1 Kings 18:17-24

[0:00] In the Old Testament this evening. Book of 1 Kings. Chapter 18. This of course is the showdown, if you'd like to call it, at Mount Carmel.

[0:12] ! We're not going to get quite that far where the actual showdown takes place, but everything that leads up to it tonight. So, all that being said, we'll pick up in verse 17 of 1 Kings chapter 18.

[0:30] Verse 17 says, And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, and that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Balaam.

[0:49] Now therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal, 450, and the prophets of the groves, 400, which eat at Jezebel's table.

[1:01] So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions?

[1:13] If the Lord be God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord.

[1:28] But Baal's prophets are 450 men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under.

[1:41] And I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

[1:56] And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. Back to verse 17. In 1 Kings chapter 18, it says, And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

[2:11] Now Ahab's thoughts here, was going back to 1 Kings chapter 17, in the first verse, where I told you that Elijah first appears, in scripture, and he pronounces this drought, that's going to take place, and we're three and a half years into this drought, here in this section, that we just read the passage from, here tonight.

[2:32] So Ahab, he asked this question, Are you the one that troubles Israel? Are you the one that troubles, the people that are under me? Remember Ahab being a king, a wicked king, nonetheless, but a king.

[2:44] But he asked the question, Are you the one that's troubling Israel? Are you the one that's causing these problems? Are you the one, are you the reason that these crops have failed?

[2:54] Are you the reason we've had no rain? Are you the reason that the brooks have dried up, and all the waterways have dried up? Are you the reason for this? But folks, I'll tell you now, this is a common practice, even nowadays, of how people act, when they hear the truth of God, the truth was spoken in 1 Kings 17, in verse 1, that there was a drought coming, that that drought was a judgment from Almighty God.

[3:20] It was not a natural catastrophe. It was nothing along those lines. It had nothing to do with any kind of jet streams, being out of whack, or anything along those lines. It was a judgment from Almighty God, that was placed upon these people, because these people, as the Scripture says, they had turned from God, they had turned from the God, that had delivered their forefathers out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, they had turned from the God, that had went back and saved them, and kept them all throughout the book of Judges.

[3:51] Every time they would cry out throughout the book of Judges, God would return to His people. It's the same God that has kept His people, and He has come to His people, and He has rescued His people, over and over and over, and they had turned their back, upon the God of the Bible, upon the God of the Scripture.

[4:09] So when Ahab here says, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? The trouble was in Israel, yes, but folks, this trouble was judgment come from God, because the people of God had turned their backs on God, they had forsaken the commandments of God, they had forsaken the Word of God, they had forsaken the prophets of God, they had forsaken everything about God, and they had gone to this Canaanite God, named Baal, this Phoenician God, named Baal, they had gone unto Him, they had worshipped a false God, a false deity, one that didn't breathe, one that didn't speak, one that didn't act, and one that could not hear.

[4:46] That's why the judgment of God fell upon His people, and folks, you and I are in the same boat, we are in the same, we are just as susceptible to this, as these people here were, if we turn our backs on the living God, God will send judgment upon us, He'll send judgment upon His churches, He'll send judgment upon His people, He will send judgment, God will not be mocked, hallelujah.

[5:15] And I'm glad that that's the God that I serve. I'm glad that I don't serve a dead God, I'm glad that I serve a risen God, I'm glad that I'm alive in Jesus Christ, and I'm alive in Christ Jesus forevermore, I'm glad of that.

[5:30] But here's Ahab, saying are you the one that troubles Israel? He's heard the truth, but he's trying to turn it against Elijah. He's trying to turn it against Elijah, and folks, that is a common practice, even now in 2026, that the world will use, that the world will do, they will practice this very same thing, they will try to take the truth, the truth that the people had turned, it was their fault that judgment had come, and try and blame it on the one person that is speaking the truth, which was Ahab here.

[6:05] Verse 18 says, And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou in thy father's house, and that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Balaam.

[6:16] Folks, we need some people like this nowadays. The church of the living God needs people like this nowadays. He doesn't hesitate, he doesn't try and sugarcoat it, he doesn't try and compromise, he doesn't try and do anything with Ahab.

[6:33] He tells him the truth once again, he says, I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, you are the one that did it, your father's house is the one that did it, you all are the ones that did what?

