Pastor Joel D. Briley

Parsons Grove Baptist Church

Lilesville, NC 28091

Base Text:  2 Kings 3-4

Read:  Romans 5:3-4  "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that

tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"

Introduction:  

Often in the middle of difficulties and trials we often loose sight of Romans 8:28 and the

working out of God's goodness.  Many times we grumble and complain instead of obey and gain.  Our faith in God and His Word will make the difference in how we get along in this life.

I believe that great blessings from God are just around the corner.  I've been there for sure and I know what I'm talking about.  You can miss them though.  Often our flesh and the world fool us into thinking that there is no blessing coming. Well, there is, just,

Theme:  Get Ready to be Blessed:

I.  When the work seems useless and a waste of time!

2 Kings 3:16-20  "And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For

thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be

filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. 18 And this is

but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. 19

And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree,

and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. 20 And it came to

pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by

the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water."

     A.  Nothing done by direction of God is ever useless in God's plan, nothing!

     B.  No time is a waste of time if it is directed and

           orchestrated by God's Word.

Transition:  Get ready to be blessed when your work in the Lord seems begrudgingly a waste

of time.  When things done seem useless in purpose get ready to be blessed!

Theme:  Get Ready to be Blessed:

I.  When the work seems useless and a waste of time!

II.  When the preparation seems senseless!

2 Kings 4:1-7  "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto

Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear

the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And

Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she

said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go,

borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4

And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt

pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from

him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she

poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son,

Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and

live thou and thy children of the rest."

     A.  Conducting ourselves as Christians, staying true to the word of God and working

           diligently for him is not senseless.  To a lost world it is a terrible waste of time and

           effort butt the a Christian it is divine stewardship.

     B.  When you have done all that God has commanded you to do to prepare, stand

           ready for a blessing!

Note:  The most exciting times in my life are the ones in which I could nothing else in the face

of calamity except trust in God.

Transition:  Get ready for a blessing when the preparation seems senseless and you tire of

your work. Hang on the blessing is about to be bestowed.

Theme:  Get Ready to be Blessed:

I.  When the work seems useless and a waste of time!

II.  When the preparation seems senseless!

III.  When the direction seems to go no where!

Genesis 12:1-4  "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from

thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2 And I will make of

thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a

blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee

shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken

unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed

out of Haran."

Hebrews 11:8  "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should

after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

, I don't know where I'm going, but I'm driving very fast."  Christians today, as a whole,

seem to be not so much concerned about their direction as they are about how fast they can

get there.

     A.  Direction must come from God.  Our forcing God's direction on our lives will only serve

           to ruin us.

     B.  We must proceed with faith and trust that God will not let us enter into doors he has not

           opened.

Transition:  Though our direction is not clearly visible to us, if God has led, we can step out

on faith and expect the blessings of God to be upon us forthwith.

Theme:  Get Ready to be Blessed:

I.  When the work seems useless and a waste of time!

II.  When the preparation seems senseless!

III.  When the direction seems to go no where!

Conclusion:

Get ready to be blessed when your work in the Lord seems begrudgingly a waste of time.

When things done seem useless in purpose get ready to be blessed!  Get ready for a

blessing when the preparation seems senseless and you tire of your work. Hang on the

blessing is about to be bestowed.  Though our direction is not clearly visible to us, if God has 

led, we can step out on faith and expect the blessings of God to be upon us forthwith.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low, and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest if you must, but

don't you quit!