Continue the Work God has Called You to Do.

Why are we here?

Last week we pondered the question God asked of Elijah. What are you doing here? Tired and worn out Elijah vents to God all his problems. God’s response was the same, What are you doing here, Elijah?

Reflecting on that question this week and God’s response to Elijah’s vent session, it became abundantly clear what we the church are doing here not just today but every Sunday. Elijah was on the mountain of God encounter the presence of God, to spill his worries, fears and cares before God. The answer to What are you doing here for us, is the same as Elijah. If we are here for any other reason than to encounter God’s presence in worship, and to hear him speak in the gentle whisper, we are here for the wrong reason.

Brothers and sisters we are here today because we desperately need to encounter God’s life changing, church transforming presence together. We are here because we need God to speak into our lives. We are here, that God would send us out from this cave to continue the work God has given Leicester Church of the Nazarene to do.

As we encounter God’s presence in this cave today may we leave all our worries and fears with him, and allow his gentle whisper to speak into our lives personally and as his church here in Leicester VT.

Elijah’s Rant/God’s Response

Elijah makes his trip to the mountain of God because he is fleeing in fear from Jezebel who wants to kill him. He is overwhelmed by the storms that have gathered in his life and ministry. He feels alone, in his rant we can hear feelings of failure. That all mighty deeds God did at Mt. Carmel were not enough to truly change his people Israel. Elijah may have even felt that delivering God’s messages to the people of God was like talking to a brick wall.

1 Peter 5:7 NLT

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 3 Homiletical Perspective

For those who seek to minister in God’s name, whether lay and ordained, Elijah’s humanity is both encouraging and comforting, assuring us that God is indeed faithful, even in the face of our fear and depression, our worries and weariness, our blindness to God’s revelations and our resistance to growth and change.

God’s response to Elijah’s rant was the question, What are you doing here, Elijah? Elijah again answers with the same rant. Sometimes as minsters both called clergy and lay ministers, can feel like Elijah does in this cave.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 3 Theological Perspective

Since Elijah had demonstrated the impotence of Baal’s priests, these complaints seem to make no sense. Some commentators wonder if, ultimately, Elijah is making excuses to avoid his prophetic ministry.

Elijah stood on Mt Carmel as “the lone prophet” against 450 prophets of Baal and 1 prophet crying out to God was enough for God to answer with fire. Elijah has already seen the mighty work of God through one obedient prophet. He heard the people proclaim God is God alone, and yet here we are in the cave feeling overwhelmed, and ineffective.

1 Kings 18:36–39 NRSV

36 At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.”

God graciously hears all of Elijah’s cares, worries and fears, and encourages him to get back to the work he has given him to do. To continue the work of the prophet in anointing kings, and anointing his successor in Elisha. More importantly he assures Elijah that he is not alone. In fact there are 7,000 others who have not bowed to baal.

1 Samuel 10:1 NLT

1 Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.

God speaks to and works through Elijah in ways not even the very human, but mighty prophet of God could have expected. God defies the expectations when he’s not in the fire, not in the earthquake, not in the wind, but in the gentle whisper.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 3 Homiletical Perspective

How do our expectations of how the Divine will manifest itself in our lives promote or inhibit our ability to perceive it? What have we done through prayer and study to shape those patterns of attention? Do we fail to see God’s hand at work in our lives because we believe that God’s presence is always made manifest in wind, earthquake, and fire? Have we taken the time and expended the energy to train our vision to be open, receptive, and vigilant, capable of focusing our attention on any flight of the Holy Spirit that happens to appear in our spiritual field of vision? How do our expectations and projections enable us to be open and attentive—or prevent us from being open and attentive—to the awesome presence of a living and loving God?

How is God speaking to us through Elijah’s encounter?

1) We gather here to encounter and hear from God.

2) God speaks through the unexpected gentle whisper.

3) God’s presence and whisper encourages us to continue the work God has given us to do.

Our Response

We all need caves to run to and encounter God’s presence, to hear his gentle whisper. We need space where we can have a vent session with God. Where is that space for you beyond Sunday morning?

God works and speaks to us in ways beyond our expectations. How often do we miss what God is saying or doing because it doesn’t meet our expectations.

After God speaks to Elijah in a gentle whisper, and hears his fears and concerns. God tells him 1 you are not alone. 2 Go continue the work I have already given you to do. The work of God outside the four walls of this church, continues through you. God has worked and continues to work in our communities through his people.

In our worship we encounter the mighty presence of the risen Christ. As we leave here today may we, like Elijah go continue the work God has given us to do.