1 00:00:29,859 --> 00:00:33,659 In your place this Sunday night for our surprise Sunday night 2 00:00:33,699 --> 00:00:34,091 service. 3 00:00:34,195 --> 00:00:34,411 Right. 4 00:00:34,435 --> 00:00:39,163 We were all expecting to be in Bethlehem, but our plane flight got 5 00:00:39,171 --> 00:00:40,267 canceled, I guess. 6 00:00:40,443 --> 00:00:43,479 So if you have your bibles, turn to second kings, chapter 13. 7 00:00:49,699 --> 00:00:52,159 Of course I'm thankful for the opportunity to preach. 8 00:00:52,579 --> 00:00:56,299 I'm not thankful that it comes when pastor is sick, of course, but 9 00:00:56,919 --> 00:00:59,055 I am thankful for the opportunity to preach and the opportunity 10 00:00:59,087 --> 00:01:00,831 to share what the Lord's laid on my heart. 11 00:01:01,015 --> 00:01:04,259 And it's something that I don't take lightly and always enjoy. 12 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:09,167 Here in the book of Second Kings, this is kind of where I've 13 00:01:09,183 --> 00:01:12,495 been doing my devotions for the last few weeks or so. 14 00:01:12,567 --> 00:01:15,743 I kind of do a couple reading plans and one is a bit more in depth 15 00:01:15,791 --> 00:01:16,975 and a little bit more slow paced. 16 00:01:17,007 --> 00:01:18,047 And that's kind of. 17 00:01:18,183 --> 00:01:19,231 That's this one. 18 00:01:19,335 --> 00:01:22,111 And so the teenagers may recognize where we talked a few weeks 19 00:01:22,135 --> 00:01:24,739 ago about the beginning of Elisha's ministry. 20 00:01:25,089 --> 00:01:28,313 Tonight we're going to be talking about the end of Elijah's 21 00:01:28,361 --> 00:01:31,589 ministry, which consequently is also the end of his life. 22 00:01:32,769 --> 00:01:36,825 Let's pray and then we'll jump into the message this evening. 23 00:01:37,017 --> 00:01:39,225 Dear Lord, thank you for this day, Lord, thank you for the opportunity 24 00:01:39,257 --> 00:01:39,561 to be here. 25 00:01:39,585 --> 00:01:42,185 God, I pray that you'd be with the service tonight. 26 00:01:42,217 --> 00:01:43,353 Lord, I pray that you'd be with my message. 27 00:01:43,401 --> 00:01:45,913 Lord, I pray that you would give me the words to say, Lord, I 28 00:01:45,921 --> 00:01:48,553 pray that you would help me to say only the things that you want 29 00:01:48,561 --> 00:01:52,131 me to say, Lord, and to come clearly communicate this passage, 30 00:01:52,195 --> 00:01:54,211 Lord, and what I believe you're trying to teach us through 31 00:01:54,235 --> 00:01:54,883 your word. 32 00:01:55,011 --> 00:01:56,275 In Jesus name I pray. 33 00:01:56,387 --> 00:01:57,239 Amen. 34 00:01:59,099 --> 00:02:03,039 What if you could go back 15 years? 35 00:02:04,299 --> 00:02:05,959 What would you do differently? 36 00:02:07,259 --> 00:02:12,451 I had a enjoyable time this afternoon just thinking about some 37 00:02:12,475 --> 00:02:15,267 of the things that I might do differently if I could go back 15 38 00:02:15,323 --> 00:02:18,309 years with all the knowledge that I have now. 39 00:02:21,089 --> 00:02:25,849 Unfortunately, in 2008 when the housing crisis and all that happened, 40 00:02:25,929 --> 00:02:27,669 I made the mistake of being 10. 41 00:02:28,609 --> 00:02:31,913 But I would go back and try to find some way to buy some property. 42 00:02:32,041 --> 00:02:32,709 Right. 43 00:02:33,729 --> 00:02:36,473 I thought back to 2016. 44 00:02:36,561 --> 00:02:39,305 I was selling solar door to door in Lancaster, California. 45 00:02:39,337 --> 00:02:43,033 I do not recommend it, but we were going door to door and I was 46 00:02:43,041 --> 00:02:44,729 getting paid through the cash app. 47 00:02:44,769 --> 00:02:46,441 It was kind of a brand new thing at the time. 48 00:02:46,465 --> 00:02:50,933 And they just implement bitcoin on there and I had the opportunity 49 00:02:50,981 --> 00:02:53,369 to take my paycheck in bitcoin. 50 00:02:54,269 --> 00:02:56,805 At the time, Bitcoin was 500 bucks. 51 00:02:56,997 --> 00:02:59,089 They were offering me one Bitcoin a week. 52 00:03:00,429 --> 00:03:02,613 I needed cash though, because I had to pay for college. 53 00:03:02,661 --> 00:03:04,129 So I didn't take it. 54 00:03:04,909 --> 00:03:09,381 But now I'm like, man, put college on the credit card and take 55 00:03:09,405 --> 00:03:11,409 all the bitcoin I can get, right? 56 00:03:13,879 --> 00:03:17,231 Think back towards all the different things that have kind of 57 00:03:17,255 --> 00:03:18,719 popped up in the last 15 years. 58 00:03:18,759 --> 00:03:21,615 Think of Facebook and Amazon and Google. 59 00:03:21,807 --> 00:03:24,351 Man, if I could, I'd go back and buy so much Facebook, I would 60 00:03:24,375 --> 00:03:28,255 have had a controlling stake and then Facebook wouldn't be worth 61 00:03:28,287 --> 00:03:30,539 anything because I would have ran it straight into the ground, 62 00:03:31,479 --> 00:03:31,839 right? 63 00:03:31,879 --> 00:03:35,263 But we can go back and we can think, man, there are so many missed 64 00:03:35,311 --> 00:03:40,609 opportunities because we just didn't know, right? 65 00:03:40,909 --> 00:03:43,557 There's so many missed opportunities in our life because 66 00:03:43,613 --> 00:03:46,769 we didn't expect it. 67 00:03:47,309 --> 00:03:50,517 We didn't know the exact timings of maybe when this stock 68 00:03:50,533 --> 00:03:53,349 would be this price and we should pull out before a big crash 69 00:03:53,429 --> 00:03:55,029 or, you know, we didn't know that. 70 00:03:55,069 --> 00:03:57,525 Yeah, the economy's terrible, but this is the cheapest houses we'll 71 00:03:57,557 --> 00:03:58,869 ever be ever again, Right? 72 00:03:58,909 --> 00:04:00,485 Like, we didn't know that sort of stuff. 73 00:04:00,517 --> 00:04:03,845 So there are missed opportunities for us here. 74 00:04:03,917 --> 00:04:09,215 In second kings, chapter 13, we come across the end of Elisha's 75 00:04:09,247 --> 00:04:15,007 life and we see a huge missed opportunity by the king of Israel. 76 00:04:15,183 --> 00:04:17,899 If you're there, let's look at verse number 10. 77 00:04:18,439 --> 00:04:22,463 My goal tonight is to completely and totally thoroughly 78 00:04:22,511 --> 00:04:27,551 confuse you guys and then hopefully bring it back around so 79 00:04:27,575 --> 00:04:29,539 we can actually get to the point of the message. 80 00:04:30,039 --> 00:04:31,253 Verse number 10. 81 00:04:31,391 --> 00:04:38,909 In the 30 and 7th year of Joash, king of Judah, began Jehoash 82 00:04:40,289 --> 00:04:47,305 the son of Jeho Az, to reign over Israel and Samaria, and reigned 83 00:04:47,417 --> 00:04:48,761 16 years. 84 00:04:48,945 --> 00:04:52,841 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he 85 00:04:52,865 --> 00:04:58,371 departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who 86 00:04:58,395 --> 00:05:01,319 made Israel sin, but he walked therein. 87 00:05:02,219 --> 00:05:06,051 And the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did in his 88 00:05:06,075 --> 00:05:08,915 might wherewith and he fought against Amaziah, the king of Judah. 89 00:05:08,947 --> 00:05:11,347 Are they not written in the books of the Chronicles and the kings 90 00:05:11,363 --> 00:05:12,199 of Israel? 91 00:05:12,539 --> 00:05:16,947 And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his 92 00:05:17,003 --> 00:05:21,639 throne, and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 93 00:05:23,029 --> 00:05:27,117 I don't know what got into Israel in this particular portion 94 00:05:27,133 --> 00:05:30,557 of history, but they pretty much decided that there was like 95 00:05:30,613 --> 00:05:31,485 four names. 