Series...
People Like YOU & ME
ELIJAH...RemindS ME of a "WORD" – TIRED.
Today – Look at ELIJAH
a MAN Greatly Used of God – Who Ran into a Dark Time in LIFE...
We can Learn from Him what to do & not to do – When You’re Down – Not Out
Read
I Kings 19:1-10
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."
Verse 7 is key
And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."
Today – We’ll Look at a Range of Mental/Emotional Conditions that Any of us CAN or Will Find ourselves in sometime in life.
Going from a 1-11
1 = Doubt in life...
11 = Not wanting to Do Life Any Longer...
Most of us will relate to Some part of this Message –
However, there’s 1 Part I Personally can’t relate to – not Wanting to Live.
This Sermon IS NOT ABOUT SUICIDE
YET
I Have Seen Suicide
I have LOST Family...Friends...Secular Co-Workers to Suicide...
Without Exception – Like Elijah – They Isolated themselves MENTALLY from ALL Potential Help.
DOUBT – As Little as it seems – Can Stand Between VICTORY or Depression
Mk. 11:23 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed, and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
STATS
Depression is something that nearly everyone battles with in life.
According to Psychiatrists Frank Minirth & Paul Meier, the majority of Americans suffer from a serious, clinical depression at some time during their lives. Most of these people never get help....they just fight this battle on their own.
And....fighting depression can be an incredibly painful thing. In fact recent studies of more than 11,000 individuals found depression to be more physically and socially disabling that arthritis, diabetes, lung disease, chronic back problems, hypertension, and gastrointestinal illnesses. The only more disabling medical problem was advanced coronary heart disease.
Symptoms of depression:
Weight loss or weight gain...Loss of sleep and energy...Lose interest in most or all pleasurable activities...Reduced ability to concentrate...Overcome with feelings of hopelessness or uselessness.
Sometimes the Solution is a Simple as Identifying it in your life & Getting away...BEFORE it Takes greater Grips on you...
The STORY
Elijah – is the MAN of the HOUR...
Elijah
Just killed 450 false prophets. Prayed intensely for rain, and then in the power of the Holy Spirit ran for over 20 miles. If you could ask Elijah on this day what he had been up to. He would’ve told you; “Well I confronted the idolatry of an entire nation, challenged and entire cult and it’s leaders and killed them, fasted and prayed down fire from heaven, called on God intensely until it rained, then ran 20 miles ahead of a man in a chariot. Do you think Elijah was tired? The truth for us is sometimes after we’ve put too much into work, family, church, and recreation we try to white knuckle it, grit our teeth and get everything done.
We are prone to depression. When your tired, you’re really vulnerable to the discouragement that leads to depression.
THE TIMING OF TIREDNESS
5 factors here
Came after a time of intense output in life
A relational conflict or problem
Physical exhaustion.
A major victory.
A huge disappointment.
NOTE
Elijah HAS A Huge Lesson for us today
AND He has a Tremendous Testimony – "I FINISH WELL"
A man that runs to DIE...Prays for it...Leaves his Destiny...Runs from a Woman...
YET –
Angel – "EAT...for the Journey is Great"
ELIJAH –
LEARNS from the EXPERIENCE
His LIFE CYCLE in this Part of the STORY –
We are at the BOTTOM of the Curve (He Hits Bottom)
Not Because of Some Gross Son...
Just Negligence...Bad use of Time...
QUESTION –
How Do YOU Go From Praying FIRE Down from heaven...To Being Ready to Die?
YOU DON’T!
The Movie "What About Bob"
Teaches us – it’s all about "BABY STEPS!"
I want to Mark a few Places in Life of Elijah that Can lead us to Deeper Trenches than we care to trod
The 1st Couple are VERY SUBTLE –
ALMOST INDISTINGUISHABLE
Maybe UNNOTICED BY MOST if NOT ALL REAL
1st – You can’t Put a Finger ON it –
IT has to Exist for any other to Exist
1. DOUBT
If I had to Put it anywhere – verse 3
"Saw that" – CONSIDERED IT
Defined?
I’m not sure where it crept in or how or why...BUT IT DID
Maybe as the Stakes got larger...Ran Harder...
Doubt Crept in Somewhere...
Shows up as a QUESTION...WONDER...WHAT IF...
Not really anything to "get concerned about" – OR IS IT?
