Untitled Sermon

Introduction

Theme: Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord

(Psalm 121 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”). Quote at the beginning of sermon and sprinkle these verses in each point

I. Help in Everyday Life (v. 1-7)

-this section feels like a bunch of kids asking for daddy’s help.

A. The sons of the prophets have a problem: they have been blessed beyond comprehension. There’s so many of them that they are busting at the seems and need more space (v. 1)

1. They made a plan, weighed the cost/benefits, and sought God’s help in making it happen (v. 2-4)

a. Perhaps they felt that the Jordan held special significance for the Lord since Elijah/Elisha, Moses/Joshua had prominent moments here. They wanted to honor the Lord and have His blessing

b. They got God’s permission and His oversight during the whole construction. They asked God to go with them and He came

2. But very rarely do things go as planned (v. 5-7)

a. One man’s axe broke and fell into the Jordan. We think “So? Just buy another one.” But it wasn’t his to begin with and he was troubled

b. The first place he called for help was God. Elisha came, sought the area where the axe fell, and caused it to levitate on top of the water. God provides in ways we don’t expect

B. We have a tendency to try to work out life on our own and only bother God with the big stuff. But God lays out a principle for us: Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

1. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray He told them to pray for their daily bread. He taught them not to worry about what they will eat, drink, or wear, but to trust that God will provide when we pursue Him

a. What happens when we try to figure life out on our own? “Our family has outgrown our house so we need to move, inflation keeps rising so we need a raise, the car broke down and it needs fixed, I can’t find my wallet or my keys, etc.” Things keep piling on top of one another and we get stressed and worry about everything

b. What would happen if we stopped and prayed about it first? Do you think God has the power and the compassion to help us in every aspect of our lives? In the big decisions and the small ones? From something as mundane as finding lost keys to the massive choices of jobs or houses or spouses and everything in between

c. Look at how God blessed the prophets who asked for God to go with them and went to Him first when something went wrong. They built their homes, they succeeded, and they thrived

2. What if we started every day with the prayer: “God, please go with me today”? What do you think would change in how things played out? What if, as a church, we started every meeting and every decision with “God, go with us and help us”?

a. As we face challenges of growth and seek to develop kid programs and seating locations. We treat every challenge as an opportunity for God to make our axe head float by seeking His help when we don’t see the solution

b. God provides in ways we don’t expect. Let’s ensure that we pause in every day life and ask God to go with us

c. Psalm 121:1–4 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

II. Help with the Future (v. 8-12)

A. Aram was led by a wicked king

1. First they were pillaging Israel and God brought 3 kings together to push Aram back to their stronghold. Next, Naaman (captain of Aram’s army) had leprosy and Aram sent to Israel for help. Now he has flipped a switch and sought to attack and destroy Israel, yet again

a. However, God revealed to Elisha the plans of Syria’s king and he warned the king of Israel, who thwarted Aram’s plans on multiple occasions (v. 8-10)

b. Aram’s king was enraged, thinking there had to be a traitor in his midst until a servant brought word that Elisha knew what was spoken in private. A prophet indeed (v. 11-12)

2. When God is on your side, there is no need to fear the future

a. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faced the fiery furnace with the faith that God could save them. Even if He did not, they wouldn’t bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue

b. Jesus, knowing He was going to be betrayed and handed over to be crucified, marched onward in faith knowing the Father’s will was to save mankind through His sacrifice. There was suffering, fear, and even death, but Jesus faced it with a total trust in the Father until the words “It is finished” were uttered

c. God was with Elisha and He frustrated the plans of evildoers

B. The future is uncertain, yet, God makes our footsteps secure

1. Pain and suffering give us pause and doubt. But God reminds us that suffering is temporary and Jesus was glorified through suffering, so will we be

a. We experience fear of making the wrong choices, yet, God promises to work all things together for our good

b. We fear the things we don’t understand but God gives us purpose, peace, and hope beyond our understanding

2. Others may seek to do us harm, life may feel like it’s falling apart, it seems like Satan has the upper hand. But remember this, God is in control

a. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, His purpose and His ways give you a path to walk when you feel stuck. He provides confidence when you feel uncertain. He gives peace in the midst of stress. He gives you something to live for

b. Yes, the future is uncertain. Well, mostly. There’s one thing we know for sure: Christ ensures an eternal future in heaven and we live for that future in the here and now. No matter what people might do to us, we have a hope in Christ that cannot be taken away

c. Psalm 121:7–8 “The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” God gives us help for the future

III. Help in Crisis (v. 13-23)

A. In our loneliest/scariest moments, God is still there (v. 13-15)

1. The king of Aram sends out a death warrant for Elisha

a. They find out he is in Dothan and the army marches hard overnight to get there and surround him, no escape

b. Elisha’s servant woke up early and saw the chariots and horsemen surrounding Dothan, ready to lay siege, capture the prophet, and do unspeakable things

2. Elisha’s response was not fear or surprise. It was a calm peace (v. 16-17)

a. He could see what others could not, God was there. In the same way He separated Elijah from Elisha before the whirlwind took up the prophet’s mentor, so now He manifests His presence in a manner of protection.

b. In a moment of terror and destruction Elisha was able to stand strong. Not because he was so great but because God was by His side

3. God wasn’t just present, He was active (v. 18-23)

a. Elisha prayed and the Arameans were struck with blindness, so, Elisha led them 12 miles to the capital of Israel, Samaria.

b. Instead of killing them Elisha declared that a banquet be made for them. Israel’s hospitality, humility, and compassion caused a change in the Syrians. They went home and never came back to cause trouble in Israel again

B. No moment is too big for God

1. Plenty of events are too much for us to handle but God shows His strength through our weakness

2. It does us well to remember: God is present and active in our situation, even when we can’t see it

a. Let us seek God that we may see what others do not, the activity of a God who loves and cares for us

b. He uses the Christlike who are humble, hospitable, and forgiving to bring a change in others. Instead of the crisis getting the best of us God can use us to bring about change and peace

3. Psalm 121:5–6 “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”

Conclusion

Psalm 121 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”