God is Sovereign
Faithful Living in Faltering Times • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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God is Sovereign
God is Sovereign
1 Kings 17:1–7 (ESV)
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
DT: God provides for those who trust Him. /When we trust God, He will meet our every provision.
Introduction: Elijah is a prophet of God whom we will see trusted God and lived a life that honored God even when the culture and society he lived in was corrupt and chose to abandon God’s love.His name means “my God is Yahweh [the Lord]” (eli = “my God”; yah = “Yah[weh]”), which is fitting since most of his efforts are aimed at proving that the Lord, Yahweh, is superior to the local storm deity, Baal.
Israel has been ruled by an idol worshiping king who has led Israel deeper and deeper into sin against God. This kings name is Ahab. He reigned as king for about 21 years. Ahab is known for being the most wicked king in the history of Israel (1 Kgs 16:30), surpassing the evil done by his father Omri (1 Kgs 16:25). His corrupt influence extended into the prophetic office. Hundreds of false prophets were present during his reign, and his wife Jezebel destroyed most of the prophets of Yahweh.
This Ahab worshiped the idol god baal. He built a house for baal and built an altar in the house of baal.
Baal was known as the god of rain and fertility. As the storm god and bringer of rain, Baal was recognized as sustaining the fertility of crops, animals, and people.
So, interestingly enough God proves that baal has no power . God sends Elijah to Israel to declare that there would be no rain and that the land would suffer as a result of this.
Transition: Today we embark on a couple examples of how we must respond to the Sovereignty of God. First Trust God’s Authority . . .
I. Trust God’s Authority (v. 1)
“1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
Elijah addresses King Ahab with a message directly from God. He tells the King that there will be no rainfall until he says it will rain.
Elijah is standing on the authority of God. He is proving to Ahab that God is the one true God. Baal has no power over God. Baal has no power over any of God’s creation. Baal is a powerless idol.
But God is sovereign. God rules and super-rules the universe. He answers to nobody and has all power.
Elijah knows this to be true so he does not waver he trusts God’s authority and speaks clearly and boldly against the idol worshiping king and nation.
a. God Lives
Elijah declares boldly that God is alive. He is not some idol that man has built and has to move but God is the power that moves the world. Elijah is proclaiming he is representing the one true God the living God.
b. God is Righteous Always
Elijah understood the righteousness of God. Which means God reserves the right to execute judgment. It may seem harsh for God to impose such a sentence of no rain but truth is Israel has seen God’s work over and over again. Their idol worship was direct defiance toward God.
Application: Trusting God’s authority means acknowledging and accepting that God is the ultimate authority in our lives. It means surrendering our will and desires to God's will and trusting that His plans for us are good. Just as a loyal subject commits to the authority of a king or queen, we commit to God's authority by obeying His commandments, seeking His guidance, and living a life that honors Him. This commitment requires humility, faith, and a willingness to let go of our own desires and trust in God's wisdom and sovereignty.
Does God have authority in your life? Does He have authority over you? Do you live according to your ideas or according to the will of God?
You must trust God regardless of what He charges you to do. Some of us have been purposed to do things by God but we don’t do them. We excuse ourselves because we are concerned with what other people will say. If God is the authority in your life than you have got to ignore everybody who is saying anything different from God.
You and I must stand for the righteousness of God. We must not fear the culture that cancels us for our beliefs. We must trust that God has the last say and that God is the authority of our life.
Transition: Here is the next example of how to respond to God’s Sovereignty. Trust God’s Provision.
II. Trust God’s Provision (vv. 2-6)
“2 And the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”
Elijah obeyed God and went to a brook and God provided for him while He executed judgment against Israel. Elijah believed that if God can stop rain God can do anything else certainly He can feed him.
Elijah does not try to figure it out on his own. He obeyed God and followed his instructions.
Even in a drought God has power. In fact God proves He has power over all nature. A bird who feeds Elijah and a brook that provides water in midst of a drought.
a. God will take care of those who trust Him
The interesting thing about the drought is that it affected the entirety of the land. Yet God preserved a place for Elijah. God took care of Elijah and ensured that Elijah would be both protected and provided for.
b. God’s provision are incomparable
Who can do what God does? God sends bread and meat by a bird twice a day. Baal hasn’t done anything for Israel. God provided a brook for Elijah to drink from daily baal has done nothing for the people who pray and worship him. God does the miraculous and there is none who can do what He does.
Transition
Application: Committing to God's provision means trusting that God will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory. It means acknowledging that God is the source of all good things and that He is faithful to provide for us in every circumstance. To commit to God's provision, we must first have faith in Him and trust that He is able to meet our needs. We must also be willing to surrender our worries and anxieties to Him and trust that He will provide for us in His perfect timing and in His perfect way. This commitment requires humility, gratitude, and a willingness to let go of our own plans and trust in God's plan for our lives. Ultimately, committing to God's provision leads to a life of peace, contentment, and joy as we rest in the knowledge that God is our provider and sustainer.
Conclusion:
God is Sovereign. You and I should be challenged today to trust God. If you don’t know Him I hope today’s message encourages you to try Him for yourself.
God has all power and should have total authority over your life.
God is a provider! He will provide in immeasurable ways if you will only trust Him. You cannot do it alone try God.
God has provided salvation for you and me. Jesus came and died for your sins and my sins!