"IT’S WHERE YOU LEFT IT"
TEXT: II KINGS 6:1-7
INTRODUCTION
II KINGS 6:1-7
This event took place in the 8th century BC, during the times of the Kings, when Israel was split into 2 kingdoms -- Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
The 2 central characters in this text are an unnamed prophetic student and the prophet Elisha (not to be confused with Elijah).
Now remember Elisha had been Elijah’s attendant and student. But when Elijah was taking away (in chariots and horses of fire being called up to heaven in a whirlwind) as the 2 of them were walking along the road, Since that time Elisha had been God’s chief prophet and the true successor to Elijah.
And before Elijah went up to heaven Elisha made a request of his teacher -- and that request was to have a double portion of God’s spirit. And Elijah responded to the request by saying to Elisha that, "YOU HAVE ASKED A DIFFICULT THING -- YET, IF YOU SEE ME WHEN I AM TAKEN UP FROM YOU, IT WILL BE YOURS -- OTHERWISE NOT.."
And Elisha did see his teacher taken up to heaven and he did receive a double portion of the Lord’s Spirit -- And Elisha’s ministry, a ministry that would last 50 years and span the reign of 4 Northern Kings -- was one characterized by many miracles.
Elisha parted the Jordan River and walked across on dry land, He purified a large water supply (in a town that was dying because of bad water), He multiplied oil of a poor widow (providing for her needs), He raised from the dead the son of a Shunamite women, He fed a hundred men with just a little food and EVEN had leftovers, He cured Naaman’s leprosy and He captured a troop of enemy soldiers by causing them to be temporarily blinded, just to name a few of his many miracles.
Now compared to his great miracles, the miracle that he performed in our text today (making an iron axe head float) may at first appear insignificant and unimportant. But as we will see, as we study together, it is indeed significant and has important lessons for us today, we will see that this incident illustrates several important biblical truths.
LET’S LOOK AT OUR TEXT:
The text begins by telling us of a problem that the school of prophets had...
Apparently they had grown so much that their building would no longer meet their needs. So they asked permission of their teacher (Elisha) to go down to the Jordan river where trees were readily available in order to build a new building for their school.
Elisha said, "SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA -- YOU CAN GO.."
But not wanting to be without their teacher one of the students asked Elisha, "WON’T YOU PLEASE COME WITH YOUR SERVANTS..."
And so Elisha and his students headed down to the Jordan river to build a building for the school of the prophets... And when they arrived they immediately began to work on cutting down trees... Each student doing his part.
It was a good work wasn’t it? -- A building project to train young men about God.
One man while working away chopping at a big ole tree developed a problem, it seems that the iron axe head came flying off his axe handle, and flew into the Jordan river sinking down to the bottom...
This men lost his axe head, he lost his cutting edge -- he lost his effectiveness in doing the work he had set out to do.
Have you ever lost your cutting edge in serving the Lord, Have you ever lost your effectiveness in doing His work.
Were you at one time swinging with great vigor your axe of service for God. Chopping away with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.... I mean, when you were really going there were chips flying here and there, and just about everywhere... knocking down tree, after tree, after tree -- building up,the Kingdom of God.
But somehow, somewhere along the way -- you lost your cutting edge, you lost your effectiveness in serving the Lord.
Today is labor day weekend -- a day set aside to honor work...
And let me say this up front that there is no greater work in all the world than building up the Kingdom of God. And therefore we need to be as effective at this, as we possibly can....
And if we have lost our cutting edge we need to get it back.
What this young unnamed prophet in II Kings did to get back his cutting edge -- illustrates for us, 3 principles that will help us get back our cutting edge.
WE LIKE THE YOUNG PROPHET, MUST ADMIT THAT WE HAVE LOST OUR CUTTING EDGE...
That was the first step the prophet had to take -- admit that he no longer had his cutting edge....
Admit that he had lost his effectiveness...
He was assisting in the building of school to train and teach young men about God, and about service to God. it was an important work -- and he was no longer effective at it.
To admit that we have a problem, is the first step and many times it is the hardest step...
