1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:04,160 Will you open your Bible please at first kings in chapter 17 2 00:00:04,160 –> 00:00:09,920 We’re continuing our series entitled leadership the surprising influence of a godly life 3 00:00:10,480 –> 00:00:14,960 And we’ve seen together that leaders are people who go on a journey and take others with them 4 00:00:15,040 –> 00:00:18,959 And therefore the direction of your journey and the pace at which you move 5 00:00:19,520 –> 00:00:23,200 Has a great deal to say about the influence of your life 6 00:00:23,840 –> 00:00:28,020 We looked at two leaders who are moving in. We’re moving in very different directions 7 00:00:28,840 –> 00:00:33,480 Ahab charging down this broad road that jesus says leads to destruction 8 00:00:34,119 –> 00:00:38,279 We saw how he was defining his own morality was choosing his own god 9 00:00:38,520 –> 00:00:43,880 He was provoking the anger of god and ultimately he was ignoring the warning of god 10 00:00:44,119 –> 00:00:47,480 And he’s moving down that broad road and then we saw elijah 11 00:00:48,360 –> 00:00:51,000 One man who’s moving in a different direction 12 00:00:51,139 –> 00:00:55,900 He’s on a narrow path of faith and of obedience that leads to life 13 00:00:56,299 –> 00:00:57,820 And we saw what that meant for him 14 00:00:57,820 –> 00:01:05,660 It means submitting himself to god in such a way that he is available any time for any commission that god has for him 15 00:01:06,379 –> 00:01:11,820 It means the d d’s immersing himself in scriptures so that the word really carries weight in his own life 16 00:01:12,699 –> 00:01:16,879 It means he’s learning to pray in such a way that will advance the glory of god 17 00:01:17,180 –> 00:01:19,900 Even though it will be costly for elijah himself 18 00:01:20,680 –> 00:01:26,279 And we saw that it led him to the place of speaking the truth of god with clarity and with courage 19 00:01:26,599 –> 00:01:31,480 So that even ahab that uh king would know that the lord 20 00:01:32,040 –> 00:01:35,440 Lives, so after this prolonged preparation 21 00:01:36,440 –> 00:01:37,800 of 22 00:01:37,800 –> 00:01:43,080 Immersing himself in the word of god and and praying with regards to the will of god 23 00:01:43,800 –> 00:01:48,199 We’ve got to the point at the end of last week where elijah’s ministry has this 24 00:01:48,760 –> 00:01:50,599 stellar launch 25 00:01:50,599 –> 00:01:57,480 I mean, you can’t get a more impressive beginning to a ministry than than elijah had he walks right into the 26 00:01:58,120 –> 00:02:04,040 Throne room of ahab this king and he speaks to him with clarity and courage the word 27 00:02:04,120 –> 00:02:11,080 Of god he announces to him ahab the lord the god of israel lives and because the lord of god of israel lives 28 00:02:11,320 –> 00:02:14,600 Uh, there will not be rain in the land for these next years 29 00:02:14,679 –> 00:02:20,679 Neither will there be do and this will be the proof to you that? He is the living god. That is a 30 00:02:21,139 –> 00:02:23,740 stellar beginning by any standards 31 00:02:24,279 –> 00:02:27,000 an amazing launch for this man’s 32 00:02:27,619 –> 00:02:32,839 Ministry, we he comes on the scene and verse one tells us the amazing thing that happens now 33 00:02:33,619 –> 00:02:35,460 today 34 00:02:35,460 –> 00:02:36,600 What? 35 00:02:36,600 –> 00:02:37,940 happens 36 00:02:37,940 –> 00:02:39,720 next 37 00:02:39,720 –> 00:02:41,720 verse two 38 00:02:42,039 –> 00:02:44,360 The word of the lord came to him 39 00:02:45,699 –> 00:02:49,160 depart from here and turn eastward 40 00:02:50,600 –> 00:02:56,039 And hide yourself by the brook cheryth 41 00:02:58,039 –> 00:02:59,699 Now folks this is 42 00:02:59,699 –> 00:03:00,660 absolutely 43 00:03:00,660 –> 00:03:04,199 Astonishing after the amazing launch of elijah’s ministry 44 00:03:04,199 –> 00:03:08,679 I’m absolutely persuaded in my own mind that when this word of god came to elijah 45 00:03:08,759 –> 00:03:11,240 He must have done a double-take what? 46 00:03:13,160 –> 00:03:15,160 We’ve just launched the ministry 47 00:03:16,919 –> 00:03:21,160 And now you say god go hide yourself 48 00:03:22,759 –> 00:03:28,199 Here’s this man for for months and perhaps for years he’s been preparing himself for ministry 49 00:03:28,199 –> 00:03:30,600 He’s been immersing himself in the word of god 50 00:03:30,679 –> 00:03:32,679 He’s been giving himself to prayer 51 00:03:32,679 –> 00:03:38,300 And now that his ministry has just launched god says go hide yourself 52 00:03:40,279 –> 00:03:42,360 Here is a man who has a passion for 53 00:03:42,919 –> 00:03:47,639 The glory of god his his ministry is desperately needed in this dark time in israel 54 00:03:47,800 –> 00:03:52,199 We said last time he’s the brightest light in the darkest place at the hardest time 55 00:03:52,440 –> 00:03:57,639 Here’s the man who has the courage to do what no one else will do to go into the throne room of ahab 56 00:03:57,960 –> 00:04:05,179 And to announce the reality of the living god and god now says to him the very next verse go hide yourself 57 00:04:07,960 –> 00:04:11,960 So I would have struggled over this if i’d been elijah. What do you think? 