What are you doing here?

August 20, 2006

Introduction

 

            The year was 1964.  I was the full time minister for the Elam Road Congregation in Dallas.  Just a few miles away, Don Clayton was the minister for the Pleasant Grove Congregation.  Don and I became friends and shared ideas.  We were both young, and Don asked an older preacher what he needed to do to be a good preacher.  The answer was short, “Keep your bucket full!”  Our understanding of that was that he meant for us to spend a lot of time in prayer and Bible study so that our bucket was full of Bible knowledge. 

 

            Years later, I bought a book by Jill Briscoe entitled, “Running on Empty.”  One of her examples of someone running on empty was Elijah the prophet.  It is as if God were asking Elijah to check his fuel gauge as twice he asked him the question, “What are you doing here?”   

 

            This morning, we address the question, “What are you doing here?”  It’s a good question that was asked of Elijah but before we get to the question, we want to do a little bit of background to the story.

 

Body

 

I.  It was Elijah whom God worked through to bring a terrible drought on Israel.

 

I Kings 17:1, “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

 

1. James refers to this event and tells us how long it lasted.

 

(James 5:17-18),  “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. {18} And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

 

2. Elijah relieved the suffering of one widow during the ensuing famine.

           

(1 Ki 17:10-16 NKJV)  So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." {11} And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." {12} So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." {13} And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. {14} "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'" {15} So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. {16} The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.”

 

3. Then her son dies, and Elijah raises him to life.

 

 (1 Ki 17:19-24 NKJV)  And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. {20} Then he cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" {21} And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." {22} Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. {23} And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" {24} Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth."

 

4. Then there is the great contest with the prophets of Baal,  

 

(1 Ki 18:19-40 NKJV)  "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." {20} So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. {21} And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word. {22} Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. {23} "Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. {24} "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken." {25} Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it." {26} So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. {27} And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." {28} So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. {29} And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. {30} Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. {31} And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name." {32} Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs [about 3 gallons] of seed. {33} And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood." {34} Then he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time; and he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. {35} So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. {36} And 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 You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. {37} "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." {38} Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. {39} Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" {40} And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.

 

5. So what is the record of Elijah?

 

1. He commanded the drought that lasted 3 ½ years.

2. He provided that the widow would have food throughout the drought for her and her son.

3. He raised the widow’s son to life.

4. He had the great contest in which God consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the water in a miraculous way.

5. He turned the hearts of the people to God, at least for the moment.

6. At this point, what can you say?  He seems invincible.  His bucket must have been full.

 

I.        Then his faith falters:

 

(1 Ki 19:1-3 NKJV)  And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. {2} Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." {3} And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. {4}  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"

 

1. He feels like a total failure:  “I am no better than my fathers!"  I’m just like everybody else—I’m nothing special after all.

 

2. Then comes the question:

 

(1 Ki 19:9-10 NKJV)  And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" {10} So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

 

3. This is a very discouraged man, but did he do the right thing?

 

1.      Isn’t this the man that accomplished all the great things we listed earlier?

 

1)      He commanded the drought that lasted 3 ½ years.

2)      He provided that the widow would have food throughout the drought for her and her son.

3)      He raised the widow’s son to life.

4)      He had the great contest in which God consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the water in a miraculous way.

5)      He turned the hearts of the people to God, at least for the moment.

 

4. How did he go from a full bucket to running on empty so soon?

 

1.      Maybe he shared Peter’s problem.

 

(Mat 14:28-31 NKJV)  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." {29} So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. {30} But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" {31} And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

 

2.      What did God tell him to do with his empty bucket?

 

a.       He basically told him to hang it up.

 

(1 Ki 19:13-16 NKJV)  So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" {14} And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." [nothing changes in his answer]  {15} Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. {16} "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

 

b.      What a sad ending for such a great man.

c.       God didn’t totally reject him.  He rose in the fiery chariot, but one must wonder what else he might have accomplished if he hadn’t run in fear.

 

Conclusion

 

What is the lesson for us?

 

I.  Don’t try to handle everything on your own.

II.  Remember the God Who empowered Elijah, Moses, Peter and others.

III.   Remember they all stumbled in moments of weakness – When they were running on empty.

IV.  Remember Paul’s warning to us.

 

(1 Cor 10:12 NKJV)  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

 

V.     Keep your bucket full.

 

A.     Guard against over commitment and burning yourself out.

B.     Take time for God.

 

1.      That’s reading the Bible

2.      and spending time in prayer.

 

VI.  If you’re ever asked, “What are you doing here, Harley?” be sure to ask for God’s help and direction.

 

A.     Remember, God knows where you are.

B.     He’s asking where you are to help you think right.

 

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