Sermon - Take a Spiritual Health Checkup!

Spiritual Health Check-up

26/07/09

Last week was one of those great times where God seems to be bringing a lot of truth together to be a really powerful message in your life. As I went from preaching at Kingsley on Sunday, teaching Scripture on Wednesday, Bible Study on Wednesday night and Young Adults Group on Thursday night as well as other conversations during the week there was an incredible overlap in what the Scriptures have been saying that I’ve really enjoyed.

I want to share some of those things with you this morning, and I hope that you will be challenged and encouraged by them as much as I have been.

I want to start with this morning by reminding you of the classic passage that describes what a healthy and active church looks like – Acts 2:42-47.

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

^42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ^43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ^44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. ^45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ^46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ^47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

^[1]

When we read about this church we see what it’s like to be right at the beginning of a new work that God is doing, before Satan has a chance to infiltrate it and attack it, and before it is weakened by all of the frailties and failures of the people who are a part of it.

The church in Acts 2 is not yet a mature church, but it’s heading in the right direction. If they keep up with what they are doing here there will be no way that the gates of hell will be able to stand against this church.

They have not yet had to contend with serious opposition. They have not yet had to stand firm against temptation and false teaching. They have not yet had to protect their hearts from becoming colder with the passing of time as their initial enthusiasm naturally wears off.

When we read the rest of the New Testament we find that the going was not always easy for the church, and they failed often. As the church grew and spread we see different congregations struggling with different issues.

Listen to what Jesus said to the church at Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2

Revelation 2:1-5 (NIV)

“To the angel^ of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: ^2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ^3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

^4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. ^5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

So here we see a church which was doctrinally more mature than the church of Acts 2. They had a greater grasp of the teachings of Jesus, the measurement of truth. They had persevered through trials and their faith and purity had proved genuine. They are a hard working church, and have not grown weary of doing good deeds despite the opposition they have faced.

Yet, they are threatened with spiritual extinction! They are a dying church! Jesus says that their witness in Ephesus will be removed unless they change course. They need to repent and do the things they did at first.

What could be missing? They are faithful. They are hard working. They have pure teaching and love the truth.

But they have forsaken their first love.

What is their first love? Simply love for Christ and for others. Love of truth has replaced love of God and love of people.

Is that possible? It shouldn’t be, because the truth clearly tells us to love. The truth tells us that love is the very character of God. But throughout history we have seen very often a swing between groups who do well at loving others, yet are soft on the truth, and groups who do well at standing for the truth, but tend to have a low regard for people, and little awareness or care for their impact on people. The Bible speaks again and again on the importance of truth and love existing together, and only then are both made complete.

So as we return to Acts 2, we see there a church that is not yet mature but a church that is alive and growing. That is the type of church that we want to be. A church that is alive and growing.

On Thursday night I asked the young adults to look at each of the things that those early Christians were doing, the things that the Ephesians of Revelation 2 were told to return to, and I asked them to evaluate themselves by that list. Are they devoted to and doing the same things as these early Christians? In effect what I was asking was “Are we a healthy and growing group, or have we forsaken our first love?”

A couple of weeks back I took our car up to Merredin to the place where we bought it for it’s 90,000km service. It took most of the day, and in the middle of a busy period that was a real nuisance. But I know that if I don’t pay attention to maintaining the car it’s not going to last the distance.

Our spiritual life needs regular check-up’s too. I’m not talking about the regular work of fueling up, cleaning out and so on – you know, things like reading our bibles, praying, serving and so on. I mean every now and then taking some time to take a close look at every part of our lives to see how it is going. To give our spiritual life a thorough going over.

Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT)

⁴ Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. ⁵ For we are each responsible for our own conduct.^[2]

I have brought along a couple of things which I hope will be of help to everyone as we each pay careful attention to our own conduct. The first is a Spiritual Health Check Up that I found on a website during the week. This one comes from Sugar Grove Church of Christ in Texas (www.sugargrove.org). I started putting one together, complete with lots of Bible verses, but I realised that it was too much for most people to get through! But I discovered this one and I think you’ll find it helpful. I encourage you to make some time to go through it this week. Be prayerful and honest and I am sure that God will bring some things out for you to work on.

Now before I show you the second thing I’ve brought along for you today, I want to remind you of what was going on in Ephesus as Jesus describes it in Revelation 2. Some things were very good in that church, but their diminished love meant that their church was doomed. It would die, and their witness in that city would be gone.

It didn’t need to be that way. Jesus gives them the remedy – repent! Change course and start doing the things that you have stopped doing. Reignite that passion that has grown cold.

Some people look at the church of Acts 2 and say “It’s unsustainable! You can’t keep meeting together every day for worship and fellowship, teaching and prayer. You can’t keep selling off possessions to give to the poor. Life just isn’t like that!”

I disagree! I think you can choose to love God and love others no matter how long you’ve been a Christian. I think you can be enthusiastic and excited about Jesus all the time. I think that passion does naturally cool off, but God has given us everything we need to keep that passion alive – we just need to choose to do so.

On Thursday night with the young adults I spoke a bit about how much I had enjoyed Bible Study the previous night at Ari & Wilma’s house. I really enjoyed studying the Bible together and praying. We had a great time of sharing stories and enjoying lovely food & drink. It was just a really good night. It was a good night because some people chose to come and other people chose to open their home. It was a good night because people chose to have a good attitude. They chose to be interested in the Bible and in each other. They chose thankfulness to God.

