Burn the Plows: The Call of Elisha, Part 2

Today on summit like an important challenge from Pastor Jamie Greer all going. This is to get you a hot goalie can face see what your lives can be… Anointing.com power… A double portion of the anointing, the greater things that Jesus promised that only come bold acts of faith only, leave it all behind film, surrender, sacrifice and service. When you think about it, decisions in life are reversible to choosing a college. For example, if you don't like it. After a semester or two you could please transfer the same thing goes for your career where you choose to live or even what color to paint the living room walls but today Pastor Jamie talks about one decision needs to be all in no holds barred, and no going back clear in a series called something greater if you miss any of the previous messages you can find JD clear.com right now. Let's get started yesterday titled this message.

Burn the plows to call Elisha birthdays ID number. God told Elijah that he would raise up another profit after him, summer sightseeing, so he Elijah departed from there he found Elisha the son of subplot was plowing with 12 yoke of oxidant front of him and he was with the 12 Elijah passerby and cast his cloak upon him, which admittedly is a little weird druthers of the motor that I got arrested Thursdays cloak was a symbol of your vocation was a symbol of your authority to the calling of Elijah is being offered to Elisha: that's pretty exciting right. Well, sort of, but Elijah, if you've always wanted man.

He was not rich. Elisha is being called watch this write this down from a life of luxury to one of poverty and danger. Watch how he responds first 2011.

The oxen, and ran after Elijah said let me kiss my father and mother. Then I will follow you and he said to him, go back again for what about W which is just the Hebrew figure of speech meaning. What I've heard. You want to. Elisha left him and went back to his yoke of oxen and slaughter them.

He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat gave people may so he tells the oxen and the uses of the feed report is community one ox, by the way would've said a family of five for a year and a house to 24 oxen.

This would've been an epic cease three things characterize Elisha's response and believe it or not. This is where the invitation to something greater always begins. Write this down number one the path to something greater goes through the valley of surrender, sacrifice and service surrender, burning his plow irrevocably handing in his resignation as CEO of Elisha Farms.

What happens whenever God calls you always what you do it I'm humbling and some of you are there now you complain about your career you have. Nobody recognizes the talents I got how to live and be given the opportunities. Why am I still stuck in this place, the better question is are you faithful in the place of God's place to because whenever God use somebody greatly. He always humbles them and breaks them down and I know you don't like being there. I don't like being there either. But the way up in Christianity is the way down and this time for you is crucial and if you will not excel in the areas that God is giving you to be a sermon to watch me will never excel as a prophet. If you can be a good student, you can be a good employee. You can be you can be up and saw her daughter never to make a mighty prophet of God. You gotta learn to serve God alone to wash feet for God makes you into something that you want you to be so we always put you through a time of humbling so quit complaining about where God's place to start focusing on you being faithful in the place that God is put you honor God with all your heart and the little things and in due time he will lift you up. He always does see the path to greatness starts with the towel in the washing of feet Jesus would actually take this upper-level mark a verse 34 calling the crowd to him with his disciples. He said to them if anyone would come after me, let him deny that were church TO say what is himself and take up his cross and follow me deny your self means total abandonment of your life. The God notice that Jesus did not say that money or deny illicit sex, or even denies sin. He said deny your self-denying your self means say no to all that you want from life so that you can say yes to all that God wants from the point of this is not that all of you were supposed to resign your jobs like Elisha or even that you're all supposed to give away your money. The point is that if you follow Jesus.

Nothing can be off-limits to him. No area in which you say no God I'm not going to obey you.

There God you cannot have that to see what I hear most often people talk about Jesus and how he helps them achieve their potential in their best life now.

The thing about the apostles. It was like for them. Fox's book of martyrs says that every single one of the apostles. All of them. One exception.a martyrs death.

Are you really following Jesus or had you turn Jesus into someone that meet your needs and makes a life that is focused on yourself will become true because of the big difference in being a follower of Jesus and using Jesus self-centered life on the path to something greater begins in the Valley of surrender, sacrifice and service number two. The possibilities of something greater are realized only two bold acts of faith, the possibilities of something greater or realize only two bold acts of a verse 21 tells us that Elisha burned the plow usually tell you my Scripture verse 21 then he arose and went after Elijah means Elijah last two years Elisha he's burning this plow he's feeding the people as I. Where were logical. He took over that mountain to Elisha's got a run after not even sure vision of finding there's an abandonment.

You see there's an all or nothing to Elisha's response was of this is for Mark Batterson's new book on February 1915 19, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez set sail for Mexico with an entourage of 11 ships 13 soldiers hundred and sailors and 553 soldiers. The indigenous population. Upon his arrival was approximately 5 million from a purely mathematical standpoint, the odds were stacked against him by a ratio of 7541 to 12 previous expeditions had failed to even establish a settlement in the New World. Yet Cortez conquered much of the South American continent. What Cortez is reported to have done. After landing is an epic tale now of mythic proportions, the issue an order.

