With the Spirit Comes Power

Prayer

2 Kings 1-2, The Power of the Holy Spirit on the Prophets of the Lord

So we just finished 1 Kings, and are now moving into 2 Kings. Ahab, the worst of the kings of the northern kingdom, Israel, is dead and his son, Ahaziah, is now king. In the southern kingdom, Judah, a faithful king, Jehoshaphat, continues to reign.

If you remember, the Lord, through Elijah, had foretold the destruction of Ahab and Jezebel’s family - and that includes their son, Ahaziah, which is what we see right here in the beginning of 2 Kings 1. And no wonder, because Ahaziah follows in the footsteps of his parents with his idol worship - his reign, does not begin well and it does not last long.

2 Kings 1:1-2, After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.” So, in addition to being bedfast because of a stupid accident, the nation Moab that was subject to him was refusing to pay their tribute. Ahaziah foolishly seeks counsel from Baal-Zebub (this is a different Baal from earlier, word Baal means lord - it’s hard to keep track of all these false gods!).

An angel of the Lord tells Elijah to intercept the Ahaziah’s messengers to ask Ahaziah why he’s not consulting the God of Israel - and what’s going to happen to him as a result, 2 Kings 1:4, Therefore this is what the Lord says: “You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” So Elijah went.

So what does Ahaziah do in response? He decides to send one of his captains along with fifty men to go get Elijah. It doesn’t end well for the captain and his men, 2 Kings 1:10, this is Elijah speaking: “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. So Ahaziah sends another captain along with another fifty men. Exact same thing happens.

So Ahaziah sends a third captain accompanied by fifty men. But this captain is no dummy - he falls on is knees and pleads for mercy from Elijah. No fire this time - instead, the angel of the Lord tells Elijah to accompany the captain back to Ahaziah, where he gives Ahaziah the message that he will never leave the bed he is lying on. Vs. 17, So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. And because Ahaziah had no son, his brother, Joram, succeeds him as king.

This brings us to 2 Kings 2, where the focus of the story turns to Elijah, and his protege, Elisha. The Lord has made it known to Elijah, as well as all the company of prophets, that Elijah is going to be taken up to heaven.

So the two of them are traveling together, making their way from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and then to the Jordan River. Then this happens, 2 Kings 2:8-10, Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

So like Moses and Joshua, we have another miraculous crossing of a body of water, this time by Elijah and Elisha. Before he is taken up, Elijah asks if their is anything he can do for Elisha. Now, it sounds like Elisha wants twice as much of the Holy Spirit that Elijah has, but what he’s really asking for the inheritance of a firstborn son, double the portion that any other son would receive (in this case, the other prophets). Elisha will know he has received an outpouring of the Holy Spirit if he sees Elijah being taken up.

Which is exactly what happens, in dramatic fashion, 2 Kings 2:11-12, As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

This is a scene that is hard to even imagine - a chariot and horse engulfed in flames, sweeping up Elijah in whirlwind, taking him up to heaven. Elisha is in utter bewilderment - he knew it was going to happen, but to have actually witnessed this display of power. All this for Elijah, this one faithful prophet, a man who went around dressed in garment made of camel hair with a belt of leather tied around it.

And per Elijah’s promise, having seen him being taken up to heaven, Elisha received the power of the Holy Spirit on him. He returns to other side of the Jordan by striking Elijah’s cloak on the water, separating it. The chapter ends with two brief stories displaying the power of the Lord with Elisha - first he cures the spring that provides Jericho with water that had gone bad.

Then we have a strange incident where a sizable group of boys, likely teens, were jeering him as he went up to Bethel, “Go up, you baldhead.” Elisha turns around and curses them in the name of the Lord and two she-bears come out of the woods and maul forty-two of the boys. Which seems a little extreme for being mean to someone follicly-challenged. Likely what’s happening here is that if go back to the time of Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, Bethel was one of the two sites where the worship of a golden calf was set up. So the taunting and God’s judgment on these youth probably has to do with this site being a place of idol worship - they are jeering him for being a prophet faithful to the Lord. Lord doesn’t take kindly to it.

