Adrian Rogers - Let the Fire Fall
Would you take your Bibles and find First Kings chapter 18? We've been talking about revival. We've been talking about revival in general. We've been talking about personal revival. Today we're talking about revival in the church. The title of the message is this, "Let the Fire Fall". First Kings chapter 18 verse 22, "Then said Elijah unto the people, 'I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.'"
Now let me give you the background for all of this. There were dark days in Israel, days of apostasy, days of apathy, days of horrible sin, and the people had forgotten God. They were worshipping and going after a false god, a vulgar, filthy Canaanite god, who was not a god at all, but an idol. He was a god of fertility. So, they worshipped him with obscenities and immorality. They thought of him as the god that caused things to blossom and bud and the cows to give calves, and so forth, and so they worshipped this god in obscene ways. His name was Baal. There came a prophet on the scene and his name was Elijah.
Now Ahab and Jezebel were king and queen. Elijah came on the scene. And Elijah said, "It's time for a showdown. It's time to see which god is the true God". So he said, "Gather all of the people up to Mount Carmel. We're going to have a sacrifice. And, we're going to build an altar and put a sacrifice upon it. And then we're going to pray, and the god that answers by fire, let him be God". Not fame, not figures, not finances, but fire. Revival fire. "Let him be God".
I long to see the fire fall today. I tell you, America is sick. We have a rampage of violent crimes, illegitimate births, teenage suicide, divorce rates are soaring pornography is spewing over the land like a broken sewer. We are in desperate trouble in America. I'm not nearly afraid of what the Taliban or Al Qaeda will do; I'm afraid of the judgment of Almighty God upon America. And we need today an old-fashioned, fire from Heaven, sin-convicting, life-transforming, Christ-honoring, soul-saving revival, Amen?
Now that's what we need. And I wonder if America has enough wisdom to turn to God. I wonder if oceans of blood and rivers of tears and seas of sweat will be the price that this nation pays because she has forgotten Almighty God. Now when we speak of revival, there're people who nod their head and say, "Amen", but I'm afraid, for many of us, that's just a sort of a sympathetic smile. We really don't believe that revival is possible. We think we're living in the last days, and so we're singing, "Hold the fort," and keep us safe until Jesus gets here to rescue us.
Ladies and gentlemen, listen to your Pastor now. There's not one shred of Scripture in all of the Bible that says we cannot have revival in these days. Now that's very important for you to understand that. The Lord Jesus gave The Great Commission, and He said in Matthew 28:20, "And, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age". He's not an absent God. He's not sick. He is not anemic. He's not deaf. His ear is not dull that He cannot hear. He is not palsied. His arm is not short that He cannot save. The problem is not with God; the problem is with God's people. Second Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray".
Now as we think about revival today, I want you to keep your Bibles open to this First Kings chapter 18, and I want you to think first of all with me as to what I'm going to call the enemies of revival. And listen very carefully because you may recognize yourself in this chapter. Now what were the enemies of revival? First of all the compromisers, and they're represented by a man named Obadiah. Obadiah was a true believer in the Lord, but he was a compromiser. He lined up with King Ahab, and the Bible says there in First Kings 21 verse 25, that there was none as wicked as King Ahab, but Obadiah found himself a servant of King Ahab rather than a confident with Elijah, the prophet of God.
Look if you will in First Kings 18 verses 3 through 6, "And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of this house; now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly". You see, he was a great man and a godly man. "For it was so that when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord," that is, they no longer got food from wicked Queen Jezebel, "that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, 'Go into all the land unto the fountains of water and unto the brooks; peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.' So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself".
Now I want you to think with me a little bit about that. Obadiah greatly feared the Lord, but he was a servant of Ahab. Now why were they dividing themselves looking for grass? Because, friend, it had not rained for three and one-half years. It was the judgment of Almighty God. And sometimes God's judgment does come in the weather. I want you to think about that. It was the judgment of Almighty God. So Ahab said to Obadiah, "Obadiah, we need to find some grass to feed our herds, lest they die. So, Obadiah, you go this way; I will go that way".
