Participants: Charissa Fong
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000020
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00:30 And, yes, we have come to the river today...
00:33 We are standing by the river and, Lord, we need to take 00:36 His hand and cross over. That's today's message in a nutshell. 00:40 Let's open with a word of prayer. 00:42 Oh Lord, today as we open Your Word 00:44 I pray that Your Holy Spirit that has been present 00:47 every night this week will be present again here 00:50 this morning on this, Your Sabbath day. 00:53 Please, Lord, bring to us a message which we need to hear 00:56 because we want to hear Your word to us today. 00:58 In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. 01:01 I was very privileged towards the middle of last year 01:06 to go up and spend a week with the church up there 01:09 in Cairns. Has anyone been to Cairns? 01:12 Ah, it's just beautiful up there, isn't it? 01:15 Everybody's been to Cairns. I hadn't been till last year. 01:17 I mean, mangoes... they grow on the street in Cairns. 01:20 The weather is warm and balmy and there's beautiful scenery. 01:24 Ah, it was absolutely wonderful! 01:26 And the Lord really blessed the meetings up there in Cairns. 01:29 And after just one week I fell in love with the people 01:32 of Cairns just as I have fallen in love with the people 01:35 of Taree. And it seems that by the end of that week 01:39 that I shared with the people up there 01:42 the feeling was a mutual one because I stood at the door 01:45 and, oh, the people... they were so grateful 01:48 and appreciative. And I just praise the Lord for it. 01:51 And not only that, they loaded me down with a whole lot of 01:54 food, tropical fruits, and gifts and all this... 01:58 all letters and e-mail addresses, 02:00 and I was loaded down by the time I left. 02:04 And there were so many things that I received, 02:06 but there was one gift that really stood out to me 02:10 while I was standing at the door. 02:11 I was shaking people's hands as they were filing out. 02:14 An elderly man came forward and I stuck my hand out 02:18 to shake his. But instead of placing his hand in mine 02:22 he put a book in my hand. 02:25 And I looked at him and then I looked down at the book. 02:27 It wasn't a new book; it was an old book. 02:30 The pages were worn and brown. 02:34 The cover was bent. He had even taped the spine 02:38 of this particular book. And I looked at the book 02:40 and I was a little bit surprised. 02:42 And I looked back at him and he saw my surprisement... 02:45 Is that a good word? Surprisement? 02:49 Well today it's going to be a word. He saw my surprisement! 02:53 And he looked at me and he said to me: 02:55 "Charissa, I want you to have this book. 02:58 Why? Because there's a message in this book that I want you 03:01 to preach. " And so I thought to myself: "OK. " 03:04 I thanked him for the book and then he left. 03:07 That night when I got back to my hotel room 03:10 I looked over everything that I had received 03:12 and there was that book sitting amongst them all. 03:15 And I thought to myself: "You know, 03:17 I don't often read everything that I'm given 03:19 because I just don't have the time. 03:20 But because of what he had said to me there at the door 03:23 I was very curious. And so I decided I was going to 03:27 read that book. And friends, the book that he pressed 03:29 into my hand was a book by a man named Leslie Hardinge 03:34 who wrote it in 1968. It's published by 03:37 the Review and Herald and the book was entitled 03:40 Elisha, the Man of God. 03:43 And so friends, this morning I bring to you a message 03:46 borne from this book. And so to go to our story today 03:50 I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me 03:53 to II Kings. II Kings chapter 2 and verse 1. 03:59 This is where we will be spending most of our time. 04:01 II Kings chapter 2 and verse 1. 04:06 And if you need a Bible I'm sure a deacon can bring 04:10 you one. Just raise your hand if you need one. 04:13 OK. II Kings chapter 2 verse 1. 04:16 And the Bible says: "And it came to pass 04:19 when the Lord was about to take up... " Who? 04:22 "Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind that Elijah 04:27 went with... " Who? "Elisha from Gilgal. " 04:32 Friends, one day the Bible tells us that Elijah... he was 04:35 impressed by the Holy Spirit that the time of his ascension 04:39 was near... God was going to take him home real soon. 04:43 And friends, the years of Elijah's ministry 04:46 here on this earth... they had been most fruitful. 04:50 In fact, if we read the Bible it would appear that 04:52 Elijah... he was the greatest educator of the youth 04:57 since the days of Samuel. So he was very valuable 05:00 to God's cause. And friends, the schools of the prophets 05:04 which Samuel had labored so hard to establish... 05:07 they had started to become degenerate and they had started 05:12 to break down because of neglect and they had been 05:16 wrecked by apostate kings. 05:18 But Elijah... when he had come upon the scene 05:21 he saw the value in training up the next generation. 05:24 He saw the value in the youth. Why? 05:27 Because he believed that it would be the next generation, 05:30 they were the ones that would carry on the work 05:33 which he so faithfully had carried out in his life. 05:36 They would be the ones who would carry on God's truth 05:40 to the rest of the world. And so 05:42 before his ascension the Bible tells us that 05:45 Elijah... he set out with Elisha on a final tour of these schools 05:51 of the prophets. These schools in which he had invested 05:55 his life in. 05:57 Now I think you would agree with me that memories make 06:00 a huge difference in our feelings about a place. 06:03 Yes? Yes. 06:05 I personally have wonderful memories of the kitchen pantry 06:08 'cause whenever I go there I have a wonderful time. 06:12 Actually in our home I think everybody in my family 06:14 has the same feeling. Because I will come downstairs 06:17 and I'll look in the kitchen and there will be my sister 06:19 just standing there in the pantry just looking 06:22 at the pantry. She has a wonderful time there. 06:24 And friends, I also enjoy a fireplace. 06:27 Why? Because I've had wonderful memories by a fireplace. 