Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 8)

Conclusion:

• WHEN ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO BE POISONED BY SIN?
• You are more likely to be poisoned by sin when you are weak.
• You are in a season of personal “famine” – dry, depleted, discouraged.
•  You are more likely to be poisoned by sin when you are under pressure.
• You are asked to do something that is beyond your current ability, capacity or understanding.
• You are more likely to be poisoned by sin when you are walking in the world.
• Where you walk determines what you find.
• If you walk in the world, you will find worldliness.
• You are more likely to be poisoned by sin when you are low in discernment.
• Discernment decreases as fascination and rationalization increase.
• SINCE YOU ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO SIN WHEN YOU ARE WEAK, UNDER PRESSURE, WALKING IN WORLDLINESS AND LOW IN DISCERNMENT, YOU MUST KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE “POISONED.”
• When you realize that you are poisoned by sin . . .
• Stop ingesting the poison.
• Stop swallowing the world's arsenic.
• Confess before God and others what He and they already know.
• “ . . . there is death in the pot.” (2 Kin. 4:40)
• Declare, “This is poison; it is killing me. I don't want to die. Please save me, Jesus!”
• Receive and experience God's mercy, grace and forgiveness.
• “But he said, “Now bring meal.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot.” (2 Kin. 4:41)
• God's solution for sin's poison is meal (flour). Meal represents the person and work of God's Son, Jesus Christ.
• Jesus alone can rescue you from sin's bitterness and save you from eternal death.
• YOU HAVE TASTED SIN AND FOUND IT TO BE BITTER, SOUR AND HARD.
• Today, the invitation is to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psa. 34:8a).
• You do not have to stay “in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” (Ac. 8:23)

Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 7)

WHEN DO THE SONS OF THE PROPHETS REALIZE THE STEW IS POISONOUS?

“And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” (2 Kin. 4:40)

• THE BIBLE SCHOOL STUDENT DOES NOT REALIZE, AS HE IS GATHERING THE WILD GOURDS, THAT THEY ARE POISONOUS.
• WHEN HE BRINGS THE WILD GOURDS INTO THE KITCHEN FOR PROCESSING, AT LEAST ONE OTHER STUDENT DOES NOT KNOW THEY ARE POISONOUS.
• “Then one . . . came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were.” (2 Kin. 4:39)
• “They [the gatherer of the gourds and at least one other cook] did not know what they [the wild gourds] were.”
• Lesson: When you need counsel, it matters whom you consult!
• Don't consult someone else who doesn't know.
• Just because two agree in ignorance doesn't mean they are right!
• Consult someone mature, someone knowledgeable, someone experienced, someone with wisdom.
• IT IS NOT UNTIL EVERYONE BEGINS EATING THAT THEY REALIZE, “THERE IS DEATH IN THE POT.”
• What once looked good, felt good and smelled good now doesn't taste good.
• Lesson: Sin always leads you to a time when you must "taste"; what seems “better” at the start is often bitter in the end.
• Lesson: Sin leads only to bitterness, sourness, disappointment, emptiness and death.

Poisoned Yet Pardoned ( Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 6)

WHY DOES THIS SON OF THE PROPHETS HAVE TO GATHER HERBS ANYWAY?

“When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land.” (2 Kin. 4:38)

• PERHAPS WE SHOULD CUT OUR BIBLE SCHOOL STUDENT SOME SLACK.
• Consider the pressure he is up against.
• In a time of famine Elisha, the senior prophet, asks him to make stew for everybody – to serve food when there is no food.
• “As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “ Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” (2 Kin. 4:38)
• Verse 43 suggests there are 100 men in the Bible school.
• LESSON: It is when you are stressed or under great pressure that you are more likely to alter your assignment, compromise your convictions or wander into worldliness.

In tomorrow's post: When do the sons of the prophets realize the stew is poisonous?

Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 5)

WHERE DOES THIS SON OF THE PROPHETS GATHER THE GOURDS?

“Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine . . .” (2 Kin. 4:39).

