1 Kings 21:1-10

1 Kings 21:1-10

Weakness and Evil

INTRODUCTION: Ahab was the most evil king Israel would
have. While some kings allowed Ball
worship, Ahab promoted it. His wife
Jezebel was a vicious killer. She is
behind the killing of the prophets of God; she is behind the attempt on Elijah’s
life after the defeat of the prophets of Baal.
And here she is behind the killing of Naboth to get Ahab what he wanted. Ahab is so evil that when Herman Melville was
looking for inspiration for Moby Dick, he chose Ahab for the Villon.

1.
The evil of Ahab
1 Kings 16:31-33

A.
Baal Worship
Isaiah 57:5

a.
Spreading trees and high places

b.
Ravines and over hanging crags Ezekiel 16:20-22

B.
Married Jezebel a Baal worshiping zealot

C.
Jezebel tried to kill all the prophets of God

D.
Jezebel tried to kill Elijah 1 Kings 18:17-19

E.
Ordered Naboth’s death to get the vineyard

2.
Our American culture

A.
Our false God’s

a.
Sex and the sacrifice of children

b.
Wealth, a little more than the rest

c.
Power, no one will tell us what to do

B.
Our Jezebels

a.
False Bible teachers Mark
13:20-22 2 Timothy 4:3-4

b.
Secular thinkers

c.
Political leaders

d.
Supposed scholars

3.
A culture of Christ

A.
Called to be different Romans
12:1-2

B.
Empowered by God to be different

C.
You are the light in someone’s darkness

Conclusion: God has not called us to be little better than
the rest of the world but to stand in contrast to it. We have a hope that will not fail, love they
can not understand, and Jesus shining through us may be the light that leads
them home to Jesus.

Ahab was the most evil king of Israel 21:25&26

He lust after Naboth’s vineyard

He sulks and fumes because he does not get his way

But Ahab’s wife Jezebel was a killer who would get him
anything he wanted at any cost.

This section of 1 Kings is the inspiration for Moby Dick.

In Moby Dick, Captain Ahab wants the Great White whale, (God)
dead.

Are people still trying to kill God off so they can feel
good about themselves?

Some fail because they are weak

Others fail because they are evil

What their itching ears want to hear

False teachers will come who would deceive even the elect

Romans 1 they teach others to do evil

Isaiah
57:5 (NIV2011)

⁵ You burn with lust among the oaks
and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and
under the overhanging crags.

Leviticus
18:21 (NIV2011)

²¹ “ ‘Do not give any of your
children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your
God. I am the LORD.

Deuteronomy
18:10-11 (NIV2011)

¹⁰ Let no one be found among you
who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or
sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,

¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a
medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Psalm
106:37-38 (NIV2011)

³⁷ They sacrificed their sons and
their daughters to false gods.

³⁸ They shed innocent blood, the
blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.

Ezekiel
16:20-22 (NIV2011)

²⁰ “ ‘And you took your sons and
daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was
your prostitution not enough?

²¹ You slaughtered my children and
sacrificed them to the idols.

²² In all your detestable practices
and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you
were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.

Deuteronomy
12:2-3 (NIV2011)

² Destroy completely all the places
on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the
nations you are dispossessing worship their gods.

³ Break down their altars, smash
their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the
idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.

1
Kings 16:31-33 (NIV2011)

³¹ He not only considered it
trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married
Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and
worship him.

³² He set up an altar for Baal in
the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole
and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than did all
the kings of Israel before him.

Mark
13:20-22 (NIV2011)

²⁰ “If the Lord had not cut short
those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has
chosen, he has shortened them.

²¹ At that time if anyone says to
you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.

²² For false messiahs and false
prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible,
even the elect.

2
Timothy 4:3-4 (NIV2011)

³ For the time will come when
people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires,
they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their
itching ears want to hear.

⁴ They will turn their ears away
from the truth and turn aside to myths.

1
Kings 18:17-19 (NIV2011)

¹⁷ When he saw Elijah, he said to
him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

¹⁸ “I have not made trouble for
Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have
abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals.

¹⁹ Now summon the people from all
over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty
prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s
table.”

