Talk 11 - When we feel like giving up

0:00 Well, this is our final talk in the series as we move into what we hope might be summer. I wore a shirt just, you know, to point to that hope. I gather that scientists have been working for years to understand why it is that our summer weather is so poor, and they've come up with a reason. Apparently, we live in Ireland. We stopped last week in 1 Kings chapter 18 and verse 39, and someone said to me afterwards, but you didn't read verse 40. So we're going to do that and then read verses 41 to 46. Verse 40 says this, then Elijah commanded them, seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away.

0:52 They seized them and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and executed there. And Elijah said to Ahab, go eat and drink for there's the sound of a heavy rain. So Ahab went off to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. Go and look towards the sea, told his servant. He went up and looked. there's nothing there, he said. Seven times Elijah said, go back.

1:22 The seventh time the servant reported a cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea. So Elijah said, go and tell Ahab, hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, and a heavy rainstorm came on, and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah, and tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. The verse 40 that I read that wasn't on the screen is not pleasant reading. So I just want to ask you question, what would you have done if you had been Elijah with these prophets of Baal? How would you have dealt with them in that context? People who had defied the living God, troubled and deceived the nation, destroyed thousands of lives while enjoying the patronage of an evil queen who had slaughtered hundreds of God's servants?

2:37 What would you have done? I'll leave you with the question. As Christians, of course, we are in a very different context. We do not constitute, as Christians, a geographical or political nation. Rather, believers in Jesus have been, as the New Testament tells us, baptized in the Spirit into what is called the body of Christ, which is a new spiritual community, which has no national or political boundaries, but consists of all who trust in Christ, regardless of national or ethnic identity. Israel back then was different. It was a geographical nation, a political identity, with a king who had failed to protect their unique identity as a nation chosen by God for the purpose of bringing blessing into the whole world. And the king had failed largely because he was too weak to stand up to his wife.

3:37 And where he failed, Elijah stepped in, exercising God's judgment within history. But of course, that was just a temporary execution of judgment because that's not the end of the story. These false prophets, having chosen not only to reject God, but to lead others to reject him, will have to face God's justice at a much higher level. So it isn't that the God of the Old Testament was some kind of angry, revengeful monster, but the God of the New Testament is an all-loving, all-forgiving Santa Claus figure and will simply let it go no matter what people do. It's the same God working in different ways in different contexts. Christians aren't the executors of God's judgment. Justice is left to the state. But at the ultimate level of final justice, God has entrusted all judgment to his son as the Lord Jesus told us, the one who died on the cross for us.

4:48 But justice will be done. So leaving that aside for a moment, I will come back to it later. Let's follow the story. Elijah instructed Ahab to go back to his palace and eat and drink because the rains were coming. The famine was over. Elijah himself sat on the mountain, put his head between his knees and prayed. He had prayed and God had answered by fire coming down in the sacrifice, now praying that God would bring the rain. The drought would be over, the land would flourish again, and there would be harvest, there would be food, and he prayed.

5:28 And we read the story, kept telling his assistant to go and look towards the sea. He saw nothing go again. He saw nothing. And the seventh time, a tiny mist, the size of a human hand, rising out of the sea. And very soon, the sky was covered in black clouds. The wind got up, and it chucked it down. And a remarkable thing happened. Ahab was riding back to his royal palace in his luxury carriage.

6:02 When the power of God came upon Elijah so that he outran Ahab all the way to Jezreel. You've got to picture the scene. Here's the king in his Rolls Royce driving back to his palace with an outrider, not on a motorbike, but running in front of him the whole way. Elijah, the person that Ahab and his wife seeking to kill is now the king's outrider. And you've got to kind of imagine what kind of impression that would have given. Has Ahab changed his mind? There is at least the beginnings of some hope with the king that he has responded to what God has done. But if you put these two incidents together.

