OUT OF WEAKNESS…STRENGTH - Elijah: “I’m Really Depressed”
1 Kings 19:9-18 (p. 247) August 27, 2017
Introduction:
I love the story of Elijah fighting for God and the allegiance of His people on top of Mount Carmel. It’s a duel between the false prophets of Baal and God Himself. These false prophets had called on their imaginary god to send fire from heaven all day. They’ve cut themselves…gone into a bloody frenzy while Elijah asks “maybe Baal’s asleep, or on vacation, or in the restroom.” I love it!
After Elijah rebuilds his altar…because the false prophet’s antics have destroyed it. After he soaks it with water he steps forward before the Israelites and says, “God, so that these people may know that you are the one true God…send fire!”
And whomp! The fire comes…and boy does it come…It burns up the sacrifice, the wood, the water…everything in it’s intensity…There is no doubt about the power of God as the Israelites look on open-mouthed…eyes aghast.
Can you imagine the response to the invitation given at the end of this sermon? 100% Elijah experiences a mountaintop victory…the false prophets are destroyed…and he is vindicated.
Elijah should be on a spiritual mountaintop too…but 1 Kings Chapter 19 begins with wicked King Ahab conspiring with his even wickeder Queen Jezebel to send a message to Elijah…that message: “May the god’s deal with me be it ever so severely if by this time tomorrow I don’t make your life like one of my prophets.”
Elijah should have said, “Shut up you evil witch…look what my God did to those prophets…it’s what he’s going to do to you too!”
But he doesn’t…God’s Word says, “Elijah was afraid, ran for his life and went into the desert. He sat down under a tree and prayed to die…“I’ve had enough…I’m afraid…take my life.”
Elijah is discouraged…depressed…He's down and just wants God to take him out. Each of us will have mountaintop victories, but all to often afterwards there is a broomtree of depression just waiting.
Dr. Frank Minrith from the Minrith/Meier Clinic says, “the majority of Americans will suffer from a serious depression at some point in their lives…most will never seek help, but will fight the battle on their own.”
Some will not wait for God to take their life…they’ll do it on their own…last year 30,000 people committed suicide in the US. More than 90 percent of those who kill themselves have a diagnosable depression…or substance abuse issue. The highest rate of suicide in the US is found in white males over 85. It’s the 3rd leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds. 4 times as many men die at their own hand as women.
I was sitting in the doctor’s office last week and picked up a magazine…there was an advertisement for Paxil…it began with these words: “Depressed mood, loss of interest, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, agitation, restlessness…life is too precious to let another day go by feeling like this. If you’ve experienced these symptoms for at least 2 weeks, a chemical imbalance could be to blame. And life can feel difficult all day.”
Listen, I’m not a medical doctor, or psychiatrist or psychologist. I don’t understand chemical imbalances or mental disorders. I’m thankful for medical science, it’s advances and for caring doctors that are looking for cures and helps for depression.
So, I won’t address chemical imbalances and issues that need medical answers…but, I will address spiritual issues that cannot be cured by a pill.
What should we do when we’re overcome with fear? How can we as God’s people respond to the discouraging and depressing seasons of life?
?It’s during these “weak” times, God reveals an amazing truth…to Elijah and us.
I. GOD WANTS TO KNOW WHY WE’RE HIDING UNDER THE BROOMTREE
Our text begins…“And the word of the Lord came to him…what are you doing here Elijah?”
Elijah’s afraid, discouraged, depressed and he’s run away…He’s all by himself hiding under a broomtree.
SHOW PIC of BROOMTREE
By the way a broomtree is a large desert shrub from the juniper family.
God knows exactly where Elijah is…and why he’s here…And here’s what God does. God sends an Angel to take care of him…He fixes him cakes…Angel Food Cake! He does this twice…Elijah is strengthened for the journey…an it’s a long one, 40 days and 40 nights ending at Horeb…the Mountain of God.
So, have you ever been under the broomtree? Cause I have! Have you ever felt you’d rather God take your life than to try and face what was ahead of you? Because I have.
[In 2007 I was on top of the world and loved the mountaintops…We’d just built a new facility on the corner of the busiest street in Louisville. The church was experiencing explosive growth, spiritually and numerically. The paper had just done a community article about our facility and outreach ministries. My marriage was strong and things were good…and then my fifteen year old daughter came and told me she was pregnant…I remember laying on the floor weeping…Kari and I were devastated. My son was in Iraq and we received word he’s had his vehicle blown out from under him. He was OK…but had received some TBI. My oldest son came to me and said He and his wife were divorcing…and a week later I had back fusion surgery for ongoing pain in my lower back and legs.
