel, we’re being called to repent and return to the Lord, forsaking our idols. In order to remind Israel (and us), that the LORD is God, Elijah turns to his own sacrifice. He rebuilds an altar of the LORD that had been thrown down (at Jezebel’s command) - do you see the shock in verse 31. (Could it be like a northern unionist speaking of the thirty-two counties being united?) Twelve stones, one for each of the twelve sons of Jacob. Remember, he’s in the divided kingdom of Israel, the ten-tribe Israel (separate from the two tribe Judah kingdom).

As he does that, Elijah is reminding the people of their roots - the God who spoke to Jacob, calling him Israel. God, the speaking God. Then watch as the bull is cut up, the pieces laid on the altar, and a great trench dug. Isn’t it incredible what he does next? The sacrifice is soaked, not once, not twice, but three times. At least 15 litres of water poured over it, the trench is full - in the middle of a drought! Talk about lengthening your odds...

Let’s look closely at the prayer Elijah prays as he makes the sacrifice at the time of the offering of the oblation - the very time the evening sacrifice was being offered in Jerusalem. Look at verse 36. Right in the middle there’s the plea for God to ‘answer me, O LORD, answer me.’ Around it, we’re told why Elijah wants God to answer: ‘let is be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word... that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’

As God answers his prayer, and sends fire from heaven, there is a purpose - that they may know. Know that this is all happening according to your word; that I’m serving you, but in particular, they may know that you are God, but it’s the last bit that is the most remarkable. That you have turned their hearts back. This sacrifice, in some way, removes their guilt of spiritual adultery, and is a sign of God’s grace - amazing grace, to bring them back to him. If anything, the people deserve the same fate as the prophets of Baal - instant death; yet God preserves them, consuming the sacrifice, and turning the Israelites back to himself.

And we cry, yes, Lord - but why won’t you do it in our day? We have waverers, idolaters, people in downright rebellion. Why don’t you send fire from heaven to bring them into the fold? Even just one big sign - it could appear on YouTube and 24 hour news channels. It would silence the critics and help them decide, after all: A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves.

The thing is, though, that God has already done a far greater miracle than the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. It was on another mountain, when again, one man was up against a great crowd of opponents. One man who claimed to speak for God, while all around were content to pursue their idols of power, comfort, security. One man, who, as he cried out, the people thought he was calling for Elijah. It looked as if his cry wasn’t heard. It looked as if he was defeated forever. his enemies celebrated his downfall.

But God gave the resounding answer on that first Easter Sunday morning, raising him from death, sealing his life with God’s approval, and demonstrating for all time God’s word and power. Ever since then, we can’t look for new signs, new wonders, but rather we bear witness to that great miracle, pointing to it, telling others about the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and the wonderful triumph of God in Jesus’ resurrection, so that those who respond in faith are ‘turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God’ (1 Thes 1:9). A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. Who will you serve?

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 30th January 2011.

Sermon Audio: John 6: 25-40

On Sunday morning, it was our Family Service, and I was speaking on Jesus' words I am the bread of life. Here's how it sounded.

The Baby Swap

The current storyline in Eastenders has generated a lot of controversy. Following the birth of two baby boys around Christmas, and the sudden cot death of her baby, Ronnie Branning swapped her dead baby for the son of Alfie and Kat Moon. The consequences have been compelling viewing - the sense of terrible grief and regret on the part of Kat towards her 'dead' baby; the ongoing effect on Ronnie; and the rising tension of the inevitable realisation of what has happened.

There have been lots of negative comments on how grieving parents are portrayed, with the suggestion that anyone in that position would seek to swap children and put others into the place of grief. It must be remembered, though, that Eastenders isn't real life - it's a long-running TV soap opera, which needs ongoing shocking stories to draw in and keep viewers.

However, I've been reminded of the original baby swap story, as found in 1 Kings 3. Two prostitutes, each with a child, have been caught up in a real life drama. One of the children has died in the night, and the grieving mother swaps her dead child for the live one. The mother of the live child realises what has happened, and brings her case to the King, Solomon.

Earlier in the chapter, we see how the young ruler asks God for wisdom to rule wisely, and here in his judgement we see that wisdom in action:

And the king said, "Bring me a sword." So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him." Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother." And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. (1 Kings 3:24-28)

At this stage we don't know how things will turn out in Eastenders. Perhaps the writers and director of the show need the wisdom of Solomon to deal with such a controversial subject. It's probably good that it is being raised in the public domain, yet the sudden death of one so young can leave more questions than answers.

Sermon Audio: 1 Kings 17: 8-16

On Sunday evening I was preaching the second sermon in the series on the life of Elijah, this time on The Widow's Welcome. God, who commands, also provides for his word to be fulfilled.

Sermon: 1 Kings 17: 8-16

What do you make of some of the miracles we find in the Bible? When you read or hear of someone walking on water, or feeding five thousand with a couple of fish and a few small baps, or curing a leper or a blind man, what do you think of all? Do you become very rational, materialistic, and think these things couldn’t possibly happen, that they’re just made up? Or do you treat them on a par with fairy stories, where impossible things happen?

The US President, Thomas Jefferson, thought the miracles were made up, and he produced his own version of the gospels with just the moral teaching, but none of the miracles. It sounds more rational, but it actually turns the gospels into confetti, and fails to tell the whole story about who Jesus is and why he came. You see, the miracles of Jesus and others aren’t in a separate category - a kind of optional extra which you can take or leave - the miracles are presented as part of the story, as historical fact.

