REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T YOU QUIT!
YOU HAVE A DIVINE APPOINTMENT WITH REST AND PEACE!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is a two part lesson, unless you move quickly and skip some of the material?
1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
I. INTRODUCTION: OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN BE DIVINE APPOINTMENTS.
A. AS POPEYE’S FAMOUS WORDS SAY: ME’S HAD ALL ME’S CAN STAND, AND ME’S CAN’T STAND NO MORE.
HAVE YOU EVER COME TO THAT POINT THAT THIS IS ENOUGH?
B. Sometimes the battle has been long? The battle has been hard?
Seems we are facing frustration on every hand? Disappointment? Heartaches?
C. Have you ever come to the part of your journey when there seems to be NO RHYME or NO REASON to this twisted trail?
II. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! MINISTRY CAN BE DRAINING.
1 Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
A. ENOUGH?
Be tired of ...
In a degree that more than satisfies what is necessary
As much as is required.
The words: REST IF YOU MUST BUT DON’T QUIT are so true to believers today.
B. ELIJAH WAS A MAN OF GOD. God called Elijah.
Who God calls GOD QUALIFIES.
C. One of Elijah’s friends NABBOTH has died an untimely death.
Nabboth went to trial and was treated unfairly and many lies lead to a false imprisonment and the UNFAIR EXECUTION OF A GOOD MAN.
D. Elijah was POLITICALLY INCORRECT and Elijah’s messages were not accepted by KING AHAB and QUEEN JEZEBEL. If the message is not received, the messenger will not be received.
E. Ahab provokes God to anger. Then Ahab and Jezebel BLAME Elijah the Preacher man!
F. ELIJAH DELIVERS A HARD MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT, THERE WILL BE NO RAIN OR DEW ---- ACCORDING TO MY WORD.
G. Elijah has to run and hide for his life. At the Brook Cherith, the Lord causes RAVENS to feed the man of God.
H. One day the Brook dries up, the Raven does not fly in with the meal, Elijah has to walk a little over a 100 miles to a strange woman’s house?
I. The widow’s son dies, that is a stress and strain on Elijah. She blames the Preacher? The Preacher lays the boy on the bed, and prays.
J. There is a terrible famine in the land. Sins’ cost has been terrible.
K. There has been a RELIGIOUS CONTEST between 450 false prophets of Baal and 1 PREACHER of God.
L. After seven years of drought, the Preacher’s servant has been to the mountain top 7X’s, the little cloud brings a promise and the PREACHER RUNS 18 MILES and beats the King’s chariot.
M. THE PREACHER CALLS OUT TO GOD, AND SAYS:
ENOUGH, IT IS ENOUGH!
1 Kings 19:4 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 away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
III. MY POOR LITTLE PREACHER, YOU ARE WEARY, TIRED, AND FRUSTRATED. YOU HAVE SEEN SIN RULE AND YOU HAVE SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN COST DEARLY. WHAT WILL GOD DO? GOD HAS R&R PLANNED. REST & RELAXATION.
A. Elijah, God’s man with GOD’S WORD, and God’s Divine Appointment and God’s Plan is NOW AT THE END OF HIS ROPE.
B. WHEN IT IS OVER YOUR HEAD, IT IS UNDER GOD’S FEET.
C. God’s plan is to bring His servant ASIDE, feed him properly and GIVE HIM REST! The preacher falls asleep heartbroken and BROKEN and SPILLED out!
D. GOD KNEW ELIJAH WAS TIRED, EXHAUSTED AND NEEDED REST!
1 Kings 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
E. ELIJAH’S MINISTRY HAD HIM RUNNING SO MUCH HE PROBABLY HAD NOT BEEN EATING PROPERLY.
1 Kings 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
F. ELIJAH SLEPT, ATE AND GOD MADE HIM LAY DOWN AND SLEEP SOME MORE, EAT SOME MORE, AND THIS REST AND MEAL WOULD POWER THE MAN OF GOD 40 DAYS!