6:59 The sacrifice that we talked about last time, and then the incident with the rain. The two of them come together. The true and living God is the one who spoke through fire coming down in the sacrifice. He's also the God who spoke in power through the rains coming down on a thirsty land to guarantee harvest. Sacrifice followed by rain. Now you may consign me to the depths of all these fanciful preachers that you hate so much, but I can't help seeing in this a kind of little snapshot, a picture in advance of something that was going to happen at a higher level. The God who spoke in this way to the nation under Elijah has also spoken to us in his son who gave his life for our sin on the cross. He's also spoken through the pouring out of his spirit at the harvest festival of Pentecost, sweeping 3,000 people into the kingdom and launching a new era of his work in the world of which you and I are part.

8:17 And just as the rains came in response to Elijah praying, so the Spirit came in response to the Lord who told his disciples, I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him, But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you. Because I live, you also will live. We serve the living God, but now at a higher level because his life by his spirit is now in us. And one of the reasons I put these things together is because of the way the New Testament talks about Elijah and his praying. I want us to read that this is from James chapter 5, where we read, The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain in the land for three and a half years.

9:30 Again he prayed and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wonder from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this. Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. It's an intriguing connection between Elijah's praying for rain and brothers and sisters seeking to help a sinner to turn from the error of their wares. Elijah was a unique person. He was uniquely gifted by God. There's no one else quite like him in the Old Testament except perhaps Moses. And it's interesting that surrounding both Moses and Elijah, there was an explosion of the kind of supernatural activity that is actually quite rare in the rest of the Old Testament, particularly in terms of sheer quantity.

10:33 Here you have the great lawgiver Moses, the great prophet, who hundreds of years later are brought together, if you remember, to stand with Jesus on the mountain when he was transfigured before his disciples. And they were talking with Jesus about the exodus that he was going to make at Jerusalem. through his sacrifice. Elijah was unique. I'm not Elijah and neither are you. And when I read these incidents, they make me feel small and inadequate and unspiritual. But that isn't what James says. He tells us that in one way at least we are the same as Elijah.

11:20 We are human. He's human. He was human. Sinful, subject to the same emotions as we are. And I think we can get that, and we certainly will as we move on with the story today. Elijah's specific calling was to control the weather. It's not mine. Sometimes I wish it was.

11:43 I tend to go to my room, put my head between my knees and pray for literal rain. No, I don't. Not living in Northern Ireland. And you can understand that. But what was this about for Elijah? What was this whole thing about the sacrifice and the rain? It was about, and using his own words, turning people's hearts back to God. that's what's at the core of this turning the nation or at least many in it from their sin from the error of their ways to save them from self destruction and get them living loyally to the Lord again listen again to James my brothers and sisters if one of you should wonder from the truth and someone should bring that person back someone should do an Elijah

12:40 and bring that person back. Remember this, whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Isn't this something we can all be involved in? I've been praying for this kind of rain most of my life. Praying for the work of God's spirit and a harvest in the lives of people. In my family, in my work when I was a teacher, when I was working here in my country. That's what I pray about most. I pray for the rain.

13:36 that God's spirit would work and so work through me even to bring one person back from the error of their ways and save their life. I think of what Paul said to Timothy, watch your life and teaching closely, persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. We were hearing about Joe Wilson in a straight line, doing the same thing in a straight line. This is what his life was about. We're called to the same ministry. I think of the example, for example, of a teacher in school. And I was a school teacher for quite a few years. And I had quite a few bored students, I would have to confess.

14:38 Maybe some of you were part of that. But every so often there would be one student and you managed to capture their imagination. And they were kind of, you know, you saw the talent, but they were in danger of wasting your life. And then suddenly their imagination was captured. And you see good teachers who are devoted to the kids and capture imagination and go the extra mile. And they save a life. Turn a person around. Fantastic profession to be involved in, I think.

15:16 It's that kind of thing we're talking about here. That dedication to pray, to invest time, to love, to encourage, to give hope, to point to the gospel and how it changes a life. And one of the things that constantly thrills me about this church is the number of people tirelessly involved in making this kind of spiritual investment in saving lives from generation to generation. That's fantastic. But it's important not to over romanticize it. This is not easy work. Turning people's hearts back to God is not easy. It is often tiring.

