Well, it's good to see everybody
tonight and we'll be, Lord willing, just a little bit observing the
Lord's table. I'd like for you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of 1 Kings. 1 Kings chapter
19. I want to read one verse of Scripture.
We'll have a word of prayer. And I'm gonna make a few comments
out of the 18th and 19th chapter of 1 Kings. And I've entitled
this message tonight, Encouragement for the Depressed. 1 Kings 19, verse seven. And the angel of the Lord came
again the second time and touched him and said, arise and eat,
because the journey is too great for thee. Let's pray together. Our Father, as we come before
you this evening, we're so thankful, Lord, for the blessed privilege
to be able to lift our hearts unto you and to ask, Lord, for
your help. Thank you for this time that
we have to meet and to hear the gospel. I pray, Lord, that it
be that which is sent forth to the calling out, encouraging,
sustaining of your sheep. For it's in Christ's name we
pray, amen. Elijah the prophet had been used
of the Lord to manifest before Israel that God is God. He had asked in the 18th chapter
of 1 Kings, in verse 21, He said, Elijah came unto all
the people and said, how long halt ye between two opinions?
Two different thoughts. If the Lord be God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not
a word. Well, to demonstrate the Lord's
will and power, Elijah was instructed to tell Ahab to take the 450
prophets of Baal. They were to take a bullet for
themselves and to prepare a sacrifice for Baal. And then Elijah would
prepare a sacrifice unto the Lord. This is all found in chapter
18, if you'd like to read it. There was to be no fire put under
the sacrifices and the God who answers by fire would be shown
to be God. And you know the story for the
sake of time. 450 prophets of Baal, they cried
all day and they jumped and cut themselves. And then when the
Lord was going to be honored with the sacrifice. Chapter 18,
the fire of the Lord was to fall from heaven and they had taken
the sacrifice unto the Lord and Elijah said in verse 33, 1 Kings
18, he put the wood in order. cut the bullock in pieces, laid
him on the wood, said, fill four barrels with water, poured on
the burnt sacrifice on the wood. And he said, do it the second
time. They did it the second time. He said, do it the third
time. They did it the third time. The water ran round about the
altar. He filled the trench also with water. It came to pass at
the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah
the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel,
that I am thy servant, and that I have 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 consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, the stones, the
dust, licked up 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 the God. The Lord, He is the God. Now, the Scripture says that
in chapter 19, that after Elijah had taken the 450 prophets of
Baal, had taken them down to the creek Kishon, he killed them. And chapter 19, Ahab told Jezebel
all that Elijah had done, 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, came to Beersheba, which belongeth to
Judah, and left his servant there." Now, the scripture declares in
James chapter 5, verse 17, concerning Elijah. You think about Elijah
the prophet, this man that had just seen fire fall from heaven
and consume that sacrifice. That man, the scripture says,
John 5, 17, Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we
are. After having seen what he had
seen, the scripture says that when a weak but wicked woman
Jezebel threatened his life. He arose and left. Now here's what I know. How quickly
our weakness is beheld in the face, oftentimes, of trouble. Now God's people know that the
Lord has promised this. I will never leave thee, I will
never forsake thee. But how often we melt under tribulation. This flesh, until we leave this
world, is going to lust against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh. And truly, as we've heard it
said many times, the best of men are at best men. We hold this treasure, that is
the gifts and graces of God's Spirit, in earthen vessels. Why? The scripture says, 2 Corinthians
4, 7, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not
of us. Elijah, this man that God had
blessed and taught and saw these miracles. He was in a tough place. 1 Kings 19 verse 4 says, But
he himself went 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 he said, It is enough. Now, O Lord, take away my life. For I am not better than my fathers. I want us all to remember, in
a believer, faith and unbelief is there. A father whose son was tormented
by a dumb and deaf spirit, scripture reveals in Mark 9, had asked
the Lord, to have compassion upon his son. And when he asked
the Lord, Mark 9, 23 and 24, when he asked the Lord to help
his son, the Lord said this, if thou canst believe, all things
are possible to him that believeth. This man's son is tormented. by a deaf and dumb spirit. And
listen to what it says, and straightway the father of the child cried
out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. A believer is one that's gonna
struggle, finds himself in times of tribulation, In a hard place, Abraham believed God. And when
the Lord told Abraham, I want you to take your son, your only
son, Isaac, and sacrifice him unto me, offer him unto me for
a burnt offering. If you remember, we looked at
that. the order of the burnt offering, the wood was to be
laid in order, the sacrifice was to be cut into pieces, laid
in order on that sacrifice, and burnt. The scripture said that Abraham
raised his knife, ready to do just exactly. Abraham believed
God. And then he found himself fearful
for his life. when he was in the midst of some
unbelievers because his wife was a beautiful woman. He was
afraid that they were going to kill him for her. Precious faith
is the gift of God. But brethren, we still possess
an old man that wars against the new. Truly, without him,
we can do nothing. So here's Elijah, and he's out
there sitting under a juniper tree, and here he's beginning
to pray. And he requested for himself
that he might die. Lord, it's enough. It's enough. And the scripture
says in verses five to eight, and as he lay and slept under
a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said
unto him, arise and eat. And he looked, and behold, there
was a cake, bacon on the coals, and a cruise of water at his
head. And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. And
the angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him
and said, arise and eat, because the journey is too great for
thee. I thought to myself, how precious
and tender, gracious is our Lord, to not give us that which is
not according to his will. Lord, let me die. It's enough. I'm tired. Oh, in the Lord merciful to not
leave us to pity ourselves. We're flesh. We're flesh. We
get weary. We get depressed. Somebody says,
well, I never get depressed. Well, I'm so thankful for you.
