2 KINGS
Chapter 6:1-7
The Cutting
Edge
READ:
V1-7
At first glance in reading this story – it
would seem like What is big deal what is this all about – guy loses his ax head
A) God
allows him to retrieve it.
B) But the
story is a lesson on retrieval – getting
back something that was lost
C) This is
the 3rd time in Elisha’s ministry where he works a miracle by
casting something in
Salt doesn’t
make water taste better
PURIFICATION
Pot of stew
death in the Pot – Cast in flour – Picture of the word of God –
Now this
story throws in a stick: What is the Lesson?
THE SETTING
A) This
happened among the SONS OF THE PROPHETS means that these guys were dedicated to serving God
B) They STUDIED the Scriptures, they PRACTICED the gift of
prophecy, and they were learning how to listen to the voice of the Lord
C) Elisha
was now the overseer of this School where he poured his background and
experience into the lives of these men
1) and thus helped to develop and train them for the
ministry God had given to them.
Well the School was growing
– place they were meeting in was too small so they wanted to build a bigger
place – Elisha said go for it
A) But in
the mist of the work – one of the guys loses his ax head –
B) While this guy was DOING the work of the ministry...
establishing a base of further ministry,
1) the ax head that he was using flew off and fell into
the river.
Bb) we might
say that he lost his cutting edge
C) That is a
Common Problem/ an easy thing to have
happen:
1) Where someone who is fervently serving the Lord –
finds that they have lost their cutting edge.
D) They lose
their effectiveness – they grow WEARY
1) They become DULL
See the CUTTING EDGE represented The Power
To Build
A) The axe head
is the thing that enabled this guy to accomplish the work of building. Without
the axe head he could do no work
B) Thus it is
symbolic of the cutting edge of
POWER and EFFECTIVENESS.
1) In our lives
that is the Holy Spirit
C) BEFORE Jesus
ascended into heaven He gave to His disciples what is known as the Great
Commission:
D) BUT
BEFORE they went to do that Jesus gave to them another command:
“And being assembled together with them, H
commanded
them not to depart from
wait
for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said,
"you
have heard from Me; 5 for John truly
baptized
with
water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit
not many days from now."
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit
has
come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end
of
the earth.”
The Book of Acts testifies to the fact that
these guys received that CUTTING
EDGE.....
A) the power
of the Holy Spirit was at work in their lives.
B) NOTE: The
ONLY way that we will ever build ANYTHING, be it lives,
people, family or relationships, is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour
in vain that build it:
C) You can know
every principle of ministry, of marriage, of discipleship,
1) But unless you are doing it by the power of the
Holy Spirit you are doing it in vain.
Zerubbabel, It is, Not by might, nor by
power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
D) So this
servant in the mist of his service – loses that cutting edge – He loses his
ability to further the Work
1) Now he is A Powerless Servant
See When the CUTTING EDGE flew off, what
was this servant of the Lord left with?
A) All that
he held in his hands was a wooden ax handle.
B) In the
Scriptures WOOD is symbolic of the flesh
C) In
Corinthians Paul speaks of our works being
tried by
fire.
If
any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay
or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it
to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of
each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If
it is burned up, he will suffer loss;
D) The AX HANDLE speaks of the energies of the
flesh:
1) Our Natural talents are like the ax handle.
E) Without the axe head they don’t cut it.
Yet there are a lot of people walking around trying to
build the
LONG after
they have lost the cutting edge.
A) Charisma/
strategies/ Gimmicks / Key for the house thing. - Ax handle stuff
When this servant of the Lord lost his ax
head – when he lost his cutting edge – Decision to make
A) He could
continue to make it look like he was working – fake his way thru the work
B) He could
start banging that Ax handle on the trees - Make a
lot of noise – Look busy
C) There are many people who are involved in ministry who
do that –
1) They have lost their CUTTING EDGE...
D) The power
of the Spirit is not flowing in their lives....
1) But they just keep on going even though the
anointing is not there.
How does an ax handle –fly off.
A) It is not
something that happens all at once
B) It slowly
begins to loosen over time – and with use
1) The
person who is using it – neglects to make it tight again.
C) The same
thing can happen in our lives as well –
1) Active and Busy – Start skipping having our Devo’s
- Edge starts to loosen
D) We
neglect taking the necessary action to make it tight again.
What are some of the signs that a person
has lost their cutting edge?
A) Dry /
Weary – Ministry becomes a burden – not a blessing {Complaining
B) Critical
and Judgmental spirit – Martha –
C) Busy but
not making any progress
Is that a Picture of You?
