Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives.
The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist
Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us,
or contact us at my libertybaptist.org, or just look
us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this
message from God's Word will be a blessing to you.
So the idea is this is that we want to make sure that when we
get to the issue of service that it's not as much signing up on a
sheet, but way before you ever get to that.
It's the issue of the heart. It's making sure that we have
the heart of service. But I'd also say at the same
time that when it comes to the heart of service, that there are
times that it can be discouraging to be a servant.
There are times that maybe you are serving, that maybe you are
thinking about serving. Or maybe you have served in the
past and we can be discouraged in those times and seasons of
service that we have. Imagine a group of students
preparing for a challenging exam.
In this scenario, a teacher might provide first positive
reinforcement and support to motivate the students.
For instance, the teacher could give encouraging words like you
studied well and I believe in your abilities, keep going and
do your best. The students would probably feel
motivated, inspired, and confident.
In their preparation because of the teachers encouragement.
But on the other hand, discouragement in the same
scenario would involve conveying negative messages that reduce
the students confidence and motivation.
For example, the teacher might say this exam it's too hard,
most of you will probably fail anyway.
It's unlikely that anything that you do will even pay off.
This kind of discouragement will lead to a lack of motivation
which could hurt. The students overall abilities.
And that's the thing with discouragement.
You think discouragement is the opposite of encouragement.
To be encouraged means to take courage.
And when someone is encouraged, when someone takes courage,
they're able to do greater things than they had even
imagined. You think on the battlefield,
sometimes small groups of people are able to conquer large groups
of people because they took courage in the thing that
they're fighting for. But we can also say on the other
hand, that we've been discouraged and someone maybe,
who has great abilities, someone who should be able to easily do
a task or maybe easily in the field of battle, be able to win
because they are discouraged, because they are just motivated.
Because of that they're actually are able to do less than what
they're actually capable of, because they have been
discouraged. Now this morning, I want us to
look at one of what I believe is the greatest servants you'll.
Ever find in the Bible? And that's the prophet Elijah.
You might be surprised to know that after his maybe most
courageous moment in his life, he actually went through a
period as a servant of God of crippling discouragement, a man
who in one chapter showed maybe some of the greatest courage
you'll find anywhere in the word of God.
But in the very next chapter, discouragement sets in, and the
exact opposite happens. My goal this morning is not to
try to discourage you in your service to God.
Rather, my goal today is to say if you are discouraged in your
service to God, or if you are discouraged, you have not served
God the way that you believe you should serve God, that there's
encouragement. And hope in the life of this
man, Elijah. That applies to us here today.
Would you stand please for the reading of God's word?
We're going to read a lot of different passages of scripture
today, but we're going to start here in First Kings chapter #19,
and we'll begin in verse number one, First Kings 19, and we'll
begin in verse #1, where it says this.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and with all
how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying.
So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy
life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.
And when he saw that he arose and went for his life, and came
to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant
there, and he but he himself, when a day's journey into the
wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree, and
he requested for himself that he might die, and said, it is
enough now, Lord. Take away my life, for I'm not
better than my father's. You read just those four verses
and you think, man, this is a guy who's pretty discouraged.
But what's amazing about this discouragement season that he's
in is that we're going to see in a moment.
In the previous chapter, he was on the mountain top.
In the previous chapter, he was doing things for God that nobody
had done before him anyways. And it's just a reminder to us
that when. We are in seasons of
discouragement in our service to God.
There's encouragement for us found in the life of Elijah, but
found for us in God himself. Heavenly Father be with us this
morning as we get into your word.
Thank you for this time and these your people and we ask it
in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you may be seated. As you can see this is a pretty
sad a state of affairs for the man of God, the prophet Elijah.
But maybe what's most astounding is not just.
That he did great things in chapter #18, but what exactly it
was that he did in those chapters?
Go to chapter #18 very quickly. Like I said, we're going to go
to a few different passages here today.
Chapter #18. Look at verse #21.
You remember that Ahab was a wicked king of the people of
Israel, and that he had done great wickedness against the
Lord and to his own people. Elijah was the prophet of God
who came to Ahab and said that you had done wickedly, and he
said this. Until the Lord says so, there
will be no rain in this land. And we know from the book of
James that for 3 1/2 years there was great.