We can see numerous examples all around us; where admitting that one has a problem is the first step in healing a drug addiction, alcoholism, a broken marriage, work achoholic, and many other similar problems.
Now you may be thinking, that to admit we have a problem in one of those areas is more serious and is different then in our text... And Besides HOW ELSE COULD OF THIS YOUNG MAN OF REACTED -- HE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO ADMIT IT.."
Well, hold on, let’s look at some other possible reactions he could of had.
1. He could of been glad he lost his cutting edge -- he could have used this as an excuse to quit working... After all he had been working hard for a long time AND he had done his share of the work and now it was time for others to do theirs -- yes he could of thought THAT HE DESERVED A BREAK TODAY..
2. Or, he could have refused (because of pride) to admit that he had even lost his axe head at all...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM" and just kept right on chopping, or rather banging away with just an axe handle. Just going through the motions, just making a lot of noise -- maybe even breaking out in a sweat, but accomplishing absolutely nothing...
AND did you catch the part where it said that the axe handle wasn’t even his -- The text says he borrowed it. He had too! You see, at that time IRON axes were very rare and expensive and being a student and young prophet, he wasn’t exactly rolling in the money... So if someone had not loaned him an axe he would not have been able to do the work..
You know, our talents and our abilities are not ours either.. they too are borrowed, they are on loan to us from God. AND JUST LIKE the young man in our text we have an obligation, we are responsible to the real owner of the talents...TO GOD!
Don’t take my word for it -- just see what Jesus has to say about the subject in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30...
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO DO OUR SHARE OF KINGDOM WORK, WHETHER THAT MEANS CUTTING 1, 2 OR 5 TREES.
You see, God has given each of talents and abilities so that we can assist the building up of the Kingdom. And, if we find out somewhere along the way that we have lost our cutting edge -- our effectiveness. That we really are not doing much for the Lord.
Let’s not make excuses and continue our break...(Remember God has not given us permission to stop working for him until we enter His rest in heaven). NEITHER SHOULD WE (BECAUSE OF PRIDE) ignore the fact that we have a problem, and just go through the motions of service with only an axe handle -- accomplishing very little work, except for an occasional noise..
Each of us has been given a job to do by God .... and we are responsible for chopping down our share of trees for the building up of the Kingdom of God....
IF WE HAVE LOST OUR CUTTING EDGE OF SERVICE FOR OUR LORD... OR IF WE HAVE NEVER REALLY EVEN HAD IT (IF WE HAVE NEVER REALLY EVER SERVED THE LORD) -- THE FIRST THING WE HAVE DO IS ADMIT THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM..... THAT WE ARE NOT SERVING THE LORD AS WE SHOULD..
SECOND WE LIKE THE YOUNG PROPHET (IF WE WANT TO GET BACK OUR CUTTING EDGE -- AND WE SHOULD BECAUSE THERE IS NO GREATER WORK THAN KINGDOM WORK) THEN WE NEED TO DETERMINE THE SPOT WHERE WE LOST IT.
I don’t know about you, but I have a real problem with misplacing things.. And the items I seem to have the biggest problem with are my keys, wallet and checkbook.
This problem though frustrating is not a new one for me -- you see as a child I also had this condition. And as a child I would ask my mother and as an adult I ask my wife, "DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY KEYS ARE..." and many times the reply would be "IT’S WHERE YOU LEFT IT..." OR "WHERE DID YOU HAVE IT LAST.."
You know, that is a really good way to find something you’ve lost... to try to remember where you had it last. The problem for me however is that most times I don’t know -- where I had it last..
When the young prophet in our text realized he lost his axe head he went to his teacher and told him about what had happened...
And in verse 6 Elisha responds, "WHERE DID IT FALL...?" or in other words where did you have it last?
Now the bible does not go into a lot of detail. It doesn’t say how long the men had been working, or how many trees this guy had cut down.
Maybe this guy had been working for a long time --
Maybe he had cut down a whole bunch of trees...
Maybe he was working so hard that he didn’t even notice when the axe head flew off and plunged into the water.
