Surviving a Black Swan

August 14, 2016 (062710)   NOTES NOT EDITED

Surviving a Black Swan

1Kings 19

SIS:  You can survive, and thrive, no matter what difficulties you are facing or may face in life by knowing and obeying God's truth.

In 17th century Europe the commonly held belief was that all swans -- large members of the duck family -- were white.  All known swans were white.  All historical records portrayed swans as white.  In the 1600's in Europe, the idea of a black swan was an absolute impossibility. It could never happen.

But, it did.  They discovered black swans in Australia near the end of the 17th century.  They were rare, but black swans did, and do exist.

In an article in the New York Times not many years ago, Nassim Nicholas Taleb coined the phrase, "black swan," to describe an event that had extremely low probability of happening, but it has an extremely great impact when it does.  A black swan is a terrible tragedy that swoops down seemingly out of the blue.

September 11, 2001 was just such a "black swan" event.  Two separate planes crashed into the two twin towers in New York and sent them crashing to the ground.  This was an extremely rare (only time in history) event with extremely grave consequences.

Say you are travelling in a foreign country and all of a sudden you find yourself caught in the crossfire of a military takeover.  That would be a black swan event.  It would be extremely rare, but have a very great impact on your life.  Or, say you were hiking through some beautiful mountain back country and all of a sudden you are surrounded by walls of flames from a lightning ignited wild fire.  That would be a "black swan" event.  Or, you are walking on the beach and you notice the water starting to recede very quickly. A tsunami is coming and you better get ready.  That's a "black swan" event.

Chances are that for most of us we will not get caught in the crossfire during a military coup in a foreign country, get caught in a wild-fire, or swept up in a tsunami.  On the other hand you might find yourself suddenly out of a job.  That would be a "black swan" even for most families.  You might suddenly discover you have cancer.  That would be a "black swan" event.  A loved one might die unexpectedly, and that would be a "black swan" event in your life.  Your own death might be referred to as a “black swan event,” because it is very rare in an individual’s case—it only happens once—but it has very grave consequences—in fact, the consequences are eternal.

What would you do if you were suddenly facing an unexpected tragedy or trial with the potential for enormous unexpected consequences?  How well are you prepared?

Well, you can buy many different books to help you survive a wild-fire, avalanche, or even a tsunami.  There is one book, that gives us insight into surviving the "black swan events" most of us are likely to face.  That book is the Bible.  One example of a person who survived a black swan event is Elijah, the prophet.  Let's read together what God says about surviving "black swans" that swoop unexpectedly into our lives.

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” ³ Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Just one chapter before the Word records Elijah’s miraculous victory over 850 false prophets who were armed with swords and spears. Nothing seems more “unlikely” (a Black Swan) than that a single woman, Jezebel, would have the Great Prophet running for his life and hoping to die.  When we least expect it, “Black Swans” swoop upon us and can cause great harm if we do not know what to do about it.

Now keep your eyes on the text as we continue to examine how Elijah dealt with this devastating, "black swan event" swooped down on his life.  Here's how you survive such an event:

1.  First, Do the Right Thing Next (v 3)

Let's review what had just taken place in Elijah's life.  Chapter 18 describes a phenomenal move of God when God's prophet, Elijah, took a stand against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 counterpart prophets of Ashterah.  That's 850 to 1 odds.  You remember there was a contest set up.  Each side would build an altar and pray.  Elijah would pray to his God, Yahweh.  The false prophets would pray to their God, Baal.  The god who sent fire to consume the altar, would be declared the only true God.

The false prophets of Baal went first.  They prayed, they shouted, they danced and they cut themselves with knives.  No fire.

Then Elijah took his turn. In fact, he soaked the sacrificial altar with water.  He prayed to God and fire came down from heaven engulfing the sacrifice and even consuming the water in the trench around the sacrifice.  Then, in obedience to the law of God, Elijah had the 850 false prophets put to death.

