Read an Excerpt
Pursuing Spiritual Authenticity
Life Changing Words from the Prophets
By John Ortberg Kevin Harney Sherry Harney
Zondervan
Copyright © 2003 Willow Creek Association
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-32964-0
Chapter One
Session 1 Elijah: Holding Steady in a Roller-Coaster World
1 Kings 17:7-24; 18:16-19:18
Introduction
Ancient Israel had many kings, and every one of them is said to have done evil in the eyes of God. But when Omri comes along, he is the worst of all - that is, until his son Ahab takes the throne! Ahab takes evil to new heights and the people of Israel to new depths of sin. The writer of 1 Kings 16:30 - 33 puts it this way:
Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
Ahab marries a pagan wife from Sidon named Jezebel, who becomes famous for her hatred of God and his prophets. Ahab puts her in charge of Israel's religion, and her express agenda is to destroy the worship of Yahweh in all the land of Israel and to replace the one true God with her god, Baal. Among other things, Jezebel seeks to systematically kill all of God's prophets.
The prophet Elijah begins his ministry when Ahab and Jezebel are on the throne. This is clearly not a popular time to go into the ministry of Yahweh in the northern kingdom. It would be like declaring you wanted to be a pastor in Communist Russia in the 1960s or deciding to become a Jewish rabbi in Germany when Hitler was in power. But God calls Elijah to step into his ministry in a time of unparalleled tension, apostasy, and danger. This roller-coaster time demands a prophet who is ready to hold on and follow God through the highs and lows of doing ministry in such a climate.
Looking at Life
1. What are some possible consequences for a nation whose leaders are corrupt and evil?
Give some modern-day examples where God calls his people to stand up and speak even though what they say may not be well received.
Learning from the Word Read: 1 Kings 17:7 - 24
Reckless Generosity
The widow of Zarephath in this story is recklessly generous. She gives the last of what she has to Elijah. We should all pause occasionally to ask if we are living with that kind of generous spirit. Maybe we have an abundance of oil and flour in our jars. Maybe we only have a little. Maybe we have a huge flour jar, or perhaps a very small one. No matter what we have, we can still learn to live with a generous spirit.
Here are some questions we might want to ask occasionally:
Am I being faithful with my tithe to God?
Am I being responsive to the needs of the poor?
Am I learning to take risks in giving that stretch my faith?
Am I giving in a way that is becoming a natural part of how I live?
Am I noticing God's generous provision in my life and responding with a thankful heart?
Dallas Willard says the law of the kingdom is the law of inversion, where the last are first and the servants are the greatest. This is modeled in a striking way in the life of this widow. The weakest, most vulnerable person - an impoverished, pagan, Gentile widow - becomes the one whose generosity keeps the prophet Elijah alive. What an amazing example for all of us!
2. If you were the widow in this story, how do you think you would have responded to Elijah's request?
What do you think the widow learned about God and herself through this experience?
3. Which person has modeled a surprisingly generous heart and lifestyle for you, and how has he or she impacted your life?
What is one step you can take in becoming a more generous person?
Give all he asks; take all he gives.
Thomas R. Kelly
Read: 1 Kings 18:16-39
Where Is Baal Today?
Few people actually bow down and worship stone idols these days. But idolatry is still present in our day. A Baal is anything that tempts us away from full devotion to God. For example, a Baal can be:
A relationship that dishonors God
A lifestyle that keeps us from being generous to the poor
A habit or an addiction that we know God wants us to give up but we refuse
A grudge against someone who has hurt us
A struggle with pride and the power it has over us
We are all tempted to tell ourselves that we can hang onto our idols and God at the same time. What God taught the people of Israel, and what he wants to teach us, is that it is impossible to hold both God and idols in our heart. There is simply not enough room.
4. Imagine you are part of the crowd standing on Mount Carmel watching the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Years later, when you tell your grandchildren what happened on that mountain, what would you tell them about one of the following lessons:
What did you learn about Yahweh, the God of Israel?
What did you discover about Baal and idol worship?