As I lay recovering I didn’t want to go through this…I felt hopeless and wondered why God would let all this happen. It drove me to my knees. It brought Kari and I to surrender…We could not fix it. It would have been better if God would have just taken my life, at least I thought that. Satan had said, “I’m comin’ after you”…like Jezebel in our text…and I lay recovering under a broomtree.
God didn’t condemn Elijah for his depression and He didn’t condemn me…he cared for me…fed me, gave me time to heal and strengthened me and Kari for the journey ahead.
When God asks “what are you doing here?” it’s not an accusation or condemnation. It’s a question of self examination. Elijah has been on Mt. Carmel defending God. He has witnessed fire from heaven. He’d seen God’s power.
Now God sent Elijah to Mt. Horeb to have an even deeper revelation of who He is because:
II. GOD REVEALS HIMSELF IN THE MOST UNUSUAL PLACES.
Elijah answers God’s question about what he’s doing here this way… “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL ME TOO!” (1 Kings 19:10)
Can you hear the fear, the pain, the loneliness in that reply? What’s going on? I’ve served you with all my heart…Where are you?!!
The Lord answers… “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
God has revealed himself on Mount Carmel in fire and power…but this is a different mountain and God is about to reveal Himself in an even more intimate way.
So Elijah steps out onto the mountain into the presence of God…so God can reveal Himself. Listen to what happens:
1 KINGS 19:11b-13 (p. 247)
God sent the wind. God caused the earth to quake. God caused the fire…Earth, Wind and Fire. He controls them all. But, His presence wasn’t in the miraculous and powerful stuff here…He was in the quiet gentle whisper.
“Elijah…Rick… “Be still and know that I am God.” Be quiet and listen…I’ve got this.
Maybe much of our struggle comes because we expect God to powerfully burn away the circumstances we’re in, to shatter the pressure we feel, and blow away our enemies. But maybe instead He wants to reveal Himself more intimately…He wants us to be quiet and hear His whisper…Elijah…Rick…You’ve expected me to be in the wrong places…quiet down…Listen.
[It’s been a decade since 2007…and God didn’t instantly show me His power…He showed me Himself quietly as I prayed and sought His presence and intimacy…my daughter is a beautiful redeemed woman…with a strong marriage and an amazing 4th grader. My son is home, safe and healing and happy. My older son is doing what he loves with the woman he loves…and my back isn’t hurting anymore…and if you asked me if I would skip 2007…and the time afterwards, I’d tell you I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to go through it…but I wouldn’t take a billion dollars for it…It led me closer and more intimately to trust Jesus than any mountaintop miracle.
Let me end by saying:
III. GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR US AND FRIENDS TO HELP US
ACCOMPLISH IT
God doesn’t treat Elijah roughly. He doesn’t say, “Shake it off, Suck it up.”
He speaks gently as He says:
1 KINGS 9:15-18 (p. 247)
In our weakness God has a plan to reveal His strength…Satan would have us focus on ourselves and the circumstances…He’s a liar…“Satan is the god of pity parties.”
When we’re discouraged and depressed we don’t need pity…we need God’s presence and a purpose.
I like what God does here…Elijah…“Go prepare new leadership…find a successor to mentor…fight the enemy…with others I’ve already selected…by the way…you’re not alone, there are thousands who still serve me.”
God’s already revealed Himself to Elijah but He also reveals…“You’re not alone.”
Church should never be a place you go…church is the fellowship of a family…a family who seeks the presence of God so they can accomplish His purpose together.
We prepare men and women to be anointed leaders in ministry. We disciple others so we can have successors…We fight the enemy together…and we find strength in knowing there are 1,000s who haven’t bowed down to the god of this world.
[I was 28 years old when I blew my knee out in a church basketball game…destroyed the medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments…torn completely in two. Dr. Kibler did 4 hours of surgery…2 months recovery where I couldn’t even touch it to the ground, a year of physical therapy…I was a youth minister who could not do youth ministry things. After the surgery I was basically bedridden for a month. I was discouraged…depressed…and then the first box of chocolates came…and a phone call…from Wayne Smith (laugh like Wayne). How are you doing? Every Friday a box of chocolate…Every Saturday a phone call…Southland was running about 5,000 at that time. Why would Wayne care about a 28 year old youth minister in West Virginia? Why would he do that? Because one of his greatest ministries was letting hurting people know “You’re not alone.”]
It’s one of our greatest ministries too!
Let’s pray.
