Elijah: Living Outside the Comfort Zone
Reality television host Mike Rowe traveled all fifty states over eight years bringing us Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, to highlight some of the strangest, grossest, most challenging jobs out there. Overall, he tackled 300 of the nastiest, most grueling jobs anyone could undertake.
Mike Rowe has become a champion of blue collar workers who perform inglorious jobs few want to do. Even after the program was canceled, Rowe continued to promote labor and the value of doing hard work. He seeks to dispel the popular notion that difficult, messy work is something to be avoided.
People often choose the path of least resistance—what’s easy and comfortable. But serving God isn’t a cushy job. It entails opposition, struggle, fear, heartache, and sacrifice. Still, it is the greatest job you can do with the longest lasting impact. Serving Him well over the long haul demands that we step outside our comfort zone and get our hands dirty. Looking at six episodes from the life of Elijah, we’ll learn from his example how to do just that. Following his path may just lead to the hardest job you’ve ever loved.
Serving God and Others. In the right setting and context, serving God can seem easy and enjoyable. But many times, our service to God calls us to a place where the work might be strenuous and the people are difficult or even antagonistic. As we mature in Christ, we are willing to step outside our own comfort zones to serve God by serving others.
Elijah: Living Outside the Comfort Zone
Session 1 Serve with Courage 1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1-6
Session 2 Serve with Trust 1 Kings 17:7-16
Session 3 Serve Through Prayer 1 Kings 17:17-24
Session 4 Serve with Loyalty 1 Kings 18:20-26,31-39
Session 5 Serve Even When Discouraged 1 Kings 19:1-5a,11-18
Session 6 Lead Others to Serve 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:6-14
Question 1:
When you think of courage, who comes to mind?
THE POINT
Serving God often calls
for courage.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
He explained, “Sports embodied many of the qualities I deem meaningful. However, these last few years, and especially after recent events, I’ve come to appreciate just how shallow and insignificant my role is . . . It’s no longer important.”1
After several tours of duty as an Army Ranger, Tillman was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
We must decide whether we will serve God with such courage. John Eldredge wrote, “The world in which we live is a combat zone, a violent clash of kingdoms, a bitter struggle unto the death.”2 In this world that opposes God, we must decide: Will we have the courage to stand for Him and declare His truth? The biblical account of Elijah gives us an example to follow.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Kings 16:29-33
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.
Under King Solomon, Israel was at the height of her glory. Fulfilling his father’s vision, Solomon built a magnificent temple as a center of worship to God. But Solomon also opened the nation to the practice of idolatry by marrying women from foreign lands where idol worship flourished (1 Kings 11:1-8). His failure paved the way for Israel’s decline.
After Solomon’s death, the nation splintered into two kingdoms. A string of unrighteous kings led the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Among these kings who all failed to obey God, Ahab distinguished himself as the most wicked and displeasing to God.
Ahab compounded his own moral failings by joining himself with Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Sidon. Jezebel zealously followed the false god, Baal. She fought to eradicate the worship of Yahweh from Israel completely and replace it with Baal worship, assassinating hundreds of people who stood in her way. Like Queen Mary I of England, known as Bloody Mary because of her ruthless persecution of Protestants, or Lizzie Borden, who brutally murdered her parents in 1892, Jezebel’s very name has become synonymous with evil. Ahab colluded with Jezebel by worshiping Baal himself and promoting Baal worship as the state religion.
Question 2:
What are some idols present in
today’s culture?
Everything about Baal worship conflicted with the worship of Yahweh. At its foundation, Baalism attacked the authority of God, whose First Commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). At the heart of Ahab’s and Jezebel’s vile actions was an underlying refusal to bow to God’s sovereignty.
We may feel far removed from the wicked behavior of Ahab and Jezebel with their blatant idolatry, reckless killing, and shameless promiscuity, but we do the same when we reject God’s rule over our lives. Even Christians assail His authority when we choose to ignore His commands we don’t like. We do it when we fail to trust Him and give generously (Mal. 3:8-10; 2 Cor. 9:7). We do it when we refuse to forgive (Luke 17:3-4). We do it when we gossip (Rom. 1:29). And we do it when we dishonor those God has placed in authority (Rom. 13:1-2).
