1
00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:04,600
Good afternoon, everybody. 
It's good to be back together to

2
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,100
worship with you again. 
I'm excited for our study. 

3
00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,900
We're going to pick up and 
second Kings chapter 6, we're 

4
00:00:09,900 --> 00:00:11,800
going to take a big shift from 
this morning, but we're going to

5
00:00:11,808 --> 00:00:16,200
kind of take a similar vein of 
thought and learning to 

6
00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:21,000
emphasize and focus in, on our 
hope that we have and the joy 

7
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,400
that we can have in the 
perspective that we can approach

8
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,300
it with. 
And one of the things I want to 

9
00:00:26,300 --> 00:00:28,700
use as a disclaimer before we 
start, as I know, there's a lot 

10
00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:30,300
of these things that I might 
say. 

11
00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,700
Say that are that may sound like
life advice from 22 year old 

12
00:00:34,700 --> 00:00:37,100
that. 
I don't have that level of 

13
00:00:37,108 --> 00:00:39,900
experience with this but the 
things I hope to share with you 

14
00:00:39,900 --> 00:00:43,300
or things that the Bible gives 
us and things that we can learn 

15
00:00:43,300 --> 00:00:45,000
from it. 
They're Universal. 

16
00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,400
And and so there are many of you
that have gone through things 

17
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,800
are going through things that I 
don't I can't comprehend. 

18
00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,000
I am not there in your position 
so I'm not gonna pretend to be 

19
00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,600
there but these things were 
going to talk about. 

20
00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,800
I think our universe For 
everyone and and their beautiful

21
00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,500
thing to think about is we can 
set our hope in these things. 

22
00:01:06,100 --> 00:01:08,700
I'm going to use my launching 
point in the New Testament. 

23
00:01:08,700 --> 00:01:13,800
Luke Chapter 7 In verse 22 at 
this point. 

24
00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:17,400
John is having some issues. 
He's starting to struggle with 

25
00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,500
his faith that seems in prison 
as he says, he sins to Jesus. 

26
00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:24,700
And he asked him to say, hey, 
are you the one we're looking 

27
00:01:24,708 --> 00:01:27,200
for, or should we wait for 
somebody else? 

28
00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,800
Is this really you? 
He's starting to struggle when 

29
00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:34,800
he's in prison and the way Jesus
has these Messengers go back to 

30
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,400
men. 
Respond, Jesus says go tell him 

31
00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,500
go. 
Tell John verse 22, the things 

32
00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:42,900
that you have seen and heard 
that the blind see the lame 

33
00:01:42,900 --> 00:01:45,500
walk. 
The lepers are Are cleansed. 

34
00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:47,600
This isn't really where we're 
going with a study, but that's 

35
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,900
an interesting launching Point 
as we go back to 2nd Kings 

36
00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:54,400
because as we study through the 
life of Elijah and second Kings,

37
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,900
many of the things we learn 
about Elijah's work, their 

38
00:01:57,900 --> 00:02:01,200
shadow of what Jesus would be 
there. 

39
00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,600
A shadow of the man, he would 
become and the works that he 

40
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,100
would do. 
Because these these miracles of 

41
00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:13,300
healing, the blind of raising, 
the dead are all things that 

42
00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,500
Elijah would do. 
Elijah didn't shadow that Jesus 

43
00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:19,400
did in substance. 
So as we hop into 2nd Kings, 

44
00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,000
chapter 6, verse 8, I found that
interesting and it kind of helps

45
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,800
put Jesus at the focal point of 
whatever we study, but 2nd Kings

46
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,300
chapter 6. 
Beginning in verse 8, we're 

47
00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:34,200
going to start reading there. 
It says, now the king of Syria 

48
00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:37,800
was making war against Israel 
and he consulted with the 

49
00:02:37,808 --> 00:02:41,100
servant saying, my Camp will be 
in such and such a place. 

50
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,500
And the man of God sent to the 
king of Israel saying, beware. 

51
00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:47,500
That you don't pass this place 
for the syrians are coming down 

52
00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:49,800
there. 
Then the king of Israel sent 

53
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,900
someone to the place of which 
the man of God had told him that

54
00:02:52,900 --> 00:02:54,700
he warned him and he was 
watchful. 

55
00:02:54,700 --> 00:02:57,600
They're not just once or twice. 
Therefore, the heart of the king

56
00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,800
of Syria was greatly troubled by
this thing. 

57
00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:03,400
And he called his servants and 
said to them, which will you not

58
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,600
show me, which of us, is for the
king of Israel. 