96 00:05:31,597 --> 00:05:34,769 And we are just going to have variants of these names. 97 00:05:36,549 --> 00:05:37,885 I don't understand it. 98 00:05:37,957 --> 00:05:40,845 Right, so we're talking about Elisha with an S, and then there's 99 00:05:40,877 --> 00:05:42,189 Elijah with a J. 100 00:05:42,229 --> 00:05:44,333 Those are the two prophets in this time Period. 101 00:05:44,501 --> 00:05:51,703 Then the kings, we have Joash, Jehoash, Jeroboam and Jeroboam ii. 102 00:05:51,751 --> 00:05:52,551 So I have a chart here. 103 00:05:52,575 --> 00:05:54,099 Let's show the first chart here. 104 00:05:55,999 --> 00:05:58,983 Yes, this is all the kings and prophets of Israel. 105 00:05:59,111 --> 00:06:03,175 All right, so yellow on the top are the kings of Israel. 106 00:06:03,207 --> 00:06:07,495 So you see we have King Joram, King Jehu, who is an awesome character 107 00:06:07,527 --> 00:06:09,099 if you don't know King Jehu. 108 00:06:09,759 --> 00:06:11,895 Awesome King Jehu. 109 00:06:12,007 --> 00:06:17,743 And then we have King Jehoash, Jehoash and Jeroboam ii. 110 00:06:17,791 --> 00:06:20,751 Okay, that's going on in the northern kingdom. 111 00:06:20,815 --> 00:06:22,623 Then in the southern kingdom, we have King Joash. 112 00:06:22,671 --> 00:06:24,063 So guys, let's go ahead and zoom in. 113 00:06:24,151 --> 00:06:25,739 I have the second chart here. 114 00:06:26,359 --> 00:06:27,279 There we go. 115 00:06:27,399 --> 00:06:29,887 So those are all the characters that are being talked 116 00:06:29,903 --> 00:06:32,579 about here in this passage. 117 00:06:32,919 --> 00:06:36,399 I told you guys, if it's not confusing, it's going to be, right? 118 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:40,441 Trying to keep who is ruling and who is going on at the same time. 119 00:06:40,575 --> 00:06:43,381 So what we are talking about is the end of Elijah's life. 120 00:06:43,405 --> 00:06:46,373 You see the little blue line there with the word Elijah in it? 121 00:06:46,461 --> 00:06:49,589 We're talking at the very end of his life. 122 00:06:49,709 --> 00:06:53,221 So Jehoash and Jehoash are kind of right there. 123 00:06:53,325 --> 00:06:55,237 Same with King Jeroboam ii. 124 00:06:55,333 --> 00:06:59,409 And then Joash is ruling the southern kingdom right there. 125 00:07:00,349 --> 00:07:03,973 It's a lot, if you guys ever have taken a class to look at the 126 00:07:04,061 --> 00:07:06,565 whole of the kings of the northern and southern kingdom. 127 00:07:06,597 --> 00:07:09,389 It is political nightmare. 128 00:07:10,049 --> 00:07:12,969 There's one more thing that is super confusing, but it'll help us 129 00:07:13,009 --> 00:07:14,169 if we can understand it. 130 00:07:14,209 --> 00:07:18,629 Now, the Bible says in verse number. 131 00:07:22,049 --> 00:07:23,269 Oh, where is it? 132 00:07:24,609 --> 00:07:25,065 11. 133 00:07:25,137 --> 00:07:27,353 He said he did that which is evil in the sight of the Lord and 134 00:07:27,361 --> 00:07:29,273 he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. 135 00:07:29,321 --> 00:07:32,313 Okay, this is not, this is not jam. 136 00:07:32,361 --> 00:07:38,243 The, the Bible is referencing the OG Jeroboam who did evil in the 137 00:07:38,251 --> 00:07:39,235 sight of the Lord. 138 00:07:39,347 --> 00:07:42,947 And now King Jeroboam II is living up to his name. 139 00:07:43,083 --> 00:07:45,123 Is everyone thoroughly confused yet? 140 00:07:45,291 --> 00:07:49,219 Alright, told you guys, the politics of this are a nightmare. 141 00:07:49,299 --> 00:07:51,923 So we're dealing right here with the end of Elijah's life. 142 00:07:52,011 --> 00:07:54,883 Hopefully that chart helps a little bit as we are deciphering 143 00:07:54,931 --> 00:07:56,259 who is talking when. 144 00:07:56,379 --> 00:07:59,107 But primarily the story here is between Jehoash and. 145 00:07:59,163 --> 00:08:03,699 And Joash and then Joash again, the same name, three different 146 00:08:03,739 --> 00:08:04,595 variations of it. 147 00:08:04,667 --> 00:08:05,955 All right, thank you guys. 148 00:08:06,147 --> 00:08:10,755 In verse number 13, we see that Joash, the king of the southern 149 00:08:10,787 --> 00:08:14,099 kingdom, slept with his fathers and Jeroboam sat upon his 150 00:08:14,139 --> 00:08:14,691 throne. 151 00:08:14,835 --> 00:08:18,355 So here we have this whole situation laying out in verse 14 152 00:08:18,427 --> 00:08:24,755 the Bible says now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness, whereof 153 00:08:24,787 --> 00:08:25,415 he died. 154 00:08:25,507 --> 00:08:30,879 Now, I'm pretty sure the author of 2 Kings just sat down, 155 00:08:30,919 --> 00:08:33,899 was like, let's see how confusing we can make this. 156 00:08:34,519 --> 00:08:36,619 He is not dead yet. 157 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:41,711 The author is stating this is the sickness that he has that he 158 00:08:41,735 --> 00:08:42,859 will die from. 159 00:08:44,519 --> 00:08:50,319 Just so confusing whereof he died. 160 00:08:50,479 --> 00:08:55,585 And Joash, the king of Israel came down unto him and wept over 161 00:08:55,657 --> 00:09:01,121 his face and said, o my father, my father, the chariot of 162 00:09:01,145 --> 00:09:05,109 Israel and the horsemen thereof. 163 00:09:06,089 --> 00:09:09,969 So the king of Israel comes down unto the prophet, and he's crying 164 00:09:10,049 --> 00:09:13,521 over King Elijah going to or King Elijah, the prophet Elijah, 165 00:09:13,585 --> 00:09:14,737 who is about to die. 166 00:09:14,833 --> 00:09:17,269 And he uses this really cool callback. 167 00:09:18,569 --> 00:09:21,841 He says, oh, father, my father, the chariot of Israel and 168 00:09:21,865 --> 00:09:23,095 the horsemen thereof. 169 00:09:23,257 --> 00:09:28,239 That's actually what Elisha said to Elijah when Elijah died. 170 00:09:28,659 --> 00:09:31,931 Just a cool callback just to add to the confusion on top of all 171 00:09:31,955 --> 00:09:32,635 of it, right? 172 00:09:32,707 --> 00:09:35,019 In case we were already confused with all the names. 173 00:09:35,179 --> 00:09:38,107 So he says, hey, O Father, my father, Father, my father, the chariot 174 00:09:38,123 --> 00:09:39,707 of Israel and the horsemen thereof, verse 15. 175 00:09:39,763 --> 00:09:44,395 And Elijah said unto him, take bows and arrows. 176 00:09:44,507 --> 00:09:48,319 And he took unto him bow and arrows. 177 00:09:49,069 --> 00:09:53,333 And he said unto the king of Israel, put thine hand upon the bow. 178 00:09:53,461 --> 00:09:55,285 And he put his hand upon it. 179 00:09:55,437 --> 00:09:59,685 And Elijah put his hands upon the king's hands, and he said, open 180 00:09:59,757 --> 00:10:01,449 the window eastward. 181 00:10:02,029 --> 00:10:03,333 And he opened it. 182 00:10:03,501 --> 00:10:06,169 Then Elijah said, shoot. 183 00:10:06,669 --> 00:10:07,769 And he shot. 184 00:10:08,509 --> 00:10:12,629 And he said, the arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow 185 00:10:12,789 --> 00:10:16,653 of the deliverance from Syria, for thou shalt smite the Syrians 186 00:10:16,781 --> 00:10:20,889 in aphek till thou have consumed them. 187 00:10:22,549 --> 00:10:26,369 I have named this message tonight, shoot your shot. 188 00:10:27,429 --> 00:10:31,085 Looking out here at a row of college guys here because, you know, 189 00:10:31,157 --> 00:10:32,237 that's what college is for. 190 00:10:32,293 --> 00:10:34,573 It's time for you guys to go get married and all that sort of 191 00:10:34,581 --> 00:10:35,261 stuff, right? 