In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus first asks a question. He asks, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?” Jesus then tells us how to overcome those feelings. He says, “Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Then Jesus ends by giving us a promise. He says, “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus first asks a question. He asks, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?” Jesus then tells us how to overcome those feelings. He says, “Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Then Jesus ends by giving us a promise. He says, “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
So I will ask you: Are you
Tired?
Worn Out?
Burned Out on Religion?
What can you do? - COME TO JESUS!
Tenth Avenue North has a song called Worn. The first verse and the bridge go:
I’m tired I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes
To keep on breathing
I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left.
I don’t know about you but I have been in this place. I have been tired, worn out, burned out on religion. I have even been burned out on the church.
When we feel this way there is absolutely only one person to go to: Jesus. There is only one place to go into His arms.
I know that followers of Jesus are not supposed to get depressed or even discouraged.
I know that especially pastors are to never face (at least not admit facing) depression or discouragement.
BUT, the one writing this has and does.
So what do you do?
I am overwhelmingly thankful that God understands our depression and discouragement. And that in His Word He shows us through the prophet Elijah how to allow Him to overcome it in our lives.
In 1 Kings 18 Elijah challenges the false prophets of Baal and Asherah to a contest on Mount Carmel. Elijah by God awesome power wins a great victory.
Then we come to 1 Kings 19 and Elijah enters a period of great discouragement and depression. But as we follow Elijah through this time we see the elements that God uses to overcome these feelings in Elijah’s life.
1 Kings 19:1-3a
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.
First, we have to realize when and how the enemy attacks.
Elijah had just experienced the greatest victory in his life and ministry. God has used him to demonstrate to the whole nation that there was only one God. And it wasn’t Baal!
Many times we experience discouragement and even depression after God has accomplished something great in our lives.
I can remember many times when God had used my preaching in a powerful way and drawn people to Himself. And many times my thoughts right after that has been, “What if next time I preach nothing happens?”
Watch for the enemy to attack right after a great spiritual victory.
We also need to be aware of our weaknesses.
Elijah had stood up to a powerful king (Ahab) and 850 false prophets. All of those people would have liked nothing better than to have killed Elijah. So why now does a note from Queen Jezebel cause him to panic? Ready for my great spiritual insight? I don’t know. I do know that we all have areas of weakness and fear and they don’t have to make sense to anyone else, but they are certainly real to us. Elijah had a fear of this woman and Satan used it.
1 Kings 19:5-8a
Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank.
Second, we need rest and nourishment.
Hebrews 4:9-10
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.
We need physical, emotional, and spiritual rest. If we don’t get it, the enemy can slip in and cause great discouragement in our lives.
We need both physical and spiritual nourishment. Again if we are not getting both, we will become unhealthy and the enemy will gain a foothold.
1 Kings 19:8b-9
Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Third, we have to seek God.
Elijah goes to the mountain of God and God speaks to him.
When we face discouragement and depression we have to run to God. Most people run from God.
There have been many times when I have missed people from worship or Bible study and when I have expressed concern over missing them their response has been that they were dealing with an issue and needed to be alone. When we are depressed we don’t need to be alone. We need to be with Jesus and His people.
So let me encourage you to practice running to God, not from God.
1 Kings 19:10 & 14 (both say the very same thing)
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.
Next, we need to be honest with God.
Elijah was afraid that the people led by Jezebel would kill him.
We have to admit
The Fear
The Doubt
The Confusion
The Sin.
When we admit whatever it is that is moving us toward the discouragement then God can overcome it in our lives. Things kept secret kill. Things exposed can be healed.
1 Kings 19:11-13
The Lord said, “go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Next, we have to get in God’s presence and listen.
God does not always speak to us in the big extraordinary things of life, like the wind or earthquake or fire. Most of the time God speaks to us in the mundane everyday things of life.
In the New Revised Standard Version 1 Kings 19:12 reads, “after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”
Psalms says a lot about getting still and listening to God.
Psalm 37:7-8
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm.
Let go of all the negative feelings that are lies leading you to feel depressed.
Psalm 46:10
God says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all nations; I will be praised throughout the earth.”
So get with God, listen, let go, and praise Him.
Next, we have to obey and follow God.
1 Kings 19:15-17
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
God now gives Elijah some assignments. It was time for Elijah to stop just being focused on his issues and begin to look at the bigger picture.
Navel-gazing leads to discouragement. When we have been hurt or are facing problems, there comes a time when we have to get off our pity party behind and get out and minister to others in God’s name. God will comfort us and nurture us, but we can’t just hang our head and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get over ourselves and let God lead us on.
1 Kings 19:18
Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.
Last, we have to get in touch with reality.
God says to Elijah, “You are not alone!”
God says to you, “You are not alone!”
You are not alone in the journey of life.
You are not alone in the battle.
You are not alone in feeling discouraged.
You are not alone in dealing with depression.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about community.
God is about community. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God calls us into Himself and into a community - the church.
We don’t follow Jesus alone.
We don’t serve Jesus alone.
So if you are tired, worn out, burned out on religion, come to Jesus and let Him:
Strengthen You
Feed You
Give You Purpose
Make You Vulnerable
Give You a Reality Check
Most of all let God love you.
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord has appeared to us in the past saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
And love God.
Mark 12:30
You must love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The chorus to Worn says:
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That You can mend a heart
That’s frail and torn
I wanna know a song can raise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
Cause I’m worn
Get past all the religious baloney and come to the One who died for you - Jesus - let Him give you rest.
