Now the sons of the prophet said to Elisha, see the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there. And he answered, go. Then one of them said, be pleased to go with your servants, and he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his axe had fell into the water, and he cried out, alas, my master, it was borrowed. Then the man of God said, where did it fall? When he showed in the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. And he said, take it up so he reached out his hand, and he took it. This is the word of the Lord. I have a question for you this morning. Have you ever been underrated? Have you ever been underrated? Pass the field laughing already. He felt that way, I'm sure. Have you ever felt underappreciated, felt kind of disrespected, or made to feel like you didn't rank, with those who thought to be contenders? Have you ever been picked? For the last person on the team knowing that you were better than the person picked in front of you? But my kids were growing up. All they knew was that daddy played golf. And so, therefore, they underestimated my basketball skills. That is until one day, when daddy put on the shoes, and took off the golf shoes, and put on the basketball shoes, then they learned quickly that they had underrated. Pop the basketball skills. Underrated means better than you think. Being underrated is a real thing. There are some underrated things. At least I think so. Like the city of Chattanooga. In the shadow of Atlanta, down the river from Nashville. But don't sleep on that little city at the base of Lookout Mountain on the river. Forks Whitaker. He's a very good actor. A lot of people sleep on Forks Whitaker. Phil Collins. And Genesis. All y'all know about in the air tonight. But let me tell you, Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel and boys from Genesis put out some good music in the 70s and the 80s. But not King and Grant Hill. Let me tell you something. Okay. If it had not been for injuries, y'all be still talking about Bernard King and Grant Hill. Most y'all don't know who sent me Loper is. So let me tell you. You're talking about a little woman with a big voice. You know what else is underrated? Beloved, Elijah is underrated. Elijah is underrated and unappreciated as a prophet in the Bible. When most people list out or mention the most notable prophets in the Bible, the short list usually includes Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Elijah is usually late on that list. But Elijah was the real deal. No Elijah doesn't have a name. His name on the book of a Bible. He is not off-quoted by the writers of the New Testament. Elijah didn't appear with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. Elijah is not a household name. Yet when you read in the scriptures, you cannot help but notice. Now whatever anointing Elijah had, the Bible tells us that Elijah had doubled. When it comes to miracles, to find someone who performed more miracles than Elijah, you have to go to Jesus. And whenever we may think of Elijah, Elijah was greatly and highly respected by the nation and particularly by those who sought him and followed him. Being underrated is a real thing. And I want to suggest to you that this morning, in fact, I want to encourage you with this beloved that you may be underrated by others, but not so by God. Elijah may be underrated by us, but he was not underrated by God. And the miracle of floating and axed head on water is underrated this morning. And it's underappreciated. Think about it. Think about it. How many people have asked me even this week? What in the world are you going to preach about from an axed head floating?
What is the point? Why care about floating iron? What is the big deal about an axed head floating on water? It's not raising someone from the dead. It's not changing water into wine. It's not even giving sight to the blind. And compared to other miracles, axed head floating seems like a small thing. But you remember what the Bible said in Zachariah, chapter 4, verse 10, that we should not despise and neglect the small things. Beloved, that's what I hope we will learn this morning. Not to underrate or underappreciate this miracle, because by doing so, we underrate and underappreciate Elijah. And when we do that, we underrate and underappreciate the Lord our God. Whether we realize it or not, this sinking axed head was a problem. It was a big problem. But before the problem of the axed head sinking, there was another problem. The students, the disciples of Elijah had a problem. And I like to call it a good problem. They had a good problem. Notice what the Bible says in verse 1 of chapter 6, the second king. Then the company of the prophets said to Elijah, look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Now, these were students, the disciples of Elijah, who met regularly with Elijah, the school of the prophets they have been called, those who met with the prophet Elijah to be encouraged, to be taught, to be trained, to live, and spend time with him. And they had a place, whether the house or classroom, when I'm sure, but it was a place where they met with Elijah. And they had a problem that many of us have been familiar with. The place where these disciples met to live and to learn from Elijah was too small. Now actually, actually, the place was not too small because the place didn't change sides. The place or the room and the house was the same size that it was when they got there. It wasn't that place that was too small, it was that the people had become too big. There were too many disciples, there were too many students. When my wife and I started having children, it seemed like we were moving every year because the kids just kept coming. And then the twins came and we quickly found ourselves running out of space. That's what prosperity does. Prosperity creates problems. Blessings can cause issues. Good issues. Good problems. More dishes to wash. More trash to take out. More leftovers to clear out the refrigerator. Signs of God's provisions. Signs of God's blessings. Toys all around the house. Stepping on legos. Cheerios and French fries scattered all throughout the bed. Signs of God's blessings. Signs of children. Pastor Phil talked about this in our last church meeting. Were you there? Sure you were. It's