• THE SON OF THE PROPHETS FINDS THE WILD VINE AND ITS GOURDS IN THE FIELD.
• What does Jesus say about “the field”?
• Explaining the meaning of one of His parables, Jesus says that, “The field is the world” (Mt. 13:38a).
• By 'world', Jesus means not planet earth but the values, interests and behaviors of those who do not serve Him.
• The main behaviors of those who are dominated by the world are pride and covetousness. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 Jn. 2:16)
• NOW YOU KNOW HOW A SON OF THE PROPHET CHOOSES WILD GOURDS OVER HERBS – THAT'S NOT DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE WANDERING IN A HOSTILE DOMAIN (THE WORLD) AND DRIVEN BY WHAT YOU WANT!
• Lesson: What business does a believer in Jesus have consulting and adopting the ways of the world? “ . . . for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14)
• Lesson: When you are in the “field” (the world), expect things to get wild!
• A wild vine always produces wild gourds.
• Worldly values and methods can never produce righteousness.
• When you go on a “field” trip, you will find what you didn't know you wanted and what you aren't prepared to handle.
• Don't forget – wild gourds are poisonous!
• Don't forget – what the world offers is lethal!

In tomorrow's post: Why does this son of the prophets have to gather herbs anyway?

Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 4)

INSTEAD OF GATHERING HERBS, WHAT DOES THIS SON OF THE PROPHETS GATHER?

“Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds . . .” (2 Kin. 4:39).

• THIS SERVANT-HEARTED, WELL MEANING BIBLE SCHOOL STUDENT INTENDS TO GATHER HERBS AND, INSTEAD, SETTLES FOR WILD GOURDS.
• How distracted he became!
• Herbs and gourds are different ingredients that are used for different reasons.
• Herbs alter flavor, but gourds add substance.
• Lesson: You can cause yourself and others a lot of trouble when you pursue your own preferences or take liberties in any ministry!
• What discernment he lacked!
• In this case the substance he adds is, unknown to him, poisonous.
• They look harmless enough.
• They feel firm enough.
• They are convenient enough.
• “What providence! I have a large pot of stew to make and I have not found any herbs. Look at all these gourds! Surely this must be God's provision!”
• Not only does the son of the prophets choose gourds, but notice that he chooses wild gourds.
• Lesson: There are believers in Jesus today who can't distinguish between cultivated and wild, because they are dominated by their own understanding instead of the Holy Spirit.

In tomorrow's post: Where does this son of the prophets gather the gourds?

Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 3)

WHO IS IT THAT GATHERS THE HERBS?

“Then one went out . . . to gather herbs . . .” (2 Kin. 4:39).

• WHO, EXACTLY, IS MEANT BY THE 'ONE'?
• “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets” (2 Kin. 4:38).
• It is one of the sons of the prophets, one of the Bible school students, who gathers the herbs.
• What a way to be a servant, right?
• What initiative, right?
• Lesson: Just because you volunteer and your heart is right and you intend to be helpful doesn't mean that you should do it. The question is, “Whose authority covering are you under?”

In tomorrow's post:  Instead of gathering herbs, what does this son of the prophet gather?

Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) (Part 2)

Introduction:

• Illustration¹  
• The story is told of a woman who prepared a meal for some guests. The meat was old and she was not sure if it was safe or not. She decided to first feed it to the dog and see if there were any ill effects. Seeing none she completed the meal and served it.
• She was about to serve dessert when her son came running into the house crying, “The dog just died.”
• Panic struck, the embarrassed wife explained the problem to her guests and they all took an unexpected trip to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Feeling none the better for the episode she insisted they return to her house.
• Now she recognized the sorrow of her son for the loss of the dog, and inquired more about the details. He told her Fido ran in front of a car and was hit and killed.
• Sometimes things are not as they appear.
• Today's Bible verses are about a mistake in judgment.
• The culprit learns, as did the woman in the previous story, that sometimes things are not as they appear.
• Read 2 Kings 4:38-41.
• The format for this week's message is question and answer.

1http://stanchfieldbaptist.blogspot.com/2010/05/mighty-miracles-2-kings-438-44.html (accessed 9-21-16)

In tomorrow's post:  Who is it that gathers the herbs?

Poisoned Yet Pardoned (2 Kin. 4:38-41) Part 1)

Background: There are four things that you need to know for this week's message to make sense.

• Elisha is the senior prophet, one who speaks for God.
• The sons of the prophets are Bible school students who are being trained in word, thought and behavior.
• It is a time of famine. Famine is a consequence for breaking and abandoning God's conditions.
• Elisha says, “Make stew for everyone.” You can imagine how frustrating it is to make stew for that many people with no ingredients on hand except water.