06:31 And certainly, as Elijah and Elisha begin their tour 06:35 of the schools of the prophets the memories of Israel 06:39 past... they begin to flood their minds. 06:42 And as Elijah and Elisha comes to this first school 06:45 here in Gilgal, the memories come back. 06:48 Here the reproach of the years of servitude that 06:51 the Israelites spent in Egypt... they remember that 06:55 and they remember how here those years were rolled away. 07:00 All of that had been rolled away right here at Gilgal. 07:03 Here at Gilgal the people of God had chosen to put away 07:08 their rebellious spirit that they had shown so often 07:11 during their wanderings in the wilderness for 40 years. 07:14 It was here at Gilgal that the children of Israel... 07:18 they had entered into a new relationship with their Lord. 07:22 And it was here at Gilgal that the children of Israel 07:26 had been so enthusiastic to go forward and take the 07:30 Promised Land the second time. 07:32 Appropriately the name Gilgal means rolling. 07:36 It means rolling away. 07:37 Friends, Israel remembered Gilgal as a place of victory 07:42 and consecration. Here was a place 07:44 commemorating Israel's national consecration to God. 07:49 So the two prophets arrive here. 07:52 And the Bible tells us that Elijah... he approaches the 07:54 school and when he gets there he preaches his last sermon 07:58 to the students at Gilgal. 07:59 And wouldn't you just have loved to have heard 08:01 what he had to say? 08:03 I would certainly have loved to have heard him. 08:06 But friends, when he finishes his sermon the Bible tells us 08:10 in the next verse that he did something very strange. 08:14 Notice what happens in verse 2: 08:16 "Then Elijah said to Elisha... " 08:20 Starts with S... ends in tay. 08:23 Stay... that's right! 08:24 "Stay here please for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel. " 08:29 Friends, Elisha was kind of surprised when Elijah said this 08:32 to him. He had given up every- thing to serve Elijah. 08:37 He had left behind his family, his father, and he had gone 08:41 to serve Elijah. And so he responds with 08:44 feeling. He says: "I will not leave thee. " 08:48 And friends, I don't know about you, but Elijah... 08:52 Elisha, sorry - is the kind of man I would love to have 08:55 as a friend. You know why? 08:57 He was loyal. He was committed. 09:00 He was faithful. 09:03 It didn't matter where God took Elijah, Elisha was determined 09:07 to be there. He had chosen to go... 09:09 He had not chosen to go along with Elijah as long as it felt 09:14 good. He hadn't chosen to go along with Elijah 09:18 so long as it didn't cost him anything. 09:20 He had chosen to follow Elijah no matter what. 09:23 And friends, today's Christianity can learn a lot 09:26 from Elisha's actions right here 09:29 because we seem to lack commitment today. 09:32 We look for religion of convenience. 09:35 But friends, Elisha here tells us that we must not look 09:38 for a religion of convenience. 09:41 Sometimes we want roads to travel on 09:43 but God doesn't always give you a road to travel on. 09:46 Sometimes you and I have to just step forward in faith. 09:50 It's a bit like the story of David Livingstone 09:53 in South Africa. He was there doing his missionary work 09:57 there and he received a letter from somebody there in Africa 10:01 who wanted to send people to come and join him. 10:04 And this is what they said in their letter. They said... 10:07 to David Livingstone they said: "Have you found a good road 10:11 to where you are? If so, we want to send other men 10:14 to join you. " Livingstone was not very impressed with this 10:18 and so he wrote back. He said: 10:20 "If you have men who will come only when there is a good road" 10:24 he said "I don't want them. " 10:27 He was fully committed to his task. Elisha was fully committed 10:31 to Elijah. And friends today, are we fully committed 10:35 to Jesus Christ? 10:36 Seeing the firm determination in the young prophet 10:40 I am sure Elijah's face... he must have lighted up 10:43 with a great big smile. 10:45 He was touched by Elisha's determination. And so 10:48 the Bible tells us that they went on to Bethel. 10:51 And let's continue reading in verse 2. 10:53 "Elisha said: 'As the Lord lives and as your soul lives 10:57 I will not leave you. ' So they went down to... " Where? 11:01 "Bethel. " Why was Bethel so exciting for the children 11:05 of Israel? Well friends, after a remorseful and terrified night 11:10 in flight it was here that Jacob spent his first night away 11:15 from home. It was here he found a pillow and he used... 11:19 a stone and he used it as a pillow. 11:21 And that night as he slept he dreamed of 11:24 a ladder that went from earth to heaven. 11:27 And he saw angels ascending and descending on that ladder. 11:30 And at the top of that ladder he saw God Himself 11:34 standing there in vision. 11:36 This deeply impressed Jacob there. And so 11:40 he was no longer a youth at the time. He was 70 years of age. 11:44 But it was here that for the first time he realized fully 11:49 that he had not lived as he ought to have lived. 11:52 It was here under the guidance of God that Jacob... 11:56 he resolved to enter into a new fellowship with God. 12:00 And it was at Bethel that he decided to make the wrong 12:03 in his heart right with God. Amen? 12:06 And so because of the experience that Jacob had here at Bethel 12:10 he called the place Bethel because it means 12:14 the house of God. 12:16 And Israel... when they looked back on the story of Jacob 12:19 they remembered Bethel as the place of his 12:22 personal consecration. 12:25 But notice verses 3 and 4 of II Kings chapter 2. 12:28 It says: "Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel 12:32 came out to Elisha and said to him: 12:34 'Do you know that the Lord will take away your master 12:38 from over you today? ' And he said: 'Yes, I know. 12:41 Keep silent. ' " Poor Elisha. He was not happy 12:44 to know that Elijah was going. Notice verse 4: 12:47 "Then Elijah said to him: 'Elisha, stay here please 12:50 for the Lord has sent me on to... ' " Where? 