100:00:00,640 –> 00:00:08,880Elisha surely was a great man of God and God worked through him in extraordinary ways.200:00:09,920 –> 00:00:14,480But the emphasis of the story is not on Elisha’s strength and power300:00:14,480 –> 00:00:20,240but on Elisha’s limitations and on Elisha’s weakness.400:00:20,240 –> 00:00:23,840Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick.500:00:24,320 –> 00:00:28,400Thanks for joining us today and Colin that sounds counterintuitive600:00:28,400 –> 00:00:31,200or at least different to what we often hear700:00:31,200 –> 00:00:35,279which is to maximize your strengths rather than knowing your weakness.800:00:36,000 –> 00:00:41,599Yeah well I think the reality is that sooner or later God brings us to a place900:00:41,599 –> 00:00:46,639where we do experience our own weakness and that’s where Elisha was here.1000:00:46,639 –> 00:00:49,759He was confronted with a boy who was dead.1100:00:50,080 –> 00:00:55,360Well you know what’s he going to do about that?1200:00:55,439 –> 00:01:02,959And in all of our lives we come to a place where God takes us away from the position of saying1300:01:02,959 –> 00:01:07,760I can do this and puts us in a position where we realize1400:01:07,760 –> 00:01:12,720I am absolutely, completely, totally and utterly dependent upon God.1500:01:13,599 –> 00:01:18,239And that is to experience our own weakness, to recognize the limitations1600:01:18,239 –> 00:01:24,480that there are things that are beyond our power and that are only possible for God himself.1700:01:24,559 –> 00:01:30,639And I think that that’s why in the New Testament Paul speaks about rejoicing in his weakness1800:01:30,639 –> 00:01:36,080because it is there, he says, that God’s power is made clear.1900:01:36,080 –> 00:01:41,599God’s power rests on him, when he’s most aware of what he can’t do.2000:01:41,599 –> 00:01:44,639And it becomes evident that whatever does happen2100:01:44,639 –> 00:01:48,160has happened through the power and grace and mercy of God alone.2200:01:48,400 –> 00:01:52,080So, I think this theme of knowing our weakness,2300:01:52,080 –> 00:01:57,120knowing our dependence upon God is really very important in the Christian life2400:01:57,120 –> 00:02:00,879and you’re absolutely right, it’s very counterintuitive2500:02:00,879 –> 00:02:03,680to the kind of message that we hear around us each day.2600:02:03,680 –> 00:02:05,839Let’s look at what God’s word says about this.2700:02:05,839 –> 00:02:08,080So, we’re in 2 Kings 4.2800:02:08,080 –> 00:02:11,759As we continue the message God will comfort us.2900:02:11,759 –> 00:02:13,119Here is Pastor Colin.3000:02:13,119 –> 00:02:17,119God’s servants are greatly blessed.3100:02:17,119 –> 00:02:17,919Never forget it.3200:02:19,119 –> 00:02:20,000Never forget it.3300:02:21,199 –> 00:02:21,600Second.3400:02:23,039 –> 00:02:26,639God’s servants endure great sorrow.3500:02:27,679 –> 00:02:29,039The story continues.3600:02:29,039 –> 00:02:29,839Verse 18.3700:02:31,360 –> 00:02:37,679When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers3800:02:38,880 –> 00:02:40,559and he said to his father,3900:02:40,559 –> 00:02:42,639Oh my head! My head!4000:02:44,880 –> 00:02:47,039And the father said to his servant,4100:02:47,119 –> 00:02:48,559Carry him to his mother!4200:02:50,080 –> 00:02:54,000And when they had lifted him and brought him to his mother,4300:02:54,000 –> 00:02:57,360the child sat on her lap till noon4400:02:59,839 –> 00:03:00,880and then he died.4500:03:03,279 –> 00:03:06,559Suddenly, without any warning at all,4600:03:08,240 –> 00:03:11,759this godly woman who had been so greatly blessed was afflicted4700:03:13,440 –> 00:03:15,679by this terrible, terrible loss.4800:03:17,839 –> 00:03:22,399And who in the world could have imagined, when the sun came up that