1 Kings 17:1
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
The writer of 1 Kings tells us little about Elijah’s background. We learn only that he was from Tishbe of Gilead. Yet Elijah would rise to make such an impact one Bible scholar has called him “the grandest and most romantic character Israel ever produced . . . a complex man of the desert who counseled kings.”3 In 1 Kings 17, Elijah emerged as the whistleblower of his day. Against the prevailing popularity of Baal, he took a minority stance to expose the lies of this false belief system. To oppose Baal worship was politically incorrect. It was an invitation to opposition, but Elijah made it his fight. And as he fought, he made some outrageous claims.
Elijah had a special relationship with God, and he was able to understand God’s will and speak for Him. That’s why he could be so bold as to declare it was not going to rain until he said so. His faith in God was such that He knew God alone had the power to give and withhold rain. And he knew God would uphold His name and prove Himself in a culture of unbelief.
Stopping the rain was an assault on the foundation of Baalism. Baal worshipers believed their god came back to life each spring to bring the rain that sustained their agricultural way of life. Elijah’s assertion that only Yahweh controlled the life-giving rain was in essence declaring, “Your idol is a fake, and your religion is based on lies!”
Elijah’s example challenges me to ask, “Do I trust God enough to declare what He says without equivocation or apology, knowing He will back up His word?” In a culture where it’s politically incorrect to say one religion is better than any other, will I bravely proclaim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him? (See John 14:6.) And in a society that believes you shouldn’t impose your religious views on others, will I still witness eagerly about what Jesus means to me?
Question 3:
When have you seen someone take a stand
against our culture’s false beliefs?
1 Kings 17:2-6
2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” 5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
We sometimes hear the phrase: “set up to fail.” Someone might say, “I was set up to fail” when the boss assigned a task he couldn’t possibly succeed at doing. Perhaps it was hitting an unrealistic sales quota or finishing a difficult task in a short amount of time. Maybe you’ve been set up to fail, put in a no-win situation or left without resources to do your job. God won’t do that to you.
Question 4:
What are some ways God has
proven Himself in your past?
The key is for us to listen to God and do what He says. God will not protect us from our own foolishness when we make unwise decisions based on our own thinking or emotions. But when we seek His will and follow the clear direction of His Word, He will always back us up. After commissioning Elijah to proclaim there would be no rain, God protected and provided for His obedient servant. How did He do that?
- God kept His promise.
- God cared for Elijah by sending him into hiding.
- God cared for Elijah by miraculously sending him food during the drought.
On the one hand, God was faithful to provide for Elijah. On the other, Elijah was willing to obey God. There was a direct correlation. God gave Elijah specific instructions about where to go and what to do. In that place of obedience, Elijah found God’s provision. “We cannot rely on his promises, without obeying his commandments.”4 This is not a quid pro quo; we do not obey God’s commands only so He will bless us with all we need and protect us from harm. But Scripture makes it clear: When we courageously stand to honor Him as God, He will always prove Himself on our behalf.
Question 5:
How does God’s provision
encourage us to exercise courage in serving the Lord?
COURAGE TO OBEY
Sin is often an authority issue—a failure to trust God’s authority in your life.
For each area in the chart below, list a sin that can be the result of ignoring God’s authority.
Area of Life Disobedience
Finances e.g. failure to tithe
Relationships
Work
Leisure
Family
Body
Prayerfully consider if you are living in disobedience in one of these areas.
Ask God for forgiveness and for the courage to obey in the future.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the
Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
JOSHUA 1:9
LIVE IT OUT
What will you do to serve God with courage? Choose one of the following applications:
- Look around. Approach your week with an eye to identify beliefs and practices around you that conflict with God’s authority. Pray, asking God to help you discern false beliefs and practices.
- Speak up. Take a stand against ideas that attack God’s authority. Speak up in a discussion or write a letter. Be a voice for God’s truth, but do so with grace and love.
- Sign up. Sign up for a mission trip to a place where God is not recognized as the One, true God. Represent Christ in a place that does not know Him.
The choice to serve God where serving God is unpopular also may come at a cost. You may face rejection or ridicule. It may cost you advancement in your job or friends in your social circle. But the choice is always worth the price.
