1 Kings 19:1-10 When You Are Tired Enough To Quit

One day you’re brave, clear, and full of faith. The next day, one text, one threat, one setback, and you’re whispering, “I’m done.” That swing is exactly where 1 Kings 19 takes us, and it’s exactly where God meets Elijah, not with disgust or distance, but with patience, mercy, and real care for a worn-out human being.

We walk through Elijah’s crash after Mount Carmel, the fear that hits after a big victory, and the way despair can start rewriting your story until you believe the lie that you’re alone and finished. We talk about what it looks like to bring unpolished prayers to God, why church culture can train us to fake it, and how honest lament is not the opposite of faith but often the doorway back to it. If you’re carrying spiritual exhaustion, Christian burnout, anxiety, depression, or deep disappointment with God’s timing, there’s language here for what you’re feeling and hope for what comes next.

Then we slow down and notice the tenderness in God’s first response: sleep, bread, and water. Before a lecture, God provides ordinary mercy and reminds Elijah that the journey is too much to carry alone. We also explore wise next steps, from staying connected to community and trusted leaders to getting the right support when mental health is at stake. The message lands on God’s restoring question, “What are you doing here?” not as shame, but as invitation, and points us to Jesus as the greater prophet who holds weary people steady.

Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who’s running on empty, and leave a review so more people can find hope. What’s one “temporary exhaustion” decision you’re tempted to make right now?

Transcript

Welcome And How To Connect

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to the City Life Church podcast. We hope it encourages you. If you'd like to learn more about City Life or our mission, connect with us online at CityLifeSandiego.org. And while podcasts and Sunday mornings are helpful, they are no substitute for deeper personal relationships in the church.

Elijah’s Breaking Point Read Aloud

Prayer For The Weary And Worn

The Big Idea Behind “I’m Done”