We just don’t know, but what we do know is that somewhere along the line he discovered that he wasn’t getting much work done and when he looked into his hands he saw that he had been beating against a tree with just and axe handle.
Now this man didn’t plan to lose his cutting edge -- He was not trying to get into this position -- it kind of just happened.
AND ISN’T THAT THE WAY it is with God’s servants sometimes... I mean they have been working real hard, for a long time, chopping down tree after tree -- contributing significantly to the building up of God’s Kingdom.... BUT SOMEWHERE along the road they lost their cutting edge -- they lost their effectiveness in serving their God.
And like that young prophet, they didn’t plan for this to happen.. As a matter of fact, when they were younger and fresher they said something similar to what Peter had said, "THOUGH EVERYONE ELSE AT TIMES STOPS SERVING YOU LORD... STOPS DOING YOUR WORK -- NOT ME I NEVER WILL STOP..." But one day when they FINALLY take the time to look into their hands they see that they are only holding an axe handle.. they discover that they have been just going through the motions (convincing themselves they were still serving the Lord) And for who knows how long, they’ve been just banging away with an axe handle and accomplishing very little for the Kingdom.
Brothers and sister, hear me.. if we ever get to that point..
Let’s remember if we want to get Our Cutting edge back (and I pray that we do) we need to remember that are cutting edge of Kingdom service is: WHERE WE LEFT IT... IT IS WHERE WE HAD IT LAST!!
And once we determined where we had it last.... when we remember when it was in our past where we were really tearing it up for the Kingdom of God... WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES ONE MORE QUESTION...!!
WHY DID WE LOSE IT?
DID IT HAPPEN WHEN YOU:
1. DROPPED OUT OF SUNDAY SCHOOL THINKING IT WAS NOT THAT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW MORE OF GOD’S WORD.
2. STOPPED ATTENDING CHURCH ON A REGULAR BASIS
3. BECAME JEALOUS OF SOMEONE
4. BECAME ANGRY WHEN CRITICIZED BY SOMEONE (DESERVED OR UNDESERVED).
5. or GOT ANGRY BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T HAVE THINGS YOUR OWN WAY.
6. WHEN YOU STOPPED PRAYING/READING GOD’S WORD ON A REGULAR BASIS
7. WHEN YOU STOPPED TITHING (GIVING THE LORD BACK, WHAT IS HIS TO BEGIN WITH)
8. STOPPED STUDYING AND STOPPED PREPARING FOR YOUR LESSONS
9. WHEN YOU STOPPED CARING ABOUT THE LORD’S WORK HERE 10. WHEN YOU REFUSED TO REPENT AND LET GO OF SOME SIN THAT HAS SO ENTANGLED AND ENSNARED YOUR LIFE.
11. OR WAS IT WHEN ; MONEY, CAREER, THINGS, FAMILY, PLEASURE, ALL BECAME TO YOU A CONVENIENT EXCUSE, AS YOU RATIONALIZED THEIR IMPORTANCE ABOVE THE WORK OF GOD....
IF YOU TRY.... IF YOU REALLY HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE A DEEP AND SERIOUS LOOK AT YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE, YOU CAN DISCOVER WHERE AND WHY YOU LOST YOUR CUTTING EDGE OF SERVICE TO THE LORD... (AND IF WE ASK GOD -- WE CAN BE SURE HE WILL HELP US FIND THE ANSWERS).
When the young prophet lost his cutting edge -- in order to get it back he first admitted to the fact that he didn’t have his cutting edge any more, HE then determined the place where he lost it -- and the third thing he did and the third thing we must do:
IS WE LIKE THE YOUNG PROPHET, MUST ACT OUT OUR PART IN RECOVERING OUR CUTTING EDGE.
But before we discuss what the man did to get back his axe head -- it is important for us to study the part Elisha played in the recovery (are you still with me?).
First of all let’s note that Elisha was not a Hundini or a David Copperfield -- He was not a magician. Elisha, was a prophet of The God Almighty... And the power he had to perform miracles was not his own -- it was from God... Elisha was a man through whom God spoke His Words and performed mighty acts...
