Dropping into Despair
Rebuild, Renew and Restore • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsElijah had just come from one of the biggest victories in his life. God used him to demonstrate his power through his boldness. With that came persecution which lead him to depression. We look at the contributing factors to his saddened state and how God restored him from it through physical rest and provision.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
God has allowed me the blessing to be a part of the Lay Leadership in Ladore where an Officer (Lt. Col. Carol Voisey) shared deep insight on how we can and should regularly be still and rest in the Lord. Usually when we use the phrase “rest in the Lord” we can, as we often do with many other concepts, give it a spiritual meaning. Yes, we need to rest our souls, but today I want us to look at a story that illustrates the importance of resting both our bodies and souls before the Lord.
To understand this story in context let us watch a short video to see what had just transpired recently as part of Elijah’s story.
Cue video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rECi-czFtqU (Spanish - start from 2:44)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xiyljA9qz0 (English - start from 2:45)
So as we can see Elijah had recently enjoyed a glorious victory over the enemy as a prophet of God, but we will see how his fear, exhaustion and isolation drove him to despair.
Ask people to read the Scripture from: vv. 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7 and 8.
1 Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!”
3 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,
4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.”
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.”
6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Through the adversary (1 Ki 19:1-2)
Through the adversary (1 Ki 19:1-2)
1 Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!”
Jezebel - Daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon (1 Kgs 16:31). She became the wife of Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel; the marriage was probably a continuation of the friendly relations between Israel and Phoenicia begun by Omri and confirmed a political alliance between the two nations… So strong was her pagan influence that Scripture attributes the apostasy of Ahab directly to Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:30–34).
Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. “Jezebel.” Baker encyclopedia of the Bible 1988 : 1165. Print.
3 Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord
4 and took a hundred prophets and hid them, fifty men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets.
Jezebel had already killed prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4) so her threats carry more weight especially as wife of the king.
Through fear (1 Ki 19:3a)
Through fear (1 Ki 19:3a)
3 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,
Fight or flight insinct
Had no energy to fight at this point
Through isolation (1 Ki 19:3b-4a)
Through isolation (1 Ki 19:3b-4a)
3 Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,
4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.”
One of the worst things we can do when we are in need is to isolate ourselves. God created us to be in community.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
Through exhaustion (1 Ki 19:4b)
Through exhaustion (1 Ki 19:4b)
4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.”
How many of us work best when we are tired?
How many of us choose not to rest because we cannot afford to?
God, the Creator of Life, commands us to rest, therefore, it must be important for us.
God’s provisions (1 Ki 19:5-9)
God’s provisions (1 Ki 19:5-9)
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.”
6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
9 He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah’s body gave up and got the rest it needed
God provided him with food
God provided him with water
Physical well-being is important for us to fulfill our ministry.
We are not just spiritual beings being punished with a physical body.
God created man in his image and saw that it was “very good” (Gen 1:31)
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
Read Colossians 1:19
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
It pleased God to dwell in a physical body.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Summary
Summary
Elijah gave into fear of the adversary, isolation and exhaustion, but God provided through peace, community and rest.
Application
Application
JESUS
Are we giving into fear of the adversary? Are we believing his lies?
“Whenever you feel like you are drowning in life, do not fear for your lifeguard walks on water.” (sign at the entrance to chapel at lay leadership retreat where I met Lily)
Jesus gives us peace.
34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Are we isolating ourselves from the community God created to bless us with? The adversary will also try to convince us the community is detrimental, but we will eventually seek out to fill the void that not even God himself can fill because it is in the design with which he created us.
Through Jesus we have a community brought together by his blood and Holy Spirit.
God shows us the importance of community throughout Scripture
2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
(plug for Bible Study)
Finally, are we depriving ourselves of rest because we feel that everything will fall apart? God prevents the Earth from flying into the Sun and from our heart from stopping, I think we can afford to take a day off once a week. Trust he will provide. We cannot allow ourselves to become arrogant in thinking we are that important that things will fall apart if we go away for a day. That is precisely why God gives us rest.
Jesus has provided simple things like drinking water, exercise and sleep so we can rest our bodies in him as well.
TRUST the LORD!