Elisha - A Review

Let's pray together father we thank you Lord for this opportunity tonight to study your word once again Lord You have granted us this opportunity the middle of the week to be refueled We pray Lord that you would open our hearts and minds to receive those great things from your word this evening We ask in Jesus name. Amen. I Love the study of Old Testament characters And we've done a number of them over the years and we're going to do more in the years to come and I've been praying About which one I'm going to do next Maybe it's going to be Ruth or maybe it's gonna be Jonah or maybe it's gonna be Hezekiah.

It might even be Mordecai Because the book of Esther is more about Mordecai than it is Esther. Did you know that? That Mordecai is mentioned first before Esther that Mordecai is mentioned more times than Esther and that Mordecai is the defender of the Jews not Esther and that Mordecai is The man spoken of percentage wise in the book of Esther more than Esther is it's really a book of Mordecai than it is of Esther So I'm thinking about maybe doing that one just to shed new light on a book of the of the scriptures But looking at what it is.

We could possibly do in the future I love to study the Old Testament and to take the biblical narrative and apply it to our day is is a challenge But it's a it's a great joy for me to study the scriptures and to understand what God was doing in the lives of men And women in the Old Testament It's the same God. He hasn't changed He's a he's a great God. He does great works and to be able to understand what he did, especially with our character Elisha We spent most of the fall studying this man and we've been out of it for 10 weeks now and so I thought we'd go back and just review a little bit for you to help you understand where we've been and Where we're going to go so you understand this man and how he applies to to you and me he's the man of miracles Remember there were there were three times in history where there was an outpouring of miracles on the earth.

The first was Moses The second was Elijah and Elisha and we did Elijah now We're doing Elisha and there was an outpouring of miracles and the third time was a time of Christ and the Apostles Three times in the history of the world where the Lord God of Israel has specifically poured out an abundant of miracles upon the earth and in those miracles those physical miracles that that that God did behind all of those is a spiritual message for those of us who understand the scriptures and So we need to grasp that and that's what we've been trying to look at with with the ministry of Elisha From the very beginning when he divided the waters after he was commissioned by Elijah to be The prophet after Elijah ascended into heaven.

He divided the waters of Jericho and then he would do a miracle with the waters in Jericho because they were contaminated and Then as you continue to go on through the story you realize that Elijah was Elisha was a was a great man and and when when young men came out to mock him he he called the bears out of the woods and they ate them alive and that too was was a miracle not one we necessarily like to talk about so much but it was a miracle and that's exactly what what had taken place and Then you you see him Defeat the king of Moab and how he's with the armies of Israel and how he with King Jehoshaphat Was able to do something miraculous to allow them to win a battle We've seen him well take care of a widow who had no food and yet He was able to help her understand the miracle of the oil that provided not only for her on that day But for the rest of her life Then we saw that woman from from Shunam the Shunammite woman who who commended?

Elisha and saw that he was a man of God and she showed hospitality to him and he was so so enamored with this woman he wanted to do something for her, but didn't know what to do and When he asked her she said I don't need anything but yet he granted her a child because She was barren and she had a had a son And then the son died And so he raised a son from the dead I mean the man is just full of miracles God used him in such a miraculous kind of way in the lives of people but behind all those physical miracles that there was a Spiritual emphasis because Elisha whose name means God is my salvation remember Jehovah Jehovah is my God was Elijah's name and Elisha's name is God is my salvation God is my deliverer so in his his miraculous power that God had granted him and worked in and through him with it was a it was a demonstration of the delivering power of God Because Israel was steeped in Baal worship They were idolatrous and even under the ministry of Elijah They they had not fully turned away from Baal worship And so when Elisha comes on the scene he does even more miracles than Elijah did as recorded in Scripture and he was Demonstrating to the people that God is my Savior.

God is my deliverer He does more than just deliver you from contaminated water. He does more than just deliver you from a barren womb He delivers your soul from sin And to understand the message of the Prophet and how God would use him in the lives of people so important to to grasp this man because he does so many marvelous things and yet he was a Prophet of God He was designed to represent his God To a nation that had turned its back on God and So he was calling them to turn and to follow the one true living God God is my deliverer.