A) Do YOU
feel POWERLESS?
B) Do you feel like you are trying to move in
the energy of your own abilities?
1) Are you
trying to cut beams with an ax handle?
C) Then YOU
need to take steps to REGAIN the CUTTING EDGE
Some Christians are content where they are at.
A) They
don’t want to be on the cutting edge
They are content to be mediocre
B) That
attitude concerns me – especially concerning the day we are living
1) See in the NEWS – Palestinians
– elected Hamas into power – Hamas – their Terrorist
C) Terrorist
who are fixated on the destruction of
Prime Minister of
A) Guys the
words of Paul in
"Awake,
you who sleep,
Arise
from the dead,
And
Christ will give you light."
See
then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the
time, because the days are evil.
Therefore
do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is
dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
B) It is
time to wake up – time to rise from the dead
1) Quit playing
games with God – Luke Warm
C) Walk carefully – walk in wisdom – redeeming the time
– days are evil
D) Don’t be
drunk with wine – 30 million pp in
Given over
to drug & Alcohol addiction
1) Their sin
affects 150 million friends & family members –
E) Better
way: Don’t be drunk … be filled w/ the spirit
Listen for those who want to be on the
cutting edge effective for the Lord –
A) those who
want to be Vibrant They want to sense God’s presence they want to be witnesses
–
B) Those who
want their Christian life to be an adventure.
C) Take note
of what this young man does to regain his cutting edge
Step Number One: Cry out to the master
A) Upon losing
the cutting edge the young man went to Elisha & said: 2 Ki 6:5 Alas, master….. borrowed
B) The way to
regain the CUTTING EDGE begins with RECOGNITION and
CONFESSION
The Recognition that it was borrowed
The Cutting Edge:
Power On Loan
A) This is A
Most Crucial Principle
B) NOTE:
Always remember that. The power to serve the Lord is NOT your own.
C) If you
begin to think that the effectiveness of your ministry or the success of your
marriage is because of who you are,
D)
If you don’t get that I GUARANTEE that you will
wake
up one day like Samson did:
1) Saddest verses in the Bible
E) Samson Went
out against the enemy didn’t realize the Spirit of God that had been so heavy
upon his life had departed
The
power of the Holy Spirit is something
BORROWED
and must be GUARDED & TENDED
A) Sometimes God will allow us to lose that edge so we
remember that it is borrowed – We get Prideful
B) We can start to think that we had something to do
with our effectiveness
1) We become Negligent in
seeking the Lord
C) We forget
how important it is to be filled. – Nothing to give
out.
D) He who exalts himself will be humbled – God resist
the proud but he gives grace to the humble
So first there has to be
Recognition – The Power is not my own – Power on Loan
A) 2nd There needs to be CONFESSION
B) In HUMILITY and BROKENESS we need to admit that we
were careless.
C) “Slowly and surely the cutting
edge worked
it’s way loose.
1) I used to have regular quiet times... I used to
pray in the Spirit.... I used to fast and pray.”
D) Confession:
There is a Problem
1) Something is wrong – I am not the way that I used
to be – Not what I once was.
Step Number Two: Take some inventory
A) When the
servant came and said: Alas master
Elisha responded by asking: 2 Ki 6:6 Where fell it?
B) The
second step in regaining the CUTTING EDGE is this: “Where did you lose it?”
C) Can you
recall where YOU lost the cutting edge?
D) Jesus
Christ, says the same thing to us today
4
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have
left
your first love. 5 Remember therefore
from where
you
have fallen; repent and do the first works,
A) REMEMBER
how it was with you and the Lord
B) Remember
back to that time when you couldn’t get enough of the Word {Bible study was a
must
C) Witnessing was Joyful and Natural –
1) Worship
was something you longed to be a part of
D) A time
where you could definitely say: You loved Jesus more than ever before.
Take spiritual inventory: Back track: When
did it
Change?
A) When did
you find yourself becoming more?
Interested
in something besides the word?
B) When did
your walk start to get Mechanical?
1) Going
thru the motions – Routine
C) When did
you start to see that edge loosen –
That Passion
REPENT of those things that worked against that love
and zeal
A) Turn away from sin – wrong priorities
B) Change your Mind – Attitude
DO your first works
A) What were
you DOING when you were so in love with Jesus? Did you get up in the morning?
B) Then get
up in the morning.
C) Did you
take walks to spend time with Jesus? Then take walks and spend time with Him
again.
