Good morning, Tri-Cities! It’s so good to be together today. And thank you, praise team, for helping us focus our hearts. Think about what we’ve just sung: “Chasing After You.” “You Are God Alone.” “Give Us Clean Hands.” We’ve expressed a desire to pursue God, confessed that he alone is God, and asked him to change us.

Today’s passage brings those prayers into a very direct question: IF THE LORD IS GOD, WILL WE FOLLOW HIM?

We’re continuing Fire from Heaven: The Story of Elijah. Today we’ll be in 1 Kings chapter 18. We’ll be walking through verses 17–40 today, reading the story in sections as we go. Last Sunday, Brian helped us see that God’s provision may change, but his faithfulness does not. Today, we follow Elijah to Mount Carmel, where he stands before a king, hundreds of prophets, and a crowd of people who haven’t decided where their allegiance lies.

This is one of those stories that makes Elijah seem like a biblical superhero. He confronts a king. He challenges hundreds of prophets. He prays, and fire falls from heaven.

But here’s the funny thing. Last week in chapter 17, we were introduced to this guy as Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe. “Tishbite” doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, does it? “Look out! It’s the Tishbite!” Sounds like something you should put ointment on.

But it simply tells us where he’s from: Elijah from Tishbe. No cape. No secret identity. How many of you know where Tishbe is? (pause) Yeah, that’s part of the point of Elijah’s story.

And James 5:17 tells us that Elijah was a person with a nature like ours. He knew fear and exhaustion. He needed food, rest, and encouragement. The power in this story belongs to the God he serves.

Now, I’ll tell you something about me: I’m not a confrontational guy. Confrontation makes me uncomfortable. Elijah tells the king, “You’re the problem.” I would’ve started with, “Ahab, first, thank you for making time for this conversation.” I can confront somebody. I just need three days to rehearse it with Stacey first. Then, when the moment comes, I say, “It’s fine.”

But there are times when our love for God and others requires an uncomfortable conversation. People are being led away from God, and Elijah has been sent to speak. Before we get to that confrontation, let’s remind ourselves how we got here.

Israel hadn’t always been a divided nation. Under Saul, David, and then Solomon, the twelve tribes were one kingdom. But Solomon’s heart turned toward other gods, and after his death, the kingdom split: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

The northern kingdom got off to a bad start. Its first king, Jeroboam, set up golden calves and led the people into idolatry. The kings who followed continued down that road. There were assassinations, power struggles, and one king whose reign lasted just seven days.

Then came Ahab. First Kings 16 tells us that Ahab did more evil in the Lord’s sight than any king before him. That is quite a distinction considering the competition.

Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Sidon, and together they promoted the worship of Baal. Ahab served Baal and built him a temple and an altar. Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets. Jezebel came from Sidon, where the worship of a storm god had deep roots. These were people who depended on favorable weather for their crops and their ships. This wasn’t just a king making some bad personal choices. Their leadership was shaping the worship of an entire nation.

And into that situation walked Elijah. Baal was worshiped as the god of storms, rain, and fertility. So when Elijah announced that there would be no rain or dew except at his word, the drought directly challenged the god they were trusting to make their crops grow.

Last Sunday, Brian took us through what happened next. God sent Elijah to a brook and fed him through ravens. When the brook dried up, God sent him to a widow whose flour and oil were almost gone. God sustained them—and when her son died, God answered Elijah’s prayer and restored the boy’s life.

While the nation suffered through the drought, Elijah was learning to trust the living God.

Then, in chapter 18, God told him to present himself to Ahab, promising that he would send rain on the land. The time for hiding was over. But the nation needed more than rain. Their hearts had turned away from God. And that brings us to the confrontation on Mount Carmel.

As we walk through this passage, we’ll see three movements…three ways God uses Elijah to CONFRONT their divided allegiance, CONVINCE them that he is the one true God, and CONVERT their hearts—to turn them back toward himself. And we’ll have to CONSIDER where our own hearts need to turn.

Let’s begin reading in 1 Kings 18, vs 17-21. (NLT) - Dominique reads from her seat. (mic #    )

17 When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”

18 “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. 19 Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.”

20 So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

Ahab sees Elijah and immediately calls him the troubler of Israel. Elijah answers that Ahab and his father’s family are the ones who have brought trouble. For a moment, this sounds like a fourth-grade playground: “You’re the troublemaker!” “I know you are, but what am I?”