Or perhaps you react in a different way, believing that the miracles happened (which they did), but asking why we don’t see more such miracles today. If God did all these amazing miracles in the Bible, why doesn’t he keep doing them today?

You might even think, well, we wouldn’t want something from the top division of miracles, just a few wee minor miracles, nothing too special - maybe even a miracle like the one we find tonight in our reading. It’s perhaps one of the least spectacular of the miracles, but it will help us see why God uses miracles at all, and their purpose in the overall picture.

Last week, we saw the great wickedness of King Ahab, king of Israel. He was worse than the previous kings by going after Baal, the false god of the nations around him. Then suddenly the prophet Elijah stepped on stage and announced there would be no more rain, until he said so - because Baal doesn’t send the rain, but the LORD, the living God of Israel does. With that announcement, Elijah disappeared, living by a stream, with meals delivered by air mail - the ravens feeding him. By the start of our reading, though, the brook has dried up - the rain has stopped falling, after all. It’s now that God speaks again, with the next stage of instructions. We’re going to look at our passage under three headings: The LORD’s command; the LORD’s provision; and the LORD’s purpose.

Look at verse 9, where we find the LORD’s command: ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ It’s almost unbelievable. Sidon is where Jezebel (Ahab’s wife) is from; it’s the centre of Baal worship, and under the nose of Jezebel’s father. And it’s where the LORD sends Elijah. Indeed, Zarephath means ‘the smelter’s crucible’, an apt place for Elijah!

Off Elijah goes, and when he arrives at the city, there he finds his widow. A more unlikely candidate you would not imagine for the post of prophet’s landlady. First of all, she’s a foreigner, a Gentile, she’s not an Israelite. Next, is the fact she’s a widow - her husband has died and she has no visible means of support, no work, and no social security benefits / state pension. Worse, we find that she’s gathering a few sticks (twigs) to light a wee fire, make her final supper and watch her son and herself die of starvation.

On top of all that, it seems that she doesn’t even know that the LORD God has commanded her to do anything! And how could she, with her handful of flour and a drop of oil? This whole chapter is about the word of God, we see it right through - when Elijah bursts on the scene (1), then as God directs him to his hiding place (2), how Elijah obeys (5), as God brings him to the widow (8), and so on. What will happen to God’s word? Will it come to nothing?

We saw the LORD’s command - to the most unlikeliest of people. Now look at verse 13 - if you had this on its own, it would seem a bit insensitive, wouldn’t it? Elijah says to the woman, go on ahead and make your final meal, but give me some of it first! Can you imagine someone bursting onto death row and interrupting a prisoner’s final meal by asking for a piece of the steak and a scoop of his mashed potato?

Thankfully Elijah doesn’t just stop at verse 13. Rather he carries on, and delivers a promise to the woman, direct from the living God: ‘For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’ This is the word of the LORD - God says it, God promises it, and will she believe it?

You see, the widow has to obey by hearing God’s promise and acting upon it. God never changes - it has always been this way. How was Noah saved when the flood came on the earth? He heard God’s promise and acted upon it, building the ark. How did Abraham receive a son in his old age? He heard God’s promise and acted upon it. How do we receive the miracle of sins forgiven and peace with God? We hear God’s promise and act upon it, trusting in the Lord for salvation.

We see (in verse 15) that the widow did as Elijah had said. She uses the flour and the oil and makes supper; but the next day she goes and there’s still some flour and some oil. And the next, and the next. It’s not that God dumped a couple of hundredweight bags of flour at her back door; nor emptied the shelves of Tesco with all the olive oil so that she was tripping over the boxes and bottles in the garage. No. No matter how much she used, there was always some left in the jar of flour and the jug of oil. Enough for each day, and new every morning. As Jesus would later teach us to pray, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’

As I’ve said, it may not have been the most spectacular miracle, yet it was sufficient for this widow and her son, so that they did not die, and so that the prophet Elijah was sustained in preparation for the showdown with the prophets of Baal in the next chapter.

So how do we apply our passage? We can’t necessarily make the direct application from him to us that if Elijah ensured that supplies didn’t run out then our cupboards won’t ever be empty either if we’re trusting the Lord. Remember there were many other people trusting in the LORD, and (e.g.) 100 of them were living in a cave (18:4)! Nor can we say that God will definitely do miracles for us if we’re in danger of starving.

So what was the purpose of the miracle here? As we find right through the Bible, the purpose of miracles is to testify to the certainty of God’s word. That’s why they’re not evenly spread, with an average number in each of the books of the Bible - rather, they are concentrated on the key moments of salvation history - e.g. the Passover (plagues, death of firstborn, crossing Red Sea, etc), and most importantly, when the Lord Jesus is on earth. If you remember John’s Gospel, the miracles are signs that point to Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing (God’s word!) we have life in his name.

Here in the passage, we find that the miracle points to the trustworthiness of God’s word, and proves that Elijah is the Lord’s servant/prophet. While we’re not told what happens for the period of time Elijah stays with her family, we can be sure that Elijah was teaching her about the LORD.

