Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Discipline Not Desire Determines Destiny
Lucas O’Neill
SESSION IV: USING AN OVERARCHING QUESTION TO MAINTAIN TENSION
A. What is an OQ?
B. How the OQ works in each of the four patterns
C. Using transitions to keep the OQ alive.
D. Examples
E. Exercises/practice
F. Q&A
Click below for just the audio…
Order the book “Preaching To Be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill
Amazon - Click Here
Christian Book - ebook Click Here
Lexham Press - Click Here
If you prefer to the audio only you can listen below:
(Note: There are slides involved in the video… the audio is great for review)
SESSION III: HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR SERMON
A. Four basic patterns.
B. How to choose between them
C. Pros/cons to each
D. Examples
E. Exercises/practice
F. Q&A/Discussion
Screenshot from eBook of “Preaching To Be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill
HOW TO DETERMINE THE MAIN POINT
Click below to listen to just the audio:
SESSION II: HOW TO DETERMINE THE PRIMARY POINT
A. Break the passage into units: these are your mains (we won’t cover sub-points here).
B. Ask: what are all these basically talking about (subject/problem/question)
C. Ask: what is being done with that subject (complement/solution/answer)
D. Now pass the mains-only test
E. Q&A/Discussion
This is a 4 part workshop series that covers some of the concepts in the book “Preaching to be Heard” by Lucas O’Neill. If you are in South Florida, it would be my honor to give this book to you as a gift. I preached my first Sunday message at the Sunday night service of my church at age 17. I preached some messages on mission trips and youth group even younger. Almost 30 years later, I noticed I was getting sloppy in my preparation of the message. This book was a great refresher and the approach of using tension in the passage of Scripture to capture and keep attention has been a very effective tool for me. I am still growing in its implementation but am very thankful to Pastor, Professor and author Lucas O’Neil in sharing this workshop.
SESSION I: WHY SHOULD ANYONE LISTEN TO YOUR SERMON?
A. Sermons worth listening to are expositional in nature.
B. Sermons that are easy to listen to are engaging in delivery.
Listen to the audio recording of the zoom call by using the audio player below:
Answer in the comments:
1) What part of the session did you find most helpful, challenging, disagreeable, or though provoking?
2) Do you think expository preaching is the most healthy style of preaching for regular Sunday morning teaching?
3) In the survey, how do you rate as far as expository preaching?
4) Do you consider your sermons “easy to listen to?”
5) Challenge: Ask someone: “How easy is it for you to give your undivided attention throughout my messages?”
Here are some teams for evangelism and tools for the 2020s….
3 Circles Gospel Presentation:
Life On Mission Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF0Cuenw5UA&t=9s
No Place Left Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W8ynRMr59k&t=12s
Dwayne’s Covid Edition -
Gospel of John Booklets - “https://members.ptl.org/code/products.php?view=USPJNLT-STKY
Storytelling - John Walsh training and resources - https://www.btstories.com/home/
Storytelling - Miami Youth For Christ - “Jesus Stories” - Online Course - http://tiny.cc/jesus2021 or https://miamiyfc.thinkific.com/courses/jesus-stories
Storytelling - Miami Youth For Christ Campus Life Examples - Youtube Chanel http://tiny.cc/jesusstories or https://youtu.be/h_dQ1AO5kjE
Miami Youth For Christ - https://miamiyfc.com
Ft Lauderdale Youth For Christ - https://www.ftlyfc.org
Palm Beach Youth For Christ - https://yfcteens.com
Over the years, Fasting has been a key spiritual discipline in my life that has brought about many breakthroughs, answers to prayer, and clarity of direction for major decisions in my life. Often I am asked for resources about fasting and prayer and below is a list of websites with information on fasting and prayer.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and if you take any medications or have any possible conditions, please consult a doctor. Fasting is actually a physically healthy process even recommended by health experts but every human being is different.
