TITLE: Where is the Lord God of Elijah?
TEXT: 2 Kings 2:1 - 5
INTRO: Want to share something with you today that has been on my heart for a long time. Before I jump in let me say that it is very difficult to keep a balance within a church. One the one hand I want the people of my church to be doctrinally sound. Every wind of evil doctrine is floating around today. Satan is on a rampage! His time is short and He is out to deceive as many as possible.
On the other hand, I want us to have a zeal for God and His work! I don’t think it’s wrong to get motivated or to get emotional about the things of God. It’s OK to hear “Amen” or “Hallelujah” or even “Glory” in church!
But while we need zeal, we also need to walk straight with our doctrine. YOU CANNOT DISCERN LIES UNLESS YOU KNOW THE TRUTH!
All of that to say that today I want to motivate us to get hungry for the power of God in our lives. I’m afraid we’ve come unhinged in the wrong places lately. Many good Christians are so tire of the “rut” that they and their churches are in that they accept almost anything as a good “alternative” to the power of God. Let’s face it….it’s far easier to buy some microphones and spotlights and give folks some acting lessons and voice lessons and provide a “professional and entertaining” program for people than it is to FAST and PRAY down the power of God from Heaven. It is far simpler to get a big crowd and exercise “crowd psychology” over a group than it is to weep and labor in prayer and preach a message that challenges people to really and completely yield themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ!
But the power of God is not something that can be produces by man. Emotions can be produced (ex. Football game), but not the power of God.
People today are hungry for something real yet supernatural. Like Elisha, they are calling out, “Where is the Lord God of Elisha?” And it’s that question that I want us to examine today.
*What did Elisha mean when he asked that question?
1. He meant that he wanted to know the power of God that Elisah had.
2. He meant that he wanted to know the God that Elijah had known.
3. He meant that he wanted to know the faith in God that Elijah had.
BACKGROUND: God is ready to call Elijah home – not through death but through a rapture! Elijah and Elisha are journeying together so Elijah tells Elisha to stay at Gilgal. Elisah would not stay. At Bethel Elisha was told to remain there. But he would not. The same thing takes place at Jericho.
Then at the Jordan River, Elijah smites waters and 2 go across on dry ground. Grateful for Elisha’s help and support, Elijah asks if there isn’t something he can do for Elisha before the Lord calls him (Elijah) home. Elisha asks if he can have “a double portion of they spirit upon me.” Note Elijah’s reply in v. 10.
Elijah is then caught up. Elisha, grief-stricken, rents his clothes in two. Takes up Elijah’s mantle. Comes to the bank of Jordan. “How can I get across?” Took the mantle that had fallen from Elijah and smites the waters, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”
What did he mean?
I. HE MEANT HE WANTED TO KNOW THE POWER OF GOD ELIJAH HAD EXPERIENCED
A. Elijah had experienced the power of God.
- prayed for it not to rain……and it didn’t!
- prayed for it to rain….and it did!
- Prayed for fire to consume a water-soaked altar….and it did!
- Saw God provide him food deliverd by ravens!
- Saw God use him to heal the sick and even raise the dead!
B. Elisha knew there was more to being a Christian than just following the man of God and going through the motions.
*Elisha saw through Elijah that the POWER OF GOD COULD BE CALLED UPON, IT COULD BE CLAIMED, IT COULD BE APPROPRIATED!
NOTE: Elisha didn’t want to hang around with a bunch of Bible scholars (school of the prophets), he wanted to be where the power of God was at work! I’m all for studying the Word of God. In fact, the person that doesn’t spend time in God’s Word every day is simply a foolish, empty person. But did you ever wonder why it is that we have all these Bible studies throughout this whole city? And we have more Bible colleges and seminaries than ever before in the history of the world. Yet violence and crime run rampant in our streets and people are staying away from the churches in droves (except maybe on Christmas and Easter). America is now officially a “pagan” nation! We run to our Bible studies and we go to our seminars and buy our little Christian videos. We look for ways to improve our programs and methods. But nobody is asking, “Where is the power?”
Well, I’d like to ask today, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”
C. God’s power has not gone into retirement. He has not had a “power failure”.
- We still have an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who is still on the throne, and who still can stop the rain, and heal the sick, and raise the dead!
