God's Work, God's Way, God's Workers

God's Work, God's Way, God's Workers

A Sermon Based on 1 Kings 19:15-21

Introduction

Have you ever felt like giving up on God's calling in your life? Have you ever found yourself questioning whether your service to the Lord makes any real difference? The great prophet Elijah certainly did. After his dramatic victory on Mount Carmel, where God sent fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice and prove His supremacy over the false god Baal (1 Kings 18:36-39), Elijah found himself running for his life from Queen Jezebel's death threats (1 Kings 19:1-2).

In our passage today from 1 Kings 19:15-21, we encounter a discouraged prophet who had retreated to a cave, ready to quit his ministry (1 Kings 19:9). Yet God meets him there with a message of hope and a renewed commission. This story teaches us profound truths about how God accomplishes His purposes through ordinary people like you and me. As we examine this passage together, we will discover that God's work continues through God's way, using God's chosen workers.

The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that "we are God's fellow workers." This partnership between divine sovereignty and human responsibility shows us that while God could accomplish His purposes without us, He chooses to work through us. Let us explore how this partnership unfolds in Elijah's story and what it means for our lives today.

1. The Divine Commission - Called and Equipped for Kingdom Work

Reference: 1 Kings 19:15-16 - "Go, return on your way... you shall anoint..."

When we find Elijah in this passage, he has just experienced what we might call a spiritual breakthrough. God had spoken to him not in the earthquake, wind, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. Now comes the commission. God tells Elijah to "go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus." This command reveals several important principles about how God calls and equips His workers.

First, notice that God's commission comes with specific instructions. Elijah was not given vague directions to "do something good for God." Instead, he received clear, actionable commands: anoint Hazael as king over Syria, anoint Jehu as king over Israel, and anoint Elisha as prophet to succeed him. God's calling in our lives often comes with this same specificity. When He calls us to serve, He provides clear direction about what He wants us to do.

Consider the story of a young businessman who felt called to ministry. For months, he wrestled with what this meant. Should he quit his job immediately? Should he go to seminary? Then God began opening specific doors. First, his pastor asked him to teach a small group Bible study. Then the church asked him to lead a community outreach program. Step by step, God revealed His specific plan. Like Elijah, this man discovered that divine calling comes with divine direction.

Second, we see that God's commission often requires us to return to the place of duty. God told Elijah to "return on your way." The prophet had fled his post, abandoning his responsibilities in his fear and discouragement. Now God was calling him back to the place where he belonged. This principle applies to us as well. Sometimes in our discouragement or fear, we abandon our post of service (Psalm 42:5). God's remedy is not to give us a different assignment, but to call us back to where we belong.

The story of Jonah illustrates this principle powerfully. When God called Jonah to preach to Nineveh, the prophet fled in the opposite direction. After his encounter with the great fish, God's commission was unchanged: "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you" (Jonah 3:2). God did not give Jonah a different, easier assignment. He called him back to the original task.

Third, we observe that God's commission comes with divine empowerment. Elijah had felt powerless and alone, but God was about to demonstrate that His servant was neither. The three anointings that Elijah was commanded to perform would set in motion events that would ultimately destroy Baal worship in Israel. God was not asking Elijah to work in his own strength, but was providing the tools and resources necessary to accomplish His purposes.

This principle appears throughout Scripture. When God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses protested his inadequacy. God's response was not to choose someone else, but to promise, "Certainly I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12). When Jesus commissioned His disciples to make disciples of all nations, He concluded with the promise, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). God's calling always comes with God's enabling.

The three individuals Elijah was commanded to anoint were not prominent figures in their society. Hazael was a servant (2 Kings 8:7-9), Jehu was a military captain (2 Kings 9:5), and Elisha was a farmer (1 Kings 19:19). Yet God chose these ordinary men to accomplish extraordinary purposes. This reminds us that God's kingdom work is not limited to those with impressive credentials or high social standing. He often chooses the unlikely candidates to demonstrate that the power comes from Him, not from human ability or position (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).