YOU
ASKED FOR IT SERIES
“Ground Hog Day”
QUESTION: Why do I keep experiencing the
same problems, the same pain and the same kind of negative people in my life
over and over again wherever I go? Am I under a curse or something?
INTRO: Most people think that external
events just happen to us and while that may be true some of the time, you can
be certain that if the same kinds of people and the same kinds of problems and
events keep showing up in your life perpetually: YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WHETHER CONSCIOUSLY
OR UNCONSCIOUSLY TO BRING THESE SITUATIONS ABOUT.
2 Kings 4:8-37 says:
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do
woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he
stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, "I
know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let's make a small room on the
roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can
stay there whenever he comes to us."
11 One day
when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12
He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called
her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for
us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or
the commander of the army?' "
She replied, "I have a home among my
own people."
14
"What can be done for her?" Elisha asked.
Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and
her husband is old."
15 Then
Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the
doorway. 16 "About this time next year,"
Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms."
"No, my lord," she objected.
"Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!"
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that
same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 The child
grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 "My head! My head!" he
said to his father.
His father told a servant, "Carry him
to his mother." 20 After
the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her
lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and
laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She
called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a
donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and
return."
23 "Why
go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the
Sabbath."
"It's all right," she said.
24 She
saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for
me unless I tell you." 25 So she set out and came
to the man of God at
When he saw her in the distance, the man of
God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your
husband all right? Is your child all right?' "
"Everything is all right,"
she said.
27 When she
reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came
over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is
in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me
why."
28 "Did
I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?"
29 Elisha
said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your
hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you,
do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
30 But the
child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will
not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi
went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or
response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has
not awakened."
32 When
Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to
the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay upon the
boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out
upon him, the boy's body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned
away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and
stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his
eyes.
36 Elisha
summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the
Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your
son." 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to
the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
Observations:
·
The Shunammite woman wanted a change in her life.
·
She wanted
God’s favor and blessing.
·
She built
Elisha a room for him to stay.
·
She was stuck
in a holding pattern.
·
She instinctively
knew she needed to do something new if she wanted new results.
·
The fact is…
1. OFTEN TIMES, OUR INNER MINDSET KEEPS
OUTER CONDITIONS IN PLACE. Vs. 8-16
·
Many times
the outer circumstances change only after we change our internal thinking and
feelings first.
2. THERE IS NO REAL CHANGE IN OUR LIVES
WITHOUT SACRIFICE – A PRICE MUST ALWAYS BE PAID ON THE FRONT END. V. 10
·
Probably the
biggest sacrifice and the biggest price to be paid is
changing our thoughts and emotions about a particular problem.
·
Realizing
that the woman blessed him, Elisha wanted to bless her in return.
·
Elisha asked
Gehazi, his assistant and servant: “Now what can be done for you?”
·
Gehazi,
answered, “Well she has no son and her husband is old”.
·
Elisha told
Gehazi to go get The Shunammite woman so he called
and she stood in the doorway.
·
For whatever
reason she did not go in the room, but stood in the doorway, perhaps she was a
little fearful or intimidated by being called by this great man of God.
·
He then tells
the woman, “About this time next year you will hold a son in your arms.
·
“NO, MY
LORD,” SHE OBJECTED. “DON’T MISLEAD YOUR SERVANT, O MAN OF GOD!”
·
She said, “no” not because she did not want to be pregnant with a child
that was very much her desire.
·
She said “no” because if it did not happen as
Elisha said it would – it would break her heart to pieces.
·
Sometimes we
push away what we want because it hurts too much to think about it not
happening in our lives.
·
Have you ever
pushed a promise away because the possibility of the promise not coming true
would break your heart.
ILLUS:
For years I have told men
to “love their wives as Christ loved the church”. And the process of
accomplishing this means by demonstrating love to her some how, some way
tangibly so she can see it in physical form. One of my favorite forms is to
encourage men to bring home flowers, chocolate, ice-cream, a hallmark card or
some jewelry. Now we know that these are just metaphors for doing something to
demonstrate love. Perhaps it is something totally different like mowing the
lawn or cleaning the house. But in my early years of ministry I did not explain
it the best I could. I took more of a literal approach.
More than once, the men I was working with
would come back to me and say, “But my wife said she does not like flowers or chocolate
and that she does not want me to waste money on frivolous items”.
Every time, I took a bold
approach and said something like: “That is not true, she is lying to you”.
