I invite you to turn your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 6. 2 Kings chapter 6. Read from the new King James Bible this morning. The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, see now the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please Let us go to the Jordan and let every man take a beam from there. Let us make there a place where we may dwell. So he answered, go. Then one said, please consent to go with your servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, The iron axe head fell into the water. And he cried out and said, alas, master, for it was borrowed. So the man of God said, where did it fall? And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick and threw it in there. And he made the iron float. Therefore, he said, pick it up for yourself. So he reached out his hand and took it. Things We Have Lost. Things We Have Lost. I based this title, Things We Have Lost, from the servant of Elisha who lost his axe head. I begin with a few questions to us this morning. Have you ever come to a point in time where you felt that you were doing much in the name of Christianity and accomplishing nothing? Have you ever felt that you were simply going through the motions of religion without any joy? Yes, we all do at times. Well, let me ask another question. Are you remaining that way? Have you been staying that way? Has the Christian life become to you a mechanical ritual? It can in this world. Well, it may be because you have lost some vital things in your Christian walk that may be a result of a deeper spiritual problem. There are many people in orbit with the church who seek to make up their lack of spirituality and obedience to God by being busy, busy doing a lot of other things to compensate for that which they are failing to do. They have no real interest in the things of Christ anymore. And they think that no one knows. John in his epistle write these words in verse eight of the second letter. And exhort his hearers with these words. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we work for. but that we may receive a full reward. The Apostle John would not have said these words if there was not the propensity to lose some treasured things of the faith. We all are quick, very quick, to assert that won't save, always save. We are taught to believe that one cannot lose their salvation. This is true, but we must be careful that we are not losing sight of those graces that accompany salvation. Those graces that prove salvation. Many today may appear spiritual, with religious things, but will never share with fellow brethren their spiritual void or dissatisfaction. They'll never do it. So they're simply coerced in the name of religious activities. Brethren, this is because we have lost some things. I see it. And I have to step out of the normal flow of messages today. God has not made us to be like this. God hasn't made the Christian life to be like this. This is not a biblical Christian. This is not a biblical church. God has given us graces to enhance Christian growth. In the practical book of James, chapter one, verse 16, he says, confess your faults one to another and pray one for another. Christianity has become today, at least in our church, for many as a group of independent agents meeting in a building until they meet again next week. This is because we have lost some things. Here in Second Kings, if there was ever a practical message, this is one for me and for you, where Elisha performed yet another miracle. The two names, by the way, Elijah and Elisha, are similar, but the men were quite different. Elijah lived a more secluded life and ministered in a time of heightened wickedness and apostasy when Ahab and Jezebel dominated and harassed the Lord's people. Elijah reminds us of his New Testament counterpart, John the Baptist. In fact, Elijah was the forerunner of John the Baptist, for we are told that John came in the spirit and the power of Elijah. The Lord Jesus taught so much of Elijah. that he is one of the few men who reappeared after death to encourage the Savior just before the cross. You see where his mind was on earth. But Elisha served in a different era altogether than Elijah. And he served after Elijah left the scene. He mingled more with the common people. He was somewhat a type of Christ. He did twice as many miracles as his mentor. One of his requests was that he be given a double portion of the Spirit of God. And God heard him and grant him that double portion of the Spirit. Here in chapter 6 we see his spiritual powers manifested. No more than likely, Elijah was a teacher in the school of the prophets. We read constantly of him being with the sons of the prophets. For us to understand the message of 2 Kings 6, 1 through 7, we must analyze what took place in the fourth chapter. God was empowering his prophet to show that the Lord is the ultimate restorer of man's soul. Elisha had performed a series of four miracles of restoration in chapter four. First, he restored the jar of oil to suffice the widow and her son. Second, the prophet restored the son of the Shunammites woman by raising him from the dead. After that, Elisha cured a pot of stew that was poison. Then we read of Naaman's restoration from leprosy in chapter 5. Now here in chapter 6, our considered chapter, he restored the axe head of a servant. You may say, well, this is insignificant. No, it's not. And I'll tell you why in the lesson. He's the only man that caused iron to swim on top of water. All these miracles were done to show our Lord as the ultimate restorer. What happened? What happened in the context? Well, the first thing we observed is a prevailing problem in the camp. 2 Kings 6, verse 1. The King James Version says, And the sons of the prophet