SHOW DOWN AT MT. CARMEL
1 Kings 18:17-18:39

    This passage has it setting when the spiritual tide in Israel is at an extremely low ebb. The people have, for the most part, turned their backs on the Lord and have gone after the Canaanite god Baal. It is against this backdrop of apostasy and idolatry that the prophet Elijah strolls onto the stage. He is introduced in 1 Kings 17:1. When he makes his appearance, he comes with a message from the Lord. It is a clarion call for repentance and for a renewal to loyalty to Jehovah.
In this passage, things come to a head. On the one hand there is Ahab, Jezebel, the prophets and priests of Baal 850 .On the other, there is Elijah and Jehovah. The odds may looked stacked in the favor of evil, but Elijah is about to experience the truth that one plus God is a majority.
    As we spend a few minutes looking into this great passage this evening, I want you to see what was lacking in that day and it compares to our day. A few that come to mind now are:
(1) There is a desperate need for spiritual heroes who will stand against the tide of heresy and apostasy.
(2) There is a need for the people of God to gage their allegiance to the Lord and to determine where we really stand when it comes to being on the Lord’s side.
(3) There must be a willingness to flee the evil that surrounds us and be a separate people for the glory of the Lord.
(4) There must be a willingness to renew our commitment to the Lord and place Him above all other pursuits, interests and loyalties.
    With these truths plainly given to us in the text before us, let’s take a closer look at this great day when there was a showdown on Mt. Carmel. As we look into this passage, let’s take the time to allow the Lord to speak to our hearts and to reveal things that might not be as they ought to be whether it be in our personal, private lives, or whether it be in the life of our church. Then, let’s be quick to see that for those who are willing to obey the Lord and follow Him single mindedly, there is the great promise of His presence, power and personal ministry in and through our lives.

With all this in mind, let’s join Elijah and consider The Showdown On Mount Carmel.

1. THE DILEMMA OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD (V. 21-24)
    1. Their Waywardness (V. 21a)

        A. The people of Israel were possessed of a divided allegiance.

            1. On the one hand, they enjoyed their name as God’s people, but on the

                other hand, they loved the sensual, fleshly appeal of Baal worship.

       B. They were torn between two ideas as a result, they were accomplishing

            nothing!

      C. That is the way of compromise!

          1. These people had fallen a long way from the nation that had entered and

              conquered Canaan hundreds of years before. Now they are a politically

              divided and apostate nation. (America) (Churches)

          2. Predicted by Jesus (2 The.2:3) (1 Tim.4:1-3) (2 Tim.3:1-3)

    2. Their Warning (V. 21)

       A. Elijah’s message is direct and to the point.

          1. Tells them that they have to make a choice!

          2. Tells them their compromise as an affront to God.

          3. Must choose which cannot have 2 gods, (Mat. 12:25)

      B. If a man is going to be right with God, then he must take his stand apart

          from the world. No one can have both. It is either God or it is the world.

          there can be no compromise. (James 4:4)

      C. Notice their response - silence!

    3. Their Willingness (V. 22-24)

       A. I find it interesting that this people had the audacity to expect God to prove
           After all, look at all the God-sized things He had done for them over the

           years

II. THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF GOD (V. 25-38)

    1. The Futility Of Following Baal (V. 25-29)

       A. The contest.

           1. All day long the prophets of Baal prayed and cried out to their god.

           2. Yet, they received not so much as "small still voice."

          3. Elijah saw the folly of what they were doing and mocked them, v. 27.

          4. This will be the experience of every person who attempts to follow the

              false gods of religion and of this world.

          5. Anyone who feels that they can hook up God with worldliness that they

             are doomed to failure, no matter how right they think they are.

          (Prov. 16:25)

    2. The Faith Of The Prophet (V. 30-37)

        A. Elijah stepped forward. Looking at what he did is very interesting.

            1. First, he repaired the altar of God, v. 30.

               a. Then, he chose 12 stones reminding Israel that they were one nation

              b. Then he had 12 barrels of water poured over the sacrifice. the wood  

                 the Altar to remove all doubts as to who was to get the glory for that

                 which was about to happen.

        B. He stepped forth and prayed a simple 63 word prayer

            1.The fire of God fell from Heaven and consumed every part of the

               sacrifice, the altar, the water in the trench and even the dust round

               about.

           2. God answered in a spectacular display of power in response to the faith

               of His servant.

          3. Folks, it takes faith to be an Elijah!

          4. This man had honed his faith on the grindstone of affliction.

          5. He had already see God do the miraculous,

             (1 Kings 17:1, 2-7, 8-16, 17-24)

    3. The Faithfulness Of The Lord V. 38

       A. God responded to the cry of His servant and gave Elijah just what he

            asked for

III. THE DECISION BY THE PEOPLE OF GOD (V. 39)
We will have to give these people credit. They said they would honor the God who answered by fire and when He did, they did! These people made a decision on Mount Carmel.)

    1. They Experienced God In Power

       A. He had answered the prophet by fire in their very presence.

       B. There is no other way to know God than to experience Him in a personal

            way.

          1. I am convinced that this is the root of all apostasy.

          2. When men meet the Lord they are changed.

    2. They Extolled God In Prostration

       A. When the people see the Lord move in such a miraculous manner, they

           fall on their faces before Him in genuine humility.

    3. They Exalted God In Praise

CONCLUSION