Romans
12:1-2 (NIV2011)

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers
and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

² Do not conform to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
will.

1 Kings 8:1-11

1 Kings 8:1-11

“Filled with the Glory of the Lord”

INTRODUCTION: What would that be like to feel the presence
of God in such a way the you are overwhelmed by it? That is what today is about. We are the
temple of God and filled with His Spirit and presence. How aware are we of
Gods’ presence in our lives? Are we overwhelmed by His presence?

1. Overwhelmed by the presence.

A. 1 kings 8:10 The priest cannot perform their duties

B. Isaiah 6:1-7 Isaiah “woe is me I am a dead man”

C. John 20: 19- 29 comes to the Disciples

D. Acts 2:1-12 overwhelmed by the Spirit of God

E. Acts 9:1-9 Saul struck blind and knocked off his horse

2. We are Gods’ temple and should be overwhelmed
by Gods’ presence

A. 1 cor 3:9-23

B. 1 cor 6:12-20

C. 2 cor 6:14-18

D. Eph 2:20-22

3. Three possibilities

A. God is not here (Matthew 18:19-20) (Matthew 28:20)

B. We are not tuned in (tune out all the
other voices)

a. List the other voices on a pad to shut
them off.

C. We really are not here (Truly be available)

a. We fear his presence because of our
sin

b. We fear lack of control

Conclusion:
Will you allow God to fill your temple with His overwhelming presence. Ask God to fill his temple, ask God to make
you aware of His presence, Ask God to overwhelm you by His presence.

Out of Bethlehem Micah 5:2

Out of Bethlehem Micah 5:2

Introduction: Bethlehem, it congers up pictures of a sleepy
little town in rolling hills. Peace and tranquil
with shepherds on grassy hillsides and Mary and Joseph in a little 12

x 12 manger filled with hay.
But Bethlehem was more than that.
It was more than a 1000 years old when Jesus was born. It was important and historic in the life of
Israel.

1.
The history of Bethlehem

A.
Rachel was buried just outside of Bethlehem Gen
35:19

B.
Home to Ruth

C.
Home to David 1 Samuel 16:1

D.
The place where David hides from Saul

E.
Battle ground between the Philistines and Israel

F.
In the disputed west bank area of Palestine

G.
A place of turmoil and war.

2.
Peace on earth

A.
150 -200 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem

B.
Caves used as stables

C.
A busy town that night when no room was found at
the inn

D.
There Jesus was born

E.
There the shepherds found Jesus in a manger

F.
There in Bethlehem the wise men visit and find
Jesus

G.
Bethlehem is where Jesus entered the world.

3.
Our Bethlehem

A.
Our world is filled with turmoil and struggles

B.
Our lives are filled with upsets and
disappointments

C.
In the midst of it is our Bethlehem, the places
where Jesus comes to us

D.
Not because of peace, but to bring peace

E.
Jesus does not transform your world He
transforms you

F.
Bethlehem is where you discover Jesus, where He
comes into your life

Conclusion: Where is your Bethlehem? Have you discovered a savior born into the
turmoil of your life to bring you peace, forgiveness, love? If not make a place in your heart today. Invite Jesus into your life and find Your
Bethlehem.

2 Samuel 24:18-25 “that which cost me nothing”

2 Samuel 24:18-25 “that which cost me nothing”

Introduction: The
average of what people spend on Christmas 2001 = $10056.00 2011 =
$689.00 this passage is about giving and
it is a message about advent. This
passage has some difficult things to understand. Samuel is dead and gad has
become the prophet that David looks to for help. The bible says that the lord incited David to
take a census of the fighting men of Israel. Here is a strange case where 2^nd
Samuel says the lord incited David and 1
chronicles 21:1 says that it is Satan who rose up against Israel. Like
job, Israel will become the object of a war unseen. Why god causes Satan to incite David to take
the census we do not know. David was
given advice from Joab not to do the census but David persisted in taking
one. Gods’ anger is not against David
but Israel and no reason is given. When
the three days of plague come upon them David cries out for God to intervene. Gad
is sent with the information on how to stop the plague.

