Elijah Elisha: The Vision of Empowering the Next Generation

Warren Brosi

July 7, 2024

Dominant Thought: We empower the next generation by training them in the ways of Jesus.

Objectives:

I want my listeners to realize the need for leadership succession.

I want my listeners to feel a burden to raise up the next generation of disciple makers.

I want my listeners to identify 2 or 3 people to train as Christ followers.

Who led you to Jesus? Who were the important people along your journey that modeled Jesus and molded you as a follower of Jesus? For me, I think of my mom and then my dad. Mom taught us the value of prayer and life in the spirit. Dad taught me patience and humble service. I had coaches along the way. It was good for me to see how they lived their faith in Jesus the same way in the Sunday school classroom as in the locker room. I’ve had ministers invest in my life for seasons. I’ve had friendships in college and seminary. Professors and fellow colleagues along the way that have helped me follow Jesus.

In our time today, I want us to ask ourselves this question, “How do we empower the next generation of kingdom leaders?”

Let’s turn to 1 Kings 19 to find an important story in the life of God’s people in regard to leadership succession. For the first 120 years of the kingdom of Israel, they had only 3 kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. Each of them reigned about 40 years each. Then, Rehoboam comes along and the kingdom divides into north and south. As you read through the subsequent chapters, you hear a common theme, “…his son succeeded him as king” (1 Kings 14.31). It’s a phrase that’s repeated in 1 Kings 15.8, 24, 28 for a few examples.

We find ourselves in our country in a leadership succession season. It’s called an election. The question is who will be the next commander in chief for the United States of America.

In 1 Kings 19.11, the LORD instructs the great prophet Elijah to stand on the mountain. Elijah’s name means, “My God is Yahweh.” It’s Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai, the same place Moses received the 10 commandments and where God proclaimed His name to Moses in Exodus 34.6-7. God reveals Himself to Elijah, but not in a powerful wind, nor an earthquake, nor in a fire, but in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19.12). Most of the time, we get enamored by the fireworks of this passage, that we forget what God commands Elijah to do after He has His attention with the gentle whisper. Listen to the command of God to Elijah.

1 Kings 19:15–16 NIV

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

God instructs Elijah twice to “Go” and to anoint two kings and a prophet. Kings and prophets were two of the three primary leaders for God’s people in the Old Testament. The third group would be priests. God clearly commands Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed you as prophet (1 Kings 19.16).

In the next scene, we see Elijah faithfully carrying out this command from God. In 1 Kings 19.19-21, Elijah goes and finds Elisha whose name means, “God saves.”. Elisha is plowing with 12 yoke of oxen and is driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to Elisha and threw his cloak around him. Some suggest this action is a symbolic gesture of adoption or a invitation to follow, but we are not sure. The following dialogue gives us clarity on what is happening. Elisha recognizes this gesture as an invitation to go with Elijah. He asks permission to tell his parents goodbye and then he’ll come with Elijah. I’m not sure what to make of Elijah’s response, “What have I done for you?

Elisha leaves, then comes back and take his yoke of oxen and slaughters them and burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and he gave it to the people. It’s almost like he’s cooking up a farewell banquet. Then, Elisha set out to follow Elijah and served him.

It’s quite a dramatic call and response event. Elijah invites Elisha to join him. Elisha tells his family and community bye, throws a barbecue, then follows the prophet Elijah.

I still remember several years ago walking around the pond at NYR talking to an older gentleman. He found out I was a preacher. He asked me, “Are you training your replacement?” I thought to myself, “I’m still trying to get my feet on the ground myself, I’d kind of like to enjoy this ministry first.” His question is true. We will not be around forever. We need to raise up the next generation of kingdom leaders and Christ followers. I’m happy to say today, one of our own young people, Nic Babbs is preaching two sermons in two different churches this morning as we speak. Nic is preaching at Boston Chapel and Countryview Christian Church near Girard and Virden this morning. That is one example of empowering the next generation. Tonight, Audrey Attig will teach for our youth group. Last week, Benjamin Small taught our youth group lesson.

This summer, Cody Clair is serving with Pioneer Bible Translators to help the word of God be translated for the Bible-less peoples of the world. Sophie Heinz is serving with Glacier Camp in Montana.

Alex Kendrick said, “The one who wants the next generation the most will get them.” How much do you want the next generation to know the good news of Jesus?

In the days of Elijah, God commissioned him to anoint a successor prophet who would lead God’s people. Elisha’s story builds more in the book of 2 Kings when he follows Elisha across the Jordan River and witnesses Elijah’s miraculous departure to heaven in a firey chariot. Before Elijah departed, Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2.9). After Elijah leaves, Elisha goes on in that same power of Elijah and heals water, protects people, provides oil for widow, raises boy to life, feeds a hundred people, and cleanses a leper. One of the final acts that Elisha performs is when he’s dead. In 2 Kings 13.