Therefore, this miracle on the part of Elisha not only shows us that Elisha was concerned about this man’s problem, but more importantly that God was concerned and that God cared.
You see, men often loss sight of the individual -- this is very apparent in our society where people are rarely viewed as "people," real people, with real needs and problems. But are rather viewed as just a statistic or a number on a computer file -- NOT SO WITH GOD!!
THIS MIRACLE CLEARLY ILLUSTRATES 3 TRUTHS ABOUT GOD
First, that God is concerned with the individual; THERE WERE MANY MEN CUTTING DOWN TREES THAT DAY; YET THE ALMIGHTY GOD TOOK THE TIME TO HELP THE ONE WHO HAD A PROBLEM..
God is concerned with the individual, and this text in II Kings is certainly not the only place we see this... Jesus made God’s concern for the individual crystal clear when he taught on the lost sheep, coin and son -- teaching us that each of us matter to God and are valuable to Him..
A second truth we see illustrated here; IS That with God there are no problems to small to bring to his attention; I Peter 5:7 reads "CAST ALL YOUR CARES UPON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU..." Our father wants us to cast all of our cares upon Him. Do you have any problems or concerns today -- have you cast them upon God? Why don’t you?
Yes, a man losing an axe head may not seem like that big of a deal -- but God cared.....
And in like manner, we may not think that one Christian who is not longer really serving the Lord in Podunk Massachutes or in East Tampa Fl is that big of a deal... After all, God has millions more who are working.... But God cares to him it is a big deal... because God knows that serving Him is what is best for everyone... (Have you ever noticed how problems keep coming and answers seem harder to find -- when God and His Church are not at the center of your life? I have).
And the 3rd truth this incident illustrates about God is; that not only does God care and is concerned about our problems, But that He will help us solve our problems He’ll cause the solution to float to the surface.
If you have lost your cutting edge of service to you God, God cares and if we ask Him to, he will help us get it back....
NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT THE YOUNG MAN DID TO GET BACK HIS CUTTING EDGE.. AND WHAT HE DID ILLUSTRATES WHAT WE NEED TO DO -- TO REALLY GET BACK SERVING GOD.
THE MAN’S WORK IN GETTING BACK HIS AXE HEAD, DIDN’T END WHEN HE ADMITTED HE HAD A PROBLEM, AND IT DIDN’T END WHEN HE SOUGHT HELP FROM THE PROPHET OF GOD NOR DID IT END WHEN HE DETERMINED THE PLACE WHERE HE LOST IT... YOU SEE, HE STILL HAD SOMETHING TO DO IF HE WANTED TO HOLD THAT AXE HEAD ONCE MORE IN HIS HANDS...
Did you notice that Elisha did not retrieve the axe head for him? He could of you know... Elisha had the power to make that axe head float to the top of the water, then fly straight up into the air, across the Jordan and into the hands of the young prophet nding on the bank. But he didn’t, Why didn’t he?
Because God wanted the young prophet to be involved in the recovery -- God wanted him to reach out his hand and retrieve it himself.
There is something special, there is something great about the power of God and the effort of man working together...
If we have lost our cutting edge of Kingdom service, and we want to get it back.
Let me ask you a question why would we want our cutting edge back?
I mean, don’t we have more time to do what we want to do and more money to buy what we want to buy when our cutting edge is sitting at the bottom of the river. I mean we kind of like things the way they are -- we can get pretty comfortable hold only an axe handle....
And besides, there are a lot of things in life that are important -- and God and Church are just one of them.... Jesus was in the home of 2 sisters -- they may have had the same blood but they had different spirits....
Martha though she thought Jesus was important, she also thought other things were just as, or even more important.... Mary her sister thought that Jesus was the most importAnt thing....
And while Mary set at the feet of Jesus listening to the Word of God -- Martha was working in kitchen getting more upset with every turn of her mixer because Mary wasn’t helping...