FASTING RESOURCES
CRU. — Best resource on the basics of fasting
https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/fasting/fasting-starter-kit.html
DESIRING GOD — John Piper gives away a free PDF of his book “A hunger for God” and has amazing sermons on Fasting and Prayer. John Piper gives the Biblical basis of New Testament Fasting.
https://www.desiringgod.org/topics/fasting
Tony Evans Sermons on YouTube…. just search “Tony Evans Fasting” on YouTube
Jentzen Franklin - Jensen Franklins books on Fasting are loaded with Testimonies and will encourage you to Fast and Prayer. He comes from a different perspective on fasting and prayer but has been key to creating a movement of 1000s of churches that fast and pray 21 days every January.
https://jentezenfranklin.org/fastingbasics
There are pictures of prayer in The Word. Sometime we need to see prayer in action to truly learn how to pray. Hannah is one of my greatest teachers about prayer. We need people like Hannah who pour out their soul in prayer and birth and bathe ministries in prayer. She didn’t just have a son… she birthed a great prophetic ministry in her son Samuel.
I first preached this message as part of series called “You Can’t Keep Me Down When God Lifts Me Up.”
Hannah Pours Out Her Soul In Prayer — 1 Samuel 1:12-18
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
Two Places where Jesus weeps as recorded in the Bible:
With Mary and Martha after Lazarus Death: John 11:35 — Jesus wept.
Approaching Jerusalem and foreseeing its coming destruction: Luke 19:41 — As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.
Which comes first? Heart of Shepherd or Hands of Shepherd
Shepherding is not my spiritual gift. But that doesn’t mean I can just delegate shepherding and never shepherd. I am a husband and father and God calls me to shepherd my family. If you are a leader of a ministry, you may not be the best shepherd and God definitely wants to flow in your gifting. But if you don’t shepherd your team of volunteer leaders, it won't be long before you don’t have a team.
When I would lead youth small groups in the 90’s, I thought my teaching gift would change the world. But I quickly learned my youth didn’t care how much I knew until the knew how much I cared.
Which comes first? The heart or the hands of a shepherd???
Acts 20 (Paul had the heart of a shepherd... shed tears)
How to Shepherd (the hands)
A) Work the List (John 10:1-3 Gates, Sheep know the voice) 3. Build the list (Core, Regulars, Visitors)
2. Pray for the list (Needs, Spiritual Growth)
1. Contact the list (text, notes, phone, visits, meals)
B) Prepare the Feast (John 21:15-?? - Feed my Sheep) 1. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
a (the 4 W's: Welcome / hosting, Worship, Works / testimonies, Word)
b don't do all the teaching... delegate some!
2 Plan a trimester advance ... so you are not planning week to week
a Plan a book study, DVD series, group discussion guide, etc. The Holy Spirit can interrupt.
b Plan a monthly outreach / activity where you can invite visitors
C) Search on Sundays (Mark 6:30-36 Sheep Without A Shepherd)
1. Walk Slowly through the crowd
2. 3 minute rule (First 3 minutes after church talk to someone you don’t know.)
3. Pray for people at the altar (If you church doesn’t have altar calls, pray for people after service right there… don’t say "I’ll pray for you.” Actually stop and pray.
Which comes first? Heart of Shepherd or Hands of Shepherd
Cyclical... both enhance each other...
but for many... hands come first. When you spend time with people your love for them grows.
Shepherd David faced the lion and the bear.. .put his life on the line...
after he had spent many a nights under the moon with the Lord and the sheep.
After doing the A, B, C's of shepherding, your heart will grow,
and you will be willing to put your life on the line.
NOTES ARE FROM SMALL GROUP ESSENTIALS CONFERENCE, January 22nd, 2011
The context was a growing church that had many visitors on Sundays. If your church doesn’t have many visitors on a Sunday, search for the lost sheep like the Shepherd who left the 99 to find the 1.
It’s the end of week one of working totally from home due to the coronavirus. After hours of Zoom and Teams video meetings and researching online ministry for youth, here are few thoughts to a big question we really need to ask.
Why would someone want to watch my ministry oriented video for more than two minutes?
Most students and people in general love to watch online videos that are funny or well produced. If you have a multi-million dollar budget you can make a Lord of the Rings movie and someone might watch for three hours. But the truth is, we will never be as funny as the comedians nor have the money of the movie studios. Be as funny as you can but for most of us it will probably not be funny for more than two minutes. So why would someone watch your ministry video more than two minutes (besides a parent making their kids watch something which I have done :)
1) I know you and like you. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER. If I miss you, I will look forward to hearing from you and in a time of crisis, it will bring comfort to see a spiritual leader that I have a relationship with.
