The Heart and the Fire
Message by: Torin West
1 Kings 18:20-39
[20] So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. [21] And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. [22] Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. [23] Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. [24] 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.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” [25] Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” [26] And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. [27] And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “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.” [28] And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. [29] And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. [30] Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. [31] Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” [32] and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. [33] And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” [34] And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. [35] And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. [36] And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it 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. [37] 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.” [38] 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. [39] And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
The words, “thrown down,” indicate a previously built altar.
We should think of the worshipers of Baal as people of this world… including ourselves.
What do you need thrown down today?
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Stop trying to build an altar; let Him rebuild it.
We serve a God of order.
First, He says, “Come close.”
Who was to come close? The worshipers of Baal, the people of the world, the unbelievers. Everyone…. Everyone was to come close.
“Let me show you something.” We need to get closer enough in order for Him to transform us. It requires us to move!
People say, “If God wants to do something, He can just do it.” But, God wants a two-way relationship.
In order to rebuild the altar of our heart, we have to first move and come close.
Revelation 3:15-19
[15] “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Jesus Himself said He would spit, or vomit, a lukewarm Christian.
Being on the fence (not on fire) is the worst place to be.
When Elijah called the people to, “come close,” they all came. Every one of them. They could have stayed back. They could have left. But they didn't. People who don't know God, or don't know Jesus, also want to come in close.
They could have left. They were already defeated. No fire came from their god.
We already see and know that our ways don't work.
Lukewarm Christianity doesn't work.
If you're not on fire for Christ, don't wait and get right. Come close to the Lord. Get on fire for Him.
The first step is coming close….. which takes obedience. Not the, “fine, I'll do it,” obedience.
To not choose is to choose. If you're not choosing to get on fire for the Lord, then you've made your choice for the latter.
What has the Lord called you to do? Do you know the Lord is calling you to something?
He is calling you. He is calling every single one of us. He is just waiting for you to respond with obedience.
First… come close and get in a deeper relationship with Him. Clean off your altar.
God loves you so much, He lets you choose whether or not to choose Him.
People ask how He can let people go to hell… but He doesn't choose that. Our own free will chooses that.
He loves you so much, he took the beating and hung on the cross for us. That kind of love doesn't want us in hell.
Death is an even playing field. We will all die. Where are you going?
If you don't use your free will to choose Him, He can't use your altar.
Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to find the Rock at the bottom.
The things of this world bring a false comfort. The Holy Spirit offers an out, and God's love won't let us stay in that false comfort if we are willing to come close to Him.
God changes you. Reading and consuming the Holy Bible changes you.
If you have met Jesus, and you haven't been changed… you are lukewarm.
He calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him. A physical choice. Leave our past behind and follow Him.
Verse 33 says, “he rearranged the wood. We need to rearrange things in our lives before the fire can come down.”
Baal’s worshipers kept trying to do more and more and more and more in desperation for him to receive their offering.
That is not how God works. He completed the work on the cross for us. All we have to do is choose Him and come close.
When God is rearranging things… sometimes He has to take things out that won't fit back in…. Not letting God take that thing out might be the thing that is blocking His purpose for you.
We have to be honest…. We have created our own altar pieces that are outside of the will of God.
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Humility and brokenness come before fire.
Elijah broke over these people: “[36] And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it 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. [37] 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.”
Are we willing to humble ourselves and be broken for Him? Are you willing to drench your altar with the Living Water?
We need to show God to everyone… like Elijah was willing to do. When God puts someone on your heart, move in obedience.
2 Corinthians 5:7
…for we walk by faith, not by sight.
When Jesus touches you, you'll never be the same because fire burns.