These were Jezebel’s personal prophets.  When she heard from Ahab what had happened to her prophets, she was furious – and that brings us to her violent threat against Elijah.  Jezebel was an extremely wicked lady and she had the means and motive to carry out her threats.

Elijah was worn out by the previous challenge on Mt. Carmel. He was spiritually discouraged because his victory over the false prophets of Baal, apparently had zero affect upon the leadership, and the people, of Israel.  Now, his life was threatened.  Look again at verse 3:

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.

All the Bible characters are examples to us.  In this case, Elijah is an example of “what not to do next when a black swan event happens.”

Jezebel had already given him ample warning.  He was in no immediate danger, but he panicked. Survival of any tragedy usually depends on the “next thing you do after the tragedy hits.”  Let me say, panicking is not the right thing to do next.  When you train and prepare ahead of tragedy, you raise the odds that your “next action” will be the “right” action.  King David understood the importance of learning to “think God’s thoughts” by memorizing Scripture:

“How can a young man keep his way pure . . . Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God” (Ps. 119:9,11).

What is the “right thing to do next” if you are faced with some tragic event in your life.  It is simple:  pray.  Elijah was a spiritual giant one day, and was running from a wicked lady the next.  He did not just run away – he ran over 90 miles south! This was days of running.  And, note this:  the further he ran, the worse his attitude got.  At the end of his running we read: (4b)

He came to a broom tree, sat down under it

and prayed that he might die.

When faced with a black swan event, you must to the “right thing next,” and that is “pray.”  If you are being chased by a bear, you might want to pray while your running—but pray!  Now, Elijah did finally get around to praying, but now he was so discouraged that he wanted to die.  For Elijah, prayer was a “last resort,” rather than his “first resource.”  When the next thing you do when tragedy strikes is not “praying” to seek God’s guidance and assistance, you are going to make things much worse than they could be.

The worst thing a person can do when a Black Swan hits, it take matters into one’s own hand.  We cannot control most of the events in our lives--we can only control our response.

This notice appeared in the window of a coat store in Nottingham, England: "We have been established for over 100 years and have been pleasing and displeasing customers ever since. We have made money and lost money, suffered the effects of coal nationalization, coat rationing, government control and bad payers. We have been cussed and discussed, messed about, lied to, held up, robbed and swindled. The only reason we stay in business is to see what happens next.“ 

When you become a person of prayer and a bowed head and bended heart is the default position of your life, you can look to the future with great expectation regardless of what you currently may be facing.  You can say with this shop keeper:  I am waiting to see what happens next.  As Isaiah pointed out many years ago,

^26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

When the Black Swan swoops down upon your life, what you do next, determines whether the outcome will be positive, or negative.  The right thing to to do next is always:  pray.

Another survival tip is this:

2.  Get It Before You Need It (4; 5-8)

while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. ⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

I think it goes without saying that the best time to prepare for a potential crisis is before it happens.

Just a few years ago as the world watched the beginning game of the World Series in San Francisco there was suddenly an interruption of the opening interview. The screen blinked and went blank. When the program resumed: A Special News Bulletin. The San Francisco metropolitan area had experienced a serious earthquake. We all watched the live pictures as the huge fire in the Marina area burned. A remote camera crew was there and we saw the firemen fighting the fires. The scene I remember the most, however, was a group of people standing around just looking at the destruction and looking at the fire.

 All of a sudden a cop came up to the crowd and yelled out to them: What are you people doing just standing there. You must get prepared immediately. Go home and fill your bathtubs up with water. Be prepared to live without city services for 72 hours. The sun will set in another hour and your time is running out. Go and get prepared.

We all know that a major quake is coming to California. It is only a matter of time.  The best way to survive this next quake is to prepare now.

This is true spiritually, as well as physically.  Sooner or later a Black Swan is going to swoop into your life.  It will be unexpected and the consequences will be great.  You need to “Get “it” now” Before you need “it.”

So, what is “it.”  “It” is a deep and abiding relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  I’m not talking some superficial salvation experience that will get you into the Kingdom of God by the skin of your teeth.  I’m talking about a relationship with God so rock solid that not even a California earthquake can cause your life to shift.

