B. The Waiting at the Brook 1. The Place And the word of the Lord came to him: Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 1 Kings 17:2-3 I. Ahab, the Wicked King April 29 & 30, 2017 Ken Long, Senior Pastor In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 1 Kings 16:29 A. The Model of Jeroboam And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat... 1 Kings 16:30-31a B. The Marriage of Jezebel... he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 1 Kings 16:31b-32 C. The Message of Joshua In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. 1 Kings 16:34 II. Elijah, the Prophet of God A. The Word of the Lord 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. 1 Kings 17:1 Cherith means: To cut down 2. The Provision You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 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. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 1 Kings 17:4-6 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 3. The Problem And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 1 Kings 17:7 The God who gives water can also withhold water. But Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:14-16 Application: 1. We must see the value of the hidden life. 2. God s direction includes God s provision. 3. A dried-up brook may be a sign of God s pleasure, not disappointment. Available online at northshorechristian.org: Click the Media button for completed sermon CD s and DVD s of today s sermon & other messages are available next to the Media Booth. notes, video & audio. All scriptures are English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise Northshore Media #170430 KJL noted.
Table of Contents Devotions 2 Our Purpose as a Home Group 3 Our Ground Rules for Home Group Discussions 4 Week 1 FAITH AND COURAGE 5 Key Scripture: Galatians 1:6-8 Story: 1 Kings 13:1-34 Weekend of: April 22-23 Week 2 THE CALLING 6 Key Scripture: Ephesians 4:25 Story: 1 Kings 16:29-17:7 Weekend of: April 29-30 Week 3 THE PREPARATION 7 Key Scripture: Matthew 6:33 Story: 1 Kings 17:8-24 Weekend of: May 6-7 Week 4 THE CULMINATION 8 Key Scripture: Galatians 2:20 Story: 1 Kings 18:1-40 Weekend of: May 13-14 Appendix Prayer and Celebration i. Announcements ii. Sermon Series: ELIJAH, MAN OF FAITH AND COURAGE April 22-May 14, 2017
Devotions Stop Everything Carve out a time to spend with God every day. Prayerfully ask God to remove all distractions and fill that time with just Him. Find a Time God calls us to meet with Him because He loves us. We need to give Him daily praise and prayer. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Seek a Relationship Pray that your time is about building that relationship with Him and knowing Him better. Be open in your prayers and praises and He will listen, and in turn, you will grow closer to Him. Start a Conversation Don t hold back. It doesn t have to be perfect prayers and Christian phrases. Ask Him questions. Ask Him for help. Cry out to Him. Praise Him. His Presence Pray that your quiet times are filled with His words and your heart is filled with His truth. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:16). He is Able Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). Seek Him with all of Your Heart You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13). Time spent with God is time well spent. Faith and Courage: The Calling: Deuteronomy 31:6 Psalm 31:24 Daniel 10:19 Isaiah 12:1 Philippians 1:19-20 Acts 23:11 Romans 8:30 Ephesians 6:20 Mark 16:14-16 2 Corinthians 5:20 Matthew 22:14 Isaiah 43:1 The Preparation: Psalm 68:9-10 2 Peter 1:5-11 Matthew 6:25-34 Genesis 22:9-14 Luke 23:43 Exodus 13:21-22 The Culmination: Deuteronomy 6:18-20 1 Peter 5:6-7 Romans 12:1 Matthew 16:24-25 Mark 8:35 1 Corinthians 9:27 2
OUR PURPOSE AS A HOME GROUP THE PURPOSE OF HOME GROUPS: Although weekend worship is important, we believe that Jesus command to make disciples is best lived out in small group relational environments. Jesus methods are just as divine as His message. Therefore, we have chosen to follow Jesus example by creating community home groups which are the primary vehicle by which we carry out the mission of the church. Ranging in size from 4 to 14 people, home groups are community-based relational environments of men and women that meet for the purpose of intentionally growing as disciples of Jesus. VISION: To reach the world for Jesus Christ by creating relational environments for the purpose of making disciples who can make disciples. MISSION: Loving God, Loving People, Disciples Making Disciples METHOD & STRATEGY: To follow Jesus divine model in making biblical disciples through intentional relational environments using His reproducible spiritual growth process. Abide in me, and I in You. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20 And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47 3
