Breath of Life

When Enough Is Enough Part 1 of 2

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Series Code: BOLS

Program Code: BOLS000082S


00:06 Sermon #S043 - When Enough Is Enough (Part 1)
00:20 Pastor Snell: And so we're going to go ahead and go quickly into the word of God.
00:23 I'm going to invite those who are at home, I need you to partner with us, need you to be an Apple apostle,
00:28 need you to be an online evangelist, need you to be a digital disciple. So if you're on Facebook, copy that link and send it to somebody.
00:36 If you're on YouTube and if you're on Facebook, hit that share button a couple of times so that others might be able to receive this word as
00:42 well. And so fam, I invite you to stand to your feet as we go to the word today.
00:50 We're going to begin today in 1st Kings Chapter 19 as we continue our series entitled The Pivot.
00:58 And what we're going to be looking at today is how sometimes every now and then we don't necessarily need a physical pivot,
01:05 but sometimes we've got to pivot in posture. Can you say amen? So 1st Kings Chapter 19,
01:12 and we're going to begin together at verse number one. And again, this word is for anybody that has ever gone through something.
01:21 Anybody ever gone through something today? Amen.
01:23 1st Kings Chapter 19 and Verse One, we find here the prophet Elijah, right after his victory at Carmel,
01:33 where God had sent fire from heaven and they had overthrown the prophets of Baal. 1st Kings chapter 19:1,
01:40 and we'll see what happens next. When you get there let me hear you say amen. Amen.
01:46 The Bible says, and Ahab told Jezebel, his wife, all that Elijah had done also how he had executed the prophets with a sword.
01:56 Then Jezebel sent a what? Sent a messenger to Elijah saying, so let the gods do to me
02:05 and more also if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow this same time.
02:14 And when he saw it, he arose and ran for his life and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah and left his servant there.
02:24 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree and he prayed that he might what?
02:35 That he might die and said, it is enough. Now, Lord, take my life for I am no better than my father's.
02:46 Then as he lay and slept under the broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him and said, arise and eat.
02:55 Then he looked and thereby his head was a cake baked on coals and a jar of water. So he ate and he drank and he laid down what?
03:06 Again, and the angel of the Lord came back the second time and touched him and said, arise and eat because the journey is too great for you.
03:15 So he arose and ate and drank and he went in the strength of that food. How long? 40 days and 40 night as far as Horeb the mountain of God.
03:28 Then there, he went into the cave and spent the night in that place. And behold the word of the Lord came to him
03:35 and he said unto him, what are you doing here, Elijah? But I just want to read for emphasis verse number four.
03:43 But he went a day's journey into the wilderness and he came down and sat under a broom tree and prayed that he might die and said,
03:52 it is enough. Now, Lord, take my life for I am no better than my father's.
04:00 Today Saints, I want to talk to you for a little while under the subject When Enough is Enough. Let's pray together.
04:10 Father, I pray that in this moment that you would permit me to be completely possessed by your spirit.
04:22 Father, I'm praying for a visitation that is rare and distinct for a visitation that moves us from one plane spiritually to a
04:33 different plane.
04:35 So Lord, would you please multiply faith in the hearing of the word? Once again,
04:39 would you please hide me in the shadows of the cross that Jesus alone might be seen, that Christ alone would be heard?
04:47 And at the end of our time together, may Jesus alone be praised. We ask this in the name of the Almighty master Jesus Christ,
04:55 let those who believe say together. Amen and amen. You may be seated in the house of the Lord.
05:03 Again, talking to you today under the subject When Enough is Enough. As we begin today, let me provide some context for our lesson.
05:17 If you recall, king Ahab, had one of the more wicked reigns in the history of Israel due to his marriage with the godless Jezebel idolatry
05:28 had began to overtake the land and the hearts of the people had been drawn away from God.
05:36 And so God caused the land to be cursed with seven years of drought that was to begin and conclude with the word of the prophet Elijah.
05:47 And both Ahab and Jezebel suffered national embarrassment as Elijah in solitude stood over against the prophets of Baal
05:57 and a fire making competition. You see, Elijah challenged them to call upon Baal to cause fire to come down from heaven
06:07 and understand that after a day of praying and dancing and self mingling,
06:13 the impotence of Baal was revealed as the true God of heaven answered with such a force of fire that not only did it destroy the sacrifice,
06:25 it consumed the altar and it lapped up all of the water that was in the trenches there around.
