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Okay. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Well, I think we have a wonderful day for Baptist Church. We're ready to see you all here for a Thursday service. We'll now please have a seat. Grand General, General, Son, 15. Grand General, 15. We begin this evening's service by singing song number 15, Lead Me to Calvary. ["Ride Me to Calvary"] ["Ride Me to Calvary"] ["Ride Me to Calvary"] ["Ride Me to Calvary"] ["Ride Me to Calvary"] ["Ride Me to Calvary"] Lest I forget thy love for me, lead me to Calvary. Show me a tumor, loud was slain, ten yearling for heaven. Angels and rogues of thy own name, guard with me God's cross for thee. Lest I forget, yes, Emily. Lest I forget, my Emily. Lest I forget thy love for me, lead me to Calvary. Lead me like Mary through the blue, I'll never give to thee. Show me now my empty tomb, lead me to Calvary. Lest I forget, yes, Emily. Lest I forget, my Emily. Lest I forget thy love for me, lead me to Calvary. Maybe I'll be more important there, maybe leave my cross for thee. Lead me like the one free to share, now has come all for me. Lest I forget, yes, Emily. Lest I forget, my Emily. Lest I forget thy love for me, lead me to Calvary. Amen. Amen. Praise God. Thank you, Father God, for the day. Thank you for the evening and this evening's service. We ask that you please bless this evening's service tonight. I hope we'll see you soon, Matthew. And we thank you for being a saint. Amen. Thank you, brother. Let's start our hymnals. It's on number 127. It's on number 127. It's Mr. Sweet, must be pleased. 127. It's so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to bless upon his promise, just to know the saint, the Lord. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Now I'm beautiful and old. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh, for praise to trust in God. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust his plenty glad, just in simple faith to find him. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Now I'm beautiful and old. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh, for praise to trust in God. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Now I'm beautiful and old. This is sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin itself to sin, Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Now I'm beautiful and old. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh, for praise to trust in God. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust in him. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Now I'm beautiful and old. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh, for praise to trust in Jesus. Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh, for praise to trust in God. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. Jesus, Jesus, now I trust him. I think it's always worth it, obviously, to make the effort, but maybe this will be the spark that kind of lights the fire for you a little bit, knowing that it's going to be these more famous, more well-known, more exciting stories. So that's how we're going to be finishing out 1 Kings over the next several weeks. So come on out for that. We've got the churchwide soul winning below that, as well as the salvations and baptisms. We'll count up baptisms going back to Monday. Do we have anything for Monday? I know the group on Tuesday had three. Was there anything for Wednesday? What about today for Thursday? One, amen. A couple notes there regarding the church. If you need them, go ahead and silence your cell phones, if you haven't done so already. I thank you to those that prayed for the Sierra small town soul winning. Don't forget to hydrate as we're getting into the warmer weather. I'm kind of indirectly critiqued for the use of that graphic that I used there with the thermometer because that's not even 100 degrees on the thermometer. But the point is that it's getting hotter. It's preemptive here. I don't want to wait until it's 110 for me to remind you to take precautions. And really, probably most of that is pretty common sense, but the one thing I will just take a minute to emphasize is that if you're out soul winning and your soul winning partner needs to take a break, take a break with them. Don't leave them unattended, especially if they're feeling the heat in case something happens. And that's just a general rule that we keep. That's just a rule in general. You never want to leave people unattended at the door no matter what the weather is. You should always stick with your partner. So that's just a little tip there. Don't forget the mega conference going on up in Tempe. That's going to start Sunday, June 19th. You've got some details there. There's going to be a sign up sheet for the shuttle. So every Wednesday there's going to be a shuttle that I'll run up to Tempe that I'll leave promptly at five. But it's going to be first come, first serve. And the way you get signed up is you show up the Sunday prior. So I don't want to start keeping track of people who want to come out the third Wednesday of four weeks in advance and stuff like that. So if you want to get in the shuttle, well, just come to church Sunday. So you can see what I'm doing there. That's the carrot that's going to get you to come out. And then also don't forget on the back we're coming up on FWBC Tucson's third annual church camp. So I'm real excited about this. This is something we do every summer if the mountain's not on fire like it was one year. We couldn't have it. This is our fourth year, but this is the third time we're going up there because of the fact that I think two summers ago the whole mountain was on fire. Actually got really close to the camp that we're going to, but didn't burn it down. Thankfully. So we've got an actual Baptist camp that's owned by the First Baptist Church of Tucson. And it's a facility with lots of different cabins and A-frames. It's got a full kitchen. It's got a dining hall, a chapel, electricity, flushable outhouses, a shower facility. It's still kind of rough in it, but it's right down the road from where we were going camping, which is just straight tent camping for the die-hards. Those of you that are a little less die-hard this might be more up your alley. This might be more your pace. But if you want to go there's a sign-up sheet back there. Please take a minute to look at the sign-up sheet and fill it out accordingly. And please sign up by June 5th. You can sign up now. You can get up and go sign up now. You can sign up tonight after church. You don't have to wait until June 5th. But after June 5th I'm going to