Strike the Water
RT “For everybody who is sick of playing it safe, for every dreamer who has been disillusioned, your moment is now. The mantle is yours.”(SLIDE 2)
4 different times God parted the water
-Moses (SLIDE 3)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14:15-16 NIV)
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Exodus 14:21-22 NIV)
-Joshua(SLIDE 4)
Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. (Joshua 3:15-17 NIV)
-Elijah (SLIDE 5)
Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. (2 Kings 2:7-8 NIV)
-Elisha(SLIDE 6)
We have come to a point in the story where Elisha has left the plow years ago but he still hasn’t entered into the life of the prophet of Israel. Elijah was the one who tapped Elisha on the shoulder and three his cloak of destiny around his shoulders. It is interesting after Elisha has this incredible experience with the older prophet he falls into obscurity. The bible says only one thing of Elisha. 1 kings 19:21 Elisha set out to follow Elijah and become his attendant.
Elisha must have followed Elijah and just been blown away.
Miracles he would have see . The battle with false prophets and tyrant kings.
But God raises the stakes for Elisha.
The training wheels come off.
Can’t live off of the Faith of great men and women
We have a step of faith to take for ourselves.
This is How god took the training wheels off for Elisha. (SLIDE 7 & 8)
Training Wheel Talk
2 Kings Chapter 2 (SLIDE 9, 10 & 11)
2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.”
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel.
3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”
“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.”
But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.
5 Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lordis going to take your master away from you today?”
“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.”
6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”
But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.
Some scholars believe the Elisha was following Elijah for 18 years.
The school of prophets were the guys who had the right family name. Their dad’s and their grandpas and their great grandpas were all part of the right pedigree.
Elisha didn’t have any of that. Remember where we found Elisha. He was an ox man. In a lot of people’s eyes and probably his own he saw insignificance.
(SLIDE 12)
But check this out that is what the gospel is all about. The bible is all about God choosing the insignificant. It has nothing to do with us it has all to do with the one who is calling. So your pedigree and your name even your past is a moot point because the trump card is Jesus. His choosing of you when he took the cross qualifies you for the calling. So even if you feel like it can’t be me I don’t qualify I am insignificant. I have blown it. Remember it is not about you at all but about the Jesus inside you.
Elijah was grooming someone else before Elisha. but that person gave up to soon.
As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.”
Don’t Quit..
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(SLIDE 13)
Kettering Children’s Choir(SLIDE 14)
7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!(SLIDE 15)
The Jordan river is mentioned 175 times I. The Old Testament.
-the first mention of the Jordan is when Abraham and lot separated.
-Jacob was renamed Israel at the ford of the jab ok river. A tributary of the Jordan river.
-the Jordan river is where John the Baptist did much of his ministry.
-Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan river.(SLIDE 16)
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20000406.htm
Moses and Israel = god transitioning them from Egypt to the wilderness.
Joshua and Israel = god transitioning them from the wilderness to the promise land.
Elijah= God transitioned him to heaven
Elisha= God transitioned him to become the prophet of The nation of Israel.
Why the Jordan River… Crossed over into their destiny. The Jordan river represents a place of transition. I feel like Harvestime is in a time of transition and destiny. That God is brining us to a new place a place of destiny and a place called greater.
9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”
And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”
(SLIDE 17)
The blessing carries a weight with it.
The dream is free but the journey is not.
The greater the anointing the greater the burden
Elijah had to hide from a crazy women named jezebel. She wanted to kill him because he made a fool of her and her prophets. God had to come and feed him with ravens.
Count the cost. Are you willing to endure.(SLIDE 18)
Are you ready for the kickback. are you ready to live like very few people live. are you ready to pray for a friends kid whose ankle snaps in the middle of a volleyball game. are you ready to tell about your faith even when your family is falling apart. are you ready? Are you ready to deal with sins. are you ready to find someone else and say how did you make it. Can we talk.
11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.(SLIDE 19 & 20)
Strike the water video(SLIDE 21)
(SLIDE 22)
I believe God is calling us to a life that is greater with him. Elisha went on to do twice the amount of miracles that Elijah did.
I have to think that for Elisha he had to remember who the men were that God parted the waters for.
Moses Joshua Elijah
the question in his mind was will God show up my situation.
And he had to strike the water to find out.
I believe god is calling us to live win greater passion, to see our work and homes as our mission field. To be bold and try something new. To take that step of faith and go on that mission trip or give up that job. To give more generous than you ever thought you would be capable of. To go back to school and get the degree or that license.
God is calling us to something greater.
What is your something?
The different prayers
Strike the water.
Where I live…
I pray that I will no longer settle for “good enough” in my closest relationships, existing together but not really engaging each other. I pray that the monotonous drone that can come with living together as a family will be replaced by the passionate cadence of a family that follows God together. I pray that I won’t settle for raising good boys and girls but instead who are world changers that chase after God’s dream for them.
Where I work…
I pray that I will never settle for the “good enough” of killing time and drawing a paycheck. Clocking in and clocking out. I pray that my profession will turn into my pulpit, my sport coat become my cloak, my office become a sanctuary, my work become my worship. I pray that instead of fantasizing about someone else’s life, I will pursue God’s greater life for me.
You have been marked for something greater.