192 00:10:35,365 --> 00:10:36,125 Shoot your shot. 193 00:10:36,157 --> 00:10:37,309 It's kind of a colloquial term. 194 00:10:37,349 --> 00:10:40,525 It's a term that's used in our culture now for kind of going after 195 00:10:40,597 --> 00:10:42,699 something that you want, right? 196 00:10:43,079 --> 00:10:47,503 But here we have, first off tonight, a proclamation of victory 197 00:10:47,631 --> 00:10:49,791 given to the king from Elijah. 198 00:10:49,935 --> 00:10:54,367 So here on his deathbed, Elijah is sick and he's dying. 199 00:10:54,463 --> 00:10:57,311 And the king comes and he's weeping and he's sad and he's so 200 00:10:57,335 --> 00:10:59,791 concerned over what's going to happen in Israel and what's going 201 00:10:59,815 --> 00:11:01,887 to happen with the spiritual future of Israel. 202 00:11:01,983 --> 00:11:07,139 And Elisha kind of has this really weird request. 203 00:11:07,449 --> 00:11:09,761 And if you're familiar with the prophets, they kind of did this 204 00:11:09,785 --> 00:11:11,309 sort of stuff a lot didn't they? 205 00:11:11,689 --> 00:11:14,749 And he goes, there's a bow and arrow on the ground. 206 00:11:15,609 --> 00:11:17,473 Makes you wonder why, right? 207 00:11:17,561 --> 00:11:19,281 Like, this is a sick and dying man. 208 00:11:19,305 --> 00:11:22,109 Why does he have weapons of war just laying in his room? 209 00:11:23,449 --> 00:11:25,281 Best I don't know, right? 210 00:11:25,385 --> 00:11:28,513 Anyway, so he goes and he picks up the bow and the arrow and 211 00:11:28,521 --> 00:11:30,869 he says, okay, I got the bow and arrow. 212 00:11:31,209 --> 00:11:33,629 Imagine what's going through the king's mind at this point. 213 00:11:34,169 --> 00:11:36,609 Like, are you gonna ask me to shoot you? 214 00:11:36,649 --> 00:11:37,665 Like, what are you? 215 00:11:37,817 --> 00:11:39,505 What is going to happen, right? 216 00:11:39,657 --> 00:11:42,321 And he says, open the window eastward. 217 00:11:42,465 --> 00:11:45,649 So he opens the window and he goes, shoot the arrow. 218 00:11:45,809 --> 00:11:48,909 And the king goes, okay, easy enough. 219 00:11:50,649 --> 00:11:52,993 Hope there's no one out there, right? 220 00:11:53,161 --> 00:11:58,305 So he shoots the arrow and Elijah says, and that is a symbol 221 00:11:58,337 --> 00:12:00,401 of the victory that's gonna come from the Lord. 222 00:12:00,465 --> 00:12:03,319 And the king is probably like, woo hoo. 223 00:12:03,819 --> 00:12:04,679 Victory. 224 00:12:05,099 --> 00:12:06,259 It's gonna be ours. 225 00:12:06,339 --> 00:12:07,155 That's awesome. 226 00:12:07,267 --> 00:12:08,879 Simple enough, right? 227 00:12:09,259 --> 00:12:10,643 Simple enough request. 228 00:12:10,771 --> 00:12:12,995 So we see here this proclamation of victory and it's 229 00:12:13,027 --> 00:12:14,803 matched with the prophet's promise. 230 00:12:14,851 --> 00:12:18,835 You see, Elijah declares God's plan for deliverance for Israel. 231 00:12:18,947 --> 00:12:23,363 It's funny because God always has a plan for our lives, for deliverance, 232 00:12:23,411 --> 00:12:24,239 doesn't he? 233 00:12:24,619 --> 00:12:27,731 Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11 says, For I know the thoughts that 234 00:12:27,755 --> 00:12:29,123 I think toward you, saith the Lord. 235 00:12:29,171 --> 00:12:32,399 Thoughts of people, peace, not of evil. 236 00:12:32,979 --> 00:12:36,779 Have you ever been trapped or at least felt seemingly trapped, 237 00:12:36,939 --> 00:12:39,451 maybe in a spot or a place in your life that you felt like there 238 00:12:39,475 --> 00:12:43,083 was no other place to go yet God always has a place of deliverance, 239 00:12:43,131 --> 00:12:43,959 doesn't he? 240 00:12:45,939 --> 00:12:50,059 There's a time in my life that I talk about a whole lot and it really 241 00:12:50,099 --> 00:12:55,787 is the time when just trying to pay for college, probably top 242 00:12:55,843 --> 00:13:01,843 five, maybe, maybe even top one or two trials in my life spread 243 00:13:01,891 --> 00:13:03,859 out over four years, right? 244 00:13:03,899 --> 00:13:07,635 And it was something that has left such an impact in my mind because 245 00:13:07,787 --> 00:13:14,771 for most of those four years, I was absolutely convinced that one 246 00:13:14,795 --> 00:13:17,923 day I was going to open my mailbox and there was going to be 247 00:13:17,931 --> 00:13:19,519 a check there to pay for my school. 248 00:13:22,219 --> 00:13:24,645 Sure enough, that never happened, right? 249 00:13:24,797 --> 00:13:26,981 But I was absolutely convinced because you hear those stories all 250 00:13:27,005 --> 00:13:27,461 the time, right? 251 00:13:27,485 --> 00:13:30,965 You hear like George Mueller praying on the doorstep, then orphans 252 00:13:30,997 --> 00:13:33,205 have nothing to eat and the milkman just happens to crash outside. 253 00:13:33,277 --> 00:13:36,837 And you're like, yeah, Lord, where's my milkman? 254 00:13:36,933 --> 00:13:37,569 Right? 255 00:13:38,029 --> 00:13:39,637 And you're sitting there and you're praying and you're praying 256 00:13:39,653 --> 00:13:42,613 for God, for deliverance, and you have it and you're so convinced 257 00:13:42,661 --> 00:13:45,669 it's going to be this specific way that God is going to do it. 258 00:13:45,789 --> 00:13:48,885 Yet God's plan takes us a whole nother route, doesn't it? 259 00:13:49,037 --> 00:13:53,739 And then of course, you only see that hindsight, hindsight being 260 00:13:53,779 --> 00:13:56,619 20 20, we can look back and I can see God moving in every step, 261 00:13:56,659 --> 00:14:01,339 in every way, in every part, every semester where I had to go 262 00:14:01,379 --> 00:14:04,027 sit across from the financial dean and be like, hey, I still don't 263 00:14:04,043 --> 00:14:04,923 have your money. 264 00:14:05,091 --> 00:14:06,679 What can you do to help me? 265 00:14:07,939 --> 00:14:11,159 I can look back and I can see God working in each and every step. 266 00:14:11,939 --> 00:14:16,199 So the prophet here gives a promise to the king that there is 267 00:14:17,229 --> 00:14:18,529 victory coming. 268 00:14:19,789 --> 00:14:22,213 And then not only do we see the prophet's promise, but we see 269 00:14:22,221 --> 00:14:24,329 the kings participation. 270 00:14:25,469 --> 00:14:27,249 What an interesting story. 271 00:14:28,029 --> 00:14:35,525 Elijah, sick and dying in a room somewhere, has bows and arrows 272 00:14:35,557 --> 00:14:38,289 sitting on the ground in the same room. 273 00:14:38,909 --> 00:14:40,293 It's very interesting to me. 274 00:14:40,381 --> 00:14:43,581 They seem to happen a lot in the Old Testament, right? 275 00:14:43,685 --> 00:14:46,653 A few months ago we worked through some of the earlier kings. 276 00:14:46,701 --> 00:14:50,397 We walked through the life of Saul, and like three weeks in a row 277 00:14:50,413 --> 00:14:52,413 we talked about how Saul grabbed a javelin and threw it at 278 00:14:52,421 --> 00:14:53,997 his kid or threw it at someone else. 279 00:14:54,093 --> 00:14:57,581 And I said, maybe at some point we should just stop leaving 280 00:14:57,645 --> 00:15:00,893 spears within arm's reach of the king, right? 