I appreciate that quality in you, but you're looking at somebody
that gets tired, depressed, weary. The Lord, who had fed Elijah
one time with ravens and then by a widow woman, now he's pleased
to feed him through the agency of an angel. The angel, he ate,
laid back down again. The angel of the Lord came again
the second time and touched him, telling him, rise and eat, and
revealed that which we know by faith. We know this, but we need
to be told again. I started to name this message,
the journey's too great, but I didn't. This is what he told
him. And here again, we need to remember,
I said, The journey is too great for us. The journey is too great
for us. We often have to be jolted through
this life, brought back. We all know that we have a good
fight of faith to wage. We know that. Paul the apostle
said, I fought a good fight. It's a battle, isn't it? It's
a battle. We got spiritual weapons. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal. Not carnal. Because we're in a battle. We're
in a battle within and a battle without. Brethren, the journey
is too great for us. But how wonderful. Listen to
this passage of Scripture, Psalm 78, 39. For he remembered that
they were but flesh. A wind passes the way, cometh
not again. A continual fresh awareness of
our frailty is a blessing of God's mercy. We need to be taught
that again and again and again. Scripture says in verse nine,
verse Kings 19, he came thither into a cave. He ate what the
angel had given him. And he went on that forty days
and forty nights, and to Horeb, verse 8, mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave,
and lodged there. And behold, the word of the Lord
came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou hear, Elijah? What arresting words to a sinner. What doest thou hear, Elijah? I read those words today and
I thought to myself, whenever I find myself down, tired and
depressed, what are you doing here, Marvin?
What are you doing? I thought, you know, that's gripping.
These words seem like they ring as those words to Adam. After
he had eaten the fruit, Genesis 3, 9, and the Lord said, where
art thou? called unto Adam and said, where
art thou? You've heard this. It wasn't
that the Lord needed information. He said that for Adam's sake.
