> [!NOTE] AI Summary > The following sermon was transcribed and summarized by Otter.ai Pastor Erwin Lutzer at the Iowa Prayer Breakfast expressed gratitude for the warm welcome in Des Moines and highlighted the governor's support for prayer. He shared personal anecdotes, including his 55-year marriage and recent exercise regimen. The speaker emphasized the importance of prayer, referencing the biblical story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal to illustrate the power of prayer and the importance of discerning true God. He discussed the crisis of truth in modern society, the ineffectiveness of false gods, and the need for Christians to demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel. The speaker concluded with a call to repentance and trust in God. ## Outline ### Governor's Support and Personal Anecdotes - Pastor Lutzer expresses gratitude for the warm welcome in Des Moines and thanks the committee for their efforts. - Highlights the governor's support for the ministry of prayer, noting that not all governors would be comfortable with such a gathering. - Pastor Lutzer humorously mentions his wife Rebecca, noting their 55-year marriage and the challenges of aging. - Shares a humorous anecdote about the benefits of exercise and introduces a website for free sermons and a tour to Reformation sites in Switzerland. ### Introduction to Billy Graham and National Challenges - Pastor Lutzer shares his background, being born on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, and his admiration for Billy Graham. - Mentions a book, "The Eclipse of God," and greets the audience. - Discusses the national challenges and confusion, quoting a leader who described the current time as the most confusing in history. - Emphasizes the importance of prayer and the impact of young people from the prayer breakfast on the world. ### The Story of Elijah and Baal (1 Kings 18) - Pastor Lutzer recounts the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, highlighting the time of desperation and decision. - Describes the time of demonstration, where Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a contest to prove whose god is real. - Details the time of intercession, where Elijah prays to God, and fire comes down from heaven, proving God's power. - Mentions the subsequent execution of the prophets of Baal and the importance of understanding the unity and unchangeability of God. ### Lessons from Elijah's Story - Pastor Lutzer outlines four lessons from Elijah's story: truth is not discovered by majority vote, false gods cannot keep their promises, the world has the right to ask why God and not another god, and the power of prayer. - Emphasizes the importance of objective truth and the crisis of truth in modern society. - Discusses the impact of the gospel on lives and the need to demonstrate the reality of the gospel. - Highlights the power of prayer and the need to rebuild the altar of the Lord in our lives and churches. ### The Power of Prayer and Personal Testimonies - Pastor Lutzer stresses the importance of prayer and the power of a righteous person's prayers. - Encourages the audience to rebuild the altar of the Lord in their lives and trust God for miracles. - Shares a personal story about a self-righteous woman and the importance of recognizing our unworthiness before God. - Concludes with a call to repentance and trust in Jesus Christ, using the analogy of Humpty Dumpty to illustrate the need for God's intervention. ### Call to Repentance and Silent Prayer - Pastor Lutzer urges the audience to repent of their sins and rebuild the altar of the Lord. - Encourages those who have never savingly believed in Jesus to trust in Him for salvation. - Leads the audience in a moment of silent prayer, asking for God's guidance and intervention in their lives. - Concludes the prayer with a reminder of the importance of trusting God and seeking His face. # Transcript ### **Opening Remarks and Humor** Well, after that introduction, I can scarcely wait to hear what I am going to say. I want to emphasize that we have been so warmly welcomed here in Des Moines. We’ve never been here before. I want to thank the committee for their generosity, for their welcome, for all the work that has gone into this prayer breakfast. I also want to say what a delight it is to have your governor sitting up here supporting this ministry. She and her husband, the First Gentleman, are supportive of this ministry of prayer. I think I’m safe in saying that not all the governors of the various states would be comfortable at a prayer time like this, but you should be very appreciative of the fact that the governor is here in full support of prayer. Let’s