He Sneezed Seven Times: Five Keys From Elisha

Sermon outline

Like Elisha in the Shunammite's house, believers are called to walk into dead situations with confidence, having won in the secret place, and to take authority over the atmosphere, because Christ died so that His power would be enacted on the earth.

1. Identify the talents in others

   Paul was a mighty man of God, yet he was not intimidated by the gifts he saw in Timothy. He had the whole picture of the ministry in view, knew he could not carry it alone, and was always looking for people to lighten the load. Get over the fear of men: others are made differently on purpose. At church and in the workplace, be a miner who draws out the gift in other people.

   “We have to be a miner, bringing out the talents in others.”

   • 1 Timothy 1:18-19

2. Hold on to the miracle power you have already seen

   The Shunammite had discerned that Elisha was a man of God, prepared a room for him and received a son. When the boy died she went straight to the prophet, holding on to the same miracle power that had given her the child. Nothing can separate us from God's love, and sometimes what God delivered us from is what He calls us to minister to. Do not wait for everything to fall into place before you serve; none of the disciples was perfect, and one cut off a man's ear in Gethsemane yet was a disciple nonetheless. It is never the man who performs the miracle, but God working through him. Build memorials, as Israel built altars, so you do not forget what God has done, and walk in compassion, because you cannot love God and not love people.

   “It's not the man that performs the miracle, it is the God that works through the man in order to work the miracle.”

   • 2 Kings 4:8-31
   • Romans 8:38-39
   • John 18:10

3. Conquer in the secret place, then take the atmosphere

   Elisha went in, shut the door and prayed. We do not react; we respond in prayer, taking personal responsibility for the person in trouble and standing in agreement with them. We win in the secret place and then walk out in confidence to act on what we have already prayed into being. Elisha climbed onto the bed and stretched himself over a dead child rather than only weeping with the parents. Take authority in your home, school, workplace and city, not reacting to people or cowering in a corner, but speaking life over dry bones.

   “Jesus Christ did not die so we can buy a new car and a new house and have blessing and money in the bank. That is not the reason why Christ died. He died so we can enact his power here on the Earth.”

   • Matthew 6:6
   • 2 Kings 4:32-34
   • Ezekiel 37:1-3

4. Key one: presence

   We do not run from situations; running away from a problem does not fix it. First we win in the quiet place, then we know what we are dealing with, and then our presence makes contact and takes authority. God used Elisha's body as the point of contact to raise the child.

   “Running away from a problem does not fix a problem. Dealing with the problem fixes the problem.”

5. Key two: godly vision

   Faithless people have no vision. A person can have a natural vision, but a spiritual, godly vision supersedes it, and when we can see what we want to see, God brings it into the natural realm.

   “A spiritual, godly vision supersedes a natural vision.”

6. Key three: pure lips

   When Elisha's sanctified lips touched the boy's, he was cancelling the wrong words spoken and placing a new language in the child. Part of taking control of an atmosphere is putting the language of faith into it, and teaching the people in the situation to change their language.

   “When we contact those whom we desire to bring to life, we must teach them the language of faith.”

7. Key four: the anointing

   The anointing received through the laying on of hands is like a small flame that must be fed daily to grow. Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid hands on him. Hands were laid on the church at the setting apart service; now they must fan that flame into a fire by spending time with the Lord every day.

   “You got to start making that flame into a fire.”

   • Deuteronomy 34:9

8. Key five: persevere in prayer

   Elisha walked back and forth in the room before stretching himself on the boy again, and the child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. In spiritual battles things intensify and the enemy sows doubt daily, so stand on Jesus' word: whoever speaks to the mountain and does not doubt in his heart will have what he says.

   “If you believe it and you see it in your mind, and you believe it with the spiritual eyes, and you do not doubt in your heart, it will be done.”

   • 2 Kings 4:35-37
   • Mark 11:22-23

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