AT THE VERGE OF ENTERING TRUE SPIRITUALITY

Mike Blume
January 19, 2003 am

2 Kings 6:1-6 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. (2) Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. (3) And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. (4) So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. (5) But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. (6) And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

Jordan River is a place of demarcation.

You "cross over" from one state of religious experience to a truer and more serious and real state.
Recall that Israel passed from the wilderness into the land of Canaan when they crossed the Jordan River.
And when they did cross over, the older generation who had doubted so much forty long years beforehand, had died off.
So crossing Jordan is getting into that place God wants you and me, after we get rid of a doubting element in our personal lives represented by these older doubters who died.

Even Jesus was baptized in Jordan when he began His ministry of the supernatural.

Elijah had to cross Jordan in order to begin ministering in Israel because he was a TISHBITE. And his land was across Jordan from Israel.

He was from Gilead.
That was on the other side of Jordan.

When Elijah finished his ministry, and God was going to take him back to his homeland across Jordan and away in a chariot of fire, Elisha followed him.

Elijah repeatedly told him to stop at the various towns they met on the way.
Elisha wanted to go all the way, though.

Do you want to go all the way?

After Elisha crossed the last point, Jordan, it was then when he saw Elijah taken away and received his mantle to do a work of the supernatural for God as well.

It's like the veil in the temple.

The veil had to be rent in two in order for us to get into the holiest of holies where the FULL GLORY of God exists.
That room in the temple represents coming into a place of spirituality and Spirit-leading by God, in which you are really experiencing some supernatural victory and ministry in your lives.

This story speaks about Students of Elisha who wanted to learn from him as did Elisha learn from Elijah.

The sons of the prophets were actually students of the prophets.
Paul called Timothy his "son" since Timothy was a student of Paul's and was learning the things of God from this great Apostle.

And by the time we come to this part of the life of Elisha, so many miracles happened through his ministry that the students were swarming him.

And the dwellingplace he had in which they stayed was becoming over crowded.
So they asked him if they could go to Jordan River and build a bigger place.
He told them to go.
Then they asked him to come along with them.
So he went.

Each man was intended to fall a beam.

In other words, cut down a tree for the work of building the house.
Everyone had something to do.

As they began cutting down trees with their axes, one of the students was chopping at a tree, and the axe head, or the iron, flew off the handle and into the Jordan river.

He not only would be unable to finish his part in the work with everyone, but it was an axe that had been borrowed from someone.

One thing I like about this student is that he felt a responsibility about something that was given to him to work with.

Matthew 25:15-18 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

Matthew 25:24-30 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (26) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: (27) Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. (28) Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. (29) For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (30) And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The man who received one talent had a job to do as well as everyone else.

But he buried his talent purposely.
And he neglected his responsibility, and was severely rebuked for it.

There is a big difference in BURYING YOUR TALENT, and LOSING your axe head while working.

There is not much we can do with folks whose attitude is to bury their tools and abilities that God gave to them, and neglect their part in the Kingdom and the church.

You cannot give someone desire.
They have to get it for themselves.
But there is a lot we can do with people who lose their talents and tools while working.

Church, there are those who refuse to work for God, and they'll face the Lord one day about that, and the outlook is pretty grim for them.

But for you who WERE doing what YOU COULD for God, and while you were sincere and helping and doing your part, YOU LOST YOUR ABILITY TO HELP due to some tragedy, there is HOPE!

If you HAD DESIRE, and you slipped up....
Something accidentally happened that you never expected...
You LOST YOUR MINISTRY...
God's ministries ARE BORROWED FROM HIM for you to use for his kingdom.
The house the students were building was something dedicated to their ministries and the kingdom of God.
They were building that house because they wanted to learn from Elisha.
And sometimes tragedies arise.
They could be in the form of anything.
But these times cause you to LOSE your ministry and part in God's Kingdom.
I want you to know that the same spiritual kingdom of God in which you were involved and working, is the spiritual kingdom of God in which NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

When you're doing something for God in sincerity, you are either at least at the verge of the JORDAN RIVER or beyond it.

What I mean is that the Jordan River is a place people come to when they are on their way towards the perfect will of God for their lives.

People who are careless about God and only come to see each other, or due to a habit they got involved with in sitting on a pew every week are nowhere near JORDAN.
JORDAN represents the place where you CROSS OVER into a spiritual place where God wants you.

This student was at the verge of crossing over into ministry.

Elisha was a student as well, until he crossed Jordan.
We are all students until we cross Jordan and then we are in full ministries in our own rights!
Joshua was a student of Moses until he came to the Jordan where Moses was not allowed to cross, and Joshua was ordained to lead them over.

So when you are at the verge, you are doing something for God, and something may go wrong.

You lose your utensil.
You lose your GIFT.
Gifts are from God and they never belonged to you originally, like something borrowed.
Like TALENTS that are given for you to do something with and multiply them, to return them one day back to God.

And people on the verge of crossing Jordan will react like the student did.

They react as though all is HOPELESS!
They lost their ministry and now nothing can ever be done.
They blew it!
No they did not!
Throwing away your ministry is one thing, but losing it while doing your best to work for God is another!
I want you to know that the same spiritual kingdom of God in which you were involved and working, is the spiritual kingdom of God in which NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

We react as though the situation is natural.

