Eli\u00adjah has fought and won a gre\u00adat batt\u00adle for Yah\u00adweh, his God. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, the expec\u00adted respon\u00adse from God is not forth\u00adco\u00adming, which con\u00adfu\u00adses Eli\u00adjah and dri\u00adves him into depres\u00adsi\u00adon. Despon\u00addent, he sets out to see this holy and stran\u00adge God. On the long way to the moun\u00adtain of God, he encoun\u00adters his God in inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble diver\u00adsi\u00adty and wisdom.<\/p>\n
In a city like Van\u00adcou\u00adver, whe\u00adre I have now lived for a long time, the\u00adre is a huge ran\u00adge of spi\u00adri\u00adtua\u00adli\u00adty on offer. The\u00adre are Bud\u00addhist temp\u00adles, Isla\u00admic cen\u00adtres, many churches and even roadsi\u00adde stalls whe\u00adre you can pick up your per\u00adso\u00adnal horo\u00adscope. In a plu\u00adra\u00adli\u00adstic, tech\u00adno\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal and glo\u00adba\u00adli\u00adsed socie\u00adty, peo\u00adp\u00adle are rea\u00adli\u00adsing that they can\u00adnot live wit\u00adhout the divi\u00adne. The\u00adre are almost as many reli\u00adgi\u00adons as the\u00adre are peo\u00adp\u00adle. Just 30 years ago, the ques\u00adti\u00adon was: Can I belie\u00adve in God? In the post\u00admo\u00addern era, the ques\u00adti\u00adon is: Which God should I belie\u00adve in? \tOn Mount Car\u00admel, Yah\u00adweh pro\u00adved to be the true God. If you were Eli\u00adjah, would you bet on your God in such a con\u00adtest? How can our fel\u00adlow human beings reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the true God in today\u2019s spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal confusion? Eli\u00adjah has fought and won a gre\u00adat batt\u00adle for Yah\u00adweh, his God. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, the expec\u00adted respon\u00adse from God does not mate\u00adria\u00adli\u00adse, which con\u00adfu\u00adses Eli\u00adjah and dri\u00adves him into depres\u00adsi\u00adon. Despon\u00addent, he sets off to see this holy and stran\u00adge God. On the long jour\u00adney to the moun\u00adtain of God, he encoun\u00adters his God in an inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble variety\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7497","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThe very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent in action
\nThe pro\u00adphe\u00adts in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment lived under simi\u00adlar con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons. They were spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal lea\u00adders in a time when peo\u00adp\u00adle were sur\u00adroun\u00added by all kinds of gods and reli\u00adgi\u00adons. The\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle were also faced with the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how to deci\u00adde bet\u00adween all the com\u00adpe\u00adting spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties and offers.
\nWhen Eli\u00adjah was a pro\u00adphet, the roy\u00adal cou\u00adple of the nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom of Isra\u00adel, Ahab and Jeze\u00adbel, estab\u00adlished the wor\u00adship of Baal as the offi\u00adci\u00adal reli\u00adgi\u00adon in Isra\u00adel. The god\u00addess Ashe\u00adrah was also very popu\u00adlar. Baal had 450 pro\u00adphe\u00adts, Ashe\u00adrah 400. Eli\u00adjah was the only pro\u00adphet of Yah\u00adweh, the thri\u00adce-holy God. And he had an idea. \u00abEli\u00adjah stood befo\u00adre the peo\u00adp\u00adle and said, \u00abHow long will you con\u00adti\u00adnue to waver back and forth? If the LORD<\/span> (Yah\u00adweh) is God, fol\u00adlow him! But if Baal is God, then fol\u00adlow him!\u00bb But the peo\u00adp\u00adle remain\u00aded silent\u00bb (1 Kings 18:21 NLB<\/span>).