12:53 " ' to Jericho. ' But he said: 'As the Lord lives 12:57 and as your soul lives I will not leave you. ' 13:01 So they came to Jericho. " 13:04 Friends, after Elijah had preached his last sermon 13:07 to the students at Bethel 13:09 again he comes to his young companion the second time 13:13 and he invites him to stay. 13:15 But friends, Elisha was determined to stay with Elijah, 13:19 and so on they went to Jericho. 13:22 And as they walked along the hillside 13:24 soon the great city of Jericho... it came into view. 13:29 Friends, Jericho marked the beginning of Israel's 13:32 conquest of Canaan. 13:34 It was here that God had brought the walls a'tumbling down. 13:38 It was here that God had shown Himself ready and able 13:42 to remove every obstacle that came before His people. 13:46 Amen? Can God do the same for us today? 13:49 He can remove the obstacles for us today. 13:52 It was here at Jericho that Rahab - that prostitute, 13:56 that red light madam from Jericho... 13:59 she had seen the light and she had come to God 14:02 and she had saved her family. 14:04 It was also here at Jericho 14:07 that Achan's sin with its dire results... they had been exposed 14:11 and he was punished. 14:13 And so perhaps as Israel looked back 14:15 on this particular place - on Jericho - 14:18 they remembered two things. 14:20 They remembered it as a sight of victory - Rahab's victory... 14:24 her faith and victory - 14:25 and it was also a reminder of the need for God's people 14:29 to obey Him implicitly as they saw in the story of Achan. 14:34 Notice verses 5 and 6. 14:37 It says: "Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho 14:40 came to Elisha and said to him: 14:43 'Do you know that the Lord will take away your master 14:46 from over you today? ' So he answered and said: 14:49 'Yes, I know... keep silent. ' " 14:51 Everywhere he goes he hears the same story. 14:53 Verse 6: "Then Elijah said to him: 'Stay here please, 14:57 for the Lord has sent me on to... ' " Where? 15:00 " 'on to the Jordan. " But he said: 'As the Lord lives 15:04 and as your soul lives I will not leave you. ' 15:08 So the two of them went on. " 15:10 For the third time Elijah asked Elisha to just stay behind... 15:15 but three times he refuses. 15:18 And friends, his actions here... they mimic what Ruth did 15:22 to Naomi. She said: "I will never leave you. 15:24 Your God is my God; your people are my people. 15:26 I will go with you wherever you go. " 15:29 His actions here mimic Jacob 15:32 who wrestled with the angel all night and then discovered 15:35 he had been wrestling with Jesus. 15:37 And he clings to Him and he says: "I will not let You go 15:40 until You bless me. " 15:42 And so it is today. You and I... we need to hold on 15:45 to God... hold on to our faith. 15:48 But there is another lesson which we can learn 15:51 from what I have just shared with you thus far. 15:53 And if you've been listening, 15:54 this will really, really excite you. Because listen: 15:57 it is not enough for you and I to tarry at Gilgal 16:01 with its memory and message of conversion. 16:05 It's not enough just to be converted. 16:07 It is not enough even for us to pause at Bethel... 16:11 even though it is called the house of God 16:13 and marks and important stage in our dedication. 16:17 It is not even enough for you and I to be satisfied 16:20 with past victories like the Israelites remembered 16:23 happened for them at Jericho. 16:25 Friends, the message that God is giving to you and I 16:29 through what we have just read thus far 16:31 is that in our Christian life we must always move forward. 16:36 We cannot just come to church and say: "There, 16:38 I am a good person and I am saved. " No! 16:41 You must keep moving forward in faith 16:44 because to stand still is to fall back. 16:47 We must always move forward. We cannot live 16:50 in the victories of yesterday. 16:54 Verse 7: 16:55 Says: "And 50 sons of the prophets... 17:00 they went and stood facing them at a distance 17:04 while the two of them stood by the Jordan. " 17:08 At last, friends, they came to the Jordan River. 17:11 There is a picture of the Jordan today. 17:13 They came to the Jordan River, and when they do 17:17 the Bible describes what it looks like to be uncommitted. 17:21 Because there are always those who want to observe 17:26 the movement of God and the activity of God 17:28 and the gospel of God 17:30 but they never actually want to get involved... 17:33 just like the 50 sons of the prophets. 17:36 Oh yes, the truth is interesting to these people. 17:40 They think Jesus is lovely. 17:43 They think He is nice. 17:44 They're impressed by the message of scripture. 17:47 They're impressed by the three angels' messages 17:50 of Revelation chapter 14. 17:52 But quite frankly, that is about it. 17:55 Because listen, friends, it might come as a surprise to you 17:58 today, but truth is very dangerous. 18:03 The gospel is very, very dangerous. 18:08 And you say: "Oh, but isn't that meant to be good news? " 18:11 Yes it is, but friend there is a very, very serious 18:15 danger associated with the message... and that is this: 18:18 the danger is that you and I as we hear the gospel, 18:22 we read the gospel, the danger is that you and I 18:25 will be impressed by the gospel but only be impressed. 18:31 As Eugene Peterson put it... he put it this way. 18:34 He said: "As the spectacular dimensions of this story" - 18:39 he's referring to the gospel story - 18:40 "slowly or suddenly dawn upon us 18:44 we could easily become enthusiastic spectators 18:48 and then let it go at that! 18:50 Become admirers of Jesus, generous with our ooh's 18:53 and aah's, and in our better moments inspired 18:56 to imitate Him. " 18:58 He makes a powerful point, doesn't he? 19:01 'Cause he's absolutely right. 19:02 Friends, like the sons of the prophets there are some people 19:05 who prefer to watch the action from a distance. 19:08 Oh yes, the sons of the prophets... they knew 19:11 that something was going to happen 19:13 but they chose not to be a part of it. 19:17 Now the Bible doesn't write like a novel 19:21 but sometimes I really wish it did... because in a novel, 19:25 you know, the author... they can describe the person's 19:28 hair color and their eyes and their facial expression 19:30 and what they did with their hands and how they were feeling 19:33 and what they were thinking. 