The Great God of Revival Part 1

Making a choice has nothing to do with how you feel. Making a choice is where your feet go. Dr. Tony Evans says heeding good directions will lead to a successful life journey. That's why Jesus says, follow me. Let me set the pace and the standard for your decisions, your movement and your direction.

Follow me. This is The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and president of The Urban Alternative. When you get on the highway, you're going where the highway goes, unless you make a conscious choice to change course.

Today, Dr. Evans will explain how to tell when you're on the wrong road and talk about what it takes to make a U-turn. Let's join him. People today are satisfied with a discount God. They want God as long as He comes on sale. As long as I can get Him with lower expectations, demands, I'll take some God. But now, if He's going to come at full price with total expectation, demands on my life, well, that's not the God that most people want.

Most people want a God they can control, manipulate or influence toward their end rather than the God of the Bible who calls us to submit to His will. Our theme is revival. Revival is that return to God that brings renewal of life and spiritual restoration to individuals or families or churches or a whole city.

Revival is when God returns to His people because His people have returned to Him, and with that return becomes a restoration of life as it was meant to be. Our message today is taken from 1 Kings chapter 18. It's one of the well-known stories about a well-known event by a well-known prophet. The prophet's name is Elijah. Elijah's name is made up of two basic words, Eli and Yah. Eli is short for Elohim. Yah is short for Yahweh. Elohim means God, and Yahweh means God. So Elijah's name is the Lord is God, or God is the Lord.

So when his mother and father named him, they named him after God. And this prophet of Israel was called to deliver a message during a time of spiritual decline to Israel. Prophets normally came during times of spiritual decline. Like alarm clocks, their job was to wake God's people up from their spiritual stupa and sleep and to cause them to wake up to the spiritual issues that were bringing about all the other issues in their lives. The prophet showed up so that you wouldn't have to deal with God directly.

He was a warning sign of judgment or further judgment if people didn't turn to God. Now the problem in chapter 18 of 1 Kings is that there is a famine in the land because it has not rained for three and a half years. For three and a half years it has not rained, and so there is an economic crisis in Israel.

They need a bailout because their situation is, there has been a downturn in the market, big time. In fact, if you read chapter 17, that's the story of the widow of Zarephath, and she and her son have decided that they're just going to die because there's no more food. There's no more food. It's become an economic disaster. Why? Because when you're in a, even if you're not, but especially if you're in an agrarian culture that depends on agriculture for livelihood and it doesn't rain for three and a half years, well that means no crops, no crops, no food, either to sell or to buy.

So you're in a desperate situation. God had stopped the rain for three and a half years. Why had God stopped the rain for three and a half years?

Let me read to you Deuteronomy chapter 11, and this is what it says in verses 16 and 17 of Deuteronomy 11. Beware that your hearts are not deceived and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them, or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its fruit, and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you. So the reason there hadn't been rain for three and a half years is because idolatry had taken over the nation. They had begun worshiping other gods, and God had already told them, when you turn to other gods, I will shut up the heavens so that it does not rain. Rain reflects the goodness of God, provision of God, that would come down from above in order to bring productivity from below, in order to let crops grow. So when there was no divine provision, there would be no earthly produce.

When there was no divine provision called rain, there would be no produce, that is, the ground would not yield its fruit. So they were going through an economic problem. They were going through a financial collapse, if you will. They were going through social chaos because of a spiritual decision to worship other gods. Now, one of the worst things you and I can do is not connect economic chaos, social downturns, to spiritual decisions. Because if you don't connect it to spiritual cause and effect, then you'll treat the symptom and never get around to the cause. When you fail to connect spiritual decisions to earthly ramifications, then you try to come up with emergency solutions that don't fix the cause.

So for three and a half years, they're in an economic downturn and a major crisis. Because we're talking about no rain for three and a half years. In chapter 18, verse 1, God appears after many days. The word of the Lord comes to Elijah in the third year saying, Go show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth. God says, I want you to go show yourself to the king.

He was over the government. And I want you to go let him see you and hear from you. And then I'm going to send rain. Okay, God, why don't you just send rain?

All right? The ground is parched. The crops are not being produced.

We're poor. There's a lady in chapter 18, her and her son, because they don't have anything to eat. Why don't you just send rain? No, Elijah, you go, because you're a prophet, your job is to speak for me, you go to Ahab, and you speak to Ahab, and then I'll send rain.

Now, follow me here, because there's a process going on here. He goes to Ahab. Go with me to verse 17. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, is this you, you troubler of Israel? Ahab not happy to see Elijah. Now, the reason Ahab not happy to see Elijah is because Elijah, based on the word of God, prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain for three and a half years.

