GOOD MORNING! [GOOD MORNING!] HOW ARE YOU GUYS THIS MORNING? [GOOD] WHO WANTS TO LOOK IN THE PURPLE BAG THIS MORNING? I WARN YOU IT'S GONNA BE A DISAPPOINTMENT. [LAUGHTER] YOU STILL WANNA LOOK IN IT? [YEAH.] ALL RIGHT, THERE YOU GO! NOW YOU CAN TELL US WHAT'S IN THERE. [NOTHING] NOTHING. THAT'S RIGHT. OH! SO DISAPPOINTING. YOU KNOW LIFE IS FULL OF DISAPPOINTMENTS AND I'M GONNA SHARE BOTH A DISAPPOINTMENT AND A GREAT HOPE FROM OUR OLD TESTAMENT TODAY. THIS IS THE ACCOUNT OF WHEN ELIJAH WAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN. [2 KINGS 2: 1-14] WHEN THE LORD WAS ABOUT TO TAKE ELIJAH UP TO HEAVEN IN A WHIRLWIND, ELIJAH AND ELISHA (ELISHA WAS HIS STUDENT) WERE ON THEIR WAY FROM GILGAL. ELIJAH SAID TO ELISHA, "STAY HERE; THE LORD HAS SENT ME TO BETHEL." BUT ELISHA SAID, AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES AND AS YOU LIVE, I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU." SO THEY WENT DOWN TO BETHEL. THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHETS AT BETHEL CAME OUT TO ELISHA AND ASKED, "DO YOU KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR MASTER FROM YOU TODAY?" "YES, I KNOW," ELISHA REPLIED, BUT DO NOT SPEAK OF IT." THEN ELIJAH SAID TO HIM, "STAY HERE, ELISHA; THE LORD HAS SENT ME TO JERICHO." AND HE REPLIED, "AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES AND AS YOU LIVE, I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU." SO THEY WENT TO JERICHO. [TOGETHER] THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHETS AT JERICHO WENT UP TO ELISHA AND ASKED HIM, "DO YOU KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR MASTER FROM YOU TODAY?" "YES, I KNOW," HE REPLIED, "BUT DO NOT SPEAK OF IT." THEN ELIJAH SAID TO HIM, "STAY HERE; THE LORD HAS SENT ME TO THE JORDAN." AND HE REPLIED, "AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES AND AS YOU LIVE, I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU." SO THE TWO OF THEM WALKED ON. FIFTY MEN OF THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHETS -- (THAT WAS LIKE THEIR SEMINARY SCHOOL BACK THEN) FIFTY MEN OF THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHETS WENT AND STOOD AT A DISTANCE, FACING THE PLACE WHERE ELIJAH AND ELISHA HAD STOPPED AT THE JORDAN. ELIJAH TOOK HIS CLOAK, ROLLED IT UP AND STRUCK THE WATER WITH IT. THE WATER DIVIDED TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT, AND THE TWO OF THEM CROSSED OVER ON DRY GROUND. WHEN THEY HAD CROSSED, ELIJAH SAID TO ELISHA, "TELL ME, WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU BEFORE I AM TAKEN FROM YOU?" "LET ME INHERIT A DOUBLE PORTION OF YOUR SPIRIT," ELISHA REPLIED. "YOU HAVE ASKED A DIFFICULT THING," ELIJAH SAID, "YET IF YOU SEE ME WHEN I AM TAKEN FROM YOU, IT WILL BE YOURS -- OTHERWISE NOT." AS THEY WERE WALKING ALONG AND TALKING TOGETHER, SUDDENLY A CHARIOT OF FIRE AND HORSES OF FIRE APPEARED AND SEPARATED THE TWO OF THEM, (THOSE WERE ANGELS) AND ELIJAH WENT UP TO HEAVEN IN A WHIRLWIND. ELISHA SAW THIS AND CRIED OUT, "MY FATHER! MY FATHER! THE CHARIOTS AND HORSEMEN OF ISRAEL!" AND ELISHA SAW HIM NO MORE. THEN HE TOOK HOLD OF HIS OWN CLOTHES AND TORE THEM APART. (THAT WAS A SIGN OF DEEP GRIEF) HE PICKED UP THE CLOAK THAT HAD FALLEN FROM ELIJAH AND WENT BACK AND STOOD ON THE BANK OF THE JORDAN. THEN HE TOOK THE CLOAK THAT HAD FALLEN FROM HIM AND STRUCK THE WATER WITH IT. "WHERE NOW IS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ELIJAH?" HE ASKED. WHEN HE STRUCK THE WATER, IT DIVIDED TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT, AND HE CROSSED OVER. [2 KINGS 2:1-14] YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE COME UP EMPTY. JUST LIKE THAT EMPTY BAG. THERE ARE TIMES OF DEEP GRIEF IN OUR LIFE. WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM US. AND SOMETIMES WE SAY: LORD, WHY? WHY NOW? WHY DID YOU TAKE MY SON, MY DAUGHTER, MY HUSBAND, MY FATHER? AND ELISHA MIGHT HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TO QUESTION GOD'S WISDOM. AFTER ALL, ELIJAH LOOKED HEALTHY. WE DON'T SEE THAT HE WAS SICK, DO WE? AND YET, THE LORD IN HIS TIMING AND HIS WISDOM, KNEW WHAT WAS BEST FOR US, AND FOR ELIJAH. AND HE ... THAT GAVE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING THEN A REMEMBRANCE OF HOW ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD AND THEN HE WAS NO MORE, BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM AWAY. SO IT JUST SHOWED THEM THE RESURRECTION. RIGHT? VERY FEW PEOPLE DON'T DIE. BUT WE'LL ALL RISE. OKAY? JESUS SAID: BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU ALSO WILL LIVE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE FORGIVEN AND GOD DIED FOR US ON THE CROSS: JESUS GAVE UP HIS LIFE TO PAY FOR OUR SINS. AND THEN HE ROSE AGAIN AND HE SAID: BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU ALSO WILL LIVE. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO FEAR DEATH. AND THE ANGELS WILL COME AND GET US JUST LIKE THEY DID ELIJAH. NOT IN A WHIRLWIND OF FIRE, BUT THAT'S HOW GOD PROMISES THAT WE'LL GO TO HEAVEN. HIS ANGELS WILL GATHER US TOGETHER. AND WE'LL BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER. OKAY YOU CAN CONTINUE TO YOUR SEATS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE SINGING OF THE NEXT HYMN.