"Now why do you say he was a compromiser, Pastor"? I'll tell you why. He was looking for grass when he should have been praying for rain. Now, what do I mean? Well, he was trying to prop things up. He was trying to get by without repentance and without repentance on the part of God's people. The judgment that we have, friend, is never going to be taken away, the judgment that is upon us, until the rain comes from God. And the rain in this passage is a symbol of revival.
Now we think with pageants and personality and programs that we can bring revival. But as long as you are a compromiser, you can't bring revival with these things. You can search for all of the grass that you want. Now he was a compromiser. Now I want to ask you a personal question. Will you answer it? Say yes. Thank you, but answer it silently. Let's find out if you are a compromiser. Was there ever a time when you loved Jesus more than you love Him now? Do you remember when you first found Christ? Do you remember when you first got saved and how your heart was filled with joy that your sins were forgiven, but now that joy is gone?
Let me ask you another question: Do you remember when you had power in prayer, and you could point to definite, specific times that your prayer was answered? But now your prayer life is pitiful and weak. Is your prayer life pitiful and weak? You, sir, you, lady, are an Obadiah. Do you remember when your testimony had a ring of truth about it, and others saw your life, and they were changed by your life? Now listen, church, I want to ask you this question as individuals. What is there about your life that is different? Are you a compromiser? Do you remember when the Bible was rich to you and you loved to feed on it, and you would get up and get into the Word of God, and now you just yawn in the face of God? You're a compromiser.
If your children ever get saved, if your neighbor ever comes to Christ, they will have to be dragged over your poor testimony. Maybe you've been in this thing long enough that you just simply think, "It's all right for me. I've done my thing. I have finished all that God wants me to do". The compromisers are represented by Obadiah. Now here's a second enemy of revival, and that's the corrupt. They're represented by Ahab and Jezebel. Now, I say that he was corrupt.
Look if you will in First Kings 18 verses 17 and 18, "And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah that Ahab said unto him, 'Art thou he that troubleth Israel?'" Now remember, Ahab was the king. "'Are you the one that troubles Israel?' And he," Elijah, "answered, 'I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house.'" He was saying, "Elijah, you are a troublemaker". And Elijah the prophet said to the king, "Nope, Bud, you got it wrong. You are the troublemaker. I am a prophet of God". And then we learn that Ahab was unspeakably immoral and wicked.
Go back to First Kings chapter 16 verse 30. Put it in your margin, "And Ahab, the son of Omri, did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him". He at this point was the most wicked king that Israel had ever had. He was a politician. He was a civil authority. But ladies and gentlemen, he could not hold back revival. And you need to learn that no matter how much wickedness is entrenched and ensconced in our land, all of the powers, listen, all of the power of Hell can't stop revival. "Greater is He that's in you than he that's in the world". First John 4:4. But, friend, all of the Ahabs of this world cannot hold back revival. "Are you he that troubleth Israel"? "It's not me," he said, "not I. You"!
Now listen to me very carefully. Don't expect to be loved by this world. Don't expect to be honored by this world. They told me, "Oh, Pastor, everybody loves you". I said, "Har-dee-deehar-har-har". I don't expect to be loved by everybody! Nor should you! And we ought to give those people insomnia. They cannot hold back revival. First of all, there're the compromisers, the Obadiahs. Then there are the corrupt, the Ahabs. And then there're the confused.
Look if you will in First Kings chapter 18 now, verses 19 through 21. Elijah said, "Now, therefore, send, and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal, four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves, four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table". That's 850. "And so Ahab went unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto the people and said, 'How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him,'" now listen to this next phase, "And the people answered him not a word". What was he saying? "Look. If God is God, serve Him. If Baal is god, serve him. But get off of the fence. Make up your mind".
