Latest / Scripture Central / Burn the Ships | 1 Kings 12-13, 17-22 | Come Follow Me 2026 | John Hilton III | June 29-July 5

Transcript

Burn the Ships | 1 Kings 12-13, 17-22 | Come Follow Me 2026 | John Hilton III | June 29-July 5 · Scripture Central

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  Have you ever had a powerful spiritual experience?
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  But you're just on top of the world and like, I'm going to be
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  so. Spiritual and powerful forever.
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  But then life. Hits you hard.
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  When was it that God spoke? To Elijah, in a still, small
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  voice. It was when he was in the depths
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  of discouragement. Sometimes we might feel like
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  we're completely alone. We think I quit.
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  There's no hope. But things are not as bad as
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  they look. So often the things we're.
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  Worried about don't even take place?
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  It's probably not going to happen, but if it does, Jesus
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  will be enough. So today we're going to do a
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  crash course on 80 years of Israelite history.
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  We're going to talk about some of the greatest stories in the
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  Old Testament, some of which are really well known and others of
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  which you. Probably never heard of.
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  We've seen the time period of the United Kingdom with Saul,
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  David and Solomon who were kings.
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  Over all the 12 tribes. And today we're going to see the
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  story of how the Kingdom was divided.
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  So Solomon has died and his son. Rhea Bohm is about to.
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  Take the. Throne.
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  But there's a problem. Solomon did a lot of great.
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  Things, but he also raised taxes.
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  And so the people are getting tired of it.
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  As Rhea Bohm is about to take over the throne, the people come
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  to Rhea Bohm and say. Your father put a heavy.
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  Yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke
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  he put on us. And we will serve you, Rhea Bohm
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  responds. Go away for three days then.
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  Come back to me. Ria Bohm starts consulting.
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  With other people to see what he should do, he asks the.
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  Elders The. Old the wise people.
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  And they say if you will be a servant to these people and give
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  them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.
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  Then Ria Bohm turned to. The young men, the people he
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  grew up. With, he said.
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  What's your? Advice, they replied.
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  Tell the people my father laid on you a heavy yoke.
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  I will make it even heavier my. Father scourged you with whips,
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  I will scourge you with scorpions.
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  Now, which advice do you think is better?
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  It's obvious, but Rhea Bohm decides to listen to his young
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  friends and he tells the people. I'm going to scourge you with
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  scorpions. Well, predictably, the people
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  revolted. And 10.
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  Of the tribes secede. They formed their own Kingdom,
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  which is called Israel, and this can be confusing because often
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  when we use the word Israel. We're referring to the 12.
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  Tribes. But for the rest of the book of.
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  1st and 2nd Kings. What we're going to be seeing is
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  Israel. Is its own entity.
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  It's a Kingdom in the north. And the first king of Israel is
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  going to be. Jeroboam, that's the 10 tribes
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  are comprising the Kingdom of Israel, and then it's the tribes
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  of Judah and Benjamin in the South.
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  Rhea Bone will become their. King, the first king of Judah.
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  As its own separate Kingdom. Does that make sense?
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  So from here and out, this is a landmark event in Israelite
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  history. Now there's a divided Kingdom,
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  and I know it's. So confusing that you got
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  rehoboam and Jeroboam. Why?
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  Did they have to have such similar names?
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  I don't know but. You can remember that Rehoboam
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  with an R is keeping the royal throne of David down in Judah
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  Jeroboam. Is going to be king in the
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  North. Now let's just pause.
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  For a moment and consider. A lesson from this story.
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  Rehoboam did not value the counsel.
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  Of the older, wiser people. And it hurt him.
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  So yes, there is great value in youth and energy.
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  I'm not saying we should discount the young, but there's
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  a temptation, I think, especially when we're young, to
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  devalue the wisdom that comes with age.
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  Ria Bohm learned that lesson at a great price.
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  So now the Kingdom has split. And from this point on, the
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  anonymous. Narrator of the Book of.
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  Kings is going to jump back and forth between the two kingdoms.
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  So he'll tell us the story. Of one king until that king
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  dies, and then he'll go back in time to where?
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  That story picked up. In the other Kingdom tell.
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  The story of what's been going on during that same time frame.
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  In the southern Kingdom and then he'll bounce back to the
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  northern, kind of flip back and forth and the pattern is going
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  to repeat until we get to 2nd King 17 when?
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  Israel is destroyed, but. We'll talk about that in a
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  future class. So the first thing that we hear
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  a lot about is Jeroboam. The first king of Israel.
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  Let's look at the story. Of Jeroboam, the Prophet and the
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  Lion, now we. Want to start?
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  At the beginning. Of Jeroboam's story.
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  Back in First Kings Chapter 11, there was a prophet named Ahijah
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  and he met Jeroboam wearing a new cloak.
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  The two of them were alone out in the country and.
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  Ahijah took. Hold of the new cloak he was
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  wearing and tore it into 12 pieces.
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  Then he said to Jeroboam, Take 10 pieces for yourself.
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  For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel.
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  Says see I am going to. Tear the Kingdom.
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  Out of Solomon's hand and give you 10 tribes.
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  But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem,
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  he will have one tribe. I will do this because they have
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  forsaken me. As for you.
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  You will be king over. Israel.
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  If you do whatever, I. Command you and walk in
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  obedience to me. I will be with you.
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  I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for
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  David, and I will give Israel to you.
