Where Is The Lord God Of Elijah?

TITLE: Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

TEXT: 2 Kings 2:1 - 5

INTRO: Want to share something with you today that has been on my heart for a long time. Before I jump in let me say that it is very difficult to keep a balance within a church. One the one hand I want the people of my church to be doctrinally sound. Every wind of evil doctrine is floating around today. Satan is on a rampage! His time is short and He is out to deceive as many as possible.

On the other hand, I want us to have a zeal for God and His work! I don’t think it’s wrong to get motivated or to get emotional about the things of God. It’s OK to hear “Amen” or “Hallelujah” or even “Glory” in church!

But while we need zeal, we also need to walk straight with our doctrine. YOU CANNOT DISCERN LIES UNLESS YOU KNOW THE TRUTH!

All of that to say that today I want to motivate us to get hungry for the power of God in our lives. I’m afraid we’ve come unhinged in the wrong places lately. Many good Christians are so tire of the “rut” that they and their churches are in that they accept almost anything as a good “alternative” to the power of God. Let’s face it….it’s far easier to buy some microphones and spotlights and give folks some acting lessons and voice lessons and provide a “professional and entertaining” program for people than it is to FAST and PRAY down the power of God from Heaven. It is far simpler to get a big crowd and exercise “crowd psychology” over a group than it is to weep and labor in prayer and preach a message that challenges people to really and completely yield themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ!

But the power of God is not something that can be produces by man. Emotions can be produced (ex. Football game), but not the power of God.

People today are hungry for something real yet supernatural. Like Elisha, they are calling out, “Where is the Lord God of Elisha?” And it’s that question that I want us to examine today.

*What did Elisha mean when he asked that question?

1. He meant that he wanted to know the power of God that Elisah had.

2. He meant that he wanted to know the God that Elijah had known.

3. He meant that he wanted to know the faith in God that Elijah had.

BACKGROUND: God is ready to call Elijah home – not through death but through a rapture! Elijah and Elisha are journeying together so Elijah tells Elisha to stay at Gilgal. Elisah would not stay. At Bethel Elisha was told to remain there. But he would not. The same thing takes place at Jericho.

Then at the Jordan River, Elijah smites waters and 2 go across on dry ground. Grateful for Elisha’s help and support, Elijah asks if there isn’t something he can do for Elisha before the Lord calls him (Elijah) home. Elisha asks if he can have “a double portion of they spirit upon me.” Note Elijah’s reply in v. 10.

Elijah is then caught up. Elisha, grief-stricken, rents his clothes in two. Takes up Elijah’s mantle. Comes to the bank of Jordan. “How can I get across?” Took the mantle that had fallen from Elijah and smites the waters, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”

What did he mean?

I. HE MEANT HE WANTED TO KNOW THE POWER OF GOD ELIJAH HAD EXPERIENCED

A. Elijah had experienced the power of God.

- prayed for it not to rain……and it didn’t!

- prayed for it to rain….and it did!

- Prayed for fire to consume a water-soaked altar….and it did!

- Saw God provide him food deliverd by ravens!

- Saw God use him to heal the sick and even raise the dead!

B. Elisha knew there was more to being a Christian than just following the man of God and going through the motions.

*Elisha saw through Elijah that the POWER OF GOD COULD BE CALLED UPON, IT COULD BE CLAIMED, IT COULD BE APPROPRIATED!

NOTE: Elisha didn’t want to hang around with a bunch of Bible scholars (school of the prophets), he wanted to be where the power of God was at work! I’m all for studying the Word of God. In fact, the person that doesn’t spend time in God’s Word every day is simply a foolish, empty person. But did you ever wonder why it is that we have all these Bible studies throughout this whole city? And we have more Bible colleges and seminaries than ever before in the history of the world. Yet violence and crime run rampant in our streets and people are staying away from the churches in droves (except maybe on Christmas and Easter). America is now officially a “pagan” nation! We run to our Bible studies and we go to our seminars and buy our little Christian videos. We look for ways to improve our programs and methods. But nobody is asking, “Where is the power?”