said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us. The place these sons of the prophet shared was Gilgal. They had shared community and intimacy. They lived together. But the place became too small. It was not that the size of the building shrunk. It was that the people who were attending the prophet's ministry grew. These sons who saw a prevailing problem did not turn their faces away from the problem. You know, ordinarily people are quick to identify problems in the church, but they are seldom quick to identify the solution to the problem in the church. These ones did. The first thing these sons did was they resort to prayer. Verse two. Par-ay, let us go we pray thee unto Jordan. Of course, we, Do not pray to prophets or priests. We pray to the prophet, priest, and king, God, the Lord Jesus. But this is always the first step in any spiritual endeavor, especially when there are prevailing problems. I believe that both Elisha And his students learn from his example and mentor. For you remember what James says about Elijah. The Bible says, Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. And he prayed earnestly that it would not rain. And it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again. and the heaven give rain, and the earth produce its fruit. Problems, brethren, are the norm in the life and ministry of the church as well as the life of the believer. Problems are the norm. But we should never turn a blind eye to problems. We pray, we preach, But we do not pray and sit down in the same place. You know, much is said about prayer. That's all well and good. But until I see movement, only then would I believe in answered prayer. Well, this brings us to our second consideration from the context. Having seen a prevailing problem, We see, secondly, a general proposal made, verse two. It's general, for we read, let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, go. Here you see the plurality of the noun, us, we. The Christian life is very practical. And here we see a unanimous proposal among the consensus who agreed that they had outgrown their quarters and sought to extend. Notice where they're going. They're going to the Jordan. Very significant. They're going to this place, Jordan. I'll explain that as I go on. The Jordan was a river nearby Gilgal where the sons of the prophets lived. Jewish historian Josephus estimated the distance as approximately six miles that they walk to cut down trees. It was a very famous place. It was there that the leper Naaman was sent to recover from his leprosy. Jordan seems to be a place that attracted many trees, like any waterway, many shrubs. So the disciples of Elisha made this unanimous proposal, let us go there. We pray thee unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam or a branch from the tree. In those days, they usually used tree branches for beams, just as they do in Zimbabwe and many other countries in constructing buildings. Brethren, I would have you to note the plurality of this endeavor. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a being. You see, the church is about each individual. Church ministry requires a plurality when it comes to God's work. These ones not only pray together, they work together. But these disciples of Elijah also work with a desire to have their master's presence. Look with me at verses three and four. In our Bibles, there we read, then one said, no, I believe this one that required Elijah's presence was the same one that lost his accent. Somehow he had a sensitivity. to ask Elisha to come with him, knowing his weakness. I wish that some people in the church were like this. That's mere speculation. One said, please consent to go with your servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. branches, beams, whatever you want to call it. The sons of the prophets requested their head to go with them. Most of what some people do in the name of Jesus is done without the presence or the approval of Jesus. You know how I know? Because they are unscriptural. They set out to do things without considering the Lord. Is he in it? Is he for it? The sad part about this is that they do not want to hear from anyone. I'm doing God's work. In this proposal made by the sons of the prophet, they not only invoke the prophet by way of prayer, They invoke his presence in their undertaking. It is a rich lesson for those who are attached to the church, if they are attached at all. So we see these two parts to our context. First, prevailing problems. Second, unanimous proposal made to do something. Third point we see quickly, potential for disaster. Five, I read it from the Bible. a potential for disaster. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. His axe head fell in the water. And he cried out and said, alas, master, for it was borrowed. The emphasis is on Juan. As Juan was swinging his stick, the axe head came off into the water. He became useless. He became a liability because he was a lone ranger. Why would God take time to record this mundane incident? Why record this simple occasion in the Bible? Who cares? Well, it is because it is teaching us something about the Christian life, like any part of the Bible. An axe minus the head equals a useless stick. A Christian minus a head is powerless. A Christian operating without the head of the church is a maverick. There are many mavericks in here. He has no blessing. He has no mandate from Christ. A church with no head is a social club. Too many are like this man who became a potential for disaster and did not even know. Wonderfully, the prophet stood by. How in the world is one going to cut down trees in a forest with a stick? And how in the world am I going to be useful in God's kingdom without direction from the head of the