Burn the Plows: The Call of Elisha

JD Greer Elisha looks it is like this.

Is this all there is. I'm going to hopefully be a little bit richer than I was when I started to leave it to my son is taking over for me in the time he forgot is that it in there something more in there something greater if you ever come to a point where you entertain that thought for you ask, is really this is this really all there is the Bible teaching ministry of pastor, author and legend JD Greer. I'm your host Molly that events most of us would say that we want to be used by God. Today JD is challenging us to consider whether or not we are really willing to take up our cross and follow where ever God leads. That's a whole different Christian were beginning the second half of our two-part teaching series called something better something greater. As we wrap up first cane where shifting our focus from the prophet Elisha to his protégé Elisha Pastor JD title this message burn the plow.

The call of Elisha Morgan to pick up where we left off as Eli job passes the baton to Elisha's first Kings chapter 19, the goal of Elisha is pretty extreme and really look at what God asked of him. But if Elisha could see what he was being offered. I must say that he would've taken it a thousand times over. Elisha had a good life but God was calling him to something greater. What I want to try to show you is that you are offered the exact same thing. Elisha was given as an example prototype of how Jesus calls you. God has a plan for your life. A plan that is beyond anything that you have ever ask or imagine or dreamed was possible for your life it's something greater then the planets are on right now, but it is going to cost you everything when you see today is that following God means an abandonment of our entire lives to God. She a lot of us got interested in God because it seemed like God could add something that we were missing some missing piece so we came to God as we needed peace in our lives that we needed. We need to help when we were in trouble.

We needed comfort when we were worried.

We need a stable foundation for families in need of forgiveness for our sins.

We need an assurance that when we die would be taken care of and we go to heaven things are all great there all valid reasons to come to God. See you don't come to God just to get services from you. Those things if anything should make you realize that God needs to be the center of your life, Jill, garlic and vending machine to get certain things out of hand you come on a wholly different basis. Think of it like this in the year 1530 2B astronomer Nicholas Copernicus challenged the long-held belief that the earth was the center of the universe see people watch how the sun seem to travel to the sky, the stars in the sky may assume naturally that it must be to be Earth's, here, sit by itself and everything just goes around it, and Copernicus said no that's that's an illusion. It's actually the earth is what's moving in its it is moving around us. The sun were not an earth centered solar system were right heliocentric a sun centric solar system.

Each of us needs to have a Copernican revolution of the soul.

You most of us view the world use eccentric weight. Shower born come out.

Think about me when we decide to follow Jesus. It's mainly because we think that he can add something to our lives. So I had to get him in the right orbit in my life. There are certain things I just can accomplish without it, and so on our list of priorities is to come second or third or you think you're following Jesus, but in actuality all you daughters invited him to follow you is a huge difference in those two things watch how God calls Elisha bursting's 19 member. God told Elijah that he would raise up another prophet after him.

In verse 19. So he Elijah departed from there he found Elisha the son of subplot. It was plowing with 12 yokes of yoke of oxen in front of him and he was with the 12 Elijah passing by and cast his cloak upon him first thing you should notice here is that Elisha was rich while I knew that well he's got at least 24 oxen welfare. Think of oxen like cars, a middle-class family in that day would've had one Elisha had 24, and all the latest models of oxen. Although you have the support models of oxen collectors edition oxen sport utility oxen yet all of my notice that it says that he was in line behind the 12 Sabbath are all here is what is that mean means that he's got servants who are plowing with the other 11 prayer he lives in a place called the Abell manhole, which in English we would translate as the dancing meadow. The area was known as the breadbasket of Israel's little fertile area right along the Jordan River. It was the best land in all of the country of Israel, so he lives in the best possible place. He owes a huge tract of land. He's got servants. He's got a collection oxen. These rich but maybe maybe he was restless.

Maybe he had some nagging sense of of on fulfillment. I realize that the majority of your a lot of you release that I'm talking to are pretty young maybe you haven't had the experience yet that some people have as they get older where they begin to accomplish some things are set up accomplish what they look at their lives and they say is that it's Elisha looks at his likenesses. Is this all there is.

I'm going to you hopefully be a little bit richer than I was when I started to leave it to my son, is to take over for me and that I was gonna die me for God is that it in there something more in there something greater you ever come to a point where you entertain that thought were you ask is really this is this really all there is where Elijah walks up to women without a word he throws his cloak around him which admittedly is a little weird druggist of the motor that I got arrested. In those days 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 he was on the run for his life. He will try to kill and he lived in caves on God fed him by having him live with widows and their children and and and they give you handouts. Sometimes I would feed them to Courier ravens Messiah dried up creek beds. Elisha is being called watch this write this down for the life of luxury to one of poverty and danger.

Elisha is being called from a life of luxury to one of poverty and to danger. Watch how he responds. Verse 20 he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said let me kiss my father and mother that I will follow you and he said to him, go back again for one of IW which is just the Hebrew figure of speech meaning.

