Richvale Community Church
Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Good morning!We are in our series, Hearing God’s Voice Through the Noise.Over the past several weeks, we’ve been walking through the life of Elijah.And there has been a lot of noise in his life.There has been opposition.Fear.Pressure.Disappointment.And Exhaustion.But through all of it, God has been teaching Elijah how to be still, how to listen, and how to trust Him when life gets noisy.And today, I want to talk about something we all experience.Turbulence.How so we deal with turbulence?They say one of the greatest fears passengers have when flying is turbulence.Years ago I flew on a missions trip to india... It was a long hall flight, and at one point we were flying over the Himalayans and we hit turbulence —And the plane bounced all over the place… like a yo-yo..all over the place..Turbulence is uncomfortablebut..of you know..that..passengers and pilots experience turbulence very differently.We might imagine the pilots up front, gripping the controls with white knuckles, yelling, “Hold on!”But that’s not what is happening.In reality .. most of the time…The Pilots are talking to each other..catching up on a news ..telling a joke, or taking a sip of coffee.Why?They know that their planes are designed to handle turbulence.There is a lesson here..Because when life gets turbulent, the question isn't simply,“How bad is it…the turbulence?”The deeper question isWhere is our confidence?What are we trusting in when things don't go the way I expected?The Bible says we are put our trust in the Lord..Proverbs 3:5–6:
Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.in other words....trust declares who our Confidence is in… God you are in control…The theologian Donald Barn-house..Says.l confidence comes from the Sovereignty of God..he says..that..Nothing can touch me unless it passes through the will of God. God has a plan for my life. God is working according to a fixed, eternal purpose.Donald Grey Barnhouse (American Minister)There is some relief …in saying God you have got this!Over past several weeks we have seen..that..Elijah experienced some incredible moments.He was a mighty prophet of God.He stood on Mount Carmel and watched God answer with fire.But toward the end of Elijah’s ministry, circumstances are relatively the same..Ahab was still being Ahab .Jezebel was still Jezebel.Israel was still Israel.And Ahab was still resisting God.We see that to the very end of his life!When..Israel goes to war against Syria.Ahab forms an alliance with King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and they seek the counsel of 400 prophets.And these prophets tell them exactly what they want to hear.But Jehoshaphat asks, “Is there not here another prophet of the LORD?”There was one.His name was Micaiah.But..king Ahab didn't like him because told him the truth.In fact…Micah warned Ahab that he would die in battle.So Ahab tried to control the situation again .He went into battle in disguise as a soldier , thinking he could avoid what God had said.ButA random arrow came found him, and Ahab died.Here is the issue..Ahab throughout is life Thought he was an the controls..But God was…Why because God is sovereign….And now, in the very next chapter, his son Ahaziah … struggles with the same issue..And from his like We learnT/s How go handle turbulence? -1. Where We Turn in Crisis MattersWe all have to fill out those forms that ask for an emergency contact.You know the question:“Who should we call if something happens?”There is usually that person whose name is already in your phone.Normally it’s your spouse.Maybe your parents.Maybe a close friend.The people we call first.And I think that's significant.Because who we turn to in a crisis matters.And that's what we see in our text.It's a different time.It's a new generationThere's a new king.But there are still the same problems.Ahab has died.Ahaziah is now king.But Israel is once again facing turbulent times.The new king is still avoiding Gods word!Let’s read our text..2 Kings 1:1–2 ESV 1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.”Soon after king Ahab dies.. things go wrong..Moab rebels—Moab had been under Israel’s control since the time of David,Moab was a-big part of the economy — providing 100 000 rams and the wool of hundred sheep per annum..and now they saw an opportunity to break free…It’s a crisis that is going to impact..what tells us is..Things are unraveling politically.And then it gets personalAhaziah has an unexpected accident.He is on the second floor of the palace when he falls through the lattice of his upper chamber. —The Jewish Historian.. Josephus says that the King fell down some steps and then out of his windowWhat a freak accident!!!The king falls two stories down and is badly injured.he lying in his bed.And doesn't know what is going to happen next...He finds himself in Crisis!!In this time of Crisis he has a choice…He has a contact list…He could turned to - Yahweh the God of Israel…He could have prayed to the Lord…He could have sought God's direction. ( who brought rain upon the land)But instead, he looks somewhere else for answers.He sends his men to Ekron - Philistine territory… to the very center of Baal worship….to get answers..— Crisis has a way of revealing our hearts..