“Picking Up the Mantle” 9-22-24

Overview

Middle Children of God

Every believer stands somewhere in the middle of God's story—never without those who have gone before us, never without those who will come after. That middle position carries both a gift and a calling, beautifully illustrated in the relationship between Elijah and Elisha.

A Mentor's Mantle

When Elijah first encountered Elisha, he threw his mantle over him 1 Kings 19:19. The mantle was the prophet's garment—a symbol of God-given authority. By casting it over Elisha, Elijah was saying, "Come walk with me. I will mentor you. You will share in this authority from God." What followed were years of formation we don't see recorded, but whose depth becomes unmistakable in 2 Kings 2.

As Elijah's departure approached, he tried three times to send Elisha away, and three times Elisha refused: "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." Here we see fierce loyalty, deep love, and the bond that grows when one believer faithfully equips another. When Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, he was asking for the firstborn's inheritance (see Deuteronomy 21:17)—not of possessions, but of spiritual power for the ministry ahead.

Picking Up What Falls

After Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind, Elisha tore his clothes in grief—and then he picked up the mantle that had fallen. Standing at the Jordan, he struck the water and asked, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" The waters parted, and he crossed over equipped for the work God had prepared for him. His journey with his mentor had ended; his journey of faith had not.

This is the pattern for every believer. Pause and consider who has gone before you—the parent, teacher, friend, or pastor who placed God's Word in your hands, who nurtured and guided you in faith. Their presence in your life was no coincidence but divine appointment. And just as surely, God is placing younger brothers and sisters in faith around you—people you are called to love, teach, protect, and point to Christ.

The Mantle Is Already Yours

We can offer many excuses—I'm not equipped, I'm afraid, I have no children to mentor—but the call is not contingent on credentials or family status. Through baptism, you have already been given the mantle. As Peter writes, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" 1 Peter 2:9.

You have crossed through the waters. The promises of salvation, forgiveness, and the indwelling Spirit are yours, secured by Christ on the cross. You wear the mantle of righteousness. So look around: who is God placing in your path that you might equip, nurture, and love into deeper faith? By God's grace, you can be Elijah for another Elisha—a faithful middle child of God, receiving what has been handed down and passing it on.

Transcript

Relationships. 4s

Relationships are very, very interesting how we relate to one another and an aspect of relationships 5s

that I am very drawn to that I really enjoy studying is birth order. 12s

Now this may be because I am a middle child. 19s

I am a middle child squeezed between two sisters and so I don't know existence without an older 23s

sister and I don't remember existence without a younger sister. 33s

Now I promise we are not talking about birth order today. 39s

The sermon is not about birth order but it is about a relationship. 43s

It's about a relationship between Elijah and Elijah and as I was studying for this sermon, 49s

for this study today, I realized that we are all middle children. 59s

We are all middle children because we are all middle children of God. 66s

If you think about time, you can see in your mind this linear timeline that stretches from beginning to end and we don't know when the end will be but we can see it in our minds I stretching and in the very middle of the timeline. 74s

That's where we are today. 96s

That's where we are today and we will never know an existence without those who have come before us and we will never remember an existence without those who come after us. 100s

We are middle child or children. 116s

We are a middle child of God. 120s

So who came before and who is to come after? 124s

While this sermon series that we are in the middle of is on friends and various friendships and relationships that we see in scripture, we saw the advocate that Jonathan was for David. 131s

We saw the witness that Philip was for Nathaniel last week as he invited Nathaniel to come and see Jesus. 146s

And today we are looking at that mentoring relationship between Elijah and Elijah and Elijah. 156s

We don't know a lot about their relationship. 166s

We don't see them together for a long time in scripture and we certainly don't get much of their day to day conversation with one another. 170s

But we do know that there was a relationship. 182s

We do know that there was a mentoring relationship. 186s

We find Elijah meeting Elijah in first Kings toward the end of the book of first Kings chapter 19 verse 19 where it says so he said out that's Elijah set out from there and found Elijah. 189s

Elijah passed by him and through his mantle over him. 207s

A mantle was a garment that was worn by a prophet. 213s

It was a symbol of authority. 219s

It was recognizing the authority that that person had from God. 222s

And Elijah places his mantle over Elijah. 228s

But he didn't just leave it and then walk away. 233s

He threw his mantle over Elijah as a symbol of saying, I'm going to mentor you. 239s

You are going to have authority from God come with me. 247s

And indeed, Elijah does go with Elijah and they walk together. 253s

The book of what we know of their relationship happened without record for us. 260s

And then we pick up with our reading for today in second Kings. 269s

If you would please open your Bibles to second Kings chapter two. 275s

If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 308 in the Old Testament. 281s

We're in second Kings. 288s

Now while we don't know a lot about the day-to-day relationship between these two men, 293s

we do realize from what we have in Scripture that there was a relationship of depth. 300s

