Elijah 2 Kings 2:1-15 July 25, 2010

Sermon 7-25-10 Elijah qqqq

1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it." 4 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it." 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on. 7 Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. 10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not." 11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. 13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Series-great people, great stories of the old testament
Elijah & Elisha

Elijah caught up to heaven in a whirlwind
The picture in the stained glass

The work of Elijah, the works of elisha

Omri king, ahab son. Jezebel priestess of baal. Cannanite god. Town of sidon. This defines elijah’s work

elijah
Fed by ravens
Fed by widow of zarefath
Raises widows son
Vs prophets of baal – 1 kings 18
Hides in cave
Wind, earthquake, fire still small voice
Departure in chariot of fire

Such a prolific figure that john the Baptist and jesus are compared to him

Elisha
Kills oxen, offers sacrifice
Follows the master

There was a large group of prophets who wandered around and talked about spiritual stuff, and there was one guy that is pursuing it

Slap the water of the Jordan
Does Jeff believe in miracles?

Three things to look at today
Why don’t you just stay where you are?

Elisha gets 3 chances to stay behind – to settle for the easy life, the comfortable life

The Call of Elisha 1 kings 19
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you."
"Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

"Why not stay where you are?" stop following me.

what does Elisha answer: "I will never leave you!"

How do you answer that question
Are you happy wehre you are at?
Most men and women live lives of quiet desperation

We grow accustomed to doing and being
What if you wanted to become more
Read- flight of the buffalo
What would happen in a congregation if everyone was reading?
In a marriage, in a family, in a work place

Mentoring
Mentoring
Who are you mentoring – investing in?
Youth trip – mike Sickendick
Everyone can do this
What do you want from God?

The prayer for a double portion
What do you want your life to be about

Double portion and your inheritance
Elisha asked to "inherit a double-portion" of Elijah's spirit. This is indicative of the property inheritance customs of the time, where the oldest son received twice as much of the father's inheritance as the younger sons. For example, if a man had 3 sons, his property was divided into fourths. Each son received one-fourth, with the oldest receiving two-fourths (twice as much as the others). In this instance with Elijah, Elisha is not asking to become twice as powerful as Elijah, but that he may be seen as the "rightful heir" to the work of the Lord that Elijah had done.

Its more than that- he wanted a double portion of the spirit-
What are you asking god for
Its ok to ask god for the right things

Be careful what you ask for

2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:2-3 KJV

2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. NIV

Old testament. Joseph - I want more.
Genesis 30
22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace." 24 She named him Joseph, [h] and said, "May the LORD add to me another son."

Barren for years. Jacob works 7 years for Rachel. Then 7 more.

What are you asking God for?
Young people, make this the business of your life…..the pursuit of God

Conclusion
Are you satisfied with being who and what you are?
Who are you mentoring, who are you investing in
What are you asking God for?

Why I Am A United Methodist Jan. 27, 2008

Why I Am A United Methodist Part 3 2Kings10:15
Elijah the prophet, Jehu the king

Week one...John Wesley's heart was warmed. We still believe that God can touch, warm and change the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Week 2...beliefs...

1. the simple gospel, nothing is added
2. respect and love for the scriptures
3. grace based...focus not on a persons sin, but on Gods ability to help them
4. Love is central, love is key, love is the mark of a Methodist

Today, I am a United Methodist because everyone is welcome

2Kings15:10
Elijah the prophet, jehu the king
If you heart is with me, give me your hand
catholic spirit-essentials, not peripherals
we will focus on the essentials
we will not be divided by the peripherals...

Preach politics, carve off 1/3 of folks
Jesus was a democrat...if republican He would have rode into Jerusalem on an elephant

Methodist slogan: Open doors, open hearts, open minds
Who will you vote for, what are your feelings on abortion, what is your opinion of stem cell research...I am not concerned with such thing.
I have an opinion, but I am not int he business of c

Turn the Hearts of People 9-8-96 1 Kings 18:36-45

Turn the Hearts of People 1 Kings 18:36-45

Joke....plane losing engines.... 4 clergy on board....I'd rather have 4 good engines
sometimes we would rather have the earthly things than the heavenly
such was the case for King Ahab

Ahab, married Jezebel from a neighboring tribe
build a temple to the baals
allowed their prophets in, sought to kill the prophets of the Lord

Elijah..it will not rain [drought] for the next several years, unless I say so

Ahab chased, Elijah hid

The it was time..meet me at Mt. Carmel... bring the prophets of Baal
baal's prophets tried the sacrifice
Elijah mocks the prophets
Elijah calls on the Lord

The point of this event was that God wanted to turn the hearts of the people back
Ahab seems at this point to be a passive participant

Elijah is happy....I hear the sound of an abundant rain

go check the horizon...7 time...cloud like a man'shand
you all go home so that you don't get stopped y the rain

Idols are easy to worship....you can see them, touch them
but serving them gets in the way of serving the Lord

what is the good news for today
that God will bless us if we service him? there will never be a drought?
materially....maybe, but probably not
knowing and being with the Lord is all that matters
If your soul is dry, and you feel like you are in a drought
choose to return to him....there is a thunder booming in the distance
You don't have to be perfect