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  So it's not just that. Jeroboam is a rebel against
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  higher taxes. He's called by God.
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  He's. Promised a Kingdom and a.
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  Legacy that will endure forever. If he follows God.
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  But Jeroboam is afraid. Jeroboam, the king of Israel in
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  the north, he's worried that the people are going to keep going
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  down to Jerusalem to. Offer sacrifices.
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  And if they keep going down to Jerusalem, eventually.
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  His people will just. Funnel back to Judah so he
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  creates altars and golden calves.
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  In the northern. Town Dan and the southern town
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  Bethel of his Kingdom. His goal is to make sure that
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  the people won't go back to Jerusalem.
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  Can you see how this is a lack of faith?
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  God said as. Long as you follow me, you'll
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  have a Kingdom that will always endure, but it's like.
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  Oh, I don't know. I don't know if that will.
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  Really work, so I'll do my own strategy, build some idols,
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  Jeroboam told the People. It's too much for you to go to.
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  Jerusalem, here are your gods, Israel.
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  Who brought you up? Out of Egypt, just worship a
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  little bit closer. To home at Dan or Bethel.
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  Now, one day there's a man. Of God and he's called to go
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  rebuke. Jeroboam.
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  He travels from Judah to Bethel and the Scriptures.
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  Don't tell us. What the name of this person is?
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  He's just called the man of God, but a later.
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  Jewish tradition tells. Us that his name was Jayden.
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  So just to keep things. Straight.
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  I'm going to refer to him as Jayden as we're talking about
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  it. OK, so Jayden shouts A prophecy
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  against the altar. He says this is the.
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  Sign The Lord has declared the altar will be split apart.
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  And the ashes on it. Will be poured out.
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  Jeroboam is there and he. Does not like Jayden criticizing
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  him, so he stretches out his hand and he says sees him but
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  the. Moment he does his hand.
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  Freezes and he can't. Move his arm.
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  And then the altar cracks open, just like Jayden.
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  Said it would. So Jeroboam says to Jayden.
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  Please pray for me, Jayden. Prays for him and then
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  Jeroboam's arm is healed. So what would you do at this
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  point if you were Jeroboam? I think it's kind of funny.
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  Jeroboam invites Jayden over to his house for dinner.
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  It's good to come back, but then Jayden refuses to go to dinner,
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  he says. Even if you were to give me half
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  your possessions, I would not go.
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  With you. Nor would I eat bread nor drink
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  water here, for I was. Commanded.
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  By the Lord, you must not eat bread or drink water or return.
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  By the way, you came. So Jane has.
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  Very strict instructions go in, give the prophecy, and then.
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  Go a different way. Straight home, No eating, no
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  drinking. So Jayden starts heading back
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  from Bethel to Judah. It's only about a 10 mile walk,
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  but on the way Jayden meets an old prophet and the prophet
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  invites him to come to his home for dinner.
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  So Jayden repeats the. Warning No, no, no.
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  I'm supposed to go straight home, but then something very
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  strange happens. This second prophet says I too
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  am a prophet, as you are. And an Angel said to me by.
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  The word of the Lord, bring him back with you to your house.
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  So that he may. Eat bread and drink water.
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  But he was. Lying to him now, in a moment.
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  We'll look at the Joseph. Smith translation.
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  But if we just take the text that we have here in First Kings
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  is a very strange. Story Why is this prophet lying
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  to Jade? And we obviously don't know all
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  the. Details This story is almost
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  3000 years old. I'm sure there's lots.
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  Of things we're missing. But the way the Bible.
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  Frames it one prophet is trying to trick.
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  Another prophet. Now the Joseph Smith translation
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  gives us some additional. Insight.
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  It says that the. Lord had told this.
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  Second prophet to try to. Prove or test Jayden?
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  To see if Jayden would. Be willing to do what?
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  God had told him to do. Unfortunately, Jayden does not
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  pass the test. He goes to the Prophet's house.
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  And he's eating dinner and then. Right in the middle of dinner,
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  the second prophet says to Jayden, You have defied the word
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  of the Lord. You came back and ate bread and
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  drink water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink.
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  Therefore, your body will not be.
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  Buried in the tomb of your ancestors.
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  I think this would be a very awkward moment at the dinner
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  table. I don't if you've ever been at a
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  dinner table and your host is like.
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  You have defined the word of the Lord like.
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  Okay, well, I guess I'll be wrapping up.
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  So. Jayden heads out with his.
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  Donkey and on the road a lion kills Jayden.
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  But it's a very curious thing. The lion does not eat Jayden.
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  The lion doesn't attack the donkey.
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  It's just the donkey. And the lion are standing guard
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  over. Jayden's body.
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  It was clearly showing that God had judged Jayden for his
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  disobedience. So the prophet who had.
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  Tested Jayden. He comes, he sees what's
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  happened, he feels so sad, and he buries Jayden in his own
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  grave. The end.
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  It is a very strange story. It's one of the.
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  Lesser known stories, I think in the Old Testament.
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  But this is one of things I love about reading the Old Testament.
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  There are so many of these unique stories.
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  And I used to have a neighbor who was a gospel doctrine
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  teacher, and he would tell. Us that one of God's.
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  Favorite teaching methods is to teach through stories.
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  He would say God will tell you a story with characters who choose
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  and the choices of these. Characters have.
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  Consequences. And then we can.
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  Integrate those characters choices and.
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  Consequences into our own lives. So what do you think?
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  What can? We learn from the story.