58 00:04:12,919 –> 00:04:17,880 I think you would have struggled with it, too. I expect that. Elijah struggled with this 59 00:04:18,920 –> 00:04:23,000 Because I know what I would have been thinking if I had had the courage to go to ahab 60 00:04:23,320 –> 00:04:26,859 And if I had been given the privilege of that amazing launch of a ministry 61 00:04:27,160 –> 00:04:33,959 I would have been saying to folks around me something like this. I would have been saying well now’s the time for a national preaching tour 62 00:04:35,320 –> 00:04:37,880 Now’s the time now that we’ve announced it in the palace 63 00:04:38,119 –> 00:04:44,359 Now is the time that we’ve got to take the message of deuteronomy and chapter 11 to every person in this nation 64 00:04:45,320 –> 00:04:51,500 Let’s tell the covenant people of God the message of deuteronomy and chapter 11 that if you turn to idols 65 00:04:51,500 –> 00:04:58,299 There will be no rain because this is the time when they can see that the very proof of the promise of god in their experience 66 00:04:58,559 –> 00:05:02,040 So let’s go tell him. Let’s go and call them to repentance 67 00:05:02,119 –> 00:05:08,500 Let’s get out the map right now and decide where we’re going to begin on this national tour and God says no 68 00:05:10,140 –> 00:05:12,140 You go hide 69 00:05:12,880 –> 00:05:14,880 Yourself by the brook 70 00:05:16,540 –> 00:05:18,540 Cherith 71 00:05:20,000 –> 00:05:23,600 Now i’m going to suggest you today that the cherif experience 72 00:05:24,959 –> 00:05:28,000 Comes to every christian at some point in your journey 73 00:05:29,200 –> 00:05:31,519 I’ve known it. Well no doubt know it again 74 00:05:32,320 –> 00:05:38,320 And I expect that many of you have discovered it already some of you are there now and others will be there in the future 75 00:05:38,700 –> 00:05:43,140 Cherith is where god closes the door on the thing that you most want to do 76 00:05:45,380 –> 00:05:51,059 I’m going to try and describe the chair of experience so that you can recognize it in your own life 77 00:05:52,339 –> 00:05:59,220 And then I want to remind you today that god is at work in cherith as much as he is at work on mount carmel 78 00:06:00,500 –> 00:06:04,980 And today the outline is very very simple. I think the simplest outline we’ve ever had 79 00:06:05,079 –> 00:06:12,279 the simplest outline we’ve ever had. Here’s what god is doing for elijah at cherith god hid him god led him 80 00:06:12,279 –> 00:06:17,320 and god fed him that’s as simple an outline as you can get right god hid him. God led him 81 00:06:18,359 –> 00:06:24,459 and god fed him let’s start here then god hid him verse 3 depart from here and turn eastward the 82 00:06:24,459 –> 00:06:29,920 lord says and hide yourself by the brook cherith 83 00:06:29,920 –> 00:06:37,959 now the question obviously arises why did god hide elijah was this for his protection maybe 84 00:06:37,959 –> 00:06:43,739 but god was able to protect elijah you remember when he went right into the palace of ahab 85 00:06:43,739 –> 00:06:49,500 and god was able to protect elijah and the company of hundreds of prophets of veil when 86 00:06:49,500 –> 00:06:53,500 he’s on the top of mount carmel we’re going to see in a couple of weeks time when god 87 00:06:53,500 –> 00:07:00,160 next meets ahab outside in the desert god is able to protect elijah there too so god 88 00:07:00,160 –> 00:07:04,519 did not need to send elijah to cherith in order to protect him there is something much 89 00:07:04,519 –> 00:07:12,799 more than that that’s going on here was it a judgment on the people of god undoubtedly 90 00:07:12,799 –> 00:07:18,519 yes one way in which god judges a nation is that he hides the teachers of the word of 91 00:07:18,519 –> 00:07:23,420 god he hides his servants and what happens is there is a famine of the word of god there 92 00:07:23,440 –> 00:07:27,940 is no doubt that god was doing that here but I want to press further and ask the question 93 00:07:27,940 –> 00:07:36,260 what was god doing in the life of elijah what was this about for him? Cherith is the place 94 00:07:36,260 –> 00:07:42,140 where god withholds what you wanted most. Cherith is the place where god closes the 95 00:07:42,140 –> 00:07:48,980 door on the very thing that you wanted to do for him here’s elijah think about it get 96 00:07:48,980 –> 00:07:54,059 it into your mind he’s preparing himself for ministry at huge personal cost and now he 97 00:07:54,059 –> 00:08:00,940 finds that he does not have the opportunity to pursue it he’s a prophet that means his 98 00:08:00,940 –> 00:08:06,160 whole calling is to speak the word of god into the lives of people there are no people 99 00:08:06,160 –> 00:08:11,260 at Cherith and after he moves on from Cherith and we’re going to look at this next week 100 00:08:11,260 –> 00:08:18,619 god willing we’ll see that he’s given a massive congregation of two people for three years 101 00:08:18,839 –> 00:08:23,519 One’s a widow and the other is her son thats the only people hes been able to minister 102 00:08:23,519 –> 00:08:27,779 to after all this preparation and the amazing launch in the palace thats all the extent 103 00:08:27,779 –> 00:08:40,900 of his ministry for THREE FULL YEARS what is all this about you go to college you train 104 00:08:40,960 –> 00:08:49,099 for a particular career and then you graduate and the door that you expected to open does 105 00:08:49,099 –> 00:08:57,780 not open for you as you thought. all this preparation and where is the opportunity. 106 00:08:57,780 –> 00:09:02,179 You say Ive got the skills Ive got the training Ive spent an awful lot to get into this position 107 00:09:02,179 –> 00:09:06,940 but there doesnt seem to be a place where I can use them the door is not open for me 108 00:09:06,940 –> 00:09:16,340 Friend, welcome to Cherith welcome to Cherith God can take you to Cherith by removing you 109 00:09:16,340 –> 00:09:19,979 from a position. 110 00:09:19,979 –> 00:09:26,780 God can take you to Cherith through an illness that changes what you had hoped to do and 111 00:09:26,780 –> 00:09:31,599 puts you in a different place. 