What I've heard. You get about it. You gotta what Elijah said that verse 20 wants Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughter them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat gave people may so he kills the oxen and he uses them to feed the poor in his community. One ox, by the way would've fed a family of five for a year and 1/2 to 24 oxen. This would've been an epic feast and incidentally this is where the vision for the Golden corral was born right here. I somebody by the way gave my family very graciously.

A gift card to the Golden corral and also about four weeks ago we went for their Saturday breakfast and I don't think Bob is ever been to Golden corral. That was the first time some dull growl and is were you were leaving my seven-year-old daughter Allie were walking out she said one of the nurses as well. I think we can all agree that was the greatest restaurant ever so really what lies at Allie. She said dad chocolate fountain jog around so her birthday was this week she turned eight years old and she epic restaurant just where we went this week so I Golden corral. This is where it comes from your bursting's 19 Lavinia burns his plow, so is no turning back with something to fall back on. You can do it again. Look at verse 21.

Many arose whenever Elijah became a servant. He was the CEO and now he's an unpaid intern is an assistant that he went around following Elijah making coffee for him. It went from calling the shots to make a coffee and copies. 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 of something greater goes through the valley of surrender, sacrifice and service the path to something greater always goes through the valley of surrender, sacrifice and service but little things one at a time. Surrender. Surrender burning his plow irrevocably handing in his resignation as CEO of Elisha Farms. He literally cooked his old way of life and had it for dinner. Elijah was his master.

Now there was no plan B there was nothing to fall back on.

He was all in. There was nowhere to go anymore except after Elijah sacrifice what had been his foundation, his oxen, his delight is treasurer source. His 401(k) was now the means by which he blessed others and fed the people in his community that significant because it showing you a different view that he has for what he possesses, and what it's there for service third thing I think about how much is life-changing today what he was the CEO for me in the top guy to be in the assisted the unpaid assistant went from calling the shots to making coffee and copies imagine what I was like for his parents what your son do now when it's Elijah breakfast mixers, calendar, say, straight, but only this was the case for 18 years.

This was like an afternoon assignee said.

How do I know that when just a minute really go to settings. Only to turn her now. But when he sees thinking strenuously Elijah die and the baton officially passed to Elisha, and for that duration of time. He is the assistant if you measure the amount of time between them is 18 years, which means for 18 years. Elisha went from being a CEO to be an assistant. Listen to this when ever God call somebody the Bible the always put into a time of God calls Moses to lead Israel. So what's it will was birthday. Moses does going into the palace and a and get fitted for some royal robes and AAA and NF cover shop but with people magnet is that what happens nice is on the desert of sale for 40 years, God calls David to be the king of Israel, Samuel anoints David what's the first thing that David does run out to be Goliath go out and AAA intake and internship of the palace know after after he is anointed to be king. He goes back to the pastor for five or six years were follows around sheep and shovels of dung. What happens whenever God calls you.

He always put you do it I'm humbling and some of you are there now as you complain about your career you I have nobody recognizes the talent 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 is placed you because whenever God used somebody greatly. He always humbles them and break 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 servant to watch me will never excel as a prophet. If you can't be a good student, you can be a good employee.

You can be you can be a good son or daughter, but you never to make a mighty prophet of God. You gotta learn to serve. You gotta learn to wash feet for God makes you into something that you want you to be so we always put you go a time 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 when God calls people, these three words begin to characterize their lives, surrender, sacrifice and service that you signed up for. Don't you thought you would get into. Believe it or not, Jesus would actually take this upper-level Margate 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 about TO say what is himself and take up his cross and follow me deny your self means total abandonment of your life to God medicine. Jesus did not say that money or deny illicit sex oriented nice sin is for those things on the list of glycolysis accomplish and check them off one at a time. 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 take up your cross. Think about that phrase for a moment crosses in our day are our sentimental pieces of gin or symbol of faith we wear around her neck.

Some of you have around your neck right now. Earrings not tattoo on your arm which crosses the symbol of the real data from good to go with it all for the tattoos of like that but you see in those days crosses were not sentimental symbols of say they were instruments of torture, they were symbols of Roman oppression and Roman racism evoke horror in the hearts of all who beheld them condemned men hung upon them in nakedness and shame having every part of their lives stripped away from them and they hung there to dive sometimes in our use of the symbol. Nothing wrong with it, but sometimes our use of our citizen. We forget the horror that it evoked and the people who first heard Jesus say pick up your cross and follow me.

Well prove that the use made you go to somebody's house here is get to know you taught him a few times working you over to their house and right above there there to see their dining room table.

I have a big picture of a of a grown man being electrocuted when you go in there there there there there, living room, and there they got a life-size replica of a lethal injection tape and then you go on then you going to their their their kids bedroom the babies room and above there cribbing a little immobile little hangman snoozes hanging down from it that comforts you will be friends with you want your kids playing their kids and that's precisely the image that Jesus used when he called followers and disciples told him he was crazy, but you can start a movement go around telling people scrap the electric chair in the back and follow you know Jesus does know the people what the people want empowerment. The people want somebody to help them make their dreams come true.

