August 7, 2022
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"Elisha: A Man of Radical Commitment" (1 Kings 19:19-21)
Henry Varley changed the course of D. L. Moody's future when he said to him, "Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him."
What could God do in and through us if we went all in for Him?
1 Kings 19:19-21
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
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.
1) Elisha willingly abandoned his old life.
Elisha's decision to leave his family business of farming in order to become a prophet changed everything.
Luke 9:23-24
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
2) Elisha demonstrated radical commitment to God.
Slaughtering the oxen and burning the plowing equipment might seem too radical to some, but Elijah was removing any possibility of returning to his former way of life.
What radical steps do you need to take to ensure you don't slip back into your former ways?