open it up to the people in Tempe as well. I'm going to start inviting other people so that they have time to plan. So please sign up as soon as you can. As soon as you're sure you're going to be able to make it. If you can't make it to all the nights there just go ahead and make it I'm going to make it out for the Tuesday night. I'm going to stay the night. All three nights. We're going to have Pastor Mejia and Pastor Thompson. Pastor Mejia will be preaching the Monday night service. And then Pastor Thompson will be preaching the Tuesday and the Wednesday night service. So if you want if you have to pick and choose you decide who your favorite preacher is. And you can make it up there when you can. So hopefully you can make it up for all of it. It's going to be a good time. All the meals are going to be paid for by the church. So if you have any questions about things just come see me. I'm trying to give you a lot of details in this announcement. So if you have a bulletin read it over. I know it's a lot to read but if you're planning on going please read it. And if you have any other questions that I haven't answered just come speak to me and we'll work it out. And then below that we've also got the weekly Bible memory passage. So if you've got children and young people have until this Sunday to get that memorized and recited word perfect That's going to do it for announcements. We'll go ahead and sing one more song according to the preaching tonight. Singing Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God fills with my blood Saved by the blood of God who survives The angels rejoicing because He is God The travel The Father joining the storm Saved by the blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Saved by the blood of God who survives The Father is within His will He is God Great Christ the Son Sleep with the blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives The blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see The 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I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives Glory and sin I see The blood of God who survives It's just getting crazy out there, folks. It's getting insane. And the scariest thing is how many people don't realize that. They've just kind of been lulled to sleep at how just terrible this world has become, this country has become. And I don't want to rant and go off on all that. You know what I'm talking about. It's insane. But, you know, that's what the life we're called to live is to serve God. And it's not always going to be convenient. And it's going to become increasingly less convenient. If you would, go to Jeremiah chapter number 20. Jeremiah chapter number 20. The first thing we see about Elijah is that, you know, he's somebody that was willing to be inconvenienced to serve God. And he's a man of like passions. Oh, yeah, Elijah was a superstar. It was easy for him to go do all that. Really? He was a man of like passions. You know, and we'll see later here shortly in the next few chapters that he has his down moments, too. He has some highs and some lows. So it wasn't just easy for him. You know, sometimes we read these characters in the Bible and we forget to make it personal. That these were people like me and you. They're just like us. They had families. They had relatives. They had friends. They had familiar surroundings. They had lives. They were living. You know what I mean? They had their own life, too. They had their own doubts and fears. They had their own weaknesses. They had their own strengths. Just like me and you. They're real people. They weren't different back then. There's no new thing under the sun. Elijah was a man of like passions. The thing that we can learn from him tonight is the fact that he was willing to be inconvenienced to serve God. And if you're ever going to see God do anything great in your life being inconvenienced is par for the course. You know, if you're ever going to see a soul saved and you're going to be the one that got him saved you're going to have to go through the inconvenience of soul winning. You're going to have to go through the inconvenience of learning the gospel and how to give it. Which means you have to be somebody that does what? Takes initiative. You have to be somebody who takes initiative. You know, one of the most frustrating things for me in ministry is just seeing people not take advantage of what the church offers. Of not taking initiative. You know, and I have to reign it back sometimes and just not I don't want to turn into one of these brow beaters from a pulpit. Maybe I am a little bit. Maybe I'm kind of leaning that way right now. And I try to reign that in. But you have to understand it's frustrating. And then I think about how I probably put through a lot of my pastors through that same thing. In fact, I know I did. Where my pastors would get up and preach and preach and preach. And I'd just be like and I'd be just as stubborn as when I walked in. You know, which also gives me hope for people because it's like well, if I can get it turned around and get it right, then anybody can. But it takes patience. But you know, I can sit here and preach my heart out. I can just remind you what the Bible says repeatedly. I can go to all the scriptures about everything we're supposed to be doing. Make the illustrations and try to just preach and preach and preach. But you know what? You're the one that has to take initiative. You know, you're the one that has to decide I'm going to live for God. I'm going to go soul wedding. I'm going to raise my family for God. I'm going to be this type of spouse I'm supposed to be. I'm going to fulfill God's role for my life. I'm going to get this out of my life. I'm going to start doing this right thing. I'm going to start throwing up to church on a regular basis. You have to take that initiative. All I can do is just show you. This is what the Bible says. You know, this is what we're supposed to be doing. It's not going to be easy. It's going to require some sacrifice. And then you have to take initiative. And Elijah was able to do the things that he did. He was willing to be in convenience in the way that he was. To make the sacrifices that he made. And as a result see the things that he saw because he was somebody who took initiative. Keep something in Jeremiah 20. Go back to 1 Kings 17. Look at verse 1 again. And Elijah the Tishbite who was 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 in these years but according to my word. Verse 2 and the word of the Lord came unto him. Notice the sequence here. Elijah leaves Gilead, goes and preaches and then