Mount Carmel Highs And Valley Lows

The Threat That Exposes Fear

Isolation And An Honest Prayer

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Okay. It says this first Kings 191 through 191 through 9. It says, Ahab told Jezebel everything that King that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, May the God punish me and do severely to me if I don't make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow. Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, but he went on a day's journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, I have had enough, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors. Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly an angel touched him. The angel told him, Get up, eat. Then he looked there at the head, um there was a loaf of bread over hot stone and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched them and said, Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you. So he got up and ate and drank, and then on the strength from the and got strength from the food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. Verse 9. He entered a cave there and spent the night. Um suddenly the word of the Lord came to him and he said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? And so this morning I want to tag my text when you're tired enough to quit. Let's pray. Dear Lord, uh thank you for just your loving mercy and your loving grace, God. That you're a good heavenly father, God, this morning for some of us, God, who are just coming from the weariness of life, God, just broken, Lord, destitute, God, just groping for strength for life, God, just hoping that something will stick. Maybe today will be the day, and and ends up not being, and God, and so we fall into more despair, God, more depression, more questioning, questions and answers, God. Lord, I'm so thankful for texts like this this morning that remind us that God, we are not the heroes of the story. God, though these prophets and apostles and judges and kings and leaders, God, uh, what a privilege it is that you have given fallen man an opportunity to be put in a sacred book, God. But at the end of the day, God, we their stories, God, our stories point to the greater story, you, Jesus. And so, for those of us who are here this morning who are heavy-hearted, God, I pray that remind them that you said, Give me all your burdens, Jesus said, My yoke is light, and so, God, as we come, may we not feel shame. May we not feel God that you're despised or that you want distance from our brokenness, God, that you don't want nothing to do with it. Lord, no, you meet us in the midst of it, Lord. And so, God, I'm so thankful for that truth this morning, God. I'm so thankful, Lord, that you love someone like me, God. You love people like us, fragile, God, liars, God, adulterers, God, murderers in our hearts, God, wicked people. Yes, even us Christians who who who sing these things, God, and sing these psalms, and then we leave here and forget the songs that we've sung and the gospel that was proclaimed to us. What a gracious and beautiful Lord you are to us, God. And so we give you all the glory, God. Hide me behind the cross with the words of my mouth, Lord. The meditations of my heart be holy and acceptable in your sight, God. May you be lifted up, God, may you save, may you draw all people to you, men, women, and children, God. That you would be glorified, God. Not this church, not a pastor, God, not not a not man, but Jesus. The God man. May He be lifted up this morning. And so, God, to that, God, I labor and strive, God. Holy Spirit, I ask that you would do the work that you can do. We give you all the glory and honor. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. I appreciate you, bro. I asked some last minute. I'm used to like when I pray and play. I like having keys in the background, just makes a moment. So thank you for last minute getting up there. I appreciate you, bro. Uh, so yeah, so um, I want to go ahead and give us my focus tonight. The big idea that I want to walk through is when fear and disappointment and exhaustion make God's people want to quit, the Lord meets them with patience, mercy, and body care, and restoring uh a restoring word that draws them back to Himself. And so, as we're here this morning, I I wanna I want to ask you this question Have you ever uttered the phrase that Elijah does by saying, I I'm done? See the OGs, I like y'all. Y'all honest. Y'all y'all been through some light, yes. Right? Let's let's have be honest. Like, I know I know we're technically y'all Baptists, Southern Baptists, right? Me too. Like lift up your hands real high, don't be ashamed. How many of you guys said I'm done? Right? And so when we um deep down inside, where there's moments in our faith, in our journey, in our relationships, whatever that may look like, we're gonna utter the phrase, I'm done. Right? We we want to give up. Not not I need a break, right? Not that I need some recess, not that I'm having a bad day, but I don't know if I can keep going on like this. Is that true for anybody this morning? If not, maybe it is for me. Let me just tell you, I'm selfishly discernments for myself, but if it blesses y'all, praise God. And that's how God often does his greatest work, where um the pastors or leaders, we we the word of God needs to cut us as we proclaim this. Not as I'm not Yoda, you know what I'm saying? I'm not the OG on the sage that that that that guy, I don't got the stick and you know, whatever. I don't watch again off. A lot of people quote whoever that guy is, right? Like that's not me. I'm I'm I'm broken in need of Jesus, probably a lot more than you guys. And so it it and when I say that I'm done, it's because some of us we're done not because we've been just been living wild and ratchet out in this world, but like I'm done because I'm actually doing what the holy God of the Bible, the scriptures, told me to do, and things don't go out the way that I planned. Does that make sense? Isn't that frustrating? Like uh you you do the right thing and then bad things happen to you. Like you obey what God told you to do, and then it ends up getting you in trouble. At work, you lose your job, your marriage, your relationship, your children, whatever you do, what God tells you to do. Like you showed up for somebody, you prayed for somebody, somebody lost family, you would you discipled them, you walk with them, you fed them, you did all that, and then they turn their backs on you, and then they hurt you. And then you're like, bro, what's the point? Why even try? Some of us, if y'all are cynical like me, it's like, why even try no more? Right? And so you begin to say, I'm done. You stand for truth, you have the harder conversation, you pour your life out, and instead of things getting easier, things get a lot harder, a lot more discouraging. And this is where we find ourselves in this passage, and what makes this passage so at least encouraging to me and powerful is that Elijah is not just spiritually weak because he knows nothing about God. Elijah has seen God move in undeniable ways, right? God is if if you I think you guys are going through a story of Elijah, right? And God has fed him through ravens. Um, he's God sustained the widow. Um, God raised a child from the dead. Hello. Right? Growing up in Sunday school, uh, me and my homies used to always say, if I live during Jesus' time, if I saw God heal a blind man, it's over. Bro, you're gonna see me on these streets. I'm on I'm on Twitter, I'm on threads, I'm on snap, I'm reviving my space, I'm proclaiming the gospel to everybody. If I saw Jesus heal the blind, like you said, imagine a person with leprosy and Jesus healing, you're like, oh snap, this is this is the Messiah. Like you would just believe everything. I've always thought that, and yet we can see God's glorious movements in the mountaintops, and then when life hits us and we get to the valley, we start to question if God is really there, if God really sees us. We begin to fight and we want to tap out. And Elijah's seen this right on Mount Karma. I'll talk about that a little bit. Like, God brought fire from heaven and he destroys all the prophets. He was bold in his proclamation, right? Um, he prayed, and God did all these things. Rain was not there for a few years, and then he prayed, and then rain showed up. I don't know if you ever did that. San Diego, we need rain. Go out and pray, see what happens. And Elijah has seen again, right, the power of God, and this should comfort us because the Bible does not sanitize its heroes. When people often question, like an apologetic, like, well, how can you trust the Bible? It's written by man in our self-centeredness. Man, we always want to make ourselves look good. If I was trying to write a book, I would announce Peter or someone else and Paul, I would not put my failures in there. You know what I'm saying? I would have the Photoshop, my white veneer teeth, everything will look perfect. You know what I'm saying? But the Bible exposes us and reveals like, yeah, this is not, it is man's book, right? 