church and without motivation from the blessed Holy Spirit? We are but a potential for disaster. Here the man of God now takes his attention from the others and places it on him who became a liability. a spiritually important man. Look at verses 6 and 7 of our text in our Bible, 2 Kings 6. So the man of God said, this man having lost his potency, the man of God said, where did it fall? The King James says, where did it fell? And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick. and Troy in there, and he made iron floor. Therefore, he said, pick it up for yourself. So he reached out his hand and took it. What a miracle. What a great miracle. At least this individual teaches us a practical lesson. He never forgot to pray. He did not resort to his fellow prophets. He called upon Elisha. Neither did he sought to muster courage from within. Learn these lessons well. He cried out and said, alas, master, for it was borrowed. He realized that the strength in which he labored was borrowed strength. alone from God. It wasn't his. He wanted it back. The principle is quite simple. Abide in me, and I in you, for without me, you can do nothing. Yes, we will exert much energy when operating in our own strength. But we will see no spiritual fruit because we have lost the vital elements of the faith, things we have lost and don't know. It's interesting, at best, where we see another proof of the power of God in the life of his servant, Elisha, We see that the Lord God is the restorer of strength. He gives strength to the fainted. But is this all you see? Is this all for us? Must we just leave this text as a mere historical information? Not really. There's at least three lessons that I would bring to your attention today. from this text, this short piece of scripture. First, we see a pattern for Christian service, don't we? A pattern for Christian service, a prerequisite, if you may say. These individuals in service with Elisha were sons of the prophets. They were disciples of the prophets. They were learning from the prophet. They were a community people. They were intimate in their relationship with their master. They lived together. They appreciated each other. Take what I'm saying to heart. They were a community people. God doesn't have stepchildren. God doesn't have cousins. But sons, sons of God have much in common. The scriptures say, but as many as receive him, he has given them the right to become sons of God, even to those who believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Sons of God are born into the kingdom of God. They don't join the church. That's trouble. They come with too much baggage when they join the church. They must be born from God. That's the son of God. Because we are sons, God has sent forth his spirit in our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, we want to call on God. It's a pattern for service. The loss of these vital things is a signpost, brethren, to some of you here today. One of the many problems today is that too many are seeking to worship God, to work for God, whom God has not worked in or he's not working through. I call you to consider the words of Philippians, where the great Apostle Paul said these words, wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, But now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. When the spirit of the Lord is in a person or chief motivational factor, will be the Lord himself. When the spirit is not in a person, one's chief motivational factor, they will only serve when people are around. There will only be I servants. Thus Paul, in confidence of the Philippians, says, as you have obeyed, and not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence. They were not I servants. Doing things because somebody's watching. That's an I servant. When the spirit of the Lord is in us, we wouldn't be like this. Work out that which is within with that knowledge that God has given us, both to will and to do. So the pattern for serving God is that one must first be assured that they have become sons of God. I explained this somewhat. Must be assured of a full and true conversion. The second point I call you to consider from the context is a personal posture to avoid. A personal posture to avoid. What is the, what is that posture? Well, complacency, carelessness, callousness, or spiritual, a spiritual posture to avoid. The taking of common graces for granted. God has provided common graces for his people. This man should have checked his axe head. They said that any workman or every workman, Brother Cox, you know this, ought to check his tools to see if they lost their edge, right? I see how you check that plane to see if it lost its edge. Any constant moving object should be checked periodically. Let me tell you, at this time, I'm going to have to make a confession to you quickly. One day during our last missionary trip, I failed to check the water level on our vehicle. Disaster almost took place, and it almost took place the wrong place in front of the army barracks. We barely made it home after several stops along the road. The vehicle overheated, and the radiator ran dry. I'd somehow get into the supermarket for a large bottle of water, it swallowed it up. What happened? I forgot the radiator cap. Loose. Didn't check. But this is just an example of what I'm showing. Sometimes our spiritual temperatures are out of line, overheated, and we never refill with the water of life. Some think they can exist with last week's devotional reading, with last week's sermon, or by throwing a few dollars in the offering plate. Who in the world are you kidding? I cannot exist in my spiritual life like that. We all should periodically check where we are in our Christian walk, check your temps, check your vital signs. Long