Choosing Between Kingdom and Empire: A Call to Surrender

The story of Elijah on Mount Carmel is a powerful invitation to clarity and conviction. In a world that constantly offers us the comfort of compromise, the narrative challenges us to confront the places in our lives where we are limping between two opinions—between the empire of self, comfort, and cultural approval, and the kingdom of God, which calls for surrender and wholehearted devotion. The showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is not just a dramatic spectacle; it is a mirror for our own divided hearts. The people of Israel, faced with a clear choice, remain silent—not because they don’t know the truth, but because choosing means everything must change.

Mount Carmel, whose name means “fruitful field,” should have been a place of abundance, but instead it becomes a place of division and drought because of Israel’s divided worship. The fire from heaven does not fall on performance, spectacle, or numbers, but on the altar that has been repaired and surrendered. Elijah’s act of rebuilding the altar with twelve stones is a call to restore what has been broken in our own lives—our integrity, our prayer, our compassion, our hunger for justice. God does not require perfection, but He will not pour out His presence on pretense or divided allegiance.

The empire—whether it is the pursuit of control, performance, approval, or comfort—exhausts us. It teaches us to carry burdens we were never meant to bear, to keep up appearances, and to avoid the discomfort of true surrender. The kingdom, by contrast, restores us, but only when we are willing to let go of the empire’s baggage. The invitation is not to try harder or to perform better, but to empty our hands, to make space for God to fill, and to allow the fire of His presence to consume what is false and refine what is real.

Ultimately, the choice is unavoidable. Sooner or later, every soul must choose a fire. The middle ground is a myth; divided worship leads only to spiritual drought. God’s call is not to shame us, but to wake us up—to invite us to rebuild the altar, to surrender, and to receive the life that only He can give. The question remains: What are you finally willing to let go of so you can receive what actually gives life?

Key Takeaways

• 1. Divided Worship Leads to Spiritual Drought When we try to keep one foot in the kingdom and one in the empire—seeking both God and the approval or comforts of the world—we end up spiritually paralyzed. The middle ground feels safe, but it is actually a place of fruitlessness and exhaustion. God calls us to clarity, not compromise, because divided worship always costs us more than we realize. [13:36]
• 2. Conviction Clears the Stage for God’s Power Elijah stood alone against the crowd, not with spectacle or performance, but with conviction and obedience. The fire of God did not fall because Elijah was impressive or perfect, but because he was surrendered. True spiritual power is found not in numbers or noise, but in the quiet courage to stand for the kingdom, even when it costs us comfort, reputation, or relationships. [20:27]
• 3. Restoration Begins with Rebuilding the Altar Before the fire could fall, Elijah repaired what was broken—the altar representing Israel’s covenant and worship. In our own lives, we must take inventory of what has fallen into disrepair: our integrity, our prayer life, our compassion, or our hunger for justice. God does not require us to be flawless, but He asks us to rebuild what empire has broken, so that His presence can dwell among us. [23:28]
• 4. Empire Exhausts, Kingdom Restores The burdens of control, performance, image, approval, and fear are heavy and unsustainable. Empire teaches us to carry these loads, but the kingdom calls us to let them go. The gospel is not an added weight, but a new way of living that requires empty hands and a vacant heart, ready to be filled by God alone. [32:41]
• 5. The Invitation is to Surrender, Not to Perform God is not looking for impressive displays or perfect people, but for surrendered hearts. The fire falls on the altar of surrender, not on the altar of pretense. The invitation is to let go of what we cling to—whether it is comfort, control, or compromise—and to make space for God to do what only He can do: bring life, clarity, and true freedom.
  
  ** [38:38]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:06] - The Showdown on Mount Carmel
• [04:16] - God Answers by Fire
• [05:24] - The Matrix and the Illusion of Choice
• [06:29] - The Red Pill: Kingdom or Empire
• [08:19] - The Smell Test: Sensing What’s Off
• [10:28] - The Truth of the Kingdom Sets Free
• [11:39] - Two Altars, One Fire
• [13:36] - The Paralysis of Divided Worship
• [17:52] - Empire’s Distraction vs. Kingdom’s Clarity
• [19:26] - Rebuilding the Altar
• [20:27] - Conviction Over Performance
• [22:16] - The Cost of Surrender
• [23:28] - What Needs Repairing?
• [24:27] - The Fire Consumes and Revives
• [25:17] - Illustration: The Burdens We Carry
• [27:43] - The Weight of Empire
• [30:37] - The Simplicity of Kingdom
• [32:41] - God Asks for Empty Hands
• [38:38] - Prayer: Dismantling the Empire
• [39:56] - Final Surrender and Blessing

Bible Reading

1 Kings 18:20-39 (NLT) —
> 20 So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.
> 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.
> 22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.
> 23 Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the Lord’s altar, but not set fire to it.
> 24 Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.
> ...
> 36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.
> 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
> 38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!
> 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Observation Questions

1. What question does Elijah ask the people of Israel at Mount Carmel, and how do they respond? ([13:36])
2. What actions does Elijah take before praying for fire from heaven? Why are these actions significant? ([19:26])
3. How do the prophets of Baal try to get their god to answer, and what is the result? ([02:06])
4. What happens when Elijah prays, and how do the people react? ([04:16])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think the people of Israel remain silent when Elijah asks them to choose between God and Baal? What does their silence reveal about their hearts or fears? ([13:36])
2. The sermon describes Mount Carmel as a place that should have been fruitful but was instead marked by division and drought. What does this say about the effects of divided worship in our lives? ([11:39])
3. Elijah repairs the altar with twelve stones before calling on God. What might these stones and the act of rebuilding the altar symbolize for us today? ([19:26])
4. The sermon contrasts the “empire” (control, performance, approval, comfort) with the “kingdom” (surrender, restoration). How does this contrast help us understand the burdens we carry and the freedom God offers? ([30:37])

Application Questions

1. Elijah’s question, “How long will you go limping between two opinions?” is a challenge to stop living in the middle. Where in your life do you feel tempted to “limp” between the comfort of the world and the call of God? ([13:36])
2. The sermon says that divided worship leads to spiritual drought. Can you identify an area in your life where divided loyalties have left you feeling spiritually dry or exhausted? What would it look like to move toward clarity and conviction in that area? ([11:39])
3. Before the fire fell, Elijah rebuilt the altar. Is there something in your life—integrity, prayer, compassion, hunger for justice—that needs to be “repaired” or restored? What is one step you could take this week to begin that process? ([23:28])
4. The “empire” teaches us to carry burdens like control, performance, and approval. Which of these burdens do you most relate to, and how does it affect your relationship with God and others? ([27:43])
5. The sermon says, “God is asking for empty hands.” What is one thing you are holding onto (comfort, control, reputation, etc.) that you sense God inviting you to let go of? What would it look like to surrender it? ([32:41])
6. The fire of God fell not on performance or numbers, but on surrender. Are there ways you have been trying to “perform” for God or others instead of simply surrendering? How can you shift from performance to surrender this week? ([20:27])
7. The invitation is not to try harder, but to make space for God to fill. What practical step can you take this week to “empty your hands” and make room for God’s presence and power in your life? ([32:41])