We know we know his name His name is Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins There is no other name unto heaven given among men whereby you must be saved It's the name of Jesus for he is the way the truth and the light and no man comes to the father but through Jesus Christ our Lord, he is that deliverer and so Elisha comes to represent his God and we know about the call of Elisha and from first Kings chapter 19 because Because there's more about his call than there was Elijah's call Elijah just kind of shows up on the scene with King Ahab But Elisha, we see him working in the fields.

We see him plowing in the fields We see him doing manual labor and we know that God has called him because God says to Elijah Listen, you are going to anoint Elisha the son of Shabbat Because he will follow you he will take your place and so we know the call of God upon Elisha was truly a Call from God to Elijah to Elisha And Elisha would go and Elijah would go and find Elisha see him plowing in the field take up his mantle and throw it upon Elisha while he was doing his his everyday duties and we know his father was a wealthy man because he had 12 pairs of oxen and So he was doing his daily duties and when Elijah threw his cloak upon Elisha Elisha knew it was a prophetic sign.

He knew he'd been called by God He ran after Elijah. He went back and said hey, I need to go back to my family I need to go back so I can say goodbye to them And so he did and and he went back and he took his oxen and he killed them and he burned his his his plow For for wood so that he could he could boil the oxen and and feed the people because he was never coming back and and behind this call was this this great energy this this great courage because Remember Baal worship encompassed the land And so for him to stand with Elijah who happened to be the most wanted man in Israel.

It would make Elisha a Wanted man as well because he had partnered with Elijah the most wanted man in Israel And so he knows that it's it's a sacrifice to to represent his God He knows it's a sacrifice to be a prophet in Israel He knows it's gonna cost him to be a prophet in Israel So his call was a courageous call his call was a zealous call because he put all of his energy into it There was enthusiasm behind his call. There was enthusiasm behind his life And his life would would carry on with Elijah for we don't know how long until actually Elijah sent it into heaven and Elijah Elisha became the next prophet of God But there is a statement that said in first Kings 19, that's very important about Elisha says he returned from following him and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen and gave it to the people in the eight that he rose and follow Elijah and ministered to him that that phrase Elisha serves Elijah Is all you really need to know about Elisha Because it says in Second Kings chapter 3 King Jehoshaphat would say About Elisha that the word of the Lord is with this man Elisha he remember he had been with the the armies of Israel and somebody came and and told the kings that that Elisha was there and Jehoshaphat knows I know this guy because the word of the Lord is with him and Elisha says in second Kings 3 14 as the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand or before whom I serve in serving Elijah He was serving the King of Kings remember back in first Kings 17 verse number 1 Elijah said to Ahab as the Lord the God of Israel lives before whom I stand and before whom I serve So Elisha truly followed in the footsteps of Elijah Because they were servants of the Living God You see what made Elisha's ministry so incredibly unique is that he understood his call to serve his God and That is really behind every Old Testament man of God or woman of God That was mighty for God They understood that call That they were there to serve the true and Living God And so tonight I want to talk to you about that because you need to understand that you need to understand that in your Ministry it truly is a service to the king We are not going to raise people from the dead We're not going to allow or make a barren woman pregnant with a young child God has not anointed us with those kinds of gifts So the miracles that Elisha does are way beyond our comprehension But yet behind that man is an attitude of service to his king That made him available to his king to be used in such a mighty way that his impact went across the land of Israel So we need to understand that servanthood mentality that slaves mentality So let me give you a few points that will help you understand this as we understand Elisha and his ministry remember in Acts 1336 it says that David after he has served God's purposes in his own generation He had served God's purposes in his own generation Because you can't serve him in somebody else's generation You can only serve him in your generation and then David died and fell asleep with his father's That's Acts 1336.

So you have to realize that we are to serve God in our generation The the time in which God has allowed us to live in the arena Which he's called us to live out our spiritual existence. We are to live as servants of the great king of glory So we need to understand the implications of that You understand that because our identity is wrapped up in the fact that we are servants for the king of kings To understand that understands the ministry of Elisha the ministry of Elijah the ministry of David who was called a servant of the Lord the ministry of Joseph who was called a servant of the Lord or Abraham who was called a a Servant of the Lord or Paul who was called a servant of the Lord And the list goes on and on Because they truly understood what it meant to serve the true and living God question is do we?