Look back to verse 12. She greeted him by saying ‘As the LORD your God lives’ - she knows Elijah represents the living God, but doesn’t claim him for herself. As this miracle continues day after day, we’re told at the end of the passage this was ‘according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.’ And, if I can cheekily sneak into next week’s passage, at the end of the chapter, the woman declares ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.’ (24)

The miracle affirms the word of the LORD, and brings this foreigner to know the LORD, the God of Israel. This was the LORD’s purpose here, so that, as Jesus is being rejected by the Nazareth synagogue congregation that morning in Luke 4, he can point to this woman as a sign of one coming to know the LORD and experiencing God’s grace, rather than the Israelites who thought they were all right without God, who just wanted to see a miracle but not God’s word. ‘Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.’ (Luke 4:24-26)

So what about us and our desire for miracles? God may well act in a miraculous way - he is God, after all, but we cannot force him to do what we want or expect. Rather, we have the miracles of Jesus pointing to who Jesus is - we’re called to respond to his word (and actions), rather than expecting something ‘new’ in these last days. The miracle we’ll see is lives being changed as they hear Jesus’ words and works which point to who he is, and what he provides.

As we’ve seen, what God commands, God accomplishes, so that his word is true, and his purposes are completed. When we hear God’s word, our part is to trust and obey, and see the fulfillment of all God’s promises to us in Jesus Christ.

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 9th January 2011.

Sermon Audio: 1 Kings 16:29-17:7

On Sunday night past, I was preaching in a new series on the life of Elijah from 1 Kings, with the first sermon on Ahab's Wickedness. Here's how it sounded.

Sermon: 1 Kings 16:29 - 17:7 Ahab's Wickedness

Things aren’t how they used to be. Morals are declining, and wickedness is increasing. The leaders of the nation are found to be as bad as each other, and probably getting worse. While you could say this about Northern Ireland in 2011, it is actually the description of life in Israel in the 9th Century BC (roughly 870 BC).

The Promised Land is in disarray, divided into two parts. After David and Solomon died, Solomon’s son Rehoboam was foolish, leading to a rebellion, so that his kingdom was divided into two kingdoms (and here’s where the confusion comes:) - Judah and Israel. Judah continues to have the son of David on the throne (God, having promised that David’s line would continue - see Matthew 1 and Jesus’ genealogy), while Israel has been in a real mess.

When Ahab takes the throne, he’s the seventh king in 36 years, in the fourth family dynasty. Very briefly, there was Jeroboam and his son Nadab, then a rebellion, Baasha and his son Elah, then a rebellion. Zimri, who reigned for seven days, then another rebellion, and Omri and his son Ahab. Our current royal family can trace their ancestry back hundreds of years, with the one family ruling throughout - there have been four different families within 36 years.

So there has been a lot of political intrigue, conspiracies, murders - a film maker could have a field day with these stories! But sadly, these kings aren’t any improvement on the previous dynasty. Rather than getting better, it appears they’re getting worse.

The first king of this new Israel, Jeroboam had set up shrines and altars in Dan and Bethel, so that the people of Israel wouldn’t go up to Jerusalem, to the temple (which was in Judah). It was an attempt to worship God, but not in the way God had provided. If that wasn’t bad enough, all the following kings used that as a foundation for their own wickedness. So of Baasha, the Bible says ‘He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.’ (1 Kings 15:34).

Then we get to Ahab, the king in our passage tonight, and we find that he’s a first class sinner; top of the league of evil: ‘And Ahab did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.’ What was it he did? How was he more wicked?

‘And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshipped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah.’ (31-33)

Ahab, the king of Israel, the leader of the people of Israel, the people of God, didn’t just continue to encourage people to offer false worship at the shrines in Israel (rather than going up to Jerusalem to the God-appointed temple), that was just a light thing for him. That was child’s play, very easy. He went so much further, marrying into the Sidonian royal family (of Tyre and Sidon, Israel’s close neighbours and enemies), and started to worship Baal, even building a temple for Baal in the middle of his capital city, and making an Asherah - a wooden pole set up beside the Baal altar dedicated to the ‘wife goddess’ of Baal.

Baal was the name of the Canaanite nature deity, the small g god who was supposedly responsible for weather. If you were planting crops, you would want to keep him on your good side so that those plants would succeed. Asherah was the goddess of fertility, again important for your crops.

We see the end result of Ahab’s actions in verse 33 - ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.’ Ahab’s outstanding wickedness provokes the LORD to anger. Why was God angry? Well, did you notice how God was described there? The LORD, the God of Israel - the capital letter covenant Lord, the one who has sole ownership, and total rights over Israel his people. Yet Ahab is seeking to have God and Baal. But to add another god is to take away from God. It’s as if you’re hedging your bets rather than being totally committed to the Lord.

Ahab made room for Baal, for this false god, and gave him space in Samaria. You may never have been tempted to go off and worship Baal, or make an Asherah. Yet even if you’re a Christian, are there areas of your life that you make room for sin? Are there habits that are forming which will lead you away from the Lord? Are there things that you give your money or time to which will harm and hurt you rather than help you?

We can’t know for sure why Ahab pursued this wickedness. Perhaps it was to create an alliance with Sidon, to make himself more secure in case of war. Maybe he was promoting inter-faith participation (to keep everyone happy). He may even have been thinking to himself, well, we hear all this talk about God, but he isn’t doing anything.

