God’s Gracious Provision

Good morning, so good to see you all if you have your bibles, please get ready to turn to second kings chapter 6 Verses 1 through 7 second kings chapter 6 Verses 1 through 7 There's our passage for this morning Can you remember a time When the world around you seemed uncertain Yet the Lord graciously provided for a personal need in your life kind of a very specific question Let me repeat it again Can you remember a time when the world around you seemed uncertain, unstable Yet the Lord graciously provided for a very personal need in your life This weekend, of course marks 25 years since the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001 most of us were old enough can remember the exact place and moment where and when we heard the news Of how two planes struck the world's center another that crashed into the pentagon another crashed in Pennsylvania nearly 3,000 people killed and Almost overnight everything changed in it travel airport security immigration national security more questions arose looming in our minds will America go to war? Will there be more attacks? What was going to happen next? There was so much to process so much fear so much grieving so much uncertainty all at the same time Yet for me in such a time of instability the Lord had just provided for me in a profound way Just two weeks before I was a freshman in college in my undergrad and just two weeks before 9/11 I had received my I-20 the immigration document I needed to begin my undergraduate studies as an international student When 9/11 happened suddenly the entire immigration system and particularly international students came under much great scrutiny Many international students still in process of visa approvals were sent back to their home countries to figure things out For me again, this was a huge answer to prayer and looking back. I could see the gracious providence of God While enormous events were unfolding around the world The Lord had not overlooked this very personal need in my life And that's the kind of message behind the very unusual story in our passage this morning Because this seemingly small story teaches us such a big truth about our God It reminds us that nothing is too great for God's power and nothing is too small for God's care Brothers and sisters, we're picking back up our fall study in year four of our series to the first and second kings titled the King of Kings This fall and winter were aiming to cover chapters six through thirteen Lord willing To summarize the kings is not mainly about the glory of Israel's kings at all Rather it traces the short-lived glory of King Solomon's reign and the subsequent fall division rebellion and eventual Exile of God's people and the message of the kings is ever so clear throughout its chapters Kings fail and kingdoms fall But the word of the Lord stands forever. It's been a while. We've been in the king So let me try to reorient you Second kings began with the final days of the prophet Elijah's ministry in chapter two Elijah was taken up into heaven and his prophetic ministry was passed on to the next prophet prophet Elisha And ever since we've seen the Lord demonstrate his extraordinary power through the ministry of his prophet in chapter four He provided for a widow second kings four one through seven He raised a Shumanite woman's dead son purified a poison stew for the sons of the prophets and fed a hundred men with 20 loaves of bread are then in chapter five through Elisha the Lord cleansed Namun the commander of the Syrian army of his leprosy, but at the end of the story we saw the shocking reversal didn't we? Namun the outsider went away clean while Gahazi Elisha's own servant was Exposed of his greed and went away unclean with Namun's leprosy and Today's passage we returned to the story of the sons of the prophets even as Israel continues in rebellion against the Lord The ministry of God's word continues to grow and again through this small and seemingly insignificant story We'll see something huge About God's gracious care for his servants and his work So how does God sustain the ministry of his word in the midst of uncertain times from second kings six one through seven I want to share with you two ways we see God at work through the ministry of his word Here's the outline if you're the note taking type Point number one a growing ministry from verses one through four a growing ministry and point number two a gracious Provision from verses five through seven a growing ministry verses one through four a gracious provision from verses five through seven Brothers and sisters, I pray this message will encourage you a new that God is working through his word Even when it seems the world around us is unstable that God graciously provides for his own Inceimingly menial but amazing ways always amen Guess and visitors welcome. Thank you so much for joining us for our weekly Sunday service If you are here and you do not consider yourself a Christian We especially welcome you this morning. We prayed for you prayed that God would lead you here for you to hear his true and life changing words Friends contrary to what every other religion in the world teaches Christianity claims that the creator and Lord of Universe deeply and intimately cares for his own that he loves his own people as Matthew 10 29 through 31 says are not two sparrows sold for a penny and Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father if you're not you are more value than many sparrows Friend if you're not a Christian here this morning. I wonder if you know God in such a way as a loving father who cares for his own Children and not as an estranged distant deity who is angry at us all the time because of our sin No, we pray that these words of this passage