[6:45] He says it here in the same verse, says, In that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord. Folks, we need people who will stand for the truth, we need people who when it is turned around on them, they say, Are you he that troubleth Israel?

[6:59] Are you she that troubleth Israel? Are you the one that is called this mess? We need people that will stand firm upon the word of the living God. They will proclaim the word of the living God.

[7:11] They will proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will proclaim the truth of salvation to everyone who believes in his gospel and repents of their ways. That's the kind of people we need coming out of the churches nowadays.

[7:26] And just on a side note, Sunday school is a good place to start that. Just on a side note, I heard Brother Vern talking about that. You have forsaken the commandments of the Lord. Folks, this was the sin.

[7:37] It wasn't just Ahab. It wasn't just Ahab's father's house. It was what they had done. It was what they had done. They had forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed a false God.

[7:53] Followed a false religion. Which is exactly what God predicted would happen over in the Pentateuch. He predicted that that would happen in the book of Deuteronomy. That Israel would do this very thing.

[8:04] And He gave them warning then. He said, don't follow after these gods. Don't marry into these outside families. Don't do these things. Because you'll fall into their religion.

[8:15] You'll fall into their lifestyle. You'll fall into their culture. You'll fall into sin. And that is the problem. Sin is the problem. Sin is forsaking the commandments of the Lord.

[8:28] It is forsaking them. It is completely going against them. It is breaking them on purpose. Which many people do.

[8:40] This is sin. And this is what brings judgment. In that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord. And thou hast followed Balaam. Verse 19. Now therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel.

[8:56] And the prophets of Baal 450. And the prophets of the groves 400. Which eat at Jezebel's table. So here is Elijah. Again, being bold. I can just hear the holy boldness in Elijah's voice as he's saying this thing.

[9:11] Again, he is not backed down. He is not a bit afraid of Ahab right here. He commands Ahab to send out for Israel. So this is not just a private debate between Ahab and Elijah.

[9:28] Folks, this is becoming a public spectacle is what it's going to be. And Elijah says, send out for Israel. He says, now therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel.

[9:39] So many people miss that when they're reading through this account. It wasn't just the 450 prophets of Baal. It was all of Israel that was gathered here. Folks, this was thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people that would have been here.

[9:53] It wasn't just the 450 prophets of Baal. It wasn't just the 400 prophets of the grove. It was all of Israel was being summoned by Elijah to a courtroom that God was going to pronounce judgment on.

[10:06] That God was going to give a verdict here. God was going to do this thing. It says, now therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel and the prophets of Baal, 450, and the prophets of the groves, 400, which eat at Jezebel's table.

[10:22] That's something else that's often overlooked in this account. The 400 prophets of the grove and the 400 prophets of Baal that eat at Jezebel's table. The government was supporting these false prophets.

[10:35] The government was supporting this false religion. And folks, the same thing goes on now. We fund immorality. We fund sin.

[10:47] We fund all these things that make a mockery of the Scripture. They make a mockery of God. But folks, I've already said it. God is not mocked. Paul wrote himself.

[10:58] He said, be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. God is not mocked. Anything that a man sows, he will reap. Whether it be good or whether it be bad.

[11:10] Whether it be good or whether it be evil. Whatsoever a man sows, that is what he will reap. If you sow corn, you're going to reap corn. You sow beans, you're going to reap beans. You sow carrots, you're going to reap carrots.

[11:21] You sow righteousness, you're going to reap righteousness. So, these folks were eating at Jezebel's table. Being funded, being supported, and being sustained by the government that was supposed to be taking care of the all of Israel that we read in the first part of this verse.

[11:42] So, it started at the top with Ahab and Jezebel. Now, I understand Ahab wasn't the only wicked king that ever lived. I understand that he was descended from a line of such people.

[11:56] But, he was the top dog in Israel at this point. He had an opportunity to lead Israel in the right direction. He had an opportunity to do all these things.

[12:07] Not only he, but his wife Jezebel did as well. They had the opportunities laying before them. But, they neglected those opportunities. Folks, what kind of opportunities do you and I neglect that God gives us?

[12:19] What kind of opportunities to witness of Jesus Christ do we give up that God gives us? Standing in line at the convenience store. Standing in line at Lowe's.

[12:31] Wherever you go. Whatever you're doing. Whether you're at work. Whether you're at home. Whether you're in the house of God. Witness and testify. Of the goodness of Jesus Christ.