112 00:09:31,599 –> 00:09:35,099 Cherith is the place where God hides you. 113 00:09:35,099 –> 00:09:41,580 Cherith is the place where God holds back what you most wanted to do. 114 00:09:41,580 –> 00:09:49,880 I remember when I was a small boy our family visiting a town in the south of England when 115 00:09:49,880 –> 00:09:51,979 we were on family vacation. 116 00:09:51,979 –> 00:09:58,479 We went there quite often and when we did we visited a church that I thought was the 117 00:09:58,479 –> 00:10:02,460 most marvelous place on the face of the earth. 118 00:10:03,260 –> 00:10:07,840 Little kids sitting up there in the gallery. 119 00:10:07,859 –> 00:10:12,419 The pastors of that church were heroes of mine. 120 00:10:12,419 –> 00:10:15,659 The singing was an inspiration. 121 00:10:15,659 –> 00:10:20,460 The gallery was packed with young people. 122 00:10:20,460 –> 00:10:29,280 And I used to think, if ever I got to be the pastor of this church, boy, that would be 123 00:10:29,280 –> 00:10:32,140 my greatest dream. 124 00:10:32,419 –> 00:10:41,679 Karna and I began our ministry in a small church of about 150 people in the north of 125 00:10:41,679 –> 00:10:42,679 London. 126 00:10:42,679 –> 00:10:49,539 The church grew, and the elders and the deacons began to talk about a new building. 127 00:10:49,539 –> 00:10:57,140 We had been there eight years, which is a very respectable length of time for a young 128 00:10:57,140 –> 00:11:05,619 pastor in his first pastorate, and one night the elders, as they were pursuing this discussion, 129 00:11:05,619 –> 00:11:12,299 they said to me, now Colin, if we do this, if we launch out on this project, we are going 130 00:11:12,299 –> 00:11:17,440 to need to be real sure that there’s stability of leadership. 131 00:11:17,440 –> 00:11:25,119 They said to me in the meeting, are you prepared to commit to staying here for another five 132 00:11:25,119 –> 00:11:26,119 years? 133 00:11:26,179 –> 00:11:31,380 I’d been there for eight, they said are you prepared to commit for another five years? 134 00:11:31,380 –> 00:11:38,700 They probably shouldn’t have asked that, but I received the question without offense, I 135 00:11:38,700 –> 00:11:43,940 said yeah, yeah, I’m all in. 136 00:11:43,940 –> 00:11:54,320 The following day, the phone rang in our home, it was a man I had never met before, but he 137 00:11:54,320 –> 00:12:00,880 introduced himself as the chairman of a search committee from the church that I had dreamed 138 00:12:00,880 –> 00:12:09,880 about as a boy, the following day, and he said this, Colin we’ve never met, but I want 139 00:12:09,880 –> 00:12:15,080 you to know we’re looking to appoint a new senior pastor, and he said we want to know 140 00:12:15,080 –> 00:12:24,739 if you would be a candidate, and I said to him I would love to do that but I can’t and 141 00:12:24,739 –> 00:12:30,719 he said immediately what any Evangelical Christian would say, he said won’t you pray about it, 142 00:12:30,719 –> 00:12:37,599 and I said to him I can’t even say I’ll pray about it and I’ll tell you why because last 143 00:12:37,599 –> 00:12:43,179 night I gave my word to the elders of our church in response to a question that they 144 00:12:43,320 –> 00:12:50,280 asked me and there would be no integrity whatsoever if I today said that I would be willing to 145 00:12:50,280 –> 00:12:54,799 come and speak with you. That was about the extent of the conversation I put down the 146 00:12:54,799 –> 00:13:02,039 phone I walked through to the kitchen where Karn was and I said I cannot believe the conversation 147 00:13:02,039 –> 00:13:04,280 that just happened. 148 00:13:04,280 –> 00:13:13,679 Now, everyone knows about the triumphs of Elijah’s ministry on Mount Carmel. But here 149 00:13:13,679 –> 00:13:22,760 is the principle. God will take you to Cherith before he ever takes you to Carmel. You’ll 150 00:13:22,760 –> 00:13:26,200 find this principle all the way through the scriptures if you look at people who have 151 00:13:56,359 –> 00:14:01,539 Him for his life before he was ever brought to the palace and given the throne and recognized 152 00:14:01,539 –> 00:14:08,840 as the King. God hid Paul for three years in Arabia after his conversion and before 153 00:14:08,840 –> 00:14:17,320 he launched out on his first mission journey. Three years hidden. And God hid Elijah at 154 00:14:17,320 –> 00:14:26,940 Cherith before his great life contribution that came at Carmel. So, I’m saying to you 155 00:14:26,940 –> 00:14:34,559 from this today, don’t count it a strange thing if God hides you. Here’s the principle. 156 00:14:34,559 –> 00:14:44,799 When God chooses to hide you for a time, He is preparing you for a greater purpose. 157 00:14:44,799 –> 00:14:50,359 Last month, I was able to visit the church that I served with great joy in London. In 158 00:14:50,359 –> 00:14:54,359 the end, we served there for 16 years. They still never had the new building that was 159 00:14:54,359 –> 00:15:00,059 given that joy to my successor. But visiting back and rejoicing in all that 160 00:15:00,059 –> 00:15:05,380 God has done, it was marvelous to meet up with so many people and to see the blessing 161 00:15:05,380 –> 00:15:12,200 of God in different lives. One of them was a dear brother who has served the Lord faithfully 162 00:15:12,260 –> 00:15:19,260 over many years – I’ve known him now for 32 years – always there, always reliable, 163 00:15:20,059 –> 00:15:27,059 always steady. Throughout the years where he served as a lay leader in the church, he 164 00:15:28,280 –> 00:15:35,280 was never really very happy in his job. There was nothing wrong with the job, but it was 165 00:15:36,080 –> 00:15:41,739 dull, it was not fulfilling to him. There was