The Bible says that Martha was distracted from Jesus by other things... and Jesus said to Martha, "MARTHA, MARTHA, YOU ARE WORRIED AND UPSET ABOUT MANY THINGS, BUT ONLY ONE IS NEEDED MARY HAD CHOSEN THE BETTER, AND IT WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER..." -- LK 10:41
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS JESUS AND THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IS KINGDOM WORK.... DO WE BELIEVE IT? DO WE LIVE IT? -- THAT’S WHY WE SHOULD WANT TO GET OUR CUTTING EDGE BACK!
BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF TODAY, TAKE A LONG AND SERIOUS LOOK AT YOUR CUTTING EDGE OF KINGDOM SERVICE.... WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW, ON EARTH FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE? ARE YOU LIKE MARTHA AND ARE BEING DISTRACTED BY OTHER THINGS; JOB, CAREER, FAMILY, RECREATION, PLEASURE, THE PURSUIT OF THINGS -- SUCH THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER AN EFFECTIVE KINGDOM WORKER.....
OR HAVE YOU ADOPTED THE MOTTOS OPERANDI OF THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHURCH -- "WHAT CAN CHURCH DO FOR ME.." YOU SEE WE ARE A PRODUCT OF CULTURE AND OUR CULTURE HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY IN RECENT YEARS...(AND WE CAN NOT HELP BUT BE EFFECTED BY IT) 30 YEARS AGO JOHN F KENNEDY WON THE ELECTION TO THE WHITE HOUSE BY SAYING , "ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY..." AND IN 1992 BILL CLINTON BECAME PRESIDENT BY MAKING PROMISES OF WHAT GOVERNMENT WILL DO FOR PEOPLE... WE HAVE UNDERGONE A CHANGE, FOR THE WORST... AND FAR TOO MANY LOOK AT CHURCH AS A PLACE TO BE SERVED RATHER THAN SERVE... "WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU HAVE -- YOU MEAN I’LL HAVE TO TEACH -- WE’LL DON’T GET THE WRONG IDEA BUT WE WILL JUST GO DOWN THE ROAD WHERE THEY ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO SERVE ME... WHO ME START A NEEDED PROGRAM -- NO I’LL JUST GO WHERE THE WORK IS ALL READY DONE.."
IF YOU THINK KINGDOM WORK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK -- AND YOU WANT TO ONCE AGAIN SWING THAT AXE OF SERVICE... YOU CAN GO TO GOD.. AND HE WILL PUT IT WITHIN YOUR REACH, HE WILL BRING IT TO THE SURFACE.. WHAT DO I MEAN BY GO TO GOD....? SOUNDS VERY SPIRITUAL DOESN’T IT, BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN?
IT MEANS TO GO BEFORE GOD IN PRAYER "GOD I KNOW YOU SHOULD BE THE CENTER OF MY LIFE, THAT I SHOULD BE REALLY LIVING FOR JESUS -- WORKING AND SERVING IN HIS KINGDOM... BUT LORD I KNOW THAT I AM NOT EVEN CLOSE TO GIVING MY BEST.... YES LORD, I AM ALWAYS QUICK WITH AN EXCUSE, A RATIONALIZATION, A JUSTIFICATION FOR MY INACTIVITY..... BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS I KNOW I HAVE BEEN CHEATING YOU... MY GOD AND MY SAVIOR YOU DESERVE SO MUCH MORE OF MY LIFE...I KEEP LOOKING FOR A MORE CONVENIENT TIME -- BUT I KNOW IT WILL NEVER COME. HELP ME LORD TO GET BACK IN THE SADDLE OF SERVICE AGAIN/TO RIDE BOLDLY THOSE TRIALS OF FAITH -- AND YES HELP ME LORD TO SEE THE SINS IN MY LIFE THAT HAVE PUSHED YOU AND YOUR KINGDOM OUT... HELP MY GOD TO ONCE AGAIN HOLD THAT CUTTING EDGE.."
WHEN WE GO TO GOD, HE WILL REVEAL TO US WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR LIFE... WHAT HAS PUT US WHERE WE ARE... AND HE WILL PLACE OUR CUTTING WITHIN REACH...