But Elijah backs his answer up. He identifies the real issue: Ahab has abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals.

That brings us to our first movement: CONFRONT. God confronts our divided allegiance. Notice where the confrontation begins. First, Ahab blames Elijah for the trouble Israel is experiencing. Then, Elijah confronts him with the choices that brought them here. Sometimes we do that too. We get upset with the person who names the problem because we don’t want to face the problem itself. Someone raises a concern, and we start examining their tone, their timing, their qualifications—anything to keep from examining our own hearts.

Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” Someone who loves us may tell us something that hurts to hear. And Galatians 6:1 tells us to gently restore someone who has fallen into sin, while watching our own hearts. That gives us both the purpose and the posture: we’re seeking restoration, and we come with gentleness and humility.

For those of us who avoid confrontation, love may require us to speak. For those who are comfortable confronting, love requires us to consider how we speak. And all of us need the humility to listen when someone speaks truth to us.

Now don’t misunderstand, people can confront us badly. And every accusation isn’t true. But we can still ask, “Lord, is there something here I need to hear?” Ahab needed to hear that his decisions were leading people away from God.

Then Elijah turns to the people, and this is where the question gets personal: “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him!”

That word “hobbling” gives us a picture of people who can’t walk steadily because they keep shifting their weight. They’re trying to move in two directions. Remember, these are the people of Israel. They have a history with the Lord. They know the stories of his deliverance. But Baal has become part of their lives too. They’re trying to keep both.

And Elijah asks, “How much longer?” How much longer will you keep postponing the decision? How much longer will you claim the Lord while giving your allegiance somewhere else? Notice that he says, “If the Lord is God, follow him.” There’s a response that belongs with that confession. What we believe about God should shape the way we live.

Jesus brings that same question into focus in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters.” We may never bow before a statue of Baal. But we know what it’s like to have competing loyalties. We want to follow Jesus, and we also want everybody’s approval. Then following Jesus requires a decision somebody won’t like. We want to trust God, and we also want control. Then he calls us to obey before we know how everything will turn out. We want to be generous, and we also depend on money to make us feel secure. Then an opportunity to give exposes what we’re really trusting. And for me, it can be comfort. Especially the comfort of keeping everybody happy. Sometimes I call it “keeping the peace” when I’m really avoiding an uncomfortable act of obedience.

That’s where this passage confronts me. Will I follow the Lord when following him makes me uncomfortable? Where does it confront you? What gets the deciding vote when what Jesus asks conflicts with what you want?

The verse ends with a response that ought to make us stop: “But the people were completely silent.” No argument. No confession. No commitment. And Elijah lets the question stand. We can sit in church, hear God’s Word, and quietly leave a question unanswered. We can even agree with everything that’s been said while postponing the obedience it calls for.

But God loves these people enough to send someone to confront them. Listen to Elijah’s prayer later in verse 37: he wants them to know the Lord and have their hearts turned back toward him. That’s where this confrontation is headed. God is calling his people home.

So here’s our first personal challenge: Where is my allegiance divided? Don’t try to come up with somebody else’s answer. Ask God to show you your own. Is there a relationship where you’re choosing approval over obedience? A habit you keep defending? A decision you keep postponing? An area where you trust God with your words but hold tightly to control?

Name that one thing before him. “Lord, this is where I’m wavering. This is where I’ve been trying to keep both. Help me trust you and follow you here.” You don’t have to manufacture Elijah’s courage. The God who met Elijah in his weakness can meet you in yours.

And as the story continues, we’ll see how God answers these wavering people and shows them who he is.

That brings us to our second movement: CONVINCE. God reveals that he alone is God. Elijah has asked the people a question, and they’ve remained silent. Now he proposes a way for them to see who deserves their trust. Let’s read verses 22–29. Maria reads from her seat. (mic #    )

22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. 23 Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. 24 Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed. 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” 26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” 28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

Two bulls. Two altars. No one gets to light the fire. The God who answers by fire is God. And the people agree: “That sounds fair.”

Remember who Baal was supposed to be: the god of storms. Fire from heaven ought to be right in his wheelhouse. Elijah lets the prophets of Baal go first. They prepare their sacrifice and call on Baal from morning until noon. But verse 26 says, “There was no reply of any kind.”

They dance around the altar. They shout louder. They cut themselves until their blood flows. They keep going through the afternoon. And verse 29 gives us the outcome: “Still there was no sound, no reply, no response.”