Already we’ve seen in our passage that God, rather than not seeing or not caring, is still committed to his covenant people. Ahab was doing evil ‘in the sight of the LORD’ - God has been watching him; so that Ahab is provoking the LORD. The last verse of chapter 16 might look as if it’s a bit random, a bit out of place, but it reminds us again that God does keep his promises (of judgement as well as of blessing), no matter how long it takes to happen.

Back in Joshua 6, after Joshua had led the people into the promised land; and they had conquered Jericho by marching around the city and blowing the trumpets and shouting; after all that, Joshua had declared the curse on the rebuilding of the city. ‘Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.’ (Joshua 6:26)

Jericho had remained in ruins through the time of the Judges, and the kings until now, when God’s long ago promise and warning of judgement came to pass. We’re not told how they died, but both Abiram and Segub died when their father Hiel built up Jericho. God sees, and God brings judgement.

Often, we only think of God’s judgement coming at the end of time, on the day of judgement, but the Bible reminds us time and again that God can judge, rebuke, discipline before the end. We see it here, as the prophet Elijah comes and stands before king Ahab. Look at 17:1. ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’

Quite a dramatic debut in the Bible, don’t you think? His first words, and they are explosive! Elijah is declaring that the Lord, the God of Israel (note again the full title!) is alive - that God is in charge. More than that, that Elijah is his servant, ‘before whom I stand’. To show this and prove this, it’s as if Elijah has turned off the taps of rain and dew, until he says so again. You might think Baal gives the rain - I know that God does, and so he won’t until I say!

We’ve seen problems with water supply over the last few days - either too much through burst pipes, or not enough with shortages and interruptions in service, but this has been for a week or so. There will be no more water until Elijah says so!

Immediately Elijah heads off into hiding, obeying God’s command to go to the brook Cherith, on the other side of the Jordan. There, God’s servant is provided with meals on wings - the ravens bring him meat and bread twice a day, and he drinks the water from the brook. Look at verse 5: Elijah ‘went and did according to the word of the Lord.’

Over the coming weeks we’ll see what happens, as the situation becomes more desperate, as Elijah confronts Ahab once more, and stands for God in the midst of opposition. But what can we take from tonight’s reading?

We’ve already thought about how God knows what is happening - God sees, and will act in his time. Perhaps you’re frustrated with how the country is going, and wish God would do something - he knows, he will act against the wicked. Or maybe you look at the Church of Ireland or Anglican Communion and wonder what is going on. God knows what wickedness is going on - judgement will come!

God is in control, yet he may be wanting you to stand out and stand up for him in some of these situations. Are there ways you can use your influence or position to stand for God’s truth? You may not be the one who is up front in a public way, and yet you can still stand for God and serve him faithfully.

Over in the New Testament, James is writing about prayer, and says ‘The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.’ To illustrate, he points to our passage tonight - ‘Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.’ (James 5:16-17)

Before Elijah stood in front of King Ahab and declared the rain would cease, he stood before the King of Kings in fervent prayer. When faced with many circumstances and problems and opposition, we’re likely to act first and pray later. With Elijah, it was pray, then act.

In praying, we please the Lord, praying according to his will. Let us pray that we will pray, and seek God’s glory, and not provoke the LORD to anger.

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church on Sunday 2nd January 2011.

Sermon: 1 Timothy 6:2-10 Do Not Covet

We’ve reached the final commandment, and you might think that it’s all a bit irrelevant these days. After all, who speaks of coveting now - it all sounds a bit old fashioned, especially if you’re talking about coveting your neighbour’s man servant or donkey. Consider these examples:

Meet Christian Louboutin. The designer who’s given us the shoe women covet, celebrities rock and divas sing about

Since I heard the news of actor Sanjay Dutt buying a new Rolls Royce Ghost for his wife, I can’t help but covet this car a tad more, what with Sanjay Dutt being my favorite actor and all. Excessive lust - the pent up energy it seems has to be penned.

Had Spain not filed an excellent case for staging the event he and England covet? (Beckham and that World Cup story...)

I really covet the Oliver Spencer one [coat], but my friend Gove already has it.

All of those came from the national newspapers over the past week (among others!). The notion of coveting is alive and well right across the land. There’s even a women’s fashion website called covet.com which suggests the latest fashions celebrities are wearing, and where to buy them from.

But you might be asking yourself, what does it mean to covet? Just as the examples at the start all expressed some sort of desire to have something that someone else has; so we find that in the original commandment as well. It is discontentment with what he have - being dissatisfied with our own possessions compared to someone else’s. You remember in previous weeks how some of the commandments were very brief - you shall not kill, just four words. When it comes to the tenth commandment, it’s a lot more specific, with lots of examples - house, wife, servants, ox, donkey, or anything that your neighbour has.

Why is do not covet one of the ten? Why did it make it in? Sometimes you see in the newspapers or on the internet the ‘ten commandments of journalism’ or blogging, or athletics or whatever it is. Or there’ll be a feature on the ten commandments for a new millennium - with things like recycling, and just being nice to people. If you were compiling the ten commandments, what would be in your list? Would coveting still be there?

