Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday evening, Feb. 18, 2001, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.

THE PREACHER WHO SAID, “I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”

By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Text: 1 Kings 19:4

1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Introduction: Probably my favorite character of the Old Testament is Elijah. Perhaps there were people who were closer to God than he was, such as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job, Daniel … I don’t know. Elijah was used of God in a great way.

One of the most exciting chapters of the Old Testament, in my opinion, is 1 Ki. 18, which describes the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Elijah stood up to 850 false prophets — 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the groves — and stood the test. God bore witness of His prophet and His prophet’s message by answering by fire in front of the multitudes of people who were there that day.

What a victory!

Then in the very next chapter, Elijah experienced the greatest depression of his life. By the way, don’t think that you are going to have mountain-top Carmel experiences every day of your life. You’re going to have some valleys, too! You had better have the kind of faith that will take you through the VALLEYS as well as the mountains!

Elijah got to the point of wanting to commit suicide. He asked God for a mercy killing. He asked God for a Great Physician-aided suicide. He said in so many words, what you may have said at some time:

“I’ve HAD it!”

“I’ve had enough!”

“I’ve had all I can stand, and I can’t stand no more!” (Pardon my grammar.)

Without being critical of this great man of God, let’s examine what the Bible says about this man’s lapse and his time in the valley of despondency. Let’s take a look at this man in this dark time of his life in which he said, “I’ve had ENOUGH!”

Yes, he DID have enough.

I. HE HAD ENOUGH FEARLESSNESS TO FACE PROPHETS OF THE HEATHEN BUT NOT ENOUGH TO FACE PERSECUTION AGAINST HIMSELF

1 Kings 19:1-2 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

What is going to scare you? Well, it will probably be

A. Not a test with Mormons but a test with MONEY

B. Not a test with Jehovah’s False Witnesses, but a test in JUST FAITHFULLY WITNESSING

C. Not a test against the Church of Christ, but a test with your own CHILDREN

I’ve seen MANY Christian men who learned how to show what was wrong with the cults, but they couldn’t stay in church after their kids let them down or got into trouble!

Elijah said, “I’ve had ENOUGH!” Yes, he DID have enough.

II. HE HAD ENOUGH FAITH TO LAY HIS LIFE DOWN, BUT NOT ENOUGH FAITH TO LIVE HIS LIFE ON!

You need to be able to trust God not only to take you home when it’s time, but also to help you to LIVE FOR HIM

A. Right on through your diseases

B. Right on through a divorce

C. Right on through a death in the family

D. Right on through a disaster

E. Right on through a disappointment

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Elijah said, “I’ve had ENOUGH!” Yes, he DID have enough.

III. HE HAD ENOUGH FOOD FOR A SINGLE CONTEST, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR A SECOND CRISIS!

1 Kings 19:5-8 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

THE BIBLE IS THE BELIEVER’S FOOD! IT IS HIS MEAT AND MILK!

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

A. Your food will strengthen you

You won’t be strong if all you eat is junk food – newspapers, magazines, fiction books, romance novels, etc.

B. Your food will shape you

Shape up before you ship out!
If you are what you eat, some Christians should be shaped like a television set!

C. Your food will sustain you

The right kind of food will give you enough energy to do work and will help your body to protect itself against disease.
Get off of the Internet and into the Bible!
Get away from the television and into the scriptures!

Elijah said, “I’ve had ENOUGH!” Yes, he DID have enough.

IV. HE HAD ENOUGH FIGHT WITH THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, BUT NOT ENOUGH FELLOWSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD!

1 Kings 19:13-14 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Here Elijah reminds me of the Christian today who thinks there are no churches that are right enough for him to attend.

Thank God for good, local churches! God had 7,000 men in Israel who were faithful to him! 7,000!!!

A. I get encouragement to conquer my problems when I go to church

B. I get excitement too

C. I get energy to continue to press on when I go to church

D. I get enabled to claim the promises of God when I go to church

Don’t you quit!
Get in the fellowship of God’s people, and STAY there!
Get in the Bible every day, read it, and memorize it! Live by it!
Trust God to deliver you from your enemies and personal problems and use you in a mighty way! He is able!