Headline Faith / 2 Kings 2:1-11
Contents
Sunday, January 31, 2010 Sermon
Sermon Title: Faith You Know Only with Your Head
Word: 2 Kings 2:1-11
0. Introduction
Today's message is the story of Elijah's ascension. However, I want to focus on the disciple Elisha who was left behind, not the prophet Elijah who ascended to heaven today. In our lives, how do we live the life we have left on this earth rather than the matter of ascending to heaven? I think is a more important issue. After Jesus was resurrected, he ascended to heaven, leaving his disciples behind. How do the disciples who are left behind after the ascended Jesus live with faith? comes to be a more important issue. I sincerely hope that it will be a precious time for us to realize how we should live the life left on this earth through the appearance of Elisha left before Elijah's ascension.
1. Faith to overcome the wounds of rejection
Elijah knew the time of God and prepared for the ascension (verse 1). The final process of preparing for ascension was to look back at the place where he worked. After visiting the disciples in Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho, he crossed the Jordan River and ascended to heaven. If we look at Elijah's work, I think the most meaningful work is the work of raising people as disciples of the Lord. It is important for Korean churches to build magnificent temples, but I hope that they can put their heart into raising people as disciples of the Lord.
As Elijah prepares for ascension, Elisha accompanies him for the last time he tours the ministry. Until Elijah ascended to heaven, things did not go smoothly with Elisha. From Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho, Elijah rejected him every time. Elisha overcame the wounds of rejection and eventually shows that she is receiving a blessing from Elijah. It could be seen that Elijah's refusal was not sincere and tested Elisha's patience. In the first part of verse 9, it says, “As they passed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I will do with you before I am taken from you.” It shows that Elisha became the main character of blessing when he held on to Elijah with patience and followed Elijah despite many rejections.
If you look at the protagonist of God's blessing in the Bible, you can see that they were the children of faith who overcame the wounds of rejection and held on to the Lord until the end. In the Old Testament, Naomi had two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi refused to go to Bethlehem with her daughters-in-law. However, despite Naomi's refusal, Ruth, who followed her mother-in-law until the end, became the protagonist of the blessing. In the New Testament, a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus refused, saying, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). Even after receiving such severe rejection, the Canaanite woman who held on to the Lord, saying, “Even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Her daughter was healed and she became a woman praised for her faith. Before receiving the Lord's blessing, many wounds of rejection may come upon us. However, I hope that those who overcome the wounds of rejection and do not leave with perseverance and hold on to the Lord will eventually become the main characters of blessing.
2. The meaning of seeking double inspiration
Elisha, who was allowed to ask before Elijah's ascension, sought double inspiration. In today's verse 9, the second half says, "Elisha said, "Let the work of your Holy Spirit be on me twice." Regarding the meaning of these words, many people say that Elijah's miracles were performed 7 times, but because Elisha asked for these miracles, he performed 14 miracles and received the correct answer. I think the comparison itself is meaningless. Elijah's miracle has a much larger capacity than Elisha's. Even watching the battle of 850 idol worshipers on Mount Carmel alone, Elijah's scale is magnificent. The incident in which Elijah made it rain through prayer in the entire area of Israel that had been dry for 3 years and 6 months is also of a great scale. I think it is unreasonable to compare only the number of times that miracles have occurred. You should consider not only the number of comparisons, but also the qualitative aspect.
The key point here is what does it mean to seek double inspiration? is that Elisha is not motivated to perform twice as many miracles as his teacher Elijah. Elisha is a confession of humility, acknowledging that she lacks all aspects of her teacher Elijah. In order to maintain as much as Elijah, the teacher, did the work of the Holy Spirit, double the work of the Holy Spirit is necessary. It means that Elisha must receive double the work of the Holy Spirit to carry out the work of Elijah the teacher. It means that you are weak before God. For example, when doing the same work of God, other people may be able to afford it even if they pray for an hour, but they can only afford it by praying for two hours. It is not that it takes twice the inspiration to do twice the work, but twice the grace to be able to minister as much as the master. I sincerely hope that in the new year, through prayer, you will receive double the filling of the Holy Spirit like Elisha and become children who can carry out the work of the Lord.
3. Belief in your head
The most interesting thing in today's sermon is the reaction of the disciples in Jericho. Verse 5 says, “The disciples of the prophets who were in Jericho came to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your teacher over your head today?” Elisha said, “I know it; be still.” They saw Elijah crossing the Jordan River with the hem of his robe and crossing with Elisha (7,8). And he saw Elisha crossing the Jordan River again with the hem of his cloak he had inherited. However, if you look at verses 16 and 17 of today's Word, you are doing something that you can't understand. "And he said to him, "Your servants have fifty valiant men. Let them, please, go and find your master. lest the Spirit of the Lord carry him and throw him on any mountain or into any valley." Elisha said, "Do not let him go." urged him to be ashamed of him, and told him to let him go. And they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days, but they were not found.”
It shows what kind of belief it is to believe only in the head. They did not even believe the word of God that they had spoken and have been searching for Elijah's body for three days. They do not believe in Elijah's ascension, but rather are working hard to find the body. It clearly shows the difference between knowing and believing. It shows how difficult it is to believe God's Word even if we know it. We must not mistake what we know for believing. Knowing becomes what you truly believe when you are born with obedience.
We have to go through the stage of struggling and wrestling, going through the stage of holding on to the boat, and then going to the stage of resting in the boat, so that we can become children of faith who can serve others. When you rest on the boat, you can become God's children who can trust and serve the Lord, not just the faith that you only know with your head.