You can feel the desperation building. They’re giving everything they have to a god who cannot answer. Their anguish is real. Their effort is real. Their wounds are real. But Baal cannot give them what they need. 

Years ago, a missionary gave my dad this wooden idol. We recently came across it while going through my mom’s things. See this little hole? As I remember the explanation, you were supposed to put a bug inside it to give it life. That image has stayed with me: a wooden god that needed somebody to put something living inside it.

Isaiah 44 pictures a man using some wood to cook his dinner and keep himself warm. Then he takes what’s left, makes an idol, bows down, and asks it to save him. He’s asking something he made with his own hands to do what he cannot do for himself.

Today, we might look at this wooden idol and think, “How could anybody trust that?” But before we get too comfortable, Colossians 3:5 tells us that greed is idolatry. That brings the question much closer to home. Idolatry can take hold in a heart that wants more money, more possessions, more security—and begins organizing life around getting them.

An idol doesn’t have to sit on a shelf. It can be something we depend on so deeply that we’ll disobey God to get it or keep it. So here’s the question: Can what I’m trusting actually bear the weight I’m putting on it?

Approval cannot give us lasting worth. Money cannot guarantee our security. Control cannot remove our need for God. These things become idols when we look to them for the security, worth, and hope that belong in God. And we can wear ourselves out trying to get them to answer. Now watch what Elijah does in verses 30–38. Alisha reads from her seat. (mic #    )

30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” 34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. 36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,  prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!

Elijah begins by saying, “Come over here!” He brings the people close enough to see. Then he repairs the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. Before the fire falls, there’s restoration happening.

That broken altar tells us something about the nation’s relationship with God. The worship of the Lord has been neglected while Baal has been given a place of honor. And Elijah takes twelve stones. Remember our history lesson? The kingdom is divided. Elijah is standing in the northern kingdom. But he uses twelve stones—one for each tribe. He builds this altar around the identity God had given his people. Their political division has not erased the story of God’s covenant with Israel. These stones remind them who they are and whose they are.

Then Elijah prepares the sacrifice and tells them to pour water over it. And do it again. And do it a third time. The sacrifice is soaked. The wood is soaked. Water fills the trench. If you’ve ever tried to start a fire with wet wood, you know this is going in the wrong direction.

But Elijah is making it clear that the answer will have to come from God. Then he prays. After all those hours of shouting and frantic activity, Elijah’s prayer is strikingly simple. He asks God to make himself known. And in verse 36, he says, “I have done all this at your command.”

Elijah is acting in obedience to God’s word. His confidence rests in the God who sent him. That matters for us. Faith takes God at his word. We can trust him as we obey him, even when we cannot see how he will provide.

And listen to what Elijah wants from this moment: “Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” He wants the people to know God. He wants their hearts to return. We’ll come back to that prayer in our final movement, because it tells us the purpose of everything happening on this mountain.

Then the fire falls. It consumes the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust—even the water in the trench. The Lord has answered. And notice when he answers: the people are still wavering. They haven’t given Elijah a declaration of faith. God reveals himself to people whose hearts he is calling back.

That is grace. So here’s our second personal challenge: What or whom am I asking to give me what only God can give? Where am I wearing myself out, trying to prove that I matter? Trying to guarantee that I’ll be safe? Trying to make sure I never need anyone’s help? God invites us to bring those needs to him.

And we have even more to look at than the people standing on Mount Carmel. We look to Jesus. In Jesus, God has made himself known. At the cross, we see how far his love goes to bring sinners home. In the resurrection, we see his power over the enemy we could never overcome ourselves. When we wonder whether God is worthy of our trust, we can look to what he has done for us in Christ.

As I was studying this passage, I listened to a message from our brothers and sisters at 2819 Church. One of their pastors, Lonnell Williams, drew attention to something that stayed with me: These prophets shed their own blood trying to get their god to answer them. Think about that. They wounded themselves, hoping their suffering would somehow be enough to get Baal’s attention.

And then we look at Jesus, who shed his blood to bring us to God. We can fall into that exhausting effort to make ourselves acceptable: “If I do enough, sacrifice enough, punish myself enough for what I’ve done—maybe God will receive me.” But Jesus has already given himself for us. Our forgiveness rests on his sacrifice. We come trusting what he has done.

