A Time of Change

SERMON by Margaret -25th March 2007 A time of change

This is an exciting time Next week we hand over the church pastorate to Giles and Roz who will be working together in the centre.
We have a tremendous celebration coming up next week with a record response from people wanting come and share the time with us.
I want to draw some lessons today from three times in scripture when there was a handover of leadership and show you for what we need to be setting our faith, at this time.
Elijah –Elisha
Moses-Joshua
David -Solomon

All of them handed over to a young man who was their natural or spiritual son

Joshua was Moses right hand man for years and the one who always accompanied him to the tent of meeting, he was called Moses’ minister

Elisha was a young prophet who had been trained in the school of prophets and whom Elijah in 1 Kings 19.16 had been told to anoint as his successor
Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
Solomon was King David’s son whom he had promised the throne to even though he was not his eldest son

Giles. We knew definitely, about four years ago, that he should take over the church from us, although God had hinted at it back in 1985

We are handing over a solid thriving church something solid and growing church to two people whom we know are called and who know that they are called.
In these three bible instances of taking over the result was increase.
Our picture is of building a second storey.

All of the ones handing over had been pioneers.

Moses had led Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness where they wandered for 40 years in a state of dependency on God, experiencing hardship but also experiencing the miracles and provision of God. ECF were nomadic too until 1994
And when we moved into his building we were bigger than we are today but immediately began to lose people which threw us into a state of constantly needing Gods provision
Tony would say "we need £5000 or £2000 by Friday" and prayer produced results and has continued to do so
We’ve known the fiery serpents for our disobedience!!!The droughts the struggles and the trials
They had become a great nation at a cost

Under Joshua they had reached the Jordan and were in sight of the land He had a disciplined army and they were able to take the land Joshua got his inheritance and led everyone else into theirs
He had battles but when they obeyed God’s instructions they succeeded
God told him be strong and very courageous
Joshua 1.8
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "

INCREASE and fulfilment of the promises

Elijah had a fight too …he had all the struggles with King Ahab and Jezebel and his great show down with the prophets of Baal. Along the way he got sick and depressed, angry and discouraged but God restored him and he continued the race
God showed him this young man Elisha
When Elisha know Elisha was going he asked for a double portion which Elijah said was a hard thing to ask
A bit like when the disciples said to Jesus ‘can I sit on your right hand or left hand when you come into your glory ’
Only God can raise 1 Kings 19:19-20 (The Message)
Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please! Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye—then I'll follow you." "Go ahead," said Elijah, "but, mind you, don't forget what I've just done to you."
2 Kings 2
Just before GOD took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on a walk out of Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. GOD has sent me on an errand to Bethel." Elisha said, "Not on your life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!"
So they both went to Bethel. The guild of prophets at Bethel met Elisha and said, "Did you know that GOD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Yes," he said, "I know it. But keep it quiet."
Twice more he tells him to go away
2 Kings 2:7-15 (Amplified Bible)
7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood [to watch] afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they divided this way and that, so that the two of them went over on dry ground. And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. He said, you have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you--but if not, it shall not be so. As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, 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 its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. And he took the mantle that fell from Elijah and struck the waters and said, where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And when he had struck the waters, they parted this way and that, and Elisha went over. When the sons of the prophets who were [watching] at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Only God raises people up and only God gives the anointing
So he told him yes is you see me taken up in other words of you have the spiritual eyes to see what God reveals
(INCREASE)
God gave it to him and he did 28 miracles to Elisha’s 14

David was a great King . God called him a man after His own heart
He longed to build a house for the Lord much as we have longed to re-build this whole building, but God said he could not do it because he had been a man of war.
(Too much unrest in his reign)
Now David had established the kingdom and there was insufficient rest in the land to be able to do it.
Solomon was young and inexperienced but he was anointed.
Dream….I Kings 1 .47
47Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed
I Kings 3.4-14
4The king went to Gibeon near Jerusalem, where stood the tabernacle and the bronze altar to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered on that altar. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, “Ask what I shall give you?” Solomon said, “You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy and loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness and steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a lad in wisdom and experience; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude. So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right, Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days. And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.”
David charged Solomon
1 Chronicles 28 1-12
DAVID ASSEMBLED at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel and of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king in courses, and those over thousands and hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, with the palace officers, the mighty men, and all the mighty warriors. Then David the king rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people. I myself intended to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as a footstool for our God, and I prepared materials for the building. But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My Name and Presence, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’
However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased to make me king over all Israel; And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And He said to me, ‘Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he loyally and continuously obeys My commandments and My ordinances, as he does today.’ Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek to be familiar with all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.”
“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever! Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it!”
Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner rooms, and of the place for the [ark and its] mercy seat; And the plan of all that he had in mind [by the Spirit] for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for the dedicated gifts;
V 20
1 Chronicles 28:20 (Amplified Bible)
Also David told Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail or forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.”
INCREASE and fulfillment of the promises
All of these men were great men of God whatever part they played in the plan of God
Fulfilled Gods purpose in their generation
IN 1995 when we were losing people I reminded God about the prophecy that we were going to have the multitudes given by c several visiting speakers and also receive by our own people right at the start of the fellowship in 1982
When I asked God he said “They will not come in your day but in your son’s day”
We all have our part to play in God’s plan we as foundation builders, they as leaders of the multitudes.
Gods word talks of the foolishness of preferring one above the other
1 Corinthians 3
HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to non-spiritual men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates, as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not [proving yourselves] ordinary (unchanged) men? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Ministering servants [not heads of parties] through whom you believed, even as the Lord appointed to each his task: I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labour For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building. According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]? If anyone does hurt to God's temple or corrupts it [with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you the believing church and its individual believers] are.
Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise. For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness; And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are. So let no one exult proudly concerning men [boasting of having this or that man as a leader], for all things are yours, Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter), or the universe or life or death, or the immediate and threatening present or the [subsequent and uncertain] future--all are yours, And you are Christ's, and Christ is God’s. Paul reminds us though that whosoever we does things for God is has to be anointed and it will only be accomplished through wisdom and he ability of God. TAB
It is God who gives the increase and the fulfilment
Lets se our faith for the increase it’s God’s pattern