Elijah taken to heaven

INTRO

If you have your Bible this morning you can turn to 2 Kings chapter 2. If you want to use one of the Bible’s around you you can turn to page 512.

Today we are going to talk about one of the more famous texts of Elijah, where the chariot of fire takes him. Anyone remember this from their Sunday school years? It is a fascinating story and one that can and should create a renewed passion for many of us following Jesus. Kid’s you can follow along with your notes and parents you have the same so you can help them.

And like all the stories that we have seen the Bible, especially with Elijah and Elisha, there are things we can learn from and grow in, especially as disciples of Jesus. So let’s jump right into it this morning with God’s word and ask the Holy Spirit to help us today.

BODY

1 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

So apparently God has sent a group text to all the prophets about this situation of Elijah being taken to heaven. This had to be the important news of heaven that day because it seemed like everyone knew this was going to happen. But I think it is interesting to think about why would God take Elijah? The irony of this is that this is the prophet that wanted to die a couple of chapters ago. Yet, now he is not going to taste death, God is going to take him and this has only happened with one other person in the Bible. And that was Enoch, back in Genesis because, according to the text, he walked with God. God took him. Never died, just was taken away because he walked with God.

But why Elijah? Yes he did the whole mount carmel thing, and saw some amazing miracles, but he was also kind of go into a rough spot and didn’t want to talk with God. Right? He was a man with a nature like ours, who was prone to wander and not always obey God. And the only reason why I think this is about to happen, the only reason why God would take Elijah away and not let him face death is this simple word: Grace. It wasn’t because of how good Elijah was, it wasn’t because of all the self righteous, pity party that God was doing this. It was just because God decided that this is what he was going to do with Elijah. Grace.

Which is a reminder for us today who want to live a supernatural life in a complacent world.

Grace from God helps us live a supernatural life in a complacent culture.

This sounds like the “churchy” thing to say but I think it is so important to remind our hearts in a culture today that can make it feel like if you don’t have your life together, then you are a failure. Elijah did fail. He also succeeded. But the reality of the matter is that God chose to call Elijah because of grace, he chose to take Elijah because of grace. God calls us into His family because of grace. He also lets us walk with him, and spend eternity with him because of grace. It is not our own doing, but a gift from God. This should cause your striving to cease and to remember there is something bigger than you and your efforts. It doesn’t mean you don’t try and become a lazy sluggard. It mean you continue to lean into the grace of God and know that His plan for you is so much better than the one we can make up on our own. That he does not see you because of your failures, but because of what Jesus has done you are getting more than you ever deserved. Amen?

Now, I do want to give a picture of this travel that Elijah and Elisha are about to go through because it is good to see the little 30 mile trek that they take since we are not super familiar with this land. Every spot that he is going has some huge significance, but that will have to be another sermon for another day. But if you are interested, just look up what each name means.

4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.

Okay, so what is going on with Elijah? Seems like he is not liking the company of Elisha, right? Like he keeps saying, hey stay here, I got to go on. And Elisha is not having it. He is saying I’m going where you go. I will stay where you stay. I’m not going to let you try and shake me. Elijah seems to be testing Elisha’s commitment and perseverance. Not just with the long walk, but also with seeing if he is willing to persevere in the midst of him saying stay here and he other prophets coming up and telling him that his rabbi, his teacher is leaving. This had to be a hard day for Elisha, the person that has been mentoring him, that he has heard about powerful acts of God and seen miracles done is now going to leave him. But is he going to stay faithful and persevere to the end?

Well he seems to pass the test because he is about to see another miracle happen through Elijah. But before we see that, I think it is important to see another component of living supernaturally in a complacent world.

Commitment and perseverance are essential to live supernaturally in a complacent culture.

This moment reminds me a little of the moment when Jesus was speaking about eating his body and and drinking his blood in John 6 and many disciples leave him because of this teaching. And he turns to the twelve disciples and says, he do you want to leave too? And they are like, you have the Words of life! Also meaning, we have no idea what you said too but we are sticking with you. Jesus was an all or nothing guy. He did not want people sitting on the fence. And I believe that he still wants that for us today as believers. To have commitment and perseverance to Him even when it is difficult. And

I think the best way to see how commitment and perseverance is to see it lived out. And since this is a story about Elijah being taken by chariots of fire, the person that the movie Chariots of fire about actually works perfectly for what this looks like. Kids, if you have not seen this movie, you should definitely because I am not going to do justice to this man, but the person I am talking about is Eric Liddell

