(New King James Version) 1 Kings 19:10-13 10) So he said ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’ 11) Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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. 13) So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
TODAY’S SERMON TITLE: “WOE IS ME!”
MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A PROJECT – A PROJECT THAT MAY HAVE TAKEN MONTHS (OR EVEN YEARS TO COMPLETE…)
BUT ONCE YOU ACCOMPLISHED YOUR GOAL (AND HAD A BRIEF MOMENT TO CELEBRATE…) YOU WERE LEFT PONDERING THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION – AND THAT IS, “WHAT’S NEXT?”
ALL THIS TIME YOU’VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THIS GOAL – YOU’VE BEEN ANTICIPATING IT (YOU’VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT FINISHING IT…) AND NOW SUDDENLY…IT’S DONE!
• MAYBE IT’S FINALLY GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE
• PERHAPS IT’S LANDING THAT DREAM JOB
• MAYBE YOU’VE SAVED UP ENOUGH MONEY – TO FINALLY PURCHASE THAT DREAM HOUSE OF YOURS
• MAYBE YOU GOT THAT MAN OR WOMAN (THAT YOU’VE BEEN COURTING ALL THESE YEARS…) TO FINALLY SAY, “I DO!”
(WHAT I’M SAYING IS…) WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU’VE WORKED SO HARD TO ACHIEVE OR ACCOMPLISH (BEFORE YOU CAN REALLY HAVE TIME TO CELEBRATE…) YOU ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE REALITY OF…NOW WHAT?
SOME PEOPLE WILL GO INTO A DEPRESSION – AS THEY WONDER, “WHAT DO I HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO – NOW THAT I’VE FINISHED THIS GOAL OF MINE?”
(IN OTHER WORDS…) WE CAN CELEBRATE ACCOMPLISHING OUR TASKS (BUT WE NEED TO REALIZE…) THAT LIFE KEEPS ON MOVING! AND OFT TIMES, WHEN IT BECOMES A NEW DAY – THE MEMORY OF THAT VICTORY IS IN THE PAST!
TODAY MAY EVEN BRING NEW PROBLEMS – THAT YESTERDAY’S VICTORY WON’T CHANGE! WE MAY GO FROM FEELING HAPPY OR EXCITED – TO FEELING SAD OR DEPRESSED…LITERALLY OVERNIGHT!
(COME ON IN HERE…) MANY OF YOU HAVE CRIED OUT TO GOD – SAYING, “LORD, YOU GAVE ME THE VICTORY ON YESTERDAY – BUT I JUST DON’T FEEL EXCITED TODAY! I FELT YOUR PRESENCE ON YESTERDAY – BUT TODAY I FEEL ALL BY MYSELF!”
THE PROPHET ELIJAH COULD RELATE TO THESE SAME TYPES OF THOUGHTS!
IN CASE YOU DON’T REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT ELIJAH (HE PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP HIS LIFE…) IN HIS FIRST WORDS OF OUR TEXT – WHEN HE SAYS, “I HAVE BEEN VERY ZEALOUS FOR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.”
(AND THAT WAS THE TRUTH…) ELIJAH’S FRUSTRATION DIDN’T STEM FROM THE FACT (THAT HE FELT GUILTY…) BECAUSE HE HADN’T DONE ENOUGH FOR THE LORD – ELIJAH HAD DONE EVERYTHING HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO…AND MORE:
• HE HAD CONFRONTED KING AHAB AND QUEEN JEZEBEL ABOUT THEIR SINS!
• HE HAD PRAYED FOR A DEAD BOY – AND THE LORD BROUGHT HIM BACK TO LIFE!
• HE HAD A FACE TO FACE SHOWDOWN – WITH 450 PROPHETS OF THE FALSE GOD, “BAAL!”
ELIJAH CHALLENGED THE FALSE PROPHETS TO A SHOW DOWN (TO DETERMINE ONCE AND FOR ALL…) WHO WAS THE REAL, TRUE AND LIVING GOD!
