Bible Study Notes for Lord’s Day,
October 31, 2010
I Kings 18:17-21, 36-39
“Power Play”

Introduction  A significant day - All Hallows Eve, important elections on Tuesday.  Lines are drawn between right and wrong, good and evil.  Seeking power and influence.  Spiritual power, political power.  Each side tries to “demonize” the other.

17  Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
19 “Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21  And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37 “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

Notice the spiritual power and political power were all intertwined.  The people were unsure at first, but then when the truth came out, they made up their minds.

So, let’s seek the truth:

I. Spiritual Power - Christian, and other than Christian

A. Christian - the essence of our faith

1. Creation - in great power, God created us in a beautiful and abundant world, to live a good life of loving God, others, respecting creation

2. Atonement - by the power of the cross of Christ, when we failed to live a life of love, and there was harshness and abuse

3. Enablement - by the power of the Holy Spirit to give us the mind of Christ, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control.

4. Consummation - in power and great glory, Christ will return to put and end to everything which is not of love, and to create a new Heaven and a new Earth, our eternal home.

B. Others - other religions, philosophies, life styles

1. Creation/evolution/aliens.  Leaves open the question of purpose, love for God, other people, respect for the creation.  Many do respect the environment.

2. Atonement - no sin/karma/pay for your own sins - no grace, no Redeemer

3. Enablement - seek power through peer pressure, severe punishment, higher consciousness, use of spirits to help - so it’s basically human effort or spiritism. 

Spiritism is contact and communication with spirits other than the Holy Spirit, in order for them to help you in some way.  Problem is they need to be appeased, and come to steal, kill and destroy.  This is the dark side.  This is one of the problems with the way some people celebrate Halloween.

4. Reincarnation/Heaven

So, these are the four main issues in spiritual power - creation, atonement, enablement and consummation.  We see the light side and the dark side.

 

II. Political Power  in America, conservative and liberal/progressive

A. Conservative

1. Faith in God as Creator, Redeemer, Enabler and Consummator

2. Goodness toward others, especially the innocent, and those who will be responsible with the help they receive. Preborn babies, victims of crime, those showing promise.

3. Responsibility - personal responsibility to do the right thing for self, family, community, country

4. Freedom - when people take personal responsibility for their own lives, they can have personal freedom, and not have the government telling them what to do and how to do it.

B. Liberal/Progressive

1. Faith in the State

2. Goodness toward others, but especially those who have been irresponsible (criminals, lazy, unprepared, illegal, pregnant)

3. Responsibility - little personal responsibility, someone else’s fault

4. Freedom - less freedom to make your own decisions, except to be immoral

III.  Points of Agreement

A. Spiritual

1. Creation - the miracle of how we all got here on this amazing planet, that we should live a life of love for each other and respect for the environment

2. Atonement - we all want to be forgiven and have a chance to start over

3. Enablement - most people look for help beyond ourselves to help us be loving

4. Consummation - most people believe in a coming paradise, utopia or heaven
You would think all people could agree on those points, whatever their philosophy or religion.

B. Political

1. Faith - people need help beyond themselves, God or the state

2. Goodness towards others

3. Responsibility

4. Freedom

IV. Points of Difference

A. Spiritual - God or other forces

1. Creation - God or a random accident?  The issue is love, purpose in life.  Is it a mandate from the Supreme Being, the Creator?

2. Atonement - is it the cross of Christ or human endeavor, fulfillment or frustration?

3. Enablement - the power of the Holy Spirit, or other spirits, principles

4. Consummation - a new Heaven and a new Earth where God reigns, or nothing, or endless reincarnation?

B. Political

1. Faith - people need help beyond themselves, but God or the state?

2. Goodness towards others - to those responsible or irresponsible?  To the innocent or the guilty?  Against the death penalty, but pro abortion?

3. Responsibility - to God, myself, my family, my community, or to the state?

4. Freedom - free to be moral and successful, or to be dependent on the state and free to be immoral?

Conclusion  Today is a significant day for a power play - All Hallows Eve, important elections on Tuesday.  Lines are drawn between right and wrong, good and evil, the light side and the dark side.  Seeking power and influence.  Spiritual power, political power.  Each side tries to “demonize” the other.

17  Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
19 “Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21  And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37 “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

Notice the spiritual power and political power were all intertwined.  The people were unsure at first, but then when the truth came out, they made up their minds.

Please take the model, the framework I have given you, and seek the truth - apply it to philosophy, religion, political platforms and candidates.  Let the truth come out.
 
Pastor Steve Boggan
Living Waters Christian Fellowship
Heritage Ranch by Lake Nacimiento, CA
Website - www.livingwaters.cc
Cell - 805-610-4489