Some of you are this be issued an order upon his arrival to burn the ships as his crew watch their fleet of ships burning sink base soberly came to terms with the fact that retreats would never be an option now I realize that the murdering and pillaging the Cortez would do is morally repugnant and completely indefensible. But if you could compartmentalize that for just a minute. There is a lesson to be learned from what Cortez did their nine times out of 10's failure is resorting to plan B when plan a gets too risky, too costly or too difficult. That's why most people are living there.

Plan B because they didn't burn the ships plan a people. The people who achieve something greater will have a Plan B if plan a or bust. They'd rather crash and burn going after what God is told of the do and they would succeed anything else. Some of you need to act boldly in face, according to what God has told you so you got soldiers going first mission trip next year. You go ahead and figure out a time. All that you can take and request for your job and you start raising money, there's always risk involved in following Jesus, there's always the feeling word Elijah go. I don't know if this is gonna work out, Jesus told his Fairpoint on the agreement averted before the master of three service. He left home gold we we we signaled talents.

Many roads mean is it's like a bulbar beloved gold Meiners with you, up to 15111 and the master goes away comes back and the guy led to and invested it and produced a more got a five made five more now that one would know what to do. So we buried it when he came back is okay.

I was scared. I thought about invested I might lose it and I don't want to lose your money because I knew that you get angry about that. So here's your one back to look at what what what Jesus called that servant. This is very sobering: wicked, not foolish, not squandering, not wasteful, not you know lazy, wicked what he needless in this what he means is that if your life is not characterized by bold risk of faith your wicked servant following Jesus always involves risk and always involves bold acts of faith. So take the risk obey the impulse college soon as you got soldiers overseas for two years use need to do it and yeah I know it's risky, but if you're not feeling that fear of risk profit. I really following Jesus. Let me say something was fast toward Elisha's life 18 years. I go to 17 chapter 2 now for beverages for biogeography or find a sinking shopper to 18 years he's been the coffee boy birthday. Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water and the water was parted to the one side into the other to the two of them could go over on dry ground when they crossed Elijah said. Elisha asked whatever I can do for you before and taken from you. And Elisha said please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me. That's a pretty bold request.

So Elijah said you asked a hard thing yet.

Here's a deal if you see me be taken from you, it will be so for you but if you do not see me.

It will not be so. And as they went still on and taught bold chariots of fire and horses of fire separated to Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven and Elisha saw it and he cried. My father, my father chariots of Israel and its horsemen as if Elijah had not seen them come and that he saw him no more right to coolest death of her right yes but there's more than Elijah, Elisha took hold of his own close and he tore them into pieces. And they took up a cloak of Elijah Witte fallen from him, went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan of this is the moment of truth. We asked for double portion of Elijah's spirit to die Cloak and remember how they got displaces the Logix with the water soak watch is a cloak and he got his hand is out of the water because her swirl and it is like liger goes boom. It's not the river supports up standpoint wall either side of his abyssal secret passageway.

The middle he walks across in other words, Elisha got what he asked if I could you count the number of miracles that Elijah did its 14 count the number of miracles, Elisha did its 28th two number two got exactly what he asked for because, listen to this. He didn't hold anything back. If I'd writes of them. I did them. Elisha got what he asked for because he didn't hold anything back.

The greatest blessings of faith come only from bold moves of faith shall account here and I see that for many of you, your lives could be so much more doing a good life. Your decent person you're making money but you not make it an eternal difference for anybody.

You can have an eternally significant life if you do that you gotta act boldly you burn the ship she got in fast that Mina that you keep plowing the field here 24 oxen. If you want but you just might be forfeiting 28 miracles what your life could be all of you. Not a few of you all you want, your lives could be.

It's not Elijah's cloak that you been offered something more. Jesus is cloak that was offered to you what I say that is what Jesus meant when he stood on the Mount of olives and he said all authorities were given to me in heaven and earth go in my name asked whatever you want now given to you that Jesus would even say this to protect this greater works than I have done you will do just that is that the repetition of the promise to Elisha greater that I greater euphoric greater Jesus raise that is how you do a greater working that greater means greater in number. Elijah 14 became 28 with Elisha what Jesus meant was that you and I would take the power of the resurrection and the places that Jesus would never step foot on earth we would carry him and the families that are broken. The Jesus didn't get a chance to speak you personally can we would see his power come through our live your lives could be so much more to be eternally significant because he has given you his authority to set the captives free, is giving you his authority to release people from spiritual blindness and spiritual depth to give them the word that would forgive their sins can give them an entire inheritance in heaven. He's given you got authority starting with your family extending to your friends come in all nations of the earth, and you can settle for 24 oxen. If you want, but it's 28 miracles of God is called visitors to now sometime back boldly. Number three final the power to pursue something greater is found in the heavenly vision the power to pursue something greater is found in the heavenly vision. Elisha saw a vision of Elijah being taken up to heaven.