16:03 It is often discouraging. To watch people you love, people you invest in, decide to walk away from Jesus, I guarantee there is no one in this room who has truly got involved in the ministry of Elijah who doesn't know this kind of disappointment and disillusionment and heartbreak. So it's no surprise that the next thing we read about Elijah is that he's on the run. Let's read in chapter 19, verse 1. Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and had killed all the prophets with the sword. 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 one of them. Elijah was afraid he ran for his life.

17:04 And when he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there. And while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, he came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. I've had enough, Lord, he said, take my life. I'm no better than my ancestors. Then he laid down under the bush and fell asleep. And all at once an angel touched him and said, get up and eat. And he looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again.

17:36 And 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. So he got up and ate and drank, Strengthened by that food, he traveled for 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave and spent the night. So when Ahab told Jezebel the fantastic things that Elijah had done, she didn't see it the same way, obviously. Her fury was unrestrained. It had been Jezebel who had persuaded Ahab to build the temple to Baal in the first place. So the result of what God had done through Elijah didn't result in her conversion quite the reverse. She unrepentantly persisted in her allegiance to silent non-existent gods, and she was gunning for Elijah.

18:36 How are we to read Elijah's behavior in response to her threats? Some think that Elijah flushed with success from the dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal had started to think he was someone special, better than anyone else, and then discovered when Jezebel's threats put such fear in him that he wasn't. And as a result, he went the other way. He descended into doubt, even depression, asking God to take his life and runs panic-stricken. And when God later says twice to him, what are you doing here? He meant it as a rebuke. Now, I don't read it that way. There is pride in all of us, and some of us will even admit it.

19:30 But I think something else was going on. The verse three that we've just read, the NIV translates it, Elijah was afraid and ran for his life, but there's a footnote that indicates that it could easily be translated, Elijah saw and ran for his life. And apparently most of the manuscripts do in fact read when he saw. It's just people were wondering what sense does that make? How does that change things? Saw what? Well, in the context, when he saw what the situation was, when he saw Jezebel's response, she was the real power in the kingdom, not weak-minded Ahab. When Elijah saw that far from getting converted, she had doubled down in her worship of Baal, he would have seen at once that Ahab, however impressed he had been, would never lead the nation in revival.

20:32 Not unless either she was converted or God took her out of the way. And he saw that Jezebel would kill him if he got the chance. So he saw, when he saw how the land lay, he ran. As far as Beersheba, then a day's journey into the desert, he collapsed under a bush and prayed, I have had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors. That doesn't mean that I was proud and now I realize I'm just the same. No, he's saying something different.

21:06 I'm human like them. I'm made of the same stuff and I can't cope with this anymore. Elijah is human like us, as the New Testament points out. This is tough. After all he's gone through, he was exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, disappointed and broken hearted. Have you ever tried to lead a revival? Have you ever been in a public spiritual confrontation like Elijah? Have you invested hours of your life in prayer and in working for spiritual change?

21:53 Well, if you have, you will have some idea of what it takes out of a person in terms of emotional and spiritual energy. Those of you who have led youth Bible studies know about this. Those of you who lead home groups know about this. Those of you who lead teams know about this. Those of you who are elders know about this. Those of you who are parents know about this. This is hard work. And when it doesn't work out the way you had hoped, when the person you had poured so much into decides to walk away, when the church you put years of your life into collapses around you, the tiredness, the disappointment, that, I think, is what Elijah was dealing with.

22:46 So how did God respond? Well, not with criticism. That sadly is often how Christians respond. It isn't how God responded. God responded first by putting him to sleep. I think that's wonderful. He put him to sleep. Then an angel, one of God's civil servants, touched him, provided him with some lovely bread and a jar of water, and then put him to sleep again.

23:24 you mean there was no Bible study? I thought Bible study was the answer to every problem. Or an all night prayer meeting, surely. Or fasting. I mean, that's what he needed. No, he didn't. He needed a sleep. And another one.