There was great famine in the land because there was no rain
in it. Year after year, season after
season, as no grain is planted, as no grain is harvested, as no
food is able to gather. And then of course as animals
have less and less to eat themselves, the situation
becomes more and more dire in Israel.
Finally, God leads Israel, or rather God leads Ahab and Elijah
into. Standoff and the standoff takes
place in Mount Carmel, which is there in the Land of Israel, and
they are to go and gather all the people.
And Elijah says this. He says what we're going to do
is we're going to take all the prophets of bail.
And of course bail was a false God.
Those prophets were false prophets.
He says we're going to take the prophets of bail and we're going
to put them on one side and we're going to take the prophets
of Jehovah God, which, well. Would have been him, and we're
going to put him on the other side, he says.
Then what we're going to do is we're going to have the
sacrifice and we're going to have the sacrifice made and
we're going to call fire down from heaven.
And the one who can call the fire down from heaven in front
of all the people of Israel, they will all know who the true
God is. I mean that's an amazing
contest. And by the way, great audacity
on the side of Elijah. To even have this contest take
place in the 1st place with such a wicked man like Elijah or
rather like Ahab and to have all the people there to watch this
take place. In the first place.
So look at verse #21 as we pick up here in chapter #18 where it
says And Elijah came unto all the people and said, how long
halt ye between two opinions? Meaning this how long are you
going to stand between Jehovah God and bail?
How long are you going to say? I'm not going to choose.
You've got to choose. If the Lord be God, follow him,
but if bail then follow him. And the people answered him not
a word. Then said Elijah unto the
people, I even I only remain a prophet of the Lord's.
But Bale's profits are 450 men. Let them therefore give us 2
bullocks, and let them choose one Bullock for themselves, cut
in pieces, Lay it on wood, and put no fire under it, and I will
dress the other Bullock and lay it on.
Wood and put no fire under it, so he gives the terms.
He says, let's have two bulls. He says they can pick whichever
one they want. I'll take the other one.
Let's go ahead and flay that bull.
Let's go ahead and and put that on their altar.
And let's go ahead and call upon our gods.
And let's see which God is God and which one is not.
Drop down to verse #30 where it says this.
And Elijah said unto the people come near unto me, And all the
people came near unto him, and he repaired the altar of the
Lord that was broken down. Now we skipped over the last few
verses where the prophets of bail tried their best to be able
to call down fire from heaven. And I know you're going to be
surprised about this, but they couldn't do it.
That no matter how much they yelled and screamed and
literally cut themselves and allowed the blood to flow down
their bodies to try to get the attention of their God, they
couldn't get the attention of their God because their God
didn't exist. And so Elijah says, well, now
that that carnival sideshow is done, I want you all to come
over here because we're going to see the power of God at work.
And so he calls him over, and it says he repairs the altar of the
Lord that was broken down. And there's probably a sermon
there in verse #30 about repairing the things of the Lord
that are broken. But going on the verse 31, it
says this. And Elijah took 12 Stones
according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob unto
whom the ward of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy
name. And with the stones he built an
altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the
altar as great as would contain 2 measures of seed.
And he put the wood in order and cut the bullocks and pieces, and
laid him on the wood, and said fill 4 barrels with water, and
poured on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.
And he said do it the second time.
And they did it the second time, and he said do it the third
time. And they did it the third time.
And the water ran about the altar, round about the altar And
he filled the trench also with water.
And it came to pass at the time of the evening sacrifice, the
offering, the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came
near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel.
And it be known this. Day that thou art God in Israel,
and that I am thy servant, and that I've done all these things
at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me that
this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou
hast turned their heart back again.
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consume the burnt sacrifice.
And the wood, and the stones and the.
Dust. And looked at the water that was
in the trench and when all the people saw it they fell on their
faces and they said the Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.
I mean Can you imagine the scene?
Not only did he do what the prophets of Bale did, but did
you catch what he did additionally to try to make the?
Sacrifice even more difficult was not only did he lay all of
this in order with the wood, but they took barrels of water and
poured water and water over so much water that the water would
have soaked the sacrifice, soaked the wood, and then even
filled the trench. That was roundabout and all Lija
did was offer a simple. Prayer he called into the Lord
of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob of Israel of Jacob, and he calls
him to the Lord. And the fire, the Bible says,
came down from heaven. And not only did the fire take
the sacrifice. But the fire took the wood, the
fire took the water that was in the trench, and the fire took
the stones that were there as well.
