Until My Work is Done — E.A. Johnston

I remember talking to my friend, William McDonald, who was 90 at the time and still active in his pen ministry, and he was suffering from a recent fall, but I'll never forget his words that day on the phone.

Bill said, I don't worry about it because I am immortal until my work is done. I've lost some choice friends through death these last couple of decades, and I know myself I'm nearer and nearer the finish line of the last stretch of the Christian race, but I know God won't call me home until my work is done.

Persevering Until Christ Calls Us Home

It's my job to keep my eyes on the prize, the Lord Jesus Christ, and press on full board with all I have and all I am until he says, come home son. The title of my message this evening, friends, is Until My Work Is Done, and my text can be found in the Old Testament in 1 Kings and chapter 19.

You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. There are unfinished things in life. I know when I lived in Memphis, there was a pink mansion called the Pink Palace, which is now a museum, but it was built in the 1920s by the founder of Piggly Wiggly Grocery Stores, Clarence Saunders, who never got to live in it, and he lost it in the stock market crash of 1929.

Unfinished Plans and Christian Certainties

Men build things and dream big dreams, but at times things are left unfinished, unrealized. The world is like that, uncertain, but in the Christian life there are certainties we can count on. We can count on our Bible and count on our God.

We know where we're going and who we'll be with for all eternity, and also know that no matter how bleak things look down here and how much I long to be up there, that God won't call me home until my work is done, completed, just according to plan.

Elijah's Exhaustion Under the Juniper Tree

We're seeing our passage this evening, friends, the prophet Elijah, haunted by a wicked queen, exhausted from his labors, down in his spirit with despondency, and he's ready for his eternal rest as he plops down under his juniper tree.

But God's not done with him yet, and God's not done with you yet, friend, for you still have work to do as you serve your king. Oh, we see the kindness and love and care of the Almighty as he sends an angel to visit his weary prophet.

God's Provision for His Weary Servant

Look at verses five through eight. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked and, behold, there was a cake baking on the coals and a cruise of water at his head.

And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. Let me tell you, friends, you go toe to toe with 450 pagan prophets of the devil and see if you're not worn out yourself. We see God's goodness here toward his servant.

It's not steak and lobster. That's what old fat Ahab feasted on. But a cake baked on some hot coals and a cruise of water is enough fare for a prophet of God. And he eats again because the angel tells him the journey's too great for thee.

God's Voice and Elijah's Renewed Commission

So Elijah eats a little more and stirs himself and sets off for Mount Horeb. And he begins a 40-day fast. And in verse nine, we find God's prophet in a cave where he lodges and where the Almighty speaks to him by asking, What doest thou hear, Elijah?

And he said, I have been very jealous of the Lord God of hosts, for 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.

Let me pause here, friends. Things haven't changed much since that time, for I can promise you this, friend. If God makes you his prophet, you are in for a heap of trouble. You will face one obstacle after another.

And you won't be seated at the head of a banquet table with your admirers applauding you. But you will have all hell coming against you and even some religious folks throwing some rocks at you. God tells his prophet to go stand on top of the mountain before the Lord.

Get a kick out of what happens next. He has to dodge a tornado, duck from an earthquake, and deal with a hot fire. He's probably thinking, what next? And what is next is the voice of God in a still small voice that calms and strengthens and directs him onward with appointed tasks to fulfill as God's prophet.

Elijah's Remaining Work as God's Prophet

Look at verses 15 and 16. And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when thou comest, anoint Hazel to be king over Syria. And Jehu, the son of Nimshah, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel.

And Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. Wow, that's a wagonload of prophetic work still yet to be done. He's God's appointed representative who has heaven's authority and seal on his ministry to be a kingmaker and a prophetmaker.

But way back yonder, he was under a tree of despondency, wanted to die and go up to heaven. But the best was yet to come. If he had died back there under the juniper, he would have missed the ride of his life.

Elijah's Fiery Homegoing

For in 2 Kings 2 and verse 11 we read,. And it came to pass. What came to pass? Why, the prophet's home going. His work was finally done. And what a send-off the old boy gets. And it came to pass. As they still went on and talked.

That behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and part of them both asunder. And Elisha went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And he wanted to die by an old juniper tree. It's a good thing God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way we want them.

Trusting God's Greater Work in Our Lives

But he will work his best in our lives as we run the race before us. The fiery prophet Elisha rode up to heaven with a fiery escort, making a blazing trail up the sky. I bet he held on tight to those fiery reins of that burning chariot of the presence of God.

God is always going to do what we can't even imagine, friends. He's always going to outdo our greatest expectations. And do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think. According to the power that worketh in us.

Why? Because the great God of the Bible wants to work wonders in our lives. And I can promise you this, friend. That whatever God does for you, it will be super-duper. Until your work is done, you will have your hands full of the good things God wants to bring to pass in your life as you serve your King, King Jesus.

Let us pray.