So let me give you a few points tonight that will help you understand this. First of all the servanthood is the call of every saint Servanthood is the call of every saint Every one of you are called into the service of the king if you're a born-again believer You're called into the service of the king James the half-brother of Jesus introduces us introduced himself in his book to us by saying that James a Bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ Not James the half-brother of Jesus, which he could have said But James a bond servant of the Lord Jesus Christ Peter said the same thing in 2nd Peter chapter Chapter 1 verse number 1 that he was a bond slave of Christ Paul said in in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse number 3 I thank God whom I serve In fact in Acts chapter 24 verse number 14 Listen to what Paul says as he stands before Festus when he says this I admit to you that according to the way Which they call a sect I do Serve the God of our fathers.

Now, that's very important I do serve the God of our fathers you are right in that aspect because that's exactly what I do and the word For serve is lay true. Oh, which is translated Worship because your service is Your worship and your worship is your service You ever hear about people who who go to church and and they don't give anything out of the worship Worship is service if you don't serve you don't worship See we forget that We think that worship is coming and sitting and singing. Oh, it's so much more than that There is a sacrifice of praise that I offer to God.

But what but worship is is my service to God That's why in Philippians 3 verse number 3 when it says we are the marked ones. We have a circumcision. We are the ones who Worship God in spirit. It's the word lay Tria From the true. Oh, which means to to serve or to worship We are the ones who worship God in spirit We are the ones who serve God in spirit The the true Christian is marked out by the fact that he is involved in the service of the king You serve the king you live to serve the king and therefore every Believer is called to serve servanthood is the call of every saint Over in Romans 12 remember Romans 12, you know the verse Romans 12 verse number one Therefore I urge you brethren by the mercies of God In other words by everything that I've said in chapters 1 to 11 You need to present your bodies a living sacrifice living in holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual Service of worship and the word there is lay true.

Oh same word used of Paul when he said I serve the God of my fathers The same word is used now to talk about how we present our bodies in service to the king Paul says the only logical Reasonable thing for you to do based on your understanding the mercy of God is that you serve the Living God That you present your body for the service of the king you see the way, you know people understand the mercy of God and have Received the mercy of God is that they want to lay their life out for the king If you're unwilling to do that, you have to ask yourself.

Have I been a recipient of God's mercy? So Paul says I beg with you. I plead with you that this is what this is the only reasonable Worship you could ever have is to serve the Living King and so Servant hood is the call of every Saint On top of that servant hood number two is is is always controlled by submission Servant hood is controlled by submission.

It's the call of the Saint but controlled By submission if get your Bible turn to Matthew chapter 25 And I'll refer back to this on on a number of occasions during our time together This evening, but this is this is very very important remember Paul Commended the Thessalonian Church Because they had turned to God from idols to serve The Living God the true and living God you see Paul commended them because it was evident to everybody around them that they had been born again Because they turned from their idols to the true God to serve that God to worship that God To honor that God so it's the call of the Saint but servanthood is also controlled by submission Listen to this Matthew 25 very familiar story.

It's it happens in the valley of Jehoshaphat the Kidron Valley outside the city walls of Jerusalem when the Messiah returns and the Mount of Olives is split and He sets up a judgment between the goats and the sheep This is the separation of the tares from the wheat at the end of the age This is how you're able to tell the two apart because God himself does it And it says in Matthew 25, but when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels with him He will sit on his glorious throne And all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats And he will put the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left Then the king will say to those on his right come you who are blessed on my father Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink I was a stranger and you invited me in naked and you clothed me.

I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came to me Then the righteous will answer him Lord when did we see you hungry and Feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in or naked and clothed you? And when do we see you sick or in prison and come to you The king will answer and say to them Truly I say to you to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine Even the least of them He did it to me Then he will say to those on his left depart from me accursed ones into the eternal fire Which has been prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink I was a stranger and you did not invite me in naked and you did not clothe me Sick and in prison and you did not visit me then they themselves also will answer Lord When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?

