Title: Elisha Receiving a Mission (2 Kings 2)
Contents
Elisha on the mission (2 Kings 2:7-15)
7 And the fifty of the disciples of the prophet went and stood at a distance and looked, and the two were standing by the Jordan.
8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and beat the water, and the water split to and fro, and the two men crossed over the land.
9 When they crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I must do with you before he takes me from you." Elisha said, "I ask for double your inspiration.
10 He said, "You ask hard things, but when you see me taken from you, it will be done for you, but otherwise it will not be."
11 As they were walking and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire struck them both, and Elijah ascended into heaven in a whirlwind.
12 When Elisha saw it, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” And he saw him no more. So Elisha grabbed his clothes and tore them in two.
13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah's body, returned, and stood on the hillside of the Jordan.
14 Taking the cloak that had fallen from Elijah's body, he struck the water and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?"
15 ○The disciples of the prophet who were in Jericho opposite, saw him and said, The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha.
I. Overview of 2 Kings 2 - Living with a Mission
Chapter 2 of 2 Kings has this structure.
The day came when Elijah would die.
Elisha follows Elijah to the end.
Gilgal - Bethel - Jericho - Jordan...
There are words in the text that express Elisha's heart at that time.
“As the LORD lives, and as the life of your soul, I will not leave you.”
The same word appears three times in verses 2, 4, and 6.
These words show how serious and earnest Elisha's determination to go with you to the end wherever you go.
Finally, Elijah asks Elisha.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want your inspiration to be doubled.”
“Then you should not give up on me and follow me to the end.”
The moment when the last Elijah was called by God and ascended,
Elisha looks at Elijah and says,
Verse 12: “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
And Elijah returns alone.
Do exactly what Elisha did while he was alive.
He strikes the Jordan River with Elijah's cloak and returns.
After that, there are two illustrations, verses 19-25, that testify that Elisha received prophetic power.
The theme of 2 Kings 2 is Elisha's mission.
It is a mission inherited from Elijah.
So, in 2:1, Elijah and Elisha went out of Gilgal.
In the last verse 25, Elisha returns to Samaria alone.
And from now on, the era of Elisha begins.
God wants us all to live as missionaries.
to have a holy influence on this land,
As a child of God, He wants to live with the purpose for which He was called.
There is nothing more vain and precious than a life where you just live and die.
Everything that exists has value.
Values mean mission.
One tree, one grass.
There is nothing that God brought into this world without a thought.
The story of that mission is in 2 Kings 2.
Three lessons from 2 Kings 2 on mission.
II. Enthusiasm for mission.
First of all, what is the right attitude toward our mission?
attitude of not giving up.
Willingness, passion, and longing to discover a mission and live by it.
Elijah went from Gilgal to Bethel, back to Jericho, to Jordan...
Geographically, the direction is zigzag.
It's not even close
But Elisha goes with Elijah to the end.
In verse 5, the disciples of the other prophets speak to Elisha.
“Elijah is about to die soon, so why are you trying so hard to follow him to the end?”
Then Elisha answered. “I know that too, but if you don’t know, just shut up”
To learn the inspiration of Elijah to the last minute
They follow Elijah until the moment when everyone else says it is useless.
There is no happier life than having a mission worth risking your life for.
I went to Australia last week and met people I had been living with for the first time in a long time.
People who are amazed at my changes.
Some people still can't understand me.
I have a confession to them.
“If I had been called by God to continue attending Citibank,
I could confess that I lived a comfortable life.
But 2% is not enough to say that I have lived a life that is rewarding and meaningful...with no regrets.
But now, even if God calls me now, I can confess that I have lived a life with no regrets and a happy life.”
Until God called me, I waited for God's call for as little as 5 years or as long as 10 years, and to be more precise, I lived by forcing myself to call me.
Now that I have been called to live as a servant of the Lord, the joy and satisfaction that this life gives me is great.
Can you imagine life after Elisha 2 Kings 2?
Although there are many successful records of his
even if not
Elisha would have lived with joy and gratitude.
He has lived the life he so tenaciously desired and wished for...
What do you want to do, what is your wish for life?
What do you want to live while dreaming and wrestling with God?
find it have it
Don't be foolish to believe in Jesus
Do not hesitate to live as a missionary.