morning,4900:03:23,279 –> 00:03:26,960that this lady’s son would be dead by noon?5000:03:29,600 –> 00:03:32,479We don’t know how old the boy was when he died.5100:03:32,479 –> 00:03:36,160He’s referred to as a child who had grown in verse 18.5200:03:36,160 –> 00:03:39,279But he was young enough still to sit on his mother’s lap.5300:03:41,360 –> 00:03:43,199And here we have every mother’s nightmare,5400:03:44,100 –> 00:03:46,479a nightmare that some among us have known.5500:03:47,759 –> 00:03:53,759The unimaginable sorrow of the death of a child.5600:03:56,240 –> 00:03:59,440Now you would think that the first thing the mother would do5700:03:59,440 –> 00:04:01,440would be go and tell her husband.5800:04:01,440 –> 00:04:02,880She didn’t do that.5900:04:02,880 –> 00:04:07,600She laid the boy on the bed in Elisha’s room6000:04:07,600 –> 00:04:12,080and she told her husband that she was going to go and see the man of God.6100:04:12,479 –> 00:04:14,000And then she said to her husband,6200:04:14,720 –> 00:04:15,520all is well.6300:04:16,720 –> 00:04:23,200She then rode on her donkey as fast as she could from Shunem to Mount Carmel.6400:04:23,200 –> 00:04:28,079Where Elisha was a probably around 20 miles journey altogether.6500:04:28,959 –> 00:04:33,279And when Elisha saw her in the distance,6600:04:33,279 –> 00:04:35,679he sensed immediately that something was wrong.6700:04:36,480 –> 00:04:41,600Verse 25 when the man of God saw her coming he said to Gehazi his servant,6800:04:41,600 –> 00:04:43,679look there is the Shunemite.6900:04:43,679 –> 00:04:47,839Run at once to meet her and say to her is all well with you?7000:04:49,040 –> 00:04:50,640Is all well with your husband?7100:04:52,239 –> 00:04:54,000Is all well with the child?7200:04:56,480 –> 00:04:59,040Well Gehazi went out to meet the woman.7300:04:59,040 –> 00:05:04,559She clearly brushed Gehazi off with the same answer that she gave to her husband,7400:05:04,559 –> 00:05:05,760all is well.7500:05:05,760 –> 00:05:09,359And when she saw Elisha she let him have it.7600:05:09,920 –> 00:05:14,959Verse 28 did I ask my Lord for a son?7700:05:16,079 –> 00:05:19,440Did I not say do not deceive me?7800:05:22,000 –> 00:05:23,200Do you see what she is saying?7900:05:24,480 –> 00:05:26,959This is exactly what I was afraid of,8000:05:28,959 –> 00:05:32,559that my heart would be filled with joy and then that it would be broken.8100:05:32,559 –> 00:05:46,320But God’s servants are greatly blessed and God’s servants endure great sorrows.8200:05:47,040 –> 00:05:50,880Now this is a pattern in the Christian life.8300:05:52,320 –> 00:06:02,079This godly woman received an unexpected gift, and she endured an unexpected sorrow.8400:06:03,399 –> 00:06:07,320And you can’t read this story surely, about a godly8500:06:07,320 –> 00:06:13,480woman who received the gift of a promised son who then died, without8600:06:13,480 –> 00:06:20,000thinking about another woman in the Bible whose son was promised and then8700:06:20,000 –> 00:06:25,799died. You remember the words of the angel to Mary?8800:06:25,859 –> 00:06:34,660And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call8900:06:34,660 –> 00:06:42,000his name Jesus. And then do you remember the words of Simeon? That old prophet who9000:06:42,000 –> 00:06:47,619came to the temple when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus there, and he9100:06:47,619 –> 00:06:51,200took the infant Jesus in his arms and blessed him then he spoke words of9200:06:51,200 –> 00:06:59,420blessing over Mary and Joseph and then he said to Mary, and a sword will pierce9300:06:59,420 –> 00:07:10,540through your soul also. And a sword did pierce through Mary’s soul, who can9400:07:10,540 –> 00:07:18,019imagine the pain that she felt as she watched from the foot of the