Now, I don't know a whole lot about fire, but I do know this
fire could take sacrifice. I mean, that's kind of what it's
supposed to do, although it would leave residue.
Fire is supposed to take wood. Fire will even evaporate water,
but it's not supposed to take stones.
What's the picture here? That there could be no doubt in
anyone's mind that saw this? That what happened was not just
an environmental phenomenon, but that it was God himself at work
authenticating the messenger, but most importantly
authenticating himself and who he was.
And the people that were there. They could come to no other
conclusion. They no longer had to halt
between two opinions. They were no longer standing or
straddling between God and bail. No, they said, the Lord Jehovah,
He is God, the Lord He is God. Now we know what happened here
was totally. God.
It was God. 100%. There is no way that Elijah
conjured this up. There was no way that Elijah
could have manipulated this. But let's also say this.
God used Elijah as his servant because he was willing to serve
and willing to stand up for God in a time when no one else was
standing up for God. Let's be clear, it was God that
did it. But God used Elijah to do
something great. Absolutely incredible.
But that's not it, remember? That they've now had a drought
for all of this time. God's point has been made.
Let's continue reading. Go down to verse #40 and Elijah
said under them take the profits of bail that not one of them
escape and they took them and Elijah brought them down to the
book Kidron Kyshawn rather and slew them there.
And Elijah said under a ham, Get the up eat and drink for there
is a sound of abundance of rain. Now.
Yesterday I kept thinking there was going to be rain.
You know why? But one, because there was but
two there were rain clouds. We're going to continue to read
here And I don't believe there was even one cloud in the sky.
But he said not with the ears of the the body, but with the ears
of faith. He says you better get ready
because it's about to storm. And he said to a servant, go now
and look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and
said there was nothing. And he said go up again 7 times.
So seven times he sends a servant back and forth.
Where's the rain? There's no rain.
Go again. Where's the rain?
There's no rain. Go again. 7 times this goes
forward. And it came to pass the 7th time
that he said, behold, there arises a little cloud out of the
sea like a man's hand. So see, I believe that shows
that there was no cloud there before.
So when he heard the sound of rain, it wasn't because rain
clouds were gathering. He said there's a little cloud
like a like a man's hand. And he said, get up, Santa.
Aha, prepare thy chariot. Get thee down at the rain.
Stop thee not. And it came to pass in the
meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and
there was a great rain like they hadn't seen in years, and Ahab
Rd. And went to.
Jezreel and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded his
loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
I believe that on top of all of this, not only did he perform
this great miracle at the hands of God to have the sacrifice
consumed, not only did he have the great faith to be able to
know that it was about to rain, and he prayed, and the rain came
for the first time in three. And a half years.
But I believe that he told Ahab get in your chariot and go down
to Jezreel and it says that he got there before him.
Well how did he do that? He may have had some
supernatural running abilities during that time and it was just
like God wanted to show Ahab one more time how feeble he was and
how great God was Ahab getting his chair ride ride man.
We got we got to go it's it's going to storm.
We got to get back to our palace.
We got to get back to where we need to go and and the chariot
driver is is looking in his rearview mirror.
And someone's coming up hard on the side, and I can almost
imagine they have, looking out the chariot and realizing.
It's. Not the Road Runner.
It's Elijah. Meet me and he's gone, he said.
Well, why is that important? Well, it's important because God
is showing himself to be great and mighty.
And again, who is he using? He's using Elijah.
Was Elijah the one who caused the sacrifice to be consumed?
No. Was Elijah the one.
Who caused the rain to fall? No.
Was Elijah the one who had supernatural speed within his
body? No.
But God used Elijah to be able to do all of those things as his
servant. And I would submit to you that
God used Elijah that day as a servant in a way that very few,
if any, of God's servants have ever been used throughout
recorded history. Absolutely.
Incredible. But here's the thing that brings
us to Chapter 19. That brings us back to our text.
Because remember, our focus really is not on what we just
read in chapter 18. It's in Chapter 19.
Look at it again and we can almost put it this way.
And after all this, Ahab told Jezebel.