It was terrifying in all the paintings have ever seen of this get it wrong.

In my humble but accurate. The okay so when I was eight years old. The church that I was a part of didn't want the greatest things ever and they replace the few Bibles in front of general appears to be fewer ventures like that they replace with these big deluxe KJV Bible that had all these oil paintings of all these Bible saints, and I can remember the picture that went along with this with the sea is a picture of life Elijah in the chariot as long you're rich later haircut a slap in the breeze. There is Roby's got the chair get things right here. He feels like Val Kilmer and chariots of fire looks like a scene out of the hunger games or something.

If you you and so a white billowy puffy clouds the source of the heaven images look like that's an awesome way to go totally wrong.

This is a terrifying thing is a tornado, there's fire is every time in the Bible that kind of stuff shows up. People die when God came onto Mount Sinai became the exact same way. Fire and tornado in God set up a perimeter around the mountain so if you step foot across a printer, you will die here is Elisha watch this seeing I see that should kill it.

We know that because he cares his close which means he thinks is about to die yet.

Instead, watch this, of being killed by the sea.

He sees Elijah lifted up on top of it and in that moment he saw a prefiguration of Christ.

You see, when Jesus died. There was lightning and thunder is the fire of God's justice was poured out in the Jesus body.

That's why the cross was what it was because God was executing his justice against our sin is righteous route for your sin was being poured onto the head of Jesus, but we like Elisha see someone ascend into heaven alive on top of the judgments that what we see is greater than what Elisha saw. We see Jesus risen from the dead, ascended to God's right hand ever living to make intercession for us.

Elisha got a pale glimpse of what Jesus would one day do as he soared on top of judgment and is the judgment that was intended for Elisha was spared from him. We see that in Jesus.

Elisha saw that and realized he was safe. We see that in Jesus and realize we're safe.

And Elisha let that vision become for sustaining motivation leave everything by doing door.

No amount of prior notes of small amount of of sacrifice and persecution to faithfully do all that God had told him to do that vision became what empowered him this vision of seeing Jesus lifted up seeing him as the one who we now possess the one who makes intercession for us. Seeing him as our treasure. That's what gives us the ability to go to the Simcoe surrender the sacrifice in the service of the cross because we see in Christ something better that we obtain anything that we lead by the most short parable Jesus ever told a telltale dog is like my favorite one is so short and so forming. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a man whose walk along the field, discovers a treasure and hides it in for joy goes out and sells everything he has to buy that field parables a lot packed in it. It's entertaining to me because Jesus is parables says best ones a lot of times of shady characters in them like this one.

Here's a guy thing about this guy walking through a field stubbed his toe motor little box ticking on the grounds we uncovered. It's a big box opens up as a treasure.

It's a treasure of NS collapsible value. It's got your Justin Bieber surely sweated into a concert in the thing and he's like oh my gosh this is like awesome what you he knows the guy who owns a field would you do what the right thing to do. You tell your NFL thing in your field. You know, let us all know he buries it he hides it goes out to the guy to his buddy and says hey man by your field and I was like why, no matches alike. It feels mature.

You just all of it. You know, just as it's been my family for years. I want to sell it guys and I just I really want this field. I give you a price USO.quotes an astronomical price before you put the price out of his mouth as a guide also runs out in cell. Jesus says everything which is everything I'm assuming he means everything he sells is to know is is house he sells his property he sold his investments. He sells his chariot he sells his friends of the inside whatever he does he sells everything the two words that defined all parable of the words for joy is everything that I own got taken away from you tomorrow. I would be sad but it doesn't say for sadness.

He got rid of everything is for joy because the joy that he had and what he was obtaining was greater by 10,000 times in anything. He was giving up and she said that's what Fannie Mae is like finding me means you discover in me something that is so more much more viable than anything you say no to water so you gladly pick up the cross. You gladly get on the path of surrender, sacrifice and service, not because of the way your best life now, but it is the way to me and I'm better see what Jesus called what he offers when he calls followers listen, this is all him for all you that's the only deal.

Jesus will make all of him for all of you. It's a pretty good deal because you come to Jesus with all your sin all your corruption with the sentence of L rate upon your head and he takes all of that and you get all him to get his promises forever to get him as your possession forever.

That's a good deal.

It's all him for all of you.

Have you ever come to a place for you. Did that reason Jesus is all calling me. The only thing that I require because you are my possessive and that power becomes a power to pick up a towel and wash feet to become the power to forgive becomes a power sacrifice to become the power to go where God tells you to go when you want to go. We tell you to go once upon you. Some cut across that you suffer if you do it gladly, because you do it. Would Jesus see the whole goal in this is to get you to act boldly conveys to see what your life can be so much more… Of anointing.com power that doubles portion of the anointing, the greater things that Jesus promised they only come to bold acts of faith only, leave it all behind me only, surrender sacrifice concerns to surrender in all, we may have different roles all called to be surrender discernment you're listening to Senate life.

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