“When the People have a Mind to Work”
2 Kings 2:1-15
As we take a look at the world and the church we see that the area of commitment is a part of all our lives that needs much work. As I was thinking about this I ask the Lord to show me were the real problem was that causes us not to be able to commit. The Lord spoke to me in my spirit and said it is not so much that people don’t want to commit, but the problem is in our lack of desire to seek for the knowledge to understand what we are committing to.
1. There can be no true commitment to that which we do not have a clear understanding.
2. There are three parts of knowledge that must be explored before a person can truly commit to anything.
1. To what they are committing to?
2. Why I need to commit to this thing?
3. What do I get out of my commitment?
Commitment
The act of commitment involves both your intellect and your emotions. Commitment is a state of being where one is bound to a course of action, obligated to another person or to an envisioned result.
A commitment is your pledge to do whatever it takes, with in reason, to get the job done--no matter what! One that we may have not thought about is
3. Commitment is the opposite of convenience:
There is no way that you can be totally committed to something if you’re not willing to move from your present state. Many of us in the church like to say I’m just going through a hard season, when in all actuality it is your state of being. It is not a season that is going to change, but a state of being that calls for deliverance.
When the children of Israel were in the wilderness they were totally committed to getting to the promise Land. Some more than others but over all they were committed.
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
When ever the cloud moved they had to stop what they were doing and follow the cloud. That is why we say that commitment is the opposite of convenience; you have to move when God says for you to move. If you’re a person that loves the convenience of doing you’re on thing, not being accountable to anything or any body, ministry is not the place for you; God does not work well with Lone Rangers.
Something that you should remember about a person that is committed,
4. A person that is truly committed is goal-driven and action-oriented. It requires taking a risk—putting something on the line.
5. When people are committed, they persist.
They don’t quit.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Look at this verse. To the natural or carnal hearer it would not make any sense. The world’s view is if you’re the fastest you are going to win it you’re the strongest you’re going to when. But this is not the case in the spirit realm.
Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
See Christ is not calling for our ability our strength our wisdom or understanding, all he needs is some one that is willing to endure. The word endure is defined as; to carry on through, despite hardships. Any time you can hear a word preached in a church that cuts you the wrong way and go home and entertain the thoughts of changing churches you really have to check your endurance, which is the test of your commitment.
Christ is not as thrilled with our coming to him as he is to see us committed to the things and people that he has placed in our life’s to help us grow.
You want to know about a person find out what they are committed to. We say that we are committed to the Christ, but we miss it when it comes to the things that Christ is mindful of.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Look at what it says concerning Christ and his relationship with the church, he gave himself for it. What are you willing to give your self for? For some it is our jobs. Ask yourself do I put as much in to the church that Christ died for as I do other things in my life. “Well I come to church”, yes but what are you putting back into the church, and I’m not talking about money, though that is a key. Are you willing to find out what you gifts and abilities are that can help us build this ministry to it’s full potential?
People you need to commit to:
Now as we look at our story of Elijah and Elisha we see a beautiful portrait of commitment.
2 kings 2:2 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.
I’m sure we all have had in the past situations were we have committed to what seems to be the wrong person. As we look at this verse it gives us some insight to the kind of people that we need to commit to.
6. Five types of people that we need to commit to:
A. People that are going somewhere.
B. People that have been somewhere.
C. People that have high standards for themselves.
D. People of vision.
E. People that can empower us.
Why would we ever commit to be connected in friendship are relationship with people that have no direction.
7. How can you identify people with no direction?
1. They are lazy.
Proverbs 24:30-32 I went by the field of the slothful ( one that hates work), and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding (without any sense); And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Some might think what instruction anyone could get from a lazy person. We think that instruction always tells us what to do, but I have learned the best instructions tell us what not to do. The instructions show us the state that we end up in when we are slothful or lazy. The ground was grown over with thorns were grapes should be growing, what that is saying is when you’re slothful in your business there will be a curse were the blessing should be.
Then it speaks of the wall being broken down. Now in the bible walls always represented protection. When you find a person that is lazy you find a person that God is not even willing to protect.
2. No goals
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
What Paul was saying was I press on toward the goal. His eye is upon the goal and he presses through every difficulty to reach it. You have to watch these people that say they are in army of the Lord and are always ready to quit when the battle gets a little heavy. I don’t know what bible your reading but my bible speaks of what I’m going through and it says;
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;
Notice that it says affliction singular. The Lord showed me this; we think that we are going through many things. We think that we have many problems that we have to deal with. The Lord told me that what we are calling problems is really only one big thing, and it isn’t even a problem. The thing that is giving you problems is not really a problem but it is the hands of God on your life prepare you that might get glory out of your life.
3. Want take responsibility when they end up in a bad situation.
The second type of person was a person that has been somewhere. 8. A better way of saying, a person that has been somewhere would be to say a person that has been through something. If a person hasn’t experience anything you never no what they may do if and when trouble hits. If you going to commit to someone make sure that person has some failures under their belt as well as victories. Many times it is the failures that really make a person who they are. The so call problems that we think we have are really just God stirring the nest, removing all the things that had us comfortable.
