August 20, 2017
Sermon Message by this week's Guest Speaker
"From the Cave to Glory"
Today's sermon theme: "Facing Depression with God"
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Bible Texts: NIV (New International Version)
Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-15
Elijah Flees to Horeb
1) Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2) So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3) Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4) while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5) Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6) He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7) The angel of the Lordcame back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8) So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9) There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10) He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12) After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13) When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14) He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15The Lordsaid to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
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Bible Texts: NIV (New International Version)
New Testament Reading: Matthew 11:1-6
Jesus and John the Baptist
1) After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2) When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3) to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4) Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5) The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6) Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”