2. DISILLUSIONED
Deals With FAULTY PERSPECTIVE
It’s Where - What You are Seeing & What is real, are 2 Different things...
Sometime the Difference is Looking with the Flesh instead of looking with the Spirit
What Happens Here –
Is that - You Begin to Answer the Questions of Doubt...Wondering Becomes Wandering...What if Becomes When...
You Offer Possible Outcomes to the Scenarios...
It’s Still Not Enough to Stop you – Just Enough to Put a Little Pin Hole in Your Vessel...
Earlier – He said "I’m the ONLY ONE"
He was Seeing it Through Eyes that were Blurred...
What HAPPENS?
WE take on a Role that ISN’T Real
Trying to make things happen that are Based on Imagination (Disillusionment)
What’s this mean in our life?
Whether in the Home...marriage...Family...Life...Career...
An Imperative or feeling that comes over us that says -"Something HAS to Happen" & We try to make it happen...
SUPERMAN
Leads to the NEXT
3. DISCOURAGED
WHY?
Nothing is Happening & We’re Working Our BUTT OFF...
Never mind that We are in the Flesh...
We Still Expect it to PRODUCE for US!
When it Doesn’t – We LOSE COURAGE
It is now –
DIS-COURAGE as in - UN...ANTI...LACK...
Equal to
DIS-FAITH...ANTI...UN...NON...LACK...
ELIJAH Runs for HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF WHAT HE SAW!
He Probably Expected it all to go down a little differently w/Jezebel...
BUT Remember – He was TIRED!
When We get Discouraged – OUR ANSWERS NOW SUBJUGATE GOD’S!
We are now Letting Our MIND Determine Our Route in LIFE
4. DISTRESSED
Elijah Gets SO Stressed Out – He is OVER IT!
Normally - A Certain Tension in Life is GOOD – When We are healthy.
However, when We’re not – We become DISTRESSED...
As in OVER...TOO...STRESSED...
Tension...Anxiety...Nerves...
NOTE –
Elijah’s Response to the Situation DID NOT START HERE!
He was already heading toward a downward spiral...
Because, he’s not dealing with Life day in & out with a Proper Relationship to GOD
GOD is STILL the SOURCE!
5. DEPRESSED
Depression: A hopelessness that’s not consistent with reality. A temporary condition emotional state with exaggerated feelings of sadness. More than discouragement that makes negative circumstances overwhelms a person’s life.
1 POINT –
Depression is also about ELEVATION
Depression – Sees things from the Bottom Up!
Lower Place than You are Supposed to be in!
Elijah Got so Depressed he was Ready to DIE...
It all started out with a Seed of Doubt Being Allowed to Germinate...Take Root...
And it got to the Point where he couldn’t see it any other way than the way he saw it...
HOPELESS!
Therefore – GIVE UP!
GOD CAME TO HIM!
"What are You Doing?"
To hear a small voice:
Be quiet...
Pay attention – he may not show up like you are expecting him to
Avoid distractions – Be in a place to Focus on God & not the Stuff
Listen carefully – He may be whispering your name right now!
Conclusion:
Elijah did get through this time of depression in his life. God gave him other mountain tops of accomplishment...and you know, even though at this low point Elijah asked God to take his life....even that never happened. Elijah never died....remember 2 Kings chapter 2 records that he was simply taken up into heaven in a whirlwind. So remember....depression is a cycle...a tunnel...something you go through.
A Mighty God
I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be down-hearted, and here’s the reason why:
I have a God who’s mighty—who’s sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me, and I am on His team.
He is all-wise and powerful—Jehovah is His name;
Though everything is changeable, my God remains the same.
My God knows all that’s happening—beginning to the end;
His presence is my comfort; He is my dearest Friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me—to bring my head down low;
I call upon my mighty God; into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten to rob me of my peace,
He draws me close unto His breast where all my strivings cease.
When my heart melts within me, and weakness takes control,
He gathers me into His arms—He soothes my heart and soul.
The great “I AM” is with me—my life is in His hand;
The “God of Jacob” is my hope; it’s in His strength I stand.
I refuse to be defeated—my eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me as through this life I trod.
I’m looking past all circumstance to Heaven’s throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God—I’m resting in His love.
I give God thanks in everything—my eyes are on His face;
The battle’s His, the vict’ry mine; He’ll help me win the race.