\nTo find out whe\u00adther Yah\u00adweh or Baal was God, he orga\u00adnis\u00aded a com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adti\u00adon on Mount Car\u00admel. He built two altars at the top of the moun\u00adtain. He then chal\u00adlen\u00adged the 450 pro\u00adphe\u00adts of Baal to cut a bull into pie\u00adces and place them on the wood of the altar. Eli\u00adjah did the same. And now both par\u00adties were to call on their respec\u00adti\u00adve gods. The true God is the one who ans\u00adwers with fire. Alt\u00adhough the pro\u00adphe\u00adts of Baal shou\u00adted, danced and ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly went into ecsta\u00adsy for a who\u00adle day, not\u00adhing happened.
\nThen the focus turns to Eli\u00adjah. To make con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons even more dif\u00adfi\u00adcult, he waters the altar and wood gene\u00adrous\u00adly. Then he prays: \u00ab \u00abAns\u00adwer me, LORD<\/span>! Ans\u00adwer me, O LORD<\/span>, so that this peo\u00adp\u00adle may know that you, O LORD<\/span>, are God and that you have won back their hearts. Then the LORD<\/span> let fire come down and set fire to the sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal fle\u00adsh, the wood, the stones and the earth, and even dried up the trench. When the peo\u00adp\u00adle saw this, they threw them\u00adsel\u00adves to the ground and shou\u00adted, \u00abThe LORD<\/span> is God! The LORD<\/span> is God!\u00bb \u00bb (1 Kings 18:37\u201339 NLB<\/span>). Eli\u00adjah then had all 450 pro\u00adphe\u00adts of Baal killed.
\nI ima\u00adgi\u00adne the same thing in Seon on the Forn\u00adholz. Would I have the cou\u00adra\u00adge to bet on Yah\u00adweh so publicly? Would he per\u00adform the mira\u00adcle? In any case, the result is impres\u00adsi\u00adve: the peo\u00adp\u00adle con\u00adfes\u00adsed the LORD<\/span> as God in unison.
\nOne thing is cer\u00adtain: Yah\u00adweh, the thri\u00adce holy God, is the only one of all gods who is ali\u00adve and crea\u00adti\u00adve. It is just as cer\u00adtain that mira\u00adcles do not auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly lead to faith. \u00abYet despi\u00adte the many mira\u00adcles he had per\u00adfor\u00admed, most peo\u00adp\u00adle did not belie\u00adve in him\u00bb (John 12:37 NLB<\/span>). The\u00adre is the expres\u00adsi\u00adon that Chris\u00adti\u00adans are the fifth gos\u00adpel. Peo\u00adp\u00adle no lon\u00adger read the Bible with the four gos\u00adpels, but they see the expon\u00adents of the Chris\u00adti\u00adan faith. In our the\u00adme for the year, we are chal\u00adlen\u00adged: \u00abYou shall be holy, for I am holy\u00bb (Levi\u00adti\u00adcus 19:2 NLB<\/span>). Let us give our fel\u00adlow human beings the chan\u00adce to reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the true God by obser\u00adving us!
\nEli\u00adjah no lon\u00adger under\u00adstands the world
\nThe last ver\u00adse of the chap\u00adter says: \u00abAt that moment the power of the LORD<\/span> came upon Eli\u00adjah. He gir\u00added on his cloak and ran all the way to Jez\u00adre\u00adel ahead of Ahab\u00bb (1 Kings 18:46 NLB<\/span>). Why does the good man run straight to the capi\u00adtal? Eli\u00adjah was a wan\u00adted man with a pri\u00adce on his head. The only expl\u00adana\u00adti\u00adon is that he expec\u00adted Ahab and Jeze\u00adbel to rep\u00adent or else be thrown out by the peo\u00adp\u00adle. He expec\u00adted that faith in Yah\u00adweh would once again beco\u00adme the offi\u00adci\u00adal faith of Isra\u00adel. But Jeze\u00adbel sent him a mes\u00adsa\u00adge to the con\u00adtra\u00adry: \u00abLet the gods kill me too if I do not do to you by this time tomor\u00adrow what you have done to them. Then Eli\u00adjah beca\u00adme afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beer\u00ads\u00adhe\u00adba in Judah, whe\u00adre he left his ser\u00advant.\u00bb (1 Kings 19:2f NLB<\/span>).
