What To Do When You Are Stuck In A Rut

Title: What to do when you are stuck in a rut

Text: 2 Kings 6:1-7

Introduction

“The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go up to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said “Go.” Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. And he went with them.

As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my Lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed.”

The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.”

Our Object today and every Sunday is to apply the passage of scripture to our lives

What is the application of this passage?

We should return anything we borrow- before we end up losing it.

Real application

Sometimes setbacks happen to us in life and we need to know how to respond!

Title: What to do when you are stuck in a rut (spiritually speaking)

We don’t go and deliberately get ourselves stuck in a rut. But it happens.

Sometimes we are out there trying out best for the Lord and all of a sudden something unexpected happens and next thing we know we are thrown off track.

•We end up hitting a wall

•We get sidetracked

•We lose our focus

What do we do when we get stuck in a spiritual rut?

•Maybe you are stuck in a spiritual rut and you know this message is for you

Or

Maybe you are not stuck in a spiritual rut and you are saying to yourself-

I don’t ever plan to be stuck in a spiritual rut so this message doesn’t apply to me

Well Nobody ever plans to be stuck in a spiritual rut yet it still can happen to any one of us

If you need proof look at how our scripture passage starts

“The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go up to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole and let us build a place there for us to live.”

•This company of prophets are all anti-spiritual ruts

This place where we meet is now too small for us- We better get to building a bigger place… Why? So we can continue to grow.

If we don’t find a bigger place and instead stay here -we could easily end up in a spiritual rut.

- everyone thought it was a great idea so they go off together to build a bigger place.

•Elisha

If we are going to go somewhere else and grow we need the right leader to lead us/ to keep us on our toes.

So they ask each other the question “Who do we know that is more passionate about growing than we are? Elisha!

So one of them invites Elisha to come with them and he agrees to it.

Why? Maybe He is excited about leading a company of prophets that wants to grow.

Then all of a sudden tragedy happens!

As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my Lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed.”

We don’t know the reason why the axhead fell off but we do know it wasn’t because he was doing something he should not of being doing.

As he was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water…

Application

As we try to go about doing the work of the Lord sometimes through no fault of our own the unexpected can happen…

Suddenly everything that can go wrong- does go wrong

Specific situations

You are trying to do the work of the Lord but suddenly something bad happens to you and now you find yourself stuck in a spiritual rut

You never intended this to happen but it did!

Maybe it happened because

•Your boss comes against you…

•Your family falls to pieces

•Your health gets worse

•You lose your job.

•Your bills start piling up

•Life suddenly gets too busy

•Maybe some sin has got a hold of you

•Your friends don’t approve

•Maybe another Christian disappointed you

You find yourself today in a place where you have lost your axhead!

You find yourself no longer doing anything for the Lord that really means something.

You find yourself stuck in a spiritual rut!

What do you do when you find yourself in a place you don’t want to be?