Pentecost Sunday! Reflections on the Holy Spirit

As it turns out, it’s wonderfully providential that we have this part of 2 Kings as our text today, on this Pentecost Sunday. This is the day that we celebrate the birth of the church through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on that first group of Jesus followers gathered in that upper room in the city of Jerusalem. A strong wind came upon them and tongues of flame appeared above their heads as the Holy Spirit, the power and presence of God, filled them.

The meaning and significance of this cannot be overstated, it was huge. It set the church ablaze, igniting the believers to action, to fulfill the mission to which Jesus had called them (as he calls us). Just like Jesus promised, Acts 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

This is why the Jerusalem cross - like this one - is shaped like this. The four smaller crosses represent the gospel, the story of Jesus, going out in all directions, east, west, north and south, to the ends of the earth. It’s a reminder to us that we share their legacy - Jesus followers who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit from Jesus to empower us to fulfill his mission, which is to tell others about him.

Now there’s a ton we could say about the Holy Spirit and how he works - we find it throughout Scripture. Holy Spirit creates life, he gives life, sustains it. Spirit is God’s presence everywhere - we saw that in Psalm 139, passage we began worship with this morning. But the work I want to focus on - and what we see not just at Pentecost but in these first two chapters of 2 Kings, is the Spirit working through God’s people - coming on them in power to accomplish God’s purposes.

This is the basic idea - the Holy Spirit will come upon or fall upon a certain person (or persons) with power, in order for that person to fulfill some purpose - it might be a sign of power, a miracle, it might be to speak a word from the Lord or to see a vision, something along those lines. They are empowered by the Holy Spirit to act or see or hear or speak.

We see that happen through both Elijah and Elisha. Twice, when the Ahaziah’s men come to take Elijah by force, Elijah tells that if he indeed is a man of God, they will be consumed by fire. Well, he was, so they were.

We see it in the revelation to all the prophets that Elijah is going to be taken up to heaven, they are given special knowledge. We see it in both Elijah and Elisha crossing the Jordan River, taking their cloak, smacking it on the water and the waters separate. I’ve never gotten my cloak to do that.

And, of course, we see it in the dramatic scene as Elijah is taken up into the heavens. The very signs of God’s presence, the power of the Holy Spirit, fire and wind (just like at Pentecost!) are there as Elijah is taken up into the heavens in a whirlwind as he rides on a chariot driven by horses, all engulfed in flames. Remember, too, that this was something that no one else would have been able to see - you had to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to see it - that was the proof that Elisha had received the double portion he asked for.

All these examples in just these two chapters of the Holy Spirit coming on these men so that they are empowered in these amazing ways - to act, to speak, to see the chariot of fire, to hear God’s word. But here’s the important thing to remember about the Spirit working in the Old Testament, before the time of Jesus and his church. These movements of the Holy Spirit are only on particular persons. It’s very limited.

This is the fundamental change that we see in the New Testament - the gift of the Holy Spirit, the filling of God’s presence and power, is for all believers. Every single one. The purpose is still the same - to fulfill God’s mission, which is to bear witness to Jesus Christ, to tell the good news of the kingdom of God here with us.

This is why Peter, on that first Pentecost, quotes a passage from the Old Testament from the book of the prophet Joel, Acts 2:16-18, No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Doesn’t matter if you are old or young, man or woman, God’s promise is “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” If you’re a person, if you’re a follower of Jesus, that includes you. Like those people in the Old Testament, through the Holy Spirit we are empowered to act and to see and to hear and to speak. Or as Joel writes, to prophesy, to see visions, to dream dreams.

There’s so much to say about the Holy Spirit, and I feel like I’m just now beginning to learn about not only how the Spirit works in us, but how to open myself up to his leading and letting his power work in me. One of the primary tasks of the Holy Spirit is to do God’s sanctifying work in us, to move in us to become like Jesus, to bear within us the fruits of the Holy Spirit (joy, peace, faith, love, self-control - all those wonderful traits that I hope we long to see born in us).