When the mother eagle has her young she puts them in a nest that is covered with soft warm grass to protect them. But when the baby eagles get to the age that she knows that they need to move to the next level, which is out of the nest and flying, do you know what she does? She will remove all the soft, cuddly lining on the nest and leave it prickly and uncomfortable. This is where some of us are in our life uncomfortable in a place that use to be comfortable, use to be joyous! When we got the raise on the job it was enough, now it is not enough. When you first bought your house it was big enough, now it is too small, and all this is, is God trying to get you to the next level in your life. But many of us would rather be miserable than to do what it takes to get to the next level in God. I don’t care what any one says, it you want it there will we be a material manifestation of what is going on in the spirit. If you think that you have to be broke to live holy, you go right on with your tongue talking, behind in your bill self. But my bible says in Duet. 8:18 “remember it is the Lord that gives you the power to get wealth”.
That is why it is important to find some one that has been where you are and can help you to the next level. But no we shy away from the rich and would rather hang out with the people that have nothing and want nothing and call it being humble.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Don’t tell me that you can do the work of the Lord and run a church broke. If the people in the church are broke how can you help people that don’t know God who make real money? Preaches here me, you can not preach a hundred dollar message and think that doctors, lawyers, and people that have the money that we need are going to come to your church. “Well we don’t want all those high class sudidy people in our church”.
Proverbs 13:22. . . : and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
There can be no transfer of wealth without some kind of association. Do you think that just out of the blue some one is going to fund your ministry and not know any thing about you. The sinners have our stuff but we are not willing to improve ourselves so we can reach them, and to improve you do not have to compromise the Gospel.
The third kind of person that we should commit to was people that have high standards.
Nehemiah 6:3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
As much as we hate to hear it or believe it, we are whom we associate with. Your either going to come up to where your friends are or you’re going to come down to where they are. It does not matter who you are how strong you think you are in the Lord if we hang with people that do not have the same values and standards as we do in someway and in some area we will find ourselves compromising. I know that many wouldn’t say it, but I’ll say it for you. The reason that some of our churches are not growing is because that we have been hooked up with people were not in the perfect will of God. It is just like a man with Gangrene; if that part of the body that has the gangrene is not amputated it will spread into the hold body and destroy the body as a hold. But some body all to thank God for a your pastors, that God saw fit to send them by why you were polluted in your on blood, polluted in tradition, polluted in what pastor so and so did. You can’t tell me that God is not still rising up Joshua’s. Notice I did not say Moses. That is some of our problems now we are still trying to follow Moses, and the Lord is saying Moses my servant is dead.
Why are people not coming to our churches the way the bible says; and he adds to the church daily such as to be save. I’ll tell you why? Many of us are working the works of dead men, men that got mad and hit the rock and missed the promise land, just like Moses. So what if that is the way you have always done it. If your program is not working, if people are not coming to your church, if souls are not being save and the members that you got are still giving you the same hell that they always have it is time to follow Joshua.
If the Moses that you’re following didn’t reach his promise land, if the Pastor that you where under only had 20 members in 20 years, how in the world can you reach your promise land using the same principles. Moses put up with a bunch of mess that Joshua new would keep him all messed up. Look at someone beside you can say, “Moses brought me out, but it takes a Joshua to take me into the promise.”
This leads me to the next person that we can commit to. The next was a person that has a vision. Now make sure that the vision is not something that the person can do. A new car is not a vision. A new house is not a vision. To open up one church is not a vision, any one can open one. Those are just human endeavors.
9. A Vision is that which is beyond a single person’s ability to acquire.
A vision is trying to unify churches all across your region. The best part about being a part of a real vision is, the one God gives the vision to knows that they need other to bring it to past. I know some of you have been hook to people that play favorites, favorite church, favorite pastors, and you all are suppose to be working together. But the vision that you have in your church will only come to pass when the people have a mind to work together. When I say work together that means that the pastor will not have to do all the work, planning and arranging. Many people in the church don’t like working this way because it leaves no room for super stars.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two [are] better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
The last person that we should commit to is the person that can empower us. When I say empower that means that you as members have to be open for impartation from your pastor of God in this place.
1. Know his heart: This takes time for both of desire and us on their part.
2. Be loyal to him: They are an extension of the work and the pastor.
3. Be trustworthy: They must not abuse authority, power, or confidences.
4. Be discerning: They make decisions for me.
5. Have a servant’s heart: They carry a heavy load because of my high demands.
6. Be a good thinker: Our two heads are better than my one.
7. Be a finisher: They take authority and carry out the vision.
8. Have a heart for God: My heart for God is my driving force in life.
2 Kings 2:9 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.
(Hand Out)
When the People have a Mind to Work
Subtopic: Commitment
1.There can be no true commitment to that which we do not have a clear __________________.
2. There are three parts the knowledge that must be explored before a person can truly commit to anything.
1. To ________ they are committing to?
2. __________ I need to commit to this thing?
3. What do I ___________out of my commitment?
3. Commitment is the opposite of _________________.
4. A person that is truly committed is _____________ and __________________.
5. When people are committed, they ____________.
6. Five types of people that we need to commit to:
F. People that are ______ _____________.
G. People that have __________ _____________.
H. People that have _________ ______________ for themselves.
I. People of ___________.
J. People that can _____________ us.
7. How can you identify people with no direction?
a. They are __________: Proverbs 24:30-32
b. Have ____ ________: Philippians 3:14
c. Want take _________________ when they end up in a _______ situation.
8. A better way of saying, a person that has been somewhere would be to say a person that has been ____________ ______________.
9. A _________ is that which is beyond a single persons ___________ to acquire.
