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

Join us for worship!

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

6/9/24 Worship Service & Sermon: Zion Secure - Psalm 48

Join us for worship!

6/9/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: Psalm 48
Title: Zion Secure
Worship Leader: Dave Dailey
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

Notes:

1. In the Bible, God actually praises Zion
A. What is meant by "Zion?"
B. Zion is praised for its beauty
C. Zion is is the "far north"

2. Zion is wonderfully protected by God

3. God's protection of Zion is meant to help its citizens experience Him for themselves
A. People need to go through hard times to experience God's help
B. God wants us to remember what He did
C. We're to rejoice in God's judgments

4. To aid our recall, God urges us to ponder the church we are in

5. He will guide us even to death

#Zion #hardtimes #psalms

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

Join us for worship!

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

Join us for worship!

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`

5/19/2024 Worship Service and Sermon: Jejovah vs. Baal on Mount Carmel - 1 Kings 18:1-40

Join us for worship!

5/19/2024 Worship Service and Sermon at Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:1-40
Title: Jehovah vs. Baal on Mount Carmel
Worship Leader: Tyler Estes
Sermon: Senior Pastor Steve Estes

Notes:

1. Elijah and Obediah
A. Severe famine
B. Obediah's fear and courage

2. Elijah and Ahab
A. Ahab blames Elijah
B. Elijah issues a challenge
C. Why does Ahab agree?

3. The setting and the stakes
A. The beautiful setting
B. The wavering people
C. Application

4. The prophets of Baal call on their god
A. Their first attempt
B. Their second attempt

5. Elijah calls on his God
A. He slowly rebuilds Jehovah's fallen altar
B. He prays to the real God
C. God answers with fire

6. Elijah slays the false prophets

#Jehovah #baal #mountcarmel

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

Join us for worship!

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

5/5/2024 Worship Service and Sermon: Where Are You Hiding? - Psalm 11

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

Sermon: Dr. Rick Horne
Worship Leader: Dave Stoltzfus
Scripture: Psalm 11
Title: Where Are You Hiding?

The LORD Is in His Holy Temple To the choirmaster. Of David.

In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven, his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Notes:

1. David wants to hide
A. Why so much attention to hiding?
B. David hides when there are threats...he was at war; so are you at war
C. Many descriptions of the Christian life have reference to spiritual warfare

2. David finds his safety "in the LORD"
A. YHWH--the Redeemer
B. Jesus identifies Himself as YHWH
C. "Refuge" is for those who are in Christ, not those who just know about him

3. David gets misleading advice
A. Their advice was sincere
B. Their advice was logical
C. Their advice was filled with urgency
D. Their advice was contrary to trust in God's promise
E. Who do you look to for your counsel for hiding?

4. David hides by faith--in the secure refuge of God's provision
A. YHWH is secure
B. YHWH has a plan and a timetable
C. YHWH treats His people with parental love
D. This leads to a sobering teaching

5. Conclusion

#hiding #David #refuge

4/28/24 Worship Service & Sermon: The Prophet, the Ravens and the Widow - 1 Kings 17

4/28/2024 Worship Service from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Sermon: Senior Pastor, Steve Estes
Worship Leader: Mike Culbert
Scripture: 1 Kings 17
Title: The Prophet, the Ravens, and the Widow

Notes:

1. Elijah at the Kerith Ravine
A. God tells Elijah to hide
B. Hide for Elijah's safety
C. Hide for discipline on King Ahab and Israel
D. God's provision for Elijah

2. Elijah at Zarephath
A. The place
B. The widow

3. Lessons
A. God has His own where we least expect them
B. God's promises can be trusted

#elijah #Zarephath

4/21/24 Worship Service & Sermon: The Rise of Ahab & Elijah - 1 Kings 16:29-17:1

4/21/2024 Worship Service from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Sermon: Senior Pastor, Steve Estes
Worship Leader: Luke Stoltzfus
Scripture: 1 Kings 16:29-17:1
Title: The Rise of Ahab & Elijah

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun. Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

Notes:

1. Ahab's day didn't seem evil

2. Alliance with Sidon
A. King Ethbaal
B. Princess Jezebel
C. Canaanite religion
D. Jezebel's unholy mission

3. Two brief episodes
A. The sons of Hiel at Jericho
B. The prophet Elijah at Samaria

4. Lessons
A. Sin usually presents itself as "no big deal"
B. Sin always progresses
C. God is always working even while evil rages

#1kings #Ahab #Elijah

4/14/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: A Story of Three Dynasties - 1 Kings 16:8-28

Join us for worship!

4/14/2024 Worship Service from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: 1 Kings 16:8-28
Title: A Story of Three Dynasties
Worship Leader: Randy Hepler
Speaker: Steve Estes

Notes:

1. Elah: The Carousing King
A. His degenerate reign
B. His sad end
C. A warning about the worship of pleasure
D. The double evil of pulling others into our own sins

2. Zimri: The Tough-Guy King
A .He ends Baasha's dynasty the same way it began
B. His dynasty ends in a blaze of defiance
C. The ultimate expression of self-determination

3. Four years of civil war

4. Omri: The Winner Who Was a Loser
A. Politically a winner
B. Spiritually a loser

#Elah #Zimri #Omri