An Invisible Army. Introduction: Loneliness is one of the most difficult things that a human being can deal

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1 1 An Invisible Army 2 Kings 6:8-19 The Word of God will increase my faith, so then I will follow its precepts and get the Word out to all that will hear! Introduction: Loneliness is one of the most difficult things that a human being can deal with and I believe at some level we have all dealt with it. - You can be lonely in the midst of a huge crowd basically we feel lonely not because no one is around but because there is no one there for us, no one has our back no one is on our side! A. The believer is in a battle we all are the enemy has a desire to take us and sift us wheat! 1. We are in a battle to walk with God in and for His glory. 2. And often we feel outnumbered and alone! B. Too often the Battle feels too big for us and feel over whelmed when we see the size of the enemy we are facing! 1. We see the enemy or the situation or even a conflict or whatever comes against us as simply bigger and stronger then we can handle. And that church is the ultimate feeling of loneness is to be in a battle against an army that we cannot defeat alone! 2. There have many times in my life personally that I didn t think that I could fight any more. - I was out matched! - I was tired! - There were those that that I thought I could count on now were gone and their friendship and support had simply walked away! (have you been there?)

2 2 - There are have been times that I felt totally alone in the battle and defeat was any minute! Fueled by gossip, backbiting, and criticism surrounded the enemy had dug in and we feel as if we stand alone to take on the enemy! Transition: Church in our text this morning that is exactly how Elisha s attendant felt as he seen the enemy camp around them ready to destroy them at any moment! A. In the context of our text Aram (modern day Syria) was warring against God s people, Israel. Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 2 Kings 6:8 1. Now Elisha being God s Prophet told Israel not to go near the camp of Aram 9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there. 10 The king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice. 2 Kings 6: The King of Aram was furious thinking there was a spy in his camp but was informed that it was not a spy rather Israel had a prophet named Elisha! - So now Elisha was seen as a threat because he exposed Aram s plan to defeat God s people. 3. That is how much of the world views believers, as a threat! - That is why every religion and every belief is tolerated by the world except Christianity!

3 3 Do you remember when Peter and others were preaching Jesus and they were arrested and they told them we will let you go just don t preach in that name! - Listen church there is something about that name, there is something about the power of God that smacks the pride of the world and the reject it and they rise up against it! Vs 11 The world is content to live without recognizing God, doing their own thing without any accountability! The King of Aram finds out that Elisha is at a place called Dothan so he sends a big army down to get him. Vs = Now that is where our text begins: 15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! [a]what shall we do? 2 Kings 6:15 I. You Can t Always Believe What You See Verse 15 A. Elisha s attendant was freaking out! - All he could see was this big army surrounding them preparing to attack and kill them! 1. We have a lot of examples in God s Word where what looked like an impossible situation things weren t exactly what they looked like: The Army of Israel like across the Valley and seen an undefeated giant but things were not exactly the way they looked a young fellow named David in the name of his God slung a simple stone and took him out. - When things looked impossible God showed up! Joshua looked at the city of Jericho with its huge impenetrable walls if Joshua would have gone by what it looked like he and the God s people would have turned and walked away defeated.

4 4 - But God showed up with the instructions to bring the walls down and conquer a city that looked like was impossible to take down. - God showed up! God took Gideon s army now so small that it was next to nothing and it looked like it would be impossible for them to win the battle against the enemies great army but what looked impossible God showed up and the won the battle! B. Elisha s attendant was afraid because of what he saw. 1. Now let s not be too hard on the fellow that is all he could see and it would be a frightening sight! - Things didn t look good for the home team. 2. Let s pause here for just a minute: I you been there, have there been situations in your life where it looked like certain defeat? - Your friends had abandoned you - You were the only one standing up for what was right - You were doing everything that God was directing you to do but it seemed like everyone was against you? - Maybe everything you could see looked like certain defeat! Church, for the believer you can t always believe what you can see! You see faith is the substance of things that we cannot see: God is going to show up as a matter of truth He never left you! 3. Listen Church sometimes when we can t even see our situation working out in any good way possible we just have to stand! - We just have to believe God s Word that He will not leave us alone and that that He is greater than any Goliath, any Jericho or any army that we may have to face!

5 5 Transition: We must take our stand not on what we can see but on what we know by faith that God will never leave us! = God is a God of the impossible! Now simply things are not always as they appear with the natural eye! A. So the Attendant runs and tells Elisha (aren t you glad God puts Elisha s in our life! 15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! [a]what shall we do? 2 Kings 6:15 1. Elisha responds don t worry about we have the A Team! 16 So he [a]answered, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 2 Kings 6:16 II. What You Can t See Can Help You! Verse A. Elisha encouraged him he told him that those that were with them were greater then what Aram had brought. 1. Do you suppose that attendant looked around maybe looked around again and thought that Elisha may have lost his mind. Well what I see is a couple folks and what I see is a great army Unless you got some great escape plan I see us dead now I am not sure if that is what the attendant thought or said but it is probably what I would have thought and said in his place! Church truth is that we do have the enemy encamped all around us! - Satan is going to and fro seeking to devour us! - The world has great numbers and is seeking to quench the gospel to stop Christians from spreading the word about Jesus.

6 6 2. There is a great push of the world to get Christians and even churches to conform to the world and it is working because we can t see any other way to be successful but to compromise the give in to the enemy. The scripture doesn t say it but I bet it cross the attendants my why don t we just act like them and they will not destroy us! B. Church do you know this that with God in our lives that we are not only undefeated but we are undefeatable. 1. Elisha said that those that are with us are greater than those that are with them. Transition: At this point maybe the attendant went out and looked again maybe even recounted 562, 563, 1006, and 1007 it sure didn t look like what Elisha was saying! A. But Elisha knew that God had not abandoned them, He from where there help would come! 1. So Elisha prayed! He prayed for his friends eyes to be opened and they were! III. Pray for Others Eyes to be opened to see the Power of God. Vs 17 A. So let s look at the situation they are surrounded by the enemy it looks like certain destruction is at hand. 1. Elisha prays and the spiritual eyes of his friend are opened: 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the servant s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17 - Uhum not just horses and chariots but chariots of fire! Give me chariots of fire over plain ole chariots any time!!!!

7 7 B. Church we need to see things with the spiritual eyes that God has given us which is faith, faith is the hope of thing not seen with our natural eye. 1. Church when God said he wouldn t leave us he does it in a big way He has an army of heavenly host surrounding us. 2. God has given us the Holy Spirit of God to guide us (greater is he who is in us then who that is in the world. The world, the enemy of God has chariots but God has chariots of fire!!!!! - There is nothing that separate us from the love of almighty God and His power! - There is not a Goliath or a battle that God cannot defeat! Church we must live by faith and not by sight are natural sight will cause to walk in fear but when we see the awesome power of God we will truly see that we are more than conquerors in His power! Transition: Church, we need to quit worrying about the enemy and just put on the full amour of God and live for Him, take a stand! If God is for us who is it that can come against us! Closing: Let me close with these thoughts: A. There are times when we feel defeated we look around and it seems as if we are all alone and the enemy is greater than we stand. 1. There are times when we see our brothers and sisters in Christ in the same situation. Together lets pray, pray that God will open our eyes to see His chariots of fire that are camped around our lives! Pray not that God would change our situation but God would open our eyes to see His power in our situation.

8 8 God help us not to live in fear but boldly acknowledge to power of God in our lives!