I often think that because the historical accounts of God’s power in the Old Testament were so amazing, that we think things like that can’t happen today. Can you imagine watching the Red Sea part, or blowing trumpets causing a stone city to fall down or even witnessing time moving backwards? I think we forget that we serve and love the same God who is waiting for us to show others who God really is and with the same kind of demonstrated power.
Today, our first passage is 1 Kings 18:18-39 where the prophet Elijah confronts the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal.
He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals. Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.” So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.”
According to the scriptures, the nation of Israel didn’t respond to Elijah’s question about whom they were going to serve, “But the people did not answer him a word.” When Elijah proposed a demonstration of power, the people respond differently. It was easy for them because it didn’t require anything on their part. That’s pretty typical of man, isn’t it? We’ll go along with something if it doesn’t really involve any effort or risk on our part.
Why was there a difference in the people’s response after God demonstrated His power? To our detriment, humans have a need for proof. We are people of little faith—-we struggle with maintaining faith in our everyday lives. After God consumed the offering and showed that He is God, the people had a right response to Him. They were reminded of who God is by just a minute demonstration of His power. This act was nothing for God to do, He created all things and they are all in His control. Yet, it took this demonstration for the people to realize they had sinned and let other thing come before Him.
Where else do we read of a fire coming down to demonstrate the power of God?
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4.
I’m not trying to say that fire will appear when God demonstrates His power. But, the point is that God has always been ready to use His people for eternal purposes.
Whether in Abraham’s time, Moses’ time, Elijah’s time, the Apostle Peter’s time or our time today, God will demonstrate His power today just as powerfully as that day with Elijah or on the day of Pentecost.
This example of the coming of the Holy Spirit means that we can be used by God in any way He desires. The point not to miss is that Elijah and the disciples were ordinary people. They weren’t Seminary trained evangelists, but rather like you and me. They were just willing to be used by God for His will and His glory. We need to be willing to be used in a powerful way by God. We cannot limit our thinking to what gifts we have or what skills we posses or even what makes us uncomfortable.
And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans...we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” Acts 2:6-7, 11.
It’s a demonstration of God’s power that the disciples were speaking in languages they didn’t know. And, that is an amazing miracle and a demonstration of God using His power through His followers for His purpose. However, what is usually lost in this excitement is what the disciples were saying in foreign languages. They were telling others about what they had experienced in the last three years.
So, we have this scene with thousands of visitors to the temple courts and a dozen or so disciples speaking different languages so that everyone in the crowd, all from different countries who speak different languages themselves, can understand what they’re saying. Since it’s 9 o’clock in the morning, they’re at the temple for morning prayers. The people are astounded by the witness of the disciples. By speaking of the gospel of Christ, the disciples were serving as witnesses of Christ. Acts 1:8 is a prelude to this story and is the key to understanding the passage for today: “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
This same power God wants to work through us today. Christ Himself said we have this power in Acts 1:8. The thing to remember is we cannot be afraid to be God’s witness because we have the power of God through His Holy Spirit. Think of a courtroom. A witness just tells what they know and tries to answer any questions to the best of their knowledge. That’s all that being a witness for Christ is. Just telling what you know to the people around you.
To make this even easier, here are four steps to be God’s witness in His power.
Step one: spend time in prayer before hand. “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer,” Acts 1:14.
Step two: have faith that God will not fail. “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench,” 1 Kings 18:37-38.
Step three: simply tell your story. “We hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God,” Acts 2:11.
Step four: allow God to do the rest. “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls,” Acts 2:41.
The end of all this is the fact that God’s power is available to us through His Holy Spirit to achieve His will. Our role is to demonstrate our willingness to put ourselves in places to be used by God so that it is evident that it is God performing the mighty deed.
I ask you to step out in faith and be a witness to what God has done in history and in your own life. Take the opportunity to share what you know with someone you encounter—-you’ll see God’s power work in you and in those to whom you witness.
Let’s bow in prayer.