Teacher Notes:
Elijah:
Living Outside the Comfort Zone
Most
people do not go looking for difficulties; difficulties have a way of finding
us! Typically, we do what we can to avoid difficult situations, but there are
moments in life when we need to willingly step into something challenging.
Parents do this for their children. This is what heroes are known for: stepping
into harm’s way for the sake of others. The life of a believer is a life of
service to God, and that service often calls us out of our comfort zones. The
Old Testament prophet Elijah modeled for us both how to rely on God regardless
of the challenges and mistakes we can avoid.
Serve
with Courage The
Passage: 1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1-6
When
you think of courage, who comes to mind?
The
Setting: The king and queen of Israel during the time period
covered in these verses were the evil and ruthless Ahab and Jezebel. The mere
mention of their names causes those familiar with Old Testament history to
cringe. While they sought to rebuild the nation, they attempted to do so by
compromising the authority of the Lord God and building a foundation of Baal
worship.
Baal,
the false god worshipped by many Israelites, was the god of rain, fire, and
farm crops. He also demanded child sacrifice.
Into
such an environment the Lord raised up a prophet to challenge the king and
queen and stop any efforts to lead Israel astray from the covenant relationship
the nation had with the Lord. Elijah seemingly appeared out of nowhere. We are
told little about his origin, but the meaning of his name testifies to his
loyalty to the Lord. It means “my God is Yahweh.” In a sense, his name was his
message. Every time Elijah spoke his name, he affirmed his allegiance. And
every time Ahab heard the name, he was confronted with a truth that should have
held sway not only in his life but in all of Israel.
Elijah
acted with courage by standing up to the king and queen and challenging the
culture they had influenced. What he saw in Ahab and Jezebel could not be
ignored. Elijah confronted the lies and false beliefs that prevailed among
the people, that shaped their systems and their behavior.
1
Kings 16:29-33
29 In
the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of
Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of
Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. 31 He
not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but
he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to
serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of
Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more
to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of
Israel before him.
How
can we recognize when God and His authority are being opposed?
1. Recognize
the opposition before us today.
- Persons in authority need to act responsibly,
for they have great influence over those whom they lead.
- Believers need to be alert to the places where
God’s truth is being challenged by cultural ideas, concepts, and practices.
A. Ahab
couldn’t help himself – he was born entitled.
In
this passage, Ahab has taken over rulership from his father Ahab. Like most
people, when you raise children in a privileged household (especially without
God) you will more than likely develop a brat, a child that feels entitled.
Like some youth today, they feel everything they desire they deserve by any
means necessary. Ahab grew up seeing and hearing about deceit and selfishness,
so there is no wonder that he became who he was. Remember people imitate what
they see and value. As children in Christ, we can also develop bad habits
because of what we grew up around. When these bad habits aren't corrected and
called out, we can continue to perpetuate the bad behavior; however, God can
bring any and everything to a halt or change as we will see.
·
Murdoch Murders in Hampton, SC
B. Birds
of a feather flock together – Ahab and Jezebel
I
don't believe the union between Ahab and Jezebel is what God had in mind, but
so often the people we connect with will either help us to be better or to be
worse. There is an old saying that water seeks its level, and that is exactly
what happened here. Just when one would think Ahab could not be any worse, he
goes out and marries a woman who is just as deceitful and cruel as he was, if
not more so. Sometimes instead of connecting with people that makes us comfortable,
we should connect with people who challenge us to be and do better.
C. King
Solomon started this practice of idolatry.
Under
King Solomon, Israel was at the height of her glory. Fulfilling his father’s
vision, Solomon built a magnificent temple as a center of worship to God. But
Solomon also opened the nation to the practice of idolatry by marrying women
from foreign lands where idol worship flourished (1 Kings 11:1-8). His failure paved
the way for Israel’s decline. After Solomon’s death, the nation splintered into
two kingdoms. A string of unrighteous kings led the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Among these kings who all failed to obey God, Ahab distinguished himself as the
most wicked and displeasing to God.
SUMMARIZE:
We may feel far removed from the wicked behavior of Ahab and Jezebel with their
blatant idolatry, reckless killing, and shameless promiscuity, but we do the
same when we reject God’s rule over our lives.
