Do you expect the WOW factor?

Title:   Do you expect the WOW factor? By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text: 1 Kings 19: 11-13  11 And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.  13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, we’ve all seen roller coasters, maybe like this:

It must be the “Wow” factor that attracts people to these things.  I don’t see it but I have a policy of never paying for someone to scare me – that includes roller coasters.  But others aren’t like that.  They want the “Wow.” They want the thrill. Did you know that there is a roller coaster on the drawing boards that is the ultimate “Wow.”  It will never be built.  It goes up over 1600 feet (that’s almost the height of the New World Trade Center building)  You come down at 220 mph, then you immediately go through several loops.  They say that almost all people would die from lack of oxygen in the brain.  It is called the Euthanasia Roller Coaster.  But they would have a great “Wow” before they died. To me that roller coaster is a picture of our relationship with God.  We want the “Wow” from God but the problem is the “Wow” will eventually kill you.

I. Elijah certainly experiences the “Wow” from God.

A. Elijah was sent to the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to say: "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives . . . there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word" (1 Ki 17:1). For three years, the Lord protected Elijah in the drought.

1. First, in the wastelands, God fed Elijah with ravens delivering to him bread and meat. Wow! 2. Then the Lord sent Elijah to the foreign widow at Zarephath. About to starve, the poor widow baked her last meal. But as she shared with Elijah, day after day her cooking oil and flour never ran out. Wow! So why did God allow her only son to be struck sick, to die? Three times, Elijah stretched his body over the corpse, crying out, "O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again" (17:21). Our miraculous God resurrected the boy! Holy wow! 3. My favorite Elijah "Wow"? The trial by fire! All Israel's people gather at Mount Carmel. Elijah alone challenges the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Asherah. "You call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God" (18:24). So the false prophets slaughter their bull, cry to Baal, and dance all morn till noon. Elijah mocks, "Either he is musing, or he is on a journey, or perhaps asleep and must be awakened" (18:27). The fools dance up a frenzy. They cut themselves with swords.  But still, Baal has no answer. Elijah then rebuilds the true Lord's altar. The slaughtered bull and altar was drenched with water three times. "O LORD . . . let it be known this day that you are God in Israel. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God.” The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and stones and licked up the water in the trench around. Result? All the people, long confused, now fell on their faces, shouting, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God" (18:39). Wow!

B. But now as far as Elijah could see, God's wondrous work was done. But King Ahab tells Jezebel " and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with the sword" (v 1), and Jezebel sends word straight back to Elijah, "May the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow" (v 2).

1. Where is God's protection? Elijah is gravely disappointed in God! "Why did you send me? Why did your fire devour the sacrifice? Why have you roused Jezebel to kill me?"

a. Elijah ran clear out of Ahab's kingdom, deep into the wastelands. There Elijah hid in a cave. For Elijah, the thrill was gone. What if you no longer see God's "Wow!"? b. The Lord gently invites Elijah to come to the light. God tells Elijah, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD" (v 11). But Elijah did not want to stand before the Lord God!

2. But on that Mountain the Lord did something truly “Wow” but in a totally different way.  It says: "Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD"—Wow!--"but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake"—Wow!—"but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire"— Wow! —"but the LORD was not in the fire" (vv 11-12).

a. God drew this picture for the prophet. "Do you think I've lost my power? Are you free from my fury? Yes, Elijah, I could squash wicked Ahab and Jezebel."  Yes Elijah I could use the “Wow” but at times I have a better gift. b.   After the awesome wind and earthquake and fire came "the sound of a low whisper" (v 12). What did it say? The text doesn't tell. I think it said: “You are forgiven, Elijah.  Come! Leave your prideful pity party. Leave your deadly doubts buried in the cave. Come, live new!"

II. Thank God for those days when he shows us his "Wow!" Days when we can't help but shout, "You are so awesome, Jesus!"  But what if you no longer see God's "Wow!"?

A. Have you griped? "I've worked hard for my family, been zealous for the church, tried to be a good citizen, a helpful neighbor. What good has come of it?"

