A life of worship: “no altar, no fire”

19/04/2026 - Matthew Destry

1 Kings 18:36–39 (ESV)

“At the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.’”

the wider narrative: a nation with a divided heart

two visions of worship: performance vs surrender – Now let’s lean into the contrast.

Baal worship: exhausting religion…

Elijah’s altar: quiet, costly, surrendered worship

a bigger story: what is actually happening here?

  1. the timing of the sacrifice
  2. the prayer itself: God-centred, not self-centred
  3. the water: removing all human explanation
  4. the fire: substitution, not spectacle

 some of us are still trying to control the outcome

Acts 2:1–4 (ESV)

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Romans 12:1–2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Worship is no longer a place you go or a thing you do. It’s a posture you carry.

practical landing: where does surrender actually happen?

  1. in my decisions – “have i invited God into this?”
  2. in my reactions – “what is this revealing in me?”
  3. in my joy – “have i turned this into worship?”
  4. in my relationships – “am i loving or just interacting?”
  5. in my habits – “what is forming me?”
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