A Life of Power in the Hour of Weakness
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Introduction
Introduction
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17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
James-Half-brother of Jesus
Elijah was a historical person. Not a fable. Jesus thought so too. The Gospel writers did and so did Paul.
Elijah was a man just like us. Not a super hero. Just a man of great faith who was used by God in a very powerful way.
In fact, if we were to use one word to characterize Elijah and his ministry it would be the word power.
The title of todays sermon is “A Life of Power in the hour of Weakness.”
Think about that title as we read the passage.
Lets begin reading in .
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’ ” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’ ” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1. The person must not have ever REALLY been saved in the first place.
2. The second, well they have backslidden so far they are no longer any use to God.
But that can not be true about the prophet Elijah! But here is in a moment of weakness, curled up under a juniper tree wanting to quit serving God and die.
But we are so quick to jump to one of those conclusions in most cases. They are the easy way out.
I know I have thought that about many people. One of them is me! I have failed and let many people down. Man-Early on in my Christian life I wondered if I was really even saved and as a teenager, “I got saved again just be sure!” That I have since discovered is ridiculous. Once we are saved, our inheritance is secured and we are sealed with HS. Baptized into the body of Christ and born again. You cant be UNBORN can you. We become a new creature immediately.
But after that, even though I was confident in my salvation, I often thought I was too far gone to ever be used by God. Even into my adult life. But God is never finished with us is he?
Sounds like two Elijah’s. What happened to the man of power? Doesnt sound too powerful here, running for his life, curling up under a juniper tree out in the wilderness. What happened to this man? Where did he go wrong?
When you think of famous bible characters you can often describe them with one word. Job- Patience, Abraham-Faith, Moses-Perseverance, Daniel-Courage, Ruth-Loyalty, Joseph-Purity, Elijah-power.
We need to back up about 3 years when Elijah first came on the scene. I am just going to give a brief history but you can read the details in 1 K 17-18.
Why do think
It was a dark time in the land of Israel! Etc…give a summary.
Need Background here.
Let’s review Elijah’s miraculous ministry from the book of .
1. He confront Ahab and predicts/prays for drought. (background)
2.It doesn’t rain in Israel for 3 nearly three years! Can you imagine what this area would be like with out rain for three years!
3. He he mir
3. Elijah is miraculously provided for by God during this time and protected from the search party of evil king Ahab.
4. After nearly 3 years, God tells Elijah to go and meet Ahab again and rain would finally come.
4. The widows son dies and Elijah prays and the
4. After nearly 3 years, God tells Elijah to go and meet Ahab again and rain would finally come.
This is the moment Elijah has been waiting for. Surely the drought has gotten the attention of God’s people. Surely when the rain came they would rejoice and turn to Yahweh again and reject Jezebel and her foreign Gods.
5. Elijah goes to meet Ahab and is led by God to challenge the prophets of Baal to a dual. We read about this in . Summarize it.
7. Elijah tells him now that the prophets of Baal have been defeated and the people of God have declared that Yahweh is the only true God, rain would finally come. Ahab goes to celebrate at his campsite on mount Carmel. Meanwhile, Elijah begins a long process of prayer.
That brings us to the text we read a few minutes ago. Summarize.
He runs to the streets of Jezreel and standing in the street, a messenger from Jezebel hands him a note of a death warning. Freeze frame!
Right here is when Elijah turns to run and he has his moment of weakness. Why?
The reason for the hours of weakness
What can we learn from this text and from the life of Elijah about our own moments of weakness?
Join me as we think about this scene and we will look at some possible reasons for the hour of weakness and some ideas to help avoid them.
I want us to look at the reaction of the Christian in an hour of weakness and the response of God toward His child in the hour of weakness.
The reaction of the X’n in the hour of weakness.
The response of God in the hour of weakness.