We're living in a day of moral ambivalence, where people have some vague religiosity, but they're on the fence. They don't know what to do. You have to pity these people. They don't have enough courage to follow the devil; they don't have enough grace to serve God. And do you know, I believe the reason that there were the confused is this: They had not seen enough in God's people to make a difference. I'm telling you there are multitudes out there who don't know; they're confused. And they need to see in you a difference. Your children need to see in you a difference. They're confused. Your neighbors need to see a difference in you. They are confused.
What is there about you that is so different that it would bring conviction to these fence straddlers? On the Day of Pentecost, read about it in Acts chapter 2 verses 8 through 37, when the Holy Spirit fell, there was such a demonstration of the power of God that that great crowd there first asked this question: "What does this mean"? I mean, they couldn't explain it. What does this mean? And very soon they were asking a second question: "What must we do"?
Let me tell you what the problem in America today is, and in the church today. We want them to ask the second question, "What must we do"? before they ask the first question, "What does this mean"? What is there about you that would cause your neighbor to say, "What does this mean? How does he live that way? What is the secret of his home? What puts that smile on his face? What puts that concern in his heart? Where does she, where does he get that supernatural power"? And before long, they're going to be wanting it also. But we have these confused. I believe that there're multiplied thousands like this, listen to me, multiplied thousands who'll be swept into the kingdom of God if there's true revival in the church.
I believe, folks, that they will come by the hundreds of thousands to Jesus Christ in this day and in this age when they can see that God is God. There are the compromisers. There are the corrupt. There are the confused. And there's another category that's found here in these enemies of revival, and this is the competition, represented by the priests of Baal. Look in First King chapter 18 verse 22, "Then said Elijah unto the people, 'I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.'"
Now, I remind you that Baal was a false, filthy, pagan god. Here was Elijah. Here are four hundred and fifty of these. Now I want to tell you that we're outnumbered. We are definitely outnumbered. But so what? If a third of the angels fell, two-thirds didn't fall. We have two angels for every demon. No matter what the devil does, First Kings 4:4, "Greater is He that's in you than he that is in the world". But there are competing forces of humanism, atheism, pornography. All of these things are lined up against us. America abounds with false gods. But they are no competition for the Lord God Almighty. Don't you insult God by saying we cannot have revival in these days.
Now, these are the enemies of revival. I speak next about the elements of revival. What is revival? Well, first of all, there is the solidarity of God's people. Look if you will in First Kings 18 verses 30 and 31, "And Elijah said unto all the people, 'Come near unto me.' And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired," listen, "he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the Word of the Lord came, saying, 'Israel shall be thy name.'"
Now what had happened is this: the altar was scattered apart; there was no altar. And so what Elijah did was to get twelve stones, and out of those twelve stones to build one altar that represents the unity of the people of God. The unity of Israel had fallen apart. Listen, folks, the enemy divides us; the altar unites us. When we get back to praying together as a group, loving God as a group. Well, you say, "Pastor, there's some things in the church I don't like".
Well, there's some things in the church I don't like. But I'm telling you one thing, God wants His people to be together. And don't you look down your long nose at the Obadiahs and the Ahabs if there is a spirit of division in your heart. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity". Psalm 133 verse1. On the Day of Pentecost, they were all in one accord in one place. Do you love your church? Are you part of the unity of this church? God wants His people to come together for an altar fellowship. The first element of revival is the solidarity of God's people. Second element of revival is the separation of God's people from the world.
Look if you will now in First Kings chapter 18 verse 32, "And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed". So here's the altar made out of twelve stones. Then Elijah goes around the altar and he makes a trench. What was that trench? It was a line of separation. It was a line of demarcation. It was a line that said, "Here is the altar; here are the altar people, and outside are the others". That is, it's representing separation. There is a difference between the altar fellowship and the idol worshipers.
