Go Further

Based on 2 Kings 1-3, Luke 24:1-35

"And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him , As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace." 2 Kings 2:2‭-‬3

When we really want something, that desire forces us to go further. The drive of the human desire is one of the strongest things there is, and definitely needs a lot of self-discipline to control...but how often do we feed into the soul's desires for the things of God? Elisha was a prophet who enjoyed the privilege of serving under Elijah the prophet. Elisha knew it was almost Elijah's time to be taken up by God, but he wanted to follow him further. As much as he could go! His soul said go, despite what his brain did know. Elisha didn't let the words of the others discourage him. They already stopped their journey because their physical desire was greater than their soul's desire...but Elisha went further!

"And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan." 2 Kings 2:6‭-‬7

This above description was the third time Elijah was going to go on without Elisha. The second time, those same voices told Elisha to quit. They reminded him that Elijah would be going...so what was the use? Why continue? This third time, the voices stopped because they didn't go as far. They stayed back as Elijah & Elisha stood by the Jordan River. Do we have that kind of passion to pursue our soul's desires for the people & things of God? Or do we stop short with discouragement & stay back with the fifty? How strong is our desire to get closer to God? This is why coming to church is so important! While developing our personal connections is needed & a must, being close to others who are close to God encourages us & builds our faith. When we go further with God's church, we'll all be one big church in eternity!

"And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." 2 Kings 2:9

...And this is exactly what happened! In fulfilling the soul's need & desire for God by getting close to the man of God, God raised Elisha up to his next role in ministry! The one everyone tried to discourage was the one God would use to lead & encourage others! That's the power of determination! That's what happens when we go further in faith! When Jesus was risen & appeared to 2 men on the road to Emmaus, they were sad because of Jesus' death, just like Elisha was saddened when Elijah was taken...but Elisha believed quickly that Elijah's legacy lived on...through him!

But it took these 2 men Jesus appeared to a little while to realize that Jesus actually WAS risen and that He DID have the power to do it!

"And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them." Luke 24:28‭-‬29

"And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it , and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:30‭-‬32

What would have happened if Jesus was not constrained by these 2? If He would have went further into the village? Would there have been people who recognized Jesus right away, encouraging the 2 men? Or would there have been more discouragers, telling the 2 men to leave Jesus behind as the other men did to Elisha? Either way, these men kept Jesus to themselves...and their heads finally got the message of Who He was after their hearts had time to process it all!

Again, this is why it's important to have a leader in church you can rely on, like a faithful pastor! We all encourage & help each other to keep going further, even when the world says to stop. We are reminded through sermons of how to recognize what God's doing in our world so we don't miss out or get off track. We strive to know Jesus personally & follow His perfect Will Biblically. We are not perfect, but going through the process to Heaven together makes it easier to go FURTHER! Come and be a part of it all in Jesus' Name!