All that Elijah had done. Apparently Jezebel did not go to
Mount Carmel herself. But they had filled her in on
what happened. She apparently did not watch the
live stream. And with all how he had slain
all the prophets with the sword 450 prophets dead her personal
prophets. Then Jezebel sent a message
under a over into Elijah saying. So let the gods do to me a more
also if I make not thy life as one of them by tomorrow about
this time. I don't know how long this could
have been, but very likely we're talking within the same day or
so. Why?
Well, because he went to Jezreel.
He would have gone to the palace.
Very likely. He would have seen Jezebel.
Very likely Jezebel. Would have been interested of
having known what happened on Mount Carmel.
In fact, Jezebel couldn't have insulated herself from what
happened on Mount Carmel for very long because it would have
been the talk of the entire Kingdom of what God had done
there. So Jezebel would have heard this
news very quickly. And she sends a message to
Elijah. And this message is this, you
know how you killed all my prophets, He says.
By tomorrow you'll be dead too, just like them.
Now here's where Elijah. Here's where Elijah says, oh,
you're swearing by your gods. You mean those gods that don't
exist? Those gods that we proved to be?
Nobody's just a few days ago. Well, if you want me, come get
me. Because here I am.
I'm standing for God. I'm serving God.
Listen, he seemed untouchable just the chapter ago.
He stands up and says, no. Do what you want, lady.
I'm here. I'm going to stand my ground,
and there's nothing you can do. But it was exactly the opposite.
Spurgeon put it this way. Elijah failed in the very point
at which he was strongest, and this is where most people fail.
In Scripture, it is the wisest man who proves himself at times
to be the greatest fool, just as the meekest man.
Moses spoke hasty and bitter words.
Abraham failed in his faith and job and his patience.
So who was so? He was who.
And let's try that again. So he who was the most
courageous of all men fled from an angry woman.
He should have stood his ground. He just stood his ground against
a much. Tougher foe, a chapter before,
but somewhere along the line, discouragements in him and when
he saw that he arose, he saw the message, He arose, He went for
his life, He came to Beersheba. Your Bible geography would tell
you Beersheba is the most southernmost point.
Of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah.
And so he went as far as he could go in the land of Israel.
Even in the divided Kingdom it would have been Judah.
At that time he left his servant there.
By the way, discourage people don't usually take a bunch of
people with them. They usually separate themselves
and go alone. And that's what he did.
He he had a man that God had given him to be an
encouragement, his servant. But he left his servant there.
And what did he do? He went a day's journey into the
wilderness. He came and he sat down under a
juniper tree. He requested for himself that he
might die. I've heard people try to spin
that into something that's somewhat spiritual.
The answer is right here, he says, God, Take Me Home, let's
just look at it unvarnished for what it is, he says.
God, Take Me Home. It's enough now.
Lord, take away my life, for I'm not better than my father's.
And if you were just to read chapter 19 isolated, without
having any context of what happened before, you think.
This is a sad, bitter man who probably hasn't had a whole lot
of the Lord's power in his life. And the truth is that just a
breath ago he was performing by the power of God some of the
most courageous acts that ever took place in the Word of God.
As we look at the man Elijah, who suffers a horrible moment
here in chapter #19, if we're not careful, we can look at him
and our estimation of him could be lessened.
Meaning this? Well, why weren't you stronger,
Elijah? Why couldn't you handle this
woman? Why weren't you?
Tough. Enough, Elijah.
You're a servant of God who is the God of all creation.
Why couldn't you just tough it out?
But let's be honest this morning and let's talk less about Elijah
and let's talk more about you today, if that's all right.
And if it's not all right, I'm going to anyway.
Sometimes God servants get weary.
Sometimes God's servants get weary.
Bible says that we can get weary and welldoing.
That's a Bible phrase, a Bible term.
What do you mean, pastor? Well, you could be a witness for
the Lord and maybe nobody gets saved or just seems like people
are given lip service when you do talk to them about the Lord.
Oh, yeah, I know I'll come to church or Oh yeah, I know Jesus.
And it's just they're they're saying what you want to hear,
but it may not seem real. You can get discouraged about
that. I keep, I keep giving the faith.
I keep giving the gospel. I keep trying to do.
