SERMON
BY
BRO. SETH A. ARYEE
LOCAL PREACHER
BETHANY METHODIST CHURCH, DZORWULU, ACCRA-GHANA
THEME: OVERCOMING LIFE’S CHALLENGES II
2 KINGS 6:1-7
TEXT: "ALAS, IT WAS BORROWED" (2 KINGS 6:5)
Most of us live as though there is no tomorrow and yet each second the clock ticks away is one less second off our lives
When Elijah was taken away to heaven in a chariot and horses of fire, Elisha became God’s chosen successor to Elisha and God richly blessed Elisha’s ministry. He had requested for, and received, a double portion of Elijah’s spirit "if he saw him taken up to heaven".
Elisha’s prophetic ministry was characterized by many exciting miracles. One of them the story of the lost axe head.
Let’s take a moment to look at the background of the story. Elisha had formed a school of young prophets. He lived with and taught the students. When the school, at one point, became too small they asked Elisha for permission to expand. Elijah joined them to the Jordan River where there were plenty of trees at the river to provide lumber.
When the students got to the Jordan River they started to work cutting down trees with axes and a lot of muscle.
As one of the young men swung his axe, the axe-head came loose from the handle, flew through the air and disappeared in the Jordan River. The young prophet yelled out to Elisha, “My Lord, it was a borrowed axe!”
It is not the loss of the tool so much as the possible loss of a friend who was kind enough to loan you one of his tools. Be conscientious about things you borrow. Be sure to take good care of it and then return it in good condition when you are finished with it.
When Jesus walked the earth, He owned little more than the clothes on His back. He simply borrowed what He needed. He was:
± Conceived in a borrowed womb
± Delivered in a borrowed manger
± Raised by a borrowed family
± Grew up in a borrowed culture
· God, not Joseph, was His true Father.
· Jesus borrowed:
± Water to make wine.
± 12 disciples to spread His message
± Boat to preach
± Lodgings where He slept
± A coin from a fish to pay His taxes
± Heads of grain from a farmer to satisfy His physical hunger.
· He preached in a borrowed synagogue.
· From the woman at the well, He asked to borrow a bucket to draw water.
· From a boy, He borrowed five loaves and two fishes to feed 5,000 people.
· On a borrowed Sabbath, He healed a man’s withered hand.
· He rode to town on a borrowed donkey
· He ate the Last Supper in a borrowed room
· He borrowed a basin to wash His disciple’s feet and a towel to wipe them.
· They buried Him in a borrowed tomb. But He gave it back three days later. Neither death nor the grave could hold Him.
Jesus demonstrated that our natural life consists of nothing but borrowed time, But what happened to what Jesus borrowed? He did not wear it out, break or abuse it, but multiplied it or left it in better condition than before.
· From the borrowed manger, He became Emmanuel—God with us.
· With a borrowed bucket, He revealed the source of living water and transformed a woman and her village.
· From the borrowed tomb, He gave us resurrected life, symbolizing restoration, restitution, recovery and rehabilitation of what we have lost through death in our lives
The axe-head was lost so Elisha asked where it went into the water. The student showed him; Elisha cut a branch from a tree and threw it into the water. As soon as the branch hit the water the axe head swam to the surface; it was contrary to nature and all common sense. I Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”
Elisha might have used two ways to get the axe to float:
· Praying in the spirit
· Exercising faith
Let us read together Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . .” What does it mean “to pray in the Spirit”? In the first place, I want us to differentiate between “praying with the Spirit” and “praying in the Spirit”. To pray “with the Spirit” means speaking in unknown tongues. This is illustrated in 1 Corinthians 13:1 “speaking with the tongues of angels”. However, when pray “in the Spirit”, we speak mysteries and revelation. Romans 8:26, 27 relates the support the Holy Spirit gives us in our prayers: “We do not know what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”.
Let us examine three reasons why the Holy Spirit’s prayers are effective.