give her a… I also want to give a shout-out to my lovely wife, Rebecca. I know that we don’t look that old, but we have been married for 55 years. She told someone the other day that the first 50 were the most difficult—which means that if you’re having trouble, hang in, it will get better. Many people get married and have no clue what marriage really is. But marriage is two people solving problems together that they’d never have had—if only they’d stayed single. You may notice that I had a bit of difficulty getting up, coming here. I’m getting old. You know, the good thing about old age is—it doesn’t last very long. Somebody told me the other day, “You know, Pastor Lutzer, if you were to do exercises, you could add 15 years to your life.” I think they’re right. I’ve been doing exercises now for six weeks, and I feel 15 years older already. ### **Introduction to Resources and Background** Now I want to introduce you to a website—Moody Media. There are dozens of free sermons that you can listen to. Scroll down and, God willing, we’re leading a tour to the sites of the Reformation in Switzerland in September. We hope that some of you can come. Now, I think I have enough time to do something that will take about two minutes. I was born on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Many of you don’t know where that is, but it does exist. I became enamored with an evangelist by the name of Billy Graham. How many of you know Billy Graham? Have you heard of Billy Graham? I don’t know if he’s ever been here in Des Moines—possibly—but my generation of teenagers was into Elvis, and I was into Billy. And I have to say, I think I made the better choice. When Mark introduced me, he also mentioned this book, _The Eclipse of God_. Just want you to know that I have a copy. And then, without any further ado—even though Billy Graham is in heaven today, as you well know—we’ll bring you greetings from Billy Graham. > “The problems and the perplexities that we face as a nation seem to be almost overwhelming. Recently, one of our leaders, speaking to a group of students at Johns Hopkins University, said that we may well be living in the most confusing, bewildering, and perplexing hour of history.” > > All of our leaders agree that the world seems to be plunging headlong toward disaster. However, this morning it is our privilege to be here in Des Moines. As I have traveled around the world, I’ve met scores of young people from this prayer breakfast founded so many years ago.” > > I believe that in this day of intellectual, moral, and spiritual confusion, it can have an impact upon the thinking of the entire world. At a moment, I’m going to ask you to come. Hundreds of you, simply get up out of your seats—not much income. > > And for those of you who have joined us tonight by television, we’d like to send you some literature. We’d like to send you a book that has been a blessing to tens of thousands of people around the world, written by Pastor Lutzer. Just write to me—Billy Graham, Minneapolis, Minnesota. That’s all the address you need. > > Just: Billy Graham, Minneapolis, Minnesota. > > Now, until the same time next week—goodbye, and may the Lord bless you real good.” ### **The God of Our Culture vs. the God of the Bible** t’s a delight to be here, and I want to speak about **“Prayer That Wins Battles.”** Many Americans don’t mind saying that they believe in God, just as long as they get the opportunity to define God the way in which they want Him to be. Oftentimes, what they do is choose a very tolerant God—a non-judgmental God who has great inclusivity. In other words, they define God according to their desires. There’s a major denomination talking about changing the liturgy. Instead of God being a “He,” they want Him to be a “she,” “he,” and “she.” And I should pause: don’t you think we should honor God’s preferred pronouns? In the Bible, He is presented as “He.” Now, of course, God is androgynous—He’s neither male nor female—but He’s presented as “He,” as a Father who is in heaven. And I think we should honor that. Absolutely, here is the continuation of the reformatted sermon: ### **Mount Carmel: A Defining Moment** But that being said, the question always comes down to: **What God should we worship? What God should we serve?** That question was debated—and resolved—many centuries ago on **Mount Carmel**. You heard the passage of Scripture that was read with such clarity. There were 450 prophets of Baal who came up to Mount Carmel, and that’s where a conflict ensued. We already know how it turned out. Somewhere I came across an outline that describes this story in five phrases. If you’re taking notes, you don’t have to begin yet. I’ll tell you exactly when—when we get to the lessons. But first: ### **1. A Time of Desperation** Why did they meet there? The Bible says—the chapter opens (1 Kings 18)—that **“the famine was severe in the land.”