Sermon Tone Analysis

ANGELS, tape three

 

II Kings 6:8-12.

So here we have the setting of this occasion of angelic ministry.

The king of Syria had been warring against Israel and in his counsels and strategies and plans he has been setting traps for the army of Israel and the king of Israel.

But the prophet Elisha, by the Spirit of the Lord, we are going to talk a little bit about how exactly Elisha knew this.

Elisha  heard what the King of Syria said in his bedroom and don’t you know that would be worth something.

We talk about the Cold War and all the spies we had spying on Moscow and Eastern Europe.

Wouldn’t that have been something if we had known what the communist leaders were speaking in their bedrooms or in their offices or where they were making strategies for war.

Well, Elisha  he would hear this by the Spirit, and he would tell the king of Israel “Watch out for that trap-Watch out for that trap-watch out for that trap.

Every time the king of Syria tried to set a trap the King of Israel was forewarned and of course he would avoid it and save himself from it.

Perhaps even turn it back around on the king of Syria.

Well, that is why the king of Syria was forced to say we must have a traitor in our midst.

But, somebody there knew a little bit about Israel and they knew the prophets ministry.

They said “No, this is Elisha, he knows what you are saying in your bedroom”.

So, the king realizes he has to change his strategies.

Instead of going after the king of Israel he is going to go after this prophet.

It says in Verse l3-     Now, the servant of the man of God was Gehazi , we don’t have time to show you that but you can read that in other portions of the Bible.

Elisha had a servant named Gehazi, he got up early and he got up early and he went out and saw a host composed the city both with horses and chariots.

So, Gehazi sees this army that is assembled against them.

And the servant says unto Elisha vs. 15.

Here we are we have been doing reconnaissance and some undercover work for the king of Israel and you have been revealing secrets but now it looks like we’re going to have to pay for it.

We have this army circling the city.

Notice Elisha’s response.

Elisha answered him saying “fear not!”  that’s the first thing that came to Elisha’s mind when it related to obstacles and circumstances of life and it should be the first thing that comes to our minds when we face the enemies attacks and it seems like we’re outnumbered and it seems like we’re circled; when it seems like the enemy has us right where he wants us.

We must remember not to fear.

The Bible gives us substantial reasons not to fear.

Now our minds and our natural circumstances they will give us reasons to fear also.

I’m reminded of Peter walking on the water.

You know we often remember that he sank, and Jesus saved him, but we need to remember that he did walk on that water before he sank.

So he got a little bit further along than the other disciples.

They were good friends cheering him on, “We’re behind you Peter”; but that’s exactly where they were back in the boat.

He’s the one that took the step of faith, the Word says that seeing the wind boisterous, he was afraid and that fear is a spiritual principle that ties up the things of God and clams up the move of the Spirit of God.

Beginning to sink, Peter cried out “Lord save me”.

Thank God, the Lord did and pulled him back up and told him “don’t fear, don’t fear, don’t doubt, why would you doubt.

So Elisha  now is turning to his servant and instructing him.

He is telling him don’t fear.

He is not overly concerned for the welfare of the servant, he is not going to be upset if the servant goes off and has this pagan fear.

He is trying to stop a spiritual principle from happening.

You know if this was going to take place who cares if this servant goes off and prays by himself.

Elisha’s going to take care of himself, let the servant catch up when he wants to.

You see, other peoples faith enters in and other peoples fear and unbelief can enter in.

But, Gehazi needed to be instructed, don’t fear.

Now, notice what Elisha said, “for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

Now Elisha is not looking at the circumstances, the bible says that we don’t war after the flesh, the bible says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty thru God.

The bible says we don’t wrestle against flesh but against principalities, power and rulers of darkness of this world: against wicked spirits in high places.

See Elisha was looking at the spiritual source and cause.

I think sometimes we fail to see that behind physical manifestations there is a spiritual cause and effect.

For instance, I John III says.

(Quote)  You see health and prosperity are based on a large part upon the prosperity of your soul.

It’s what goes on in the inside of man that determines what will take place on the outside of him.

If you can get it in your heart and believe it you can see it and you can see it manifest in the natural.

