8/4/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Elijah, Elisha and Chariots of Fire - 2 Kings 2

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8/4/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Luke Stoltzfus
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 2
Title: Elijah, Elisha, and Chariots of Fire

Notes:

1. Vexation at Elijah's departure
A. Anxiety at coming change
B. The prophets go to Bethel
C. The prophets go to Jericho

2. The prophets go to the Jordan
A. Elijah's last miracle
B. Elijah asks his protege what he can do for him
C. God takes Elijah away in style
D. Elisha's reaction

3. God reveals Elijah's successor
A. Elisha mourns, then gets to work
B. Elisha is recognized as Elijah's successor

4. Three short episodes to start Elisha's ministry
A. Episode 1: Ordinary ministry with Jericho's prophets
B. Episode 2: Ministry of God's grace at Jericho
C. Episode 3: Ministry of God's judgment at Bethel

#elijah #elisha #chariotsoffire

7/28/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Ahaziah’s Death-Bed Unrepentance and God’s Stubborn Holiness - 1 Kings 22:51-53 and 2 Kings 1:18

7/28/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: 1 Kings 22:51-53 and 2 Kings 1:18
Title: Ahaziah's Death-Bed Unrepentance and God's Stubborn Holiness
Worship Leader: Dave Stoltzfus
Speaker: Steve Estes

Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.

Notes:

1. Ahaziah's disappointments
A. Disappointments over money
B. Disappointments over his country
C. Disappointments over physical trauma
D. Disappointments from a shortened life span

2. In his disappointments, Ahaziah sought relief in idols
A. The lord of the flies
B. The insanity of idolatry
C. How people "consult idols" today

3. God refused to tolerate Ahaziah's idols
A. Elijah intercepts, Ahaziah responds
B. The ethics of the fire from heaven
C. Ahaziah's final attempt to arrest Elijah

4. God gives grace to the humble
A. Humility grows from proper fear
B. The Lamb of God bore God's wrath for those who would believe

#ahaziah #Elijah

7/14/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Naboth’s Vineyard - 1 Kings 21:1-29

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7/14/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-29
Title: Naboth's Vineyard
Worship Leader: Matt Griffith
Pastor: Steve Estes

Notes:

1. The exchange between Ahab and Naboth
A. Ahab's offer
B. Naboth's refusal

2. Back at the palace
A. Ahab sulks in his room
B. Jezebel promises a solution

3. Jezebel's murderous scheme
A. The letters
B. Who was blasphemed: Jehovah or Baal?
C. The trial and the verdict
D. Ahab takes possession

4. The exchange between Elijah and Ahab
A. Elijah confronts Ahab in the vineyard
B. Jehovah's verdict on Ahab and Jezebel

5. God's amazing grace
A. Ahab's change

6. Lessons
A. Naboth is a picture of the lot of God's people
B. Such injustice is often inflicted by the government
C. God's servants must be prepared to pay a price for standing for justice
D. God will intervene to bring justice to His wronged people
E. God delights to exercise mercy while imposing His justice

#ahab #elijah #naboth

6/23/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Recruiting Elisha - 1 Kings 19:19-21

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6/23/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:19-21
Title: Recruiting Elisha
Worship Leader: Randy Hepler
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the mean and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

Notes:

1. Elijah goes to Abel Meholah
A. The journey
B. The destination
C. The family of farmers

2. Elijah recruits Elisha
A. A hard-working heir
B. A silent summons

3. Elisha's response
A. He chases after Elijah
B. He asks to kiss his parents goodbye
C. He breaks all ties with the past

4. What the day's events meant for the people affected
A. Elijah
B. Elisha's parents
C. Elisha himself

#Elijah #Elisha

6/16/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Elijah Restored on Mount Horab - 1 Kings 19:7-18

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6/16/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:7-18
Title: Elijah Restored on Mount Horeb
Worship Leader: Matt Carter
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

Notes:

1. The Story
A. The place
B. God and Elijah address one another
C. Three dramatic elements
D. The voice in a low whisper

2. God's twice-asked question
A. Some suggest God's question is a rebuke
B. A better suggestion is God's question is an invitation

3. The meaning of it all
A. The meaning of the earthquake, wind, fire, and low whisper
B. God encourages Elijah with a promise

#Elijah #Horeb

6/2/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Elijah, Depressed in the Desert - 1 Kings 19:1-9a

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6/2/2024 Worship Service and Sermon at Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-9a
Title: Elijah, Depressed in the Desert
Worship Leader: Steve Boyer
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 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." Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, 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." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said," Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 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. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

Notes:

1. Immediately after Carmel
A. What Ahab said
B. How Jezebel reacted
C. What Elijah did

2. Elijah's flight to the desert
A. Leaves servant in Beersheba
B. Weeps in a wadi
C. Sleeps in the shade

3. Commentators' criticism of Elijah's despondency

4. How we should see Elijah under the broom tree
A. What the text implies about Elijah's heart
B. What the text shows about God's heart

5. What should we make of all this?
A. God is tender toward discouraged servants
B. God's tenderness ultimately comes through Jesus

5/26/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Rain, Grace & Second Chances - 1 Kings 18:41-46

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5/26/2024 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:41-46
Title: Rain, Grace, & Second Chances
Worship Leader: John Sletta
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Notes:

1. Ahab and Elijah

2. The text's first great lessons come by watching Elijah pray
A. Prayer in public must be fueled by prayer in private
B. Prayer must follow (not just precede) our spiritual accomplishments
C. Prayer should major on God's agenda, not ours
D. Prayer should be in earnest

3. The text's final great lesson comes by watching Elijah run
A. Ahab's ill-desert
B. God's grace

#Ahab #Elijah #prayer #grace`

5/12/24: Ascension Sunday: Elijah Raises the Widow's Son - 1 Kings 17:17-24

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5/12/2024: Worship Service from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:17-24
Title: Elijah Raises the Widow's Son
Worship Leader: Matt Lambert
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

Notes:

One section at a time:

Part 1: The ways of God are mysterious "Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, 'What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?'"

A. Things got worse, not better, for the widow
B. Things got worse, not better, for Elijah
C. An infinite God can be baffling to finite creatures

Part 2: If God is going to use you, it will cost you "'Give me your son,' Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, 'O LORD my God, hove you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?' Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, 'O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!'"

A. Believers move toward others
B. Elijah got involved with his body
C. Elijah got involved with his prayers
D. Ministry to others is being a bridge between God and them

Part 3: The result "The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, 'Lood, your son is alive!' Then the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.'"

A. The God who gives life to the dead
B. We gain faith, and grasp truth, in stages
C. Does this mean we can expect healing?
D. Doubting Thomas

#Elijah #Zarephath #healing

03/12/2023 Worship Service & Sermon: Elijah Comes First - Matthew 17:9-13

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3/12/2023 Worship Livestream from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Steve Boyer
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Matthew 17:9-13
Title: Elijah Comes First

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Notes:

1. The hard thing Jesus commanded

2. The problems raised by His words (Malachi 4:5-6)
A. Malachi predicted: Elijah would precede the Messiah
B. Malachi predicted: Elijah would bring restoration to the world

3. How Jesus addresses these problems
A. Regarding Elijah coming before the Messiah
B. Regarding Elijah restoring all things
C. Regarding the disciples' view that Jesus' death was incompatible with Elijah coming
D. How this applies to Jesus as the Messiah

4. Lessons
A. The reliability of Scripture is not tied to our understanding it
B. Not all interpretation is literal
C. Jesus and His followers bring salvation through suffering

#Matthew #Elijah #Jesus