Elijah didn’t have this type of relationship, as much as he should have.  He was great when performing before a crowd, as on Mt. Carmel, but when the battle got real personal, he was knocked down and almost counted out.  Notice verses 5-7:

⁵ Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

Elijah needed nourishment.  Twice an angel fed him.  Elijah was malnourished.  Our bodies just cannot function without rest and refueling on a regular basis.  But, notice something in verse 10:

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

Elijah needed more than just physical nourishment.  He was malnourished spiritually. His heart was completely discouraged and his spirit was like a limp rag.  God had become like a stranger to Elijah and he felt lonely and abandoned.  Look what God does:
11-13

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Elijah had allowed his relationship with God to grow weak.  He had lost the ability to hear God’s voice. It is always the case:  when we allow our relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ to fall into the chasm of apathy, we will be ill prepared to deal with the Black Swans that will surely come our way.  We will end up completely discouraged and sitting on the side-line of live – or worse, in a cave of self-pity.

Brothers and sisters, you need to keep the flame of your love for God burning briskly.  Every time you read the Word, pray, fellowship with others, worship, and work for the Lord, you are preparing for the time when the Black Swan swoops into your life. Likewise, every time you miss a sermon, miss an opportunity to worship with God’s family, or you miss a day reading and meditating on God’s Word, you are risking not being prepared when the Black Swan swoops down into your life.

Get “it” – that is a deep, soul-consuming, life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ – before you need it.  Get “it” now.  Don’t leave here this morning until you absolutely sure that you can hear God when He speaks to you.

3.  Give In, But Never Give Up (v 19, "so")

⁹ So Elijah departed (ESV)

When a Black Swan event happens in your life, and you have established a connection with God through prayer, you need to take stock of your situation.  To overcome your circumstances you must give in to the fact that you cannot do anything about your circumstances – at least not immediately.

Iraqi journalist Ahmed Abdullah, like many others, realized the importance of “giving in” to one’s circumstances, but never “giving up.”  For years he covered the battles raging in the Middle East.  War and strife became a way of life for him.  He talked about giving in, but never giving up.  He said, “If you [become] afraid, then you have to lock yourself inside your house.  But, if you want to keep on living, then you must forget about your fears and deal with death as something that is a must, something that’s going to happen. Whatever you do, you are not going to change [your circumstances].”

I’ve walked with so many people over the years that have had Black Swan experiences.  Some simply could not accept the circumstances they were in.  They were consumed with asking the question “why, why why?”  At first this is a natural reaction, but if it is prolonged, you will end up becoming negative. All survival manuals will tell you that one key to survival is maintaining a positive attitude.  Accept your circumstances—give in—but remain steadfast in your trust in God that He will bring you through.  Notice how poorly Elijah performed in this regard:  (verse 10)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

By the time Elijah uttered these words he was at least 600 miles away from Jezebel and the “24 hour” promise to kill him had long expired, but his negative talk had convinced him he could not survive.

There was a day when boxing matches lasted until one man could not get up.  There was no time limit.  One great boxer who had become a champion (his name escapes me) was asked by a reporter, “What is your secret to winning?”  The boxer said, “My plan is quite simple:  Fight one more round.”

When a Black Swan hits, and it will, a major key to survival is to “give in, but never give up.”

4. Look for Ways to Serve Others vv 15-20a

⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”  ¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah.

Of the survival tips I’ve shared so far from the life of Elijah, none is more important than, “Doing the Right Thing Next,” which is pray.

The second most important survival tip when a Black Swan event happens is this:  “Look for Ways to Serve Others.”  I cannot tell you how important this principle is.  Elijah is a perfect example of what happens when you become so fixated on your own problems that you cannot see anything else.  Look in verses 9-10:

⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

If you are currently paralyzed by some event or circumstance in life that has you cowering in a dark cave, drowning in a pool of self-pity let me repeat God’s Word to Elijah:

“What are you doing here?”