40 different authors appeared 1500 times and different continents, God moved, but this is a book that really God uses broken, desolate, you're saying trifling people, which is mind-boggling. And some of y'all, I don't know what y'all been through. Y'all been through some stuff, right? You you guys are not maybe faithful walking with the Lord at times and falter, but God still wants to use and he will use you. Scripture does not present Elijah as the superhero. James 5 gives a little context here. It says, Elijah was a human being just as we are. Yes, he called down fire. Yes, he did all these miracles, yet again, Elijah was just a man, right? A human person, just as you and I are, and yet God still used him. He was faithful, but he was not invincible. He was courageous, but he was not immune to fear. He was used by God, but he still got tired. This is exactly what we need to be reminded of regularly, because some of us know what it's like to love God and still feel afraid. To believe in God and question, is God really gonna come through for my family? You still feel exhausted. Some of us know what it's like to obey God, but still feel disappointed by the outcome. That's where I'm at right now. You know what I'm saying? Like God is like that and also He can snap his fingers and make anything happen. And yet, when you maybe you prayed for your family member who's ill, uh, you know, a spouse maybe who doesn't know the know the Lord, a child, if some of you guys are older and you have older kids who are a wayward, community, and you're praying, you're seeking, and you're you're fasting, you're in tears, you know what I'm saying? Worship is good, the prayer was hidden, everything, and God does nothing, at least in the human perspective. God doesn't move, nothing happens. And I and I want to invite you guys to a place of honesty and vulnerability. I feel like this this text is really emotional and and it's real, it shows the humanity and the vulnerability of the scriptures and the prophet, and and and God is not harsh with his weary servant, so you can come to God like the real you. Does that make sense? Some of y'all come to Jesus and it's photoshopped. Like as if he doesn't know what you're really dealing with. I I want to give you guys freedom today that when you pray and you're going to your heavenly father who loves you, you can be honest with the Lord. Like when you're at the barbershop or the nail shop, amen. You you just give amen. I see you, girl. I see, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nails done, feet done, hair done, amen. Right? Like you can come honestly to the Lord with your brokenness. Some of us, we haven't been taught that. You can't talk to God like that. You can't be angry at God like that. You think the God that created the universe and created us out of the dust is afraid for dust to talk to him? You think he's afraid of us? So some of y'all, when you pray, God, I prayed and my mom, my grandma died, but if you will, you know what I'm saying? Like you you back up instead of the Bible's full of psalms, of lament, of of of prophets, of men and women, people praying and crying out to God and just being honest. Like you ever pray and say, God, I'm mad at you. Like I got beef with you, Lord. Like, I don't don't talk to me, God. You ever y'all if you've been walking with Jesus long enough, you know what I'm talking about. Some of y'all, if you haven't been there, I want to encourage you a place of invitation. And one of my favorite pastor, Matt Chandler, like just been reminding him, I'm reading this new book, and he often says it's like, God does not want distance from your brokenness and the brokenness in your life. And sometimes we feel like God is just He stiff arms us and He wants nothing to do with us. And yet God is the God who meets us in our brokenness, in our addictions, and that's the Lord that we serve. And in our text, we're gonna see today, God is not harsh with his weary servant, he's not mad at Elijah, he doesn't uh uh beat him up, he doesn't crush Elijah, he doesn't shame him, he doesn't discard him, he meets him. And so as we walk through our text together, we're gonna begin to see the beauty and the goodness of God. And so during this time of Israel's history, um, in 1 Kings 19, just a little context of where we are in God's prophetic timetable as he's moving in the scriptures. Israel Israel is in a dark place spiritually. Ahab is king, Jezebel, right? That's someone you do not, if someone said you had a Jezebel spirit, don't say amen. Rebuke it. That's not a that's not a compliment, right? Jezebel is influencing the nation. And right now, in my personal devotion, I'm reading the judges, one of the other darkest times in the book of Israel. The text constantly says, and everyone did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. Just God will save them, redeem them. They cry out to him, he'll give a judge, he'll give them peace for like 40, 50 years, and then the nation will come and they'll write, and then they'll get even more wicked. Blows my mind. Hey, you know what God does? He still redeems them, he still rescues them, he still saves them. The people of God are wavering between Yahweh and Baal. They're fighting. Elijah confronts them, Mount Carmel, uh, previously, and asks one of the most famous questions that you and I need to wrestle with in Israel. How long will you waver between two options? If Yahweh is God, follow him. If Baal or any other idol or any other thing is God, you follow that person. And then God answers by fire. He right dismantles the lie that any other God is God. And then you know what happens? The people, this is what they say. The Lord, right? Yahweh, he is God. The Lord, he is God. This is a powerful moment that happens. All the prophets of Bell, they come, they're mocking him. Elijah makes fun, and he does just this miraculous thing. And then I want I want us to pay attention for context as we get into our text. One commentator says this about Elijah. Elijah basically won the Super Bowl at Mount Carmel. At Mount Carmel, this should have been the celebration moment. This should have been the uh should have been the parade. This should have been had been the turning point. You would think after 1 Kings, right, in 19, when we see after all that Elijah did, right, um Ahab would get rid of his wife, they would return, they would repent. He is God, I love him, right? I'm gonna worship him. It's over. He made like you would celebrate. Because what happens, right, when you win? When you win the Super Bowl, remember back back in, I think it started in 1987? Where you I'm going to Disneyland, right? Everyone, that was a time of celebration. People popping bottles, right? And they're just throwing and they're celebrating when Jordan, you know, he's holding a trophy like this, very famous thing, and Kobe does that, and they celebrate after a great victory. You would assume after Elijah does that, God threw him and moves that Elijah would just be on top of the world, just thanking Yahweh, the God of the Bible. And we're gonna see what happens, but that's not what happens. Elijah gets a threat from Jezebel, and then he becomes afraid. And so this is where we are in our passage. Point number one says this. If you're taking notes, the threat after victory exposes Elijah's fear. So if you guys follow along your text, uh 1 Kings 19, 1 through 3, and it says, Ahab tells Jezebel everything that Elijah has done. Notice he doesn't, he he attributes all of this to Elijah, but not to Yahweh. Again, even though God moved through Elijah, even God through moves through a worship person, a leader, your spiritual mentor, your disciple, it's always God that's moving and doing his thing. It's never us. God uses us, but it's the power of spirit behind. But Ahab begins to point it and put it on Elijah in effect. He said, Let me tell you what Elijah did, right? He doesn't say, Let me tell you what God did. He said, Let me tell you what Elijah did. And even before in previous chapters, Ahab, you see almost a false sense of repentance. Like he listens to what God Elijah tells him to do, but eventually it was a false sense of repentance. He didn't really change. And so um, this is the problem here. Ahab sees the event, but he misses the Lord. He sees the prophet, but does not bow before God who answered by fire. So, what does that look like in modern context for us? That's some of us where you may go to a conference, you may go to an event. Bro, that word was fire. You go to that same struggle, you go to that same brokenness. Like you lift your, you know what I'm saying? I know. Y'all, this is Southeast. I was surprised y'all was not moving. So