Denis Lyle preaches on the importance of delegating responsibility, emphasizing the challenges faced by those in positions of authority who struggle to delegate tasks. Drawing from the story of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings, the sermon highlights the need for succession planning and passing on responsibilities to others. It also delves into the principle of delegation found in the Scriptures, the Early Church, Pastoral Epistles, and the Holy Trinity, showcasing the importance of entrusting tasks to faithful individuals. The sermon further explores the power of acquiring the anointing of the Holy Spirit for effective ministry and the peril of doing God's will for personal gain, using the example of Jehu's mixed virtues and vices.

2 Kings 9: 1-13 10: 28-31 THE IMPORTANCE OF DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITY. Most people who hold positions of responsibility find it difficult to delegate authority. Do you recall the epitaph on the tombstone of the business executive "This cemetery is full of people who thought they were indispensable". Now those who refuse to delegate can be motivated in different ways. First, there is the overwhelming sense of insecurity. Someone may do the job more efficiently. Second, there is the very competent attitude... no one can do it better than me. Third, there is the driving force of ambition... if I want recognition and promotion then I must aim at doing all the jobs. It is very difficult for an efficient person to delegate work to someone who is inefficient. Now Elijah had realised that he needed a successor. Led, by God he chose Elisha (1 Kings 19:16) an unknown farmer from the village of Abel-meholah which lay in the upper region of the Jordan Valley. But now Elisha's ministry is coming to a close, he is about to retire from public life and so he delegates a responsibility to a nameless theological student, "one of the sons of the prophets". (9:1) This young deputy was instructed to anoint Jehu a military commander to be King over Israel. You see not only must this faithless idolatrous nation endure judgment from Without (Hazael) they must also be made to feel the stoke of judgment from Within their own borders. (Jehu) My, these people had sinned. Baal worship had been established in the land. (1 Kings 18:40) Ahab had specifically sinned in the matter of Naboth's vineyard,(1 Kings 21:1) and behind everything that was happening in Israel there was the wicked scheming of Jezebel, who was a devil with a skirt on. (9:30) But God had not forgotten, and the time for judgment had come. Jehu, swept through the land like a whirlwind. Joram, Ahaziah, Jezebel and seventy sons of Ahab all met a brutal death at the hands of Jehu. In just the same way, the ministers and priests of the state-funded cult of Baal were all tricked into attending a service at the temple and were butchered also. (10:18) My, the mills of God's judgment grind slowly but they grind surely. Now in seeking to collate all the passages that have a direct bearing on this one there are some things that I want to notice here this! (1) A PRINCIPLE WE NEED TO ACCEPT It’s the principle of delegation. Well, what does delegation mean What does it mean to delegate It means, "to commit authority, or responsibility to someone", to delegate " is to commit a task to someone", it is "to send on an errand". Now we need to accept that this principle of delegation is found: (a) IN THE SCRIPTURES: Time and again in the Scriptures we are confronted with the principle of delegation. This principle was found in the Early Church. Do you recall that when some of the widows were being neglected by the benevolent fund that the apostles said, "look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business,"(Acts 6:3) What were the apostles doing Delegating responsibility. This principle was found in the Pastoral Epistles. Paul said to Timothy, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also". (2 Tim 2:2) What was Timothy to do Delegate responsibility. This principle was found in the Holy Trinity. THE FATHER SENT THE SON: The Lord Jesus repeatedly spoke of the one who sent Him. He said, " He that receiveth you receiveth me, and He that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me". (Matt 10:40) Our Lord came willingly to planet earth, but He came at His Father's request. (Mk 10:37 Jn 5:36) THE FATHER AND THE SON SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT: Do you recall what Christ said in His upper room ministry "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter... the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name". (Jn 14:16 26) THE SON THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT SENDS US: For Christ said, "As My father hath sent Me, even so send I you". (Jn 20:21) He has given us the responsibility: He has delegated the task of evangelism to us. (Matt 28:19 Mk 16:15) Thus in the Early Church: in the Pastoral Epistles and in the Holy Trinity we see the principle of delegation at work. This principle of delegation is found (a) and: (b) IN THIS STORY: Isn't it encouraging to know that though the workmen change, the work of God goes on Elijah had been removed from the field of service, but Elisha was ready to take up the task. Now his end is in sight and so once again the torch is passed on. Why did Elisha delegate this important work Some have suggested: 1. The task was too dangerous for Elisha: But surely Elisha had lived dangerously. The man who had spoken so boldly to King Jehoram (3:13-14) and who was not overawed with General Naaman would hardly be the one to shrink from a dangerous mission. 2. Elisha was tired and wanted to conserve his energy: This may be true, certainly nothing is recorded of him after this incident, except the circumstances preceding his death. 3. He was about to retire from public life and wanted to prepare his successors: So he put into practice the principle of delegation. Elisha utilised the gifts of those around him. Is this what we do My, are you making the best use of your gifts Are we all making the best use of the gifts of others My, the Lord needs all of us. Someone once said, "Only through each can all be gathered". What about those of us in positions of leadership Do we delegate responsibility Do we seek to develop gift Do we make opportunity for the expression of the gifts within the church (1) (2) A POWER WE NEED TO ACQUIRE You see when Elisha's servant arrived at Ramoth-gilead, he made his way directly to the headquarters of Jehoram's army and confronted Jehu with the fact that he had a message for the officer. Then, separating, Jehu from the other men and taking him into an inner chamber, Elisha's servant poured the anointing oil upon Jehu's head and said, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel". (9:6) In other words Jehu was not only ELECTED to the position of King, he was EQUIPPED for the position of King. And the source of this anointing did not lie in Elisha or Elisha's servant. The anointing came from the Lord. My, the Power we need to Acquire in