I don't know how they always
manage to pick one of my favorites, but thank you, boys. Open your
Bibles back to 2 Kings 6. 2 Kings 6, the title of the message
this evening is this, What Shall We Do? What shall we do? Now, in the previous chapter,
the Lord was pleased to heal Naaman of his leprosy, and he
had a servant. Elisha had a servant named Gehazi,
and he followed after Naaman. Naaman had offered Elisha some
gifts, and Elisha said, I'll take a gift. Gehazi didn't feel
that way. He chased after him and he took
some gifts from him. And when he returned, Elisha
knew what had happened. And Elisha asked Gehazi, he said,
where you been? And I'm sure Gehazi, like any
of us when we're lying, probably stumbled around explaining where
he had been. And this question was asked to
him, is it a time to receive money and garments? Is it a time
to receive olive yards and vineyards? Is it a time to receive sheep
and maidservants and manservants? Is that what this is all about?
Is it all about just getting stuff? And that leprosy that
once was on Naaman then clay to Gehazi. Here in chapter six,
I don't know how much time had passed, but Elisha has a new
servant. And this servant, we don't know
his name. I find that interesting. He's
just a servant. Wouldn't that be a good title
to hold? A servant. And though we don't
know his name, Almighty God does. That's what we read in Scripture.
The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord
knoweth them that are His. Well, let's look at this text
here, starting with verse 8 this evening. We read that as our Scripture
reading, but verse 8 says, The king of Syria warred against
Israel and took counsel with his servants, saying, in such
and such a place shall be my camp. And it really, really,
the king was all tore up because every time he would try to do
something, his plans were basically full to the point he asked himself,
there's a traitor. There's a traitor amongst us. And one of his folks said, listen,
It's not any of us. It's not any of us. Look down
there in verse 12, one of his servants said, none, none, my
lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that's in Israel, he
tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your
bedchamber, the most private part of your house. And so they
had tracked down Elisha, and they had surrounded him. The king of Syria sent his army.
Think about that. One man, Elisha. And this king sends an entire
army to get him. And during the night, Elisha's
servant gets up and he walks out of that tent and he looks
around. And imagine the fear that went
through his heart when he looks up and he sees that he is completely
surrounded by the enemy. And he asked this question, how
shall we do? And that can also be interpreted,
what? What shall we do? Do you ever find yourself asking
that question? What shall we do? What am I going
to do? In a time of difficulty, in a time of trouble, in a time
of fear, in times of doubt. How often, if we're honest, do
we ask that, what, what am I gonna, what am I gonna do? We wring
our hands and again, ask that question over and over again. Those times when we can't see
anyone or anything but the enemy. Those times when we can't see
anything but the trial that lays in front of us. What are we gonna
do? Well, I don't think we're alone
when we ask that question. Back in the book of Exodus, God
met Moses. Y'all remember that. God met
Moses at that burning bush. And he spoke to Moses. And he said this, he said, I've
seen the affliction of my people. I've heard their cry. I know
their sorrows. He intimately, think about that.
Almighty God knows our sorrows. He said, I've come down to deliver
them, to bring them out of a land, out of a land of bondage, out
of a land of slavery, a good land. And Moses said, who am I? Who am I that I should go unto
Pharaoh? He said, the people won't believe
me. He said, he just began to make a ton of excuses. I'm slow
of speech. They're not going to hear me.
