A. OUR GREATEST FAILURES CAN FOLLOW OUR GREATEST SUCCESS: 1 KINGS 19:1-8
1. Elijah’s greatest success:
a. Fire from Heaven (18:38).
b. Prophets of Baal killed.
c. Rain, God’s judgment was over.
2. Elijah was challenged, “Jezebel sent a message … ‘May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them’” (19:2, NLT).
3. He ran across two nations – Israel and Judah – to hide in the wilderness, “He went to Beersheba” (19:3).
4. He thought no one could find him there, but God was there.
5. He wept under a weeping willow, “He sat down” (19:4).
6. He saw no deliverance, no miracle, and no future in the future, so; “He requested for himself that he might die” (19:4).
7. He gave up, “Lord, take away my life” (19:5).
B. WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US
1. One success does not guarantee it won’t be followed by failure. Elijah had several encounters for God and several answers to prayer.
2. We can fail after we’ve had our greatest victory. Sunday is victorious, but Monday can be disastrous.
3. We become a failure by letting our last mistake control us.
4. When we succeed, we share with others, but failure seeks loneliness.
5. We usually run from God after failing. “What doest thou here, Elijah?” (19:13).
6. While we get energy from success (Elijah ran 20 miles, 18:46). Failure saps our strength, i.e., all spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical energy. “He lay and slept” (19:5).
C. WHAT GOD CAN TEACH US
1. You can’t run from God, “An angel touched him” (19:5).
2. God is present in your wilderness, “He came unto a cave ... the word of the Lord came to him” (19:9).
3. God cares about our physical condition. “Arise and eat” (19:5). “The second time ... rise and eat” (19:7).
4. The questions you ask yourself usually comes from God, “What doest thou here?” (19:9, 13).
a. Does God begin with condemnation.
b. Questions make us examine ourselves.
c. Questions motivate us to action.
5. God’s direction is not usually extraordinary, but in “a still small voice” (19:12).
6. God usually gives us a job to break our depression. “Go ... anoint Jehu king over Syria ... Jehu, king over Israel ... and Elisha to be prophet in thy room” (19:16).
D. TEN APPLICATIONS FOR YOUR LIFE
1. Fear is usually greater than our circumstances, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Don’t run away, run toward God.
3. Look after your physical strength when you feel spiritually defeated. Eat meat and vegetables.
4. Listen for God’s question, “What are you doing here? (19:9, 13, NLT).
5. Remember God won’t answer your prayer about defeat. “Lord, take my life” (19:4).
6. Find strength in God’s word, “A still small voice” (19:12).
7. Break despondency by going to work (19:15-16).
8. When God doesn’t answer, He may have something better!
9. The worst thing about failure is it robs us of our future.
10. One failure usually breeds another failure.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
Video presentations of the PBC are available online at trbc.org/pbc
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