19:34 But the Bible often can read like a history book. 19:38 And so today at this moment I'm going to take a little bit 19:41 of creative liberty and use my imagination. 19:44 Because listen: God has been leading these two men 19:48 all along, has He not? 19:49 He led them from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho 19:52 and now He has brought them to the Jordan River. 19:55 And I imagine in my mind's eye that Elijah and Elisha... 19:59 they come to the edge of the Jordan and as they get there 20:02 they look across. And Elisha sees a very big problem 20:07 because there's no bridge across. 20:11 And he looks down the river. Nothing there. 20:14 He looks up the river. There is still no bridge across. 20:18 And so he looks at Elijah - 20:20 his mentor, the man he has looked up to for so long - 20:23 he looks up to Elijah and he's thinking to himself 20:26 "Well what are we going to do now? " 20:28 Now friends, what does Elijah do? 20:30 Did he take out his mobile phone and call to see when the next... 20:35 when the next barge was due? 20:38 Hmmm? No. 20:40 Or did he ring? Take his mobile phone and ring 20:43 to hire a jet ski so they could cross over the Jordan River? 20:47 No, because they didn't have phones back then. 20:49 So of course he wouldn't have rung. 20:52 Did Elijah bend down and start rolling up his trousers 20:55 and rolling up his sleeves and turn to Elisha and say 20:57 "OK, come on Elisha... let's swim across. " 21:00 Is that what he did? 21:02 No... notice what he did. 21:04 Verse 8: "Now Elijah took his mantle. 21:08 He rolled it up and he struck the water 21:12 and it was divided this way and that 21:15 so that the two of them crossed over... " On muddy ground? 21:20 "on dry ground. " Oh friend, there is a lesson here 21:24 for you and I today if there ever was one. 21:27 Because how many times does God bring us to the edge of the 21:31 Jordan River. He brings us to Jordan Rivers all the time, 21:35 by the way! They come to us in the form of tests and trials. 21:39 God brings us to the edge of the Jordan. Or challenges... 21:42 And we look across and we see no bridge across 21:46 and we think to ourselves: "We have to swim across. " 21:49 How many times do we do that in our experience? 21:53 How many times when we look across the Jordan River 21:56 we see no bridge across and so we pull out our phones 21:59 of complacency and think well, we'll ring to catch 22:01 the next barge across. 22:04 But friends, God didn't need a bridge back then 22:07 and He doesn't need a bridge today. 22:10 When there is no way across the Jordan River 22:14 God can make a way. 22:16 And you say: "Well Charissa, that's wonderful! 22:18 You are giving us a passionate rendition of crossing a river 22:22 that lies in the Middle East. It has nothing to do with us 22:25 here... we are by the Manning River. " 22:27 Yes, I know that. 22:29 But friend, I am not talking about crossing a literal 22:33 geographic river. I am talking about obstacles that you and I 22:37 encounter. That river was an obstacle, and you and I... 22:41 we could say that river represents anything 22:44 that keeps us from Jesus Christ. 22:47 That comes between us and Jesus. 22:49 Perhaps it's some addiction 22:52 or some other secret sin. 22:55 We come up to the Jordan... We just can't see a way 22:59 out of it. We can't see deliverance. 23:01 But friends, remember the story of Elijah and Elisha. 23:06 Because when they saw no way across they saw an obstacle. 23:10 Elijah saw an opportunity for God to work a miracle 23:14 and so he moved forward and God made a way. 23:18 Friends, sometimes I think we don't ask God 23:22 to make a way for us because sometimes we're just not 23:24 in tune with His frequency. 23:26 Wouldn't you say that is sometimes the case? 23:28 I know 3ABN... the cameras are here today. 23:31 But not so long ago 3ABN... they changed satellites. 23:35 Do you remember that? Yes. 23:37 And we all had to change our frequency on our receivers. 23:40 And we have a lovely neighbor who used to live down the road 23:44 from us, and she couldn't get 3ABN because of the change 23:49 of the satellite. And we talked to her one day 23:51 and she told us - she was in her 80's... she is in her 80's - 23:54 she said to us she had been praying and praying 23:57 that God would bring 3ABN back on. And she thought 24:00 that the devil was stopping 3ABN when 3ABN was on the air. 24:04 She just needed to change frequencies. 24:06 And by the way, she was praying and praying. 24:08 She is a real lady of prayer because she was praying 24:11 and praying for my dad, too, until he was rebaptized. 24:15 Then after he was rebaptized she crossed him off 24:17 her prayer list. So... didn't need prayer any more. 24:20 But friends, she's a lovely lady of prayer. 24:22 And friends, in the same way that she just need to adjust 24:25 her frequency so she could receive the signal 24:28 that's what you and I need to do as well. 24:30 You and I need to get in touch with God. 24:33 Walk with Him; be in step with Him 24:35 so that we can catch His signal and His frequency in our lives. 24:40 And while you are in II Kings... leave your finger there 24:43 and come over just quickly to I Corinthians chapter 10 24:48 and verse 13. 24:50 The Bible has a wonderful promise for us here. 24:53 I Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13. 24:58 It says... when you're there. I Corinthians 10:13. 25:05 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common 25:10 to man. But God is faithful who will not allow you to be 25:15 tempted beyond what you are able, but will 25:18 with the temptation also make a way of escape 25:21 that you may be able to bear it. " 25:24 Isn't that a wonderful promise? 25:25 God will never allow you to be tested above what you are able. 25:29 If He brings you to the Jordan River, 25:31 if He brings you to a Jordan River, 25:34 He will make a way for you 25:36 because He brought you there in the first place. 25:38 And friends, the waters opened to the blow of Elijah's mantle. 25:43 And all the while the sons of the prophets - 25:46 all 50 of them - they stood back and they watched it happen. 25:50 What an experience to see the Jordan River part like this. 25:55 I mean, that would be like me walking up to the Sydney Harbor, 25:59 taking my jumper off and then rolling it up and then swiping 26:02 Sydney Harbor and phew... the waves just part. 26:06 The water just parts. It's the stuff of Hollywood. 