something in his heart that wanted to 166 00:15:41,739 –> 00:15:48,739 do something more with his life. Then, about ten years ago, God opened a new door of opportunity 167 00:15:49,580 –> 00:15:56,159 for this man that took the skills that had been honed over years in this rather dull 168 00:15:56,159 –> 00:16:03,159 and unexciting environment, and put the same set of skills that had been honed there into 169 00:16:03,780 –> 00:16:09,960 use in a completely different setting that has been bringing him great joy. We’ve kept 170 00:16:10,020 –> 00:16:16,840 in touch. So, when I saw him last month, I said to him, 171 00:16:16,840 –> 00:16:23,419 well, your life has certainly changed since I saw you last. He said to me, yes it has. 172 00:16:23,419 –> 00:16:30,239 He said, you know, someone said to me, the second half of your life will be much more 173 00:16:30,239 –> 00:16:37,239 fruitful than the first. He said, I really feel that that is proving to be wonderfully 174 00:16:37,859 –> 00:16:42,400 true.” So, I want to give you this encouragement 175 00:16:42,400 –> 00:16:49,400 today. Don’t be surprised if God hides you. Don’t be discouraged when he does. We serve 176 00:16:52,119 –> 00:16:59,119 a God who hides his servants, and while they are hidden, he works in them, so that later 177 00:16:59,619 –> 00:17:06,619 with greater power he may work through them. And if you know that, you’ll be greatly 178 00:17:07,060 –> 00:17:14,060 helped when you find yourself at Cherith. That is the first thing, God hidden. 179 00:17:16,959 –> 00:17:23,959 Second, at Cherith God led him, God led him. Look at verse two, the word of the Lord came 180 00:17:24,339 –> 00:17:29,339 to him, depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself at the brook Cherith. So, 181 00:17:29,339 –> 00:17:36,359 verse three, verse five I’m sorry, he went and did according to the word of the Lord. 182 00:17:36,359 –> 00:17:43,359 So God led him to Cherith and as we’ll see next week, God led him out from Cherith. It 183 00:17:44,900 –> 00:17:51,900 will be the same for you. As a believer you can have absolute confidence 184 00:17:51,900 –> 00:17:58,900 in God’s leading of your life in every circumstance. The Lord is your shepherd and the Lord is 185 00:17:59,079 –> 00:18:04,939 your shepherd even at Cherith. Now, here’s the principle that’s important 186 00:18:05,060 –> 00:18:12,060 for us to grasp with regards to how God leads us. God leads his people one step at a time 187 00:18:12,900 –> 00:18:19,900 as we walk with him in obedience. That’s a very important principle. God does not normally 188 00:18:20,339 –> 00:18:27,140 lay out the long term scenario. What he does is he leads his people one step at a time 189 00:18:27,140 –> 00:18:33,579 as we walk and take each step in obedience. So when Elijah went into the throne room and 190 00:18:33,579 –> 00:18:38,579 made his great announcement to Ahab, at that moment he didn’t have the slightest idea what 191 00:18:38,579 –> 00:18:44,439 was going to happen next. Now you will find yourself in that position. You take a step 192 00:18:44,439 –> 00:18:50,479 of obedience to God yet you just don’t know what is going happen next. But as you take 193 00:18:50,479 –> 00:18:56,680 the step of obedience to God, here’s what will happen. As you move with God in obedience 194 00:18:56,680 –> 00:19:01,099 so he will reveal the next step to you. And that’s the importance of the link between 195 00:19:01,300 –> 00:19:06,199 verse one and two. Verse one tells us about Elijah’s step of faith and obedience. Verse 196 00:19:06,199 –> 00:19:12,800 two, then God tells him what to do next. The same pattern as in verse five. Verse five 197 00:19:12,800 –> 00:19:17,900 tells us about Elijah’s obedience. He went and did according to the word of the Lord. 198 00:19:17,900 –> 00:19:22,640 What happens next? Verse eight, God tells him to do what is next. The word of the Lord 199 00:19:22,640 –> 00:19:27,699 came and said go to Zarephath. So you find this, it’s a repeated pattern throughout the 200 00:19:28,400 –> 00:19:32,520 word of the Lord comes to Elijah. Elijah does what the word of the Lord says. Then the word 201 00:19:32,520 –> 00:19:38,619 of the Lord comes to him and tells him what to do next. Now, here’s something we can learn 202 00:19:38,619 –> 00:19:43,619 from that and it’s worth pondering. If God is not making your next step clear, perhaps 203 00:19:47,420 –> 00:19:54,420 it could be that you have not yet finished what he is calling you to do already. Think 204 00:19:54,859 –> 00:20:01,300 about that. He reveals each step as we move in obedience. If God has not made your next 205 00:20:01,300 –> 00:20:08,300 step clear, could it be that you have not yet finished what he has already told you 206 00:20:08,520 –> 00:20:15,520 to do? Move forward with all that God has give you to do now and then trust him to show 207 00:20:16,520 –> 00:20:23,540 you the next step at the right time. That’s the principle of Christian obedience. 