1) Did you go to a Bible study every time you got the
chance? Then get to Bible study.
Quality vs.
Quantity
A) Time when
I felt closest to the Lord – Freshmen yr of college – lived at home / Ministry.
B) Only real
responsibilities – part time Job and school –
1) Spent 3or
4 hrs a day in the Word
C) My life
is different now – Full time Job – wife and 3 kids – house – cars –
1)
Responsibilities
D) I am not
going to spend 3hrs a day – studying the word – personally – Do that for
teaching
1) Talking my own special time
E) Quantity may
not be the same – but the Quality can be – It is a Matter of the Heart
1) Seeking
Jesus with a renewed passion
15 minutes
or 2hrs
Emotions follow actions
A) He says do & I will restore
B) Huge in marriage friendships – Do it and the
emotions will follow.
A True Story
The famous
newspaper columnist, George Crane, was once consulted by a woman that he knew concerning
her marital difficulties.
She said
that she HATED her husband that she couldn’t stand being around him. She said
that she wanted to kill him.
The
columnist said: “What do you want to do about it?”
She said:
“I’m going to leave him.”
Then George
Crane said: “If he’s that bad, don’t just leave him, torture him. For the next
2 months be the most wonderful wife that you could ever be. Fix him his
favorite meals, put love notes in his lunch bag, and massage his back at night.
Do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that would make him happy for 2 months. THEN after 2
months of pampering him walk up to him with a smile on your face and say:
“Honey, I’m leaving you.” That will kill him. She said: “That is a brilliant
idea!” And she did exactly what she was advised to do.
A couple of
months later, George Crane had not heard from her, so he called her and asked
if she had left her husband yet.
When he
asked her the question she said; ‘Leave him?! That’s the LAST thing in the
world that I want to do.
An Important
Principle
There is an
important Biblical principle that is illustrated in this true story.
Mat
6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
This woman found that by pouring her treasure into her
husband, whom she previously could not stand, she found that something changed
in her heart.
Understand it is that God wants you to be active just
for being active sake.
A) He knows we need the exercise –
B) Kids work not because I need their help – they need
to learn
1) And I like them close to me
A Matter of
Obedience
You might
say: “Rob I don’t FEEL like doing those all of those things again.”
Feeling has
NOTHING to do with it. It is a matter of OBEDIENCE.
As you do
those things out of obedience you will find what the wife who hated her husband
found. Where her treasure was her heart followed.
PARTNERS
WITH GOD
Casting Off
The Flesh
2 Ki 6:6
And the man of God said, Where
fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in
thither; and the iron did swim.
Elisha threw
a stick, representing the flesh, into the
When the
flesh was cast into the river the ax head came to the surface.
You Take It
2 Ki 6:7
Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and
took it.
That is
always the way it is with God. There is a PARTNERSHIP.
He causes
truths and principles to come to the surface... He gives to us understanding.
But we have to make it our own. We have to incorporate it.
EXAMPLE: NOAH AND THE DOVE
APPLICATION: There are those today who
will say: “I have lost the CUTTING EDGE.”
With
this young man you are saying: “I can look back and see where I lost it. I saw
things getting loose and I did NOTHING to prevent it from being lost.”
With
that servant you are saying: “Alas
Master, I’ve lost it. I am going
to admit that it was Borrowed, it
wasn’t me, it was the Holy Spirit.
This
morning you are telling the Lord that you are going to take your fleshly stick
and cast it into the river and by His mercy you are looking for the cutting edge to the surface and with
His enabling YOU are going to take it.
No
more kick back Christianity... You are going to go for it. You are going to
return to your first love.
CONCLUSION
Have You
Lost It?
Then
do what this young man did and follow the advice of your master, Jesus Christ.
CONFESS that
you’ve lost it
Then REPENT
and REMEMBER and DO
Are You
Losing It?
Are
you able to sense that the ax head is getting loose and you want to prevent it
from flying off the handle?
NOTE: I’ve been told that if you have
an ax head that is getting loose, the way that you get it tight on the ax
handle is to stick it in water.
IF you
feel that you are losing the cutting edge, THEN go soak your head in the water of the Word.
Lessons:
A) Warning: Don’t lose your
edge
B) Stay sharp
C) Don’t let go of your
devotions
D) Tighten up the Ax head –
Bucket of water the wood swells
Go soak your head
Instruction for retrieval
1) Cry out to the master
2) Remember it is borrowed
3) Take inventory
4) Throw in the flesh