The people like upward mobility. The people want their best life now, not self. No follow Jesus and could not stop you and hold back. He said, finding me is finding everything you been searching for which you gotta be willing to abandon everything to follow me. By the way, just in case you think this is what I think that's not just an elite few your dog a seminary graduated group of super Christians, what would it easy for 34 he called the crowd to him with his disciples so were visible speech is not just for the well this is for everybody. Major everybody heard that because anybody who follows Jesus up the path I got to go down.

Are you ready for that.

Don't you send a full your religious person you a follower of Jesus, there's a big difference in those two having about when she is called the rich young ruler is still hardly get my mind around this conversation because you're familiar with Emirates renewal ritual was a guy that we would've been delighted to have any church in America is rich right. He was a governor's allure is young because of the Jesus and says I want to follow you to what seizes a good starting point now is what mimics couple is not childhood up is a good guy is one thing you are doing so everything you haven't, follow me. Man could do it because he said he loved his possessions and I was the one area you could give everything to Jesus for and that I might want to start with everyone and start like some of the time.

That's what I would've said they will start with 10% more the way up to 100, but start with easy Windows for Jesus jumped all that went by for the jugular. That is gonna cost you everything. The point of this is not that old 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 means that your light begins to take on the flavor of sacrifice and service of the cross. See, I do know that I can't tell you exactly what God will have you do specifically with your life.

Some of you, God will call to be missionaries, some of you got the call to live right here in Raleigh-Durham and be a banker make lots of money. Some of you Godzilla call you to take care of foster children. Some of you Godzilla call you to serve in our prison ministry.

Others of you to serve in our student ministry which sometimes I feel like prison ministry. Some of you gods going to tell you walk across the room to reach her coworker walk across the street to reach your neighbor. I cannot tell you specifically what it will be but I can assure you that following Jesus means that your life begin to take on the error of sacrifice and service 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 what if Fox's book of martyrs says that every single one of the apostles. All of them. One exception.a martyrs death.

Doubting Thomas was pierced for the pine spirit tortured with red hot plate and burned alive in India the pro-counsel of your Annapolis had Philip tortured and crucified because his wife converted to Christianity while listening to Philip reach Matthew was stabbed in the back in Ethiopia. James was thrown off the southeast pinnacle of the temple 100 feet fall somehow miraculously survives and they beat him to death with clubs. Simon the zealot was crucified in Syria.

Peter, of course, was crucified upside down at his own request.

The only disciple that didn't die martyrs that was John Onassis because he survived being boiled in oil. When did Diocletian feel like you couldn't tell my way. He banished him to the Isle of Patmos where he lived until he died every one of the apostles is what it meant for them. Now admittedly, that's a special class of people. Paul sets up but do you really think the really think of following Jesus for them at that pain in the cross and fries simply means flowers and roses, and God bless. Using self-fulfillment verse 34, the whole crowd heard this lesson. If you're in the power. If you're an earthly reward and personal fulfillment become a Muslim head of Islam rode a horse and conquered cities, the founder of Christianity wash feet and rode a donkey and then God raised him from the dead and then God gave him the name that is above every name because he made himself the form of a servant who you follow. You pick up the tower you picking up the crown is often think about this because God has blessed me in many ways for the ways I have followed him an unbelievably faithful job it is. It's a question that always leaders my heart is one that will meet the apostles and had only Jesus I'm see the scars in Jesus's hands told all these apostles, all of which were martyred at some point the conversation so would you do what time again it is wrong to seek persecution is wrong to seek martyrdom, God has his ways of doing things, announcing blessed he was and I'm see you yes you suffer as you have always have to be asking myself was in my really following Jesus or by simply turn Jesus into something that helps me achieve all the dreams I have for my life. James 127 pure religion before God the father. Is this the physical fatherless and widows in their affliction and keep yourself unspotted from the world. That means means pure religion is when you give driveway to those who cannot pay you back. How much of your life is characterized by that much of my life is characterized by that. 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 only come true is a big difference in being a follower of Jesus and using Jesus for self greener Valley of surrender, sacrifice and service is a challenging message from Pastor JD Greer as Jenny was speaking. Maybe you felt a new passion and excitement to follow God to live a life that's pleasing to hear. If so, we left to get your new Bible study with short chapters that aligned directly with the teaching a hearing on the broadcast. Right now it's titled something better something greater, just like the series secret behind Elisha's power hereunder pierced devotion to the kind of had Elisha left behind and easing legacy in his life because he was thinking of this life because he was focused on the greener things that were had a heart study with interactive workbook style questions and the inscription in your copy of something better, greener is our way of saying things need to donate today to support this ministry now is $25 or more and every penny goes toward reaching more people with gospel centered Bible teaching to join a team that makes life possible.

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