59
00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:09,700
And one of his servants said 
none, my Lord O King, but 

60
00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:14,000
Elijah, the prophet who was in 
Israel, tells the king of 

61
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,000
Israel, the word That you speak 
in your bedroom. 

62
00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:19,600
So what's going on? 
Back up in verse 8, this king of

63
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,500
Syria is making war against the 
Israelites, he's trying to 

64
00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:25,200
attack them and the way he's 
going about this, he's trying to

65
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,900
act, he's trying to Ambush them.
He's trying to set up a spot 

66
00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:30,700
where he's going to attack them 
when they come through. 

67
00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,000
And so he sets this up gets 
already and but Elijah on the 

68
00:03:36,008 --> 00:03:39,000
side of the children of Israel 
gets word of this. 

69
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,800
I believe it's miraculous 
through God, he gets word of 

70
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:43,000
this and he tells the king of 
Israel. 

71
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,500
Hey, don't go over there, 
they're coming. 

72
00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:47,200
Ambush you. 
And so they send a couple spies 

73
00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,500
out and sure enough. 
There they were waiting to 

74
00:03:49,500 --> 00:03:52,900
Ambush them and it says this 
happens, several times. 

75
00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:56,300
He warned him, don't go over 
there, they came through, man, 

76
00:03:56,300 --> 00:03:57,600
they were going to Ambush us 
there. 

77
00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:00,400
And the king of Syria starts to 
get mad. 

78
00:04:00,700 --> 00:04:04,300
He's a warning King and he's 
like, okay, who's renting out 

79
00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:07,400
our plans, who is the mole? 
Who's the rat he says, will you 

80
00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,200
not show me which of us is for 
the king of Israel? 

81
00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,300
Verse 12, and one of his 
servants said none, my Lord O 

82
00:04:14,308 --> 00:04:17,200
King. 
But Elijah, the prophet who was 

83
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,500
in Israel, tells the king of 
Israel, the words that you speak

84
00:04:20,500 --> 00:04:24,200
in your bedroom. 
I don't know how this servant of

85
00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,600
the king of Syria new this. 
If it was miraculous, or if it 

86
00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,500
was some kind of like, it was 
some kind of like trans that he 

87
00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:33,800
just said it, like God put the 
knowledge in his knowledge in 

88
00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,000
him to say it. 
I don't know how he knew this 

89
00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,000
but he's like it's not. 
It's none of us. 

90
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,700
We're not doing this. 
He knows the words, you're 

91
00:04:40,700 --> 00:04:43,900
speaking your bedroom. 
And the first lesson I think we 

92
00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:47,200
need to learn from this. 
Is that God's always there. 

93
00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,600
He's always watching and for the
king of Syria that was a bad 

94
00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,700
thing. 
It was against his interest but 

95
00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,700
we can also take the on the flip
side is usually negative thing. 

96
00:04:57,700 --> 00:05:00,900
I think that we think about that
God sees God knows so don't do 

97
00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:04,100
that. 
It can be a comforting thing to 

98
00:05:04,100 --> 00:05:05,800
know that God sees whatever 
you're doing. 

99
00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,500
That he can see those silent 
worksheet you that you can see 

100
00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:12,500
those silent prayers those Quiet
Moments, when you're spending 

101
00:05:12,500 --> 00:05:15,200
time with him. 
He sees every bit of that. 

102
00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:20,700
And it's in the silent moments 
that we're really defined in the

103
00:05:20,707 --> 00:05:26,100
king of Syria was, was exposed, 
and it did not serve his 

104
00:05:26,100 --> 00:05:28,800
interests. 
And so he started to get mad and

105
00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,800
he said, go and see where he is.
There are many sending get him. 

106
00:05:32,300 --> 00:05:35,000
He's going to go after him and I
was told him saying, surely he 

107
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,300
is in Dothan. 
Therefore, he sent horses and 

108
00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:42,400
chariots and a great Army there.
They came by night and 

109
00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,500
surrounding the city. 
So he doesn't just send a couple

110
00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:47,700
guys after him. 
And take care of this pesky 

111
00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:52,000
prophet, he sends an entire Army
and he surrounds the City by 

112
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,800
night. 
And as I looked at some of the 

113
00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,500
pictures in the maps, there's 
kind of a valley in between 

114
00:05:57,500 --> 00:06:00,200
where Dothan was, and they had 
mountains all around. 

115
00:06:00,900 --> 00:06:03,000
So I want you to start to 
picture this in your mind. 

116
00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:06,200
You know, they surrounded the 
city with horses and chariots 

117
00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,100
that it's their army. 
That's their military. 

118
00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:10,900
Imagine for us, maybe if they 
had tanks or whatever machine 

119
00:06:10,900 --> 00:06:15,800
guns lined up surrounding him. 
In verse 15. 

