Sunday School Lesson August 15, 2021

Subject: Serve With Loyalty

The Point: God deserves our loyalty and sacrifice.

The Passages: 1 Kings 18:20-26,31-39

Study The Bible 1 Kings 18:20-21

1).  We shouldn’t waver in our loyalty to God.

20. So Ahab, summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel.
21. Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.

Lasting truths from: 1 Kings 18:20-21

* Wavering between God and culture only leads to confusion.

*  God expects His people to make a choice to stand for Him.

*.Those who place their confidence outside Jehovah are resting on false hope.

2). Other gods will always be proven to be false gods.

1 Kings 18:22-26

22. Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.
23. Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.
24. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers with fire, he is God.” All the people answered, “That fine.”
25. So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.

Lasting truth from: 1 Kings 18:22-26

*  Faith does not rely on passion or feelings, but on the existence of the one, true God.

*  Even when we feel outnumbered, God stands with us in our struggles.

*  When compared to God, the impotence of false deities become evident.

3). God proves He is the one true God.

1 Kings 18:31-39

31. Elijah took twelve stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”—
32. and he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.
33. Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.”
34. Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time.
35. So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.
36. At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things.
37. Answer me, Lord, Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord are God and that you have turned their hearts back.”
38. Then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”

Lasting truth from: 1 Kings 18:31-39

* God never shrinks back from the challenges of false gods.

*  One way to reconnect with God is to recall how He has worked in the past.

*. God is satisfied by consistent faithfulness, not necessarily emotional displays.

* Even when odds seem stacked against us, God responds with power and strength.

Live It Out

As you reflect on this lesson respond to the following questions:

1. In what ways do you waver in your loyalty to God? What steps can you take to put yourself back on solid footing?
2. When have you felt outnumbered by spiritual opposition? How did you lean into God’s power in that situation?
3. How does our culture challenge God? How do you see God at work in the middle of those challenges?
4. Where do you need God to work in your life right now? How does this passage encourage you to trust Him more?

Closing Prayer:

“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins and rose from the dead to give me new life. I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done and ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward, I choose to follow You. In Jesus’ name Amen.”