the word of the Lord comes to him. I'm not saying that he didn't have a calling from God to go do that. But typically you would think that you would have read and the word of the Lord came to Elijah and told him to go preach to Ahab. But that phrase comes after he goes to preach. After he's already just to me the way I read the way I look at that story it just looks to me like Elijah was somebody who just had some initiative. He said well I can fulfill this role I'm a man of God. I'm a prophet of God. I know what God's word says. I know what Ahab's like. You know I'm just going to go do this job. And I know it's not going to I know I'm going to have to leave you know my family behind. I'm going to have to leave my homeland behind. I'm going to have to go across that river Jordan. I'm going to have to go all the way to Dan that wicked city. It's full of a bunch of idolatry. I'm going to have to get up in Ahab's face and tell him and then I'm going to have to tell him I'm cursing the land. You know I'm sure he wasn't just making that up like well maybe hopefully God follows through. I understand that God probably prompted him to do that. But it's interesting the way it reads in scripture. Is that it just, Elijah just goes and does it. And then the word of the Lord came onto him and said saying get thee hence and turn thee eastward and hide thyself by the brook Cherith. After Elijah takes some initiative to do that which is difficult and presemetias that isn't really the most popular message is it? You know what that tells you is that godly people get fed up don't they? You say why would he just do that? Why would he want to go through all that? Why would Elijah just get so you know why would he go through what he went through? Why would he be willing to just do all of that and then get what he got out of it? Go eat bread and meat from the birds at a brook. And when that dries up go eat travel another few hundred miles to a widow and she'll take care of you. That sounds pretty inconvenient. Who's going to sign up for that? Why would he do that? What caused him to take the initiative to put himself through that? Because he sees what's going on around him and he's fed up. He's sick and tired of it. I mean he's in Gilead he's seeing what's going on with Israel he's been around because remember as we saw last week that all happened all these succession of wicked kings these seven wicked kings all happened within about 41 years. So he's just seeing this going on and going on and he's just a righteous godly man he's just had enough. You know and that sparked you know a fire under him and caused and made him willing to go out and do all of this. You know and that's what I remind myself about people is that people will serve God when they get fed up. You know you'll get that sin out of your life when you get sick of that sin in your life. When you're finally just fed up with that sin and everything that comes with it that's when you're going to give it up. Not just because the preacher got up and said hey that's a sin. Because people will hear that and go yeah I know it's a sin and they'll keep right on doing it. When they're sick and tired of being sick and tired that's when they're going to change. That's when they're going to say you know what I don't like this sin anymore. I don't like what it does to me. I don't like how it makes me feel. I don't like what it's costing me. I'm fed up with it. That's when people are going to take initiative. When they want to do it. When they have a reason to do it. You know we'll go preach the gospel and get people into heaven. When we get sick and tired of the fact that people are dying and going to hell. When we get sick and tired of the fact of knowing that there's people out there that we could reach that would get saved if we would go and preach to them. I'm saying they would get saved if we would go and preach to them. It's guaranteed that there's people in this city that if we would knock their door and those of you that go know what I'm talking about because you've seen it happen. If we would go and preach to them because you've seen it happen. If we would go and say hey would you like to know how to go to heaven. There's people that will say yes. And will preach in the gospel and they'll say I believe that. And they'll get genuinely 100% born again and they'll be on their way to heaven. They'll be snatched from hell. You know when that sets in and that sets in in your mind. When you get sick and tired of knowing that. That there's people going to hell that otherwise would get saved. That's when you'll start soul winning. You know you'll start you'll start raising your family right when you get sick and tired of the results you're getting. When you just get fed up with it. That's what I think is going on with Elijah. I mean why else would he go through what he went through? Nothing better to do? Oh you know I'll just go hang out in Dan for a while see what it's like. Who's school over there? No he was fed up. He was fed up with what he saw going around in his country. He took a stand. You know and this is something that you see a theme that you kind of see throughout scripture. Preachers and men of God and others who just they have to preach. They have to serve God because it's just in them. It's something that's just in their bones. It's like Jeremiah right? Jeremiah chapter 20 verse 7 I mean Jeremiah is just ripping face. I mean he's just preaching this law. I mean he's just preaching destruction doom imminent destruction coming upon you and you know immediately there's no hope. You're all going to be carried off. I mean it's just the hardest. It's a very hard book. And he's heartbroken. It's not like he's just up there. It's immediately followed up by the book of Lamentations. I mean Jeremiah is a book that if you really read it and let it sink in like it should bring tears to your eyes. I mean it should cause you to just weep for what the destruction that came upon these people. Knowing that it could have been just they didn't have to go through any of it. If they just heeded the preaching and repented you know and got right with God and I mean the things he describes taking place terrific. It's destruction. But notice verse 7. I mean here's another guy who was inconvenienced. And when he preached everyone wasn't like oh thanks for that. You know they're putting him in a pit. They're putting him in a prison house. They're giving him the water and bread of affliction. I mean he's going to die. And it says in verse 7, oh Lord thou has deceived me and I was deceived thou art stronger than I and has prevailed. I am in derision daily. Everyone