sorry, that's side comment. I know. Uh breakthrough is coming. And then you get in the car. Is it really coming? Is God really good? And you begin to you're like you, you see God move, right? You you but you and your family have been praying for your church for God to provide. God provides, God shows up, God does all that you asked Him to do, and He even flexes on you low, but He does more than you can never ask or imagine, right? He shows up in your life, and yet it's never the the the things, the miracles, right? People seen Jesus, the same people who seen Jesus move, and they were like, Man, Hosanna, Hosanna, you know what happens later. Crucify him. It's not the miracles, miracles are beautiful. Like I, you know, I'm a Baptocostal. I believe I'm a gospel center preacher. I believe in the sufficiency of scripture. I believe in when I preach and proclaim verse by verse, line by line, the personal work of Jesus. This is not a name and claimant. If y'all believe that, I'm sorry, that's not in the Bible. We have no power in our words and our tongues. I declare and declare, you know, Jesus is the one that does everything. We put our faith in him, the personal work of Jesus, always Christ in the gospel. I believe all of that. Faith alone, Christ alone, glory, God alone. But I also believe God still gives dreams and vision, God still speaks to his people, God still does miracles, and I still believe all of that. But again, most of us we want like the things of God, the gif the uh the gifts, but we don't want the gift. And so that's what the text is pointing out. Aba Ahab saw literally God move, and they people saw God move, and yet outward transformation or like what shows up in our behavior, in order for us to see real lasting change, there needs to be a formation, spiritual formation in a in our hearts in our transformation and in our lives. That makes sense. Then Jezebel sends a message to Elijah. Say, all right, bet. What did Elijah say? Okay, bet bet. Like, send a messenger to him, like what you did to our our prophets and our people, this is gonna happen to you. And matter of fact, if it'll happen to you by this time tomorrow, let the gods do to me what you did to them. Basically, you cook, bro, you're about to die. That's what she told him. And then notice what happens. Elijah, who just won the Super Bowl, God just moved, who confronted people and leaders and did all this stuff. Elijah is confronted by them, and then we notice uh that he gets afraid. That's what the text tells us. And that should teach us something about the complexity of the human heart. You can um be bold one day and afraid the next day. Y'all ever felt like that? You can be full of faith on Sunday and overwhelmed by Monday. You can win a spiritual battle and still emotionally fragile afterward. Again, this is not to shame any of us, and I'm talking to myself. That's just the complexity of being a human. You just feel great, man. Things is right, you know what I'm saying? And then life just happens, and then you're like just discouraged. All faith out the door. Just conviction and brokenness. And spiritual victory does not make you immune to spiritual vulnerability. You can get victory in one area, one season in your life, and another area you could be attacked, and you're not victorious. And so, again, it's not to shame us, but this is the God that's gonna meet us. And again, keeping the the theme of the idea is like, man, I'm I'm done. Some of you guys you're listening, you're like, Yeah, yeah, but I'm still done. God ain't answered, it's been 30 years. Maybe like the woman with the blood issue, like, I've been praying and God ain't showed up. So let me go to these crystals. Let me go to these psychics, let me go to these drugs, let me go to this, maybe that way. At least I'll feel good for a moment if I go there because God is not moving and showing up. And I want to be real. It's something it's not easy to follow the Lord, it's worth it, but there will be a lot of pain, a lot of sacrifice. Jesus never promised you, and I'm sorry if someone ever proclaimed the gospel to you and told you that Disney theology is what I like to call it. Like everything is gonna be nice. Oprah theology. You get a car, you get blessed, you want a house, La Hoya, got it. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's not in the Bible. Does God do that? Yes, people get blessed, people have stuff, but it's never about the material things, and so just want to be real to that. And so maybe. You're here and you're really struggling with that. And so begins, God begins to move and do amazing things in their lives. And so, just for the sake of time, we want to move along. This passage reminds us opposition after obedience does not mean God has abandoned you. Elijah's fear is real, his running is real, but God is not absent. Some of us need to hear that. God is not absent what you're dealing with. Elijah runs, but here's the beautiful thing: God follows, what leads us to point number two. So this is verses three three through four. If you guys follow along with me, then Elijah became afraid and immediately he ran for his life. And when he came to Beersheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, but he went on a day's journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed. I want you guys to underline this, highlight this. Hopefully, you're a church that takes notes and um values of scriptures, which I know you guys do, prayed that he might die. Highlight that. It's a beautiful thing. It's a real place that I think God's gonna meet us. So what happens? Elijah gets a threat, God moves, and then he isolates himself. He leaves a servant behind, he goes into the wilderness alone, he sits under the broom tree, and he prays one of the most realist prayers that you can pray. Lord, I want to die. Because this is just too much. And oftentimes people say God gives the strongest battles, right, to the strongest words. That's not what y'all are stronger than me. Because I just you understand, I got two dollar fights and I'm losing, man. I can't. Y'all got$50,$100. That's insane. And so he says, I had enough. This is not a polished prayer, this is not a safe church prayer. Like, can you imagine you guys just showed all your city groups? You're in city group, and someone just walks up, like, God, I thank you for this. And my God, you move, and then little Johnny comes up. God, I hate you right now. Lord, I feel like I want to die. You and hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, chill, chill, chill. There's people here, bro. Don't do that. Right? That's how probably we would respond when someone begins to bear their heart and the reality of what they're dealing with. But the scripture is inviting you and I to be honest with what we're dealing with. Now, God may not change the outcome the way you want, but I promise you, if you surrender your life under the banner of Jesus Christ, his person, his work, what he's done in the context of community, be in the local church, under discipleship, under healthy elders, and all that, God will meet you and transform you in the midst of what you're dealing with. You know what I'm saying? He'll help you deal with it. Doesn't mean he'll change it, but he'll change you and give you a better perspective. Because some of y'all are like me, y'all hard heads. If God don't do that, he ain't gonna get your attention. Some of y'all need you, you know what I'm saying, the belt from heaven in a loving way because we're rebellious. And I'm again, I and I say that not as God is a judgmental father that's gonna beat us, but the Bible declares he disciplines those whom he loves. The chastise is actually a sign of God's love. The Bible says, Fathers, if you don't discipline your children, like you don't love them. That's what the Bible says. And so, as God uses those things to get our attention, so this is raw prayer. Um, Elijah, one commentator says, Elijah is in spiritual depressions. Others have described him here as drained, discouraged, and deep despair, and as a man who has had enough commentators, they wrestle with, like, what is this that Elijah's dealing with? Right? Anxiety, all these terms that people, you know, people are dealing with, which is real, and there's some real things to that. Like, this didn't come on to people now in the last several years are starting to realize the weight of it. But back in the day, some of you old, like that wasn't a real thing. You know what I'm saying? It was just they didn't know how to you they didn't know how to explain. You got the blues or whatever, they might use certain language, they didn't know the the the actual medical terms and all the stuff that's dealing with that. And Elijah's saying, I'm done, I can't do this anymore. I don't want to keep going, I don't want to live. What's the point? After seeing God just move. And I've and I've said that many times.