Many times, the husband
would respond by saying, “No Pastor Mike she is not lying to me…she told me not
to waste the money”.
I then would respond by
saying something like: “She told you not to waste the money on these things for
one of three reasons: 1) She fears that if you know she wants them you will
either use these gifts for manipulation to get something from her like sex or
2) You will not follow through and consistently buy her such gifts and break
her heart. Or 3) you are just doing it because Pastor Mike told you to and your
heart really is not in it.
Several times, these men
have come back to me and reported to me: “You were right,
she said she lied to me on purpose.
Sometimes it was indeed
because she thought her husband would use such gifts to manipulate her, or
break her heart if he did not follow through, or because “Pastor Mike is behind
it and not you”.
Most of the answers over
the years were because of #2. SHE FEARED THAT HER HUSBAND AFTER KNOWING WHAT
SHE DESIRED, WOULD DROP THE BALL AND NOT FOLLOW
THROUGH AND BREAK HER HEART.
The thought of having her
heart broken was too much to bear so she lied to him.
This has happened over
and over throughout the years.
She lied not because she
did not want such gifts, she feared that her heart would be broken if her
husband did not follow through on the promise.
·
We find in
this story that the woman just came out and boldly said: “No my Lord…Don’t
mislead your servant, O man of God”.
·
SHE VOCALIZED
HER GREATEST FEAR!
3. ACKNOWLEDGING AND OWNING
UP TO OUR GREATEST FEARS BEGINS THE PROCESS OF DISOLVING THEM OUT OF OUR LIVES.
Vs. 16
·
Sure enough
she became pregnant just like Elisha said.
·
After the
child had grown, he was helping his father in the field and the boy got hurt.
·
The boy died
and she layed him on Elisha’s bed signifying that this was Elisha’s problem to
deal with.
·
She then set
out to find Elisha.
·
THE WOMAN HAD
FAITH THAT ELISHA WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM – SHE ACTIVATED HER FAITH!
·
When she
approached, Gehazi asked her: “Is everything all right?”
·
“EVERYTHING
IS ALL RIGHT,” SHE SAID.
·
The woman was
determined to share her distress with no one but Elisha from whom she had
received the promise of the birth of her son.
·
IN FAITH SHE
BELIEVED EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALL RIGHT ONCE SHE FOUND ELISHA.
·
LIKE GOD, “SHE
CALLED THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS IF THOUGH THEY WERE”!
4. WE KNOW WE ARE ON THE
RIGHT PATH WHEN GOD “CALLS THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE”.
“EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT”
·
NOW PERHAPS
IN THIS WOMAN’S CASE, SHE DID NOT REALLY BELIEVE EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT.
·
PERHAPS SHE
WAS JUST USING ANOTHER DEFENSE MECHANISM TO PROTECT HERSELF FROM GETTING HURT
AGAIN.
·
WE CAN ONLY
SPECULATE SINCE WE DO NOT KNOW THE MOTIVES IN HER HEART.
·
BUT THE BEST
RESPONSE IS TO ALWAYS CALL THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS IF THOUGH THEY WERE.
5. IN TIME OF NEED AND
DISTRESS WE MUST GO TO THE ULTIMATE SOURCE WHO CAN REALLY HELP US – GOD WITHIN.
Vs. Vs. 25-27
Jesus said: “The
Jesus said, “I will never
leave you or forsake you”.
Jesus said, “Ask anything
in my name and it will be done unto you according to your faith”.
·
THIS WOMAN
DID NOT KNOW THAT GOD WAS THE SOURCE OF ALL MIRACLES, SO SHE CLUNG TO ELISHA,
WHO WAS ONLY THE HUMAN INSTRUMENT GOD WAS USING TO
BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN HER LIFE.
·
SHE TOOK HOLD
OF HIS FEET.
·
HE DISCERNED
SHE WAS DISTRESSED, BUT HE DID NOT KNOW WHY.
·
SHE REPLIED:
·
“DID I ASK
YOU FOR A SON?”
·
“DIDN’T I
TELL YOU, ‘DON’T RAISE MY HOPES’?”
6. IT IS HUMAN BEHAVIOR
TO BLAME PEOPLE FOR OUR PAIN – THE MATURE PERSON RISES ABOVE THIS TENDANCY. V.
28
·
SHE FEARED
HAVING HER HEART BROKEN AND IT HAPPENED – THE VERY THING SHE DID NOT WANT.
·
WHY?