208 00:20:23,540 –> 00:20:29,839 So, of course, planning is good. Every Christian leader should have a plan, every church should 209 00:20:29,839 –> 00:20:33,520 have a plan, every business should have a plan, every family should have a plan, every 210 00:20:33,520 –> 00:20:39,520 parent should have a plan, but you know what happens to our best plans. To quote Robert 211 00:20:40,280 –> 00:20:47,280 Burns who gets in now and again, the best laid schemes of mice and men go off the right 212 00:20:47,579 –> 00:20:54,300 and leave us not, but grief and pain for promise joy. Now, you’ve got all your plans, oh, this 213 00:20:55,239 –> 00:21:00,599 is what we are going to do, and, the best laid plan, says, Burns of mice and men, they 214 00:21:00,599 –> 00:21:05,900 just go awry, they go off, and, instead of the promised joy, you find a whole lot of 215 00:21:06,359 –> 00:21:10,260 pain.” That’s human experience. Here’s how God 216 00:21:10,260 –> 00:21:17,260 puts it in scripture. The heart of man plans his ways, but it is the Lord who establishes 217 00:21:18,300 –> 00:21:24,079 his steps. Isn’t that interesting? See, the heart of man plans his ways, and there’s nothing 218 00:21:24,079 –> 00:21:28,239 wrong with that, that’s a right thing to do, to look ahead, to take the long-term view, 219 00:21:28,239 –> 00:21:32,339 to try and fix your eye on some point that’s further ahead. This is my aim, this is my 220 00:21:32,400 –> 00:21:36,140 goal, this is what I hope to do. The heart of man plans his way, that’s good, that’s 221 00:21:36,140 –> 00:21:43,020 right, but it is the Lord that establishes his steps. And so when my plans fail, I am 222 00:21:43,020 –> 00:21:49,400 to remember that it is the Lord who establishes my steps. 223 00:21:49,400 –> 00:21:54,979 One of our pastors when we were talking about these scriptures together just made this very 224 00:21:54,979 –> 00:22:01,979 perceptive comment, every leader wants to lead, but all leaders lead by themselves. 225 00:22:02,359 –> 00:22:09,479 Lead on God’s timetable. That’s very helpful. It’s very helpful. God leads his people one 226 00:22:09,479 –> 00:22:15,119 step at a time and he will guide you as you need the next step, as you move in faith and 227 00:22:15,119 –> 00:22:18,040 obedience. Now, of course, just before we move on, there 228 00:22:18,040 –> 00:22:23,920 is a very important difference between the way in which God led Elijah and the way in 229 00:22:23,920 –> 00:22:30,920 which he leads us. God spoke directly to Elijah. We keep having this phrase, the word of God 230 00:22:33,180 –> 00:22:39,680 to him. I understand that to mean that he heard God speak with an audible voice, as 231 00:22:39,680 –> 00:22:44,339 God spoke with an audible voice in the baptism of Jesus. Do you remember? 232 00:22:44,339 –> 00:22:49,920 This is my son in whom I am well pleased. At the Transfiguration the same words, listen 233 00:22:49,920 –> 00:22:54,339 to him. This is my son in whom I am well pleased. 234 00:22:54,339 –> 00:22:59,160 Remember the audible voice that the apostle Paul heard from the risen Christ on the Damascus 235 00:22:59,339 –> 00:23:02,020 Mount?” Well, it seems to me that this is how God 236 00:23:02,020 –> 00:23:08,400 spoke to the prophets. The Word of the Lord came to Elijah, chapter 17, verse 2, chapter 237 00:23:08,400 –> 00:23:13,800 17, verse 8, chapter 18 and verse 1. This is what it meant to be a prophet in the Old 238 00:23:13,800 –> 00:23:18,880 Testament. Prophets received direct revelation from God, which is why we don’t sit around 239 00:23:18,880 –> 00:23:24,599 trying to test whether we agree with what God said to Elijah. It’s the Word of God. 240 00:23:24,599 –> 00:23:32,520 God spoke to him directly and through him speaks to us, but that gift is not promised 241 00:23:32,520 –> 00:23:39,280 to us. Well, sure God could speak in an audible voice to any of us if he chose, but this is 242 00:23:39,280 –> 00:23:44,819 not how God normally chooses to work. God does not say in an audible voice to you, go 243 00:23:45,199 –> 00:23:55,880 this college, choose this major, marry that man or that woman, join this church, pursue 244 00:23:55,880 –> 00:24:00,119 this career, and so forth and so on. Now, you may wish that He did. You say, well, if 245 00:24:00,119 –> 00:24:05,060 He would do that, I’d know exactly what to do. Yeah, that would make you like one of 246 00:24:05,060 –> 00:24:09,900 the prophets and you – don’t envy the prophets. God gave them the toughest things 247 00:24:10,540 –> 00:24:16,359 to do, and believing people stoned them. You see, that’s what Jesus said, He stoned the 248 00:24:16,359 –> 00:24:23,359 prophets, killed them. So, don’t envy the prophets. But the question remains, given 249 00:24:24,040 –> 00:24:29,479 that God speaks directly, direct revelation to the apostles and the prophets, which is 250 00:24:29,479 –> 00:24:34,719 why the apostles and the prophets are foundational. There’s not a foundation that can be relayed. 251 00:24:34,920 –> 00:24:41,920 That’s in the book of Ephesians. How then does God lead us? How can we discern what 252 00:24:43,020 –> 00:24:43,920 He wants us to do? 253 00:24:43,920 –> 00:24:50,920 Let me simply give to you this wisdom that I had drawn from others. Ask, what is the 254 00:24:52,719 –> 00:24:59,719 best that I can do for my God, and then read your heart and use your judgment. Ask the 255 00:25:00,219 –> 00:25:06,280 question, what is the best that I can do for my God because that’s what you’re here for, 256 00:25:06,280 –> 00:25:12,880 to live for His glory, to be as useful in your short life to Him as you possibly can 257 00:25:12,880 –> 00:25:17,859 be, whatever He places you, what is the best that I can do for my God and then read your 258 00:25:17,859 –> 00:25:24,859 heart and use your judgment? Because God’s guidance comes through a meshing of the desires 259 00:25:25,540 –> 00:25:32,540 of your heart and the judgment of wisdom as you pursue doing the best you can for the 260 00:25:33,819 –> 00:25:40,819 glory of God. Dr Jim Packer, who is so helpful in demystifying this whole issue of guidance 261 00:25:42,660 –> 00:25:49,660 which desperately needs to be demystified for some of us. He says this, when God has 262 00:25:50,140 –> 00:25:55,979 a particular career in mind for a person, what does He do? He bestows on that person 263 00:25:55,979 –> 00:26:02,300 an interest in that field of expertise. When God plans for two people to marry, he blends 264 00:26:02,300 –> 00:26:08,660 their hearts. But God’s inclinings of the heart, as opposed to our own self-generated 265 00:26:08,660 –> 00:26:15,660 ambitions and longings, are experienced only as meshing in with the judgments of wisdom. 