You're Tired, But God's Not Done|12.07.25|Misfit Christmas pt.2

Last week, I reminded you all of one of my favorite classic Christmas movies, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And in that story, there’s a place called the Island of Misfit Toys, which is this lonely refuge for all the toys that feel broken, overlooked, or disqualified.

These are the toys that know they don’t fit, because of some way they look on the outside.

But there’s another kind of misfit we almost never talk about:

Not the person whose life is messy…

Not the one with the wild past or the recent crisis…

Not the person who shows up at church wondering if God could ever use someone like them…

I’m talking about a different kind of misfit: the one who looks FAITHFUL on the outside, but feels TIRED on the inside. The misfit who doesn’t look like a misfit at all.

This is the person who has been following Jesus for years, maybe even decades. The person who has shown up again and again. They’ve volunteered, given generously, prayed, poured out their life for the Kingdom of God…

And they’re genuinely glad to see God doing new things! They love it when new people connect to church and start their journey of being transformed by Jesus.

But deep down, they wonder: “Why does this feel harder than it used to?”

“Where do I fit now?” “Do I still matter?” “Does God still want to use me?”

And they’d never say that out loud, because nothing in their life looks broken. There’s no scandal. No rebellion.

Just a quiet soul that feels… worn out.

And those questions aren’t just reserved for longtime believers. Some of you are newer to this whole following-Jesus thing, but life has hit you hard, and you’re asking the same questions. ‘Why don’t I feel the way I used to?’ ‘Why does my faith feel quieter now?’ ‘Is God still interested in using someone like me in meaningful ways?’

That’s the misfit nobody talks about. And some of you know exactly what that feels like. You’re grateful for the growth in our church, and you’re some of the biggest supporters of how God is moving.

But you look around and realize that the church is changing. New families, new faces, new ministries.

And while that’s wonderful, it can also feel disorienting. It can make you wonder where you fit in the story now.

Because a lot of the new people that God is reaching through New Life look a lot like some of the family members that you’ve been praying would get reconnected to church for years. But it might feel like your prayers for your kids and grandkids still feel unanswered.

And you used to be so involved in all the different activities of the church, but maybe your strength isn’t what it used to be. Your influence and leadership role isn’t what it used to be.

And even though your faith is just as strong as always… you still love Jesus deeply… even though you’ve been steady and faithful…

…your heart just feels a little quieter. Maybe even a little emptier.

If you can get in touch with any of those feelings, the surprising truth is that the prophet Elijah knows exactly what that feels like as well!

[Scripture Ref]

So open your Bibles with me to 1 Kings 19 (p254). This is going to drop us right into the end of the story of the prophet Elijah, who is one of the most famous and most powerful leaders and prophets of Israel.

You might know one of the famous stories of Elijah, where there is a drought in land, and he challenges 450 prophets of the false god, Baal, to a contest to prove which god, Yahweh or Baal, is real and has the power to reverse the drought.

So they do this big display with two different altars, asking their respective gods to bring fire from heaven to light the sacrifice.

The prophets of Baal can’t get anything to work. But then Elijah steps up, he asks for his altar and sacrifice to be DOUSED in water. They even dig a moat around it to hold all the water. Then he gives a simple prayer, and God responds with fire from heaven that not only burns up the sacrifice, but also evaporates every single drop of water. Incredible!

And if you only knew that one part of Elijah’s story from 1 Kings 18, you’d think he’d be the LAST person in the world to feel spiritually empty.

He’s the guy who called FIRE down from heaven! He’s the guy who led a whole nation back to God! He’s the guy who stood alone against 450 prophets of Baal.

He’s a spiritual GIANT, and there’s no way he’d ever feel overlooked or empty.

But all we need to do is turn the page and see that the very next chapter finds Elijah collapsed under the weight of exhaustion, fear, loneliness, and disappointment. The strongest prophet in Israel suddenly feels like the misfit nobody talks about.

So let’s read together, unpacking this piece by piece, and see what happens, because Elijah’s story is a GIFT to every tired, faithful believer listening right now.

[1 Kings 19:1-2]

' Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” '

Elijah had JUST defeated the prophets of Baal, showing that their god was powerless. All the people see that Yahweh is the only true God. They repent and recommit to following him only.

The prophets of Baal are put to death, and Elijah prays for the drought over the land to end, and God shows up in power AGAIN and rain comes for the first time in three years.

But king Ahab was a weak and useless king, and he runs and tells his manipulative wife, Jezebel, what Elijah had done. Jezebel is the one who was trying to bring Baal worship to Israel, so she’s ticked.

[1 Kings 19:3-4]

'Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord , take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” '

Elijah has just experienced a spiritual high point in his life, but now he’s in a cycle of fear, isolation, and emotional collapse.

