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[ Silence ] [ Music ] [music] Amen. Speak to our hearts, O God, and grant to each one of us listening ears, in Jesus' name, Amen.

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One day, Elisha went to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. She said to her husband, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who is continuing passing our way, let us make a small roof chamber with walls and put there

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for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp so that whenever he comes to us he can go in there. Second Kings chapter 4 verses 8 through 10. Furniture for a new room, furniture for a new room. Let us make a small roof chamber with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, chair, and a lamp so that whenever he comes to

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us he can go in there. As a married couple beginning a new life high on our agenda was the purchase of furniture.

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I can remember that the first thing we purchased was a baby bed, then a washing machine, and a little later a bedroom suit. We were rooming. In those days you

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rent a room here and there and we went after several experiences to a particular place where we were given the room on the third floor in Cleveland, Ohio,

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with a bay window that opened to the street. And we bought our first bedroom suit. And we did a great deal of planning, at least discussion, before the

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decision was made that it would be best to buy good furniture that would last because if you didn't buy good furniture you would pay more because you'd have to replace it. And so we did just that.

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So even though it was a great deal of sacrifice, we purchased that furniture and it's the best furniture I guess that we have and it still lasts because we followed that decision. Here we have a story that comes from the long ago

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that has to do with a new room and furniture for that room. It's an event in the life of the prophet Elisha. Well, in a sense it may be a story about affordable housing. There was concern that this man would have a place to stay.

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Here is a middle-aged couple in Shunem. The prophet frequently comes that way in his travels. And this dear woman of the house invites him to dine with them. It was not a case of the prophet seeking to exploit the couple.

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Elisha was not a freeloader, a moocher. The lady of the house with her husband's approval constrained He trained Elisha to eat and to stay with them when he came that way. I think here we have, first of all, a crystal clear illustration of hospitable hearts.

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For this couple not only enjoyed a good life together, having enough for themselves and something to spare. The Bible speaks of this woman as being a great woman and some translate this as being a wealthy woman. This couple had at their disposal abundant resources.

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Another thing we see in this couple is a marvelous blending of piety and prosperity. That's a marvelous blend. So many people who are prosperous don't think they need to be pious.

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And sometimes we have many cases where people are pious and when they become prosperous they lose their piety. But here in this couple is a marvelous blending of piety and

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prosperity. This couple is led by the spirit. They rightly relate the life of the spirit to the life of the things of the flesh. Sometimes it is the case that when people have an abundance of material things,

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the things of the spirit are neglected. But it was not so with this couple. There was piety and prosperity in this home. There is a an attractiveness in holiness.

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This this is a holy couple. Life is meaningful when we learn how to spiritualize the material and how to materialize the spiritual. You know there are some people who are so spiritual that they don't want to have anything to do with any of the things of this world.

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They are so spiritual they act as if they live in another world. And then there are some people who are so concerned about the material things that they completely ignore that which is of the spirit. But really learning how to live this life in an abundant way is to learn how to blend the

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Spiritual and the material God doesn't want us all to be poor with nothing He put all these things here for us to enjoy And he doesn't want us to be so concerned about these things that we are like that rich farmer That we get all of these things in our barn and forget about everything else including God who provides these things

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So here we find this couple a couple that is so equipped that they do not live a one-dimensional existence, but they recognize that existence is two-dimensional. They live both on this this earth, they are citizens of this earth, and they recognize also that they

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are citizens of heaven and our lives are out of joint when we fail to rightly relate the earthly with the heavenly. We are to constantly pray that the Heavenly Father's will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now this union of hospitable hearts existed in this home, I say, husband and wife, rightly related to

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each other, rightly related to the eternal, they're rightly related to the prophet, and as Elisha, who is the spokesperson for God, who represents the prophetic presence, as he comes from time to time, he's invited into this home and they break bread together. It was a holy fellowship. And you notice this fact that

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Elisha did not wear out his welcome. He didn't wear it out. You know I can remember hearing some people say you know that certain people come to their house all the time and they always come to dinner but they never have them to dinner. And they always are ready to receive but not ready to give. And there's some people who

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come and after a few visits you wish that they would stop coming. But that was not the case with Elisha. You know some people the longer you know them the worse they become in your, they don't farewell as the saying goes but Elisha did not wear out his welcome. This is a holy fellowship. The more he came, the more he ate, the more they wanted him to

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come and the more they wanted him to eat. That's a wonderful relationship. That's what we have here in his relationship to this couple. There is a sense in which his company is not only desired but it's solicited and it's a delightful experience. You know there's some families where the preacher is tolerated. You know they look outside and they

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see he's at the door and they say well here's the preacher you know let's get things in order for his presence when he does come and then while he's there the relationship is strained and as soon as he goes they're glad because they can resume their behavior and their relationships just as they were before. But here this is not the case. Elisha's presence is welcome. They desire

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and welcome the pleasure of holy company. Now this is this is a proposal that the wife makes after after she has entertained Elisha in the home for some time she says to her husband let's add a room to this house And let's put in the room a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp.

