Sermon Central
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Elijah's Breakthrough 5 Series
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 11, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: Elijah was just like you and I and he has his high mountain top experiences and his low valley experience’s but his story shows how God helped him through the valley of despair and depression. God will do the same for us today as well.
Video Transition: Through the storm!
Series: Breakthrough 2020
Sermon: Elijah’s Breakthrough pt. 5
Thesis: Elijah was just like you and I and he has his high mountain top experiences and his low valley experience’s but his story shows how God helped him through the valley of despair and depression. God will do the same for us today as well.
Scripture Text: I Kings 19: 1-9 - Elijah Flees to Horeb
1Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2So 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.” 3Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
9There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Introduction:
Summary of the showdown on Mt Carmel 1 Kings 18:
It was 850 to 1 and God shows up giving Elijah a great victory! Fire comes from Heaven – the people see God’s fire!
Elijah reveals that faith and courage are necessary to confront sin and we must have a showdown between truth and lies. To do this we need to call on God and have His presence show up. Could you have imagined seeing this whole thing play out on CNN of FOX? The miracle happens the false prophets are destroyed – God is proven true to the people by the miracle fire and display of His power.
The people respond and kill the false prophets – God sends the healing rain to the nation of Israel.
But soon afterwards the death threats come to Elijah from Jezebel – He falls and crumbles under the pressure and he runs away! The prophet who just called down fire from heaven runs from a wicked carnal queen!
How Faith Helps Depression by Therese J. Borchard
She notes, “A substantial amount of research points to the benefits of faith to mitigate symptoms of depression. In one study, for example, researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, found that belief in God was associated with better treatment outcomes. They followed 159 individuals over the course of a year to examine the relationship between a person’s level of belief in God, expectations for treatment, and actual treatment outcomes. Individuals with no belief — or only a slight belief — in God were twice as likely to not respond to treatment than people with stronger beliefs.
She notes – “Studies show that faith changes your brain. Faith assigns meaning to suffering. Faith provides a support system! Faith provides heroes and inspiration.”
“Of all my sanity tools, my faith is what has kept me alive during severe depressive episodes. When I’m convinced that no one else could comprehend the intense suffering I’m experiencing, I cling to my belief in a God who created me for a reason, who knows my pain more intimately than any other human being, and who will see me through to the other side. “
1. Elijah’s flight from danger and His crisis of faith.
a. His fall was created by a reaction to death threats, physical exhaustion, extreme stress and fear! His flight and runaway mindset led him to God – yes in the wilderness and despair - he hears the whispering voice of God and his faith is built back up!
i. He is afraid and running for his life! Flight and fear! Even depression! Anxiety attack and emotional collapse.
ii. This was Elijah’s worst day of his life – at least I think it was!
1. What was one of the worst days of your life?
a. This last Wednesday after elections?
2. Brian Houston states, “I think in life, especially as people of the faith, we believe for the best. But let’s be honest; if you live long enough, we will all have those days when we hear the worst…I always try to live with an expectation for the best, but it’s true that we never know what our worst day will be, or when it will be. Life is seasonal. The Bible virtually promises us that “in this world, we will have trouble” (John 16:33).