- Now you listen to me for once: Benny Hinn never healed anyone! Oral Roberts never raised anyone from the dead! And I’m sick and tired of all these pussy-footin’, jelly-spined, prayerless and fruitless Christians trying to give them glory! If anyone is ever healed of a sickness, God did it! If anyone ever stopped the rain or brought fire from heaven – God did it!
- NOTE: Elisha didn’t ask where Elijah was, he asked where the Lord God of Elijah was! The power of God is real!
- God can still save that cold-hearted husband that fusses with you everytime you want to go to church.
- God can still heal that cancer-ridden body.
- ILLUS: Prayed for a young lady several years back who was diagnosed with brain cancer. Went in for surgery. Took final pictures. Tumor had disappeared!
- Listen! I know it’s not always God’s will to heal. But our God has gotten so small we don’t even ask Him to heal! Or save! Or bring back the prodigal
- I’m afraid we’ve taken the power of God out of Christianity! We’ve made it into a “ho-hum, Sunday-go-to-meeting” sort of thing. We need to start asking ourselves “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”
II. HE MEANT THAT HE WANTED TO KNOW THE GOD ELIJAH KNEW
A. Elisha understood that if he wanted to experience God’s power, then first of all, he had to know God the way Elijah knew him.
1. He recognized God had to be more to him than a “fire-escape”!
*One of the great problems with the church today is that we are “carnal” churches. We know about God. Many know they are saved. But few really “know” God. There are very few Spirit-filled Christian in the average church. Our attitude seems to be “God saved me and that’s all that matters. Now, let me get on with my life!”
We need some people to get serious about making God “President” of their lives, instead of just a “resident”!
2. Knowing God means persevering in prayer.
3. Knowing God means being perceptive in prayer.
ILLUS: Ever look at prayer lists in most churches. Mostly sick folks. That’s good, but why not unsaved and backslidden and spiritual needs?
*Instead of praying for more people, why not pray for spiritual growth in the ones we have?
B. Elisha had to know that the Lord God of Elijah lives!
*Note his constant reply to Elijah – “as the Lord God liveth”
1. As long as Elijah was around, he made it evident that the Lord God was alive.
2. But once Elijah was gone, Elisah wondered if God was still around.
3. He knew God had worked in the past, but he wanted to know if God could work through him as well.
*I’ve grown weary of hearing what God has done in the past! It’s a blessing. It encourages us to know that God can do great things. But I find myself asking Elisha’s question today, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”
III. ELISHA WANTED TO HAVE THE FAITH THAT ELIJAH HAD
*By that I mean Elisha wanted to have the power of God Elijah had – in fact, he wanted a “double-portion” > meant he wanted to be recognized as the rightful heir to that power.
*How can we see the Lord God of Elijah work in our lives?
A. Elisha made use of what had worked in the past. (“he took up the mantle of Elisha”)
- Instead of looking for “new” things to make a difference for God, let’s go back to the old things that work!
- Not against new gadgets and technology, but they do not have the power of God built into them.
*What things have worked in the past?
1. Fasting and prayer
2. Preaching the Word – not psychology
3. Soulwinning and discipleship
4. Love and unity in the church
*These things are proven! They have always worked! Whether trying to reach Generation X or Generation A, B, and C.
B. Elisha claimed the power of God by faith.
*Bible says, “ye have not because ye ask not”
*God says in Ps. 81:10, “I am the Lord thy God…..open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.”
1. Start asking! For souls to be saved, marriages to be healed, prodigals to come home, sin to be repented of, sick to be healed!
2. If Elisha had not of smote the waters of Jordan, he would have drowned. But he claimed the power of God and stepped out!
-Once he saw the real power of God, there was not turning back!
- healed foul water
-called God’s judgment down on those who challenged his calling.
- performed twice as many miracles as Elijah.
CONCLUSION: Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is just as available today as he ever was. Trouble is, we’ve lost Him and begun to accept the “easier” alternatives – even though the results are not the same!
I want to ask you today to step out as Elisha did and lay claim to what we know will work. Do we want God’s power? Will we ask for it? Will we pay the price for it?