He’s afraid because of the threat he’s experiencing from Jezebel, so he runs.

He’s discouraged that all the stuff he’s worked for will just become a relic of the past, like his ancestors.

He’s isolated and feels like he’s alone.

He’s exhausted, so he falls asleep under the broom tree.

This all makes sense, because being faithful for a long time eventually tends to wear on your soul. Some of the most faithful people in our church are also some of the most exhausted ones.

You’ve helped lead fundraisers for every single ministry in our church. You’ve helped with more VBS groups than you can count. You have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for years.

And just like Elijah, you might be thinking, “I don’t know if I have it in me like I used to.”

Well, watch how God responds to Elijah…

[1 Kings 19:5-8]

'Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. '

Elijah, who has just seen the power of God show up in the most incredible ways, runs for his life and comes off sounding a bit like a dramatic teenager. But notice that God doesn’t scold Elijah. He doesn’t shame him. He doesn’t even give him a motivational speech.

He cares for him.

God sends an angel, a messenger, to show Elijah that he’s NOT alone. And gives him food and drink and more rest.

He speaks tenderly to him, “Get up and eat, so that the journey isn’t too much for you.”

God acknowledges Elijah’s LIMITS and honors the reality of his human weakness.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but too many of us feel guilty for being tired, as if weariness is failure. Some of us feel like our tiredness makes us a burden. Some of us feel ashamed for not having the energy we once had.

[Your limits]

But God isn’t frustrated with your limits… he meets you in them. Because your limits don’t limit God!

The apostle Paul tells us that God’s power is SHOWN in our weakness, because we get to see how God isn’t held back by our humanity.

And here with Elijah, we see that God ministers to Elijah before asking anything from Elijah, because God cares FOR Elijah as a person, not just what Elijah has done.

Some of you have followed God for a while, and think that maybe your best days of serving God are behind you. And maybe you think that means you have gone past your usefulness for the mission of God.

But it’s not only longtime believers who feel that way. Some of you are early in your walk with Jesus, and you’re thinking, ‘I haven’t done anything meaningful for God yet… maybe I missed my moment.’

But God doesn’t discard people. Ever. He draws close. Watch how this plays out with Elijah when he travels to the mountain to meet with God…

[1 Kings 19:11-12]

' He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord , for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord , but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. '

Elijah had seen God move in big, incredible ways. And at the beginning of our story, God had just demonstrated his power and presence with miraculous fire, and a huge rainstorm to end a drought.

So it makes sense for Elijah to be looking for God to show up in a big, incredible way. And he’s standing on the mountain where Moses had encountered God in the burning bush, and where he had returned to receive the Ten Commandments from God.

This was a forty-day pilgrimage to a special place where God had shown up in incredible ways. And then a “great wind” decimates the area, and the original Hebrew word is ruach, which can mean wind or breath and it's the same word to describe the Spirit of God.

A great BREATH rips through the area, splitting mountains and breaking rocks…but the Lord was not IN the wind. It was sufficiently dramatic and awe-some, but not the way God was showing up for Elijah.

Then an earthquake happens. The very ground around him trembles like a giant is waking up…but the Lord was not IN the earthquake.

If I was Elijah, I would be scared AND confused at this point. And then fire shows up.

Fire, just like the fire that fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice and the altar. Just like the fire that eternally burned from the bush that called Moses. Just like the fire that led the people of Israel through the wilderness all those years ago.

But the Lord was not IN the fire.

And after the fire, was the “sound of sheer silence.” Isn’t that an interesting phrase: the SOUND of sheer silence?

What does silence sound like? We don’t ever have true silence in our world anymore because there is always the whir of the heater, or the ping of a notification, or the rumble of a passing vehicle.

I imagine that after all the huge, incredible rushing and roaring that Elijah endured, it was so silent that it seemed like his ears were ringing, but there is something that beckons him to investigate.

[1 Kings 19:13]

'When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” '

Elijah had been looking for God in the dramatic, but God was not in any of those. Instead, he was IN a gentle whisper.

Why did God choose that? Why a whisper?

I think it was because God wanted Elijah to LEAN IN. God wanted Elijah not to experience the HUGE, amazing-ness of God… He wanted Elijah to experience the close-ness of God.

Because you only whisper to someone you are close to. A whisper is an intimate, one-on-one, intentional communication.

Now, some of you are disappointed that God hasn’t spoken to you in the loud ways he once did. And some of you are disappointed because you’ve never experienced anything dramatic with God at all, and you wonder if that means you’re somehow less spiritual or less useful.

Maybe you even feel like God is “nowhere” to be found.