281 00:15:00,981 --> 00:15:02,029 But they had weapons all over. 282 00:15:02,069 --> 00:15:04,729 So there's bows and arrows here in this room. 283 00:15:05,029 --> 00:15:08,205 And he tells the king to grab it and open the window and shoot 284 00:15:08,237 --> 00:15:11,049 an arrow outside pretty much blindly. 285 00:15:13,069 --> 00:15:18,581 I am not a bow and arrow safety instructor, nor do I think 286 00:15:18,605 --> 00:15:20,889 I could actually hit a target with a bow and arrow. 287 00:15:22,109 --> 00:15:29,529 But I am pretty sure on page one, line one of bow and arrow safety 288 00:15:29,869 --> 00:15:35,439 is, do not shoot the bow and arrow blindly out of a window or 289 00:15:35,479 --> 00:15:36,779 something to that effect. 290 00:15:37,559 --> 00:15:42,303 Yet the king here is participating in this whole picture 291 00:15:42,351 --> 00:15:44,379 that Elijah is setting up. 292 00:15:46,039 --> 00:15:50,623 James chapter 2, verse 17 says, Even so, faith, if it hath 293 00:15:50,671 --> 00:15:52,959 not works, is dead. 294 00:15:53,119 --> 00:15:56,259 Can I tell you, this is an act of faith by the king. 295 00:15:56,999 --> 00:16:02,605 Imagine the PR nightmare if that arrow had hit somebody, right? 296 00:16:02,677 --> 00:16:03,709 Imagine what would happen. 297 00:16:03,749 --> 00:16:06,317 So we see the proclamation of victory here by the prophet. 298 00:16:06,413 --> 00:16:08,861 But number two, I want you to see the partial effort. 299 00:16:09,005 --> 00:16:10,209 Let's keep reading. 300 00:16:11,029 --> 00:16:11,757 Verse 17. 301 00:16:11,813 --> 00:16:14,765 He said the arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow 302 00:16:14,797 --> 00:16:17,005 of the deliverance from Syria, for thou shalt smite the Syrians 303 00:16:17,037 --> 00:16:18,989 in Aphek till thou hath consumed him. 304 00:16:19,029 --> 00:16:19,613 Verse 18. 305 00:16:19,701 --> 00:16:26,141 And he said, take the arrows, plural, multiple arrows, and he took 306 00:16:26,165 --> 00:16:26,729 them. 307 00:16:27,079 --> 00:16:31,659 And he said unto the king of Israel, smite the ground. 308 00:16:33,159 --> 00:16:36,499 And he smote thrice and stayed. 309 00:16:39,399 --> 00:16:41,135 How many arrows are there? 310 00:16:41,287 --> 00:16:41,919 I don't know. 311 00:16:41,959 --> 00:16:44,575 Actually, the Bible doesn't make it known. 312 00:16:44,727 --> 00:16:47,819 However, the Bible does make it clear that there's more than three. 313 00:16:48,359 --> 00:16:50,815 So the next step of instruction, he says, okay, shoot 314 00:16:50,847 --> 00:16:52,079 the arrow out the window. 315 00:16:52,159 --> 00:16:52,511 Boom. 316 00:16:52,575 --> 00:16:53,655 That, that's your arrow of deliverance. 317 00:16:53,687 --> 00:16:55,207 You're gonna have deliverance over the Syrians. 318 00:16:55,303 --> 00:16:57,219 Now I want you to shoot the ground. 319 00:16:58,719 --> 00:17:03,287 Remember at the time it would have been a hard dirt ground, right? 320 00:17:03,343 --> 00:17:05,511 Nice compacted mud, dirt ground. 321 00:17:05,695 --> 00:17:09,623 If you look at paragraph one, line like five of bow and arrow safety 322 00:17:09,671 --> 00:17:12,375 is don't shoot straight at the ground beneath your feet. 323 00:17:12,567 --> 00:17:15,143 So the king grabs and he says, okay. 324 00:17:15,271 --> 00:17:18,247 And he shoots the ground three times with arrows. 325 00:17:18,263 --> 00:17:20,659 And the Bible says, and he stayed. 326 00:17:21,719 --> 00:17:24,219 Now the prophet's instructions were clear. 327 00:17:24,839 --> 00:17:26,699 Smite the ground. 328 00:17:28,039 --> 00:17:32,975 The assumed context would say, take every arrow that you have and 329 00:17:33,047 --> 00:17:34,299 shoot it at the ground. 330 00:17:35,319 --> 00:17:38,063 Yet the prophet felt the need, or the king, excuse me, felt the 331 00:17:38,071 --> 00:17:39,899 need to shoot three times. 332 00:17:41,159 --> 00:17:43,007 And the Bible says, and he stayed. 333 00:17:43,183 --> 00:17:44,419 He stopped. 334 00:17:44,839 --> 00:17:47,269 He decided, that's enough. 335 00:17:48,369 --> 00:17:50,069 What an interesting story. 336 00:17:50,849 --> 00:17:54,829 I want you to notice the king's hesitant faith. 337 00:17:55,169 --> 00:18:00,297 His hesitant faith, you see, he only strikes the ground three 338 00:18:00,353 --> 00:18:00,949 times. 339 00:18:02,369 --> 00:18:04,793 And you may be sitting here, you may be arguing in your seat and 340 00:18:04,801 --> 00:18:07,193 being like this sounds like a really dangerous encounter. 341 00:18:07,241 --> 00:18:09,749 And it is, by the way, do not try this at home. 342 00:18:11,819 --> 00:18:15,395 Is it any more dangerous to shoot six arrows than it is to shoot 343 00:18:15,427 --> 00:18:16,479 three at the ground? 344 00:18:18,299 --> 00:18:20,195 Is it any more of a burden? 345 00:18:20,227 --> 00:18:23,635 Is it any more trouble of the king to shoot all of the arrows instead 346 00:18:23,667 --> 00:18:25,279 of just doing it a couple times? 347 00:18:26,859 --> 00:18:29,539 Is it any more of an inconvenience? 348 00:18:29,619 --> 00:18:34,083 Is it any more or rather any less confusing to only do it a couple 349 00:18:34,131 --> 00:18:34,719 times? 350 00:18:38,149 --> 00:18:41,649 Or is this just laziness? 351 00:18:42,549 --> 00:18:46,769 Was this just the king not understanding? 352 00:18:47,589 --> 00:18:48,929 Was this the king? 353 00:18:51,189 --> 00:18:52,329 What was it? 354 00:18:54,869 --> 00:18:57,409 You see, he hesitated. 355 00:18:58,149 --> 00:19:01,165 He didn't fully follow the command of the prophet. 356 00:19:01,357 --> 00:19:02,809 He decided to stop. 357 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:07,079 So not only do we see this hesitant faith, but we see a half 358 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:08,099 hearted focus. 359 00:19:12,079 --> 00:19:14,179 Does anybody out there struggle with focus? 360 00:19:15,679 --> 00:19:17,819 I struggle focusing sometimes. 361 00:19:18,559 --> 00:19:23,419 Not as bad as some people, but man, I really struggle focusing sometimes. 362 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,455 There are many times when we'll be working outside or maybe 363 00:19:28,487 --> 00:19:31,491 working on a project here and I'll be working with one of my co 364 00:19:31,515 --> 00:19:34,371 workers and we'll be having a conversation or I'll be telling a 365 00:19:34,395 --> 00:19:38,691 story and this particular coworker will stop and completely 366 00:19:38,755 --> 00:19:42,595 change the conversation to a whole nother way or a whole nother 367 00:19:42,627 --> 00:19:44,211 story, a whole nother sidetrack. 368 00:19:44,355 --> 00:19:48,435 And we will finish that and the conversation will go and I'll 369 00:19:48,467 --> 00:19:52,723 say, so Anyways, as I was saying, and let me continue on to 370 00:19:52,731 --> 00:19:53,715 finish up where I was at. 371 00:19:53,787 --> 00:19:56,307 You see, focus is one of those things that's really hard for us 372 00:19:56,363 --> 00:19:58,719 to have day in and day out, isn't it? 373 00:19:59,689 --> 00:20:02,273 I told the teenagers this morning, the guys, at least in my 374 00:20:02,281 --> 00:20:05,789 Sunday school class, this is a time of year that I get really like 375 00:20:06,489 --> 00:20:09,309 self reflective over the previous year. 376 00:20:09,689 --> 00:20:11,309 Does anyone else feel that way? 377 00:20:11,609 --> 00:20:14,145 I asked the teenagers this morning if it was just me being weird 378 00:20:14,177 --> 00:20:16,849 or me being old, and they said it was me being old. 379 00:20:16,969 --> 00:20:19,425 Just kind of hoping for a little bit more support out here, 380 00:20:19,577 --> 00:20:20,789 but it's okay. 381 00:20:21,289 --> 00:20:23,847 And I get a little self reflective over the year. 382 00:20:24,033 --> 00:20:29,079 And I think back over what could have been different in 2024, 383 00:20:30,099 --> 00:20:34,795 what could have been different in 2023, what could have been different 384 00:20:34,867 --> 00:20:36,199 in 2022. 