After the Noise
Pastor Erickson preaches from 1 Kings 19, where Elijah hides in a cave after Mount Carmel and finds God not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire but in a still small voice, and from Jesus praying not my will but thine in Gethsemane. He calls people to stop surrendering to the noise of pride, criticism and despair, to come out of isolation, and to humbly surrender to the whisper of God.
The message in 6 points
Noise, then a deafening quiet
He describes the first atomic bomb test in the New Mexico desert, where a roar was followed by a profound silence. Life hits everyone with noise, good and bad, and Isaiah 26:3 promises peace when we surrender our minds to God. He asks what the loudest noise in each life is right now.
1:07:02High highs and low lows
He retells Mount Carmel, where Elijah stood against 450 prophets of Baal and God answered by fire. Days later Jezebel threatens him and he sits under a juniper tree wishing to die. If you live for compliments and likes, the criticism will crush you, because it is all noise.
1:13:28God was not in the noise
God sends wind, an earthquake and fire, but he is not in any of them. The still small voice comes after, drawing Elijah closer. The battle is in the mind, and the enemy uses pride in our highs and despair in our lows.
1:25:42Do not get by yourself in a cave
He warns young people not to drift away from the youth group into worldly friendships, and urges middle aged people not to sit alone in a dark room. Get involved and add value somewhere. You can choose to be a victim or a victor.
1:30:15His voice is bigger
He tells how he and his wife walked through a painful season of loss while still serving. During that time she wrote songs about God's voice being bigger than loneliness and about surrendering all, and he calls the church to lift their hands in surrender.
1:37:13Not my will but thine
Jesus felt real pain in Gethsemane yet surrendered to the will of the Father. God corrects Elijah, telling him seven thousand have not bowed to Baal. Humility means thinking of yourself less, and surrender sends us back out toward the need.
1:45:04
In his words
“But you got to be careful because when you begin to listen to the critic's words, the critic's words will begin to hit hard. If you live off of compliments, you'll die from the criticism.”
“You got to get to that place where you got to drown out every one of those voices. You got to drown out the noise. You got to drown out the discouragement.”
“Humility has got to kick in. It's not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking about yourself less.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Isaiah 26:3
3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
King James Version.
Luke 22:42
42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
King James Version.
1 Kings 19:11-13
11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
King James Version.
1 Kings 18:36-37
36And 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 have done all these things at thy word. 37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
King James Version.
1 Kings 19:2
2Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
King James Version.
1 Kings 19:18
18Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
King James Version.
James 4:10
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
King James Version.
He also points to
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