A Time To Choose
Introduction.
I have decided to take another short excursion away from the book of Romans for the next two weeks. My decision follows what was to me the witnessing of what can only be described as the lowest point in the history of this state respecting the freedom of its people.
This sermon is going to take a journey from where we are to where the Lord would have us be.
It’s a journey that is designed for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to make a choice. It is a Time to Choose, to choose between dedicating our lives toward a hope in this life, or dedicating our lives for the purpose to which we were created, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:10
We are going to look at the politics of today in one point and one point only. I am going to briefly talk about the King of Victoria and you will be able to tell from the beginning that the assessment of him won’t be a positive one.
I am going to be speaking of our misplaced affections, though we are the children of God, I am going to be pointing out that if our affections are toward this world, they are misplaced.
I will be confirming That God is God, and that it is HIM we are to have as our trust and hope not man.
Lastly, I will give you an opportunity to choose this day who you will serve.
The focus of the message will relate to the desires of your heart and where they are placed, are you setting your treasures heaven bound or are all your investments in this world? Todays sermon will help you obtain the proper perspective that you might commit to the choice the Lord would have make, today is A Time To Choose.
1 Kings 18:21-40
SET THE SCENE
Before we read of the passage that is to be considered for our sermon this morning it is important to set the scene for you. Turn to 1 Kings 17:1-4
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
So we see that historically this portion of the text is during the reign of Ahab, the king of Israel, the husband of the infamous Jezebel. Elijah was the prophet of the Lord and is one of the most famous prophets in the Old testament.
Ahab the King was evil, as were all the kings of Israel (19), but this one stood out from all that went before him. Ahab did not worship the Lord but fell to the worship of Baal, the god of his wife Jezebel. As a result the people of Israel suffered under the false worship of its head, but much of the people also accepted his government, and that is evident by the 450 prophets of Baal that were sustained by the people.
God had pronounced a curse upon the land, no rain would fall for the evil of Ahab. But god would provide for Elijah, God would sustain him and instructed him where he was to go.
An Note on Baal worship.
Baal was the god of the Canaanites, he is known as the ‘storm god and the bringer of rain’, Of the pantheon of gods worshiped by the Canaanites, Baal was the chief.
The people traditionally behaved within a range of sexual debauchery in the name of Baal, believing their multitude of perverse acts would increase the sexual skill of Baal, and result in increasing fertility for the land.
In short, their hope was in a false comfort, their AFFECTIONS was Misplaced.
Interestingly, the Lord here pronounces a very curse upon that same god and removes the hope the people trusted in.
Now, in the eighteenth chapter, in the third year of the drought, it was A Time to Choose, God sends Elijah the Tishbite to Ahab with the promise that he will bring rain upon the earth (1 K 18:1)
We take up our text in verse 21, the focus of the sermon today is only verse 21, but the reading of the passage provides all the information we need for our consideration.
(1 Kings 19:21-40)
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, 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.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 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: 24 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. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy 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 measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, 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 they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
An amazing account and one that is pertinent for us today.
We have lived all our days, till this day, in the hope of a prosperous life in this life, this is natural for those of the world, but not natural for those who have been called to serve the Lord.
The church in the west is well known for the hold this world has upon it, the church of the west has now long been indistinguishable from the world. Rather than obeying the commands of the Lord to preach the Gospel to the Lost and to prosper them for eternal life, it has comforted itself with this life’s goods and this life’s promises, largely caught up with the worship of our own desires, we have largely neglected the Gospel to the lost ensuring two things;
- The damnation of the Lost
- The proliferation of evil in the world.
This is to a varying degrees individually, but as a whole we must admit to having a responsibility to the evil of the world through our misplaced affections in the world.
The time we live in is known biblically as the Laodicean Church age, and age when the LAST of the seven Churches would rise to prominence distinguishing the time.
Turn to Revelation 3:14
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The people of Israel worshiped a false god for a false comfort under the reign of an evil king and their idolatry brought them to ruin, rather than prosper them.
