“Don’t Give Up” &= #8211; Pastor Lyle Pettit – January 18, 2004
While in college, I took Jeannette on a date to
entitled: “Stop th= e World. I want to Get Off!”
It was the story of an average Joe -- who achieved = fame & success;
the results were at time= s quite comic; -- & at times tragic!
He would cry out at times & say: “Stop the World. -- I want to get off!”
A lot of people have been there -- done that -- felt that!
Have you ever felt like just giving up?! -- I sure = have at times!
Perhaps all of us can recall an hour in our lives w= hen we have been overwhelmed with
the temptation to just g= ive up!
Perhaps there seemed to be no light at the end of t= he tunnel; -- we felt only darkness within!
Continually we come across Christians who have give= n up.
Missionaries who have not retur= ned to the field.
Ministers who have turned their= back on their high calling.
Pastors are dropping out of the ministry at an alar= ming rate!
Christians -- good sanctified laymen -- who at one = time played a vital part in the life of their
churches -- have given u= p.
Oh the wreckage -- that marks the path on the highw= ay to heaven; - by those who
have given up; by those = who have dropped out
Who? -- Who are the kinds of people to whom this mi= ght happen?
When? -- When is this kind of thing most likely to happen?
You might be surprised to discover that this very t= hing happened to one of the spiritual giants
of the OT! -- Who? -- Th= e great prophet Elijah!
The story unfolds before us in the 19th Chapter of 1 Kings.
When did this temptation -- to want to give up -- b= reak in upon this OT spiritual giant?
Amazi= ngly -- it was at a time of unparalleled victory!
The story of Elijah just suddenly explodes onto the= pages of Scripture beginning with 1 Kg 17 -
- when Elijah makes his announcement to the wicked King Ahab -- that it would not rain for
several years!
From that point on -- there was one spiritual victo= ry after another for this prophet Elijah --
leading up to that great= victory when Elijah challenged the false prophets of Baal on top of Mt.
It was an hour of victory -- & yet Elijah was thinking in terms as if it had been an
hour of defeat!
The man who had faced nearly a thousand hostile pri= ests;
The man who had dared the hatred of the entire royal court; -- now trembled in the threat of
a woman named Jezebel. <= /p>
(Read) -- Scripture lesson: -- 1 Kings 19:1-4
vs. 4 says: “O Lord, take away my life” – “Enough of this, God! -- Take my life – I’m ready= to
join my ancestors in the grave.”
"Stop the world, Lord; I want to get off!"= ;
That wicked Queen Jezebel had sworn -- “I am = going to kill you by this time tomorrow night!”
So Elijah fled for his life -- sat beneath a junipe= r tree -- & prayed to die! “I’ve had enough” --
Elijah told the Lord.
“Take away my life. I’ve got to die som= etime, & it might as well be now.” -- “Stop the
world, Lord; I want to g= et off!”
Have you ever been there? -- Have you ever felt tha= t way?
It is= at the moment of greatest victory that we can become most vulnerable to
spiritual defeat!
Extra= ordinary -- is it not -- how darkness can fall over us?!
It does not take a lot -- to cloud the sun in the l= ife of the soul!
A lot of people around us are finding life difficul= t.
As a pastor -- I have come to believe that there is= a hurting heart in every church pew!
It would be nice to think -- that as Christians -- = we don¹t have dark days.
That discouragement comes only to those around us. =
But looking through the Bible -- at many of the gre= at saints -- we find many of them -- in fact -
- had their dark days!
Perhaps the best example -- is this man named Elija= h.
What = lessons can we learn from this spiritual giant, Elijah? --
What lessons can we learn from the dark hour of Elijah’s life -- when he wanted to just give
up?
What fostered -- what nurtured -- this darkness in Elijah’s soul?
Let me share with you this morning -- three reasons= why Christians become weary!
There are 3 indications as to what brought on the darkness in Elijah’s heart! --
The 1st Thing that Fostered this Darkness --
Was Elijah’s Sense of Failure in the Sight of God!
O Queen Jezebel sent Elijah a message -- “By = this time tomorrow, you’re going to be dead.”
When Elijah read the message -- he ran for his life= .
When he finally stopped running -- he prayed to die= !
Elijah had run away! -- He felt such a deep sense of failure!