1. DAVID AND THE SACRIFICE

A. DAVID SEES THE PEOPLE DYING FROM THE PLAGUE AND CRIES OUT

B. GAD TELLS DAVID TO BUY THE THRESHING FLOOR AND SACRIFICE THERE

C. ARAUNAH OFFERS TO GIVE IT AND ALL THE THINGS NEEDED

D. DAVID REFUSED SAYING

A. “I WILL NOT SACRIFICE TO THE LORD MY GOD THAT WHICH COST ME NOTHING.”

E. THE SACRIFICE BRINGS HEALING

F. DAVID’S ACT PREFIGURES JESUS

2. JESUS THE SACRIFICE

A. BEFORE GOD EVEN CREATED US HE KNEW THE COST

A. TO CREATE A TRULY FREE CREATURE THERE WOULD BE SIN

B. THE ONLY CURE FOR SIN WAS SACRIFICE

C. “I WILL NOT SACRIFICE THAT WHICH COST ME NOTHING.”

D. JESUS PAID THE PRICE

3. OUR SACRIFICE

A. A PLAGUE OF UNBELIEF AND GUILT HAS COME UPON PEOPLE ALL AROUND US.

A. THEY TRUST IN THEIR MONEY, LAND, POWER, YOUTH, FAMILY, AND KNOWLEDGE.

B. THEY DON’T KNOW ABOUT JESUS

C. THOUSANDS GO EVERY DAY INTO ETERNITY WITH NO HOPE OF SALVATION.

D. WHAT WOULD WE SACRIFICE TO SEE ONE OF THE THOUSANDS

E. WHAT WOULD WE SACRIFICE TO SEE OUR CHURCH GROW AND BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN MINISTRY

F. OUR CHURCH PURPOSEFULLY POSITIONED ITS SELF TO REACH THOSE LOST IN THE WORLD.

B. OUR SACRIFICE WILL BE COSTLY

A. OUR SACRIFICE TO GOD COULD BE OUR LIFE STYLE

B. IT COULD BE BEING NEAR OUR FAMILY

C. IT COULD BE OUR TIME AND WORK, AND IT CAN BE OUR MONEY.

D. YOUR SACRIFICE COULD BE SELFISH AMBITION, ATTITUDES

E. COMFORT, YOUR RETIREMENT LEISURE, EVEN YOUR LIFE.

F. I AM SURE THAT DEEP IN YOUR HEART IF YOU LISTEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR SACRIFICE MUST BE

G. YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART WHAT IT COST.

H. “I WILL NOT SACRIFICE TO THE LORD MY GOD THAT WHICH COST ME NOTHING.”

Conclusion: All around us are people who are dying physically and spiritually. All around us are people who are going to hell for eternity. God has given you a part to play a sacrifice to make, to save them. Do not look to the person beside you or across the room to pay it for you. The sacrifice that is needed is
yours and yours alone. Search your heart, you know its there. Then give as David did. “I will not sacrifice to the lord my god that which cost me nothing.”

2 Samuel 12:1-7 “Confronted by God”

INTRODUCTION: GOD SENDS Nathan to confront David the
King. Today we live in a world of judgment. The occupy movement judging greed and
inequality. The wealthy judging them as ungrateful malcontents. People judging their mayors, congress people,
and recalling elected officials. There
are even talk news shows where you can call, text, or tweet your judgment of
people and event in the news. And when
someone has stated an opinion the ones who say we should not judge become the
harshest judges of all. So what does the
Bible say about Judging.

1. Nathan confronts David

A. Nathan uses a story to proclaim the standard

B. David is called to evaluate and judge himself

C. You are the man

D. Prophetic judgment

2. New testament passages on judging

A. Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not Judge”

B. Matthew 5:17-19 “setting aside the law”

C. Romans 1:18-32 “Paul’s large list of evil
actions”

D. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 “Paul calls on the people
to judge the man”