(COME ON, YAW KNOW THE STORY…) THE PROPHETS OF BAAL PRAYED ALL DAY LONG (WAITING FOR BAAL TO SET THE ALTAR ON FIRE…) BUT NOTHING HAPPENED – THEIR SACRIFICE REMAINED ON THE ALTAR!
BUT WHEN ELIJAH CALLED ON THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB (EVEN AFTER POURING WATER OVER HIS SACRIFICE…) GOD NOT ONLY BURNED UP THE SACRIFICE – BUT HE CONSUMED THE WHOLE ALTAR!
(AND SO…) THE FALSE PROPHETS WERE PUT TO DEATH (AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION…) THAT GOD WAS ON ELIJAH’S SIDE!
(BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY…) QUEEN JEZEBEL THREATENS TO KILL ELIJAH – SO HE HAS TO FLEE FOR HIS LIFE!
(NOW, I WANT YOU TO GET THE PICTURE HERE…) JUST THE DAY BEFORE – ELIJAH WAS LARGE AND IN CHARGE (HE WAS THE “HNIC…) LIVING ON TOP OF THE WORLD!
BUT TODAY (EVEN WITH THAT GREAT VICTORY BEHIND HIM…) WHAT DOES ELIJAH SAY? HE SAYS, “LORD, I’VE HAD ENOUGH, TAKE MY LIFE!”
NOW, IT’S HARD TO FATHOM – THAT A GREAT PROPHET LIKE ELIJAH (WOULD BE THIS DEPRESSED…) AND WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT – ESPECIALLY WHEN HE HAD JUST EXPERIENCED THIS GREAT VICTORY!
(BUT I DON’T WANT YOU TO BE TOO HARD ON BROTHER ELIJAH…) BECAUSE WHILE MANY OF US WILL NOT ADMIT IT (THE REALITY IS…) ALMOST EVERY ONE OF US IN HERE (AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES…) HAVE BEEN WHERE ELIJAH IS RIGHT NOW!
MEANING, WE’VE HAD SOME GREAT VICTORIES WITH GOD IN THE PAST (BUT TODAY IS A NEW DAY…) AND WITH EACH NEW DAY – COMES NEW PROBLEMS!
YESTERDAY, WE WERE RIDING HIGH – IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD (BUT TODAY, WE’VE BEEN HIT BELOW THE BELT…) AND NOW LIFE SEEMS SO UNFAIR – BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS WE’VE DONE ON BEHALF OF THE FAITH!
NOW WE WANNA HAVE A PITY-PARTY – AND QUESTION EVERYTHING THAT WE’VE EVER DONE! NOW WE’RE READY TO GIVE-UP ON OUR GOD ORDAINED DESTINY! NOW WE’RE READY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL – OR WAIVE THE WHITE FLAG!
(AND JUST LIKE ELIJAH…) MANY OF US HAVE BECOME SO DEPRESSED (THAT WE WISH WE WERE NEVER BORN…) FEELING AS IF OUR LIVES DON’T AMOUNT TO ANYTHING! (I KNOW I’M TALKING TO SOMEBODY…)
ELIJAH HAS HID HIMSELF WITHIN A CAVE – HE DOESN’T WANNA BE SEEN BY ANYONE! WHAT A WAIST!! THIS POWERFUL MAN OF GOD – HAS NOW BECOME AN UNDERGROUND PROPHET!
(BUT HOW MANY KNOW TODAY…) YOU CAN RUN – BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM GOD? ELIJAH BEGINS TO CRY OUT TO GOD (AND HE DOESN’T PULL ANY PUNCHES…) HE TELLS GOD EXACTLY HOW HE FEELS! HE SAYS, “LORD I’VE BEEN FAITHFUL TO YOU – BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT’S GOTTEN ME ANYWHERE!”
HE SAYS, “YESTERDAY I HAD THIS GREAT VICTORY – BUT TODAY I’M ALL ALONE – RUNNING FOR MY LIFE!”
