The axehead that floated

Sermon notes from Sunday 2 June 2019 am

2 Kings 6 verses 1 - 7

This passage gives us 2 thoughts - an example of Christian living but also there are the dangers in Christian living.  There are a body of believers, the sons of the prophets, sitting under the teaching of Elisha day by day.  They realised the place they are in is too small.  Maybe numbers are increasing and they realise they need something bigger.  They came to Elisha and ask him if they could go to Jordan and build a place there.  They wanted to expand, to stretch out, to glorify God, to see his name exalted.  Notice what Elisha says "go ye" but that didn`t satisfy them.  "We can`t go unless you go with us."  We should be stretching out every day with what the Lord seeks for us.  The prophets wanted Elisha to go with them.  The decisions we make must be with the Lord going before us not going separately.  We see at the outset a group of people but at the end the focus is on one man and what he is doing.  He is chopping down this tree which is what "felling a beam" means when the axe head he is using comes off and goes into the river beside him.  Work is stopped and he cannot do anything more.  Elisha asked him where the axe fell.  Elisha takes a stick and the iron floats to the surface.  A miracle is performed.

The commitment this man gives.  In verse 1 we see plans are being made which are made known in verse 2.  In verse 4 they carry out those plans.  We need to be committed to the work of God.  We should not be happy for what we have from the Lord but instead stretch forward.  Paul said "I haven`t attained but am ready to stretch forth for the mark of the high calling of God." (Philippians 3 verse 13)  We are saved by God`s grace today and that is good, to be on the way to heaven and home but we need more.  Here`s a man who has put his trust in the everlasting God.  Are we sure we have been to the cross of Calvary and taken from him eternal life, saved and walking on the pilgrim pathway today?  Be sure you are saved.  Here was a man certain of the God in whom he trusted.  He was in the activity and bringing down a tree.  In Acts 11 the Holy Spirit looks down on the church and says "separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work I would have them to do."  He singles them out for a work he had for them to do.  Something he had planned for them.  They were praying and preaching when the Holy Spirit had something more for them to do.  Saved by God`s grace.  Saul on the way to Damascus one day was brought to his knees and God spoke to him.  He was not just saved that day but he dedicated his life to Christ.  Peter preached one day and 3000 souls were saved as a result.  Then up on the roof top he is praying when God told him to go and open the door to the Gentile people.  Peter was ready and willing to do it.  He was dedicated and committed to take the next step for the Lord.  Remember the woman with the alabaster box.  It is said of her "she did what she could."  The Lord doesn`t ask us to do more than we can, expects us to do what we can do.  He expects you up and doing.  This man was not idle.  He was building for God`s glory.  The captives in Babylon, God began to move amongst them.  They had been carried away from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar.  Now they were in Babylon.  God was beginning to stir up their hearts.  It was near their 70th year.  It started with Daniel reading the prophecy of Jeremiah.  He read about the 70 years for the children of Israel to be in isolation.  He realised the time was coming to an end for the captivity - Daniel 9 verse 2.  What was Daniel`s response?  "I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer, supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes."  He made it his purpose, everything else was set aside.  We need to set aside everything else and set our faces on God.  God was not just moving among the children of Israel and Daniel.  A man called Cyrus, the King of Syria was stirred up by the Lord.  He made a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the Lord wanted him to build a house for his people in Jerusalem.  He had to dedicate his life to do something that God had put into his heart.

The carelessness this man shows.  This is a borrowed axe.  He knew he had nothing to bring the tree down with.  He asks and borrows of someone.  While chopping down the tree he lost the axehead.  He cried out "it is borrowed."  There is a carelessness about him.  He knew he had nothing to work with - verse 6. The preciousness of this axehead.  Iron was of great value.  That speaks of what the Lord gives to you and I.  He gives us what we need to do his work.  As this man used this axe it didn`t fall off all of a sudden.  It had to wear away.  God gives us the tools - 1 Corinthians 4 verse 7.  Paul recognised that the people of Corinth were glorifying in their own abilities but they had to recognise it was God`s.  God gives a gift to each of us.  Ephesians 4 verse 8 - why - so that the work of God might continue after he left this earth.  Verse 11 some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some teachers.  Why did he give them - verses 12 and 13.  1 Corinthians 12 verses 1 and 4.  We do not have the same gifts as the next person but we have the same Spirit.  Verses 5, 6 and 8.  By the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, to another the gifts of healing.  A different gift but the same spirit that gives.  Verse 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirit, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues.  Romans 12 verse 4 we all have different gifts according to our body.  Verse 6 exhortation to use the gifts.  Paul is pointing out the gifts we have for the extension of God`s kindom but are we like this man?  Are we being careless?  God has given us a gift specific to us individually.  He has given gifts to every man but what about you today?  We don`t have the ability to do certain things.  One day we will stand before God and he will ask "what did you do with the gift I gave you?"  We will give an account for what we did with that gift.  Think of the parable of the man going into the far country.  He gave gifts to his servants.  He didn`t want the work to halt.  When the Lord was taken out of this world he left gifts so that his work might continue on.  We will give an account one day of these gifts.  When the servants were given their gifts they were expected to give an account to the master one day.  One man said he didn`t use it, he had nothing to show for it.  Would you like to stand before God one day and say "I didn`t use it?"  Is there a gift that God has given to you?    Are you using it?

See the man in crisis.  He lost the cutting edge while doing the work.  It is possible to lose the cutting edge whilst working for the Lord.  Remember what Paul said to Timothy "wherefore I put in remembrance that thou stir up the gift that is in you."  It was the idea of rekindling the flame in a fire.  Paul says to Timothy, speaks of his gift of preaching and pastoring but Paul can see a neglect in it.  This man had a crisis.  The axehead came off.

The challenge that was represented.  When it fell into the water the man of God asked him where it was.  He had to confess that it was a borrowed axe.  There was honesty and sincerity in his confession.  The man had to point to where the axehead fell.  There was no bluffing here.  This man said it was there, that is where it fell.  Maybe we once did use the gifts God gave us but now we have to honest and realise where we stopped.  The miracle came - the axehead came to the top.  The man said "reach down and take it up."  God did the miracle - the axehead floated.  The young man had to reach down and pick it up.  God says to us today "there is something you have to do, I have loved you, I gave my son for you, I died on the cross to save you from your sins, gave you an ability in so many ways."  What about it?  We have to face up to it today.  Are we going on and through with God or sitting back?  One day we will answer to God at the judgement seat and then there will be no excuse at all.