06:31 And understand that Elijah operates with so much authority that Elijah calls Ahab's army to kill Jezebel's prophets.
06:42 And this display of power left egg on the face of Ahab and Jezebel
06:49 and understand that this was perhaps the apex victory in the ministry of Elijah and his hope friends,
06:58 is that this would be a catalyst for national reformation and repentance,
07:03 that Ahab would see the era of his ways and that his wife Jezebel would begin to repent.
07:10 But understand that in this story, Jezebel is not filled with contrition,
07:16 but in fact she's filled with a greater rage so that she sends a message to Elijah saying that at
07:23 least 24 hours from now I'm going to do to you the same thing that was done to the prophets of Baal.
07:32 And the strange thing friends, is that the prophet complies,
07:36 he takes pursuit into the wilderness and it gets so bad that he lays down his mantale and he summons the sweet relief of death
07:48 and understand that this text teaches us a number of things.
07:51 But the first thing I need you to understand, number one is that there is a difference between a threat and an attack.
08:01 Let me say it again, that there's a difference between an attack and an actual threat. Are you with me today, friends?
08:07 Now, understand that humanly, I understand why Elijah takes cover. As a man, I understand why he begins to flee for his life,
08:18 but man, this thing gets so intense that Elijah literally lays down his prophetic mantle and he gives God his prophetic resignation.
08:30 Now, understand saints, that on the journey of faith that you'll experience authentic satanic attacks.
08:38 But there will be times where the enemy will magnify himself simply by issuing an intimidating threat.
08:47 Are you with me? And see what Elijah cannot see
08:51 or what he has failed to see is that his entire life has been lived under the watchful care of the Almighty God.
09:01 That God has put a restraint in Ahab's heart so that his advances can only come so far.
09:10 In other words, he's not recognized that Ahab's attacks only come to a certain threshold.
09:16 And notice now that Jezebel knows exactly where Elijah is. She knows exactly where he can be found.
09:25 But did you notice that she sends a messenger, not a murderer? Did you notice that she sends a herald, not a hit man.
09:37 Did you notice that she sends an assistant and not an assassin?
09:41 You would think that if she knows exactly where he is, that she would send the armies to arrest him and have him killed.
09:50 But Jezebel's goal is not assassination, it's intimidation. In other words, her goal is to simply silence his voice.
10:00 She wants him to cease and desist. She wants him to quit voluntarily
10:06 because she doesn't have the power to overtake or destroy the man of God. Notice friends of mine, all she does is send a threat,
10:17 but she does not send an attack. Are y'all hearing me today, friends? In other words, you know that when somebody's ready to fight,
10:25 they don't spend a whole lot of time talking to you about what they going to do. They don't stand in the corner selling wolf tickets.
10:32 Am I telling you the truth? In other words, when somebody's about that life, they don't spend a whole lot of time talking about it.
10:40 They just start moving in a whole different way. Are y'all hearing me today, friends? In other words, it is just like on the school yard,
10:48 you know how somebody really wants to fight and when they don't. In other words,
10:53 if they saying hold me back, hold me back, then you know they ain't ready to throw them hands. But when somebody's ready to fight,
11:02 they ain't asking nobody to hold them back. They trying to break through the barrier. Are y'all with me today?
11:08 And understand that your girl Jezebel may be godless, but she ain't crazy. She may be wicked, but she ain't stupid.
11:18 In other words, she notices that there is some divine agency upon Elijah.
11:24 She knows that God is with this man and that to destroy him is going to bring judgment upon her own house.
11:34 So she doesn't send an attack, she just sends an intimidating threat. Are y'all with me today, friends?
11:41 And see what God's people need to know is that in the realm of spiritual warfare,
11:47 I need you to know that you have a hedge around you that is equivalent to the hedge that God placed around Job.
11:56 I need you to know that you've got an angelic security detail that is with you in your coming in and your going out.
12:06 And the truth is that like Elijah, we are not succumbing to an actual attack, but some of us actually get weak
12:15 because of the presence of a threat. You see, notice Isaiah 54 says, no weapon formed against you will be permitted to prosper.
12:27 But notice it says the weapon won't prosper, but God is going to allow it to be formed. In other words,
12:35 I need somebody to get that God is going to cause the attack to fail even if he allows the threat to prevail and see real talk friends,
12:46 because there's somebody today that is dealing with a very real and authentic spiritual attack, but there is somebody that is fearful
12:55 and afraid and frightened simply because of the presence of a threat. You see, there is somebody falling apart because of a likelihood.
