Well, we want to welcome everybody to Murrayville Baptist Church. If you're glad to be here tonight, say amen. Amen. Good to see all of you. We appreciate you being here. Got some more coming in from outside. Let's all stand. We're going to go to the Lord in prayer and open in prayer, and then we'll continue with the service tonight. Heavenly Father, tonight, Lord, as we gather, Lord, at your house together, Lord, we're a blessed people. Lord, thank you for this opportunity to come in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. I pray that you would do a work in all of our hearts that God, you please pass by our way. and do something for all of us tonight, Lord, in a special way. May we leave here knowing that God has met with his people, and would you do a work in my heart and the hearts of every person that will enter in. Bless the youth over in the next building, and God bless them and touch them. Bless Brother Stacy as he ministers to them tonight. and just touch us all, Lord, for we all need you. Now, Father, we love you, but most of all, thank you for loving us the way that you do, and it's in the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray and ask. Amen. Amen. ♪ Hear me, the story of Jesus ♪ I don't have heart everywhere Oh Oh For our sins he was tempted, yet was triumphant at last. Till of the years of his labor, till of the sorrow he bore, he was despised and afflicted. Movin' that story so tender, clearer than ever I see Stillin' me weep while you whisper, hungry the ransom for me ♪ Sweetest that ever was heard ♪ Eight, six, three, two, one. ♪ Something good is through the summer ♪ ♪ I'm gonna thank you for remembering me ♪ Oh Oh I know there's some place out there where I reach, and if we see it, I do not know. And I know now, I'm glad I know, the places we go, on Liberty's Pride. He set me free from the roof of the world, I shall not be moved. For Son of David's praise I'll sing, I'm one with the Lord, I'm like Jesus, just like Him. We wish that we could be seen as what we would in a dream world Oh, I know there's a place up there, a place up there, where I reach, and every city, every city, I will go, I will go, and I know that, I know that, a public square, is so distant there. The Lord did say, if on His promise He demanded, all things are fine, He'll show His way. I've been to China, I've been to China, I've been crazy, that's probably more than I should know. I want to know more about my homeland, I want to know more about my homeland, I've been to India, I've been to India, I've been to India, I've been to India, I've been to India, I've been to India, I've been to India, I've been to India, Page 97. This will be our last one. an an Jesus Jesus Jesus Well, if you're glad to be here tonight, say amen. Amen. Good to see all of you. I've got one big announcement to make tonight. We have another baby. that is in the world, little Allison Holland, six pounds, 13 ounces, was born about one o'clock this morning. What? No. early this morning, sometime this morning. Anyway, they told us that because of all the COVID restrictions, there'd be a bunch of babies born, and we're seeing it, amen? Amen. Oh, I guess these are COVID babies. That's what we'll call them, COVID babies, amen. You got a special one? Yeah, okay. Have I told y'all lately that I love you? I do, I really do love you so much. For the babe but for sin no one worthy could be found among men. But the precious Son of God with the cross and thorny crown ♪ Free from sin, free to live now I am ♪ ♪ And it reads on the page where my sins were written down ♪ ♪ Painted full by the blood of the Lamb ♪ ♪ Oh, how great was the debt that I owed you now ♪ ♪ Bound to pay for the sins I have sown ♪ But in Jesus my Lord the great treasure I have found ♪ I'm redeemed by the blood of the Lamb ♪ Made whole by the blood of the Lamb ♪ From sin free to live now I am ♪ And it reads on the page ♪ Where my sins were written down ♪ Paid in full by the blood of the Lamb ♪ And it reads on the page ♪ Where my sins were written down Point sling. That'd be a treat. I've heard Brother Ray sing. Amen. Amen. If you're thankful for the blood tonight, say amen. Brother Samuel, you be making your way on up here. I appreciate the preachers that God has placed in our church, and I wanted to give them an opportunity to preach during the Christmas season. And Brother Samuel is gonna be preaching for us tonight. If you will, go ahead and stand and turn to your Bibles, 2 Kings 2. We're gonna start in verse number one. And it came to pass when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, yea, I know it. He, hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, and Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, yea, I know it, hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they too went. And 50 men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, and they too stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground. And it came to pass when they were gone over that Elijah said unto Elisha, ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, thou hast asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee. But if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. And he took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elijah went over. And when the sons of the prophets, which were to view at Jericho, saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elijah. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold, now there be with thee, with thy servants fifty strong men. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest peradventure the spirit of the Lord hath taken him up. taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley. And he said, ye shall not sin. And when they urged him, urged him till he was ashamed, he said, sinned, he said, sinned. They sent forth 50 men and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, for he tarried to Jericho, he said unto them, did I not say unto you, go not? And the men of the city said unto Elisha, behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my Lord seeth. But the water is not, and the ground barren. And he said, bring me a new curse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of water, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. There shall not be from thence any more death nor barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha, which he spake. Let's pray. Dear Father, Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity that you give me, Lord, to be able to stand up here. and present your word to them, Lord. I pray that you just give me the words to say and hide me behind the cross. And I pray that you would just bless