Their false “god of rain” brought them drought, because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, said so. In other words, their true God pronounced a curse upon their false god, their true God showed them the error of their ways, and now it is A Time to Choose.
I put to you beloved, that this is put to you this day.
To those who don’t know God, it is A Time to Choose, to those who are called by the Bible as the Children of God, all those saved by him, it is a Time to Choose.
Who will you serve? What choices present themselves.
An Evil King
Ahab was introduced to us at the end of 1 Kings 16 in verse 29;
29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
And just in case we missed the significance of the extent of his evil, we have it confirmed in verse 33;
And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
Unlike us today, the people did not directly CHOOSE their king, nevertheless God always gave them kings that were in accord with their affections. Those who largely desired the Lord, God would give Godly kings, those who largely did not desire the Lord, God gave them godless kings to drive them to God.
The people of the Northern tribes of Israel however, those whom Ahab ruled, never desired the Lord, so they never had godly kings, but those in the Southern Kingdom of Judah had Godly kings about half the time.
Now, let’s bring this ancient historical reference forward to the 21st Century, and lets transfer the location to one that is more familiar to us, Australia, and more specifically, the State of Victoria.
We, the people directly elect our kings, and in 2014 the current King was elected by the people.
This week in my home state, in my city of Melbourne marked the deepest trough, the lowest ebb in the history of democracy, not only in the State of Victoria, not only in ALL OF AUSTRALIA, but in the entirety of the free western world in the last 150 years.
In Victoria, the Eureka Stockade almost 170 years ago was the last time Government imposed evil upon its people, the difference only being that it was against the Colonial Authority of the United Kingdom, and fight led to the institution of political Democracy in Australia.[1]
No democracy in the western world has yet come close to the sickening level of this state in one hundred and fifty years. The only comparisons we have are found in nations such as Fascist Italy and Germany during the second world war, and the Communist bloc of nations for the last one hundred years.
This week Melbourne tipped the scales of evil around the world as we crossed the line to become the harshest and longest lockdowns in the world, all in the name of health.
The last eight days had seen the employment of tear gas upon peaceful protesters, Police shooting at unarmed civilians while they protested their right to freely chose for themselves medical procedures the state desires to force upon them.
The picture of protesters being shot at by State run militia at the Shrine of Remembrance would have the diggers who fought to retain our liberty, turning in their graves.
“In the morning, we shall remember them, LEST WE FORGET”.
Beloved, it is evident, as you see the picture of police with their rifles drawn and firing against the unarmed AT THAT VERY SHRINE OF REMEMBERANCE, that WE HAVE FORGOTTEN!
Like you, I was sickened to the pit of my stomach as I watched two strong Police officers boll over a grandmother walking with the people last Saturday, and together Pepper Spray her while she was weeping helpless on the ground.
Like you, my gut wrenched as I saw a heavy set police officer tackle yet another non-threatening and unarmed man from behind, ramming his head onto the solid tiles of Flinders St Station, the Police officers hand dripping with the man’s blood.
Like you, I sat in absolute horror as I watched an armored truck, originally purchased for against siege and anti terrorist purposes, rolling down Melbourne City Streets with hundreds of heavily clad and armed Police officers, against Melbourne workers who ONLY wanted a public expression of a redress of grievances, that was, up until this Medical Tyranny, a basic human right in civil society.
It was then I realized I’m no longer living in the same nation I grew up in.
I am living in the rein of the most evil premier in the history of this nation, more evidently evil that all those who had gone before him, and WE VOTED HIM IN.
The evil of King Ahab was distinguished from all the kings that were before him, yet we have the historical record to distinguish our current king from all that have gone before him, this last week’s events are SIMPLY the natural OUTFLOW of the evil of this man without Morals and without control.
Just ONE Example, only ONE of the evil of this man.
In 2008, The Honourable Daniel Andrews was the Health Minister in Victoria when the abortion to birth bill was legislated. No other state in Australia had such a bill, Victoria led the way in this evil.