OUR GROUND RULES for Home Group Discussions SAFE GROUP: We will all do our part to create an environment where everyone can be real, open and honest with their struggles and victories. CONFIDENTIALITY: What is said in group stays in the group. LISTEN: Let s value one another during the discussions by really listening to what is being shared. Try to avoid thinking about how you are going to respond or what you are going to say next. PAUSE: Allow a pause in conversation after someone shares. A pause gives the person sharing the chance to finish, and the group the opportunity to consider what was just shared before responding. SILENCE: It is important to allow silence in the group. Silence provides an opportunity for someone to share and for members in the group to process the topic or question being considered. NO CROSS TALK : Be considerate of others as they are sharing. No side conversations. NO FIXING: We are not here to fix each other. Jesus does that part. Give encouragement; speak truth and point to Jesus. Don t try to solve problems or fix each other. NO RESCUING: When people are sharing something deeply personal, there can be a tendency to try to make them feel better about themselves or the situation by providing immediate condolences. This will often cause them to stop sharing. Resist the temptation to rescue people. SHARING: Be sensitive about the amount of time you share. BE SELF-AWARE: Be self-aware of how you are personally affecting the environment through your words, actions and non-verbal communication. USE I STATEMENTS: It s easy to talk about the issues of others, but for our purposes, we want you to put yourself on the table. Try to use I statements rather than them, the church, us, we, etc. CONFLICT: We will commit to resolve conflict biblically. When conflict or sin issues between group members arise, we want to make sure that we are honoring God and each other in the way we deal with issues. 4
Faith and Courage I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-8 ESV) Getting Started Welcome & Open in Prayer Review the Ground Rules for Home Group Discussion: (pg. 2) Cast the Vision: (pg. 3) Ice Breaker: Ever been threatened by a wild animal? Bear? Lion? Wolf? House mice? This Week s Main Idea: Doing Right in the Eyes of The Lord Having faith and courage to do right in the eyes of the Lord does not come easy or naturally. In fact, it is supernatural and requires the help from God. Doing right includes the right thing, the right way for the right reason. In order to do what s right, we must know what s right. We are confident that absolute truth is found in God s Word. Having the faith and courage to live out the right thing is not always easy. Are you a person of faith and courage who could be assessed as someone who did right in the eyes of the Lord? Setting up the Story: Today s passage tells the story of an unnamed prophet known only as "the man of God" who was sent to confront Jeroboam and the calf worship he had instigated into God's kingdom. There are timeless lessons in the example of his courageous confrontation of the king, as well as in the example of his failure to follow God completely. Sharing the Story: 1 Kings 13:1-34 Rebuild the Story: Please feel free to use your Bible Retell the Story: Optional, have someone else retell the story. Discuss the Story: Feel free to come up with your own discussion questions. What were God s instructions to the man of God in this story? Where did the man of God get the courage to confront the king? After his great success before Jeroboam, why do you think the man of God failed when he encountered a friendly stranger on the way home? What was it about the message of the man who claimed to be a prophet that was so persuasive to the man of God? Why do you think it was easy for him to respond and follow the prophet? When have you had to stand alone for God and His word? What was the outcome? Being a person of faith and courage 100% of the time is not easy. When do you find yourself to be the most vulnerable and when do you feel the most strong? In today s society and political climate, when people you are trying to invite and the culture around you are tempting you to join them in their disobedience, how do you remain faithful and courageous to stand for Christ? Where do you feel challenged in your faith to better live out your Christ centered convictions, to do, right in the eyes of the Lord? Practice: Learning to do right in the eyes of the Lord. What is God putting on your heart or you are feeling challenged to do to live out your faith courageously? Assign Next Week s Passage: 1 Kings 16:29-17:7 Announcements: (see appendix) Pick up your copy of @Northshore in the lobby. Prayer Requests and Closing Prayer: 5 ELIJAH, MAN OF FAITH & COURAGE April 24-29, 2017
The Calling Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor. (Ephesians 4:25 ESV) Getting Started Welcome & Open in Prayer Review the Ground Rules for Home Group Discussion: (pg. 2) Cast the Vision: (pg. 3) Ice Breaker: What is the most memorable camping experience you have had? This Week s Main Idea: Being Called by God to be His Spokesperson In a day of tolerance and compromise it s hard to find someone with courage to stand alone for God. We were never called to dissolve into the background. We are salt and light. Setting up the Story: Ahab is the king of Israel, the northern Kingdom. He is understood to be more evil than all of kings before him. He married Jezebel, the true power behind the throne that controlled Ahab. She lead Ahab to follow the foreign God s of the Canaanites. His rule and reign was significantly influenced by Jezebel. Elijah is the prophet of God sent to confront Ahab for his idolatry and sin. Sharing the Story: 1 Kings 16:29-17:7 Rebuild the Story: Please feel free to use your Bible Retell the Story: Optional, have someone else retell the story. Discuss the Story: Feel free to come up with your own discussion questions. What did Ahab do that provoked God to anger? What comparisons can be drawn between the culture of Israel during Ahab s reign and the culture of our country today? After Elijah