1. The reasons for Hours of weakness
1. The reasons for Hours of weakness
A. Extreme weariness
A. Extreme weariness
1. Trip to Carmel
1. Trip to Carmel
2. The dual
2. The dual
3. The slaying of the prophets.
3. The slaying of the prophets.
Application: We must find time in our Christian work for rest and recreation. We need the occasional break. We should divert Daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.
Application: We must find time in our Christian work for rest and recreation. We need the occasional break. We should divert Daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.
Jesus did this and he taught his disciples to do the same thing. Throughout the gospels we read how busy Jesus was with the work of HIs Father but sprinkled through out are little periods of time where Jesus would pull away from the crowd for rest and prayer and relaxation.
B. Extreme let down after a spiritual high.
B. Extreme let down after a spiritual high.
1. Fire from heaven
1. Fire from heaven
2. The people all agreed that Yahweh was God
2. The people all agreed that Yahweh was God
3. Rain was coming back!
3. Rain was coming back!
4. He had waited three years for this moment!
4. He had waited three years for this moment!
Have you ever been on the mountain top experience with God one day and then in a matter of weeks or even days or sometimes even hours, you experienced a huge letdown.
Have you ever been on the mountain top experience with God one day and then in a matter of weeks or even days or sometimes even hours, you experienced a huge letdown.
Have you ever expereineced God in a very real way like he answers a prayer and it so clear to you that God has superanturally intervened in your life. Wow that is so exciting! You cant wait to start telling people and when you do, no body really cares. I mean some people may say they are happy for you but they dont quite show the same enthusiasm you do.
Some may come right out and say it , “Could just be a coincidence you know.” Man, talk about a kick in then gut. Suddenly, you start doubting your initial reaction and you start feeling stupid and before you know it, you have a moment of weakness. Its a huge let down after a spiritual high.
Ever gone on a mission trip? Boy if we are not careful after a mission trip we can really sink into a spiritual low. This happened to me as a teen ager when I would go to Super Summer camp. It was a week long experience of worship and bible study with kids from all over Texas. I know HSU hosts them still today. When I was kid they were at Baylor University. By the time that week was over, I was so on fire for Christ I was ready to win my whole school to the Lord. But it didn’t take long for reality to set in when no one even really cared, not even the people back home at church.
Not too long ago, the church we attend raised money to send some kids to the local church camp this past summer. These were kids from homes whose parents did not go to church. I remember this one girl about 12 came back so excited about Christ. You could see it one her face Sunday morning. But by the time the next Sunday came, she looked dejected. Why? Well imagine what she felt when she got home so excited to tell her mom what happened but she was more interested in TV. Her dad was drunk on beer. Bad language in the house. What a letdown.
This seems to happen after major church events like VBS or Easter. Or some rally or conference or concert.
Application: Anytime we are a spiritual mountain top, we must discipline ourselves to pray EVEN MORE and read God’s Word EVEN more than before. The valley is coming! God will not leave us on the mount. He needs us in the valley where we can reach others and we can grow.
CS Lewis wrote about this and said that he noticed that the people God used the most are the ones who spent the most time in the valley, not the mountain.
This same idea played out in a scene from the New Testament where Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus on the mount of transfiguraiton. When Jesus appeared to Peter James and john in a glorified state. Peter gets so excited he wants to build some houses up there so they call all just stay up there. But jesus wont have it. The scene turns normal and Jesus leads them back down into the valley where they can minister to people. He also tells them that he is heading to Jerusalem to die later he tells them that they two must pick up their cross and follow Him. We are meant to be in the valley. Enjoy the mountain when you are there, but be ready, the valley is where you are headed. Don’t let that lead to a moment of weakness.
C. Extreme disappointment.
C. Extreme disappointment.
1. Maybe Elijah was extremely disappointed that things didn’t go right.
1. Maybe Elijah was extremely disappointed that things didn’t go right.
Have you found in your experience that God just doesn’t do what you think He is going to do. I mean, there are so many times I have scratched my head and thought what in the world is God doing? My wife is always warning me to stop having expectations of what will happen because I am usually disappointed. I mean I am really bad about this. I have it all mapped out in my head but it rarely ever goes that way! I get frustrated or sad. I am extremely disappointed. That’s when Satan moves in with temptations of doubt.
