Faith and Practice

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This morning I want to cover three essential elements of the Christian faith and practice. I going to use two stories from the bible, one in the Old Testament about a young man who discovered how to access the power of God and one account from the New Testament book of Acts about a miracle which happened in Jerusalem.

Let’s begin with our Old Testament story by turning to the book of 2 Kings, chapter 2. While you turn allow me to catch us up on the story.

This story actually begins in 1 Kings 19 just after the prophet Elijah had experienced a crisis in his life and ministry. It appears that Elijah felt a bit overwhelmed and thought that he was surely the only one left on planet earth that loved and was committed to serving God. In 1 Kings 19 God explained to Elijah that there were still 7000 others in Israel who had not bowed their knee to false gods.

God told Elijah to anoint a young man named Elisha to replace him. So, 1 Kings 19 records Elijah doing just that. We are told that Elisha was working in his father’s field with 11 other servants. They were all plowing with oxen and Elisha was plowing with the 12^th pair.

This indicates that Elisha was not only a young man of means with a wealthy father, but also a responsible man of good character who possessed a strong work ethic. As Elijah walked past Elisha, Elijah threw his mantle on the young man. This act was immediately recognized as the call of God upon Elisha’s life.

In response to the call, Elisha burned his plow, sacrificed his oxen, blessed the people and left to follow the Lord. Elisha’s new life began with a sacrifice.

Sometime later we pick up on Elisha’s story in 2 Kings 2. At this point the old prophet Elijah was finally ready to retire. Both Elijah and Elisha crossed over the Jordan River east of Jericho and walked onto the plains of Moab headed west towards Mount Nebo. As they journeyed God sent a chariot of fire from heaven which swept down close to the ground causing a whirlwind. The whirlwind lifted the old prophet up towards heaven and as he was ascending Elijah pulled off his prophet’s mantle and threw it to the ground. The mantle represents the anointing which is the power of God’s grace with man.

About 800 years later Jesus also sent His anointing back to earth. That anointing was resident in the Holy Spirit which manifests His presence and the power of God’s grace on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the crucifixion.

2 Kings 2 KJV

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

What made this possible? Three things … 3 Essential Elements of Faith and Practice

1. The Blood

It began with the blood of a sacrifice. It is the blood which sealed the calling, brought deliverance from the old life and adventure to the new. The blood is salvation.

2. The Name

Elisha walked up to the Jordan River and smote the waters with the mantle of Elijah, calling upon the Name of the Lord. “Where is the God of Elijah?” This is how Elisha knew Jehovah, as the God of Elijah his master. The name speaks of authority. Who has the authority to invoke the name of God?

3. The Anointing

It is the anointing which contains and releases the power of God’s grace to move mountains, work miracles, and change lives. This is the same anointing which was in Elijah’s mantle when he first threw it over Elisha while he was plowing his father’s fields. This anointing is tangible and transferable. It is the power of God available to man.

The Blood The Name The Anointing

Salvation Authority Power

Our next story comes from Acts 3. Sometime after that first Pentecost outpouring of the Holy Spirit fulfilling the prophecy of Joel, the church in Jerusalem was in its infancy already with several thousand members. We are told by some that the first church met on the southern steps leading up to the temple from the city of David near where the Western Wall is today.

One day around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the Apostles Peter and Paul were on their way to pray and as they approached the temple steps they saw a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb sitting beside the entrance begging for money.

Acts 3 KJV

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Again, how did this miracle take place?

1. It began with The Blood.

2. It was declared by The Name

3. It was manifest by The Anointing

Acts 3:12 … Why are you looking so intently at us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Acts 3:16 It was His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

The Blood

· Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins

· I would not want to be without the blood

The Name

· Jesus is the Name above every name … At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father.

· The Name of the Lord is a strong and mighty tower …

· If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.

The Anointing

· It was the anointing that healed the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5:25ff

· The yoke is destroyed because of the anointing

· Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power Who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him.

#1: Are you born again? Have you been covered by the Blood?

#2: Do you use the Name? Have you discovered the authority available in the Name of Jesus?

#3: Are you aware of the supernatural power available to the believer which is resident in the anointing of God? God sent this anointing on the day of Pentecost to empower every follower of Jesus who will dare to take it up and release its grace.

The Blood gives you access to the Name; The Name gives you access to the Anointing; The Anointing gives you access to the Grace of God’s power.

Get saved; Invoke the Name; Release the Anointing in everyday life. This stuff still moves mountains … begin moving your mountains today!