AND THEN IT IS UP TO US... WHAT WILL WE DO WITH WHAT GOD IS TELLING US -- THE TEMPTATION WILL BE TO IGNORE IT OR RATIONALIZE IT, "I ’M REALLY NOT DOING THAT BAD, I’M BETTER THAN MOST" (SOME ARE PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT RIGHT NOW) BUT IF WE WANT TO GET OUR CUTTING EDGE OF SERVICE BACK, IF WE TRULY WANT TO OBEY OUR LORD’S COMMANDS TO "TO PICK UP OUR CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW HIM AND TO MAKE OUR LIVES A LIVING SACRIFICE HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO HIM" IF SERVING YOUR KING IS YOUR #1 GOAL YOU WILL REPENT OF THE SIN OR SINS THAT CAUSED YOUR CUTTING EDGE TO FLY INTO THE RIVER TO BEGIN WITH...
WHETHER THAT BE LAZINESS JEALOUSY STINGINESS SELFISHNESS WORLDLINESS THE LUST OF THE FLESH THE LUST OF THE EYES OR THE BOASTFUL PRIDE OF LIFE OR SOME OTHER SIN WE NEED TO
REPENT AND CHANGE {STOP DOING WHAT WE SHOULDN’T BE DOING AND START DOING WHAT WE SHOULD}. AND PERHAPS WE MAY NEED TO GO AND SEEK A BROTHERS FORGIVENESS.... REPENTANCE AND RESTITUTION ARE NOT ON THE TOP TEN LIST OF BEST WAYS TO HAVE FUN, THEY CAN BE PAINFUL, BUT THEY ARE NECESSARY....
THIS IS A GREAT TEXT AND I AM GLAD IT IS IN THE BIBLE. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS YOUNG PROPHET COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS WHOLE PROBLEM IF HE HAD ONLY THOUGHT AHEAD.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE SAYING THAT AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE? (I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD FOLLOW THIS IN THEIR MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES, BUT THAT’S ANOTHER SERMON)
YOU SEE, IF THIS YOUNG PROPHET WOULD HAVE CHECKED OUT HIS AXE HEAD OCCASIONALLY, HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT IS WAS LOOSE. AND THEN HE COULD HAVE DONE A QUICK AND RATHER PAINLESS REPAIR....AND HE WOULDN’T OF HAD TO GO FOR ALL THAT TIME WITHOUT GETTING ANY WORK DONE...
WE TOO, NEED TO CHECK OUT OUR SPIRITUAL TOOLS ON A REGULAR BASIS.... WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU DID THIS? LET’S CHECK OUT OUR SPIRITUAL TOOLS TOGETHER... OKAY THINK ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE -- NOT THE PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE, BUT THE PERSON YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE?
LET’S SEE; HOW IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE? DO YOU EVEN HAVE A PRAYER LIFE? DO YOU SPEND TIME WITH GOD DEVOTIONALLY ON A REGULAR BASIS (3-7 TIMES A WEEK)? DO YOU ATTEND CHURCH AND BIBLE STUDY REGULARLY? DO YOU SERVE YOUR LORD IN THIS CHURCH? DO YOU GIVE GOD THE VERY BEST OF OUR MATERIAL GOODS? IS THERE A SINFUL BEHAVIOR OR ATTITUDE THAT IS ROTTING THE WOOD AROUND YOUR AXE HEAD MAKING IT VERY LOOSE? DO YOU LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE JESUS? IS JESUS REALLY AT THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE?
IF WE ANSWERED ANY THOSE QUESTIONS IN THE WRONG WAY, CHANCES ARE YOU ARE NOT CHOPPING DOWN TOO MANY TREES FOR THE KINGDOM/YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT A VERY EFFECTIVE KINGDOM WORKER....