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  Of Jeroboam, Jaden, the altar, and the Lion.
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  I think for me the challenge would be knowing that it is the
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  Lord specifically giving you that direction, and if you knew
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  that, then you follow with exactness and honor.
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  So in this case, it it's showing.
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  Sometimes it's hard. We lit and today it's very
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  challenging. We live in a world where there's
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  lots of voices telling us, so this is the right thing, this is
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  the right thing. And am I really able to dial in
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  and hear? This is the true voice of the.
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  Lord and not deviate from it. Now that's challenge we face.
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  What I got from the story is to obey with exactness the command
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  of the Lord. Sometimes it's difficult to see
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  the consequences of our actions, but we tend to see that the hand
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  of the Lord is there, and if we obey Him, He blesses us.
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  But then we see the consequences is if we do not follow Him, that
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  we will be punished. Thank you.
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  Jayden obeyed when Jeroboam invited him to eat with him, he
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  said no, and by the time he got further away, he was probably
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  really hungry and thirsty. By this time it's like it was
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  the same temptation again. And I think sometimes we can
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  avoid a temptation and think we are so good now, but Satan can
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  come again at you sometimes when you're even a little weaker.
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  And we have to be always aware and on our toes about
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  temptations and and just because one time we've avoided it
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  doesn't mean it's not going to come to us again.
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  Thank you in. Some ways I think it's
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  interesting that both Jaden and Jeroboam, they struggle with the
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  same problem. God tells them something and
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  they feel it and they try to act on it, but at one point they
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  sort of lose their trust and what they've had felt God tell
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  them to. And that's a challenge that we
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  face as well. Now, the next we're going to
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  talk. About is more well known.
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  It's the story of the widow at Zarephath, so let's get some.
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  Context for this story over the next couple.
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  Of chapters in Kings the. Storyline is bouncing back and.
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  Forth between the southern and northern kingdoms and by the.
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  Time we get to 1st. Kings 17 the King of Israel.
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  Is Ahab. Here's how the scriptures.
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  Describe him. Ahab did more evil in the eyes.
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  Of the Lord than any of those before him.
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  He not. Only considered it trivial.
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  To commit the sins of. Jeroboam, but he also married
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  Jezebel, so the baddest of the bad.
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  Boys marries. The baddest of the bad girls.
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  They become a very bad couple. We read Ahab.
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  Set up in. Altar for ball in the.
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  Temple of Ball that he built in Samaria, Ahab.
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  Did more to arouse the. Anger.
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  Of the Lord then did. All the kings of.
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  Of Israel before him. So Ball was the Canaanite God of
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  storms. And many of the people believe
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  that he was the one who would provide Thunder.
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  He would provide the rain and the storms.
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  So God called a prophet. Named Elijah, who went to Ahab
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  and said. As the Lord the God of Israel
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  lives, there will be neither dew.
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  Nor rain in the next few years, except by my word, now can.
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  You see how this is a direct? Challenge to ball.
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  It's like Elijah saying OK, sure your God is in charge of the
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  storms, but my God is in charge of.
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  Turning the faucet on right like you, you have nothing.
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  Compared to what? The true God of Israel has
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  after. A legend makes this
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  proclamation. God tells him to hide out.
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  Near a brook. And it's miraculous.
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  Ravens will come and feed him food.
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  There's a famine in the land. Because just like Elijah had
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  foretold, there's a huge drought.
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  But eventually the brook dries up because of the drought, and
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  so the Lord tells. Elijah, it's time for him to
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  move. God says.
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  Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Zidan and stay there.
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  I have. Directed a widow there to.
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  Supply you with food now for. Us before I think, OK.
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  Great. Yeah, no problem.
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  Just. Go to Zarephath, wherever that.
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  Is and we have no idea is this like a one mile journey, A5 mile
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  journey? It's actually an 80 mile journey
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  now. Think.
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  About how crazy. Elijah's life has been He's been
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  hiding by a brook, getting fed by Ravens.
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  That's pretty strange. And now God tells him.
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  Travel several days through dangerous territory and I want
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  you to go. To the very region where.
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  Jezebel came from the heart of Baal worship.
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  It's a reminder that sometimes. God tells us.
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  To do things that don't really make sense.
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  But Elijah follows God's. Commands and when he arrives in
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  Zarephath, he meets a woman who's gathering some.
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  Sticks, Elijah says to her. Would you bring me a?
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  Little water in a jar. So I may have a drink and bring
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  me, please, a piece of bread, the woman said.
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  I don't have any bread, only a handful of flour in a jar and a
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  little. Olive oil in a jug.
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  I am gathering a few sticks to take take home.
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  And make a meal. For myself and my son.
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  So that we may eat. It and die.
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  All I just said. Don't be afraid, go home and do
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  just as you have. Said but first.
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  Make a small. Loaf of bread for me.
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  From what you have. And bring it to.
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  Me and then make something for yourself and your son for this.
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  Is what the Lord the God of Israel?
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  Says the jar of flour. Will not be used up and the jug
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  of oil will not run dry. Until the day the Lord sends
• 14:47
  rain on the land. Now remember.
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  This woman is probably not. A worshipper of Jehovah.
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  She's living in ball. Country is she going to?
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  Trust what Elijah is saying she does.
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  She acts in faith and from that point on there is.
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  Food everyday for Elijah. And the woman and her family.
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  So again, we see that. There's a story with.
