Sermons

When You’re in a Rut 2 Kings 7:3-20

This week’s bulletin                                        YouVersion Bible App                                      Listen to the podcast of this week’s message on Spotify

Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

The Syrians Flee

3 Now there were four men who were lepers[a] at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.” 5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. 6 For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.” 7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. 8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them.

9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.”10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were.” 11 Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king’s household. 12 And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, “I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.’” 13 And one of his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see.” 14 So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, “Go and see.” 15 So they went after them as far as the Jordan, and behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king.

16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” 19 the captain had answered the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.

1. God has a job for us to do.
(2 Kings 7:3-7, Eph. 2:10, Col. 1:10, Heb. 10:24, 13:21, 2 Cor. 9:8, 1 Tim. 6:18, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Titus 2:7, 3:1, 3:8, 14)
2. The enemy was to distract us.
(2 Kings 7:8-15, 1 Pet. 5:8, Eph. 4:27, 6:11, James 4:7)
3. There are consequences to ignoring God’s call.
(2 Kings 7:16-20, James 4:17, Luke 12:35-48, 1 Thess. 4:8)

Reflection Questions:

    1. Have you ever heard this passage of Scripture or topic taught on before? What stood out to you?

     

    1. Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut, not quite living, or even knowing, the life that God created you to live? Maybe you even feel like that right now. What most often leads you to feel this way (i.e. stress, not resting well, not spending time with the Lord, relational strife, ect.)?

     

    1. Read Ephesians 2:1-10. God created you to have a relationship with Him, and to do His Will and good works. What are the jobs that you feel like God has given you? Take some time to really think through and pray about all of the things that God has given you responsibility over.  

     

    1. Looking at your answer(s) from question #3, how well are you fulfilling the jobs that God has given to you? Take some time to evaluate yourself on how well you are stewarding all of what God has given you responsibility over. 

     

    1. Read Luke 12:35-48. Looking at your answer(s) from question #4, in what areas of your life do you need to be a better steward of what God has given you responsibility over? What practical thing(s) can you do to better steward what God has given you? 

     

    1. Read 1 Peter 5:8. Looking at your answer(s) from the past few questions, how does the enemy try to distract you from accomplishing the job that God has for you to do? Now Read Ephesians 4:27. How can you eliminate opportunities for the devil to distract you from accomplishing the job that God has for you to do. 

     

    1. Read Matthew 25:21-23. Every believer should long for the day when they can hear “well done my good and faithful servant” coming from the lips of our almighty, infinite God. How would remembering this help you to better accomplish the life that God created you to live? 

     

    1. Read 2 Kings 7:3-4. In the same way that our physical bodies can break down through inactivity, when we don’t use the gifts and talents that God gave us, our relationship with Him can deteriorate. How can remembering the logic that the 4 men with leprosy used in 2 Kings 7:3-4 help you when you feel like you’re in a rut? How can you remember this logic in your everyday life? 

     

    1. List out the earthly consequences you may face if you choose to ignore what God wants for you to accomplish in this season of your life (i.e. a subpar mariage, a poor relationship with your kids, financial stress, discontentment, ect.)? 

     

    1. What is your biggest take away about how this passage affects your life? What do you need to work on? Who can you share this with and ask you to keep you accountable to accomplishing this?




     

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?