Worn But Not Discouraged Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
So I will ask you: Are you
Tired?
Worn Out?
Burned Out on Religion?
What can you do? - COME TO JESUS!
Tenth Avenue North has a song called Worn. The first verse and the bridge go:
I’m tired I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes
To keep on breathing
I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left.
I don’t know about you but I have been in this place. I have been tired, worn out, burned out on religion. I have even been burned out on the church.
When we feel this way there is absolutely only one person to go to: Jesus. There is only one place to go into His arms.
I know that followers of Jesus are not supposed to get depressed or even discouraged.
I know that especially pastors are to never face (at least not admit facing) depression or discouragement.
BUT, the one writing this has and does.
So what do you do?
I am overwhelmingly thankful that God understands our depression and discouragement. And that in His Word He shows us through the prophet Elijah how to allow Him to overcome it in our lives.
In 1 Kings 18 Elijah challenges the false prophets of Baal and Asherah to a contest on Mount Carmel. Elijah by God awesome power wins a great victory.
Then we come to 1 Kings 19 and Elijah enters a period of great discouragement and depression. But as we follow Elijah through this time we see the elements that God uses to overcome these feelings in Elijah’s life.
1 Kings 19:1-3a
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.
First, we have to realize when and how the enemy attacks.
Elijah had just experienced the greatest victory in his life and ministry. God has used him to demonstrate to the whole nation that there was only one God. And it wasn’t Baal!
Many times we experience discouragement and even depression after God has accomplished something great in our lives.
I can remember many times when God had used my preaching in a powerful way and drawn people to Himself. And many times my thoughts right after that has been, “What if next time I preach nothing happens?”
Watch for the enemy to attack right after a great spiritual victory.
We also need to be aware of our weaknesses.
Elijah had stood up to a powerful king (Ahab) and 850 false prophets. All of those people would have liked nothing better than to have killed Elijah. So why now does a note from Queen Jezebel cause him to panic? Ready for my great spiritual insight? I don’t know. I do know that we all have areas of weakness and fear and they don’t have to make sense to anyone else, but they are certainly real to us. Elijah had a fear of this woman and Satan used it.
1 Kings 19:5-8a
Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank.
Second, we need rest and nourishment.
Hebrews 4:9-10
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.
We need physical, emotional, and spiritual rest. If we don’t get it, the enemy can slip in and cause great discouragement in our lives.
We need both physical and spiritual nourishment. Again if we are not getting both, we will become unhealthy and the enemy will gain a foothold.
1 Kings 19:8b-9
Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Third, we have to seek God.
Elijah goes to the mountain of God and God speaks to him.
When we face discouragement and depression we have to run to God. Most people run from God.
There have been many times when I have missed people from worship or Bible study and when I have expressed concern over missing them their response has been that they were dealing with an issue and needed to be alone. When we are depressed we don’t need to be alone. We need to be with Jesus and His people.
So let me encourage you to practice running to God, not from God.
1 Kings 19:10 & 14 (both say the very same thing)
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.
Next, we need to be honest with God.
Elijah was afraid that the people led by Jezebel would kill him.
We have to admit
The Fear
The Doubt
The Confusion
The Sin.
When we admit whatever it is that is moving us toward the discouragement then God can overcome it in our lives. Things kept secret kill. Things exposed can be healed.
1 Kings 19:11-13
The Lord said, “go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Next, we have to get in God’s presence and listen.
God does not always speak to us in the big extraordinary things of life, like the wind or earthquake or fire. Most of the time God speaks to us in the mundane everyday things of life.
In the New Revised Standard Version 1 Kings 19:12 reads, “after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”
Psalms says a lot about getting still and listening to God.
Psalm 37:7-8
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm.
Let go of all the negative feelings that are lies leading you to feel depressed.
Psalm 46:10
God says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all nations; I will be praised throughout the earth.”
So get with God, listen, let go, and praise Him.
Next, we have to obey and follow God.
1 Kings 19:15-17
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
God now gives Elijah some assignments. It was time for Elijah to stop just being focused on his issues and begin to look at the bigger picture.
Navel-gazing leads to discouragement. When we have been hurt or are facing problems, there comes a time when we have to get off our pity party behind and get out and minister to others in God’s name. God will comfort us and nurture us, but we can’t just hang our head and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get over ourselves and let God lead us on.
1 Kings 19:18
Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.
Last, we have to get in touch with reality.
God says to Elijah, “You are not alone!”
God says to you, “You are not alone!”
You are not alone in the journey of life.
You are not alone in the battle.
You are not alone in feeling discouraged.
You are not alone in dealing with depression.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about community.
God is about community. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God calls us into Himself and into a community - the church.
We don’t follow Jesus alone.
We don’t serve Jesus alone.
So if you are tired, worn out, burned out on religion, come to Jesus and let Him:
Strengthen You
Feed You
Give You Purpose
Make You Vulnerable
Give You a Reality Check
Most of all let God love you.
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord has appeared to us in the past saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
And love God.
Mark 12:30
You must love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The chorus to Worn says:
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That You can mend a heart
That’s frail and torn
I wanna know a song can raise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
Cause I’m worn
Get past all the religious baloney and come to the One who died for you - Jesus - let Him give you rest.
Worn But Not Discouraged Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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