385 00:20:37,539 --> 00:20:41,819 And what's funny is I find myself year after year kind of saying 386 00:20:41,859 --> 00:20:42,839 the same things. 387 00:20:44,979 --> 00:20:50,389 Maybe I've made moderate improvements in some areas, but those 388 00:20:50,429 --> 00:20:53,189 seem to be kind of counteracted by just having the same 389 00:20:53,229 --> 00:20:55,009 struggles year in and year out. 390 00:20:57,629 --> 00:21:03,925 I don't have the focus that I truly need to see real spiritual 391 00:21:03,957 --> 00:21:06,133 victory or real advancements made. 392 00:21:06,221 --> 00:21:06,421 Right. 393 00:21:06,445 --> 00:21:08,405 And I feel like that's something that as Christians we struggle 394 00:21:08,437 --> 00:21:13,445 with a lot anymore, is we struggle with the focus to really 395 00:21:13,517 --> 00:21:16,725 look at the future and really look at what God's word is commanding 396 00:21:16,757 --> 00:21:19,669 us to do and accept it wholeheartedly. 397 00:21:20,809 --> 00:21:23,201 We can sit here and we can kind of poke fun at the king for 398 00:21:23,225 --> 00:21:26,561 not wanting to shoot all the arrows, but the reality is that we 399 00:21:26,585 --> 00:21:28,669 live our life every day in the same way. 400 00:21:29,369 --> 00:21:32,785 We have commands from God's word, and yet we do what we consider 401 00:21:32,857 --> 00:21:34,509 to be just enough. 402 00:21:34,889 --> 00:21:36,189 And then we stay. 403 00:21:36,729 --> 00:21:39,069 We hesitate, we're done. 404 00:21:39,689 --> 00:21:42,241 So not only do we see the proclamation of victory, not only 405 00:21:42,265 --> 00:21:47,295 do we see the king's partial effort, but I want you to notice 406 00:21:47,487 --> 00:21:52,111 the power of bold faith, or rather what could have been with 407 00:21:52,135 --> 00:21:53,459 the power of bold faith. 408 00:21:54,999 --> 00:21:56,299 Look at verse 19. 409 00:21:56,679 --> 00:21:59,183 And the man of God was wroth. 410 00:21:59,231 --> 00:22:04,299 With him, Elisha was nothing if not a passionate man. 411 00:22:04,679 --> 00:22:07,791 Here he is sick and dying in the bed, and he's angry with the 412 00:22:07,815 --> 00:22:08,419 king. 413 00:22:09,079 --> 00:22:10,511 He said he was wroth with him. 414 00:22:10,535 --> 00:22:13,979 And he said, thou should have smiten five or six times. 415 00:22:14,879 --> 00:22:21,863 Then hadst thou smitten Syria, till thou hast consumed it, whereas 416 00:22:21,991 --> 00:22:25,495 now thou shalt smite Syria. 417 00:22:25,607 --> 00:22:29,699 But thrice what could have been? 418 00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:34,615 I would be willing to submit the argument. 419 00:22:34,647 --> 00:22:39,431 The king probably didn't understand fully the depth of what 420 00:22:39,455 --> 00:22:40,419 he was doing. 421 00:22:41,709 --> 00:22:42,821 But can you imagine? 422 00:22:42,885 --> 00:22:48,949 He shoots the arrow three times, and the king or Elijah goes, 423 00:22:49,029 --> 00:22:50,213 he's really angry with him. 424 00:22:50,221 --> 00:22:52,405 And he goes, you should have done it five or six times. 425 00:22:52,477 --> 00:22:53,809 What's wrong with you? 426 00:22:55,309 --> 00:22:58,917 Now, instead of actually defeating Syria, you're just gonna 427 00:22:58,933 --> 00:23:00,249 see three victories. 428 00:23:02,429 --> 00:23:06,959 Imagine the king sitting there being like, oops, messed that one 429 00:23:06,999 --> 00:23:07,579 up. 430 00:23:08,199 --> 00:23:10,139 I really messed that one up. 431 00:23:11,079 --> 00:23:12,379 What could have been? 432 00:23:13,159 --> 00:23:16,319 And it seems like that is a reoccurring theme with the children 433 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,423 of Israel over and over and over again. 434 00:23:19,591 --> 00:23:24,911 They are left looking back on hindsight, on what could have been, 435 00:23:25,095 --> 00:23:29,295 rather than looking back and relishing in the victory that God 436 00:23:29,327 --> 00:23:30,299 hath given them. 437 00:23:31,649 --> 00:23:33,669 You see, the prophet rebuked him here. 438 00:23:34,769 --> 00:23:36,585 And this is a thing that we see often in Scripture. 439 00:23:36,617 --> 00:23:39,577 Jesus said in Matthew 13, he said, and he did not many mighty 440 00:23:39,593 --> 00:23:43,429 works there because of their unbelief, right? 441 00:23:44,289 --> 00:23:47,785 Jesus, in time, saw places and areas of Scripture where he wanted 442 00:23:47,817 --> 00:23:52,377 to do great and mighty and miraculous works, yet he didn't because 443 00:23:52,433 --> 00:23:53,989 the people there didn't believe. 444 00:23:54,529 --> 00:23:57,689 You see, the prophet here wanted to see the power of God come 445 00:23:57,729 --> 00:24:00,841 down on the nation and see a complete and total victory over the 446 00:24:00,865 --> 00:24:02,465 nation of Syria here. 447 00:24:02,577 --> 00:24:07,681 And yet, because of the king's unbelief, because of his hesitant 448 00:24:07,745 --> 00:24:10,789 faith, they're only going to see a partial victory. 449 00:24:12,809 --> 00:24:17,649 We see the potential results here, but if we can zoom forward 450 00:24:17,689 --> 00:24:21,601 a little bit, I want you to see God's faithfulness through all 451 00:24:21,625 --> 00:24:22,225 of it. 452 00:24:22,377 --> 00:24:23,393 Verse 20. 453 00:24:23,561 --> 00:24:27,149 And Elisha died, and they buried him. 454 00:24:29,219 --> 00:24:33,159 What a simple ending to such a miraculous life. 455 00:24:35,059 --> 00:24:37,547 I'll be honest here, the next two verses, we're going to read it. 456 00:24:37,603 --> 00:24:41,371 It's kind of a little side note, and I really wish there was 457 00:24:41,395 --> 00:24:43,627 more to it because it's absolutely crazy. 458 00:24:43,803 --> 00:24:45,467 And Elijah died and they buried him. 459 00:24:45,523 --> 00:24:48,491 And the bands and the Moabites, excuse me, invaded the 460 00:24:48,515 --> 00:24:50,667 land at the coming end of the year. 461 00:24:50,803 --> 00:24:54,939 And it came to pass that as they were burying a man, someone 462 00:24:54,979 --> 00:24:55,579 else. 463 00:24:55,739 --> 00:24:59,003 Someone else who had died as they were burying a man, that, behold, 464 00:24:59,051 --> 00:25:04,315 they spied a band of men, and they cast the man into the sepulcher 465 00:25:04,347 --> 00:25:05,355 or the tomb of Elijah. 466 00:25:05,387 --> 00:25:08,795 So they're burying this tomb for a different man who died. 467 00:25:08,987 --> 00:25:13,211 And they see invaders coming, and so they take the body and they 468 00:25:13,235 --> 00:25:15,199 throw it into the tomb of Elisha. 469 00:25:18,019 --> 00:25:21,515 And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elijah, 470 00:25:21,547 --> 00:25:23,679 he revived and stood up on his feet. 471 00:25:27,229 --> 00:25:28,369 Time out. 472 00:25:29,149 --> 00:25:32,533 We're having, like, this story about God's victory and deliverance 473 00:25:32,581 --> 00:25:33,125 over Israel. 