Will You Say Anything? - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Will You Say Anything?
1 Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
Elijah asked a clear and direct question. The issue was simple—Who is God?
The responsibility was clear—Follow Him.
Yet the people said nothing. Their silence was not because they did not understand.
Their silence revealed the condition of their hearts.
They were…
I. Intimidated by the Crowd
1 Kings 18:19–20 “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.”
There were 850 false prophets standing together, supported by the king and sustained by Jezebel.
Elijah stood alone.
The people were surrounded by a system that promoted error and discouraged truth.
The crowd creates pressure.
It influences what people say and what they refuse to say.
When error is popular and truth is unpopular, many will choose silence over confrontation.
They concluded it was safer to say nothing.
Fear of rejection silences many. Fear of being labeled, criticized, or isolated causes people to hold their peace when they should speak.
The crowd does not have to be right—it only has to be loud.
When voices are raised against truth, those without courage will withdraw.
A person who is controlled by the crowd will never stand for God.
They will measure truth by acceptance rather than by Scripture.
They were…
II. Indecisive about the Compromise
1 Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him…”
The people were not openly rejecting God.
They were attempting to live with both God and Baal.
They had allowed compromise to settle into their lives.
To “halt” means to limp or waver. It describes instability.
They were not standing firmly in one direction.
They were shifting back and forth depending on circumstances.
A person who is undecided will not speak with authority.
Their uncertainty will show in their silence.
They knew enough about God to feel conviction, but they had allowed enough compromise to avoid commitment.
They were…
III. Insecure in their Conviction
1 Kings 18:21 “…if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
The issue was brought plainly before them, yet they would not respond.
This reveals a lack of settled conviction.
Conviction is more than knowledge.
It is truth that has been settled in the heart.
These people had information, but they lacked assurance.
Conclusion: What made the people finally speak?
1 Kings 18:39 “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”
The same people who were silent in verse 21 are speaking in verse 39.
Something changed.
What they would not say under pressure, they now declare with certainty.
A. The Ineffective Demands
Look at verses 26-29
The prophets of Baal spent hours calling, crying, and cutting themselves.
They displayed effort, emotion, and intensity.
They literally poured blood, sweat and tears into this endeavor.
B. The Intercessor’s Desire
1 Kings 18:36–37 “And 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.Hear 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.”
C. The Indisputable Display
1 Kings 18:38 “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”