266 00:26:15,660 –> 00:26:22,579 Thus, he says, interest in an unsuitable person as a life partner, or interest in a ministry 267 00:26:22,579 –> 00:26:28,380 that is beyond one’s ability, should be seen as a temptation rather than a divine call. 268 00:26:28,380 –> 00:26:33,319 You see, what is He saying? Wait. We live with this problem. How do I know when it’s 269 00:26:33,319 –> 00:26:36,920 God, and how do I know when it’s me? How do I know simply, if I’m looking at my own 270 00:26:36,920 –> 00:26:40,920 heart’s inclinations, how do I know when that’s of the Lord, and how do I know when it’s 271 00:26:41,219 –> 00:26:45,699 of myself? And Packer says, well, you apply the judgment of wisdom, and you may like to 272 00:26:45,699 –> 00:26:52,699 get other people to help you in that process. Because God will lead you on paths of wisdom. 273 00:26:53,920 –> 00:26:58,380 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom, so He’s not going to lead you contrary to the 274 00:26:58,380 –> 00:27:05,380 path of wisdom. So here, the greatest calling of a Christian believer is to walk the path 275 00:27:05,760 –> 00:27:10,800 of wisdom, asking the question, what is the best that I can do for God? And discerning 276 00:27:10,800 –> 00:27:17,800 the right steps by the inclinations of the heart in relation to the judgment of wisdom. 277 00:27:18,199 –> 00:27:23,920 In Packer’s words, the right course is always to choose the wisest means to the noblest 278 00:27:23,920 –> 00:27:30,920 end. It’s very helpful. And God has given you His Spirit to help you as you need the 279 00:27:31,140 –> 00:27:36,300 direction, and He will lead you. But this is how He will lead you in helping you to 280 00:27:36,300 –> 00:27:42,180 discern the wisest means to the noblest ends. 281 00:27:42,180 –> 00:27:49,180 So what is God doing for Elijah? Well, he’s doing two things at Cherith. He hides him 282 00:27:49,579 –> 00:27:56,579 as the first, and he leads him as the second. That leaves one more. God fed him, and the 283 00:27:56,839 –> 00:28:03,839 second. That leaves one more. God fed him. Hid him, led him, fed him. 284 00:28:06,319 –> 00:28:13,319 Verse 4, You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 285 00:28:18,119 –> 00:28:24,920 And verse 6, The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat 286 00:28:25,260 –> 00:28:32,260 in the evening. Now in this miraculous provision, these birds 287 00:28:32,319 –> 00:28:38,819 that flew at the command of almighty God were the means by which Elijah was brought food 288 00:28:38,819 –> 00:28:44,839 every morning and every evening. So it was a miracle of grace comparable to the manna 289 00:28:44,839 –> 00:28:51,839 in the wilderness. Remember that God provided everyday as his people were in the desert. 290 00:28:52,420 –> 00:28:57,619 And what we’re being told is that God provided for this man everything that he needed during 291 00:28:57,619 –> 00:29:04,640 this most difficult time in his life, and that is a marvelous reassurance for us. Now 292 00:29:04,640 –> 00:29:11,560 notice it was a brook, it was not a river. Elijah might have preferred a river. You probably 293 00:29:11,599 –> 00:29:15,780 are wishing that God would give you a river of provision rather than the brook of provision 294 00:29:16,060 –> 00:29:21,060 may have, but the brook contained what he needed. 295 00:29:21,060 –> 00:29:26,800 And as for the food delivered by the ravens, not exactly what you would call fine dining, 296 00:29:26,800 –> 00:29:33,780 not exactly what they were enjoying chowing on, at Jezebel’s table, but enough to keep 297 00:29:33,780 –> 00:29:40,939 body and soul together in this hardest, hardest time of life. God sustained his servant through 298 00:29:41,359 –> 00:29:44,459 in God’ll do the same for you at Cherith if 299 00:29:44,459 –> 00:29:50,439 you are pursuing him in faith and obedience, remember this. There’s a condition in God’s 300 00:29:50,439 –> 00:29:56,459 great promise. Seek first the kin of God, and all these things will be added to you. 301 00:29:56,459 –> 00:30:00,920 You seek first his righteousness. You seek first his kingdom. You be like Elijah and 302 00:30:00,920 –> 00:30:04,900 go after God, and you can trust him with all the rest. 303 00:30:04,900 –> 00:30:07,760 Don’t imagine for a minute that if you’re 304 00:30:07,859 –> 00:30:12,280 living any old way that you please, that’s a promise for you, but 305 00:30:12,280 –> 00:30:17,959 if you seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, if you’re seeking to walk the path of faith 306 00:30:17,959 –> 00:30:22,479 and of obedience, and to honor Christ in your life, then when you come into the hardest 307 00:30:22,479 –> 00:30:28,119 time and the hardest situation, take this promise. All these things will be added unto 308 00:30:28,119 –> 00:30:35,060 you and take to yourself as a legitimate application God sustained his servant Elijah, and 309 00:30:35,099 –> 00:30:44,800 I seek to walk as Elijah walked, God will also sustain me. Wonderful truth. God hid 310 00:30:44,800 –> 00:30:51,800 him, God led him, and God fed him. Now, here’s the striking thing that I want 311 00:30:52,420 –> 00:30:59,380 you to notice, and it has a powerful application for us at the end of the message today. The 312 00:30:59,939 –> 00:31:04,599 striking thing is that the birds that flew at the command of God and provided the life 313 00:31:04,599 –> 00:31:11,599 sustaining food for Elijah were ravens. You say, why is that striking? Well, it is fascinating 314 00:31:13,619 –> 00:31:20,619 because in the Bible, ravens are among the unclean birds. 