Where Do You Want To Go Today?
Text: 2 Kings 2:1-12
1. And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
7. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
8. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
Introduction
Microsoft, the leader in computer technology and information has for several years used the slogan, “Where do you want to go today?” The general idea is that we can take you anywhere you want, and they do. In a matter of seconds you can be in foreign countries, different time periods and even different galaxies. All this takes place with the simple click of a button.
One man stated, “Yesterday is a cancelled check, Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash you carry, how will you spend it?”
God is looking for young people who are prepared to take up the work of the Kingdom today.
I. Turning Dreams Into Reality
a. Dreams Are Meant To Be Fulfilled
1. Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.”
2. As we look at the past we see where we have come from and how we have advanced as a people. In just over 250 years America has become the greatest nation in the world. All because men dared to dream and then turn that dream into a reality.
3. God has placed dreams in the hearts of his young people, and coupled them with the necessary talents and abilities to fulfill them.
b. God grants vision in two ways.
1. Long-Term Vision:
Long-Term Vision involves the Future.
2. Short-Term Vision:
Short-Term Vision plays an immediate role in our present.
II. No One Is To Young
a. Paul’s Admonition to Timothy
1. 12. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
2. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
3. 15. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
4. 16. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee
b. God Has Entrusted You with A Dream:
1. Lincoln’s Chance
When Abraham Lincoln was a boy he husked corn for three days to pay for a second-hand copy of “The Life of Washington.” After he had read the book he said, “I don’t always intend to delve, grub, shuck corn, split rails, and the like.”
“What do you want to be now?” asked Mrs. Crawford.
“I’ll be president!” Lincoln replied.
“You’ll make a purty president with all your tricks and jokes now, wouldn’t you.” was her response.
Not about to be discouraged young Abe said, “I’ll study and get ready, and the chance will come.”
The chance came and Lincoln became one of the greatest Presidents in the history of our Nation.
III. Carpe Deim – Seize the Day!
a. Isaiah’s Proclamation
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
b. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Conclusion:
God has turned Heaven’s Spotlight upon the Church and the Young People of Section 5. It is our time to rise up and seize the opportunity God has given us today. Make the Dreams he has given you a reality. Take the talents He has given you and put them to use for His Kingdom. My challenge is this “Let us Pray more, Fast more, Study more, Reach more and Do more than we ever have before. The darkness is breaking forth with light. Let us be the light that shines through the darkness to the lost.”
