Going back to God's call - 1 Kings 19:15-19

1 Kings 1:15-21

Have you ever felt down. You are working hard for God and it feels like we are alone. We love Jesus, but the passion has dwindled. We don’t love the church like we used to. We don’t want to read our Bible and pray. Serving is a schlep.

This is why this story helps us.

The life of Elijah is one that demonstrates what life could be like when we acknowledge our weakness and live in God’s strength. When we don’t go after popularity but God’s presence. When we’re obedient not obstinate; faithful not fear-filled; down but not abandoned; what life can be when we have a clear vision of a great big God.

Elijah is in his slump. But God wants him to realise that it’s not all about him. It’s a challenge to live larger than ourselves, to realise that God’s call is kingdom advancing even more than self-serving, and in thinking larger than ourselves, we find real joy!

Sometimes we have to fight for that.

1. God chooses weak people

We saw that at the beginning of this series.

1.1. That’s a point of identification for us

We can relate to Elijah because we can identify with his weakness. Jonah struggled in the same way. Peter was fearful. Think of the areas we struggle:

We doubt

We get tired

We get horribly self-centered

We may even question God’s love for us

But there’s a thing called spiritual depression. Depression is a common in our days and there can be many causes.

Physiological

Chemical imbalance

Spiritual - there’s actually a sense in which it’s always spiritual.

But spiritual depression is the fruit of when we take our eyes off the object of our joy and hope and peace and focus on self and circumstances. It can look very similar to our forms of depression but the cause is spiritual.

How do we deal with this spiritual depression.

1.1.1. Challenge the lies that we are believing.

1 Kings 19:14 CSB

14 “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”

There was so much positive but hge chooses to focus on the negative. And somethings aren’t altogether true.

I have been very zealous - true, until recently

The Israelites have rejected You - true, but not everyone

They killed your prophets - yes, but not all - Obadiah had told him this.

I am the only one left - false

Maybe you feeling similar. What are some of the things that you need to say to yourself? When you’re saying...

God has abandoned you?

God is not true?

He’s left me alone?

I feel shame because of my sin?

Struggling to forgive?

1.1.2. Chose to give thanks

1.1.3. Preach the truth to yourself

Romans 8:31–39 CSB

31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 42:5 CSB

5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

God has called us to take every thought captive to obey Christ 2 Cor 10:5.

1.1.4. Repent of your unbelief.

1 John 1:9 CSB

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1.2. Highlights God’s grace

God makes this all possible.

God deals gently with Elijah and us because wants us to rise above our weakness to follow Him and know His strength.

This will mean a Change in our focus i.e. taking our eyes off ourselves and putting them back on God.

God has grace with us even in our weakness.

2. God of second chances

God calls us back to our assignment. God has given him space to wallow, but that must end. God

2.1. God is pursuing Elijah

2.2. God calls Elijah - again

Sometimes this involves going back to where we left God.

Fightinging discouragement for long obedience in the same direction.

Seeing yourself as a missionary in a dark world

Seeing yourself as a minister and serving in a ministry with your gifts without accolades

Serving happily in obscurity

Seeing yourself as a husband and wife who have been called to follow Jesus together and lead your children well

Using the gifts God has given you

This could could be the antidote to your spiritual depression because it’s in the doing (obedience) that you encounter God in fresh ways.

2.2. God entrusts him with a new assignment

He was given 3 things to do...

i. Anoint Hazael as king over Aram

ii. Anoint Jehu as king over Israel

iii. Anoint Elisha as prophet in his place

God was saying that there is a future that is larger than you.

No evidence that Elijah did anything that God called him to do.

He never anointed Hazael

He never anointed Jehu

Elisha? Maybe, as we will see.

Reminding what we are meant to do requires faith and action. It’s a call to trust Him.