THE LORD IS OUR HOPE IN HOPELESSNESS (Outline)
August 28, 2022 – Pentecost 12 – 1 KINGS 19:3-8
INTRO: We have a sinful nature. This sinful nature tends to believe the worst first. It is exactly what happened to Elijah in our text today. He looked inward and felt all was lost. Everything was hopeless. Such is our natural human state. Listen to God’s people after Jeremiah tells them God’s truth: Repent. "But they will say, ‘It is hopeless! Each of us will always walk in the stubbornness of his own evil heart’" (JEREMIAH 18:12). When we walk in the stubbornness of our evil heart everything seems hopeless. Thankfully the Lord gives us faith to know there is hope. THE LORD IS OUR HOPE IN HOPELESSNESS. I. We think about bad things. II. The Lord provides good things.
I. WE THINK ABOUT BAD THINGS TOO OFTEN.
A. Verse 3. “Elijah was afraid and he ran for his life.” Not very inspiring as God’s religious leader.
1. Who or what scared Elijah? Jezebel was the wicked wife of the very wicked King Ahab.
2. Jezebel was angry with Elijah. She told a messenger that she promised to see Elijah dead.
B. Verse 4. Elijah traveled to Beersheba in Judah. Left his servant. Walked a day in wilderness.
1. Strange action: Alone when needed friends. Ran away from people.
2. Strange prayer: Prayed to die. Had enough. No better than fathers. Same sinner.
3. Elijah felt hopeless. Helpless. Alone. Ineffective. Forsaken. Forgotten. NO hope.
C. Verse 5a. Elijah lay down went to sleep. Maybe not so hopeless. More on that later.
D. Has anything gotten any better in our day and age? The world offers no hope for the future. In fact, the opposite is true. “The climate is being destroyed.” “Prices for everything have gone up!” “Shortages.” “Floods, fires, storms…” This is the nature of a changing world. As children of God, we know with a certainty that the Lord is in control. Always. Completely. That brings us another challenge. The wicked scoff at the church. And believers. God’s truth is very clear. Always. God created the heavens and the earth. Not evolution. God created male and female. Two genders, not multiple. Not fluid. This is straightforward fact. Truth. It is rejected by the worldly wicked. “But even if you should happen to suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not be afraid of what they fear, and do not be troubled” (1 PETER 3:14). We do not fear weather changes. Economic dangers. We have a sure hope in the Lord.
E. Satan uses these worldly worries to try and distract people from the important things. These unfounded fears creep into society. We live and walk among the wicked. A sense of dread can sneak into our souls. Jesus warned about this in the parable of the seed sown. The thorns are all around us. "These are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth and desires for other things enter in and choke the word, so it becomes unfruitful” (MARK 4:18b, 19). We know that at times worries, wealth, and desires for newer, bigger, better have crowded out God’s word in our lives. Putting any confidence in the things of this world is not satisfying. Not enduring. Hopeless trust.
F. We are children of God. Our heavenly Father is perfect in love. Mercy. Caring for his family. We celebrate that we are never, ever forgotten. Forsaken. Our loving, heavenly Father provides blessing upon blessing. Physical. Spiritual. We are “over blessed”. Listen to God’s promises made. Kept. "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not despairing; persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed" (2 CORINTHIANS 4:8, 9). Yes, we face troubles. Challenges. Heartaches. Sorrows. Temptations. Opposition. We know that the Lord God of Armies is greater than all of these.
THE LORD IS OUR HOPE IN HOPELESSNESS. Strength in weakness. Joy in sadness. Comfort in grief. The LORD IS our HOPE even when we concentrate on bad things too often.
II. THE LORD PROVIDES GOOD THINGS ALWAYS.
A. Elijah was afraid. Ran away for his life. Forgot God was greater than Jezebel. Ahab.
1. Verse 5. Elijah had enough. Prayed to die. Still went to sleep. God’s peace with him.
2. Angel of the Lord woke him up. Food was prepared and ready to eat.
B. Verse 6. Elijah woke up. Ate. Drank. Went back to sleep. Lord provided food, drink, sleep.
1. Verse 7. Angel wakes up Elijah again. More daily provisions were ready for him.
2. Angel told him “…the journey is too much for you.” Elijah needed physical strength to live.
3. Lord answered Elijah’s prayer for death. NO. You will live. You will serve the Lord.
C. Verse 8. Elijah got up and ate and drank again. Lord’s ordinary “miraculous” way of providing.
1. Elijah traveled 40 days and night. The Lord provided an extraordinary “miraculous” way.
2. How did all this happen that Elijah forgot God’s goodness? Afraid? Prayed for death?
a. Chapter 18 Lord defeated false prophets of Baal. b. Powerful miraculous defeat.
3. Maybe Elijah was expecting another extraordinary miracle. Forgot Lord’s daily provisions.
D. Sometimes God’s miracles are truly extra-ordinary. God’s creation is one of those extraordinary miracles. Our second reading (Hebrews 11) reminds us that “the universe was created by God’s word, so that what is seen did not come from what is visible.” (verse 3). Create = some thing made from nothing. This can only happen by God’s living, active, and powerful word. Miraculous. The stars, sun, and moon all testify to the Lord’s miraculous power. "He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power. To his understanding there is no limit" (PSALM 147:4, 5). Today’s scientists do not know how many stars there are. Our creator God knows how many. AND knows them by name. They do not have life or breath. We have life, breath, and a soul. God knows us and our name.
E. There are common, ordinary miracles the Lord God of Armies uses to provide good things for our lives day after day. Every day. Food and clothing. But our loving, heavenly Father provides with more. Life and breath. Extra-ordinary miracles every second of every day! Last week’s reading from Ecclesiastes spoke of hard labor under the sun. "Likewise…if God has also given him the ability…to accept his lot and to rejoice in the results of his hard work—this is a gift of God…man seldom reflects on the days of his life, since God keeps him busy with the joy in his heart" (ECCLESIASTES 5:19, 20). What a miraculous way to spend our lives. God occupies us with joy in our hearts. Too many today lack joy. Contentment. Hope. Be sure to share with them God’s hope. Daily miraculous provisions. Life. Breath. Future.
F. How do we overcome the fear this world wants us to live in? How do we put the feeling of hopelessness behind us? " Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if anything is excellent, and if anything is praiseworthy, think about these things" (PHILIPPIANS 4:8). All of these things to think about lead us directly to God, don’t they? True. Right. Lovely. Excellent. Praiseworthy. This is our loving, heavenly Father.
CONC.: Dearest children of God our world wants us to feel hopeless. Fearful about the future. Satan uses this to distract us. "And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us” (ROMANS 5:35). HOPE WILL NOT put us to shame. Do not let the world shame you for standing on the truth. Do not let the world shame you for having hope. God’s love is poured out into you! The Lord God, our loving, heavenly Father provides good things always. THE LORD IS OUR HOPE IN HOPELESSNESS. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 12 readings: GENESIS 15:1-6; HEBREWS 11:1-3, 8-16; LUKE 12:32-40; (PSALM 33)
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