unknown 25:54

Right?

Reject Fake Faith Choose Community

SPEAKER_01 25:54

As I'm trusting God as a church planner for God to provide for my family, for my ministry. Oh, God's gonna do this and do that, he doesn't. I'm like, bruh, you're saying like I I could go do something else, God. If you ain't gonna come through, I'm gonna go do that. Because, like, you know what I'm saying? The thug life didn't choose me. You know, they say that, and you chose like that. Like, I didn't, no one wakes up. I I've never been, I I worked with the San Diego Unified School District, I work with kids. I've never heard a kid say, I want to be a pastor. Y'all ever heard that? Maybe if you grew up in in church, you know, I want to be Kobe. Now, kids, I want to be a YouTuber, influencer, that's all new. But back in the day, I want to be doctor, police officer, all the little kid books. No one said, I want to be a pastor, right? Because it's not something you pursue after, it's a calling that God called. Like, God, you call me to this. If you you're calling me to this, you're gonna sustain me. And there's times where I wrestle with the Lord, and I said, God, I'm done. Like I quit on so many days. Um, God, I don't want to be done. I'm done. Like Tom and Jerry, I got the white flag. Lord, just leave me alone, God. Don't bother me. I just leave saying, I want to work at Home Depot, not to worry about nothing. You know what I'm saying? Where the wood at? All three seven, brother. All right, God bless. Like the you know, what would wood never betrays you, you know what I'm saying? Wood is not gonna talk back to you. You know what I'm saying? Paint doesn't talk to you. It just pain is paint, and you don't have to rest. And so I just want to be honest with us here and notice he's not just tired physically, he's discouraged spiritually. I'm no better than my ancestors, right? He just feels like utter failure because of the threat of Jezebel, what she said to him. It's almost as if Elijah's saying, I thought I was different, I thought I'll be the main prophet, I thought I'll be the one in ministry to turn the nation around and see God move, and yet he's threatened after God did move, he begins to believe in the despair. And this is what despair often looks like. Despair does not just make you tired, it rewrites your story. It makes you believe a dips, different perception that's not true. It takes one painful moment and makes it the whole story. You ever been in a hard season, and y'all, I'm I could be cynical at times, I can isolate with the best of them. Like, I'm so bad. Like, all anything bad can happen in my life, I'd be like, alright, bet I could just dip and just shut everybody off. Like, it don't even phase me. I'll be at McDonald's, let me get a McCon, bro. Like, I don't even know who you are. Like, I'll just be straight. That's not healthy. Like, I know that, but I'm honest about what I'm dealing with. One painful moment, and instead of saying this is a season, which is a great perspective to have, this is this would never change. This is what it is, is what it is. Um, one threat makes you feel like this is the end, and it takes one disappointment to make you feel like nothing has changed. Um, it takes exhaustion and turns it into an identity, right? That's the thing I'm a failure. I'm alone, I'm I'm done, I'm no better. It is not enough. But here is the mercy of the text. Elijah says the wrong conclusion about all the things that he's thinking in his head, but he says the wrong conclusion, everybody listen to me, to the right God. It's very important. He is despairing, but he's also praying. That's a beautiful thing. Take your brokenness and your frustrations to the Lord. Just don't just talk about God, talk to your heavenly father who loves you, who cares for you, and wants to hear from you. And so He He's not running to bail, he's not running to that site, he's not running to that late night text, that person, you know what I'm saying? That hookup culture, the drug, the the whatever, the whatever that may be for you. We all all of us, amen. We all got our vices. Y'all hear me? Some of y'all for years, you've been dealing with it, you just know how to be in that. We all have that. He doesn't run to bail, he doesn't run to these other idols and these other god, he's not pretending he's fine. I'm tired of church folk being some of the most fakest people in the church. How you doing, brother? God bless God is good, and all the time, your marriage is falling apart, kids are running wild, you ain't had a job in months, you ready to quit on the faith, but you don't tell them that. Oh, everything's fine. Yeah, praise the Lord. You sing all and you just and family, this is why look around, you're not alone. It's a beautiful church that you guys have in the community, and y'all real rebellious. Nobody looked around. Y'all just looking at each other. Like, really look at the people that God has placed in your life around you who loves you. And some of you guys are maybe are doing life like deep life with each other. And so that's the reminder. Like, you don't have to be fake, you don't have to be polished. And let me say this too, some of us too. I can understand some people go through a lot, and it's like, girl, it's been two years. You God ain't freed you from that. I get it. Sometimes we get tired of hearing stuff. God is not Cheryl, come here, Cheryl. Come here, Cheryl. Like, you know, he's like, okay, God, just please won't be like let Cheryl be Cheryl and come. Still disciple her, still point her to Jesus, but don't get tired of here. Like, God never does that to us. It's been 25 years, you still ungrateful. Like, God doesn't do that. Let's be in a community that loves one another, that walks. The Bible says in Galatians 6, right, carry, bear the burdens of one another. And then also later on in the text it said, let each one, we all have to carry our own, at least. We don't dump everything on everyone because they're not the savior, Jesus is, but we have to do our own part. Elijah, right? He brings that to the Lord. That's very important. Sometimes the most faithful thing you and I can do in a dark moment is not that we have the perfect words, but to bring our honest words to God. That's sometimes that's all we have. It's just real vulnerable authenticity to God and just submitting that to Him. God can handle our mess. Like, trust me, God can handle our mess. He's not surprised. The triune God, Father, Son, Holy, they're not sitting there, but