Now again, I want to ask you a question: Is there a difference in you? Is there a trench that divides you? Have you come out from among them and been separate? James 4:4 says that, "Friendship with this world is enmity with God". There are many of you in this church who from outward appearances are no different than the world. You watch the same things, you drink the same things, you smoke the same things, you go to the same places. Friendship with the world. God wants a separate people. God wants a holy people. When's the last time you've thought of personal holiness? Is there a separation in your life? We don't hear much today about separation, but the Bible has much to say about it. And one who fellowships with this world is guilty of high treason against God.
Now here's the third element of revival, and it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Look if you will in First Kings 18 verse 33, "And he put the wood in order," this is Elijah, "and cut the bullock," that is, the calf, "in pieces, and laid him upon the wood, and said, 'Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.'" Every sacrifice in the Old Testament was a prophecy and a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would die on the cross. When you see this sacrifice, don't think of the blood of a bull; think of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, for that is what it represents.
Brothers and sisters, there is power in Calvary. There is power in the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is the blood that is the basis of our warfare. Don't you sally forth against the enemy in your own strength and your own wisdom! There is a fountain. Oh, friend, there's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein. It's in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ that we conquer. Over in Revelation in chapter 12 and verse 11, the Bible speaks of the great dragon, and it says of God's people, "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb". You say, "How is that real"? Friend, turn your eyes upon Calvary. Look to Jesus. Understand that when Jesus Christ died upon that cross, In John 12:31 He said, "Now is the prince of this world cast out".
Satan's back was broken at Calvary. And when you have unity, when you have separation, when you have the blood of Jesus, then you're going to see the supernatural power of God. It's another element of revival. Look if you will in First Kings 18 verses 33 to 35, "And he put the wood in order," that is, Elijah did, "and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, 'Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.'"
Now listen, folks, the sacrifice had not yet been burned. Well, he calls it burnt because in his mind it was, "'and on the wood.' And he said, 'Do it the second time.'" Now that's eight barrels of water. "And they did it the second time. And he said, 'Do it the third time.' And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and filled the trench also with water". Now they're saying, "We're going to have a contest. The God who answers by fire is going to be the true God". And Elijah says, concerning the sacrifice, "Bring some water. Pour it on the sacrifice". Four barrels of water. He said, "Do it again". Eight barrels of water. "Do it again". Twelve barrels of water. What was he doing? He was saying, "Folks, this is not going to be spontaneous combustion. This is not going to be some happenstance. This is going to be a demonstration of the mighty power of Almighty God".
Do you know what many of us are thinking? That evil is so deeply entrenched, sin is so widespread, that we cannot have revival. Don't you insult God by saying we can't have revival. Listen, friend, a God who can't burn wet wood is no good, Amen? So the, the answer was a demonstration of the supernatural power of God. "Pour the water on. Pour the water on. Pour the water on". Water in the Bible is an emblem and a symbol of the Holy Spirit of God. God says in the Bible, In Isaiah 44 verse 3, "I will pour floods upon him that is thirsty". Do you want God to do that? "Oh, God, now, here's the sacrifice. Pour out, Lord, of Your Spirit".
And then the next element of revival is the strength of believing prayer. Look if you will in First Kings 18 verse 36 and 37, "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah, the prophet, came near, and said, 'Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I've done all these things at Thy Word. Hear me, O Lord.'" Now listen to this, "'Hear me, that the people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back.'" He said, "Oh, God, I want You to do something. Hear me, God".
Now notice his prayer. His prayer was not that there might be revival in Israel, not as such. His prayer was not that he might be recognized as a prophet. His prayer was not for the denomination's sake or for the church's sake or for America's sake. His prayer was for the glory of God, for the glory of God, prayer for the glory of God. That's the prayer of Jesus in John chapter 12 verse 28, "Father, glorify Thy name". Question: How much of your prayer life is consumed for the glory of God? Say, "Lord God, answer my prayer because of Your glory". Most of our prayers are "give me" prayers that have no concern whatsoever for the glory of God.