120
00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,700
And when the servant of the man 
of God, arose, early and went 

121
00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:24,100
out, there was an Army, 
surrounding the city with horses

122
00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:26,700
and chariots. 
That's not a very nice way to 

123
00:06:26,700 --> 00:06:29,200
wake up and his servant said to 
him, I'll ask my master. 

124
00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,100
What shall we do? 
He walks outside, he sees this 

125
00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,500
and he goes, what are we gonna 
do this Alaska's? 

126
00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:40,200
Like, oh no, we're stuck. 
What's gonna happen. 

127
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,200
But listen to the calm resolve 
of Elijah's Faith. 

128
00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:50,900
So we answered do not fear for 
those who are with us are more 

129
00:06:50,900 --> 00:06:55,000
than those who are with them. 
At this point may be a servant, 

130
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:56,900
was thinking you're crazy. 
I don't know what you're talking

131
00:06:56,900 --> 00:06:59,500
about, there's two of us, 
there's an army surrounding as 

132
00:06:59,500 --> 00:07:02,100
you see this? 
Wake up Elijah. 

133
00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:07,400
But I don't think we can really 
blame him for his response 

134
00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,100
because I think that's how we 
respond a lot of times. 

135
00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:13,700
That's how we feel, because 
life's problems kind of come up,

136
00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:15,100
quick. 
I mean, I'm young, I'm an 

137
00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:17,900
experience that I've seen that 
in my own life is you think 

138
00:07:17,900 --> 00:07:20,400
you're doing fine? 
And all of a sudden, bam, 

139
00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,200
something hits you, you weren't 
ready for it. 

140
00:07:24,500 --> 00:07:27,200
But Elijah is calm, resolve will
allow them to see through that 

141
00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,100
one of the things we're going to
notice is the site of these 

142
00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:34,100
guys, the first one is the 
blindness of the believer. 

143
00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:36,300
You may have already seen what 
we're talking about the 

144
00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:39,400
blindness of the unbeliever 
second insight. 

145
00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:45,700
The blindness of the believer 
Elisha's servant. 

146
00:07:45,700 --> 00:07:48,600
This man was a was likely in 
line. 

147
00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,700
I as I understand to take his 
position, he was likely a 

148
00:07:51,700 --> 00:07:55,400
Believer, he was likely that the
next in command and so he was a 

149
00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:59,100
man of faith brother and yet he 
saw this situation and he goes, 

150
00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:01,900
what are we going to do? 
What's what's gonna happen? 

151
00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:03,400
What are you gonna do? 
Elijah? 

152
00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,500
Look what happens Elisha prayed 
and said, Lord, I pray open his 

153
00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:13,400
eyes that he may see. 
Then the Lord opened the eyes of

154
00:08:13,407 --> 00:08:18,600
the young man and he saw, I'm so
glad it tells us what he saw him

155
00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,200
because he could have just left 
it at that, but we learn exactly

156
00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,600
what was around. 
And behold the mountain was full

157
00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,900
of horses and Chariots of Fire 
all around Elisha. 

158
00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,799
So, whatever was outside waiting
for him. 

159
00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:36,500
Those horses and Chariots of 
Fire, God goes, don't worry, 

160
00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:39,000
horses and Cherry those horses 
and chariots that were 

161
00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:40,700
surrounding them. 
I got horses and Chariots of 

162
00:08:40,700 --> 00:08:43,799
Fire. 
God was there instantly. 

163
00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:47,100
He was there the whole time. 
One of the things that's 

164
00:08:47,100 --> 00:08:50,000
interesting about this is 
Elijah, didn't pray God, please 

165
00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,400
send these. 
Let them show up and take care 

166
00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,300
of all this. 
He just said open his eyes. 

167
00:08:56,700 --> 00:09:00,500
So, whatever he just saw this 
horses and Chariots of Fire were

168
00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:03,800
already there. 
He just needed to have his eyes 

169
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:09,000
open to see that. 
And that allowed ice Elijah that

170
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,600
that spiritual sight allowed 
Elisha, see that. 

171
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:14,900
What's there in your reality 
today? 

172
00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,800
You say? 
What am I going to do? 

173
00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:23,400
We all have something. 
And the reality is, you know, 

174
00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,300
yours might not be that horses. 
And Chariots of Fire years, 

175
00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:28,600
might be unique to your 
situation. 

176
00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:33,500
But God shows us here, whatever 
your situation is, he has the 

177
00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,200
strength or the fixed. 
He has the power over it. 

178
00:09:37,300 --> 00:09:39,000
Whatever it is. 
It's always waiting there 

179
00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,000
whether we see it or not. 
That help is surrounding us. 