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  Characters who choose and the. Choices of the characters have.
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  Consequences. And now we get to.
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  Integrate those characters choices.
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  And consequences into our own lives.
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  So what do you think? What's the lesson that touches
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  your heart? From the story of.
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  Elijah and the widow of Zarephath One of the things that
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  stands out to me about this miracle is that God didn't just
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  give an overflowing abundance of flour and oil, it just.
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  Says that a little bit. Came each day, never ran out.
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  It reminds me of the Lord's Prayer.
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  Give us this. Day Our Daily Bread.
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  Sometimes the Lord's just giving us enough for one day at a time.
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  Well, Elijah's there for a. While by the time we get to this
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  point, more than two. Years have passed.
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  Since Elijah said there's going to be a famine, a drought in the
• 15:52
  land, and that takes us to maybe the most famous in the.
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  Story we'll talk about today. Elijah and the Priests of Ball.
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  So God tells. Elijah to go and confront Ahab,
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  who's that wicked king of Israel.
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  When they meet, I think it's kind of funny.
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  What Ahab says is that. You, you troubler of Israel.
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  So Ahab calls Elijah a troubler of Israel, because Elijah's the
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  one who had prophesied the drought.
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  But, Elijah responds, I have not made trouble for Israel, but you
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  and your father's family. Have you have abandoned the
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  Lord's commands and have followed the balls?
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  So Elijah arranges for this. Great.
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  Showdown on Mount. Carmel, you can still.
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  Go to Mount Carmel today where this happens.
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  All the people gathered together.
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  Ahab's there and then. You've got the Priests of Ball.
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  And Elijah and Elijah says. To the people who are there.
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  How long will you waver between two opinions?
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  If the Lord is God, follow him. But if ball is God.
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  Follow him. Elijah's telling the people that
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  they have to make a choice. They're trying to follow both
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  ball and God. They're hedging their bets.
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  Maybe Jehovah's real. Maybe balls?
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  Real. Let's just worship both.
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  And probably things will work. Out.
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  And Elijah's saying no, you have to make a choice.
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  No one can serve 2 masters. If ball is real, then Jehovah is
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  not. If Jehovah is real.
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  Then Baal is not this. Isn't just an ancient dilemma.
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  It's something that's at the. Core of each of our.
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  Lives a few years ago Professor Carrie Muelstein.
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  Gave a BYU devotional that has really resonated.
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  With me, he said. We.
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  Know ancient Israel was worshipping both the true God
• 17:23
  and false. Gods, at the same time, our task
• 17:26
  is not to ask ourselves. If.
• 17:28
  But instead how we do the same thing?
• 17:31
  There is no. Doubt that we all worship more
• 17:34
  than one God. For some of us, instead of
• 17:36
  worshipping both Jehovah and ball, we worship Jehovah and
• 17:39
  football. For others, it is video games
• 17:43
  material possessions. Or a whole host of other things.
• 17:46
  I have become convinced that on the.
• 17:48
  Whole we struggle with. One kind of false God More than
• 17:51
  any other. We tend to worship the ideas of
• 17:54
  the world, and we don't even realize we're doing it.
• 17:57
  The problem is that the world has been shouting its ideas at
• 18:00
  us loudly and incessantly from the time we were very small.
• 18:05
  We encounter these ideas in our schools from kindergarten
• 18:07
  through college. We are inundated with them.
• 18:09
  As we read. Newspapers watch TV, movies, or.
• 18:12
  Listen to the radio and in 100 other ways.
• 18:15
  Many of the concepts we encounter are harmless enough,
• 18:17
  but most of the time. We are not very careful.
• 18:20
  In sifting through the ideas, we hear and I am.
• 18:23
  Certain, we have all swallowed. A lot of fallacious and
• 18:26
  dangerous ideas. Even without realizing it, most
• 18:30
  of us don't wake up in the morning.
• 18:31
  And say yeah I want. To worship some false idols
• 18:32
  today, but maybe. There's ideas that start.
• 18:35
  Creeping in like loving people. Is more important than loving
• 18:38
  God? Or maybe my value, my worth as a
• 18:41
  person is based on what I'm able.
• 18:43
  To accomplish or how? Successful I am, and those ideas
• 18:45
  might not sound dangerous at first.
• 18:48
  But over. Time they pull us away from God,
• 18:52
  and Elijah is saying. Sooner or later you have.
• 18:54
  To make a choice, in other words, how long will you waver
• 18:59
  between two opinions? Now, in English and the King
• 19:01
  James, the phrase is how long will you halt between two
• 19:05
  opinions? I think that can be a little
• 19:06
  confusing because in English when we think.
• 19:08
  Of the word halt, it's most. Likely to mean stop, but there's
• 19:11
  an earlier meaning. For halt, which is to.
• 19:13
  Limp along, that's what the King James.
• 19:15
  Translators meant, so the visual.
• 19:18
  That Elijah's trying to give to the.
• 19:19
  People is you're limping. You're kind of flittering back
• 19:23
  and forth between these two opinions, and now it's time for
• 19:26
  you to make a choice. You have to decide, who am I
• 19:28
  going to follow? Is it?
• 19:29
  Jehovah or is it ball? And you cannot.
• 19:32
  Have both, so I have some questions that I'd like us.
• 19:35
  To reflect on what do you think might be ways that people waver
• 19:39
  between two opinions today? Why do you think people.
• 19:43
  Waver and maybe think about your own life.