As I mentioned earlier I looked at the website for the Sugar Grove Church of Christ during the week, and had a glance at their calendar of events. Do you know what? There was stuff happening practically every day! Every day groups are getting together for all sorts of purposes, just like in the early church. Are the same people going to all those events? I don’t think so! Did all of those 3000 and more early Christians attend events every day with other believers? Probably not!

The point is that they were devoted to it – whether once or twice a week or some other frequency, they got together as often as they could in order to be the church for each other. Did all of them sell their possessions and give to the poor in the first week? Nope! Acts 4 tells us that these things were happening from time to time as some had need and others had opportunity to meet that need! I’ve seen exactly the same thing happen here in this church, where people have sacrificially given money, goods and time that would have been very helpful used on their own needs, but they’ve given for the sake of others’ needs. Not a big broadcast to advertise it, but it happens.

I believe that we see Acts 2 churches all the time – not perfect churches, but growing churches. Churches marked by a vibrant love for God and each other. Churches that value teaching, fellowship, prayer and generosity. Churches that focus their people on Jesus. Churches that are seeing evidence of the work of the Spirit in their members. Churches to whom God is adding those who are being saved.

My question for you today is what role do you play in all of this? Are you doing what you need to do in order to make us an Acts 2 church?

The second thing I’ve brought along for you today is a list of “One-Another’s” of the Bible. It’s a resource for you to be able to get a quick overview of what the Bible says about how we should be connecting with one another. I’m sure that as you read it you will be very challenged about the role that you have been called to play in relationship with other Christians. It will convict you of some things that you need to get right with God and with others. It will show you things that you can do to make us an Acts 2 church.

Link 1: Spiritual Health Check-up from Sugar Grove Church of Christ
Link 2: The "One-Another's" of the Bible from memoryverses.org

---

^[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

^[2]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Ga 6:4-5). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

Sermon - Naboth's Vineyard

Naboth’s Vineyard

1 Kings 21

12/7/09

21 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ^2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

^3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

^4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

Background:

When King Solomon’s son Rehoboam announced that he would work the people harder than his father had and be a harsher ruler the northern tribes of Israel rebelled against his rule. From that time the Kingdom was split in two – the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The capital city Jerusalem was in Judah’s territory, and it remained the capital of that kingdom, but there was initially no permanent capital for the Kingdom of Israel. Different kings ruled from different cities, until Ahab’s father Omri established a new capital called Samaria. Omri was a popular military commander who had seized the throne and killed off his rivals. He was a successful king, who ruled for 12 years before being succeeded by his son. Omri bought a hill overlooking major trade routes from a man named Shemer for about 70kg’s of silver, and built the city of Samaria on it. Ahab continued to expand and fortify the city, which became more powerful than Jerusalem. Ahab also developed the city of Jezreel, further down on the plains, as a fortress city where his chariot forces were based (an ancient Assyrian record says that Ahab took 2000 chariots into battle). He would spend summers up in Samaria and winters down in Jezreel where the climate was milder.

He fortified other cities in Israel also, as they were continually threatened by the hostile Arameans to the north-east. God had given Ahab victory over the Arameans, telling Ahab to put to death their king Ben-Hadad. However Ahab made a treaty with Ben-Hadad, taking back control of the cities the Arameans had conquered in the previous generation, and setting up markets in Damascus where Israelite merchants could buy and sell goods.

So Ahab had faced some pretty big challenges, undertaken some major projects and had all the responsibility of a kingdom to rule, yet in this story we find him getting all worked up about a garden plot!

Now, Ahab should have known that Naboth was only doing what was right according to God’s law.

Leviticus 25:23 records God’s instructions to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land:

^23 The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.

Ahab does not want to obey God’s law, and he does not like it when he can’t get his own way because someone else considers God’s laws more important than the wishes of a wicked king.

Ahab knows that he has no legal right to seize Naboth’s land, and so is frustrated and angry.

^5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

^6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

^7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

^8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. ^9 In those letters she wrote:

“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ^10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”

Jezebel was a princess from a foreign land. To her, it was ridiculous that a king should be thwarted by a peasant. The king is the ultimate authority in her mind, not God. She can’t believe that Ahab was being so weak and childish about this, so she took the matter into her own hands.

Naboth might know and obey God’s law, but she knew enough to be able to use it for her own purposes.

Exodus 22:28 says

^28 “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

Deuteronomy 17:6 says

On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

Jezebel organised first for people to be stirred up in religious piety – a day of fasting is proclaimed. Then, in this environment of religious enthusiasm, she had charges brought against Naboth which would stir the crowd to either demand Naboth’s death or at the least not oppose it.

If you are familiar with Deuteronomy 17, you will spot the irony here. In that chapter, the death penalty is being prescribed for anyone in Israel who worships false gods, as long as there are at least two witnesses of this. Jezebel openly worships false gods and encourages the whole nation to do the same, yet instead of applying this penalty to her the corrupt elders and nobles apply it to a righteous man instead.

^

^11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. ^12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ^13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. ^14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

^15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” ^16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.

We know from 2 Kings chapter 9 that not only was Naboth killed, but also his sons. Since there was no-one to inherit the land it was seized by the crown, and Ahab was free to take possession of the plot of ground he so eagerly desired.

Notice that Ahab has not done anything wrong – he asked for the field, was told he couldn’t buy it so he went home disappointed. Surely it’s not his fault that the wicked Jezebel conspired to have Naboth and his sons killed?