1. We want impressive stuff! We want to be “wowed” out of our seats.

a. “Do something impressive! Everyone but me is against You. Show Your power and put a stop to all this madness.” b. That’s what we think, too, isn’t it? It’s gone far enough, Lord. Abortion, pornography, homosexuality, violence, drugs. The church is suffering from lack of interest. Many members are apathetic. Attendance is down. Giving is down. But persecutions are up. Everything is going in the wrong direction in the world and in the church.” Do something, Lord!” we say with Elijah.

2. But if we’re waiting for God to unleash His power against everything that is wrong and evil, then we’re waiting for the final Judgment, and we, too, will be judged.

a. For everything that is wrong and evil out there, is also in here. Everything that I detest in society dwells also in me. Everything that I hate in my neighbor has a home within my heart as well. I simply refuse to see it and admit it. b. So if I want to see God’s wow, I may be shocked by what I see. Just as Jesus rebuked James and John for wanting to call down fire from heaven upon the heathen, so you and I need that same rebuke when we judge others, but refuse to judge ourselves.

3. Do you realize that Jesus never did a miracle involving fire? Of all the hundreds of miracles that He did, not one involved fire in any way. That’s because fire is reserved for the final Judgment.

a. Jesus stepped into the fires of hell on the cross for you, and for every sinner. He did not call down fire from heaven upon others. He let that fire fall upon Himself. He suffered the agony of what our sins deserve. He endured the punishment that we should have for all eternity. Those who reject His sacrifice on the cross, who refuse His mercy and grace, will feel the fires of Judgment to come. b. But until that final day of reckoning, the wheat and tares will grow together. The wicked will dwell with the saints, and the saints will suffer persecution.

B. God made it clear to Elijah that the most impressive action He takes is not to destroy the wicked with a grand display of His power. He was not in the wind, or in the earthquake, or in the fire, but He was in the low whisper...the still, small voice.

1. Many years later that voice would be heard again as Jesus opened His mouth on the cross. Not, “Destroy them, Father!” but “Father, forgive them,” is what He said. a. The most impressive thing about God is that He shows mercy to the unmerciful, He loves the unlovable, He forgives sinners. b. If God was to seek out evil to destroy it, He would be seeking out each one of us to destroy us, for we are all evil within our hearts. But Jesus died for you. God rained down His fire upon His Son in your place. And now He seeks you only with love. He finds you with His still, small voice. The voice spoken over you when you were baptized. The voice that is preached to you from the pulpit. The voice that speaks God’s forgiveness to you.

2. It’s not a loud, dramatic voice. It’s a low whisper, barely audible. For even though Christ died for all, most in the world are not listening. But you are. By God’s grace, you are. You are here today not for God’s wow, but to hear God’s whisper.

a. “Dear sinner,” He says to every one of you, “I forgive you. All your sins are forgiven. Go in peace and sin no more.” Because here in God’s House, not God’s wow, but mercy is shown; not anger, but love; not punishment for sins, but forgiveness for you in Christ Jesus...for all of you. b. Like this… A woman in the hospital, not a believer, just got the news: "You have only days to live." She called her friend to her bedside and quickly got to the question: "Can your God heal me with some miracle?" "Yes," said the believer, "Christ can cast out this cancer. He can easily lengthen any life in this world. Just like you, I'm praying for that. Christ also has done something far, far harder. He gave all he had. He sacrificed all that he is to win forgiveness for me and for you." With tears in her eyes, a smile on her face, to her dying friend she whispered. "To you, the same as to me, Jesus is giving the life that never ends!" Hear the whisper? Almost always, that's how God speaks. How did you come to faith? I bet it was with a whisper. Maybe it was the soft voice of the pastor at your infant Baptism. Maybe years later the hushed tone of some Christian friend.

CONCLUSION: When we remember that handful of water with which he christened us, the Lord speaks. When we listen to what he says of this bread and wine, we hear the Lord speak. "This is my body, my blood. I, the resurrected, living Lord, give myself to you for your forgiveness." In the Bible's promise, the Lord speaks. Sometimes, it's just a whisper. And God speaks today even through a fool like me. As God sends you to some friend, God still speaks through you, too. Amen