us tonight. And just love you and thank you and praise you for everything that you've done. In your name I pray, amen. You can be seated. So tonight we're gonna look at the blessing of a double portion. So, I'm sorry. So the first thing we're gonna look at is how to receive a double portion. Because you can't get a double portion from God if you haven't taken the right steps to go in that direction. So we're going to look at what Elisha did to get there. The first thing I see in Elisha is his discipleship to Elijah. Verses one through seven, we look here and we see that he follows Elijah that he follows Elijah no matter where he went. And he knew that that day was the day that the Lord was gonna take him up. And when they stopped at three different places, Elijah asked Elisha to stay here and tarry here. but he told him that he would go, and he followed him with the same unwavering discipleship he'd shown Elijah in the past. So how do we show that same discipleship now? We can't literally walk around and follow God everywhere because he's not present walking around, but We can be reading our Bible every day. We can be listening for what God would have us to do. We can be doing things to help the man of God or the church. And we can go out soul winning, or at least invite people to church. And these are all just a few good examples of being a disciple for Christ. The Bible tells us we're supposed to be of one accord. So when we're in line with him, and you have your heart right, we'll all be together, working together for the same cause, and that's just all part of his grand plan. So the first step we see is discipleship. Number two, and this is the easiest step, is we saw Elisha ask for it, right? Elijah asked Elisha what he should do for him before he goes. And Elisha asked him for a double portion of his spirit, which was the spirit of the Lord, to be with him. And he told him that it would be a hard thing, and he asked of a hard thing, but nevertheless, he would do it, right? So, us as Christians, if we want to receive a double portion, All we have to do is really ask. That's the easiest step to this. And the Bible tells us we have not because we ask not. And it also tells us ask and you shall receive. So you have to ask him. The final step is obedience. Verses 10 through 13. Elijah gives Elisha very strict instructions on what he needs to do if he wants to receive the double portion. And step three and one go hand in hand, because you can't have discipleship without obedience if you're doing it right. You can't have one without the other. If you're following Christ, you're gonna be obeying Christ, right? And this is the follow-through step, right? He'd done everything else, and he told him, if you want this, you're gonna have to do something. He told them, if you're here with me, whenever I'm taken up with the Lord, then you'll receive the double portion. And if not, then you won't receive the double portion. Now that's not to say that God wouldn't have blessed him later on down the road, but he wouldn't have blessed him to the magnitude that he did. So how do we obey? How do we be obedient Christians? by following the rule book, right? The Bible is a life manual, I like to call it. It's a guide. It gives directions on what we're supposed to do and on what we're supposed to do and how we're supposed to be living. Also, when God lays something on our heart, you do it, right? If God puts something on your heart to do, whether it's to do something at church, or do something on your own, or put somebody on your heart, you pray for them, right? And you try and listen to what God has for you, and has in store for you, and when he lets you know, you do it. If you follow these steps, I promise you, God will bless you more than you can even fathom. Just look at Elisha. If you look at Elisha and you read on about the rest of his life, you just see how much God truly blessed him and the power that he gave him. So much so that the 50 men that were on the other side of Jordan still, not even, I mean, within the same day, Elisha comes back, and we see that he strikes the water, right? And he says, where's the God of Elijah? And right there, I believe that Elisha was testing God. And I would say it's okay to test God. I don't think he minds being tested. And I mean, as far as asking him to do something for you. If you're in line with God, and you're in tune in your Bible, and you're being obedient, he'll answer your prayers. It may not be, you know, right away, but he will answer your prayer. And these men saw him strike the water, and they knew immediately that the spirit of Elijah was on him, right? That God had given him the double portion. And I'd also like to say, aren't you glad that we have people that can intercede for us, that can go before God in the throne room and talk to him on our behalf? And I believe that's what Elijah did for Elisha. Whenever he asked for the double portion, I believe he went before the Lord for Elisha. And Elisha knew that Elijah could do that, right? So it's important to know who we have around us in our life. Right? And who we can ask to pray for us, because you don't want to ask somebody to pray for you that you know isn't living right. Right? And just like Elisha, whenever God gives you a double portion, people are going to know it. Right? Your cup's going to overflow. Right? God's going to bless you more than you could even believe, you know? That's really all I have, and that's the key to a double portion and the blessing behind it. I'll pray, and brother, you can come on. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for everything that you've done for us, Lord. I pray that you would just help us to apply this message to our heart, Lord. Lord, I pray that you just bless the rest of this afternoon, Lord, and keep us all safe as we come back in your holy and precious name, I pray, amen. You know what I admire about him? He's young, got a heart for the Lord, and he's worked all day long today, ran home, got ready, and came and preached to us. Amen. I admire a young man like that. Amen. He was talking about, yeah, he was talking about a double portion When I was a young preacher, I'd go to those meetings and I'd see those older men of God get up there and preach, and, oh, I wanted what they had, and how we should long to have covet the best gifts, the Bible says. how we should long to have the Spirit of God upon us as the people of God. We're going to need it more and more as we see this thing unfolding in front of us. We're going to need it so much more. I've got several prayer requests tonight, and I want us to spend some time in prayer. Thank you, Brother Samuel. I appreciate that.