Preparing for the Lord's Day
Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to transform an imposter into an almost undetectable duplicate of another person. Earlier this year footage was released of a deepfake of the Queen of England delivering a Christmas message. Those who did not know better would have been deceived by the digital rendering of the Queen. Other deepfakes have included fakes of actor Tom Cruise and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. There is even a deepfake of former President Obama warning the audience of deepfakes. We live in a world in which it is difficult to distinguish between what is authentic and what is fake.
In our passage for this Sunday, there is a battle between whose god is the one true God. On one side there is Baal, the Canaanite god of rain. On the other is the Lord, the God of Israel. On the peak of Mount Carmel, the prophets of Baal meet Elijah, the prophet of the Lord. And in an epic battle, they show forth who is the one true God. And what we will see is that despite all the fake and false gods in the world, the one true God is a God who saves his people. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1 Kings 18:1-40, Leviticus 9:24, Deuteronomy 32:39, Psalm 30:5, Matthew 6:7-8, Ephesians 2:8-9, and WCF 2.2.
This week we will celebrate that sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during our worship service. As we receive the elements of bread and wine look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. For as we physically receive the signs of the Lord’s body and blood, spiritually we feed upon him and all his benefits. Our hymns for this week include “My Hope Is in the Lord,” “There Is a Redeemer,” and “The Communion Hymn.”
Text: 1 Kings 18:1-40
Title: The One True God
Outline:
- The One True God Saves Through Merciful Relief (v. 1)
- The One True God Saves Through Faithful Servants (vv. 2-19)
- The One True God Saves Through Humble Means (vv. 20-37)
- The One True God Saves Through Atoning Sacrifice (vv. 38-40)