ELISHA— A TALE OF RIDICULOUS FAITH—1

RIDICULOUS COMMITMENT

Words w/opposite meanings: Bad, Sick, Ridiculous!

Life Elisha: OT prophet—ridiculous!

Trained under Elijah: Double portion: More recorded miracles.

Divided Jordan, Called him Baldy – sent bears, Raised dead, Ax head float
Purified poisoned stew, his Bones resurrect a dead man.
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Lived during 9th c BC.
Israel divided nation: Full of idolatry: Baal.
What's interesting about this guy is he was very ordinary. He wasn't the son of a
priest, he wasn't a monk, he wasn't like some sort of outward spiritual giant. He was
an ordinary guy who was living at home with his parents, working on a farm when
God called him to do something incredible.
It gets even more ridiculous. He burned the plow and equipment to cook the
meat and gave it to the people and they ate it. Then he set out to follow Elijah and
became his servant.
Ridiculous responsibility: Counsel kings. Perform miracles. Speak on behalf of
God.
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Okay, so let me tell you where we're going in this series.
Next week, we're going to see something that really speaks to me. So many of
us, because our faith is small, we're not willing to dream big. At the same time we're
not willing to dream big, so many aren't willing to start small. God is going to expand
your faith to think big, and at the same time, I believe you'll be willing to start small.
Third week, we're going to look at a widow who was desperate. Any of you who
are going through difficult times right now and you wonder, "How am I going to make
it?" This poor lady was about to lose her two sons and all she had to her name was a
little jar of oil. This will build your faith.
Fourth week, we're going to see a crazy miracle. We're going to look at a miracle
where an axehead fell into a body of water, the prophet through a stick, and the
axehead floated again. We'll look at that and apply it symbolically to our lives and I
believe God is going to help you get your spiritual edge back.
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Before God called prophet: Wasn’t son of a priest. Didn’t go Seminary. Hi was not a
Monk.
He was old and Living at home w/parents working on his dad’s farm.

Today, I want to show you a ridiculous commitment of faith from the prophet Elisha.
1st Kin. 9:19-21

19
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke
of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak
around him.
20
Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he
said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned
the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out
to follow Elijah and became his servant.

(Elisha) was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. 1
Kings 19:19b

What we'll notice is he was doing the same job he had been doing for a long time. He
was working on his parents' farm, and he was driving the yoke of oxen.

Can you imagine the monotony of what it would be like to plow behind a yolk of oxen
every single day.
Think about this. What do you smell? Something that's sick, and not in the good
kind of way. Right? You smell oxen residue. What do you see? What is your scenery
everyday if you're behind a plow? You're walking behind oxen. What is your scenery?
Oxen rears. Don't say anything bad. Oxen rears. Oxen tails. Oxen behinds.

In case you're having a hard time visualizing this, I gave you something to help
you see. [shows video of oxen facing away from camera} That is your scenery and that
is not cool every single day.
Hard, boring, monotonous work. Smell oxen.
Staring at oxen rears. Every day. Same thing. Day after day.

Sales quota, Student study/work, Same job. Parent (kids, laundry)

Lose your passion staring at oxen rears.

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Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 1 Kings 19:19c

Mantle = Under my care. Under my authority, under my covering.

I understand that this a topic that doesn’t echo, good in some of people of the
congregation of the body of Christ around the world,
Before Elijah was taken up into the whirlwind, Elisha asked to "inherit a double-
portion" of Elijah's spirit. Some see this as indicative of the property inheritance
customs of the time, where the oldest son received twice as much of the father's
inheritance as each of the younger sons. In this interpretation Elisha is asking that he
may be seen as the "rightful heir" and successor to Elijah.
Let’s remember that the prodigal sons brother trough a fit because the Prodigal
got recognized a son again.
Now, some of you may feel a little bit like Elisha.
Symbolically Elijah is saying, "that which covered me will now cover you. That
which was the mantle on me, will now be the mantle on you. That which I was under,
now you will be under. You will be my student; I will be your mentor. As God has
been working through me, now God is going to work through you." And he put his
mantle, or he put his covering over Elisha.
Elisha is described as performing twice as many miracles as Elijah. In this
interpretation the "double-portion" isn't merely an allusion to primacy in succession,
but is instead a request for greater prophetic power even than Elijah.
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TWO PRINCIPLES OF RIDICULOUS COMMITMENT

1) YOU DON’T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND FULLY TO OBEY IMMEDIATELY.

20
Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he
said, “and then I will come with you.”
1 Kings 19:20

Didn’t have to pray about it. Pros & cons. Details. He didn't have to do a list of pros
and cons. All he did was said, "God, I believe you're in on this." I don't know the
details but since I believe you're in on this, I will obey immediately.
Can you say Father God I, Trust you!
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God’s directions are often intentionally vague.
If He showed you everything, you wouldn't show up.
Abraham: Go—to the land I’ll show you. Peter: Jesus was walking up on water. Peter
was like, "Hey, that's ridiculous, can I do it Jesus: Come.

Marriage: Stay Church: Commit

Health: Trust Children: Adopt
Idea: Start Bad dating.Break up w/the bum. (5)
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Stay: one year after talked to Wendy, remember I hadn’t seen her in 8 years, we got
married. Some of you today, may say—Ridiculous!
2) THOSE GOD USES THE MOST ARE THE ONES WHO HOLD ON TO THE
LEAST.
21
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned
the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out
to follow Elijah and became his servant. 1 Kings 19:21

Slaughtered oxen—ceremonial sacrifice to celebrate. The Father of the Prodigal Killed

fat calf.
Let's use our minds here; there's no reason yet. You know, "Go follow God but
keep the cows and plows because you never know when you might need to use them."
Doesn’t just make some steak—Burns the plows.

Irresponsible. Disciples left everything. (Luke 5)

Plow burning faith.
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62
Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

"Father, we pray that you would build faith in this church, God, corporately and
individually, that we would recognize it is impossible to please you without faith and
we want to follow you and do what you are leading us to do."

God never intended for his followers to play it safe.

You know you weren’t meant to stare at oxen rears.