2) Conversations and interaction. A speech online can’t compete with a drama online. But a movie can’t compete with social interaction. Responding live to comments and questions will keep me listening to you more than two minutes. A great online game is Quiplash from Jackbox.tv. (There is family friendly setting and you will need separate computer to run it on and stream from your phone.). As you plan out your ministry online, don’t just imitate Sunday services that stream a service. Consider a giant zoom call or instagram live or Hangouts Meet where you can interact with your audience.
3) Stories - learn to tell amazing stories. Don’t read the story memorize it. Tell it like you were there. Envision and live in your mind and tell the story in such a way that you both paint a picture and people are in suspense wanting to know what happens at the end of this story. Make the story 80% of your talk and your point 20%. A five minute story should be 4 minutes story and 1 minute driving home your point. A great book to help you improve is “The Art of Storytelling” by John Walsh. Matthew 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
4) Object Lessons - Doing something that is visual and has suspense. Kids watch those science shows with science projects and learn but it is not a lecture. If you have a pet or other visual things … that is different and more than a speech but you can still drive home a ministry point.
5) Timely word. - I have watched 30 minute webinars this week because it was a training I needed right now. I don’t care about plumbing until I have a plumbing problem and then I am searching for one online. If you are meeting a felt need or addressing an issue that is top of mind, I will listen until I get the answer. If it someone who wants to learn a skill, they will stay until they learn and maybe even watch twice. For the coronavirus season, you need speak to where people are at. And God will use a video with his power more than a million dollar production if you are speaking with his power.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5. And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Make sure you are doing your devotions and spending time with God in prayer and walking in the Spirit and maybe not the whole world will listen, but the people that know you will and even if you are shaking with fear.. the power of God will impact someone spiritually.
Make some comments for your tips and advice…
This is an outline from a workshop I taught in 2007 at the Ignite Small Group Conference. Our theme was based on Space Shuttle Launch and all the pastors dressed up as astronauts.
Pastor Dwayne Eslick
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
1. Disciples are made not born.
“… make disciples…”
We are saved by faith and “born again,” and that is how we become a child of God. However the process that happens where we hear the Good News Message, respond to the Good News Message, and Grow in the Good News Message doesn’t happen by chance but by intentional relationships.
2. Disciple-making is on the go.
“Therefore go(ing)… make disciples of all nations…”
The word “go” in the verse can be translated “go and as your are going.” We must be on the lookout as we are on the go to see opportunities to share our faith and build relationships with those open to the Good News Message.
3. Discipleship leads to baptism.
“baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
Once someone makes a decision to believe and follow Jesus the Messiah, the first step is to follow him in baptism. If we believe that making disciples is the call of every growing follower of Christ, then baptizing is not not just for the clergy but for every disciple as well.
4. Disciple-makers teach to obey.
“teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Baptism is just the first step in following Jesus. We cannot abandon baby believers. Our call is to either continue the disciple-making process or make sure another person comes along and pours into them as well. The goal is to teach them to obey not just to know. This takes more than a teacher in a classroom but a mentor to walk side by side.
5. Discipline not desire determines destiny.
Matthew 28:19-20 is called the Great Commission and it is definitely not the great suggestion. Life definitely gets busy and has its seasons, but making disciples should be your priority.
At New Life Community Church in Chicago, we used a series of books called “First Steps.” This gave a process to help followers of Christ mentor new believers. Here are some tips for First Steps Mentoring:
★ Both mentor and disciple should have a book
★ The mentor should also work through the book to befamiliar with the material
★ Go over the first lesson together with the disciple to gethim/her started.
★ Lessons should be completed one week at a time.
★ Go over each answer as thoroughly as time allows.
★ Try to make the lesson as practical as possible to the disciple’s life situation
★ Review the weekly memory verse. Memorize with thedisciple.
★ Encourage the disciple to be in the Word of God daily.
★Check the section on “Daily Bread” at each meeting.
Practical suggestions about Your Weekly Meeting:
★ Find a place to meet with minimal distractions
★ Meet at the same place and time each week if possible
★ Stress your commitment to never missing unless there is an emergency
★ Allow approximately one to two hours for each session.
★ Encourage the disciple throughout the week to complete the lesson on time.