180
00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,900
What we're going to see in a 
minute is it doesn't work out 

181
00:09:44,900 --> 00:09:47,400
exactly like he thought it was 
gonna happen even after seeing 

182
00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,700
them. 
But whatever is in your 

183
00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:53,000
situation. 
This is where we need to have 

184
00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:57,000
our perspective, start to open 
up that this was there around 

185
00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,300
God's people. 
This is around God's people 

186
00:09:59,300 --> 00:10:02,400
right now. 
The psalmist says that the angel

187
00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,800
of the Lord encamps around those
who fear Him. 

188
00:10:05,500 --> 00:10:09,700
We learn from the Old Testament.
They took one Angel to wipe out,

189
00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,400
a lot of people The angel of the
Lord encamps around those who 

190
00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,300
fear Him. 
God's surrounding you to help 

191
00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:22,600
you and if you're a Believer and
you you have that blindness that

192
00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,400
doesn't allow you see that. 
Let's refocus. 

193
00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:33,600
Let's refocus on this. 
So one of the things you might 

194
00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,500
be saying is okay, what about 
me, where's mine? 

195
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,500
No, I that's great. 
That Elijah had his horses and 

196
00:10:42,500 --> 00:10:45,200
Chariots of Fire surrounding him
right there and he could see 

197
00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:46,700
that. 
And now his boom that was an 

198
00:10:46,700 --> 00:10:49,800
instant help for him. 
That was an instant fix. 

199
00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:53,800
What about me? 
Where's mine? 

200
00:10:54,900 --> 00:10:57,900
I can't see that and maybe it's 
so specific. 

201
00:10:57,900 --> 00:10:59,400
That I don't feel like God can 
even fix it. 

202
00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:04,300
Simply Did you notice where they
went to get him out? 

203
00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,700
It was in Dothan. the only other
place in the Bible that Dothan 

204
00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:14,100
is mentioned as back in Genesis 
when Joseph was sold into 

205
00:11:14,100 --> 00:11:17,800
slavery, is what his brothers 
sold thrown in the pit. 

206
00:11:18,300 --> 00:11:21,600
They grabbed him, they took 
advantage of him and they threw 

207
00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,900
him in the pit and that's where 
he plead to God for deliverance.

208
00:11:27,100 --> 00:11:29,100
That's where he wasn't just 
going off to get his brothers 

209
00:11:29,100 --> 00:11:31,100
and pretty soon. 
They're selling them into 

210
00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:35,200
slavery, then he gets brought 
into a nation. 

211
00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,100
That's foreign he doesn't know 
anybody. 

212
00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:39,800
He doesn't have his faith system
supported. 

213
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:40,900
Their he doesn't have his 
family. 

214
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,700
He finally Rises up through that
system then gets taken advantage

215
00:11:45,700 --> 00:11:47,400
of and cheated on. 
He gets dropped down to the 

216
00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,400
bottom again, he has left there 
in prison. 

217
00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,600
He helps people out but then 
they don't help him back. 

218
00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,600
And so he's taken advantage of 
for some 40 years. 

219
00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:01,400
My first question, did God, did 
he ask God for deliverance? 

220
00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:07,200
I would say so sit in that pit. 
Question number two did God 

221
00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,900
deliver him man, we look back at
that we go of course that's one 

222
00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:13,300
of the most amazing Stories We 
can read about in the Old 

223
00:12:13,300 --> 00:12:15,600
Testament. 
Some of the most amazing events 

224
00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,200
were out of all 40 of those 
years. 

225
00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,600
God was working things out and 
It ultimately saved. 

226
00:12:21,500 --> 00:12:24,600
A lot of people the Nations 
around them from the famine that

227
00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:29,500
was going to come God, used him 
to prepare Egypt and the Nations

228
00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:33,200
around for huge family that 
would have wiped them out and it

229
00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,800
worse would have wiped out his 
family spiritually. 

230
00:12:36,900 --> 00:12:39,700
Because we see that God to 
intern, use that to bring his 

231
00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:43,100
family back together to cause 
them to repent to Cosman change 

232
00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:47,900
and they all reunited at the end
safe in Egypt and we go. 

233
00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:51,800
Wow. 
But that same place in Dothan is

234
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,500
where this all started, when his
struggle was bigger than he 

235
00:12:55,500 --> 00:12:57,500
knew, how to handle that, he 
couldn't handle. 

236
00:12:57,700 --> 00:13:00,400
He had no control over the 
situation. 

237
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:04,700
He was in But we look back and 
we say he was delivering, it 

238
00:13:04,700 --> 00:13:07,700
just took a while. 
It just took a long time. 