13:05 There is somebody getting weak because of a possibility. There is somebody afraid of what might happen.
13:11 There is somebody that's lost their faith because of probabilities. In other words, there is somebody that is employed but you are nervous
13:21 because of the threat your job might be taken away. There is somebody whose provision is sufficient,
13:28 but you are afraid or threatened about what may happen if it's taken away.
13:33 There is somebody that's preoccupied with what enemies might be planning and what people might be saying.
13:40 And we're afraid about what might come to pass. And what I want to say to somebody is, don't fall apart because of a threats.
13:50 In other words, you might not know what tomorrow holds, but how many of us know who holds tomorrow?
13:58 You see, I need you to know that Satan has a way of suggesting possibilities
14:05 and setting up evil imaginations that make war against your mind and the posture of faith.
14:12 And I just need to say to somebody today because there's somebody waiting on some medical test results,
14:19 but I want to admonish you don't start living in the worst case scenario until you are in the worst case scenario.
14:27 There is some single person and the devil's tried to convince you that because you can't see anyone, that they'll never be anyone.
14:36 Go ahead and enjoy this season until God brings you into the next. There is somebody worried about the money getting little low,
14:46 but you don't know what God has in store for your future. There are times where as a parent I have to curtail my thoughts
14:55 because when I watch the news and see these shootings and kidnappings, I get worried about what might happen to my kids.
15:02 But God has to let me know that even though they came from you, they don't belong to you. They actually belong to me.
15:11 Are you hearing me today? And see, this is the critical message
15:16 because when the warfare is in the realm of threat, meaning that the devil is coming for your peace,
15:23 the mistake we make is that when the threat is spiritual, we try to secure the physical. In other words, when this threat is spiritual,
15:35 what we start trying to do is get a ring camera for our doorbell and guns for our houses and deadlocks for the doors,
15:44 and we start moving money around bracing for what is about to come. But you've got to know how to respond to a spiritual threat.
15:53 You see, the only way to respond to a spiritual threat is with a spiritual promise. Okay, take your time.
16:02 The only way to respond to a spiritual threat is to stand on a spiritual promise. Why pastor? Because understand what a threat is.
16:14 A threat is not what's already happened, it's just when the enemy promises what he's going to make happen.
16:22 And what I'm saying to somebody today is that a threat is just the enemy's guarantee of what shall be.
16:29 And what I believe is that if a threat can make you anxious, then a promise should make you peaceful.
16:36 Let me say it to y'all on this side, that if Satan's threat makes you anxious, then God's promise should make you peaceful.
16:45 How many of us know that Satan's promise should not outweigh God's promise
16:50 and that there is a promise for every threat that the enemy puts in your life?
16:56 Oh God, see, I need you to know it's God's job to manage the threat. It's your job to manage you. In other words,
17:09 God has got the odd economy under control. God has got the job market under control.
17:17 God has got your baby mama under control. God has got your ex-husband under control. God has got Trump, Biden and DeSantis under control.
17:27 God has got everything under control. You've got to get yourself under control And see,
17:36 I need somebody to know that there is a promise for every threat that might prevail in your life.
17:42 I need you to know that when enemies come up against you, Psalm 46 says that God is our refuge and our strength,
17:50 our very present help in the time of trouble. I need you to know when affliction threatens you.
17:56 Psalm 34:18 says, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them from them all.
18:03 When financial woes threaten you, the promises of Philippians is that my God shall supply all your needs according to his richest in glory.
18:14 Sometimes when folks threaten and talk about you, remember the name of the Lord is a strong tower
18:20 and that the righteous run in and find safety.
18:23 Sometimes circumstances seem like they'll never work together. But Romans 8:28 says, all things work together for them that love God
18:33 and are called according to his purpose. And sometimes trouble threatens like it's not going to ever end,
18:40 but I've got to promise for the word says, he that shall come, will come
18:47 and he will not tarry that one day trouble is going to come to an end.
18:55 Are y'all hearing me today, friends? And see there are times where we get all worried about stuff
19:03 because when we're threatened we can't see God. But I, but I shared this with you last week.
19:08 Sometimes it doesn't matter if you can see God, all that matters is that your enemy can.
19:17 So, last week I was out in Los Angeles preaching and I took my sons and we made it a little bit of a boys' trip.
