1 / 14

The Cutting Edge

The Cutting Edge. January 6, 2013. Scripture (2 Kings 6:1-7). Elisha The school of the prophets The work (project) The prophets The predicament of one of the prophets The ax head The miracle. Elisha. Calling of God (1 Kings 19:19-21) Trained under Elijah Effect of an anointed leader

chaeli
Télécharger la présentation

The Cutting Edge

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Cutting Edge January 6, 2013

  2. Scripture (2 Kings 6:1-7) • Elisha • The school of the prophets • The work (project) • The prophets • The predicament of one of the prophets • The ax head • The miracle

  3. Elisha • Calling of God (1 Kings 19:19-21) • Trained under Elijah • Effect of an anointed leader • Became the successor to Elijah • Saw Elijah taken up to heaven • Received a double portion of the Spirit • “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha” (2 Kings 2:15)

  4. Miracles of Elisha • Parted Jordan River (2 Kings 13-14) • Cured Naaman’s leprosy (2 Kings 5) • Increased the widows supply of oil so that she could pay her debt and live (2 Kings 4) • Enables a barren woman to have a child and then raises him from the dead (2 Kings 4) • Multiplies food to feed 100 men (1 Kings 4) • Causes an iron ax head to float?

  5. School of the Prophets • Great leader will use the anointing to gather and train others • The true test of a leader “Take a good look to see if anyone is following you” • Vision to make changes came from those being trained • Great leaders can accept and act on the insight of their followers

  6. The Project • To more effectively carry on the work of the ministry • Involved everyone “let us go…let every man take a beam…let us make there a place…” • Required a leader “Please consent to go with your servants” • Required effort - cutting of trees

  7. The Predicament • Things were going well • A vision was cast • Leadership involved • Equipment was gathered • Construction began • Then the loss of the ax head • And the miracle of its retrieval

  8. The Ax Head • What does the ax head represent? • The axe was borrowed did not belong to the prophet he was responsible for it would have to be returned (Matt 25:14-30) • Why was the ax head lost? difference between a sharp ax and a dull ax carelessness involved?

  9. Elisha’s Response • Where did you lose it? Implies personal responsibility • Elisha threw a stick and the ax floated • Interesting instruction from Elisha “Pick it up for yourself” I will help you but you need to be involved too • Picture of God working together with man

  10. Story of Samson • Judges Chapters 13-16 • His birth announced by an angel • Endowed with amazing strength • A sad statement in Judges 16:20 - “But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” • Became blind and a prisoner • Before he died he got back his power by going back to where he lost it (Judges 16:28)

  11. Personal Application • God is concerned with each person many were cutting trees - only one lost his ax head - miracle for him • No problem too small for God “casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7 • God can help us get it back

  12. How Is Our Ax Head? • Have we lost our cutting edge? • How do we get it back? need to admit that we lost it decide to stop just going through the motions enlist spiritual help go back to where we lost it • Expect and experience a miracle

  13. Where Did We Lose It? • Spiritual carelessness • Prayer life? • Fellowship with other believers? • Neglect of the Word? • Allowing sin to creep into my life • Unforgiveness • Maybe just the busyness of life

  14. Word To The Church • Goal is that all the axes are in proper use • The work did not stop while ax head was lost • Elisha looked after both the work and the one who was distressed over his loss • The goal of effective spiritual leadership? “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body…” Eph 4:16

More Related