by Lakepointe Church on Mar 18, 2024
In today's gathering, I reflected on the unwavering faith and commitment exemplified by the prophet Elisha, drawing parallels to our own spiritual journey and the growth of our church over the past 14 years. I shared the story of Elisha, who, when called by God through Elijah, did not hesitate to leave his life as a farmer. He slaughtered his oxen and burned his plowing equipment, symbolizing a complete and irreversible commitment to God's calling, with no fallback plan.
I began by expressing my gratitude for the privilege of serving as your pastor and for the support of my family and the church community. I recounted the humble beginnings of our church, which coincided with my son's third birthday, and the unwavering support of my wife, Karen, without whom this journey would not have been possible.
The core of my message centered on the concept of "burning the plow," a metaphor for letting go of our security and fully committing to God's plan for our lives. I urged you to consider what "plows" you might need to burn in your own life—those things that hold you back from fully embracing God's purpose.
I outlined five practical steps to deepen our commitment to God and His work: pray for the church and each other, volunteer and get involved, grow spiritually through connection and personal devotion, invite others to join us in worship, and invest faithfully in the church's mission.
I shared personal anecdotes, including my own experience of turning down a job offer to follow God's call to ministry, and the story of church members who demonstrated "plow-burning faith" by making significant sacrifices to support the church's growth.
As we look to the future, I encouraged you to listen for God's voice, even if it comes as just one word, and to obey immediately without needing to understand all the details. I emphasized that God often uses those who are willing to let go of their security and trust in His provision.
In closing, I prayed for our continued faithfulness and for the courage to let go of whatever holds us back, trusting that God will use us for greater things in His kingdom.
Key Takeaways:
- True commitment to God's calling requires a willingness to let go of our security and trust in His plan, even when it means giving up something valuable or comfortable. Elisha's act of burning his plowing equipment is a powerful example of such commitment, demonstrating that there is no turning back when we follow God. [01:22:56]
- Prayer is not just a ritual; it is a powerful tool that aligns our hearts with God's will. Praying for our church, its leaders, and each other is essential to withstand the spiritual battles we face and to continue growing in our faith and outreach. [01:18:56]
- Volunteering is not merely about filling a need within the church; it is about actively participating in God's work. When we step out in service, we become conduits of God's love and grace, impacting lives and allowing ourselves to be transformed in the process. [01:19:40]
- Spiritual growth is not a passive experience; it requires active engagement in community and personal disciplines. By connecting with others and nurturing our relationship with God through reading the Bible and prayer, we mature in our faith and become equipped to disciple others. [01:20:12]
- Inviting others to church is not just about increasing numbers; it's about sharing the transformative power of the gospel. When we extend invitations, we offer people the opportunity to encounter the love and truth of Jesus Christ, which can change their lives forever. [01:20:55]
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1 Kings 19:19-21 (NIV)
> So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
#### Observation Questions
1. What was Elisha doing when Elijah found him, and what did Elijah do to signify his calling? ([41:24])
2. How did Elisha respond to Elijah's call, and what actions did he take to show his commitment? ([42:22])
3. What does the act of burning the plowing equipment symbolize in Elisha's story? ([42:27])
4. What are the five practical steps mentioned in the sermon to deepen our commitment to God and His work? ([01:19:02])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Elisha chose to burn his plowing equipment and slaughter his oxen instead of keeping them? What does this tell us about his level of commitment? ([42:27])
2. How does the concept of "burning the plow" apply to modern-day believers? What might be some "plows" that people need to burn today? ([01:18:04])
3. The sermon mentioned that God often uses those who are willing to let go of their security. How does this principle manifest in the story of Elisha and in the personal anecdotes shared by the pastor? ([01:07:03])
4. What does it mean to obey God immediately without understanding all the details, as highlighted in the sermon? Can you think of a biblical or personal example where this principle was evident? ([52:15])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life. Are there any "plows" that you need to burn to fully commit to God's calling? What steps can you take this week to start letting go of these securities? ([01:18:04])
2. The pastor emphasized the importance of prayer for the church, its leaders, and each other. How can you incorporate more intentional prayer into your daily routine? ([01:18:56])
3. Volunteering was highlighted as a way to actively participate in God's work. Are there areas within the church or community where you feel called to serve? How can you take the first step to get involved? ([01:19:40])
4. Spiritual growth requires active engagement. What specific actions can you take to grow spiritually, such as joining a small group or setting aside time for personal devotion? ([01:20:12])
5. Inviting others to church is about sharing the transformative power of the gospel. Who in your life can you invite to church or share your faith with this week? How will you approach them? ([01:20:55])
6. The pastor shared a personal story about turning down a job offer to follow God's call. Have you ever faced a similar decision? How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience? ([48:09])
7. The sermon mentioned that God often gives just one word to guide us. Have you ever received a clear word or direction from God? How did you respond, and what was the outcome? ([55:01])
Day 1: Embracing God's Call with Bold Sacrifice
True commitment to God involves a readiness to abandon our earthly securities to embrace His divine plan. Elisha's decision to burn his plowing equipment is a vivid illustration of such dedication. It signifies a point of no return, a moment where faith and obedience eclipse the comfort of the known and the routine. This act of burning the plow is not just about leaving behind a former way of life; it's about stepping into a new identity and purpose that God has ordained. It's a declaration that the past will not hold sway over the future God has in store. This level of commitment is challenging because it requires not only a moment of decision but a lifetime of walking in that decision, often in the face of uncertainty and without a clear view of the path ahead.
