We have been involved in the prophet Elijah's life for some time now. We've been talking about living outside our comfort zone by serving God in different ways. We have discussed serving God with courage, serving God with trust, serving God through our prayers, serving God with our loyalty, and last week we learned that we can serve God even when we are discouraged.
Today we are going to look at one last aspect of Elijah's life as we now work at leading others to serve and teaching them how to serve God. In fact, that is essentially what I have been doing with each of you. Let's see what God's instructions tell us about leading others to serve him.
Prayer
Have you ever really thought about what counts in your life? It was Nelson Mandela that said “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made in the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
In Nelson Mandela's fight to promote justice and end human suffering, he spent 27 years in prison. For the first 18 years, he was held in a cell with no bed or plumbing, assigned to do hard labor and regularly endured inhumane punishment.
In 1985, Mandela was offered release under the condition that he would stop getting involved in politics. He refused. He said, “I cannot and will not give up any undertaking at a time when I and you, the people, are not free. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.”
I open with this historical fact because Elijah had the same attitude. Elijah also looked beyond his own life to a greater mission. Just like him, we can act today to leave an impact long after we're gone. And isn't that really what we want to do? Don't we want to leave a legacy? Leave a reputation that is worth copying?
Last week we saw that having experienced the power and healing of God, Elijah learned that God still had work for him to accomplish. Elijah heeded God's command and he left Mount Horeb, the Mount of God, to pursue his new assignment.
If you remember God had given Elijah the assignment to appoint two kings; one over Aram and one over Israel and also to appoint someone to take his place. Maybe it was because Elijah believed he needed a personal friend and apprentice that he chose to start by finding Elisha to replace himself. This is going to be a tough message to preach because we will be talking about Elijah and Elisha. Let's not get the two confused.
1 Kings 19:19 – “Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.”
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Many of you might remember the animated film Finding Nemo. We cheered as clownfish Martin journeyed all the way across the ocean in search of his son Nemo. But Martin didn't succeed in finding Nemo on his own. He might never have completed his mission without the company of a small, ever upbeat, blue tang fish who struggled with short-term memory loss. Dory supported Martin in his mission, encouraging him to “just keep swimming” through all the obstacles that stood in his way.
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But not everyone on a mission recognizes their need for the help of others. Some may think, “if I want the job done right, I'll have to do it myself.” Or they might think, “I don't have time to enlist and train other people.” And sometimes they may be thinking, “I'm not sure I trust anyone else with this responsibility.”
Elijah was not like that. When God told him to enlist Elisha to carry on his mission, Elijah didn't hesitate. He left immediately and found Elisha as he was plowing. Elijah went in pursuit of Elisha and initiated the invitation.
I learned two lessons from that. Number one, if you're serving in an area of ministry in church, invite someone else to serve with you. If you aren't already serving in an area, pick an area and a person to learn from. The second lesson that I learned is to never discount what God can do with your life.
You may think that God can't use you. Never think I'm not smart enough, I'm not old enough, I'm not young enough, or I'm not talented enough. God does not need your ability. God needs your availability.
So Elijah found Elisha busy working his land. Elisha's use of 12 teams of oxen to plow indicates his family was wealthy. Here was a man who had ties -- to his family, his work, his possessions, and the land. So why would Elijah disturb Elisha in the middle of his work to call him to a difficult job? Why should Elisha even be interested? Simply enough, God had told Elijah to do it. And to disobey would be to rob Elisha of the opportunity to fulfill God's calling on his life.
Elijah made his invitation to Elisha with an unspoken gesture. His mantle, or cloak, was symbolic of his office as a prophet of God. Casting his mantle over Elisha's shoulders meant he was selecting Elisha as his successor, transferring his prophetic power to the younger man. Elijah made the invitation, but he could not control Elisha's response.
1 Kings 19:20-21 – “Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?” 21 So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.”
Elisha was willing to follow Elijah right away, but he made one request. Before leaving his old life behind, he wanted to bid farewell to his family. Elijah's response to Elisha's request was to leave the choice up to Elisha. Elijah basically said, “Don't ask me if you can go say goodbye. God is the one calling you to the task.” It wasn't up to Elijah to persuade Elisha. In the end, Elisha accepted the invitation, cutting ties to his old life by breaking the plow and slaughtering his oxen.
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Have you ever asked God to show you where he wants you to serve? Before you do, be sure that you mean it and be sure that you are ready to follow when and where God can use you. That is exactly how I ended up right here today behind this pulpit.
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Now get ready for the first of three miracles to occur in this next passage.
2 Kings 2: 6 – 8 – “Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So, the two of them went on.
7 Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.”
Elijah followed God's direction to prepare for the time when his life on earth would be over. And he mentored Elisha to serve in his place.