^17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ^18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. ^19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

Just as Jezebel manipulated the law to suit herself, so Ahab could point to the law and say “I’ve done nothing wrong here!”

But God knew his heart. The story doesn’t go into details, but we can just imagine Ahab whingeing to his wife knowing what manner of woman she was (remember her threats to Elijah some time ago?). We can just imagine Ahab watching from the corner of his eye as his wife writes letters, and places his seal upon them. He might not have known the details of the plot, but he would have to have known that it surely involved Naboth’s death.

In God’s eyes, Ahab was guilty of the crime. So God sent Elijah to give a message of judgement to Ahab, not only for this crime, but for all of the things that Ahab had done and allowed to be done under his authority.

^20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”

“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. ^21 ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. ^22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.’

^23 “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

^24 “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.”

^25 (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. ^26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)

^27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

^28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ^29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

You can read about how this happened in 2 Kings chapters 9 & 10.

You might ask “This is all very interesting history, but what value does such a sordid tale have for us today?”

There are some really important lessons for us to learn from this:

1. Don’t get caught up in small offenses
   If Ahab had just maintained proper perspective, none of this would have happened. In the same way, when we get caught up in small issues we end up doing damage beyond all proportion to the issue itself.
   
   It didn’t feel like a small thing to Ahab though. He was very frustrated and upset, to the point where he wouldn’t even eat. He needed help to see the issue more clearly, and that leads to the second point…
   
   
   
2. Surround yourself with godly influences
   Ahab needed a queen who would say “Naboth is just doing what the law of God says He can’t sell you that field. Perhaps he would be willing to rent it to you, or perhaps there is another plot of ground we can use. Why don’t we go and look at some other options?”
   
   I was reading an article from a counsellor who was helping an elderly man who struggled with a harsh temper. Over many years he had developed the habit of yelling at family members – including young grandchildren – over really small issues. One time he admitted that he had yelled and said some very unkind things to his grandkids because they were being too noisy in the house. That was fine while he was enjoying playing with them, but when he was trying to read or watch TV for example it was annoying, and he had let fly at them. He knew it was wrong, and he was very frustrated at himself for doing it yet again. He knew that his relationship with his family was greatly damaged by this behaviour.
   
   The counsellor asked him to close his eyes and recall the scene and what happened, so they could talk about it. The man did so, and then opened his eyes again when the counsellor asked him to. He was shocked to see the counsellor sitting in front of him wearing a clown nose, and he burst out laughing. The counsellor then gave him the clown nose and told him to put it on whenever he felt himself getting angry about silly things. That might sound dumb, but it really helped this man remember to keep perspective and not allow himself to get worked up over small things. We need people who can help us keep things in proper perspective.
   
   Instead, Ahab had a wife who indulged his selfish desires and who had no moral qualms about doing whatever it took to get her own way. Verse 25 tells us that there was “never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife”. What sort of man might he have been if he had accepted the advice and help of godly people instead of wicked? Unfortunately, he considered God’s prophets as enemies because they told him what he did not want to hear. It’s too easy to tell people what they want to hear, and it’s too easy to surround ourselves with people who will agree with us, indulge us or lead us in wrong directions. We need to be discerning enough to surround ourselves with godly influences.
   
   
   
3. Never Complain
   Complaining spreads conflict. I have seen many examples where people have acted just like Ahab in this story. They complain to others because of the hurt or frustration they feel, but in doing so they unleash a series of events that end in catastrophe.
   
   I have seen people harbour grudges and have low opinions of others, not because of any first-hand experience, but because they have listened to the complaints of other people. Love and unity are compromised because of a habit of indulging complainers. We think that we are caring for people in allowing them to share their hurts, but in actual fact we are very often keeping people bound up in immaturity and sinfulness.
   
   As listeners, we need to discern how to listen in order to understand and care for people, not just indulge people. We need to ask questions and make suggestions that help people to apply God’s truth, and if they do not know that truth, we need to be able to show them from God’s Word.
   
   As speakers, we need to be able to be honest about how we feel and what we think, but at the same time exercise self control. Words cannot be taken back, so we must make sure that we don’t say things that are not loving toward God and others – that is the most basic rule of the Christian life.
   
   James 3:5 says
   Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
   
   Our words can do a great deal of damage. Regardless of what we are feeling, we need to be responsible with what we say. We must not indulge a habit of people speaking carelessly of their effect on their hearers or on themselves. Complaining only ever produces conflict.
   
   
   
4. Beware the Truth-Twisters
   We naturally bend the truth to suit our own desires and indulge our own feelings. The sad thing is, most often people believe the lies they tell themselves, and their lives become based on those lies instead of on the truth.
   
   Jezebel twisted God’s laws in order to get her own way. People still do that today. We also twist stories of things that have happened to us or to others. We make assumptions about the hidden motives of other people’s hearts, when only God knows the truth of that.
   
   Just because you know someone well doesn’t mean that you should believe everything they say. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you should believe everything they say. Just because you trust someone doesn’t mean you should believe everything they say.
   
   That might sound harsh, but it’s true. None of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes in what we assume, what we perceive, what we remember and so on.
   
   Each of us needs to weigh things up according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the standard of the Word of God.
   
