Greater, Part 1

on Sunday, we kicked off a new sermon series called "Greater". It's a 5 week series on the life of Elisha. Enjoy!

Audio of this sermon can be found at: http://mcguiganmedia.com/McGuigan_Media/MRWC_Audio/Entries/2013/6/2_Sunday_June_2_2013.html

 

Well, I am super excited to begin a brand new series today. I love it when we begin a new series, because we’re all on the same playing field.

We’re all filled with expectation, and anticipation of what God wants to do; of what God will do in our lives.

This new series is called Greater, and it will focus on the life of a Prophet by the name of Elisha. 

Elisha is not to be confused with the prophet of a similar name, Elijah. While Elijah did some really cool things, Elisha preformed even Greater things than Elijah did.

So over the next 5 weeks, we are going to look at some key events in Elisha’s life.

So let me give you the key thought of this series right up front. This is the glue that will hold each sermon in this series together.

“God wants to do something greater in your life.”

This one sentence sermon summary is short, simple and 100% accurate.

It doesn’t matter who you are; it doesn’t matter what you may, or may not, have done with your life, God wants to do something greater in your life.

It doesn’t matter if you started a business and it failed miserably; God wants to do something greater in your life. 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve flunked out of school; God wants to do something greater in your life. 

It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of money, or if you have no money: God wants to do something greater in your life. 

The Psalmist declared in Psalm 138 that “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me…” (138:8a, NIV)

God has a plan for your life and God wants to do something greater in your life. 

This gives me hope; knowing that God is not finished with me yet.

Knowing that God can take our messed up and broken lives and do something greater with them, something greater in them…

So I’m excited to see what God does in my life and in your life because of this series.

Our key verse, the verse that we will come back to time and again, the verse that we want you to memorize comes from 1 John chapter 4.

The immediate context of this verse has John describing for us the way to tell if someone has the Spirit of God.

If the person acknowledges that Jesus has come in the flesh, they have the Spirit of God.

If someone denies that Jesus has come in the flesh, that person has the spirit of an anti-Christ.

John goes on to say in verse 4: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4, NIV)

Followers of Jesus are able to know the things of God: “because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4b, NIV)

This is the verse that I want us to memorize. This is the verse that I want us to recall when we are on the verge of blowing it.

The One who is in us; the Holy Spirit of God; is far greater than the one who is at work in the world.

God, who lives inside of us, is greater than the god who is in the world, and He wants to do something greater in our lives.   

As I mentioned, this series will focus on a man by the name Elisha, and his story begins in 1 Kings 19.

Please note, that we only have time to highlight some of the things that happened in Elisha’s life.

There are many other things that happened that we simply cannot cover; so I want to encourage you to take some time this month and get in your Bible and read about Elisha.

I truly think you’ll be amazed at the greater things God did in and through Elisha.

We’re going to begin our glimpse by looking into Elisha’s ordinary life, but before we do so, we need a little background information.

And to find this information, we’ve got to take a look into the life of Elijah.

If you grew up in church, you may remember hearing about how Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel; if you don’t remember, or you didn't grow up in church you can check this story out in 1 Kings 18.

In the very next chapter, 1 Kings 19, we find Elijah at a very low point in his life.

He had just received a text message, telling him that there was a bounty on his head, and when Elijah heard this, he jumped into his Cadillac and drove to the desert of Beersheba, where he found solace under a tree. 

While Elijah was hanging out under this tree, he was visited, and fed by an angel of the Lord, who told him to make the 40 day journey to Mount Horeb.  

When God asked what Elijah was doing there Elijah reminded God that His people had turned their backs on Him, that all the prophets had been killed, and Elijah was the only prophet left, but he was going to die as well.

The Lord told Elijah to travel to the desert of Damascus to anoint 2 kings and one prophet.

So Elijah jumped back into his Cadillac and the first person he found was Elisha, who was an ordinary man, doing ordinary work.

Here’s how it’s recorded in 1 Kings 19:

“So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team.

Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.

20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”

Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” ” (1 Kings 19:19-20, NLT2)

This was Elisha’s call. There weren’t any fireworks, nor was it a mountain top-experience.

The successor to one of Israel’s greatest prophets was a man who had a doctorate in oxen-rears.

Because he was driving the 12^th team of oxen, Elisha had a great view: if he looked to his right: oxen-rears. If he looked to his left: oxen-rears.

If he looked backwards oxen… well, you get the idea.

The moment God showed up in Elisha’s life was the moment he was doing something ordinary. He was doing what he had been doing for a long time.

Elisha was established in his ordinary life. While it probably wasn’t the best smelling job in the world, at least it paid the bills.

So on the day the prophet showed up and called Elisha to something greater, he didn’t hesitate.

Not once did he say: “I’m good dude. I like how my life is going. I like aux-de-oxen.”

When confronted with change, Elisha responded in a positive way: “Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.

20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” (1Kings 19:19b-20, NLT2)

When Elijah threw his cloak on Elisha--which represented Elijah’s ministry-- Elisha steps into the batter’s box and swings for the fences, thus beginning his greater life.

Pastor Steven Furtick, commenting on this verse, wrote: “The cloak, a simple item fashioned out of wool or animal skin, communicates this message:

‘You weren’t meant for this Elisha. You weren’t meant to spend the rest of your life starting at oxen rears.’

‘God has something else for you. He wants to break you out of the tyranny of the familiar and take you into a life full of unpredictably and wonder. Your life can be greater.’” (Furtick, 2012, 35)

Some of you might be waiting for a sign from God before you surrender your life over to Him.

This is your sign.

While God may show up and call you to the greater life that He has for you in an awesome way, He’s more likely to show up while you’re plowing a field, while you’re going about your daily routine.

How the call comes is not as important as responding when the call comes.

And that call has come, today.  

Isaiah told us to: “Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.

7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” (Is. 55:6-7, NLT2)

God is calling us to the greater life and that involves us turning from our ordinary life and searching for and finding Him.

Jesus said: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT2)

If you want God to do something greater in your life, it starts by responding to His invitation for you to leave your ordinary life, and grab hold of the greater life that He has planned for you.

Next week, we are going to look at Elisha’s response to this call of God, and we’ll look at the specific thing Elisha did to prove he was ready for the greater life that God had called Him too.

So here’s what I want you to do in preparation for next week, and really for the remainder of this series:

I want you to talk to God about what He wants to do in your life.

Tell Him that you’ll give Him complete access to your ordinary life; you’ll do what He asks you to do, and you’ll go where He asks you to go.

But hear this warning: Only do this if you’re serious about leaving your ordinary life.

Don’t tell God you’ll do what He wants you to do if you’re satisfied with looking at oxen rears. 

Only talk to God if you’re serious about wanting Him to do something greater in your life.

The second thing you can do (to prepare yourself for next week, and this series), is Allow God to do what He wants to do in your life.

Max Lucado once said: “God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” (Lucado, 1998, 3)

God wants to do something greater in your life and this will only happen if you allow God to do something greater in your life.

So as the band comes back, I would like for those of us who are serious about taping into the greater life that God has for us, to stand up and tell God that we want to leave our ordinary life and follow Him.