WORKING FOR GOD
II Kings 6:1-7
PURPOSE
To show Christians a valid approach to working for God and encourage them to get busy.
INTRODUCTION
As Christians we should be busy working for the Lord. In II Kings we find some steps that will direct us into valuable kingdom work. It tells where to start, how to go about it, and even what to do in times of failure. If we keep our attention focused on these seven verses we can be effective workers for Jesus Christ.
I. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUDINGS – v.1
A. The sons of the prophets were men who were true, God-called prophets being schooled by Elisha. These men recognized that the place they were meeting was too small.
1. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in what we are trying to do for God that we fail to recognize the obvious.
B. They didn’t get comfortable with what they had.
1. As Christians we cannot afford to get comfortable with our surroundings. These men desired to move to a place where the work at hand could be better accomplished.
- Are we simply making do instead of looking for better ways to serve?
II. ASK GOD FOR HIS PERMISSION BEFORE ACTING – v.1,2
A. Before they proceeded with their plan, the sons of the prophets first asked for Elisha’s permission.
1. If we feel that we should be doing something for the Lord we need to make sure and ask him first. Sometimes we have grand ideas about how we should be serving him, only to find out at a later date that the task we were performing wasn’t what God had intended for us. It is dangerous to come up with our own plans and then ask God to buy off on them.
III. INVITE GOD TO COME ALONG – v.3
A. One of the students asked Elisha to,”Be content” and come along with them.
1. Be content – to be pleased. The phrase has a tone of determination and resolve.
a. They knew that if Elisha came with them they would definitely accomplish the task at hand.
- As Christians we shouldn’t be in so much of a hurry to get busy in God’s work that we forget to ask him to come along with us.
- If God isn’t with us then we are bound for failure.
IV. WHEN ALL IS IN ORDER, GET BUSY! - V.4
A. Once they reached the Jordan River the work began immediately. Plans were obviously drawn up either ahead of time or on the way so that no time was wasted once they reached their destination.
1. Once we are positive of our direction, and are sure that we have God on our side, we should begin our work immediately.
V. WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE CALL OUT TO GOD – v.5
A. When the ax head fell into the water the student cried out to Elisha. He didn’t intend to lose it, but it came off, nonetheless, while he was hard at work.
1. What caused the ax head to come off?
a. The wedge holding it inside the handle came loose. He failed to periodically check his equipment.
- Christians should constantly check to make sure they are not using faulty equipment.
- Sin in the life of a Christian can cause the wedge to work loose, usually over a period of time.
2. Results of losing the ax head
a. Work for the man and possibly work on the entire project ceased.
- The result of one Christian losing his edge for Christ could have an adverse effect on many Christians.
3. What the young man could have done
a. Refused to admit that the ax head was gone and continued to swing the handle.
- In doing so he would not accomplish anything, but would look as if he were still doing the work (Christians do this all the time).
- By refusing to admit that it was gone he would never have gotten it back.
b. Stopped working and watched the others continue
- He wouldn’t have helped finish the project. How many times do Christians start out on fire for God then fizzle out at the first sign of difficulty?
c. Blamed it on the ax
- In reality it was his own fault for not checking the ax head periodically.
VI. HOW TO GET THE AX HEAD BACK
A. Remember where the problem started
1. Elisha made the young man point him to the place where he last saw the ax head If we have problems we need to look back to the beginning and find out where they first started.
- What caused us to lose our edge for God?
- Why don’t we feel the same about serving him?
B. Know that God cares and expect him to help in a mighty way
1. Elisha took the time to help one student out of many. God has time for all of his children.
2. God doesn’t always do things as we would expect, but we should always be ready for him to help us.
C. Accept the help that God offers
1. The ax head swam to the shore, but the young man had to reach out for it and pick it up.
- God will help us, but we still have a responsibility to reach out and take hold of the help that is offered.
D. Prepare to get back to work
1. The same ax head that flew off the handle returned to the young man. However, he wasn’t able to use it right away. He had to clean it up, put it back onto the ax handle, and possibly sharpen it before he returned to being a productive member of the team.
2. We may have some things to do before we can get back into service for God.
- Clean up. Eradicate any sin that may have crept in
- Fix up. Were others hurt by our actions? Was anyone standing in front of or behind us when the ax head came off? We need to fix up relationships that were injured.
- Sharpen up. Get back into prayer and study
CONCLUSION
God has a plan and a purpose for every believer. Now is the time to get to work.