But nothing seems to happen after a while you can get
discouraged. Maybe you're helping and you're
being a blessing. But it seems like nobody's
thankful for the things that you have done.
That's a possibility can discourage you.
Maybe you're serving the Lord, but it seems like.
Nobody else is serving the Lord. Well, Lord, look at what I'm
doing. But I'm looking around and I'm
waiting for everyone else to serve, and it looks like no one
else is serving. And here I am.
And that can, let's be honest, get discouraging.
Maybe you've served a long time. You've been serving the Lord for
a while and you just don't feel like you're making a difference.
I've given and I've given and I've given and I've done and
I've done and I've served and I've served and what do I have
to show for it? Can get you discouraged.
Maybe just had a great victory and you thought this is where
revival breaks out. This is where things are just
going to get good. I mean this is this is
incredible. And then you find out it's not
exactly like you thought it would be.
Could be discouraging. Do you?
Realize every single one of those things that I mentioned, I
believe, happened to Elijah in chapter #18.
I mean, think about this. God did a great miracle.
In chapter #18 they said the Lord he is God, the Lord He is
God. But it doesn't seem like
anyone's following Elijah. They all just go back home and
go back to their lives. It's a good thing you're inside
right now. This is more time for me.
This is great. You don't want to go out in
that. This is great.
Lord, no. I don't want to pregnant that
helping. And no one seems thankful.
I don't see one person thanking Elijah or talking to him.
Maybe they did, I don't know. You're serving and no one else
is you. Did you catch what he said at
the beginning of that I alone and the prophet of God.
I alone am the servant of God. Maybe he feels like this.
I've been serving Israel for all these years and I expected to
see more come from this, and I just don't see a whole lot.
And of course, it was on his greatest victory.
That turned this great discouragement that came all of
these things happened to Elijah. But here's what I want you to
understand this morning, and this is the application.
We're spending a little bit of time on the application for us
here today, but this is what I want you to understand.
Even a righteous man can get discouraged in service.
Here's why I say that some of you might be kicking yourself
today about being discouraged in service.
I wish I was doing more. Why don't I do more?
I have this desire to do more and it just never seems to work
out. I seem to only please myself.
I'm not pleasing God and I'm not doing for others as I should.
And maybe you're getting discouraged in service.
Maybe you know you want to serve and it's not happening like you
want. Or maybe you were serving God
before and you're not now. Or maybe you're having this
difficulty in your life. Or you feel like you're doing
and you're doing and you're doing, and nobody cares.
And nobody's thankful. And there's no results.
And I don't know what it is. There's a lot of different
reasons it could be in our lives, just like I mentioned
just a few moments ago. But here's what I came to the
conclusion of just this week and doing some Bible reading and
trying to connect some things together.
Instead of looking Elijah and saying, wow, that guy should
have got tough, it looking at Elijah, say, wow, that guy
wasn't strong enough. He wasn't made of the right
stuff. Listen, he was made of more
stuff than I think you and I are because it was Chapter 18.
I'm standing on Mount Carmel. Like, hey, are you guys OK?
Nobody's got pitchforks. Do they?
Torches. Are we Okay.
But he stood in front of bold as a lion, and he said the word of
the Lord. But even someone who is
righteous can have a period of discouragement and doubt.
And I say that not to discourage you.
I say that to encourage you that because when we start to have
those periods of doubt and discouragement, what does Satan
try to say? You're no good.
Look at all God's done for you. And this is how you respond.
This is how you react. Even the righteous can have
times of discouragement in their life.
Look, Elijah asked for his life to be taken away from him, you
say. Why do you say all this?
Well, it's not because it's my opinion.
It's because it's what God's word says.
But not here in First Kings. Believe it or not, we have to go
to James Chapter #5. Will you turn there with me
please? James Chapter #5.
Has near the end of your New Testament.
If you're not familiar with where that is, James and chapter
#5, even a righteous man can get discouraged in service.
I didn't say a quitter. I didn't say a carnal man.
I said a righteous man. A righteous person can get
discouraged in service. Look at James chapter 5 and
begin in reading in verse #13, and we'll begin reading it when
I get there. James, Chapter #5 Thank you
Peter. And first number first number
13. Still raining.
We're good. Is any among you afflicted?
Let him pray. Let me let me wait, cuz I still
hear some pages turn. That's okay.