239
00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:14,100
See Elijah and his servant 
didn't need to do the reality, 

240
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,100
it was in front of him because 
that one have done them any 

241
00:13:17,100 --> 00:13:19,600
good. 
They walk outside and they're 

242
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,700
like, I'm just going to go back 
in and avoid that act like it 

243
00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:24,500
never happened. 
That doesn't work. 

244
00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:26,800
That wouldn't work for them. 
They still would have been 

245
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,600
there. 
And you and I don't need to dull

246
00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,000
the reality that's in front of 
us. 

247
00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,200
And the reality is there are 
things that are tough and you 

248
00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,100
know, that there are things that
are hard regardless of, whether 

249
00:13:36,100 --> 00:13:38,100
you're a Christian or not, 
you're going to have struggles. 

250
00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:42,300
So we don't need to do the 
reality. 

251
00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:57,400
Awesome. 
In Ephesians 5 verse 15 says see

252
00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,800
them that you walk circumspectly
not as fool's but as wise 

253
00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,500
Redeeming the time because the 
days are evil therefore do not 

254
00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:07,000
be under be unwise but 
understand what the will of the 

255
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,100
Lord is get this and do not be 
drunk with wine, which is 

256
00:14:10,100 --> 00:14:13,100
dissipation, but be filled with 
the spirit. 

257
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,400
So he says don't get drunk. 
There's two ways of handling. 

258
00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,800
The same thing, you can do your 
reality, don't get drunk with 

259
00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,200
wine. 
This is don't do that. 

260
00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:24,400
He says the other way to handle 
your reality is to be filled 

261
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,600
with the spirit, that means to 
take your eyes and set them on 

262
00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,700
higher, plain to see something 
the reality beyond the reality 

263
00:14:31,700 --> 00:14:35,000
that you're in. 
We never need to dull the 

264
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,400
reality of the situation that 
we're in. 

265
00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:38,800
We need to see the greater 
reality Beyond and that's what 

266
00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,100
Elijah and his servant did. 
They were able able to see the 

267
00:14:42,100 --> 00:14:44,200
greater reality of God's help 
surrounding them. 

268
00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:50,600
And the situation is they were 
Romans 12 verse 2 says, and do 

269
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,400
not be conformed to this world 
but be transformed by the 

270
00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,200
renewing of our minds of your 
mind for a Christian. 

271
00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,100
That's where the war takes 
place. 

272
00:14:59,700 --> 00:15:02,600
It's between the years, it's all
between the years. 

273
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,600
If you can win that war, 
everything else will fall in 

274
00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:10,200
place. 
You know, the scary part about 

275
00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:17,100
physical blindness is that 
usually you can't fix it but one

276
00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:21,000
of the beauties of spiritual 
blindness as you can and that is

277
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,700
a greater fix than anything 
physical. 

278
00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:27,300
But the scary part of it is, is 
that, you know, physical 

279
00:15:27,300 --> 00:15:29,300
blindness seemed like it was 
something that would change our 

280
00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:32,900
life forever. 
Darren was that many of you who 

281
00:15:32,900 --> 00:15:35,300
have been close to him, know 
that I couldn't think of one 

282
00:15:35,300 --> 00:15:36,900
thing that would change my life 
more than that. 

283
00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:40,800
But if you're spiritually, 
blind. 

284
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:44,700
You have nothing. 
What do you live for? 

285
00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:46,800
What are you going about your 
life doing? 

286
00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:51,800
As we're going to learn in just 
a second from these from from 

287
00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,200
the people they were attacking 
them. 

288
00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:56,900
That was a problem but it was 
also a problem for this 

289
00:15:56,900 --> 00:16:00,100
Believers we've stated. 
So the blindness of the believer

290
00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:03,500
is dangerous but let's get now 
into the enemy's. 

291
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,900
Pick it up, pick it back up in 
verse 18 of Second Kings six. 

292
00:16:07,900 --> 00:16:10,800
It says, so they're surrounded 
by the horses and Chariots of 

293
00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,500
Fire Verse 18. 
So when the syrians gate came 

294
00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:17,000
down to him, Elisha prayed, the 
Lord and said, strike this 

295
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,000
people, I pray with blindness 
and he struck them with 

296
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,400
blindness, according to the word
of Elijah. 

297
00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,000
Wait, what we expected him to 
send these horses and Chariots 

298
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,600
of Fire Down, come crashing in 
and take over the enemy and just

299
00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,800
have this great explosion where 
God wins and they walk away 

300
00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,300
free. 
That's not what happens. 

301
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,300
God's about to work something 
out. 