** As long as everything is going well—plenty of money, good health—you can believe in any god you wish. But when your children are starving or when the doctor tells you that you have three months to live, **you’d better find out which God is real—the one you can trust.** Spiritually speaking, America is also in a time of desperation. Whether optimistic or pessimistic about the future, the fact is—we face **great cosmic forces**. As Christians, we must understand them, pray against them, and recognize: this is a time of desperation. ### **2. A Time of Decision** This is what Elijah said to the people—**“Why do you limp between two opinions?”** (v. 21) If the Lord is God, follow Him. If Baal is god, follow him. The confused were there. The compromisers were there. Probably a few crazies too. The Bible says that the Word makes **“wise the simple.”** That’s not about mental capacity—it’s about **discernment**. Elijah is saying: It’s time to decide. The famine is severe. You’d better know which God you trust. ### **3. A Time of Demonstration** You remember the story. Elijah offers a proposal: > “You set up an altar to Baal. I’ll set up an altar to the Lord. Whichever God answers by fire—He is the true God.” And the people said: **“You have well spoken.”** So the prophets of Baal prepared their altar. They cried out, “O Baal, send fire.” But Baal sent nothing. The text says they **cut themselves with swords and lances** until the blood gushed out. But no fire. Elijah mocks them: > “Maybe your god is amusing himself… or maybe he’s gone to the bathroom… or maybe he’s on a journey!” Then Elijah builds **the altar of the Lord** that had been **cast down.** He lays the sacrifice, then drenches it with **twelve jars of water**—to make sure no one can say it was spontaneous combustion. ### **4. A Time of Intercession** Elijah prays: > “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel… answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You are God.” And suddenly—**fire falls from heaven.** It consumes not just the sacrifice, but the stones, the wood, the water. Because **God can ignite wet wood.** ### **5. A Time of Indication** Everyone falls on their face and says: **“The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”** The next verse says they took the prophets of Baal and put them to death. Now, if you wonder why we don’t do that today—I humbly refer you to my book, _The Eclipse of God_, where I explain in one of the longest chapters: **Is God more tolerant than He used to be?** What I show is the **absolute unity** and **unchangeability** of God. ## **Four Lessons for Us Today** Now, if you’re taking notes, this is the moment to begin. Let me give you **four lessons** from this story that directly apply to us. ### **Lesson 1: Truth Is Not Discovered by Majority Vote** There were **450 prophets of Baal** and **one Elijah**. And yet one man with the truth is more powerful than all the others combined. We’re living in a day when **truth is in crisis**. Parents send their kids to college, and they come back thinking very differently. Why? Because we once believed truth was **objective**—something outside of us. Now, truth is defined by how we **feel**. Feelings have become facts. > “I feel this is true, therefore it is.” But **truth is not determined by how you feel.** Feelings are not facts. As Booker T. Washington said: > “A lie doesn’t become truth, evil doesn’t become good, just because the majority believe it.” When Jesus stood before Pilate, He said: > “For this cause I was born… to bear witness to the truth.” And Pilate said, “What is truth?” But truth was standing **right in front of him.** Pilate learned: **You can crucify a man, but you cannot crucify truth.** ### **Lesson 2: False Gods Cannot Keep Their Promises** Baal—ironically, the god of **rain**—couldn’t bring rain when they needed it. The prophets of Baal cried out, **cut themselves**, and let their blood flow. Why? They were trying to **make themselves worthy** to be heard. Today, we see many people—especially young people—cutting themselves. Why? Because they feel so unworthy, so broken. They try to **even the score** by suffering. But the gospel of Jesus Christ says: > **You don’t have to shed your blood for your sins—because Jesus already shed His blood for you.** Only **unworthy people** are accepted by God. If you feel unworthy, **you’re the right candidate** for grace. > “He died for the ungodly.” ### **Lesson 3: The World Has the Right to Ask, “Why Your God?”