It turns out that do not covet is the perfect end to the ten commandments, it perfectly rounds them off, and is the key to at least the second half, and perhaps even all of them. Last week we looked at Colossians 3, and right in the middle of our passage, there was that little phrase ‘and covetousness, which is idolatry’ (Colossians 3:5). So to covet is to worship stuff, and not God - so the commandments finish as they begin, challenging our worship. What or whom will we worship?

But more than that, we come to realise that, as Motyer puts it, the tenth commandment ‘is the interpreting clause of the whole Decalogue’ (Ten words), because to covet is the point at which every breach of the law begins.

Do you remember King David’s sorry series of episodes when he committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:4) and then when she’s pregnant, David murders Uriah by placing him in the worst part of the battle and withdrawing his soldiers to leave him defenceless (2 Sam 11:15)? How did that all begin? David saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof, and coveted his neighbour’s wife.

Or in 1 Kings 21, when King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel bear false witness against Naboth by accusing him falsely (10), then have Naboth killed (13), and steal Naboth’s vineyard (16). Where did that all begin? Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard (1-4).

Far from being the last and the least of the commandments, it’s actually the key to the rest. Just think for a moment of a time when you coveted something that a friend or neighbour had - something that you really wanted. It may not have been their male servant or female servant; nor their ox or donkey, but it must have been something they had. Maybe it was their house, their car, their mobile, their results, holidays, image, family, security, heat (in this cold weather!), health, garden, popularity, friends. What happened? You probably saw it, then wanted it, then the desire gripped you, and it drove your thoughts, your words, and maybe even your actions. [James says ‘each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire...’ (James 1:14)]

Your thoughts, words and actions will reveal what it is that you are worshipping - whether God, or something else. Most of the time, indeed, all of the time before we’ve been saved, we will be coveting something - precisely because we are all idolators at heart. Calvin described the heart as the idol factory. We’re all guilty.

As we’ve reminded ourselves every week - and we must never tire of reminding ourselves of the good news of the gospel - Jesus was innocent on this point of the law, he perfectly fulfilled the law, and therefore never coveted. The Son of Man has nowhere to lay down his head - yet he never coveted his neighbour’s house. Jesus had no wife - yet he never coveted his neighbour’s wife. Jesus had to borrow a donkey to ride into Jerusalem - yet he never coveted his neighbour’s donkey.

Because Jesus died for us, for all our sin, including our idolatrous covetousness, we can have forgiveness even in this area of our life. But as we’ve been seeing throughout our series, we’re not just fleeing legalism, but we’re pursuing holiness. Now as Christians, it’s not enough just to abstain from doing evil (as far as we can, through the help of the Holy Spirit), we also turn to positively seek to please the Lord by doing good works and obeying the law of Christ.

So it’s not just that we don’t try to covet any more - the gospel gives us a positive alternative to coveting, contentment. (And we’ve finally arrived at 1 Timothy 6!) Look at verse 6. ‘Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment.’ The apostle Paul presents a model of contentment which stands in total opposition to the values and standards of the world we live in. You see, the advertisers (particularly in the run up to Christmas) are fuelled by spreading the message of discontentment and dissatisfaction with what you have. They design the products and the ads to make you say ‘if only I had product x, my life would be complete’ (whether that is a closer shave, or the newest gadget, or Beyonce’s perfume, or a big win on the lottery).

The Christian, however, is called to be content with what you have - as Paul reminds us, it’s a zero sum game. When you’re born, you have zero. When you die, you will have zero, so anything you have now is a bonus! And let’s remember that Paul isn’t writing to Timothy from the lap of luxury - as if he’s saying that once you reach a certain standard of living, have (as Hyacinth Bouquet would say of her sister, “large house, and a 'Mercedes, sauna and room for a pony”), then you can be content. You see, no matter how much we have, we’ll still want just a little bit more! But think where Paul is as he writes to Timothy. He’s not in the Hilton, Rome, or lying by the beach - no, he’s in prison! It’s the same in Philippians 4, where Paul says that ‘I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.’ Location? Prison. What’s the secret? ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ (Phil 4:13) Whether I have a lot, or have little, because Jesus is strengthening me, I can face any situation, I can go through any hardship or circumstances.

As we begin to apply the message, I have to ask - have you learned this secret? Are you learning to be content in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, whether with little or a lot? Here’s a little scenario. Your friend in school turns up tomorrow with the newest, most fantastic mobile that you’ve had your eye on for ages. How do you respond? Is there envy and jealousy; will you allow the seeds of coveting to take root, so that every waking moment you’re plotting and planning how to get the same phone, even if it means not having lunch from now until you finish school, and not contributing anything of your pocket money or part time job earnings to the church or those in need? Or will you say no, that your current mobile is fine, that you don’t need a new one straight away?

Or if you’re watching television, and you see a particular advert. For each of us it will be different, but you know what it will be for you - car / watch / whatever. Will you be taken in by the false promises of the advert, as they claim your life would be better or even complete if you just had this product? Will you daydream about it, setting up an altar in your mind to worship the mini idol? Or will you say to yourself that you do not need it; that the one you have now will do, that God has richly provided you with so many good things that it would be wrong to throw them back in his face and pursue this one thing?

To seek your sanctification in this particular area, to begin to take seriously the command against covetousness and to practice contentment will, in fact, mean that those knock on sins may be reduced - it’s like the domino chain where you set one off and more fall in sequence - if you begin to deal with the first desire, the impulse to covet, then the sequence won’t start.