19:23 And so what happened is I go inside of they were in this little mall area and I go inside of a department store.
19:30 And so the boys did not want to go in, so they just played out in the little open square. And so what happens is, mom, I
19:37 I'm looking at them through the window of the department store and as I'm looking at them,
19:42 I see two older boys that looks like they're roaming and casing them as if they are interested in my oldest son's cell phone.
19:51 And so I need you to know that when I see them seeing my sons, I don't really go out and make a big deal.
19:58 I just go stand outside of the door and let them see me. And it's crazy, as soon as they see daddy,
20:08 they start moving in the other direction. No, I need you to know my boys never saw me, but they didn't need to see me.
20:17 Their enemies just needed to see me. Oh God, there are somebody today that's saying I can't see God.
20:26 It doesn't matter if you can see him. As long as your enemy sees him, you going to be okay as you stand strong in him.
20:36 Are y'all hearing me today, friends? Second thing, our story teaches us today, friends is never create your own expectations for God.
20:54 Now, again, it's okay to have expectations of God, but don't set your own expectations for God.
21:03 You see, we find Elijah in the place of disappointment and disillusionment.
21:09 And can I just say this, to help your faith out along the way that you'll wind up being disappointed
21:15 when your expectations are based on your preferences and not God's promises.
21:22 And the reason Elijah responds to God the way that he does is because of mismanaged expectations.
21:30 You see, friends, Elijah has been in the uncomfortable portion of faith for an extended period period of time
21:38 because of the persecution and threats of Jezebel. He has lived in the outposts and the outskirts of society
21:46 and he had to move with a certain amount of caution. You see, because the drought commenced at his word.
21:53 Remember, Elijah has been in this uncomfortable place of dependence. In other words, during these seven years,
22:02 he does not live with a fridge filled with food, but he literally lives from day to day as he is dependent upon a raven to send bread
22:13 and meat. And he is sitting by a brook that is consistently drying up. Now, watch what happens church.
22:22 He has been in this posture of uncomfortable faith. But what happens is that after the victory at Mount Carmel,
22:31 Elijah sets an expectation that because God answered by fire and because the prophets of Baal are no more,
22:42 and because God sends rain upon the earth, that there's going to be a season of repentance that Ahab
22:50 and Jezebel will turn their hearts and that he will be able to go back to normal assimilation into the culture of normal life.
23:00 But notice the victory at Carmel does not end his sorrows. They just unleashed a whole different set of sorrows.
23:11 And one of the reasons Elijah lost his faith is
23:15 because he thought this was the final trial when the truth is that was just getting him ready for the next trial.
23:24 Oh God. Elijah thought he was at the finish line, but he looks up and he is got miles of highway left to go.
23:33 And see friends of mine, this is a critical spiritual truth because sometimes we can go through circumstances that are so daunting
23:41 and so overwhelming and so traumatizing that sometimes we create our own expectation that says, when I finally get through this,
23:51 that my sorrows are going to come to an end and we create an expectation like Elijah that's not based on a promise.
24:02 When you look at the story, where did God tell Elijah that if you stand fast here, that after the prophets die,
24:10 everything is going to be well. Where did he say that if you do this,
24:15 all your enemies will vanquish that there'll be peace in the valley and that there will be no more hills to climb.
24:23 Where does Elijah get that expectation if God never made that promise? And see friends of mine a need us to understand,
24:33 the reason Elijah's messed up is he thought, man, that when the prophets of Baal were destroyed, this was the last trial,
24:41 but God was just getting him ready for the next trial. Okay, since y'all mad already, I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
24:51 but I got to make sure your faith is not disillusioned down the way
24:56 because how many of us know that on this side of heaven there is no such thing as a last trial,
25:05 but each trial just strengthens you for the next trial? Oh God, y'all.
25:11 In other words, sometimes we set up this false notion that says, man,
25:17 when I finally get through this thing, man, it is going to be smooth sailing from here.
25:23 But how many of us know I'm telling the truth that sometimes when you get over the edge of that one cliff,
25:31 there's a whole nother incline waiting for you.
25:35 Thank you so much for joining us for the Breath of Life Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell!
25:43 We hope and pray that you have been blessed by this sixth message in the sermon series entitled “The Pivot.”
25:52 Join us next week for Part Two of the message entitled “Enough is Enough.” You don't want to miss it!
28:11 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
28:34 [END]


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Revised 2023-08-22