ALL YOU NEED IS A WORD
2 Kings 3:9-20
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: SERMON FROM A NUT
1. A preacher gave an unusual sermon one day, and used a peanut to illustrate several things from the Bible.
2. One of the members greeted him at the close of the service and said, “That was very interesting, Pastor. I never expected to learn so much from a nut.”
B. TEXT
9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After...seven days, the army had no more water...10 "What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?" 15....the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water....18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you.” 20 The next morning... there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom!
C. THESIS AND TITLE
1. All You Need Is a Word. I don’t care what you’re facing today: One word from God is all you need.
2. A word from God can turn a defeat into a victory; it can turn confusion into clarity and despair into peace. In the very place where the enemy says he’s going to destroy you, God says He’s going to bless you, move you into a higher dimension, and show you His glory!
3. Title, “All You Need Is A Word.”
I. FORGETTING GOD & ITS CONSEQUENCES
The reason this whole situation arose was because Israel’s kings forgot God.
A. RESULT: ADVERSARY (A PROBLEM) ARISES
1. Mesha, a Moabite vassal king, rebelled against Joram, son of Ahab, king over Israel. Joram got King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the king of Edom to go with him to fight Moab.
2. The 3 armies marched 7 days journey around the foot of the Dead Sea, a complete desert. It was super hot, dusty; their throats were parched – NO WATER!
3. It’s amazing how fast we can go from an unbeatable force to virtually helpless. Without a miracle, most of them would die.
B. STEPPING BACK TO INQUIRE OF GOD
1. Jehoshaphat did what they should have done before starting; we need to “inquire of the Lord” (vs. 11).
2. At times it seems like the enemy is attacking from every direction at once -- you’re surrounded! You turn to the East and there’s the enemy; you turned to the West and there’s a different enemy. You turn to the North and there’s no relief and to the South and it looks hopeless.
3. I know tonight, by the Spirit of the Lord, that someone here feels like they’re in that very same situation. You Love God, you’re doing your best to serve God; You’re doing your best to live right, you’re reading your bible, you’re praying, you’re coming to church, you’re paying your tithes, you’re Sowing.
4. But you’re in the fight of your life, and You don’t see any sign of it letting up.
II. A WORD COMES FROM THE LORD
A. POWER OF A WORD FROM GOD
1. In verses 15-19, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Elisha and He began to prophesy, “thus saith The Lord:”
2. I’m going to tell you right now, a “Thus saith the Lord” changes everything! I don’t care what the banker says, or the doctor, or the lawyer says -- I want to know, what is THE LORD saying! Amen?
3. One word From God changes everything.
One word from God will make you unsinkable;
One word from God will make you unbeatable;
One word from God will make you unshakeable;
One word From God will turn Famine into plenty,
Sickness into health, Weakness into strength,
Drought into Flood, Nothing into ‘Too much.’
4. One word from God will open closed doors, and set the captives Free. The centurion told Jesus (Mt. 8:8), “Just SPEAK THE WORD ONLY and my servant shall be Healed.”
5. Tell your Neighbor, “All you need is a Word!”
B. GOD’S REVELATION TO ELISHA
1. We probably think the Prophet Elisha was always in tune with God, but he wasn’t. I’m glad this happened, because we too are often not ready for spiritual work. But we can learn from Elisha how to yield to the Spirit and get to where we can hear the voice of God.
2. Elisha called for a HARPIST, who probably began to sing and play, “They that wait upon the Lord….” If you want to hear from God, you’ve got to get quiet. Get still. “Be still and know that I am God” Ps. 46:10. Focus on the presence of God.
3. The word of the Lord came to Elisha; “Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water.” (16-17)
C. SYMBOLOGY BEHIND DIGGING DITCHES: THE CONDITION OF THEIR HEARTS
1. The desert symbolized the condition of their hearts: dry, barren, lifeless, dead, unsown, unrepentant. How could water penetrate such hard ground?
2. Today’s church is in the same condition. We need the Holy Spirit, but He won’t come because of pride and self-will. These must break before the anointing will flow!