Then he will answer them truly I say to you to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to me These will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life You see servanthood is controlled by submission He says when you did it to the least of these you did it as Unto me You see one of the aspects of a servant is that he lives in submission to his master He's controlled by a submissive attitude Submission is is an attitude that exemplifies itself in actions That that's why Christ says in Luke chapter 19 verse number 16 I'm sorry, Luke 10 verse number 16 the one who listens to you Listens to me because how you treat my children is how you treat me See that so the area of taking care of those in need In this context during the tribulation period Taking care of those in need you do so because you see those in need as Christ Whereas the unbeliever did not see those in need as Christ and were not compelled to submit to the authority of the master But the believer the sheep they were that way.

That's why I love what it says over in the book of Colossians Colossians chapter 3 When it says these words Verse 23, whatever you do do your work hardly as for the Lord rather than for men So whatever you do and in the context It's all about submission husbands and wives and wives and husbands and parents and children and children parents and slaves and employers and employers and in Slaves and learning to submit one to another so whatever you do Do your work hardly as for the Lord rather unto men knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance It is the Lord Christ Whom you serve You see the problem in our marriage is that you don't serve your husband or your wife you serve the Lord and In serving the Lord you automatically serve your husband or wife You see the sheep serve the Lord and in serving the Lord They do it into the least of these my brethren because as you do it into them you do it into me You see we think that we're serving somebody That we can see But you're not You're serving the unseen Christ But he is seen in his Saints Because if you do it unto them you've done it unto him You see we need to understand that our service is for the king It's the Lord's we are serving we serve him If you can keep that mentality what would keep Elisha Focused he was in the service of his of his God What what what keeps you motivated when nobody else responds You're serving the God the God you say you love You're serving the king And Elisha and Elisha and all those Old Testament prophets and all those those Godly kings when they would lead people who would not follow they understood that they were in the service of the king of kings and Lord of Lords What keeps me motivated as a husband when I I serve the Lord by serving my wife and there's no response What keeps me motivated I'm not serving Her primarily I'm serving my king primarily She is the benefactor of my service to the king You see that's the way that's the way it works.

So when we understand that we are serving the king Our service to others the least of these my brethren is all controlled by my submission To my king my master my lord So servanthood is is Truly the call of every saint it is controlled by submission and and number three you need to understand this and that is Servanthood is is contrary to society Servanthood is contrary to society.

It's the call of the saint. It's controlled by submission, but it's absolutely Contrary to anything that society will tell you teach you or what you to do Because in society it's all about you it's all about me isms. It's all about narcissism. It's all about What's in it for me? and so you you have to approach it from a from a Different mentality. That's what what Christ says in in the book of Matthew the the 20th chapter Matthew chapter 20.

He says these words Matthew chapter 20 In the whole Confrontation he has with his men What he says this after the mother of James and John had come to ask Jesus about whether or not their son her sons could sit one on his right and One of his left and and everybody became indignant because they didn't have a mother to ask that question to Jesus It says in verse 24 after hearing this the ten became indignant with the two brothers but Jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and Their great men exercise authority over them It is not this way among you But whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave Just as a son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many You know that the way society does it is not the way we do it Society seeks to be honored.

They seek to be praised. They seek to be recognized, but we don't do it that way slaves Don't seek recognition Servants don't seek to be noticed they just serve their master and So Christ says that we know that there is a lording over in the Gentile world We know that there's a a me first mentality in the Gentile world in the in the pagan world.

We understand that But not so with you Because you're in a different world You serve a different King you abide by different rules and therefore Servanthood is it's completely contrary to society so to embark on a a service mentality a Slaves mentality a wanting to honor my God above everything else Your whole life will be an antithesis to the place you live The country you live the people you work with It's just different because they don't understand that they're not interested in that kind of behavior You see it requires it requires Service requires what?

Love and admiration for my master and it's so doing it requires me to to love others And the world doesn't understand true love But we as believers are to somehow Model that to everybody else because we are we have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts So so the Bible the Bible makes it very clear that that it's more blessed to give than it is to receive We understand that and love is about giving love is about service. That's why over in in Romans chapter 12 Romans 12 Paul says these words in verse number 9.