I'm slow of tongue. And in Exodus 4, 11, I imagine
this humbled him a little bit. When God spoke to Moses and he
said, who hath made man's mouth? Who maketh the dumb or the deaf? Have not I, the Lord, the sovereign God? He said, you go. and I'll be
with you. I'll teach you. I'll teach you
what to say. I'll put the words in your mouth. Isn't that us by nature? How
often do we lean on this? Whatever it is that faces us,
we begin to think, what am I gonna do? We lean on this arm of flesh. Rather, rather than look to the
Savior, rather than look to the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses, there's
no reason. There's no reason for you to
fear, even before the king of Egypt, even before Pharaoh. That's what Elisha tells his
servant. He says, fear not. Don't be afraid. They that be
with us are more than they that be against us. The enemy, no
doubt the enemy's great, right? I mean, he could see that with
his very eyes. It was a great enemy that surrounded them. But
don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. The trial, the
trials God's people bear, they're great. There's no question about
that. Often, how often do we feel and
know it's more, it's more than I can bear? What's the response? Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Troubled, troubled on every side. In Genesis 12, the Lord spoke
to Abraham and he said, get out of that country. the place that
you grew up in, get out of that country. And from thy kindred,
leave your family, huh? And your father's house, everything
you know that's near and dear to you, and you go unto a land
that I'll show you." He didn't even tell him where he was going,
did he? He just said, go. I'll show you. Leave everything you know based
on God's command. Hold your place there, turn to
Mark, Mark chapter 10. Look, beginning with verse 28
of Mark 10. Peter began to say unto him,
Lo, Speaking to the Lord, we've left all and we followed thee. And Jesus answered and said,
verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house
or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children
or lands for my sake and the gospels, but he shall receive
a hundredfold. Now, in this time, houses, brethren,
sisters, mothers, children, and lands with persecutions, and
in the world to come, eternal, eternal life." What did Abraham
do? We read that he departed just
as the Lord had spoken. Abraham believed God. He wasn't a young man, he was
75 years old when he departed. Knowing this, what God had promised,
he was also able to perform. I wish I had that kind of faith. Knowing this, that they that
be with me, are more than they that be against us. If God's
for us, truly, who can be? Who can't be against us? In 2 Chronicles 32, turn there
with me, 2 Chronicles 32. When the king of Assyria had
come against the people of Judah, listen to what Hezekiah said
to him. Look at verse 7. He says, Be strong and courageous,
and be not afraid, nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor
for all the multitude that is with him, for there be more with
us than within. With Him, oh, I wish we could
get this in our head. With Him is an arm of flesh. No matter how powerful it seems,
it's just an arm of flesh. But with us is the Lord our God
to help us and to fight our battles. And the people When they heard
that, I pray he'd enable us to do that tonight. The people heard
that, they rested themselves upon these words, the words of
Hezekiah, king of Judah. 62 times, somewhere around 62 times, this
phrase appears, fear not, fear not. That's what he said to Abraham,
fear not. David told Mephibosheth when
he stood before the king, fear not. Paul, that's what the words that
were spoken to Paul, fear not Paul, fear not. 26 times, this
phrase, be not afraid. Five times, take no thought. Over and over again in scripture
we hear these words. Based on that alone, I believe
it's obvious that we need to be reminded. We need to be told
these things again and again and again. And if we truly knew
the scriptures, and if we truly knew the power of Almighty God,
we'd know. We'd know there is no reason
to fear what man can do. In Psalm 56, David wrote this. He said, because that's not the
case, is it? We're still afraid. David said
this, what time I am afraid, I'll trust in the Lord. I'll
trust in God. I will praise his word. In God will I put my trust and
I will not fear what flesh can do to me." Now, we do not underestimate
the power of Satan. We do not underestimate the power
of sin in this world. But we do know this, that Almighty
God is greater than all. All things are in His hands,
and that He will deliver His people. But this must be, it
has to be revealed. It has to be revealed. Listen
to Elisha's prayer, back to 2 Kings 6. Elisha prayed, look at verse
17, Elisha 6 verse 17. Elisha prayed and said, Lord,
I pray thee, open his eyes, that he might see. Bartimaeus, remember blind Bartimaeus
when he sat there by the roadside begging? He said to the Lord that I might
receive what? My sight, that I might see. And I pray that he'd be pleased
to do that for us, that he would open our eyes and let us see,
that he continually open our eyes and let us see him. That he let us see ourselves.
We need to see ourselves. We need to see the truth about
ourselves, our inability. Consider what God's word says
about man. There's none righteous. No. Not one. There's none that understandeth,
there's none that seeketh after God. In another place, we read
this. This is us, to see ourselves. Their throat is an open sepulcher,
with their tongues they use to see. The poison of ash is in
their tongue. Mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness. Feet, swift to shed blood. destruction and misery in our
ways. In the way of peace, they have
not known. The natural man, that's a description
of natural man. And the natural man has no fear
of God. In Luke 18, our Lord spoke a
parable of two men. that went down to the temple.
