Elijah Was Just Like Us (Part 1)

1 Kings 17.1-9

Elijah is a biblical hero and was one of the two people who appeared at Jesus's transfiguration. What makes him so special? As we will see throughout this sermon series, Elijah was a man just like us (James 5.17). It was not he who was special, but it is that God did something special through him. As we will see in this sermon series, Elijah is another window that points us to Jesus Christ and his gospel.

In this passage, Elijah is introduced to us as someone who simply trusts and obeys God. Wee see this as he is living by God's Word. God's Word tells him to go to a brook so that he can be fed by ravens; and Elijah simply trusts and obeys. Next, we see God's Word telling him to go to the area known for Baal worship (Sidon) and to be fed by a widow(!); and Elijah simply trusts and obeys.

Here we see the simple principle from Deuteronomy 8.5 lived out: "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." For us, are we also living a life of trust and obedience? If so, then one indication is how much we are living by God's Word. This is why some of Uptown's most significant initiatives is the Bible reading plan and Life Groups, where we can be engaged in God's Word together as a community.