Is your scepticism really your own, or did someone simply pass it on to you? This sermon takes us to Mount Carmel, where Elijah does not argue the Israelites into belief but proposes a test that is fair to both sides, then deliberately makes it harder for himself by drenching the altar during a drought (1 Kings 18). It turns out that truth is revealed not by argument but by testing, and truth, once recognised, begins to demand something of us, whatever the circumstances. Listen if you have the courage to examine not only other people’s convictions but your own.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Elijah asks the people on Carmel, "How long will you waver between two opinions?" and they say nothing. What does that silence reveal about Israel's spiritual condition in Ahab's day?
- Elijah lets the prophets of Baal choose their bull first, and he soaks his own altar with water twelve times. Why does he deliberately make the test harder for himself, and what does that teach about honestly seeking the truth?
- The preacher asks whether our skepticism is really our own or whether someone has simply "infected" us with it. In what areas might your doubts about God or faith be borrowed from others rather than tested?
- The sermon says you can win an argument and still be wrong, because it is testing, not arguing, that proves the truth. How do you react when someone challenges your faith: do you try to out-talk them or look for an honest answer?
- After the fire from heaven the drought continues, and Elijah keeps praying while his servant comes back seven times with nothing. What helps you trust God when circumstances do not change, even though you know what is true?
- The sermon ends with a call to live as if the truth about God still means something. What one concrete step of trust can you take this week, even if no "cloud" is visible yet?
