(7/23) I am excited to be starting a brand-new message series this morning. It’s called "Divine Direction" and I believe this is going to be a very important series because many of us are not always the best decision-makers. In fact, many times we end up making decisions that we regret. You know like, maybe it was someone that you dated, or maybe it was a big purchase you made, or something that you said, but we end up regretting many of the decisions that we’ve made.

Some of you have important decisions to make right now and you want divine direction because it’s so hard to make decisions. In fact, I believe that we have more difficulty making decisions today than we did in generations past because today we have so many more options. It’s like the other night when I sat down to watch a movie, I turned on Netflix, but after searching through all of the options for half an hour I got so frustrated trying to find anything appropriate or interesting that I didn’t watch anything.

Many of us have a difficult time making decisions today because there are just so many choices. And while we are wrestling with what decision to make, we often get stuck in the valley of indecision, because we’re afraid of making the wrong decision, and so we don’t make any decision at all. I believe you’re going to find this series very practical if you are caught in indecision, or somewhere in between, being neither where you want to be or where you wish you were.

In other words, your frozen, and so you need some divine direction, you need to fire of the Holy Spirit to move you. It was many years ago that Martin Luther King Junior said,

"I may not be the man I want to be; I may not be the man I ought to be; I may not be the man I could be; I may not be the man I truly can be; but praise God, I’m not the man I once was."

Now, I think that was actually a paraphrase of something John Newton said in the 1800s but the phrase became popular because the premise sounds good. But I think it’s a bit bothersome to be neither here nor there, to be stuck in a stage of ambiguity to the point that God himself has to come get you.

I am reminded of the time when God came walking through the garden expecting to meet Adam, but Adam had sinned, he had fallen, and he was hiding from God. In Genesis chapter 3, verse 9, God asked the first question of any human being. He called to Adam, "Where are you?"

In other words, it’s not that our omniscient, all-knowing God didn’t know where Adam was, but he was calling him to introspection, to a deeper soul-searching, and examination of where he was spiritually. And so, the Lord God had come on a rescue mission, calling Adam out of hiding, but the greater question, one that I want to draw your attention to today is,

"What are you doing here?" (1 Kings 19:9).

This was the question God asked the prophet Elijah in first Kings chapter 19 after he had boldly climbed to the top of Mount Carmel to have a standoff with the prophets of Baal.

You may know the story as well as I do, but in chapter 18 Elijah became the antagonist against the manipulating, controlling influence of Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife. He spoke out against the idolatry that was being promoted in the nation of Israel by Ahab’s wife and he arranged a meeting, a confrontation with the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Asherah. When they had gathered on Mount Carmel, he said to those with him,

"Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire — he is God" (1 Kings 18:23-24).

And so, they all agreed, whoever shows up, whoever answers with fire, that is God.

Elijah was so bold and dramatic, almost like a comedian, as he stands there as representative of Yahweh, a prophet of the most high God, and he begins to taunt the prophets of Baal. As they frantically worked themselves into a frenzy, he said,

"Shout louder! Surely, he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened" (1 Kings 18:27).

And so, he taunted them, and they shouted even louder, but Baal didn’t come. They cut themselves and their blood flowed, but he still didn’t come. They continued with their antics until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

Frustrated and humiliated, the prophets of Baal made room for Elijah. And verse 33 tells us,

"He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood" (1 Kings 18:33).

And so, they poured water on the sacrifice, on the wood, on the stones, even filling the trench around the altar. Then Elijah calls on God to receive his sacrifice with a demonstration of fire and mighty power so these people will know that he is Lord and God.

"Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench" (1 Kings 18:38).

This was one of those moments that removes all doubt from your mind as to the authenticity of God. Because this wasn’t a natural fire, this was fire from heaven, this was a divine glory that came down from God, capable of burning up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and the water in the trench.

You see, natural fire can’t do that, but God showed up by his Spirit, defying logic, defying science, and defying circumstances. There was no doubt that Israel’s God, Elijah’s God, Yahweh, is God all by himself, because they’d all seen it happen. And so, Elijah commanded the others,

"Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there" (1 Kings 18:40).

It was a mighty victory over the evil, satanic, demonic worship of Baal for the people of God in Israel. But the enemy doesn’t give up that easy, because the next thing you know Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say,

"May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them" (1 Kings 19:2).

