Title: How To Recover From Spiritual Victory
Series: God Uses Broken Vessels
Text: 1 Kings 19
Introduction
It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and Arnold Palmer had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. He felt he was in pretty good shape. As he approached my ball, he saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. The friend motioned him over, stuck out his hand and said, congratulations. Palmer took his hand and shook it, but as soon as he did, he knew he had lost his focus. On his next two shots, he hit the ball into a sand trap, and then put it over the edge of the green. He missed a putt and lost the Masters.
A mountain top experience is a wonderful thing for the believer. Especially when it comes as a result of a long, extended battle over the forces of the enemy. But while we seize the moment to bask in the glow of victory, Satan and his evil followers are just gearing up for a major offensive against us. With our guard down, be it from fatigue, frustration, contentment, depression, or pride, we are often bombarded with the most vicious attack of our lives. In moments like this, we need to know how to recover from spiritual victory and withstand the attacks of Satan.
I. SATAN’S ATTACKS OFTEN COME AFTER A SPIRITUAL VICTORY (1-4).
Illustration: There are many instances recorded in Scripture where Satan has attacked, and often won, after a great spiritual victory.
· David is anointed king over Israel but later sins in his dealings with Bathsheba.
· John the Baptist lays the foundation for the ministry of Christ, but later questions whether or not Jesus is actually the Messiah.
· Peter walks on water, and then loses his focus.
· Jesus spends 40 days and nights fasting and praying in the wilderness only to be immediately encountered and tempted by Satan.
A. Your Victory Will Not Assure Favorable Reception.
1 Kings 19:1-2
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.
Note: Our country has fought many battles for the freedom we enjoy. But people throughout the world hate our freedom. They would enslave us in a society that accepts and worships false gods. They would bring us again into a life of bondage and darkness because they despise the blessing and prosperity our God has given us. They burn our flag, and spit upon the blood of those brave people who heroically gave their lives so that you and I might continue to enjoy freedom. They hold protest marches and rallies and curse the God we worship and serve. And for that, we will worship and serve Him all the more.
B. Your Victory Will Not Abolish Future Disappointment.
1 Kings 19:3-4
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
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.
Illustration: For Joshua, victory was assured. And as he led the children of Israel around the walls of Jericho, the walls came crashing down, and Israel took the city.
Then, they came to the city of Ai. It was a small town, and should have been easily captured. In fact, Joshua didn’t even send all the troops. Instead of a glorious victory, however, the children of Israel were defeated, and thirty-six men of Israel were killed in the battle. Why? Because one man had sinned.
Israel’s victory over Ai was not guaranteed because they had been victorious at Jericho. Their victory was only assured because of their obedience to God. Only after the sin problem had been dealt with could they go on to victory.
Similarly, our prayer for America must now be that she regains her spiritual roots in order to fight back. We need a revival in our land.
Hebrews 12:1
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
II. YOU CANNOT WITHSTAND SATAN’S ATTACKS IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH (5-8).
A. The Battles Of Life Drain Our Physical Resources.
1 Kings 19:5-6
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
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.
B. The Battles Of Life Are Often Too Great For Us.
1 Kings 19:7
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.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
C. The Battles Of Life Are Won Through God’s Resources.
1 Kings 19:8
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.
III. DON’T HIDE IN A CAVE WHEN YOU CAN STAND ON THE MOUNTAIN (9-11a).
1 Kings 19:9-10
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
A. Fear And Discouragement Will Cause Us To See Only The Dark Side.
Illustration: One day a farmer was sitting on his front porch when a stranger approached and asked, “How’s your cotton coming along?”
“Ain’t got none,” said the farmer. “Didn’t plant none. Afraid of the boll weevil.”
“Well how’s your corn?”
“Didn’t plant none. Afraid of the drought.”
“How about your potatoes?”
“Ain’t got none. Afraid of the potato bugs.”
The stranger finally asked, “Well, what did you plant?”
