Intro: Did you ever try to start a campfire? How about with wet wood? It’s not always as easy as it looks on the camping shows. I remember once Ronda had taken her class of 2nd graders camping. I came along for the evening program. While they were playing games, I was supposed to get a campfire going. I can remember the wood was all wet, and the ground was wet. I remember getting lots of newspaper. I stuck it under the twigs, lit the paper, and a fire started. It wasn’t long until I realized that my fire was having problems. I quickly ran back to the supply building and rooted for some gasoline. I went back to the struggling fire, and by this time all the kids were gathered around. I threw the gasoline on the fire, and flames went soaring up to the sky, but in about a minute, the flame had died back down to the poor struggling flame I had before. It took about two more doses of gas, and about 15 minutes to get the flame where kids could roast marshmallows and hot dogs on it.
Think about it - I could burn up a quart of gas in a minute. Yet, if I put just a few ounces in a small plastic container, a lighter, I can have a steady, controlled flame for hours. The best fire is going to be produced by a steady flame.
Now think about our Christian lives. What God desires is not someone who will get all excited during a week of revival meetings, come every night, sit on the front pew, and walk the aisle a few times. Rather, what he desires is some who will consistently walk with God day after day. We’ve been talking the past few weeks about snares of Satan. One of his strongest snares is the snare of burnout. He gets us to give up the fight. Actually, this morning, I would like us to look at three different aspects of this: burning out, getting wrapped up, and getting worn out. Let’s look at God’s word and see where we see ourselves. Shall we pray . . .
I. Burn Out - When we are busy doing good - Moses: Exodus 18
Read 18:1, 13-27. Moses is a great example of a godly man who was burning out. He just was doing too much. Yet, he was doing it for the Lord. he was a busy man, doing good, but destroying himself in the process. Lest any of us forget, we are only human! There’s only so much we can do. no matter what anyone thinks or prays for, there are only 24 hours in a day. Hezekiah and Joshua are the only ones who ever got more time in a day.
Let’s learn some lessons from Moses. First, we need to let others help us. Often we do things alone. We think it is easier. We think no one else will do it just like we do. Often we give in to the tyranny of the urgent. The truth is, that often it takes us longer to show someone what to do than to do it ourselves. Yet, if we would take a little time to train others to help, it could be a great relief for us. I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with this. For example, if anyone would like to make the coffee Sunday mornings before the service starts, I’d be glad to show you what to do. If anyone is willing to take the Sunday school attendance and collect the offerings, I’d be glad to show you what needs done. Moses was doing all the small work himself, not letting others get involved. Let’s not let failure to delegate burn us out.
Often others expect us to do things for them that they should be doing for themselves. Look at verse 20 - the reason Moses was to teach them the law was so they would know what they should and should not be doing. Often we don’t want to read our Bibles and figure out God’s truth: we want someone to tell it to us in a plain, simple way that a five year old can understand. Yet, while much of God’s word can be understood by five year olds, there is much deep truth that 50 year olds in the faith struggle with.
So many people use the excuse that they aren’t being fed. Dick Eastman tells them, “Get your own fork!” It’s not the job of the pastor or board or church or any other person to do for us what we should be doing ourselves. Let’s make sure that we help people where they need help, but let’s not do for others what they need to be doing for themselves.
Look at verse 22. Moses was to hold himself for the hard cases.
Often we don’t focus on what is really important. We get so busy doing everything under the sun, that we forget what is really important. In the next few weeks, we are going to be revisiting the main functions of the church, our reason for existing in the first place. Church is not about holding pot-luck dinners, bake sales, or mother-daughter banquets. There’s nothing wrong with any of these programs, but let’s focus on the primary purposes that God has left us here on this earth. We’ll talk about this more next week.
Moses had a problem: he was burning out. The answer was simple: Discipleship and delegation. Do you feel like you’re burning out, like you’ve been going non-stop for God? Far too often we live in a hurried society and live non-stop lives; yet often it’s not God we’re serving, but this world’s mixed-up system. Let’s learn from Moses to delegate: let’s get others involved in helping us where they can. And let’s focus on discipleship. Last week I talked about the responsibility of older women to teach the younger women. In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul tells Timothy And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Men and women both, we are to be investing our lives in helping others grow in their faith.
If you would like to grow deeper in your understanding of Scripture and in you walk with Christ, let me know. We are getting ready to start some one-on-one discipling in the church, where we could pair you up with someone else who could help you understand who God is and what the Bible is all about a lot better than you do right now. If this would be of interest to you, let me know after the service.
Not only does Satan try to get us to Burn out, he also tries to get us Wrapped up.