mocketh me. I mean think about what he's saying. Like I went and I preached your word God. I went and did what you told me to do and I'm in derision. People are deriding me. You know people are laughing and sneering and mocking and ridiculing and attacking me. You know and this thing still happens today. You know some man of God will go out and preach against the Sodomites. And all the Sodomites will get together on Twitter or wherever else. They congregate online. And they'll put up you know his address. They'll put up his personal information. They'll make a bunch of threats because they're so loving. You know this loving crowd that wants to just say the most horrific things about murdering him and his family. I mean I could name names for you of multiple preachers that have gone through that. You know they'll fly. They'll come down from another state and throw a bomb through the building and explode it. Thankfully in the middle of the night when no one's there. I mean how do they know that? Maybe someone was there working late. But I mean isn't that what's going on here? And you would think why would anybody do that? Why would Elijah put himself out there like that and be inconvenienced like that and give up all the comforts that he had? Why would a man like Jeremiah go and preach such a hard message against his own people just to say everyone mocketh me. I'm in derision. For since I spake I cried out. I cried violence and spoil because the word of the Lord was made to reproach on and in derision daily. Look at verse 9. Then said I, I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. He said I can't believe you'd say that Jeremiah. Yeah but we haven't been in Jeremiah's shoes. You know I can relate a little bit. Sometimes I think it's like I don't want to do this. Lord I don't want to preach that. That's going to make him mad. That's going to make people upset. It's going to be my address that's online. It's going to be my wife that I'm going to have to comfort and console and remind her that reprobates are just a bunch of cowards anyway. And these limp wrist faggots probably don't even know how to hold a gun. They can talk big online but it's another story when anyway. Stop right there. But I can understand. I mean I'm just saying I can relate a little bit. You know we might be able to. Others can too. You know the family's mocking. The family's deriding us. Friends are scoffing. You know we're derision. We say well I'm just not going to talk anymore. I'm just not going to say anything about it. I'm not going to speak anymore. I will not make mention of him nor speak anymore in his name. But look what he says. He says but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. You know that's initiative. I mean it's something that's just in you or it's not. You either have this burning fire shut up in your bones or you don't. And if it's not there then you know what you're not going to speak in his name. You won't make mention. You know what is he talking what's he saying? He was fed up. He was fed up. He said I couldn't keep silence. I was weary with forbearing. I could not stay. He's like I'm not going to say anything about it. But you know what? He said his word was in my heart. When you've read the Bible when you've heard the Bible when you know what the Bible says you've memorized Scripture you've read it you've heard the preaching and you're just like well I'm just not going to I'm not going to say anything about it. You end up just going Ahhh! You've got to preach. Eventually it comes out. Eventually you're just like I can't stay. I can't forbear. That's wicked. It's a sin. There I said it. You know you eventually just have to get it out. That's why people go through what they go through to serve God. Because it's a fire in their bones. Go over to Go over to 1 Corinthians 9 1 Corinthians 9 Amos said Who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken. Who can but prophesy? I mean when we realize we have such a the word of God which is sharper than any two edged sword dividing asunder of the joints of Maryland's discernment of the thoughts and intents of the heart and can divide asunder even the soul and spirit we realize we have such a powerful weapon that the Lord hath spoken how can we not prophesy? How can we not say these things? How can we not preach it? When we get saved and we say man the gospel is so beautiful the gospel is so easy the gospel is so powerful how can we not preach it for somebody else? The Lord has spoken. Who cannot who can but prophesy? We've got to do it. It needs to be a fire shut up in our bones. But how do you get it in there? He says His word was in my heart as a fire shut up in my bones. Get it in your heart. Get the word of God in your heart. I don't care if you have to just drive it in there. Because you know it's not like I just pop out of bed every morning like a pop tart out of a toaster. I'm going to read my Bible today. I can't wait. You know there's some days it's like I've got to read my Bible. I'm working on this memory passage. I've got to do it. But you know once you start once you force yourself to do it once you start getting it in there once you get it in your heart you know it turns into this fire in your bones. And you can't help but prophesy. You've got to speak. You've got to preach it. It will cause you to take initiative. It will make you do the things that the flesh doesn't want you to do. You know Peter and John said whether it be right in the sight of God remember when the Jews took them and beat them for speaking in Christ's name? He said whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than to God judge ye for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They're like you're not going to shut us up. You don't understand the things that we've seen and heard. We've walked and talked with Christ before and after his resurrection. You'll have to kill us to get us to shut up. Because it was a fire in their bones. Did I have to go to 1 Corinthians 9? Look at verse 16. And I'm going in this passage because I don't want people to just get this idea that Elijah's life is just this life of drudgery. That the Christian life is just this long grueling hardship to the bitter end. You know the Christian life is full of joy. It's full of exciting things. It's full of peace. It's full of goodness. It's full of the fruits of the Spirit. I mean it's full of all these good things. So it's worth it. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm just saying it's worth it. I know it's a statement I've made several times the last few weeks but it's true. You know Paul he said in 1 Corinthians 9 For though I preach the gospel I have nothing to glorify for necessity is laid upon me yea woe is done to me if I preach not the gospel. So you could read that and say well yeah Paul had to. You know because it was a dispensation that was given to him. That God was you know saying you have to preach the gospel Paul. And Paul understood that and said woe is me if I don't. But you know don't get the wrong impression. You know Paul understood that it was his privilege to preach the gospel. You know Elijah was willing to go through that and do what he did because he understood that it was his privilege to be a man of God to be able to go out and do what he did. Even though it came at the price of convenience. Even though it was uncomfortable and yea even dangerous. He still was willing to do it and take that initiative because he understood you know the recompense of reward. Like Moses who chose to suffer with the children of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Why? Because he had recompense unto the reward. He understood look it's worth going through the suffering because I'm going to come out on top and God is going to be glorified. That's why Paul went on to say we read 1 Corinthians 6 I'll read you Ephesians 3 he said unto me who I'm less than least of all the saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. You say well what do you mean? What was he preaching? What were the unsearchable riches of Christ that Paul was preaching to the Gentiles? What is he referring to there? It's the gospel. That's what he's referring to. The same gospel that you and I preach. Which means to me tells me that when you're out preaching gospel what you're actually preaching are the unsearchable riches of Christ. You know and that's a very true statement when you really think about it because when you're preaching the gospel to somebody and they get saved they have an inheritance in glory. They're going to have a glorified body in the resurrection they're going to have eternal life they're going to be in heaven where there are many mansions they're going to be in the glory of God the Father they're going to have the opportunity to earn eternal rewards on earth that they serve Christ. I mean that's what you're preaching to people when you preach the gospel that's what Paul said. I'm not just out here just going through the motions because I have to he's saying I'm going out here because it's shut up in my bones his word is in my heart I'm willing to go through it because I understand what I'm preaching are the unsearchable riches of Christ. And here's the thing about it is that you know Elijah and if you would go back to 1 Kings 17 Elijah you know we like to think about the miracles he got to perform and all the things he got to see and they were pretty cool but it came at a price didn't it? But notice that you know he is provided for miraculously because what's the message that he preached to Ahab? It's not going to rain and back then that meant something like oh I guess I'm just going to have to have my water trucked in oh I guess we'll just have to dig some more canals or drill a well no back then it was like oh if it doesn't rain you're all going to starve because your crops aren't going to grow I mean that's the message he preached but notice he's provided for miraculously we all know this it says in verse 2 the word of the Lord came unto him saying get thee hence turn thee eastward and hide thyself by the brook chariot that is before Jordan and it shall be that thou shalt drink of the brook and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there so I mean you think you want to talk about you think it's cool to have a drive through you think that's convenient well you didn't have to leave the brook this is like this is the Uber Eats of back then this is the door dash of Elijah's day I don't know that he got to pick and choose what he wanted from his favorite restaurant but he was happy to get what he got so he went and did according unto the word of the Lord for he went and dwelt by the brook chariot that is before Jordan and ravens brought him his bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening and he drank of the brook so he's getting this I mean where are they getting this it's not like they're going to the store and shopping for him and bringing it there and I've heard people say they were getting it here or there well first of all it's a miracle at all I mean it's 100% it's a miracle that the ravens I don't know about you I've never had a bird just bring me food on its own accord but this is happening everyday for him every morning and every evening so I think they're just showing up and saying where did the bread and the meat come from it's a miracle it's a miracle and I think it was all fresh I think it was like you know that bread might have even been warm and that flesh that he got was fresh I don't think it was like rancid carrion that they got off some carcass somewhere it was fresh meat and fresh bread that he was getting taken care of I mean you say oh that doesn't sound very exciting you know where's the Ben and Jerry's where's the side onion rings where's the cheese curds where's the shake you know you're wondering where all the goods are yeah but when everybody else is starving that's a pretty good meal like I preach Sunday night to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet and bread and meat is not necessarily a bitter thing to begin with so you know take that for your low carb diet I'm not against the low carb diet I'm just kidding it was a different type of carb back then I'm not going to get into discussion about ancient grains but you know he's being taken care of and it came to pass over a while that the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land so even that eventually he his you know his sustenance dries up and he has to and God comes through again but notice in Jesus in Luke 4 I already read it to you he made a point of pointing it out there were many widows in the days of Lycius but unto whom was he sent just one widow and he's referring back to Elijah and we're reading that story tonight about how God miraculously took care of him while everybody else is going hungry I mean they're scraping the bottom of the barrel right as we see in the widow's case she said I'm going to go grab I've got these sticks I'm going to make another small cake and then we're going to eat it and die this is all I got that was the case for lots of people right but not Elijah I mean can you imagine that there's this drought taking place all the food banks are empty you know all the grocery stores all there's nothing