- Christians assail His authority when we choose
to ignore His commands we don’t like.
- We do it when we fail to trust Him and give
generously (Mal. 3:8-10; 2 Cor. 9:7).
- We do it when we refuse to forgive (Luke
17:3-4).
- We do it when we gossip (Rom. 1:29).
- And we do it when we dishonor those God has
placed in authority (Rom. 13:1-2).
1
Kings 17:1
1 Now
Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God
of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next
few years except at my word.”
Elijah,
a prophet of God whose name means “my God is the Lord,” came from Tishbeh in
Gilead, but nothing is known of his family or birth. Elijah suddenly appears to
challenge King Ahab, an evil king who ruled the northern kingdom from 874 to
853 BC. Elijah prophesies a drought to come upon the whole land as consequence
for Ahab’s evil.
2. Take a
stand for God and His Word.
· The greatest crises are not political,
financial, and the like, but the crisis of faith wherein a people separate
themselves from the Lord God.
· The Lord raises up men and women who will
declare His word during times of moral and spiritual crisis.
What
does taking a stand for God and His Word look like today and at our age?
A. A Bold
Faith - Ahab trusted in his finances, strength and cunning ways,
but Elijah trusted in God. How often have we shown this kind of bold faith? Walking
into a room where you are not welcome, standing up for what you believe against
those that not only disagree but dislike you and want your destruction. That’s what
Elijah did. Just like in the 60s when Civil Rights leaders would eat at whites
only lunch counters, go to voting poles, or even go to schools where blacks
weren't welcomed.
When
was the last time we were that bold and that confident? Being a believer in
Christ is more than words–it's also actions. In the Book James, the brother of
Jesus asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to
have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?” (James 2:14).
Don’t hide your faith. Like Elijah we have to find that boldness and courage to
face those things that are not of God.
RECAP:
Elijah’s example challenges me to ask, “Do I trust God enough to declare what
He says without apology, knowing He will back up His word?” In a culture where
it’s politically incorrect to say one religion is better than any other, will I
bravely proclaim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one
comes to the Father except through Him? And in a society that believes you
shouldn’t impose your religious views on others, will I still witness eagerly
about what Jesus means to me?
When was
the last time you saw someone take a stand against our culture’s false beliefs?
COURAGE
TO OBEY
Sin is often an authority issue—a
failure to trust God’s authority in your life.
For each area in the chart below,
list a sin that can be the result of ignoring God’s authority.
Area of Life
Disobedience
Finances
failure to tithe
Relationships
Work
Leisure
Family
Body
1
Kings 17:2-6
2 Then
the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in
the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I
have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” 5 So he did what the
Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed
there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and
meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
3. Depend
on God.
- As believers, we are to live under the authority
of the word of the Lord to us.
- The Lord will give us guidance during times of
trial and challenge.
- We can count on the Lord to provide for us in
time of need.
- The Lord has the resources to fulfill His
promises.
- The Lord does work in unusual ways.
1. We see
Elijah Depending on God. In this final scene of today’s lesson,
we see Elijah depending on God. It is truly one thing to say we have faith,
when our foundational needs are already in place – this wasn’t the case with Elijah.
God sent him out into the wilderness with no food, shelter, or water, and he
obeyed without hesitation. Here we see the difference in what Elijah trusted in
versus what Ahab trusted in. Elijah literally had to wait on God. I'm sure he
saw his resources dwindling down, but Scripture does not show us where he
doubted God. I know many of us start to worry if we hear that our company is
downsizing. We will be the first ones asking for prayer, starting to look for a
new job, and starting to cry and worry without first talking to God. In the
gospel of Matthew, Christ tells us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore, don’t
worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own (Matt. 6:33-34).
What
part of today’s passage encourages you to courageously serve God?
Conclusion: We
must understand that even if we have the greatest education, the best job, or come
from a powerful family, none of that can compare to God. Ahab thought he was in
control because he inherited what he thought was strength and power. Ahab even
thought his union to Jezebel would make him invincible, but he forgot that
Elijah's union with God was stronger. We must put our faith in God and no one
or nothing else.
The
Point for this session: “Serving God often calls for courage.”
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