Be Ready Like Elisha & Find Your Calling – Life Is a Journey, part 34
What is God calling you to do? This message explores important questions about your faith and commitment to God. Will you say yes today?
Through this series, you’ll learn how to live well & enjoy God's promises. You are loved by God; He knows your name. He has a plan for your life. Get helpful advice, encouragement, and hope for a life well lived in 2021 and beyond.
Are you walking in faith and victory? Set your eyes on the promises of God. You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus.
God has a plan for you; be ready.
ELISHA HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS COMING, BUT HE WAS READY!
The truth that life is a journey is an attitude we all need to embrace every day. Each day we make decisions that affect our present and future journey in life. We may not always have the luxury to decide when or where to make those decisions. At times, we have to make those types of decisions when we least expect to.
In truth every decision we make can be life changing. We don’t always have time to plan a response, and sometimes we need to be ready to make those decisions at a moment’s notice. The story of Elisha is that kind of situation.
Elisha was a person who was busy with life. He was actively working. I don’t believe Elisha had any idea what was about to happen. Elisha’s life was about to change and he needed to decide what he would do.
Suddenly, Elisha was at a crossroads not of his choosing. Due to no fault of his own, Elisha needed to make a decision and he was ready.
The Lord knew Elisha’s heart. Elisha was one of the 7,000 that had not bowed down to worship Baal (1 Kings 19:18).
The call of God on Elisha’s life was not on Elisha’s radar. The ministry of Elijah was coming to an end and, unknowingly, Elisha was going to be God’s chosen person to replace him on the world’s stage.
Did Elisha have any idea what was going to happen that day? No, I doubt it!! But his heart was ready.
Did Elisha know Elijah was the prophet of God? I believe he did.
‘So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant’ (1 Kings 19:19-21, NIV).
Fearful Elijah was used by God
Let me give you a bit more background information on Elijah, Elisha’s mentor. You may know already, but Elijah was used by God to confront King Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 17-19). God also used Elijah to confront and defeat 450 prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel. Elijah called down fire from heaven and the people proclaimed that the Lord is God. Prior to that, God used Elijah to prophecy a famine and drought over the land.
Despite all this, the people still remained in spiritual rebellion towards God. Ahab and Jezebel were leading the people in the worship of idols all across the land. Jezebel was having the prophets of God killed and even after the great spiritual victory at Mt. Carmel, Elijah was fearful of Jezebel and he went into hiding for a time.
Think about it, God—through Elijah—just demonstrated the power of God over the prophets of Baal. Elijah is God’s man of the hour and now he is running for his life because Jezebel threatens him. Elijah runs away to Horeb and God asks him what he’s doing there.
That question is important because fear had griped Elijah’s heart. Elijah was focused inward rather than focusing of God almighty and walking in faith. God will reveal himself to Elijah in a manner that may have been new to Elijah. Not in a powerful wind or earthquake. Not in a fire. But rather in a quiet whisper. That’s right: God revealed himself to Elijah in a quiet whisper.
Elijah responds and comes out from hiding in a cave but he still responds to God as he had before. Elijah has a “poor me” attitude and is allowing fear to dictate his actions. By thinking and saying that he alone is the only one left, Elijah was saying that he alone was the only one standing up for God. The only one who had not worshiped Baal. Elijah lacked vision and faith in God at that moment and focused on those who were out to kill him.
It is here that God commissions Elijah to go and anoint three people, and one of them is Elisha.
God will use these three individuals to confront the evil of the day. Elijah will still be used by God for a time. Elijah obeys God and anoints the three individuals and learns that he is not alone in serving God Almighty.
Are you actively engaged and ready like Elisha?
God knows the hearts of people. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
God also knew the heart of Jacob and Esau before they were born. God knew Esau would despise his birthright. God knew Jacob would desire the things of God and serve the Lord. Jesus also knew that one of his disciples, Judas, would betray him.
Elisha has no idea about what was about to happen, but God did. Elisha finds himself at a crossroads in his life journey. A time of decision.
Understand, Elisha was part of a wealthy family. They had so much land that it required twelve pairs of oxen to plow the fields; they had enough servants to work the twelve plows. That’s a lot of land and wealth.
Elisha, using the twelfth set of oxen and plowing himself rather than simply supervising, also speaks to the kind of person Elisha was. Elisha was not afraid of hard work. He was preparing the soil for planting. He worked alongside of the servants. In other words, he did not see himself as being superior to the servants. Elisha was focused on the job at hand and suddenly Elijah comes and throws his cloak around Elisha.
Elisha understands what just happened and he turns away from the plow and runs after Elijah. Elijah did not try to convince Elisha to follow him. Elisha had to run after Elijah. Elisha needed to make a decision right then and there as to what he was going to do.
