“The Christian’s Terror Threat”
I Kings 19:1-8 & John 10:10
1KI 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
JOHN 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
INTRODUCTION
• We are now at a time in our country where we have to deal with elevated terror threat levels as it pertains to our nation’s security and the threat of some kind of attack.
• Elijah found himself with a rather personal terror threat…Jezebel wanted to kill him
• What do we do when we sense that the terror alert has been elevated in our lives?
I. His TERROR {vs 1-2}
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."
• Literally, Elijah’s life was threatened and there was no disobedience, no false confession, no sin issues, etc.
• All he did was the will of his Father
• Sometimes, our situation looks pretty hopeless and all we did was obey the Father.
EXAMPLES
The finances are a mess
Things aren’t very good at home
The job situation looks bleak
Sickness enters the picture
• Before we go any further, I want to remind us of some pretty good Bible verses which many of us have heard before:
RO 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
1JN 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1JN 3:21 For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
MT 19:26 …with God all things are possible."
LK 18:27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
• The terror threat in your life may seem great but God is always greater!!!
II. The TIMING {see previous chapter}
• Does anyone know what happened in the previous chapter? Take a look at it with me.
* Defeated the prophets of Baal---I Kings 18:20-40
* Caused the rain to fall after an extended drought---I Kings 18:41-46
* Elijah was used to do the supernatural
• These were times of great victory and what is Elijah’s posture? He wants to die!
• There is a lesson to be learned here, church! The enemy will often try to discourage you and defeat you right on the heels of some of your greatest triumphs!
III. The TURNING {vs 3-4}
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
• Elijah’s life was all of a sudden turned upside down and he began to do things that we are not used to seeing him do here
1. ANXIETY
o The man of courage was now a man of fear
2. ALONE
o The man who was constantly with his servant was now isolated
3. ABANDON
o The man of great faith now wanted to die
NOW, BEFORE YOU GET CRITICAL, REMEMBER WHO THIS WAS! IT WAS ELIJAH!!!
• This often happens to us…the terror threat seems to increase and we begin to react in such a way that is not normal or right for us:
1. ANXIETY
o People of great faith become people of great fear
2. ALONE
o We find ourselves isolating ourselves from the people who would normally love and care for us
3. ABANDON
o We abandon the hope we have in God and are ready to just give up…maybe even die.
IV. The TOUCH {vs 5-6}
5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him
• God touched Elijah…literally
• Not only that, but He gave Elijah the resources he would need to go from the broom tree to where he was supposed to go
• Unfortunately, Elijah merely took in all that was given to him and did nothing with it…does that sound familiar?
• How many times does God touch us and give us all that we need and what do we do? We go right back to what God was trying to bring us out of.
V. The TRAVEL {vs 7-8}
7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
• Folks, when things hit you in such a way as Elijah experienced, you need to keep on moving!!!
• Look where he went…to the mountain of the Lord. He went where he knew God’s presence was.
• Friend, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting to the place where you can experience the presence of the Lord in the midst of your terror threat!
* An altar
* In worship
* In a personal time with God…threat warnings can often come when there is no church service or small group around
RESPONSE
• Has the terror level gone up in your life?
• Don’t stay where you are you are…head for the mountain of the Lord!