on the shelves you know it's not just the toilet paper it's gone this time it's everything it's just gone and you're that one person in the whole nation that's just fat and sassy through the whole thing because you just got God just feeding you and not just once a day every morning every night I mean he didn't even know hunger he's getting fed he's like he might I mean did he even get hungry at all during a drought but who is it that God's feeding in the story why is he feeding Elijah because God feeds the fed up God feeds people that are fed up because people that are fed up are the ones that are going to put themselves out there for God that's who he's feeding the guy who got fed up we know the rest of the story he goes and he gets fed of the widow too and you know that's the application is that the faithful will be fed God feeds the faithful you know and I think about this and I believe he does this quite literally I mean it's obviously does it very literally in Elijah's day to Elijah specifically he's feeding a guy who is faithful to him who took initiative he said I'll serve you even though it's not convenient even though it's a hard message even though it's going to potentially at the risk of my own life I'm going to serve you God and I'm just going to trust you and I'll be faithful to you and God fed him that's in the most literal sense God fed him right because he was faithful and I believe that can apply to us today it's like we read these stories and we forget that that's the same God that we serve you know and I'm not against people taking precautions and people you know I could probably be better about it to some degree I understand that you know safety is of the Lord but the horse prepared on the day of battle that you know ultimately God's safety is in his hands it's something he takes care of but you know that doesn't mean we should just be completely flippant and not you know take precautions but I am saying this is that when God's judgment is being poured out on a land when things are just completely destitute I'm not going to be too worried about it when I get through my last can of beans you know or whatever the rations I've got stored up are gone you know as long as I've been serving God as long as I've been right with God I'm just going to say well God well God you know I've been faithful I've been serving you and hopefully I'll still be able to say that I've been preaching your word I've been going out and preaching the gospel I've been trying to keep the commandments and obey you and please you in all things and live a life of godliness that's pleasing unto you and it hasn't been convenient I've put myself out there and I've done the best that I can and I'm just trusting you to come through I believe God will do that for people and not just me because I'm the preacher anybody that is serving God to their capacity and has been faithful to the Lord if something like that came upon our nation I believe that God would miraculously take care of them you know I don't know about that well I mean isn't that what Jesus said take no thought for tomorrow you know take no thought for these things for after all these things the Gentiles seek what you shall eat what you shall drink what you shall put on for after all these things the Gentiles seek but what seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you that's what he said you take no thought for the things of tomorrow for sufficient on the day is the evil thereof if you just focus on serving God every day day in and day out and being faithful to him and doing what you're supposed to do convenient or not and serving him and being faithful to him then God will feed you I mean he does it now we just think it's always of our own power that we you know it was the paycheck I earned that fed me yeah but God's the one that gave you the strength and the wisdom and allowed you to keep sucking air so you could even do that it's the God that gives the power to get wealth the Bible says so he's already doing it for us you know and if we're faithful to him you know he'll keep right on doing it if you would go to Psalms 37 Psalms 37 I'm almost done but this is you know this is a few lessons we can learn just from these first few chapters about Elijah is that you know Elijah is somebody that was willing to be inconvenienced for God he understood look if I'm gonna do what God wants me to do I'm gonna have to be inconvenienced and he was willing to do it he's willing to take that initiative because he had that like Jeremiah that fire in his bones he was fed up he was sick and tired of what he saw going on around him and he was gonna do something about it instead of just ignoring it and as a result you know God was faithful to him and provided for him you know and that's you know quite literally God would do the same thing for us today you know but if we're not if we're not taking care of the things of God now if we're not worried about the things of God now if we're not faithful to God now you know in a good way in a good way in a good time when things are plenteous when there's abundance if we're not we can't bring ourselves to serve God now then I'm not gonna I'm not gonna hold out for I wouldn't hold out for God you know some raven showing up at your door every day if things got bad you know because he feeds the faithful that's who he feeds the Bible says in Psalms 37 did I have you go there? verse 23 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord it doesn't say the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord it says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and you know what's a good man? a faithful man who can find right? a man who is faithful a good man somebody who loves the Lord somebody who serves God you know God's gonna order his steps and he delighteth in his way I mean the Bible is saying you could have God's attention wouldn't you want God to delight in your way? I mean what an amazing thought to sit there and think that God the God of heaven and earth the God of the universe the creator of all things could delight in your way that he could be interested in your life the particulars of your life and you know I think we sell God short on this because we think well who am I? yeah but who are any of us? and it's amazing that God is so big and so powerful and God is omniscient and omnipresent and outside of time God has all of eternity to just worry about every just to get involved and I won't say worry but delight in every single person's life if he so chooses that's not beyond his capability you know we think oh God's too big God's got more important things to worry about