The power must be followed by a process to insure progress. I first heard this from my pastor, Mark Jobe. I have witnessed this in the lives of many as I served at New Life Community Church in Chicago for over 20 years. We emphasized both the power of God and processes that led to spiritual growth.
In the wide spectrum of Christianity, some emphasize the power. They go from conference to conference, “revival” to “revival,” the latest experience to the next latest experience. From what I have observed, focussing on the power without a clear discipleship process leads to roller-coaster Christianity. It is full of ups and downs and maturity by chance.
Others emphasize the process. Just follow a system. Gain some information. Read your Bible, prayer every day and you will grow, grow, grow! When there is a process with no power it is easy to just get stuck in a rut. Following the same process year after year after year can really get boring. If there is no encounters with God and no spiritual retreats to the mountains to meet with, we can do all the right processes but experience a dryness in our walk with God.
When there is powerful encounters with God and the freshness in our walk that comes with being filled with the Holy Spirt, you sense the powerful locomotive engine. When that power has a process with a purpose, like train tracks you can go somewhere and make progress. There is a definite need for believers to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in its fulness. And there is also a definite need for believers to have a growth plan that is intentional and includes life on life mentoring. The power must be followed by a process to insure progress.
“Make Disciples” Equals Evangelism Plus Edification For the Purpose of Exaltation
For years I was like most modern North American Christians. I saw evangelism as the process of sharing the good news with those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus the Messiah. Discipleship is viewed as the process of helping those who have a relationship with Jesus grow and mature in that relationship. Evangelism is for the lost. Discipleship is for the found. One of the most famous books in recent history, “The Purpose Driven Life,” by Rick Warren shares this view and rightly elevates these two process as the purpose of our life. However this dichotomy actually can miscommunicate and confuse our mission in the following ways:
It miscommunicates that “discipleship” is something you only do with believers and not the lost. Making disciples includes all the steps from going to baptizing to teaching. It is more of the method of sharing and training that can happen with both believers and unbelievers.
It misleads believers to think they are only responsible for the part of the Great Commission that they are good at. Some feel they are passionate about sharing the good news and other feel like they are good with teaching and that they are only expected to do what they are good at.
Often discipleship is seen more of something that happens in a Bible Study and misses that importance of life on life relationships that are intentional in helping people both know Jesus and grow in their faith. You can have a life on life relationship that is sharing the good news and stories of Jesus with unbelievers. You can also have life on life relationships that are sharing the deeper truths of the gospel and the stories of the Bible with believers in an intentional way. Both are a part of disciple-making!
Dan Spader shares in his book, “Four Chair Discipling,” that separating “evangelism and discipleship” into two separate categories is a fairly recent development. In an interview, Dan Spader says, “In his book With Christ in the School of Disciple Building, Carl Wilson makes the point that in 1850, a man by the name of Charles Adams was the first to separate evangelism from disciple-making.” The result is often individuals and churches tend to focus on one or the other. Dan Spader recommends using the word “disciple-making” to help people see the bigger picture of what Jesus is expecting his followers to do: “the whole process of winning people to Christ (evangelism), growing them up in Christ (discipleship), and then sending them out to repeat the process.”
The command of making disciples clearly involves the process of going, baptizing, and teaching. The process in between going and baptizing is “evangelism.” The process between baptizing and teaching to obey is “edification.” An edifice is a building and edification is building up. Helping lost people learn who God is and why he sent Jesus and how we can know him is the evangelism part of disciple-making. Helping new followers of Christ become obedient to all of his commands is the edification part of disciple-making. We do all of this for the purpose of exaltation, bringing glory to God. John Piper says, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” “Making disciples” equals evangelism plus edification for the purpose of greater exaltation. God has made us his chosen people so that “we may declare the praise of him who has called us out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). In other words, to make followers of Christ it requires both sharing the good news with the lost and building up believers to obey his teachings.
Perhaps we should stop saying "Evangelism and Discipleship” as if they were two separate things. More importantly, may we embrace our call to be ambassadors who represent God’s kingdom in a lost world and may we embrace our call as member of the body of Christ and do our part to to build up that body.
“Come and see,” “Follow Me,” “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men,” and “Go & Bear Fruit” were all challenges Jesus gave to his disciples at different stages of their training!
