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Spirit of Elijah 3
Carolyn Vanderwal; 2nd October 2011
Luke 1:17 “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
We have already established that though this word was originally spoken concerning John the Baptist, it has reference to the passage in Malachi 4:5-6, and the “spirit of Elijah” is an anointing or grace that has several applications – it was the anointing that rested on Elijah the prophet who turned the hearts of the nation of Israel from idolatry back to the Lord; it was also the anointing that rested on John the Baptist as he called the people of Israel to repent and prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus; and yet, Jesus clearly said that though John carried the spirit of Elijah, Elijah will come once more (Matthew 17:11) referring to the time when the grace or anointing of the spirit of Elijah will once more be manifest on the people of God prior to the return of Christ.
Last session we looked at the nature of this grace and saw that it is an anointing to turn the hearts of people from disobedience and rebellion to the fear of the Lord; from pride and self-sufficiency to wholehearted consecration to God.
Have you ever felt a sense of powerlessness to see people’s hearts touched and turned towards God? I certainly have… it is the thing that has concerned me most as I have ministered to people. Something that I am beginning to understand more as I’ve studied this topic, is this - God wants to pour out an anointing, His grace, His power upon His people to enable them to see hearts turned miraculously from darkness to light – we don’t need to stress about getting everything right and being able to convince or counsel people towards God… the most valuable thing we can do is learn to position ourselves as sons of God to receive His grace, His anointing, the grace of the spirit of Elijah. As we discussed last time, it begins with our personal consecration and learning to walk in step with Holy Spirit who dwells within us. The power to touch and turn hearts towards God comes from God… it is His power and His grace that does this. Our job is to be carriers of this grace, conduits of His love and His power.
The final aspect that I want to touch on today is the power of the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to sons and sons to fathers.
Malachi 4:5-6 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to the fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
The principles of fathering and sonship are wrapped up in the “spirit of Elijah.” I believe that the “spirit of Elijah” is a “fathering anointing.”
When God created man, He did so with a specific purpose in mind, that we would be image bearers… that we would carry or reflect the image or nature of God – our purpose is to represent – to re-present – God our Father to all creation. When He called Abraham and formed through him the nation of Israel, it was so that they might be the people through whom He could reveal himself to mankind. Through the law and the prophets there came an unfolding revelation of the nature and heart of God our creator, our Father, which culminated with the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is described as the exact representation of the Father. With Christ came the good news of the gospel, which in essence is this – what the law was unable to do in mankind because of our sinful nature, Christ accomplished on the cross and Holy Spirit now outworks this eternal purpose within those who believe and follow Jesus. God’s purpose is the same – to have a people who carry or reflect His image or nature. Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God is looking for a family of sons; a family that will bear His name and represent Him to His creation.
The method or mode that God chose to accomplish this purpose of having a people that would be like Him in the beginning was through fathering and sonship.
Think for a moment about the way God went about creating the human race…
- He didn’t just create a bunch of Adams. He made one man and then made one woman – He essentially created a family.
- He didn’t just set them on the earth and leave them to it. He gave them a purpose, a mandate – to represent Him on the earth by carrying and reflecting His image and also ruling over His creation, taking care of the family business so to speak.
- When He revealed himself to people on earth it was often as Father – Exodus 4:22 Moses was instructed to tell Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says; Israel is my firstborn son… let my son go so he may worship me.” When Jesus arrived on the scene, he came as the Son of God. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, he told them to address God as Father (Matthew 6:9)
- As God has said, “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:16,18
Fathering and sonship is not a passing trend… it is God’s blueprint for the outworking of His purposes for the human race. We can trace this thread throughout the scriptures from beginning to end.
When the image of God was marred in mankind through sin, God’s plan didn’t change, He simply put into action the means through which He would redeem mankind and restore them as image bearers… and once more it began with the calling of people who were raised up to be sons and fathers…
When God called Abraham in Genesis 12 it was a call to become the father of a people – a people of faith who would be God’s own people… Abraham became the father of Isaac, the father of the nation of Israel and ultimately he is recognised as the father of all who walk by faith.
We see Moses raised up to father the people of Israel as they were delivered from Egypt and brought into the promised land. Even though he suffered the loss of his own natural family and father, we see Moses becoming a father, to a nation and in particular to one man, Joshua, who would carry the mantle of leadership after Moses.
We see Elijah raised up to father the people of Israel during a time of great idolatry and to call them back to the Lord. We see Elijah specifically father Elisha and hand on to him a double portion of the anointing he carried.