than little me so it doesn't really matter what I do no the Bible says that if you're a good man God will order your steps and he will delight in your way you know God will guide you through life and he'll give you discernment he'll give you knowledge I believe this he'll engineer circumstances he'll cause things to come to pass he'll bring people into your path he'll cause situations to open up I absolutely believe that and look I'm not saying that we have to be perfect in every way because none of us is but I'm saying if God knows our heart and he can see that we're sincere and that we're honest and that we're doing everything that we can that God will delight in our way you know and that's what I want for my life I want God to delight in my way look at verse 24 he said though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down that's another great promise because here's the thing you know no one's perfect we're probably going to fall at some point we're going to trip and God's not just going to hold us down and say well you're never getting up again no he says he shall not be utterly cast down the Lord will uphold him with his hand God's going to be there to help you when you stumble when you go through life and things get hard God's going to be there look verse 25 I have been young and now I'm old yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread and he means that I believe literally but the people the good man who's God delights in who orders his steps he doesn't see that guy's seed begging bread God takes care of them God provides for them and makes sure that he has everything that he needs if you would go to one last passage Proverbs chapter 8 I promise I'm done you know the Bible says Paul said in Philippians my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus that's a great promise out of the word of God you know when we get so worried sometimes about how we're going to provide for things you know and that's not uncommon I mean that's a very you know unfortunately there's some people that there's some people in this world they don't worry about that they just go well I'm sure the government will come through for me you know they just wait on a check to cut show up in the mailbox or something you know it's obviously that's the responsible thing to do but you know the comfort is is that God will provide for us if we're the good man if we're the faithful man if we're somebody who you know God can delight in you know that's and I believe that's very literal very literal you know and I I don't have time you know I I I always think about different ways in which God has provided for me I mean moving out here we moved out to Tempe Arizona to be a part of that church up there in Tempe faithful word you know we had two thousand dollars in the bank my wife was six months pregnant had a two year old in the backseat of a Toyota Camry everything that I brought with me was fit in that there was nothing else I mailed some stuff you know in some boxes but everything else was in the back of a Camry and it had bald tires and it was the gutsiest move I've ever made you know I I mean I would I would I don't know that I'd have the guts to do it now do it all over again knowing what I know now but I look back on it my wife we talk about it you know we we mention to each other all the time and it's just like man we got here and God just got us through not one flat tire not one hiccup the whole way and I'm I'm saying the tire had braids by the time I got here there were braids were coming out and it was just like packed like there's the struts were shot I mean just there's other stories where God just like I didn't have a pair of boots to work in and then I go to my mother-in-law's house and she comes back from a visit with her brother-in-law and she's got a brand he he just said hey take these boots back to you maybe somebody back home needs them exact fit my size and then I showed my wife tell me about it she's like oh I've been praying that God will get you a new pair of boots I mean God cares about the boots that I'm going to wear to work I mean that that's we sell God short and we think oh God's not going to care about the little things yeah well you know what you have not because you ask not ask and it shall be given unto you seek and you shall find you know and that's literal but you know the other the last application I want to make is that you know God will feed us I believe literally if we're faithful even in the worst of times that God will still take care of us but God will feed us spiritually you know and this is something we can apply today you know don't you don't have to wait until some famine somewhere to try and test the sermon out tonight you could test it out tonight spiritually speaking God will feed you spiritually if you're faithful to reading his word you know if you'll be inconvenienced to go to church God will feed you if you'll be inconvenienced to take some time out of your day to actually read the Bible God will feed you spiritually speaking you know the ravens of the Holy Spirit will show up with fresh bread and fresh meat to give you spiritual strength to go through another day of life of being able to know what it takes to live for the Lord to be encouraged in the Lord you know God's got things in here for us that he wants to feed us but we have to be the one that actually shows up as loud as inconvenience we have to leave you know the gilead of our living room with the television you know we have to put down you know the gilead of our smart phone for an hour maybe put it on do not disturb put the game controller down you know quit wrenching on the car I don't know what what you guys do whatever you do besides read the Bible if that's you you know you're missing out on a meal you're missing out on that spiritual meat that spiritual bread that God will bring to you fresh every day every day it will be there but we have to what? we got to be like Elijah we got to be inconvenienced you know we have to sit down by that brook which maybe it's not exactly where we want to be maybe it's not the exact situation or accommodations we would like but you know what that's where God is ordained to feed you oh man you know this is the brook this black and white book the these the the king James Bible I'm telling you there's meat in here there's bread in here it's fresh it will help you God wants to give it to you every day but you know what this is where it's at it's not it's not some other brook somewhere it's here same thing for this church you know there's a man of God preaching the Bible here three day by the way it's three times a week I do