Most christians today often think of discipleship as learning new information. Success is when someone can make the right answers on a theology quiz. 2 Peter 1:5 clearly says we need to make every effort to add to our faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. Unfortunately for years I missed the stages of growth in making a disciple. The Discipleship Wheel from Jim Putman and the relational discipleship network is extremely helpful in identifying what stage a person is at in their walk with God and how to intentionally help them grow at the stage into the next. They have 5 stages and you can learn more by clicking here. Dan Spader and Son Life emphasize a strategy called 4 Chair Discipling. The see 4 stages in how Jesus ministered to help his disciples to grow.
Chair 1 - To the person who was spiritual seeking, Jesus issued the call, “come and see.”
Chair 2 - To the person who was a new believer that he was the Messiah, he issued the call, “Follow me.”
Chair 3 - To the person who was already following him, he issued the call, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Chair 4 - To the person who had followed him and effectively trained, he issued the challenge to “Go and bear fruit.”
Whether with an unbeliever, new believer, faithful servant or spiritual parent, the process of disciple making is the same: life on life relationships with an intentional process teaching people to obey by our example.
For preaching purposes, the four chair process is real helpful to explain. I have seen light bulbs go off but some older believers as they realize then need to be pouring into the next generation of believers. Also, even a baby believer in a high chair can reach out to the person who is lost and onset stage behind. I highly recommend checking out http://4chairdiscipling.com. I have adjusted the chairs on stage to signify the stages of growth and challenge people to follow Jesus and become fisher of men.
This is a message I had the honor to preach on the Mission Sunday at the Skokie Valley Baptist Church in Willmette IL on March 12, 2017.
PROVERBS 11:30
NIV The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.
KJV The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Daniel 12:3
winsome: 1: generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence a winsome smile 2: cheerful, lighthearted
1) Being generous with the lost helps overcome the obstacle that it is all about money
If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:12
17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:17-18
2. Being culturally sensitive with the lost helps overcome the obstacle that we are attacking their heritage.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23
3. Being a person of integrity among the lost helps overcome the obstacle of distrust.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
3 Characteristics of winsome believers: generous - integrity culturally sensitive
On September 10, 2016, I had the honor of teaching a main session at the New Life Small Group Conference. Over 450 people attended and I actually spoke within my time limit of 20 minutes on how to create discussion within a small group by asking open-ended question vs. close ended questions. Below is a chart of some of the differences and also a link to the 20 minute training session I taught.
AUDIO: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fyoevq831tzes7i/Ask-Great-Questions-Pastor-Dwayne-Eslick.mp3?dl=0
PDF WORKSHEET: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ttc75frme4b2bao/Small-Group-Prep-Worksheet.pdf?dl=0
Title: Double Impact: Embracing Your Calling To Lead (MESSAGE NOTES)
Passage: 2 Kings 2
Main Point: Become the Leader God Has Called You To Be.
INTRO: Busy Making Every Day Count (From Holman New Testament Commentary)
Zoyohiko Kagawa was a frail teenager in Japan. One pretty day he decided to go swimming. After frolicking and enjoying the invigoration of a good swim, he slowly stroked his way back to the beach. Reaching it, he reached down to pull himself up on his feet and out of the water. Instead, he collapsed. Fortunately, friends saw his plight, rushed to him, and pulled him from the shallow water. Minutes later a doctor stood over him. A quick examination was all it took. “This young man has an advanced case of tuberculosis. He has less than a year to live.”
Told of the prognosis, Kagawa looked up with a calm smile: “Then I must get busy immediately. I shall have to make every day count.” The dedication to make life count did not prove easy. He lived in a poor fisherman’s hut. Friends steered clear of him, afraid they would catch the disease. One man came—Dr. Myers, a Christian missionary. He even slept in Kagawa’s hovel for four nights. “Aren’t you afraid of me?” Kagawa asked. “No,” Dr. Myers replied. “Your disease is contagious, but love is more contagious.”