It’s no wonder that the very last words in John’s first letter are words we need to hear and heed as we seek to live out the tenth commandment, and indeed the whole ten commandments. John writes, very simply, ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols.’ (1 John 5:21). What are your idols? Where are you prone to covet? How will you battle those desires by contentment?

We need God’s help, so let us pray.

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 5th December, rounding off the series in the Ten Commandments.

The Cube

Earlier this evening we were sitting watching TV, when Phillip Schofield's programme came on UTV / ITV1. The Cube is a big glass cube, as the name suggests, and inside, challengers take on The Cube to perform certain tasks for monetary reward. There are memory tasks, balance tasks, ability tasks, and many others. It seems that things which appear very easy in every day life suddenly become very difficult inside The Cube.

The rewards are very profitable - £1000, then £2000, then £10,000, then £20,000, then £50,000, then £100,000, then £250,000. Challengers have nine lives to use in the pursuit of the big money. Compelling viewing as the contestants try to win against the cube's tricks.

When the nine lives run out, the contestant loses all money won so far, although before they begin a particular challenge they can decide if they keep what they have or risk it for the next prize. They enter the cube, and either emerge with a prize, or with nothing.

Reminds me of the cubes in the Bible. The inner sanctuary of the Temple was a cube, as 1 Kings 6:20 tells us: 'The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold.' This is the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, where the High Priest entered once a year, on the Day of Atonement, to make sacrifice for the sins of the people. Entering without the blood of sacrifice would have meant certain death for the High Priest. As it was, he achieved the purification of his people for the year.

However, as the letter to the Hebrews reminds us, this was but an earthly shadow of the reality of the heavenly temple, where the Lord Jesus entered to achieve eternal salvation and satisfaction for sin (Hebrews 9:12). The thing is, though, that in contrast to the television competitors, Jesus never leaves the cube, and has won his eternal prize - the inheritance of all things and the salvation of his people. How do we know he never leaves the cube?

Fast forward to John's vision of eternity in Revelation 21. John is shown the holy city, the new Jerusalem. Revelation 21:16 shows us that 'The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.' Another cube, the eternal dwelling place of the Lord God, where God dwells with his people forever.

Isn't it great how even television programmes can be reminders of the gospel? Phillip Schofield asks if you'll enter the cube. Will you be part of that greater reward in the greater cube of the New Jerusalem?

Mixed Messages?

I wonder if advertisers ever consider the full portfolio of the celebrities they choose to endorse their products. It seems to me that sometimes, the impact of one can harm the possible benefit of another advertisement by the same person.

Take Ulster's own James Nesbitt, also known as Jimmy Nesbitt. His dulcet tones can be heard on the voice-over for the Isle of Man ferry service at 'steam hyphen packet dot com.' Soothing, relaxing, sure the ferry journey itself sounds like a holiday, let alone the time you get to spend on the Isle of Man with its tourist attractions and possibilities.


All very well and good, until you're driving in your car (maybe even to the ferry), when you hear Jimmy's voice-over on another advert. In the advert, he sounds like he's about to be sick, as he complains about the dodgy journey on a boat. Indeed, the only chance the boat has for success is the bottle of bubbly that was smashed on its side for good luck on its maiden voyage. Such odds are slim, compared to the confidence a car buyer can achieve when they buy a car from Network Q, the Vauxhall multi-point check on used cars.

Now, maybe the Isle of Man ferry people haven't heard of the other ad, but it seems to me that if you saw the two adverts together, you would get the impression that the Isle of Man ferry wouldn't be too reliable, and that there's a fair chance of seasickness. And I'm reckoning that they wouldn't be too happy with the implied link.

How about our advertising? Do we manage to make a good show of living for Jesus, advertising his way for most of the week, but then turn around and seem to dismiss him?

Those old words of Elijah ring through the centuries, as clear as ever: 'How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' (1 Kings 18:21)

Jimmy Nesbitt may have to decide between ferries or cars, but the more important question for us is this: Who is your advertising executive? Which 'brand' name will you advertise and live for?

The LORD, he is God! (1 Kings 18)

My Explore Bible reading notes have been working through 1 Kings this year. Today we reach 1 Kings 18, where we read of the contest between the prophets of Baal and Elijah, the prophet of the Lord. Or, to be more accurate, between Baal and the Living God. I've previously blogged about the musical setting of these chapters by Mendelssohn, and it is good to revisit them.

The wider context of the contest on Mount Carmel was Israel's apostasy, led by King Ahab. You see, Ahab had married the daughter of the king of the Sidonians, Jezebel. Jezebel was a worshipper of Baal, and had led the people astray. High places, shrines, and prophets on the civil service. The country was in a mess.

Into this situation, Elijah had spoken God's word, declaring that there would be no rain for some time. Three years into the drought, Elijah appears (having ironically hidden in Jezebel's own land with a widow of Zarephath). When Ahab calls him the troubler of Israel, Elijah turns it around and says that it is actually Ahab who has caused the devastation.

Elijah announces the contest on Mount Carmel, and tells the king to summon the people to attend. On arriving, there are two bulls, one for the multitude of the priests of Baal (and Baal's wife Asherah), and one for Elijah. The one who answers by fire must be God. It is striking to see how Elijah addresses the people:

How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.