these last days is here: (a) REVEALED SYMBOLICALLY: Look at (9:6) The oil poured on his head was symbolical of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord. The ritual pointed to the reality: the sign pointed to the substance. In the Old Testament the ceremony of anointing was related to all important offices and ministries of the servants of Jehovah. The prophet was anointed that he might be the messenger of God to the people: (1 Kings 19:16). The priest was anointed, that he might be holy unto the Lord. (Lev 8:12) The king was anointed, that the Spirit of the Lord might rest upon him in power. (1 Sam 16:13) My, no servant of the Lord was considered qualified for his ministry without this holy anointing. Indeed do you recall that the Lord Jesus was anointed with the Spirit and with power at the outset of His ministry (Acts 10:38) As He stepped out of Jordan after His baptism, the Spirit came upon Him like a dove. (Matt 3:16) Later, referring to this, He could testify, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised". (Lk 4:18) My, do you long that your ministry might be effective Do you long to have that spiritual authority and dynamic upon your service Then you need this vital and victorious anointing. This anointing which is (a) and which is: (b) REQUIRED URGENTLY: Certainly Jehu required it urgently. Why That the yoke of Baalism might be destroyed. Look at (9:7) My, God's anointing is for a specific task and work. Is this not why the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high". (Lk 24:49) That word " endue", is one of rich significance. The original carries the thought of being invested or clothed upon with a new power. And this continual clothing with power is the result of a life of prayerfulness and yieldedness. (Acts 1:14 2:4 5:32) Ill: C.H.Spurgeon in his younger days got a "new penny farthing cycle", and he was very proud of it. One day while he was riding along the road he met another cyclist on a "bone-shaker". "Difficult to ride a machine like that isn't it" said C.H. Spurgeon. "Not a bit", said the man and off he started. Spurgeon did his best to follow but he was soon left behind. Spurgeon had the machine, but the man had the power. My, the church of Jesus Christ today has the machinery... plans: projects: programs: discussion groups: simians: marriage counseling, but what we need is the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, without which all else will be futile. Ill: D.L.Moody in the early days of his ministry seemed to be lacking in this divine anointing and power. Some praying sisters in the Lord detected the lack in Moody and they prayed for him, and decided also to mention it to him. This set the evangelist to search his heart afresh and seek God in a new way. He handed his life afresh to the Lord, and the Divine anointing changed Moody's ministry. Messages that he had preached before became alive and powerful and used of God. My, do you realise that there is no substitute for the Divine Anointing You may bring in eloquence: education: learning: great ability to your ministry for Christ but nothing will ever be a substitute for the Divine Anointing. We must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit. (3) A PERIL WE NEED TO AVOID And its the peril of doing God's will for our ends. Christian work needs Christian people, who will go in the name of Christ, who will go for the sake of Christ: who will go in the power of Christ: who will go for the glory of Christ. Now that's what Jehu didn't do. (10:31) He's a strange mixture isn't he of good and evil On the one hand, there were: (a) THE VIRTUES HE EXHIBITED: (1) He had CONFIDENCE in God's Word: For after he had sentenced all the descendants of Ahab to death and their heads had been brought to him as proof that his command had been carried out, Jehu said this: "Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the Lord hath done that which He spake by His servant Elijah". (10:10 1Kings 21:19-29) My, we cannot serve the Lord effectively if we lack this supreme confidence in God's Word. We need the confidence of the Lord Jesus "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fufilled". (Matt 5:18) (2) He had COMMITMENT to God's Cause: For he committed himself wholeheartedly to God's plan and program. He gets rid of Jehoram (9:24) Jezebel (9:33) Ahab's descendants (10:1-11) the priests and worshippers of Baal (10:25) and destroys the images and the temple of Baal. (10:26-27) To Jehonadab Jehu said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord". (10:16) He was neither cold-hearted nor half-hearted. he did with his might what his hands found to do. What about you Are you committed to God's cause Or are you lukewarm Could you be indifferent Are you apatheticIs the glow gone Is your passion missing (3) He had CONTEMPT of God's Rival: Indeed so determined was he to rid Israel of the plague of Baal that he warned his soldiers that if they permitted any of the priests or worshippers of Baal to escape it would be a matter of " his life... for the life of him". (10:24) Now it was because of all this that God said to Jehu, "Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes... thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel". (10:30) These were (a) but hand in hand with (a) there were: (b) THE VICES HE ENTERTAINED: Do you know what God says in Hosea "I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu." (Hosea 1:4) Why Why did the Lord condemn him Because of his INDIFFERENCE: look at (10:31) Instead of being Interested in the Word, he was Indifferent to the Word. Do you remember what God said to Joshua "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth... have good success". (Jos 1:8) Here is the secret of success. The Primacy of God's Word in your life. My, take this book and live with it: learn it: search it: mediate on it and let it become the very meat and drink of your soul. Why did God condemn him Because of his INCONSISTENCY: "Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel, howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan". (10:29) Do you know why Because such a departure would not have served his own political ends! Jehu destroyed one form of error, but he sanctioned another. My, is there one charge laid against Christian leaders and Christian people more often than the charge of acting inconsistently Is it not so easy to crusade boldly against one thing and yet compromise in the case of another Putting away Baal is of little use if we keep the calves at Dan and Bethel. What about you this... Like Jehu are you Indifferent to the Word Are you Inconsistent in your walk My, are we condemning sexual perversion in the world and entertaining impurity in our lives Are we condemning covetousness in the world and sanctioning it in our hearts Are we condemning sin out there and nourishing it in here Do you know what the psalmist prayed "Unite my heart to fear Thy name". Will you make that your daily prayer For nothing but walking in the law of the Lord "with all the heart", will secure our walking consistently!