• 19:45
  In what ways are you wavering between two opinions, trusting
• 19:50
  God while also relying on something else?
• 19:55
  Sometimes we will say things like, well, I don't want to
• 19:59
  offend them, so I'm going to just be nice and accept what
• 20:03
  they say and go along with it. You know, we're less worried
• 20:06
  about offending God by following what some other people might
• 20:10
  think is more important. So I feel like we waver between
• 20:13
  supporting maybe family or friends or just the general
• 20:16
  public versus standing up for what we know is right and
• 20:20
  trusting what the Lord has taught us.
• 20:23
  Thank you. Great example.
• 20:25
  I'm finding in my own family, my children have a hard time
• 20:29
  keeping the Sabbath day holy. They waver between what the
• 20:33
  world does and what they know they should do.
• 20:36
  They very much justify I go to church and I stop by the store
• 20:41
  and pick up what I need for dinner later.
• 20:43
  I have found that all I can do is be a good example.
• 20:48
  And one son said to me the other day, I'll, I'll go to the store.
• 20:52
  I know you won't on Sunday, but I'll go pick that up.
• 20:54
  Mom. No, don't, don't do that for me.
• 20:57
  But I find wavering between the ways of the world and the ways
• 21:03
  of our Father in heaven. Thank you.
• 21:07
  So I I think you'll remember. The story of what?
• 21:09
  Happens next. Elijah sets up a contest.
• 21:11
  The people bring 2. Bowls and balls.
• 21:14
  Prophets get to choose which bowl they want.
• 21:15
  And the goal is balls, prophets and Elijah they're.
• 21:18
  Going to cut up the bowl. And we're going to see which
• 21:20
  bowl God will light on fire. The people love the idea.
• 21:24
  They're like, this is great. We're going to clearly see who
• 21:26
  the true God is. So the contest.
• 21:29
  Begins and the. Prophets of ball go first.
• 21:32
  We read they called on the name of Ball from morning till noon.
• 21:36
  Ball answer us, they shouted, but there was no response.
• 21:39
  No one answered. About noon, Elijah starts.
• 21:41
  To taunt them, he says, Shout louder, maybe your God.
• 21:44
  Is deep in. Thought or busier traveling.
• 21:46
  Maybe he's sleeping and must be awakened.
• 21:49
  At one level it's kind of humorous, right?
• 21:51
  Like, come on, maybe your God's asleep.
• 21:53
  But at another level, it's painful.
• 21:55
  It's a symbolic picture of what idolatry really looks like.
• 22:00
  It's exhausting. I jump around all day trying to
• 22:02
  find fulfillment in a false foundation, but I don't get
• 22:06
  anywhere. I'm in a frenzy trying to follow
• 22:09
  an idol to make myself feel sufficient, but it's never
• 22:12
  enough. And did you notice another
• 22:14
  detail? We read the priests.
• 22:16
  Of ball. Slashed themselves with swords
• 22:20
  and Spears until their blood flowed.
• 22:24
  I love this insight from Timothy Keller, he said.
• 22:27
  Every other God says. Slash yourself for me.
• 22:30
  There's only one God and only one Lord who was slashed for
• 22:33
  you. His blood ran.
• 22:36
  Every other God will make your blood run.
• 22:39
  There's only one God whose blood ran for you.
• 22:43
  So hours past, there's no response from Ball.
• 22:45
  Finally, the priest of. Ball give up and.
• 22:47
  Elijah starts to prepare his. Sacrifice and he really stacks
• 22:50
  the odds against himself. He tells the people you can pour
• 22:54
  all the water. You want onto my ox?
• 22:55
  And the sticks are wet and there's a trench that he's.
• 22:58
  Dug around the ox. It's all filled with water.
• 23:00
  There's no hope for Elijah. But then he.
• 23:02
  Prays out loud, Lord the God. Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
• 23:06
  Let it be known today that. You.
• 23:09
  Are the God in Israel? Answer me, Lord, so these
• 23:12
  people. Will know that you Lord.
• 23:14
  Are God. And there's a miracle fire.
• 23:17
  Comes down from heaven and. Burns up the sacrifice.
• 23:20
  It even licks up the. Water in the trench?
• 23:22
  It is absolutely incredible and. Just after that there are.
• 23:26
  Storm clouds on the horizon. It starts.
• 23:29
  To rain and the drought is over. Think about Elijah, he has got
• 23:33
  to be on. Top of the world I.
• 23:35
  Don't know if there's a. Greatest hits of miracles, but
• 23:37
  this has got. To be one of the all time
• 23:39
  greatest miracles. 48 hours later.
• 23:42
  How do you think Elijah is feeling?
• 23:45
  I think he's like, yeah, that's amazing.
• 23:47
  Actually, we're about to find. He's in deep depression.
• 23:50
  Why? Because Ahab.
• 23:52
  That wicked Ahab. He's a whiner as well.
• 23:55
  And so once this happens, he goes.
• 23:57
  Home. And he starts whining to Jezebel
• 23:58
  and says oh. Look at what Elijah did.
• 24:00
  Well, Jezebel, she's a boss. Woman.
• 24:02
  And she's like, Oh, yeah. She writes a letter to.
• 24:04
  Elijah and says 24 hours from now you'll be.
• 24:07
  Dead. So Elijah is terrified.
• 24:09
  And he runs to the South now if. You ever had a powerful
• 24:12
  spiritual experience? Maybe it's.