WHEN WE CHECK OUR TOOLS ON A REGULAR BASIS -- WHEN CAN MAKE SMALL OCCASIONAL ADJUSTMENTS (START DOING OR STOP DOING) AND THEN JUST KEEP ON GOING.... NOW, THE DEVIL WOULD PREFER THAT WE NEVER LOOK UNTIL THE REPAIR IS BIG AND COSTLY....AND MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE.
BUT, LET ME SAY THIS THAT AS LONG AS THERE IS BREATHE IN OUR BODY WE CAN ALWAYS GET OUR CUTTING EDGE BACK....
CONCLUSION
SAMSON IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO LOST HIS CUTTING EDGE... AND LIKE MANY HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HE HAD LOST IT. EVEN WHEN THE PHILISTINES CAME TO ARREST HIM (AFTER DELILAH HAD CUT HIS HAIR) SAMSON STILL THOUGHT HE COULD SHAKE HIMSELF FREE... SCRIPTURE SAYS.... "BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THE LORD HAD LEFT HIM..."
THEN THE PHILISTINES TOOK HIM IN SHACKLES, THEY GOUGED OUT HIS EYES AND THREW THE ONCE MIGHTY WARRIOR INTO PRISON..
AND WHILE IN THAT PRISON, BLINDED, FORCED TO GRIND WHEAT LIKE AN ANIMAL -- HE WAS MOCKED AND ABUSED.. I THINK ALL WOULD AGREE THAT AT THIS TIME, SAMSON WAS NOT A VERY EFFECTIVE SERVANT OF GOD...
AND THROUGHOUT HIS SEEMINGLY ENDLESS DAYS IN THAT PRISON CELL HE HAD TIME TO THINK.... TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED IN HIS LIFE THAT BROUGHT HIM TO SUCH A LOW POINT.... AND SAMSON FOUND OUT HIS CUTTING EDGE WAS RIGHT WHERE HE LEFT IT -- AND HE REACHED OUT TO GOD, REPENTED OF HIS GREAT WICKEDNESS AND FROM THE HEAD STRONG WAY HE USED TO LIVE... SAMSON RETURNED TO GOD!
THEN SAMSON PRAYED TO GOD TO RESTORE HIS STRENGTH -- AND GOD DID -- AND THAT BLIND AND BEATEN MAN, PLACED HIS HANDS ON THE GIANTS PILLARS OF THE PAGAN TEMPLE AND BROUGHT IN DOWN... -- AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT SAMSON DESTROYED MORE OF GOD’S ENEMIES WHEN HE RETURNED TO GOD THEN IN ALL THE YEARS BEFORE -- IT WAS HIS GREATEST VICTORY...
DO YOU FEEL ABOUT AS EFFECTIVE IN YOUR SERVICE TO GOD’S KINGDOM, AS SAMSON DID IN THAT MILL GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES DAY AFTER DAY... JUST GOING THROUGH MEANINGLESS MOTIONS.
DO YOU WANT TO ONCE AGAIN SERVE GOD AND BE AN EFFECTIVE SERVANT IN THE KINGDOM... GOD CARES AND HE WILL HELP YOU MAKE A COMEBACK AND YOU MAY DO MORE IN THE YEARS TO COME THEN IN THE YEARS BEFORE.. YES IN THE YEARS AHEAD YOU CAN HAVE YOUR GREATEST VICTORIES FOR GOD.. IT’S WHERE YOU LEFT IT!!
IF YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND ARE A CHRISTIAN -- GOD WANTS YOU TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SERVANT IN THE KINGDOM... THIS WEEK CHECK OUT YOUR AXE OF SPIRITUAL SERVICE AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IT OKAY... MAKE ANY NEEDED REPAIRS -- YOU ARE PART OF A GREAT WORK! IT’S WHERE YOU LEFT IT!
AND IF YOU ARE HERE AND ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN.. GOD CARES NOT ONLY FOR CHRISTIANS -- FOR THOSE WITH AXES, BUT HE CARES FOR YOU...
THAT IS WHY HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE... SO YOU TOO CAN JOIN US IN THIS GREAT WORK OF GOD -- HE WANTS YOU TO JOIN US AND HIM IN KINGDOM WORK
