Standing in the Gap

1 Ki 16:29-33, 17:1

For the next few weeks were are going to look at the life of the prophet Elijah. Hopefully we will see some important lesson for our lives from his.

Elijah is famous in spiritual matters because when every other believer hid in fear of Ahab and the abominations he committed in Israel, Elijah stood up to him. Ahab is said to have provoked God more than all the kings of Israel before him. That’s a pretty huge distinction considering how evil the kings of Israel were.

PRAYER

I. When You Stand Alone

A. There are still people today who stand alone in the gap

1. They are willing to stand up for God no matter the cost.

2. Some of those at Columbine were spiritual heroes refusing to renounce God even if it meant dying.

3. There are still people willing to speak out for Christ regardless of the embarrassment or ridicule.

B. God is looking for those kind of people

1. In Ezk 22:30 it says - And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

2. That quest continues today.

a) God wants Christians to stand up and be counted, no blend into the background.

b) In an age that says everything should be tolerated, it takes guts to go against the flow and say there is a moral and spiritual standard.

c) What do we do? Do we sit quietly until the time hopefully passes or do we still teach the truth even when the truth isn’t popular?

II. Lessons Learned From A Gap Standing Prophet

A. God looks for special people at difficult times.

1. God needed a special man to stand up to Ahab and Jezabel

a) Notice he didn’t find him in the palace.

b) He didn’t find him in the army

c) He didn’t find him the prophet school

d) He found him in a town probably called Tishbeh

(1) I say probably because the town was so small that there is no historical trace of it left.

(2) It’s like the town in Alaska I grew up in. We were so small that people didn’t even realize that they had driven through out town when they went to visit Homer

(3) It’s like becoming the spokesman of God and being from … Dare I say Rochester, IN.

2. God looked for someone with the inner strength to stand alone if needed.

3. A man who would say “that’s wrong” to a king and a nation.

4. He wants those kind of people today.

5. We need people willing to stand alone if needed and say that’s wrong in our schools, in our lunch rooms, in our offices and factories.

6. We need men and women of God.

7. We need professionals, athletes, homemakers, teachers, public figure and private citizens who are willing to stand in the gap.

8. Who are will to stand strong and tall.

a) Do you just ignore language that would have offended and shocked you a few years ago?

b) Have you corrupted your principles to get ahead in business or get good grades in school?

c) Do you whatever it takes to be part of the in crowd?

d) Are you more worried about perception than principle?

9. If you are comfortable in the courts of Ahab you’ll never feel comfortable standing in the Gap with Elijah.

B. God’s methods are often surprising

1. He didn’t send a army to overthrow Ahab

2. He didn’t send the age’s best theologian to convince him.

3. He used a guy like Elijah. A guy no one had heard of from a town no knew of.

4. Do you feel under qualified to do God’s work?

a) Do you feel someone else would be better for this work or that work of the church?

b) How can you be sure that God isn’t already using you to influence someone’s life because of your example as a good mother or wife?

c) God can even use someone like me to be the minister for this congregation.

d) If he can pull that one off, I know he can do great things with you.

5. Faith in God’s ability defies logic

a) David’s brothers laughed at him when he said he would fight Goliath and win because God was on his side.

b) Joshua trusted God and walked around one of the best defended cities in the area blowing trumpets to defeat it.

c) Both accomplished what God used them for.

d) So can you.

C. We stand before God

1. When God calls us will we be ready?

2. When God looks at us will he still a life so committed to him that he can use us to stand up to an Ahab?

3. God is looking for men and women to be his, not just to blend into the scenery.

4. We stand before God, are we ready for him to send us out on a mission?

5. We can shine no matter what spot we are in because God is at our back directing and encouraging us to be his servants.

6. God took a man like Elijah to stand against the evil of his day.

7. Look around, the need to combat evil is still great and God is still searching for men and women to stand in the gap.

8. Will you be one of them?