Eric was born in China as a missionary kid, but moved to London and eventually to Scotland. He was an incredible athlete in Rugby and running. He eventually chose to focus on running and became so good at running the 100 and the 220 that he was going to go to the 1924 Olympics in Paris. But when he learned that the heats for the 100 meter race would be on a Sunday he withdrew. Because he had a conviction as a believer to observe the sabbath. Now, to make sure you understand how monumental this was, because Scotland had never won a gold medal at the olympics, people were mad at Eric. This is Michael Jordan saying no to playing on Sunday, this is Michael phelps saying no to swimming on Sunday. This incredible athlete was holding his conviction and persevering in following God. The Olympic committee was so upset about this they even tried to change the heat so it would be on a different day. But it did not work and Eric’s rival would end up with an easy gold. So Eric started training for a different race, the 400. Which is a completely different race than the 100.

So a month and a half or so of training and he goes to Paris for a race he has not raced before. He ends up not only winning the gold but setting a European record that would stand for 12 years. After the Olympics he chose to go back to China to be a missionary and when asked about this change of life, this is what he said.

“It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal,’ he said later. ‘But since I have been a young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals.”

This man had commitment to God. He had perseverance when people tried to make him waver. When people were hateful towards him, he had a greater purpose to live out and God honored that.

Am I telling you to be just like Eric and not play sports on Sunday? No, that is between you and the Lord about whether that is an idol in your life. Here is what I am saying, where are the Believers who have and kind of commitment to God and perseverance to bow to him more than the idols of the day? Are we so callused by the comforts of the world that when we need a little perseverance to follow God we give up because it is not easy? When people turn their back on us, will we still stay faithful to God? Are we going to keep chasing after these medals of the world when the Lord has so much for us? I pray not.

Many believers keep blaming others things in the world, the politics, the wars, the media, the “you name it” as the issue for why the world it is. But what about your own life? Are you making compromises? Are you striving for medals that don’t matter in light of eternity?

I am talking to myself here too, I am wanting to grow in more and more commitment and perseverance in knowing God. And I know it is going to take grace, not grit. Because when we depend on Him, there will be perseverance and commitment. And after that i think this story shows us rewards can happen.

8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Wow, that is so cool every time I read it. So a lot is happening here but I want to focus on a couple things that could be helpful for us today. The first thing we need to talk about is the Jordan river.

Are there any kids in here today that know where they have heard of the Jordan river before?

Here is a picture of it back in 1997, which obviously is a little different then when Elijah and Elisha were there. But, you can see it is not a huge river but still interesting that both crossed it after smacking it with a cloak, right?

Yes, Joshua and the Israelites crossed it as they went into the promise land on dry ground. And here we have Elijah parting before he goes into his promised land. The Elisha parts the same river, in the same way that Elijah just did to enter into his time of going into the promise land. So both are crossing the Jordan in a different way to enter into a new type of glory. For Elijah it is to be in the glory of the Lord. For Elisha, it is the glory of walking in a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

We end the story today almost as a cliff hanger. “Elisha went over” after parting the Jordan. Almost as it if is saying, what will happen next. That’s what we will be looking at the coming weeks, Elisha’s ministry and how he lived supernatural in a complacent culture.

CONCLUSION

But I want to end with one more thought today on how to live a supernatural life in a complacent culture that we see in the life of Elisha before Elijah is taken. It is here in verse 9.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”

You have asked a hard thing. That shot out at me when reading this. Kid’s, have you ever asked your parents a hard thing? Like, you almost know that they are going to say no, but you just ask anyway? That is the response to Elisha from Elijah because Elijah knows that this gift of an anointing is not his to give. Only God can do that. But something must have checked in his spirit as if God said to him, this is how he will receive more than you have, make sure he sees you leave. So I want to end with thought for us to ponder on the way out.

To live supernaturally in a complacent culture we need to ask God for the hard things

Are we asking God for the salvations still or are we setting for whatever happens happens? Are we asking for the hardest and darkest places in our lives to be redeemed? For bodies to be healed and redeemed? For God to work in our world in a redemptive way? Jesus told us to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. He told us if we ask for a fish, he would not give us a snake. He told us to keep praying and not give up! Are we willing to do this and not just let our lives be filled with looking from a distance like the 50 men who stood at a distance? To ask god for the hard things, to be committed and persevere and know that we are doing it all by the grace of God? I pray we will, let’s pray together.