will show you more truly and fully who the God of the Bible is Amen Well, then let's look now to his word without further ado. I found on page 3 12 or in the new blue Bibles page 3 11 depending on which version you have and as you turn and look there I want to encourage you to please keep your Bibles open and reference it often for the entire duration of my reading and preaching so that you don't get bored And so you know this is God's word for you to grow you in knowledge love and trust of him second Kings chapter 6 verses 1 through 7 says this Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha See the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log and Let us make a place for us to dwell there and he answered go Then one of them said be pleased 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 But as one was felling a log his axe head fell into water and he cried out alas my master it was borrowed Then the man of God said where did it fall? When he showed him the place he caught off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float and he said take it up So he reached out his hand and took it How does God sustain the ministry of his word in the midst of uncertain times point number one a growing ministry Quite the unusual passage isn't it What in the world does this passage mean? Well before we dive into the text let me give you one quick principle to help us in our understanding of the passage as we Transition back to the kings what we need to do is first read narrative as Narratives for the last few months. We've been studying the Psalms which are primarily poetry So we paid particular attention to things like repetitions and parallels and structural patterns But the kings again is primarily a historical narrative it records real events and real people Unfolding in real history and so we need to pay attention to the story itself the characters the dialogue the repetition of words and Actions the problem and the resolution and the details the author chooses to include For us because often in narrative the author doesn't simply tell us the point directly He shows it to us through the story So with that in mind look with me diverse one again, which says this Now the sons of the prophets set to Elisha see the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us well Who were the sons of the prophets again? These were not biological sons of the prophets as in Elijah or Elisha's sons Rather they were communities of men who gathered around the prophetic ministry to receive and learn the word of Yahweh and To serve as his messengers and when I say prophetic ministry I'm really talking about the ministry of the word you see because in the Old Testament times the prophets primary Calling was to receive the word of the Lord and to faithfully proclaim that word to his people Prophets were heralds of God's divine words before the 66 inspired books of the Bible were completed So, these sons of the prophets were men gathering around, being instructed in and eventually sent out with the words of Yahweh. You might think of them as something like a prophetic training center. Not exactly like a modern seminary, but something similar to it. This is not the first time we're reading about them, of course. We first encountered them through the Ministry of Elijah and Elijah earlier on. Second, thank you, chapter 2. We found communities of the sons of the prophets in Bethel and at Jericho. And after Elijah was taken into heaven, it was these sons of the prophets who recognized that the spirit of Elijah rests now on Elijah. Then in chapter 4, we find them gathered around Elijah again. In second Kings chapter 4, verse 38, it says that the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, which meant there was a community of men gathering around the prophet Elijah to receive. And learn the word of God. Well, that background helps us to understand what's happening here in chapter 6. When they say the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. The basic point, of course, is clear. This prophetic community has outgrown its space. Hallelujah. Now, we don't know exactly what this building looked like. It may have included living quarters like dorms where students lived. Or it may have primarily served as a commonplace of gathering and instructions like classrooms or a school, much like this place that we're meeting at. In fact, we know from second Kings chapter 4, verses 1 through 7, that at least some of the sons of the prophets were married and had families, so we should not assume that these are just a bunch of single dudes all living together in a dorm. But again, the point is clear. They needed more space. There were now too many of them, too many students of the word. Well, what a great problem they had. The seminary had a growth problem. Too many students registered and were taking classes, but there was too little space. Listen, we should not miss the significance of that little detail because remember where this all started. Back in first Kings 19, Elijah was so discouraged even to the point of death by Israel's apostasy that he cried out, "I, even I, only am left." From Elijah's perspective, it looked as though he was the last faithful prophet that he was all alone. But you see, God had told Elijah, "I will leave 7,000 in Israel who has not bowed the need to bail." Now, Scripture doesn't tell us that those 7,000 are these sons of the prophets, but it does show that God was preserving a faithful remnant in Israel. There is an expanding community of those who are aspiring to the ministry of the word. Hallelujah. What a headline. Seminaries are exploding, needing a bigger building during a time of moral and spiritual bankruptcy. That was exactly what was going on. Elijah was