± He knows our motives in asking, i.e., “He searcheth the heart.”
± He knows the mind of God, i.e., He knows how to ask.
± He knows the will of God, i.e., what God wants to give us.
The disciples asked Jesus: “Lord, teach us how to pray” because they realized that anytime He prayed, there was an answer, contrary to what they did.
You are not praying “in the Spirit” if all that you are asking is that you want to see that your enemies dead. The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:43-45 to pray for our enemies; pray that they will live to see God’s favour and blessings on your life. The Spirit teaches us to love what is difficult to do. The Spirit of God works to conform us more to Christ’s thinking, behavior and character. The Holy Spirit listens to our cries, but selectively responds to the prayers that are in conformity with the will of God for our lives. Ask the Lord to help you surrender more of the control of your desires to the leading of the Spirit.
You are not praying “in the Spirit” if all that you do is to complain to the Lord. See the answer from the beginning. Even when you are in a crisis, you know the end from the beginning – that what you are requesting from the Lord has been fulfilled in your life. There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.
Secondly, when we pray, we need to exercise faith. Let us read Mark 11:22-24 together (this is a popular text): “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”
Christ identified two kinds of faith (belief):
· Little faith
· Weak faith
Little faith has its foundation in lack of sufficient information. References – “O ye of little faith” Matthew 6:30; “O thou of little faith” Matthew 14:31; Matthew 17:20. The solution to little faith is to get information – “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Begin to listen to the word of God
Weak faith comes as a result of lack of exercise of faith. The operating word for receiving answers to prayers is “believe”. Therefore, act on your faith. The word of God says: “Ye are in the world (cosmos) but not of the world (mass)”. The interpretation to this is that you own the (cosmos) because you are the seed of Abraham to whom the cosmos was given (Romans 4:16)
When the masses are complaining because they are of the world, you can say confidently that “All things work together for good to those who are the called . . .” (Romans 8:28)
When did the young prophet lose the axe head?
· When everything seemed to be going right. At a time of growth and expansion of the school. That is usually the time when the Devil strikes. When everything is going well in our lives, some adverse condition like sickness will attack us. It may the loss of income, marriage may go bad, etc. Our faith has to become stronger by reaching out to the Lord instead of blaming Him for the circumstances and backing away from Him
The young prophet in our story did not lose the axe handle and he did not lose his knowledge of how to cut down a tree. Only one small part was lost
How was the axe head recovered?
· First, the young prophet recognized that “the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). He run to Elijah
· Second, he confessed his loss. He said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.” Have you ever considered the fact that all our abilities, resources and talents are borrowed? They are on loan to us from God. In Psalm 51:12, the request is: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit”
The complete axe consisted of the handle and the axe head. When they are used together they are effective. But the handle is useless without the axe head. Without the handle the axe head is of no effect.
How do we stay fixed to the Handle? How do we keep our cutting edge? Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend”.
As we come to know more about Jesus by praying, reading and hearing the Word and fellowshipping with like Believers, our cutting edge stays sharp. Away from Jesus we become “dull”. Have you ever tried to cut down a tree with a dull axe? You can swing the axe as hard and as many times as you want but it just doesn’t seem to get anywhere. That’s how life is for us when we don’t stay in fellowship with the Lord.
We are living on borrowed time. From Psalms 90:10, many people think that we are given 70 years of life and when we have passed that then we are on borrowed time. That is not what the Scripture says. The average life span (world-wide) is less than 70 years (56 years in Ghana) but should we live beyond 70 years those extra years are seldom years of joy and happiness. Our whole existence is a gift from God. From the day of our birth until the day of our death we are on borrowed time. ("It is appointed unto man once to die")
We need to be using our time. Jesus said, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."
Let us look as some examples of wasted time in the Bible.
· The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-13) wasted his wealth, strength, youth and energy on riotous living but mostly he wasted his time.