lapses from Christian disciplines are not for the people of God. It can be spiritually disastrous. It's a biblical lesson to recall. Out of the 10 virgins, five didn't check their oil supply. They were rote worshippers. They had the wrong spiritual posture. They were sleeping with the others, only to wake up on the wrong side of the door of the house, never to enter again. Let not this be you. So then, pattern for serving. We are to be sons. Spiritual posture to avoid, complacency, carelessness, callousness with the things of God. The axe was not the property of this fellow. It was borrowed. God has loaned us some graces to perfect us until he comes. The power given to us is not our own. It came from our blessed Lord. The life we live cannot be lived in our strength. Finally, practical disciplines to follow. We see them in our lesson, don't we? The man who lost his act said, cried out audibly. You know what that is, you heard it last night. You heard him. Verse five, but as one was fell in a beam, the axe head fell into the water. You know, all people get from this is you got to be careful when you're working near a river or you might lost your axe head. That's what they, that's all they get from it. Say the last master for it was borrowed. To cry out is to pray. So the man of God said, where did it fall? As we can see, Elisha was not omnipresent. Like the Lord Jesus, he says, where did it fall? Men of God are not omnipresent. He was not all-knowing. He didn't know everything, but he inquired. And sometimes when you inquire, you get a big, fat lie from people, or a half-truth. Where did it fall? And you know what has gone wrong in your life. You can put your hand on it. You know that thing that is taking your attention from God. You know. And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick and threw it in there. And he made the iron float. Now here comes the responsibility. Miracle is done. Therefore, he said, pick it up for yourself. So he reached out his hand. This servant rightly identified where his axe head fell. He was forthright with the man of God. The Bible says emphatically, if we say we have no sin, we lie, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Where did your relationship with the Lord Jesus? He identified the place. So these three strands ought to encourage us all who at times lost our vigor. We must reconsider where we are in our Christian walk at this time. We are to check to see if we are mere rote worshipers. Pattern of service, we are to be sons. Posture to avoid complacency, carelessness, practical disciplines to follow, closeness to our savior and to his people. We need each other. prayer to our Lord, regular confession of our sins, resumption of Israel, all wrapped up in the text, all woven together in the text. They live together, they worship together, they eat together, they work together. So let me ask you, brethren, have you ever come to a point in time when you felt that you was doing much and accomplishing nothing. Reading your Bible, coming to church, appearing to be well and as dry as a biscuit. Empty as a soda can, appearing to be well. Have you been staying that way? And nobody knows about it. Well, how's somebody going to know about it when you hardly see some people? I plead with you, speak to a brother or sister. Pray with a brother or sister. That's why we meet every Saturday. It is a bond of accountability. And even that don't work at times. Because you don't know who you're praying with. It can happen. It has happened to many in the past. It can happen to the layperson. It can happen to the one laboring in word and doctrine. What makes us think we are different? One who doesn't abide in me as a branch is broken off. Whether he be layperson, or whether he be preacher. I have to spend quality time studying and reading and meditating God's word before I can prepare for somebody else. I have to know the nearness of Jesus before I can bring you to him. Unless I'll be preaching about a Jesus I don't know. Can happen. It has happened. To lose our axe head is to lose our vitality, our strength to live the Christian life. One will be simply, and I see it going through the motions, swinging a stick with no power. The Christian life cannot be lived in this manner. The joy of the Lord is our strength. No joy. Let me tell you something quickly. A person can never lose what God has given them. We may lose that which we have achieved in our own strength, this easy-believe-ism nonsense. You can lose that, but not what God has graciously given to his people. You can't lose it. He has deposited it in us. Dear friend, does it seem more joyous for you to exercise yourself more in the things of this world than in the things of the Lord Jesus? Does it bring more joy to you? Is it because you have no axe head, no power? God is in distant land absent, but he's at hand. He's at hand to call on. Are you finding that people who have no connection with Christ get more attention from you than those connected to Jesus and the gospel? It is a sign that you have lost some vital things of the faith, if you ever had them to begin with. I kid you not. No spiritual zeal, no vitality. It's the lack of the spirit's presence and dominance. Don't overlook these symptoms. I cry to you. I plead with you. If I have noticed them, how come you don't notice them? What we can learn from this lesson, dear people, is that nothing is too small to bring to God. This guy did not hesitate to bring this small matter before Elisha. Some of you would have dived off in the water expecting to find your axe head. The mucky, dirty Jordan. Some of you would have dived off in there. Some go to seminars, retreats, conferences, expecting to gain spirituality. Others think that a new outfit will cut