Sermons Christ Community Church: Daytona Beach, FL

In today's struggle to believe the Christian faith, the doctrine of eternal punishment is seen as barbaric, unenlightened, and irrelevant. How can anyone believe what the Bible teaches about Hell?

The problem of evil has been a topic which has commanded the attention people throughout history. Everyone from scholars to tent-makers eventually is faced with asking how can God exist, let alone be good, when evil and suffering exist as well.

One of the things that is distinctive to the Christian movement, seen in the life of Jesus and in the writings of the New Testament, is that it brings both people who are religiously upright and people who have been scandalously sinful, violent, and promiscuous together in an attitude of love, unity, and acceptance. This however has always been a problem in the church. In one example we even find Paul in his letter to the Romans encouraging them to stop judging each other and accept those whose faith is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters because God has accepted him.

One popular objection to the Christian faith today is it's exclusive claims to ultimate truths and morality. How can Christianity claim to be the truth for everyone? Michel Foucault warned us to be suspicious of such claims. And yet so does Jesus when talking about the religious leaders of his day, whose heart was not to shepherd the people but to exercise power over them. Jesus however not only claimed to be the good shepherd but proved it by laying down his life for his people.

Three questions about the Jesus and his resurrection come up frequently in our culture. Is it possible? Did it happen? Does it matter?

One thing that comes through when you read the Bible is that the teaching of Jesus is important, but it is not most important. Jesus said dying was the reason for his coming. Let's look again at what he said. Matthew 20:28: the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Look especially at the last phrase. What's so important about the death of Jesus? The death of Jesus is important because He came to give Himself as a ransom for many.

Though Elijah has seen God powerfully work in his life, he is still driven into desperate hiding. He has forgottnen God's sovereignty even though his own prayers confess that he is the "Lord God Almighty".

In the past Elijah was strong because he kept his eyes on God and trusted in God. But in his situation in chapter 19 it seems as if he is not looking at God. He sees the problems, the circumstances, the threats and dangers. It is as if God gets very small in his sight and the people and problems get very big and it overwhelms him. What this teaches us is that no matter how much you know or how well you've handled problems in the past you sometimes have to fight to keep your eyes on God in the present.

Prayer is powerful when in your prayers you truly pray like a servant of God. James says when you look at Elijah you are seeing an example of how you should pray. Look at what James says again. James 5:16-18 ... The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

A lot of things in life require a commitment. You have to come to the point where you see the truth and live in light of it. What makes the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18 so relevant for us today is the fact that the underlying issues for people then are the same for us today. God through Elijah is addressing the people's double-mindedness which kept them from committing to God. Today we are in danger of the same thing.