One
of the things that spoke greatly to me in last Sunday’s sermon from the ALL IN
series at The Community was the statement that Elisha made as he committed to
go with Elijah. He literally burned the
bridge that would allow him to return to his old life. He was willing to do whatever God called him
to do.
1
Kings 19:21 NLT
So
Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the
plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the
townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
In
the act of burning the oxen along with the plow Elisha made it clear that his
heart was set on doing what God said and his mind was made up to make this
change. This was a statement of
faith. We too have to make a statement
about faith and leave the possibility behind when we know the right thing that
we must do.
Making
a statement of faith is not an option.
It is a must be done so that you and those around you know the choice
you’ve made. We’ve seen this kind of
statement in others.
Remember
the tax collector who gave his life to Christ.
He gave what he had to the poor.
He made things right with those he cheated. He had cheated others with money, and it made
sense that that his giving all or going ALL IN meant something with money.
Remember
the prostitute that anointed Jesus feet.
She breaks in to a party where Jesus is.
She breaks a box of precious perfume.
It represented who she was and her security. Might have been her most precious
possession. It represented her profession. It makes sense that this is what is the token
of her profession of faith. Poured out
at Jesus’ feet, anointing him.
What
risk do you need to take to go ALL IN?
To step in to the plan God has for you what equipment do you need to
burn and get rid of to step in to?
Failure
is resorting to plan B when plan A gets too risky, too costly, or too
difficult. Most people are living plan
B. It is because you've failed to make a
decision that opens up the possibilities.
Elisha
is a great prophet. Compared to other
prophets he went far beyond where any of the others went.
1
John 2:5-6 NLT
But
those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how
we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should
live their lives as Jesus did.
Saying
one thing and doing another describes a hypocrite. The person who makes a statement of faith
then lives it out show how completely a person is sold out to God.
I
pray God fills our churches, our families, our businesses and beyond with
people who have made a statement of faith.
They are anointed to be who God made them to be. We want people who know God, love God, have
skills and God’s hand on their lives. If
we need a surgeon, we want a surgeon who is anointed by God and well
trained. We want our kids to have
teachers that are anointed by God. The
anointing is for everyone and for everything touched by God for His
purpose. If you are doing what you are
doing to glorify God, it is from God. He
wants to anoint you and me to accomplish what He wants.
Our
choice should be to make a statement of faith.
I remember such statements by ministries and organizations in the
past. Often the organizations have a
written document and then actions that don’t match. To make a statement and to make it stick we
have to make a clear statement of faith.
Elisha
said good-bye to his old life by throwing a party and saying good-bye to his
fields he used to work. It symbolizes
the old Elisha the farmer is gone and the new Elisha, the prophet, began a new
journey, blessed by God. He ate his old
way and got it out of the way. He
couldn’t go back because he gave it all up.
You
can seek God in the process at a church but miss the best that God has for
you. It al begins with knowing the
person of Jesus, making a statement of faith and following it through!
Luke 19:9
NASB
And
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house,
because he, too, is a son of Abraham.
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