   Let me give you an example of what I mean…
   
   I recently had a conversation with a friend who was struggling to work with some others in a leadership team. The natural thing for me to do was to sympathise with him and feel resentful about the people who were giving him a hard time. The godly thing to do was to make no judgement at all about those other people – I am not in the situation where I should do that. The fact is that if I judged them because of what my friend told me, I would be judging them completely unfairly. I do not know the full story, I cannot know the full story and I do not need to know the full story of who they are and what they are doing.
   
   I am in the situation of needing to care for my friend, so what I need to do is listen and seek to understand what he is going through. Then I need to seek opportunities to speak the truth in love – are there suggestions I can make that will help him pursue better understanding and maturity within his team? Are there personal issues that I as a friend can point out to him that are hindering him from working well with those others and enjoying a good relationship with them? Is it simply the comfort of having someone who understands what it’s like that will encourage him? Do I need to divert him from the struggles and get him to focus on all the good things that he sees God doing in and through the team?
   
   It’s easy to accept only one side of a story or see things from only one point of view. I have seen it so many times, where people pass on information and opinions about others that are simply hearsay. They pass these things on because it makes them feel knowledgeable and superior, but it is of no value to the hearer and only promotes ignorance. We need to pursue wisdom.

Doing each of these 4 things will help us to avoid going down the same tragic path that Ahab followed with tragic consequences for those he abused, those who indulged him and led him astray, himself and his family.

Sermon - The Call of Elisha pt 2

The Call of Elisha pt 2:

A New Prophet is Called

1 Kings 19:19-21

Recap

The Prophet Elijah was exhausted and discouraged, so God gave him one final ministry task to accomplish – to anoint the men who would complete the work that Elijah had begun.

As I mentioned last week Elijah only managed to anoint one of the three – Elisha, who would take up his prophetic mantle. There were a number of other very interesting things that Elijah did before God took him home, and you can read about those in the chapters following 1 Kings 19, up to 2 Kings chapter 2 where we read of how Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, accompanied by a chariot and horses of fire.

Today we are going to focus on Elisha, and how his ministry commenced.

1 Kings 19:19-21

^19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ^20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

^21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.[1]

Farmer Becomes Prophet!

There’s one thing I find particularly interesting about God’s selection of Elisha to carry on Elijah’s prophetic ministry – He chose someone completely out of the frame! There were already at least one hundred other prophets that God could have chosen from – men who had been trained in prophetic ministry and who had some experience already. Surely there must have been at least one from this group ready to step up and take on increased responsibility.

In fact, as we read the last chapters of 1 Kings we discover several stories where nameless prophets faithfully deliver the word of the Lord to King Ahab and to other people also. One prophet is named, Micaiah in chapter 22. He is one fearless dude! He took on King Ahab of Israel and 400 of his prophets in front of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. If anyone was a candidate to replace Elijah, it would be this guy!

I wonder how those prophets may have felt about Elisha’s appointment? It must have been tempting to feel a little jealous or resentful.

Have you ever seen someone promoted to a position of prominence or authority and felt that way? I have! The Bible calls that “selfish ambition”, and speaks very strongly about it.

James 3:13-16 says:

^13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ^14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ^15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ^16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice

I remember sitting in a group where a speaker at a large Christian even was being criticised, and I remember the awful feeling I had as I listened. The people criticising sounded so wise as they listed point after point describing why the person had done a lousy job, but in reality it was their own selfish ambition that was on display. They each thought they knew better than the one who actually had the responsibility for the task, and I think each one secretly wished that they had been the one on stage before all those people. So instead of building up the body of Christ they set about destroying one of it’s servants.

Just as God told Elijah to appoint Elisha to succeed him as the foremost prophet in Israel, it is God who assigns tasks to each of us, according to His will, not ours.

In Mark 13 we read of Jesus teaching about the end of this age. In verses 32 to 34 we read:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ^33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. ^34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

In 1 Corinthians 3:5 Paul picks up this thought and says:

^5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.

In chapter 7 Paul goes on to say that even our situation in life has been assigned to us by God! (v.17)

What no-one else yet knew was that God had already been preparing Elisha for the work that lay ahead of him. The family that he grew up in, the work that he had been doing, the lessons learned, the mistake made – God was at work in all of this. The appointment of Elisha was not God’s off-the-cuff response to Elijah’s meltdown – He already knew and was already prepared.

Psalm 139:16 tells us:

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be

Now I want you to imagine this: Elisha is busily working through his seeding programme. The pressure is on to get the seed in the ground while the conditions are ideal. Verse 19 tells us:

He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair.

The way this story is told implies that Elisha was the man in charge. He had 12 pair of oxen, and we read in verse 21 that he had the right to kill one pair, as well as use the plowing equipment for firewood. The fact that he was wealthy enough to have 12 teams, with servants or siblings driving them, yet also joined the work himself shows us that he was a hard-working man. He did not use his wealth to indulge himself and he did not consider himself above menial labour.

So God direct Elijah to this wealthy yet humble and hard-working man Elisha…

Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ^20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

Elisha obviously understood the significance of what Elijah had done. We don’t know a lot about how Old Testament prophets were attired, but it seems that it was common practice for a prophet to have a distinctive coat made from animal hair. Zechariah 13:4 calls this a “prophet’s garment of hair”, and we know that John the Baptist’s clothes for example were made from camel’s hair (Matt. 3:4). As soon as Elijah put this prophet’s cloak on Elisha, Elisha comprehended what was being said – he was being called to become a prophet and succeed Elijah.

