Sermon
23rd June 2019
Text:
1 Kings 19:1-15a – Strength for Ministry in silence
Have
you ever woken up in the morning and thought – I just want to go back to sleep.
Do
I have to get up?
As
we move into the depths of winter it is very easy to feel that way.
And
as the nights get dark and cold if you’re on a committee it’s very comforting
to hear that we don’t have much to discuss on the agenda so let’s cancel the
meeting.
It’s
easy to become discouraged when things around you aren’t exactly inspiring.
I
have to say also that I find it difficult like many people to stay encouraged
in Ministry at times when you look around and wonder sometimes why.
When
you put a lot of effort into things and very little happens.
I
know when I talk to volunteers in our churches that it’s very easy to get
discouraged when you put a lot of work into something and you don’t see any
results.
No
one turns up or there’s very little encouragement.
Or
you work your backside off and only get criticisms of what you did wrong.
It
can make you feel a little bit like Elijah in today’s Old Testament reading?
He
sits down under a tree and asked God that he might die: "It is enough;
now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors."
What
got Elijah to that point?
After
all this is just after he has had spectacular success against the false god of
Baal.
On
Mt Carmel Elijah invited all the prophets of Baal to a challenge to see whose
God was more powerful.
Elijah
won that battle and had all the prophets of Baal put to death.
So
he must have been quite proud and confident.
But
what Elijah discovers is that ministry for God is relentless.
And
what I mean by that is that it is constant and it is draining both physically,
mentally and especially spiritually.
And
so often I see people in ministry – volunteers, paid layworkers and Pastors who
are just fatigued spiritually and mentally.
And
that’s what Elijah discovers here – that you win one battle and the next battle
begins.
Satan
never takes a break.
As
St Peter says in his letter - Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour.
But
like the devil who is constantly on the lookout so too is God.
Suddenly
an angel touched Elijah and said to him, "Get up and eat." He looked,
and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He
ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time,
touched him, and said, "Get up and eat. He got up, and ate and drank; then
he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the
mount of God.
What
was it that saw Elijah so worn out – the same thing that affects us as we work
for God:
Elijah
said to God - I have been very enthusiastic for the Lord, the God of hosts; for
the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed
your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to
take it away.
Haven’t
you felt like that at times?
Alone.
That
you’re working so hard and yet nothing happens.
In
fact worse than nothing – there are people unappreciative for the work you do,
as Elijah felt:
They
killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my
life, to take it away.
And
that’s how ministry for God can seem at times no matter what type you do.
Whether
it’s full time, part time, a couple times a year – voluntary or paid.
Working
for God is not so much physically draining but spiritually exhausting.
Because
when we are working for God we have Satan and the spiritual forces working
against us.
As
St Paul reminds us - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
What
we need to be aware of is that God is always there with us even if we feel like
we’re all alone, like Elijah.
But
sometimes God’s communication with us is very subtle – through water – through
Bread and Wine.
Maybe
we are looking for huge results for all the hours of work we put in and all the
sacrifices we make – but sometimes we don’t see the results of what we do in
such clear ways.
For
Elijah he heard the voice of God speaking to him in the most unexpected way.
Maybe
Elijah expected to hear God’s response to his concerns in the great wind, so
strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the
Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but
the Lord was not in the earthquake;
and
after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the
fire a sound of sheer silence.
Don’t
underestimate the results of your work for God just because you don’t see or
hear it in huge spectacular ways.
Working
for God is not like other work.
Ministry
for God is not about a win/loss ratio.
Ministry
for God is not about a profit/loss statement.
Ministry
for God is about souls that are saved – souls that we don’t always see as
numbers in the pew.
As
much as we would love to see our churches overflowing and our budgets in
surplus it is about seeing heaven overflowing and that we don’t see in physical
ways at time.
And
don’t underestimate the ministry work that God is doing in your everyday
ordinary life.
When
Jesus healed the demon possessed man he wanted to go with Jesus and do ministry
with him.
But
Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and tell everyone how
much God has done for you."
Ministry
is not just the work we do here in the church.
It
is just as important ministry in the work we do in our daily lives – in our
work, in our schools, in our sports, in our day to day running around
It’s
how we treat people on the roads, in the supermarkets, walking down the street,
at the footy – as St Paul says - We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as
though God were making his appeal through us..
It’s
about telling others how much God has done in your life.
And
telling others about how much God has done in your life may be simply living
out your faith in a way that examples the Christian faith.
Loving
one another as Jesus loves you.
Forgiving
as you have been forgiven.
Treating
one another equally as St Paul says in our 2nd reading –
There
is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer
male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes
it feels as if we are fighting a losing battle but God reassures Elijah that
although he feels like he is doing it alone God has in fact reserved for
himself 7,000 faithful people.
Sadly,
because the church lives “in the world” we are often influenced by worldly
success targets.
We
rate success on numbers and dollars – and realistically we do have to pay our
way like other organisations.
But
we are first and foremost citizens of heaven and we exist solely to be the body
of Christ in the world.
And
that’s where we have to trust God in all we do and not become disheartened like
Elijah but listen to the small quiet voice of God encouraging us.
Though
sometimes that small quiet voice of God is heard in sheer silence.
So
continue to be encouraged as you serve our Lord and tell everyone how much God
has done for you and make time each day to listen to the voice of God in sheer
silence.
No comments:
Post a Comment