I know I might be guilty of reading between the lines here but since we are trying to figure out why Elijah had this moment of weakness, lets take think about it together.
1. Could it be that since the prophets of Baal have been defeated and the people had shouted, :Yahweh he is the God; that Elijah thought that Jezebel would go crawling back to Zidon where she came from and take her Baal worship with her? Well she didn’t. Instead she wrote him a letter threatening to kill him by morning!
A. Could it be that since the prophets of Baal have been defeated and the people had shouted, :Yahweh he is the God; that Elijah thought that Jezebel would go crawling back to Zidon where she came from and take her Baal worship with her? Well she didn’t. Instead she wrote him a letter threatening to kill him by morning!
A. Could it be that since the prophets of Baal have been defeated and the people had shouted, :Yahweh he is the God; that Elijah thought that Jezebel would go crawling back to Zidon where she came from and take her Baal worship with her? Well she didn’t. Instead she wrote him a letter threatening to kill him by morning!
Application: When we think we have satan beat, maybe we have overcome a sin and we feel it is no longer a threat, it doesnt give up that easy. It will likely come back as a temptation when you least expect it.
Think of Peter. The night before Jesus was crucified he promised Jesus he would never deny him but would stick with him till the death. We all know how that turned out. He couldn’t even stay awake to pray with Jesus in the garden and then denied he even knew Jesus and even cursed him.
When you think you have the devil on the run, beware, he is probably waiting around the corner to ambush.
I think they may be why Peter wrote in the 5th chapter of his first letter:
“Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Application: If you are winning spiritually, he is going to fight you!
B. Maybe he thought God would intervene. Elijah was used to miracles. God had done some amazing things. He had fed him with ravens, he provided an endless amount of flour and oil, he had raised a boy back to life, he had sent fire from heaven. He had caused a drought and now had sent rain. I can just imagine as he was running along in the rain to Jezreel thinking, what will God do this time? Maybe he just open the earth up and swallow Jezebel up like back in Moses day. Or maybe he would just send fire or lightning from heaven and zap her.
B. Maybe he thought God would intervene. Elijah was used to miracles. God had done some amazing things. He had fed him with ravens, he provided an endless amount of flour and oil, he had raised a boy back to life, he had sent fire from heaven. He had caused a drought and now had sent rain. I can just imagine as he was running along in the rain to Jezreel thinking, what will God do this time? Maybe he just open the earth up and swallow Jezebel up like back in Moses day. Or maybe he would just send fire or lightning from heaven and zap her.
But he didn’t. Have you ever been in situations where you just had to scratch your head and wonder where in the world is God! C’mon God, why don’t you do something here. Why are you allowing this to happen to me? Wh God why? Why did he have to get in that horrible wreck God? Why did she divorce me God, whats going on, that wasn’t in the life plan God! How can this be your will God! Why did they have die why now! Why does my little girl have to suffer with these physical problems God! Why Cancer now God, Im not that old!
I believe God still works miracles but by and large our walk is not a walk by sight is a walk of faith. You can say well life it self is a miracle and that is true, but what we are talking about here in miracles is when God steps in to nature and does something supernatural, something we don’t normally see.
I believe God still works miracles but by and large our walk is not a walk by sight is a walk of faith. You can say well life it self is a miracle and that is true, but what we are talking about here in miracles is when God steps in to nature and does something supernatural, something we don’t normally see.
When we keep our eyes on HIm and keep the faith even in these tough difficult times, God will be there to comfort you and help you.
C. Maybe he thought that when he came running in the rain to the streets of Jezreel that the people of God would come out of their houses and rally around him and oust Jezebel and Baal idols and there would be a great revival. But they didn’t! They should have, but they didn’t.