It's as if Elijah is saying that it is better to make up your mind, rather than sitting on the fence! It's also a challenge to put your money where your mouth is. If you know God is God, then acknowledge it, and serve him with all that you have. And if you think he isn't, then don't be half-hearted about it! Either God is worth our all, or he isn't worth anything.

Due to the greater numbers, the prophets of Baal and Asherah go first. From morning til noon they pray and sing and dance, calling on Baal to answer, to set the sacrifice on fire. Verse 26 says 'But there was no voice, and no one answered.' What a disappointment. Their god doesn't answer them. Elijah is one of my favourite prophets of all time - I can't wait to see him in heaven. And he shows one of the reasons why I like him so much. Nothing happens, and he gets a bit sarcastic. He urges them to keep up their worship of Baal, to keep crying and calling on him - after all, if he's a god, he should be able to answer. In fact, maybe he's sleeping, on a journey,
or even at the loo. After the afternoon of shouting, and even drawing blood, they draw faint. Once more we read - 'but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.' (1 Kings 18:29). What a damning indictment of the false religion in Israel. The one they looked to, the one they called upon, the one they depended upon for health and fertility and crops. No answer.

Now it's Elijah's turn. In contrast to the noise and blood and extravagance of the prophets of Baal, Elijah moves in quiet simplicity, restoring true worship to Israel, bringing the people back to Yahweh.The altar of the Lord, previously threw down is built up again, with twelve stones for the twelve sons of Jacob. Even this simple move is a telling statement, reminding the people of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Then, a trench is dug around the altar, and four water jars are filled three times each and poured on the sacrifice, altar and flowing into the trench. Humanly speaking, it would be impossible to light the sacrifice. But remember, this was during a time of drought - it hadn't rained for three years, so where did they get the water? It must have been a lengthy process to go down the mountain, fill the jars and pour them out; then again; then again. Don't miss the symbolism again of the twelve jars of water, matching the twelve stones.

Elijah then prays to the LORD. He reminds God who God is, claiming his name, and prays that God will reveal himself to be God again in Israel. There's an interesting phrase at the end of his prayer, and I'll think about it more - 'Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.' What does Elijah mean by 'that you have turned their hearts back'? Has God already turned their hearts back, and it's just up to the people to recognise it? Thoughts welcome.

Anyway - what happens next? Behold the mighty power of God!

Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Not just the bull. Not just the bull and the wood. That would be enough! Yet even the stones and the dust is burnt up and consumed in the fire of the Lord. And all the water is removed as well. What an awesome God we have!

Notice the reaction of the people. No longer do they limp between opinions. Gone is the wavering and doubting and compromising. Instead, they cry aloud, faces in the dust:

The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.

How do we learn from this passage? What can we take with us today and tomorrow? Do we waver between opinions? Are we Christians only when it suits us? Are we believers in church on Sunday, but then become like our colleagues, friends and neighbours the rest of the time? We need to stand up for God, having witnessed his power and his glory.

While we may not see wet sacrifices being consumed, we have a much stronger demonstration of God's power, wisdom and love in the cross of Christ. How can we reflect on the death of Christ and then act as if the Lord is not God? Are we concerned with God's glory, as Elijah was?

One day, all opposition to God's rule will be removed. Every knee will bow, willingly or not, and every created being will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. What about you?

Costly sacrifice

Back to 1 Kings again, and Elijah! Elijah had been told by God to go and call Elisha to be his servant. Elijah found Elisha ploughing fields with his oxen - 12 pairs with Elisha driving the twelfth pair. This means that Elisha was right and well off - having twelve pair ploughing.

So Elijah went up to him, and put his cloak on his shoulders - this was the symbolic way of issuing the call. Elisha immediately sacrificed the twelve pair of oxen, said goodbye to his folks, and went off with Elijah.

There was 'no turning back' in this act of sacrifice and thanksgiving. Elisha was turning his back on his occupation and his livelihood by offering the animals and the tools of ploughing to God. This was commitment, but it was also a costly sacrifice.

There's an incident at the end of 2 Samuel, where David is incited to take a census of the fighting men of Israel. Counting the men wasn't a sin itself (we still have a census today in our nations, for planning and statistics). But counting them to see how strong his army was, was a sin - he would then be tempted to put his trust in the strength of his army, rather than in God. So God sent a plague on the people to punish David - but David repented, and the plague stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. In thankfulness, and in repentance, David asked him to sell him the land so he could build an altar there to God. But Araunah wanted to give it to him for nothing.

David refused, however, and insisted on paying the full price for it: 'I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing' (2 Samuel 24:24). This threshing-floor became the site of the Temple that Solomon built.

In both incidents, costly sacrifice was involved. And for us, too, costly sacrifice is needed for our salvation. Yet salvation is free to us! How is this possible? Because Jesus has paid the price, in giving himself for our sins, and therefore we can benefit freely! Someone once said that this is the heart of God's grace:

God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

Have you come to know Jesus as your Saviour? He offers the riches of heaven, and eternal life with him at no charge to you. Do you know the joy of having your sins forgiven, paid for by the blood of Christ?

No half measures: Elijah on Mount Carmel

Last night in my Bible reading, I was going through the story of Elijah. This is a particular favourite of mine, probably because of the oratorio by Mendelssohn, also called Elijah. The oratorio takes us through the Biblical text of 1 Kings 17-19, with some gems of choruses. It is a marvellous piece of work, and very inspiring.