Put yourself in Elisha’s shoes. He’s a successful, busy, middle aged man, a pillar of his community and responsible not only to look after his parents but those who work for him. He’s being asked to leave behind all that he has worked for and take over for the guy who has been basically hiding out for more than 3 years because the king hates him and the queen wants him dead.

Amazingly, Elisha takes up the offer! He runs after Elijah and asks to have some time to say goodbye to his parents first.

This will remind many of you of a time when a man asked Jesus the same thing – to first go home and say goodbye to his family, then he would come and follow Jesus.

Luke 9:62

^62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus, who knows people’s hearts, could tell that this man was actually more committed to his own family than he was to following Jesus. There was probably a good chance that if his family begged him to stay that he would do so.

Jesus’ reply shows that when God calls you to something, you can’t keep looking back at what was behind you. People who are controlled by their past or who long to return to their past are unfit to serve God faithfully and effectively. You can just imagine the wonky furrows that would be produced by a ploughman who was looking backwards instead of forwards! We naturally move toward what we are looking at.

I remember watching Tim at the swimming carnival. He loves swimming, and it was great to watch him swim. In one race in particular, there was one thing that held him back from doing as well as he could have – he kept looking back at a friend who was behind him. He stayed in front of that friend, but not in front of those who were on the other side of him, out of his view. I’m sure that if he just focused on the finish line and strained to get there as fast as he could, that he would have recorded a better time.

Now, as much as I want Tim to do well in races, it’s not really a big deal. I mainly just want him to enjoy the experience. However in the race that God has marked out for us, the stakes are higher.

Paul says in Acts 20:24

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Paul considered the task God had given him to be more important than even his life.

As we discover in this story, Elisha had the same sort of attitude.

^21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

Elisha wanted everyone to know that he had left his old life behind him. He left the life of a wealthy farmer and chose to become the servant and successor of a despised prophet. His heart was not divided, he had chosen his course and would follow it.

Now let’s turn the spotlight onto us!

We know about the Elisha and Paul; but what about you?

What has God already called you to do?

Are you doing it, or is your hand at the plough but your eyes facing backward?

What is it that controls you? Is it the calling of God on your life, or is it your family, your job, your hobbies, your worries, your plans, your friends, your laziness, pride, jealousy, resentment, stubbornness?

Please don’t allow anything to hold you back from serving God and following His call on your life. We can all make excuses, God is looking for people who will take up their cross and follow Him.

Remember as Jesus spoke about in Mark 13, the Master is going to return, and all His servants will give an account for what they have done. He won’t be interested in excuses or our opinions of other people’s efforts, He will be looking at whether we have done what He has asked us to do or not.

This week I want to encourage you to do 2 things:

· Evaluate your own life. Are you doing what God wants you to do? Do you have a peace that comes from the Holy Spirit, or is the Spirit quietly convicting you of things that need to change?

· Clarify your calling. Are you clear on what you should be doing? Are you clear about what God requires of all His children? Are you clear about what He has asked specifically of you?

---

[1] All Scriptures from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Sermon - The Call of Elisha pt 1

The Call of Elisha pt 1:

A Great Prophet Departs

1 Kings 19

The Story of Elijah

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to be exploring the call of the prophet Elisha. Before we get to know Elisha however we really need to meet his predecessor and mentor: Elijah. The prophet Elijah is introduced to us in 1 Kings 17. We are going to trace the events of his ministry briefly as we set the scene for the calling of Elisha. As we do this we are going to discover some very practical truths which can help us in our own life of service to God.

Elijah’s Ministry [1]

1. Elijah leaves his hometown of Tishbeh in Gilead to deliver God’s message to King Ahab of Israel, who rules from Samaria. He tells Ahab that God is going to withhold rain and dew for the next few years, until Elijah says otherwise.
   
   
2. God tells Elijah to flee to the Kerith Ravine and hide there. Ravens bring him bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drinks from the brook.
   
   
3. Eventually the brook dries up, so God commands Elijah to leave Israel and go to Zarephath in Sidon, where a widow would look after him. God miraculously provides them with flour and oil that never run out, so they have food to last through the famine. After some time the widows son becomes ill and dies, but in response to Elijah’s prayer God brings him back to life.
   
   
4. After 3 years had passed, God told Elijah to return to Samaria, because God was going to bring the drought to an end. He meets Obadiah, a devout believer who was in charge of Ahab’s palace, and had hidden 100 prophets of God in caves and supplied them with food and water during the drought. Obadiah fetches Ahab, and Elijah challenges him to assemble the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mt Carmel for a showdown to see which god is real.
   
   
5. In front of a large crowd, including King Ahab, Elijah dares the prophets of Baal to see if their god will send down fire to consume a sacrifice they have prepared. After many hours of frantic chanting, dancing and blood-letting, the prophets of Baal give up in defeat. Elijah then builds an altar of stones, places the wood and sacrifice upon it and then has it thoroughly doused in water. He offers a simple prayer to God, and is answered by fire from heaven which burns up the sacrifice, wood, water and even the stones and soil!
   
   
6. The prophets of the false gods are taken away and killed, and God immediately sends rain from the Mediterranean Sea. Ahab speeds in his chariot towards his palace in Jezreel, but is overtaken by Elijah who runs ahead of him!
   
