Post Victory Doldrums

Have you ever found yourself in a state of emotional depression. Have you ever got along, and the began to ask yourself what is this all really about what is life all about. Have you ever found yourself emotionally discouraged and depressed and seeing probably do is no way out of your predicament. Have you ever felt that your world somehow is falling apart and the walls are closing in them and you would rather not talk to anybody you will want to see anybody and I mean you basically want to boycott the human race. Well, you're not alone listen to the sobering statistics, the average 13-year-old American male is 10 times more likely to be depressed.

Then his father, and 20 times more likely to be depressed and his grandfather at any given time in United States of America.

There are between 15 to 20 million people who are suffering from emotional depression. 15% of these depressed individuals will try attempt suicide not listen. I am not a psychiatrist and I have never claimed anything and I cannot tell you anything from medical perspective or imported even in medical terms, but I know the following. I know that emotional depression is real. I also know that there are different types of depressions. There is a clinical depression that needs medical attention and there's a psychological depression and physical depression. There is a depression that is caused by chemical imbalances and need some medical treatment, but then there is a depression that has psychological causes. There is a depression that has physical causes depression usually begin with self protection when you get deeply hurt somehow.

Whether somebody has hurt you. Your big plans all of a sudden collapse in front of you or even when you feel somebody has failed you or not you have even failed yourself. If you have not been trained at the earlier years of your life of how to take your hurt and how to think your praying to the great physician you will pull into yourself. You gonna retreat into isolation you going to retreat from the reality of life and that is why I want to tell you with all candor that what we need to do not isolate our children from the difficulties of life, not to try to shelter our children from the difficulties of life, but to teach them how to face the difficulties of life and where to go when they do face those difficulties.

I am so thankful that my parents never tried to shelter him infected. They sent me out the reset all eight of us out there and then we come home and then my mother with the godly wisdom that God has given her with teachers how to deal with problems, but at this point of hurt.

You gonna feel that you are safe with yourself you're not safe with anybody else you're not safe with others, and you can see this is happening to the great man of God. Elijah from isolation and retreat. The second step is self-pity and at that point to begin to think all I am the only human being on the face of the earth was hurting all nobody hurts like I do know what I understand what I'm going through a McDonald's over that and that leads you to 1/3 step, which is self punishment summarizes for you. First you gonna pull in and through self. To protect yourself and withdraw then the next step you going to pity yourself because you feel isolated and then firmly going to begin punishing yourself you going to be the judge and the jury and you're going to condemn yourself to a life of self inflicted pain.

Why, to atone for whatever wrongs you imagine yourself and you know what right that that point you don't have a visitor is an unwelcome visitor, but boy is sitting there on the side watching you and is waiting. This is his moment via command Satan is going to come in. Don't forget he is the accuser of the brethren that already comes in, and he loves to come in with the inviting will not be loves to come in and remind you of your past sins he loves to come in and remind you of your past failure. He loves to come in and remind you of your past mistakes even gonna remind you of some embarrassing moments that have taken place million years ago is already been covered by the blood in every town those members, you gonna feel worse and you gonna feel worse and gonna feel worse. You know, Martin Luther, the great reformer if you will find a biography on Martin Luther get it and read it is a great encouragement. Martin Luther used to suffer from bouts of depression and he said that sometimes he would actually hear the Satan comes in and he comes to him and he would say to him, Martin, do you feel that God has forgiven your sins. And finally, he learned how to deal with that he would get up and who stand literally anywhere so you feel that I have my sins forgiven but I because the Bible tells me so you need to learn from Martin Luther.

Today you gonna find a larger who soared from victory to victory to victory now in the grips of deceit and depression in turn with me please to first Kings 19 when we left Elijah in the last message first Kings chapter 18 verse 46 we left him.

He had already ran a 14 mile Mount caramel Marathon and he ran it faster than horses.

He had supernatural power that God gave him.

He talked to spoken and he ran and then you look at chapter 19 verse three and he would say verse 46 of chapter 18 does not prepare you for chapter 19 verse three only three little versus but they do not prepare you from one extreme to the other. Look at the verses when Elijah finally gets in there conference Jezebel in here about her threat. He goes to verse Sheba Albert Shiva is way south of the country. It's a little over 100 miles south Jezreel in the north verse Sheba down in the south and then we got the verse Sheba this little village. He leaves his servant there.