There was a relationship of deep caring and protectiveness. 308s

There was a deep relationship of love and loyalty. 313s

Elijah knows that it is time for him to be taken up to the Lord. 320s

Beginning in chapter two with verse one, 325s

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, 329s

Elijah and Elijah were on their way from Gilgall. 334s

Elijah said to Elijah stay here. 337s

For the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel. 340s

But Elijah said as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, 343s

I will not leave you. 349s

So they went down to Bethel. 351s

Look with me, please, at verse four. 354s

Elijah said to him, 356s

I will not leave you. 363s

So they came to Jericho. 370s

Look with me, please, at verse six. 372s

Then Elijah said to him, 375s

stay here. 378s

For the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. 379s

But he said as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, 382s

I will not leave you. 387s

So the two of them went on. 391s

We read that 50 men of the company of prophets also went and stood at some distance from them 395s

as they were both standing by the Jordan. 401s

Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water. 404s

The water was parted to one side and to the other until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 408s

Notice here how protective Elijah is of Elijah. 416s

He knows he is to be taken to the Lord. 423s

He knows that it is his time to leave his walk this side of heaven. 426s

And we don't know why he wants to keep Elijah back. 434s

But he protects Elijah. 439s

He says, stay here. 441s

I'm called to go on. 443s

And we don't know if he wants to protect Elijah from the trauma of having to say goodbye. 445s

We don't know if he thinks that this is something that he must do on his own. 451s

But we see the depth of love and the depth of loyalty that Elijah has for his mentor. 457s

And he refuses. 465s

Three times Elijah says, stay here. 466s

I'm going to go on in three times. 469s

Elijah says, no. 472s

As the Lord lives, as long as you live, I am with you. 476s

He is fiercely loyal to Elijah. 483s

fiercely loyal to the man who had led him all this time who had taught him, 487s

who had equipped him for the life that he was to lead. 494s

Elijah is caring, caring deeply for Elijah. 502s

And Elijah is caring and deeply loyal, refusing to leave his side. 507s

Look with me, please, at verse 9. 516s

When they had crossed Elijah, said to Elijah, 519s

tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you. 521s

Elijah said, please, let me inherit a double share of your spirit. 526s

He responded, you have asked a hard thing. 532s

Yet if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be granted you. 536s

If not, it will not. 541s

This double share or double portion, 545s

that is that double share or double portion that is a birth right. 548s

In Deuteronomy, we read that the man who has sons must acknowledge 554s

as firstborn, his son, giving him a double portion of all that he has. 562s

Since he is the first issue of his virility, the right of the firstborn is his. 568s

The right of the firstborn that double share that double portion is two-thirds of what that man has earned 574s

or gained in his life, what the father has. 585s

The double portion is two-thirds of all that he has. 590s

And Elijah asks for a double share, a double portion. 594s

Not of the things that Elijah has, but he asks for a double share of the spirit that Elijah has. 603s

As his mentee, Elijah witnessed miracles. 619s

He witnessed all that Elijah did in the name of the Lord. 624s

He witnessed profound happenings as Elijah served day after day, 629s

served his king, served the Lord. 637s

And Elijah says, I want that. 643s

I want that. 648s

Now, Elijah is not his birth father, but he is his spiritual father. 653s

He is the one who walked with Elijah, who equipped Elijah, 663s

who taught Elijah for the ministry that would one day 671s

be Elijah's. 683s

We're going to look at our timeline again. 686s

We're going to look again at the place that we hold as a middle child. 690s

Just as when we are born in the flesh, we do not come from our mother's wounds, 697s

walking and talking and knowing everything, but we need to be nourished, 702s

taken care of, taught, equipped, matured, helped along the way. 708s

When we are born of the spirit, we are not automatically mature in the spirit, 717s

but we have those who come around us who walk with us, 724s

who teach us, who guide us, who nurture us, who nourish us. 729s

I want you to take a moment and think about who has come before you, 736s

who has come before you, middle child of God. 745s

Who has been your mentor in the faith? 753s

And very likely you have more than one mentor in faith, 757s

but think for a moment of that person. 765s

Why was he or she a mentor for you? 770s

How did he or she equip you, nurture you, guide you, 776s

and share the faith with you? 785s

Why was that person a key mentor, a key person in your faith journey? 791s

And how did it affect you, how did he or she affect your life? 800s

It'd be really lovely to stay in that relationship just as it is. 811s

As Elijah and Elijah walk along, they walk, 823s

and Elijah would be more than happy to stay right where he is, 829s

continuing to be led to be taught to be nurtured by his mentor. 834s

As we find ourselves being mentored, it would be lovely to stay in that place, 845s

continuing to be nurtured, continuing to be equipped, continuing to be fed. 852s

But you are not a youngest child of God. 860s

You are a middle child of God. 866s

Those who have come before us will be taken to the Lord. 872s

Those who have come before us will not always be able to walk with us. 880s

Look with me, please, at verse 11 in 2 Kings, chapter 2. 888s

As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire separated, 895s

the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 902s

Elijah kept watching and crying out, father, father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. 908s