26:09 It's amazing. And as they walk through on dry ground 26:12 the Bible tells us that they get to the other side 26:15 and the moment their feet touch the other shore 26:19 the water comes crashing in in all of its fury. 26:23 And Elisha is dumbfounded. 26:27 Wow! That was amazing! 26:30 And at that moment he looks up at Elijah 26:33 and a desire is born in his heart. He wants to have 26:37 the same experience with God that Elijah has. 26:42 He wants to have the same connection with God 26:46 that Elijah has. 26:48 Do you want that connection as well? 26:50 Would you like that connection that Elijah had with God? 26:53 Notice verse 9: 26:55 "And so it was when they had crossed over 26:58 that Elijah said to Elisha: 'Ask. What may I do for you 27:02 before I am taken away from you? ' 27:04 And Elisha said: 'Please, let a double portion of your spirit 27:09 be upon me. ' " 27:11 Now when we first read this it almost seems like Elisha 27:15 is asking Elijah to ask the Lord to make him twice the prophet 27:19 that Elijah was. But friends, the language here 27:23 that is used is a language borrowed from the practices 27:26 of inheritance. Because the firstborn of every family... 27:30 they received an extra share of their father's property. 27:34 And so what he's essentially saying is what I said to you 27:36 a moment ago. He's saying to Elijah: 27:39 "I want to have the same relationship with God 27:42 that you have. I want to have the same connection. 27:45 I want to serve God the way you serve Him. 27:49 I want to be able to exercise God's power 27:52 in my life as well. " 27:54 And so Elijah... how he must have thrilled 27:58 to hear that request from his student. 28:01 But friends, let me ask this question: 28:04 do people look at you and when they see you 28:07 do they say: "I want to know the God that you know? " 28:11 "I want to know the Jesus that you know 28:14 because I want what you have. " 28:16 Do people look at us and say that? 28:18 A little boy... he was very sick and the surgeon 28:23 sat beside his bed. 28:24 And the parents were in the room and they sat just opposite. 28:27 And the surgeon began to speak and he said: "Look, 28:30 tomorrow I am going to cut open your chest 28:34 and I'm going to examine your heart. " 28:35 And the little boy interrupted him and he said: 28:38 "And you'll find Jesus there" he said. 28:41 And the surgeon was a little bit frustrated and annoyed. 28:46 He hadn't expected that. And so he continued. 28:48 And so he said: "Look, I'll cut open your heart 28:51 and then I'll see how much damage has been done. " 28:53 And the little boy piped up again: 28:55 "And sir, you'll see Jesus there... I know you will. 28:59 We sing about it at church. 29:01 We sing that Jesus comes into our hearts. 29:03 You're going to find Jesus in my heart. " 29:06 The surgeon was not very impressed with these continued 29:11 interruptions and so he said: 29:12 "Look, when I get there I'll see how much damage 29:15 has been done. Then I'll sew up your heart 29:18 and I'll sew back up your chest 29:19 and then I'll plan what to do next. " 29:22 "But you'll find Jesus there, sir. 29:24 I know you will. The Bible says He lives in my heart. " 29:29 Well the surgeon had had enough 29:32 and so he looked at the young man and he said to him: 29:35 "Look, I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. 29:38 I'll find a damaged muscle. 29:41 I'll find low blood supply. 29:43 I'll find weakened vessels. 29:45 And then I'll see if I can make you well. " 29:48 And the little boy replied again: 29:50 "And you'll find Jesus there as well. " 29:53 Well later the next day the surgeon sat in his office 29:59 recording his notes on his Dictaphone. 30:01 And this is what he said. He said: "Damaged aorta. 30:04 Damaged pulmonary vein. 30:07 Widespread muscle degeneration. 30:09 No hope for transplant; no hope for cure. 30:14 Therapy: pain killers and bed rest. 30:17 Prognosis... " and here he paused... 30:20 "death within one year. " 30:24 He stopped the recorder but there was more to be said 30:27 to a higher power. 30:30 And for the first time in a long time 30:32 the surgeon began to pray. 30:35 But he prayed a prayer that many people often pray. 30:38 He turned to God and he said "Why? 30:41 Why did You allow this to happen? 30:45 Why are you allowing this young man to die? 30:49 Why did You put him here? 30:50 Why are you putting him through the pain 30:52 that he is going through? 30:53 You have cursed him to an early death... Why? " 30:58 The surgeon's tears were hot but his anger was hotter. 31:02 He said: "You made him; You created him. 31:05 You can fix him and look at what You're doing. 31:07 He is going to die. " 31:09 And with that he sat in his office and sobbed. 31:12 And it was there in the stillness of that moment 31:15 that he heard a still small voice. 31:18 God answered him and this is what He said. 31:22 He said: "I did not put my lamb with your flock 31:25 to lose him but to retrieve another lost lamb. " 31:29 The surgeon wept. 31:32 That afternoon the surgeon sat beside that little boy's bed 31:37 yet again. The boy's parents were in the room. 31:40 And as the little boy awoke 31:43 he asked the surgeon as he blinked his groggy eyes 31:47 from surgery... He opened his eyes and he said: 31:49 "Did you cut open my heart? " 31:51 "Yes, " he said, "I did. " 31:53 "And what did you find? " said the little boy. 31:56 And the surgeon said: "I found Jesus there. " 31:59 Friends, the most powerful argument for Christianity 32:04 is a loving and loveable Christian. 32:07 When people look at us I pray that they can see Jesus 32:10 there as well. Don't you say that? 32:12 Amen? Notice verses 10 and 11: 32:17 "And so he said... " This is Elijah. 32:19 "he said 'you have asked a hard thing. 32:22 Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you 32:27 it shall be so for you. But if not, 32:30 it shall not be so. ' Then it happened 32:33 as they continued on and talked that suddenly 32:36 a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire 32:40 and separated the two of them. And Elijah went up 32:44 by a whirlwind into heaven. " 32:46 Do you enjoy saying goodbye? 