That day Kagawa dedicated his life to love the poor of Japan in their hovels as Dr. Myers had loved him. Preaching on the streets, he chanced to meet a former convict who pointed him to a “haunted house” where a murder had been committed. At least the rent was cheap. For fourteen years Kagawa lived there, even bringing his young bride there. Drunks beat him up several times. Still, he dedicated himself to live the life of his poor countrymen. As he preached Christ, he organized labor groups among the poor. This brought him a prison sentence. In prison he began writing books, forty in all. Finally the people realized what stood before them. “How like this Jesus he preaches about is Kagawa,” they said. God gave him more than one year to live, and he lived each of them as if it were the last, bringing new hope to the poor of the land.
Such dedication is what Jesus demonstrated in his ministry and what he called for in his teaching. Luke 11 is filled with the words of Jesus that show the meaning and direction of a life dedicated totally in faith to God.
Butler, T. C. (2000). Luke (Vol. 3, p. 183). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Story Summary: Elijah’s Last Day To Live
—> Elijah was an amazing prophet in difficult times
—> He is famous for several things such as birds feeding him in the wilderness, a ladies last meal lasting months, calling down fire from heaven, praying for rain and also praying that it would not rain.
—> 1 Kings 19 we discover he was ordinary person just like any of us because he went from a mountain top experience to the valley of despair. God had just brought fire from heaven proving he was the one true God and that Baal was not a real god. Elijah expected revival but instead he god death threats from the queen of the land. He flees full of fear and an angel shows up and twice gives him food and rest. He then goes on a 40 day journey fasting and ends up on the side of mountain near a cave. There was an earthquake, fire and great wind. But God’s manifest presence wasn’t in any of these great events. He speaks to Elijah in a gentle whisper and reassures Elijah of his calling. You would think after fire from heaven and incredible encounter with God that is still talked about to this day… Elijah would be good to go for the rest of his life. But God’s prescription for Elijah involved more than being touched by an angel and directly hearing the voice of God. God’s plan included bringing a companion for him to fellowship with. He would have servant that would call him Master but also a mentee that he would pass his mantle on to. Immediately following his mountaintop experience with God Elijah goes and find Elisha working hard farming a field with a pair of oxen. He places his mantle on Elisha and Elisha tells him let me kiss my parents goodbye. He ends up taking that ox and the wooden yoke and making a fire and cooking the ox and throwing a great feast. He was called to serve a great prophet for God and there was no turning back. During the ox and the yoke was a huge step of faith and total commitment for him to follow Elijah with no turning back.
—> In 2 Kings 2 we discover Elijah on his last day and the incredible story. Imagine discovering you don’t one year to live but only one day. What would you do with that day? What if you discovered you parents had one day to live? Or a great mentor who has had a great influence on your life? Like Kagawa, it can altar the course and direction of your life…. whether for a few day or a few months.
From 2 Kings 2 … we can discover 3 lessons in becoming the leader God has called you to be… (leadership is influence in your circle)
—> Parents … influencers in the home
—> Christians … influencers in the world (light, salt, witnesses)
—> Workplace… influencers for a better work environment
—> Community… seek the peace of our city (Jer 29:13)
—> Church… helping more people be disciples who make disciples. Using whatever gift you have to encourage and strengthen people.
1 Kings 19:21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
2 Kings 2:1-2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
SHOW MAP AND SUMMARIZE REST OF JOURNEY
3 Times Elijah saids stay and Elisha responded I will follow you to the end.
2 Kings 2:4,6 “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”
Illustration: Samwise Gamgee’s commitment not to leave Frodo Baggins and he runs into the water to follow him even though he did not know how to swim… I will follow you and help you or I die. A fellowship that did not end.
2 Kings 2:11a As they were walking along and talking together
illustration: when i was an assistant to the youth pastor, I made it my commitment to everything I could to make Pastor Asa the best youth pastor in Chicago.
illustration: philosophy of youth ministry - “flow in the river” principal… when we were doing our own thing with our own ideas… things were not flowing well… but when we flowed with the vision of the senior pastor … things flowed well and the youth group exploded.
POINT: FOLLOW THE LEADERS YOU WANT TO BECOME.
2) To become a Spirit-filled leader, you simply must ask with the right motives.
2 Kings 2:9 “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.”
Luke 11:1-13Jesus teaches disciples to pray.
v.9Ask, Seek, Knock (present active… ask and keep asking)
v. 13 “how much more with your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask HIm.”