Where are you? When we're in need of correction,
which is always, the Lord speaks words of grace, mercy, comfort,
and peace to our heart. Words that arrest us. in the midst of our trial and
despair, being trodden down. You ever gotten to that point
where you're thinking, you know what, it's enough. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, Hebrews 12.6. So what doest thou here, Elijah? What are you doing? He's gonna
give Elijah a chance to talk. And the scripture says in verse
10, and he said, I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. The children of Israel have forsaken
thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, slain thy prophets with
the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life
to take it away. Oh, how quickly, when we find
ourselves in a tight spot, how prone we are to justify ourselves
concerning what we consider our faithfulness before God. And how quickly we arise in our
attitude of condemnation before others. But man, Psalm 39 5,
at his best state, is altogether vanity. What are
you doing here, Elijah? And the scripture says in verses
11-13, he said, go forth and stand upon the mount before the
Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind
rent the mountains and break it in pieces, the rocks before
the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. But after the wind
and earthquake, the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after
the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. But
after the fire, a still small voice. And it was so when Elijah
heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out
and stood in the entering in of the cave. And behold, there
came a voice unto him and said, what doest thou hear, Elijah? Now what a glorious display. God's power and divine presence. Elijah, this downtrodden, fearful
vessel of God's mercy, was made to stand and observe the might
of the Lord, the Lord that he loved, the Lord that he served. He was gonna stand there and
behold the might of Almighty God. Here he is, he's downtrodden,
this woman wants to kill me. The Lord asked him, he said,
what are you doing here? And the Lord exhibited his power. He stood there and the wind broke
the mountains, rent the mountains, broke the rocks in pieces. But
the scripture says, but the Lord was not in the wind. Actually, it's talking about
the breath, the mind, God, and the Lord wasn't pleased to speak
to Elijah's need in the wind. That's what he's saying. He displayed
his might and his power and his glory, but he wasn't pleased
to speak to Elijah in that wind. It was an earthquake. but the
Lord wasn't in the earthquake. Same reason, wasn't pleased to
speak in the earthquake. Then there was a fire, but the
Lord was not in the fire. And then a still, small, just a whisper, calm. And the scripture says, and when
Elijah heard it, when he heard with attention, when he gave
heed, when he yielded to, when he was caused to hear, obey,
that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood
in the entering in of the cave. Now, the sheep hear the voice
of the Lord. They hear it. When the Lord is
pleased to speak, Now the Lord at one time turned to Job 38,
Job 38, Job 38 verses one to three. Now the scripture says that, There was a mighty wind, there
was wind. Rent the mountains, broke the rocks, but the Lord
wasn't in that, wasn't pleased to speak to Elijah's need in
that wind. The Lord did speak like that
to Job. Look at Job 38, one to three.
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, what
is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird
up thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee and answer
thou me. The Lord may be pleased. to speak
that way. In that might of that wind, that's
what it said, the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. He may be pleased to speak, turn
to Psalm 68. Psalm 68, eight. He may speak
in the earthquake as he did at Sinai. Psalm 68, verse eight. The earth shook. The heavens
also dropped at the presence of God. Even Sinai itself was
moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. There was a mighty wind. God
wasn't pleased to speak to Elijah that way. It was an earthquake. God wasn't pleased to speak to
Elijah's need that way. It was fire. God wasn't pleased
to speak to Elijah. But then there was a still, small
voice, a whisper, just a whisper, a calm. Fine voice is what it
means. And what a blessing of softness
and compassion, obviously, that was needed by this prophet. God was pleased to not speak
to him in that might, Oh, and that wind and that fire and that
earthquake. God was pleased to speak to this
prophet who absolutely, obviously, needed to hear from the Lord. What are you doing here? Justifying
himself. God said, I want you to stand.
And scripture says, whenever he heard that, God spoke in that
still, small voice, when he heard it, He wrapped his face in his
mantle and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave. That broke him. You know, that's what happened.
Turn to Isaiah 6. Isaiah 6, one to three. That
wrapped his mantle. He took it, wrapped his face,
covered his face. Isaiah chapter six. One, angels
at the presence of the Lord did this. The scripture says, in
the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon
the throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
And above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With
twain, he covered his face. Twain, he covered his feet. Twain,
he did fly. And one cried unto another and
said, holy, holy, holy. is the Lord of Hosts, the whole
earth is full of his glory. Turn to Exodus chapter 3, Exodus
3. The scripture says that Moses was
tending his father-in-law's sheep, Jethro. And the scripture says
in Exodus 3, Verse two, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him
in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked,
and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight,
why this bush is not burnt. When the Lord saw that he turned
aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush
and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, here am I. And he
said, draw not nigh hither. Put off thy shoes from off thy
feet, for the place wherein thou standest is holy ground. Moreover,
he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he
was afraid to look upon God. The scripture says when Elijah
heard that still, small voice, he heard it. He covered his face
with his mantle. Now, I want you to notice something.
After he had done that, that still small voice, at the end
of that 13th verse that we just read, behold, there came a voice
unto him and said, what doest thou hear, Elijah? You know,
that was the same question he asked him up in verse 9. Same question. When you read the answer, it
appears as though it's basically the same answer. He says the
same thing. But the Lord had dealt with Elijah
and had spoken unto Elijah unto one that he had everlastingly
loved. And it's as though the answer of Elijah, though it was
the same words, obviously being corrected, being taught. being
encouraged, being emboldened by the grace of God. His attitude
was different. What he was saying was right,
but his attitude. Before, he was ready to die.
Just kill me. Kill me. I'm the only one left. Everybody else is forsaking you.