When the Son of God himself breaks into history, he comes not just as a Son, but also as a father. Isaiah 9:6 says of Jesus, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” As Christ is released into ministry it is as a Son to his Father (at his baptism God speaks audibly from heaven and says, “you are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased” Mark 1:11) and as a Father to those God had given him. We see Christ fathering those he called to himself, preparing them to carry on the work of the Kingdom in his absence.
We see the Apostle Paul, and other apostles, fathering the early church, raising up and sending out sons who would carry on the work of the Kingdom.
Over the centuries and for various reasons, the church has not always understood God’s blueprint for his body and oftentimes the concept of fathering and sonship was replaced with alternative systems of oversight and governance. The concept of fathering and sonship may not be well understood, but it is not new at all… it is God’s intended blueprint for His creation.
Our God is eternal, He sees the end from the beginning, and as He looked down the corridors of time, He saw what would happen in His church and He spoke to it through the prophet Malachi… “ I will send the spirit of Elijah and the fathers heart and the heart of the son will once again be rekindled in my people.” God is a God who speaks… He is not silent and his words carry creative power – they will not return to him void, but will accomplish the very purpose for which they were spoken. And so in our time we are seeing the restoration of the understanding of fatherhood and sonship – this is part of the grace or anointing of the spirit of Elijah.
Not Just For The Church
This is not just for the church, but for the whole of society as well. For decades, fatherlessness has been a growing curse in many nations with more and more children growing up without fathers. The impact of this on individual’s lives is huge and its affect on our societies has been enormous.
John Alley makes an interesting statement in his book Apostolic Reformation “ I sometimes wonder whether the curse of fatherlessness upon society has not resulted because the institutional church has emasculated spiritual fathering. Has the churches failure to honour leaders, and to listen to the voice of fathers, been a primary cause of the dishonouring of fathers in the world? The maxim remains true, “as goes the church, so goes the world.””
Sadly, both the world and the church have been ignorant of the effects of fatherlessness because as a whole we have been ignorant about the purpose and value of fatherhood. In recent times, public debate has been sparking about the negative effects of fatherlessness in our society… there is plenty of social research into the effects on fatherlessness on crime rates, suicide rates, health issues, education outcomes and relational issues. God’s promise to send the spirit of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to children and children to fathers, is the answer to the issue of fatherlessness in our day.
The Purpose of Fathering
If I asked you “What is the role of a father?” how would you answer? **Show Youtube clip**
There are many roles that a father plays in the life of a child, be it in the natural father-child relationship, or in a spiritual fathering-sonship relationship. I just want to touch on two that I see as key things imparted by fathers to children…
1. Affirmation of Identity
Perhaps the most significant thing a father can do for a child is to affirm them in their identity, to help them discover who they are.
Man needs to know his name. The world will call us all sorts of names based on what they see. But what they see, may not be who we truly are. We’ve all been wounded and we’ve all learnt to guard ourselves from being hurt further by wearing a mask of some sort of other. But our masks are not who we are. The One who accurately tells us who we are is the One who knows us intimately – our Creator, our Father.
I love the redemptive nature of God… no matter where you have come from, no matter how things have been for you, there is a purpose in the heart of God for your life and it is linked with your identity, the unique way God put you together. There are so many examples in scripture of how God literally changed a man’s name as a sign of cutting off the old and calling forth into the new…Abram whose name meant “exalted father” was renamed Abraham which means “father of many” for God had called him to be the father of many nations. Jacob whose name meant “deceiver, supplanter” was renamed Israel which means “he will be prince with God/ he will rule with God” for despite coming into his inheritance in a deceitful way, God had indeed called him to be a ruler over God’s people. Simon was given a new name by Jesus – he was called Peter which means “rock” a name that he grew into by God’s grace, despite his failings along the way.
Our true identity is imparted by our Heavenly Father; natural and spiritual fathers are invaluable for bringing an affirmation of this God-given identity. Peter has been speaking all year about identity… Do you know who you are? If you have never heard or even asked God speak to you about who you truly are, about your identity as a unique child of His, then I encourage you to ask Him. I believe He wants to speak His word over our lives… that we might see ourselves as He sees us. Our purpose and our place in the body of Christ is tied in with our identity for he created us with good works in mind.
Our identity comes from our Heavenly Father, but it is the privilege of earthly fathers, both natural and spiritual fathers, to affirm this identity – a vital part of fathering therefore is the ability to see the true identity of those we father and to call this forth.