this I don't know if everyone here knew that you know that bulletin you know there's actually three soul winning there are three church services in there there's Sunday morning there's also Sunday night there's also a Thursday night I know you know that tonight I'm kind of preaching the choir right now because you're here on Thursday night but there it's not it's not like you know Sunday night is just leftovers from Sunday morning no that's it's it's the bread that came in the morning and the bread that came at night there's fresh bread morning and night here on Sundays but you know it's going to be inconvenient for you because you know if there's some game on or something I don't know what people do on Sundays but look you know that's the application spiritually obviously there's a great application about it physically that there's this we could miraculously be taken care of by God but then there's also the spiritual application too that we could put into practice today and experience today did I have you go to Proverbs 8 if you look at verse 34 blessed is the man that heareth me you know this is wisdom personified right talking about how the Lord wisdom is personified you know and he's saying blessed is the man that heareth me you know blessed is the man that hears the word of God not everybody gets to hear preaching not everybody gets to read the word of God blessed is the man that heareth me but notice how why is it he gets to hear him watching daily at my gates waiting at the post of my door he's there when he's supposed to be there waiting listening watching he's available you know he's not it's not blessed is the man you know that is waiting for me in the comforts of their own home blessed is the man that tunes into the TV preacher in their pajamas you know no it's blessed is the man that goes to the church and waits there and is found daily at my gates you know blessed is the man that just you read some cheesy devotional for five minutes no blessed is the man that is waiting at the gates of God's word you know is blinking through the first five minutes waiting for the caffeine to kick in and sticks it out and gets a half hour in gets an hour into their bible reading and all of a sudden God is just speaking to them the Holy Spirit is just speaking to them verses are popping out tears are coming in their eyes joy a smile is put on their face blessed is that man that is actually there waiting listening watching wanting to hear from God there's a lesson about that verse 35 for whoso findeth me findeth life and obtaineth favor of the Lord you know it's not it's not just the bible isn't just you know a good way to live your life it's life itself it's obtaining the favor of the Lord it's not well it's just going to keep me out of trouble it will but it's also going to bring the favor of God on your life if we obey it if we do it if we keep his commandments by God himself you say well that's not for me well then verse 36 is for you for he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul you know the person that's going to ignore God and just not be bothered with God God's not going to be the one that's put out God is going to be just fine if you ignore him did you know that? if you just tune God out tune the preacher out just not read the bible it's not my thing God's going to be fine it's your soul that's going to be wrong you're the one that's not going to be blessed you're the one that's going to have to suffer the consequences of not knowing what the bible says let alone knowing what to do all they he says in verse 36 all they that hate me love death all they that hate me love death because you know he's saying what? who so findeth me findeth life that's where life is it's in God it's in his word so if we despise his word if we hate his word then we must love death and we wrong our own soul so that's the spiritual application from the story of Elijah this morning or this evening is that you know there's great blessings in serving God there's these miracles that Elijah gets to see in his life God provides for him you know that physical meat God will provide for us in that way too if needed but in the meantime there's a lot of spiritual meat that God wants to provide for us but we have to be like Elijah don't we we can't just hang out in Gilead and just wait for God to come to us we actually have to step out in faith inconvenience ourselves go through might have to go through some hardship be like in a Jeremiah you know and suffer some ridicule and some derision along the way go through some persecutions go through some afflictions in order to serve God but it's worth it because at the end of the day Elijah was blessed and we're sitting here 2000 years later reading about him over 2000 years thousands and thousands of years reading about a man of God who actually existed named Elijah who actually did these things never would have happened wouldn't know anything about him if he just said well I can't be bothered you know and we'll miss out on a lot of blessings in our life if that's the attitude that we develop as well I've got other things to do you know there's a lot that God has in store for us and we're going to see there's a lot I mean this is just the beginning with Elijah you know we just barely touched on the widow I mean then there's the prophets of Baal and it's the chariot of fire and it's just the list goes on and then there's this protege Elijah that comes up after him none of that would have happened if he just hung out in Gilead and said I can't be bothered and you'll miss out too so you know that's my encouragement don't be that guy be the blessed man that's going to be found waiting at the doors ready and willing to receive that spiritual meat from heaven let's go ahead and pray Lord again thank you for the daily provision that you give for us Lord even physically Lord every day you provide so many good things for us that we tend to just take for granted and might not even acknowledge you and all the good things that you've given us and Lord forgive us for that if that's us and Lord but also help us to understand that that the true riches Lord are those that are spiritual and that if we were ever found in a land that's as destitute as Elijah Elijah's land Lord that there's still the blessings that you can give from heaven and Lord those blessings are available to us spiritually every single day Lord help us to avail ourselves to that so that we can be blessed people that you are going to delight in we ask in Christ's name Amen alright we'll sing one more song before we go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go I'm safe wherever I go