cross, as9500:07:18,420 –> 00:07:26,160her son hung there and suffered and died.9600:07:27,059 –> 00:07:34,140Do you know when sorrow comes, and some of you know this from your own9700:07:34,140 –> 00:07:41,359experience, when sorrow comes there can be a condemning voice that sounds off in9800:07:41,359 –> 00:07:51,339your head, and it says, I must have done something wrong for this to happen, but9900:07:51,339 –> 00:07:57,200what I want you to notice here is that this is a story about the most Godly of10000:07:57,200 –> 00:08:06,820women, and it points clearly to the story of Mary, the mother of our Lord.10100:08:07,779 –> 00:08:18,679Why do the godly suffer? God’s providence is a mystery. All that we know is that10200:08:18,679 –> 00:08:29,899the godly do suffer. That this too is within the purpose of God, and that one10300:08:30,739 –> 00:08:41,260day God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. You cannot serve Christ without10400:08:41,260 –> 00:08:48,219in a profound way bearing the cross. You want to live a life of service, obedience10500:08:48,219 –> 00:08:53,940to Christ? What should you expect? Well you should know that God’s servants10600:08:54,559 –> 00:09:01,900blessed, and you should know that God’s servants endure great sorrow. And then10700:09:01,900 –> 00:09:05,020there’s a third thing that is a principle that will run throughout the10800:09:05,020 –> 00:09:10,260lives of all who devote themselves to the service of Christ and that is that10900:09:10,260 –> 00:09:17,359God’s servants depend on God. Now, it would be very easy for us to read the11000:09:17,559 –> 00:09:24,539story in a way that makes Elisha the hero, but that would be a big mistake.11100:09:24,539 –> 00:09:31,979Elisha surely was a great man of God and God worked through him in extraordinary11200:09:31,979 –> 00:09:38,520ways, but the emphasis of the story is not on Elisha’s strength and power, but11300:09:38,520 –> 00:09:46,400on Elisha’s limitations and on Elisha’s weakness. The hero of the story is God11400:09:46,760 –> 00:09:55,140himself, not Elisha. Elisha is dependent on God, and that comes out very clearly11500:09:55,140 –> 00:10:01,340in at least two ways. Notice first, for example, what Elisha doesn’t know,11600:10:01,340 –> 00:10:09,840verse 27. The man of God said, leave her alone for she is in bitter distress11700:10:09,840 –> 00:10:15,780and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.11800:10:15,780 –> 00:10:19,039That’s a very humbling thing for a prophet to say.11900:10:19,039 –> 00:10:24,760His experience was that God revealed mysteries to him, direct revelation.12000:10:24,760 –> 00:10:30,580But now he comes to the situation of such great pain for someone who is very,12100:10:30,580 –> 00:10:38,200very special in his life. And all he can say is, well, God reveals many things to me12200:10:38,200 –> 00:10:44,080but this one is beyond me. I don’t know what God is doing here.12300:10:44,400 –> 00:10:50,099God has hidden it from me. He has not revealed it to me.12400:10:50,099 –> 00:10:54,140You’re listening to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith and we’ve got a pause briefly there12500:10:54,140 –> 00:10:58,080but we’ll be back very shortly. We’ve been hearing about one of the stories about12600:10:58,080 –> 00:11:01,679Elisha’s life. God had hidden this from Elisha.12700:11:01,679 –> 00:11:05,700But what does that mean for you and me today? And what can we take from that?12800:11:05,700 –> 00:11:09,900We’ll be back shortly with the second part of our message so stay with us.12900:11:09,900 –> 00:11:13,500If you ever miss one of the messages or you have to leave early today13000:11:13,640 –> 00:11:18,280you can catch up on our website openthebible.org.uk13100:11:18,280 –> 00:11:22,520or on your favorite podcast