NOW, ELIJAH IS GIVING GOD AN UPDATE – AS IF GOD HAS BEEN ON VACATION OR SOMETHING! BUT WE NEED TO REALIZE (JUST AS ELIJAH DISCOVERED…) THAT GOD KNOWS OUR EVERY THOUGHT! HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT US – BECAUSE HE MADE US THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE!
HE KNOWS HOW MUCH WE CAN BEAR – HE KNOWS WHAT WE ARE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE – HE KNOWS WHEN OUR FAITH METER IS RUNNING ON FUMES!
(AND SO…) WHILE WE CAN GO TO GOD IN PRAYER (PLEASE DON’T GET IT TWISTED…) WE TELL HIM ABOUT OUR TROUBLES, HEARTACHES AND PAIN (NOT IN THE WAY THAT HE OWES US AN EXPLANATION…) BUT WE BRING OUR CARES BEFORE GOD – PLEADING FOR RESTORATION!
(ISN’T IT GOOD TO KNOW – THAT GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS?) BUT NOT ONLY DOES HE HEAR US – BUT HE SPEAKS TO US AS WELL! NOTICE HOW HE SPEAKS TO ELIJAH:
• FIRST A GREAT WIND COMES!
• THEN CAME AN EARTHQUAKE!
• RIGHT AFTER THAT…A FIRE!
BUT GOD DIDN’T SHOW-UP IN ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS – MAYBE BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT ELIJAH WAS FRAGILE – THAT HE WAS HURT AND FRUSTRATED!
WHEN IT CAME TIME TO TALK TO ELIJAH – GOD DOESN’T THUNDER THROUGH THE CLOUDS – WITH THIS JAMES EARL JONES VOICE! INSTEAD, HE TALKS TO HIM IN A WHISPER! HE SAID, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ELIJAH?” (NOW DON’T MISS THIS…)
WHEN SOMEONE WHISPERS – WHAT MESSAGE DOES THAT SEND TO YOU?
A WHISPER CAN BE SOOTHING AND PEACEFUL.
A WHISPER SHOWS GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE.
A WHISPER SHOW LOVE AND KINDNESS – “I HEAR YOU, BUT IT’S GONE BE ALRIGHT!”
GOD COMFORTS ELIJAH – AND THEN HE TELLS HIM, “NOT TO WORRY, YOU’RE NOT ALONE – THERE’RE OTHERS ON YOUR SIDE!”
HE THEN GIVES ELIJAH ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT (GOD TOLD HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO RESUME THE FAITH…) BECAUSE THERE WERE OVER 7,000 BELIEVERS – WHO NEEDED HIS LEADERSHIP!
(AND SO…) GOD SNATCHED ELIJAH OUT OF HIS DEPRESSION (AND THEN HE GAVE HIM A NEW FOUND CONFIDENCE…) TO FIGHT ON – JUST A ‘LIL WHILE LONGER!
IN OUR CHRISTIANS LIVES – WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME HIGHS AND LOWS! BUT KNOW THAT GOD WILL CARRY US – THROUGH THOSE LOWS…
YOU’VE HEARD THE ILLUSTRATION OF “FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND.” THE STORY OF THE MAN LOOKING BACK OVER HIS LIFE (AND SEEING AT TIMES…) ONE SET OF FOOTPRINTS – AND THEN AT OTHER TIMES HE SAW TWO SETS.
HE THOUGHT THE TWO SETS OF FOOTPRINTS – MEANT THAT GOD WAS WALKING “WITH” HIM AND HE THOUGHT THE ONE SET OF FOOTPRINTS – MEANT THAT GOD HAD LEFT HIM!
(AND SO…) HE ASKED GOD, “LORD WHY DID YOU NOT WALK WITH ME MY WHOLE LIFE?” GOD’S REASSURED HIM BY SAYING, “WHERE YOU SEE THE ONE SET OF FOOTPRINTS – THAT WAS WHEN I HAD TO CARRY YOU!
IN OUR TEXT, WE SEE THAT GOD WAS THERE TO CARRY ELIJAH (AND WE CAN TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING…) THAT HE WILL BE THERE TO CARRY US IN OUR TIME OF NEED AS WELL!
