When god told Elijah about this group it was quite a revelation to him. He would have never guested that there were seven thousand believers there in Israel. I feel like we have a lot of silent believers in Winsted that need to stand up and be counted for the Lord.

    Now let's look at these silent ones and see what we can learn from the word of God, what we can learn about the effect we can have on the evil forces all around us. What effect we can have on each other, and what effect we can have on the man of God who  preaching the word of God in our local churches.

    Are you a Chritian?? Have you been saved?? If so then you are now in the Lord's army and you will have an effect for better or worse on the forces of evil in this world, on other Christians, and surely on the man of God who pastors the chruch, who stands in the pulpit to proclaim the word of God.

I. THE EFFECT ON THE FORCES OF EVIL IN OUR WORID  (VERSES 1-2)

    1. Notice Queen Jezebel rose up aganist the man of God.

        A. She did so, unafraid and unashamed.

        B. Think it may have been different if the silent ones had spoken up? If they

             had been taking a stand for God, for His word, for His commands,   

             and for His Man?

   2. Notice what these silent ones are known for.

       A. For the way they fought aganist evil? For the way they changed their

           country and communitites for the better? For the way they served in the

           church? For the way they supported the man of God?

       B. No, they are only known for what they did not do, not for what they did do.

            1. Verse 18, "they did not bow to Baal."

            2. What will we believers  be known for here in Winsted?

    3. Folks it is time for some postive action.

       A. Stand up and be counted for Christ

      B. Let Satan know you are a warrior for Jesus Christs and Satan needs to

          worry about you.

       C. Let's claim Winsted for Jesus Christ.

            1. We have our marching orders, (Mat. 28:18-20)

            2. We have the reources and the power. (Acts 1:8)

II. THE EFFECT ON EACH OTHER. (Verse 3)

    1. Notice Elijah left his servant behind.

        A. If we remain silent, non effective for the Lord, we will eventually leave each

            other, we will eventually leave the church, and we will ultimately leave

            Jesus christ.

       B. If we are not busy for the Lord we will be busy for ourselves.

    2. We need each other!

        A. There is the hardness of the way. (Nub.21:4)

       B. There is the diffiiculty of the task  (Neh.4:10)

       C. There is the prosperity of the wicked.  (Psa. 73:1-5)

    3. Silent believers make silent believers, on fire for Jesus believers make on fire

        believers for Jesus.

    4. Compare this with Acts chapter 2

III. THE EFFECT ON THE MAN OF GOD. (VERSES 4-10)

     1. Elijah, a man of God called to preach the word of God!

     2. Elijah had stood in the gap for the Lord.

     3. But this great man of God becomes

         A. Discouraged

        B. Feels defeated

        C. Becomes disheartened.

     4. Elijah felt alone. "We need each other!"

CONCLUSION

The Sequoia trees of California tower as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely, these giants have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone because high winds would quickly uproot it. That's why they grow in clusters. Their intertwining roots provide support for one another against the storms.

Robert Schuller tells a story about a banker who always tossed a coin in the cup of a legless beggar who sat on the street outside the bank. But, unlike most people, the banker would always insist on getting one of the pencils the man had beside him. "You are a merchant," the banker would say, "and I always expect to receive good value from merchants I do business with." One day the legless man was not on the sidewalk. Time passed and the banker forgot about him, until he walked into a public building and there in the concessions stand sat the former beggar. He was obviously the owner of his own small business now. "I have always hoped you might come by someday," the man said. "You are largely responsible for me being here. You kept telling me that I was a 'merchant'. I started thinking of myself that way, instead of a beggar receiving gifts. I started selling pencils -- lots of them. You gave me self-respect, caused me to look at myself differently."