How to raise a dead kid? We don't need much instruction on that, do we ? We're pretty good at that already. We raise children who are dead enough as it is dead to the joys of life: dead to the purpose of life: dead to the God of life, dead to everything meaningful and vital. You can see it in their eyes. Death. They are surly, rebellious, critical, jaded, worldly-wise and world-weary. They've been there, seen it and bought the T-shirt. Nothing really excites them any more. They can't see the point. They seem to have given up on life. They seem to have died prematurely. Perhaps we need to rephrase the title, then, " How to raise a dead kid .... to life." That's what we really mean: that's what we really need to hear and this is what the next episode in Elisha's life is all about.

Ills: A father was Christmas shopping. He stood in a large toystore and after some thought chose a beautiful working model of a train. The workmanship was exquisite and the railway engine not only looked good, it whistled belched smoke and made realistic noises as it moved. " I'll take it," he said to the assistant. She smiled and replied, " thank you, sir. I'm sure that your son will love it."

The father thought for a moment and then said," Mmmm .... yes .... you're quite right. Maybe you'd better give me two of them. I wouldn't want him to be envious or disappointed." Now sometimes it is easy to get our children to love the things we love, but there are times when it presents a much more serious challenge.

Now do you recall what happened in this home at Shunem? Here was a home that had everything, except a child to share its abundance with. But in the providence of God a little baby boy was born. But now tragedy strikes and the miracle child, the surprise gift from God died ! Elisha again, becomes involved and acts as a powerful demonstration of how to raise a dead kid to life ! But what's this REALITY WE NEED TO FACE. Well, actually its a threefold reality. First of all:

Now this fact must have been deeply impressed on the heart of this woman at Shunem ! She more than any other mother in Israel at that time had been taught the basic lesson that all life comes from God. This mother, more than any other mother in Israel, at that time could say, " Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward." ( Ps 127:3) Moreover, this son, more than any other boy in Israel at that time could say, " Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise Thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works: and that my soul knoweth right well." ( Ps 139:13-14) Of course, what is taught here in dramatic form, is true of every child born into this world. Speaking of the natural life of every person, Paul stated,

" In Him we live, and move and have our being." ( Acts 17:28) My .... each baby is no less a miracle than the baby of Shunem. For the God who ordered things in the life of this woman is sovereign in the conception and birth of every child. (a)

That morning apparently this little one full of life and health trotted merrily off to the harvest field. At noon he lay a dead corpse on his mother's knee ! Dead ! Do you recognise that this is the spiritual condition of your children ? The Bible says: they are " dead in trespasses and sins." ( Eph 2:1) It's interesting to notice that in,

( Matt 18 ) the Lord Jesus speaking of children whom He describes as " these little ones," goes on to say that " these little ones," are lost: ( Matt 18:11) gone astray:( Matt 18:12) perishing ( Matt 18:14) My .... has this conviction ever gripped your heart ?

Our children have real privileges if they have been born into a Christian home, but remember God has no grandchildren ! Sometimes we assume that our children will somehow grow up into the family of God, but they need to be convinced that they are dead spiritually, and that the new birth is always original and never inherited !

You see here was a woman who realised that she could not give life to her dead boy: she recognised that only God could restore her dead son to her and so she made it her business to get in touch with Elisha, the prophet of resurrection life ! Christian parent: have you got in touch with God relative to the New Birth of your children ? Children's worker: have you cried to God, have you pleaded with God to impart spiritual life to those children under your care ? My .... here is A REALITY WE NEED TO FACE ! (a) (b) but (c) !

Where do you think is the best environment for our children if we want to see them come to new life in Christ ? Its the home. A home of genuine spirituality is the best environment for our kids ! You know, children can quickly sniff out religious hypocrisy and unreality, more quickly than a cat can sniff out a dead fish. Unlike the cat, however, children are quickly turned off by the whiff of dead religion. It really offends them and sets them up for the rejection of our decayed and decaying spirituality, as soon as they are in a position to make up their minds for themselves !

But my .... what a home this was ! There was a love for God's Word in this home: there was a practical down to earth spirituality in this home: there was contentment and not bitterness in this home: there was a wonderful mother in this home ! Indeed this mother and wife shines more brightly than this father and husband ! So many marriages are like this .... a keen believing wife coupled with a husband who is so busy with his work, interests, and long term career that he has not time for the things of God ! Certainly it was the mother in this home who shone the brightest spiritually ! Do you see:

As first of all she nurses him, and then carries her lifeless son into the prophet's chamber. She loved this boy and she let him know he was loved by the way she spoke to him, kissed him and cared for him ! My .... if you want your children to come to know what God is like as their Heavenly Father then let them see it first in your parental love for them. So many youths and adults in our generation have grown up believing that

" Father," is a dirty word and that God, if He exists at all, is some coldly distant, bad-tempered, inconsistent,

tyrannical law-giver devoid of tenderness, feeling and compassion ! Its vital that we invest time, love, care, attention upon our children. As parents, do we need to turn our hearts toward our children again ? ( Mal 4:6)

You see we live in a time when children are seen as a curse and a liability to be dumped in nurseries or handed over to child-minders! Many parents give their children everything.... Except themselves! But not this woman!