• 24:14
  Been a general conference or? Maybe FSY or girls?
• 24:16
  Camp and you're just on top of the world like I'm going to be.
• 24:19
  So spiritual powerful forever. But then life hits you.
• 24:23
  Hard Elijah can relate in this. Case he has this downward spiral
• 24:27
  that we'll call Elijah's depression so.
• 24:30
  He's run to the Southern. Part of Judah, far away from
• 24:32
  Jezebel, and we read him complain.
• 24:34
  To the Lord, he says. I have had enough.
• 24:36
  Lord take my life. I am no better than my
• 24:40
  ancestors. Feels like my life has no value.
• 24:43
  Notice the Lord's response. We read an Angel.
• 24:46
  Touched Elijah. And said get up and eat.
• 24:50
  Elijah looked around and there by his head with some bread
• 24:52
  baked over hot coals and a jar of water.
• 24:55
  He ate and drank and then lay down again.
• 24:58
  So what is? God's message for Elijah?
• 25:01
  Take a nap. And I think this is actually a
• 25:04
  very. Valuable message for us.
• 25:05
  My mother-in-law always will say fatigue makes cowards of us all.
• 25:10
  And sometimes when you're down in the depths of discouragement,
• 25:12
  you need to get some more rest. You need to eat better food,
• 25:16
  right. We need to follow the advice of
• 25:18
  King Benjamin, who said don't run faster than you have
• 25:22
  strength. Sometimes the.
• 25:23
  Spiritual thing to do is to slow.
• 25:25
  Down and take care of yourself. So that later.
• 25:28
  You'll be able to help. Others so after Elijah.
• 25:31
  Regains his strength. He goes to the mountain known
• 25:33
  as. Horeb or cyanide, It's the same
• 25:35
  place where God appeared. To Moses, and God tells Elijah,
• 25:39
  go out and stand on the mountain in the presence.
• 25:41
  Of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by this next
• 25:45
  passage. Is a very famous.
• 25:46
  Part of scripture, I'm sure you're.
• 25:47
  Familiar with it? We read the Lord pass.
• 25:49
  By and a. Great and strong wind.
• 25:52
  Rent the mountains. But the Lord was not in the.
• 25:54
  Wind and after the. Wind in earthquake but.
• 25:56
  The Lord was not. In the earthquake.
• 25:58
  And after the earthquake, A. Fire, but the Lord was not in
• 26:01
  the fire. And after the fire, a still
• 26:04
  small voice. Now this is a familiar.
• 26:07
  Passage of Scripture, but what I hope is that you'll remember
• 26:10
  the. Context of it when?
• 26:11
  Was it that God spoke? To Elijah in a still small
• 26:14
  voice. It was when he was in the depths
• 26:17
  of discouragement. Could God have?
• 26:19
  Performed a miracle. Could he have spoken to him in
• 26:21
  the? Fire or in the earthquake?
• 26:22
  Yeah, we know he could have because we just saw that
• 26:24
  miracle, but. In Elijah's discouragement, God
• 26:28
  spoke to him in a still, quiet voice.
• 26:31
  And sometimes you and I might be really discouraged and we.
• 26:34
  Think God I need a miracle. Show me a big.
• 26:35
  Sign and God's going to speak to us in a still, small voice.
• 26:41
  Now there's another. Thing that I hope will remember
• 26:43
  about this passage. We often just stop right at that
• 26:46
  phrase. After the fire, a still.
• 26:47
  Small voice, but what does God say in the still small voice?
• 26:51
  He actually asks Elijah. A question, he says.
• 26:54
  What are you doing here, Elijah? And Elijah responds.
• 26:57
  I have been very. Zealous for the Lord God.
• 27:00
  Almighty, the Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn
• 27:03
  down your altars, and put your prophets.
• 27:06
  To death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now
• 27:11
  they are trying to kill me too. Sometimes we might feel like
• 27:15
  Elijah, like we're completely alone.
• 27:17
  But. In Elijah's case, and sometimes
• 27:19
  for us as well. His discouragement has distorted
• 27:22
  his view of reality, Elijah says.
• 27:24
  I'm the only one. Left, but what's the reality?
• 27:28
  God says I have left me 7000 in Israel.
• 27:31
  Elijah is not alone. There's 7000 people with him,
• 27:35
  and soon Elijah is going to meet his new best friend, Elijah.
• 27:39
  In other words, when Elijah is hitting rock bottom, things are
• 27:42
  not as bad as they look, and they're about to get better.
• 27:45
  That's how it is with. Us, sometimes we're in the
• 27:48
  depths of discouragement. We think I quit, there's no
• 27:50
  hope. But things are not as bad as
• 27:53
  they look. They are better than we think
• 27:55
  they are. Now something that's really
• 27:57
  interesting in the story is what's caused all of this
• 28:00
  discouragement for Elijah. He's worried that Ahab and
• 28:03
  Jezebel are going to kill him. But in.
• 28:05
  Reality Elijah's prophecy of the death of Ahab and the death of
• 28:09
  Jezebel. Are going to come to pass.
• 28:12
  Elijah's afraid of Ahab and Jezebel, but he actually has
• 28:14
  nothing to worry about. In fact, step.
• 28:16
  Back and look at it from a different angle.
• 28:18
  Elijah is worried about death, but in reality, he's going to.
• 28:22
  Be one of the few. Human beings who never die.
• 28:24
  In a few. Chapters A Chariot of fire.
