A Still Small Voice

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes the dramatic events at Mount Horeb: the powerful wind, the shaking earthquake, and the consuming fire, noting that God's voice was not in these. He then…

Martin describes witnessing strong winds and the destructive path of tornadoes to help listeners grasp the immense power of the wind that 'rent the mountains' in Elijah's experience.

We don't know, but he's in a place of seclusion in the cave, and apparently as he starts out to move to the summit of the mount, this tremendous upheaval occurs, first of all, in this wind. Notice what it says about it. A great and strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the rocks. Now I've seen some strong winds.

17:40 - 18:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes the dramatic events at Mount Horeb: the powerful wind, the shaking earthquake, and the consuming fire, noting that God's voice was not in these. He then…

He uses the analogy of the solid rock of the Delaware Water Gap splitting under immense wind force to further illustrate the power Elijah witnessed, making it relatable to the audience.

Now here, here is a wind, the force of which, if passing through that rocky section up there at the Delaware Water Gap, most of us have seen. Suppose you're driving along there some night, going out towards Kansasca, or some day, and you sense the stirring of a tremendous wind, and you park your car, and you watch, and you see that solid rock side there, the gap beginning to split to pieces under the force of the wind. That's pretty potent stuff, isn't it? Can you imagine the sound that attended it?

18:42 - 19:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes the dramatic events at Mount Horeb: the powerful wind, the shaking earthquake, and the consuming fire, noting that God's voice was not in these. He then…

Martin recounts an experience at Banff National Park where two powerful rivers meet, causing boulders to vibrate, to convey the awe-inspiring, trembling sensation Elijah must have felt during the earthquake.

I mean, this is firm. This is going to stay. This is going to abide. And you can imagine what it's like to be in a solid rock mountain and feel that thing begin to shake and rumble.

20:46 - 20:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes the dramatic events at Mount Horeb: the powerful wind, the shaking earthquake, and the consuming fire, noting that God's voice was not in these. He then…

He quotes an author's suggestion that the 'still small voice' might have been like 'the fading, echoing tones of a muted lute' to help listeners imagine a sound that is discernible yet characterized by gentle stillness.

The marginal reading of the ASV is the voice of a gentle stillness. Now, that's a strange mixture of words, isn't it? If something is stillness, you don't hear it. But it's obvious this was something he heard, for it says, and when Elijah heard it,

23:30 - 23:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But I am not always to be found in these great visible movements. I love to work gently, softly, and unperceived. I have been working so, and I am working so still.

Martin quotes F.B. Meyer's commentary at length, which articulates the core message that God often works gently and unperceived, not always through dramatic signs, which is the central lesson for Elijah.

and I want to read now from his commentary on this particular section, just several verses, several paragraphs, I'm sorry. What was the meaning of all this? That's the question I've been asking myself for several weeks now. And he says, it is not difficult to understand.

27:08 - 27:27 Read in full sermon

Driving home: At this moment, the mightiest forces are in operation all around us, but there is nothing to betray their presence. Isn't that great?

Meyer's quote uses natural phenomena like the silent roll of planets, falling dew, and breaking daylight waves to illustrate how mighty forces operate silently, rebuking the human desire for only visible, loud manifestations of God's power.

But nature itself rebukes us. Who hears the role of the planets? Who can detect the falling of the dew? Whose eye has ever been injured by the breaking of the wavelets of daylight on the shores of our planet?

30:27 - 30:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: At this moment, the mightiest forces are in operation all around us, but there is nothing to betray their presence. Isn't that great?

Martin expands on Meyer's point by asking listeners to consider the invisible forces of gravity and biological processes (food turning into body parts) as examples of mighty, silent operations.

Right now, think of the forces in operation. Keep you sitting on that seat instead of floating off here, weightless. Think of the forces in operation that we can count on sunrise being precisely at six-something tomorrow morning and sunset at six-something else. Think of the mighty forces in operation that what you ate an hour and a half ago is going to turn into hair and skin and some of it into unwanted fat.

31:00 - 31:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Those praying for loved ones and relatives, take courage that God works by the voice of a gentle stillness, even when there seems to be no immediate effect from the Word.

A 'dear old saint's' analogy of a whale wounded by a harpoon, swimming the seas but carrying a 'mastering wound,' illustrates how God's Word, once it penetrates the mind and conscience, continues its work even when there's outward opposition.

God is working. And as a dear old saint who was instrumental in my early days as a Christian, by the way, went home to be with the Lord just recently, he used to say, a man in whom the word has done its initial work, it's gotten into the mind and conscience is like a whale that's been wounded in the harpoon that's stuck in its flesh. That whale can swim the seven seas, but he carries with him that festival of a mastering wound made by the harpoon. And parents, take courage tonight.

39:30 - 40:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses those in Christian ministry, contrasting the tangible results of secular work with the often unseen fruit of spiritual labor. He exhorts ministers to find…

Martin contrasts the tangible, measurable results of a machine operator or assembly line worker with the often unseen, immeasurable results of Christian ministry, highlighting the need for faith in God's quiet work.

You who are praying for loved ones and relatives and you've given them the word and there seems to be no effect, take courage tonight. The Lord works by the voice of a gentle stillness. As we think of extending the kingdom of Christ, here through our own assembly, there are times when the only thing or one of the few things that I know keeps me from a broom tree is this principle. You see, you men who work on a machine, you put in 40 hours, you expend labor on a given material, you see the finished product.

40:01 - 40:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses those in Christian ministry, contrasting the tangible results of secular work with the often unseen fruit of spiritual labor. He exhorts ministers to find…

He uses the mundane example of a wife doing dishes, seeing them wear out over time, to further illustrate the desire for visible evidence of accomplishment, which is often absent in ministry.

Even someone who sits there on an assembly line doing nothing but putting little insulating sleeves over a little electrical component, once in a while on his way to lunch can go by the final assembly line and see the finished product. He knows that he's not putting sleeves on in vain. He can measure in some way the output of his input. And even a wife with all the humdrum of the same old dirty dishes, at least you see them wearing out after a while so you know something's being accomplished.

40:43 - 41:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Servants of God, constantly pray to remember the lesson of God's quiet working, and walk by faith, not by sight, in ministry.

The conversion and spiritual growth of Carmen Chita Antonio, brought from halfway around the world, serves as a concrete example of the fruit of God's quiet, unseen work, confirming His faithfulness.

Unless your confidence is in the fact that God works by the voice of a gentle stillness. That His Word does not return unto Him void. That it's doing its work. Then once in a while you see the fruit of it. When you look

42:34 - 42:46 Read in full sermon