Y'all's familiar with this. The one a Pharisee and the other
a publican. This Pharisee was obviously blind
because he seen nothing true about himself. What'd he say? I thank thee, O God, that I'm
not like other men. I'm not an extortioner. I'm not
unjust. I'm not an adulterer. I'm not
like this. And imagine the disdain he had
when he pointed over to that publican. He said, I'm not like
this publican. And then he went on to say, I
give tithes of everything I possess. He didn't know the truth about
himself, did he? That hadn't been revealed to him, but that
publican The Lord had opened his eyes. He stood afar off. He didn't even want to be seen.
Wouldn't even lift up his eyes unto heaven. And he smote on
his breast and he cried, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. He saw the truth about himself,
didn't he? I'm a sinner. Oh, that we'd be brought to that
place to see who and what we are. that he'd open our eyes
and let us see something of the majesty of almighty God, who
he is. The greatness of his grace, his
power to deliver sinners. He said this, he said, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll be gracious to whom I'll
be gracious. He's the eternal. He's the eternal
God. He's sovereign in all things.
Back when he appeared to Moses at that burning bush, Moses said,
who shall I say sent me? And his reply was this. You tell
him, I am. I am hath sent thee. He's the eternal God. I am the
Lord. I change not. Therefore, ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed. He's the God with whom we have
to do. We're going to face, we're going
to face an almighty, holy God. And there's no, there's no masking
or covering anything that we have. All things are naked and
open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. We look to
Him, We depend upon Him, and we cannot exist without Him. Open my eyes, oh, open my eyes,
and let me see something of myself, something of my sin, something
of my need for Him. Open mine eyes and let me see
Almighty God, His sovereignty. He's King of kings and Lord of
lords. Open my eyes that I might see
the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, who is very God
of very God. I want to see him not as this
world sees him. This world sees him as just a,
act like he's just a fellow that lives down the street from me. This world sees him as a man
who wants to save, but can't. This world sees him as being
dependent upon man rather than the truth, and that's we are
completely and totally dependent on him. When he prayed to his father
in John 17, he said this. He said, I have glorified thee
on earth. I have finished the work that
you gave me to do. Finished. On the cross, he cried,
what? It is finished. In Isaiah, he
said, I have trodden the winepress alone. We don't read anywhere
in there where man has anything to contribute, do we? Paul, writing
to the Hebrews, he said this of the Savior. He said, who being
the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person
and upholding All things by the word of his power, when he had
by himself purged our sin, he sat down at the right hand of
God. Sat down on the right hand of
the majesty, the work being complete. Open my eyes, open my eyes and
let me see him. Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus
Christ who loved me and gave himself for me. To see him like
Simeon did, there in the temple, not just as a savior, but to
see him as my savior. Simeon didn't even fear death,
did he? Let thy servant depart in peace,
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Turn to Luke chapter 2. Can't help but read this. Luke
chapter two, 25, verse 25. Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem
whose name was Simeon. That name means hearkening, hearkening. And the same man was just and
devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost
was upon him, and it was revealed to him. His eyes had been opened
to this. It was revealed to him by the
Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen
the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into
the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to
do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up
in his arms and he blessed God and said, Lord, He knew he was
talking to, didn't he? Lord, now let thy servant depart
in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people, a
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. Open my eyes, let me see. Simeon's eyes were open, weren't
they? Brady sometimes sing that special,
in Christ alone, in Christ alone. That verse goes like this, no
guilt in life, no fear in death. How's that possible? Could we
rest, we rest in the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Simeon, Simeon had no fear in
death. He said, let thy servant depart
in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes, they've been open.
I've seen thy salvation. I've seen Christ. And we behold
him now with eyes of faith. Paul said this, right now we
see through a glass darkly, dimly, but one day, one day, We're going
to behold Him face to face and know Him. I can't even fathom
what that is. We're going to know Him as He
knows us. That's what's written in Scripture.