Luke 11:13 in the amplified version (notice the verb tense in caps) If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ASK AND CONTINUE TO ASK Him!”
John Piper: Jesus teaches in verse 13 that our prevailing in prayer should be a prevailing for the Holy Spirit.
"If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
It is no accident that Luke tells us in Luke 3:21f. that while Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. Or that the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost came as the climax of a ten-day prayer vigil. Or (in Acts 4:31) that when the church had prayed, the place where they gathered was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Prevailing prayer is the pathway to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
And lest you think God is distant from you, and inattentive to you when the Spirit tarries, listen to this encouragement. When you prevail in prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, more is happening in your life through this prevailing prayer than you would ever imagine. God waits because our prevailing is good for us. May the Lord forbid that we would lose heart and fail in the very thing needful: mighty prevailing prayer.
James 4:2b-3…You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
BIBLE ILLUS Acts 8 - Simon the Sorcerer
18 - When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
1 Timothy 3:1Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.
ILLUSTRATION: Prayed all night until about 4 in the morning before my first time speaking to an anticipated crowd of 1000 people. Had a picture in mind of God unzipping my back and getting inside of me… which I interpreted to mean God was going to speak through me and use me an instrument. The other two main youth leaders remarked later… “What got into Dwayne… he speaking in a different way.” POINT: BOLDLY ASK AND KEEP ASKING
POINT: ASK BOLDLY WITH RIGHT MOTIVES
Transition: Why would God want to give you a greater filling of His Holy Spirit?
3) To become a heroic leader, you must face difficulties head on!
2 Kings 2:10 “You have asked a difficult thing”
All that Elisha would go through…
2:11-22 a city with polluted water
2:23-25a town so wicked not one kid had respect for a man of God… all the kids were mocking him.. “baldy”
3:1-27 dealing with evil kings … leading armies to war
4:1-7a bankrupt widow about to lose two sons to slavery
4:38-41 poisonous stew about to kills some at the school of prophets… healed the food
4:22-44 almost out of food for the school of prophets… 20 barley loaves feed 100 men.
5:1-19 a foreign military general travels from afar asking for deliverance from leprosy
5:2-27his servant Gehazi get greedy and dishonest… catches leprosy for the rest of his life.
6:1-7a prophecy student loses an ax head in the water… student debt :-)
6:8-23A king with the latest horses and chariots come chasing him down… is able to see a spiritual army of demons and God’s army of angels “greater are those who are with us”
6:24-7:20 a 7 year famine so strong two moms get in fight over eating their kids in their state of starvation
8:1-6One of his supporters loses land but gets it restored.
8:7-30foreseeing painful events that yet to come
2 Kings 8:10-12 10 Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’ Nevertheless,[a] the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” 11 He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed. Then the man of God began to weep.
12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.
“Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women.”
“you have asked a difficult thing”
Purpose for the Power…
ILLUS… Suffering brings sweet fellowship with the Lord…
—> Francis Chan story of Korean Missionaries captive in afghanistan
—> Brother Your in chinese prison felt closeness to God like no other place.
1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
J.R.R. Tolkein - The Fellowship of the Ring
QUOTE: “I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Multiplying our Congregation into two is a great difficulty, but our purpose is to cooperate with God… if God is in it … that is where we want to be… and in the difficulties we havea great opportunity to experience the presence of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit like no other…
Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
DO HEROIC THINGS>>>
FOLLOW:
face the difficult areas that are holding you back head on… find a spiritual mentor to help you get victories in those areas… don’t be a drain… serve them… and take the steps they prescribe for you.
MENTOR:
after become a great life long follower / leaner… mentor others and teach other what God is showing you.
CONNECT:
the church is the people not the building… if you only come to the building … you are missing out your greatest opportunity to connect to the people … small groups…
ENGAGE:
the opportunity for service will be greater than every before … because multiplication creates vacuums and God always fills those vacuums… start serving today … and perhaps you will be a leader tomorrow. (in due time)
“Making the Most of Every Opportunity”
— we have great opportunities ahead… the destiny of neighborhoods hang in the balance.
If not us, who?
If not here, where?
If not now, when?
Commit to pray daily.. prayer line once a week
Commit to 35 days of Bible Reading (journal or post to facebook)
Commit to connect to a crowded house group.