A cave of self-pity and discouragement is no place for a child of God.  The problem with fueling your life with self-centeredness or self-pity is that it perpetuates your problems and makes matters worse. 

God set Elijah right back into the ministry that he had run from.  Elijah may have been finished with himself, but God was not finished with him.  In fact, the greatest ministry Elijah would ever perform in his ministry was the calling of Elisha: (19-20a). [ABOVE]

Christians are saved to serve.  You will never reach your full potential or be able to survive—and thrive—in the midst of a Black Swan if you are not 100% committed to serving others in the name of God.

I believe this is a very important message for all of us this morning.  Chances are that the worst thing that ever happened to us, may not have happened yet.  There may yet be a Black Swan event in our future.

Will we survive—and even thrive—when this event happens?  I certainly believe we can and we will if obediently apply these four tips to our lives:

·         Do the Right Thing Next:  Pray.

·         Get “It” Before You Need “It”:  A dynamic relationship with God through a daily walk with Christ.

·         Give in, but Never Give Up!

·         Look for Ways to Serve Others.

Dangerous Faith

August 7, 2016             NOTES NOT EDITED
Dangerous Faith

1Kings 18:16-46

SIS: Dangerous times calls for dangerous faith that destroys the enemies of God and extends the Kingdom of God on earth.

I’m not much of an Austin Powers fan. His humor is crude and infantile. I have caught scenes from his movies from time to time while channel surfing myself to sleep some nights. In one scene in the movie, “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997),” Austin Powers, a wannabe, bumbling secret agent tries to impress a young lady. In the exchange, a man mistakenly refers to Powers as, “Danger Powers.” Austin Powers looks over at the lady he is with and said, “No, no. My name is Austin Powers.” Then slower with emphasis he says, “Danger is my middle name.”

When one wants to impress another by demonstrating a particular virtue they possess, they use the phrase, “[Blank] is my middle name.” The blank may include anything from courage to comedy to

“Porpoise,” as in “Porpoise is my middle name” from Victor Durham’s book, “The Submarine Boys’ Trial Trip” (1909).

We all live in a very dangerous world these days. Some days as I watch the news it seems as if the whole world is about to explode under the pressure of evil. I know it is not a popular sentiment, but it seems that even this great nation of ours is about to implode from the external pressures of evil all around us as we plunge deeper into the abyss of godlessness. I know that sounds alarmists, but if the building is on fire, then pulling the alarm seems the right thing to do.

Twenty-two years ago I first preached from a text in 1Kings 18, beginning in verse 16. I was fascinated by the courage of the Prophet Elijah as he faced off with 450 false prophets of Baal (and 400 prophets of Asherah, Baals female counterpart). This was a life or death challenge when Elijah threw down the gauntlet before 850 sword wielding private puppets of the evil King and Queen, Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah’s only weapon would be prayer.

I can easily imagine Elijah repeating the line, “Danger is my middle name.”  When we leave today, I hope each of us will say with great confidence, “Danger is my middle name.”  At that the gates of hell will tremble.

Lets’ read about Elijah’s dangerous game on Mt. Carmel (20-40)

What Elijah accomplished that day under the most dangerous circumstances is nothing less than miraculous.  Miraculous is a word that is perhaps used to often and too broadly, much like the word, hero.  But, miraculous applies to Elijah in every sense of the world.

I believe the same miraculous power God exhibited in Elijah’s life that day is available for each of us today.  Daring discipleship even in the face of great danger makes us a danger to the evil forces that would seek to destroy our world, and steal the souls of men, women, and children.  Even in the face of danger, we can experience the miraculous power of God.

Dangerous faith has three components.