His desire is to pour blessing upon you...the blessing of himself

Woods Chapel Church....good things in store

Let us pray

Getting to the Other Side Psalm 25 Job 38 8-31-03

Can you really help me with this
Can I get to the other side

Elijah and the prophets of Baal

Psalm 25

Job 38

A god of our own making
If you can configure him in your head, it is no god
There should always be a mystery
Without mystery there is no worship

Ten commandments locked up in a storage room
Really
Will that stop God…no way

He crashed thru the barriers, he overcomes the hurdles, he spins the galaxies

You made him too small and you keep him small

When God speaks we don’t worry about the answer, we ow the knee

When god speaks, we are no longer in control, we shudder, we seek his face, nothing else

You don’t have to die the rest of your life to prove that you hurt

I saw the grand canyon
1. I was afraid
2. I was in awe, wonder
3. I could only look for so long
4. it was beyond my comprehension
5. the picture remains in my mind





Shannon Odonnell

She was big. No question about it. Size 12 feet. Broad Big Generous Wide
Even her voice was big, her laughter full and rich, capable of filling an auditorium. Some things fit, most didn't. She searched for chairs without arms,
she found ways to be on the edges, not in the center, as if people wouldn't notice. She was big. Bigger than almost anyone she knew. Her hug was huge, two strong arms that could wrap around and hold a person close and be warm, safe, whole. She was a great big pillow to cry into, one that held all the tears until you were done crying. There was a secret the big woman knew, something she didn't tell anyone. She didn't even tell herself very often because it hurt to hear the words. "I'm too big," she'd whisper, "too big for God. Even God doesn't have arms big enough to hold me." And then that great and big and gentle woman would cry. And her tears were just like her- big and gentle and they washed over her face and splashed down into her lap.

Be A Community Kings 2:7-15 9-22-02

Big Brother needed….

Driver to take woman to dialysis Sermon 9-22-02 2 Kings 2:7-15

A seeker after truth came to a saint for guidance.'Tell me please, wise one, how did you become holy?''Two words.''And what are they, please?''Right choices.''And how does one learn to choose correctly?''One word.''May I know it, please?''Growth.''How does one grow?''Two words.''What are those words, pray tell me?''Wrong choices.'

Mrs TooGood [Woman in white SUV] wrong choices, opp to learn

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!The problem is, most of us have heard that advice so often -- many of us from childhood on -- that it has a trite ring to it. But think with me for a moment about what following the way of Jesus really means.For one thing, it means being a part of the believing community that we call the church. * What other institution is there that sanctions the pursuit of holiness, compassion, the meaning of life as legitimate enterprises?* What other alternative is there that so fully provides the resources for spiritual growth?* What other place is there where children are nurtured in faith? * What other place energizes the examination of societal issues not only in terms of what would be helpful but also in terms of what would be right?* Where else are deaths mourned but mourned in the hope of eternal life? ...
We need to grow, learn and be in community


Don’t trust a shepherd who isn’t someone elses sheep
Lone ranger Christians

Elijah, Elisha 2 Kings 2:7-15
Mentors
Why did he want a double portion of the spirit….
The storms of life do come…. You need to be ready

Jesus in the temple – Luke 2:41
Jesus taught people his entire ministry
Why was learning important to Jesus?
The storms of life do come, you have to be ready

Do you have room to learn?

Last week the sermon was about others
This week the sermon is about you
For one hour more a week, your life can be different.

Teach Sunday school…..attend Sunday school/small group

I have a concern about a growing church that does not have a growing education dept
I am not worried about numbers, I am worried about, care about the growth of our souls
Attending worship is not enough….
Enjoying spiritual feelings without an ongoing attempt to grow spiritual ideas, of course, is what tacks the foam rubber onto the cross.
Find a group and you will grow

We need to grow
Growing for our own joy, benefit
Growing thru making Christian friends
Growing for the day when the waters will be rough

The day will come when you are going to need the waters to part
Your momma and dad wont be there to help you.
We need to have grown in our faith so that when we slap the waters….
Our faith in God is strong…..
He then will part the waters.

Epiphany - Jan. 21, 2001

Sermon 1-21-01

I am dry as a bone. There is nothing inside my soul.
Even the exciting parts of life are boring me.
Ever been to someone’s slide show and slept through it?

Id heard of earthquakes
The earthquake in san jose.

Epiphany….a shocking starlting, surprising experience
Sudden appearance or manifestation

Wisemen show up,
Savior shows up upon the world

Most people are looking for God.
Waiting for him to check in with them

Elijah, and the 3 year drought

God has done a slide show
God has made himself known
His eternal power and glory
So we look at
Rocks
Trees
Clouds
Sea
Fishes
Dogs
Family
Miracle of birth
Act of forgiveness

Paul talks about gospel….I am not ashamed of the Gospel
It is the power…..I don’t see the power

Remember Elijah's drought,
Go look at the sea
I hear the sound of an adundance of rain
Go now or your cart will be up to its axle in mud

Go to church to hear/deliver a sermon. Its just a sermon
One day you will hear it and God will act. May this be the day for you