What do we truly seek in our overwhelming moments? Do we run to God or try to handle it all alone? Tune in to Kent’s sermon for a powerful reminder. #SeekGod #FindRest. IT’S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
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OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
Oh man, do you know what’s starting this week?
for those of you who have not spent the last few weeks searching for the best deal on #2 pencils and buying exorbitant amounts of Kleenexes and hand sanitizer. This is the week school starts. It’s the week when everything ramps back up.
At least in our family you go from sleeping in, swimming in pools, and staying up late to mornings going into overdrive, long days, homework, evening practices, and games, all on top of the day-to-day projects and work we all have to go all the time.
During the school year, I literally get up and am getting everyone else ready and to school for 3 hours before I can even get to work. It’s crazy.
But I’m not the only one who is overwhelmed and busy, right?
Americans are more stressed than ever. We are busier than ever.
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What do you do when you are stressed beyond your breaking point?
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What do you want from God in those moments?
SCRIPTURE
I want to jump into a high-stress moment in the life of the prophet Elijah from the Old Testament. Elijah has been in the battle of his life. For the past 3 years, he has been going against the establishment. Ahab, the King has turned Israel to following other gods. Elijah prays and asks God to shut the skies from raining for 3 years and God does it. Finally, this battle between these two ends on Mount Carmel (which I’m hoping we go to on our Israel trip), and there is this epic battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The fire of God falls on the mountain and the people turn back to God. Ahab is so angry with Elijah – he did battle with this prophet and lost the ground battle, but doesn’t want to give up the war.. This is where we come into the story, on the back of this prophet who has been fighting for his people, doing everything he can to keep them close to Yahweh.
1 Kings 19:1-9
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
ILLUSTRATION:
I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like your life was in danger, like real danger. This summer we were hiking in South Dakota and we were up on this cliff, probably 100ft in the air. our daughter Parker was on the side of the mountain and slipped. She caught herself right on the edge and as a dad, my heart was pounding, but I had to be cool and be like, “Oh baby, it’s ok, glad you didn’t hurt yourself too bad…”
When it’s really life and death, the stakes of the game change.
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Elijah has real reason to fear for his life…
Jezebel is the kind of queen who takes what she wants and kills at a whim
listen to what happens next
3 Elijah was afraid[a] 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 wilderness. He came to a broom bush, 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.”
I feel this in my bones.
I don’t know if you’ve gotten to this point.
Where you have done all you can do.
I’ve heard pastors try and sanitize this and say Elijah isn’t suicidal or depressed, he’s just exhausted.
I do think he’s exhausted, but I think he’s at his end. I think he’s given all he can, but he’s human and at the end, his life is still in jeopardy.
5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
Elijah was so exhausted he fell asleep.
Elijah couldn’t fix his situation.
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He gave his desperation to God and he dosed off.
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Some of y’all… what you need is a good nap.
You can’t control everything, you can’t fix everything. You can’t do it all on your own. You need to just give it to God and take a nap.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
We will find out this angel is not just a normal angel, but the Angel of the Lord. Most scholars (and me included) think this is Jesus showing up in the OT.
One of the most beautifully tender moments.
Elijah is worn out. He’s tired, he’s at the end of his rope and God lets Him sleep and cooks him a good meal.
Can you picture Jesus sitting there with a fire, kneading bread, starting a fire, cooking it over the fire, and then leaning over and gently waking him to eat?
God doesn’t address his questions, He doesn’t fix Elijah’s situation. He lets him sleep and feeds him.
Listen, I want to make something clear to you…
God cares for Elijah like this, because all Elijah cared about was seeking first God’s Kingdom
Some of you listen to this story and are like, “I’d love for God to tenderly care for me, but things just seem to get worse and worse.”
I need you to get this, God’s promise is not to take care of everyone regardless of their relationship with Him.
His promise is if you come to Him. His promise if is you seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
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Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
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It’s not that God doesn’t care about you if you don’t care about His Kingdom. It’s that God doesn’t force Himself upon people.
God knows those who are His. He knows if you are just giving lip service or if you are honestly seeking Him with all you are..
CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:
Man, sometimes, being a preacher is the hardest gig in the world. Honestly, I have no illusion that some of you work way harder day to day than the average preacher. But when you do your work, you can do it and be the worst person in the world and still get a raise and a bonus. But as a pastor, your life HAS to match your words. So, I’m writing this sermon and simultaneously, I’m struggling in my personal life. Not struggling with sin, not struggling with being a bad dad or husband, but struggling with my heart drawing away from Jesus. Just being blatantly honest. I was under lots of stress, lots of pressure and instead of running to God. Instead of crying out to Him and staying close to Him. I ran to “doing stuff”. Doing stuff on it’s own isn’t bad – but doing stuff apart from God. Doing stuff to stay busy and fill the void. doing stuff because stuff and can be completed and finished and the stress I was under probably couldn’t be. That was idolatry. It centered me and my own efforts outside of Jesus. And then I sit down to write this sermon. Ugh…
I was missing out on God’s care because I didn’t care to really run to God
I was going to give you 5 steps to run to God and tell you all the things that I did. But can I be honest with you? There aren’t steps. You are either willing to get on your face, repent and turn to back to God, or you will pretend and remain godless in your approach…
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The question is whether you will choose to Encounter God or not
It’s literally the reason we are starting Encounter – because we KNOW how much we need Jesus day to day and how if you are not being regularly encouraged so seek Him, around other Christians – you’ll likely go back to your old approach…
Which will it be for you? I KNOW I’m not alone in this. Jesus has made it clear what His promise is. He will comfort, He will provide. Will you turn to Him?