In other words, by this time tomorrow I am going to kill you just like you killed them.

Now you wouldn’t think that Elijah who had just withstood 450 prophets of Baal, who had just called fire down from heaven, would feel threatened by Jezebel, but verse 3 says,

"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life" (1 Kings 19:3).

And so, he ran and he ran and he ran, because Jezebel had spoken to that thing inside of Elijah that had never been addressed. It triggered something within him and he ran until he was exhausted. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it, where he prayed that he might die.

"I have had enough, Lord," he said in verse 4. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep" (1 Kings 19:4-5).

You see, even though Elijah was a mighty prophet of God, he was also a man, but people get shocked when you show them your humanity. In other words, you can move in the anointing, you can be powerful in word and deed, you can have great victories for the kingdom of God, and yet still live with weakness and great insecurities.

Like Elijah, many of us are facing our own battles and the enemy may be telling you there is no way, you don’t have what it takes, you will never do it. But you’re not going up in your own power, because we are going in the power of the God that we serve.

"All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." It’s okay to be tired, you’re still my prophet, you haven’t lost your power, the anointing is still on you. And the Bible says,

"Elijah looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again" (1 Kings 19:5-6).

In other words, Elijah was totally wiped out, he was exhausted, because that’s what happens when you outrun chariots without a horse, and then run another day into the wilderness. And yet, in the mighty power of God that’s exactly what he did, he still got there, and now God was renewing his strength because he wasn’t finished. Elijah thought he was finished, but a second time the angel of the Lord woke him and said,

"Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So, he got up and ate and drank" (1 Kings 19:7-8).

"Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night" (1 Kings 19:8-9).

Now, I’m not sure if God was expecting him to go further on that bread and water, but I do know that he certainly wasn’t expecting to find Elijah resting in a cave. Because it was the fact that he was in a cave, that he was in this strange place, that caused God to ask him a question. This was the question I referred to earlier, the word of the Lord came to him:

"What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9).

In other words, the Lord is like, "Why did I have to come find you Elijah? Why are you in this cave?" Because Elijah was not where God expected him to be.

Like some of you today, you’re not where you used to be, you’re not where you’re going to be, but you’re not where you’re supposed to be. In other words, you stopped to rest, but your layover became permanent because you’re struggling with indecision. Some of you have made a destination out of a rest stop, but God created you for so much more, and he’s not finished with you yet.

Others of you, maybe you found yourself in that place where you asked yourself, "What are you doing here?" Because if you were single, it would’ve been different, but now you’re married. And so, it’s like, "What am I doing here?" How did I end up in this place, in this predicament, still fighting this fight? Or I thought it was over, I thought I was free from this, I thought I had victory over this. "What am I doing here?"

Elijah replied to the Lord in verse 10,

"I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too" (1 Kings 19:10).

In other words, not only is he exhausted but he is discouraged, and they often go hand-in-hand. He says, "I’ve been serving you, but these people don’t want to hear about you, they just show up and leave the same as they came. They come to church but watch the clock because they’ve got things to do. In fact, they can’t wait to leave, because they don’t believe, they’ve rejected your word, and refuse to listen to the prophets.

And so, the Lord said, "Elijah I want to show you something." He said,

"Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."

And I’ve been praying that the wind of the Holy Spirit would sweep through this church, blowing through the hearts and lives of those who are listening right now. Come Holy Spirit!

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire."

"And after the fire came a gentle whisper." Just a whisper, a still small voice, and "When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face," because he realized he was in the presence of God. "He went out and stood at the mouth of the cave and a voice said," God whispered with that still small voice, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Or maybe he might say to us today, "Church, what are you doing in Emmitsburg? Why are you all here?"

Elijah repeated himself, he said, "I had to run, I’ve been serving you."

"I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too" (1 Kings 19:14).

Elijah thought he was running for his life, but he was about to realize that he had been running from his life, because the first thing God said is "Go back."

Elijah said, "But Lord they’re trying to kill me."

"Go back the way you came and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu" (1 Kings 19:15-17).

