Sermon Central
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Running From A Problem
Contributed by Larry Jacobs on May 15, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: You cannot run from God. Elijah tried too but finally he had to come back to the same spot where he left and face the problem with God’s help.
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RUNNING FROM A PROBLEM
You cannot read first & second Kings without realizing the impact of two prophets during that period. Elijah and Elisha.
A. It is just assumed that Elijah and Elisha are kind of spiritual twins. Their names sound alike. They go together like knife and fork - salt and pepper - ham and eggs - pork & beans. However, just the opposite is true. There have probably never been two of God’s men who are more dissimilar.
Elijah names means "My God is Jehovah" - Elisha means "God is my Savior"
* Elijah is the prophet of the Fire -lighting - tornado - earthquake
Elisha - about the best he could do was make an ax head float.
* Elijah is optimistic, outgoing, sociable - talkative - extrovert.
Elisha is inward - seeks small crowds - does his best work in the presence of one or two.
* Elijah calls fire down from heaven in the presence of his enemies.
Elisha make an ax head float. Open’s the spiritual world to just his servant.
ELIJAH THIS IS YOUR LIFE:
* When you think of a prophet - The name Elijah heads the list.
* He lived during one of the darkest days of history. He preached during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel.
* There is a whole sale departure from the Faith. He stood alone. (Now some one will say, "There was 7,000 that had not bowed to Baal - They might not have bowed their knee but they had also not opened their mouth."
* He denounced the new morality - The new doctrine of faith. Just because he was a hopeless minority - He didn’t say "I must go along with the trend. He took a definite stand for God and he was alone in doing so.
* There is little controversy that he was one of the most dramatic character on the page of Scripture.
* He walked out on the page of Scripture into the court room of Ahab and Jezebell. and made his great announcement: "There is going to be no rain again until I say so - and I’m not going to say so because I’m going on vacation."
* Then God enrolls him in his university. Called the school of hard knocks.
[1] The brook Cherity - [2] The widow of Zarephath 3 The dead son.
AFTER THREE YEARS:
* There is the contest on Mt. Carmel. (He loved every minute of it.). Him vs. 450 prophets of Baal.
Now you would think that nothing could shake the faith of a man of God like this. {WRONG.}
JEZEBEL HEARS WHAT HE HAS DONE AND SAY "I’M GONNA MAKE YOU LIKE ONE OF MY DEAD PROPHETS BEFORE THIS TIME TOMORROW." AND HE RUNS LIKE A SCARED RABBIT.
Now, I’m willing to admit that running from a wicked woman is real wisdom in most cases - it was not what Elijah should have done. He ran from his problem. You should never run from a problem.
WHAT LESSON CAN WE LEARN FROM OUR TEXT TODAY?
T/S THERE ARE SIX VALUABLE LESSONS YOU AND I CAN LEARN ABOUT RUNNING FROM A PROBLEM.
I. A CHILD OF GOD IS IN THE MOST DANGER OF RUNNING FROM A PROBLEM RIGHT AFTER A GREAT SPIRITUAL VICTORY. (This is also true in the life of a church.
A. We are most apt to let our guard down right after the knock out punch than any other time. How often have you heard it said, "Things are really going great around here" only to turn around and see that this is when the devil will hit the hardest.
The devil can only get to us when we let our guard down.
B. How often have you heard someone quote Romans 12:1,2 but seldom do they quote verse 3. They all should be taken together.
Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
C. After Israel had won the greatest battle of their nations history (deliverance from Egypt). They fail to go into the promise land.
After David had fought his greatest battle and gained the kingdom - He let down his guard and fell.