1.  First, Dangerous Faith Makes the Right CHOICE (16-22)

¹⁶ Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?”  ¹⁸ He replied, “I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands  and followed the Baals.  ¹⁹ Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel,  along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah  who eat at Jezebel’s table.” ²⁰ So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?  If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.”  But the people didn’t answer him a word. ²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord,  but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

Verse 16 mentions, Ahab, the King of Israel (the Northern Ten Tribes).  Ahab holds the distinction of being the “most wicked king” in Israel’s history. One great preacher in a famous sermon titled, “Pay Day Someday,” called Ahab, “That vile human toad that squatted on the throne of Israel.” Ahab had won the honor of “Most Wicked King,” from another wicked King named, “Omri.” Omri happened to be Ahab’s father.  Omri arranged the marriage of his son to Jezebel, a very wicked woman from the pagan nation of Tyre.  Together, Ahab and Jezebel raised wickedness and idolatry to a new high—or should I say, new low.  450 prophets of Baal served in the court of Ahab.  The female counterpart of Baal was Asherah.  400 false prophets of Asherah enjoyed dining with the wicked queen, Jezebel (v19).

Those are the players on the side of evil.  An evil king.  An evil queen. 450 evil prophets of Baal.  400 evil prophets of Asherah.  On God’s side, one lonely prophet named Elijah.  The deck seemed terribly stacked against good.  We see this same situation today.

As we think of the number of cases at the Supreme Court that have gone against the righteous precepts of God’s Word.  Think of 1962 in the case, Engel versus Vitale.  The court decision removed prayer from public schools.  A year later in Abington Township School District v. Schempp the court outlawed Bible reading in public schools.  These attacks upon faith laid the foundation for the worst decision of the Court in the history of America, Roe versus Wade, 1972.  Now, the Court removed the right to life for an unborn child.  Closer to our day we have seen the Court stand against traditional marriage and promoting gay rights.  We will soon see the Court officially declare that man and woman are archaic categories and should be—and will be—illegal in our country.  It certainly seems that there are more false prophets of Baal and Asherah setting the course for our nation that prophets of Almighty God.

More and more we see the political and judicial machine of our nation line up on the side of evil against the Church.

A crowd had gathered that day watching what was taking place.  They saw the teams line up to prepare for a fight.  850 false prophets carrying knives and swords (we will learn later) and an old prophet who was hated by Ahab because Elijah had prophesized a draught three year earlier.  Israel, under the curse of God, was in a desperate situation.  Baal was the fertility god but as the people looked around barren soil parched by years of draught, they were open to perhaps changing sides.  In other words, their allegiance was a wavering as a feather in a windstorm.  They had been with God.  Then they switched to Baal, and now they were wavering somewhere in the middle.  Elijah turned to them and said (verse 21),

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions?  If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.”

The Bible records the crowds response, “But the people didn’t answer.”  Why, because they felt safer not making a choice until they saw who came out on top—and looking at 850 armed false prophets lined up against 1 prophet of God, the people had their doubts.

The people choose to “not choose” which is itself a choice.  Many people live as if there are three choices in life:  1. Choose to follow the evil ways of the world; or 2) Simply avoid choosing and simply waver back and forth as the situation in life requires; and 3) to stand boldly for God and daringly defiant of the wicked ways of the world. 

In fact there are only two groups in life—and in eternity.  There are sheep who boldly live for God and goats who either live in open rebellion or simply fail to accept the free gift of eternal life that God offers through Jesus Christ.  The Bible makes this clear,

^{Matt.25   31} “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels  ^s 5with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  ³² All the nations  ^v will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  ³³ He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom  prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

God or Baal.  Heaven or Hell.  Only one choice is the “right” choice.

It is not possible to “sit on the fence” in regard to the offer of salvation God makes to each of us.  The Fence separating the lost man from the man of faith is very strong . You can't bust through in your own strength; you must go through the gate.  The fence is also very thin.  No one can walk on this fence for very long.  Sooner or later you come down on one side or the other.  You must make a choice . . . INDECISION IS AS DEADLY AS OPEN REBELLION!

I stood alone at the bar of God // in the hush of the twilight dim.

And faced the question which pieced my heart?

What will you do with Him?

Crowned or Crucified?  Which shall it be,

No other choice was offered me

I knelt in tears at the feet of Christ // In the hush of the twilight dim.

