1 Kings 19:18
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Good evening. One of the questions that I'm often asked as a citizen of another country living in the United States is, what are the main differences between your country and this one? And over the years, I've come up with a number of different ways to answer that question, but often I'm focusing on issues of size and strength. And why is that? Well, is because America is a big country. You have lots of space here. The buildings are big, the parking lots are big, things are spaced out a long way from each other often. It's a big place. Churches have gymnasiums. Portions are big, and my goodness, haven't I found that out? I also discovered last summer as I was traveling something called the Route 44 soda it's a 44 ounce cup that you can get from sonic restaurants and amazingly it costs under
two dollars so lots of comparisons can be made but we do need to be careful when we start talking about numbers talking about size and strength in issues relating to our faith issues relating to ministry, Christianity, and churches. Because it's fairly obvious to me, and I'm sure it is to you too, that large numbers don't always tell the whole story. I'm sure you're all aware of mega churches that have gone bad. And equally, there are many small churches in this country that are very faithful. When we think of our own church here at Third Avenue, we are, in my eyes at least, a large church. And yet when I think about our faithfulness and the Lord's blessing on this church, I don't think that's entirely because of our size. I think it's because this church over the years has been faithful to the scriptures, has looked carefully at this book and
ordered itself and done things which God is pleased with. As we have to be careful, there isn't always There's an easy relationship between size and whether the Lord has blessed that work. Well, we're going to think about some of these issues in our text this evening. So if you have a Bible, you may want to turn to 1 Kings chapter 19. The text is also printed on the front of your bulletin. And I'm going to read 1 Kings chapter 19, verse 18.
It says this. Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. I think the main idea and what I want to convince you of this evening from this text is that when we feel small and weak, God provides and has the opportunity to show his power. So don't be discouraged or despise what is small and weak.
Let me say that again. When we feel small and weak, God provides and has the opportunity to show his power. So don't be discouraged or despise what is small and weak. Two points to the sermon this evening. First point, don't be discouraged what is small and weak. And second point, don't despise what is small and weak. So first, don't be discouraged. Let's think about a bit of context to this passage, 1 Kings chapter 19.
What's happened in the chapter before is that Elijah has been at Mount Carmel. It's where God instructed him to meet with prophets of Baal and where there was a big sacrifice that was made. And it was the Lord, the one true God, that answered by fire. Baal and his prophets heard nothing. And so God showed himself to be the one true God. And at the beginning of this chapter, the word gets back to Jezebel, that Elijah had triumphed in this contest and that he had killed many of the prophets of Baal.
And Jezebel, this wicked queen, then promises Elijah that he will be killed, that he will be no more. And so Elijah, at this point in the story, is needing encouragement. He's running for his life, and he's weak and small to the point of death. He thinks he's the only one who's left in Israel who's faithful. He says these words earlier in the chapter, and he says the whole thing twice.
He says, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel has forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with a sword. And I, even I, only am left, and they seek my life to take it away. So Elijah is discouraged. He's in need of encouragement, and God provides. If you read the chapter, God sends an angel who provides Elijah with food and water, who strengthens him on his journey back to Mount Sinai so that he can basically accuse the country of forsaking the covenant. In that famous episode, God encourages Elijah also with his words.
You remember there's that great and strong wind that passes by, but the Lord is not in the wind. There's an earthquake, but God is not in the earthquake. And there's a fire, but God is not in the fire but it's that small whisper that god speaks in and encourages him and he encourages him in in our verse tonight that there are 7 000 in israel that elijah isn't the only one people that elijah didn't seem to know about were there god provides for elijah and for the nation of israel and he has the opportunity through that to show his power.
And so God didn't show himself through anything visually spectacular, but it was through his words. It was through his promise that there are 7,000 who remain. And as we think of the position that Elijah was in, that low number, thinking that he was the only one, I think there are many times in our lives, in our life as a church that we can relate to that. Perhaps you come from an unbelieving family and you go back home at Thanksgiving, at Christmas, and you're the only believer in Jesus Christ around that dinner table.
And that's hard, isn't it? It's difficult when others, maybe even families that are hostile towards the Christian faith, and you're the only one who's faithful. Perhaps you're the only Christian at your workplace. You go in every day to work and you have all those conversations about sport and the weather and other things. And you try to turn the conversation around to Jesus Christ, but it's difficult. The others just don't want to talk about the matters of faith.
It can be difficult when you're the only one. But maybe you invite your friends to church, but none show up. Maybe you've been praying for someone for years to come to faith, and they haven't. And you keep praying, and you keep praying, but nothing ever seems to change. Maybe you're organizing a campus event, if you're a student, and no one attends. Or you send an email to the church, and no one replies.
And perhaps even there's going to come a time in this country, and maybe it has already come, When as evangelical Christians, we're going to feel small and weak. Like our brother was sharing, when society turns away to different values and different ideas, and we feel so helpless. We feel so alone. So I think these are things that we are going to face if we haven't already. And yet I think our text this evening is telling us not to be discouraged.