James. Chapter 5 will be in verse #13.
Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.
Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.
Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of
the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.
And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Now what do we see here? Could I just put it this way?
Prayer works. I was hoping more of you to
agree with me than that. But prayer works back.
The Bible talks about the anointing of those who are sick.
That's something we've done here at Liberty Baptist Church before
we've. Taking oil and actually applied
it to those who were sick. Praying and faith that the Lord
would heal the sick. Because I believe we take God at
His word and he says to do it and we do.
You say, well, what does that accomplish if you do it as well?
I don't know other than just obedience.
He said to do it. So we do it and there are times
and seasons where we do that is requested upon us by someone or
that I've requested someone else.
May we as a church do this on your behalf?
And I've always seen the Lord work in a great way because
prayer works. That's better.
All right, good. Confess your fault one to
another and pray one for another.
You may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of
a righteous man of aleth much. Now that's an important phrase.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man of Aleth much
Elias. Who's Elias?
Well, that's the New Testament way of saying the Old Testament
name of Elijah. Elias was a man subject to like
passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might
not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of.
Three years and six months, and he prayed again, and the heaven
gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
So what do we see here? We see that Elijah prayed.
And the rain stopped for 3 1/2 years.
But then Elijah prayed again. Remember, we saw this in First
Kings chapter #18. He prayed.
I hear the noise of rain. There's no clouds.
But he's praying. And he knows that the prayer of
faith will allow those clouds to be able to form and for the rain
to fall. And so he prays.
And he asked the Lord to open the windows of heaven again, and
the windows of heaven open. And we're reminded that the
prayers of the Saints of God are important.
But what does it say of Elijah Now Listen.
This is important. And I have to make this
connection here or this message doesn't work.
And maybe you'd say pastor, it's already not working.
And that's about, I don't know, but I want to make this
connection here because this is important to be able to have
this message fit the way that it should.
Elijah prayed and the heavens opened and within hours or days
he was discouraged. OK, that's the timeline,
correct? That we see.
He prayed the heavens open and within hours or days he was
discouraged and asked the Lord to to take his life.
But how does God address Elijah at this moment in time?
In James chapter 5? Does God call him a weak man?
Does God call him a man of of unsound faith?
Does God call him a turncoat? The effectual, fervent prayer of
a righteous man? James is talking about a
righteous man's prayer. And then by the inspiration of
God, when he's looking for an illustration of that, he uses
Elijah as an example. So what do I see?
I see a righteous man who got discouraged in service.
Why is this important? Well, because Isaiah chapter 61
tells us the righteousness we have is the righteousness of God
that's been placed upon us. If you are saved, if you know
Jesus Christ, your Savior today, by the way, you're not saved
because of the things you do, because you join a church,
because you do good works, because you gave stuff to a yard
sale or something like that. By the way, thanks for that.
But you're not saved by that. That's not what saves a person.
No, what saves a person is confessing their sin and calling
upon Jesus Christ to save them, because only His righteousness
can be placed upon us for us to be saved.
But. What I see here is this is here
is a man who is seen as God, as righteous, and just hours later.
Not my words, God's words. He's righteous.
And just hours or a day or two later, he's in a bad way.
Why is this important? Because when we are in seasons
of discouragement, Satan tells us not that we're righteous.
He tells you you're no good. You know what he says?
Why even go back? No, I'm talking about going back
to your walk with the Lord. Why even go back?
Why even do those things? What point is there?
You're a failure. You're no good.
You're a chump. You're a loser.
I mean, do I need to go on? This is what Satan tells people
on a regular basis. Well, because.
Because you got discouraged. Because because you got down,
because you're on this high. But then the pendulum swung the
other way and now you're not. And now you're asking for your
life. And no, no, you're no good.
You're what? God doesn't even want you
anymore. You know, what I see is that?
This righteous. Man got discouraged and he says,
God, I, I I want to die. And what God does is a long
form, if you will, of therapy in his life.
When he says, oh, you need some help, well then I'm going to
help you. You know what he does?
He, he, we. I don't have time.
All right, you know what he does.
Verse #5. He tells him to get some rest.
You know what? You know what you.
Know I'm not saying a good. Sleep will solve all your
problems. But sometimes some of our
problems are because we don't sleep or they're magnified
because we haven't slept. Get some rest.