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Because this man is a holy man of God. We've been together with him over a period of time, and the more we are together, the we are able to see the spirit of God at work in this man. So let's add a room to our house so that whenever he comes this way, he can go in and stay with us. You see, this is a

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proposal that has to do with intimacy. They want him in the house. They want him to be That's a proposal of intimacy. And one of the things we need in this world is more intimacy. A whole lot of husbands, a whole lot of wives not intimate with each other. They don't even share with each other. You know, in an intimate way where you feel a certain closeness. A whole lot of people, we sit close together, but we're not really close together many times.

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Intimacy. And a whole lot of us don't want to be close to a whole lot of people. And when we get out and a crisis comes, we want to give the show of intimacy. I've had people to call me and they want me to show up in certain places when they don't ever think about me except at other times. And you've had the same thing.

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The show of intimacy. But here, this is the real thing. This lady isn't kidding. This is no joke. She goes to her husband and says, "Look, my dear, let's build a room to this house. Let's add a room for this man." Now of course this was a holy fellowship because there were some men that I would know that would say, "Now wait a minute. This house is for us. I've worked hard and I've accumulated whatever we have here for us to enjoy. We don't need nobody else here." you know, build a little circle, just shut ourselves in and shut everybody else out.

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[Audience responds] But here we see in this couple a magnanimous spirit that's reaching out. And her husband agrees. So there is unity here to add a room, put new furniture in it.

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She is concerned about providing for the prophetic presence. She's not agitated or irritated by the prophetic presence, but she is rather comforted and delighted. And so they provide some furniture.

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They add, they build up the room, the upper chamber, and they put in this room furniture. It's furnished with a bed. A bed is a symbol of retirement, symbol of relaxation, place we like to rest and sleep, the bed. And life needs to have provision for retirement, for rest, and for relaxation.

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That as we look at our lives, that we need to make room in our lives for a bed, for relaxation, for opportunities for renewal and strength. We need to provide for that. So every one of us

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needs to provide room for that. She's providing in this house, in this furniture, a bed. And some of us who are young today don't look forward to those years, but they're coming. You know it's a wonderful thing to recognize that you're not going to be the same age all the time and to provide for the future.

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To have room somewhere right now while everything seems to be going well and you have a good job and all that. it's a good thing to put have room in that house for a bed to sort of make provisions for the future for retirement and all of that That's that's a part of life to have room for that to have rest and relaxation

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As we think of life here on this earth. We need to have room for that and We need to learn how to prepare for retirement

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How to prepare to go to bed, that's important. Some people find that very difficult to do. How to rest, how to relax, how to prepare for retirement, how to go to bed. I remember a man who lived

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in the town where I was before coming here. He retired from his job as a principal. And he could not rest. He went down to the school almost every day he could and wept. He didn't know how

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to give it up. There's some things that we come, things that we do now that we won't be able to do. Maybe we need to change our style of living in some way. But all of it has to do with knowing how to take a hold and also knowing how to let go, how to go to bed. Let's put in this room, she says, a bed. Let's also put in this room a table,

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a table, a chair. Well, when we think about a table, we think about sitting down at the And we spend a great deal of our time doing that. And I really think that when we are concerned about this table, that we ought to have that kind of concern that really our eating and our religion sort of ought to be tied in together. read the Bible the Jewish people tied their religious beliefs to their daily

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practice of eating the daily bread that was given to God they were concerned about the kind of food they put into their bodies and the care of their bodies the table that's important but not only is the table a symbol of food and a symbol of eating the table also is a symbol of study because the table is

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is to be there for study. There's a lamp also with the table, the chair to sit in. So it's to be for study. And my brothers and sisters,

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we need never give up that need. Now never forget that need to study, need to study. We have the programs in our church. I think sometimes some of us get our rooms arranged in such a way that we don't have

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room for study, to study about God. Oh, so well, that's enough. I'll come to church and I'll listen to a sermon. That's enough of that.

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But we ought to always be studying. Here is a prophet, Elisha, the man who walks with God and who represents the prophetic presence here but in this room there is a table and a chair and a lamp that the prophet is to engage in study. Paul as he is in prison says to Timothy bring me

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the books but as much as he was doing he recognized the need to engage in study and we need to engage in study. He says to Timothy study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and if we would serve God if we would be equipped as disciples of Jesus

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Christ if we would learn of him we must be constantly engaged in study and making room furnishing our room now lies for study then that lamp also would represent faith we need the lamp of faith commitment to God faith to trust in him faith that's like a shining light that enable us to walk day by day in

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close fellowship with the Heavenly Father faith faith a lamp of faith and And so all of this is provided for Elisha. This room with new furniture in it, a new room with new furniture. And Elisha says to his servant Jehazi, "This lady has been so nice to us.

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We ought to do something for her, something special for her." "What should be done for her? "What special thing can we do for this lady?" Jahezia said, "Well, she doesn't have a child.

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"Her husband's old, and it doesn't seem "that they're gonna have children, "and that would be a great blessing for her." Before that, Elisha had proposed to the woman, said,

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"Well, since you've been so nice to us, "maybe I can do something for you. maybe I can speak a word to the king, get you some special favor that way, get you some special position, some special appointment, put you on some committee,

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some board, some commission, some special honor. She said no no I don't want that. She said I just want to dwell here among my own people, that's enough for me. And it's Heise who suggests that well see that she has a child so Elisha goes to her and said well about this time another year you're gonna have a son.