site, by searching for Open the Bible UK,13200:11:22,919 –> 00:11:26,559Back to the message now, here again is pastor Colin.13300:11:26,559 –> 00:11:30,299Now, take this into your heart. It will be helpful to you.13400:11:30,299 –> 00:11:37,960However wise, however discerning, however godly you may be,13500:11:38,400 –> 00:11:42,919there will be some things that you will not understand13600:11:42,940 –> 00:11:47,739because God has not chosen to reveal them to you.13700:11:47,739 –> 00:11:54,280You will find yourself in life, saying at times, this is beyond me.13800:11:54,280 –> 00:11:58,080I’m walking with God but right now I don’t really what it is that he is doing.13900:11:58,080 –> 00:12:03,159I can’t see the way ahead. I am completely and utterly dependent upon God.14000:12:03,159 –> 00:12:06,039And you see, that is why he sometimes hides things from us.14100:12:06,039 –> 00:12:10,679So that we will remember and know how much we depend on him.14200:12:11,659 –> 00:12:16,719And dear friends, this is very humbling.14300:12:16,719 –> 00:12:22,960If you walk closely with God, as many of you do,14400:12:22,960 –> 00:12:28,880there will be some people around you who think that you have all the answers.14500:12:28,880 –> 00:12:34,739And God will put you in a place where something happens and you just don’t know.14600:12:34,739 –> 00:12:38,640And you have to say, I don’t know.14700:12:38,640 –> 00:12:41,820I cannot understand.14800:12:41,820 –> 00:12:46,679So there were things that Elisha didn’t know and then there was something that Elisha attempted14900:12:46,679 –> 00:12:50,559that proved to be unsuccessful.15000:12:50,559 –> 00:12:58,219Notice that he sent Gehazi back to the house in Sunay and gave to Gehazi,15100:12:58,219 –> 00:13:08,320his servant Elisha’s prophet’s staff, and told him to lay the staff on the face of the child.15200:13:08,440 –> 00:13:13,640Gehazi went back, did as Elisha had told him to do, this was Elisha’s initiative in this15300:13:13,640 –> 00:13:19,840desperate situation, and we’re told verse 31, that Gehazi went on ahead and laid the15400:13:19,840 –> 00:13:30,460staff on the face of the child but there was no sound or sign of life.15500:13:30,820 –> 00:13:39,940God sometimes allows His servants to fail in something that we thought would succeed,15600:13:39,940 –> 00:13:46,140and He does that so that we will know and we will remember that we are utterly, always,15700:13:46,140 –> 00:13:49,500completely dependent upon Him.15800:13:49,500 –> 00:13:55,179Remember, Elisha was one of God’s best servants.15900:13:55,179 –> 00:13:58,859He received direct revelation from God.16000:13:59,260 –> 00:14:03,700I mean, we hear the Word of God by opening the Bible.16100:14:03,700 –> 00:14:10,659Elisha, as a prophet, heard the Word of God directly like a hotline from heaven being16200:14:10,659 –> 00:14:14,700revealed to him.16300:14:14,700 –> 00:14:19,460You imagine the temptation that might come with that?16400:14:19,500 –> 00:14:26,479To feel that somehow you have the truth resident within yourself.16500:14:26,479 –> 00:14:29,739That it’s in you.16600:14:29,739 –> 00:14:33,960That you have what it takes.16700:14:33,960 –> 00:14:42,239And how easy it is for us today to live on our gifts, to feel that we have what it takes16800:14:42,239 –> 00:14:43,580to do the work of God.16900:14:43,580 –> 00:14:44,919Yeah, we got it.17000:14:44,919 –> 00:14:48,599We can do it.17100:14:48,739 –> 00:14:52,919And here’s how God deals with that arrogance.17200:14:52,919 –> 00:15:03,239God sometimes allows his own servants to fail, so that we will remember that we are always17300:15:03,239 –> 00:15:08,080completely and utterly dependent on him.17400:15:08,080 –> 00:15:14,039Has that ever happened to you?17500:15:14,039 –> 00:15:18,239You