·
IF WE DWELL
ON WHAT WE DON’T WANT, WE CAN ACTUALLY BRING IT ABOUT.
7. OFTEN TIMES WE CAN
BRING UNWANTED PAIN INTO OUR LIVES BY FEARING THE WORSE. V. 28
The Shunnamite woman
said: “Did I ask you for a son, my Lord?” she said. Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t
raise my hopes?”
Job said: “The thing I
have feared has come upon me”.
·
ELISHA TOLD
GHEZI TO GO TAKE HIS STAFF AND LAY IT ON THE BOY’S FACE.
·
THE WOMAN
PROCLAIMED, “I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU”.
8. IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO
CLING TO THE INSTRUMENT GOD USES IN OUR LIVES INSTEAD OF CLINGING TO GOD ALONE
– THE MATURE PERSON RISES ABOVE THIS TENDENCY. Vs. 30
·
The woman
told Elisha: “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave
you.”
·
As instructed
by Elisha, Gehazi went out ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face
but there was no sound or response.
·
BUT THE BOY
WAS STILL DEAD.
·
ELISHA WENT
INTO THE ROOM AND MADE THE “WOMAN LEAVE HIM”
·
PERHAPS THIS
WAS ELISHA’S WAY OF HELPING THE WOMAN TO DETACH FROM HIM, KNOWING THAT GOD WAS
THE REAL SOURCE OF THE MIRACLE.
James
·
While it is
true God uses people to bless others, we must never forget God is the source.
·
IN ADDITION, PERHAPS
ELISHA DID NOT WANT HER FEARS TO INFLUENCE HIS FAITH.
·
Elisha shut
the door behind him – It was just him, the dead boy and God.
10. TO WALK IN FAITH, SOMETIMES
WE HAVE TO PULL AWAY FROM THE WORLD’S FEARS AND INFLUENCES AND SHUT THE DOOR
BEHIND US IN ORDER TO COMMUNE WITH GOD ALONE. Vs. 33
·
When Jesus
healed the girl, he also shut the door to family members and friends - only a
few of the disciples were allowed to come in with him.
·
THEN ELISHA
LAYED ON THE BOY MOUTH TO MOUTH EYES TO EYES AND HANDS TO HANDS.
11. FAITH ALWAYS LEADS TO
SOME KIND OF ACTION AND SOMETIMES IT APPEARS ODD AND EXCESSIVE FROM OUR
PERCEPTION. V. 34
ILLUS. Smith Wigglesworth
·
THE BOY’S
BODY GOT WARM.
·
ELISHA PACED
BACK AND FORTH IN THE ROOM.
·
HE THEN GOT
BACK ON THE BED AND STRETCHED OUT ON TOP OF THE BOY ONE MORE TIME.
12. FAITH DOES NOT GIVE
UP AFTER JUST ONE TRY OR APPLICATION. V. 35
·
THE BOY ROSE
FROM THE DEAD!
·
THE WOMAN WAS
GRATEFUL, DEMONSTRATED BY FALLING AT ELISHA’S FEET AND BOWING DOWN TO THE
GROUND.
·
SHE TOOK HER
SON AND WENT OUT.
·
The woman
experienced a miracle but we do not know if she changed her fears.
·
Perhaps this
miracle changed her belief system and she became a victor.
·
Or perhaps
she kept thinking thoughts of fear and continued to play the victim, going
throughout life blaming others for her pain.
·
We do not
know for sure.
·
When you keep
attracting the same problems and negative problems in your life, it is most
likely because:
REASONS WHY PEOPLE KEEP ATTRACTING THE
SAME PAIN INTO THEIR LIVES OVER AND OVER AGAIN:
I. WE ATTRACT WHAT WE ARE, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT
WE WANT. IN OTHER WORDS, WE WILL REAP WHAT WE SOW!
Galatians 6:7-10 says:
7Do not be
deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The
one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to
please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let
us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to
the family of believers.
II. WE
ATTRACT MORE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE THE MOST, WHETHER CONSCIOUSLY OR
SUBCONSCIOUSLY.
·
Often times,
the attitude that holds negative people and circumstances in our lives firmly
in place is way below the surface and we are not even consciously aware of it.
III.
WE ATTRACT MORE OF WHAT WE ALREADY
HAVE, NOT NECESSARILY MORE OF WANT WE WANT IN LIFE.
Jesus
said: “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will
be taken from him”. Matthew 13:12
·
“The rich get
richer…the poor get poorer”.
·
The happy get
happier…the sad get sadder”.