2 Kings 13:20–21 NIV

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

Elisha went on to perform great acts because Elijah followed the command of God to anoint him as his successor and spend time with him and I’m sure he trained him.

So, how do we empower the next generation? If we look at Elijah’s example, we see three ways he empowered the next generation.

1-Obey the call of God to empower the next generation (1 Kings 19.15-16). It was in the gentle whisper of time with God that God gave Elijah a very direct command to anoint a successor prophet. The final words in the gospel of Matthew contain some similar words, “Go, make disciples of all that nations...” (Matthew 28.19). We have a divine mandate to train the next generation of followers of Jesus.

2-Find someone to join you on mission for God (1 Kings 19.19). The text describes Elijah going and finding Elisha.

3-Spend time with them (1 Kings 19.21; 2 Kings 2.2-11). Elisha became his servant. In 2 Kings 2, we hear the refrain from Elisha to Elijah, “I will not leave you” (2 Kings 2.2, 4, 6). “As they were walking along and talking together...” (2 Kings 2.11).

Some of these same themes show up in the opening verses of John 1. In John 1, we see a leadership transition. Someone who is described like Elijah is named John, the Baptizer. He is the cousin of Jesus. He was called to prepare the way for Jesus. Some of John’s disciples meet Jesus and are curious. Jesus invites them to follow Him.

We pick up their story in John 1.34-45. Jesus notices two of John’s disciples following Him and He asks them, “What do you want?” (John 1.38). They reply, “Rabbi [Teacher], where are you staying?” Jesus replies, “Come and you will see.” Jesus invites them to come.

Then, we read a phrase that often gets overlooked, “and they spent that day with Him” (John 1.39). It simply takes time to make disciples of Jesus. “In practice, we discover that in parenting and fellowship, quality times often show up unannounced in the middle of quantity times…There is much practical wisdom in the longtime Christian practice of having shared meals together because eating a meal is one thing that pulls us out of our future orientation and causes us to dwell for a time in the present. It is only when we are in the present that we can enter into the spiritual realm and engage in true friendship activities” (James Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation As if the Church Mattered, pp. 189 and 191). I wonder what that day with Jesus was like? I wonder if they shared a meal, had a snack, went fishing, or built a fire? What did they talk about? Did He ask them questions, tell them stories? Part of raising the next generation of kingdom leaders is sharing time together with one another.

John 1 tells us of others who start following Jesus. The first thing Andrew does is tell his brother Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah, the Anointed One” (John 1.41). “And he [Andrew] brought him [Simon Peter] to Jesus” (John 1.42). The story continues with Philip and another man named Nathanael. That generation shared with others who shared with others who shared with others so that we could be here in this room today to hear the good news of Jesus.

I began by asking you, “Who led you to Jesus? Who were the people who taught you about Jesus and helped you become a follower of Him?”

Now, I want to ask you this question, “Who are you helping to follow Jesus? Who are you training to become a follower of Jesus?”

We empower the next generation by training them in the ways of Jesus.

How do we do train the next generation in the ways of Jesus? We have several tools to help us. Here are some of the basic ones:

The Word—we have God’s word to lead, guide, and direct us. We have the stories of Jesus recounted for us in the Bible. This week, I heard my kids quoting Scripture to help them in their time of need.

Prayer—praying together is another way we can help train the next generation. Pray with your family. Pray with your co-workers. I just concluded 21 days of prayer with Shaun Schlenther, who was baptized earlier this year.

Time—spend time with others. Share meals together. Meet for coffee. Hang out. Build friendships. Tell stories. Take a road trip. Go on a retreat or on a hike.

Serve—serving together is a great way to help grow in our walk with Jesus. Serve your neighbors, your families, one of our local missions, or go around the world.

Story—tell your story. People learn from each others stories. Share both the highs and the lows. Be open and honest and share how God has proved faithful.

Last Sunday after youth group, I was visiting with one of our teens. He asked if he could be baptized at the Nationwide Youth Roundup in a couple of weeks. I said, “We’d need to talk to mom and dad and do some studying, but yeah, we can do that.” He said, “Thanks for helping me take my next steps.”

We empower the next generation by training them in the ways of Jesus. Another way to say it is we empower the nest generation by helping them take their next steps with Jesus. Who is 2 or 3 or maybe just one person God is placing are your heart this week that you can invest to help raise up the next generation of Christ followers?