like, oh did you see John? Hey, Pops, did you know that was happening? It's beyond me, bro. I ain't never seen like God doesn't like He knows the end from the beginning. He knows Jesus knew what he was buying on the cross. Let me just give you guys some gospel. Like when Jesus went on the cross and they abused him and they beat him, all the from the womb to the tomb, all the mess that you and I are gonna wrestle with, the things that we struggle with to the day we die, that we've been praying, and the church is praying for us, and we're gonna surrender. God, I'm gonna give this to you, I'm gonna lay it down, and some of it we don't overcome it, but God is still good and he meets us in that. It's not a license to keep doing that. Never stop wrestling and fighting or make a war with sin. But even when we do that, when God sees you, he's not despised of you when you pull up to him and you come to him. He loves you, he sees you with joy. It's like the prodigal son. Pops is just on the rocking chair. My mijo, my son, he's coming back home. He's excited. My daughter, when you come, he's not mad with the shankala. You know what I'm saying? Like ready to beat us. That's not that's not the God that we serve in the Bible. And sometimes we believe that in me. Many times, as I'm preaching to you, I can go back tonight and still be like, Yeah, that is the God that I serve, not the God that I'm proclaiming right now. So I'm just I want to be honest with us in what we're experiencing and dealing with. God can handle the trembling fear, the exhaustive prayer, that Lord, that I had enough. He's not gonna be like, I made a mistake. You're not a mistake to God. God does not regret saving you and I. The Bible says in Hebrews, for the joy set before him, you hear that joy set before him, God the Son, he endured the cross, despising the shame. Later on, it says, right, looking to Jesus. That's the secret sauce. Not to anybody else, looking to the cross, looking to the finished work of what Jesus has done on our behalf, not how good you prayed, not how good you believed, how well you sung, how you lead, how you disciple and influence. All those things matter, but looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. If I was in a Kojik or black church, somebody would be like, Hey man, Pat, y'all quiet in this church. Y'all hear me? It's quiet. Like that's the God, the joy set before him, he endured the cross for you and I so that we would not become weary and lose hope. Hope does not disappoint us, even though we want to believe it. That's why I need the church. That's why we need services. Even when I preach and serve on Sunday, I go to another church because I still need to hear the word of God for myself. And I need to be encouraged in my marriage and my ministry and all that. And I have people around me that God is beginning to move. And this should hold us together. We should not be shocked that faithful believers can experience seasons of deep discouragement. You ever been discouraged? Y'all hear that? Y'all pa you praying for your pastor? Right? Your leaders, heaviness and spiritual decision, right? Elijah, Moses, Big Mo. That's what I call them. The stiff-necked people you use that's imagine if Dell said that to y'all at a conference. My my sheep, man, they stiff-necked, they don't listen to me. You know what I'm saying? Job. All his friends sitting around and then like just questioning God. Jeremiah, I love Jeremiah. Jeremiah says, God, you betrayed me. God, you manipulated me. You ever said that? Like, God, you did me dirty. I trusted you and you didn't come through. You took advantage of me like a weak-willed woman. That's what the idea of the word, the Hebrew word that's used of Jeremiah, being honest with the Lord. God, I trust you and you failed me. God hasn't failed, but in our human logic, that's what we say. Jeremiah, Jonah. And some of us here, all the faithful saints in church history, have walked through dark valleys too. What the enemy wants to do is tell us, nobody knows what you're going through. That's a lie from the pits of hell. We send it back in the name of Jesus. No, no, no. What you've been through, I'm not saying it's not hard, but there's other saints who have faithfully walked through the fire and can walk with you in your mess. But at the same time, we should not make peace with staying there. So, in other words, it's okay to be honest. It's not okay to stay there because the gospel brings hope and transformation. It's okay to not be okay, but don't just every single day, man, God ain't good. He don't love me. Okay, Johnny, Jesus loves you every week. You know what I'm saying? You gotta build yourself up in the most holy faith. You gotta remind yourself, you gotta preach the gospel to yourself regularly. There's a difference between acknowledging the valley and then building a house in the valley. There's a difference between being honest about despair and letting despair be our permanent identity. That's the danger. That's to find balance. You can be honest with the Lord, you can be raw and share, but at some point, you and I need to remind ourselves who we belong to. And for some of you guys, I'm a guess here. I don't know if you know Jesus. Your first step is to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Put your trust and your faith on him, what he's done for you on the cross. And we'll take care of that today if y'all want to handle that. And then some of us, we just need to remind ourselves. Dr. Martin Lloyd joins, Joan Joan sorry, says this, and he makes it a warning to Christians. It is very sad that anyone should remain in such a condition, and such people are very poor representatives representatives of the Christian faith. That's convicting. So I'm not saying you can't be real, but some of us, that's all that people see in us. Instead of declaring the glories and the and the richness and the beauties of Jesus and who he is, while being honest, while sharing our wounds and our scars, we are horrible representatives of Jesus Christ. Yes, we need to learn from Elijah's struggles. The quote continues on, but we we must also avoid it, at least not becoming mirrored uh in it. And we need to consider this subject so that we must present the gospel in a way that is compelling to make Jesus look glorious. It's hard to communicate that when you're downcast and you're like saying this, hey, my life is trash, I suck. Do you want to give your life to this Jesus? That's what we do.

unknown 37:20

Right?

