Getting Your Fight Back

GETTING YOUR FIGHT BACK

1 Kgs. 19:1-18

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Some things seem to get bigger and bigger.

2. A Texas farmer went to Australia for a vacation. He met an Aussie farmer, who showed off his big wheatfield. The Texan said, "Oh! We have wheatfields at least twice as large."

3. Then they walked around the ranch a little and the Aussie showed off his herd of cattle. The Texan replied, "We have longhorns that are at least twice as large as your steers."

4. The conversation came to a standstill though, when the Texan saw a group of kangaroos hopping through the field. He asked, "And what are those?"

5. The Aussie instantly knew he had something on the Texan. With an incredulous look he said, "Don't you have any grasshoppers in Texas?"

B. TEXT

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. 4 He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There…the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 11 The LORD said,

“Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” [abbreviated]

C. THESIS

1. We are in a spiritual battle. In Hebrews 12:3, the writer expressed his concern about the early Christians "lest you be weary and faint in your minds." The word translated ‘faint’ means "to unloose," as of a bowstring. He was worried about people giving up their spiritual fight.

2. Paul never lost his “fight”-- "the disposition to continue in the struggle." Paul wrote, "Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life." 1 Tim. 6:12.

3. What kind of spiritual fight have you been putting up in the last year? Have you become weak, passive, discouraged, wounded, perplexed?

4. We're going to look at a great believer who became discouraged and see how God restored his fight!

I. ELIJAH’S DISCOURAGEMENT

A. ELIJAH’S GREAT FEATS

1. Stopped the rain for 3 1/2 years.

2. Was supernaturally provided for during the famine.

3. Call down fire from heaven on the sacrifice.

4. Killed the 450 prophets of Baal.

5. Prayed down the rain again.

B. BUT ELIJAH LOST HIS “FIGHT”

1. ELIJAH HAD BEEN UNDER STRAIN FOR 3 YEARS. He’d been running as a fugitive and living on the meagerest of food, clothing and shelter.

2. ELIJAH HAD HOPED FOR REVIVAL. Elijah probably believed that if the nation saw a great miracle from God – like the fire falling from heaven – they would give up idolatry, turn to God and experience a revival. But that didn’t happen because of Ahab & Jezebel. All his efforts seemed to be futile.