And all that I was, or hoped or sought, // Surrendered unto Him.

Dangerous faith starts with the choice to accept God’s gift of eternal life and engage in bold faith daringly defying the minions of evil.

2.  Dangerous Faith Takes Necessary Chances (23-39)

What Elijah does that day on Mt. Carmel almost defies description.  There was only one outcome that would be certain after Elijah’s challenge:  death.  Either he was going to die or the 850 false prophets with swords were going to die, and the crowd was probably putting their money on the false prophets. Elijah was either bold and daring or hopelessly naïve and soon-to-be dead.  Here’s Elijah’s bold challenge:

²³ Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh.  The God who answers with fire, He is God.”

Let me repeat something you have heard me say several times.  There is no safe road to heaven.  The key to eternal life was forged in the shape of a cross.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us of the path that we must walk as bold believers daringly defying the minions of evil.  The NLT gives us a clear understanding of Isaiah’s exhortation:

^{Isaiah 43:2(NLT)}  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you

Notice that Isaiah says, “when,” not “if.”  When you pass through deep waters; when you go through rushing rivers; and when you walk through the fire of oppression.  Not if, but when.  There is not safe path to heaven.  All roads to heaven must pass through the cross. 

Satan is not the worst enemy to faith, safety is.  When we seek safety we sacrifice obedience.  Jesus told a story that story that illustrates this point (Luke 19:12-  NLT):

¹² He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. ¹³ Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver,* saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ ¹⁴ But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ ¹⁵ “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. ¹⁶ The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’

¹⁷ “ ‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ ¹⁸ “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ ¹⁹ “ ‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’ ²⁰ “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. ²¹ I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’  ²² “ ‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, ²³ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

²⁴ “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’

This parable sets out the expectations Jesus has for those who claim to be His followers.  Jesus, the Nobleman in this story, is describing the time between when He leaves this world and when He returns, or what we call, “The Church Age.”  What does Jesus expect us to do with the new life He freely gives us through grace?  He says, “Invest this for me while I am gone” (v13).  People confuse the fact that salvation is free with the idea that salvation has no cost.  The fact that salvation is free does not mean it is easy.

Now, everything in the parable suggests that the third servant was quite sincere.  He “thought” he was doing the right thing because he based his practice on his perceptions, not God’s proclamation.  Jesus said, “invest,” not “protect.”  Jesus said, “take bold chances and trust me.” Any time we “invest” there is the chance of loss. 

Elijah was investing his life in service to God and, as far as he could see from a human perspective, it was more than likely he would not come down off that mountain alive.  But, he choose to serve God not seek his own safety.

Dangerous faith is dangerous because it takes necessary chances.

3.  Dangerous Faith Enjoys a Great Celebration (41-45)

Verse 26 tells us that the false prophets “called upon Baal from morning to noon, but Baal never answered.  They danced ecstatically calling out in loud voices.  Baal never answered.  After several hours Elijah pours salt into their wounded worship by saying, “Shout louder!  Maybe Baal’s in deep thought, or has wandered away (euphemism for relieving oneself), or travelling” (v27).

This sent the false prophets into a frenzy so that “slashed themselves with swords . . . until their blood flowed” (v28).  Still, no fire and no answer from Baal. 

Then Elijah took the stage, so to speak.  Just for heightened affect, Elijah floods the sacrifice and the altar with water (vv 32-34).  He floods the altar not just once; not twice; but three times!  Elijah wanted to make sure that when the altar burst into flames it could only be by the Hand of Almighty God and not spontaneous combustion—or some other such naturalistic explanation.

Then, verse 36, says Elijah prayed.  I said earlier that the prophets of Baal and Asherah were armed with swords and spears, and Elijah stood alone.  Well, that is true from a human perspective, but from a faith perspective we are never alone when we are standing for—and with—Almighty God!  And, we never face the forces of evil without being armed.  Like Elijah, we are armed with prayer!  This could easily be an entire sermon all by itself.  As someone has wisely said, “The child of God can do great things when they pray, but can do nothing of note UNTIL they pray!” Prayer plugs a believer into the power of Almighty God—and what great power that is!