   
7. When Queen Jezebel hears about what has happened on Mt Carmel, she sends a messenger with a death threat to Elijah. Elijah is afraid, and flees south to the Kingdom of Judah – all the way to Beersheba on the southern edge of Judah. This is where we pick up the story from 1 Kings 19:3-9a

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. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

⁷ 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.” 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.

8. Mt Horeb is also known as Mt Sinai, the place where Moses saw the burning bush and the place where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments from God. Camped in a cave at this sacred location, Elijah has his own encounter with God.
   
   1 Kings 19:9b-18

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁰ 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.”

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. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 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.”

9. Elijah leaves Mt Horeb to accomplish the final tasks the Lord has entrusted to him.

Elijah’s Discouragement

There is so much we can learn from the life and ministry of Elijah, but today we’re going to focus on the way that his ministry was brought to a conclusion.

Elijah saw God achieve such an incredible victory at Mt Carmel before all the people gathered there. Not only that but he had experienced supernatural power at work in his body which enabled him to outrun a horse and chariot for a distance of about 30 kms!

After this incredible showdown he suddenly gets spooked by a threat from the queen and takes off! Eventually, alone in the desert he says to God “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

What’s going on here? Elijah is worn out and he is discouraged. We might use another common word and say that he is depressed. For the last 3 years or so he has been living with the tension of being a marked man. He has courageously stood for God and seen God win a great victory. But before one day has passed he receives a death threat and thinks to himself “Nothing has changed. Nothing has really been achieved. Jezebel and Ahab are still in power. The land is still full of idols. I will be killed, and it will seem to the people that God could not protect me any more than Baal protected his prophets.” Elijah lost hope.

Evidence of this is found in his conversation with God at Mt Horeb. Elijah complains: “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.”

I want us to notice some details in this story which will not only help us to understand Elijah’s situation, but will also help us in our own battles with exhaustion and discouragement.

1. Long Term Stress: Elijah had been under stress for a long time. Stress wears us out. It affects us spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. Elijah may have thought that his troubles were over after Mt Carmel, but they were not. The continuing weight was too much for him to bear. If we are to overcome discouragement we need to be able to identify and do something about the things that are weighing on us over long periods of time.
   
   
2. Intense Experiences: Elijah had just been through a particularly draining experience. Think of the physical impact of his run from Carmel and his flight to Horeb. Think of the adrenaline that would have been coursing through his body all that day during the showdown. He was human just like us – what would be going on in your body on a day like that? Wouldn’t your heart be beating at a million beats per second? Wouldn’t you be jumpy and pumped-up? Of course you would be! Each of us has an adrenal gland, and when we’re under stress like Elijah was, it really gets cranked up producing adrenaline. It gets the heart beating faster and does a bunch of other things, including increasing blood supply to the brain and to the skeletal muscles, away from less urgent bodily functions. Basically, it’s preparing the body for a fight or a flight! That’s why we find it hard to sleep when we’re under stress – the brain is on supercharge! It’s why often our health suffers under prolonged stress. The normal operation of the body is being messed around by the increase of adrenaline in our system. It needs to be gotten rid of.
   
   You know what I find really interesting? The best way to get rid of excess adrenaline is to work it off physically. After an incredibly tense day on Mt Carmel, what does God do to Elijah? He gives him the power to run a marathon like it was a sprint!
   
   Well, that might have helped Elijah get to sleep easier that night, but I suspect that it would have left him feeling pretty worn out!
   
   
3. Negative Self-Talk: In Elijah’s conversations with God we discover some things that would have been adding to his discouragement:
   
   
1. “I Can’t Take It Anymore”
   His first statement was “I have had enough”. He was aware of his own ability to endure, and recognised that he was at his limit. He could go no further. He was tired of fighting and tired of running.
   
   
2. “I’m a Failure”
   Secondly, he said “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors”. He was evaluating himself and his accomplishment based on his own perspective instead of God’s. Most likely he was thinking of faithful Israelites in the past who had not been able to keep the people from idolatry. Faithful kings, priests and prophets had not kept or restored the nation to proper worship of God. He was just one more in a long line of failures.
   
   
3. “It’s Not Fair”
   Thirdly, he has become embittered against those he was called to serve, and has lost perspective. He is feeling sorry for himself. He goes from feeling like a failure to feeling like a martyr. This is what he says to God at Horeb: “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.”
   
   Elijah is saying “God, I’ve served you faithfully but they would not listen. They’ve killed all the others and now they are coming for me.” I think there is also a tone of accusation here – God has not done the right thing by His faithful servants. He has not protected them from the swords of evil men. Why are good men dying while evil ones prosper? It’s not fair. It’s not right.”

How often have you felt like one of these: “I can’t take any more”; “I’m a failure”; “It’s not fair”?

How often have you heard others express feelings like those? It’s common human experience isn’t it?

Do we ever get worn down by constant stress, by confrontation and opposition, by heavy workloads, by disappointing results? Of course we do. Do we ever feel worn down by feelings of exhaustion, self-doubt and injustice? Of course we do!

If you don’t really know what it’s like to be sapped of strength and will because of discouragement, you still need to pay attention, because I guarantee you that you will be in that situation one day! It happens to all of us at some point or points in our lives. So..

What can we do when we are discouraged?

What happened to Elijah – was he able to pull through this? What did God say to him to help him out of the pit he was in?

Well, before God said anything in response to Elijah, He did something. You see, Elijah was not yet in the right condition or in the right location to receive what God needed to say to him. The first thing God did was to provide food and rest for Elijah. God sent an angel to provide for him, and prepare him for the journey to Horeb.

