Rest If You Must! But Don't Quit!

REST IF YOU MUST, BUT DON’T YOU QUIT!

YOU HAVE A DIVINE APPOINTMENT WITH REST AND PEACE!

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

This is a two part lesson, unless you move quickly and skip some of the material?

1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

I. INTRODUCTION: OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN BE DIVINE APPOINTMENTS.

A. AS POPEYE’S FAMOUS WORDS SAY: ME’S HAD ALL ME’S CAN STAND, AND ME’S CAN’T STAND NO MORE.

HAVE YOU EVER COME TO THAT POINT THAT THIS IS ENOUGH?

B. Sometimes the battle has been long? The battle has been hard?

Seems we are facing frustration on every hand? Disappointment? Heartaches?

C. Have you ever come to the part of your journey when there seems to be NO RHYME or NO REASON to this twisted trail?

II. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! MINISTRY CAN BE DRAINING.

1 Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

A. ENOUGH?

Be tired of ...

In a degree that more than satisfies what is necessary

As much as is required.

The words: REST IF YOU MUST BUT DON’T QUIT are so true to believers today.

B. ELIJAH WAS A MAN OF GOD. God called Elijah.

Who God calls GOD QUALIFIES.

C. One of Elijah’s friends NABBOTH has died an untimely death.

Nabboth went to trial and was treated unfairly and many lies lead to a false imprisonment and the UNFAIR EXECUTION OF A GOOD MAN.

D. Elijah was POLITICALLY INCORRECT and Elijah’s messages were not accepted by KING AHAB and QUEEN JEZEBEL. If the message is not received, the messenger will not be received.

E. Ahab provokes God to anger. Then Ahab and Jezebel BLAME Elijah the Preacher man!

F. ELIJAH DELIVERS A HARD MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT, THERE WILL BE NO RAIN OR DEW ---- ACCORDING TO MY WORD.

G. Elijah has to run and hide for his life. At the Brook Cherith, the Lord causes RAVENS to feed the man of God.

H. One day the Brook dries up, the Raven does not fly in with the meal, Elijah has to walk a little over a 100 miles to a strange woman’s house?

I. The widow’s son dies, that is a stress and strain on Elijah. She blames the Preacher? The Preacher lays the boy on the bed, and prays.

J. There is a terrible famine in the land. Sins’ cost has been terrible.

K. There has been a RELIGIOUS CONTEST between 450 false prophets of Baal and 1 PREACHER of God.

L. After seven years of drought, the Preacher’s servant has been to the mountain top 7X’s, the little cloud brings a promise and the PREACHER RUNS 18 MILES and beats the King’s chariot.

M. THE PREACHER CALLS OUT TO GOD, AND SAYS:

ENOUGH, IT IS ENOUGH!

1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might

die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

III. MY POOR LITTLE PREACHER, YOU ARE WEARY, TIRED, AND FRUSTRATED. YOU HAVE SEEN SIN RULE AND YOU HAVE SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN COST DEARLY. WHAT WILL GOD DO? GOD HAS R&R PLANNED. REST & RELAXATION.

A. Elijah, God’s man with GOD’S WORD, and God’s Divine Appointment and God’s Plan is NOW AT THE END OF HIS ROPE.

B. WHEN IT IS OVER YOUR HEAD, IT IS UNDER GOD’S FEET.

C. God’s plan is to bring His servant ASIDE, feed him properly and GIVE HIM REST! The preacher falls asleep heartbroken and BROKEN and SPILLED out!

D. GOD KNEW ELIJAH WAS TIRED, EXHAUSTED AND NEEDED REST!

1 Kings 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

E. ELIJAH’S MINISTRY HAD HIM RUNNING SO MUCH HE PROBABLY HAD NOT BEEN EATING PROPERLY.

1 Kings 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

F. ELIJAH SLEPT, ATE AND GOD MADE HIM LAY DOWN AND SLEEP SOME MORE, EAT SOME MORE, AND THIS REST AND MEAL WOULD POWER THE MAN OF GOD 40 DAYS!