He knows the very hairs of our head. He knows us so intimately. Well, quickly, back to our text
here in 2 Kings 6. I'll ask my master, verse 15,
how shall we do? And he answered, fear not. No reason to fear. Don't be afraid. For they that be with us are
more than they that be against us. And Elisha prayed, open his
eyes. Open his eyes that he might see
and read on. What do we read here? The Lord
did that. He opened his eyes And what happened? He saw, he saw, he saw, he saw
what Elisha saw all along. That mountain was full of horses
and chariots and fire surrounding Elisha. Nothing's gonna, nothing's
gonna touch him as long as the Lord's pleased to keep him. He saw what had been there, I
believe, all along. Back in the book of Genesis,
Sarah had told Abraham, cast out the bond woman and her son. Cast out Hagar and Ishmael. And
this thing grieved Abraham. But the Lord told him, he said,
you hearken. You listen to the voice of your wife. And Abraham
gave them some water and some bread, and he sent them on their
way. And she went and wandered in
the wilderness. And eventually, that water and bread was all
used up. It was spent. It was all gone.
And to the point that she took Ishmael and she laid him under
a shrub, because she did not want to see him die. And she
went a good ways off, and she said, don't let me see, don't
let me see the death of my child. And God heard her voice. And the voice of the lad, and
the angel of God called out from heaven and said, what aileth
thee, Hagar? And then that angel of the Lord
said this, fear not, fear not. And what happened? If you read
that, you'll see that God opened her eyes. And she saw. She saw a well of water. And she went and she filled that
bottle up with water and gave to the lad. It was there all along. It was there
all along. What was different? God opened
her eyes. and let her see it. He revealed
it to her. Water. Any question that's anything
but intentional? Christ, the water of life. Deliverance. Deliverance in the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's always present. It's always
present. We just need spiritual eyes to
see it. to see him. Well, in closing,
look again at 2 Kings 6, verse 15. When the servant of the man of
God was risen early and gone forth, behold, a host encompassed
the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him,
Alas, my master, how shall we do? When surrounded by the enemy,
how shall we do? What shall we do? Fear not. Fear not. Knowing this, that they that
be with us are more than they that be against us, they that
be with the enemy. Elisha prayed this, Lord, open
his eyes. Can any man open the eyes of
the blind? Only our Lord, only our Lord. He gives sight to the blind. He opens the eyes to the blind.
Our Lord spoke in Luke 4, 18. He said this, the spirit of the
Lord is upon me. He hath anointed me to preach
the gospel, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind. Open his eyes. Isn't that our
prayer? Isn't that our prayer for each
one of us, for our family, for our friends, for those that don't
know the Lord? Oh, open. We can't do it, but
he can. Lord, open his eyes. And isn't it comforting? Isn't
it comforting to know? Look, if you still have 2 Kings
6, verse 17, Elisha prayed. He said, Lord, I pray thee, open
his eyes that he may see. And what happened? And the Lord Open the eyes of
that young man. And he saw. That's a miracle only God can
perform. Over in John 9, there was a man
born blind. Our Lord spit on the ground and
he made some mud and put it on his eyes. And he told him, go
wash in the pool of Siloam. And the people didn't know what
to think. Pharisees, they kept questioning. And he'd retell
that story. And the Jews and those religious
Pharisees, they were all tore up. One, that he'd made mud on
the Sabbath day, but he'd healed this man. And they were gonna
throw his parents out of the temple. What's the spirit of
love, isn't it? They were gonna throw him out of the temple. What had happened here went against
their religious tradition, their religious rituals. It went against
everything. And in fact, they were afraid.
The parents were scared to death. And they finally said, you just
go ask the boy. He's of age. Just let him fall
on the sword. In John 9, 24, they called the
man that was blind and they said unto him, give God praise. We know this man's a sinner.
And he answered. He said whether he be a sinner
or not, I don't know. I know not, but I do know this.
Whereas I was blind, now I see. It's what he did. It's what the
Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to do. Look at verse 17 again
here in 2 Kings 6. Elisha prayed and said, Lord,
I pray that you open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord
opened the eyes of the young man and he saw. All that he would do that for
us, that he would open our eyes and let us see the Lord Jesus
Christ. Has he done that for you? If
not, If not, I'd make it my prayer, my cry. Open my eyes that I might
see. I hope that gives us comfort. I
hope that gives us rest, confidence, not in ourselves, but in Him. Calls us to rest.