Curious, Convinced, Committed, Conformed, Crowned

Decision to be Made

Call to conflict 1Kg 19:16 Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead. 17...him that escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay...

Call from the world 1Kg 19:19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

I to be Denied

Call to separate 19:20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. And he said to him, Go back again: for what have I done to you?

Savior to be Followed

Call to Sacrifice & Serve 19:21 he returned back from him, took a yoke of oxen, slew them, boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to/served him.

2 Kg 3:11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.

Cross to be Carried

Loyal to the end 2Kg 2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said As the LORD lives, and as thy soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.

2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said to him, Know thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

Incarnation to be Imitated   Immersion (in Water & Word) to be Continued

Values & Seeks the spiritual 2:9 And it came to pass, when they had gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

Takes responsibility 2:13 He took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

Follows the footsteps of faith 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted to the one side and to the other: and Elisha went over.

Production to be Produced

Blesses/Heals 2:19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, I pray you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord see: but the water is bad, and the ground barren. 21 And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from there any more death or barren land. 22 So the waters were healed to this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke.

Curses creatively 2:23 And he went up from there to Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth youths out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two youths of them.

Love to be Lavished

Loves in/with truth 3:12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him.

Helps others meet their needs 4:1...Thy servant my husband is dead...feared the LORD: and the creditor has come to take to my two sons to be his slaves. 2...what have thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow you vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Allows others to meet his/her own needs 4:8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. 9 And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, who passes by us continually. 4:10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray you, with walls; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a lampstand: and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he shall turn in there.

Seeks to obtain God's blessings for others 4:13 And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, thou have shown care for us with all this care; what is to be done for you?...she answered, I dwell among my own people.

Makes a mean stew sweet 4:41 bring meal; he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. 44 So he set it before them, and they ate, and left some, according to the word of the LORD.

Makes lepers leap for TOYL 5:1 Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance to Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper...10...Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to you, and thou shalt be clean...13...bid you do some great thing, would thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to you, Wash, and be clean? 15...Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray you, take a blessing from thy servant.

Confronts the greed of Gotta have it Gehazi 5:20 servant of Elisha the man of God: "my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands what he brought; as the LORD lives, I will run after him, and take somewhat from him

Warns of danger 6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. 12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tell the king of Israel the words that thou speak in thy bedchamber.

Opens others' eyes to reality through exhortation and prayer 6:15 his servant: Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, LORD, I pray you, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. 18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray you, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Advocates kindness with reason 6:22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: would thou smite those whom thou have taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drank, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Invests in others 13:14 Now Elisha had fallen sick of his disease of which he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen. 15 And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took bow and arrows. 17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. 18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and ceased. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, Thou should have smitten five or six times; then had thou smitten Syria till thou had consumed it: though now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

Leaves a life-changing legacy 13:20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet.

Expectation to be Earned

8:4 the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray you, all the great things that Elisha has done. 5 as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, appealed to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Why was Elisha so willing to follow Elijah? Are we "called" to the same decisions?

2. Why is loyalty a vanishing trait in our society? How can we make our loyalty more durable?

3. Why was only one leper healed during the days of Elisha? Why don't we obey until God tells us to stop obeying?

4. How do we limit God in His provision of our needs? Why are tempted to be we like "Gotta have it Gehazi"?

5. How are you investing in others and leaving a life-changing legacy?