But what if God isn’t absent, he’s just waiting for you to LEAN IN close, so that he can whisper, “You are not alone. Your story is not done.”

[1 Kings 19:15-16]

'Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way… when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel, and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. '

Elijah thought his days of usefulness were over. He thought that God couldn’t work through him anymore. But God wasn’t done. So after caring for Elijah, after drawing close to Elijah, he gives him a new purpose… and it looks different than before.

Go, anoint a new king over Aram. Anoint a new king over Israel. And go anoint a new prophet who will carry on your work.

Elijah’s next calling was not to keep doing what he had done in the past. God now calls him to INVEST in the future. Because God knew that Elijah’s greatest legacy wasn’t the huge miracles he had been a part of. Elijah’s greatest legacy wasn’t the tasks he had accomplished for God.

Elijah’s greatest legacy was his protege, Elisha, the one who carried the mantle forward.

Much more important and meaningful than the projects that Elijah had done were the people that he poured into. It reminds me of a quote from the late author and entrepreneur Bob Buford. He was known for being a cable-TV pioneer and he cofounded the Leadership Network.

[blank]

But here’s what he said, “My fruit grows on other people’s trees.” Because he knew that his success and impact came from enabling and mentoring others to succeed.

Many of you listening might think that your “best ministry years” are behind you. You might think that the time for God to work through you has passed.

But God might not be asking you to go back to what you used to do. He’s inviting you to pass on the faith you’ve lived. He’s leaning in to tell you, “you’re not done. This next season of faithfulness isn’t about being the hero… it’s about shaping the next generation.”

And right here in New Life we’re seeing this lived out each and every week. Because we have young moms who are getting poured into by mentor moms in MomCo on Thursday mornings.

And we have younger men and newer dads being mentored by older men through our various men’s groups and Man Year. But there is still so much need!

Every week, we have dozens and dozens of teens who come to youth group and Sunday services who just need adults who know their name and are willing to connect with them.

Every single week, we have SO MANY kids in our kids program who need adults who are willing to share a kind smile and show up (even once a month) to be an assistant who shows care for them. And when you get to know them, then you can pray for them even when you’re not serving.

I’m highlighting these ministries because we are a church who is able to disciple and raise up the next generation of the the kingdom of God here in the Sauk Valley, but Mike and Megan and their core volunteers can’t do it alone… but this isn’t about guilting you into doing more.

It’s about inviting you into the joy of letting your steady faith shape someone else’s story. We believe God is still speaking, and for some of you, his whisper will sound a lot like, “Invest in the next generation.”

And this isn’t just something that is from today’s scripture passage. This is something that is demonstrated throughout the whole Bible and comes to it’s greatest fulfillment in Jesus.

Because Jesus is the gentle whisper of God. When the world was looking for a big, grand entrance, Jesus chose to enter quietly… drawing close and connecting one-on-one.

And then when he started his public ministry, he spent his final three years pouring into his followers, entrusting to them (and to us) the mantle of his ministry. He met them in their tiredness, showed them grace when they were ashamed, cared for them when they felt useless, and called them back into the fray when they thought their best days were over.

In other words, Jesus came for misfits of every kind — the ones with messy pasts AND the ones who just feel quietly worn out — and he loves to turn both into messengers of his grace.

[Matthew 11:28-30 MSG]

I love his call to his followers in the Message translation of Matthew 11:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Jesus doesn’t discard the tired. He doesn’t overlook the ones who have been faithful for a long time. He draws near to the weary, and fills them up and then sends them out again.

[God is still]

Your limits don’t limit God. He is still calling you, and someone in your life needs the steady faith only you can bring. That’s why I know for a fact that God still wants to work through you to reach someone.

And this whole month, we’re talking about how God wants to work through you to reach someone who is far from him, but close to you. He wants to work through you to reach your One.

[Each One]

Elijah didn’t get a huge mission. He got one next step: to reach out to someone. And that next step changed a whole generation for the people of Israel.

So this week, take one simple step toward your One.

Maybe you’ll send a text to them. Maybe you’ll invite them to coffee.

Maybe you’ll drop off Christmas cookies for them.

Maybe you’ll invite them to join you for the Christmas concert or an advent service.

Just create a simple touchpoint, and pray for them every day this week. Not to EARN God’s love, because you already have it! He just wants to share that love THROUGH you…

[END]

So who is your One? Who has God put on your heart?

Write down their name. Pray for them. Reach out to them this week.

And if you’ve felt like that misfit nobody talks about — faithful on the outside, tired on the inside… hear this: your best days of making an impact for Jesus are not behind you. They’re in front of you. They might look different, but they are no less powerful, because your limits don’t limit God.

Isn’t that good news?