Sermon Central
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Be A Heavenly Hero
Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 1, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: 1. We need to see with spiritual vision (vs. 8-10). 2. We need to give with generosity (vs. 10-17). 3. We need to take our troubles to God (vs. 18-37).
Be a Heavenly Hero
2 Kings 4:8-37 (Initial reading vs. 8-24)
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - June 23, 2013
*Who is your hero? -- When I was a little boy, one of my heroes was Roy Rogers, "The King of the Cowboys!" He was such a good guy, and what a great horse: Trigger! Roy had those guns that would shoot about a thousand times without reloading! And Roy always beat the bad guys.
*You can still see Roy Rogers on RFD-TV. But today's movie-goers are turning out to see the latest version of Superman. And next month they can see a new version of the Lone Ranger and Tonto.
*Movie and TV heroes get a lot of attention. But right now the world needs real heroes. This world needs real heroes as much as it ever has. And the amazing truth is that we can be heroes for God.
*Of course Elisha is a hero in today's Scripture. But so is the Godly woman here in the Word of God. And she helps us understand some important qualities we need to be a hero for God.
1. First: We need to see with spiritual vision.
*We need to see life from a spiritual point of view. How are you looking at life today? One of the great things about this woman was that she looked at life from a spiritual point of view.
*We get a glimpse of her spiritual insight in vs. 8-9, where the Bible says:
8. Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she constrained him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat some food.
9. And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly."
*She said, "I know (Or perceive or understand) that Elisha is a holy man of God." In other words: This lady looked at life from a spiritual point of view.
-She understood the things of God.
-And she cared about the things of God.
*There was a spiritual dimension to her life. But without God, people's lives are flat. And many people around us are living two-dimensional lives. Things may be going great at work or school. Things may be going great at home and in their health. They may be on top of their golf game, rolling in the dough, feeling good and looking good. But there is an emptiness in their lives that only Jesus Christ can fill.
*Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, not just so our sins could be forgiven, not just so we could go to Heaven, but so we could have a close, personal relationship with Him right here and right now. Both in the Old Testament and in the New, God urges us to draw close to Him.
-In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord said: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
-In 2 Chronicles 12:14, Solomon's son, King Rehoboam "did evil" (and why?), "because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord."
-In Psalm 34:8-10, King David pleads with us:
8. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9. Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
-And Psalm 105:3-4 says:
3. . . Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
4. Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore.
*And the more we seek the Lord, the more we will see from a spiritual point of view. We will be more like the Godly woman in vs. 9, who could say: "I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly."
*Things like that can still happen today. About 25 years ago, Robert Trey found this out in an unusual way. This preacher was visiting a family at the funeral home. And the front pew was filled with family members and friends that he did not know.
*Robert walked down the row introducing himself. And he came to an elderly black lady who had worked for the family for many years. She reached up, took his hands, and out of the blue, with deep conviction said: "I perceive that this is a man with the Spirit of God!"
