"What significance will the cross have in connection with the crown? If anything is true, this is true: there will be nothing in heaven that does not have the mark of the cross upon it and has not passed through death and resurrection."

-- A. B. Simpson, The Cross of Christ
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  • 1 Peter 1 "Our Living Hope"
    "We all remember Peter, that disciple that opened his mouth too much with Jesus. Peter later, however, because one of the chief pillars of the early church. Peter and Paul were the two major apostles in bringing the gospel to the Jews (Peter) and Gentiles (Paul). The themes are hope, holiness, and suffering. This letter was mainly to bring encouragement and renewed motivation to live in Godliness no matter what the circumstances"
  • Nehemiah 13 "Cleaning House"
    "When you clean your house do you only have to do it once and then it remains clean? No. There is dirt around here and messy people. It takes a continual maintenance and cleaning. When you take a bath do you only have to do it the first time and then you don't have to bathe anymore? No, we get dirty living in this world. We need to keep on cleaning or we stink and become grotesque. The people had made many promises in chapter 10 of what they were going to do for God and how they were going to live. Unfortunately, when Nehemiah went back to report to the King the people had turned quickly back to the sin and impurity that they had said they would not do. Through God's Word, and spiritual leadership, God's people were going to clean house again. This chapter is about cleaning that which was rebuilt. It is a maintenance process to examine your life, family, church, and leadership to make sure they are according to the standard of purity that God has shown us in His Word. "
  • Nehemiah 11-12 "Rebuilding Together"
    "The work of rebuilding is not something we can do alone. We need God obviously, but we also need one another. There are a few lasting lessons that we can take with us about rebuilding our lives. We are given a reminder of those lessons in these final chapters. The people were now right with God, and together they continued in the day-to-day decisions that made this rebuilding last. Let us be reminded that: Rebuilding Together Needs People. Rebuilding Together Needs Praise. Rebuilding Together Needs Provisions."
II Kings 1-2

2 Kings Chapters 1-2 “Moving the Mantle from Elijah to Elisha”

 

  1. I. Has God Gone? (Chapter 1)

  1. 1. Ahaziah looked for help in all the wrong places
    1. He had a serious problem
    2. He sent for Baal-Zebub to help him
  • People go everywhere except the only place that can actually help them with life’s problems—God.
  1. Psychological theory and the philosophies of man, other religions, witchdoctors, etc.
  • Jeremiah 2:13 “'For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
  • It is because of our lack of understanding who God is. How big is your God?
    • Jeremiah 32:26-27 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
  1. He was rebuked by the prophet Elijah, and would suffer the consequences of not turning to God.
    1. Alcoholics Anonymous Founder Lived a Lie Bill Wilson was the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. For that accomplishment, Time magazine named Wilson one of the Top 100 People of the 20th century. But Wilson never found freedom from his addictive behavior. One author noted that, "Despite his victory over drink, Wilson remained incurably addictive. He chain-smoked himself into terminal emphysema. Even on his death bed, he puffed incorrigibly as he suffocated." Wilson did not drink for the last 37 years of his life, and yet he always craved alcohol. "As he lay dying and semi-delirious, he repeatedly demanded whiskey." Back in 1951, Wilson wrote, "Any way you look at it, it's a problem world." Although he battled the problem of alcohol addiction, he gave in to other obsessions. Wilson was serially unfaithful to his long-suffering wife, Lois. He had innumerable affairs and a long-term mistress with whom he contemplated eloping to Ireland. Despite his program's insistence on "rigorous honesty," Bill Wilson lived a lie.

 

  1. 2. Ahaziah tried to take matters into his own hands
    1. He wanted to bring Elijah back, possibly to make him change his story.
  • This is what we do: either we go to someone or something else besides God, or we try to solve the problem ourselves and use our own strength.
  1. He died according to the word of the Lord
  • The point is that at the end of the day going to God is best.

 

  1. II. Elijah is Taken Up to Heaven (Chapter 2:1-11)

  1. 1. God will take the great men and women away from the ministry when their job is complete (Verses 1-8)
    1. Elisha had been prepared to take Elijah’s place. He wanted to go where the Lord was sending. He wasn’t satisfied to stay and be normal—he wanted more.
    2. The prophets told Elisha that Elijah would be taken. This was meant to be discouraging.
    3. Elisha told them to be quiet. Why? Because God’s work does not stop when His worker is taken away.
  • There is no reason to be discouraged when a man or women of God leaves. God’s work will continue.
  1. Elisha was sharing in the ministry of Elijah. They both crossed the river by a miracle.

 

  1. 2. How do you want to continue the ministry of those great men and women of God?
    1. Elisha wanted a double portion of the Spirit on Elijah. His heart was for the ministry.
  • He didn’t want a double portion of popularity, or a double portion of possessions. He wanted a double portion of the Holy Spirit so he could do the work of the Lord.
  • We have the opportunity to have the power of the Holy Spirit in greater proportion than those men of God. This is because Jesus has the Spirit without measure, and Jesus can baptize us with the Holy Spirit.
    • John 3:34 “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”
    • Acts 1:5 “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
    • Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
  1. Elisha saw the end of this man of God. Elijah had finished the race in style, giving glory to God and leaving a legacy of power.

 

  1. III. Elisha Takes the Mantle (Chapter 2:12-25)

  1. 1. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? (12-18)
    1. Elisha knew that his ministry would be ineffective if The Lord was not there.
  • Today we could ask the same question of many churches and ministries. Where is the Lord? Sadly, many such churches and ministries would continue on as usual if the Holy Spirit left.
  1. The Lord showed Elisha that He was there in the same way that He was with Elijah.
  • It’s the Lords work. And the Lord doesn’t go away!
  1. "And when you have got their mantle, do not waste precious time in lamentations about them any more; get to your business. There is a river in your way; what then? Well, go to the Jordan as the prophet Elisha did, and try to pass it. Say not, 'Where is Elijah?' but 'Where is the Lord God of Elijah?' Elijah is gone, but his God is not; Elijah has gone away, but Jehovah is present, still." (Spurgeon)
  2. People recognized that Elisha was the one who was to replace Elijah.
  • This is a good way to see if you are gifted to do a certain ministry—do people receive from you? Do they see that the Lord as anointed you for the task that you are doing?

 

  1. 2. Elisha immediately entered the ministry—helping others, glorifying God. (19-22)
  • The work of the Lord through you is also proof that you are indeed called to the ministry.

 

  1. 3. Don’t mock God (23-25)
    1. This is a lesson to unbelievers: don’t mock God or the work of God.
  • The ancient Hebrew word translated youths here means young men in a very broad sense. This term applied to Joseph when he was 39 (Genesis 41:12), to Absalom as an adult (2 Samuel 14:21, 18:5), and to Solomon when he was 20 (1 Kings 3:7).
  1. This city was known for its terrible idolatry and rejection of God.