[12:43] I mean, anywhere is the place to testify of Christ. And we waste a lot of opportunities. I have wasted a lot of opportunities that God has given me.

[12:54] To witness of Him. And to witness of His goodness. And to witness of His grace. And to testify of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. God help us not to do that.

[13:04] God help us not to waste those opportunities. Tell people about Christ. Tell people about salvation. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15. He says, Some have not the knowledge of God.

[13:17] I speak this to your shame. He said that to the church. He wasn't writing to a bunch of pagans. He wasn't writing to atheists. He wasn't writing to polytheists.

[13:28] He was writing to professing Christians. At the church at Corinth. And said, Some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame, folks.

[13:39] If the world doesn't have the knowledge of God. It's because we have not gone into all the world. And preached the gospel to every living creature. It's because we, the church, are not doing our job.

[13:51] Elijah here was doing exactly what God had him to do. At the exact time that God wanted him to do it. And folks, God wants us to go out into the highways and the hedges.

[14:04] And compel them to come in. He wants us to go into the world and preach the gospel. He wants us to go, period. It's good to gather here at the house of God. It is good to gather with brothers and sisters.

[14:15] It's good to exhort one another. It's good to exalt the name of Jesus Christ. But we are commanded to go. We are commanded to go. Granted, we're commanded to gather too.

[14:27] But we're commanded to go. So don't keep your religion within these four walls. Take it out into the world. If the world doesn't know about it, it's because the church is not doing her job.

[14:41] Verse 20. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. Now what's funny about this?

[14:52] This is a king. This is the king of Israel here. Ahab. And a wicked king at that. Hated Elijah's guts. And Elijah says in the previous verse, he says, Therefore send and gather to me all Israel.

[15:08] Commands the king. A prophet commanding the king. In verse 20. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel.

[15:20] He did exactly as Elijah said. But folks, I understand the providence of God. And I understand this is how God wanted it to work. And because it was His will that it worked this way, that's why it worked out the way that it did.

[15:31] I get all of that. But it's still amazing to me that a wicked king did exactly what a prophet that he hated asked him to do.

[15:42] But, this does not mean compliance from Ahab. And it certainly doesn't mean salvation for Ahab. Just because someone obeys what the Word says doesn't necessarily mean that they're saved.

[16:02] There's plenty of people out there. And church houses are full of them. There's plenty of people out there who say, I've never committed adultery. I've never murdered. I've always respected my mother and my father.

[16:14] I've never stole. I've never done this. I've never done that. And they're obeying Scripture and doing that. But that does not make them saved. And just because Ahab did what was asked him of the prophet of God, just because he did that does not mean that he agrees with Elijah.

[16:35] Does not mean that he's been compelled by any means by Elijah. It simply means that things are going exactly the way that God wanted them to go for what was about to happen which we didn't get that far tonight.

[16:51] So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. So he's done exactly as Elijah asked. Verse 21 And Elijah came unto all the people and said How long hulk ye between two opinions?

[17:07] If the Lord be God follow Him but if Baal then follow Him and the people answered him not a word. This is the verse probably the most popular verse out of this entire passage of Scripture is when Elijah asked the question How long hulk ye between two opinions?

[17:30] And again church houses are full of people that are halted between two opinions. This word for halt here in the Hebrew means to stammer it means to be crippled it means a couple more different things but essentially what Elijah is asking here is why will you remain in a spiritual paralysis that you are in?

[17:59] Why will you remain on the fence? Why won't you make a decision? That's exactly what Israel was doing. Israel was attempting neutrality with Almighty God and it was failing.

[18:12] Folks there is no neutrality with God. You are either a born again Christian or you are a hell bound sinner. You are either saved by the blood of Jesus Christ or you are not saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.

[18:23] There is no on the fence with this thing and church houses are full of people and people that don't attend church will say me and God are good me and God are tight me and God have an arrangement the only arrangement that God has ever made with all of mankind is through Jesus Christ it is through his shed blood it is through his atoning sacrifice it is by his substitutionary sacrifice that you and I can be saved or that anyone can be saved.