confronted Ahab, why do you think God sent Elijah to the brook Cherith? If you were Elijah, how would you feel when called to proclaim truth to a people whose culture had been one of living loosely in the ways of Jeroboam for fifty years? To what extent does our culture influence you and to what extent are you influencing it? Seeing as a model how God cared for Elijah at the brook Cherith, how might you put to practice something similar to be prepared to stand for God when He calls you? How is God calling you to speak for Him in today s culture? Practice: Learning to discern the Lord s calling in your life as His spokesperson. How will you live out God s calling to be prepared to be His spokesperson? Assign Next Week s Passage: 1 Kings 17:8-24 Announcements: (see appendix) Pick up your copy of @Northshore in the lobby. Prayer Requests and Closing Prayer: ELIJAH, MAN OF FAITH & COURAGE May 1-6, 2017 6
The Preparation But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 ESV) Getting Started Welcome & Open in Prayer Review the Ground Rules for Home Group Discussion: (pg. 2) Cast the Vision: (pg. 3) Ice Breaker: Describe a time when you had to skimp on food. What was your most creative meal? This Week s Main Idea: Faith to Trust God for Provision God loves His family and wants to provide for our every need. God uses our circumstances to teach us to trust Him for provisions in this life. He will even call us into specific circumstances that require us to trust in Him. Setting up the Story: When we last saw our hero Elijah, he was camping in a ravine at the brook Cherith being fed by ravens. Eventually the brook dried up and Elijah was directed to Zarapheth in Phonecia, Jezebel's homeland, the last place Ahab and Jezabel would ever look for him. Elijah entered a second humbling, and possibly awkward season of training. Sharing the Story: 1 Kings 17:8-24 Rebuild the Story: Please feel free to use your Bible Retell the Story: Optional, have someone else retell the story. Discuss the Story: Feel free to come up with your own discussion questions. In this story we learn of a widow who has little food to care for herself and her son. Prior to Elijah arriving at the widow s house God had commanded the widow to feed Elijah. How do you think the widow felt when she received this command from God? When Elijah arrived, he saw the widow and told her to bring him a morsel of bread. How did the woman respond? Put yourself in the widow s shoes. If you were the widow, how would you have responded to God and to the person God sent for you to feed? When has God challenged your faith by asking you to do something that was illogical or impractical in human terms? How did that work out? How is God challenging you to trust Him in ways beyond your understanding today? What do you need to do in cooperation with the Holy Spirit as He works to develop your faith? Practice: Developing your faith. Write down your answer to the last question about how your faith is being developed through your cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Assign Next Week s Passage: 1 Kings 18:1-40 Announcements: (see appendix) Pick up your copy of @Northshore in the lobby. Prayer Requests and Closing Prayer: 7 ELIJAH, MAN OF FAITH & COURAGE May 8-13, 2017
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 ESV) Getting Started Welcome & Open in Prayer Review the Ground Rules for Home Group Discussion: (pg. 2) Cast the Vision: (pg. 3) Ice Breaker: Share a time you played it safe or took a risk. This Week s Main Idea: A Life Surrendered to God God desires our complete trust and confidence in Him. There comes a time in all of us to fish or cut bait. Joshua famously posed a similar challenge at the end of his life, choose this day whom you will serve. I think every one of us will be faced with the assessment: Am I all in? Setting up the Story: Elijah had been living with the Phoenician widow and her resurrected son for some time when he received the call to seek out Ahab again. The drought had persisted about three years and as can be seen in the Phoenician woman's circumstance conditions were desperate. Ahab and his chief steward, Obadiah went in search of grass to sustain some of the king's livestock. Sharing the Story: 1 Kings 18:1-40 Rebuild the Story: Please feel free to use your Bible Retell the Story: Optional, have someone else retell the story. The Culmination Discuss the Story: Feel free to come up with your own discussion questions. What characteristics of God do you see displayed in this story? (Justice, Mercy, Sovereignty) What was Elijah demonstrating to the Israelites and King Ahab on Mt. Carmel? Reflect on your own life, have you experienced the pay-offs of being totally surrendered to God? What were some of the negative outcomes you have experienced to not being surrendered to God? Do you ever feel like you are stuck on the middle of serving God and something else? How would your life look different if you were totally surrendered to God? How can you either begin to or continue to give up control in your life and surrender to God s control? Practice: Surrendering to God. Write down your answer to the question about giving up control and surrendering to God in your life. Assign Next Week s Passage: 1 Kings 18:41-46 Announcements: (see appendix) Pick up your copy of @Northshore in the lobby. Prayer Requests and Closing Prayer: ELIJAH, MAN OF FAITH & COURAGE May 15-20, 2017 8
Prayer and Celebration NAME PRAYER REQUESTS / CELEBRATIONS i
Announcements ii