He felt he had let God down; -- he felt like he had failed!
In his sense of failure -- Elijah prayed: -- “= ;I've had enough Lord. --Take my life. -- I’ve got to
die sometime -- & it= might as well be now.”
Sometimes our hearts are filled with this sense of failure!!
We are so overwhelmed with a sense of our shortcomi= ngs -- the things we might have done,
but have not done -- tha= t we feel as if we are finished! -- We are no longer of any use!
This sense (this feeling) of failure is surely a po= int of danger for any Christian! -- But the real
danger is when we have m= oved off the ground of grace!
When = we do something truly great -- we feel: “Wow, God surely accepts me now.= 221;
And when we do something really dumb -- we feel: “Oh, God really rejects me now.”
But there is never a moment when we are accepted by= God because of what we do -
- or a moment when we are rejected by God simply because of what we fail to do!
We are accepted by God simply & solely because = of who we are in JC -- His Son!
God is not impressed by what we do; -- nor by what = we fail to do!
God simply wants us to live in Christ!
Christ is the solid ground of our spiritual grace &= amp; victory!
If we start moving off the ground of grace -- &= start thinking that God must use us -- & that
God has used us -- because of who we are -- or what= we are -- then, then we are
exposed to real danger! =
Jesus said: “Abide in me! -- for without me you can do nothing.”
As long as we abide in JC -- God never sees us as a failure!
The 2nd Thing that Fostered this Darkness was --
Elijah’s Sense of Loneliness = in the Will of God!
In 19:10 -- Elijah said: “I, even I only, am = left; -- & they seek my life -- to take it away.” --
“Only I am left -- & now they are trying = to kill me, too.”
What a dangerous thing the sense of loneliness can be!
What = a difficult thing loneliness can be.
I wonder how many Christians have given up & dr= opped out of the fight because of their sense
of loneliness!
It is so easy to let things slide when there is no = one else to keep us on track! -- No one is
there to encourage us! <= /p>
Maybe you are in a new job -- & you are the only Christian in the work place.
Maybe you are in a new school -- & you have not= yet meant another Christian there! -- You
have no one to stand alo= ng side you; -- No one seems to care; -- you feel so all alone!
Elijah felt all alone -- & his loneliness in th= e will of God was one of the things that fostered this
dark hour in his life. <= /p>
Loneliness touches everyone¹s life to some deg= ree.
One does not need to be alone to be lonely!
You can feel intensely lonely even when you are with others.
We can feel alone even in the intimacy of marriage.=
There is a loneliness that comes from suffering -- = or from sorrow -- or in fear -- or in rejection
-- or in times of sickne= ss!
But remember dear friend -- just as Elijah was not = all alone -- so you & I are never all alone --
for God is watching out = for us -- & He is there to care for us -- just as He did for Elijah!
The Bible still speaks to us in the words: -- ̶= 0;The eternal God is thy refuge, & underneath
are the everlasting arms= .”
You are never alone -- for God is always with you! = -- And He will not leave you nor forsake
you!
The 3rd Thing that Fostered this Darkness was --
Elijah’s Sense of Weariness i= n the Work of God!
In 19:14, Elijah said: “I have been very jeal= ous for the Lord God of host.”
In short -- Elijah is saying: “I’ve been working very hard for you Lord -- I¹m the only one who
has been faithful -- &am= p; now I am tired – I’m weary!”
What a record of achievements Elijah had --
What outstanding spiritual results he had seen -- <= /p>
What emotional stress he had endured --
What physical hardship he had experienced --
The m= an Elijah was exhausted; -- & then the devil came in!
Oh -- how cleverly the devil times his attacks!
It was so with our Lord JC -- when Jesus had fasted= 40 days & 40 nights -- then the tempter
came!
When you or I are at a stage of utter weariness &am= p; exhaustion the devil will try to get in -- & the
darkness will begin to g= ather.
Some of us here today may be utterly weary!
We have reached the end of our rope.
We feel like we can no longer continue on!
We have worked so hard for God -- & the church = -- we are exhausted & tired -- & we wonder if
anyone notices -- or car= es!
