This morning our two congregations of York Elim Church: The Teaching Service and The Gathering (cafe style expression of York Elim), met together for the first time in The National Centre for Early Music. Graham preached on 2 Kings 3: 1-24.
2 Kings 3:1-27
Intro:
a) “Sin of Jeroboam” was the making of two idols, calves made of gold, as objects of worship. It was to prevent his people drifting back to reunification of faith with the Southern kingdom of Judah.
b) v11 “But Jehoshaphat asked, Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may enquire of the LORD through him?”
See Joshua 9:14 Peace treaty made without enquiring of the Lord.
“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not enquire of the LORD.”
c) He called for a harpist. Ministry of the prophetic and of the psalmist.
1) fill the valley with ditches.
Water:
See John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified
John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Acts 1:1-4 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
Fill, no half measures. There are times when we are asked to do more. Faith does not replace hard work or legitimise laziness.
Obedience without knowing why, and in spite of lack of other indicators. Where does this place the ministry of leadership?
3) v18 “This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD;…”
This is an easy thing for the Lord. What isn’t? We need constant reminding.
4) This valley will be filled with water.
V17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
His supply will be abundant.