1 Kings 19:7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
IV. WE MUST LEARN THE ART OF COMING APART OR WE WILL COME APART? Jesus knew the importance of getting away from the crowd.
A. Jesus was God’s Son. Jesus also knew life and ministry can be so draining.
B. People are often so self-centered that they want their needs ministered to and they are demanding and often they don’t realize the load and burden placed on leaders.
C. Jesus warned his leaders in training, you must remember to keep your MINISTRY TANK FILLED.
D. COMPASSION FATIQUE CAN BE A KILLER TO ANY
LEVEL OF MINISTRY.
Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
E. A good minister is like an oil lamp, you burn yourself for the light, but there has to be a place where you COME APART from all the busyness of ministry and FILL ’ER UP! TO GET R DONE!
F. Sure, we come apart to pray and keep the vision, but we must know that part of COMING APART IS TO FIND A PLACE AND REST.
G. GOD HAS ALL POWER AND ALL ENERGY YET HE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY.
V. DOES MINISTRY CUMBER US? WHAT ABOUT MUCH SERVING?
IS JOY FOUND IN SERVICE OR COMMUNION?
A. CUMBERED, CUMBERSOME:
Strain, pressure, stress.
Heavy, weighty, no joy, burdensome, hard to manage.
Oppressive duty or emotions.
Luke 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
B. MARTHA DID HER WORK FOR JESUS, BUT SHE WAS CUMBERED BY HER WORK. Martha was tired. She had poured herself into preparing for Jesus’ trip to her house.
C. MARTHA’S HEAD AND HEART WERE GOING TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
Martha’s fault was MUCH SERVING, and not spending TIME WITH JESUS.
D. Martha missed the beauty of her work --- JESUS’ PRESENCE AND BLESSINGS!
E. What is more important: SERVICE? or COMMUNION?
VI. WE MUST MAKE OURSELVES COME TO THE APPOINTMENT OF REST. REST AND HOPE ARE KISSING COUSINS. THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN REST AND HOPE.
Acts 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
A. A spirit of TIREDNESS will always give birth to WEARINESS!
B. With a spirit of TIREDNESS we are prone to murmur, grumble, and complain.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
C. HUMAN DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN LEAD TO DIVINE APPOINTMENTS.
2 Thes. 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
2 Cor. 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
VII. WE HAVE TOILED AND DONE OUR BEST, AND WE HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR OUR EFFORT BUT TIREDNESS?
WE HAVE BEFORE US MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO COME WITH ZEAL AND ENTHUSIASM. OUR OPPORTUNITY MAY BE SHORT.
A. BEING TIRED MAKES COWARDS OUT OF HEROES!
B. SOME BATTLES MUST GO INTO THE DEEP.
Often times SPIIRITUAL SHALLOWNESS can become our enemy!
Luke 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
C. MASTER, WE ARE FISHERMEN, YOU ARE A CARPENTER?
D. WE HAVE TOILED ALL NIGHT, WE ARE TIRED?
CAN TIREDNESS STOP THE MIRACLE CATCH?
Luke 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
E. The miracle is not ONE BOAT full?
The MIRACLE IS two boats full!
VIII. TO COME APART IS WONDERFUL, BUT THERE IS A BETTER IDEA --- YOU SHALL FIND REST!!!
A. Did you know our enemy has to run his every plan by our FATHER?
Our Father requires the enemy to have a WAY OF ESCAPE before he can finalize a evil plan.
B. HAVE YOU HEARD THE INVITATION?
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
C. Years ago I was in a dark trial. There seemed to be no answer, and God gave me a BIBLE VERSE ON WHICH TO HANG MY HEART.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
D. I have always looked at this verse backwards.
1. TRUST GOD! ...
2. FIX YOUR HEART, STAY FOCUSED, KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS TRAINED...
3. PERFECT PEACE, PERFECT REST!
E. In a TIME OF TROUBLE we have a source, we have a supply!
Ephes. 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
IX. I SHALL RETURN.
GENERAL DOUGLAS MAC ARTHUR WAS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT MILITARY LEADERS OF WORLD WAR II.