Then he goes for a full day's walk. He gets in the desert and he gets there under the juniper tree puts his head between his knees and this is God kill me and kill me now. I'm running away from Jezebel remind you of the previous episodes with seen Elijah, who stood in the power of Yahweh calling upon Yahweh to come and send fire from heaven after the miserable profits of bail failed for the whole day to call upon bail. He could not answer them. And he calls upon the God who hears all things, and God sends fire to come in and lick everything inside and then get Elijah goes up little further on Mount caramel and there he kneels on the promises of God, and he calls upon God and God sends rain after 3 1/2 years of dryness and drought.

Now King Ahab sees all this taking place.

He sees all this happening in this big wimp goes home. Not repentant of his compromise between bail and Yahweh. So he goes home to the White House and what does he do what you think the first thing going on his mind. Oh boy, what am I going to tell Jezebel all poor. What am I gonna tell Jezebel in this domineering, controlling wicked nature worshiping woman you know was waiting for him having to drive there inside the door just waiting from the walk-in and she sees him working with a heavy foot is like a little boy coming in, afraid of mommy. She probably won't her fingers around his ears and said what is wrong, but boy, you honestly think that I have had a child mother relationship with Jezebel other than the husband-wife relationship will look at him and see the his dependency on Jezebel watch see how he lets it take absolute control of the palace and of the kingdom and runs the whole thing and when I have filled his wife Jezebel. What happen he never once mentioned what God did, he never one sister I said now Jezebel Yahweh's real and from now on we go to worship him and gonna worship him alone. Elijah got rid of the profits of bail and I'm going to finish the job. No, those who refuse to see God. They were refused to see him in the blessings and the governor refused to see him in the judgment any nonprogram or psychological help is don't help them that the spiritual blog will be blind. God opened her eyes, in this moment, the wicked, Jezebel heard all that has happened and how her precious profits of bail die. She became enraged when I can imagine her lips quivering in her hands were shaking and swearing by her God's will turn out to be used with what you swears by them put a contract on Elijah stop right here and I'll tell you something very important I think it is as real as I'm standing in front of you right now when you receive great victory from the hand of God. Satan is furious, so he immediately uses someone maybe a family member and maybe a church member.

Maybe some friend is going to use somebody who's going to come and steal your joy away from you and the poisoning of your joy is always so small is always minute is always a minor thing in relationship to the picture that you have just received what it was in your well nonetheless what happened to Elijah great victory series of victories. Look at verse three of chapter 19, the first Kings. The Bible said Elijah was afraid he had not been afraid when he confronted a 3 1/2 years ago.

He was not afraid when God told him to go fast, the very heart of bail worshiping Gentile world. He was not afraid to confront anybody. He was not afraid to stand before these 850 profits and profit.

This is a bail master.

It was not afraid, but now is afraid of Jezebel and he runs to verse Sheba and even though he divests himself of the only human companion that he had.

He goes along said as it ever gets worse gets a lot worse. Elijah gets out into the desert where it's 130° in the shade. That's enough to make you talk yourself and this is okay God kill me and kill me now he say, but this is a great man of God you give us an example from James chapter 5 that this man of God is been given as a model. As an example, he prayed and it did not rain, and then he prayed in the right.

He's a great man of God, yes, but he's not even the only man of God who has found himself in this situation. In the book of Numbers chapter 11 after putting up with people murmuring after putting up with people resizing awfully putting up with people's complaining after putting up with people badmouthing them. Moses comes the goddess of God, our brother be killed in the book of Jonah chapter 4 John after he preached not great victory. Nineveh is at the goddess of luck if you are that good with the wicked people of Assyria be good to me and tell me to Jeremiah chapter 20 was soft, set up with God's people's indifference to God. Their indifference to God's kingdom. Their indifference to God's work in the was fed up with their self-centeredness is that the God God, I wish you take my life. If you've never been there. Take note because you might be the and you want to know this and you will know what to do. I want to give her some lessons that I have learned through the years and to come right out of this passage.

Lesson number one. Write it down.

Never act after victory without the word from the Lord never act after victory without a word from the Lord. If you look at verse three of chapter 19. You gonna notice something that is uncharacteristic of a larger you know what it is all explained by give you three of the references in chapter 17 verse to his word says the word of the Lord came to a larger and said leave here and go to Sheriff and at the word of God. He left Ahab and went to Charles Brooks. Verse eight of 17.