The records show that Mr Andrews voted AGAINST the following amendments to that bill;
- Andrews Voted Against, Providing pain relief to a baby that can feel pain while being dismembered during an abortion;
- He Voted against, Rendering medical care to a child born alive as a result of a failed abortion;
- Daniel Andrews voted AGAINST Banning partial birth abortion – the practice of partially delivering a baby and then killing it;
- He voted AGAINST Requiring mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse victims at abortion clinics;
- He Voted AGAINST Requiring information to be provided about the health risks of abortion;
- Andrews Voted AGAINST Offering women impartial decision-making counselling;
- And he voted AGAINST Notifying the custodial parent of a child who is seeking an abortion.[2]
This is JUST about ONE bill in 2008.
Mr Andrews has demonstrated he is willing to afflict his subjects to the FULLEST extent he is permitted to do, he is NOT limited to Lockdowns, to imposing travel restrictions, to universal curfews that have NEVER in the History of this nation been imposed, and all for our own health.
Armoured Vehicles, purchased to use against terrorists, he used against unarmed protesters.
Heavy Clad, shielded and armed Riot police used ALL MEANS but those deemed deadly, against UNARMED protesters, yet the police commissioner calls the protesters COWARDS.
Our King justified drones flying into EVERY PERSONS BACK YARD last year, to ensure they were doing the “Right Thing”, but was stopped.
Our King wanted to Authorise ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC to forcefully enter ANY HOME for ANY REASON last year to ensure we were all doing the “Right Thing” before he was stopped.
I have only JUST scratched the surface of the evil of our current king, but only those handful of items are enough to condemn him having done evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him In this state.
Do we have a responsibility in this? Remember, unlike the Kings of Israel, our King was Elected to reign.
A Misplaced Affection
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, 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.
The people of Israel had as their representatives no less than 450 prophets of Baal. These were before the evil King and these were called upon to defend their misplaced affections and to verify their validity.
V26, And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made
The people of Israel followed these prophets and now they we given an opportunity to see their value and the revelation of the truth of their affections.
Were their affections misplaced?
Have your affections been misplaced? Have you trusted more that man would prosper you than the Lord?
Have you desired the goods of this world and sought after that which is of no value in the stead of seeking after that which has eternal value?
Are the current impositions placed upon you by the King of this World revealing to you yet that your affections have been misplaced?
We have often been entangled with the affairs of this life, have they been worthy of our pursuit?
What have we enjoyed that has its fruit today only in a memory?
Contrast that to the work we undertake for the Lord, contrast it to the sharing of the gospel of Christ and knowing that ALL the work we do for the Lord is EVERLASTING, a treasure laid up for us in heaven “ where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mat 6:20)
When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in John chapter 4, when he shared the Gospel of HIMSELF to her, the disciples returned from shopping, and said “Master eat”
And how did the Lord respond? “32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”
You have been created for a purpose, you are here for a reason and you are here in such a place as this for such a time as this because you are the most suited to this in the eyes of the Lord.
There is no accident, you are not a product of misfortune, you are fearfully and wonderfully made and the Lord has set you here for his will and his purpose to fulfil it, HAVE YOUR AFFECTIONS BEEN MISPLACED?
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. (I Kings 18:27)
One verse is enough to tell you that there is an error in misplaced affections. Here we see Elijah mocking the efforts of the mad prophets, in our day it’s our restrictions that mock us.
Our families cannot gather together, we cannot share a meal together, we cannot celebrate a birthday, a wedding, or even a funeral. But we can meet at Dan Murphy’s in numbers limited ONLY by the size of the establishment for the consummation of unlimited alcohol.
I can’t meet with friends, for a meal, but I can meet a prostitute.
I can’t drink a beer without a mask, but I can drink a coffee freely.
I need to social distance 6ft before entering a plane in an open lounge, but I can sit next to the people I stood with in a closed airplane.
I can travel up to 5km in a car with my family, but I can’t travel 6km on my own for my own health.
I hear Elijah mocking…..
Vaccines protect you from viruses, but not if someone near you has a virus.