Even if it's a bit arduous, a narrow road, and a life that bears the cross
Like Elisha, “I Will Not Follow You”
With an attitude of “I cannot give up on this life.”
Decide to live as a missionary.
III. Mission for the nation and neighbors
Second, in the case of Elisha, what was the mission?
12If you look at the door, you will see Elijah being called and going up, and Elisha says,
“Father, my father, chariots and horsemen of Israel”
It is a confession that Elijah was the one who preserved and guarded Israel.
Elisha's words to Melilla are not a confession that they have only now learned.
Why Elisha followed Elijah is in these words.
Elisha followed Elijah because he knew that the nation and the nation would live because of Elijah.
In other words, what is the mission that Elisha held on to so earnestly and hoped for until the end...
The nation and the nation live because of you...
Building the Kingdom of God...
Becoming a shield and horseman for God's promised people...
When my body is living and dying
If I could confess, “My nation was able to live because of me.”
If I could confess, "Because of me, the people around me could be happier"...
If I could confess, "Through me, the kingdom of God could be established on this earth"...
That was Elisha's wish.
What do you want to live for?
I run out of food to eat today and use this moment because of it,
Isn't he saying that he will give it to him for a higher and nobler life after that?
In such a way, it is impossible to break the cycle of life that is selfish and self-centered indefinitely.
Self-sacrifice, self-abandonment, life for others, devotion to God...
This is not something I can do after I am satisfied and filled.
right here right now...
Do what you can in this figure.
I went to the missionary conference and had a long talk with many missionaries.
What are the concerns of missionaries in Korean ministry?
The saints are not devoted.
The reason for the church life is very obvious.
I am blessed, I am well...
So, even the degree of devotion does not reach a certain level that the pastor wants.
They crave honey and crave bread as they go round and round within the limits they can afford.
It is not just that the church is not revitalized and the finances of the church are difficult.
Not being able to live a life of devotion for the saints... It hurts and breaks my heart.
So is God.
All the reasons that prolong our life and enjoy the conditions of life
For the kingdom of God, looking after others, neighbors, and
He tells them to be their father, a horseman, and a watchman.
forgetting that call
Seeing those who live only for themselves, it hurts God.
Examine what your life goals are.
Don't waste your life on things that are really useless and nothing left.
Stay focused on the goals God has given you.
IV. God who makes it possible
The third is the fact that God gives Elisha power.
Elisha, who followed Elijah to the end to become a horseman for his neighbor, country, and nation...
God gave him strength and made him able to handle it.
When Elijah was alive, when he crossed the Jordan River, he struck the water with his cloak and crossed the road.
Now Elisha does the same.
And in verses 19-25, the prophetic power shown to Elisha is shown in two illustrations.
One is to fertilize the water of a city,
Another is that those who ridiculed Elisha will be punished by God.
Power comes from God.
When God calls them to be missionaries, he gives those who live for the mission the strength and wisdom to bear them.
In other words, we can boldly jump into our mission.
It means that we do not need to hesitate or hesitate when we look at ourselves and look around us.
At the last missionary conference, we presented about the ministry of our Chambit Church.
I don't know what you might think, but it's a miracle that I'm where I am right now.
How did I come here to build a church with you
Does it make such a beautiful church?
I have nothing to say but the grace of God.
But the grace of God...
A young seminary student who jumped in to give up everything in the world and live only for the Lord and for the mission the Lord gave... it is believed that
So it is by no means my righteousness or yours.
It also confesses that it is the grace of God that has done so.
What is your mission?
Why does God make you live?
All living things have a purpose.
Our purpose in life is lost only when we stop breathing.
Are you willing to dedicate yourself to it?
Can you go anywhere and do anything for it?
If so, do it boldly.
God makes you bear it
God is a God who helps those who follow His mission to be able to handle it at any time.
God is not looking for powerful people
He is looking for those who devote themselves according to the will of God.
In 2 Kings 2, the era of Elijah ends and the era of Elisha begins.
One person's devotion to go anywhere for the nation and country
To prolong and preserve God's time in Israel after Elijah.
Let's live as missionaries who fulfill the responsibilities of the times so that the kingdom of God can be established in Indonesia and the Korean community because our church is here.