I got trouble on every side. I'm doing all I can. I've been
so faithful. I've been so consistent and everything. And I don't doubt for one second,
I don't doubt for one second, truly, he was jealous for the
Lord of Hosts. God's people are. They are. And
I don't doubt for one second that there really were many there
in Israel that had forsaken God's covenant, thrown down the altars
of the Lord, slain the prophets with the sword, but that did
not negate what God told Elijah to do. This is the point. We find ourselves often burdened
down, we're in a pity party. We get to feeling like I've done
so much, I've done this, that, and the other, and I'm this,
that, and the other. I'm just tired, I'm just this, that, and
the other. What are you doing? What are you doing? And when
the Lord spoke to him and asked him, what are you doing? Here's
what the scripture says in verses 14, 15 to 18. He said, I've been
very jealous of the Lord God of hosts, because the children
of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altar, slain
thy prophets with a sword, and I only am left, and they seek
my life away. Seek to take my life away. And
God said unto him, Return on thy way to the wilderness
of Damascus, and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over
Syria. And Jehu, the son of Nimshi,
shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel. And Elisha, the
son of Shaphat of Abba Meola, shalt thou anoint to be prophet
in my room. and it shall come to pass that
him that escapeth the sword of Hosea shall Jehu slay, and him
that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me 7,000 in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth
which hath not kissed him. Brethren, we are so dim-sighted
that we began to think of reasons to complain, reasons to justify
ourselves. You say, well, look at all these
things that Elijah had seen the Lord do. What have we seen? We've
seen the mighty hand of God. We've seen the Lord, according
to these scriptures, call out his people and keep his people. And according to His Word, He's
never forsaken us. We're still here. We're still
here. Yeah, but this, that, and the
other. Yeah, but we're still here. The Lord has given us each
other. We have His presence tonight.
He's with us. Elijah, what are you doing? What are you doing? I've been
jealous, they've this. He said, here's what I want you
to do. Reminds me when Peter came and asked the Lord about
John. He said, what about him? He said,
if I will that he stay, live, until I come back, what's that
to you? Follow me. He told Elijah, he said, this
is what I want you to do. I think about it so often, Brother
Scott saying, who's running this show? It's part of the show anyway.
Elijah, like us today, was called to preach the gospel. That's
what he was called to do. Not go sit down under a juniper
tree and tell God I'm ready to die. The Lord was going to take
this prophet to heaven in a whirlwind. And here he was asking the Lord
to kill him. Go ahead and kill me. And God
was going to bring him to heaven without seeing death. And he
told Elijah concerning they've killed all your prophets, and
they've done this and the other, and they've tore down your altars
and stuff like that. And he said, now listen, you
go anoint the ones that I told you to. And it's gonna come to
pass that him that escapeth the sword, Hazael shall kill, and
whoever escapes from Hazael shall Jehu kill, and whoever escapes
from Jehu, Elijah's gonna kill. Vengeance is the Lord's. He's
gonna repay. Well, they did this, that, and
the other. I'll take care of that. I'm gonna take care of
that. You go do what I said to do. The Lord knows those that
are in rebellion, and he's going to deal with them. Yes, they're
here. But listen to this. God's got
a remnant according to the election of grace. And he's going to save
them through the preaching of the gospel. And we look around
and we say, yeah, but this is this, and this is how it used
to be, and this is what I remember. And I'm the only one left. That's
what Elijah said. Oh, no, you're not. I've left 7,000 in Israel, all
the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which
hath not kissed him. Brethren, when we find ourselves
in trouble, rest on both sides. Let us pray
as young Samuel was instructed by Eli to pray. He said, when young Samuel heard
the Lord speak and when he came back to Eli, he said, did you
call me? No, I didn't call you. Did that a couple of times. And
Eli perceived that it was the Lord speaking to him. He said,
next time you hear that, you say, Lord, speak. Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth. Brethren, we're frail creatures
of the dust. No doubt about it. We find ourselves
often in tight places. No doubt about it. But let's,
by the grace of God, let's remember. Remember that word. below that
question. Elijah, what doest thou? What
are you doing? The Lord has called us to preach
the gospel. The Lord has instructed us to
assemble ourselves together, to love one another, pray for
one another, encourage one another. That's what we've been encouraged
to do, told to do. And that's what, by the grace
of God, we want to do. And I pray that the Lord bless
it to us. Now, the Lord's also instructed us to remember him
in the taking of the Lord's table. And I want us to do that now.
So I'm gonna ask the men if they'll come forward. We're gonna take
the Lord's supper.