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

7/21/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: The Death of Ahab - 1 Kings 22

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7/21/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: 1 Kings 22
Title: The Death of Ahab
Worship Leader: TJ Waldy
Speaker: Steve Estes

Notes:

1. A meeting between Ahab and Jehoshaphat
A. The significance of Gilead
B. Ahab proposes to retake Ramoth Gilead
C. Jehoshaphat's request

2. Pressure on Micaiah
A. The pressure in general
B. One pressure in particular

3. Micaiah speaks the truth
A. Micaiah's sarcastic sycophantic answer
B. Micaiah's serious, truthful answer
C. Micaiah recounts his vision

4. Micaiah is punished for speaking the truth
A. Zedekiah slaps Micaiah
B. Ahab incarcerates Micaiah

5. Ahab dies in battle
A. The battle proper
B. God's sovereignty in the battle
C. Ahab's burial
D. A summary of Ahab's life

6. A final word

#ahab #jehoshaphat #micaiah #God

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

7/72024 Worship Service & Sermon: Ahab vs. Ben-Hadad - 1 Kings 20

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

Scripture: 1 Kings 20
Title: Ahab vs. Ben-Hadad
Worship Leader: Matt Lambert
Sermon: Pastor Steve Estes

Notes:

1. The thread
A. Ben Hadad's invasion
B. Israel's desperate condition
C. Ben Hadad's intimidating demands

2. The first battle
A. An unnamed prophet advises Ahab
B. An Israelite victory stuns Ben Hadad

3. The second battle
A. Both sides regroup
B. Arameans march to Aphek the following year
C. Why does Ahab pardon Ben Hadad?

4. A prophet condemns Ahab
A. The story
B. What was Ahab's sin?

5. Getting clear about God
A. Getting clear about God's grace
B. Getting clear about God's power
C. Getting clear about God's judgment

#ahab #benhadad #God

6/30/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: What God Promises to Those Who Repent - Joel 2:18-27

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6/30/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: Joel 2:18-27
Title: What God Promises to Those Who Repent
Worship Leader: Tyler Estes
Sermon: Clint Estes

Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. The LORD answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. “I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Notes:

1. What God will remove
A. Judgment
B. Shame
C. Application

2. What God will restore
A. Land
B. Prosperity for Judah
C. Application

3. What the result will be
A. Satisfaction
B. Certainty and experience of God never before had
C. Worship

#repentence #restoration #Joel

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

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

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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

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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`