You may be saying: “I’m not going to te= ach that SS class anymore -- I¹m not going to serve
on the church board any = longer -- I¹ve worked hard enough in the children¹s ministry -- I¹v= e
been doing that job for = years -- & I’m tired!”
You are not going to continue in that job to which = God has called you! -- You are
sending in your notice! = -- You are just tired out!
Remember dear friend: -- God may say rest -- but He= never says quit!
The Bible says: -- “Let us not be weary in we= ll doing; -- for in due season we shall reap, -- if
you faint not.”
So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued = & weary in doing good!
At the right time we will harvest a good crop -- if= we don’t give up, or quit
Conclusion: I am glad to report – Elijah̵= 7;s life did not end -- although he wanted it to. -- He
had prayed: “O Lor= d, take away my life”
“Stop the world, Lord, I want to get off̶= 1;
Sometimes the mercy of God is seen in that He does = not answer all our prayers as we
wish!
There is a Voice that wants to speak to us today! <= /p>
Not t= he voice of anger or wrath; -- not a voice of indignation; -- not a voice that will slice
away at us for wanting t= o give up; --
Rather - it is the quiet Voice of the Lord Jesus! <= /p>
This man, Elijah -- who was running away -- heard a= voice saying to him (19:15) – “Go, return
...”
God was saying to weary Elijah -- & He says to = you & me today – “I’m not finished with you
yet! -- Go, return to yo= ur task -- to that SS class -- to that shop -- to that work place -- to that
hospital -- to that clas= s room -- to that assignment.”
Why? -- Because we have not finished our work -- &a= mp; God has not finished with us!
You may have done well -- but you will do even bett= er work yet than anything else you
have done before!
You will again find the guidance of God directing y= our way -- & bringing you into touch with
lives that you can bless= !
You will find -- as Elijah did -- that there is a r= eward coming that far exceeds anything you
have ever thought or dre= amed of!
In Ps. 23 we read: “Yea, though I walk throug= h the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil; for thou art wi= th me.”
What is a valley of darkness? -- The valley is the = way from one green pasture to another; -
- that is all the valley= is!
When we go through the valley -- with its sense of failure -- or its sense of loneliness -- or
its sense of weariness -= - we need to keep close to the Shepherd; -- & He will lead us
through the valley -- &a= mp; He will lead us out of the valley.
When that time finally did come -- for Elijah’= ;s life & work here on this earth to end -- God gave
Elijah a wonderful spectacular homecoming!
The Bible says a chariot of fire came down -- &= a whirlwind took the tired, -- but faithful
servant Elijah -- home t= o Glory!
For us too -- the day will come when God will final= ly say: -- “Your time is now up. -- It is time
for you to come home.= 221;
At that time -- we will be glad to go!
And we will be so thankful that we did not give up = along the way; - we did not drop
out; - we did not give i= nto the temptation to give up
Then we will see the smiling face of God!
What a wonderful welcome it will be when we see God’s smiling face -- & we know
that when that dark hour= came -- we did not give up! -- When the dark valley came --
we went through it!
I love that song: -- “It will be worth it all= -- when we see Jesus!”
Oft times the day seems long -- Our trials hard to = bear;
We¹re tempted to complain, -- To murmur & despair.
But Christ will soon appear -- To catch His bride a= way.
All tears forever over -- In Go= d's eternal day.
Sometimes the sky looks dark, -- With not a ray of = light;
We're tossed & driven on -- No human help in si= ght.
But there is One in heav= en -- Who knows our deepest care.
Let Jesus solve your problem; -- Just go to Him in prayer.
It will be worth it all -- when we see Jesus!
Life¹s trials will seem so small -- when we see Christ.
One glimpse of His dear face -- all sorrow will era= se.
So bravely run the race -- till we see Christ!
I do = not know to whom I am preaching today -- it may not be to you at all -- I may be
preaching only to myself= !
I would hate to count the number of times over the = past few weeks -- that I have sat with
Elijah under the Juniper tree.<= /span>
But -- my dear friends -- lets carry on the work to= which God has called us! --
God has called you & I to reach out in love to hurting hearts in the Valley
God has called us to minister to the spiritual need= s of those around us!
And -- no matter how much a failure we may feel at = times -- or how lonely we may feel at times
-- or how weary we may b= ecome, -- in the end: --
“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!&#= 8221;