"I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour - his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear - is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies on the field of battle exhausted - victorious." The legendary Coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi once professed those words. With the start of the National Football League Regular season upon us I’m sure we will witness many of these moments in the coming months.
But as insightful as those words are, I don’t know if they always hold true. I’m thinking about the prophet Elijah in our text for this morning. We find him exhausted on the field of battle, victorious - in what should have indeed been one of his finest hours. He had been victorious over his enemies. On Mt. Carmel Elijah had just defeated 450 prophets of Baal by proving that his was the true God. When in answer to his prayer fire fell from the sky and consumed the sacrifice and the altar that Elijah had constructed and drenched in water three times! He should have been at the height of his glory because on that day those 450 prophets of Baal, his archenemies lost their lives. But the Elijah we see seems to be at his lowest. He’s dejected. He’s depressed. He’s discouraged.
Why? Because despite the stunning victory he had over the prophets of Baal not much was going to change. Wicked King Ahab and detestable Queen Jezebel still hated the true God and they hated Elijah. In fact, Jezebel doesn’t even so much as flinch when she hears the news that her prophets of Baal have been put to death at Mt. Carmel before she promises Elijah that within 24 hours he would meet up with the same fate. She would make sure of it! And now it feels like everything he has worked so hard to accomplish to God’s glory through his Christian life has gone up in smoke. Now we’re listening in as Elijah tells God that Living the Christian life in an unbelieving world is an impossible mission. He’s telling God, "I’ve had enough!"
Elijah makes it very clear to God he has had enough of this impossible mission of living the Christian life that seeks to share the Christian faith even in the face of rejection and scorn! It seems like every time he tries to share his Christian faith he’s snubbed. He confesses that despite his best efforts to win the hearts of the Israelites over to the true God they’ve done nothing but turn a deaf ear, especially the leaders in Israel. He goes even further. He confesses to God that despite his best efforts he hasn’t done any better than his fathers in turning this nation around. They’re just as wicked as ever! It’s just Elijah and his servant against this sinful nation. That’s why this impossible mission is a lonely one as well! He’s had enough of this impossible mission with its rejection and loneliness.
There’s more! Elijah has dedicated his life to sharing God’s Word with the people of his nation. He’s spent his life encouraging his fellow countrymen to repent out of love for the eternal good of their souls. What does he get in return? Not only is he snubbed, but he even has his life threatened! He’s had enough. He’s had enough of all the dangers that come with trying to carry out this impossible mission. He’s exhausted from being on the run all of the time. He’s always watching his back. He doesn’t want to have to worry about all the dangers that come with living as a Christian in a wicked world. He doesn’t want to have to deal with the threat from ungrateful, unbelieving people with whom he tries to share his faith any longer. He’s burned out. He ’s ready to be done with the whole thing. He just wants to be in heaven with his Lord where the mission is complete.
Are there many Elijah’s here this morning? It’s tough work being part of a mission congregation having to set up for worship every Saturday and tear down every Sunday. It’s tough work to invite others to join us only to have to tell them that we’re worshiping at a dance studio with no permanent church building to call our own! It’s lonely work when you’re part of a small congregation that is part of a small church body whose roots are in the Upper Midwest and you’re in the deep South. It feels even lonelier when because of our love for the truth and purity of God’s Word we have to separate ourselves from those who are adding man-made rules to God’s Word or taking some of God’s truth out of his Word! It can be frustrating work as it we struggle to make ends meet. It can be disappointing work because the numerical results seem so slow. Are you starting to feel a little disappointed, dejected, even depressed? Does it seem like the mission of this congregation to live the Christian life as a community that strives to share its Christian faith is an impossible mission? Do you sometimes wish God would get on with things and take us home to him in heaven where the mission is complete? Do we sometimes feel that way collectively as a congregation? If we are then we’re experiencing what Elijah was feeling!
Now here’s where things get interesting as we listen to God’s response to Elijah’s prayer. We know that God could have responded to that prayer in a number of different ways. Sure God could have taken Elijah at that moment to be with him in heaven, but God knew it wasn’t time! He could have told Elijah to get back on his feet, quit his sulking, and take these hardships like a man, but God knew that Elijah didn’t need another demand made of him at this point in time! He could have grabbed him by the arms and shaken him a little to remind Elijah who would take care of the results, but God knew that Elijah wasn’t relying on his own efforts to get results. Elijah was committed to doing things God’s way. He wanted to give God glory in all that he did. He wanted to bring others to know their gracious God who wanted to be their Savior.