A. As Douglas Mac Arthur was a mighty soldier for the USA and later the Allied Forces, Douglas slowly rose through the ranks until he became a 5 STAR
GENERAL.
Mac Arthur lead to victory where ever he lead the troops.
As the Allied forces invaded the Philippine Islands we had many captured soldiers and our forces could not advance?
B. THE GREAT GENERAL HAD A THOUGHT: HE PLEDGED TO THE PHILLIPINO PEOPLE: I SHALL RETURN. As the US forces loaded on the ships and left for Hawaii, Mac Arthur again turned and promised: I SHALL RETURN.
Our soldiers went to Hawaii for a SEASON OF R&R. They were BATTLE SORE and BATTLE SCARRED. They rested, they played games. They heard from home.
The General regrouped, and made BATTLE PLANS.
C. One day the General and the troops and all the proper equipment were loaded and back to the PHILLIPINE ISLANDS the General went.
In Douglas Mac Arthur’s auto-biography the story is told that one of the main objects on the return trip was to set the POW’S, Prisoners of War free.
Mac Arthur’s jeep tops a little hill, and there were our soldiers starving to death. They were weak, pale, and looked like dead men. The soldiers had to eat bugs, grass, and rats. Despite all this -- many soldiers survived the cruel torture and were waiting their General’s return!
D. Douglas recalls: The POW’s helped each other get to their feet, and they were leaning on each other, STANDING AT ATTENTION.
As the General approached his fallen men, THEY RAISED THEIR RIGHT HANDS AND SALUTED THEIR GENERAL.
Douglas was crying like a baby, and he heard one of his soldiers say:
THE GENERAL SAID: I WILL RETURN. Now look, here he is, he has returned to take us home, just as he promised.
As soon as possible these weak heroes of the war were on their way home. The General had returned.
E. TODAY THE CHURCH STANDS UPON OUR GENERAL’S COMMAND:
I SHALL RETURN. Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming for His glorious church without spot or wrinkle! Don’t be weary!
F. My fellow COMMRADE, let us stand each other up. May we link arm in arm, and SALUTE OUR GENERAL NEVER FORGOT US, HE IS RETURNING AND WE SHALL FOREVER BE TOGETHER.
REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T QUIT!
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WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, AS THEY SOMETIMES WILL,
WHEN THE ROAD YOU’RE TRAVELING SEEMS ALL UPHILL,
WHEN YOUR FUNDS ARE LOW, AND THE DEBTS ARE HIGH,
AND YOU WANT TO SMILE, BUT YOU HAVE TO SIGH,
WHEN CARE IS PRESSING YOU DOWN A BIT,
REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T YOU QUIT!
LIFE IS STRANGE WITH ITS TWISITS AND TURNS,
AS EVERYONE OF US SOMETIME LEARNS,
AND MANY A FAILURE TURNS ABOUT,
WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE WON HAD HE STUCK IT OUT;
DON’T GIVE UP THOUGH THE PACE SEEMS MIGHTY SLOW,
YOU MAY SUCCEED WITH ANOTHER BLOW.
SUCCESS IS FAILURE TURNED INSIDE OUT,
THE SILVER LINING OF THE CLOUDS OF DOUBT,
AND YOU NEVER CAN TELL HOW CLOSE YOU ARE,
IT MAY BE NEAR WHEN IT SEEMS SO FAR;
SO STICK TO THE FIGHT WHEN YOU ARE HARDEST HIT,
IT’S WHEN THINGS SEEM WORSE,
THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT!
CONCLUSION:
We are almost to the end of our journey. Over the next hill we may be able to see the lights of home. Don’t be weary of well doing!
Don’t faint! REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T QUIT.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Could you invest in my ministry? Enlarge my hands? Pass this on?