474 00:25:33,157 --> 00:25:36,329 And, like, casually, a man just resurrects from the Dead. 475 00:25:36,749 --> 00:25:38,213 We don't know his name. 476 00:25:38,381 --> 00:25:39,889 We don't know what he does. 477 00:25:40,349 --> 00:25:42,069 We don't know anything else about him. 478 00:25:42,109 --> 00:25:43,169 This is it. 479 00:25:43,869 --> 00:25:44,741 He is dead. 480 00:25:44,805 --> 00:25:45,685 They're digging a tomb. 481 00:25:45,717 --> 00:25:47,525 They decide it's too much work cause there's a Vader. 482 00:25:47,557 --> 00:25:49,125 So they throw him in the tomb with Elijah. 483 00:25:49,157 --> 00:25:50,929 He touches his bone, he raises to life. 484 00:25:52,809 --> 00:25:55,109 What a crazy week in the nation of Israel. 485 00:25:55,769 --> 00:25:56,721 What did they do with him? 486 00:25:56,745 --> 00:25:57,985 Did they just give him a sword and spear? 487 00:25:58,017 --> 00:25:58,945 Like, ah, perfect timing. 488 00:25:58,977 --> 00:25:59,745 There's someone invading. 489 00:25:59,777 --> 00:26:00,465 Let's go. 490 00:26:00,617 --> 00:26:01,713 You got nothing to lose. 491 00:26:01,761 --> 00:26:02,869 You're already dead. 492 00:26:03,289 --> 00:26:04,801 Like, what is going on here? 493 00:26:04,825 --> 00:26:07,149 But look at verse number 22. 494 00:26:08,329 --> 00:26:15,121 But Hazel, the king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of 495 00:26:15,145 --> 00:26:16,069 Jehoash. 496 00:26:17,139 --> 00:26:21,771 And the Lord was gracious unto them and had compassion unto them, 497 00:26:21,955 --> 00:26:26,667 and had respect unto them because of his covenant with Abraham, 498 00:26:26,843 --> 00:26:31,131 Isaac and Jacob, and would not destroy them. 499 00:26:31,315 --> 00:26:35,399 Neither cast he them from his presence as yet. 500 00:26:36,259 --> 00:26:38,539 So Hazel, the king of Syria died. 501 00:26:38,619 --> 00:26:41,839 And Benhadad his son, reigned in his stead. 502 00:26:42,509 --> 00:26:47,125 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahash took out again the hand 503 00:26:47,197 --> 00:26:50,693 of Benhadad the son of Hazel, the cities which he had taken out 504 00:26:50,701 --> 00:26:52,885 of the hand of Jehoash, his father, by war. 505 00:26:53,037 --> 00:26:59,289 Three times did Joash beat him and recovered the cities of Israel. 506 00:27:00,589 --> 00:27:02,209 What a crazy story. 507 00:27:05,229 --> 00:27:08,009 It's like the story's going really, really slow. 508 00:27:08,939 --> 00:27:12,559 And then we zoom forward quite a bit of history. 509 00:27:15,819 --> 00:27:18,919 There's this whole interaction with Elisha and the king. 510 00:27:19,659 --> 00:27:26,355 We see the king's hesitant faith, and then Elisha dies, and 511 00:27:26,427 --> 00:27:27,719 then the king dies. 512 00:27:28,139 --> 00:27:31,955 And then the king that they're at war with dies and both of their 513 00:27:32,027 --> 00:27:34,879 sons start ruling in their place. 514 00:27:35,799 --> 00:27:37,519 Now, you guys saw the chart. 515 00:27:37,679 --> 00:27:39,775 It's not that much time, right? 516 00:27:39,847 --> 00:27:42,335 It's not like they all reign for 40 years and then they're sons. 517 00:27:42,367 --> 00:27:43,231 It wasn't that much time. 518 00:27:43,255 --> 00:27:49,743 But we zoom forward and we see the promise and deliverance of God 519 00:27:49,791 --> 00:27:50,659 fulfilled. 520 00:27:52,519 --> 00:27:57,151 And they defeated the Syrians and they took the cities back that 521 00:27:57,175 --> 00:27:58,815 they had taken from Israel. 522 00:27:59,007 --> 00:28:04,549 But they defeated him three times, just as the prophet had said. 523 00:28:05,969 --> 00:28:07,749 What an interesting story. 524 00:28:08,689 --> 00:28:10,069 What could have been? 525 00:28:12,369 --> 00:28:15,949 What would have happened if he would have shot five or six arrows? 526 00:28:16,289 --> 00:28:18,429 What would have happened if he had shot the whole quill? 527 00:28:21,489 --> 00:28:26,819 What could have happened if he had recognized this was God's, his 528 00:28:26,859 --> 00:28:29,811 opportunity to obey the Lord and see God's blessing come down 529 00:28:29,835 --> 00:28:30,879 on his nation. 530 00:28:32,539 --> 00:28:34,679 How would if he had responded differently? 531 00:28:36,859 --> 00:28:39,279 I wonder what the king thought for the rest of his life. 532 00:28:41,019 --> 00:28:43,379 There are certain moments in your life that you kind of think 533 00:28:43,419 --> 00:28:48,947 of as pivotal or more important decisions, maybe things 534 00:28:49,003 --> 00:28:51,891 where your life took a drastic change, either for the better or 535 00:28:51,915 --> 00:28:54,159 for the worse, based on a decision you made. 536 00:28:56,029 --> 00:28:58,805 And maybe if you're like me, sometimes when you get retrospective 537 00:28:58,837 --> 00:29:02,341 this time of year, you look back on some of those decisions and 538 00:29:02,365 --> 00:29:04,129 you think, what could have been? 539 00:29:05,309 --> 00:29:06,689 What could have been different? 540 00:29:08,029 --> 00:29:09,769 What if I never got saved? 541 00:29:10,749 --> 00:29:13,989 What if when I was presented with the truth of the gospel, if 542 00:29:14,029 --> 00:29:22,031 I denied it, what could have happened when I met my wife, if I 543 00:29:22,055 --> 00:29:26,859 would have rejected her because she asked me out? 544 00:29:29,079 --> 00:29:30,059 What if. 545 00:29:31,719 --> 00:29:34,847 What if when Pastor Crawford called and asked if I'd be interested 546 00:29:34,863 --> 00:29:40,031 in coming work here, if I went, nah, go somewhere else, do 547 00:29:40,055 --> 00:29:44,219 something else, what would my life look like? 548 00:29:45,089 --> 00:29:46,309 Tell you it'd be different? 549 00:29:47,889 --> 00:29:49,829 I don't think it'd be different for the better. 550 00:29:52,529 --> 00:29:57,113 If you've talked with me really at all, you know that I credit 551 00:29:57,161 --> 00:30:03,945 a lot of the good things in my life to my youth pastor, and I credit 552 00:30:03,977 --> 00:30:08,041 a lot of the influence that he had in my life and a lot of the things 553 00:30:08,065 --> 00:30:10,549 that he influenced me to do for the right thing to him. 554 00:30:11,259 --> 00:30:17,171 What if when he got in my face and told me I was being dumb, which 555 00:30:17,195 --> 00:30:18,159 he did often. 556 00:30:19,419 --> 00:30:25,599 What if when he said that, fine, I'm never coming back here. 557 00:30:27,499 --> 00:30:29,399 Don't come pick me up anymore. 558 00:30:30,699 --> 00:30:32,119 Don't take me to church. 559 00:30:33,579 --> 00:30:34,799 What could have been? 560 00:30:36,389 --> 00:30:39,549 And I think we can all sit back here and get retrospective and 561 00:30:39,589 --> 00:30:43,069 think about what could be different in our lives with the good 562 00:30:43,109 --> 00:30:44,089 things we do. 563 00:30:45,109 --> 00:30:46,849 But can I challenge you tonight? 564 00:30:48,149 --> 00:30:52,529 What could be if we had fully obeyed the Lord? 565 00:30:53,509 --> 00:30:54,729 What could be different? 566 00:30:56,069 --> 00:30:57,053 I believe it was Moody. 567 00:30:57,101 --> 00:30:58,669 I mentioned it this morning in my Sunday school class. 568 00:30:58,709 --> 00:31:01,261 I believe it was Moody who said, the world has yet to see a 569 00:31:01,285 --> 00:31:05,339 young man completely, totally devoted to the Lord. 570 00:31:07,919 --> 00:31:11,271 Can I tell you this morning, this evening, we still have yet to 571 00:31:11,295 --> 00:31:14,939 see a young man completely and totally devoted to the Lord. 572 00:31:15,999 --> 00:31:17,735 You may say, well, what about the disciples? 