God tells him. Get some rest.
He fed him. He needs some food.
No wonder us Baptists like potlucks.
We're just trying to encourage you.
That's all we're doing. That's all we're doing.
You know, he fed him. He hydrated him.
He told to drink. He told me, get moving, he said
don't just lay around here after you get up and kind of stretch a
little bit. Get up, get moving, get get
about, work yourself around. And then verse #12, you know
what he had to do. He had to listen to the voice of
God. And you remember, God tried to
manifest himself in all these large ways and Elijah didn't
really respond. But was the still small voice
that God used in verse #12 in the Bible says that he took his
mantle, he took his outer cloak, and he wrapped himself because
it penetrated, I believe deep into his soul.
God spoke to him. What do we do when we are
discouraged? Remember, you're not alone.
Verse #17 in First Kings chapter #19 tells us that God revealed
to Him there's 7000 people who haven't even vowed to need to
bail yet. You think you're alone.
You're not alone. Can't tell you every time you
think you're alone in service, you're not alone.
Every time you think you're alone in struggling, you're not
alone. You know what Satan does?
Satan's the isolator. He tries to take you away from
the herd. You know why?
When animals are together in a herd, they're protected from the
predator. What does the predator do?
He preys on those who are away from the herd.
The one that's hurt, the one that's weak, the one that's a
little bit slower. Those are the one that he goes
to. But but listen, you say, well,
I'm so you're saying I'm weak, I'm slow.
You know, I'm saying you are righteous in the eyes of God and
that you can just go back to him, run into his loving arms
and he will help. You know, don't listen to
Satan's lies to you about why you shouldn't be a servant or.
Why you shouldn't serve him or why you shouldn't walk to him.
No, don't walk. Run to his arms today and be
able to go and start a new and afresh with him again.
Then you know what else you need to do.
Do what God commands you to do. God gave him purpose that day
when He was there in Mount Sinai.
He said. I have some jobs for you to do.
There's some people you need to anoint, including your
successor, a man named Elijah. He gave him purpose again.
He says I still have a job for you, and some of you may not
have been serving God for a while.
Can I tell you something? If you're righteous, if you have
the righteousness of him upon you, he still has work for you
to do. Well, I missed work that I was
supposed to do. What will?
That work is gone. Those days are done.
God will take care of that. He already has taken care of
that. Here's what you have to answer
for today. He has jobs for you to do.
He has plans for you. He has things for you.
And don't let say to will you? You messed it up before.
You're not going to do, no no. God looked at Elijah, this man
who wanted his own life taken away.
He looked at him as righteous. Now, I'm not saying what he did
was righteous. It.
Was not the right thing for him to do, but he saw the
righteousness of God that was upon him.
He saw him as we are saved, seated in heavenly places.
He saw who we are in Christ. And so I say this to encourage
you this morning, that when Satan tries to get you to the
place where I don't even know what I'm going to do, I don't
even know where I'm going to go. I don't know how I'm going to do
this. But think if Elijah could go
through this, you're going to go through it.
And if. God looked at Elijah through the
lens of love. Then he'll look at you through
the lens of love and compassion as well.
But you need to come back to him.
But you need to come back to him and do what he's called you to
do. You don't.
I find the most ironic thing about this entire text.
I don't know if I've ever thought of this before.
What was his request? I want to die.
Who was one of the few people in human history that never died?
Elijah. He.
He didn't die. Say, Pastor, are you?
Everyone dies. Not Enoch in Genesis and not
Elijah. Not Enoch and not Elijah, No.
He was taken up in a whirlwind God.
God took him away in a supernatural way to use it in
Elijah's life. Do you realize this is one of
the great ironies of God? And if I can put it this way,
maybe his sense of humor that what you think you can't do or
you think is right, He says. Oh yeah, let.
Me show you this that he can take a quitter and make them
into someone who's faithful. He can take a damaged person and
a discouraged person and make them whole and an encourager
again. He took a man who says I want to
die. He says, well, when I'm done
with you, he'll never die and he can take you from where you are.
Well, I don't see it well. I imagine Elijah didn't see the
rain clouds either, but he heard the sound of rain.
You know why? Because he was a righteous man,
and you may not be able to see how God can use you today.
All you can hear is what Satan's telling you.