—- Warren wiersbe says that..A crisis isn’t what makes a person; a crisis shows what a person’s made of.”Warren W. WiersbeTrue I’m this case..When life is going well, it's easy to say, “I trust God.”But when the turbulence hits...When your plans fall apart...When marriages struggleWhen finaces are tightwhen the future looks uncertain..Who do we trust?This is a question that the prophet Elijah is going to press on..lets read..2 Kings 1:3 ESV 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?The angel tells Elijah, “Arise... and go.”It’s interesting that this word “arise” comes up repeatedly in Elijah’s story…6 times..Four times it is connected with God’s direction for Elijah—God leading him and providing for his mission.The other two times it’s connected with Jezebel and her scheming against Naboth, motivating Ahab to arise take possession of his vineyard.There are two competing voices..thats we all face..There are two directions …My way and God’s way..Elijah is being led by the Lord.,…andElijah’s message is simple.It’s a question:“Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal -zebub?”God isn’t simply asking the messengers ,“Where are you going?”He’s asking, “Why are you going there?”Why would you go to Baal-zebub?Is there no God in Israel?Is Yahweh not God?Is He unable to help?And that’s really the issue.The problem isn’t simply that Ahaziah’s consulted the wrong source.His problem is his Theology…What did believed about God.You’re see.. the name Baal-zebul means something like “lord of the lofty abode.”But Israel’s prophets and people refered to Baal ..Zebul …asBaal-zebub, “lord of flies,”It was their way of mocking this false god.And there’s an irony here.Because..Ahaziah is willing to send messengers forty miles to a powerless god— the Lord of the flies..While , the God who is alive …who-actually rules heaven and earth is standing ready to speak.…There is no comparison..And yet, how often do we do something similar?Maybe we don’t go to Baal-zebub.But what do we do when we hit turbulence..Do we pray?Or do we panic?Do we open God’s Word?Or do we immediately start calling everybody else?Do we trust God?And here’s something else I don’t want us to miss.God could have simply allowed those messengers to continue to Ekron.But He intervenes.He sends Elijah to meet them.Think about the patience of God.Ahaziah is rebelling against God.He’s seeking another god.He’s walking away from the Lord.And God still sends His Word.God could have said, “You’ve made your choice. You’re on your own.”But He doesn’t.God speaks.He sends Elijah with a word…giving them an opportunity for Repentance..That’s the patience of God.One of God’s amazing attributes is his patience..Peter tells us why..2 Peter 3:9 ESV 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.God’s patience is not permission slip to keep running from Him.It’s an invitation to turn around… He is giving a second chance to respond..I love what Paul David Tripp says..“I have often thought that if I were on the joystick, given the degree of my impatience. Adam and Eve would’ve fallen in the morning, and jesus would’ve come in the afternoon and then died and risen again that Evening…But listen—God’s ways are not like us…year after year, decade after decade 1000’s of years pass ..before Jesus arrives to deal with the disaster of the fall..T/s How do we handle turbulence? -We learn from the ministry of Elijah.1. Where We Turn in Crisis Matters2. Who has the final Word?Frank reminded us at our men’s group the other morning of a quote from the first spider man movie —It is the line.“With great power comes great responsibility”Authority is an interesting word.Authority speaks of the right or power to act.We see authority connected to a position or an office.A police officer has authority.A judgeA parentA king has authority.And that's exactly what we see in our story.Ahaziah is the king.He has position. He has power.But there is something Ahaziah has forgotten:His authority is not ultimate.There are two kinds of power.. ..Derived authorityAnd Divine authorityderived authority … means it is given … It came from somewhere else.Divine authority means it belongs to God alone… ultimate authority..Why because God is the creator and sustainer or all things…And that distinction becomes really important in this story.Let’s read whenThe messengers return…2 Kings 1:5–8 ESV 5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”As you read this your realize that isn't just a story about a king who had an accident.It's a story about authority.Who has the final word?Ahaziah is the king.He's used to giving orders.People listen when the king speaks.But now God has spoken…In spite of his wishes..And God's message doesn't come with a suggestion.It comes with authority:“Thus says the LORD.”And that's the tension.Becausewhen God speaks, the king has to decide what he will do with the word of God.When The messengers return, and Ahaziah asks“Why have you come back?”They tell him about the man they met.And when they describe him,And Ahaziah immediately knows who it is.“It is Elijah the Tishbite.”Ahaziah knows Elijah.He knows Elijah speaks for God.So now this isn't a question of whether God has spoken.Ahaziah knows God has spoken.The question is:Will he submit to what God has said?And look at what he does.2 Kings 1:9–12 ESV 9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.This happens 3 times ..where king sent soldiers to capture Elijah..What is happening is there a battle for power… who is in control!The king is trying to exercise his authority over Elijah.But Elijah knows something Ahaziah has forgotten:That there is one King over all.HE KING OF KINGSLord of lords.And that's the problem we see throughout this story…The authority of Gods word..Ahaziah doesn't like God's word, so he tries to control the messenger.But you can't control God's WordYou can threaten the prophet.You can send soldiers.You can reject the message.But none of that changes what God has said.And that's where this text gets uncomfortably close to home.Because how many times …when we hear God's Word we try to negotiate with it.We say,“Surely God doesn't mean that.”