We find the same is true of Jesus calling some of his disciples.
‘As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him’ (Matthew 4:18-22).
‘As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him’ (Matthew 9:9).
Friends, often God will call and use people who are actively engaged in a work of some kind to do great things in the kingdom of God. Here, we find God calls and uses fishermen, a tax collector, and a person with two hands on a plow to work in the kingdom of God.
Are you totally committed to God?
God will take a person with any background and will mold and train that person to be the exact person for the job. The everyday tax collector and fisherman were being instructed and taught by Jesus to be fishers of men.
Then, at the appointed time, they are used by God to spread the Gospel and point others to faith in Christ. Elisha will be a servant and student under Elijah, and at the appointed time God will use Elisha to confront idolatry and point people to God. God will use Elisha to do miracles. To heal some, to raise a boy back to life, to provide for a widow and her family, to defeat an enemy of Israel and much more. Elisha may never have been used by God if he had decided to keep plowing and ignore the call of God on his life.
God used Elisha to stand up for God in difficult situations and confront the enemy of God. Elisha’s journey in life changed because of his decision to follow God through Elijah. Elisha was called to be a prophet of God in a time where the people of God were living in rebellion towards God. Elisha was making a life decision without any details or promises in the natural.
When Elijah was about to be taken up in a chariot of fire, Elisha refused to leave Elijah’s side. Elisha was totally committed to Elijah and God.
In 2 kings 2 you will find Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind but Elisha refused. Each time Elisha says “I won’t leave you”. Elisha had made a commitment to both Elijah and God and he was not about to change now. Elisha was committed to the call of God for the remainder of his life. When it is time for Elijah to be taken away, Elijah asks Elisha, “what can I do for you”? Elisha asks for a double portion of his spirit. I believe Elisha understood that what he needed was the power and presence of God in his life if he was to accomplish all that God had for him to do. Elisha had no idea of what was ahead but he knew he could not go it alone and in his own strength.
When God called Abram, all Abram knew was that he was to leave the country and go to the place God was leading him. When Moses was called by God, he was tending sheep in the desert. A bush started to burn and was not being consumed and Moses goes to check it out. Moses, like Abram, did not have any real instructions or details of what was ahead.
Abram, Moses, the disciples, Elisha and many others down the ages have all needed to trust God and leave behind the safety and the profession they once knew to follow and obey the call of God in their life without many details regarding the future.
Do you walk in faith?
Elisha sought and received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elisha will do twice as many miracles as Elijah. But this never would have happened without Elisha saying yes to God. Elisha needed to trust Elijah and God from this time forward. Remember, Elisha was not given any promises or details when Elijah called him.
Truth is, God doesn’t give a lot in details when he calls or saves a person.
Too many details might just scare you.
Too much information may cause you to stop, wonder and worry.
You may think that you need to plan and know all the details before you say yes to God.
How do you say yes without details? How can you plan if you don’t have all the information? You can’t.
A person lacking details must move ahead in faith. They need to trust God. God doesn’t expect you to have all the answers. He does.
What God calls us to do, is to obey and walk in faith.
I believe Elisha knew the heart of God. Elisha didn’t need to pray, he would obey. Elisha did not need to ask others around him if he should walk away from everything he has worked so hard for to follow Elijah. He answered the call of God immediately because he knew and trusted God with all his heart
A person who doesn’t know Jesus as savior, and is moved in their spirit by God’s holy Spirit, will know in their heart they can trust Jesus. They don’t know what the immediate future holds for them. Tomorrow isn’t even on their radar. They may feel spiritually overwhelmed at the moment. God has just spoken to their spirit and the cares of the world are lifted off their shoulders.
You may not know much, except that God has saved and called you, and you can drop everything to follow Jesus.
Much like Elisha, some pastors were busy studying other subjects in college when God called them into the ministry.
Some were in very good professions and making a lot of money and God calls them out of that lifestyle to go into the ministry.
Others were called out of a lifestyle of drugs to enter the ministry.
Still others were called by God to stay where they are and live a lifestyle of faith and to give financially to the work of the kingdom.
The one thing they each have in common is they said yes to the call of Jesus. Sadly, not everyone says yes. However, the people who do say yes, will often do so in faith, almost immediately.
Do you trust God even when you don’t have all the details?
Elisha answered straight away and he followed after Elijah. Elisha’s decision to go and kiss his father and mother goodbye was out of love and respect. It was out of a heart of compassion. Going back to his parents was not a way of stalling for time to decide. Elisha already knew in his heart what he was going to do. But what Elisha did next was a sign of determination to follow Elijah and the call of God on his life.