573 00:31:17,847 --> 00:31:19,739 Yeah, what about the disciples? 574 00:31:20,719 --> 00:31:23,179 You say, well, what about Charles Spurgeon? 575 00:31:24,479 --> 00:31:26,219 What about Charles Spurgeon? 576 00:31:26,559 --> 00:31:27,819 He had his vices. 577 00:31:28,889 --> 00:31:31,549 He had the things that he would give into. 578 00:31:31,849 --> 00:31:34,625 He had the things that would hold him back from fully devoting 579 00:31:34,657 --> 00:31:35,789 his life to Christ. 580 00:31:37,449 --> 00:31:38,829 What could be? 581 00:31:39,769 --> 00:31:41,229 What could be different? 582 00:31:42,969 --> 00:31:45,713 You see, when we look back at the history of our church, when we 583 00:31:45,721 --> 00:31:48,305 look back at the history, specifically, of Heritage Baptist 584 00:31:48,337 --> 00:31:54,651 Church in Hazlett, Texas, I've been a member here long enough to 585 00:31:54,675 --> 00:31:58,267 know that we've seen some really awesome times and We've seen 586 00:31:58,323 --> 00:32:01,119 some humongous spiritual victories. 587 00:32:02,339 --> 00:32:05,755 We look back at times and even sometimes, if you're like me, maybe 588 00:32:05,787 --> 00:32:11,899 you're guilty of thinking back on the good old days when we would 589 00:32:12,019 --> 00:32:15,359 do this and we would do that and we would do whatever. 590 00:32:16,819 --> 00:32:20,519 Can I challenge you that the best days are not behind us? 591 00:32:22,359 --> 00:32:24,859 God's not done working through our church yet. 592 00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:27,823 God's not done working in the city of Hazlitt yet. 593 00:32:27,911 --> 00:32:32,059 God's not done working with you specifically yet. 594 00:32:33,639 --> 00:32:35,259 There is more out there. 595 00:32:36,599 --> 00:32:41,579 There is more arrows for us to take. 596 00:32:42,039 --> 00:32:47,433 There are more spiritual victories that God wants us as a 597 00:32:47,441 --> 00:32:54,549 church to have, but it's fully dependent on us. 598 00:32:58,449 --> 00:32:59,749 What could have been. 599 00:33:02,289 --> 00:33:05,081 Growing up, we didn't camp a whole lot. 600 00:33:05,105 --> 00:33:06,389 We weren't camping people. 601 00:33:07,409 --> 00:33:09,589 If you're camping people, more power to you. 602 00:33:10,609 --> 00:33:15,021 I thought I was a camping person and I convinced my dad to 603 00:33:15,045 --> 00:33:15,849 take me. 604 00:33:16,549 --> 00:33:17,889 So we went camping. 605 00:33:18,309 --> 00:33:23,245 We got a tent, we got sleeping bags, we got the little grill that 606 00:33:23,317 --> 00:33:24,701 every family has a little grill. 607 00:33:24,765 --> 00:33:26,205 I don't know why, but we had the little grill. 608 00:33:26,237 --> 00:33:29,181 So we took it, we put it in the truck, we got hot dogs, we got 609 00:33:29,205 --> 00:33:31,693 lighter fluid and we went out to the woods. 610 00:33:31,741 --> 00:33:36,301 We were going to go camping and my dad said, on the way home 611 00:33:36,325 --> 00:33:38,477 from camping, we'll stop at McDonald's and we'll get some ice 612 00:33:38,493 --> 00:33:38,733 cream. 613 00:33:38,781 --> 00:33:44,221 I was young, maybe 10, 11 years old, and I was so excited for 614 00:33:44,245 --> 00:33:44,669 this. 615 00:33:44,789 --> 00:33:45,485 I was so excited. 616 00:33:45,517 --> 00:33:47,005 I mean, it was circled on the calendar. 617 00:33:47,037 --> 00:33:48,349 I waited weeks, I waited months. 618 00:33:48,389 --> 00:33:51,293 I mean, I waited, couldn't sleep the night before. 619 00:33:51,381 --> 00:33:52,589 This was Christmas to me. 620 00:33:52,629 --> 00:33:54,289 I was going camping with my dad. 621 00:33:55,189 --> 00:33:59,929 And we get up there and we got the tent set. 622 00:34:01,349 --> 00:34:02,649 That's another story. 623 00:34:03,109 --> 00:34:07,887 Getting the tent put up was another separate trial in my life. 624 00:34:07,943 --> 00:34:08,939 In that time. 625 00:34:10,039 --> 00:34:12,911 We got the tent set up and it was almost dark and it was really 626 00:34:12,935 --> 00:34:15,119 windy and we hadn't eaten yet. 627 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:17,099 So dad said, alright, it's time to start the fire. 628 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,911 And so we struggled and we struggled and we struggled to get 629 00:34:20,935 --> 00:34:22,059 that fire going. 630 00:34:22,359 --> 00:34:28,159 And like any good men, we just kept using lighter fluid. 631 00:34:28,319 --> 00:34:30,991 If I keep using lighter fluid, it is going to light on fire at some 632 00:34:31,015 --> 00:34:31,579 point. 633 00:34:31,959 --> 00:34:33,311 And so we just kept using it. 634 00:34:33,335 --> 00:34:35,439 We kept doing it, kept doing it, kept doing it. 635 00:34:35,559 --> 00:34:36,543 And finally we lit it. 636 00:34:36,551 --> 00:34:39,659 And all of a sudden we had a fire. 637 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:42,779 And dad said, hurry, put the hot dogs on. 638 00:34:43,479 --> 00:34:45,179 So I put the hot dogs on. 639 00:34:45,879 --> 00:34:48,099 Dude, they seared so fast. 640 00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:52,943 Next thing you know, we had black burnt hot dogs. 641 00:34:53,071 --> 00:34:56,047 Ruined, ruined hot dogs. 642 00:34:56,223 --> 00:34:58,899 And this is the only thing that we had brought. 643 00:35:00,819 --> 00:35:02,747 Then dad said, well, it is what it is. 644 00:35:02,803 --> 00:35:04,651 This is dinner, okay? 645 00:35:04,795 --> 00:35:07,339 So I went to go to the truck to get the bag. 646 00:35:07,419 --> 00:35:09,039 By the way, this was my responsibility. 647 00:35:09,539 --> 00:35:11,227 And we ended up arguing a lot about this. 648 00:35:11,283 --> 00:35:13,691 The bag full of hot dog buns and condiments. 649 00:35:13,755 --> 00:35:15,435 It's my responsibility to get put in the truck. 650 00:35:15,467 --> 00:35:17,003 Anyways, it was back at the house. 651 00:35:17,171 --> 00:35:19,819 So I went to go open the truck and I said, dad, you forgot the hot 652 00:35:19,859 --> 00:35:23,039 dog and the ketchup or the hot dog buns and the ketchup. 653 00:35:23,539 --> 00:35:24,779 And it was a whole fight. 654 00:35:24,819 --> 00:35:28,601 And he said, well, this is the food we have. 655 00:35:28,705 --> 00:35:29,929 You wanted to go camping. 656 00:35:30,009 --> 00:35:31,989 We're here now, we're eating it. 657 00:35:33,329 --> 00:35:37,673 So I cried and I cried and I cried and I didn't want to eat the 658 00:35:37,681 --> 00:35:38,617 hot dogs. 659 00:35:38,793 --> 00:35:40,185 And so I didn't eat the hot dogs. 660 00:35:40,217 --> 00:35:41,545 I went to bed hungry. 661 00:35:41,737 --> 00:35:44,729 And then I realized when you go out camping, there's nothing to 662 00:35:44,769 --> 00:35:51,229 do when the sun sets at 8pm so my dad goes, well, I'm going to bed. 663 00:35:52,619 --> 00:35:54,179 I guess I'm going to bed. 664 00:35:54,339 --> 00:35:55,235 So we got in the tent. 665 00:35:55,267 --> 00:35:56,755 We didn't bring air mattresses or nothing. 666 00:35:56,787 --> 00:36:03,027 So we're sleeping on the ground, and my dad, in true dad form, 667 00:36:03,163 --> 00:36:07,799 falls right asleep and five minutes. 668 00:36:11,419 --> 00:36:16,451 And I remember like crying on the ground because I wanted to go 669 00:36:16,475 --> 00:36:17,189 to sleep. 