Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: I Kings 19:13-18

CIT: The Spirit of God will let you run out everything you must to finally listen to His voice.

FCF: We struggle in life to the extent we have control over it.

We tend to try to make things work.

The frustration was given as a tool to bring us to hear Gods voice.

Illustration

Opener: It is easy to find a good thing to do instead of doing the thing that God wants done.

Voting republican is not the same as giving the gospel.

Presences is not parenting

Stingyness is not Good Money management; generosity is.

Elijah's Struggling Ministry

If anyone has run into some struggles in ministry it's Elijah.

Kind of a recap of what has taken place:

Partial Victory

Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal in the great contest on Mt.

Carmel (1Kings 18).

Elijah then informed King Ahab that the drought God had brought on the land would end.

But there was no huge turning.

The same wicked people are in charge and in Jezebel's promise she was still unconvinced about God.

Personal Attacks

Queen Jezebel became enraged at what Elijah had done, sent a message to him, and Elijah fled.

Elijah ran to Beersheba, went into the wilderness, and asked God to take his life.

Pastoral Wandering

Elijah fell asleep, and God’s angel ministered to him, giving him food, drink, and rest.

With renewed strength, Elijah traveled 40 days and nights to Mt. Horeb (Sinai), where he lodged in a cave.

Which Brings us to our Text

There God questioned him and Elijah lamented that he alone stood faithful to God.

God called Elijah to stand before him as he passed by on the mountain, and God passed by in wind, earthquake, and fire.

After this display, when Elijah heard “a still, small voice,” he went out and had another conversation with God, during which God gave him further instructions.

You know things have to be bad when God is looking at you asking "What are you doing here?

We don't ask that question of Him he is everywhere He belongs on Mt.

Horeb.

Clearly Elijah you don't.

This is the second time we find God asking this question.

"What are you doing here?

High school job brand new mower rolling down the hill- Pat standing at the top of the hill with this look that says "What is going on here?"

Walk in the kids room and all the drawers are empty, their contents laying on the ground the beds stripped and the sheets strung from one wall to then next and a pair of boys briefs spinning from the ceiling fan.

"It demands we ask the question "What is going on here?"

Things always get a little out of control just before we ask "what is going on here?"

You could say things have gotten out of control for Elijah.

To understand how crazy it has gotten we have to answer this question "What are you doing here?"

Good question...

God didn't direct it.

Gods commandment took Elijah right back to the Damascus wilderness.

Beyond that we find Elijah of his own accord has traveled 40 days and nights to reach Mt.

Horeb (Mt.

Sinai).

Why of all thing this mountain?

To understand see a few similarities between Elijah's situation and Moses.

As Moses confronted Pharoah and Egypt’s gods, Elijah confronted Ahab and Jezebel, and Baal worship.

As Pharoah pursued Moses and Israel to destroy them, Jezebel sought Elijah’s life.

As Moses and the people went into the wilderness, so did Elijah.

As Moses became discouraged and asked God to take his life, so did Elijah.

As God’s angel ministered to Moses and Israel in the wilderness and provided food and water, so God’s angel ministered to Elijah.

As Moses and Israel traveled to Mt. Horeb, so did Elijah.

(note the use of the number 40 here).

As Moses complained to God on Mt.

Horeb about Israel’s unfaithfulness after the golden calf incident, so did Elijah.

As Moses was placed in a cave on Mt.

Sinai to prepare for a theophany, so Elijah stayed in “the” cave (the Hebrew text specifies a particular cave, not just any cave).

As God passed by Moses on the mountain and Moses could not stand the sight, so God passed by Elijah in glorious display.

I can hear it the angel gave him strength and he had supernatural strength from it.

Please don't confuse God playing along as God directing.

God is using this venture to teach Elijah something he has forgotten.

To see God chime in look at the conversation they have.

God questions Elijah, and Elijah answers with a lament.

The Lord passes by in wind, earthquake, and fire.

After the fire, there was “a still, small voice”

God repeats the same question to Elijah, and Elijah answers with the same lament.

God tells Elijah to return and gives him specific instructions about how to proceed.

Did you notice?

Nothing changes from before this big display as well as that small voice.

God asks the same question.

Elijah gives the same response.

Whatever “the still, small voice” is, it apparently didn’t communicate anything to Elijah or change anything about the situation.

We have all heard that Elijah needed to hear that still small voice and evidentially it doesn't help.

God didn't bring Elijah for a still small voice because God didn't bring Elijah.

THIRD: The Details of the Conversation between God and Elijah.

God asks Elijah, “What are you doing HERE?” (1Kings 19:9, 13)

The Lord is asking Elijah why he came to Mt. Horeb (Sinai) and why he went to that specific cave.

It’s important to see that this whole journey was Elijah’s idea, not God’s.

Elijah decided to flee Jezebel.

Elijah decided to run all the way from Mt. Carmel to Beersheba (the entire length of Israel!) and then go into the wilderness.

What journey?

The angel didn’t tell him to take a journey, but his words reveal that Elijah himself had a further journey in mind.

His plan had not been simply to go into the wilderness, but to go to God’s mountain.

Why?

Why did Elijah want to go back to Mt. Horeb (Sinai)?

“What are you doing HERE, Elijah?” God asked him.

Elijah replies, “I have been very zealous for the Lord…the Israelites have forsaken your covenant…I alone am left” (1Kings 19:10, 14).

Elijah went to Mt. Sinai because he thought he was the only faithful follower of the Lord left.

He saw himself in the same dilemma as Moses faced after the people had sinned with the golden calf.

With this in mind, Elijah went back to the place where Israel’s first prophet had met with God, where God had shown his glory and spoken to Moses, where the covenant was restored, where God had cut new tablets of stone for the people, where God answered Moses’ prayers and gave Israel a new start.

Elijah was hoping God would do the same in his day, and start over again with him.

The Lord passes by with spectacular display, but DOES NOT SPEAK to Elijah (1Kings 19:11-12)

The Lord, as it were, “plays along” with Elijahâ to teach him a lesson.

He takes Elijah through all the same experiences as Moses had.

You have Elijah in the cave.

You have the Lord “passing by.”

You have spectacular displays of glory, here in earthquake, wind, and fire.