We could talk, too, about the Spirit’ regeneration work in us, helping us to experience new life in Jesus. Or in the Spirit’s unifying work, bringing together the community of believers, making us one. But what I really want us to consider for a moment is the Spirit’s empowering work, his dunamis (that’s the Greek word for power) in us, so that we might fulfill the mission Jesus has for us - to go into the world to bear witness to him. To make disciples.

It’s interesting to note that Jesus’ promises to his disciples is one - that they power of the Holy Spirit will come upon them, and two - that they will be his witnesses throughout the world, wherever they go. If we are to trust Jesus’ word (which, yes, we should), that means that we’ve been given this gift, this power and that we will be his witnesses. Question remains of what kind of witnesses we will be - certainly I hope good ones, faithful ones, ones whose words and actions speak in an inviting way to who Jesus is.

But I think it’s more the idea of this power that comes through the Holy Spirit that I find myself both fascinated and frustrated. Fascinated because I can read the Scriptures, see all these amazing things happen, I want to share in that, I want to be a part of that. But frustrated, as some of you may be - where’s the power Jesus promised? I don’t seem to be experiencing it much.

To be clear, if I take some time, I can think of moments when I know the Holy Spirit has been at work - in me, teaching me, guiding me, especially over the last several years, I’ve seen the Lord do healing work in my heart for which I’m deeply grateful. I know the Spirit has been at work in me, that’s transformative work.

It’s harder to think of moments when the Spirit has been at work through me. Though there is one time that sticks out, when I was first starting to do Young Life ministry at Shepton High School in Plano, Texas, how scared I was the first times I went up to the school to meet kids. Lord, help me. I was praying as I walked up to the entrance, trying to reassure myself that the Lord was already there (Spirit is God’s presence everywhere!). As I walked in, I saw a kid who I recognized in the entryway by the pay phone. I’d seen him at football games, he was just a fun kid, always in the mix. So, with some trepidation I walked up and introduced myself - which really is just a random thing to do - what if he’s like - who the heck is this guy?! Thankfully, he went right with it and we struck up a friendship. In fact, a few months later we had our first Young Life club at his house, ten kids. That Spirit-led meeting kicked off our ministry there.

But those times feel more like the exception, rather than the rule. But I want to move in faith as we move more and more into becoming a church that makes disciples, that we would do it led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit. To trust that what Jesus promised his first disciples, he promises to us as well. Those times when I get discouraged, Lord, we’re trying, but it seems to be awfully slow, where’s the fruit of our labors?! I hold in faith what I’ve seen God doing in our midst over the last several years - how he brought us from the edge of shutting down, how he blessed us with this building, how we’ve seen some growth - in numbers, for sure, but more importantly, as followers of Jesus - I see it in your lives.

So my hope and prayer is that you will move in faith with me, in particular in seeking to be led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit, trusting that he is in us and among us - and will work through us to bear witness to Jesus Christ. And to consider how we can cultivate an openness to the Spirit.

Prayer - to ask the Lord to be filled, to have more of the Holy Spirit (double the portion). Come, Holy Spirit! But not just to have more of the Holy Spirit, but that the Spirit would have more of me - a more willing surrender to the Spirit in me, leading me, guiding me, empowering me - for his will, to do what Jesus is calling me to do in the way he’s calling me to do it.

Acting in faith - what strikes me about remembering the story of getting Young Life going at Shepton, meeting Brad - it wasn’t just the Holy Spirit working, but working through me as I acted in faith. In spite of my fears, I went into that school. I walked up to him and began a conversation, one I had no idea how it would go. As we think about people we’ve been praying for - what’s one act of faith you can take this week (phone call, invitation to lunch or over for dinner, invitation to worship, initiating a conversation about faith). The Holy Spirit working through us requires that we act, we do, we participate.

Closing Prayer - Time of Reflection