So Ahab is not Elijah's best friend, because Ahab got God to stop the rain, based on God wanting him to do that. So he says, get out of my face, you troubler of Israel. If it wasn't for you religious folk, you prophet, we wouldn't even be in this problem.

We would have a much better country if your voice wasn't being heard and your prayers weren't being answered. This is why I love a prophet, because a prophet was committed to no party. A prophet was an independent, and he was committed to the word of God, and he didn't care whether you were a donkey or an elephant. A prophet had to represent a whole other kingdom, okay? So Elijah, I'm just trying to make it real, Elijah says to the government, verse 18, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed Baal's.

In other words, I'm not your problem. Your problem is your idolatry, and your idolatry, based on Deuteronomy chapter 11, has shut the heavens up. So the only reason, Mr. Government, that you're in this economic crisis is that you've departed spiritually from the living God, and you've gone to attract other idols, so God is only keeping his word. He says, I'm going to bless you unless you choose other gods, then the flow will stop and that which you need to sustain yourself will be interrupted, and it had been for three and a half years. Well, Dr. Evans will tell us what happens next when he continues today's lesson from his powerful series called Revive Us Again. This two-volume, 14-message collection will show you how to rekindle your relationship with the Lord and add some fire to your faith. It covers everything from the revival we experience as individuals to what can happen when an entire nation turns back to God. You can get both volumes of this powerful series on CD and digital download as our gift when you make a donation to the Ministry of the Alternative. And right now, as a special bonus, and only for a limited time, we'll also send you one of the first copies of Tony's brand-new book, God Himself, A Journey Through His Attributes. This exciting work takes a look at God's wisdom and wrath, his sufficiency and sovereignty, and his goodness, grace, and glory. Dr. Evans dives deep into the character of God, giving you fresh new insights that will deepen your understanding and love for your Creator. Just visit us today at tonyevans.org, or call us at 1-800-800-3222, make your contribution, and let us send you, as our thank you gift, Revive Us Again volumes 1 and 2, and Tony's brand-new book, God Himself.

But don't wait, this special offer is only available for a limited time. I'll have our contact information for you again after part two of today's lesson, and this. We have a common enemy, racism, and now we have a sensitivity in the society to respond. But Dr. Tony Evans says only a biblical response will do.

God created the races, he has explained how he wants the races to work. Tony's book, Oneness Embraced, attacks racism at its roots and points out the path toward reconciliation. It even gives a plan for how any community can see transformation take place. Oneness Embraced, available now at tonyevans.org. But now God was ready to move.

God allows downturns in lives and in societies until you get hungry enough, desperate enough, and things become difficult enough that you reconsider your situation spiritually. He says, now then, send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table. Now, Ahab is married to Jezebel. That's a husband and wife team.

How bad was this husband and wife team? He had 450 prophets of the idol Baal. She had 400 prophets of Baal's girlfriend, Asherah. That's 850 prophets that were operating in idolatry being filtered among God's people leading God's people into idolatry. So the reason he goes to the government is because the government has legislated idolatry into the system. See, because we got 850 representatives in the Senate and the House of Representatives. We got 850 representatives who have so infiltrated the system that they are perpetuating, I'm talking about Israel, they are perpetuating, they are perpetuating the idolatry down into the nation. So now the nation is suffering because failed leadership have not positioned things correctly.

So you got the nation suffering. So he says, let's bring the whole nation to Mount Carmel and let's see who the real God is. Verse 20, Ahab sent the message, they came. And then verse 21, I want to talk about verse 21. Somebody say verse 21.

All right. Elijah came near to all the people and said, how long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him.

And if Baal is God, follow him. But the people did not answer him a word. He gathers Israel together and says, he raises the question, how long are you going to hesitate between two different points of view, two different opinions, two different thought patterns, two different orientation. The word vacillate or hesitate was used of an intoxicated person who is vacillating or staggering from side to side. They have left a steady path. Their direction isn't crystal clear.

They are moving from left to right. They haven't settled in on a decision. They are moving from opinion to opinion. Sometimes they got God's opinion. Then they run over here and give a little Baal opinion. Then they run back over here and say, God, you shall write.

Then they run over here and say, Baal, you sound good. So they were intoxicated, vacillating, halting, some versions say, between two opinions. They were going both ways.

They were using unleaded and diesel. They were listening to AM and FM. They were going on both sides at the same time.