** That’s a fair question: **Why your God and not mine?** There are two answers: 1. **Informational** – That’s apologetics, the evidence for the Christian faith. And I support it—I used to teach it. 2. **Transformational** – The world needs to see the **impact of the gospel** on our lives. Does the gospel: - Reconcile couples? - Restore children to their parents? - Make dishonest people honest? If the gospel you believe **doesn’t change your life**, then you may not have believed the right gospel. > “If the gospel that you have received does not affect your behavior, you probably have not received the right gospel.” The world can **out-entertain** us, **out-finance** us—but let it never be said that they can **out-love** us. The love of God is **shed abroad in our hearts** by the Holy Spirit. We must show truth, **with love**, to the broken, the confused, the addicted, the hurting. There was a revival in Canada. People were on their knees repenting, families were being reconciled. Someone from the outside walked in and said: > “Why haven’t you people had a God like this around here before?” What we need is **visible transformation**—so that the world sees **our God is real**. ### **Lesson 4: The Power of Prayer** James says: > “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” (James 5:17) I love that. Because we tend to think biblical heroes were superhuman. But in the next chapter, Elijah is **running in fear from Jezebel**. He was scared. And who among us hasn’t been afraid? Yet Elijah **prayed**, and the rain **stopped**. Then he **prayed again**, and the rain **came**. > “The prayers of a righteous person avail much.” What we need today—what you and I must do—is **rebuild the altar of the Lord**. The altar had been **cast down**. Who cast it down? We don’t know. But many of the altars in our churches, our homes, and our personal lives are in ruins. We can’t bring down fire from heaven. You can’t **convert your wayward child**. You can’t create a revival. **Only God can bring the fire.** But what you **can** do is: > **Lay the kindling. Rebuild the altar. And trust God to send the fire.** ## **Closing Illustration: Built for the Storm** There may be some of you here today who have **never savingly believed on Jesus**. I urge you to do so. A friend of mine was once on a cruise. Over the intercom came this announcement: > “We’re headed into a storm. Buckle up.” His wife didn’t like that. She tried to call the captain. She said, “Why don’t we just put down anchor and stay here?” The assistant captain responded: > “Tell her two things. First—I’m in charge. Second—this ship was **built with this storm in mind**.” When you trust Jesus Christ—who died and rose again—you are trusting someone who died **with your storm in mind**. He can carry you **all the way to the shore**. ## **Final Poem: Humpty Dumpty and America** We don’t know what happened to Humpty Dumpty. All we know is he sat on a wall, had a great fall, and couldn’t be put back together again. But a friend of mine rewrote the poem: > Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, > Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. > All the king’s horses and all the king’s men > Could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. > Then something surprised all the king’s men— > God’s people bowed down to repent of their sin. > Strange as it sounds and a little bit odd, > A healing occurred explained only by God. > Back on the wall Humpty took his place, > But it could not have happened without seeking God’s face. > So for all God’s people, there’s a message to heed: > America is our Humpty—and to God we must plead. > Shattered, divided, and broken within— > God is waiting for us to repent of our sin. ## **A Call to Rebuild the Altar** **Rebuild the altar of the Lord.** Let’s take a moment of **silent prayer** before I turn it over to our brother Mark. > Let me ask you this: > **If God has talked to you, will you talk to Him?** > Whatever He has said to you—you respond. > I’ll give you a moment to do that. _[Pause]_ ## **Closing Prayer** Father, I ask that the Holy Spirit might show us our need to respond to You. Remind us: though we cannot bring the fire, we can **lay the wood on the altar** and trust You to do what we cannot. We face burdens we cannot bear, difficulties we cannot solve. We bring them to You—and we trust You. I pray that if there’s anyone here who has never savingly trusted Christ—open their hearts to the gospel. May they receive Your gift. Salvation is **not a reward**—it is a **gift** to those who humbly acknowledge that they need a Savior. Grant us that gift. And we love Him—**very, very much**. In Jesus’ name we thank You. Amen. Amen.