The Story
The Lower Story….If you are far from God, you can expect that a messenger from the Lover of your soul will come with a message to return to Him.
Chapter 15
Sunday school notes:
God’s Messengers
Elijah, from 1 Kings 18 through 2 Kings 2
1. God can grow a prophet in hard times.
Ahab and Jezebel were the worst king and queen ever.
2. The distance between high and low times can be short.
One person in our class pointed out that all it took was the threat of a woman.
3. Few emotions motivate like fear.
Elijah was on the run for about 6 weeks.
4. Even a prophet is more vulnerable alone.
Heb. 10:25 1 Kings 19:24
If a prophet is vulnerable when alone, how much more are we?
5. Notice God’s provision and intervention.
1 Kings 19:5-8 and 19:11-13
6. Discouragement of the heart = muddled thinking.
1 Kings 19:4, 18 Our hearts are deceitful. Don’t trust yourself when you are discouraged. Elijah thought he was the only one who was serving God. In reality, there were 7000 others.
7. Elijah was reminded that God was still at work.
Elijah said, “I quit,” but God said, “I don’t.”
If you are not dead, you are not done.
Hosea: The Message for Us (Applications and Implications)
1. The relationship between Israel and God is parallel to the relationshiop between Christ and the Church. The Church is the “bride of Christ.” Eph. 5:22-33. The Church is the “bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Rev. 21:9; 22:17. The Church is betrothed to one husband, Christ, and she is to be a pure virgin. 2 Cor. 11:2. Therefore, we are to put away sin and live righteously and faithfully in Christ.
2. Living like Gomer is painful to the Lord who love you. It distorts the relationship that God intended us to have with Him.
3. Marriage is God’s idea and our loyal, covenantal love for our spouse is to represent the loyal, covenantal love of Christ toward His bride, the Church. God calls us to continue to be faithful and loyal even when our spouse does not deserve it. Represent Him!
4. Any nation that rejects the Lord will also reject morality, justice and spiritual hope.
5. Outward forms of worship mean nothing unless we believe and obey.
6. The mature give up their rights. Believers have opportunities to show people what God is really like and what the gospel is about by being a living picture or object lesson. While we enjoy Christian liberty, God often calls us to set aside our freedoms to become a more effective witness for the benefit of others. I can sacrifice personal comfort and ease to “preach the gospel without using words.”
Sermon notes:
The Upper Story…..God never quits calling out to people on the brink of destruction through His messengers with instructions that could lead them safely home.
1 Kings 17:1
1. Israel’s plight is a 208 year descent into spiritual decline and unprecedented immorality.
Romans 7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
2. God’s response was to send messengers with explicit instructions and time to repent.
1 Kings 17-19
A. Elijah – A confrontational messenger with an in-your-face message.
1 Kings 19:15,19; 2 Kings 4,6
B. Elisha – A compassionate messenger with a healing message.
1 Kings 17-19; Amos 1:1; 3:1-2
C. Amos – A hellfire and damnation messenger with a message of justic and judgment. (Similar to an ER doctor who is giving urgent, clear-cut instructions)
Hosea 4:1; 4-5; 8-9; 14
D. Hosea – A faithful lover messenger with a message of “Come Home.”