• 28:26
  Is going to carry Elijah up to heaven in other.
• 28:29
  Words what he is. Worried about won't happen.
• 28:32
  It's just like we saw back with Jacob and Esau.
• 28:35
  So often the things we're worried.
• 28:37
  About don't even take place. Elijah was literally lifted
• 28:42
  above. His greatest fear?
• 28:44
  Death. I love this insight from Pastor
• 28:46
  Craig. Greschel, he said.
• 28:48
  The reality is, for many of you, the.
• 28:50
  Number one thing that is consuming you right now, your.
• 28:52
  Greatest fear your biggest What if?
• 28:54
  For many, you will never experience that because God will
• 28:58
  lift you above it. But for a few of you, what you
• 29:01
  fear will. Happen, Jesus said in this.
• 29:04
  World you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the
• 29:08
  world even if your greatest what if?
• 29:11
  Does come to pass? He will be with you.
• 29:14
  And he will be enough if we can get this.
• 29:16
  Deep into our hearts, that's the.
• 29:18
  Path for peace. There's something that you're
• 29:21
  deeply worried about right now. It's probably not going to
• 29:24
  happen, but if it does, Jesus will be enough.
• 29:29
  So now. Elijah's been refreshed.
• 29:31
  And he has a new mission from God, and he sets out right away
• 29:33
  to follow. It and the first step is to.
• 29:35
  Call a new prophet someone to succeed him, and that person is
• 29:39
  going to be Elijah. So as we.
• 29:41
  Turn to the story of Elijah's call.
• 29:42
  I think it's. Important to note that God
• 29:44
  specifically told. Elijah who to call?
• 29:47
  It's a reminder that God personally directs.
• 29:50
  The callings of prophets. I have no doubt that God
• 29:54
  directed President Oakes to call Elder Cal.
• 29:57
  Say and Elder Gilbert to the Quorum of the. 12 So Elijah goes
• 30:01
  to. Call Elisha and he finds him in
• 30:03
  a surprising place. He's plowing a field.
• 30:06
  By the way, I should admit this is very.
• 30:08
  Confusing that there's Elijah and Elisha.
• 30:11
  My whole life I've been confused by this and you.
• 30:13
  May have a hard time with these stories as well.
• 30:15
  My 1 tip is that in. Chronological order.
• 30:18
  They appear alphabetically, so Elijah comes before Elijah.
• 30:23
  I don't know if that'll. Be helpful or not, but that's my
• 30:25
  tip. So here's how we're introduced
• 30:27
  to Elijah. He was plowing with 12 yoke of.
• 30:30
  Oxen and he himself was driving the 12th.
• 30:34
  Pair. It's only a sentence, but it
• 30:35
  actually tells us quite a bit about Elisha first of all.
• 30:39
  In that time if you had one Yokovoxin.
• 30:41
  You were doing pretty well, so we'd have 12, Yokovoxin tells us
• 30:44
  that. Elisha and his family, they're
• 30:45
  pretty well off now, the sentence.
• 30:47
  Also tells us that Elisha is spending a lot of.
• 30:49
  Time day after day, doing. Repetitive work.
• 30:53
  Just walking behind suboxone. It's a reminder of what we saw.
• 30:58
  With the donkeys, right That it's sometimes it's in the
• 31:00
  donkeys that our destiny is found.
• 31:02
  Sometimes it's in the ordinary mundane tasks.
• 31:04
  Of life that God is going to. Reach out to us, just like God
• 31:08
  now reaches out to Elisha. Elijah puts his mantle or cloak
• 31:13
  around Elisha. It's a way of saying I'm calling
• 31:16
  you to follow after me. So, Elisha.
• 31:19
  Goes up to Elijah and. Says hey I want to.
• 31:20
  Follow you but. First, can I go say goodbye to
• 31:22
  my parents? Elijah says that's fine.
• 31:25
  So Elijah Goes says. Goodbye to his parents and then
• 31:28
  notice what Elijah does, we read.
• 31:30
  Elijah took. His yoke of oxen and slaughtered
• 31:33
  them. He burned the plowing equipment
• 31:36
  to cook the meat and gave it to the people and they ate now.
• 31:40
  There's more to the story than just a farewell BBQ.
• 31:43
  There's a. Story that I heard, I don't know
• 31:44
  if it's. Fully true, but it's about.
• 31:45
  Cortez when he comes to conquer the new world, the.
• 31:48
  Story is that Cortez had. His men burned the ships.
• 31:52
  So there could be no. Retreat so as they move.
• 31:54
  Forward it's either conquer or perish I'm not sure if that
• 31:59
  story is true, but I'm sure that Elisha's story is true.
• 32:01
  He. Does the same thing.
• 32:02
  Not with ships, but with. Oxen and with a plow.
• 32:05
  Can you see this is a whole new direction.
• 32:08
  He's saying there's no way that I'm going back to my formal
• 32:11
  life. I am all in on my new life as a
• 32:14
  follower of Jehovah. This is actually a pattern that
• 32:17
  we see in the. Scriptures you remember the
• 32:18
  anti. Nephi Lehigh's They didn't just
• 32:20
  put their weapons up on a shelf, they buried them deep.
• 32:23
  In the Earth. There's another story, this
• 32:25
  one's not quite as well known. In Acts chapter 19 there was a
• 32:28
  group. Of people who were involved.
• 32:30
  With witchcraft and when they. Decide to follow Jesus Christ.