302
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,900
Even more amazing than that. 
And it kind of reaffirms that 

303
00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:44,700
point that we never know what 
God's going to do. 

304
00:16:45,300 --> 00:16:47,000
We see something. 
We're like, all right, there it 

305
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,400
is. 
That's how God is going to fix 

306
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,300
it and then he doesn't blow them
up. 

307
00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:55,300
He strikes them with blindness, 
but but we're going to see that 

308
00:16:55,300 --> 00:16:59,300
God uses blindness, their 
physical blindness as a picture 

309
00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:03,400
of their spiritual blindness. 
Now Elijah said to them, verse 

310
00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,099
19, this is not the way in, or 
is this a city? 

311
00:17:06,300 --> 00:17:08,000
Follow me. 
And I will bring you to the man 

312
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,200
whom you seek, but he led them 
to Samaria. 

313
00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:16,200
And as I understand, Samaria was
kind of a giant military hub for

314
00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,400
the Israelites in this time. 
So he's going to lead them right

315
00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:23,200
into the middle of it. 
And he struck them with a kind 

316
00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,000
of blindness from God's help it 
appears. 

317
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,000
That's not really a total 
blindness because if it was a 

318
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,100
total blindness, they would have
gone. 

319
00:17:30,100 --> 00:17:33,300
Whoa, we're not going anywhere. 
Stop this isn't happening. 

320
00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:36,300
What's going on? 
They just said, okay. 

321
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,200
But he led them to Samaria, so 
they followed him. 

322
00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,400
So the next thing we will notice
about this is the blindness of 

323
00:17:43,408 --> 00:17:46,200
the unbeliever is usually a 
delusion. 

324
00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:49,200
They don't even realize that 
they're blind. 

325
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:52,200
They don't even realize the 
problem. 

326
00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,700
They're under. 
That was it that was a key sign 

327
00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:59,000
for the for the believer is that
he was freaking out and he 

328
00:17:59,008 --> 00:18:01,500
didn't realize what he couldn't 
see, but the unbeliever had the 

329
00:18:01,500 --> 00:18:04,000
same issue. 
He didn't even know he was blind

330
00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:07,100
and so he follows them verse 20.
So it was when they had come to 

331
00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:10,200
Samaria. 
That Elijah said, Lord Open the 

332
00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,200
Eyes of these men that they may 
see. 

333
00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:14,800
So he walks the right into 
Samaria, I don't know if this is

334
00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,500
like a Pied Piper situation. 
I don't know what they talked 

335
00:18:17,500 --> 00:18:21,200
about for this long. 
Walk to Samaria with God's 

336
00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,900
people and then their enemies 
following right behind them, but

337
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,400
But they get into Samaria and 
the Lord opened their eyes and 

338
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,900
they saw and there they were 
inside Samaria. 

339
00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:35,800
Now, on the king of Israel saw 
them, he said to Elijah, my 

340
00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:37,900
father, shall I kill them? 
Shall I kill him? 

341
00:18:39,100 --> 00:18:40,900
But he answered, you shall not 
kill them. 

342
00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,400
Would you kill Those whom you 
have taken captive, with your 

343
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,800
sword and your bow? 
Except food and water before 

344
00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,100
them that they may eat and drink
and go to their master. 

345
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,400
So this King sees this, the king
of Israel sees this and he's the

346
00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,400
only sees an opportunity. 
He sees this way out, he's like,

347
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,500
all right, let's pound him, but 
he says no, would you do that to

348
00:19:01,500 --> 00:19:04,700
your prisoners of War? 
These aren't even yours, then he

349
00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:09,400
prepared a great feast for them 
and after they ate and drank, he

350
00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,200
sent them away and they went to 
their master. 

351
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,100
So the bands of Syrian Raiders 
coat. 

352
00:19:15,100 --> 00:19:18,000
Came no more into the land of 
Israel. 

353
00:19:18,700 --> 00:19:20,700
So God worked something out 
through this. 

354
00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:26,000
That wouldn't have happened had 
they just boom taking over with 

355
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,100
the horses and Chariots of Fire 
and Destroy them. 

356
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,000
They came, they brought them in.
They took care of them and they 

357
00:19:33,008 --> 00:19:37,300
sent them on their way. 
Even though they knew they were 

358
00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:41,300
right in their hands, they could
have been taken right there and 

359
00:19:41,300 --> 00:19:43,000
this is a perfect picture of 
God's mercy. 

360
00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:47,200
The perfect picture of what 
Jesus would come and do he would

361
00:19:47,300 --> 00:19:51,600
see us his enemies right there. 
His fingertips all the time. 

362
00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,300
When they came to get him in the
garden, he came out. 