[18:50] That's the only arrangement that God has made and it's been that way from the beginning we see it first hinted at in Genesis 3 and 15 where the seed of the woman was promised to bruise the head of the serpent that was the first gospel promise and all the scripture was in the third chapter of Genesis and it plays on throughout till you get to the New Testament and we actually see it played out there in the crucifixion account but not only was Christ crucified praise God he raised the third and glorious and appointed morning and he has since ascended to the father to make intercession for all who believe but Elijah says Elijah came unto all the people and said how long haught ye between two opinions folks I don't know any y'all here I don't know you know I got no reason to think that anybody here is unsaved but I will warn again that there are people out there that go to church week after week and hear sermon after sermon and have altar call after altar call and I felt conviction after conviction that are still between two opinions and more often than not that opinion is between self and almighty

[20:03] God well I think that I'm alright or I'm mostly saved I've actually had people tell me that I'm mostly saved folks you're either fully and wholly saved by Jesus Christ or you're fully and wholly lost without Jesus Christ how long halt ye between two opinions and I'll invite you now I'll encourage you now I'll exhort you or implore you now to not stay halted between two opinions decide for God yes decide for Christ yes because there is no fence riding here there is no middle of the road you're either for God or you're against God you're for the Bible you're against the Bible and I'm talking about the whole of Scripture I'm not talking about most of the Bible I'm talking about the entire Bible you're for the God that sent his only begotten son into this world that you could have salvation you are for that son that gave his life that the sheep might have life and have it more abundantly you are for all these things you are for the judgment of

[21:10] God coming upon the wicked one of these days hey folks I've read it for myself the congregation in heaven is celebrating and they are praising God while the earth is on fire and while the wicked are being judged you have got to be for all of these things a lot of people don't like to hear that but that's the truth I'm not saying you need to be happy about people going to hell don't you hear me wrong you should pray for those people pray for the time just on a side note one of the most amazing things to me in all of the book of revelation is that when John saw the innumerable number when he saw the ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands

[22:27] I was in that number and John saw me I don't know if I was in the back I don't know if I was in the middle I don't know if I was in the front or on the sides or wherever but John saw me in heaven and I say praise be unto God for that certainly not of my own doing how long halt ye between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered him not a word silence many times precedes conviction because people realize the truth they might still fight against it but all these people here were silent right after Elijah says if the Lord be God if the Lord Jehovah if the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob be God then follow him follow him if he is the one that answers follow him don't follow these false gods there's many people including in the church houses nowadays there's many people that burn incense under their own image on a daily basis they're they're self idolizers they idolize self above anyone and anything in this world and many of them are in the church houses

[23:55] God help us God help us if the Lord be God then follow him Christ said this very thing in fact brother Vern just quoted it a little while ago if any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me that's Luke's quote of that you can find that in Matthew and Mark as well Luke's quote adds the word daily though take up his cross daily and follow me Christ says follow me what did he tell to the disciples follow me that was the only thing that he told Matthew or Levi follow me and folks that's what we must do we must follow Christ we must stay on the straight and the narrow we don't need to veer to the left we don't need to veer to the right we need to stay right behind Christ Christ is not going to lead us anywhere that we don't need to be or lead us to anyone that he doesn't want us to be around or want us to witness to or whatever the case is follow Christ follow Christ and I'm not saying that things will be easy

[25:09] I'm not saying that this life will be a piece of cake I'm not saying any of those things and Christ never promised that in the scriptures either in fact he said in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world we're going to have tribulation we're going to have troubles we're going to have trials we're going to have sickness we're going to have issues I understand that we're going to have all kinds of problems we'll have financial problems we'll have relationship problems we'll have problems here and problems there but if we are following Christ we are right where we need to be praise God stay behind him follow him if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered not a word they were silent at this they were silent folks this wasn't an experiment that Elijah was conjuring up here it wasn't an experiment at all God was not on trial it's impossible to put God on trial

[26:12] God was not the one on trial the false God Baal and the false religion of Baal worship from the Canaanites and the Phoenicians that's what was on trial here and Elijah knew what was going to happen Elijah knew that his God would answer this is the same God that had kept him by the brook chariot that we talked about earlier this is the same God that sent ravens with flesh and bread to feed him this is the same God that told him to go to that brook and to drink of it the same God that told him to go to Zarephath because he had commanded a widow to take care of him why would have Elijah doubted him in all this verse 22 then said Elijah unto the people I even I only remain a prophet of the Lord but Baal's prophets are 450 men think about how off the scales were in this one prophet one prophet against 450 really 850 when you get down to it but he specifies here in this verse 450 one man against 450 but again folks this wasn't between