They were vacillating. So it wasn't that these people stopped believing in the true God. It's that they added other gods to the true God so that they were now dealing with more than one God.

Now, let me explain why having more than one God is a problem. Because God is by nature infinite. Infinite means without limitation. In other words, to God there is no end. God is greater than the sum total of his attributes. God is greater than the sum total of his creation.

God created the universe. We don't even know how big the universe is. However big the universe is, God is greater than all he has made. That's why it's going to take all eternity to discover God. Because God is infinite and therefore without limit. There is no limit. There is no limit to God with regard to time.

From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Well, if you're from no time and you're headed to no time, you exist beyond time. But how can you reach the beginning or the end of that since to begin speaks of time? But if you live outside of time, there is no beginning. I can't explain that.

You got to ask him when you go there how that works. But the point is God is infinite. Therefore, if God is infinite, you can't have two. Because whoever the second God is automatically becomes a limitation to the infinite God. So if God is infinite, you can't have two infinite beings because one of them can't be infinite. You can only have one infinite being if they are without limitation. And so that's why you can't have two Gods. So you have to choose who the true God is so you can treat them infinitely since they are infinite.

You can relate to them on that basis. This is why over and over the Bible calls us to choose. He tells the church at Laodicea, be hot or be cold. You know, be coffee or iced tea. But don't be lukewarm because you make me want to vomit, he says. He says you make me want to spew you out of my mouth. That means regurgitate.

You make me want to throw up. Be one or the other. Or Joshua who said, choose ye this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. You all can go with the idols if you want to. I'm not going with you because I have chosen the true and living God. The Bible says no man can serve two masters because he will love the one and hate the other, but you can't serve two masters, he says.

In other words, you've got to make a definitive decision. You cannot halt between this opinion. The Bible has a word for this, and you've heard it many times, double-minded. Double to mind think. It is thinking two ways at the same time.

God says you can't do that. His complaint here is that they were looking at two different gods. One is Yahweh.

The other one is Baal. It says when he challenged them to choose, they were silent. They didn't want to make a choice.

They didn't want to come out and make a selection. Now that raises the question, why don't you want to make a decision? I mean, I just said, the preacher just said, God wants you to make a decision, and by the way, he tells them how you know if you made one. He says, you know the decision you made by the one you follow. He says, choose God and follow him, or choose Baal and follow him, but make a choice, and the way we know which one you choose is the direction you go. So making a choice has nothing to do with how you feel first.

It has nothing to do with, you know, saying amen. Making a choice is where your feet go. Follow him. That's why Jesus says, follow me. Okay? Follow me. In other words, let me set the pace and the standard for your decisions, your movement, and your direction.

Follow me. Okay? So it says they were silent. Now, the question is, why are they silent? Why don't they make a choice? To choose the true God, they saw as interrupting their party, interrupting their fun, interrupting their ability to do whatever they want to do and not feel bad about it.

In other words, it would disrupt their enjoyment of sin. If you're ready to take Jesus up on that invitation, Dr. Evans is back with a word about how it can happen for you. If you've been listening to our broadcast and you have not personally trusted Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins so that he can give you the gift of eternal life right now, I want you to go to God and transfer your trust from any and everything else except the Son of God who died on the cross for your sins and arose from the dead. In fact, I'm going to say a little prayer, and you can repeat it after me. You just have to mean it for yourself. Heavenly Father, I know I'm a sinner and that I can't save myself.

I believe Jesus Christ, Your Son, died on the cross in my place for my sin, and I now am trusting Him alone to forgive me and to give me the gift of eternal life that He promised to give to anyone who came to Him for it. Thank You for saving me and help me from this day forward to live a life pleasing to You. Congratulations!

Welcome to the family. God bless you. You'll find more information at tonyevans.org. Just click on the link that says Jesus for a short video from Tony and some free follow-up resources. Again, that's tonyevans.org. While you're there, be sure to request your copy of Tony's current 14-message teaching series, Revive Us Again. If you've ever felt like your faith is about to flicker out, this collection of messages will teach you how to rekindle your relationship with the Lord. And remember, for a limited time, we're bundling these full-length messages on both CD and digital download, along with Tony's brand-new book, God Himself, that explores who the Lord is and what He's like. You'll receive both of these helpful resources as our thank-you gift when you make a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station.

Get your copy before the special offer runs out. Just visit tonyevans.org or call our 24-hour resource center at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-800-3222. Do you belong to the living God or to some random little g-god? Tomorrow, Dr. Evans will explain that the easiest way to tell is to check out who you're following. I hope you'll join us. The alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by The Urban Alternative and is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like you.