The word of the Lord came to him once to satisfy. He left the brook in the wilderness and winters artifacts. Chapter 18 verse one after a long time in the third year the word of the Lord came to a large got you know what it is now you see it. Elijah was a man whose movements and messages were ordered by God. But when you look at verse three of chapter 19. What is missing it's you between the eyes. There are no word from the Lord and therefore there was fear and there was panic and is running away his resignation that is leaving to put it bluntly, Elijah got blindsided first lesson. Do not make a major decision without a word from the Lord, particularly after great spiritual victory have even been blindsided. Been blindsided to give up O this phone call of this confrontation that you totally not banking on you, not even expecting any rather not have what you need to do is wait for word from the Lord, don't respond immediately. In fact, there are many times when I get blindsided like this. I hear the Lord to be saying don't respond at all. He takes care of second lesson. Elijah left himself alone at a time when he least needed to be alone. He left his servant and brother, Sheila, and he walked for a day and there he sat under the tree, putting his head between his knees as of God kill me and kill me now not told you earlier that when you're down you're lonely and when you're lonely you are also doing well said wait a minute now wait a minute didn't the Lord Jesus Christ Galway in the desert and he was alone with her father prayed along with the father yes there has to be a time when you are not have to do that.

That is vitally important but this is not one of those times and the times when you move from great victory to the bosom of the feet. It is not a time to be alone. I had to lift my imagination run a little while when I look at the text is him examining it and studying it, I begin to think if this was is a tradition said he is the son of that widow's artifact is the young man that he raised from the dead. I try to imagine if he had taken him with him for the rest of the trip, what would be his reaction if he hears a logic to be saying all God kill me, kill me now, my brother, my ancestors.

I would imagine this young man would've said limited on Elijah don't say that Joe remember what God did in Santa Fe. Dr. Cruz of oil in the chart of flour.

Not that I was dead before you stretch yourself woman. I was raised from the dead guard brought to life again Elijah. There is hope in God, not your member Elijah you sent me out to the seaside to look for the cloud seven times I kept going back and you never distrusted God you never doubted God and God answered your prayers and you send rain after 3 1/2 years of drought. Don't you remember Elijah, have you forgot the fire that came from heaven, and let everything inside, including the water. No, Elijah, God still in the medical business. Elijah did not need to be alone at this low point of his life. Some of you are trying to walk alone right now and alone is the last thing that you should be doing. Some of you are not trying to great to teasing and clinching you this thing is one of God's will truly need to do. Surrender toughness and did God give you a Christian friend to walk with you. There's 1/3 lesson here.

I believe the Lord would have us learn from this passage and it is this when you're down you lose perspective when you're down you lose objectivity. There's something here that fascinated me in this passage for years and absolutely fascinated me and I'll know they've noticed it on if you have noticed it when we pointed out to verse two of chapter 19 first Kings. Elijah runs away from Jezebel because she wanted to kill them, so he runs away and what is he go he goes to the ones he goes to God.

This is God kill me. What is this doubletalk if you want to be killed. Jezebel would've done a much better job than God she would've killed them with passion. But you see when you are in the bosom of defeat, discouragement and depression. You lose touch with reality. Look at what he said. He said I am not better than my ancestors at systematic way and I will explain it to you in plain American English. This is a use of translation is what it means no everybody hates me some worms password means everything looks futile right now. I just remembered about the mother who was trying to wake up her son and told to go to church on Sunday morning and she just kept waking him opposite Sonny need to go to church Sunday to go to the window. She said Sonny need to go to church and finally said, I'm not going people don't love me there. They hate she said no they don't.

You just imagining that patient will give me two reasons why I should go to church is more, she should two reasons. One, you over 40 years of age, number two, you're the pastor of the church was Elijah doing stuff there and he was beginning to think of the thousands and thousands of Israelites who were faithful to Yahweh who lived for Yahweh and died for Yahweh. Those nameless people, those faceless people throughout the generations all the way back to Moses and all of a sudden he said I'm not better than they are done right now. Elijah did not know he's gonna wind up in a series of messages on how God works.

He did not know was going to be mentioned in the book of James. He did not know if he was going to be in the Scripture, so that when you sit down and you begin to have your own personal pity party. Remember Elijah the something else here, which is 1/4 principle Elijah was truly exhausted.

I mean physically exhausted, emotionally exhausted, spiritually exhausted. He was exhausted in every sense of the word. Look at verse five really find the bottom line of his depression and discouragement. He fell asleep. The sleep of depression. Some of you know what I'm talking about this long… The liquidating sleep that sleep that when you wake up you feel more tired than when you went to sleep so I was how was he physically exhausted what he just ran hundred miles to get away from Jezebel. Anybody taught how was emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Listen to me very carefully. Please there is nothing that can emotionally and spiritually and psychologically exhaust you like spiritual warfare.