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She said you've got to be kidding. For us, the age we are, long as we've been married, not likely we're gonna have a child. Oh yes, this is the word. And so that time another year a child is born. A blessing of joy. You see, whenever you give yourself, whenever you surrender yourself, whenever you reach out to others in sincerity and in faith and in trust of

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God, whenever you reach out in that way, there's always a blessing that comes your way. There's always a blessing that comes. A blessing. And that blessing is a means of joy, it's a source of joy, a child is born in this family, that's new hope, that's new joy, that's a new relationship, that's a new humanity that comes into this

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family because they reach out. And after a while if you read that story the child is stricken and the child dies without, for there's no joy without some pain and Elisha goes and the child is revived. That's resurrection. That's the story of the cross. That's the story of the cross. Serving God, recognizing the

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prophetic presence, surrendering yourself and reaching out for others. All of that. Yet in the midst of it there is the cross, there's joy, there's pain, there's the cross. But in the midst of all of our suffering, God comes to be with us and to bless us through it all. He's always there.

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Because you see, when we are given promises and we have faith in Him, God has a way of fulfilling those promises. and our lives are enriched. But the important thing is, as we look at this story, is to look at our lives, look at your life, for me to look at my life, and to see whether or not I have made room for the right things. Sometimes we get so crowded. Sometimes we get so busy that we fail to make room for the things that are most important. Make room. And when we make the right room available, then to see that it's furnished.

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Sometimes we don't make time, we don't provide for time for our own personal devotions to make room. And then to be sure that when you make the room that you have the right furniture in there.

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Sometimes people move into places and they have beautiful homes but when you go in there they're not furnished. But we need to have our lives furnished with the right kind of furniture. And for our lives to be furnished the way they ought to be furnished, we need to have

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the carpenter of souls. You see, the carpenters of yesterday made the furniture that went into the houses. And Jesus came and dwelt among us as a carpenter. And he knows just what kind of furniture you need in your life, and he knows just how to

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equip it so that it gives the best service. He knows. He understands. He understands.

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He understands. And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it.

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And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it.

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And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it. And he knows how to do it. He gives the best service.

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He knows, he understands, he understands. He understands. You know, when they were making furniture in the ancient times, it is said that

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they used to put some wax in the cracks, cover up the cracks with some wax so it couldn't be seen. And the word sincere, the Latin word means without wax, no wax.

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So a person who's really sincere, don't have any cracks, but they gotta fill it up with wax. That's just the real thing. And when we usher him into our lives,

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the one who was shut out for the world, said we have no room, but he's always making room for us. He's always including us in his plan. And God so loved the world that he sent Jesus down

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to the same cursed earth, the same people like you and me, seniors. And he wants us just to include him and let him come. If you just let him in, he says, behold, I stand at the door

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now. And if you just open the door and let me in, I'll come in. And I will suck with you and you with me. and we'll have a wonderful time together.

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We just invited him. It's wonderful, it's wonderful to let the carpenter of souls come into our lives. And he has made this possible for every one of us.

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He's already made room for us. He says, "There is room at the cross. "If you would participate with me the sufferings of humanity, if you would participate with me for the sufferings

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of the redemption of humankind, come to the cross. For there's room at the cross. That's all, that's the decision you have to make. He comes, the carpenter of souls, he comes. All you have to say is yes, he's already there, he's already said yes to us. There's room.

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Won't you come this morning? There's room at the cross. There's room. [music]

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We'd like you to come. [music] [music] [music]

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(chanting) ♪ The cross upon which Jesus died ♪ ♪ Is a shelter in which we can hide ♪ ♪ And His grace so free ♪

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♪ Is sufficient for me ♪ ♪ And deep is His fountain ♪ ♪ As wide as the sea ♪ ♪ And through the waters ♪

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♪ For you ♪ ♪ And room and a prom ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Though millions have come ♪

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♪ There's still room for one ♪ ♪ Is a king ♪ ♪ And a cross for you ♪ ♪ Though millions have found him a friend ♪

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♪ But have turned from the sins they have sinned ♪ have said. The Savior still waits to open the gates. Unwelcome a sinner before it's too late.

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♪ And the room and the hall are you ♪ ♪ And the room and the hall are you ♪ ♪ Though millions have come ♪ ♪ There's still room for hope ♪

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♪ Yes, there's room at the door for you ♪ ♪ The hand of my Savior is strong ♪ ♪ And the love of my Savior is long ♪ ♪ Through sunshine or rain ♪

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♪ Through loss or in gain ♪ ♪ The blood flows from Calvary ♪ ♪ Who cleansed every stain ♪ ♪ And who never crossed ♪

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♪ The road ♪ ♪ And who never crossed ♪ ♪ The road ♪ ♪ Though millions have come ♪

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♪ There's still room to hope ♪ ♪ Yes, there's hope ♪ ♪ And a hope ♪ ♪ For you ♪

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- That's good news. [BLANK_AUDIO]