Don Graham Revival Ministries

"The Pathway to Revival"

I Kings 16-19

Part Five: The Proof of Revival

I Kings 18:17-37

In our preceding four studies of revival at Mt. Carmel we have watched the skillful hand of the Architect of authentic revival masterfully preparing His spokesman for the glories of Carmel. With a deft hand, God has taken Elisha through the death of the brook and the death of the boy at Cherith and Zarephath. Purging, purifying and pruning His chosen instrument God now has Elijah ready for the most magnificent moment of his illustrious career, revival at Carmel!! We must learn that the Carmel experiences are never chance happenings. Rather, they follow hard after God's children follow His divine formula and are willing to die, to be broken, to be shattered of pride and stripped of self-sufficiency. When God has His elected tool sharpened and poised He draws the line in the sand and summons His people and His enemies to a memorable showdown.

"Then the Fire of the Lord Fell ..." (v.38) May I ask with you, "then"? When?? When can we expect the fire of God in genuine revival to fall? Real revival will fall when...

I. Men Reconsider the Folly of Their Indecision (vs. 17-24)

Having met with Ahab in a stunning encounter, courageously placing the blame at Ahab's feet, and having gathered the people for the duel at Carmel, Elijah issues this startling challenge, How long halt ye bet\veen hvo opinions? The silence that ensued was defining as deep conviction began to sweep over the people. Today's church must hear the same stinging rebuke from our Risen Lord who was sickened by His bride halting befrveen frvo opinions growing sickenly tepid. / would that thou wert hot or cold! Lukewarm people perpetually halt between two opinions and are fit for nothing but to be spewed out of His mouth. A similar dictum fell from the lips of Moses who, when finding his people in revelry worshipping their self-made golden calf, cried, "Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. " (Ex. 32:26) Revival will come when men realize the damage of their indecision and repent of their lukewarm fence-straddling.

II. Men Reach the End of Themselves (vs. 25-29)

Desperately the prophets of Baal tried all day long to conjure up some response from their deity but their most frantic efforts fell on deaf ears (what else could you expect from man-made ears?). To experience true revival man must be forced to see the ineptitude of his clay gods and see their futility just as the people watched the vain efforts of Baal's prophets to produce fire.

American people, including Christians, have worshipped a long time now at the shrine of technology. Whatever else the Y2K millennium bug may have for us, perhaps we need to hear God saying, "Enough is Enough!" The spiraling success of a computer driven technology can be shut down overnight and we could be forced to return to an archaic lifestyle. Will it happen? I certainly don't know! The mere fact that a growing legion of unbelievers as well as believers think it could should compel us to see that the god of technology is just as inept as was the god of Ahab's court prophets. Are you at the end of yourself? What will it take? Don't wait till 2000!

III. Men Rebuild Their Broken Altars (vs.30-32)

Seeing the futility of the prophets of Baal the people turn to Elijah who promptly "repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. " (v.30) As Elijah repaired the altar that had crumbled from neglect and abuse, so we must rebuild altars, i.e., the broken altar of honesty, humility, hunger for God, holiness and the home among others. What altars lie in disarray that you need to rebuild'

IV. Men Repudiate Shoddy Substitutes (vs. 33-36a)

With the altar repaired an appropriate sacrificial animal was tied to the altar to be offered "...at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice... " (v.36) This slain innocent animal on the altar as a substitute pointed to the only way man can be reconciled with God—through the blood of the Lamb! In a generation where we're being encouraged to remove all from our worship that is offensive, the blood is suspect, the cross is offensive and we've offered a myriad of shoddy substitutes. But my beloved, the Bible says, "Apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." I for one, plan to reject any teaching that comes down the pike that minimizes my blood bought redemption through the sacrificial, substitutionary vicarious death of Christ on the cross.

To the question,"What can wash away my sins?", the answer still rings clear, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

V. Men Resolve for God to Get All the Glory (vs. 36b-37)

Having doused the sacrificial animal and aitar with twelve barrels of water Elijah frevently cries out to God. His prayer bore witness to his consummate desire for God to receive all the glory. Elijah understood "...my glory will I not give to another... " (Isa. 42:8) Perhaps it's because God knows He cannot trust us with revival knowing we would steal His glory so the heavens remain shut up. Oh, that every vestige of pride within us could be so shattered that we would never seek to rob His glory. When was the last time you had such a view of the cross that you cried out with Isaac Watts and "poured contempt on all my pride. " (v.38) "Then the fire of the Lord fell" Amen!!!