You do not endure the confrontation with the prophets of bail amount, as he did, and then spend time on your knees, imploring God to answer and give and fulfill his promise and then you're confronted with this wicked witch of the North you don't finish all of that without getting emotionally depleted. The greatest part of that whole passage not his depression but is discouragement, not his fear another's weakness, no the greatest part of this episode in Elijah's life is the way God deals with us as a whole series started way back talk about how God deals. This is how God works. How God and this is it.

This is a negative the nuggets in the Bible said that the Lord looked down and then he yelled that a larger saying you weak willed vacillating wimp I gave you an important assignment that you blew it. What verses that no and the million how does God deal with the depressed, discouraged servant of his that is very important. Listen carefully want to talk to you specialist super achievers Superman and super women wanted to listen to me.

Please know little bit about you. I think most of you know why you are harder on yourselves than God's look at what happened here when he lashes down God matches Elijah's every need and every point on this that if you forget everything I said.

Don't miss this one because Elijah did not wait for word from the Lord. What does God do his work from because Elijah left his companionway out there a day's journey gives him an angelic companion because he needed desperately some food and some drink some refreshments. God supernaturally provides him with food and drink refreshments.

He meets him at every point of his needs. When you're down God does not say you are so you have failed me.

You have left me no this is not God.

This is not how God works with his faithful children when they get blindsided more than anything else.

God knew that Elijah needed some R&R. That is why the angel does not come and say, Elijah wake up and ponder the great doctrine of the sovereignty of God. There is a place for that. As you know, I believe with all my heart and the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. There's times when God knows that's not what you need what you need is food and drink and that is why after he ate. He drank he went back to sleep.

He was in desperate need of sleep.

I remember one time I went to three straight days without a week I was traveling overseas, I loosely did not sleep for three days and three nights. When I collapsed into two different countries and seven.

I'm glad my companions who were taking care of because I did know what I was.

The check made out there I go to sleep or wake up. I got the next what's and that's what Elijah needed.

He needed to sleep and went back to sleep after rest he was ready to resume ministry God was ready to talk to him and he talked them through the escort but he did not really speak to him.

He talked them through the fire, but he did not respect him. He waited until he spoke to me in a gentle whisper. Spurgeon, one of the great preachers of yesteryear used to say that the above that is always bent will certainly break with me conclude by saying this. I really had a great hesitation in my spirit is on working on this message and I had some fear he said fear yet because this is dangerous stuff so what you mean dangerous tell you why it is dangerous. It is dangerous because some slothful lazy person appear warmer.

For many years. Going aside man alive. I've been waiting for him to preach a sermon like this for 10 years is giving a lot of comfort today. The word is not for you that messages not from the Lord for you. My fear is that when I preach a message like this in the slothful and the lazy and those are indifferent will react in this way. My biggest fear is that those who exhausted those who are frazzled in the kingdom work those who have given sacrificially those who have given of themselves have given of the possessions are going to say you must be talking to regard the end of the pew and exempt themselves in the keep working hard. Don't mix yourselves up today. Please, and hearing this word from the Lord. This message belongs squarely to the few of you work hard give of yourself give sacrificially all was ready to do whatever is needed and you never rest that messages from the Lord for you as to the spectators in the watchers in the pew. Warmers I want to tell you there's another message from the Lord for you do something for God do something new, something new, something new, something for God. Get up and do something for God. Going surfing is a prayer of my heart and the longing of my heart that God will speak to you specifically to each individual and to me individually that you don't mix the message in the spirit of God will minister to you and is he is ministering to you right now and I know that because God knows and I know this is not a word for me this word from the Lord for you as a spirit of God planting it in the first soil of your heart right now I want employer to say Lord Jesus empower me to know you a fresh Lord Jesus, protect me from being frazzled that I'm arresting you, Lord Jesus remind me that is not I but Christ who lives in and those of you who have become professional listeners here message after Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and do nothing with it. Say Lord God help me today to do something with this message that as I walk out these doors. I walk out with a renewed vigor to do something for you larger small give me the opportunity precious Lord Jesus when all said and done, this is your work.

This is your kingdom and his faithfulness that you seek in us and therefore Lord Jesus I pray that you come in. The power in the person of your spirit, the comfort that the two sets of the disciples you going to send him we have who is here in this very room is been invited to come that he will speak in a whisper in every now and head before spirit of the living God for the specialness empower us strengthen a small dose make us above all, teach us to love you with all of this in your name I pray.

Jesus, thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Ward