"Then Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak over him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him." (1 Kings 19:19-21 ESV)
Reflection: What is the "plow" in your life that you need to burn to fully commit to God's calling? How can you take a step today to demonstrate that commitment? [01:22:56]
Day 2: The Transformative Power of Prayer
Prayer is the conduit through which the heart is aligned with the divine will. It is not a mere formality but a potent force that shapes the believer and the church community. Through prayer, one can stand firm against spiritual adversities and grow in faith. It is through sincere and fervent prayer that the church can unite, leaders can be upheld, and individual members can find the strength to navigate life's challenges. Prayer is the breath of the spiritual life, constantly renewing and empowering believers to live out their calling.
"But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:4 ESV)
Reflection: How can you more intentionally incorporate prayer for your church and its members into your daily routine? [01:18:56]
Day 3: Service as a Pathway to God's Work
Volunteering within the church is not merely about fulfilling a need; it is an act of worship and a means to engage in the mission of God. When believers offer their time and talents, they become vessels through which God's grace flows into the lives of others. This service is transformative, not only for those being served but also for the servant. It is in giving of oneself that one finds true purpose and experiences the joy of being used by God for a greater cause.
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)
Reflection: What is one way you can volunteer your time or talents this week to serve the church and reflect God's love to others? [01:19:40]
Day 4: Nurturing Spiritual Growth Through Engagement
Spiritual maturity does not happen by accident; it is the result of deliberate and consistent engagement with God and His people. This growth is cultivated through personal disciplines such as Bible study and prayer, as well as through connecting with fellow believers. As one deepens their understanding of God's Word and spends time in His presence, they are equipped to disciple others and to stand firm in their faith, regardless of life's circumstances.
"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation." (1 Peter 2:2 ESV)
Reflection: What is one change you can make to your daily routine to enhance your personal spiritual growth and connection with others? [01:20:12]
Day 5: Inviting Others to Experience the Gospel
Extending an invitation to church is not about increasing attendance figures; it's about sharing the life-changing message of the gospel. When one invites another to church, they offer an opportunity for that person to encounter the transformative love and truth of Jesus Christ. It is through these personal invitations that the church can truly fulfill its mission to reach out and bring hope to the world.
"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15 ESV)
Reflection: Who is one person you can invite to church this week, and how can you approach them with genuine love and concern for their spiritual well-being? [01:20:55]
Thank you, worship team. Thank you, Pastor Chris.
And we are so glad that you're here today. What an incredible day to celebrate the goodness and the faithfulness of God in the past 14 years here at Lake Point Church.
And I'm just thankful. Number one, let me just say I'm thankful for this church. I'm thankful for you and thankful for allowing me to be your pastor. And I'm just honored to be that.
And I don't know why you would choose me to be your pastor. There are a lot of great pastors in this area. And you find the deaf guy to be your pastor. You could do better. You really could. But I am honored and so thankful for the opportunity to serve you, to serve your family. And I want to say thank you.
And so I want to say thank you to my family, my kids, my wife, and we have been in this thing together. In fact, we started the church 14 years ago on my son's three-year-old birthday. So this is important to him in some ways. He probably doesn't remember too much about that day, but it was important to him and important to us, my wife.
When we decided to start the church 16, 17 years ago, she was all in. And we wouldn't be here if I didn't have her buy-in on this plan. If it was just me and not her, then we wouldn't have done it together. And so thankful for Karen. Can we give it up for her real quick?
So today we're going to talk about burning the plow. Next week we're going to have communion and we're going to talk about the crucifixion, getting ready for Easter in a few weeks. But today, burning the plow.
I want to look at a man named Elisha. And I believe that in this message today that God is going to build some crazy kind of a faith in some of your lives this morning. That's my prayer, that some of you will leave here fired up in a way that when you came in, you came in one way, you left differently. You became like Elisha was. And you have this crazy kind of faith.
And I want you to look at, in just a minute, we're going to look at 1 Kings chapter 19. But before we get there, let me give you a little bit of a context of the story and maybe a little bit of who Elisha was.
And there was another guy named Elijah, okay, not to be confused with Elisha. And Elijah was the older guy. Elijah was the Billy Graham, so to speak, of Israel. He was the prophet. He was the man of God. And everybody aspired, all the young guys aspired to be like Elijah.
I mean, Elijah was anointed by God, you know, to be, to do incredible things in Israel. And Elisha was one of those guys. Elisha was looking at Elijah as a man. I hope one day I could be like him. In fact, he went to Elijah, Elisha went to Elijah and said, hey, I want to have a double anointing of God's blessing on my life. I want double blessing, a double portion of Elijah's anointing.
And we're seeing a story later on that God gave Elisha a double portion of anointing. In other words, he did more miracles than Elijah did. In fact, Elijah did, besides Jesus, the most recorded miracles performed by Elisha, besides Jesus Christ.
And so what's interesting to me about this whole story about this guy named Elisha is that he was just an ordinary guy. He was just an ordinary man. He wasn't a son of a pastor. He wasn't a son of a priest. He wasn't, you know, he didn't go to seminary to have a degree and knew the Bible like a seminarian did or a theologian. He was none of that. He was a son of a farmer. He had worked on the farm. He grew up on the farm.
And that's where we find our story where Elisha was working on a farm when God called him to do something incredible.
First Kings chapter 19, we pick up the story in verse 19. So Elijah, this is the older one, this is the man of God, he went from there and he found Elisha. And Elisha, notice what he's doing. He's plowing with 12 yokes of oxen and he himself was driving the 12th pair.
And Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye and then I will come with you. And Elijah said, go back. What have I done to you?
And so Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. And then he burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat. And he gave it to the people and they ate. And then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
Today I wanted to see this morning this bold commitment of faith from the prophet Elisha. We look at verse 19 again and in the middle of the verse it tells us what Elisha is doing. The Bible says that Elisha is plowing with 12 yokes of oxen and he himself was driving the 12th pair.
What we'll notice is that Elisha was doing the same job that he had been doing over and over again for a long time. He was working on his mom and dad's farm. He was driving a pair of oxen and that's what he did every single day.
And for just a minute this morning I want you to put yourself in Elisha's blue jeans for just a minute. Put yourself in his work boot and I want you to think about the monotony of what it would be like to plow behind a pair of oxen every single day.
Y'all with me? What's the first thing you smell? It's not a pleasant smell by the way. It smells a little rancid. You know a little bit of oxen residue is happening. What's your scenery by the way? What are you seeing every day? That's not a pretty sight.
All you're seeing every day from sunrise to sunset you're seeing oxen wheels, oxen tails, oxen behinds. And that's what you see every single day. Now maybe, perhaps, maybe you feel a little bit like Elisha. Perhaps you're not looking at oxen wheels every day. But you're doing the same kind of stuff day in and day out.
This is kind of just going through the motions of life and it's monotonous. And you're just doing it, the same job, working with the same people. You're going through the same stuff every day and perhaps that's where you're at this morning.
Some of you may be in sales and you just feel day in and day out. You make your quotas, you make your quotas and then you start over again. And then that new month happens, you know, it's another set of quotas. And you meet your quotas and you start all over again. And you're like, this is so monotonous.
All I ever do is try to live up to some kind of a standard and there it starts all over again. Some of you might be students and every day it feels like it's the same old drill, right? You get up, you go to class, you get home and it's homework, it's studying, it's projects. You go to bed, you get back up. It's the same thing every single day.
In other words, it's oxen wheels everywhere, right? For some parents, maybe you're a stay-at-home mom or you're a stay-at-home dad. And what do you see all day long? You see diapers, you see laundry, you see dishes, you see laundry and diapers and dishes. Oh my, it's every day, all day long.
And you begin to think it's incredibly easy to lose your passion when all you see is oxen wheels. Oxen wheels. All day long.
I think about my very first ministry job in 1999. And I got to think about this past week when I was doing this. 1999, that's 25 years. I've been in ministry for 25 years now. That's half my life. And I just thank God for the privilege to serve him these past 25 years.
And in 1999, I was in Bible college shortly before that. And I was trying to finish up my school year. And I got a phone call to my room. And this was a phone on a wall. Remember those days? You had a phone on the wall. It had a cord. You could play jump rope with the cords. All kinds of stuff you can do with that.
And it was a phone call straight to my room. And I answered the phone. And it was a deacon in Moulton, Alabama. I don't even know where Moulton, Alabama is. I got one hand, and there's another hand. And they're from Alabama. That figure's out right there. Moulton, Alabama is in the middle of nowhere.
And I just got a phone call, a random phone call from this deacon from this church. And it said, hey, we got your name from somebody. We hear that you're graduating with your Bible degree in a few months. And we want to offer you a job.
I said, you're offering me a job? You haven't even met me. Are you serious? They said, well, we heard good things about you. And we want to just offer you a job and be our lead pastor.
And I was on that phone. First of all, let me just say I am honored that you called me. I am honored. I don't even know what to say. And I'm so thankful that you called. But in that moment, I told him I was not interested. I hung up the phone. I said, what did I just do? I just turned down a job. I'm studying to be a pastor, and I turned down the first opportunity.
I hung up. And then a few months later, I decided to be a part of a church in Pensacola, Florida, called Marcus Point. That was the name of the church and the pastor. And there's still the pastor there. I'm still friends with him. We still talk every night. He mentors me.
And Pastor Gordon Godfrey, he called. I applied. I went to him and said, hey, I'm looking for a ministry opportunity. Is there any spot in this church that I could work? And he said, God, I'd love to hire you, and here's what we can do for you. You can be an assistant to the education Sunday school pastor. I said, OK. And you'll become an assistant director of the daycare. OK.
I didn't go to college to be a daycare director, but I figured, you know what? OK, I'll do it. And so I went in, Austin Reels. There's only a bright spot in this whole thing. There's multiple bright spots. God brought some beautiful things. But that's where I did meet my wife, Karen. She was working as a daycare director. I was her boss, and I helped her break up with her boyfriend at the time.
And then one month later, I didn't want her to rebound. I wanted to give her a month, and then I swooped in. So that's a blessing, right?
Hey, listen, here's what I learned, and this is what you see in Elijah's life. I believe that God loves to reward those who are faithful in the little things. In fact, if you take a note, when you're faithful with the little, God can trust you with much. God can trust you with much. God can trust you with much.
There was something I needed to learn in 1999 to get me to a place where I'm at today. God used that, that faithfulness. Even though I didn't get it, even though I didn't understand it, I stayed faithful to the monotony of daycare directing every day. And God showed me eventually where He wanted to take me.
Same thing with Elijah. God took something in the middle of his life, something that he was going through the motions, something he was probably really good at. The guy called him to a greater place of impact.
Look at verse 19. Elijah, the prophet, right? He went up to Elijah and threw his cloak around him. And what that meant was the cloak would have been like a coat of animal skin or fur. And that was a symbolic gesture of, hey, I am passing my mantle of God's blessing, of God's anointing from my life to your life.
In other words, I'm passing the baton. And you are going to become my servant. I am going to mentor you and eventually I'm going to retire. I'm going to be done. And you will take my place as the prophet of Israel. And he put his mantle, he put his covering over Elijah.
And Elijah at that moment, he knew, he understood the importance of that moment. And in this, I want to give us two principles of bold commitment and how we can see an ordinary man respond to his extraordinary calling of God.
Two principles, if you're taking notes. Number one, you don't have to understand fully to obey God immediately. You don't have to understand God fully to obey God immediately. When God calls you to do something, you may not understand all the details, but you obey God anyway.
First one, and here's what happened. Elijah, right, he put the cloak around him. Elijah knew what that meant, and so he left his job. He ran after Elijah and said, hey, let me say goodbye to my family and then I will come with you.
I want you to notice in this moment, I want you to notice what Elijah did not do. He didn't have to pray about it. He said, oh my, did the pastor just say that? He didn't pray about it. In fact, he didn't have a list of pros and cons. This is why I should do it. This is why I should not do it. He did not go consult with the counselor or an advisor.
All he did was, God, I believe you're in on this, and I don't know all the details, but I believe you're in it, so I'm going to obey immediately.
And here's the way that I've learned the way that God works, that God will rarely give you all the details. That's just not the way God works. I believe many times God is oftentimes vague, doesn't give you all the details in his direction.
You see, I know you, I know me, I know how I operate. I want details. Right? I mean, I need to see it all. I want to make sure all my dusts are lined up in a row. Y'all with me? And God said, listen, I don't do that. I'm not going to give you all the details because here's why. You can't handle the details.
You can't handle the truth because if you saw the whole truth, if you saw the whole detail, then you won't show up for it. It will scare you. So I'm just going to show you one step at a time.
And many times God will oftentimes guide with just a word, with just a word. I love the power of this. Sometimes God will give just one word, and that needs to be enough to go on. You see this throughout Scripture. You see Abraham. God tells Abraham to what? Go. He tells Moses. He tells Moses to go.
In the New Testament, you see Peter, right? You see Peter in the boat. There's Jesus walking on the water in the middle of the night. And Peter said, hey, Jesus, that's pretty cool. I want you to invite me out to you. And so Jesus, what did he say? He said, come. And he came.
Jesus gave him a word, one word. I don't know the details, but Jesus oftentimes, God, the way he works, might just give you a word. And for some of you, you may hear one word from God. Now, I don't know what that might be.
Now, perhaps you're in a marriage, and your marriage is not going well. In fact, this thing is about checking out. But you keep hearing a word, and a word from God, and that word might be stay, just stay. You say, I don't understand completely. You have to understand completely to obey God immediately. Stay.
Maybe some of you, you're in a health situation. Your health situation is not a good situation. Or maybe it's someone that you love that has a bad health situation, and God keeps bringing up a word, and that word might be trust, the trust, the trust.
And you say, I don't understand it completely. And God says, you don't have to understand completely the details. Just obey and trust me.
Some of you might be hanging around the church for a while here at Lake Point. You're kind of starting to grow with God. You love what God is doing here. But you're still observing. You're still checking it out. You've been checking it out for a while. You've been thinking about it. You've been looking about it. You've been talking to your spouse about it, to your friends about it.
And maybe God is giving you a word today, and that one word might be commit, to commit, to stop sitting in the sideline and get in the game, to get in on the action. Don't just watch what God is doing. Get involved. Commit.
You may see someone who is in need, or maybe an organization that has a need. And you might hear the word give. And you may not understand completely in all the details, but God says, you don't have to wait to understand all the details to obey me immediately.
Some of you may be praying about the future of your family. And as you're praying about the future of your family, you might be hearing the word adopt. It might be the word foster. And you're like, wait, what age? What is it? A domestic child? An international child? What does that look like?
And you don't have to understand all that detail to obey God immediately.
In 2004, I attended a conference in California. I was on staff at that church at Marcus Point. Pastor Gordon Godfrey said, God, I want you to go to California, go to the conference, learn some things. I want you to bring some of that stuff that you learned, take it back to our church here in Florida, and I want you to apply, you know, implement some of these things that they're doing out in California.
I said, yes, sure. So I go to California, you know, and hanging out at the two-day conference. And while I'm at that conference, I met church planters. I've never met a church planner in my life. But I met a church planner here and a church planner there and started having conversations.
And one of the questions I kept asking is, why would you start a church? Why would you do that when there are plenty of churches around? And they started giving me all the answers and all the stuff, and I was like, man, I was just intrigued by what God was doing.
And it was during that time when God began to put a word into my life, and that word was plant. Plant. I remember a few days later, I go to Karen, and I said, I don't know, this conference was great. I learned some things for the church in Florida, and I implemented some of those things in Florida, you know, for the church.
But, man, while I'm there, Karen, there was this word, plant. And I don't understand it. I don't even know what that means, to plant, to start a church. But I think it's something that we need to keep our ears open and let God show us and to grow that word into our life.
And that was in 2004. It wasn't until 2009 until we knew that's when God was telling us to go, to plant a church, to plant a church.
Lately, I have been hearing a word for our church in this time, in this season. For the past year, we've been praying and looking for expansion. You know, what does it mean? Because we keep growing, keep reaching new people for Christ.
And so this word that comes to mind, and it has a double meaning, it's that word build. I said, what does it mean to build? And we've been looking at buying more land north and south of us on this property. There's land that's north of us right here, land south of us here.
And every time we address the issue, roadblocks, roadblocks. The city won't allow us to put a parking lot there. The city won't allow us to expand. You know, in Shelby Township, they have this idea here to create downtown district. And so they want downtown buildings, downtown, like downtown Rochester. That's the goal, that's the plan.
And they want me to contribute to that plan. And a parking lot doesn't contribute to the plan. So we can keep hitting roadblocks. This past week, there was another angle we were going after. And again, another shutdown.
I said, God, I don't know what that means, to build. But we're going to keep trusting in you so that we can continue to expand and reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to figure it out, because God already got it figured out. God already got a plan.
And it's got to take it one step at a time, one step at a time. But here's the double meaning. Not only thinking of praying about and hearing the word build and building out, but the other meaning is to build up.
In other words, there's a phrase I keep putting in my mind, build out to build up. And what that means is just as equally important as to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as equally as important as building up disciples and to help people not just become disciples.
That's not the end game. I said, well, I thought the end game was to make disciples. Here's the end game, is to make disciple makers. Disciple makers. If I'm the only disciple maker in the room, then we've got problems. We're not going to make it.
But I believe from the front row to the back, from the wall to the wall, that God can use you to get discipled, but then it takes another step to become a disciple maker. Some of you are.
So we're doing some things, and then in the fall of this year, we're going to implement what we call dGroups, discipleship groups. We've got a life group, and we're going to hang on to our life group. For some of you, that might be where you're at.
But then dGroups, it's just taking it a little bit deeper. We're starting some pilot groups to kind of get our feet wet in the game here. By the fall, we're going to start launching some dGroups where we can help you grow your walk with Christ on a daily basis.
Not showing up and let's have a Bible study, but more, hey, we're going to help you have your own personal Bible study seven days a week and make disciples. And in turn, you become a disciple maker. That's what we're all about here. We want to build up. We want to build. We want to build.
I'm telling you, I don't have it all figured out. I didn't have it figured out 15, 14 years ago when we started Lake Point Church. I promise you that. I did not have it figured out. But God said, hey, I'm going to show you one step at a time, one step at a time.
Just do what you're supposed to do one step at a time. We're going to continue to take it one step at a time, one step at a time. You may not understand it fully, but that's okay. We can still obey God in what He called us to do.
Here's the second principle that we see here in Elijah's life. Those God uses the most are the ones that hold on to the least. Those that God used the most are the ones who let go of the most.
Watch what Elijah does in verse 21. To me, this is the craziest part of his story. Maybe you've read this before. It's so easy when you read the scripture to miss this.
Elijah left him, went back to his parents. He went back to his job. He took his yoke of oxen. The Bible said he killed him. But then he burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat. He gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah, who became his servant.
These are animals. They were his livelihood. These animals were Elijah's bread and butter. The Bible says that he killed them, the dead. Then he took the plows, and the Bible says he burned the plowing equipment so that he could cook the meat.
He gave it to the people, and they ate it. He made a bonfire out of the plowing equipment, smoked some meat, and had a good old barbecue. Then after he fed his buddies, Elijah set out to follow Elijah, and he became his servant.
To me, this is just crazy through and through. I can understand the killing of the cows. I can understand that because we see that throughout the scripture. Whatever God did something, the people would make a sacrifice. Okay, we've seen that.
He does that, but then he goes and burns the plowing equipment. That's where it trips me up. It's almost like he's saying, I'm burning Plan B. There is no Plan B. I'm only going to obey God. That's it. That's Plan A. Plan A, obey God. Plan B, there is none. In fact, I'm burning it.
There's no going back. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.
I've got to tell you, as a dad, if my kids come home with this plan, I would probably, as a dad, I would say to my kids, I'm proud of you for your faith. I'm proud of you, but let's keep our options open. Let's not burn anything down.
We're not burning anything. Let's not burn our bridges. I mean, honestly, that's what I'm thinking. Let's go follow God, but let's keep the cows. Let's not burn anything because you never know when you might need them. It's Plan B.
But we're going to see throughout scripture, there are times when people are so moved by God that they just do bold, crazy things to follow after him.
Whenever Jesus encountered Peter for the very first time in Luke 5, Peter was having a very bad, bad fishing day. Jesus is on the shore and says, hey, throw your net on the other side. And Peter's like, who's this guy? I'm the fisherman. I'm the pro. This is my livelihood.
And Jesus says, hey, just throw your net on the other side of the boat. So Peter said, okay, okay. So he picked up the net, reluctantly picked it up and threw it on the other side. And the Bible said that the net was so full of fish that it almost broke. It was breaking.
And then Peter realized who this was. He said, I am a sinful man. I am not worthy. And Jesus says, hey, from now on, you're going to stop catching fish and you're going to be a fisher of man. And you're going to follow after me.
And the scripture says something that's just as crazy as burning the plows and killing the cows. The Bible says that the disciples dropped their nets and they left everything and they followed after him. They followed after Jesus.
There's some of you here this morning that God is going to speak to you at some point. Maybe it's this morning, maybe it's this week, maybe it's this year. And he's going to give you a plow-burning opportunity to drop everything and to follow after him.
To drop everything, to burn the plow, to burn the plow. You know, here at Lake Point, man, in our 14 years, I'm thankful for stories of people who had a plow-burning faith. This church would not be where it is without people that had a plow-burning faith.
Back in 19, after 2008, we were still in Florida. We were, you know, making preparations, you know, behind the scenes. I told my wife, I said, there's just one couple in our church at Florida. I used to work with him on staff at Marcus Point.
And I told Karen, I said, man, I would love for this couple to move up and help me. And Karen said, man, that's a big ask. She said, I know. So let me just reach out and talk to him.
And so one day, he popped into my office out of the blue. And I said, hey, what's going on, Mark? And Mark was talking about what he was doing. And he had a different job that we wanted at that point, was working at a school, at a private school in the area.
And I said, man, what's going on, Mark? He said, man, you know, tell me what's happening. I said, Mark, I got a question for you. I said, have you and April ever considered moving to Michigan to help start a church? I just put it out there.
And he looked at me with his eyes wide open. With a big smile came across his face. And I thought, oh, man, he's about to laugh me out of the room. I said, Scott, it's funny that you asked me. But God has been working on my life and my wife's life about going on a mission somewhere.
It's funny that the timing of your question and what God has been putting in my heart. I want to pray about this. Within a day or two, Mark calls me up. He says, Scott, we're in. I fell to the floor because I just didn't think it was possible. I didn't even think he would do it.
He's never been to Michigan. He's a Florida guy. And I even tried to talk him out of it. I said, Mark, do you understand what you're saying yes to? It's cold in Michigan. So I know. It's going to be great. We're in.
We started meeting in 2008, just us four, having a small group. You see, Lake Point didn't start here. Lake Point started in Florida. We had a small group talking about dreaming what this church would look like.
They moved up here, quit their job, worked at Target part-time, worked at the church part-time, just trying to make ends meet, but he said, I don't care. And I worked here for the first four years of Lake Point with the instrumental, the pictures of Mark and April and the two kids in the middle.
And I was just so blessed for people that had a plow-burning faith. I touched Mark this morning and said, Mark, I'm so grateful for you. I'm thankful for you. And he said, you better be here in three or five, 15 years. You plan to be.
I'm thankful for families like this. We had other families that moved up here, the Parkers, the Carters, the Sabos, other families that just burned the plow and moved to Michigan. We wouldn't be here today on a sacrifice like them.
It was sacrifices when we decided to meet in a school, setting up and tearing down. The picture of us in the school building. This was at Ericors Middle School. And this is me a lot younger than I am today.
And this was it. This was the early beginning, setting up and tearing down. We had a relaunch. We had a launch our service on March 21, 2010, and we launched it large. We had 300 people show up for the first service.
I want you to look at this picture. Well, it's funny. I showed this picture in the very first service. And the guy in the middle front row was sitting in the middle front row 14 years later. You see him. This guy right here.
We call him 2.0 because his name is Scott Allen Blanchard, the same first middle and last name of my name. Confusion since day one. That's a picture of him. That's a picture of where we were 300 years ago. That's 300. 14 years ago. 14 years ago. 300 people ago, right?
Out of the service, we had 100 people. And every week, God would continue to bless. We're running now 500-plus people every Sunday. We were portable and setting up and tearing down.
Let me just say, there were people that would get to church at 6 o'clock in the morning. Rain, sunshine, blizzard, it didn't matter. And they were here every week. I don't know if they're in the room or not. The Weirich boys, where are the Weirich? They're out in the hall somewhere, I think.
But they serve every week. There are people that set up and tear down every week. We're thankful for them. If you were part of Lake Point Church in that first year, will you stand up? Stand up. If you're in the room, stand up. First year. Just stay up for a minute.
Nine of us in there? Okay. Nine, 10, 11, okay. That's the two sides that stand up. There we go. You may be seated. There were five in the first service. You know, some have moved on and some have passed away. But God's got church to keep prevailing.
A few years later, we had, in 2017, we raised money so that we could be in a church like this, in a building. Burning the plow. We raised $400,000 in one year. People gave out of a heart of sacrifice.
On that day, we dropped balloons. A picture of a balloon drop? Got that picture somewhere? Don't have that picture? Nope, that's not a picture. Balloon. Balloon drop. There we go.
We celebrated that day the sacrifice that people made. Sacrifice of raising $400,000. We continue to see God's blessing in our church, people making plow-burning decisions.
The greatest testimony of our church is the number of people that have been saved and baptized. Since 2010, we have seen 688 salvation decisions and 292 baptisms. And the story continues. God is still at work.
What happened in the last 14 years, God is still doing it, and he will still continue to do it long after we're gone. So today, some of you need to be like Elisha. It's time to kill the cows. It's time to burn the plow.
We've heard this story before about Cortez. He burned the ship. Burning the ship because he got it explored. They're exploring Mexico. They're going to invade Mexico. When they're landing on the shores, he ordered to burn the ship because there's no going back.
Burn the plow. How can you burn the plow at Lake Point? Real quick, five things.
Number one, pray. Pray. Pray for our church. Make it a priority of prayer. You know, Satan will do whatever it takes to shut this down. He wants to. Pray for wisdom, for the pastors, for leadership. Pray for each other. Pray for more people to be built up and continue to build out reaching people for Jesus.
You got the prayer guide in your program. Lovely prayer guide. Pray this week for these things.
Number two, volunteer. Step out. Get in the game. And so I don't think what I'm looking for now, God wants to use you, but you've got to let go. God used those the most to those who let go or hold on to the least. If you're holding on to something, God can't use it. Somebody needs to let go.
Number three, grow spiritually. Get connected in our life group. Get connected in the fall and D groups. Grow spiritually. Read your Bible. Pray. Do all these things.
Number four, invite. Invite people to church. Invite people to Easter. I'm going to challenge you to invite five people to Easter this year. In two weeks. You've got two weeks to invite five people. Neighbors, coworkers, friends, family. Invite them.
Number five, invest. Be faithful in the way that you give. If you're not giving, start giving. Be a faithful giver. Be a percentage-based giver. Not tip-based giver. Oh, that was a good sermon for sure. No, no. Be faithful with a percentage. Percentage-based given. Increase your given.
Somebody say, man, God has blessed us this year. We're going to increase the way we give. We're going to burn the plow. Maybe it doesn't make sense to increase. A family comes to me in the past week and says, God, we decided to up our given. It doesn't make sense to do it. But we're upping our given.
We started doing that back in a few months ago. In fact, I did it, and my wife did it, and we both gave it by accident. And we just said, okay, God. And he said, but then I got to tell you, the past few weeks, God has blessed us. And multiplied what we gave you. He has gave us back in more ways than we can even imagine.
Burning the plow. Burning the plow. Maybe some of you need to burn the plow in the way that you give. Got to burn the plow. Plow burning faith.
Now, some of you are like a little kid. You're holding onto your blankie. You're holding onto your blankie. My kids had their blankie. I didn't have a blankie when I was growing up. I had a Mickey Mouse doll. And that Mickey Mouse doll went through it all.
And I'm embarrassed to tell you, but I had that Mickey Mouse doll all the way up to my high school years. And there came a point, and that was long past the point, you know, where I needed to not burn Mickey. I mean, we wouldn't do that. But to give it up. To let go of my security.
But some of you here today, you're holding onto something. It's time for you to let go. In fact, if you're taking those last thoughts, to step towards your destiny, you have to step away from your security.
God is going to speak to somebody and give you the faith to believe that he's calling you to something new. Because you may be looking at oxen wheels today. But in your faithfulness, God may call you to do something greater for the kingdom.
You have to have the faith to go. Have the faith to go. You may not understand it completely to obey immediately. Because those that God uses the most are those that hold on to the least.
Time to burn the plow. Time to burn the plow. And keep trusting in God for what he does.
Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the 14 years. We thank you for those who burned the plow these past 14 years. And God, we know that we have people in this room who will continue to burn the plows and keep moving ahead.
Let that get caught up in the motions of life. God help us to be called out to something greater, whatever that might be. God help us to listen to what you might be calling us to do, whatever that is.
We may not understand it fully, but help us to obey it immediately. God help us to lose our security. Whether we're holding on to a blankie, whatever that might be, we're holding on to something.
God help us to let go because you can't use it completely until we let go of the thing that's holding us back. God, I pray we burn the plow.
God, we thank you. We thank you. Our glory to your name for what you've done and for what you will continue to do in this place. In Jesus' name, amen.
1) "It's incredibly easy to lose your passion when all you see is oxen wheels. Oxen wheels. All day long. I think about my very first ministry job in 1999... I've been in ministry for 25 years now. That's half my life. And I just thank God for the privilege to serve him these past 25 years." [46:47](Download clip | Download cropped clip | Download captioned clip)
2) "There's some of you here this morning that God is going to speak to you at some point... And he's going to give you a plow-burning opportunity to drop everything and to follow after him. To drop everything, to burn the plow, to burn the plow." [01:09:24]( | | )
3) "How can you burn the plow at Lake Point? Real quick, five things. Number one, pray... Number two, volunteer... Number three, grow spiritually... Number four, invite... Number five, invest." [01:18:56]( | | )
4) "And maybe God is giving you a word today, and that one word might be commit, to commit, to stop sitting on the sideline and get in the game, to get in on the action. Don't just watch what God is doing. Get involved. Commit." [57:39]( | | )
5) "Be faithful in the way that you give. If you're not giving, start giving. Be a faithful giver. Be a percentage-based giver. Not tip-based giver... Increase your giving. Somebody say, man, God has blessed us this year. We're going to increase the way we give." [01:20:12]( | | )
6) "To step towards your destiny, you have to step away from your security. God is going to speak to somebody and give you the faith to believe that he's calling you to something new... You may not understand it completely to obey immediately. Because those that God uses the most are those that hold on to the least." [01:22:56]( | | )
7) "God loves to reward those who are faithful in the little things. In fact, if you take a note, when you're faithful with the little, God can trust you with much. God can trust you with much." [49:52]( | | )
8) "God, the way he works, might just give you a word. And for some of you, you may hear one word from God... And that word might be trust, the trust, the trust. And you say, I don't understand it completely. And God says, you don't have to understand completely the details. Just obey and trust me." [56:58]( | | )
9) "I believe that God loves to reward those who are faithful in the little things... When you're faithful with the little, God can trust you with much. God can trust you with much." [48:57]( | | )
10) "Elisha left him, went back to his parents. He went back to his job. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. But then he burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat... To me, this is just crazy through and through... It's almost like he's saying, I'm burning Plan B. There is no Plan B." [01:05:38]( | | )
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