For when you look at this womans actions, ( 4:21) and listen to this womans words ( 4:23, 26) you discover that she was not planning for a funeral but for a resurrection ! She did not lay out the corpse in the

" chapel of rest," at the local undertakers, but in the prophets chamber where someone could really," undertake," for her need ! She is referred to in ( Heb 11 ) where we read, " by faith women received their dead raised to life again." ( Heb 11:35) She may have lost her son, but she did not lose her faith. When Gehazi asked her, " is it well with the child ? .... She answered, It is well." ( 4:26) She could picture the boy alive and well again !

Ills: C.Swindoll says:

" There is no more influential or powerful role on earth than a mother's .... their words are never fully forgotten, their touch leaves an indelible impression, and the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime." My .... whatever prayers you pray for your children make sure they include prayers that are throbbing with expectancy and faith for their salvation ! Don't prepare for disaster, prepare for their destiny ! So there is (1) (2)

You see we parents are not alone in this task of raising dead kids to life. God has raised up other agencies to come alongside and help us. My .... one of the greatest things that we parents can do is to expose our children to the life of the local church, so that godly people can have an input into their lives. Elisha had an imput into the life of this young boy who was exposed to his ministry ! What is this ministry that we need to foster within the local church ? Well, have a look at the actions and attitudes of Elisha and by way of contrast those of his servant Gehazi, as they sought to minister to this young boy ! You see in our ministry to children within the local church we need to be:

Look at ( 4:25-26) You see Elisha is no mere professional, a man with a job to do, he is genuinely interested in the child's welfare ! What a contrast to Gehazi who is fobbed off with polite replies, for there was something cold, something formal about his manner for this woman would not open her heart to him ! (a)

Are you ? Are you genuinely concerned about the youngsters in your charge ? Do you take an interest in them ? When they don't weigh in do you go after them ?

Isn't there something very warm and approachable about Elisha ? This mother can take hold of his feet, and Elisha instantly knows that something is seriously wrong and wells up with sympathy ! How different from Gehazi who is filled with false idea's of propriety ! Ills: I heard about a pastor who had the cheek to move the communion table six inches back to make room for the children to stand and sing from the platform on a Sunday School Anniversary. Hauled before the officebearers the following week, he was rebuked and charged to apply to them in writing if he ever wished to repeat the same act again. I suppose this offended their sense of propriety ! Gehazi would have been proud of them. My .... will you be real, will you be a friend to those children to whom you minister ? (a) (b)

What a difference there was between Elisha and Gehazi. Gehazi is a model of " how not to do it."

What happened when Gehazi laid Elisha's staff on the face of the child ? Nothing ! " There was neither voice nor hearing." ( 4:31) Gehazi dutifully carried out his orders in the detached, precise and mechanical way which we have by now come to expect of him. But there was nothing and so he gave up quickly ! Oh, it's so easy is it not to become formal and professional in the service of the Lord ? It's so easy to go and teach that SS class without preparation and prayer ! Have there not been times when you've gone forth to sing: to preach without prayer ? My .... like Gehazi we may have the rod of authority, but not the authority of the rod ! We may have the apparatus: we may know the techniques:

we may have the SS materials: the visual aids: but we need the dynamic of the Holy Spirit to bring spiritual life to spiritually dead children ! We need to be TOTALLY COMMITTED and that will mean:

Do you see what Elisha did when confronted with death ? Look at ( 4:33) Can you say what Hannah said," for this child I prayed." ( 1 Sam 1:27)

Elisha was not afraid to do the unusual ! What was so unusual ? Well, Elisha didn't LEAN on the child, some children's workers try bribery, manipulation, and coercion to achieve results, Elisha LAY on the child. He didn't just give the truth, he gave himself. Do you recall what was said of the Lord Jesus ? " But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them." ( Matt 9:36) My .... are you ever stirred as you look at the desperate plight of souls ? (1) (2)

Look at ( 4:35) He persisted until success came !

How do you raise a dead child .... to life ? Put him or her in the right home and take him to the right church and see what happens !

Ills: The great evangelist D.L. Moody once reported that he had just returned from a meeting where he had seen two-and -half conversions. He was asked, did he mean two adults and one child ?

" No," he replied, " I mean two children and one adult.

The adults life was already half over, the children had their whole lives still before them to be lived for God."