3. THERE’S ONLY ONE REMEDY: “Break Up Your Fallow Ground!” There must be GODLY SORROW for sin, indifference, disobedience, selfishness, and negligence.
4. “You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water…” The normal signs/heralds of rain (revival) may not be visible, but trust that God will do it!
III. THE ACTUAL MIRACLE
A. PURPOSE OF THE DIGGING
1. When the 3 armies marched into southern Moab, they discovered that they were out of water. God told them to dig ditches. It’s important that the prophet said “ditches” and not holes. The Bible says (vs. 20) that the water was seen the next morning “flowing from the direction of Edom (from southeast to northwest).
2. A topographical map of the area shows that the border between Edom & Moab follows the top of an East-West mountain range. On the southern side of it was Edom and on the northern side was Moab. The whole region is a dry desert and goes downhill toward the Dead Sea, which is about 1,300 feet below sea level. There are no surface running rivers here; what water there is moves through the sands downhill toward the Dead Sea.
3. While the 3 armies were digging the ditches, God made it rain, far uphill beyond sight, on the mountains of the border. The water was absorbed into the ground, but after accumulating, it began to move through the sands – all night – until it reached the ditches, into which it flowed.
4. If they had not dug the ditches, the water would have stayed subterranean and kept flowing until it leached out into the Dead Sea. So I believe the digging wasn’t just an act of faith (like marching around the walls of Jericho 7X), but actually paved the way for the miracle.
B. PREPARATION ALWAYS PRECEDES BLESSINGS
1. This story has a symbolic meaning for us. If WE wish to receive blessings from God, we must make room for the Holy Spirit! We need to make this whole church full of ditches. Not physical ones, but spiritual. How?
a. By prayer/ intersection.
b. By entering into worship.
c. By Fasting. Fasting is like digging ditches in our soul. It prepares us to receive the waters of the Holy Spirit.
d. By bringing in the lost.
2. We can do nothing, and we’ll die of spiritual thirst. OR, we can Prepare Largely – “make this valley FULL of ditches!” If you make a “few” ditches, you’ll get a small anointing. If you want a large anointing, make your valley “full” of ditches, and you’ll have an abundance! Which would you prefer?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: “A Tent Raised By God”
1. Missionary Don Triplett stood in El Salvador looking at the huge crusade tent laying on the ground. Standing all around were children (of King’s Castle Ministries) and a few older people. There was no way they could raise the crusade tent – it was too big & heavy – it was like a circus tent. Even the support poles were 10 to 30-foot long [even large bounce-houses weigh 500 pounds]. How would he hold his crusade?
2. While they waited for help to arrive, Don gathered the children and began telling them stories. He told them stories of miracles God had done. Hours went by & still no help arrived. It would be dark soon, and the tent needed to be up by nightfall.
3. One of the kids said, “Let’s pray and ask God to help us set up the tent.” Don was a little skeptical. Another child said, “You’ve been telling us stories of miracles that God does. Why can’t God do a miracle here and help us set up the tent?”
4. Don felt compelled to pray to God for help, then he continued telling the kids miracle stories. Soon a gentle breeze came, then it got stronger.
5. All of a sudden, one of the kids yelled, “Look at the tent!” Don couldn’t believe his eyes! The crusade tent was hovering above the ground with all the ropes tied tautly to the stakes. The poles they had inserted in the holes under the tent were dangling in the air! In a few minutes, the tent was set up. Everyone stood back in amazement.
6. For the next few weeks, evangelistic services were held in the crusade tent. Word spread everywhere of how God helped set up the tent. People came from all over to see the tent and to hear the Gospel. Many people got saved, and many lives were changed. [Don & Terri Triplett, Assemblies of God World Missions]
B. ALTAR CALL
1. Are you willing to dig some ditches in the VALLEY of your spiritual emptiness? Your financial lack? Your family’s salvation? Valley of your Health problems?
2. So how do we dig them? By Prayer, intercession, fasting, crying out to God, worship, minister to someone else’s need, etc.
3. Are you ready for your miracle? Are you here tonight and are not sure of your relationship with God? Let’s Pray.
[Some quotes are from Terry Sisney.]
