Text: 2 Kings 2 19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, ¡§Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.¡¨ 20And he said, ¡§Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.¡¨ So they brought it to him. 21Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, ¡§Thus says the LORD: ¡¥I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.¡¦¡¨ 22So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
Introduction: Where is the least likely place would you except God to perform a miracle? If you are like most folks you would answer in my life or family or even church. Miracles are often thought of like tragedies they only happen to other people not to you. Just as God calls the most unlikely people to do the most extraordinary things He also choices the perform the great miracles in simplest lives and places.
Illustration: An alcoholic became a believer, was asked how he could possibly believe all the nonsense in the Bible about miracles. "You don’t believe that Jesus changed the water into wine do you?" "I sure do, because in our house Jesus changed the whiskey into furniture."
Also miracles can in the form of a life that has been totally changed by the Blood of Jesus Christ.
Background
I. The Mercy of The Miracle.
A. Jericho was a cursed city. Joshua 6:26
B. The people were helpless
1. situations create a since of helpless
2. society is helpless in helping itself
3. Sin leaves everyone helpless in saving themselves.
i. Jesus understands helplessness as a babe in laid in a wooden manger in a cave helpless and totally depended on His earthly parents to care for Him.
ii. Jesus sees the helplessness of man - Matthew 9:36 (NKJV) 36But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were „Tweary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
C. The people were hopeless
D. The People went to God for a miracle.
1. The people were tired of the sick and barren life style they were living and knew that God could change their helpless and hopeless life.
II. The Manner of The Miracle.
A. The objects of the miracle
1. A new bowl ¡V
2. Salt
b. Step of trust and obedience
c. Symbol ¡V purification and preserving
d. Sign ¡V (1) of what God wants to do in the heart of man and (2) little is much with God.
B. Change of the miracle
1. The change in the water
b. From bitter to sweet ¡V
c. Unusable to useful
d. Thirsty to satisfied
John 4: 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
2.. The Change in the barren land
a. From dead to alive
b. from fruitless to fruitful
c. from emptiness to fullness
III. The Messiah and The Miracle
A. The Lord loved the people of Jericho ¡V He had Mercy and forgiveness.
B. The Worked within Jericho.
a. He taught the parable of the good Samaritan
b. He save Zacchaeus
c. He healed blind Bartimaeus
Conclusion:
A. The New testament teaches 3 things about salt in the life of a believer
1. We are the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13 (NKJV) 13¡§You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
2. We are to season our speech with salt. Colossians 45Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
3. We can not have both salt water and fresh water in the same heart. James 3:12 (NKJV) 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? „TThus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
B. Lost person needs to be healed by Christ.