Elisha was not focused on the problem; he wasn’t focused on the circumstances or the natural; he was focused on the Spirit and he was drawing his strength from what he knew to do as sure a reality in the Spirit as we have reality in the natural.

Whether you know it or not there are certain realities you can’t see.

People say I don’t believe in anything I can’t see.

Well I just ask them if they have a brain and than ask them if they have ever seen it?

It’s good to know that you do believe in some things you don’t see.

Some people say “well I don’t believe in things I can’t see” Well, you know, electricity was around for thousands of years and nobody saw it.

Than somebody realized there was something there and had enough courage to go fly a kite.

It may not of seemed like the wisest thing to do but he realized that electricity could be conducted.

And there are other things we could talk about; we have got to realize that behind the shell of the flesh there is a spiritual reality that is actually more real than the natural one.

If we can take the assumption that the spirit created the natural, than we could call the Spirit realm the mother realm.

If we take that as an assumption that everything that is comes from that realm than that realm must be more real than this realm.

And the things that occur in that realm affect this realm.

We’re going to find that that is scripturely true; Jesus said at one time, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose in heaven will be loosed on earth.”

There is a reciprocal cause and effect between what we do here in the natural  and what occurs in the spirit, and what occurs in the spirit and what occurs here in the natural.

So, Elisha he focused on that and he said “there are more that be with us than that be with them”.

Now, I would like to point out here, as the Lord pointed out to me that Elisha didn’t say there is more that be with us than them.

He didn’t say there is more that be with us than the army that is surrounding the city.

He didn’t say “I have more angels that be with me than there are horses and chariots around this city.

No, He said “there is more that be with us than they that be with them.”

Meaning there is somebody with Elisha and there is somebody with the enemy.

There is somebody with you and there is somebody with the enemy.

There is a verse in I John 4:4  (Quote)  Now, that’s important.

One time I misquoted it, I was preaching and I misquoted it.

I said “Greater is He that is in “us” than he that is in the World”  and the Lord corrected me.

See, us implies we all have to get together for Him to be greater; but no, it’s greater is He who is in you “individually” than he that is in the world collectively.

See, you and God make a majority.

You and God are enough against the situation.

Elisha said “there is more that be with us than that be with them” you see behind these situations, behind circumstances, behind people; there are demonic spirits and principalities in operation trying to effect their causes.

Trying to forward their desire.

The kingdom of Satan is as real as the kingdom of God and it has an agenda, it has goals and Satan has desires and plans for you.

John l0:l0 (Quote) .

You see Satan comes with one thought in mind and that is destruction and Jesus comes with one thought in mind and that is life abundantly.

As we choose the abundant life we also need to realize that he has made us to be more than conquerors thru Christ who loved us and gave himself for us.

So, there were spirits behind the king of Syria, moving him to make war against the king of Israel and even moving him to come and make war against the prophet.

Elisha knew that if he could outnumber or out-power or overcome the spirits behind the men, well than he could rescue the men and deliver them.

We will find out that is exactly what happened.

Verse l7 Elisha prayed and he said (Quote)  Now what did he see, he had been seeing in the natural but now he is seeing in the spirits.

Behold …thru verse 23.

Well, I guess not!

You see, Satan was driving these men with evil spirits behind them, but when the angels of God, which were more with Elisha than what be with them, than Elisha was about to minister in such a way that he rescued or delivered these men out from underneath that demonic power and he just led them on into the king of Israel’s camp right there in Samaria and they surrounded them and than they said Lord, open their eyes and they opened their eyes and they were surrounded by their enemies.

What are they going to do, throw their weapons down.

The King of Israel said should we kill them, should we kill them?

But, Elisha said no you don’t do that.

Why did Elisha say that, because he knew his warfare was not with flesh and blood.

He hadn’t just defeated these men, he had defeated the spirits that were behind these men.

He disarmed them a long time before he got near the king of Israel.

So, he made a feast for them and fed them and took care of them.

And said now boys if you’ve seen what’s going on here and your free from that demonic power, you go on back to your camp and don’t bother us anymore.

So they did, they left and they bothered the king of Israel and the land of Israel no more.