never as alone as he thought he was. God, through the prophet Elijah, was growing communities gathered around the prophetic word in Bethel, in Jericho, and in Gilgal. Hallelujah. Again, let me press the contrast to how things seem to appear. Israel continues to decline spiritually. The kings continue to rebel against the Lord. The kingdom is moving closer and closer toward judgment and exile, yet the ministry of the word. The ministry of God's word is growing and expanding. Brothers and sisters, do you get what I mean? The message of the kings is so clear, kings fail, and kingdoms fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. Now, the next few verses might seem a little odd. The narrative is short and choppy, almost like an Instagram reel. Choppy, choppy. Short, short clips. But remember, in narrative, the details are part of how the author tells a story. So look with me, it's a verses two through four. Let us go to Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there. And he answered, "Go." Then one of them said, "Be pleased to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go." So he sent with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. We're laughing because Elijah seems so short and snappy. I don't know how you describe it. Why does the author give us all these seemingly mundane details? I think as the story unfolds, we're going to see that these very details matter significantly. And they will help us learn two primary lessons of the story. Well, let's follow the narrative. Look at verse two again. They said, "Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log." There really isn't any deeper symbolic meaning in why they go to the Jordan. Of course, Jordan was a significant place in the past chapters, but here Jordan is probably mentioned for a very practical reason. The sons of the prophets needed wood and needed timber to build a bigger place, so they went to the nearby River Valley where resources were abundant to get it. Of course, it's possible that this was the prophetic community we encountered earlier in Jericho, which was near the Jordan, but the passage doesn't tell us that for certain. What may be a bit more significant is the second part of that verse. Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get a log. And let us make a place to dwell there. Literally, each man would get one large wood beam. This was emphasizing that this was a community group project. Everybody was going to contribute. Everybody was going to work hard. There's something remarkably ordinary there, but nevertheless, it's so important, isn't it? These servants who devoted themselves to the Word of God were not above picking up the axe and cutting down trees. They had a need. They made a plan, and they were all willing to do the work, and for each of them to play a part to contribute. All hands on deck. All hands to the plow. So ordinary, such a small detail, but such a very important principle in the context of a word-centered community. Now, what follows is similarly simple, but significant at the end of verse two. They bring their plan to Elisha, and he simply says, "Go. Apparently, they don't just go off and do this on their own." They seek the approval of the prophet under whose charge they served. Here's a brief application. A short one, brothers and sisters. Unlike the prophet in charge, the pastor or the elder of a church does not have inspired authority. But nevertheless, it's not unwise. It is prudent to perhaps ask or consult with the pastor or elder before making important decisions within the believing community. Amen? As you have entrusted us as pastors and elders, as biblically qualified leaders of this church, the point here in this verse is that the word-centered community must cooperate together as one in unity. Rather than operating separately if you desire to do anything as a body, as a word-centered body, as a believing body, as members of New Company Baptist Church. Why not seek the support, the prayers, the counsel of the whole church, including the pastors and elders of this church if you're trying to do something for the Kingdom of God? Makes sense? Well, again, the prophet Elisha was not like an ordinary pastor. He was the representative authority. He was the spokesman of God in the Old Testament days. So the son of the prophets, rather than merely seeking Elisha's approval, they seek something more, don't they? Look at verse 3. Then one of them said, "Be pleased to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go." First of all, again, I don't know why Elisha only speaks such few words, "Go." I will go. Maybe the sons of the prophets are always asking way too many questions, as often students do. But of course, that's complete conjecture. But here's what isn't conjecture. Why does the narrator take time to tell us these menial details? Why do we need to know that they specifically asked Elisha to come with them? Why does the narrator then tell us again at the beginning of verse 4? So he went with them. They ask him, "Come with us." Elisha says, "I will go." And then the narrator confirms, so he went with them. Do you see what the story is emphasizing here? These sons of the prophets didn't merely want Elisha's permission. They wanted Elisha's presence. Not just permission, but presence. Well, that makes sense when we remember who Elisha is. He is the man of God, the prophet of Yahweh, the one through whom the Word of God has been coming to this prophetic community. So as this prophetic ministry grows, they don't say, "Great, we've grown this place. We don't need Elisha's word anymore. We're going to build a bigger building to accommodate more students." But we don't need Elisha's counsel? No. The growth doesn't lead to independence