315 00:31:21,040 –> 00:31:25,119 You remember that in the Old Testament, God gave laws about what his people could eat 316 00:31:25,119 –> 00:31:30,680 and what they could not eat, and in these Old Testament laws that you’ll find in Leviticus 317 00:31:30,680 –> 00:31:37,599 11 if you want to check them out, you will discover that ravens were definitely off limits. 318 00:31:37,599 –> 00:31:44,599 In fact, they’re described as detestable. Leviticus 11 in verse 16. And so, it is very 319 00:31:45,640 –> 00:31:51,939 surprising that when God chooses to bring life-sustaining food to his faithful servant 320 00:31:52,380 –> 00:31:59,380 by the brook Cherith that God chooses to do it by means of ravens. And this teaches us 321 00:32:02,500 –> 00:32:09,300 a very simple, and it’s a very important truth that God can deliver life-sustaining food 322 00:32:09,300 –> 00:32:16,300 through unclean birds. Think about that. Because you may have had the experience in your life 323 00:32:16,300 –> 00:32:28,420 of being fed by an unclean bird. You say, What do you mean? I mean this. Maybe you were 324 00:32:28,420 –> 00:32:31,780 taught by a Sunday School teacher, you were taught the Bible by a Sunday school teacher 325 00:32:31,780 –> 00:32:37,640 or a pastor or a Christian friend or someone who discipled you at college or whatever, 326 00:32:38,640 –> 00:32:47,239 looked up to that person, saw them as a role model or as an example, and then some years 327 00:32:47,239 –> 00:32:53,920 later you found out that that person was not what you thought they were. Maybe they committed 328 00:32:53,920 –> 00:33:02,160 a crime. Maybe they abandoned the faith that they once taught you. And you were left saying 329 00:33:02,160 –> 00:33:07,439 wait a minute, what in the world was happening here. What is all this about? How could this 330 00:33:07,439 –> 00:33:11,680 possibly happen? I receive spiritual food from this person and now I find that they’re 331 00:33:11,680 –> 00:33:16,479 denying the very thing that they taught to me? What in the world is all this about? And 332 00:33:16,479 –> 00:33:28,599 you felt robbed, I know this experience myself. And if it has happened to you, it will greatly 333 00:33:28,719 –> 00:33:35,719 help you to know and to remember that God can deliver clean food even through an unclean 334 00:33:38,660 –> 00:33:44,920 bird. Maybe the person who led you to Christ has subsequently abandoned their faith in 335 00:33:44,920 –> 00:33:51,920 Jesus and you’re left saying, what does that say about me? What does that mean for 336 00:33:52,739 –> 00:33:59,739 my faith? You remember in the gospels that Jesus sent out 12 apostles on mission and 337 00:34:02,479 –> 00:34:08,620 they went out and they were remarkably used and wonderfully blessed in all that they did. 338 00:34:08,620 –> 00:34:14,580 People would have come to faith in Christ through each of their ministries. Can you 339 00:34:14,580 –> 00:34:21,280 imagine meeting these people? One day you will in Heaven. And you say now how did you 340 00:34:21,280 –> 00:34:26,959 come to Christ? One of them says, Oh I was led to Christ by Peter. And you talk to 341 00:34:26,959 –> 00:34:31,320 someone else and you say now how did you come to faith? Oh I was led to Christ by the 342 00:34:31,320 –> 00:34:36,360 Apostle John. Big smile on the face. There is someone here and they are not coming 343 00:34:36,360 –> 00:34:41,959 forward or saying anything. You know why. You say how did you come to faith in 344 00:34:41,959 –> 00:34:48,959 Jesus? Actually through Judas. Don’t really like to mention it. 345 00:34:52,000 –> 00:34:58,840 Is that actually possible. Could that happen. Could it be that 346 00:34:58,840 –> 00:35:03,320 someone could be led to a genuine faith by someone who did not have it 347 00:35:03,320 –> 00:35:11,620 themselves. Absolutely. God can create genuine faith through the ministry of 348 00:35:11,620 –> 00:35:19,040 fake believers. And the reason for that is this it is the gospel that saves not 349 00:35:19,459 –> 00:35:26,260 the person who speaks the gospel. You are saved by the power of the gospel not by 350 00:35:26,260 –> 00:35:31,879 the integrity of the person who spoke it to you. You desperately need to know that 351 00:35:31,879 –> 00:35:37,020 if you’ve been let down by the person who spoke it to you. And if you 352 00:35:37,020 –> 00:35:40,239 discovered that at their core they turned out to be an unclean bird you 353 00:35:40,239 –> 00:35:46,100 really need to understand this. You may say, now wait a minute are you saying to 354 00:35:46,219 –> 00:35:52,540 me that integrity doesn’t matter? Of course not. Of course integrity matters. 