· Samson wasted his strength and testimony with a woman who belonged to the enemies of Israel.
Comfort yourself, struggling believer, with this thought: God saith, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" Isaiah 48:10. Let affliction come, God has chosen me. Poverty, may come to your door, but God is in the house already for He has chosen you. Sickness may attack your body but there is a healing balm ready for God has chosen you. Whatever befalls you remember that He has "chosen" you.
If, believer, you require still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, He is sitting by your side; although unseen.
In the valley of the shadow of death He says, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God." (Isaiah 40:10)
Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all your fiery trials, His presence is both your comfort and safety. He will never leave you whom He has chosen for His own. "Fear not, for I am with thee," is his sure word of promise to his chosen ones in the "furnace of affliction."
It is important to realize that to there is a bright as well as a dark side to every situation and circumstance - Samson’s lion yielded honey. The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore - because the feeds the multitudes with its fishes. The dark earth grows gay flowers. About us all there is a tinge of this wretched folly, and we are apt, at times, like Jacob, to cry, "All these things are against me."
Paul encourages us with the words: ”Count it all joy when you fall into various trials .. . .” (James 1:2). The proper attitude in meeting adversity is to count it all joy, which is not an emotional reaction but a deliberate intelligent appraisal of the situation from God’s perspective, viewing trials as a means of moral and spiritual growth. In fact, we do not rejoice in these trials themselves but in their possible results
Acts 20:32 says: “. . . I commend you to God, to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified”. To overcome our problems in life, we need to take the lordship of the word of God to build us up so that, like Peter and John, our testimony shall be: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
Let them see the change in your lives. Paul had a tremendous life. In times of crises, he still recognized that: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13; “And My God shall supply all my needs . . .” (Philippians 4:19)
The Bible tells me that: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7; Isaiah 24:2). What does this mean? Christ became poor so that out of His poverty you might be rich
Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw His hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the flow of oil shall not be cease. He is a sun ever-shining; He is manna always falling round the camp; He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from his smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the river of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of His love is constantly overflowing.
As the King can never die, so His grace can never fail. Daily we pluck his fruit, and daily His branches bend down to our hand with a fresh store of mercy. There are seven feast-days in His weeks, and as many as are the days, so many are the banquets in His years. Who has ever returned from His door unblessed? Who has ever risen from His table unsatisfied, or from His bosom un-emparadised? His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening.
Who can know the number of His benefits, or recount the list of His bounties? Every sand which drops from the glass of time is but the tardy follower of a myriad of mercies. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of His kindness, and with the yellow gold of His affection. The river of time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden sands of His favour. The countless stars are but as the standard bearers of a more innumerable host of blessings.
Who can count the dust of the benefits which He bestows on Jacob, or tell the number of the fourth part of His mercies towards Israel? How shall my soul extol Him who daily loadeth us with benefits, and who crowneth us with loving-kindness? O that my praise could be as ceaseless as His bounty! O miserable tongue, how canst thou be silent? Wake up, I pray thee, lest I call thee no more my glory, but my shame. "Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early." (Charles Spurgeon)
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The sad thing is that some people have a confused attitude about their blessings because their priorities are all mixed up.
But the best way to look at life is, to go tomorrow to the hospital, and walk along the wards, and see how poor men’s bodies suffer, and then go into the operating-room and see what flesh and blood may have to endure. Then when you have done, go round the neighborhood to see the sick who have lain for ten, or twelve, or fifteen years upon the same bed, and after that go and visit some of God’s poverty-stricken children who just exist in this world, and it is but a bare existence,
Go and see their poor, miserable, and their unfurnished rooms, and that will be a better sermon to you than anything I can utter. You will come home and say, "Oh my God, I bless thee for your kindness towards me. These temporal mercies which I once thought so little of, I must heartily bless you for. I must thank you for what thou has given to me, and I will ascribe it all to your love, for You make me to differ. I have nothing that I have not received."
Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