32:50 No. There are two things that I dislike in life: 32:54 I dislike change and I hate saying goodbye. 32:57 Friends, nobody likes to say goodbye. 33:00 And that's why I love heaven because when we get there 33:02 no more goodbyes. Amen? Amen. 33:04 We'll have to live with each other for all eternity. 33:07 Hallelujah! And so friends, Elijah's heart... 33:10 he was touched by the request of Elisha. 33:12 But he could not give Elisha what he had asked for. 33:16 That was for God to give him. And as they were talking 33:20 suddenly the angel couriers had arrived. 33:24 Across the Palestinian sky darts a bright light. 33:28 And as it comes down to where they are 33:31 it was a chariot of fire. 33:33 And friends, what a moment that must have been for them both. 33:37 It had come time for Elijah... God was taking him home. 33:41 And the Bible doesn't say but I'd like to imagine 33:45 that at that moment the two men embraced. 33:48 They shed a tear, a parting prayer: "God be with you. " 33:52 And then Elijah... he stepped into that fiery chariot 33:57 and he went up, the Bible says, in a whirlwind 34:00 and God took him home. 34:02 And notice verse 12: "And Elisha... " did he miss it? 34:06 No, he saw it. 34:08 "And he cried out 'my father, my father, 34:11 the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. ' 34:13 So he saw him no more and he took hold of his own clothes 34:18 and tore them into two pieces. " 34:21 As Elisha watches Elijah go up 34:24 into heaven, suddenly a pang of pain pierces 34:29 his heart and he feels all alone in the world. 34:34 The prophet would be sorely missed... not only by Elisha 34:38 but by all of Israel. You see, Elijah was more valuable to them 34:43 than all of their horsemen and chariots. 34:46 He had been like a father to the young prophet. 34:49 And so suddenly Elisha felt like he had been orphaned there 34:54 on the plain. Elisha's mind was still on his master. 34:57 And suddenly his ears catch the sound of something above him 35:02 and he looks up and he sees the mantle of Elijah 35:06 winging its way down. That shaggy mantle... 35:08 floating down on the wings of the air 35:11 and it falls down at his feet. 35:13 The old prophet... he wasn't going to need it 35:16 where he was going. And friends, here was heaven's sign 35:19 that the responsibility, that the blessing which Elisha had 35:23 requested... he had received it from God. 35:26 Elijah's mantle had been baptized in water: the Jordan 35:29 river and now it came down to him baptized in fire as well. 35:34 And friends, as a token of his commitment to God 35:38 the Bible describes what Elisha did. What did he do? 35:41 The Bible says he tears his own clothes. 35:44 Friends, he is done with his past and he is ready to address 35:49 his future with God. And notice what happens 35:52 in verse 13. "He also took up the mantle of Elijah 35:57 that had fallen from him. And he went back... " 35:59 And where did he stand? 36:01 "He stood by the bank of the Jordan. " 36:04 Friends, he reaches the Jordan River - and there it is again... 36:08 He reaches the Jordan River and this time his face 36:11 is stained with tears. As he looks across 36:14 because of his weeping he can't quite make out the other side. 36:19 He looks up the river; he looks down the river... 36:22 and still there is no bridge across. 36:25 But now his mentor is gone. 36:28 How will he cross? Well, it's just Elisha now. 36:32 He can do whatever he wants. 36:33 Would he adopt some new method of doing God's work 36:37 and try something different? Something that the old prophet 36:40 hadn't done? Perhaps he could do a little dance 36:43 and say a new chant and the river would open for him 36:46 as well. But friends, would he adopt a new method and disregard 36:51 the method of the older worker? 36:53 No, because watch what happened in verse 14. 36:55 "Then he took the mantle of Elijah 36:58 that had fallen from him and he struck the water 37:02 just as Elijah had done. And he said: 'Where is the Lord 37:06 God of Elijah? ' And when he also had struck the water 37:10 it was divided this way and that and Elisha crossed over. " 37:15 Friends, taking the mantle of Elijah 37:19 he does exactly what Elijah had done. 37:22 And he calls upon the God of Elijah. He says: "Where is 37:26 the God of Elijah? " 37:28 He calls upon the God who answers by fire. 37:32 Who stops and starts the rain. 37:35 Who feeds His servants by ravens. 37:38 Who multiplies the meal and the oil. 37:40 Who raises the dead. 37:41 Who is powerful enough to shake mountains and the earth. 37:46 Why does he call upon the God of Elijah? 37:49 Because he knows and he believes 37:52 that anything less than the God of Elijah would let him down. 37:57 He needed Elijah's God. And friends, 38:01 God honored Elijah's method and He honored Elisha 38:04 when he used it as well. 38:06 Now that is something I think we should not just gloss over 38:09 today because we live in a society today 38:12 where we have been convinced that old is bad 38:15 and the new is always better. 38:17 And it's true. I mean, you look at some houses 38:19 and they look so old that the only reason why they're still 38:24 standing is because the termites are holding hands. 38:26 But friends, society has convinced us that old is bad. 38:31 But sometimes you know what? When it comes to God 38:34 that doesn't apply. Can you say "Amen? " Amen. 38:36 The old ways are the good ways because God never changes. 38:41 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 38:44 What's good enough back then is good enough today 38:46 because we all worship the same God. Amen? Amen. 38:50 Elijah's God is our God as well. 38:53 Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I pray: "Dear Lord, 38:57 so far I've done pretty well today. I haven't gossiped. 39:00 I haven't cheated. I haven't been greedy. 39:02 I haven't been nasty. I haven't been selfish. 39:05 But in a few moments I'm going to get out of bed 39:07 and when I do things may change. So I need Your help. " 39:11 And so friends, it was one thing for Elisha to cross the river 39:16 when he was with Elijah, wasn't it? 39:18 It was another thing for him to cross on his own 39:21 and to make that decision to step out in faith on his own. 39:25 But friends, when you follow the God of Elijah 39:28 you don't need Elijah because God is enough. 