All You Need Is A Word

ALL YOU NEED IS A WORD

2 Kings 3:9-20

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: SERMON FROM A NUT

1. A preacher gave an unusual sermon one day, and used a peanut to illustrate several things from the Bible.

2. One of the members greeted him at the close of the service and said, “That was very interesting, Pastor. I never expected to learn so much from a nut.”

B. TEXT

9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After...seven days, the army had no more water...10 "What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?" 15....the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water....18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you.” 20 The next morning... there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom!

C. THESIS AND TITLE

1. All You Need Is a Word. I don’t care what you’re facing today: One word from God is all you need.

2. A word from God can turn a defeat into a victory; it can turn confusion into clarity and despair into peace. In the very place where the enemy says he’s going to destroy you, God says He’s going to bless you, move you into a higher dimension, and show you His glory!

3. Title, “All You Need Is A Word.”

I. FORGETTING GOD & ITS CONSEQUENCES

The reason this whole situation arose was because Israel’s kings forgot God.

A. RESULT: ADVERSARY (A PROBLEM) ARISES

1. Mesha, a Moabite vassal king, rebelled against Joram, son of Ahab, king over Israel. Joram got King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the king of Edom to go with him to fight Moab.

2. The 3 armies marched 7 days journey around the foot of the Dead Sea, a complete desert. It was super hot, dusty; their throats were parched – NO WATER!

3. It’s amazing how fast we can go from an unbeatable force to virtually helpless. Without a miracle, most of them would die.

B. STEPPING BACK TO INQUIRE OF GOD

1. Jehoshaphat did what they should have done before starting; we need to “inquire of the Lord” (vs. 11).

2. At times it seems like the enemy is attacking from every direction at once -- you’re surrounded! You turn to the East and there’s the enemy; you turned to the West and there’s a different enemy. You turn to the North and there’s no relief and to the South and it looks hopeless.

3. I know tonight, by the Spirit of the Lord, that someone here feels like they’re in that very same situation. You Love God, you’re doing your best to serve God; You’re doing your best to live right, you’re reading your bible, you’re praying, you’re coming to church, you’re paying your tithes, you’re Sowing.

4. But you’re in the fight of your life, and You don’t see any sign of it letting up.

II. A WORD COMES FROM THE LORD

A. POWER OF A WORD FROM GOD

1. In verses 15-19, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Elisha and He began to prophesy, “thus saith The Lord:”

2. I’m going to tell you right now, a “Thus saith the Lord” changes everything! I don’t care what the banker says, or the doctor, or the lawyer says -- I want to know, what is THE LORD saying! Amen?

3. One word From God changes everything.

One word from God will make you unsinkable;

One word from God will make you unbeatable;

One word from God will make you unshakeable;

One word From God will turn Famine into plenty,

Sickness into health, Weakness into strength,

Drought into Flood, Nothing into ‘Too much.’

4. One word from God will open closed doors, and set the captives Free. The centurion told Jesus (Mt. 8:8), “Just SPEAK THE WORD ONLY and my servant shall be Healed.”

5. Tell your Neighbor, “All you need is a Word!”

B. GOD’S REVELATION TO ELISHA

1. We probably think the Prophet Elisha was always in tune with God, but he wasn’t. I’m glad this happened, because we too are often not ready for spiritual work. But we can learn from Elisha how to yield to the Spirit and get to where we can hear the voice of God.

2. Elisha called for a HARPIST, who probably began to sing and play, “They that wait upon the Lord….” If you want to hear from God, you’ve got to get quiet. Get still. “Be still and know that I am God” Ps. 46:10. Focus on the presence of God.