February 9, 2003
Evening Service
Text: 2 Kings 13:14-21
Subject: Hearing the Word of God
Title: Less Than Great Expectations.
Child psychologists in the recent past have shown us some remarkable things about child behavior. One thing that I have found very interesting is that children always attempt to respond to the level of their parent’s expectations. That is not always a "positive thing because many parents place a level of expectation for their children far above what their level of accomplishment might be. Hence we see that children then respond by withdrawing or by developing an inferiority complex. On the other hand, a child that is expected to do well and is continually encouraged by parents to do so, if they achieve those expectations, will likely prosper with a great deal of self confidence.
Most children will do what is expected of them. That is not always a positive. I have heard friends say about their kids, "I don’t care if they drink alcohol; kids just always do that." Or "We might as well give out condoms. They are going to have sex so we might as well protect them." When parents treat their children like they are not creatures of choice, able to make conscious decisions, that is how they will respond. If a parent yells at a child calling him "stupid" or "dummy" enough, then that child will eventually begin to see himself as just that.
Since children are constantly looking for boundaries to be set by parents, a problem arises if there is not a valid parent/child relationship. If the parent is distant and has very little contact with the child what will be the effects? The child never really knows the parent and lacks the boundary setting relationship that he or she needs in order to grow up in a healthy environment.
Much can be said about the Christian life. One major difference here is that our Father is more compassionate and caring than any earthly father has ever or will ever be. The problem in this vertical relationship lies with the child who never really takes a step to get to know the Father in an intimate and dynamic way.
When we really come to know this heavenly Father we will know his boundaries, see His love, understand His expectations, and walk in His authority.
Tonight we want to look at one who seemingly was a child of the Father but never really knew Him.
I. Verse 14 - Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. This is the prophet who raised the Shunammite’s son to life. - 2 Kings 4:8-37 He healed Naaman’s leprosy - 5:1-19 He saw the heavenly armies all around and defeated the Syrian army - 6:8-23
This is the same Elisha who received a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah, and now he was now sick and going to die. Not the point of our message tonight but sometimes people just don’t get healed. It doesn’t say anywhere that He prayed to be healed. The real point is that he was the man of God for Israel at the time and the king came down to visit him when he was sick.
Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over his face, and said, "O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen."
Who is Joash? The King of Israel the Son of Jehoahaz Verse 10 tells us he was also known as Jehoash. Look at verse 11 - He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Was he really weeping over Elijah? Apparently so. Honest anguish over the soon to be death of a great prophet. Elisha was worth all the chariots and horsemen of Israel. Go back to 2 Kings 6:8 - We see that Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, was making plans to attack Israel. Who stopped him? Verse 11-12, Ben-Hadad thought there was a traitor in the camp. Joash was not a godly king but he still respected the man of God Verse 15 - The advise of Elisha. Even though Joash was ungodly, God still favors His people. Elisha instructs him to take a bow and some arrows. Put your hand on the bow. Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
Verse 17, "Open the east window. - Shoot" Even though Elisha was on his deathbed God was still giving him words to speak. This is a prophetic action. The shooting of the arrow doesn’t do anything but it symbolizes what is about to happen. The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance from Syria. Verse 18 - This is where I wanted to get us to tonight. "Take the arrows - strike the ground. So he struck three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it."
II. When you are just fooling around with God you won’t know His plan for your life. You have to step out in faith. 2 Kings 5:1-19 - Naaman was healed. The act of dipping in the Jordan was a prophetic action.
There weren’t any magical powers in the water. It was the act of obedience and the power of God. It began with the asking. James 4:1-3, Turn there. NIV, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight"
There is a total lack of unity that causes us not to receive what God wants us to have. Part of that lack of unity pertains to faith. In one way we are like king Joash. We say we believe and go through the motions but lack enthusiasm to ask for more. In essence we limit God. James says you do not have because you do not ask God!!!!!! "Then when you do ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives."
Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. John 14:13,14, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." Luke 11:9-10, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Ephesians 3:14-21, "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Holy Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of the fullness of Christ. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generation, forever and ever, amen." Isaiah 65:24, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear." Philippians 2:13, "for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose."
John 15:7, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
Conclusion.
The closer we live to Christ and the better we get to know him through prayer, meditation on the word, listening to the voice of God the more effective our prayer life will be. We don’t have to be dysfunctional Christians. We have a Father who knows us and loves us. He is encouraging us daily. He has given us everything we need to move through this life in Power. He has called us to come boldly before his throne. He doesn?t spend all his time telling us how stupid we are, just how much he loves us. He wants us to be more than conquerors. What are His expectations for us? He expects us to pray; He expects us to have faith. He expects us to change the world. He expects us to be the agents through whom He builds his church. He keeps telling us that "through Him all things are possible", and "all things are possible for him who believes."
Tonight the challenge goes out. What are you believing God to do? What have you been praying for? How have you been praying? Tonight it is time to begin to allow your imagination to run wild with expectation with what God wants to do for you. Do you want your children in church? Or do you want them radically saved? Do you want the baptism of the Holy Spirit or do you want power to turn this town upside down? Do you want God to just get you through the difficult financial times or do you abundance in order to give back liberally in the gift of giving.
Don’t just strike the ground three times. Knock and keep on knocking.