C. Maybe he thought that when he came running in the rain to the streets of Jezreel that the people of God would come out of their houses and rally around him and oust Jezebel and Baal idols and there would be a great revival. But they didn’t! They should have, but they didn’t.
It seems like what we have is a lonely figure standing in the rain, soaked and extremely disappointed.
Have you ever been let down by the people of God. Has another Christian hurt you? I should also ask, Have you hurt someone in the church, have you let your fellow Christian Brothers and Sisiters down? I think we all have to some degree or another.
ver been let down by the people of God. Has another Christian hurt you?
So many of us have been hurt by someone in the church. I googled, “I was hurt in church” and was shocked by the articles. Many just give up serving in church and leave. After reading several articles, listening to complain after complaint about how these poor people had been done wrong (and many of them were really really done wrong!), I wanted to ask them the question, “What did God do to you?” Did he hurt you? Did he let you down? That is who we serve. We love Him because He first loved us. He gave His life for us.
So many of us have been hurt by someone in the church. I googled, “I was hurt in church” and was shocked by the articles. Many just give up serving in church and leave. After reading several articles, listening to complain after complaint about how these poor people had been done wrong (and many of them were really really done wrong!), I wanted to ask them the question, “What did God do to you?” Did he hurt you? Did he let you down? That is who we serve. We love Him because He first loved us. He gave His life for us.
3. Reaction of the X’n during the hour of weakness.
2. Reaction of the X’n during the hour of weakness.
2. Reaction of the X’n during the hour of weakness.
A. He ran. That has never changed. Run run run. When we have failed God, we want to run from him and from anything that has to do with him.
A. He ran. That has never changed. Run run run. When we have failed God, we want to run from him and from anything that has to do with him.
1. Ran way down south about 80 miles (?). Why-
1. Ran way down south about 80 miles (?). Why-
Why-
Why-
a. Hard to face the crowd.
a. Hard to face the crowd.
b. Fear of fear
b. Fear of fear
c. Fear of failure
c. Fear of failure
d. Fear death but wants to die-confused
d. Fear death but wants to die-confused
Application: The Christian man or woman who is out of the Lords service is a confused individual and they need help. They are everywhere.
Illustration: Ryan
3. Response of Jehovah in our hour of weakness.
3. Response of Jehovah in our hour of weakness.
a. Tender loving care
a. Tender loving care
Understands what makes us tick
Our weakness and our needs.
Tired-lets him rest
Hungry and thirsty-feeds him
More rest
More food.
c. Then the searching question-What are you doing here Elijah?
c. Then the searching question-What are you doing here Elijah?
He is good and he can not leave us in the wilderness.
Question comes in a variety of ways-illness, financial loss, personal tragedy.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
d. Spiritual Cure-sends him on his way to the holy mountain.
d. Spiritual Cure-sends him on his way to the holy mountain.
Think of ? I went to the Sanctuary of God, Is in the temple
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.
It was in the cave that he sought to here a word from the Lord. He was restored to service and used in a mighty way.
The legacy of God’s prophet Elijah extended into the days of Jesus and beyond. In fact the last 2 verses of Malachi, the last book of the OT predicts Elijah’s return. It was believed that Elijah would return before Messiah. The Jews often even leave an empty chair at Passover with a cup of wine on the table for Elijah. The OT ends with this prediction and when you turn the page you start reading about John the Baptist coming in the spirit of Elijah to make the way for Jesus. Jesus talks about Elijah’s miracles as if they are historical fact. He is mentioned by Paul and James and John. He appeared with Moses on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus. In Revelation most believe that Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses who come to prophecy judgement on the antichrist and who have the power to stop rain and bring plagues.
Closing
1. We need to be patient and understanding with weakness of others. Not condone or compromise. Illustration
2. We need to encourage others in their hours of weakness.
3. We need to confess our weakness and find forgiveness and power. We need to seek God in our weakness. We dont want to! But at least pray for the want to. Pick up the Bible and eat and drink God’s Word. There is something about it, it makes a difference.