39:32 God is always enough. 39:34 I used to have a little puppy dog. 39:37 I was telling you about him during the week. 39:39 Texas was his name, and he passed away in March 39:42 of last year. And he was just 39:44 the "bestest" friend that I had had for eleven years. 39:48 I mean, when we came home he would be at the gate 39:51 and he would wag his tail and squeal with joy. 39:53 Now when I come home now my family don't do that for me. 39:57 And so he really made me feel special: my little puppy dog. 40:01 But I tell you what. He was a miniature toy poodle. 40:04 He was about this big. When I took him for a walk 40:07 there was something that I'll never forget 40:09 and I'll always love about him. 40:11 Because I'd take Texas for a walk and I'd have him on 40:14 the lead and as we were walking down the street 40:16 we would see this big dog in the distance, you know. 40:20 A German shepherd... a Labrador... 40:22 some big dog in the distance. 40:24 And you should see my dog's ears. They'd perk up. 40:27 The head would go up. He'd start strutting like a king 40:31 down that street like the greatest warrior the world 40:33 had ever seen. And I was so proud, you know? 40:36 And he'd be tugging on the lead and I'd be trying to hold him 40:38 back and say: "Easy, don't bite him; don't bite him. " 40:41 Then we got close to that big dog. 40:44 You know what happened? The ears went down. 40:48 The tail went down and he would turn around 40:52 and he'd run straight back to me. 40:54 Now did I look at him and scold him at that moment 40:57 and say: "Hey! Turn around and fight them. 40:59 Turn around and you know get him. " 41:01 No friends, I never did that. 41:03 When he turned around and came back to me like that 41:06 I loved it because I picked him up 41:09 and I would hold him in my arms. 41:12 And it was then that he seemed to regain his bravery again. 41:17 And he would perk up his ears and he would start growling 41:20 and barking and making biting movements at these big dogs. 41:24 Why? Because he felt safe from my arms. 41:29 And friends, Elisha... he did not have to worry 41:32 about anything because his life was in God's hands. 41:36 Amen? Amen. And that's how we can take that as well. 41:40 When we put our life in God's hands, nothing... 41:43 we don't have to worry about anything. 41:45 Notice verse 15: 41:47 "Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho 41:50 saw him they said: 'The spirit of Elijah 41:54 rests on Elisha. ' And they came to meet him 41:57 and bowed to the ground before him. " 42:00 Friends, had Elisha taken the easy route and stayed behind, 42:05 friends he would have missed out on the blessing. 42:08 And like Elisha, today you and I need to learn 42:11 to persist in our faith. Amen? 42:14 Because when you don't see a bridge. When you don't see 42:17 a way, turn to Jesus... because He is the only way. 42:23 Oh you missed an Amen point. Jesus is the only way. 42:27 Amen? Amen! Because let's not ever forget 42:29 that the first cars... they used to travel between 3-6 kilometers 42:34 per hour... and they would break down all the time. 42:38 And people would ride by these people in these cars 42:41 and then yell out to them from their horses and buggies... 42:45 they'd yell out to them: "Ah, get a horse! " 42:47 But friends, can you imagine 42:49 what would have happened if the inventors had listened 42:52 to the people like that? 42:53 If they had listened to the crowd? 42:55 Well friends, we wouldn't be catching the 6 o'clock train 42:58 today... we'd be catching the 6 o'clock horse. 43:01 Friends, we need to persist in our faith. 43:05 There were no bridges back then over Jordan. 43:09 There is no cheap way... there is no lazy way... 43:12 there is no easy way. 43:14 The only way across is by what? By faith. 43:20 Faith is the substance of a bridge when you cannot see one. 43:24 Faith makes a bridge, friends. Faith is the bridge across. 43:29 We do not need a bridge when God commands us to cross. 43:32 What you and I need is a response 43:35 because we just need to be obedient to God. 43:37 Step out in faith and He will part the waters for us! 43:42 God never asks you to do anything without empowering you 43:47 to do it. Without giving you the power available to do it. 43:53 God did not create a butterfly 43:55 until He had first fashioned a blossom 43:59 on which to make it happen. 44:00 God did not make the trees 44:02 but He first made the soil for it to root itself. 44:06 Friends, God... He did not put Adam and Eve in a... 44:10 He did not make Adam and Eve until He had first made 44:13 a paradise for them to enjoy. 44:15 When God called Moses to go before Pharaoh 44:18 Moses said: "I can't talk. I'm slow of speech. 44:21 I can't frame my sentences properly. " 44:24 Well friends, God said to him: "Who made your tongue? " 44:27 God will always make a way. 44:30 When God summoned Peter to preach on the Day of Pentecost 44:33 did He make a way for Peter to reach all of those people 44:36 that day? Yes He did. 44:38 He empowered Peter with the Holy Spirit. 44:41 And he spoke and everyone present heard the message 44:44 in their own language. 44:47 When God called Elisha to cross the Jordan 44:50 he needed no bridge because I Thessalonians 5:24 says... 44:55 it says: "He who called you is faithful who will also do it. " 45:01 I want you to notice this quote quote on the screen. It says: 45:23 Friends, today we are called to go on and serve the Lord 45:27 in the spirit and power of Elijah. 45:29 Today God is looking for a movement of people, 45:33 a generation who will faithfully carry on the task 45:36 that others before us have faithfully carried on. 45:40 As I look back on the history of our movement 45:43 I think of these people here on the screen. 45:46 In 1832 a middle-aged farmer... he began preaching 45:51 about the second coming of Jesus Christ. 45:53 His name was William Miller. 45:55 In 1844 one frail teenage girl... 45:59 she related her first vision given to her by God. 46:02 In 1846 one retired sea captain... 46:06 he published a little book called The Seventh Day Sabbath. 46:11 On the seventh-day Sabbath, sorry. 46:12 In 1849 one penniless itinerate preacher... 46:17 he created an 8-page pamphlet that was to spread the light of 46:21 truth around the world. 