1 Kings 18:16-39 [NLTse]

This contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal came to my mind while listening to reports about the controversy over the Chic-fil-A restaurant chain owner’s pro-Bible and pro-family position. As you may or may not know, the Chic-fil-A owner’s position is not new: Chic-fil-A’s founder, Truett Cathy established the restaurant chain on biblical principles, and has long been a proponent of traditional, biblical, family values as well as practicing and offering biblical hospitality to its communities.

I got thinking about Elijah’s challenge on Mount Carmel because Chic-fil-A is a significant corporation in our nation. And just as Elijah stood, not just against the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah in this confrontation, but against King Ahab and all of Israel’s gathered leaders and nobility, Chic-fil-A is standing, not just against the well-funded, media-wielding pro-gay lobby, but against the President, many state governors and other government leaders who – for moral, political, or personal reasons – are promoters and supporters of homosexual practice and gay marriage in our nation.

I got thinking about the Lord God versus Baal because our culture would convince us – if it could – that Chic-fil-A (and Bible-believing Christians, in general) are troublemakers in our communities: “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” King Ahab greets Elijah.

And as we can perhaps imagine the pressure against Chic-fil-A as they seek to not waver in their proclamation and witness, I think all of us can commiserate with them on account of the pressures we can face, as well, in school and our work places, in our close relationships, and in and around our communities to not waver in our proclamation and witness.

Although we’ve read this morning about the prophet Elijah’s great victory against the prophets of Baal and Asherah, let’s not forget that within days of the event Elijah had fled Israel for his very life, (when Queen Jezebel heard what he had done she threatened to put him to death) and Elijah was hiding in the Sinai Desert feeling sorry for himself and asking God to kill him.

With that in mind I know there are days when we have our great victories of standing firm and being bold for Christ, and other days where our sinful nature seems to have the upper hand and where we want to simply run away and hide. But the Lord is calling us to exercise our faith, to use it and strengthen it and build it up.

Because we have been given great news to share! Humanities alienation from God has ended! Although human beings have cut ourselves off from God by choosing to trust ourselves and our own judgment of right and wrong and what’s best in a given situation, God has not let our rejection of Him and His Way of Life ruin His plans for life and everlasting life with us. Jesus Christ has broken the chains of sin that have bound all humanity. And this eternal security Christians have because Jesus has opened the gates of Heaven for us means that no earthly insecurity needs to ever hold us captive again! The unconditional love our heavenly Father has shown us in Christ means we no longer have to work and strive after the all-too-conditional love of those around us. God’s acceptance of us and adoption of us on account of our faith and trust in Jesus means we can truly live at peace, we don’t have to fight and wrestle to make our dreams happen or to have our will be done. No, in Christ we can rest in the knowledge that our Father is all-powerful and in charge of all existence and human history: No power in Heaven or on the Earth can separate us from His love; no power can hurt us or come against us without His first giving permission (and we know that He loves us); and no power ever again can convince us that we are no good or not good enough as the Holy Spirit pours His love and favor into our hearts!

Now that’s hope! That’s a reason to get up in the morning! That’s a reason to try again after messing up again! That’s a reason to forgive and be reconciled with those around us! And this is just a part of the great news we have been given to share with the world! And this is what the Lord is calling us and giving us His Holy Spirit to stand firm and share.

Elijah and Chic-fil-A show us that we need to be public about our Christian morality. Our Father is calling us to be clear that we believe and act the way we do because the Bible tells us so. And He wants us to be forthright that the reason we’re living our lives according to the Scriptures is because we died with Jesus on the cross and because we have begun living a new life through the Holy Spirit He has given us!

Are you reading your Bible everyday? The Lord has given us His Word so we can filling ourselves up with truth? Are you praying and asking the Lord to work through you and speak through you? God wants us to ask Him and call upon Him so we can be more-assured and confident that He is indeed working and speaking through us every time we act and speak?

I know we may never find ourselves standing up against the President of the United States or even more-local powers or officials, but each of us has those God is calling us to stand up for Him against, every day. And Christ is calling us the same way He was calling Elijah and has been calling Chic-fil-A: To speak up for Christ; to give witness to God’s goodness; to tell those around us what He’s done for us and how He’s transformed and is transforming us.

Like with Elijah, we’re not responsible to convince anyone. As you keep on reading you’ll see that the crowds cheered, worshiped, and slaughtered the Baal and Asherah prophets as Elijah had called them to, but the Bible tells us that their faith and fervor was short-lived. And though perhaps things will be different with this Chic-fil-A hullabaloo, history shows us that likely many of those who have begun filling up on chicken sandwiches these past couple of weeks will likely go back to “wavering between two opinions” once the uproar and drama dies down.

God wants all the world to know that He alone is the one, true God. He uses many different ways to reveal Himself and open the eyes and hearts of those who do not know Him. And one of those ways is showing Himself through people like you and me who have put their faith and trust in Him! We reveal Him as we obey His laws, as we reflect His ways in our thoughts and actions, and as we speak out and tell others what God has done – and is doing – in our lives. And when we’re not totally committed to loving and obeying God, not only do we suffer, but what God desires to accomplish through our testimony suffers, as well.

Is the hand of the Lord too short or not strong enough to save? Is an army of opposition – or any power – too great, too powerful for the Lord?

We’ve got the goodness and glory of the one and only God to proclaim. And the greatest news the world has ever heard to share! As we share the Lord’s Supper this morning, let us recommit ourselves – let’s devote ourselves – to Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and never be ashamed of Him or back down, so that our special acts as well as our everyday lives will show God to the world in such a way that those around us will recognize Him as a Savior, and as a Shepherd, and as the Light and Life of the world.