2. Impartation of Courage
Once a child has some sense of who they are, they need to know that their father believes in them – that sense of “I have what it takes” is imparted by fathers. This is particularly true for boys. They need to know that Dad thinks they have what it takes – it gives them courage. It’s also true in a spiritual sense – as sons, those growing in Christ-likeness, the encouragement that comes from a spiritual father who believes in us is invaluable. It spurs us on in the same way that a boy is encouraged and spurred on by the praise and encouragement of his father.
1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 Paul writes in this passage about his ministry amongst the believers in Thessalonica and says, “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”
Encouragement is a huge part of fathering – to encourage is to “lend your courage to someone” by believing in them and urging them on in what lies before them. There is also an aspect of comforting or consoling because children make mistakes, they don’t always get it right. A father’s role is to help their children accept their failures but get back up and keep on going. Spend some time on this passage personally and let God teach you how to father in this way.
There are many other roles of a father… they impart security to their children, they bring correction and discipline and they release blessing over their children to name a few.
What Now?
We can easily complicate the outworking of fathering and sonship… it’s meant to be simple. Today I want us to understand the simplicity of God’s plan and in particular two simple points:
- We are talking about an anointing or grace that God wants to pour out upon his people – it’s not so much about us working it all out and changing things or doing things in our own strength. It’s more about giving ourselves to what God wants to do in us and allowing his grace and his love to empower us.
- It begins with the turning of the hearts of the fathers… then the hearts of the children will turn.
First – to natural fathers - Is your heart turned towards your children? Do you prioritise being a father, being present in your children’s lives and purposing to impart identity and courage into your children. Do you make decisions about what you do and what you allow into your own heart based on how it will effect your children? Let God lead you as a father, learn from Him and learn to make decisions about work and life with the next generation in mind. There are some awesome resources out there that are good tools to help Dad’s grow as Dad’s. You may not have had the best Dad as a role model for fathering… don’t let that stop you. Talk with other men, learn from other men, be intentional and proactive about your fathering. A word to Mum’s … whatever you do don’t try to make your husband a male mother – mum’s have their roles, their strengths and Dad’s have theirs. They’re different and both are equally important. Men, work on your relationship with your children as their Dad. You will never regret it!
Second – to all of us here – as we grow and mature in Christ-likeness as sons, God will give us others to father. We’re not supposed to get all weird about it. It is a process that God will bring about very naturally, if we are prepared to give ourselves to the task. But it does require that we are willing to be available for each other and to learn the language of encouragement. I think it begins by having a heart for others and learning to see people as God sees them. Anyone of us can point out another person’s faults, but it takes the heart of a father to see what God sees and to speak encouragement into that destiny. It requires making time for those God connects you with and learning to encourage them and to help them connect with God.
John Alley, “Spiritual fathers love their sons, and spiritual sons serve and honour their fathers. The relationship is mutually beneficial, and involves mutual giving. The son gives, and the father gives. They honour one another, and each wants the other to succeed. These are life-giving and freedom-giving relationships… There is accountability and authority, but not control and a true father does not create dependency. Like a Dad with his family, the way in which fatherly authority is exercised varies greatly with the maturity of the child. As sons become mature, they also become more independent, yet all the while remaining strongly bonded in love to their spiritual father. This kind of life is the life of the church, and these values are central to the ministry of Jesus Christ. If we misunderstand this, we miss the substance of what the faith and the gospel is all about.”
Finally – we are a family of believers and this family has a LARGE number of children. I was chatting with someone not long ago and mentioned that we are in the situation of almost having more children than adults in our church family. Their response disturbed me because it was, “Oh wow… that must be hard… it takes a long time for them to grow up.” I don’t ever want to think that way, or to have anyone here think like that. As a family, we are called to raise the children of 24/7 to know and love and serve God… as kids, not just to bide their time until they get older. Children are truly a blessing, not just to natural families, but also in the family of God. Have you ever stopped to ask God what His purpose is for 24/7 and all its children?? I want to challenge you about your attitudes towards our kids… will you ask God to show you how to father them, even the ones that aren’t your own!? We have such an incredible opportunity to sow into their lives, to raise them up, to believe in them, to call forth their destiny in God and to encourage them to take their place in the Kingdom of God, as children. Please pray about this. Ask God what you can do to serve them, to father them. Asher…
Be willing… be relational… be a son… become a father… be led by the Spirit in all of this.
PRAY
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