said, let’s do this.17600:15:18,260 –> 00:15:25,619And you were very confident of success, only to be confronted by failure.17700:15:25,619 –> 00:15:32,239Well you see, that was Elisha’s experience, and if that was the experience of a man who17800:15:32,239 –> 00:15:39,299walked so closely with God then we shouldn’t be surprised if it’s our experience as well.17900:15:40,080 –> 00:15:49,200Now the woman was not at all impressed when Elisha sent Gehazi to the house.18000:15:49,219 –> 00:15:55,700Elisha may have thought that God would work through Gehazi taking the staff and laying18100:15:55,700 –> 00:16:01,260it on the face of the child, but the woman wasn’t buying that not for one minute.18200:16:01,260 –> 00:16:09,020Verse 30, she said, As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’18300:16:09,080 –> 00:16:11,280Now, you see what she’s saying to Elisha,18400:16:11,280 –> 00:16:15,219Look, you’ve sent your servant, but I’m not impressed with that.18500:16:15,219 –> 00:16:17,820I want you to come.18600:16:17,820 –> 00:16:22,799And I’m not leaving here until you come with me.18700:16:22,799 –> 00:16:27,640So verse 32, Elisha came to the house.18800:16:27,640 –> 00:16:31,440And that leads to our fourth and last observation.18900:16:31,580 –> 00:16:34,520We’ve seen that God’s servants are greatly blessed.19000:16:34,520 –> 00:16:37,900God’s servants will endure great sorrow.19100:16:37,900 –> 00:16:41,179God’s servants depend on God.19200:16:41,179 –> 00:16:46,359And lastly, God’s servants have a glorious future.19300:16:46,359 –> 00:16:48,640We’re told here that when Elisha came to the house,19400:16:48,640 –> 00:16:51,799he saw the child lying on the bed, verse 32.19500:16:51,799 –> 00:16:56,640So he went up and shut the door and prayed to the Lord.19600:16:56,640 –> 00:17:03,479Then verse 34 then he went up and lay on the child19700:17:03,479 –> 00:17:06,420putting his mouth on his mouth19800:17:06,439 –> 00:17:09,739his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands.19900:17:09,739 –> 00:17:13,699And as he stretched himself upon him,20000:17:13,699 –> 00:17:16,219the flesh of the child became warm.20100:17:17,260 –> 00:17:20,400And then he got up again and walked once back and forth20200:17:20,400 –> 00:17:25,520in the house and went up and stretched himself out upon him.20300:17:25,520 –> 00:17:36,000The child sneezed seven times and the child opened his eyes.20400:17:36,000 –> 00:17:41,839There is no greater miracle than the miracle of resurrection.20500:17:42,979 –> 00:17:44,479And that’s what we have right here.20600:17:46,520 –> 00:17:50,680Do you know there are just three stories20700:17:50,680 –> 00:17:54,180in the Old Testament of resurrections, just three20800:17:54,180 –> 00:17:56,839and they’re all from the time of Elijah and Elisha20900:17:56,839 –> 00:18:00,079and of course this is one of these three.21000:18:00,920 –> 00:18:02,839And why are they there?21100:18:03,520 –> 00:18:08,439They all point forward to the resurrection21200:18:08,439 –> 00:18:10,760of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ21300:18:10,760 –> 00:18:13,619and to the glorious hope of triumph over death21400:18:13,619 –> 00:18:15,660that is ours in Him.21500:18:16,640 –> 00:18:20,800It is almost as if God couldn’t wait21600:18:22,060 –> 00:18:24,140to give the good news of the glorious hope21700:18:24,140 –> 00:18:26,140that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ.21800:18:26,140 –> 00:18:29,140Death will not be the end.21900:18:29,140 –> 00:18:32,219His servants have a glorious future.22000:18:32,239 –> 00:18:37,239They will enjoy a glorious resurrection22100:18:39,119 –> 00:18:43,119and you know there is the most marvellous picture here22200:18:43,119 –> 00:18:46,180of how the Lord Jesus gives us22300:18:46,180 –> 00:18:50,520this new resurrection life.22400:18:50,520 –> 00:18:51,839Notice verse 34.22500:18:51,839 –> 00:18:54,540Elijah lay on the child.22600:18:54,540 –> 00:18:57,800He stretched himself upon him.22700:18:57,819 –> 00:19:00,439Now, in the Old Testament law,22800:19:00,439 –> 00:19:05,439even touching a dead body would make you unclean22900:19:06,959 –> 00:19:11,739and so by stretching himself out over the boy,23000:19:11,739 –> 00:19:15,160Elijah is making himself totally unclean23100:19:17,739 –> 00:19:21,760and when the Lord Jesus Christ stretched himself out23200:19:21,760 –> 00:19:26,760for us on the cross he was made totally unclean.23300:19:27,800 –> 00:19:32,800For our sake God made him Jesus23400:19:35,900 –> 00:19:40,900who knew no sin to be sin for us23500:19:41,060 –> 00:19:46,060that in him we might become the righteousness of God.23600:19:47,300 –> 00:19:50,920Then notice that Elisha lay on the child23700:19:50,920 –> 00:19:53,619putting his mouth on his mouth.23800:19:53,619 –> 00:19:55,180Do you see what’s happening here?23900:19:55,260 –> 00:19:59,000Elisha breathe new life into this boy.24000:20:00,900 –> 00:20:02,459What a wonderful picture that is24100:20:02,459 –> 00:20:05,219of what the Lord Jesus Christ does for us.24200:20:05,219 –> 00:20:10,219He breathes new life into us by his Holy Spirit24300:20:10,920 –> 00:20:14,219and by a miracle of God’s grace24400:20:14,219 –> 00:20:19,140the eternal life that is in him becomes ours.24500:20:21,060 –> 00:20:24,180If you were a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ today24600:20:24,180 –> 00:20:25,819this is what he has done for you.24700:20:25,819 –> 00:20:29,900He has stretched himself out for you on the cross24800:20:30,780 –> 00:20:35,780taking on himself your sin and the death that it brings24900:20:37,140 –> 00:20:40,060and he has breathed new life into you25000:20:40,060 –> 00:20:43,219once you were the apostle says dead25100:20:43,219 –> 00:20:45,180in trespasses and sins25200:20:45,180 –> 00:20:49,180but now you have been made alive in the Lord Jesus Christ25300:20:49,180 –> 00:20:52,839and this life that he has breathed into you will never die25400:20:54,900 –> 00:20:59,900even though you die, yet shall you live.25500:21:02,900 –> 00:21:05,260You see this whole story, a son promised,25600:21:05,260 –> 00:21:07,160the son who died, a son who rose,25700:21:07,160 –> 00:21:11,939it’s all pointing to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ25800:21:13,760 –> 00:21:17,020and it’s telling us what it will look like25900:21:17,939 –> 00:21:21,859for us to follow and to serve him.26000:21:22,680 –> 00:21:27,680If you devote yourself to love and serve26100:21:27,900 –> 00:21:30,979and obey and follow the Lord Jesus Christ,26200:21:30,979 –> 00:21:32,719you will be greatly blessed,26300:21:33,979 –> 00:21:36,459you will endure great sorrow,26400:21:36,459 –> 00:21:40,800you’ll find that you are utterly dependent on God26500:21:40,800 –> 00:21:45,800and you will have the most glorious future.26600:21:45,839 –> 00:21:46,660Future.26700:21:47,760 –> 00:21:50,000Jesus said,26800:21:50,000 –> 00:21:53,060If anyone serves me,26900:21:54,359 –> 00:21:56,439he must follow me.27000:21:58,239 –> 00:22:00,020And you see,27100:22:00,880 –> 00:22:02,239what he’s saying is that27200:22:03,380 –> 00:22:06,079if we follow Jesus,27300:22:07,239 –> 00:22:09,520the pattern of our lives27400:22:09,520 –> 00:22:11,939will reflect the pattern of his life.27500:22:12,760 –> 00:22:14,880If anyone serves me,27600:22:14,880 –> 00:22:16,160he must follow me.27700:22:17,020 –> 00:22:19,400You follow me,27800:22:19,400 –> 00:22:22,000your life is going to be shaped27900:22:22,000 –> 00:22:25,280in the same pattern as the life of Jesus.28000:22:25,280 –> 00:22:26,859That’s