363
00:19:56,300 --> 00:19:58,900
And he was like, are you guys 
looking for, and they said 

364
00:19:58,900 --> 00:20:02,100
Jesus? 
And he says, I am, he uses that 

365
00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:06,200
that were those words of deity. 
The I am from Testimony says I 

366
00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:10,800
am and they fall on the ground 
showing that Jesus was going to 

367
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:15,000
be taken by his will not because
anyone was making him. 

368
00:20:17,700 --> 00:20:20,100
This is a picture of Jesus 
because Jesus poured on a feast 

369
00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:24,000
of his own flesh and blood for 
us for the enemy that came into 

370
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:25,600
his camp and was trying to take 
him. 

371
00:20:25,700 --> 00:20:31,700
He brought the enemy in, he fed 
them, he fed us, he took care of

372
00:20:31,700 --> 00:20:34,200
us. 
And he gave us a new life to 

373
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,600
walk away. 
Are we going to use that new 

374
00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,600
life for him? 
Because it says, these guys 

375
00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,700
never came back and change them 
forever. 

376
00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:48,400
You don't see stuff like that. 
As you changed you, as you 

377
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,200
really changed me. 
It's beautiful. 

378
00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,500
As we see all the pictures tied 
to tied, to our Master, our 

379
00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:02,100
savior, in the Old Testament, so
a couple of things just to kind 

380
00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:08,700
of recap we learn from this is 
God is always there to deliver 

381
00:21:08,700 --> 00:21:12,000
you. 
Whether you see it or not job 

382
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000
went through so much, but it 
wasn't till the end. 

383
00:21:14,300 --> 00:21:17,900
They said I've heard of you by 
the hearing of the year, but now

384
00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:22,200
my eye sees you To let these 
events become something that 

385
00:21:22,700 --> 00:21:26,100
pulls you closer to God, they 
let them be things. 

386
00:21:26,100 --> 00:21:30,300
That shape you more into His 
Image in the process that mold 

387
00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:31,900
you. 
That soften you break you in the

388
00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:33,900
ways. 
They need to be taken closer to 

389
00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:40,400
him. 
Second, Peter 1 verse 5, through

390
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,400
9 says, but also for this very 
reason, giving all diligence add

391
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,200
to your faith virtue, to Virtue 
knowledge, to knowledge 

392
00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,200
self-control, the self-control 
perseverance to perseverance, 

393
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,200
godliness to Godliness, 
brotherly, kindness and to 

394
00:21:53,208 --> 00:21:55,200
brotherly. 
Kindness love for. 

395
00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,200
If these are for, if these 
things are yours and abound you 

396
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,100
will be neither be Barren nor 
unfruitful in the knowledge of 

397
00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:04,500
our Lord Jesus Christ. 
If this for He, Who lacks these 

398
00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:08,600
things short-sighted, even to 
blindness as forgot. 

399
00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,700
On that. 
He was cleansed for from his old

400
00:22:10,700 --> 00:22:13,200
sins. 
We get a sense of blindness 

401
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,300
about us, when we forget what 
Jesus did for us. 

402
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,500
When we forget where we came 
from, where we forget, where we 

403
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,400
where we could be without him. 
So if we're not doing these 

404
00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,800
things, if we're not, adding all
these things to ourselves, he 

405
00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,500
says we're blind. 
You're forgetting what the 

406
00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:33,300
reality is. 
He says you're short-sighted. 

407
00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,800
You don't see the bigger 
picture, the bigger reality, 

408
00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:38,300
beyond the reality that you're 
in. 

409
00:22:39,700 --> 00:22:41,800
So, we need to be adding to our 
faith all the time. 

410
00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:47,300
And final message from this is 
Elijah space. 

411
00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:49,000
That was a faith was in the 
moment. 

412
00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,500
You know, for me, I think a lot 
of times once I just get through

413
00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:55,500
this, and a lot of times, it's 
little things. 

414
00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:57,300
Once I just get through this, 
then I'll feel good. 

415
00:22:57,700 --> 00:23:00,800
Then, I'll be peace. 
Then I'll be, you know, my heart

416
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,500
can rest and I can have that 
sense of I can relax. 

417
00:23:03,500 --> 00:23:07,400
Now, But Elijah had that right 
there in the moment he's like, 

418
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,800
hey man, it's all good. 
Lord please open his eyes. 

419
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,000
You know, it's not the peace 
that God offers is not a piece 

420
00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:18,100
once this happens. 
Once I pass this midterm, I got 

421
00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:21,400
to take when I get back or once 
I finish this project or once I 

422
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,700
get through this at work, once I
get my family, the way I want it

423
00:23:24,700 --> 00:23:28,200
to be. 
The peace that God offers is in 

424
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,300
the moment. 
The Peace of the offers is right

425
00:23:31,300 --> 00:23:35,600
where you're at right now. 
You can have that piece. 