BOOM!  THE FIRE FELL!

³⁸ Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw it, they fell facedown  and said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!”

God’s fire fell to consume the sacrifice and His judgment fell to consume the false prophets who had led Israel into evil, chaos, and hardship.  Look at verse 40:

⁴⁰ Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal!  Do not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon  and slaughtered them there.

Make no mistake about this:  those that rebellion against God and refuse the salvation He offers freely by His grace, will face an eternity of torment—I don’t like to point this out, but as they say, “That’s a fact Jack!”

The people of Israel were ecstatic and responded with worshipful hearts to God when the fire of God’s promise fell at the behest of God’s prophet.  But . . . now listen to this . . . the story isn’t over!

Remember I said that Ahab hated Elijah because Elijah prophesied over three months of drought.  Crops had dried up.  People were hungry.  The economy was as dry as burnt toast.  People desperately prayed for rain, hoping that Baal, the fertility god, would send it.  He didn’t send rain.  In fact, the earth continued to dry and die.

Now, look what happens when the people finally surrender to Yahweh, the Only True God.

⁴¹ Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.” ⁴² So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel.  He bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees.  ⁴³ Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” ⁴⁴ On the seventh  time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ”

⁴⁵ In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour.

The parched dry soil of Israel received the abundance of life-giving rain.  The tattered, torn, bruised, and hope starved people soon would celebrate a bumper crop of joy!

When God’s people make a solemn, absolute choice to obey God and not man; and when God’s people step out with bold, daring, dangerous faith to challenge the minions of evil in our world; then, God will send His blessings like, “a downpour.” This reminds us of
Malachi’s promise (Mal. 3:10):

Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.

Specifically, Malachi is referencing the giving of the tithe, but broadly Malachi 3:10 speaks of living a life of bold, daring, dangerous faith in general.

The one who makes the choice and takes the chance enjoys the celebration.

Close:  Earlier I said that what Elijah accomplished on Mt. Carmel in the face of great danger was nothing short of miraculous.  Let me add this:  nothing short of the miraculous is going to turn your life around.  Nothing short of God invading your life miraculously with His grace, will bring lasting and meaningful change in your life.  The same is true for our nation.  Nothing short of a miraculous intervention by God will save our nation.  My fear is this:  do we really believe God will miraculously send His fire from heaven?

 I am encouraged about a story I read over two decades ago. ARNOLD LEMERAND was getting out of his car on this Sunday near a construction site where young children were playing.  He realized something was wrong.  An 1800 lb. cast iron pipe had rolled off the stack and pinned 5 year-old Philip Toth underneath.  He was not immediately crushed because the ground was soft.  But, he was suffocating.  Arnold looked around for help. No one was around but the children.  He did what he had to do.  He lifted the 1800 lb. pipe off Philip's head and a couple girls pulled the boy from under the pipe.  Later Lemerand said, “I thought the pipe weighed maybe 300 to 400 pounds.”  This would have still been a superhuman feat.  It actually weighed 1800 pounds. After the incident Arnold went back to the site to show his sons what had happened.  He couldn't budge the pipe.  His burly sons together couldn't budge the pipe. A police officer tried to budge the pipe, as did various reporters and photographers.  Nobody could budge the pipe.  Later, at an AP news interview, the reporter asked about Arnold's strength and general health, or if he had any regular health practice he followed.  His answer was, "I try to avoid heavy lifting!"  (Arnold 56 yrs old had had a heart attack 6 yrs before!)

Can you imagine how much great work you could accomplish in this world if you determined today that you can “do all things through Christ Who strengthens you?”  Can you imagine how “dangerous” you would become to the empire of evil if you trusted God as much as Elijah trusted him?

Will you join me today in praying that God would give you a “Dangerous Faith” that poses a real and present danger to the forces of evil in our world?  God’s fire falls on dangerous faith.