That old hymn asks, “What can wash away my sin?” And the answer is, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” We still follow him. We still repent. We still obey. We do those things as people who have been loved and received through Christ. You can stop trying to pay for what Jesus has already paid for.

You may still have questions. You may be facing something you don’t understand. You can bring that honestly to him. But consider where you’re placing your confidence. Can it carry the weight of your life? The God who calls you to follow him has shown you his character in Jesus. And now, on Mount Carmel, the people finally have something to say.

Let’s read verses 39–40. (Jamie reads)

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” 40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

That brings us to our third movement: CONVERT. God turns wandering hearts back to himself.

When I say “convert” here, I mean a turning—a change of direction. These are God’s covenant people, and he is calling them back. Earlier, when Elijah asked whom they would follow, they were silent. Now they fall facedown and declare, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” The question that hung over the mountain has been answered.

But to understand the purpose of this moment, we need to go back to Elijah’s prayer in verse 37: “Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

That’s the heart of the whole passage. The confrontation, the challenge, the repaired altar, the twelve stones, the water, the fire—all of it leads here. God is drawing wandering people back to himself.

This story reminds us how much we need the God who comes after us when we’ve wandered. He sends his word. He exposes what cannot save us. He makes himself known. He calls us to return.

Now, we do need to address verse 40, because that is a difficult ending. Elijah orders the prophets of Baal seized, and they are killed. We should feel the weight of that. These are human lives. Under Israel’s covenant law, leading people to worship other gods was a capital offense. Deuteronomy 13 prescribed the death penalty for prophets who led the people away from the Lord. That is the covenant setting for what happens here.

This passage takes the destructive power of idolatry seriously. These prophets had helped lead a nation away from the living God.

For the church, Jesus gives us a mission to make disciples, love our enemies, and bear witness to him. This account gives us no permission to use violence against people of another faith. It does remind us that turning toward God means leaving behind what has been drawing us away from him.

And that brings Elijah’s challenge back to us: “If the Lord is God, follow him.” The people’s confession is right. But the question now is what their lives will look like after they leave this mountain.

We face that question too. We can have a powerful moment in worship. We can hear a sermon that moves us. We can say, “Yes, Lord, you are God.” Then we go home.

What happens when the same temptation returns? When obedience costs us something? When we have to choose whose voice we will follow? Turning back to God takes shape in those ordinary decisions.

So here’s our third personal challenge: What would turning toward God look like for me this week? Be specific. Maybe it means confessing something you’ve been hiding and asking a trusted believer to walk with you. Maybe it means making the apology you’ve been rehearsing but never giving. Maybe it means changing a habit that keeps pulling your heart away from God. Maybe it means obeying in the very area you identified earlier—the place where your allegiance has been divided.

And perhaps you’ve never entrusted yourself to Jesus. You know about him, but today you’re ready to trust him with your life. You can come to him honestly, with your sin, your questions, and your need.

First Peter 3:18 tells us that Christ suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. “To bring us to God.” That is what Jesus has done for us. He has opened the way home. We talked earlier about his shed blood. Here is the invitation that flows from it: trust him. Receive his forgiveness. Follow him.

For those of us who already belong to Christ, returning begins with that same trust. We can confess our wandering because our Savior has made a way for us to draw near.

At the beginning of this story, the people are hobbling between two opinions. By the end, they’re facedown, confessing that the Lord is God. Where do you find yourself today?

God confronts our divided allegiance.

He convinces us that he is worthy of our trust.

And he calls our wandering hearts back to himself.

As we come to communion, we remember the Savior who brings us to God. The bread reminds us of Jesus’ body given for us. The cup reminds us of his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. We come trusting what Jesus has done. His grace gives us the freedom to confess where we’ve wandered and turn toward him again.

As you receive the bread and the cup today, bring that one area of your life before him: “Lord, this is where I need to return. Help me follow you here.”

After I pray, the praise team will lead us in a song. During that song, you’re invited to come to any of the four communion tables around the room. Take the bread and the cup, and eat and drink when you’re ready, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice for you.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you know where our hearts are divided. You know what we’ve trusted to give us what only you can give. Thank you for sending Jesus to bring us to you. As we receive this bread and this cup, help us remember his body given for us and his blood shed for our forgiveness. Turn our hearts toward you. Help us receive your grace and respond with willing obedience. Show each of us the next step, and give us grace to take it. In Jesus’ name, amen.