“Nothing,” answered the farmer. “I just played it safe.”
B. Faith And Hope Will Allow Us To Stand On The Mountain Top.
1 Kings 19:11a
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.
Illustration: A well-known pastor in Boston found his church needed $2000 to square accounts. He and his deacons prayed about it. One deacon arose and said, “Brethren, God has answered our prayers. God will send the money in next Sunday’s collections.” That Sunday it rained very much, and some deacon suggested not to take the collection. The other replied, “I did not trust the weather; I trusted God!” The collection amounted to $2,600.
IV. IN THE MIDST OF YOUR CONFUSION LISTEN FOR GOD’S STILL, SMALL VOICE (11b-12).
1 Kings 19:11b-12
11 …And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
Illustration: Bruce Larson tells of an experience in which he almost drowned in a storm at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. He was swimming far from shore, trying to reach his drifting boat, but to no avail. The waves were seven or eight feet high, and the sky was dark with gale force winds and lightning. He remembers saying, “Well, this is it” as he was drifting out to sea. It was then that the still, small voice of the Lord spoke to his heart and said, “I’m here, Larson, and you’re not coming home as soon as you think. Can you tread water?” Somehow, just treading water had never occurred to him. Had he continued his frantic effort to swim back to shore, he surely would have exhausted his strength and gone down.
In all sort of situations we can make matters worse by our frantic efforts to save ourselves when God is trying to tell us, “Stand still.” We have gotten ourselves into a hopeless situation and the more we do the worse it gets.
V. YOU DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT THE BATTLE ALONE (13-14, 18).
A. The Primary Goal Of The Battle Is Not My Victory.
I Kings 19:13-14
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
B. The Primary Goal Of The Battle Is To Faithfully Stand For Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 19:18
18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
Illustration: Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to "dad".
That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son. The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed.
Finally, mom stepped in to see if she could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry skills, she decided it would be best if she simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. Mom read aloud the measurements, the rules of what they could do and what they couldn’t do.
Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom). Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids cars and was feeling pretty proud of his "Blue Lightning"; the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own.
Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart they headed to the big race. Once there Gilbert’s pride turned to humility. Gilbert’s car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed.
A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert’s, lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle. To add to the humility, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side; Gilbert had “mom”.
As the race began it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there.
As the last race was about to begin, the wide-eyed, shy eight-year-old ask if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped.
Gilbert hit his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood with a smile on his face and announced, “Okay, I am ready.”
As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his dad as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed, and rush over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy’s car.
Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud “Thank you” as the crowd roared in approval. The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?”
Gilbert answered, “Oh, no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don’t cry when I lose.”
Children seem to have wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn’t ask God to win the race. He didn’t ask God to fix the out come. Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn’t cry out to God, “No fair, they had a fathers help.”
No, he went to his Father for strength. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or to remove us from the struggle. What we should be seeking is God’s strength to get through the struggle. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
Gilbert’s simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn’t pray to win and thus hurt someone else. He simply prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by stopping the race to speak to his Father, also showed the crowd that he wasn’t there alone. His Father was most definitely there with him. Yes, Gilbert walked away a winner that night, with his Father at his side.
Conclusion
We should remember these principles:
1. Satan’s attacks often come after a spiritual victory. Are you now rejoicing over a spiritual victory? Watch out for the attack, it may be just around the corner.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2. You cannot withstand Satan’s attacks in your own strength. We can win the battle, but only through God’s strength.
Romans 8:31
31 …If God be for us, who can be against us?
3. Don’t hide in a cave when you can stand on the mountain. Fear and discouragement will keep us from winning future battles.
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
4. In the midst of your confusion listen for God’s still, small voice. God has not left us; we have only lost our focus.
John 10:27-29
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
5. You don’t have to fight the battle alone. In spite of our circumstances, God will give us the ultimate victory.
Isaiah 59:19
19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