He says let love be without Hypocrisy in other words don't have a hypocritical kind of love. How do you do that? Well to do that you must abhor what is evil and cling to what is good To show that your love is not hypocritical. You have to hate all kinds of evil, but only cling to that which is good And then he says first hand be devoted to one another and brotherly love giving preference to one another in honor Not lagging behind in diligence fervent in spirit serving the Lord You see your love is to be marked by a spirit of diligence a spirit of fervency because you're serving the Lord and Your service to the Lord is contrary to anything the world understands Because when there's not a response by the world or from the world to the world They stop serving but the believer Only is motivated to serve all the more Because he is serving the Lord that will one day reward him It's a different mentality So a guy like Elisha a guy like Elijah a guy like David a guy like Abraham a guy like Moses They would have to continue serving because they were committed to their God And we have to ask ourselves how committed are we to our God so servanthood is the call of the Saints It is controlled by submission.

It is contrary to society and servanthood is Constrained by my sinfulness It's constrained by my own sinfulness so on the eve of the of the crucifixion When the argument arose among the men about who was the greatest? Christ would take a slave's apron wash their feet in that in that night. That was the most Significant of all nights and we talked about that in our study of Luke the whole evening Was the most significant night in the history of the world? Okay And yet that most significant night was the most sorrowful night in the history of the world because our Lord would be betrayed By not only Judas, but even by those who who loved him they would deny him so that most Significant night was the most sorrowful night came to become the most shocking of all nights but it was a sovereign night because our Lord was in complete control of all that took place on the eve of the Crucifixion as he was on the day of the crucifixion.

He was sovereignly in control of everything And in that night, he would take men who were filled with sin because their lives were were were constrained by their own sinfulness Christ had no sin He was perfect. And so he was free to serve those who lived in sin So you must remember the servant of this constrained by by my sinfulness I'm held back because of my arrogance because of my pride as the disciples were About who was the greatest in the kingdom? It just filled their hearts And we must understand that as believers That when I am unwilling to serve There is sin that reigns supreme in my heart there is sin that has crept in and has taken a Prominent stand in my heart as to why I don't want to serve My God and in serving my God.

I am serving my my fellow brethren I am serving the least of these my brethren. I am serving anybody who who loves the Lord Because I am committed to my God So servanthood is the call of the Saints servant is controlled by submission It's contrary to society constrained by sinfulness But servanthood is is commended by the sovereign God of the universe If you go back to to Matthew chapter 24 Matthew chapter 24 and 25 it's it's what's called the the Olivet Discourse and it's all about the coming of the king and In Matthew 24 verses 36 to 51.

It's all about earnestly waiting For the king. Okay, and then in chapter 25 the parable the ten virgins. It's all about expectantly Watching for the king and five of those virgins were watching and five were not five We're ready and five were not and then you had the parable of the talents which speaks about how we energetically work Into the coming of the king because we're to occupy until he comes And so in this parable you understand how our sovereign God Commends those who faithfully serve him so he says for it is just like a man about to go on a journey who called his own slaves and Entrusted his possessions to them.

He was about to go away And so he gave them his possessions to one He gave five talents to another two to another one each according to his own ability and he went on his journey Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and Gained five more talents in the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more But he received the one talent went away dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with him to one who had received the five talents Came up and brought five more talents saying master you entrusted five talents to me See, I've gained five more talents His master said to him well done Good and faithful slave you were faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things enter into the joy of your master So here was one who understood that he was entrusted with responsibility.

He was entrusted with opportunity and his master went away and He received a hundred percent dividends on his master's Possessions and same with the man with two talents same thing, but the man with one he did nothing He was slothful according to what the master says he was a wicked slave and You see he did not do anything because he was not interested in serving His master He was not interested in the opportunities and responsibilities that God had granted to him to bring forth dividends with them and Christ would put him in a place of eternal punishment and eternal damnation because he would not respond He was unfaithful You see servanthood is commended by the sovereign God of the universe He commends us He gives us an invitation to enter into the joy of the Lord He gives us that opportunity to hear those words.