Now I must move quickly to the third point. I've talked to you about the enemies of revival. I've talked to you about the elements of revival. May I talk with you for just a few moments about the evidences of revival? "Pastor, how we will know when we see revival? What will it be like? Will it be a spasm of excitement? Will it be more church attendance? What will revival be like"? Well, look if you will in First Kings 18 verses 38 and 39, "Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, 'The Lord, He is the God.'" "'The Lord, He is the God.'"
Not Baal. Jehovah! Yahweh! "'He is the God.'" There was revival on the mountaintop. And what were the evidence of revival? Well, first of all, the fire fell. Remember, I'm telling you that the test is fire, Holy Ghost fire. We can have a lot of promotion in our church. One man wrote to another man about his church, and he said, "Pray for us here. The fire is out, but the furnace is still blowing".
What'd he mean by that? That's just superficial. We need Holy Ghost fire. And when the fire falls in your life, sir, you'll know it. When the fire falls in your family, you will know it. Here's what fire does. Are you ready? It's fire that consumes. Look if you will in First Kings 18 verse 38. This fire consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the water, the dust. It fell and it was consumed. Do you want to be consumed by Almighty God? Would you like for God to come down upon the sacrifice, which pictures the Lord Jesus Christ, and let that sacrifice be a sweet-smelling savor in His nostrils and in yours? It is fire that consumes.
Now I'm going to tell you something. If the fire had fallen that day and there had been no bloody sacrifice upon the altar, the fire would have consumed them. We'd better pray for the fires of revival, or we're going to know the fires of judgment, for the fire is going to fall. It is fire that consumes. Got it? Number two: It is fire that convicts. Remember, the people said, "We don't know who's God". Look if you will in First Kings chapter 18 verse 38 "Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench".
How could that be done? No way, apart from the supernatural. Again, when the fire falls, the lost are going to be convicted. Fire that consumes. Fire that convicts. And fire that converts. Look in First Kings 18 verse 39, "And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, 'The Lord, He is the God.'" "'The Lord, He is the God.'"
These who were the fence straddlers, these who were ambivalent, they fell on their faces to worship God. My heart yearns for that. My heart yearns to see in these days a mighty revival of God with people on their faces before Him and multitudes being swept into the kingdom. Wouldn't you like to see that? Wouldn't you like to see hundreds of thousands and billions come to Jesus Christ? Then pray.
And if we can't have revival in America, let's have revival in Tennessee. And if we can't have revival in Tennessee, let's have revival in Memphis. And if we can't have revival in Memphis, let's have revival in Bellevue. And if we can't have revival in Bellevue, let's have revival in your family. And we can't have revival in your family, let's have revival in you. "It's me; it's me, Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer". Oh God, Oh God, send fire from Heaven, a Heaven-sent, God-breathed, Holy Ghost revival that will get God's people off the fence and ready to serve Him. Oh God, let the fire fall.
Bow your heads in prayer. Would you pray, "Dear God, begin in my heart. Don't let me be an Obadiah, a compromiser. God, don't let me be like this world, where no one can see the difference. Oh my God, may Your mighty power be demonstrated in my life. Lord, I pray this for Your glory". Now while heads are still bowed, if you're not a Christian today, if you're not saved, or if you don't have the assurance that you're a Christian, if you're not quite sure, let's get it settled right now. Would you pray a prayer like this?
Oh God, I am a sinner, and I'm lost, and I need to be saved, and I want to be saved. Jesus, You died to save me. You paid my sin debt on that cross with Your shed blood. I believe You're the Son of God. I believe that God raised You from the dead. I believe You can save me. I believe You want to save me. I believe You will save me if I trust You. So right here, sitting where I am this moment with my head bowed, this moment I receive You, Jesus, as my Lord and Savior, and I give my life to You, to live for You, and to follow You as You will give me strength. Save me, Jesus. And give me the courage to make it public. In Your name I pray, Amen.