"Building a Church Through Outreach"
Don’t Stop Short!
ELCOG 7/8/07
Text: 2 Kings 13:15-19
Last Sunday God began a new season at the East Lauderdale Church, a season of refreshing. I mentioned last Sunday that we needed more than a time of refreshing, but we needed an extended period of time, we need weeks or maybe months of refreshing. With this in mind I want to preach a very simple sermon this morning to encourage you not to stop short. I have seen so many people content with a beginning, but they never push through to the end. We often stop short of what God intends for us. Many of us in this room will be satisfied with last Sunday’s outpouring, but that was only the beginning. We must not stop short of what God wants to do.
In our text we see the final prophecy of Elisha’s ministry. He is sick in bed and King Jehoash visits him and breaks down in tears at the sight of the dying prophet. The Lord moves on Elisha one last time and he directs the King to get a bow and some arrows and the king did as he was instructed. Elisha told him to open the eastern window and he put his hands on the king’s hands and they shot an arrow out the window. And Elisha said "This is the Lord’s arrow of victory over Aram- you will completely conquer Arameans".
This sounds wonderful that Israel will defeat their enemies. I like that kind of news. Some of you last week shot a victory arrow out the window and received a promise of victory. Some of you heard the words that you were going to conquer and you shouted with victory. I am thankful that God has given us the victory. I need to remind you today, after you have been through a long week, that the victory arrow has been shot. Take joy today because God has given you the victory! You are going to come out on top.
BUT the story does not end with just a victory arrow. Elisha tells the king to grab the rest of the arrows and to hit the floor and the king does so, but he only hits three times. The king had already been told that he was going to have victory. The king already felt the peace of being told that he was gong to triumph over his enemy. He wasn’t really thinking at this point. He hit three times and Elisha became very mad at him and said why did you stop at three hits? You should have hit the ground 5 or 6 times. The king stopped short. He was told of his victory so why keep going? That is the place some of you find yourself at. You have heard the victory report, and the other arrows are in your hand and I have come this morning to this pulpit to encourage you to not stop short. Hit the ground again. God wants you to conquer not just to the point of victory, but to the point of destruction.
That is what Elisha told the king. You have hit the ground 3 times, so now you will only win 3 victories, if you would have hit the ground 5 or 6 times you would have completely destroyed the Arameans.
Listen; there is a lesson to be learned today. Don’t stop short. God wants you to win more than a victory; he wants you to destroy your enemy past the point of ever coming back. Some of you danced last week, but you need to strike the ground again. You need more than just one victory. You need to finish the fight. I want you to destroy this enemy so that it will never bother you again. Don’t stop short.
1 Cor. 9:24
24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1 Cor. 9:25
25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1 Cor. 9:26
26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1 Cor. 9:27
27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Your mind has to be made up to finish the race. You can not receive the prize if you stop short. You must continue to fight. You must be determined to hold out to the very end.
Matt. 10:22
22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
It’s the one that keeps on going that will win. Strike the ground again. Hit it again. Don’t be satisfied with anything else.
James 1:12
12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
I am not going to give up. I refuse to stop short. I have endured temptation. I am going to get my refreshing. I am going to destroy my enemy. I will have the complete victory in my life. I will receive the crown of life.
Phil. 3:13
13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Phil. 3:14
14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Keep pressing. You must press through to victory. You have to get the prize in mind. Christ has already shot the victory arrow. The price has already been paid for you to walk in victory, but to what level your victory will be will depend on you. How many times will you strike the ground? Will you stop short? Will you be satisfied with just a little or do you want all God wants to give you.
Do you have some things in your life that you need to strike out? Do you have some things that you want to completely destroy? Then strike again. Don’t stop short. Keep going. You have only begun. It’s the one that finishes the race that wins, not the one that begins it. Everyone loves the beginning, but many people will not finish. Keep on going. Allow God to destroy your enemy. Strike again. The victory arrow has been in the shot, but now it’s up to you to destroy.