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Introduction

Text: Second Kings 6: 8-17

Subject: a Christian perspective for a confusing time

we are passing through a turbulent tempestuous Time.

The erosion of time-tested practices and customs, the contempt and belittling of the church, the cynical view of the church,

the fading away of moral values, and the despair concerning the way the future seems to be moving.

We need not belabor the obvious and being is we are moving through a most trying period of history.

The very credibility of the church hangs in the balance.

If we continue doing business as usual, meetings without meaning, preaching without practice, worship without witness the church will have abdicated its reason for being.

There is discontent, disorder, and disturbances in all areas of our world.

The voices of the oppressed , exploited, disinherited, and disadvantaged rise In thunderous tones throughout the land.

It is not uncommon to find a mood of anger and hear a constant cry for change.

Christians, like everyone else, are caught in the confusion of our culture.

We to are subject to fears, frustrations, pressures and panic just like everyone else.

Some of you have grown so frustrated with trying to be the best you can be because every time you try to climb up, something seems to kick you back down. Some of you it seems every time you take a step forward you get knocked three steps back.

SOMETIMES WE COME TO CHURCH AND DON’T FEEL LIKE SINGING, CAN’T CONCENTRATE ENOUGH TO PRAY, STAY MOODY AND DEPRESSED

In the Bible, we find a beautiful and spiritually illuminating narrative.

Israel and Syria it seems were always at war.

Every time the king of Syria with plot is attack, Elisha would inform the king of israel where Syria would attack.

The king of Syria became enraged for all of this planning failed.

His heart was troubled for he thought there was a spy in his camp.

He accuses them of having a traitor among them, but one of his servants interrupts him to say:

O king there are no traitors among us, but theRE is a prophet in Israel.

And this prophet is so well-informed that he knows what you say when you go to bed.

You see, the prophet sees better than the king, the prophet sees farther than the king,

the prophet understands more and has a larger horizon than the king.

The prophet has a supernatural, transcendent source of information.

The king send spies and tells them: go and see where he is and I may send and take him, and he was told that Elishah was in Dothan.

He sends a powerful army of footmen, horses, and chariots a powerful army for just one man.

What a tribute, Elisha has no sword, no horse, no footmen.

All he has going for him is that he is a man of prayer.

The Kings army sets out for Dothan and surround the village where Elisha and his servant are asleep.

Early the next morning the servant awakens to find the whole village surrounded by the enemy.

Panic stricken he runs to inform Elisha of the enemy presence.

He, full of fear raises this question: how shall we do?

It is frustrating to have to live with the limitations that life imposes on us.

We are creatures of reason and we take great pride in considering ourselves to be in the know.

Yet, don't matter how informed we are a how much in the know we think we are that narrow circumstances of our limited minds make it impossible for us to know everything.

The servant asked, how shale we do?

This question is being repeated millions of times by people around the world who are trapped, or so it seems and terrifying circumstances.

Inquiring minds want to know how shall we do.

When may we turn to find a technique for survival.

Under whose Wings can we find security?

The question on the lips of millions even as we speak is simply how shall we do?

This inquiry affects even the life of the Christian church.

When we look at this crazed culture with all of its turmoil, we ask and sometimes we scream how shale we do?

We are constantly searching seeking looking and pursyuing.

We have become a society seeking and searching.

We seek for more. We search for better. We look for bargains.

We want the best deal the right price, and the lowest fare.

We have become a society of seekers and searchers.

We do it every day of our lives. But the question is the same: how Shall we do?

We looked to be blessed and instead have trouble.

We thought we had a clean bill of health; instead we have to have surgery.

We thought we would get a promotion; instead we got a pink slip.

We must learn that not everything makes sense.

Some things make you shake your head, somethings make you wonder will things ever be right again?

Some things cannot be reasoned out, some things defy logic.

Sometimes you feel the presence of the absence of God no matter how sincere and committed you are,

sometimes it does seem like God is absent. You pray and get no response you long for him and can't feel his presence.

Sometimes God just seems to be absent.

It feels like nighttime in the day time.

Sermon text with italics and bold and John 3:16 and v. 20.

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