become an issue that we have to look at how we're going to manifest sanctuary space. How we've had to manage and continue to have to manage parking space. How we're looking to manage and better manage classroom space. Signs of God's blessings. God's blessings often cause us to have to make adjustments. Remember what the Bible says happened to the early church? What they dealt with in Acts 6 and those days when the number of disciples was increasing. There arose an issue. As the Lord was blessing the number coming to the church and coming to Christ. There arose an issue. The early church was growing and in that growth they experienced problems. Good problems. And good problems still are problems to be solved. As we all know, more money, more problems. And it's safe to say this morning that most of us would rather have more money problems than no money problems. Amen. Those who play sports understand that there are challenges in winning and there are challenges in losing. But you'd rather have the challenges in winning than the ones that come from losing. And the disciples of Elijah had a problem, a good problem. And what did they do, beloved? They did what we should always do. They took it to Jesus. Take it to Jesus. We are inclined to take bad problems to Jesus. But notice these young prophets took the good problems to the man of God also. Why should we take the good problems to Jesus just as we take the bad problems to Jesus? Because God cares. God cares. God not only cares about your sorrows, God also delights the share in your joy. This is why the Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 6 that we ought to pray about everything. Pray about everything. God not only wants to manage the pain but God also wants to manage the joy. Pray about everything. Good problems, bad problems, good trouble, bad trouble. Take it all to Jesus. Take it all to Jesus. Philippians 4 and 4 reminds us why because God desires your joy. Because God desires your joy. Take it all to Him. And notice that they went to Elisha to seek His blessing and solving this problem. Verse 2, they say to Him, let us go to the Jordan where each of us can get a pole and let us build there for us a place to meet. And Elisha said, yeah, y'all go do that. Y'all go do that. In fact, I'm going to come with you in doing that. Now that's interesting. That's interesting. They come to Elijah and they say, Elisha, we don't have room. The space where we meet is too small. The house of the room is too small. We come to you to let us build something bigger, to let us have more space, to let us have more room. And notice what Elijah didn't tell them. He didn't tell them. Why don't y'all stop complaining. Be grateful for what you have. All these people are very happy they have no room. At least you have a room. You didn't say that, beloved. You didn't say that, beloved. Why? Because, beloved, when you're running out of space and it's not a sin to ask God for more. Don't miss that. It's not a complaint. It is a desire to better manage the blessings. You need more room at the home. It's not a sin to ask the Lord for another one. You need more room in the office. It's not a sin to ask the Lord for more. You need more room in the car. It's not a sin, beloved, to ask for God for more. You need more room in the church. It's not a sin to ask the Lord for more. You can be content and still ask for more room. You can be content and still ask for more space. You can be content and still ask for more opportunity. Remains, I am amazed at how often we think that you have to always suffer in the ministry in order to really be doing the ministry. No, beloved. Jesus desires your joy. What the Bible says. Psalm 37 and verse 4. Delights to give you the desires of your heart, especially those who are trusting in Him. That's what Elijah did. That's what Elijah did. Yes, yes, yes. Let's go. Let's build. Let's expand. And they were excited, beloved. They were building. There was an expansion project. And everybody was contributing. We don't go down by the Jordan. Everybody's going to get a pole. Everybody's going to contribute to the work. They sent out an email from volunteers and everybody got checked. Everybody was checked. They have to send it out twice. They have to send it out three times. The first time the email went out. Everybody got checked. Hallelujah. It's possible. And they were excited. And they went to work. They went to work like the seven dwarves, whistling while they worked. High-hole, high-hole, is off to work. We go. High-hole, high-hole, high-hole, high-hole. Excited, beloved. Everyone cut a tree. Everyone had a log. And the work of God was getting done. Like we said time before, life is filled with swift transitions. Things change quickly in life. And out of good problems, tough problems may arise. And that's what we see. A tough problem. As one of them, the Bible says in verse five, as one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water. And he cried, oh, no, my Lord. It was borrowed just as the work was going so well. Just as they were rejoicing in the building and expansion project, just as all hands were on deck. One of them in lost his ax head in the water. And the worst part is that the ax head wasn't even his. Now, when you look at this, it seems like a minor issue. Now honestly, beloved, this does seem like a small thing. It doesn't seem like a big deal. He goes to the prophet and says, my ax head fell into water. The ax head I was using sunk to the bottom of the river. No one, no one suddenly went blind. No one became demon for this. I mean, this is not a famine. Nobody's hungry or worse. No one's dead. It's an ax head. It's nothing, it's a small thing. But listen to me, beloved, this morning. I want to suggest to you that it's in the small things that God proves Himself best. In fact, it seems small to us. But it wasn't small to that young disciple. He had to replace an ax head. And he didn't have the resources for it. He had to replace an ax head. And he couldn't just run down the eighth hardware or home depot. There was no scuba equipment so that he might dive deep into the river. What was lost in the deep water was lost in the deep water. And beloved, there were no extra ax heads just lying around. It took time to make those things. And they weren't cheap. What