Living as a Prophet

“Living as a Prophet”


Brimfield Faith UMC / February 12, 2012

2 Kings 2:9-15



LEGACIES

My paternal grandmother passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday this week. She was one of those people in my life. I don’t recall many spiritual conversations with her throughout my life. But she was one of those people who exuded the joy of the Lord and prayed. She was a devote Methodist and I have a feeling my calling to ministry and the United Methodist Church. A few years back, she gave me this small little book from my Great-Great-Great Grandpa Lewis. It is The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church from 1847. I didn’t know if for a longtime but Methodism is in my blood. Her body had been failing her for the last couple of years.

She got to meet her only living great-grandson, Caleb this past October. It was a joyous occasion for everyone and one that I will cherish. While her death came as no surprise, her absence on this earth will still be felt. I imagine her rejoicing in heaven with the saints of God. [I also picture her meeting her other great-grandson Jude.] I know that she is [they are] looking down and praying for me, my family and my ministry. I find comfort in that as a true blessing from God.

Everyone has a person in their lives that were formational to their development and to their faith. Whether it was a grandparent, parent, pastor, or someone else, they were integral in us arriving in our current place of faith. We primarily receive blessings from the Lord through people in our lives.



ELISHA

In 2 Kings, we see the model of mentor and disciple. Elijah has been a great prophet who repeatedly stood against the corrupt rulers of his day. He faces off with the prophets of Baal and runs from Jezebel for his life. He does incredible miracles. He predicts droughts and calls the rain forth. He raises a boy from the dead. Elijah is the first prophet to perform such amazing miracles since the time of Moses. Instead of focusing directly on the life of Elijah I want to talk about the passing of the prophetic mantle from Elijah to his disciple Elisha. In 1 Kings 19:19, Elijah upon the prompting of the Lord threw his mantle (his special coat) over the shoulders of Elisha. Immediately, Elisha leaves his work in the field and follows Elijah as his disciple. A close relationship develops and sets up Elisha to receive the blessings and anointing of God.

In 2 Kings 2, we get to see the passing of the mantle and the anointing of a great prophet. As Elijah prepares to be taken up to heaven, he asks Elijah, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” Both of them know the difficulty of this request but they proceed forward with a plan to have the double share passed on to Elisha. As the two are walking, Elisha is the only one to witness the chariot of fire whisk Elijah into heaven. This is the sign that Elisha has received the double portion. He proceeds to go and do even greater miracles than Elijah did.



BLESSINGS

To receive any blessing you need to ask. Elijah first asks what Elisha wants and then Elisha states exactly for what he wants. This reflects words of Jesus in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Very little is ever received without asking or positioning yourselves to receive a blessing. I believe in taking the initiative and asking boldly are biblical principles that leads to blessings.

Over the past year, I have learned to take people up on their offers to help. I don’t pretend to be self-sufficient in the ways I used to be. If you are looking to obtain blessings begin by asking and then position yourself to receive the blessing. Elisha provides a model for what blessings from God to ask for. Therefore, I want to suggest three specific things to ask for that will position you to receive blessings from the Lord.



#1. Ask for the blessing of the Presence of God.

We cannot live into the blessings and favor of God unless we are intimately acquainted with the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit. Elisha knew this to be true. When Elijah throws his mantle on Elisha, Elisha first asks if he can go and give his parents a kiss goodbye. Elijah is kind of miffed by the suggestion. Instead, Elisha takes the yoke of wood, creates a fire, slaughters the oxen he is using to plow the field and offers them as a burnt offering to the Lord. Elisha realizes he has an opportunity to be around the greatest prophet in hundreds of years and he doesn’t want to miss the opportunity. Can you imagine his parents reaction when they find a pile of ashes, the plow and oxen are missing and their son gone? It must have been devastating but Elisha understood the blessings that he was about to receive.

Every blessing begins with a relationship with the Lord. If we want heavenly blessings, position yourself around people that are familiar with the presence of God. The people we spend time with have a great influence on us than we might ever realize. So if you are asking for a mentor, find someone who lives a godly life and lives a life that you desire to emulate. I try to associate myself around these types of people. I have intentional sought out pastors that I respect, that have been effective in their ministries and that live holy lives. This is the type of person that I want to be. Find these people in your own life, stick close by them, and learn from them.

The priestly blessing from Moses captures the importance of the presence of God. “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).



#2. Ask for the blessing of the Power of God.

The blessing power of God is spiritual power. Elijah was the most powerful prophet and was able to amazing miracles because he was in touch with the power of God. Elisha recognizes that spiritual power is key to living in the blessings of God. In order to receive Elijah’s power he needed to have a relationship with Elijah. He wasn’t just a fan of Elijah, or he could not have received the double share that he asked for. In fact, there are other people around when Elijah is swept up by the chariot and they insist upon search the woods for Elijah. Elisha’s relationship allows him to receive the power God.

Spiritual power does not exist for the lone ranger. Elijah had a support system around him in Elisha and others. The same could be said for Elisha. Spiritual power is realized in the context of godly relationships. Godly relationships strengthen you for the journey and difficulties of life. We learn from Scripture that d “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven… if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:18-20). To receive and keep the blessings of God we need both the power and protection of God. That comes through the filling the Holy Spirit and through the support of others other Spirit-filled people around us.



#3. Ask for the blessing of the Provision of God.

After the mantle has been passed to Elisha, his first miracle is one of provision. In 2 Kings 4, he multiplies the oil of a widow and her son in order to provide for their material needs. Blessings often come in the form of material wealth and provision. It is okay to pray for blessings both material and spiritual. Sometimes we shy away from praying for the material because we feel selfish or worldly. While there are certainly limits, I believe that God wants to bless us financially. With financial blessing, we can learn generosity, experience love and live out of abundance.

The provision of God also comes in the form of spiritual wisdom. When Solomon becomes the King of Israel, the Lord gives him one request, one blessing. Solomon asks for wisdom. God says he has chosen well. And the kingdom of Israel prospers because of his decision.

Spiritual wisdom unlocks the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of God. George Washington Carver, born a slave in 1864, followed the model of Solomon. He believed that science could unlock the secrets of the universe. He considered his laboratory “God’s little workshop.” First he asked God to reveal to him the secrets of the universe. God replied that those were too great, but he said that he would unlock the secrets of the peanut. Carver learned the secrets of the peanuts and discovered over 300 uses of the peanut. God longs to pour our material and spiritual provision to those who are bold enough to ask.



BLESS YOURSELF & GIVE THEM AWAY

As I touched on at the beginning, mentors and mature Christians are positioned well to pass on the blessings of God because they are living in those blessings. If we are positioned properly we can receive a double share from the Lord through those close to us. Mature Christians should be to make it possible for others to stand on the shoulders of those who will follow them. The goal of a mentor is to train the disciple to exceed their success.

Once you have begun to discover and receive the blessings of God, it is time to give them away. In order to give them away, you must know who to speak them over yourself. Once you have mastered that, you are positioned to mentor others and impart to them the blessings of God. Ultimately, God wants us to be like both Elisha and Elijah. We should strive to stand on the shoulders of our mentors and then create the opportunity for others to stand on our shoulders. That is the goal of receiving and giving the blessings of God.

To conclude, there are words and Scriptures of blessing on the backside of your sermon outline. I want you take a few minutes and write a blessing over yourself. Speak to the presence, the power, the protection and the provision of God. Speak to the vision you have of your life. Speak the words of the Lord. Then when you get home, take time this week to write a blessing for someone else. Send it in a card, an email, a Facebook post, or simply speak it. The blessings of the Lord unlock our destiny and our potential. It’s time to open the door.