And in the natural scheme of things, some situations simply are impossible to rectify.
But we are not in the natural scheme of things.
The same supernatural God that gave you a supernatural tool or ministry can recover that ministry in a supernatural way that simply cannot occur with a natural set of things.
Naturally speaking it would be hopeless.
But this is not a natural kingdom we are involved in and working in.
This is the SPIRITUAL KINGDOM OF GOD.

Was not a gift of the Spirit supernatural in origin?

Why cannot God restore it supernaturally, then?
Its the same GOD!

How did Elisha deal with it?

He asked the man where he lost it and then threw in a stick.

Now the picture is not so plain as the one earlier in the Bible in Exodus when they threw a TREE in the water to Heal the bitter waters.
We can see that the TREE is the cross, and we all heard it said that we can APPLY THE CROSS to our BITTER SITUATIONS and see them made sweet again.
That is because the word TREE is used, and the cross was called a TREE in Galatians 3.
But the Hebrew word for STICK is actually the same Hebrew word translated as TREE in that other story.
Its the one and the same word.
So we see a TREE cast into the waters once again, that solves a situation!

THIS IS THE CROSS AGAIN.

The truths of the cross teach that we are so united to Jesus when we believe the Gospel of His death on the cross for us, that we can say we DIED WITH JESUS on that cross.

When you believe the Gospel you obey Acts 2:38 and your repentance, baptism and Spirit baptism all account to you as being dead, buried and resurrected with Jesus.
And that UNION to Jesus through the cross gives you power and allows God to move on your behalf.
You are a child of God and have special privileges when you're united to Christ through the work of the cross.
And so throwing the tree in the water to retrieve the axe head represents recovering your ministry by the supernatural power of God available for you because of the cross, no matter how impossible it seems to naturally retrieve it!
In other words, BECAUSE YOU'RE A CHILD OF GOD NOW, GOD WILL SUPERNATURALLY RESTORE WHATEVER HAS BEEN LOST IN REGARDS TO YOU BEING ABLE TO WORK FOR GOD.

Don't doubt and worry and be upset thinking THIS reason means you cannot get back into the saddle, or THAT reason in the manner in which you lost the tool means its impossible to recommence ministry.

These doubts do exist when you're at the verge of crossing Jordan.
You were already working for God, but not long enough to realize some things in the Spirit.
You're at the verge.
You just need to start believing God for things you never realized the cross also deals with!
CROSS OVER.

Elisha threw in the tree, and the axe head started to swim.

Under normal circumstances, axe heads do not swim.
They sink straight to the bottom of the water and stay there.
But we have a God who defies the natural.
In a day when entire denominations will not believe you can have a miracle, and that the days of miracles are gone, God still DOES MIRACLES!
Let them stay on this side of Jordan.
WE NEED TO CROSS OVER!

Miracles happen at Jordan!

After the axe head started rising again...

(Ever hear of resurrection?)
...Elisha directed the student to TAKE IT UP NOW.
Like everything else to do with the cross, including the initial salvation, you have to TAKE IT.
You don't get saved automatically just because Jesus died on a cross to save you.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT.
You have to personally make a choice and do something about it and make a step and REACH OUT AND TAKE IT by repenting and getting baptized.
In like manner, you have to PICK UP YOUR MINISTRY AGAIN AND GO AT IT!

It is so tempting to keep doing nothing.

But you have to TAKE IT!
Take a deep breath and reach out and grab it and start using it again!
Don't get comfortable with your ministry LOST.

And he continued to do his part in the kingdom once again, with the others hard at work!

God's power can give you the gift, since its only borrowed from Him, and He can also RESTORE IT TO YOU!

They were expanding!

Their numbers were growing and they had to build bigger.
Sounds a lot like our new building project down the road!
Everyone can pitch in and help!
Everyone SHOULD pitch in and help somehow!
But its a body, church.
Everyone has to do something.
Everyone has something to do.

If you're grieved deep inside because you lost your part to play, GOD CAN RESTORE YOU.

He cannot help you if you do not cry out from your heart and ask.
In other words, He cannot help if you do not WANT TO WORK.

You will cross over from fret and despair and hopelessness, into a place of a supernatural lifestyle and ministry.

Part of that requires leaving behind the hopeless attitude.
Especially when they involve God's work.

Are you going to step across this point?

Are you going to stop reacting in hopelessness, and enter into your promised land of REAL CHRISTIANITY?

This preacher is throwing the cross in your situation, and its coming back to you again.

And I am now asking you to reach out and take it back!
Do something with what I've done for you today.
Elisha threw the tree into the water where the student lost his axe head.
I threw the truths of the cross into your situation where you lost your ministry.
Now this following altar-call is where you reach out and pick it up again.

I said earlier that Jordan was like the veil.

The veil was bypassed in order to enter the holiest of holies.
That room represents the place God wants you where you really live where He lives!
You life is close to Him and you have strong faith!
And the Bible tells us that VEIL RIPPED OPEN the moment Jesus died on the cross, representing a barrier being broken through for you to once again fellowship with God, for His glory actually dwelt behind that veil in Old Testament times.

The TREE or the truths of the CROSS must be applied to your situation and this FLESH BARRIER will break away and open up for you a great life in the Holy Ghost!

The truths of the cross first saved you, but there are more truths to that cross that will help you when you LOSE your part in God's Kingdom!

You can get it back again!