LIFE OF ELIJAH

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LIFE OF ELIJAH

• Elijah was a man just like us . . .
• James 517

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Number of deaths for leading causes of death
2006 NIH Data

• Heart disease 631,636
• Cancer 559,888
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) 137,119
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases 124,583
• Accidents (unintentional injuries) 121,599
• Diabetes 72,449
• Alzheimer's disease 72,432
• Influenza and Pneumonia 56,326
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis
  45,344
• Septicemia 34,234
• Suicide 33,300 (91 / day)

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Sermon Outline

• Review Historical Context
• Development of Apostasy
• Summary of Elijahs ministry
• New Elijahs Equilibrium Restored
• The nature and place of emotions
• Biblical Model of Human Personality
• The gospel remedy for depression
• Biblical Means of Emotional stability

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Life of Elijah Historical Background

• Solomons idolatry division of kingdom 930 bc
• Jeroboams introduction of false worship
  slippery slope of apostasy (19/0) 23x 722 bc
• Ahabs state sponsored Baal worship
• Ezekiel 2031,32
• Elijahs promised based prayer covenant
  conditions fulfilled
• Elijahs contest for decision who is God?
• Elijahs prayer for rain
• Jezebels threat
• Elijahs 340 mile run into the desert
• God refreshment, questions, recommisioning

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Elijahs vocational disillusionment

• Discouraged about lack of success
• Physically exhausted (adrenalin?)
• Refreshment, rest, questions
• Misunderstanding significance of externals
• Misunderstanding of his own importance
• Obedience more important than feelings
• Our efforts in ministry outlast our lifetime

Elijahs vocational restoration
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Elijahs Emotional Equilibrium Restored

• The place of emotions in our lives
• Biblical Model of human personality
• The gospel remedy for depression
• Biblical Means of emotional stability

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Models of Human Personality

• Biblical Created in Gods image
• Spirit, Soul, Body
• Soul Mind, Emotions, Will
• Created to follow process Think, Feel, Do
• The heart is the center of our lives we have
  the choice to believe truth, or lies
• The battle in life is in, and for, the heart
  Hebrews 312
• Humanistic Chance Chemical Combination
• Merely Physical, Psychological (1950s),
  Biological
• Treatment based on assumption of nature
• Diagnosis may be accurate prescription may be
  antithetical to Biblical assumption of cause and
  effect

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SCRIPTURE
SOCIETY
Actions
Thoughts
Fruit
Actions
Emotions
Trunk
The Heart
Thoughts
Emotions
Roots
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The Place of Emotion
Unpleasant Event Jezebels threat

• WISDOM

• FOOLISHNESS

• CONSTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS
• Based on Truth
• Accepted in
• Faith
• Humility

• DESTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS
• Based on Lies
• Held in
• Unbelief
• Pride

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Contrasting Concepts of Destructive Emotion

• Scripture Decision chooser of unsought
  resources
• Gods presence
• Gods promises
• Gods power
• Society Determinism victim of unmet needs
• Someone elses fault blame shifting
• Someone elses responsibility expectation
  shifting
• Sub-standard resources medication (surface
  functionality)
• Adult use of antidepressants almost tripled
  between 1988-1994 and 1999-2000. Ten percent of
  women 18 and older and 4 percent of men now take
  antidepressants. (Source NCHS 2004)
• Mental cause, mental remedy (vs. emotional pain
  killer)
• If biological (hormonal) cause, then biological
  remedy may be proper

Failure to seek the abundant resources because of
pride and unbelief results in destructive
emotions, regretful decisions, lost fruit, and
often ruined relationships
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Elijahs emotional depression / despair

• Feels life is not worth living anymore
• Feels alone and not understood
• Feels no one else cares for what is important
• God (psycho somatic spirit connection)
• Provided rest and refreshment (Body)
• Asked questions to reach conscience (Soul)
• Revealed His life giving presence (Spirit)

Elijahs emotional restoration
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Emotional Equilibrium - Body

• God provided
• Rest
• Nutrition
• Exercise

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Establishing Emotional Equilibrium Soul
Mind, Emotions, Will

• God Provided
• Questions to reach conscience
• What have I voluntarily chosen to do vs. blaming
  others . Genesis 42-7 1 John 311-15
• Decision of Unsought resources vs.
• Determinism of Unmet needs
• Questions to discover assumptions
• How have I interpreted past events?
• How do I interpret present events?

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Destructive Interpretations

• Hopelessness
• It is never going to get better no way out
• All is darkness ahead no other options than
  death
• God doesnt care
• Invalidation
• I am not needed, loved, useful
• I am worthless, in the way, a burden, acceptable
• Powerlessness
• I am overwhelmed, resource-less
• I am too small, weak, empty

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• QUESTIONS TO DISCOVER ASSUMPTIONS
• What image do I have of God?
• Can I trust Him to keep His promises?
• What image do I have of myself?
• Must I make life work by all by myself?
• What do I perceive to be necessary to make life
  work?
• What motivates me - to be protected by my own
  strategies, or obedient to Gods commands?
• What image do I have of people?
• Here to serve me, or I them?
• How do I practice love - fullness of grace and
  truth?
• Picture Frame Exercise

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How do I see ( ) ?

• Loved, Jesus was broken for, understood,
  accepted, cherished, recipient of mercy, indwelt
  by Holy Spirit, called, etc
• GRACE

• Ugly, mean, insensitive, rude, judgmental, weird,
  proud, unreliable, condescending, etc.
• TRUTH

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Emotional Equilibrium - Spirit

• Paul 2 Corinthians 12
• Thorn in flesh not going away
• Reminded by God that His grace is sufficient, and
  His power shows up in our weakness
• Rejoices that there is opportunity for people to
  see Christs power
• Discovered his true situation through prayer
• Greatest unsought resource open, honest, quiet
  prayer alone, and with mature friends
• Context of Elijah as a man just like us healing
  in group prayer - James 513 17

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The Place of Emotion
Unpleasant Event

• WISDOM

• FOOLISHNESS

• CONSTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS
• Based on Truth
• Accepted in
• Faith
• Humility

• DESTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS
• Based on Lies
• Held in
• Unbelief
• Pride

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Emotional Equilibrium Hebrews 12

• So take a new grip with your tired hands and
  strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a
  straight path for your feet so that those who are
  weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
•  14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and
  work at living a holy life, for those who are not
  holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each
  other so that none of you fails to receive the
  grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of
  bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting
  many

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LIFE OF ELIJAH

• Elijah was a man just like us . . .
• James 517