\nEli\u00adjah had a ser\u00advant, not becau\u00adse he was a rich man, but becau\u00adse he was a pro\u00adphet. This is his staff. In other words, Eli\u00adjah quits his ser\u00advice. And in the next ver\u00adse, he offers God to take his life. This is what a full-blown depres\u00adsi\u00adon looks like. In this sad sta\u00adte, Eli\u00adjah ran into the desert, towards the \u00abmoun\u00adtain of God, Horeb\u00bb (v.8 NLB<\/span>). This moun\u00adtain has an even bet\u00adter-known name: Mount Sinai. And it is cal\u00adled the \u00abmoun\u00adtain of God\u00bb becau\u00adse Moses met God the\u00adre in his glo\u00adry. Eli\u00adjah ran to Mount Horeb becau\u00adse \u2013 like Moses \u2013 he wan\u00adted to see God!
\nThe reason for Elijah\u2019s \u00abfall\u00bb is his deep con\u00advic\u00adtion that he has deli\u00adver\u00aded, but that God is not a relia\u00adble part\u00adner and is not doing his part. He expres\u00adses this with the sen\u00adtence, \u00abI have been very zea\u00adlous for the LORD<\/span> God of hosts\u00bb (vv. 10+13 ELB<\/span>). Alt\u00adhough Eli\u00adjah expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced the mira\u00adcle and kil\u00adled the priests of Baal, the natio\u00adnal lea\u00adder\u00adship duo remain\u00aded unim\u00adpres\u00adsed. And the peo\u00adp\u00adle did not demons\u00adtra\u00adte with the slo\u00adgan: \u00abWe want the LORD<\/span> back!\u00bb It will be some time befo\u00adre Eli\u00adjah is con\u00advic\u00adted by God\u2019s word and comes to the point whe\u00adre he rea\u00adli\u00adses that he has made God the ser\u00advant of his plans.
\nThe very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent very loving
\nSome\u00adti\u00admes we sing or say that God is sove\u00adreign. Not infre\u00adquent\u00adly we even use the expres\u00adsi\u00adon as a syn\u00adonym for God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss. Sove\u00adreign impli\u00ades that God stands abo\u00adve ever\u00ady\u00adthing, is detached and some\u00adwhat aloof. In the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing encoun\u00adter with Eli\u00adjah, we get to know the holy God in a com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent way. The LORD<\/span> encoun\u00adters Eli\u00adjah with inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble loving and mul\u00adti\u00adface\u00adted wis\u00addom! He does this by sen\u00adding an angel. What does God first do through the angel with this com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly despon\u00addent and depres\u00adsed pro\u00adphet? He does not say: \u00abDo not be afraid!\u00bb Nor: \u00abI bring you good news!\u00bb or \u00abRep\u00adent!\u00bb. Not even: \u00abDo you want to talk about it?\u00bb All the angel of God does is cook for Eli\u00adjah and touch him! \u00abThen he lay down and fell asleep under the bush. But sud\u00adden\u00adly an angel touch\u00aded him and said to him, \u00abGet up and eat\u00bb \u00bb (1 Kings 19:5 NLB<\/span>). The holy God \u2013 cus\u00adto\u00admi\u00adsed, per\u00adso\u00adnal and loving!
\nThe angel dis\u00adap\u00adpears and appears a second time a litt\u00adle later. He tou\u00adch\u00ades Eli\u00adjah again and encou\u00adra\u00adges him to con\u00adti\u00adnue in his endea\u00advour to see His God. So he tra\u00advel\u00adled on to Mount Horeb for 40 days and nights. Once the\u00adre, the LORD<\/span> asks him the same ques\u00adti\u00adon twice: \u00abWhat are you doing here, Eli\u00adjah?\u00bb (VV<\/span>. 9+13 NLB<\/span>). Then He lis\u00adtens for a long time. When God asks us a ques\u00adti\u00adon, it is never about Him get\u00adting infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon, but about us get\u00adting information.