[27:28] Elijah and Ahab it wasn't between Elijah and these prophets this was between God and a false God and if it was a false God if Baal be a false God that God did not have a chance but Jehovah God did but he says here it says then said Elijah unto the people I even I only remain a prophet this tells me he wasn't aware of the prophets that Obadiah had hidden in the caves you find that in verse 13 of the same chapter he was unaware of that but folks let me tell you something if you are faithful to God and you are faithful to the scriptures and you are faithful to church and you are faithful to everything that if you are faithful period a lot of times that's a lonely road it's a lonely road to be on but you also got to consider

[28:28] David stood before Goliath by himself not only him but the entire Philistine army David was the only one that had faith that God was going to come through Samson when he was in the house of the Philistines after they gouged his eyes out he was in there by himself and there were thousands of Philistines within there were thousands of Philistines on the roof but Samson was there by himself folks faithfulness can be a very lonely road Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin by himself Christ by himself stood before Pilate but all these were faithful people were they outside of Christ were they perfectly faithful no none of us are none of us ever have been nor will we be all have sinned and come short of the glory of God but these were faithful people and they were by themselves even

[29:32] Paul many times Paul was by himself Paul wrote to Timothy he said at my first answer no man stood with me I was all by myself Timothy no man stood with me no man would go to bat with me no man would go to bat for me I was by myself I had no one to exhort me I had no one to encourage me he said my first answer I stood by myself all men have forsaken me but praise God for the next line in that verse he says and I prayed!

[30:07] God that he not lay that to their charge God help us to be like that God help us to be like that but praise God even more for the next verse 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 17 verse 16 he had just told Timothy at my first answer no man stood with me verse 17 begins with not withstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me hey Christian I promise you now even though your faithfulness may seem road that almighty God will stand with you and almighty God will give you the strength that you need hallelujah praise God that's the God that we serve did Christ not say I go with you all way even to the end of the world does the scripture not say he'll never leave us nor forsake us does it not say he's the same yesterday today and forever!

[31:09] praise God and we can have faith in that because it says so in this blessed word that we're reading here tonight but Elijah felt by himself and he confesses to the or he conveys to the people then said Elijah unto the people I even I only remain a prophet of the Lord but Baal's prophets are 450 men he is enlightening them he is bringing their attention that it is 450 against one because Elijah knows what's about to happen and he wants the people of Israel to believe and to follow God the Lord God the Lord Jehovah that's the God he wants them to follow verse 23 let them therefore give us two bullocks and let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood and put no fire under and I will dress the other bullock and lay it on wood and put no fire under so this this is heating up at this point now they know what

[32:15] Elijah's plan is He wants! these two bullocks He says they can choose one I'll take the other one I'll dress it I'll lay it on the altar but put no fire under it and then he says in the very next verse and call ye on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord and the God that entereth by fire let him be God and all the people entered and said it is well spoken so after verse 23 when he tells them exactly what the plan is to get these two offerings together!

[32:57] these two sacrifices together these two bullocks he says and ye call upon the name of your gods that's why Balaam is plural here instead of just Baal Baal being the plural form of Baal but he says call on your gods call on all of them now it is supposed that Baal had a significant interest according to the Canaanites in weather patterns namely rain and that's exactly what was being attacked during this drought that God had here that God sent here he sent judgment on the lamb through rain so when all these people that had turned their back on him and were praying to Baal send rain we need rain the crops are failing the animals are dying we're dying we're suffering we're starving rain Baal send rain no rain came because

[34:00] Baal doesn't control the rain Baal doesn't control the weather Baal controls nothing because Baal is a dead God he is a dead God at the very best he was made of wood or stone something along those lines but he was a dead God but our God is a living God our God is the only living God and Elijah recognized this and Elijah knew that so he tells them call on the name of your God call on all of them call on the God of rain call on the God of storms call the God of wind call on the God of this call the God of that call them all!

[34:50] God does not need to be allowed to be God he is God whether we like it or not whether we agree with it or not we preach all the time and teach all the time and tell people all the time Christ is King of King and Lord of Lords people say he's not my Lord he's Lord whether he's your Lord or not whether you claim him as Lord or God or King or not he is all of those things that used to be my attitude you have your God you have your Christ you have your King you have your Lord and I'll have me that was my attitude but God has changed me around God has turned me around!