from the prophetic word. If anything, as they expand, they want the prophet with them. They want him near. So they want to seek his wisdom and advice and counsel, which is why verse 4 confirms, "So he went with them." And they came to the Jordan and they cut down trees, which is exactly what they propose to do back in verse 4. two. Again, this is a narrative. The author gives us the plan and then shows that plan being carried out. They have a need. They make a plan. Everyone contributes. Elisha gives the approval. Elisha goes with them and together. They get to work. Dear beloved, what a picture of this growing ministry. Again, remember how it all started. Israel is spiritually declining. The kings are failing. The people are rebelling. The kingdom is unraveling. Yet a community gathered around the Word of God is expanding. Growing through servants who are willing to work. Growing under a prophet through whom God's Word faithfully comes. Now, brothers and sisters, we need to be careful here. The sons of the prophets were not a New Testament local church. And Elisha was not simply an Old Testament version of a pastor. I want to be clear about that. He was God's appointed prophet, a unique spokesman for God. But still, I don't think it's too far of a stretch to see the broader biblical principle here. Where God's Word is at the center. God's people do not live as disconnected individuals. They gather around the Word. They labor together. They contribute. They live under God given authority. They are committed to one another. And when we come to the New Testament, where do we see this kind of word-centered community in the local church? You never imagine that such a random short story like this in the Old Testament would have church membership implications, did you? Friends, this is one of the reasons why we emphasize church membership so much at New Coming About This Church. Because we believe that in a community committed to the Word of God, commitment, unity, and service is the baseline. It's not an add-on. It's not an option. It's not a niche preference. Christians are called to know one another and to be known, to serve one another, to bear one another's burdens, to submit to one another, to receive godly leadership and to grow together under the Word of God. So commitment, unity, service, and accountability are not optional extras to the Christian life at all. It's not a baptism. It's not a nine marks thing. It's not a reformed thing or an act-me-thing but a biblical thing. And yet so much of modern evangelical culture has treated church as optional or secondary, hasn't it? Hence you see so many Christians today living as if they can come and go as they please with little accountability with no skin in the game whatsoever. Commitment to community is primarily about personal necessity for these folks. Perhaps consumeristic. Does it meet my needs? Can I find community? Can I find my soulmate? Does it fit my life rather than the sacrificial service and submission to God's authoritative Word? But the New Testament, again never envisions Christians living as spiritual free agents or spiritual loan-rangers at all. That is contradictory to what the Bible describes of a word-centered community. Friend, is there any of you who perhaps view the church in this way? Have you been treating church as somewhere you simply come rather than a people to whom you commit? You attend when it's convenient, you disappear when it's not, you remain largely unknown but rarely serve. Here's the Holy Spirit's kind invitation and our invitation to you if you are a Christian. Please seriously consider joining the church. Don't hesitate any longer. Perhaps for whatever reason you don't believe this is the church where you should commit, that is completely fine. I want to encourage you to find another faithful gospel-freaching church, a word-centered church where you can commit, where you can grow under the word "no God's people" and let them know you as well, where you can serve and love and be accountable to one another. Because if you are a Christian and you don't join and commit yourself to a local church, it's detrimental to your soul. You remain outside of the biblical vision and structure and commands of shepherding and accountability and care that Christ has given to his people, his church. Of course, that's different. If you're still trying to figure out what Christianity is, if you're still working through what you believe about faith, then I encourage you to take active steps to learn more about Christianity. Meet with a member of this church. We'd be happy to do that with you. Read the Bible together. Pray together. Sign up for the upcoming Christianity, explain the class. In fact, whoever invited you to church may even be happy to attend those classes with you, to pray for you, to pray with you, to have conversations with you about any questions that you may have about the Bible and about what Christianity believes. Amen? Members of this church? One final application here is for the member of this church, for whatever reason, or season of life, find yourself drifting toward the periphery. Maybe it's been difficult for you to remain fully committed, engaged and actively serving. We get it. Life is hard. You have your unique challenges. Marriage, struggles, parenting, struggles, work-related struggles, financial, relational, health struggles. We get it. But I hope and pray this word encourages you, exhorts you and challenges you. That a word-centered church member, that a word-centered church pursues commitment, unity, growth, and service together. Of course, this will look different in different seasons of life, but being busy doesn't necessarily mean being disengaged. Simply, you can be a busy parent and still