In other words, the Lord says, "Elijah, you have an assignment to complete. You may want to die, but all that stuff in your past will not stop my plans to give you a hope and a future. You see, the devil can’t have your life, cancer can’t have your life, depression can’t have your life, because you’re not done until you’re done."

He said, "Go back, quit running from your life, but run to it, because "I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." In other words,

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).

And so, Elijah had an assignment that he couldn’t run from. It doesn’t matter how far you run Jonah; God is going to put you right back where you’re supposed to be. You’ve been trying to get away from those people and God keeps bringing them back in your life, they keep popping them up like that game, Whack-A-Mole at Chucky Cheese. And so, they’re not leaving because they’re your assignment, and so there aren’t going to be any tickets spitting out until you complete your assignment.

The Lord said, "Go back," because you can’t allow yourself to be held hostage by those people that are getting on your nerves, the ones that hurt you the most, you can’t run any longer, you’ve got to go back. Or maybe you ran from a place that scared you, you ran from intimacy, you ran from fellowship, because you were afraid of what happened to you before would somehow manifest itself again. But the Lord says, "Go back."

There may be some of you who have been running from your life, running from this moment, but the Lord says I want you to…

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13).

"Go back Elijah, what was threatening to kill you can’t do it. Jezebel doesn’t have the power, you are free to go back…

"I reserve seven thousand in Israel — all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18).

In other words, you’re not alone, so stop running from responsibility. Stop running from accountability. Stop running from leadership, from authority, and take the mantle to be what God called you to be. Go back to the things that you were afraid of because your destiny is where you left. Go back.

"So, Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing with twelve yoke of oxen... Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him" (1 Kings 19:19).

In other words, Elijah was running a race, and in a relay race at some point he needs to pass the baton. And so, Elijah went back to his assignment, back to the thing that he ran from, back to what he didn’t want to face, and he passed the baton to Elisha.

Now, Elisha would follow him and Elijah would make sure that he learned everything he needed to be victorious. But Elijah was learning too, learning to face himself, learning that the moment he faces his insecurities he will have victory over them. You see, whatever Elijah had been telling himself was a lie and it was holding him back, slowing him down, because "If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)? And so, Elijah was learning that he had the strength to stand, to resist those voices that threaten, that demean, that discourage, and that he had the power to declare victory over them.

"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you" (Psalms 91:7).

Most people never get the courage to face their beliefs, to challenge their perspective, because they don’t have the strength. And so, they can confront other people, but they’re unwilling to confront themselves. Elijah didn’t have any trouble confronting the prophets of Baal, but he was unwilling to confront his own insecurities.

If you are here today and you don’t like the life you are living, or where you are, change it and stop living in indecision. All those are outside experiences, the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, but what will get you out of indecision, over all of that noise, is Elijah heard a gentle whisper. It was just a still small voice passing by, and he may not come in to get you, but you have to have the courage to come out to meet him. Then the Bible says,

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21).

You see, this is so important because God is more concerned about who you are and what you do. In other words, God cares more about who you are than what you are doing vocationally. He might say, "What are you doing here?" Because he doesn’t expect you to look like the world, to be driven by the values of the world, or to be living for what the world tells you is important. What matters to him is that you are being conformed to the likeness of his son Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).

And so, in this world we are moving in a direction, we are either moving towards Jesus, becoming like him, or moving away from Jesus. And so, when people ask what is the will of God or what does God want me to do? A better question is who does God want me to become. Because if you start there, the who you are will eventually lead you to doing the right thing as you are becoming who God wants you to be.

And so, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, before you worry about what to do in the future, think about who you are right now and who God wants you to become. Because when you begin asking the right questions, getting divine direction, following Jesus step-by-step we are being conformed into his image. That is so important because life is full of decisions, private sacrifices, private pain, and private victories which matter more to me than the public ones.

As followers of Christ our goal should be to be faithful to Jesus today, in this moment, right now. And if you want to do something big for God, do something small today, because Jesus said,

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" (Luke 16:10).

Instead of obsessing with what’s out there, be faithful with what’s right here. When you are faithful with what is right here, you will end up at the right there, because it is the Lord that determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

That’s why when we are following Jesus with all of our heart we don’t have to worry about the future. He will take us step-by-step, not toward some divine destination out there, but in the divine direction right here and right now.

Read Part 2

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott