The Underestimated God: God’s Ruthless, Compassionate Grace in the Pursuit of His Own Glory and His Ministers’ Joy

This is the seventh post with my sermon notes from the Together for the Gospel Conference (T4G) that was held from April 10-12 in Louisville, KY. To see my other sermon notes from T4G, click here. More sermon notes to come.

Speaker: Ligon Duncan                                            Key text: 1 Kings 19

Listen to the full sermon: Audio || Video

As Christians, there are things we can learn from our disappointment. If we study our disappointments, we’ll find out what we really love, believe, and treasure. When Christians are discouraged, we’re tempted to forget that God is God and God is good. 

• Even people who believe in the sovereignty of God can fail to believe that the Lord is God
  Elijah wasn’t afraid of jezebel as much as he was disappointed that the events on Mount Carmal in 1 Kings 18 didn’t lead to a nationwide revival. Instead, he is threatened with death. Elijah cared deeply about his message and wanted it to be effective.
• Even people who fight against idolatry can succumb to it
  Elijah forgot what his name means: “Yahweh is God.” He also forgot what his message was by making his desired outcome an idol. God will often show Christians what we desire most only to say, “You can’t have it.” God ruthlessly crushes our idolatries in order to give Christians greater joy. He weans the Christian’s affections away from distractions until he is all that is left. Jesus won the battle against idolatry that Elijah didn’t fight: “Not my will but God’s be done.”
• God doesn’t leave his soldiers on the battlefield
  Unlike Moses in Numbers 27, Elijah didn’t want to see God’s glory (1 Kings 19:13). However God gives Elijah and Moses both another chance to look on his glory and promise at the transfiguration of Jesus in Luke 9:28-36.
  God makes Christians weak in order that his grace might be made perfect in the Christian’s life. Don’t think that God will use you as his servant but leave you to wallow in your disappointment. He doesn’t treat his servants’ lives as cheap. He has a greater joy for us in his sovereign grace and love.

-Lawson
Learn It. Love It. Live It.

Notable Tweets

“God ruthlessly crushes our idolatries in order to give us greater joy.” -@LigonDuncan #T4G12

— Lawson Hembree (@LawsonHembree) April 12, 2012

“When you hear a voice that says ‘you can have all you want’ you can be assured that voice comes with a hiss.”-@LigonDuncan #T4G12

— Andrew Eaton (@andreweaton1) April 12, 2012

Christ wins the battle against idolatry that Elijah did not fight.’Not my will but yours be done.’ #T4G12

— Frank Turk (@Frank_Turk) April 12, 2012

“Don’t think God will use you as his servant but leave you to wallow in your disappointment.” -@LigonDuncan #T4G12

— Lawson Hembree (@LawsonHembree) April 12, 2012

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