Well done thou good and faithful Servant what a commendation that God gives to those who faithfully serve? Him it's commended by our sovereign God, but biblical servanthood is also Contingent listen is also contingent upon salvation Biblical servanthood is always contingent upon salvation Because the one slave who hid his talent and did nothing with it Perished Only the ones who did something with what God gave them were able to flourish and experience the joy of the Lord That's why over in in Romans chapter 6 verse number 22 Romans 6 verse number 22.

These words are spoken, but now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God When you're free from sin You are enslaved to God to serve him in John 12 John 12 verse number 26 our Lord says if anyone serves me He must follow me and where I am there My servant will be also if anyone serves me the father will honor him If you serve me if you honor me if you worship me, my father will honor you you see Servanthood is contingent upon saving grace in Revelation 22 verse number 3 we will be in the service of the king We are called the bond servants of the Lord and we will serve God throughout all eternity Because that's who we are We love to serve the king.

We want to serve the king. We've been bought with a price You see the one thing about a believer is that he understands his identity that he has been purchased from the slave market of sin He's been set free from his sin from the enslavement of sin so he can now serve his God Because he's been purchased by him. He is now owned by the Living God of the universe The believer understands that and so he will only wants to serve his God He will only wants to obey his God. He will only wants to follow his God.

That's what he wants to do by nature That's who he is So servanthood is the call the Saints is controlled by submission contrary to society constrained by sinfulness Commended by the sovereign contingent upon salvation and it's characteristic of our Savior It's characteristic of our Savior in the incarnation Philippians 2 When Christ became a man He became a servant of all so in the incarnation is all about service and the servanthood of our Messiah In his instruction to his disciples He would instruct them over and over again that the greatest among you must be the best servant of all Because I am among you as one who serves But in order for that to happen second Peter 1 4 says that we are partakers of the divine nature of God And if his nature is coming to me all you that labor and a heavy lady and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm meek and lowly in spirit That's who he is.

We become partakers of his divine nature by nature as Christians. We have an attitude of service to the king Because we become a partaker of the divine nature. That's why Servanthood is so contrary to society, but so characteristic of every Saint Because we have become partakers of the divine nature God is in us Christ dwells in us and that ultimate servant Controls our lives. So by nature now we become servants of the Living God and That's why when the Bible says that Elisha and Elijah would stand before Kings and Say it is the Lord God of Israel before whom I serve They understood servanthood They understood it was contrary to society They understood that their sin would constrain that attitude, but they also knew they also knew That one day they'd be commended by the sovereign God of the universe for their faithful service Because they were called to serve the King But notice notice this Servanthood is always challenged by simplicity If you got your Bible go back to Matthew 25 Go back to Matthew 25 Servanthood is challenged by Simplicity, please note this in the parable or not parable but in the in the in the story of the Separation of the sheep and the goat and and how God is going to judge at the end of the tribulation You will note the simplicity of their service It wasn't I'm gonna serve because the TV cameras are here I'm gonna serve because I'm gonna get my page on the on the front of time magazine Or I'm gonna serve because somehow the newspaper is here They're gonna take pictures and write an article about my service for the king Because They were so unaware of their service When did we see you hungry?

When did we see you thirsty? When did we see you naked when did we see you in prison that we would even go and visit you You see the the simple aspect of that It wasn't I'm gonna serve you if if somehow someone's gonna see me or I'm gonna serve you because there's something Monumental or spectacular that's going to happen that I can be involved in because feeding the hungry and clothing those who are naked and visiting those who are imprisoned and Giving water to those who are thirsty is not worthy of world recognition It's not a spectacular event It's an everyday Simple occurrence In true servanthood is challenged by by simplicity it truly wants to serve at all costs in all places to All people and it doesn't require there to be any kind of recognition How many of us would truly serve if no one else Recognized what we did Because so many times we serve for the wrong purposes that somehow someone will tap us on the shoulder or Pat us on the back or write us a note of Thankfulness or be able to somehow be recognized by others around us The true test of your willingness to serve is that you do it without any recognition any accolades any praise But you do it because you serve the Lord And you want to honor him That's why servanthood is challenged by simplicity This is the great challenge It's easy to serve when everybody's watching look at that guy, he's so such a Studious person such a such a hard worker But when no one's watching, what do you like?

see serving that is truly challenged by by simplicity But notice this the servanthood is is committed To selflessness It's committed To selflessness true servanthood is always done Without ever expecting anything in return So when they saw someone thirsty, they gave them a drink, but they weren't expecting water in return When someone was naked they clothed them But they didn't really expect to be clothed in return because that person would be unable to do that Well when they went to visit someone in prison they went to visit knowing that they could not reciprocate that because hopefully you're not in prison or Hopefully you don't need to be visited But there's nothing they did in Matthew 25 That would say look I do for you.