As we’ve already seen, discouragement affects our bodies. It wears us out physically. In our tiredness it is hard to think clearly and make good decisions. It is hard to find the energy to do what we need to do to recover.

Psalm 6:2-3

² Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint;

O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

³ My soul is in anguish.

How long, O Lord, how long?

Like Elijah we just want to lie down and give up.

God first restores Elijah’s body and the sends him on a journey to a place where he can better receive what he needs from God. That journey took 40 days and nights. In the Bible the number 40 is often used to represent a period of preparation for something very significant:

· It rained for 40 days and nights in the Flood.

· Moses twice spent 40 days with God on Mt Sinai (Horeb)

· The spies spent 40 days exploring the Promised Land, before the Israelites were sent back into the desert for 40 years to be prepared by God to inherit that land.

· Goliath defied Israel for 40 days

· Jonah declared the Ninevites had 40 days in which to repent or be destroyed

· Jesus fasted for 40 days before commencing His public ministry

· Jesus was seen for 40 days after His resurrection before He ascended to Heaven.

Elijah’s journey to Mt Horeb was a period of preparation by God to bring Him to a point where he was ready to hear God’s voice. I think the same experience is often true of us.

Very often we are so weighed down physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually that we struggle to hear God’s voice clearly. Sometimes we need to be prepared in order to do so.

Here are some things that we can do:

1. Look after our bodies.
   Eat and drink healthily – it’s well known that diet makes a huge difference to how well our bodies work and how we feel emotionally. Getting the right amount of exercise is also important in helping our bodies deal with stress as well as just operating as they should – particularly in helping us sleep. Getting enough rest – but not too much – is also important. Of course, there are many medical issues that affect how we feel as well, and getting checked out medically is simply common sense. Elijah needed to eat, drink and rest – so do we!
   
   
2. Look to God.
   Physically restored, Elijah now needed to look to God. He needed to leave the desert and the shelter of a broom tree in order to find his shelter in God.
   Psalm 121 says:
   I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
   My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
   He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
   indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
   The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
   the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
   The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
   the Lord will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore
   
   Elijah was so busy escaping his problems that he forgot to keep his eyes on the solution – God Himself. In fact, Elijah’s obsession with his problems actually caused him to stop seeing things clearly and accurately. He said that all of God’s prophets had been killed, he was the only one left and now the Israelites were after him too.
   
   Was Elijah really the only prophet of God left? Obadiah had only recently told him of a hundred prophets hidden safely in caves. Elijah’s statement simply isn’t true, but it was true of how he felt. He had not been hiding away with 99 pals, he’d been standing up by himself against the enemy and that’s a lonely position to be in. There were other faithful Israelites, even in Ahab’s own household. And who knows how many Israelites genuinely turned back to God after the showdown at Mt Carmel? But Elijah felt alone and outmatched.
   
   Was he really fighting this battle by himself? Was it him who won the showdown with the prophets of Baal? No! The showdown wasn’t between him and the prophets of a false God. The showdown was between the true God and a fake. Elijah was never alone, and he was never outnumbered. 450 to one - 850 to one if the prophets of Asherah joined in – that’s how it looked to human eyes. That’s not how it was in God’s eyes. In his weariness Elijah’s eyes dropped from what is unseen to what is seen, and what is seen was too much for him to bear.
   
   He needed to lift his eyes toward the mountain of God and make it his goal.
   
   How are you going with that? Do you tend to focus on your problems and magnify them in your mind? Do you find that you become obsessed with thinking about things that you can’t control, searching for ways to solve things yourself? As you do that, you will find that you stop seeing things clearly. Problems become bigger. People become meaner and more wicked. Bitterness and hopelessness grow in your heart like poisonous weeds. Phrases like those we have already looked at will go around and around in your head: “It’s not right”, “I’m an idiot”, “I can’t handle this”, “It’s not fair”. We so easily forget to trust in the sovereign power of God and so we fight our own earthly skirmishes instead.
   
   The One who watches over Israel does not slumber – He knew what was going on and He had a plan that was much bigger than Elijah could comprehend. He also has a plan and a purpose for our lives and His Church.
   
   Ephesians 1:11 says:
   In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…
   
   God not only has a plan for our lives – including our salvation – but He works out everything in conformity with that plan. No exceptions.
   
   Proverbs 16:4 says:
   The Lord works out everything for his own ends— even the wicked for a day of disaster.
   
   Elijah was not at the mercy of wicked men or women – God is in control!
   
   The same is true for you and I. If we trust in God and follow His ways there is nothing that can interrupt God’s good purposes for us, no matter how difficult the journey seems at times. We need to be reminded of that, so that instead of being dismayed and discouraged we instead look to God and say “Where are You in the midst of this and how can I participate in what You are doing?”
   
   Romans 5:1-5 encourages us with these words:
   Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
   
   Instead of being consumed by your problems and your own limitations, learn to rejoice in the love God has for you and the hope of what He is doing and what He will do even through the worst of life’s journey. Rely on Him to give you the ability to persevere. Allow Him to shape your character. Then hope and love will be your experience rather than discouragement and futility.
   
   
3. Move toward God
   There’s a discipline that comes with travelling - you need to keep moving! 40 days and nights is a long time to be on the hiking trail!
   