But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them into pieces. 915s

How Elijah was taken to heaven is not the norm. 926s

So we are not going to spend a lot of time on this. 931s

It's a scene of splendor, a scene of glory, a scene that really is awesome, 936s

and strikes fear and amazement, because the curtain of heaven has been pulled back for Elijah to see to witness. 948s

And while he witnesses that he mourns, he tears his clothes because his mentor is no longer with him. 961s

His journey with Elijah has come to an end, but his journey of faith has not come to an end. 976s

In verse 13, we read, he picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 990s

In our timeline, in our timeline of history, there are those who have come before us. 1004s

There are those who have nurtured us. 1014s

There are those who have taught us, God's word, God's way. 1018s

There are those who have helped to equip us, and to mentor us. 1024s

But our journey, as they are called home to the Lord, our journey does not end there. 1031s

People come in and out of our lives. 1041s

Our little blip in the middle of our timeline, our little blip in all of history is filled with various people coming in and out of our lives, not by coincidence, not by coincidence, but by divine appointment. 1047s

God, very purposefully, has put people in your path to lead you, to guide you, to teach you, to love you, to protect you, to care for you. 1068s

And as long as you are this side of heaven, you are called to do as Elijah has done. 1085s

You are called to pick up the mantle. 1094s

You are called to take on the role of the mentor, because God is also bringing people in and out of your lives as the middle child to be your younger sibling. 1100s

The one that you care for, the one that you nurture, the one that you teach, the one that you proclaim, God's word to. 1121s

Who does he call us to proclaim the word to? 1137s

Who does he call into our lives that we may be the mentor as Elijah was the mentor for Elijah? 1143s

We can come up with all sorts of excuses of why we want to stay put as the mentee instead of the mentor. 1155s

We can come up with all sorts of excuses why it's the best place for us to just stay put. 1165s

I'm not equipped. 1175s

I don't know how to mentor someone. I'm scared to mentor. 1178s

What if I do it wrong? I don't have any children. 1186s

So I don't have anyone to mentor. 1191s

I am off the hook. 1194s

It's not about if you have children or do not have children. 1199s

Because you have brothers and sisters. 1205s

And you will always have a younger brother or sister in the faith who is coming after you. 1211s

That you will indeed be called to mentor and to be a mentor too. 1220s

And as a middle child of God, you have already been given the mental health. 1227s

You have been given the mental from God himself. 1235s

In first Peter, the second chapter, Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 1241s

tells us you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 1246s

God's own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness 1254s

into his marvelous light. 1264s

You have been given the mental, the authority of proclaiming God's word by the mantle of baptism. 1269s

You have been claimed through the waters of baptism and that in and of itself gives you the authority to speak of all that God has done. 1282s

It gives you the authority to proclaim all that God is doing. 1294s

We are not just called to be recipients of a mentorship. 1303s

Each and every one of us is called to pick up the mantle, the mantle of faith, 1310s

the mantle of your baptism that gives you the authority to share. 1318s

It gives you the authority to proclaim the mighty acts of God. 1323s

In verse 14, we read that Alisha took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, 1329s

saying, where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? 1337s

When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Alisha went over. 1341s

Alisha went forth through the water to the other side, equipped for the ministry that was going to come before him. 1350s

He was equipped and empowered by the Lord to serve the Lord. 1360s

My brothers and sisters, you have crossed through the waters of baptism. 1368s

All the promises of baptism have been given to you and placed upon you. 1377s

That means that the promise of salvation is given to you. 1385s

That means that the forgiveness of your sins is placed on you. 1396s

That means that the sins of our lives, this side of heaven, have already been carried by Jesus upon the cross. 1405s

And you now wear the mantle of righteousness. 1419s

You in your baptism have been sealed in the Holy Spirit. 1427s

You in your baptism have been promised that God abides in you and you abide in Him. 1434s

The mantle is already yours. 1445s

You have crossed from death to life. 1451s

You have the promise. 1456s

You have been nurtured. 1462s

You have been equipped. 1464s

You have been loved. 1467s

You have been cared for. 1469s

You have had those older brothers and sisters of the faith who have walked with you and guided you and protected you and placed God's Word in your hands. 1472s

And you have those younger brothers and sisters, regardless of age, those who are younger brothers and sisters in faith that are in your life. 1491s

You are a middle child of God with the authority and the mantle of your baptism to go and share and proclaim all that God has done for you. 1510s

We thought of those who came before us who mentored us in the faith who nurtured us who shared God's Word. 1534s

And we thought about what made them a good mentor. 1545s

What made them a key role in our spiritual development. 1550s

Now I ask you to consider those who are younger. 1558s

Those who are new to faith, those who are newly washed in the waters of baptism, those who are yet to be washed in the waters of baptism, who is God putting in your life. 1567s

That you can equip, that you can nurture, that you can protect, that you can love, that you can put God's Word in their hands so that they too know that they are a middle child of God. 1583s

And that they too have a mantle that they can pick up and by God's grace, they can become Elijah for another Elijah. 1605s