Restored to Useful Service

1st way God restores a fallen believer to useful service is to bring him back into His presence (1 Kings 19:9)

Explanation: Elijah the prophet had been used of God in tremendous ways. He was secure in his identity as a servant of Yahweh and was useful. He knew his position was lined up with a Holy God (1 Kings 17:1, 18:15) “before whom I stand.”

God has just used Elijah to bring judgment on the false prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. The people were back on God’s side and it was a great victory. But then, somehow this valiant warrior of Yahweh fears before the wrath of Jezebel and flees for his life

Illustration: Old man and his wife out for a drive. She is complaining of the distance between them. He asks, “who moved?”

Argument: God’s power did not fail Elijah. Had Elijah continued to trust the LORD, He would have taken care of Jezebel. Instead, Elijah ran. Now he was dealing with failure and thinking his usefulness was over and that God would be through with him.

God, however, is gracious with His children. He knows our frame (Ps. 103:13-14) When we disappoint him through failure He does not kick us to the curb. Instead, like the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal, He stands waiting and watching for our return. Elijah experienced God’s grace when “the Word of the LORD came to him” again. (v. 9)

The 2nd Way God restores a fallen believers to useful service is to reveal more of Himself (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Explanation: Elijah has forgotten who God is. He has shifted the focus to himself. Twice, Elijah plays the victim card with God (vv. 10 & 14) Elijah looks at the circumstances instead of Yahweh. He saw himself as the last, great hope for Israel. And now that he has failed to change the regime or the people, he considers that it would be better of if he were dead (1 Kings 19:4)

Illustrate: logo of the riggers in the shipyard - man with a submarine on his back: “Carrying the Load”

Argument: it is never about us. It is always about God. When we mess up this perspective we will face trouble and distress. God is the Master, we are the servants. God is the Potter, we are the clay (Jeremiah 18:5-6)

God shows Elijah that Kingdom Service is not about the flash and the bang. God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. Instead, God is the still small voice that knows us better than we know ourselves.

Application: You will never rise from your failure as long as you keep the focus on yourself and your circumstances. Victory is achieved when you recognize the God of your circumstances. He is the One who has the power and authority over what is taking place in your life.

The 3rd Way God restores a Fallen Believer to useful service is to put him back on mission. (1 Kings 19:15-17)

Explanation: Elijah was discouraged and depressed. In his failure he was at the point of giving up and despaired even of his life. God revealed Himself to the weary prophet and then gave him a mission. God told Elijah to return and then gave him some specific actions to handle while he was on his way back.

Argument: When we are depressed it is easy to fall into the trap of doing nothing. We lose energy and enthusiasm for even the simple tasks. Self -talk is not going to change the mindset. Being engaged in activity will assist in our mental outlook.

God is not about assigning busy work just so the prophet will have something to do. God provides Elijah with real assignments that have purpose and will be used to accomplish God’s plan. Notice, however, that God does not task Elijah with the goal of changing Israel’s outlook on serving God. Instead, the LORD gives Elijah some discrete, quantifiable goals that the prophet would be able to accomplish as he trusted in God’s provision.

Application: We CAN be engaged in Kingdom service! If we are IN Christ and we are still here, there is work for us to do in the Name of Jesus.

The Fourth way God restores a Fallen Believer to useful service is to encourage him with the community of faith (1 Kings 19:18)

Explanation: One reason Elijah was distressed and worn out was that he was operating under the mistaken idea that he was the last faithful follower of Yahweh. In verses 10 & 14 the prophet states, “and I, even I only, am left.” In his supposed isolation, the prophet was more susceptible to giving in to despair. God reveals to Elijah that he was never as alone as he thought. God told him that He had reserved 7,000 fellow believers!

Illustrate: Being alone is often a time of weakness. We can very easily give in to the sense of helplessness and hopelessness. We can think, “what’s the point? What can one person do when faced with _____ (fill in the blank)

Argument: God never designed His people to be Lone Rangers. We are created in community and we can be encouraged by the presence of other believers. God can and does use individuals for His plans and purposes (Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David just to name a few from the OT. There are many other examples in the NT and throughout Church History. None of these men were completely isolated from the faith community, and all received encouragement from others.