But anyway, enough about the music - back to the Bible! The title of this posting is what I want to think about for a moment. Sometimes we can give half measures, or we strive for moderation. You know, we want to be involved in church, certainly to go along, but never get too involved - what would our non-Christian friends think of us? We don't want to appear fanatical, or obsessive about the church thing.

Or maybe we can be torn between two competing things, both vying for our attention and devotion. There's a fear among young people that if they become a Christian, then they'll have to give up on the 'good times', that somehow they'll lose out by committing to one thing.

And yet, this is such a common theme through the Bible. In the Old Testament, the people wavered between the LORD God, and whichever other gods were worshipped by the people around them. Sometimes, they even thought they were worshipping God, when in fact it was an idol (see Exodus 32:1-6, where the people asked Aaron to make them a god, because Moses was gone so long up the mountain, meeting with God. He made them a golden calf, saying that it was this calf that had brought them out of Egypt!).

And so, into the kingdom of Israel, Elijah bursts on the scene. Having spoken the word of God, commanding there to be no rain for three years, he certainly had the attention of all the people. He was accused of being a troublemaker in Israel by Ahab the King, but Elijah told Ahab that it was him who was the troublemaker by tolerating and worshipping the false god, Baal.

Elijah summoned the people together on Mount Carmel, where there would be a competition of sorts between Baal and his prophets, and God and Elijah. The challenge was straight and to the point: '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." ' (1 Kings 18:21).

Stop your moderation, and be whole-hearted in your devotion. Pick one, and go with it the whole way. Stop riding two horses! This is also what Jesus was meaning when he confronted the church at Laodicea, in his letter to that church in Revelation 3: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth' (Revelation 3:15,16).

So what happened on Mount Carmel? The prophets of Baal set up their sacrifice, and called on Baal to answer with fire, and prove himself as the true god. And so they danced, sang, shouted from early morning til noon. And? Nothing. No answer. So Elijah taunted them, urging them to call louder, and even cut themselves, as they did in their sacrifices.

From noon til the time of the evening sacrifice, they danced, sang, shouted, cut themselves. And? Nothing. No answer.

Elijah then set about restoring the altar to God, and prepared the sacrifice. Just to prove there were no tricks, he got water poured on the sacrifice several times. Then he humbly called on the Lord. And? 'The fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench' (1 Kings 18:38).

Suddenly, there was no moderation in the people! They had seen with their own eyes which one was the true God - the one who had answered with fire! 'When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD - he is God! The LORD - he is God!" ' (1 Kings 18:39).

Oh that we would heed the words of the Jubilate (Psalm 100): 'Be ye sure that the LORD, he is God' and stick with him! So if you're caught between two devotions at the moment, my prayer is that you will come to see that the LORD, he is God, and that anything else won't satisfy, and that anything else is idolatry and sin.

So, Lord, in my life, be number one, and grant, by your Spirit, that I would worship and serve you all the days of my life.

Dedication?

Something has hit me this past few days in my Bible reading, and has remained with me. So I feel like I should share it. [Members of our YF might like to read it and forget, in case I use it as the basis of a talk in the next few weeks...]

As you probably know, I work for a victims' support group, and we have a magazine we send out to our members every two or three months. On the front cover, there is always a 'quotable quote', a short, snappy memorable statement. To see more examples, click here. But anyway, one from a while back was: 'commitment is doing something long after the feeling in which you agreed to do it has passed.'

Then I read 1 Kings 8, where Solomon dedicated the new temple he had built. He addressed an important comment to the people at the end of the ceremony:

1 Kings 8:56-61 "Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. [57] May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. [58] May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. [59] And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, [60] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. [61] But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."

Obviously the people were caught up in the moment of worshipping God, and were fervent in their worship. They intended, in that instant, to be fully committed to God, and not to wander off to serve other gods. But Solomon warned them that to continue to live in the land, and obtain the blessing of God that they had begun to receive, they had to remain faithful to God, that their hearts 'must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time'. If they were fervent then, they had to continue to be.

Yet, as we read on in 1 Kings, we find that the speaker of those words of warning, Solomon, himself fell foul of them. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (imagine having to put up with all them, and having 700 mothers-in-law!), who led him astray to the worship of false gods. His sin even led to the division of the kingdom into two - Israel and Judah, after his death.

So if Solomon failed in his task, how can we? Events like Summer Madness can be a 'high' in our faith... I heard someone describe their faith as like an electricty cable, held high at the poles, but sagging in the middle - that the events and weekends are like the poles, the high points, and then 'normal' church is the sagging bit...

If we can jump through to Hebrews 10, we might just find some answer.

Hebrews 10:19-25 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. [25] Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The secret to some measure of dedication and commitment is through having support structures to keep us going. God provided us with the main support structure in the church - there are no 'lone rangers' in the Christian faith (and even the Lone Ranger had Tonto with him!) - so we have the family, the community built around us.

So therefore, LET US:
- hold unswervingly to the hope we profess
- consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds
- not give up meeting together
- encourage one another

There's an old song going through my head 'We're in this together' - I don't even know who sings it, but it expresses what I'm trying to say. Dedication and commitment is easier when you have a good group of friends around you, and someone keeping you accountable. Thank you, to all my friends who support and encourage me!