How did you see God at work in Elijah?
What did you learn about yourself?
5. If we understand idolatry to be anything that keeps us from loving God fully, what is one place that idolatry has crept into your life?
What is one step you can take to get rid of it?
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-9
From the Mountain to the Valley
How many people in the history of the human race have ever experienced manifestations of God's power as Elijah did? He saw God work in ways most of us could never even dream possible. Yet, right after seeing God pour fire from heaven and defeat the prophets of Baal, things take a dramatic turn for Elijah.
When Jezebel hears of Elijah's triumph over her prophets, she vows to see him dead. Elijah, who has defied a king, defeated 850 prophets, and confronted an entire nation single-handedly, is running in fear at the threat of one queen. This turnabout is so sudden and so dramatic that some Old Testament scholars are convinced this part of the story is out of place. However, there is nothing in the text or in life to support this idea.
Elijah experiences what many followers of Christ have gone through. After a mountaintop experience of intense intimacy with God, Elijah hits a low point in his spiritual life. He goes from the mountain to the valley.
6. Some say that there is no way that the bold, confrontational, and fearless Elijah we meet in 1 Kings 18 is the same man we find in this passage. As you look at both of these passages, how do you explain such radically different responses?
7. Tell about a time you experienced a spiritual high point in your life followed by a spiritual low point.
How was God with you both on the heights of the mountaintop and the depths of the valley?
Read: 1 Kings 19:10-18
A Fresh Start
God sees Elijah in the midst of his time of turmoil and does an amazing thing. As Elijah pours out his heart, God calls him out of the cave and into the light. On the mountain Elijah stands and waits for the Lord to pass by. First, there is a powerful wind, then an earthquake, and then a fire. But God is not in any of these things. Finally comes a gentle whisper - it's God showing Elijah that he still sees and cares.
At this time, God lets Elijah know that he can have a fresh start. He reminds him that he is not alone, that there are many who still follow Yahweh. And, best of all, God begins to reveal his plan to bring a new friend into Elijah's life, a man named Elisha, who will follow in his steps as a prophet. God is not even close to being done with working in Elijah's life.
Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions. Matthew Henry
8. What did God say and do to bring hope to Elijah at this pivotal time in his life?
9. God let Elijah know that he still has ministry to do, new mountains to climb, and lives to impact. Why is having a clear purpose in life so important if we are going to move forward with hope and confidence?
10. Describe a time when God gave you a new vision and a fresh beginning in some area of your life. How has your life changed since that time of new beginnings?
Closing Reflection Take a few minutes of silence for personal reflection ...
Is there an area of your life where you need a new beginning today? How might you find encouragement for this venture?
Take time to respond to this closing question:
What can your small group members do to help you as you get started in this area of your life?
Close your small group by praying together in the following directions:
Pray for each member of your small group to experience a fresh beginning in one area of life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to lead them and sustain them as they offer this area over to him.
Truth in Action: On Your Own Between Sessions
How Do We Pray?
It is helpful to observe the vivid contrast between the way the prophets of Baal pray and the way Elijah prays. The 850 false prophets yell, scream, act out, and put on a show. Elijah simply speaks and watches God manifest his power.
Sadly, sometimes Christians pray more like the prophets of Baal than like Elijah. It's as if they think that they have to get God's attention by doing something dramatic: praying loud enough, long enough, with the right formula, with enough boldness, or with some kind of radical and special behavior if God is going to hear. This is simply not true. Elijah talks to God calmly and expects God to take care of the results.
Pay attention to your prayers in the coming days. Do you pray with the calm assurance of Elijah or the ravings of the prophets of Baal? Learn to come before God knowing that he hears your prayers when you lift them to him in Jesus' name. He hears, not because you speak loud enough or because you repeat the same words over and over again; rather, he hears because you are his child and you bring your prayers to him in the name of Jesus Christ.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Pursuing Spiritual Authenticity by John Ortberg Kevin Harney Sherry Harney Copyright © 2003 by Willow Creek Association. Excerpted by permission.
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