23:44 And some decent food. And something to drink. And that sense that he was being cared for. And then the angel came back and woke him up and gave him more food. This is great. Saying, and listen to the words, the journey is too much for you. So Elijah got up and ate and drank again. And then he was ready for the long journey to Horeb, The mountain of God.

24:19 This isn't God dealing with a man who thought too highly of himself. This is how God deals with a person who is exhausted and worn out and disappointed. And God has his angels who do this kind of thing from time to time. I wonder, have you ever met any? I have. When you're tired, physically, emotionally, spiritually exhausted, the last thing you need is another prayer time or a Bible study. You need the sleep, a good meal, another sleep, a good meal, and then a journey away from the crowds to a cave where you can spend the night under God's watchful care. Because spiritual work is work.

25:10 I don't know how they estimate these things, but I was once told that giving one talk like this one this morning is equivalent to a day's manual labor in terms of what it takes out of a person. I'm doing two of them, so work it out. Being a youth leader, doing the work of an elder, all those other roles, leading a home group, they're demanding. Can we understand that? Can we be more supportive rather than destructive? Can we think of how we might be that angel in God's hand to nourish, to feed, to help provide a break, even a holiday for those who feed and nourish you? I'm so grateful for the angels that have come to my rescue from time to time. Elijah went south.

26:16 Some critics think he should have gone back north and sorted Jezebel out there and then. But God didn't say that. There's no hint of that here. He was concerned that Elijah rest and regain his strength. For as he said, the journey is too far for you. God knew where he was going. He was going south to the Horeb mountain range because that's where the mountain of God was. That's where Sinai was, where Moses had gone to meet with God and receive the law that formed the basis of the covenant that God made with Israel.

26:56 Elijah went there to meet with God, to wait for his word, to talk the situation over with him. And I don't have time to read all the passage, but let me just quote from it. And please read it for yourselves, 319. When God asked him what he was doing there, Elijah replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, Put your prophets to death with a sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. Notice the term, they have rejected your covenant. He's saying this in Horeb, where the covenant was made.

27:46 That's why he's there. Israel rejected it when it was first made and persuaded Aaron to make false gods for them out of their wealth, would you believe, the gold that they'd formed into earrings. So they made gods of their wealth because you have to have something to follow in life, don't you? When you lose your way, it might as well be your money. And now, says Elijah, they're doing it again. They've rejected your covenant, your sacrifice, your profit, and I'm the only one left. They're trying to kill me too. In Romans 11, Paul quotes Elijah's prayer here and describes it as Elijah appealing to God against Israel or praying against Israel.

28:34 And Paul then asks when he comments on this, what was God's answer? And he quotes from 1 Kings 19, what God says in verse 18, I have reserved for myself 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So everything else in Elijah's prayer was right, but one thing was wrong. He wasn't the only one. It seemed like that to him, but it wasn't the case. There were 7,000 others. It's fantastic when God occasionally lets you see this. Here is more good medicine for the spiritually exhausted, disappointed and even depressed.

29:23 You're not the only one. There are 7,000 others. I know what I'm doing. I'm not finished yet. When I left school, I went to France for seven months to work in a missions team, and I found it really hard. There were some encouraging moments, but it was mostly difficult, and I quickly learned many of my own personal limitations. It was a small team. I was often on my own going into blocks of flats trying to encourage people to talk about the gospel and you could almost feel and smell the rampant secularism that prevailed in France.

30:03 The extremes of success on one hand and despair and yet the vast majority of people with no time at all for God and that can take its toll and I came home with some big questions because I find it exhausting, spiritually draining and almost overwhelming. Nobody, as far as I know, was literally seeking my life, but I felt alone. The task is hopeless. And when I told the man who had become a spiritual mentor to me for many years, he laughed. Now, I'm not recommending that as a kind of technique, you know, when you're counseling somebody, but he laughed, gently, but he laughed. It wasn't exactly the response I was seeking. And then he said, Gilbert, you're a wee bit late to the party, aren't you? I was going, what does he mean by that?