Mental Health Wisdom And Next Steps

God’s Mercy Looks Like Food And Sleep

SPEAKER_01 37:20

I'm not saying you can't be real, but like no one's gonna be like, I'm not saying you you gotta be the spokesman of heaven. That's that God takes care of that. But we some people look at your life like, I don't know if I want that Jesus. You know what I'm saying? You could be like Paul, right? Rejoice always with shackles and chains and an axe, and it says, and that and they were listening. And the God was moving, and the jailer says, Men, what must we do to be saved? That's the faith that we need to trust in God, rejoicing in tribulations and brokenness and circumstances, rejoicing, giving all things to God. The Bible says, rejoice always, and I love it. It says, Again, I say rejoice because some of us we don't listen. You know what I'm saying? And so God reminds us through that, and that does not mean the Christian walk must be smiles and suits and everything's good. That's not what the text is saying. The Bible gives us all the brokenness, and and here's the point: why does God do this? Why do we need to be um not defined by hopelessness? Because the fruit of the Spirit includes joy, because Jesus is really risen, because the gospel is really good news, and because even when we are cast down, we are not cast off. And I want to be honest, what Elijah is saying, if anyone, if you're in ministry, your leadership, right? You work with kids and then you all that stuff. If someone comes to you, I want to kill myself, family, that is important. Pay very close attention what someone's dealing with. I'm not saying, hey, but you know, the worst thing you can do is all things work together for good, brother. For those who love God. Don't say that to me if I just lost somebody. Sit with me, weep with me, just cry. You put your arms around me and just sit there and be like, I don't know what the heck to say, but bro, I'm here. Like that's the type of ministry of presence. That's how a disciple just sit and be with people, and what he's dealing with is real. We need to be honest about what Elijah is going through. And so if you're in here, tell a pastor, right? If it's a uh, you don't want to be sensitive with like there are people where there's anxiety and depression, where it's chemically induced, and all those terms that people are really dealing with that. But some of us, anxiety, it's a sin issue. Anxiety is literally, you you're you're not believing what God says, you're flipping out because you made yourself the God. You made yourself in control. I'm not saying that for everybody. Again, hear me. There are people who really go get the help that you need and you know seek professionals in that. But a lot of us is is is self-induced by what we watch, what we say, and how we're speaking the Bible. So we take captive the thoughts in our mind and we make it obedient to the word of Christ. And so you need to talk to a trusted counselor, a pastor, you have a great church here, a trusted friend, someone that can meet you. And then notice what God does for the sake of time. I'm gonna um move forward is God's first act of mercy is not a lecture, but care. And so verses five through eight. Y'all y'all still with me? Okay. Then, all right, Elijah, he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly an angel touched him, and the angel said to him, Get up and eat. Then he looked, and there his um his by his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay uh down. Verse 7. Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him and said, Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you. Verse 8. So he got up, he ate and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights at Horeb, the mount of God. Again, God's first of act of uh first act of mercy is not a lecture, but it's care. And so God tells Elijah, right? Get up and eat. He's discouraged. And I want us, don't rush past how tender this is. God responds to Elijah, this um Elijah's spare is food, water, and sleep. I'm a big back. Y'all know what that means? I love food. This this this is a blessing. Some of y'all just y'all, parents. I I see y'all a lot of young kids. Y'all just need some sleeps. Eight hours. I I I see you, brother. Right, right? Yeah, some of y'all just need some food. Some good, you know what I'm saying? Some alabada, you know what I'm saying? Some good steak, Texas Roadhouse, some bread, whatever that may be for you. Find that. Like, notice that God, it's there's a balance between our spirituality and we are human beings and our physical. There's a lot that plays into how well we we exercise, we work out, all that meant messes up with our mental faculties and all that. So the first thing God does is like, bro, you you're not yourself when you're hungry. Have a Twix. You're right. I wish they sponsored me. That would have been a good sponsorship right there. Um, God does not begin with rebuke. Um, God does not say um take a theology exam. You know, you misunderstood. God does not begin by saying, explain yourself. He lets Elijah sleep.

unknown 41:55

Right?

SPEAKER_01 41:55

We just we had a pastor's retreat at a men's retreat a couple weeks ago. Some of the pastors, man, they slept, like a lot of my pastors are like 60 right now, so I get that. No, not no ageism here, you know what I'm saying? That's that's good. They slept, slept. Like, man, I haven't slept like this in a long time. I just go, go, go. God has worked Sabbath into our bodies.

unknown 42:13

Right?