love Jesus and serve the church. You can be a busy doctor and still love God's people and faithfully disciple and be active member of a church. You can be a very busy medical student and still come out to Monday night basketball and community group for fellowship. Hallelujah. Sorry, we have a lot of medical people and you are the ones who came up to mind when I thought of very busy people. Church family, do you agree? Yes. It's all about priority, you see. Loving God, loving the word, submitting to the word, submitting to one another for your faithfulness, for your growth, for your witness, and ultimately for God's glory to the watching world. Let's move on because I think I squeezed out as much as possible from those verses. Point number two. How does God sustain the ministry of his word in the midst of uncertain times? Point number two, a gracious provision, verses five through seven. Now we come to the next scene and again, this is one of those remarkably understated stories. Once again, the language is so surprisingly simple, look at verse five. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water and he cried out. Alas, my master. It was borrowed. Felling a log simply means one of the sons of the prophets was cutting down a tree. Everything is going according to plan. So they went to Jordan. Elisha came with them. Each man was working, cutting down a log. Nothing spectacular, pretty boring, pretty plain. Just a group of student prophets cutting down some trees. Couldn't be more simple, couldn't be more straightforward, but notice a crisis arises. Or in this case, I should say a crisis sinks while felling a log and axe head falls into the river. Okay, when I say it out loud, it's not that funny, but arises sinks falling, failing. Okay, in the middle of this very ordinary work arises a crisis. In the middle of this very simple and short narrative, finally, some excitement. Thank you, Lord. Indicated by the word but in verse five. But as he's felling a log, his axe head fell into the water. The man was working hard. He had not done anything wrong. He was not disobeying God. He wasn't slacking off. He wasn't doing anything foolish or disobedient. He was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. And yet his axe head comes off and disappears into the water. I love it. The details of this passage, right? It's not the whole axe. It's the axe head. How unlucky of him. He's hitting away and the head gets broken off and flies off. You can imagine the look on his face, can't you? The man cries out, "Alas!" I don't even know what that means, but it sounds tragic. "Alas!" My master. I don't know if anyone uses that word today, but you should. "Alas!" It was a cry of distress. This man is in a real crisis. This is the emotional center of the story because we find out the axe was not his. It was borrowed. "Alas!" That little detail changes the entire situation, doesn't it? Now you might think, in today's thought, what's the big deal? Just get a new axe at Home Depot or Amazon. It'll come tomorrow. Stress overnight and then it'll come. But in the ancient world, an iron axe was not some cheap, easily replaceable tool you see. For one of these sons of the prophets who apparently did not possess an axe of his own and had to borrow one and the way that he is reacting so emotionally to losing it shows us that this meant a significant financial loss. We've already seen in Second Kings chapter 4 how serious debt could become. Remember the widow of the son, one of the sons of the prophets? Her husband died with debt and the creditors were coming to take our two children away as servants. So don't just pass this off as a simple situation where the man can just get a new axe. The text doesn't tell us exactly what consequences this loss would have caused, but in that economic world, a debt you could not repay could become a very serious matter. And under the mosaic law, even, a person who borrowed something was held responsible for its loss. So again, what seems to us like a small accident could have become a tremendous financial burden for this man. Okay, so that explains why the son of the prophet was in such an emotional wreck. My only question, and I still haven't figured this out, my only question that I'm still pondering is how was he so stinking strong? How was he so strong that while he's axing away, he misses the tree or whatever happens, the axe head flies so far deep into the river that it sinks down so deep that he can't just go in and retrieve it. He must have been super strong like Martin a Grandpa or something. Swing and bam, just gone. What are these sons of the prophets eating? Magic, super, perhaps. Anyways, too many jokes. The axe has sunk. There is a serious real problem, but the point is there is a providential solution. Hallelujah. Look at the first part of verse six. Then the man of God said, where did it fall? When he showed him the place, that's what it says. Remember back in verse three, they specifically ask for Elijah to go with them. And in God's providence, the very prophet through whom God has graciously providing for his people is present with them when the need arises. What seemed, again, like such a small detail back in verse three, makes all the difference in this particular crisis. The man of God, Elijah, always appointed prophet, set apart to speak God's word through whom God uniquely demonstrates his power is present right there. Hallelujah. Brothers and sisters, don't miss that simple detail. It makes all the difference as to how this man's ministry of the word which just lost the axe head would continue and be sustained. Look how this crisis is averted. Second part of verse six. He, Elijah, cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. The narrator does