31:00 And he went on to explain, I mean, it's a pity that God had to wait for a few thousand years for you to come along to point out to God that he had a big problem. Slowly, the penny dropped. God knows he knows what he's doing he is working out his purposes he is in control not me I've got 7,000 who haven't bowed their knee to Baal Elijah of course had no way of knowing that it's just how he felt how all of us can allow ourselves to feel that we're on our own how kind of God to tell him you aren't alone. There's 7,000 others. I'm in control. I know what I'm doing.

31:57 But let me take care of you, Elijah, and get you back on your feet so that you can once again play your part in my purposes. But please, Elijah, leave the big picture to me. Paul found fantastic encouragement in this which is why he writes about it imagine him in prison for the gospel facing execution thanks largely to the opposition from official Judaism which had rejected Jesus how it broke his heart as he tells us in Romans 9 heart broken over his own nation and how alone must he have been tempted to feel but God revealed him just as he had revealed to Elijah that he wasn't alone, that there was a remnant like him and many others who did genuinely believe. It might be small, but that remnant was the guarantee that God hadn't finished with Israel yet and one day will indeed restore the nation to himself. It's worth keeping going. And finally, God did two more things to encourage him. First, he told Elijah, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord because the Lord is about to pass by.

33:19 Get out of the cave, stand on the mountain, get a different perspective. Sometimes it's hard to do when you're deeply tired and discouraged. But eventually, after time, you need to emerge from the cave in order to get going again. You need a bigger perspective. than the narrow, claustrophobic confines of the cave that we find ourselves in. A big perspective of God, a big perspective of history. There was a great storm, a massive wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake, but again, the Lord was not on the earthquake.

33:58 And after the earthquake came fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper, the famous still small voice to use the language of the King James translation. And it is very tempting to follow many others who have interpreted this as meaning that sometimes God speaks dramatically with a loud voice, but there is another side to God and he speaks quietly and gently in our conscience, in our inner being. And given Elijah's emotional exhaustion, God spoke gently to him. Well, that could well be true, but I don't think that's what's going on here. Because what was the still small voice saying? Well, if you read the chapter, you'll discover that God was announcing the most devastating judgment to come through Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha on the entire house of Ahab. God doesn't lose his temper when he judges.

35:03 His voice was calm, still, but very clear. And I can imagine some of us thinking, well, there's not much comfort in that. I preferred the version where it was a nice, gentle voice. Come on, Elijah. There is fantastic comfort here. Don't you long for justice? Don't you? don't you long for a day when greed and power and lust are dealt with the wars, the exploitation of women the murder of children don't you long for justice I certainly do and the Old Testament poets celebrated the fact that one day God is coming and he's coming to judge.

35:59 Justice will be done, Elijah. I'm not going to let this go on forever, but in my time, I will judge. That is fantastic encouragement that one day justice will be done. And then finally he said to Elijah, Go back north and anoint new kings and anoint your successor. I think that's brilliant. Carry on, Elijah. Don't stop.

36:40 Keep going in that straight direction. It's for a time. It's for a season. Anoint your successor. But keep going because God is in control. so for those who are exhausted emotionally drained disappointed, heartbroken you may not be ready for that last bit that's okay the end of June you know the caravan is beckoning the holiday, the whatever at least I hope you managed to get some sort of break some way there are times for everything a bruised reed he will not break Jesus doesn't come along to the wounded and shoot them as the church often does. He works to restore them, allows time for them to heal and recover.

37:37 But not so that we remain forever in a spiritual hospital, but so that we gain strength to take our place beside one another in the greatest battle in history. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for the wonderful way in which you deal with us. I pray that we will hear your voice speaking to us today. And that all will sense your care the way you understand us. You know our frame. You know that we are dust. You know our weakness.

38:29 You know the growing weaknesses. Those of us are getting older. You know all about us. But thank you for this final word that it is worth carrying on until we reach the end of that line. And you say to us, well done, good and faithful servant. Encourage us, strengthen us, refresh us, revive us, restore us, so that we in turn can get involved in the ministry of Elijah, turning the hearts, even of one person, back to God. In Jesus' name, amen.