426
00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:39,900
And you can rest in that. 
And that's what this is all 

427
00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:42,600
about. 
You might be having struggles 

428
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,200
but you can have peace in the 
moment because the things like 

429
00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:51,200
we studied today, things like 
Romans 8 verse 18. 

430
00:23:51,300 --> 00:23:53,900
For I consider that the 
sufferings of this present time 

431
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,900
are not to be worthy to be 
compared with the glory that 

432
00:23:57,900 --> 00:24:01,800
shall be revealed in us because 
yeah, you might be suffering but

433
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,900
it's not even. 
He says I can't I wouldn't even 

434
00:24:04,900 --> 00:24:06,800
compare it to it, you know. 
Like you could you could try to 

435
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,700
make a comparison because like 
I'm not even going to do that 

436
00:24:08,700 --> 00:24:12,000
because the sufferings I'm going
through and there are a lot for 

437
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,900
purple. 
The sufferings I'm going through

438
00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:17,600
aren't even worth putting on the
scale next to them. 

439
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,600
Next to the glory which shall be
revealed in Us in 1st 

440
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:27,000
Corinthians 2 verse 9. 
I has not seen. 

441
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:33,000
Nor Ear heard nor have entered 
into the heart of man, the 

442
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,000
things which God has prepared 
for those who love him. 

443
00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:39,700
The reality is sometimes, you 
know, you have those moments 

444
00:24:39,700 --> 00:24:42,400
where your faith is strong and 
you feel that sense of strength 

445
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,100
wherever you're at, But the 
reality is, we're not really 

446
00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:48,200
going to see that I haven't seen
that year. 

447
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,800
Hasn't really heard that. 
And so, while you don't feel 

448
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,200
like you've gotten that Platt, 
that Mountaintop moment yet it's

449
00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,300
coming. 
It's coming. 

450
00:24:58,300 --> 00:25:01,300
I will see and I will ear will 
hear it. 

451
00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:04,400
You just hold on. 
It will, it's coming. 

452
00:25:07,300 --> 00:25:10,700
And as we approach the world 
with this hope, as you said, 

453
00:25:10,700 --> 00:25:12,400
okay, I got two chairs with the 
share this, with other people 

454
00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:14,800
with other people. 
Like this is free money. 

455
00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,500
People have to know about this. 
Why doesn't anyone want this? 

456
00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,500
Just remember that. 
Every time, God, cured the 

457
00:25:21,508 --> 00:25:23,800
blindness, it was when Elijah 
prayed. 

458
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,300
Lord, please open his eyes. 
And so, as you take it to other 

459
00:25:27,300 --> 00:25:31,100
people, let's remember to pray. 
Because if you're going to try 

460
00:25:31,100 --> 00:25:35,000
to cure somebody else's 
blindness, You would you want to

461
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,300
get on get your hands out and 
start rubbing them together and 

462
00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:40,000
get ready it won't do you any 
good you know that you have no 

463
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,400
power in your hands to heal 
anything like that. 

464
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,500
How much greater the spiritual 
blindness so as we take it to 

465
00:25:46,508 --> 00:25:49,000
people let's take you with that 
prayerful mentality. 

466
00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,400
The attitude of I have to get on
my knees and ask God to please 

467
00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:55,600
give this person site, open 
their eyes. 

468
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,400
And God has promises. 
We started this morning at hey 

469
00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,900
he'll help us out. 
If it lines up with his will 

470
00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:04,300
he's going to help us and we can
know that. 

471
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,700
If you're not enjoying that 
piece that we've talked about 

472
00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:10,400
today that realization that 
perspective that you have in 

473
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,300
your life, you can. 
If you've heard the word you 

474
00:26:13,300 --> 00:26:17,200
believe, you ready to change 
your life, confess that Jesus is

475
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,900
the son of God, you can be 
baptized for the remission of 

476
00:26:19,900 --> 00:26:25,200
your sins and added to his body.
We thank you for listening to 

477
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:30,000
our podcast, put on by the 
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

478
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,600
Road in Bakersfield, if you 
would, like any additional 

479
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,800
information, Or you would like 
to receive a free Bible 

480
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:42,300
correspondence, course by mail. 
Please email us at info at her 

481
00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:44,800
Church of Christ 
Bakersfield.com. 

482
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:50,600
Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 

483
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:55,100
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please, 
make plans to join us. 

484
00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:57,800
We would love for you to be our 
honored guest