Elisha sacrifices the two oxen, burns the plow and uses it for fuel to cook the meat and to bless those in his life before he goes with Elijah.
Elisha chose to shut the door to his previous life journey. Elisha did not have a plan B if serving Elijah didn’t work out. Elisha was 100% committed with answering the call of God on his life. There was no turning back in his mind. Things may become difficult, but turning away from following God was not something he would ever consider.
Elisha burned the plow, indicating that there was no going back. Elisha answered the call of God and will be used by God and God will receive all the Glory. He does so without knowing all the details.
Peter makes a decision to step out of the boat, I am sure it was without thinking and without knowing all the details. Peter walked on water for a moment when Jesus answered Peter and told Peter to come. It was only when Peter looked down and realized that what he was doing was physically impossible, that he began to sink.
When we answer the call of God, we must keep our eyes on Jesus and walk in faith and not doubt. We won’t have all the details at times.
All you can do is take a step of faith and trust God knowing he has called you to do something even when you don’t have all the information. What will you do?
I am not saying everyone is called to full-time ministry, but each of us is called to represent Jesus to those around us. I am not saying we blindly do something without knowing God is directing the call to step out in faith. As Christians, as servants and children of God in a world that is often hostel to the Gospel message, we will need to take steps of faith without knowing all the details.
You may not experience a physical cloth mantel being put on your shoulders such as Elisha did and, by that action, know God is calling you. You can sense in your spirit that God is doing something in you.
Will you say yes?
The question is: Will you respond? Will you say yes?
The call of God is different for each person and yet, in another manner, it is the same. The call of service might be different. But the call to follow and obey is real and the same for every believer. God, by the Holy Spirit, doesn’t do any hard selling. There is no forced decision time. The decision to obey is up to each person.
I was moved one Sunday and asked Jesus into my heart. I had no idea of what was to happen after that. All I knew was that my sins were forgiven and I felt like a new person. I continued to attend church and went to church every time the doors opened.
God used those times to grow me in the Lord. Men of character, the pastor, the youth pastor all spoke into my life seeing that my parents did not attend church. A year or so later I felt impressed to go to the altar and pray. Now I have gone to the altar many times over the course of several years because I felt God was doing something in my heart. I wanted to obey God. I want to always be submissive to God.
To live that way, you need to be spiritually sensitive and be ready to respond when the Spirit of God moves in your heart.
On a Sunday evening, I felt impressed that God wanted me to go into the ministry. I was not from a churched family. I still had much to learn. There were things in my life that I needed to let go of and turn from. I did not know all the details of how my life would go but I was going to trust God and, after High school, I joined the Navy and had plans to attend Bethany Bible college using the GI bill.
I almost stayed in the Navy. I enjoyed my time and I advanced in rank. In less than three years I advanced to being a second-class Petty officer and was on my way to taking the test and advance once again. But when it came time to reenlist, I knew in my heart that I was called into the ministry and chose to attend Bible College. I remained in the Navy reserves for several years while in college but later was discharged.
It would be almost 21 years before I entered fulltime ministry. During and after college I worked in newspapers. I had not found a position in a church. No doors were opened to me so I helped several churches as a non-paid staff person over the course of 20 years.
Then one day I had a decision to make. I was asked if I would take a full-time position with a church as a family life pastor. I would be taking a big pay cut going into the ministry. Margaret and I were already married several years now and if I took the position with the church, it was a kind of burning the plow and following God. Well, we burnt the plow and followed God. I turned down a large pay increase that was offered me to stay with the paper.
We did not know all the details in front of us, but we decided to take a leap of faith and trust God. He has never let us down.
Things were not easy at times, but God has always watched over us and our family. Fifteen years ago, the Lord opened the door and called us to be the pastors of Faith Chapel.
What is the Lord calling you to do? Will you answer the call and say yes Lord? You may not know all the details. You may need to walk away from a comfortable lifestyle. You may need to say no to some things and yes to others, but I can assure you that you will never regret saying yes to God.
Did you know that God chose you and appointed you to bear fruit that will last (John 15:16)?
He has a plan for you. To bless you and not harm you, and as you say yes to Jesus and obey him, you will be used by God to point others to the kingdom of God.
God will receive all the Glory as you trust him along life’s journey. Be ready. He will call you to great things for the kingdom of God. No matter your age or your position in life.
For some today it might be the call to ask Jesus to be savior. For others, a call to return to God. For others, it may be simply to share your testimony. To someone it might be to give or increase your giving to the Lord and support a ministry God has placed on your heart. In faith tell him yes Lord and follow his leading.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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This and other sermons brought to you by Faith Chapel, an Assemblies of God church in Pleasanton, CA.