And why should we not be discouraged, brothers and sisters? Well, because God is sovereign, and he keeps his promises. He promised Elijah would have 7,000, and he did. He left 7,000 in Israel. It's God's job, as we heard this morning from 2 Corinthians 4. It is God's job to bring new life. Only God can open those blind eyes of your friends and family who don't know Jesus. So therefore, my friends, what do we need to do?
We can't open the blind eyes ourselves. That's God's job. But we need to pray. We need to pray and continue proclaiming. So if you were in one of those categories earlier, keep having those conversations. Keep having those conversations with unbelieving family. Keep setting that good example at your workplace. Keep inviting your friends to church. Next Sunday morning would be a great occasion, as we heard.
Keep organizing those events. But brothers and sisters, pray. Pray because God can open blind eyes. He is sovereign in our evangelism. He is the only one who can bring you life. Bring your prayer needs to this service. Email Mike in advance to share what needs to be shared. Don't be discouraged, friends. but be encouraged that you get the opportunity as a member of this church to bring your prayers bring your concerns to God and you can be encouraged as we the people of God join together and pray for you for your ministry for your evangelistic endeavors so friends don't be discouraged that's point number one point number two don't despise that which is small and weak It's a bit hard to read of Elijah's kind of mental state in this chapter.
It's not too obvious exactly what he's going through. But I think it's clear that he needs not despise the situation he was in. It would have been tempting, I think, for him to think, to wish that things were very different. To wish that his prophetic ministry had been successful. That he'd seen lots of converts, lots of people turning away from Baal and worshipping the one true and living gods. But that didn't seem like that was what was happening.
In fact, quite the opposite. The leadership in Israel had rejected God and had embraced the Baals themselves. And so God, in his sovereignty, had chosen for Elijah to be in a position of weakness. And I think God did that, as he does many, many times in scripture, to allow his power to be on show. Without Elijah being in that situation of weakness, God wouldn't have the same opportunity to demonstrate his sovereignty, to demonstrate his faithfulness to his promises.
And so we must allow, friends, situations of weakness. They are not to be despised, but they are to be embraced in God's providence. I wonder this evening whether you're tempted to despise a situation that God has placed you in. And you're tempted to despise it because in the world's eyes it looks very, very weak. Perhaps you're in a job that you really don't like. It's difficult work and you really can't see the point of it.
You'd rather be out there in coffee shops sharing the gospel with unbelievers and instead you're stuck in this office or in this factory and you wish you were doing something else. And maybe it's right to find something else, but maybe God is using that weakness, that weak situation to show his power. Maybe you'll have that conversation with a co-worker and they'll come to know Jesus for themselves. And brother, sister, you don't need to be in that coffee shop. You need to be in that office or that factory.
You need to be where God has placed you. And maybe God will reward your labors in some way. Your family will be richly breathed through your material provision for them. All kinds of situations in which God can work that we don't know quite what he's doing. Maybe instead you're ill or injured and you're unable to do that which you feel the Lord has called you to. And so you feel helpless and useless. And it'd be easy to despise your situation, to wish for strength when all you have is weakness.
Well, brother, sister, again, what can God do with weakness? He can use it to project his power. He can take the glory when you can't take it for yourself. And so, friends, we should prize these situations. We should not despise them, but they should be trophies for us that God can shine through. I think we can sometimes have this kind of attitude towards other churches.
It's the time of year, isn't it, when lots of people are graduating, finishing up school, and perhaps moving away from Louisville. And maybe you'll end up in a small church, a faithful church, but a small church, 40 members perhaps. And friends, in those situations, it can feel weak if you've come from a church of a size like Third Avenue. And yet, isn't it in weakness that God can use things for great power and great strength?
And so friends, don't look down on places like that. Just because you're used to the big and the strong, it doesn't mean that a small place cannot be faithful and can't be used by God in great ways. I want us to conclude this evening by thinking about a time in history when it would have been very easy to despise and be discouraged. Because many, many years ago, there was a man who taught people. He taught people for three years.
He performed amazing miracles. He was loved and followed by many, many people. And yet, on one day, he was hanging on a cross. He had been mocked. He'd been beaten. He'd been abused and tormented. And if you were there watching that, wouldn't that have been the ultimate display of weakness? The ultimate shame, the ultimate humiliation.
And yet, friends, in that situation, God took what was weak and made it strong. God took what was weak and brought great goods. Because that man, Jesus Christ, as he died, took the punishment for sin upon himself. And when he was raised from the dead three days later, that was the ultimate demonstration of God's power. God's power was displayed there, there and then, through the small and the weak.
And so there was no need at that time for discouragement or despairing. Because it was through the death and resurrection of that man, Jesus Christ, that his people all throughout history, including us, gathered here this evening, can be saved. So friends, don't despise what is small and weak. Don't be discouraged, but trust in our faithful and sovereign God. Let's pray. Oh Lord, we're so humbled and thankful that you choose what is weak in the world to project your power, to demonstrate your glory.
Lord, we're so thankful that that's our testimony, You've taken weak people like us and that you've made us into, you've brought us to life and that you've given us an eternal hope and that one day you will complete the work you've started in us. Our Lord, please help us as we face various situations to not be discouraged, to not despise all this small and weak, that all the glory might go to you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.