Bible Study Series: The Heart Of Christ

 

   

 

THE HEART OF CHRIST

 

2 Kings 4:8-24

 

 

 

HER OBSERVATION

V:8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat.

A. The first thing we notice in the text is the woman’s observation.

    1. She noticed a stranger passing by her house.

    2. There was no MacDonald’s, Burger King or I Hop for the

        man to eat.

    3. One thing that Christ does is constantly watch over us.

    4. He knows what’s going on in our lives.

    5. Jesus knows our needs.

B. At this point in the story, she did not know who the man

     was that passed her door.

     a. He was a stranger to the town and she was concerned about his

         welfare.

     b. She had been blessed, and wanted to bless others.

     c. Be kind to strangers, you never know when you are

         entertaining an angel.   Hebrews 13:2

C. She invited the stranger to stay for a meal anytime he came to town.

     1. For some reason, Elisha did not tell her who he was.

     2. God loves a cheerful giver.

     3. One of things we can do in this environment is share with others

         what God has blessed us with.

     4. Our neighbor is anyone we come in contact with. She

         showed the stranger her love treating him as a neighbor.

     5. The woman had a kind heart.

     6. She had a generous spirit.

     7. These are characteristics of a Christ like woman

 

 

 

HER COMPASSION

V: 9 She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."

A. Elisha had eaten at her house several times, yet has not

    revealed to her who he was.

   1. She determined that he was a man of God.

   2. How did she come to this conclusion?

   3. The way we live our lives points to our character.

   4. People ought to hear the God in us by what we talk about.

   5. People ought to see the God in us by our actions.

   6. People ought to see the God in us by the way we treat others.

B. This woman felt comfortable enough with this stranger

     to build an addition to her house for him to stay in.

    1. Notice it was in her heart to do so, but she talked it

        over with her husband.

    2. God gives us marriage counseling.  In a marriage

        any decision ought to be by agreement.

    4. Any decision we make affects the entire family.

C. We ought to be comfortable enough with God

      to invite him into our lives.

    1. There ought to be a room in our hearts for God.

    2. We know there is room in our hearts for God when we wake up

         with the desire to prepare a meal for Him.

        a. You prepare a meal for God when you thank Him for being Him,

        b. You prepare a meal for God in praise and worship..

        c. You prepare a meal for God when you put complete trust in Him.

        d. You prepare a meal for God when you serve Him.

        e. You prepare a meal for God when you feed his children.

        

             Lev 3:16

             The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by   

             fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the Lord 's.

 

 

              2 Cor 2:15

              For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being    

              saved and those who are perishing.

 

HER SECERT DESIRES

V:11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?'"

She replied, "I have a home among my own people."

14 "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."

A. God takes note of your service.

    1. When you serve God you store up treasures in heaven.

    2. God knows your unspoken desires.

    3. The woman did not ask for anything from the man of God.

    4. She was content with what she had been blessed with.

    5. I suggest that it gave her joy to serve Elisha and Gehazi.

B. When someone has been generous to you, find a way to

     show your gratitude. ( I made a note to myself).

    1. Elisha reflected on her goodness and wanted to reward her for

        dedication to him and Gehazi.

    2. God has the power to give you anything you ask for.

    3. When asked what she wanted, she had no request.

         a. It is a good thing to find contentment with what God has

             done in your life.

         b. The quality of your life is found in contentment with God

               in all situations.

       4. God ask that same question to King Solomon and He responded

           all he wanted was wisdom to serve.

           God responded by making him the wises of all men and gave

           him riches beyond measure.

C. It is good to have a friend, family member, or spouse to share your ideas.

     1. Someone else may be able to see what you cannot see.

     2. Elisha asked Gehazi what the woman needed.

         a. Elisha was focused on the will of God.

         b. But Gehazi saw the desires of every woman of that time to

             have a son to carry on the family name.

      3. Because of her husband’s old age, she had not been able to have

          a child.

      4. Sometimes God sets us up to glorify Himself by what he withholds

          from us.

      5. If the woman had had a child, she may not have noticed Elisha

          passing by her house.

       6. Our needs are God’s opportunity to glorify Himself.

 

    Look at verse 13 again

    Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?

    

 When you serve God, He can give you influence in high places!!

 

HER PROMISED REWARD

V:15 Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms."

"No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!"

17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

A. The woman developed a long standing relationship with Elisha.

     1. She continued to serve and provide for him and Gehazi without

         fail.

     2. She respected him for his relationship with God.

     3. She came to have a relationship with God through Him.

     4. We should not have an on again, then off relationship with the

         Lord.

B. When God places preachers in our lives we should honor them

     because they have been selected by God.

    1. The more we honor our pastor, the more God honors us.

    2. The woman didn’t ask for a son, but God gave her a son

         because of her dedication to Him.

    3. God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or

        conceive.

C. The woman response was initially based on the impossibility of

     conception based on the old age of her husband.

    1. The God we serve is the God of all possibilities.

    2. If we can dream it, God can make it possible.

    3. Watch this!  Even though she knew the impossibility of her

         situation, she accepted God’s promise by faith.

    4. Never doubt God. He can give you the desires of your

        heart.

    5. My wife always reminds me, that you don’t have to see the way

       to your dreams, because God is the way.

    6. God took the daughter of immigrant and made her the vice president

        of the United States.

       a. If He did it for her, He will do it for you.

 

TESTING OF HER FAITH

V:18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 "My head! My head!" he said to his father.

His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

A. Just because you have been blessed by God, does not mean you want

     have  problems in the future.

    1. The son, a blessing from God, died.

    2. The son had grown to an age to be called a boy.

    3. The woman never doubted the power of God.

B. Notice, we do not have any recorded conversation between the father

     and Elisha.

    1. God slipped a little nugget in the text.

    2. It was the woman, not the man that called on Elisha.

    3. Men sometimes are slow to develop their faith in God.

        a. God uses the believing party to influence the unbeliever.

                

            1 Cor 7:15-16

              God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife,   

              whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know,    

              husband, whether you will save your wife?

 

C. Even though her son was dead, she took him to the Lord.

     1. She placed her trust in God not the circumstance.

     2. There are times when doors are closed and the answer is no.

          But God can open closed doors and change no to yes.

 

YOUR FAITH MOTIVATES OTHERS.

V:22 She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."

23 "Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath."

"It's all right," she said.

A. God is available to us 24/7

    1. We don’t serve a Sunday God. We serve a 7 day a week God.

    2. Its our job to call on the Lord when we got a problem so

        others can see our faith.

B. The woman’s husband was exposed to the power of God

     because of her faith.

    1. We never know who is watching us trust the Lord.

    2. The woman’s son was raised from the dead because of

         Her faith.

    3. We were dead in our sins until we trusted Jesus with our lives.

 

IN SUMMARY

 

BE OBSERVANT OF THE NEEDS OF OTHERS

 

SHOW COMPASSION

 

GOD CAN GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART

 

GOD HAS A REWARD FOR YOUR SERVICE

 

EXPECT YOUR FAITH TO BE TESTED

 

YOUR SERVICE IS WORTH THE LIVES OF OTHERS

 

Rev. M. Mitchell