One death matters if a person dies with a Virus, but 556 people dead by the vaccine for the virus is just collateral damage.
Again, I hear Elijah mocking….
But the affections of many remain in this world in spite of there being ‘no voice nor any that answer”, and in spite of the mocking.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
We seem to double down in our affections of this life when there are yet no adequate results. Mocked by our OWN EFFORTS, and yet attending to those same efforts with even greater fervency…and the result?
there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
The Reason? Our Affections are Misplaced.
An Evident Confirmation
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy 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 measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
It’s as if Elijah wanted to give the people who witnessed him some handicap. They we able to set their offering dry and pray their god consume it by fire so they can be affirmed.
Elijah soaked his offering.
We offer the world our lives and say, bless me for I have given myself to you, in the hope we are gratified.
God wants us to die to the world.
Jesus said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” Jn 12:25
The people of this world will die in their sin to the damnation of their soul, but those who will turn to Christ have the forgiveness of their sin and inherit everlasting life.
Those who’s affections in this world will be ashamed at the coming of the Lord, but those who’s affections are to the Lord will shine as the stars in the firmament of heaven.
1 K 18:36-37
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
It will not be until we turn our affections to the Lord and plead his will and work be done that we and those around us come to KNOW that thou art the LORD GOD and that thou hast turned OUR hearts back again.
It is OUR Prayer, our repentance of misplaced affections that God will show himself strong. When we turn from the affairs of this life, when we turn from even seeking after the goods of this life vanly trusting that they give us our hope, comfort and joy, that then and ONLY then will the Lord hear our plea and answer our call.
God longs to show himself strong and trustworthy to those who FIRST PLACE THEIR trust in him TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL ELSE.
God is a jealous God, and he will not give his glory to another.
(Isaiah 42:8) I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
You cannot serve both God and Mammon, you must choose, and it is time to do so!
See him reveal himself!
1 K 18:38-39
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, 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 they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
Beloved, there is coming a time very soon when the Lord will reveal himself, when there will be AN EVIDENT CONFIRMATION of him, and “every knee shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess to God, that Jesus Christ is LORD.
CHOOSE
CHOOSE NOW
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
Jesus spoke of the signs of the times when his Judgement of this world looms near, the result Elijah dealt with will be the same at that time, but it wont just be the “Prophets” who will be taken, but all those who follow them, not one of them will escape that day of vengeance of our God.
It is a time to choose.
A Time To Choose
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain
The false gods of this world can never give to you the joy, hope and everlasting comfort of the Lord. It’s as if God purposefully restrained that rain, so we may seek after him alone.
The Lord alone, through Jesus Christ alone, is the one who provides all which nourishes and sustains us.
There is the “sound of abundance of rain”, it is available right now for those who turn to the Lord, but it will also come to the world when Christ returns.
Right now, in this day, you can hear Elijah asking, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him
It is a Time to Choose
Look at this world and ask yourself truly if you see any hope in it? Listen to the world mock you of your false affection toward it and ask yourself again.
Christian decide, either you will live full throttle for the Lord, or a world that is dying. Either you will share the hope of the Gospel to all those who see no other hope before them, or live like them.
It’s Time to Choose!
To you who do not know the Lord but are seeing this world for what it is, to you who have been mocked enough by the kings and rulers here, its time for you to choose.
The choice for you is between two ends, LIFE OR DEATH.
The Bible says “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom 6:23).
I can’t make that choice for you, I can only make evident that a choice is before you!
Turn in your Bibles to Joshua 24:15
This choice was given long ago by person of God to the people of God and the same is laid out for you this day.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Jesus is coming soon for those who choose him, to take them to be with him “until the indignation be overpast” says Isaiah 26:20,
Those who choose the world however, will endure its fruit until the Lord makes evident what fruit it is when he comes to judge it.
The choice is yours.
Choose wisely
Maranatha.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Rebellion
[2] https://www.acl.org.au/blog_mi_truth_daniel_andrews#splash-signup
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