not build the suspense at all. There's no dramatic speech, there's no elaborate prayer, there's no explanation of how this could possibly happen. Elijah simply asked, where, where did it fall? The man points and Elijah cuts a stick and throws it into the water and the iron axe head that was sunk at the bottom of the river floats. Again, the very understatement, the downplaying of this miracle is what is so surprising. We can't miss it. When it's intentionally simple like this, the author is trying to communicate something you see because what just happened is impossible by ordinary means. Iron does not float. Students in here, iron doesn't float. We're told of what happened so matter of factly like it's no big deal. But again, because of the strangeness of this story, so many people have interpreted it in all sorts of ways, some of which are simply not warranted by the passage itself. While brothers and sisters, isn't this one reason why we love expository preaching? We let the main point of the passage be the main point of the message. We let the word do the work because this kind of short and curious, strange passage might easily be skipped over if we were not committed to preaching through the Bible, book by book, and verse by verse. Well, especially with stories like this, we need to be careful not to make it say something that the text itself does not say. So, Pastor Theologian Dale Ralph Davis, healthily warns, three wrong cautions, we might interpret a passage like this. Three, don't rationalize. Don't allegorize. Don't moralize. Don't rationalize it by trying to explain away the miracle by natural means. Maybe the axe head didn't really float. Maybe Elisha simply used that long stick to somehow hook the axe head and retrieve it. Maybe the axe head didn't really sink that deep. The point is don't try to figure out the story scientifically thinking that you could prove the veracity of it. The text simply says he made the iron float. It was a miracle. The point is that God through his prophet did what only God himself could do. Don't allegorize it. Throughout church history people have tried to find all kinds of symbolism here. The axe head represents the sinking sinner or the fallen state of humanity. Sinful acts of man unable to save himself. That's the axe head. The water represents the judgment. The stick represents the cross and the floating axe head salvation, the resurrection of Jesus. The first rule of difficult interpretation is declare only where scripture is clear. No where else does the New Testament mention Christ fulfilling the miracle of the floating axe head? Nor is this passage referenced anywhere else in scripture. Don't allegorize. Don't moralize. Don't infer the moral of the story is you students better be careful with things you borrow. You students you young ones don't cut down trees next to the river. Those may be great advice but that's not why the Holy Spirit gave us this story. Again we can't make this story to mean something other than what it says. But at the same time of course we need to ask why. Did God give us this seemingly boring mundane strange story about a borrowed axe head falling into the river and being miraculously retrieved? Why the stick? Why does Elisha cut off a piece of wood and throw it into the river? Why can't he just get it? Why does he throw a stick in there? What's the answer? Well the text doesn't tell us so I don't have an answer either. We've seen Elisha before use ordinary physical objects in miracles. Salt in 2nd Kings chapter 2 oil and vessels in chapter 4 flower thrown into the pot also in chapter 4 and now a piece of wood. Of course there's no magical power in the wood. The power belongs to God. The stick accompanies the prophetic act through which Yahweh performs the miracle. And perhaps that's part of what makes this story so incredibly unassuming, a borrowed axe, an unnamed servant, a common accident, a stick thrown in the river. Nothing here seems particularly important yet the point is God cares. Do you see it? Look at verse 7 and he Elisha said take it up so he the son of the prophet reached out his hand and took it again. So simple the sunken axe head floats Elisha says take it up the man reached out his hands and takes it crisis is averted problem is solved the potentially significant financial burden is resolved they can now continue on with work. It's such a simple miracle but it was exactly the miracle this man who lost the axe head needed you see. The seeming insignificance of this short story is precisely what makes it so significant think about the scale of first and second kings what it's been addressing kings and kingdoms and wars and armies and nations and rebellion and judgment. And in the very next verse starting in second kings chapter 6 verse 8 we're going to read about the king of Syria and the entire army going to war. But right here between name and the commander of the army of Syria and the coming conflict with armies of Syria the Holy Spirit gives us seven verses so short so simple so strange why because the God who rules over kings and kingdoms who commands armies and nations who sustains the universe is also the God who cares about the real needs of one of his unnamed servants. Brothers and sisters the point of this passage is this nothing is too great for God's power and nothing is too small for God's care. Listen we don't need to read too much into the axe head we don't need to over analyze the stick into the cross with the water into the judgment and Jesus into the sunk and floating axe head. And the point of the passage is much much clearer than that and straightforward than that the center of the story and the center of the miracle is a man of God. God's appointed prophet through whom God's power