Sermon Tone Analysis

Job Description of a Flag Bearer

Text

2 Kings 2:

Introduction

Where is the church?

I read a lot of random things.

I suppose I read like someone sifting for gold.

Once I find some gold, I’ll stay there a while and see what all else is under there.

And then there are times when I think I’ve found a gold book and it turns out to be complete trash!

Fool’s gold.

But, I read something recently in an article that really gripped me.

The article was about millennials.

And the part that startled me was a study that was taken up among this age group (25 and under).

It said that, “66% of Millennials believe that the church, as a whole, is actually hurting society.”

“Of this same group, the majority seemed to criticize the church in that they did not care for the idea of meeting inside the four walls of a church twice a week, and they preferred a more active, involving group that is not divisive or instructing.”

“The main concern of this group is that the principles and lessons taught within the four walls of the church are not being seen lived out in action on the outside of the church, and it seems that they asked the question, ‘Where is the church?’”

Now, while I believe that this group of people (my generation) is for the most part ignorant and blinded, there is a question they bring up that does beg an answer today: “Where… is… the… church?”

Now, I know that there IS a church today.

But my question is, “Where is the church for you?”

Does it merely reside within four walls and stay locked up for when you enter?

Is it a group that only becomes the church when we are together?

Is it held within a location that you have to go to in order to observe and witness the church?

My answer to you today, on “Where is the church?” is that it is no building that can ever be built and we’re not going to bring it down that low.

THE CHURCH IS IN YOU and it’s in ME!!!

And when we walk in these four walls it’s with us, BUT it’s got to go OUT of these four walls with us, as well!

That’s why He didn’t say, “Forsake not the assemblying of bricks, and drywall, and carpet together,” but He said, “Forsake not the assemblying of YOURSELVES together!”

Because God realizes that each and every one of the children of God together ARE THE CHURCH!!!

Body

Elisha Replaces Elijah

Elijah was a great man of God.

Regarded as the prophet of all prophets.

A faithful man and a man who was confident in his God.

But, as with every person, there came a time for him to leave this earthly place in favor of a heavenly home.

And we know that this was to be at Gilgal (with the whirlwind and the chariot of fire).

So he set out with his loyal servant and protige, Elisha.

Now - one thing that is absolutely remarkable about this young man Elisha is his his faithfulness and loyalty.

He constantly stood with his master, even in the face of great challenges.

SIDE POINT: One thing that you can’t afford to miss out on in the church is having someone as a close friend or mentor.

You have to have something to shoot for and someone to encourage you in this thing.

If all you have is yourself, you don’t really have a relationship with God to compare to or be encouraged by.

This is why people who want to live for God without the church are unsuccessful.

You need to get somebody you can be close to and encourage in the faith and grow in God with!

There were some boys who were the sons of the prophets in Bethel.

These men knew that Elijah was leaving, and the Bible says that they asked him “whether he knew?”

They were probably wondering why Elisha was following him about if he knew his master was departing soon.

And I believe that these men were probably expecting Elijah to be overcome with emotions at seeing his leader leave.

And the same thing happened when they came across the sons of the prophets in Jericho.

They asked Elisha if he knew his master was leaving him.

And his response was firm, “I know, hold your peace.”

And they kept on travelling.

Elisha’s determination and faithfulness was even more proved when his own master told him to stay behind twice (at Bethel and at Jericho), and he refused to leave.

Elisha knew that the time had come for Elijah to leave this life.

And the reason he was so close to him, and the reason he refused to leave his side is because he didn’t want to see the spirit that Elijah had leave this world, as well.

That’s why he asked for that spirit:

Can I tell you today, that Elijah was carrying a baton that was passed to Elisha!

Elijah waved a flag that stood for godliness, for a love of the truth, for prayer, and for worship, and when it was time for Elijah to go, Elisha said, “I WANT THAT FLAG! HAND ME THE FLAG, ELIJAH!

I WANT A DOUBLE PORTION OF YOUR ANOINTING!”

Elisha wanted to bear that flag that Elijah had been carrying for God.

The Flag Bearer

I recently studied into the job of a “standard bearer” or a “flag bearer”.

The person carrying the flag has been seen in Medieval times, modern times, and currently, in the Olympic games.

But the origin of the job of the flag bearer is found in war and battles.

Now, obviously there are many jobs that soldiers have dispersed to them.

There are doctors.

There are cooks.

There are men who work in communications.

And there are those who work fighting right on the frontlines.

But then there’s the job of the flag bearer...

When I began studying and reading up on the responsibilities and the job description of the flag bearer, God began to tug and pull at my heart.

The flag bearer is a job that any soldier who understands honor would surely desire.

The Job

The purpose of a flag bearer was to give the unit's member a visual signal as to where the unit was.

Somebody’s Got To Carry The Flag!

If in the course of a fight, you were separated from your unit, one looked around until you saw the standard and then tried to get back close to it.

The standard bearer normally was in close proximity to the unit leader.

Somebody’s Got To Carry The Flag!

Loss of a standard in battle was considered to be one of the worst things to happen - the Honor of the unit was lost.

By the same token, capturing a standard by an opponent was considered to be a tremendous act of courage.

Somebody’s Got To Carry The Flag!

When the flag 'fell', the unit members did not have a visual point to rally around or return to, and there could only be confusion.

Somebody’s Got To Carry The Flag!

And so when the flag bearer was hit, or was lost, those soldiers were taught to never let the flag touch the ground...

Somebody’s Got To Carry The Flag!

Somebody’s Got To Carry The Flag!

And Elijah was about to be gone and there was a flag out there that was dropping - Elisha knew that he had to be there to catch the flag, and to be the one who would now bear that flag.

I want to tell you today that, this week I had to say goodbye to an old friend.

And it was so very hard, as I’m sure it was for others, too.

And while I don’t intend to raise up all kind of emotions in you today, I want to remind you, soldier, what the correct response must be...

…you’ve got to pick up his flag!

Don’t let the flag touch the ground!

Hey - SOMEBODY’S got to carry the flag of truth, and worship, and faithfulness!!!

You need to pick that banner up and wave it like nothing anybody’s ever seen before!!!

Maybe that’s not you, and you’re not that person who would be seen waving a flag - I don’t care!

The fact is, we’ve been commissioned, we’ve been commanded to carry this thing!

Honey, you better pick up that flag and wave it higher and stronger and bolder that you’ve ever seen it done!

Some

SOMEBODY’S GOT TO CARRY THAT FLAG!!!!!

The Doctrine Of Acts Chapter 2

Acts 2:

The important word in all of this: “continued”.