SPEAKER_01 42:13

We don't I know in the Western culture we don't take rest and Sabbath. We don't know what to do with that. Like, we just freak out when things are quiet. Like, even when we watch, if you, you know what I'm saying, you you don't have money and you have like a hulu ad and stops. What do we do? Grab our phone because we can't just sit. Like, we just got to distract ourselves. And and I'm I'm I'm with you on that too. But God will get to a point where we'll get sick, things happen because the body needs to rest, and we're not listening to our bodies, right? He feeds him, he gives him water, he strengthens his body. God made us embody souls. We are not machines, we are not brains on a stick, we are human beings, and sometimes we cause what we call a spiritual crisis is a f physical depletion. Is Elijah afraid? Yes. Is he discouraged? Yes. Is Elijah spiritually weary? But Elijah's also hungry, dehydrated, exhausted, and alone. And God knows that, and this is practical for us. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is receive the care God is giving you through ordinary means that we just discussed about. Like that's God's a means of grace where God wants to restore you and work through you. That doesn't solve everything, but it matters. A nap will help. A meal in your belly will help. And there are moments when you do not want to make a major life decision, right? You want to quit on your calling, you want, um, you don't need to rewrite your story, you don't need to send that text, you don't need to walk away, you just need to sleep, eat, and pray, and let God strengthen you one step at a time. And sometimes we are so spiritual that we forget God made us a human. I think you guys are understanding the point that I'm trying to make. The journey will be too much for your text goes on to say. This is not condemnation, it's compassion. God knows the journey Elijah's about to go, one of only the one of the people that fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Elijah, God is saying, Elijah, what's ahead of you is bigger than your current strength. You cannot do this on your own. You need provision. That's for some of us what you're dealing with. You've been trying to fight this on your own. And you're wondering why you keep losing. And God is saying, Give it to me. Let me do it through you. Let me help you. Surrender it to the Lord. Give it to your Heavenly Father. Surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. That is true for Elijah, and it's true for us. We can't do our marriage alone.

unknown 44:26

Right?

“What Are You Doing Here” And Jesus

SPEAKER_01 44:26

We can't parents alone. Ministry, grief, fighting sin alone, following Jesus in a hostile world. We need to give it to the Lord. And the point is not the journey is too much, so quit. The point is the journey is too much, so receive the grace that I've given you. It is going to be hard and difficult. That's the whole point. Because you cannot do it yourself. That's the whole point of the gospel. That's the whole point of the cross. Like you can, you and I cannot save ourselves. You know what I'm saying? There's no SOS. Like we need the blood work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Again, like I said, I was reading in Judges, the Bible says, and the Spirit of the Lord came on so-and-so. And the Spirit of the Lord came on so-and-so. And God was with Joseph. And God, the Spirit of God was with Moses. What does that mean for us? Like we, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, right? This is true of you. Again, if you don't know Jesus, I don't know where you guys stand. This is not true of you, but it can be if you give your life to Jesus. You a lot of us have an orphan, orphan theology where we feel like God has abandoned us and neglected us, and so we keep looking for people and places because we don't think our Heavenly Father cares and loves us. But no, no, the Bible says he has not left us alone, but he has provided us, you know, the Holy Spirit of God, who is walks with us, who empowers us to be able to handle the calling he called up. So he gets up, he eats, he strengthened, and then he travels 40 days and 40 nights to the mountain of God. And then Horeb, in my study, I thought it was interesting, is another name associated with Sinai, the mountain where God gave his covenant to Moses. So Elijah is being brought back to the place of covenant memory, the mountain of God. God is not merely helping Elijah survive, he's drawing Elijah back to a place of intimacy to God Himself in that journey to encourage him. That's what grace does. Grace does not just keep us breathing, grace brings you back into communion with God. The bread and water, not the end of the story, their mercy for the journey. God is strengthening Elijah so that he can speak to Elijah, which leads us to verse 9 and my last point. God meets Elijah with a restoring question. Verse 9. He entered the cave there and spent the night. Suddenly the word of the Lord came to him and he said to him, Where are you doing here, Elijah? So basically, God is not confused. Right? He's not confused where Elijah is. And basically, what he's saying is, like when Adam and Eve sin, he says, Adam, where are you? It's a revelation question. He wants him and us not to get information, but because God's questioning often involves invitation. When God says, Where are you? In other words, God is not merely asking Elijah's geographical location, he's asking about Elijah's soul. That's tender, that's care. He says, Elijah, like I where you are, what have you forgotten? He strengthens him and he meets him here. Um, and God begins to move as he's in the despair of the cave. And so, as I wrap here, what wrap up here, what is this? What do we do with this text in this passage? The first thing we need to do is be honest about your fears. Be honest, and we already talked about that. Second, do not make permanent decisions from temporary exhaustion. That's some of the most dangerous things. Like, I've I've been so pissed. I don't know if that's a curse word. I said that in La Hoyah there, like my pastor don't say that. I don't think it is, but right. I've I've been so pissed and upset. Like I and at that moment, uh nah, I'm done. I don't want to do that. Don't do that. Be patient. Third, receive God's ordinary mercies. God's not gonna come off and come in the clouds and do this massive thing. It's gonna be that one conversation, that one small Bible study. What I call the car ministry under the light, 11 o'clock p.m. You're just with your friend, and you just praying, and you know, God does a lot of work for me when I was growing up in the car ministry. Lastly, listen to the restorative question of God. What are you doing here? It's not shame, it's not condemnation, but an invitation. And finally look to Jesus. Elijah was a faithful prophet, but he was weary. He was a weary prophet. Jesus is the greater prophet, the faithful servant, and the merciful king. So in this moment, when you feel like, I don't know if the band is gonna come up, but you guys can come up here as I close. When you feel like giving up and you want to quit, I want to encourage you and I run to the Heavenly Father who loves you, who cares for you, who gave himself for you. Again, he's not ashamed of you, he's not despised of what you're dealing with. He will, and he has, he will meet you. How do I know? Let me just take you. I see a lot of kids. Let me take you back to Sunday school. John 3 16. Right? For God so loved the world that he gave. Let's just stop there. He gave. The gospel is always it's not command and then obedience, right? It's God, it's grace. I've met you and I've done this, therefore responding what I've done to you. So can't