“I know what the Bible says, but…”“I understand that's what God says, but my situation is different.”We don't necessarily reject God outright.We negotiate.Why.llSometimes we simply want to remain in charge.We want God to speak—as long as He says what we want to hear.We want His guidance—as long as it agrees with our plans.We want His blessing—but we don't always want His authority.But Scripture doesn't give us that option.God doesn't simply want to be consulted. He wants our allegiance.Because He isn't one voice among many.He is God.And when God speaks, He has the final word.And perhaps that's one of the most important questions we can ask when life gets turbulent:Who has the final word in my life?Is it my feelings?My fears?My circumstances?My plans?The culture around me?Or is it God?Because turbulence has a way of revealingwho we really trust.ultimately, God's authority is not meant to crush us.The God who speaks is the God who loves us.He isn't simply trying to control our lives.He is calling us to trust Him.Know His heart.Trust His Word.Follow His way.T/s How do we handle turbulence? -1. Where We Turn in Crisis Matters2. Who has the final Word?3.What is my Posture towards God.?There’s an old story about a little boy sitting in church who kept standing up on the pew. His mother told him several times, “Sit down.” Finally, she made him sit.The little boy sat there for a moment, then whispered, “Mom, I’m sitting down on the outside—but I’m standing up on the inside.”“You can change someone’s position ..…without changing their posture.”Posture is personal it’s our approach to God..We are talking our hearts..Wiersbe says theThe important thing is the posture of the heart. It is much easier to bow the knees than to bow the heart in submission to God.Warren W. WiersbeYou think after the second time the king ..sent men to get Elijah…that hewould have learned that Elijah and God was not going to be manipulated…But he does it again..… but this time the Captain responds differently..2 Kings 1:13–15 ESV 13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the kingThe third captain falls on his knees…He recognizes that he is not in control…He asks for mercy…That’s what I love about the third captain.He doesn’t demand mercy.He pleads for mercy.And God gives it.you have king and captain with two different responses..SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS?most of us probably aren’t going to fall through a window tomorrow…Or face fire falling from heaven..But we are going to have moments when life goes wrong.And when those moments come, the question is going to be:Where do I turn?Ahaziah turned away from God—We do the opposite…Scripture invites us to approach God’s throne with confidence, assured that we’ll receive mercy and grace precisely when we need it most.In our time of need we turn to himHebrews 4:16 ESV Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.When we turn God …he meets…with Grace..2. Allow Gods word to meet me personally…Am i willing for God to confront my world?..My feelings?My fears?My desires?My past?Because when God’s Word contradicts what I want, that’s when I discover whether He’s really Lord.It’s easy to say, “God is Lord,” when God is telling me something I already want to hear.The test comes when God’s Word tells me something I don’t want to hearThat’s when submission becomes real.3. What is my posture toward God?The first two captains stood.The third captain knelt.And sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is simply get on your knees and say:“God, You are God, and I am not.”That’s not weakness.That’s faith.That’s humility.That’s surrender.ConclusionWe live in a turbulent world—- we have noise both external and internal —Crisis always brings us to a crossroads—To the place of Decision—Jesus mission in the Gospel — was to bring us to a decisionThe gospel calls us to follow Jesus , to trust Him, to surrender our lives to Him.When King Ahaziah is confronted with the word of God, and he has a choice.Will he submit, or will he try to remain in controlAnd Jesus confronts us with that same decision. He calls us to surrender our lives to Him.But here is the amazing thing about Jesus.The One who confronts us is also the One who came for us.We rebelled against God, but Jesus willingly submitted Himself to the Father.We deserved judgment, but Jesus took our judgment.He went to the cross.He died in our place.He rose again.So when you don't understand what God is doing, look at what Christ has already done.The cross tells us that we are loved.And the presence of Jesus tells us that we never walk through the turbulence alone.Pam’s sister is travelling on a boat around Greece..sent them a tornado that was near them yesterday……..thats pretty close..Both planes and boats are built with stabilizesThose stabilizers don't make the turbulence disappear.They give stability while it moves through the turbulence.And that is what Christ does for us.Jesus doesn't promise a life without turbulence. He promises Himself.When the circumstances around you are shaking, Christ is steady.When you don't know what tomorrow holds, Christ is faithful.When your plans fall apart, Christ remains.When you don't know what to do, Christ is still Lord.The Christian life isn't the absence of turbulence.It's learning to trust Christ in the middle of it.So when life gets turbulent, don't run from Christ.Run to Christ.Christ is our stability.And He will carry us through. Proverbs 3:5–6ESV
2 Kings 1:1–2ESV
2 Kings 1:3ESV
2 Peter 3:9ESV
2 Kings 1:5–8ESV
2 Kings 1:9–12ESV
2 Kings 1:13–15ESV
Richvale Community Church
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