Can I tell you, Say in faith. Get thee behind me, Satan.
Those are lies. Straight from the pit and by the
name of Jesus. Not by my own power, not by
anything. No, no, no, you're not.
You're not going toe to toe to the devil.
You go toe to toe to the devil. He'll have you in another zip
code in in in 5 minutes. No through.
The power of God, through that, through the the the, the, the
ceiling of the Holy Spirit. Who lives inside of you right
now to say no, I'm not going to believe that which I realize
that I have. This robe of righteousness is
laid upon me once I know Jesus Christ is my Savior.
And I might be discouraged, I might be down, But I see God.
I see how God sees me. I see my position in Christ.
And because of that, even though I wasn't going to be faithful,
even though I was discouraged, even though I thought I couldn't
do it, I realized I can't do it. But he can do it through me.
And I'm going to get up and I'm going to do more.
And I'll do greater than I ever have before.
For the Lord will, but I'll fail again.
Well, yeah, probably. You'll probably live for a few
more years. But the righteous.
Man falls seven times the proverb, say, but gets back up.
Where are you today in your Christian life?
We may have some discouraged people, I don't know.
I mean, I know some of your testimonies, but we may have
some discouraged people here today.
And Satan's just telling you, you know, you go to church, but
you're not going to be like those church people, quote, UN
quote. You'll never be like those
church people, Which I don't even know what that means
really, because I know church people.
I is a church people, so I don't know what that means.
And you're discouraged from serving God if you know Jesus
Christ, your Savior, you've been robed in his righteousness.
Amen. No, being discouraged is not a
righteous act. I'm not saying that.
Because it's taking faith in God and putting it in ourselves.
We understand. Let's be careful about this, but
the same time, understand that he sees you in a way that
Satan's not allowing you to see right now.
And see yourself through the eyes of the one who saved you,
not through the eyes of the deceiver.
He's a liar. He has been from the beginning.
You're going to listen to him about your life and your
service. Satan never says, oh, you know
what you'll you'll do best serving God.
He never says that. Oh, yeah.
You know what? You're a real winner.
That you you're you're you're just what God needs.
No, He never says that. No, He He puts those doubts,
those seeds there. So today, if you were
discouraged in your walk, you haven't lived up to what you
think you could be for the Lord or what you have been in the
past. May I remind you that it's God
that can turn that all in a dime.
And if he can take a man that said he wanted to die and make
sure he never died, he can take someone that's discouraged and
make him a great encourager. He can make a quitter and make
them the one that keeps other people on the field and giving
them encouragement. You know why?
Because that's what. God does.
That's what he does. But there's another group here
this morning that may be this. You don't have that robe of
righteousness on you because you don't know Jesus Christ, your
Savior. And that means if you are not
enrolled in His righteousness, when you stand at the great
white throne of judgment, you will have to show your own
righteousness. You know that word righteousness
means your own rightness. Really.
That you were right. That you were without sin.
And the Bible tells us so clearly in the Book of
Revelation that no one who stands the great right thrown in
judgment will be able to show their own rightness before God,
because books will be open and every swear word you've ever
said will be there. Every smutty thought you've ever
had will be there. You say, pastor.
It doesn't say it in the word of God.
No, no, I believe that because the evidence will be presented
against you, and if you don't have the robe of righteousness
upon yourself, you will have to be able to present your
credentials, and they won't be good.
Because the Bible says all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God and everyone who is there at the great white throne
of judgment that is not able to be able to show their own
righteousness, which will be everyone.
The Bible says we'll be cast in the lake of fire for all
eternity. Not because God desired them to
be there. In fact, John chapter 3 tells us
quite the opposite, but because they have chosen when they had
the truth of God's word to turn and go their own way.
Do you have that robe of righteous today?
It can only come for Jesus Christ.
Don't leave here today without knowing for sure that heaven is
your home, that the gospel truth has a lodging in your heart in
your life today, and if you're discouraged is God servant,
You're in good company. Who are we to think it won't
come to our home, But when we do, let's remember who we are in
Christ. Let's remember how God saw this
same man in James chapter 5. And let's say I'm going to do
for God. But I can't do it myself and
allow him to do the work that only he can do.
Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of
Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing
to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us
know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org.
Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton,
MA. May the Lord bless you as you
grow in His Word.