670 00:36:17,339 --> 00:36:18,609 I was hungry. 671 00:36:18,769 --> 00:36:21,509 We only had burnt and ruined hot dogs. 672 00:36:22,409 --> 00:36:25,249 And this is not what I thought camping would be like. 673 00:36:25,369 --> 00:36:27,349 That's not what it's like on the cartoons. 674 00:36:29,049 --> 00:36:33,057 And so we got up the next morning, by the way, when the sun 675 00:36:33,113 --> 00:36:35,601 rises, because again, there's nothing to do. 676 00:36:35,625 --> 00:36:36,401 There's no darkness. 677 00:36:36,465 --> 00:36:41,585 So the sun comes up, you're up, and we get up and we say, okay, 678 00:36:41,617 --> 00:36:44,961 dad, I'm ready for breakfast because I didn't eat dinner last 679 00:36:44,985 --> 00:36:45,549 night. 680 00:36:47,049 --> 00:36:50,881 Well, in the same bag as the hot dog buns and the ketchup and 681 00:36:50,905 --> 00:36:53,953 all the condiments was the box of pop tarts we were supposed to 682 00:36:53,961 --> 00:36:54,509 bring. 683 00:36:55,449 --> 00:36:56,749 So we didn't have that. 684 00:36:58,009 --> 00:37:02,977 And so another round of fits ensued because my dad said, well, 685 00:37:03,113 --> 00:37:06,029 this is basically breakfast sausage, eat up. 686 00:37:08,169 --> 00:37:09,777 And I remember I lost it. 687 00:37:09,833 --> 00:37:11,843 I was so sad and I threw a fit. 688 00:37:11,961 --> 00:37:13,055 And dad said, well, fine. 689 00:37:13,087 --> 00:37:14,207 Do you just want to go home? 690 00:37:14,343 --> 00:37:15,487 Yes, I want to go home. 691 00:37:15,543 --> 00:37:17,259 Ice cream is on the way home. 692 00:37:18,599 --> 00:37:21,055 Yes, I have not eaten breakfast. 693 00:37:21,087 --> 00:37:25,087 I have not eaten dinner, but I will eat two McDonald's ice cream 694 00:37:25,103 --> 00:37:26,299 cones, no problem. 695 00:37:28,119 --> 00:37:30,831 And so we went and started the whole process of tearing down the 696 00:37:30,855 --> 00:37:35,059 tent, which is almost worse than putting up the tent somehow 697 00:37:35,479 --> 00:37:38,591 Rolling up the sleeping bag, which is worse than all of it because 698 00:37:38,615 --> 00:37:42,369 the sleeping bag never fits back in that little baggie that they 699 00:37:42,409 --> 00:37:43,229 give you. 700 00:37:46,329 --> 00:37:48,913 And I'm sobbing the whole time. 701 00:37:49,081 --> 00:37:51,521 I mean, this is borderline a temper tantrum. 702 00:37:51,585 --> 00:37:53,549 Like I am losing it. 703 00:37:54,009 --> 00:37:57,169 And come to find out, later on in life, I have this thing called 704 00:37:57,209 --> 00:37:57,633 hanger. 705 00:37:57,681 --> 00:37:58,785 I get hangry. 706 00:37:58,977 --> 00:38:02,353 And I was definitely well within that range at that point. 707 00:38:02,521 --> 00:38:04,113 And I'm losing my mind. 708 00:38:04,281 --> 00:38:08,237 And we get in my dad's truck, it was a 1975 Toyota. 709 00:38:08,353 --> 00:38:09,769 And we get in the truck. 710 00:38:13,469 --> 00:38:14,613 I about lost it. 711 00:38:14,701 --> 00:38:16,129 I about lost it. 712 00:38:16,749 --> 00:38:19,077 And finally I think there was someone else at the campsite. 713 00:38:19,093 --> 00:38:20,149 They gave us a jump or something. 714 00:38:20,189 --> 00:38:23,141 But we started making our way back down, heading back to our house 715 00:38:23,245 --> 00:38:27,969 and we come up to McDonald's and we passed right by it. 716 00:38:29,069 --> 00:38:33,653 And I remember looking at my dad with the eyes of the biggest 717 00:38:33,701 --> 00:38:35,809 betrayal ever known to human. 718 00:38:36,319 --> 00:38:40,939 And I said, I thought we were stopping for ice cream. 719 00:38:41,839 --> 00:38:45,991 And my dad said, well, maybe we should have thought about that 720 00:38:46,015 --> 00:38:47,939 before we threw a fit the whole time. 721 00:38:54,399 --> 00:38:55,463 Round two. 722 00:38:55,631 --> 00:38:56,503 Let's go again. 723 00:38:56,591 --> 00:38:57,031 Right? 724 00:38:57,135 --> 00:38:59,859 If I didn't win last time, we're going to try this one again. 725 00:39:03,369 --> 00:39:08,109 Now I look back on this memory, it's not a very fun one. 726 00:39:10,169 --> 00:39:14,257 I don't particularly look forward to the opportunity to go 727 00:39:14,313 --> 00:39:15,309 camping again. 728 00:39:17,929 --> 00:39:22,273 What could have been, could have been a fun trip with me and 729 00:39:22,281 --> 00:39:29,299 my dad, could have been a good memory, bonding time. 730 00:39:31,999 --> 00:39:33,379 But I ruined it. 731 00:39:34,879 --> 00:39:40,103 By throwing a fit at every corner, by complaining at every turn. 732 00:39:40,271 --> 00:39:41,539 I ruined it. 733 00:39:43,919 --> 00:39:46,019 I wonder what God wants to do with us. 734 00:39:47,199 --> 00:39:50,619 I wonder what God wants to do with us as a church and as individuals. 735 00:39:51,599 --> 00:39:59,775 I wonder what could be if we would just fully and wholeheartedly 736 00:39:59,887 --> 00:40:01,419 devote ourselves to him. 737 00:40:02,519 --> 00:40:06,383 Not just the that's good enough. 738 00:40:06,471 --> 00:40:09,659 Good enough for me, but I want all. 739 00:40:10,359 --> 00:40:11,631 All that God has for me. 740 00:40:11,655 --> 00:40:12,539 I want it. 741 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:14,783 All that God has for our church. 742 00:40:14,831 --> 00:40:15,739 I want it. 743 00:40:16,039 --> 00:40:17,791 All that God has for our youth department. 744 00:40:17,895 --> 00:40:18,939 I want it. 745 00:40:20,289 --> 00:40:26,041 What would our church, our community, our homes look like a 746 00:40:26,065 --> 00:40:27,029 year from now? 747 00:40:27,569 --> 00:40:29,593 With every head bowed and every eyes closed as we stand? 748 00:40:29,601 --> 00:40:31,721 We're going to sing a verse of invitation as the musicians make 749 00:40:31,745 --> 00:40:32,549 their way. 750 00:40:39,329 --> 00:40:42,189 Just two simple questions tonight, then we'll pray. 751 00:40:44,699 --> 00:40:49,119 Are you moving forward with bold faith or are you holding back? 752 00:40:51,659 --> 00:40:55,587 Are you moving forward with bold faith or are you holding back? 753 00:40:55,643 --> 00:40:56,531 Let's pray. 754 00:40:56,675 --> 00:40:59,187 Dear Lord, thank you for this day, Lord, thank you for the opportunity 755 00:40:59,283 --> 00:41:00,435 to preach tonight. 756 00:41:00,467 --> 00:41:01,599 Lord, I pray that you. 757 00:41:02,219 --> 00:41:04,339 I pray that I said something that would have been of help. 758 00:41:04,379 --> 00:41:04,723 Tonight. 759 00:41:04,771 --> 00:41:10,467 Lord, I pray that I communicated as clearly as I could 760 00:41:10,523 --> 00:41:10,787 this. 761 00:41:10,843 --> 00:41:16,977 This passage, Lord, with its intricacies and its confusing names. 762 00:41:17,073 --> 00:41:19,089 But, Lord, I pray that something I said would have been 763 00:41:19,129 --> 00:41:19,537 help, Lord. 764 00:41:19,553 --> 00:41:24,433 And I pray that you would help me as a person, Lord, as a husband, 765 00:41:24,481 --> 00:41:25,073 as a dad. 766 00:41:25,121 --> 00:41:27,521 Lord, I pray that you help me to want everything that you have 767 00:41:27,545 --> 00:41:33,041 in my life, Lord, I pray that you help me to not be hesitant, to 768 00:41:33,065 --> 00:41:33,985 not hold back, Lord. 769 00:41:34,017 --> 00:41:36,145 But I pray that you'll help me to move forward with faith. 770 00:41:36,257 --> 00:41:37,601 In Jesus name, I pray. 771 00:41:37,745 --> 00:41:38,193 Amen. 772 00:41:38,241 --> 00:41:38,329 As.