Text: 1 Kings 18:1819:13

Topic: When we're in the darkness, sometimes God speaks most clearly.

Introduction

• Elijah is running for his life because he'd done something wrong, but something right: proven Baal powerless and killed his 450 prophets.

Elijah makes his way to a cave and waits for the Lord to speak to him.

• Elijah thinks God will speak through a dramatic display, but nothing happens.
• God's voice rarely shows up where we expect it.

Illustration: As a boy, Lowry's older brother Ralph loved to turn out the lights and sneak around in the dark, scaring Eugene, who says, "I had a problem; I was out of control"—similar to Elijah in the cave.

Elijah was confronted not just with a problem, but also with a mystery.

• Similarly, pastors face a mystery early each week, wondering what to preach on Sunday.
• The real issue in preaching isn't learning how to talk, but how to listen.
• God may speak to people through seemingly unimportant parts of a sermon, not necessarily through the main points.

In the midst of the darkness of the cave, God finally whispered to Elijah.

• God said, "What are you doing here?", indicating that he was in the cave with Elijah.
• The promise is that God will be present with us always.

Conclusion

• At God's good pleasure, we will hear the voice in the dark.