355 00:35:52,540 –> 00:35:58,219 Lack of integrity amongst those who speak in the name of Jesus Christ in a 356 00:35:58,219 –> 00:36:02,260 Sunday School class or even from a pulpit like this is the reason why Jesus 357 00:36:02,260 –> 00:36:05,959 says that he will say to many on the last day, many who have served in 358 00:36:05,959 –> 00:36:09,780 ministries many have served in churches many have taught Sunday school classes 359 00:36:09,780 –> 00:36:15,860 to little children and he will say to them depart from me I never knew you. But 360 00:36:15,860 –> 00:36:19,600 remember what they then say they say no wait a minute we’ve done all these works 361 00:36:19,600 –> 00:36:24,340 did we not prophesy in your name did we not cast out demons in your name did 362 00:36:24,340 –> 00:36:30,860 we not do mighty works in your name? Listen God can create genuine faith even 363 00:36:30,860 –> 00:36:45,500 through the ministry of fake believers. So let that come as an alarm bell to 364 00:36:45,760 –> 00:36:52,679 any person in our congregation who says in their mind and in their heart 365 00:36:52,679 –> 00:37:00,659 well now I’m involved in ministry God blesses what I do God must be pleased 366 00:37:00,659 –> 00:37:08,260 with me and I say to you remember the Ravens because the fact that God is using 367 00:37:08,399 –> 00:37:16,459 you does not make you clean. Service is never a substitute for holiness and 368 00:37:16,459 –> 00:37:22,080 without holiness the Bible says no one will see the Lord no one enters heaven 369 00:37:22,080 –> 00:37:30,199 because of service. So beware of being an unclean bird who flies high in the 370 00:37:30,199 –> 00:37:35,500 service of God being in ministry of whatever form or 371 00:37:35,659 –> 00:37:41,179 shape can never make you clean service is never a substitute for holiness it is 372 00:37:41,179 –> 00:37:51,020 possible to do good for the church and still to be a raven. Folks this is serious 373 00:37:51,020 –> 00:37:56,739 What could be more tragic for a Sunday school teacher to stand on the last day 374 00:37:56,739 –> 00:38:01,659 and to see children that he taught and young people that she taught entering 375 00:38:01,699 –> 00:38:07,379 into everlasting life but because of being an unclean bird that man that 376 00:38:07,379 –> 00:38:16,020 woman that teacher remains outside him or herself. If you are resting today on 377 00:38:16,020 –> 00:38:22,020 your involvement in ministry as the basis of your standing before God I 378 00:38:22,020 –> 00:38:29,459 urge you with all that is within me today to place your life today under the 379 00:38:29,820 –> 00:38:33,459 of Jesus Christ that alone can make you clean. 380 00:38:33,459 –> 00:38:42,000 Nobody is justified by service. Nobody is justified by going on a missions trip. 381 00:38:42,000 –> 00:38:49,120 Nobody is justified by serving the poor. There is only one way for you to be made 382 00:38:49,120 –> 00:38:54,219 clean before God and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ applied to your 383 00:38:54,739 –> 00:39:04,500 life as you embrace Him as your Lord and as your Savior. And the blood of Jesus is 384 00:39:04,500 –> 00:39:11,379 applied to the humble and to the penitent not to the self-confident or 385 00:39:11,379 –> 00:39:21,459 the self-righteous. So God hides His servants at Cherith and when they are 386 00:39:21,919 –> 00:39:31,399 there, He leads them and He feeds them. Let me give you one more phrase as we 387 00:39:31,399 –> 00:39:39,739 wrap this up, at Cherith we learn to live on God. At Cherith we learn to live on 388 00:39:39,739 –> 00:39:45,459 God. I take the phrase from John Bunyan, his Cherith came when the man was thrown 389 00:39:45,459 –> 00:39:49,739 in prison, here he is a pastor serving the Lord he 390 00:39:50,439 –> 00:39:54,080 is a family, it’s a time of persecution for 391 00:39:54,080 –> 00:39:58,919 believers like us in England and Bunyan is taken from his churches, taken from 392 00:39:58,919 –> 00:40:05,179 his family, he’s incarcerated in a prison in Bedford and God takes this man out of 393 00:40:05,179 –> 00:40:11,120 public ministry, he hides him there in the jail. And when Bunyan wrote about his 394 00:40:11,120 –> 00:40:16,159 Cherith experience he said that he had learned there to live upon God who is 395 00:40:16,159 –> 00:40:23,639 invisible. What he’s saying is this, God put me suddenly in a place where I could 396 00:40:23,639 –> 00:40:28,760 no longer live on my work. God put me in a place where I could no longer live on 397 00:40:28,760 –> 00:40:33,260 my family. A place where I could no longer live on my friends or on my 398 00:40:33,260 –> 00:40:40,000 pleasures or on my ministry. I was put by God in a place where I had to live on 399 00:40:40,280 –> 00:40:49,020 him who is invisible. And that’s what Elijah was at Cherith. To live on God who 400 00:40:49,020 –> 00:40:53,120 is invisible means to find what you need in God when there isn’t anything else 401 00:40:53,120 –> 00:40:59,080 and there isn’t anyone else and that’s what God does at Cherith and he takes 402 00:40:59,080 –> 00:41:09,260 his servants to Cherith before he takes them to Carmel. So when you come to the 403 00:41:09,280 –> 00:41:15,139 place where God hides, you know this, if you will walk with him in faith and 404 00:41:15,139 –> 00:41:22,860 obedience even here he will lead you and he will feed you. You will find that he 405 00:41:22,860 –> 00:41:30,280 is faithful to you even in Cherith and you will come out saying even Cherith 406 00:41:30,280 –> 00:41:38,699 was in the purpose of God for me. Will you pray with me please? 407 00:41:38,919 –> 00:41:48,659 The Bible says to believers your life is hidden with Christ in God and when Christ 408 00:41:48,659 –> 00:41:56,260 who is your life appears, you also will appear with him in glory. Father thank 409 00:41:56,260 –> 00:42:05,459 you that you hide us in Christ, that you feed us with Christ and you lead us 410 00:42:05,500 –> 00:42:12,379 through Christ. Help us to walk with you in faith and obedience, even in 411 00:42:12,379 –> 00:42:21,620 charith. Help us to discern your hand at work, even there. Help us to find joy in 412 00:42:21,620 –> 00:42:28,260 your provision for us, even in the brook and even with the food that is brought 413 00:42:28,360 –> 00:42:35,479 by the ravens. And help us to look forward with hope to what you will yet 414 00:42:35,479 –> 00:42:43,860 do for the sake of Christ, in whose Name we pray.