How about you do for me now? See we get involved in that don't we We you know, I'll do this for you, but you're down the road. You're gonna do this for me You know We do it on our marriages every day Going I'm gonna do this, but he's gonna pay back sooner rather than later Because we don't understand the challenge of simplicity And we don't understand how to be committed to selflessness We don't want anything back We give with strings attached you ever notice that which really by the way isn't truly giving at all But we give with strings attached That somehow you will do for me because I've done for you You'll pay me back And you better pay me back more than I gave to you That's our attitude But did people in Matthew 25 You know It was so much a part of their nature.

They never took into consideration payback It was such a part of their nature. They didn't take any consideration that anybody was watching Because that's who they are and that's why lastly servanthood is confirmed by spontaneity Servanthood is confirmed by spontaneity. They just spontaneously served That they weren't doing it because someone was watching. They weren't doing it for any kind of recognition. They just did it because That's what sheep do sheep do What the shepherd does goats do what brings glory to them See that Sheep do what the shepherd does Because they see others they see Christ in others And everything about their service was was confirmed by their spontaneity there.

There wasn't something we didn't have to pray about it Because in the service of the king You don't have to stop and pray about it. You just have to do what he says Right, no need to pray. Well, I better pray about well, I'm gonna forgive my brother No, you don't have to pray about that Cuz God commanded you forgive I Gotta pray about how I'm gonna love my sister. No, I don't pray about loving them because God commanded you to love them. I Got to pray about whether I'm gonna I'm gonna do good to those who've done evil to me No, God commanded you do good to those who have done evil to you You see we we want to pass off prayer for an excuse to be disobedient in the immediate We want to delay our obedience remember delayed obedience is always disobedience just is That's why servanthood is confirmed by spontaneity.

There's nothing to pray about the person in prison There's nothing to pray about those who are naked and clothing them or someone who's thirsty and giving this at the drink or hungry and Feeding them. There's nothing about that. I don't have to pray about that because it's part of my nature. It's who I am I'm a servant of the king And so I look for opportunities to serve it's it's almost as if they were anticipating Anticipating ministering to those in need But yet not knowing that what they were doing was truly Commended by their God because they didn't do it for that You will be commended by God, but you never do it for that see they didn't do it for that purpose They did it because they were partakers of the divine nature and it was part of who they were What would I tell you all this because in the study of Elisha He was a servant of God and this is what characterized Elisha a lot of miracles he never even Prayed about He just did them Why?

because in The moment there was a need that needed to be met and he met it In the moment there was an opportunity to serve and he served In the moment because he was serving his king and wanted to honor his king. He put his king on display Because nothing was ever about Elisha It was all about the king of Israel the deliverer of Israel the Savior of Israel see And if we can keep that perspective Boy, I tell you everything about ministry in the church and ministry at home and ministry with our with our friends and family It will all change It's all change because I Am enslaved to the ultimate master of the universe the king of glory And I want to serve him More than I want to serve myself Let me pray with you Father we thank you Lord for tonight and a chance to be in your word a chance to be reminded of of what your word Teaches us and I pray Lord that every one of us will truly take to heart the opportunity we have to be involved in the service of the king If we can see Lord that what we do we do for you not for husband wife son daughter friend or foe We do for you because we Want to honor you?

And when we do we expect no return on our service We expect no accolades. We we just want to serve the king because Lord you Have set us free from Satan's domain We are children of the king We are children of the Lord Jesus Christ And our prayer fathers that you'd motivate every one of us internally That from our heart from our soul We would be moved Because we are partakers of the divine nature of the God of the universe And the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts go before us Lord we pray in Jesus name.

Amen