Elijah wanted to live the Christian life. He wanted to do God’s will - but it seemed like nobody else in this country cared what God wanted. He felt like he was useless. He felt incapable, incompetent, and now incapacitated because of Jezebel’s threats. The response Elijah needed most - is the response that God gave. God actually concurs with Elijah’s assessment of the whole situation. God also remarks that Living the Christian life is an impossible mission. But God also makes it very clear that Elijah’s impossible mission isn’t over just yet. God adds that, "There’s time for more!" God knows that nothing is impossible when he is involved. That’s why God provides Elijah with something that would assure him that the impossible is possible with God. God provides bread from heaven in a way that is impossible for mankind. Elijah needed to see God’s hand at work doing things that would be impossible for human hands to accomplish. In fact Elijah was touched by the hand of an angel, but not just any angel. That angel was Jesus himself, the Angel of the Lord, who patiently wakes Elijah two times to be sure that he has enough bread from heaven to eat.
Through this bread God gives Elijah the strength that he would need to tackle this otherwise impossible mission that God has given him. Without this bread God rightly admits that the journey is too much for Elijah. But with this bread that God provides Elijah would be sustained for 40 days and 40 nights as he traveled 200 miles on foot into the barren wasteland of the Sinai Peninsula to Mt. Horeb where God had given his Ten Commandments to Moses some 700 years earlier! This was most certainly an interesting, unexpected answer to Elijah’s prayer - and yet it was exactly what Elijah needed to tackle the otherwise impossible mission of living the Christian life in the midst of persecution, rejection, and ridicule.
Automobile genius Henry Ford once came up with a revolutionary plan for a new kind of engine, which we know today as the V-8. Ford was eager to his get his great new idea into production. He had some men draw up the plans, and presented them to the engineers. As the engineers studied the drawings, one by one they came to the same conclusion. Their visionary boss just didn’t know much about the fundamental principles of engineering. He’d have to be told gently that his dream was impossible. Ford said, “Produce it anyway.” They replied, “But it’s impossible.” “Go ahead,” Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.”
For six months they struggled with drawing after drawing, design after design. Nothing. Another six months. Nothing. At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers and they once again told him that what he wanted was impossible. Ford told them to keep going. They did. We all know the outcome of their efforts because the V-8 engine is a common site on streets and highways today.
In a sense isn’t that a picture of how God works with us? He has a vision - a vision for his people to live the Christian life in an unbelieving world where they are persecuted, rejected, and ridiculed. Aren’t there times when we listen to his vision and look at his plans that we’re pretty sure he doesn’t understand the fundamentals of living in a sinful world? We try and try to do what he wants, but day after day, week after week, month after month it seems like his vision just isn’t going to work. We come to him dejected, disappointed with ourselves, and despairing.
At those times our God encourages us all the more by giving us the only thing that will help us achieve the impossible! It’s at these times that our God comes to us with his living bread from heaven - Jesus himself. The bread that never spoils, the bread that will strengthen us to the impossible mission to which he has assigned us, to live the Christian life in an unchristian world. He strengthens our souls by reassuring us that our entry into heaven is guaranteed because of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. He reminds us through the spiritual food of his Word that he gives us this seemingly impossible mission so that we might see his hand at work. He comforts us with his very body and blood together with the bread and wine that even with all of our failures he will make the impossible - possible for us.
You, the members of Hope Lutheran Church, have experienced this truth in a very vivid way just recently. You have committed yourselves to the "impossible" mission of living the Christian life together as a congregation here in Irmo, SC. When June Besel was in the office on Friday running off the newsletter she commented how much tougher that mission seemed during the pastoral vacancy. I can only imagine just how impossible that situation must have seemed! To keep a church alive without a pastor - is that even possible? Can a church live without any paid staff? Who will keep it running?
But that impossible mission was accomplished! Now I want you to think back. Who was it that saw you through those "impossible" times? Wasn’t it at those times, those tough times, those lonely times, those sad times, when you felt like the wind has been let out of your sails, that God gave you just what you needed? What to many must have seemed like an impossible mission - he made it possible by reminding you that this mission of living the Christian life as a Christian congregation is possible. It’s possible because a Christian congregation exists wherever two or three are gathered together in his name, pastor or no pastor! God be praised that he saw fit to strengthen you as a congregation to meet that seemingly impossible challenge. Not only did God make it possible - he made it a reality!
My dear Christian friends now that God has seen fit to send you a pastor your mission has not ended. As long as we have life and breath upon this terrestrial sphere may we give ourselves fully to that impossible mission of living the Christian life in an unchristian world, because our Lord and Savior did the impossible for us by sacrificing his innocent life to set us free from sin and punishment. To that end may we all strive with eager hearts ready to exhaust ourselves in accomplishing that impossible mission with the one who makes all things possible! Amen.