it, a new experience, a new venue, vacation would help them. No, sir. The procedure is the same as we see in the text. One, commitment to prayer, closeness to the Lord, regular confession of our sins. These graces are again in the closet, not at a conference. What if this man didn't invite the prophet's presence? What if this man didn't pray? What if he didn't solicit the company of the prophet? What would have happened? What would have happened if he didn't invoke his master's prayer? Why has the Christian life become a rote religion to many people today? Because they have never had a felt sense of desperation for the Lord's help. They never had a felt sense of desperation. They never see how desperate they are. Look at verse five. But as one was fell in a beam, the axe head fell into the water and he cried and said, alas, master, for it was borrowed. The scripture says that this one cried. It is only when we see how desperate we are in our state And in our need of the Lord's sustaining grace, we will cry out to him. Think of Peter. When he was walking on the water, he began to go under. The Bible says in Matthew 14, verse 30, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. We ain't desperate in this place at all. Peter used the word sozo, the word that is connected to salvation. Lord, save me. Well, Peter was a saved man. But just to make sure that he wasn't perishing, cried out, sozo me. As I go down, let not my soul sink in the mire. Save me. Some of you, oh, I'm saved. You take that for granted with all these signposts that I'm showing you? Don't take anything for granted, brother. It's only when one has a sense of spiritual desperation would they seek the Lord's help and continue to seek it. Not once, not twice, on and on and on. Many today have lost a sense of the Lord's presence. They have lost a sense need of the Lord's people. No longer needs the Lord's power. They have become independent. Song says, I need thee every hour. Oh, Lord, I need. But how can you need the Lord and don't need his people? Who are you fooling? I don't know. I need these graces. God command these graces. Iron sharpens iron. So shall a man sharpen the face of his friend. How is that done in the local church? Why has the Christian life for so many in the church become one of rot? Come into church against your will without any significant joy. Could it be? That is because there is no resurrection power, nor redemptive miracle. The servant of Elijah was granted new life. We read in verse 6, let me read it to you, 2 Kings 6 verse 6. So the man of God said, where did it fall? And he showed him. the place. So he cut down a stake and threw it in there and made the iron float. The axe head of this servant was buried in the Jordan. The Jordan River always reminds us of death. For Joshua and his army to enter the land of promise, they had to cross the Jordan River. For us to enter heaven, we must be resurrected. Maybe because you are still in the Jordan. Need a master's touch? You need resurrection power. Paul said that I may know him. That I may be conformed to his suffering. Even in his resurrection, Paul was an old man, and yet he didn't have sufficient. He needed to know more. Resurrection. That's the problem here. No resurrection of the soul. Buried in the charter. Let's look at the miracle carefully, brethren. Let's toy around with it today. He's speaking. Why are so many operating on rot? Here this ox head became reunited with his servant, new energy, enabling him to labor for his master. We all need resurrection power. We all need to be reunited to that Christ. It is something that only the Lord can do. Paul wanted to be conformed to this resurrection. That's why he went by the Jordan, to teach us a lesson. Third reason why Christianity has become rote religion is because of Allah. of personal application to the spoken word. Don't forget, Elisha is a prophet. And the prophet said to the servant, pick it up for yourself. So he reached out his hand and took it. Along with God's command comes the will to obey. He reached out his hand. The hand is indicative of the will. He granted him the strength, the energy. There was an application. This one had to perform to restore his axe head. You and I can swing or stick of religion, of profession, as much as we want. We will not be useful. until the master touches our lives and restores our souls. Never, you will never change. The putting out of the hand, it also shows this man's willingness to obey. It is inferring the will of the person. You see, man had lost his will in Adam. You remember God says, man has become like us. lest he put forth his hand and eat of the tree of life. He became sold out to Satan, so he put out his hand and ate the forbidden fruit. But God has restored the will of the child of God that he now can obey his master. Have you come like that? Have you become like that? Are you willing to follow the Savior. Are you willing to obey his precepts? I don't know. I don't know. The songwriter says, this he gives you. In that beautiful song, come ye sinners, three are nine. Therefore, 2 Kings 6 is more than an incident where Elisha caused iron to swim. Who cares about that? It's a practical message. Jesus is the ultimate restore. He restores my soul and leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Have your sins sunken you in the bottom of the sea? Our Lord can restore you to true life and conversion. Why don't you come to Him in faith and in prayer? He will save you. May the Lord be with you. Our Father, we have sought to unravel, to unwrap this historical message. We see the rot. We see the callousness. And Lord, we pray that you will use your word to arrest the consciences of your people to the glory of your Son, in whose name we pray. Amen.