• 32:33
  They don't just. Donate all their books to
• 32:35
  Goodwill. They burned them and the value
• 32:38
  of the books was 50,000 pieces of silver.
• 32:42
  That's what it means to really surrender.
• 32:44
  It's not a. OK, I'll follow God.
• 32:46
  But I'm going to have an exit plan just in case it's removing
• 32:50
  the very thing that's holding you back.
• 32:53
  So I want us to think for a moment, what would it look like
• 32:56
  in your life today to. Burn the plow.
• 33:00
  In real life today, an example could be like putting down our
• 33:03
  phones, there's so many distractions on there.
• 33:05
  Or reducing our screen time and just letting go of distractions
• 33:10
  that may deter us from doing the will of the Lord.
• 33:13
  Thank you. Years ago when I was converted,
• 33:17
  I am a Colombian, so I have a lot of coffee every day, I
• 33:23
  smoke, I drink, I party. And when I know the gospel and I
• 33:31
  decided to change, I was. Because one thing is to know the
• 33:36
  gospel. Another thing is when you are
• 33:38
  converted. When I was converted, I left
• 33:41
  everything I never looked at back.
• 33:44
  Like, did you ever like burn the coffee?
• 33:46
  Like did you? What did you do with like the
• 33:48
  leftover stuff that you had? Throw away my cigarettes.
• 33:52
  I know. I remember the last day when I
• 33:55
  was going to be baptized, I was smoking, smoking, smoking.
• 33:58
  And the elders say sister you smell so much cigarettes.
• 34:03
  I told him I don't know if I am going to be able to quit the
• 34:07
  cigarettes and I have two package in my purse and they
• 34:12
  said they told me try the Lord on this ask him and I did.
• 34:18
  And that day that I was but night that I was baptized, I
• 34:22
  take my cigarettes with a lot of pain.
• 34:24
  I cannot tell you that it was easy my 2 package and I do it
• 34:28
  like that and put it in the trash because I was trying many
• 34:33
  times to let to quit cigarettes but I I keep it in my purse so
• 34:38
  this time I throw it away. You had to burn the plow.
• 34:41
  Yeah, it was not easy. Powerful.
• 34:45
  Recently I heard this. Story and it deeply touched my
• 34:47
  heart. A pastor.
• 34:48
  Said just last week I had a very special conversation with the
• 34:52
  person that I know well. Who continued to go back to
• 34:54
  porn. I said how are you?
• 34:56
  Accessing this. He goes well, my computer.
• 34:59
  Safe. But I keep.
• 35:00
  Doing it on my iPhone. I said what?
• 35:03
  Do you want to do about it? And he goes.
• 35:05
  I've got to get rid of my smartphone.
• 35:07
  So he got rid of his smartphone. And is now using a dumb phone
• 35:11
  that's. Burning the plow.
• 35:14
  And here's the question that I want you to ponder.
• 35:16
  He says. And so I would just.
• 35:17
  Ask you to ask the Holy Spirit what plow?
• 35:21
  Do you need to burn to fully follow Jesus?
• 35:26
  Think about that question. It's going to look differently
• 35:29
  for each. One of us, but we.
• 35:31
  Probably all have some. Type of favorite sin, something
• 35:33
  that we're holding on to that we know.
• 35:35
  My life honestly would be a little bit better.
• 35:38
  I would be a little more Christ like if I could.
• 35:39
  Just let go of this. Don't put it in your.
• 35:43
  Purse. Don't put it on the shelf.
• 35:45
  Burn the plow. Get rid of it.
• 35:48
  One day a man came to Jesus and it was almost a similar scene as
• 35:53
  what we saw between Elijah and Elijah, the man said to.
• 35:56
  Jesus, I will follow you, Lord, but first.
• 35:58
  Let me go back and say goodbye to my family now.
• 36:01
  When? Elijah asked Elijah this
• 36:03
  question. Elijah said sure, go back.
• 36:06
  Do you think that's what Jesus? Is going to do, he says.
• 36:08
  Sure, I'll wait for you for. 15 minutes, come on back.
• 36:10
  No, Jesus actually raises the. Bar, he said.
• 36:13
  No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks.
• 36:16
  Back is fit for service. In the Kingdom of God.
• 36:21
  That can feel like a big ask. But you see, it's the.
• 36:24
  Same story. That we've been talking about
• 36:26
  all day. Jeroboam was afraid to trust.
• 36:29
  God, so he had a. Backup plan, building idols for
• 36:32
  the people. Jayden wasn't 100% sure about
• 36:35
  God's message, so he followed bad advice.
• 36:38
  Jayden Jeroboam. They were trying to waver
• 36:42
  between two opinions. But Elijah says you can't do
• 36:45
  that. Is it Jehovah?
• 36:46
  Or is it ball? You cannot have both.
• 36:49
  The widow of Zarephath, she. Shows us what to do.
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  We put God first, Elisha. Shows us what to do.
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  You burn the yoke. It's easier to be all in on
• 37:01
  Jesus Christ than it is to waver between two opinions.
• 37:06
  So picture yourself. You're by the Sea of Galilee
• 37:09
  walking along a dusty road, and walking next to you is Jesus
• 37:13
  Christ. He turns to you and says follow
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  me. What will you do?
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  Will you have unfinished business that you have to take?
• 37:21
  Care of or can you? Confidently look at Jesus Christ
• 37:25
  and say, I will follow you, knowing that you have already
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  burned the plow.