\nEli\u00adjah has a phy\u00adsi\u00adcal natu\u00adre and lives in a phy\u00adsi\u00adcal world. Some\u00adti\u00admes we don\u2019t need a ser\u00admon or a les\u00adson, but a long sleep, a walk by the lake or a meal in a good restau\u00adrant. We humans are also desi\u00adgned for rela\u00adti\u00adonships and need clo\u00adsen\u00adess and touch. We also have a psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal natu\u00adre and need someone to lis\u00adten to us and talk to us. And last but not least, we are also spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal beings who need God\u2019s word. We need to come into God\u2019s pre\u00adsence and hear his voice. With Eli\u00adjah, this only hap\u00adpens from ver\u00adse 15 onwards, which will be the sub\u00adject of the next ser\u00admon. It is fasci\u00adna\u00adting how lovin\u00adg\u00adly the holy God takes all dimen\u00adsi\u00adons of huma\u00adni\u00adty serious\u00adly and meets them!
\nWhen we watch how someone tre\u00adats a depres\u00adsed per\u00adson, we learn a lot about their world view. Some peo\u00adp\u00adle have a pre\u00addo\u00admi\u00adnant\u00adly sci\u00aden\u00adti\u00adfic view. Peo\u00adp\u00adle are redu\u00adced to mecha\u00adnics, che\u00admis\u00adtry or syn\u00adap\u00adses. The recom\u00admen\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre: \u00abIt\u2019s a che\u00admi\u00adcal pro\u00adblem, take a tablet!\u00bb Others redu\u00adce peo\u00adp\u00adle to the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal level. They are sure that you are not pray\u00ading, have not clai\u00admed the blood pro\u00adtec\u00adtion of Christ or have too litt\u00adle faith. Such peo\u00adp\u00adle would never take a pill, becau\u00adse this is a lack of faith. Many peo\u00adp\u00adle redu\u00adce peo\u00adp\u00adle to a psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal level and say: \u00abYou need to talk to a psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgist. You\u2019\u00adve pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly been abu\u00adsed.\u00bb When a world view redu\u00adces ever\u00ady\u00adthing to one level, it is an inad\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adble reduc\u00adtion of the problem.
\nThe holy God meets the dis\u00adcou\u00adra\u00adged Eli\u00adjah in an extre\u00adme\u00adly diver\u00adse and loving approach: He cooks and tou\u00adch\u00ades (v.5), cooks and tou\u00adch\u00ades (v.7), asks ques\u00adti\u00adons (v.9+13) and lis\u00adtens. Only much later does He speak to Eli\u00adjah and cor\u00adrect his fal\u00adse beliefs in an extre\u00adme\u00adly sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve and wise way.
\n
\nAlt\u00adhough com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, stran\u00adge, holy, sove\u00adreign, He meets us humans indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal\u00adly, per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly, lovin\u00adg\u00adly, cus\u00adto\u00admi\u00adsed, wise\u00adly. The holy God even beca\u00adme man in the per\u00adson of Jesus Christ to meet you and me exact\u00adly whe\u00adre we are. Last Fri\u00adday mor\u00adning I read \u00abThe Mes\u00adsa\u00adge\u00bb in the Bible: \u00abHe\u2019ll make the road smooth for you!\u00bb Jesus has come to make your road to God smooth and cre\u00ada\u00admy. Now it\u2019s up to us to use that road!
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: 1 Kings 18:1\u201319:10<\/p>\n
\n\tHow does God deal with the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dis\u00adcou\u00adra\u00adged Eli\u00adjah who is wil\u00adling to die? What can we learn from this for our dealings with peo\u00adp\u00adle? Who needs your touch and your coo\u00adking? To whom could you be an angel of God?
\n\tWhich of God\u2019s inter\u00adven\u00adti\u00adons do we com\u00admon\u00adly refer to as \u00abspi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal\u00bb?
\n\tWhen God spo\u00adke, he asked only one simp\u00adle ques\u00adti\u00adon and then lis\u00adten\u00aded. What could this mean for our com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon with God?
\n\tHow long did it take Eli\u00adjah to hear God speak at Horeb (2 Kings 19:15)? Are you rea\u00addy to walk this long road to the moun\u00adtain of God?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"