II. Wrapped Up - When we are bound by our fears - Elijah: 1 Kings 19
Look with me in this chapter at this great man of God. This is the prophet who has just called fire down out of heaven. This is the man of God who prayed and it had not rained for 3 and 1/2 years. Yet, here he is, afraid of a woman and running for his life. He is all wrapped up in his fears. Often Satan seeks to defeat us in the area of our fears.
Often we are fearful for we forget the power of our God. Elijah has forgotten the power of God that is at his disposal. He has just proven he has the power of God and none of the prophets of Baal could do what he did. You would think that nothing would shake him. Yet, Satan is able to make him fearful.
Often instead of focusing on God, we focus on our problems. What is Elijah thinking about? Not God, but Jezebel. He is afraid of someone who has no power over him. Often we spend so much time wasted on thinking about “what if?” Remember the words of the sermon on the mount: O you of little faith, do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So often we focus on things that might go wrong, and what we end up doing is fail to have faith. Our focus should never be in fearing what will happen in this earth. Jesus said, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. There are times where we might be afraid -- that is human to fear -- yet the bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear. Elijah was not trusting in the God who loved him and who had fed him each day for the last 3 and 1/2 years to keep him safe from the wrath of an angry queen.
Often when we are wrapped up in our problems, we need rest and refreshment. See what God does? He gives him rest and food before he confronts him with his fear. Ronda’s dad used to always ask her two questions when she came home from college: How are you eating? and how are you sleeping? If Satan can defeat us in our diet or our sleep, it will be easy for him to affect our thinking. Let’s make sure we get the right amount of rest and refreshment.
When our focus is wrong, we will also see ourselves wrongly. Elijah sees himself as the only one who is standing for God. God shows him this is not true. He still has 7000 left. Elijah was wrapped up in his problems.
What is the cure for being wrapped up? Dedication!
We need a renewed dedication to the work that God has called us to do. Satan loves to get us sidetracked. He doesn’t try to get us to throw out our Bible; he just let’s a good show come on the TV when we sit down to read it, or he let’s an old friend call us right when we get started. What does God tell Elijah?
Refocus - verse 15 - he goes back to work. He doesn’t need a sabbatical; he just needs to refocus on the power of God to work in his life. God tells him to REJOIN God in His work. He tells him to get REINFORCEMENTS: both others who will be encouragers in his work, as well as to see those who are already working. Then God has him Rally the troops. He sends him back ready to be used once again.
We’ve seen burn out, being wrapped up, and now worn out.
III. Worn out - When we are tired of doing right - Gideon: Judges 8
Sometimes, we realize that we get worn out. We are doing exactly what we should be doing, but we want to give up. We get tired. Look with me in Judges 8. Here we have the story of Gideon and his battle. he takes his troop of 300, and God brings a great victory. Gideon is pursuing the Midianite army to utterly defeat them. But his men are tired of fighting. Yet, we see what happens. Though they are faint, they continue to pursue the army. Look in verse 12. By continuing on, the whole army is destroyed.
While God is working, let’s keep on pursuing. I know many of you have been working and struggling for a long time. We have seen different issues and struggles in the church over the last years. Yet, don’t give up now. God has the victory in sight. If we will be faithful to follow him, God will honor that commitment. Yet, let’s also learn from Gideon.
We need to plan wisely for victory. In 7:24 we see Gideon sending our scouts to prepare for the escaping army. In 8:11 we see Gideon approaches in a way they do not expect. We need to plan wisely for victory. What is God wanting to do here at Union Chapel. That is one of the questions we need to answer. We need to look around us at all the new families moving in to the neighborhoods around us, and we need to ask how we can reach them with the love of God and provide for their needs to be met. We need to look at them, see what needs they have, and how as a church we can help them. We need to plan wisely for what God will do.
The truth is that often we give up too soon. God can give a great victory if we will not give up. Galatians tells us And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. The cure for being worn out is Determination. Being willing to continue on even though we get tired. We wonder why no one else will do what we have been doing for so long. Let’s be determined we will continue doing that which we know we should be doing.
Concl: Whenever Satan tries to get us into the trap of giving up, whether it be being burned up, wrapped up in fear, or worn out, the answer is always the same: to get a new vision of God. Whenever we see God as he truly is, we will be encouraged for any snare or temptation we face. In 1 Samuel 30, David and his men have been out with the Philistines. They return back a 3 day march to their homes at Ziklag, only to find their families taken captive. The men want to stone David. Verse 6 tells us But David found strength in the LORD his God. When the going gets tough, let God provide encouragement for your soul. David encourages the men, they go one to birng back every single family member. Not one is lost.
Are you depressed, discouraged, worn out, burned out, plagued by worry, fear, and despair? Find encouragement in the Lord your God! let him make himself real in your life and renew the joy of your salvation.
Shall we pray.