and his gracious care come to his people and as we trace the story of the Bible everything eventually comes and ultimately comes pointing to the greater prophet Jesus Christ that is the point of this passage. What do we see in the ministry of Jesus extraordinary power meeting the real and ordinary needs of people the hungry are fed the sick are healed the blind received sight those overwhelmed by anxiety and grief are comforted with his compassion. But again all these miracles have a purpose don't they to reveal the promise Messiah who has come and is coming again Jesus ultimately came to meet a far greater need our greatest crisis was not a lost axe head the greatest problem was the curse and power of sin which held us some down deep then in our trespasses. trespasses and God who graciously provided for the temporal, material need of this unnamed servant has graciously provided for our eternal need through his son, Jesus Christ. That's why we love the promise of Romans 832, don't we? He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him graciously give us all things, hallelujah? Brothers and sisters, guests and visitors, this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's the best news you will ever hear that the Holy God of the universe created us to know him to love him and to live under his gracious rule. That man rejected and rebelled against him. We rejected against his word, we rejected against his rule, we rejected his love and because God is holy our sin has left us guilty before him with a debt we could never repay. But God had a plan from before the foundation of the world to redeem and restore a people for himself and that plan was the ultimate provision. His own son, Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, we have failed to live. He perfectly obeyed the God whom we have rejected and on the cross he bore the judgment our sins deserved. He died in the place of sinners as a substitute. But on the third day he rose again from the dead as it was written so that anyone who turns from their sin and trust in Jesus Christ can be forgiven, can be reconciled to God, can receive new, abundant and eternal life. Friend, if you are here today and you have never trusted in Jesus, your greatest need is not financial. Your greatest need is not physical. Your greatest need is to be reconciled to God. The good news is that God has provided everything, everything, everything you need in Jesus Christ. So today, this morning, right now, this moment, repent. That means to turn from your sin. Believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you. That means to receive his forgiveness that you could never earn yourself, be reconciled to God, be made one with God today. Trust him today, tomorrow. And the next day with whatever circumstances and situations, trust him. All of us here will testify that he is worth loving, trusting and following. Amen? And keep coming to church and join us in this work together. Commit to serving him with this local church body. If you want to know more about how you can follow Jesus better, the pastors of this church will be happy to speak with you at the close of service by the doors or talk to somebody smiling next to you. We are so eager to share with you how awesome and amazing it is to be loved and cared for by Jesus Christ, the Savior of the universe. Let me conclude. We love an NCDC family. Do you see it? If God has already met your greatest need by giving you his own son, the point is that you can trust him with every lesser need in this life. That doesn't mean he will miraculously recover every ax had you lost. It doesn't mean he will remove every financial burden. It doesn't mean every crisis will end the way you wanted to when you wanted to. But it does mean that there is no circumstance so great that exceeds his power and presence. And there is no need so small, so insignificant that will escape his fatherly care. Because again, nothing is too great for God's power and nothing is too small for his care. Amen? Friends, do you believe that? That God cares for you intimately with every detail of your life, that he's not just abandon you to suffer on your own. He is with you. He has a purpose for that very situation. Trust in him. Brothers and sisters, through this short, simple, strange story, we are reminded of two profound truths. No matter what national or global struggles we may face, for those who are committed to God's word, he will be the center and he will be present with us. We will see growth. We will see unity. We will be joyful and faithful in our service. And no matter how difficult life gets as we faithfully serve and contribute to this body, our gracious God will always, always provide for us all that we need in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen? Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. That reminds us that even through this short and ordinary story, we are reminded of the great promises of you and the great Savior to whom, which we have benefited the promise of salvation. Father, if there's anyone here this morning who do not know you as such, as the Savior and ruler and King of this universe, may they surrender to you today, may they not make things complicated, thinking that it is upon their own strength or their own merit, they could come to you. No, just like this man who lost this axe head, simply cried alas, I need your help and cried out, Father, you are present in the midst of us to answer and provide what we truly need. Father, help us to come to you in humility and submission that we will come to know you deeper, sure as we live this life and as we faithfully serve you with our every breath that you give unto us. We love you. Thank you for this reminder in Jesus' name. Amen.