E. 1 Corinthians 5:11 “Do not even eat with such
people”

F. Rev 2:1-6 and 14-29 Jesus confronts churches who
tolerate sin

G. 1 Corinthians 6:7 Paul ask “is there no one wise
enough to judge?”

3. Three types of judgment

A. Judgment to condemn people

B. Judgment to protect ourselves and other from
being drawn into sin

C. Judgment for the purpose of restoration

4. What should we do

A. Uphold the Biblical standards. “This is what the
Bible says”

B. Challenge ourselves to live to that standard

C. Extend mercy and forgiveness when we and others fail

D. Allow the Holy Spirit to confront People

Evaluate, God sets the standard, Proclaiming Gods standards, Judge, Confront, Restore, Uphold, Restore, Rebuke, Correct, Mercy, Grace

2 Samuel 5:1-5 “the long awaited promise”

2 Samuel 5:1-5 “the long awaited promise”

Introduction: how long do wait for something? We tolerate about 30 seconds on our computer,
if it reaches a minute we start shopping for a new one. Three turns on the car engine, two pulls on
the lawn mower, and they better be running. We tap our fingers waiting at McDonalds, get frustrated by the checkout line, and let’s not even mention the Crivitz train. The j. g. Wentworth commercial sums it all up “it’s my money and I want it now.” So we can imagine David’s feelings being anointed at 10 or 15 as the new king of Israel and then waiting 15 to 20 years for it to happen. At times things seem to take so long while at other times change happens to fast.

1. DAVID’S 15 YEAR WAIT TO BE KING

A. ANOINTED BY SAMUEL AS A BOY

B. SERVING IN THE KINGS COURT

C. SERVING IN THE ARMY

D. ON THE RUN FROM SAUL

E. ON THE RUN FROM HIS OWN SON

F. RULES A DIVIDED KINGDOM FOR 7 YEARS

G. FINALLY KING OF ISRAEL

2. THE PROMISED MESSIAH

A. PREDICTED BY ISAIAH IN 700BC

B. NUMEROUS PROPHETS FORETOLD JESUS’ BIRTH, LIFE
AND MINISTRY

C. JOSEPH AND MARY’S SURPRISE MATTHEW 1:18-25

D. 700 YEARS OF WAITING

3. THE LORD IS NOT SLOW 2PETER 3:9

A. JOHN 14:1-3 "Behold I go to Prepare a place for You."

B. ACTS 1:1-11

C. 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18

D. REVELATION 21:1-4

Conclusion: while we wait, we serve him. While time passes we help others to come to
believe in Jesus. until Jesus comes or we die let us run the race before us
knowing that like David our time will come, like Israel our messiah will show
up, and Jesus will take us home.

1 Samuel 30:21-25 “The Unearned Prize”

1 Samuel 30:21-25 “The
Unearned Prize”

In countries the world over there are protest going on. Protest against greed. Protest against wealthy banks, corporations,and investment firms. If you thought we were in dark times, it is going to get even darker. For our world is becoming ripe for one leader who will solve its problems at the cost of its soul.

Back to the sin of greed. We do not talk about greed a lot because it hits home with so many, and in many forms. Greed of those who have everything, and greed of those who want everything. David
faces the sin of greed in Israel.

1. EQUAL SHARES
A. THE YEARLY BATTLE

B. THOSE WHO FOUGHT THE BATTLE

C. THOSE WHO HAD TO STAY BEHIND

a. TO EXHAUSTED TO KEEP UP

b. STAYED WITH THE SUPPLIES

D. ALL GET AN EQUAL SHARE

2. WE ALL GET THE SAME SALVATION

A. MATTHEW 20:1-16 ALL GET THE SAME PAY

B. WE ALL GET THE SAME SALVATION

a. NO HALF SAVED OR LOWER KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

C. MARK 9:33-35 SERVANT OF ALL

D. MATTHEW 19:27-30 WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME

E. OUR RELATIONSHIP IS OUR REWARD

3. WHERE ARE YOU

A. EVALUATE YOUR SELF

B. LUKE 13:23-30 NARROW IS THE DOOR

C. LUKE 13:6-9 ONE MORE YEAR TO BEAR FRUIT

D. 2 PETER 3:9 THAT NONE SHOULD PERISH

CONCLUSION: Have you been holding back on your life. Have you been giving less than your whole
self, using your gifts and the things God has given you? The time has been set for the fig tree and
God is looking for fruit. Has God blessed you with good things for you to share with those around you. God has blessed you that you might become the servant of all.