what’s being said here.28100:22:28,359 –> 00:22:32,640So as there was a cross for Jesus.28200:22:33,439 –> 00:22:34,479If you follow him,28300:22:35,500 –> 00:22:37,719so there will be a cross for you.28400:22:39,560 –> 00:22:41,560And, dear friends, there is no escaping this.28500:22:41,560 –> 00:22:44,680There is a massive cost28600:22:44,680 –> 00:22:47,300in bringing the gospel to the world.28700:22:48,760 –> 00:22:50,640And Jesus says very clearly28800:22:50,640 –> 00:22:52,640that if we would serve him,28900:22:52,640 –> 00:22:56,020we must take up our share of that cost.29000:22:57,680 –> 00:23:01,520Take up your share of suffering.29100:23:01,520 –> 00:23:04,040Be ready to pay the price,29200:23:04,040 –> 00:23:05,839whatever that may be for you,29300:23:05,839 –> 00:23:07,819of doing God’s will.29400:23:09,719 –> 00:23:12,359As there was a cross for Jesus,29500:23:12,359 –> 00:23:15,040so there will be a cross for you,29600:23:15,040 –> 00:23:19,300and as there was a resurrection for Jesus,29700:23:19,300 –> 00:23:22,939so there will be a resurrection for you.29800:23:25,540 –> 00:23:26,939And that is why Jesus says,29900:23:26,939 –> 00:23:28,359if anyone serves me,30000:23:29,780 –> 00:23:31,540he must follow me.30100:23:33,359 –> 00:23:35,780Follow me in carrying the cross.30200:23:37,400 –> 00:23:41,040Follow me in rising from the dead,30300:23:42,020 –> 00:23:44,839so that where I am there,30400:23:46,459 –> 00:23:50,560my servant will be also.30500:23:51,560 –> 00:23:53,560You’ve been listening to pastor Colin Smith30600:23:53,560 –> 00:23:55,839on Open the Bible and a message called,30700:23:55,839 –> 00:23:57,719God will comfort us.30800:23:57,719 –> 00:24:00,800It’s part of the series In God We Trust.30900:24:00,800 –> 00:24:04,199The story of Elisah taken from 2 Kings.31000:24:04,199 –> 00:24:07,040If you ever miss one of the messages in our series31100:24:07,040 –> 00:24:10,660you can easily catch up at openthebible.org.uk31200:24:11,459 –> 00:24:13,199or on your favorite podcast site31300:24:13,199 –> 00:24:16,800by searching for Open the Bible, UK.31400:24:16,800 –> 00:24:18,920On our website, openthebible.org.uk,31500:24:20,520 –> 00:24:23,719we have a number of resources for individual Christians,31600:24:23,719 –> 00:24:26,859churches and Bible Study groups.31700:24:26,859 –> 00:24:29,180One of those is Fly Through the Bible.31800:24:29,180 –> 00:24:31,920This short simple journey through the Bible story31900:24:31,920 –> 00:24:35,719can be enjoyed on your own with a friend or as a group32000:24:35,719 –> 00:24:39,599for each of the 15 sessions you can watch a short video,32100:24:39,599 –> 00:24:41,819then work through the questions.32200:24:41,819 –> 00:24:44,280If you want to do a more detailed Bible study,32300:24:44,280 –> 00:24:46,239a guide is available for you to use32400:24:46,239 –> 00:24:49,020in small groups or one-to-one.32500:24:49,020 –> 00:24:50,979To make the most of Fly Through the Bible,32600:24:50,979 –> 00:24:53,199we recommend buying the book.32700:24:53,199 –> 00:24:54,680There is also a free app32800:24:54,680 –> 00:24:57,520that can be used alongside all the materials32900:24:57,520 –> 00:24:59,400to find Fly Through the Bible,33000:24:59,400 –> 00:25:03,319go to our website, openthebible.org.uk33100:25:03,319 –> 00:25:05,599and click on courses.33200:25:05,880 –> 00:25:08,160For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,33300:25:08,160 –> 00:25:09,239I’m David Pick,33400:25:09,239 –> 00:25:12,079and I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time.33500:25:20,020 –> 00:25:24,359You or someone you know has made a foolish mistake,33600:25:24,359 –> 00:25:27,479how can God’s word possibly continue?33700:25:27,479 –> 00:25:30,060Find out next time, on Open the Bible.