·
Success
breeds success.
·
IF YOU HAVE
LACK IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU DWELL ON THAT LACK YOU WILL GET MORE LACK BECAUSE LIKE
ATTRACTS LIKE.
IV.
WE ATTRACT WHAT WE DESPISE AND RESENT – “WHAT RESISTS PERSISTS”.
Matthew 5:38-48 says:
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye,
and tooth for tooth.'[a] 39But I tell
you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right
cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone
wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away
from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43"You
have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[b] and hate your enemy.' 44But
I tell you: Love your enemies[c] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his
sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more
than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect,
therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
SOLUTION: FORGIVE PEOPLE WHO HURT YOU AND
CHOOSE TO JUDGE AND CONDEMN NO ONE.
Luke 6: 27 – 38 says:
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse
you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If
someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes
your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give
to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not
demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do
to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is
that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And
if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even
'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom
you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to
'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love
your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get
anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most
High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37"Do
not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and
running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you."
NOTE: FORGIVENESS AND LOVE BREAK THE BOND
TO PAIN CREATED BY RESISTENCE AND RESENTMENT.
·
You keep
people bonded to you through unforgiveness, resentment, and judgments.
V.
WE ATTRACT WHAT WE COMPULSIVELY FEAR AND WORRY ABOUT.
“What I feared has come upon me?” JOB
SOLUTION: DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMMOROW.
Matthew 6:25-34 says:
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can
add a single hour to his life[a]?
28"And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do
not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of
little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we
eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For
the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
VI.
WE TEND TO ATTRACT WHAT MOST DOMINATES OUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS.
·
Why would
Jesus tell us to forgive people that hurt us?
·
Why would
Jesus tell us to bless the people who curse us?
·
Why would
Jesus tell us to love the people who hate us?
·
Why would
Jesus tell us not to fear and worry about tomorrow.
TRUTH: WE BREAK AWAY FROM
THE SAME OLD PAINFUL PROBLEMS WHEN WE BEGIN TO THINK AND ACT IN NEW HEALTHY
PATTERNS.
THINK RIGHT
Philippians 4:4-8 says:
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things.
2 Corinthians10:5 says:
We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Romans 12:1-2 says:
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this
is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ephesians 4:22-24 says:
22You were taught, with regard to your former way of
life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in
true righteousness and holiness.
APPLICATION: A GREAT METHOD THAT HELPS TO
BREAK OLD, DESTRUCTIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS IS TO PRACTICE “AFFIRMATION PRAYERS”
THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHERE I SPEAK GOD’S TRUTH.
Examples:
“God, I thank you for answering my prayer
in your way and in your time for the good of all concerned”.
“Every good and perfect gift comes from the
Father of Heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows”.
“God, I love you, I am sorry, please
forgive me, thank you”.
“Jesus have mercy on me a redeemed
sinner”.
“God, I thank you that my sins are
forgiven, I am redeemed and I have new life in Christ.
“God is love and perfect love casts out
all fear”
“There is nothing but God and God is
love. Devine love prospers me in all my affairs”.
“God you are good all the time and I
receive your goodness and give it back to you by giving to others in need”.
“I can do all things
through Christ who gives me strength”.
“God, I thank you that I
am no longer a victim of external circumstances – in Christ I am victorious!”
“God is in me and I am in God – there is
nothing to fear”.
“My past does not equal my future -This
is a new day and I receive it”.
“God prospers me in all my ways”.
“God, your will be done, your Kingdom
come into my life!”
QUESTION: Why do I keep experiencing the
same problems, the same pain and the same kind of negative people in my life
over and over again wherever I go? Am I under a curse or something?
ANSWER: The only “curse” you are under is
the curse of your own thoughts, emotions and behavior that are
unproductive…once you discipline yourself to think new thoughts, feel new
emotions and do new actions that line up with God’s truth, any so called curse
you are under will be broken!
REMEMBER: JESUS DIED TO DO AWAY WITH THE
CURSE OF THE LAW, SO ANY CURSES YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ARE SELF INDUCED AND
REALLY AN ILLUSION!
·
CHANGE YOUR
THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR EMOTIONS AND CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR TO MATCH THAT OF JESUS
CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE FREE FROM THE SO CALLED CURSE.
·
YOU ARE NO
LONGER A VICTIM YOU ARE A VICTOR IN CHRIST!
“I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO
GIVES ME STRENGTH”. PHILLIPPIANS 4:13