was He supposed to do? What was He supposed to do? When that ax head fell in that water, it probably didn't matter to anyone else who was working that day. I'm pretty sure they didn't suddenly stop. Work on the site. I'm pretty sure everybody else went right on working. It probably didn't matter to anyone else. But it mattered to Him. And since it mattered to Him, it mattered to Elijah because it mattered to God. And beloved, the small things matter to God. The small things matter to God because you matter to God. This is what we tend to think. We think about all that is going on in this world. You know the war in Ukraine and the nuclear test in northern Korea. And the investigation into Mr. Trump and the Herschewalker and Rafale Satchel. And you would think that God's hands are full. And who has time for ax heads? Who has time for the repairs on your car? That's time for the supper you burnt. Who has time for your missed homework assignments? Who has time for dirty diapers? Who's got time for all of that small insignificant stuff? God does. God does. Who cares about those little things? God does. God cares. There's nothing beloved. There is nothing. There is nothing that you can bring to God. That is too small. My mother used to tell me, Tony, don't sweat the small stuff. And then she said, remember, to God is all small stuff. It's all small stuff, beloved. Listen, listen to Bible says in Isaiah 59 and verse 1. The Lord's arm is not too weak to save you. Noah is his ear to death to hear you call. Whatever it is, whatever it is, this is what's so amazing. This is what's so awesome about our God that he sees and knows everything and even the small stuff he cares about, all of it, all of it. Because to him is all small stuff. This is what we do. I know you do it when it's a big issue. You want to pray about it. You want to call others together and pray about it. When it becomes a big issue in your life that has been that you call on God and ask God to do something about it, as if what's big to you is big to him. It doesn't take more power to turn water into wine than it does to make an accident slope. It's all the same to God. It's all the same power. It doesn't take more God to walk on water than it does to cause an accident to float on water. It's all the same to God. The same Jesus that saves one is the same Jesus that saves one hundred. It's all the same. It's all the same. The same burial, the same resurrection, the same blood. All the same. The blood that Jesus shed on Calvary can save a thousand, a hundred thousand, or one. It's all the same. This is why he's an awesome God. This is what we miss about the awesomeness of God. It's all small stuff. It's all acts heads. Love it. It's all acts heads. This is why this miracle is in the Bible. It reminds us just how awesome God is. That He makes acts heads float. It may not matter to you. But it doesn't matter to that young disciple. And therefore it matters to God. And your acts that love it matters to God. Whatever it is this morning, it matters to him. Others may think it insignificant. Others may think it's smaller. Others may think it of no consequence. But whatever matters to you, matters to God. Now you think about that. That's what makes God also. I can't tell you. I can't tell you. How many times my kids would come to me with some little insignificant stuff. And I would say you got to be serious. You see what your daddy doing here? I got big stuff to deal with. I got to deal with the folks down at these point church. And you want to talk to me about somebody using your shoes. Or somebody taking a piece of your clothing without permission. That's what we do, beloved. That's not God. That's not God. That's the point, beloved. That's the point here. It points to the awesomeness of God. It points to the underrated, underappreciated awesomeness of God. He cares about accents because he cares about you. That's awesome. That's awesome this morning. He cares about accents because he cares about what you care about. That's awesome. And the fact that God cares about what we consider, the insignificant things and other people's lives is why we underrate God. We underrate God and we underappreciate. We underappreciate how intimate he is. We underrate and appreciate how close he is to us. We underrate and underappreciate how much he cares. How present he is. God is with us. Christ is in us. However you rate God this morning, you rate him too long. However many stars you give God this morning, you don't give him enough. No, and no, we don't have the words. We don't have the words to express it. And so we just say he's awesome. He's awesome. At least that's what the Bible says. Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 17. For the Lord your God is the God of God, the Lord of Lord. He is the great God, the mighty and the awesome God. That's your God. Next to this chapter 15 and verse 11. Who among the God is like you, Lord? Who is like you? Majestic in the holiness. Awesome in glory working on this. That's for God. Psalm 66 and verse 5. Bible says come, come and see what our God has done. What awesome miracles he performs for his people. Awesome. Awesome God. Awesome miracles. Awesome deeds. And so we see when Elijah put that stick in that river and caused that ax head to suddenly begin to float. And that young man reached down and picked up that ax head from the water. You know what he said? Our God is awesome. He can move mountains. Keep you in the valley. Hide you from the rain. Our God is awesome. He heals you when you're broken. Raises ax heads from the rivers. Forever he will reign. Our God. Our God. That's why we're here. That's why that miracle's there. It's the rightness. This morning that our God is awesome. There is nothing but love it. There is nothing that you can bring to God that is too big or too small because he is awesome and reigns over it all. There is nothing that you can bring to him. No matter how much people might dare to count it insignificant because they don't. Yet God still cares. He cares. He cares. And that makes him awesome. We don't sing that this morning. Our God is awesome. He can move mountains. But I also want you to hear that he can float ax heads. I want you to hear. No matter how big the heart's small. God is awesome. Let's pray. Let's pray.