The Quietness of God - Encouraging Elijah
Elijah • Sermon • Submitted
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· 209 viewsElijah was burned out. He had served God, even through hard times, but they just got harder and it took its toll on him. So the Lord directs him to a place and time when he can hear from God and move forward. God revealed His supernatural power of this world to Elijah, but also revealed that He is gentle and does care about us individually. Without a sharp rebuking, the Lord simply gives Elijah another job and some encouragement that he is not alone. We can feel alone and against the world many times when trying to serve the Lord. Hardships and trials can lead to isolation and self centeredness, which puts us on the sidelines. In these times, it is good to hear from God’s word for encouragement and direction.
Notes
Transcript
Good morning. We are going to take a short break from the book of Hebrews and head to the Old Testament mostly for today’s message. We are going look at an example of BURNOUT.
Burnout: Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. - Helpguide.com
Burnout at:
Work - can lead to quitting, maybe even getting fired, or worse - staying and going deeper towards or into depression
Home/family - parenting - can lead to divorce
My dad left because he was done with the inconvenient lifestyle of raising children.
Church - can lead to apathy
Life
I believe this is something WE CAN ALL experience.
Let’s look at a Biblical example of a hero of our faith and a time he was experiencing burnout - we’ll look at how he got into it, what it looked like, and how the LORD encouraged him THROUGH it. We are going to head to 1 Kings 19 and look at the great Prophet of Repentance - Elijah the Tishbite.
PRAY
Elijah vs AHAB
Elijah vs AHAB
Elijah shows up on the scene in 1 Kings 17 with not much given about his background.
Ahab was the seventh king over northern Israel and was a VERY WICKED KING:
Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.
It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him.
So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.
Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
1 KINGS 17:
1 KINGS 17:
Elijah rolls in and says, “King Ahab it is not going to rain for years.”
WHY? Lev 26, Dt 11, 28 - ISRAEL was being LED into REBELLION.
James 5 - Elijah HAD BEEN PRAYING for this. He was asking for a famine! And he got it.
The LORD leads Elijah first to a place close to his home. Then later to ANOTHER COUNTRY - actually to Jezebel’s country.
The famine is huge and Elijah lives through the effects - the widow and her son nearly starve to death. The son later dies due to an illness, but the LORD brings him back to life.
1 KINGS 18:
1 KINGS 18:
3.5 years later, Elijah returns and finds AHAB - who calls Elijah the “Troubler of Israel” - Ahab is out scouring the country looking for any water source for his livestock. IT WAS BAD!!!
Mt. CARMEL - the sacred dwelling place of Baal.
Elijah calls the nation of Israel to reject the direction of its current KING and RETURN TO THE LORD - the ONLY TRUE GOD!
INTENSE, DAY LONG, VIOLENT CONFLICT!!!
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.
“Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”
Repentance leads to Reconciliation - (and RAIN!!!)
So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times.
It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ ”
In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.
WOW! WHAT A VICTORY!!
How would you feel if you were Elijah?
Good? Great? Justified? The last many years were worth it? The hard times were profitable?
Could the “Troubler of Israel” now be the “Helper of Israel”?
Life in Israel would now be GOOD?
TIRED?
Have you ever been in a moment like this? Maybe not as intense, but have you ever faithfully and obediently trusted God’s word through hard times?
SPIRITUAL TRAINING - TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS IN MY LIFE
WAYWARD BROTHER
BEFORE MARRIAGE
BEFORE PREACHING
What happens next…?
1 Kings 19: Elijah vs JEZEBEL
1 Kings 19: Elijah vs JEZEBEL
1 Kings 19:
1 Kings 19:
Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”
He is AFRAID - Why? He just called down fire from heaven! (which he does again, also…) - Well, he just had an amazing victory and did away with all of Jezebel’s prophets....showing that Baal had no real power. The people believed, so what happened to Elijah’s faith?
Vulnerable. - He was isolated, he was worn out.
“WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?!” - in his spiritual fatigue, his focus became self-centered
PETER Walking on WATER:
Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
THE LORD PROVIDES FOR ELIJAH
THE LORD PROVIDES FOR ELIJAH
He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.”
Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Traveled about 200 miles, but took him awhile. What a blessing!! Talk about a sabbatical - 40 days with the LORD.
The Lord is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.
TEACHING POINT #1: When we are in extended times of stress - get some REST!
TEACHING POINT #1: When we are in extended times of stress - get some REST!
By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
KEEP GOING
Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
TEACHING POINT #2: After you rest, spend time with the LORD in prayer and with HIS WORD!!
TEACHING POINT #2: After you rest, spend time with the LORD in prayer and with HIS WORD!!
JESUS AFTER HE FED THE 5000: John 6:15 “So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
KEEP GOING
The Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;
and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
“It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death.
“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.
TEACHING POINT #3: After the Lord restores you, get back to work.
TEACHING POINT #3: After the Lord restores you, get back to work.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Conclusion/Wrap-Up
Conclusion/Wrap-Up
Hard times are a part of this life.
Some are hard because we are fighting against others, like Elijah vs Ahab and Jezebel.
Some are hard not because of anything anyone else did, but just because they are hard - like the disciples in the boat and a storm comes up on the sea
Sometimes, we go through EXTENDED PERIODS of ENDURANCE!
When these times come:
Recognize when you need REST!
Spend your rest time with the LORD! Prayer and Bible (you can also ask others to be praying on your behalf, and if you are struggling spiritually, see your pastor for prayer and help - James 5)
Once you are refreshed, remember that if you are still on the earth, you are still profitable to the gospel work - get back to work.