At the Jordan River, Elijah struck the water with his rolled-up cloak and the water parted for them to cross. This resembles God's parting of the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites, and also Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised Land when God held back the Jordan River for them to cross. It was a reminder that God had a plan for succession of leadership, just like he did when Joshua followed Moses.
And now the 2nd miracle.
2 Kings 2: 9 – 11 – “When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.” So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.” 10 Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won’t.” 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.”
Anticipating the end of his life on earth, Elijah said to his protege, “Tell me what I can do for you before I'm taken from you.” Faced with Elijah's question, Elisha asked no less than a double portion of Elijah's spirit. In ancient times, the primary heir inherited a double portion of his father's estate. Elisha wanted to step into Elijah's shoes and serve in his place. And for that, he would need the spiritual strength Elijah possessed. It was a request that only God could grant.
Elijah tells Elisha that he is asking for something difficult. Then he says, “If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won't.” They continued walking along when suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appears and separates the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.
Side note: Here’s the answer to a Jeopardy question for you. What two men in the Bible never experienced death? Enoch (Gen.5:24) and Elijah.
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In 1992, news reporter Diane Sawyer interviewed Evangelist Billy Graham. The conversation steered toward the topic of death and how he wanted to be remembered. Dr. Graham commented, “I don't want them to say big things about me because I don't deserve them. I want to hear one person say something nice about me and that's the Lord. When I face Him, I want Him to say to me, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’” Billy Graham lived with the end in mind.
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Elijah obeyed God's plan because he served with the end in mind. As he approached the end of his life on earth, Elijah traveled from Gilgal to Bethel. Then he went to Jericho to see the students at his prophetic schools one last time. Elijah gave Elisha permission to stay behind, but Elisha insisted on following.
So, by Elisha seeing Elijah being taken away, it indicated that God would give Elisha a double portion of the spirit that he had given Elijah. God had granted Elisha's request.
2 Kings 2: 12 – 13 – “As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” When he could see him no longer, he took hold of his own clothes, tore them in two, 13 picked up the mantle that had fallen off Elijah, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.”
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Have you ever watched a relay race? In a 4x100 relay race, each team consists of 4 runners. Each runner completes a 100 m leg of the race and then he or she must pass the baton to the next runner. The handoff is tricky because the starting runner is running at full speed with an outstretched arm as the incoming runner is sprinting to finish and place the baton in the next runner's hand. Many times, the baton gets dropped. And a sloppy handoff can cost the race. In both discipleship and leadership, passing the baton to someone else is key.
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Passing the baton from one to another is crucial. Elisha was clearly disturbed at the site of his mentor leaving him when Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind. As he cries out “my father, my father,” it indicates the nature of their relationship and the depth of his loss. Elisha tore his garments in mourning. It was the end of a prophetic era. But it was not the end of God's work in Israel.
Now for the third miracle.
2 Kings 2: 14 – “He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.”
By mentoring Elisha to replace him, Elijah had left a legacy that insured a great prophet would still be calling God's people to obedience. Because of Elijah's preparation, Elisha was able to carry on his work without missing a step.
As Elijah was swept up in the whirlwind, his mantle fell near Elisha. The mantle Elijah had once cast over Elijah's shoulders was now his to pick up and make his own. He did so without hesitation, assuming Elijah's responsibilities and stepping into his new role as the prophet over Israel.
Leaving that place where he had lost his mentor, Elisha retraced his steps. Standing once more on the bank of the Jordan river, he called on God to be with him as he had been with Elijah. When God empowered Elisha to part the waters just as Elijah had, God proved he was still at work, and His power was upon Elisha just as it had been upon his master. And there’s our story.
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There's a lesson in this for us. You have probably heard several times that if God brings you to it, he will equip you for it. That was the case with Elisha.
Is there something that you feel that God has been calling you to do but you feel inadequate in doing it? This teaches us to simply turn it over to God in prayer and trust him to equip you with all you need.
We can all learn something from this story today. This is a lesson that encourages us to lead others to serve God as well. Maybe you have served in a position for a long time and feel that God is leading you to begin training someone else to either help you or to eventually take your place.
Our desire should not be to focus on ourselves and how well we are doing in a particular job. Our desire should be to leave a spiritual legacy, knowing it's more important to lead others to follow Christ. Think of it this way, those who have gone before us paved the way for us to know Christ and serve him.
Each one of us can probably immediately think of a key person in our lives that led us to where we are today. Someone showed us the ropes. They taught you some of the details that you now know.
We can do the same for others. Let’s not be the hindrance to someone not advancing in what God has called them to do. Let’s be encouragers and take the time to mentor others so that they can be the leaders of tomorrow.
And that, my friends, is how a church grows.
Before I close, I want to make sure that an invitation is extended to you to come to know Jesus in a personal way. God wants you as His child. But He’s not yours until you accept Jesus Christ His Son. Won’t you? As we stand and pray…….