46:24 Friends, God used ordinary people like these people here 46:28 to pioneer a movement that would grow and spread 46:32 around the world. It is a movement committed 46:35 to proclaiming God's message to the world in this generation. 46:39 But why is it that it doesn't seem so exciting here anymore? 46:44 Why is it that the movement sometimes seems like it's 46:46 not really moving? A pastor... he went overseas 46:51 to an overseas country. And while he was there 46:54 he saw an evangelist preaching in a hut 46:57 there in the middle of nowhere. 46:59 And as he was preaching the people came out. 47:01 The pastor watched that evangelist. 47:04 And that evangelist... he worked hard and labored for souls. 47:08 He raised money. He trucked in goods 47:11 and he managed to build a church there in this remote location. 47:15 And before long there was a large congregation 47:18 meeting in that church to worship and honor God. 47:22 And he - the pastor who saw this - he was thrilled 47:25 by what he saw. 47:26 But some years later the same pastor... 47:29 he visited that church back out there overseas. 47:33 And when he did, he discovered that a new generation 47:36 had arisen and they were worshiping in it. 47:39 And to this new generation the stories of their past 47:42 were just stories to them. 47:44 And this new generation... they were finding it difficult 47:48 to pay the heating bill. 47:50 It's incredible, isn't it? Why... why the big difference? 47:54 You know why? Because the sacrificial spirit 47:59 that prompted the pioneers is lacking today. 48:04 We are lacking that sacrificial spirit. 48:08 Friends, today's generation needs bridges... 48:10 but they had faith. 48:12 Today's generation needs resources... but they had trust. 48:17 And friends, let us never forget that the Elijah movement 48:20 is a movement that is ever based on faith 48:23 because there are never any visible bridges 48:26 across the Jordan. 48:27 When God created this world, friends, 48:30 He started with nothing! 48:31 When Jesus came to this world He came as a little, 48:35 helpless babe... as an infant. 48:38 But He grew to be a Man who would deliver this world... 48:42 deliver the human race from the grasp of demonic forces 48:46 and establish God's kingdom forever. 48:49 Friends, when God challenges us 48:51 He empowers us. And let us take courage in that. 48:54 Friends, God has brought you and I here today. 48:57 God has brought us - His people - successfully... 49:01 He has brought us this far. 49:03 But God did not bring you this far to leave you here. 49:07 He brought you this far because He intends to take you home. 49:11 He intends to fulfill and keep His promise to you. 49:16 God is still looking for a people who will take up 49:19 the mantle of Elijah. Who will take on the message 49:22 and proclaim it to the world. 49:24 Can God see that person in you? 49:27 Can He find that people in us today? 49:31 Do you want to receive a double portion of God's Spirit 49:34 in your life? Do you want to witness the power of God 49:37 working for you? Well friends, then we need to turn to God. 49:41 We need to trust Him and we need to step forward in faith. 49:45 In closing, a father... he left his daughter home 49:49 one day to go and visit the bank. 49:51 And as he did he went down to the bank. 49:53 And while he was there at the bank, all of these sirens 49:57 started going down the road. 49:59 And so he stepped outside the bank to look to see where 50:03 they were going because they were heading in the direction 50:06 of his house. And to his shock and horror 50:09 he looked and down the end of the road he saw his 50:11 two-story home in flames. 50:14 He dropped everything. Ran down the street. 50:17 And when he got there a fireman detained him 50:19 and said: "No, don't come any further; don't come any closer. 50:22 It's too dangerous and it's no use. " 50:24 He said: "My daughter's in there! " 50:26 He said: "No, listen... we've got it under control. " 50:28 Well the father wasn't going to be satisfied with that. 50:31 And so he walked around the side of the house yelling out 50:34 to his daughter, and there seemed to be no response. 50:36 And suddenly he heard a familiar voice... 50:39 a little faint voice just above him there. 50:42 And he looked up from the window on the second story 50:45 and there she was. He could just make her out 50:47 through the smoke. And he said to her: "Honey, 50:50 jump! I'll catch you. " 50:52 She said: "Dad, Dad, I can't see you. " 50:55 And he looked at her and he said: 50:58 "That doesn't matter. I can see you. Jump! " 51:02 And so she did, and he braced to catch her. 51:05 And he caught her and saved her from that burning house. 51:08 Friend, you cannot always see a way across 51:11 but God sees the way that you cannot see. 51:14 He is there to deliver you. 51:16 He is there to make a way for you. 51:18 And today He asks you to trust Him, to believe in Him. 51:21 Because Jesus asked Thomas, He said to Thomas - 51:24 doubting Thomas. He said: "Thomas, do you believe? " 51:26 Friend, do you believe today 51:28 that God is able to deliver you from anything and everything? 51:32 Let's close with prayer. 51:34 Our Father in heaven, 51:37 we thank you, Lord, that even though there is no visible 51:40 bridges across the Jordan... 51:42 there are no visible bridges... that You are there for us, 51:45 And that we do not need a bridge when we have You 51:48 because You make a bridge when we step out in faith 51:51 and trust you. 51:52 Lord, for all of us today You have brought us to the edge 51:55 of the River Jordan. And for all of us, 51:57 that Jordan River means something different. 52:00 For some it is some secret sin which others do not see. 52:04 For others it is a destroying addiction that is threatening 52:09 to destroy our faith. For others it is our pride. 52:12 For others God is calling us to do other things 52:14 and we have been too afraid to do them. 52:17 But today, Lord, we come to the Jordan River again 52:19 and we ask that You would help us to trust You 52:22 to make a way for us 52:24 and that You will lead us just as You have brought us 52:26 here today. Bless us now I pray 52:29 in Jesus' name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17