The Still Small Voice

THE STILL SMALL VOICE

1 Kgs. 19:1-18

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. I’ve found that it pays to get along with your wife. As an example of this, a man was tired of living with his wife.

2. There seemed to be no way he could get away from her verbal harangues. At last he got so desperate that he decided that he would be happier in jail. He thought, “I’ll rob a bank and they’ll put me in jail.”

3. So he robbed a bank, was captured by the police, and the Judge gave him 6 months of “House Arrest!”

4. We’re going to read about a man this morning who might have been better if he’d been in jail.

B. TEXT

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. 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. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

C. THESIS

1. We are in a spiritual battle. In Hebrews 12:3, the writer expressed his concern about the early Christians "lest you be weary and faint in your minds." The word translated ‘faint’ means "to unloose," as of a bowstring. He was worried about people giving up their spiritual fight. Like unloading your gun in battle!

2. Paul never lost his “fight”-- "the disposition or power to continue in the struggle." Paul wrote, "Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life." 1 Tim. 6:12.

3. What kind of spiritual fight have you been putting up in the last year? Have you become weak, passive, discouraged, wounded, perplexed?

4. We're going to look at a great believer who became discouraged and see how God restored his fight!

5. Title: “The Still Small Voice.”

I. ELIJAH’S DISCOURAGEMENT

A. ELIJAH’S GREAT FEATS

1. Stopped the rain for 3 1/2 years.

2. Was supernaturally provided for during the famine.

3. Call down fire from heaven on the sacrifice.

4. Killed the 450 prophets of Baal.

5. Prayed down the rain again.

B. BUT ELIJAH LOST HIS “FIGHT”

1. ELIJAH HAD HOPED FOR REVIVAL

a. Elijah had given his all at Mt. Carmel & expected the nation would give up idolatry, turn to God and experience a revival.