Don’t miss a sunday over the next 4 weeks. (listen online if you do miss)
I have never been too fond a pre-written repetitious prayer. I become a Christ-follower at churches where you simply pray from your heart. However, I love the two written prayers of the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians. They are so, so powerful. And there is much we can learn from what Paul prayed for those who had come to Christ and that he pastored for about 3 years! I preached a sermon called... How to pray for believers to set them on F.I.R.E. based on Ephesians chapter 1 and 3. Join me in praying for a Christ-follower to be on F.I.R.E.
Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the SPIRIT of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Ephesians 3:16, 19bI pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his SPIRIT IN YOUR INNER BEING, ... FILLED to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 6:18 And pray IN THE SPIRIT on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 1:17-18 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may KNOW HIM BETTER. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may KNOW the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
Ephesians 3:19 and to KNOW this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17b ...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in LOVE, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the LOVE of Christ, 19 and to know this LOVE that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 1:19-20a ... and his incomparably great POWER for us who believe. That POWER is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do GOOD WORKS, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 3:16a, 20 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with POWER through his Spirit in your inner being, ... Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his POWER that is at WORK within us,
Ephesians 6:19-20 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
The two written prayers that Paul offers for the Ephesians and the prayer request that he asks for himself overlap greatly. While the words may be different, the focus is the same. We need the (1) filling of the Holy Spirit IN ORDER THAT we can (2) increase in knowing God better and (3) be revolutionized by his love so that (4) we can have power to do the incredible works God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Heavenly Father, I pray for the believers reading this blog entry. I pray that you would fill them with your Spirit even at this moment. Remove any barriers of carnality so that the Spirit may have complete control over their life. As they are filled with your Spirit, please blow their mind at how amazing you are as they get to know you better. And of course the most mind-blowing thing about you is how that in all of your supreme greatness you can still love us in spite of supreme rebellious sinfulness. Open their eyes to your amazing love and let it rock their world. And Lord I pray that you would strengthen them with supernatural power to amazingly great things in this world for your glory! I believe according to Ephesians 2:10 that you prepare in advance works for us to do. Help us not grow weary in well doing. Help us not work in our own human strength but with the strength you supply through your Holy Spirit. I pray in Jesus name that you would keep our love for you from growing cold and allow us to remain on F.I.R.E. until we see you face to face. By the authority and power of the name of Jesus the Messiah I pray these things, Amen.
His Presence: The Greatest Gift of All Acts 10
Acts 10 is the story where Peter has a vision from the Lord in which some animals that were not Kosher to dietary laws of the Old Testament are lowered down from Heaven and then Peter is told to eat. Three times he has this vision repeated to him while in trance during prayer.
At the same time God sends an angel to a God fearing Centurion in another city. This man sends for Peter. When Peter shows up and the share their respective visions, the sense the presence of God in the house where there is a crowd. Peter shares the gospel and the Holy Spirit falls on uncircumcised people before he can even give a call to respond to the gospel. This amazing breakthrough results in the early church no longer requiring Gentiles to convert to Judaism in order to accept the gospel. This was God's plan all along but it took a vision from God and a might move of God's Spirit to take the church to the next level. Here are three lessons I believe still apply to us today! (These are the notes I am preaching for a message a week before Christmas.)
1) Sometimes, even though we don't put God in a BOX, we do put him in a BOX in regards as to what he can do through us.
Acts 10:15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
2) There are places and people where the PRESENCE of God is what is necessary to bring a breakthrough for the gospel to reach them.
Acts 10:33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
3) The Holy Spirit IN you is better than having Jesus NEXT to you. His presence is the greatest gift of all.
Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
1 Corinthians 10:19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
The Presence of God - some selected verses to meditate on
Exodus 33:11 - The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Exodus 33:14-15 - The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
Psalms - 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalms 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
(In NT Holy Spirit not taken away - Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.)
Psalms 101:7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
Psalms 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
Psalms 140:13Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence.
Jesus called Immanuel - God with us
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Matthew 1:21-23 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Jesus about sending the Holy Spirit - God in us!
John 14:16,17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.
John 16:7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
Pastor Dwayne Eslick
Husband, Father, Pastor, Evangelist, Urban Youth Leader and church planter in Chicago for 20 years. Now serving with Miami Youth for christ.
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