   Sometimes we need to keep up with the hard work of fixing our eyes on God and moving toward Him, trusting that we will receive what we need from Him. Sometimes it doesn’t happen quickly. Elijah had been told to do one thing – go to Mt Horeb. We need to continue doing the things that we have been told to do in faith that God will meet us. We need to meditate on God’s word, pray constantly with thanksgiving, meet with other believers for worship, teaching, fellowship, service and witness. We need to think on things that are pure, lovely and helpful and not fill our minds with darkness. We need to love others. As we continue to do these things God invariably works in us to prepare us to receive His restoration from discouragement.
   
   Discouragement is something which saps our will and our strength from doing what is good and right. It leaves us stuck under a broom tree waiting to die in Elijah’s case. We need to get up and do what we have been told to do. That is faith.
   
   It’s not denial. It’s not whistling a happy tune while on the inside we’re dying. It’s not putting on a mask and pretending everything’s OK. It’s trusting God to sustain us on a path that we cannot tread by ourselves, and obediently walking that path.
   
   Isaiah 40:28-31
   ²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard?
   The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
   He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
   ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
   ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
   ³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
   They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.
   
   

What does God do for us when we are discouraged?

First of all we need to remember that it was God who provided for and sustained Elijah on his journey. Even if God feels far off, we must remember that He is present and He is sustaining us even as we seek to draw near to Him for help.

When Elijah finally arrives at Mt Horeb he goes into a cave, and there meets with God. God sends a mighty wind which tears the mountains apart and shatters rocks, then an earthquake and then fire; but God is not found in any of these things. What a great demonstration of power, yet that was not how God chose to connect with Elijah. He chose a quiet whisper.

Don’t miss the significance of this. The Creator of the Universe, who sends down fire from heaven, shatters the mountains with wind and causes the earth to shake – He chose to draw near to Elijah and gently whisper to him.

So often we think of the bigness and the power of God and think that in His great power lies the solution to our problems. We want Him to shake the earth!

A time is coming when He will do that – He will destroy evil once and for all, together with all those who oppose Him. But God very often does not choose to accomplish His will through acts of visible power. Think of how we were saved! Our mighty God entered His world as a helpless babe, intent on dying a cruel death at our hands, in order to take a punishment that we deserve.

Our all-powerful God has chosen to draw near to us, to show us that He understands and cares for us no matter what we are going through. God is not distant and aloof, He loves to draw near to comfort and to guide.

Listen to these words from Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Know that we can approach the throne of grace – we can come to God and He will draw near to us, giving us what we need to endure. That’s a promise we can hold to!

What grace did Elijah receive in his moment of need?

Did God give him an army to rid the land of evil? Did He renew Elijah’s confidence and send him back to confront Jezebel with the promise of protection and deliverance? Did he send Elijah back to Zarephath or down to Egypt to hide out until Jezebel had been dealt with? Nope.

God decided to take Elijah home! Elijah would not remain to see Baal worship eradicated in Israel. His part in the conflict was over, he had given as much as he could. God simply directed Elijah to anoint the men who would continue his work. God would use King Hazael of Aram to punish the disobedient Israelites. He would use Jehu to destroy Ahab’s house and end their wicked reign, killing all the priests of Baal and ridding Israel of Baal worship. He would use Elisha to prophesy and perform signs that caused the people to respect God and worship Him.

It’s interesting to note that of the three tasks, Elijah accomplishes only one – the appointment of Elisha. It is left to Elisha to anoint both Hazael and Jehu for the tasks that God had ordained for them to complete.

We often think it a tragedy when someone departs this earth not seeing the fulfilment of what they had worked for. I suspect that Elijah actually preferred his view from the stands!

Hebrews 12:1 says:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Elijah had run his race, and was able to take his place in the great cloud of witnesses as others took up the baton and ran their leg.

Sometimes God takes us home to be with Him, and our race here concludes. Sometimes God shifts us in other ways, changing our roles or changing our place of service. Either way, we hand the baton on to others, sometimes not knowing whether our stage has accomplished much at all, or how the next team of runners will perform.

I remember meeting with John Bolton, who together with other missionaries spent many years of faithful service in Papua New Guinea and saw a thriving indigenous Church planted. Political change meant that for a time missionaries were not welcome in those areas, and without that support the churches seemed to struggle. Not a lot of news was received from those remote regions. Some of the missionaries who had left wondered if their work had been in vain. What a joy it was for some of us to be able to bring back news of what we had seen on our trip. At one village the story of the arrival of Christian missionaries was enacted for us, and older members of the village spoke of their memories of John and his family. The had continued in their faith, and grown under God’s care.

We don’t always see what our lives have accomplished, but God does. He is always at work, and we only ever play our part. Elijah was discouraged because all the pain and struggle of the last 3 years or more had seemed to have accomplished little, but it was all part of what God was doing in the nation of Israel. Elijah needed to learn to be content to give his best and trust God with the rest!

Should we criticise Elijah for feeling the way he did? Of course not. Neither should we judge one another’s struggles. Rather we should love one another and carry one another’s burdens as we discussed a couple of weeks ago.

May we all receive mercy and grace as we draw near to God. As we fix our eyes on Jesus may we be strengthened in order to run the race that He has marked out for us.

Amen.

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[1] Norris, D. T. (1997 c1995). Logos Deluxe Map Set. Contains 189 maps by the Review and Herald Publishing Association and 13 maps created by the Logos Bible Atlas. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

All Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan