Pursuing God (I)

By Pastor Young Joon Park

July 11, 2010

 

II Kings 4:8-10, 11, 18

8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

9 And she said unto her husband, ¡°Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God who passes by us continually.

10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee (please), on the wall (on the roof); and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in there.¡±

 

11 And it fell on a day, that he came there, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

 

18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

 

I. Pursuing God

 

1. It fell on a day (kairos time)

 

It fell on a day (KJV) = one day (NIV) = a day, one day, the day (NASB)

 

We can find this sentence 3 times verses 8, 11, and 18 in this paragraph.

I shared with you before, however, let me remind you again.

 

Jesus said, ¡°Truly,¡± in some versions said, ¡°Verily¡± or ¡°Assuredly¡± in others. In Greek saying ¡°Truly¡± just once is important enough for us pay special attention to. However, Jesus said, ¡°Truly, Truly,¡± some version said, ¡°Verily, Verily,¡± or Most assuredly.¡± Jesus saying ¡°Truly, Truly¡± twice has to be considered the most important for us to pay special attention to. In the bible, the word mentioned three times means the most important God¡¯s Word that we have to give our full attention.

 

One day is very special day. We have very special days in our lives. Among the Christians, Sunday is very important day, because our Lord assigned this day for us to get together to worship Him with one heart and have fellowship. You might ask a question as to where we can find that this is the case. The Lord separated certain days as the Sabbath Days in the Bible, but it was not assigned on Sunday.

 

We need to understand the Sabbath Day.

 

Genesis 2:1-3

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.

2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

 

God rested on 7th day when His Creation was finished in 6 days. Every creature was enjoying resting with God in the Sabbath day, which was every day since the 7th day. (note: there was no 8th day, 9th, 10th¡¦ in the bible after this 7th day)

 

He made this 7th day holy. Is only the 7th day holy and the other days are not?

It means that God made a distinction of this 7th day from other 6 days as a very special day.

 

Do you think God rested because He was tired from the Creation?

God is never weary at all, but why He rested and made this 7th day a special day.

 

This is the prophetic meaning for us.

Pharisees and other leaders were against Jesus during Jesus Ministry time.

The biggest issue was that Jesus healed people on the Sabbath Day.

They believed that Jesus broke the God¡¯s Law of keeping the Sabbath day holy, because He healed the sick, delivered them from the evil to free on the Sabbath Day.

They totally misunderstood on the concept of keeping the Sabbath days holy.

 

That is why Jesus challenged their concept of the Sabbath days.

Matthew 12:12b

¡¦ Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.

 

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, because He is the One who has made this special day after the Creation.

Matthew 12:8

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

 

According to Genesis God finished the Creation and rested on the 7th Day, but Jesus said, ¡°Father God is still working until now.¡±

Father God and Jesus Christ have been working together for us since Adam¡¯s fall.

John 5:17

But He answered them, ¡°My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.¡±

 

Every creature was in God¡¯s Sabbath and rested in Him continually from the 7th day after the creation, but this rest was interrupted by satan¡¯s temptation and this Sabbath was lost at the moment of Adam¡¯s fall. God has been working for the redemption for us ever since.

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed;

He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel.¡±

 

From the moment of Adam¡¯s fall God started the new plan to restore the Sabbath and to redeem people. He has been working for us until Jesus¡¯ Cross and His Resurrection.

 

Jesus is the only One who would finish the redemption. He is the only One the Lord of the Sabbath. He died on the Cross and resurrected from the dead for our eternal Sabbath.

John 14:6

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

 

Through Jesus Christ we can enter the eternal Sabbath and live in the presence of God.

Since Jesus¡¯ Resurrection the Redemption of the Lord was done completely, and there is no other plan at all.

 

That is why Jesus cried and proclaimed to the spiritual realm and the natural realm as well with His loud and clear voice on His Cross, ¡°It is finished.¡±

Let us together claim the Word of Jesus on the Cross.

Indeed, I am 100% free from the guilt of sin since it is finished 100%.

You are in His Eternal Sabbath now, and every day is a Sabbath Day to you and every day is very important and special day from the Lord.

 

Sunday we have very special way to worship and serve the Lord, also we celebrate the Lord¡¯s Resurrection.

During the week days – personal devotional time, small fellowship group, visitation, prayer meeting¡¦

We have to concern our time and seasons seriously.

 

Actually, each day, it is very important for our life, and there is special purpose and reasons from the Lord for coming months and years. We should live wise and use the time only His Way. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

 

After the Pentecost Day, attention the Christian life – let¡¯s examine it together.

Acts 2:46, 5:42

Ac 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Ac 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

 

There are two different kinds of times in our life.

About the time In the ancient Greek terms, there are two distinguishable words.

Chronos time and kairos time

 

Chronos time is the actual passage of time and continuing time like every day.

The word chronicle was originated from this Chronos.

In our Bible you can find the title of book I & II Chronicles as a history book.

Kairos time is in the sense of ¡®right time¡¯, ¡®opportunity¡¯, ¡® circumstances¡¯, ¡®favorable occasion¡¯ as the certain special time, so I would like to express it as a ¡°kairos moment¡± as a day, one day or the day.

 

Chronos time is continual time, but the kairos moment is the moment God lifts you up to His Time for your life. The kairos moment will change your entire life to the higher level and a great turning point of your life.

 

We are all waiting for this kairos moment.

I am waiting for the kairos moment for our church to bring the revival.

But we have to understand that the kairos moment will never come if we are not faithful in our chronos time, because the kairos moment will come only when we are faithful on the Chronos time. We have to walk faithfully today and tomorrow, and continually.

 

When woman is conceived, she goes through the chronos time and is waiting for the moment (the certain day) of deliverance of her baby, which is the kairos moment.

 

The Chronos time might be boring, joyful, suffering, and even painful at times with all kinds of trials and tribulations, and this Chronos time will prepare you for your kairos moment that God will shift you up to a higher level for His Kingdom.

 

God will bring you up in His Kairos Moment throughout your trials and tribulations of your chronos time, so you need to expect that your kairos moment is on the way to your life soon or later. Walk by faith with perseverance daily.

 

Many people want to be like an Apostle Paul, because they want to be a great man of God. People want to be great in the faith life, but many people do not realize that how much Paul paid the price his life for the Lord during his chronos time.

 

We do not need to try to be a great man of God, but we have to be a man of our Great God.

God will make you a great man/woman of God if you follow the Lord faithfully during your Chronos time.

 

In practical application

We need to attend our Sunday Worship service and all other meetings faithfully, without missing any. Missing one Sunday may not seem as a real problem, but you will not see that Sunday again in your life, and you will lose that Sunday forever and never recover it in your life.

 

You never miss any day of your life to be fed to grow, but in spiritual life, if you keep skipping the meals that God has plans for you, then what would happen to you?

 

Which day is not important to you during a week?

Every day is important and serious in our life that God gives us daily.

Every day is important for your kairos moment that the Lord shifts you up to the certain level as your turning point of your life.

We should not miss the kairos moment, or you are going to miss it forever.

 

2. The Shunammite Woman

 

Through the text you can find one woman who was faithful in chronos time, and she never missed the great day of the Lord at all in her life and she received the Lord¡¯s great plan of her fully in her kairos moment.

 

How many people want to fulfill His Great Blessing Moment fully in your life?

How many people do not want to miss your kairos moment that is released from the Lord?

 

Let us see about this woman.

 

8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman;

 

In the Bible God described her as a great woman.

It means great or out of ordinary and supernatural.

God really teaches us through this woman to pursue the Lord as a good example.

He shows us through this woman to pursue the Lord in our daily life.

 

1) Her dwelling place

She lived in Shunem with her husband.

This Shunem is very unique place.

 

The meaning of Shunem is two resting places, but this name is more than just resting place.

According to Hebrew word meaning, this Place name Shunem is related with the word of anointing oil. In other words, the place Shunem is the anointing place. It means that we have to live in the anointing place where the Holy Spirit Anointing is flowing.

 

Watch yourself where you are right now. You have to be in God¡¯s anointing place.

Are you staying in right place where the Lord is with godly God¡¯s people who loves the Lord? We should not stay in the sinful place; we should not live in sin.

 

You have to find the right place and stay in God¡¯s anointing place.

Commit your life and claimed the place as your place to stay as the holy ground and the land when you are in the right place of God. And you are in the right place.

 

2) Her sensitivity

8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

 

She did not over look any activities through her circumstances and the environments.

Elisha passed by this place, and his plan was not to stay in this place. Elisha is represents the Holy Spirit. This Shunammite woman constrained him to invite to her house to serve him even he did not have a plan to stop, but pass by. She never missed this kairos moment to her life.

 

Many Christians live very passive way. We really need to pursue the Lord and constrain the Holy Spirit to stay at your home.

 

So we have to understand that the Holy Spirit is always passing by us, so we should not miss any moment. Every day is important and serious. When you come to church, do not come to church casually, but expect the Holy Spirit and give full attention to Him. When you hear the message, you have to open your heart to receive the Word of God. God is speaking to you directly now. Do not see me as your pastor when I preach God¡¯s Word, but see the Lord who speaks to you through my mouth even Bible study, other meeting or our fellowship.

 

If you do not feel much anointing, then you need to pursue the Lord very aggressive way to receive the anointing from the Holy Spirit. You have to have the initiation such as this Shunammite woman.

 

This could be your kairos moment today. Jesus was in Israel, but Pharisees and other leaders missed the great kairos moment forever except His Disciples.

 

3) Her Priority for the value

9 And she said unto her husband, ¡°Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God who passes by us continually.

10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee (please), on the wall (on the roof); and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in there.¡±

 

She did not only serve him the meal, but built the best private room for Elisha in her house. She wanted him to stay her house as long as he wanted to. We should not just be satisfied at experiencing the Holy Spirit, but we need let the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

 

You need specially prepare for His Private Room in your heart, your personal life, your marriage life, your family, your ministry and all the areas of your life as your priority #1. Who controls your life? Are you the only one controlling your life? Whom do you submit your life to?

 

Many times, we do submit to our own flesh desire and follow it. The Holy Spirit always grieves when we submit ourselves to our flesh desires.  You have to submit yourself to the Holy Spirit and let Him do whatever He wants to do in your life. You have to give everything to the Lord, and yield yourself to Him fully. You have to yield and submit everything to Him in every area of your life.

 

Jesus Christ – He never did His own way, but by the Father God

John 5:19

 

The Holy Spirit John – He never did His own way, but glorified Jesus Christ.

John 16:13-14

 

What area of your life was not given to Him yet?

The Lord wants every area of your life.

 

Conclusion

Ruth 1:16-17

15 Then she said, ¡°Behold, your sister-in-law (Orpah) has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.¡±

16 But Ruth said, ¡°Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

17 ¡°Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.¡±

 

How much do you want to follow the Lord?

How desperate are you in pursuing God?

Special invitation