“Turn Your Pity Into Praise”
Text: 1 Kings 19:1 – 18
Title; This morning I want to talk to you on the subject “Turning Your Pity Into Praise”
Notice in this biblical account there are at least 5 mistakes that Elijah made:
Mistake # 1 – Elijah was throwing a pity party!
* In verse 4 he tells God, “I’ve had enough Lord!
* You see the problem with a pity party is you usually don’t party alone, you will usually invite others!
* Many things we count as “spiritual warfare” are really pity parties!
Mistake # 2 – Elijah was living in the glory of the past!
* In two places, verses 10 & 14 we hear Elijah say but “I’ve been very zealous for the Lord”
* Sometimes we need to realize that things weren’t that good like we have made it up to be in our minds.
* Many times we would rather glory in our past accomplishments than fight for our future!
* ILLUSTRATION: when Joshua was about five… (tell story of him telling people I played for the University of Texas)
Mistake # 3 – He began to compare himself to others.
* Read verse 14
Mistake # 4 – He began blaming others for his troubles.
* Jezebel was chasing him
* The Israelites had abandoned God ( so he thought)
Mistake # 5 – He exaggerated the problems!
* You know the difference between a BIG PROBLEM and a little problem don’t you? A BIG PROBLEM is anything I’m going through, a little problem is anything YOU are going through!
* He said in verse in verses 10 & 14, “I am the only one left!”
Listen we need to turn our pity into praise!
Let me give you some ideas on how to turn your pity into praise.
# 1 – Check your pulse! There are people who didn’t wake up this morning!
# 2 – Look at the condition of others in our world. (Ethnic Albanians)
# 3 – Be Careful in What You Say.
* (Prov 18:21 KJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
* (Eph 4:29 NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (We’re looking for “new revelation”, when god says first do what I’ve shown you to do!)
# 4 – Be careful What You Think Upon!
* (Phil 4:8 NIV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
* What you think upon (your mind) gets into your heart and is expressed through your attitude!
* ILLUSTRATION: I walked into a room the other day and saw a man, and my first though was “boy, he’s ugly!” He didn’t smile; he had sort of squinty, puffy eyes. He just wasn’t very attractive! Then I realized it was a mirror! The man was ME!
* I conducted an experiment at Wal-Mart last night…I almost got punched out!
CLOSING: I’m not saying that truly difficult times won’t come. What I am saying is rather than throwing a pity party, we should learn to praise our God!
* Listen the greatest problem you could ever have is if you face eternity without Jesus.
* Jesus said (John 3:7 NIV) ’You must be born again.’
* (Eph 2:8 NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- (Eph 2:9 NIV) not by works, so that no one can boast.