[35:48] since then he says and the God that answereth by fire folks fire from God can mean a few different things in the scripture fire in the book of Leviticus was acceptance it was acceptance of the offerings that were put at the altar the fire consumed them meant that God accepted the offering but fire can also simply mean the presence of God God had a pillar of fire by night leading the Israelites out of Egypt toward the promised land he had Holy Ghost fire fell at Pentecost that was the presence of God with his people that was the pouring of the spirit out upon the church the spirit is God so we have different things here but fire also meant!

[36:41] judgment it depends upon the context and the God that answereth by fire let him be God now on down into this chapter we read about the fire of God coming and consuming not only the offering but the altar itself and the water consumed everything meaning it was accepted by God the folks there was fire that fell here at Mount Carmel there was fire that fell at Mount Calvary there was a fire of judgment that fell on Mount Calvary but it didn't fall on a bunch of rebellious Israelites that were worshipping Baal it didn't fall upon sinners it didn't fall upon the Greeks or the

[37:42] Romans that nailed Jesus Christ to the cross it didn't fall on any of them the fire of God fell upon the spotless blameless sinless lamb of God and it fell upon him on your behalf and it fell upon him on my behalf it fell upon him on behalf of every sinner on the face of the planet that would repent of their ways and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ this fire fell from heaven upon Christ and people still will not follow people still will not follow him and it was very simple instructions we read just a few verses ago if the Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him very simple but folks God has made it obvious that he is God he made it obvious here at Mount

[38:42] Carmel that he is the Lord God that he is Jehovah God that he is the maker and the master of this entire universe God made that so plain to these people but God made it plain to the entire world when fire fell on Mount Calvary fire the judgment fire of God fell upon his only begotten son Jesus Christ was killed there on that cross he was placed in a borrowed tomb but praise God he raised a third and appointed morning forever victorious over death hell and the grave hallelujah the empty tomb is heaven's declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord so if God be God if the Lord be God follow him no one has ever and no one will ever find the bones of Jesus Christ because they are nowhere on this earth because he rose because he is Lord because this was the plan from the very get go this was the plan before the foundation of the world was ever laid was that

[39:50] Jesus Christ would die on behalf of rebel sinners and that he would raise again victorious the Lord that answereth by fire let him be God and all the people answered and said it is well spoken just a few verses ago they were all silent now they've answered one phrase seemingly in unison the way scripture gives it all the people entered and said it is well spoken folks just because you agree with something just because you might agree that it's wrong to murder it's wrong to commit adultery!

[40:33] It's wrong to be a drunkard! It's wrong to lie! It's wrong to steal! There's plenty of lost people out there don't want anything to do with God or the church that will agree with those things just because you agree does not mean you have salvation just because you agree!

[40:51] on certain things in this book that is not what it takes the time is fulfilled the gospel the very first words in Matthew's gospel account the very first word that Jesus Christ preached in his earthly ministry was repent repent what do we need to repent of we repent of our wickedness we repent of our sin we repent though mainly of our unbelief of our unbelief our unbelief of the God of the Bible our unbelief of the Christ of the Bible and I'm talking about people that say well like I was talking about earlier the people that say well me and God have an arrangement or God overlooks this sin in my life no God does not act in that manner God hates sin God despises sin sin is the very reason that

[41:54] Christ went to the and he did it for sinners like you and sinners like me none of us are outside of that we've all sinned we've all been rebels we've all broken the commandments of almighty God the scripture has concluded all under sin according to what Paul wrote to the Galatian church this book condemns!

[42:20] every one of us but this book on the flip side of that coin this book shows us the way to life everlasting and that is through repentance of our ways and repentance of our unbelief and believing the gospel the good news that even though you are a sinner even though you deserve the flames of hell for all of eternity and I do too even though those things are true Christ came and gave himself Christ is God Christ is Lord Christ is King he is the true!

[42:53] He is the true King He is the true priest He is the true sacrifice He is the true altar He is the true everything Amen Amen Follow Him Yes Follow Him They said it is well spoken They agreed with what Elijah said But you don't have to read too much further in 1 Kings That agreement just straight out the window straight out the window If the Lord be God follow Him Let it fail follow Him I encourage you and I implore you to not follow the Lord That's the message for this evening God bless you all