2 Kings Chapter 4:1-7
Filling Empty Vessels
We are presently taking an in-depth
look here on Sunday mornings at the life of Elisha
A) Elijahs Protιgι: His successor as Gods Prophet
B) Wed night: Survey study shared with you this quote-
Gary Inrig:
When a leader is taken, we tend to look
for a substitute, a replacement- someone to fill the position. But the Lord
doesnt recycle the past. Our need isnt that person or another just like him,
but the God of that person. The critical truth is this: When Gods
leader is removed, everything of God remains. Transition times are times to
refocus on the unchanging God.
C) Elisha understood that principle it was for that
reason He asked for a double portion of
the same spirit that was on Elijah
D) We saw in our time together last time how God prepares
us to be empowered 4 stops
The ministry of Elisha is
remarkable for his miracles. 17 different miracles {Seen several
1) The parting of the
2) The cleansing of the
waters at
3) The
curse upon the youth & the two bears (2:24)
4) Water and victory in
Today consider his 5th
miracle here in 2 Kings Ch.4: RD V.1-7
A certain woman of the wives of the sons
of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is
dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is
coming to take my two sons to be his slaves."
2 So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for
you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your
maidservant has nothing in the house but a
jar of oil."
3 Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels
from everywhere, from all your neighbors empty vessels; do not gather just a
few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your
sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones."
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her
and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it
came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel."
And he said to her, "There is not
another vessel." So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of
God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your
sons live on the rest."
So here we find Elisha encountering
this woman who was in great need.
A) She was a widow her husband was in the Prophetic
Ministry. Sons of the prophets School
B) Learned in 1 Kings that was a dangerous profession
1) Queen Jezebel was out to kill all the prophets of
God.
C) We are told her that her husband feared not the
queen but the Lord
1) No doubt this woman felt the same godly woman
walking in the fear of God.
D) But now this good woman was going thru a great
trial {Joseph tonight God allows
1) The pit is the precursor to the Promise
So she was a godly woman
but she was also a woman with a great need
A) Widows in that day were always in a very vulnerable
situation.
B) Their husbands being gone how would they pay for
their debts
C) This woman was in that situation. She was at risk of losing her two sons to slavery
D) See that was a normal way
of paying off creditors in those days
1) Take your Children and make them work as slaves
until the debt was paid.
E) So she comes to Elisha to seek his help concerning
her problem.
Now I want you to take note
of the question that he asked her v.2 What is in your house?
A) She responded: NOTHING
but a jar of oil.
B) Well Elisha tells her to go and borrow some empty
vessels from her neighbors as many as she can
C) When she gets those empty vessels she is to take
the Jar of oil that she has and pour it into those empty vessels
D) She was to do so believing that her oil would not
run out!
1) that is exactly what happens She has enough to pay
her debt and to live on the rest.
This story illustrates
several things for us.
#1 Illustration of PROVISION:
how God can take a little to do a lot.
#2 Interesting Parallel
of our lives!
#3 A wonderful Picture
of Salvation.
#1 Illustration of PROVISION:
how God can take a little to do a lot.
A) 5 loaves and 2 fish feed a multitude
B) Little David
takes a small sling and some rocks to slay the Giant.
1) Gideon takes a little army off into battle they
slay of Multitude of Mideonites
C) The Church in
D) The Lord takes 12 misfits empowers them by his
Spirit they turn the world right side up!
In every one of those
situations as in this one Gods instruction had to be met by faith.
A) Doubt would have said to this woman this is stupid.
Borrowing empty vessels waste of time.
B) She had to borrow those empty vessels believing
that God was going to fill them.
1) Elisha instructed Borrow many not just a few!
C) Her faith was going to be registered in how many
pots she borrowed.
1) The degree to which her need was met was going to
be measured in the same way.
She
was herself to measure out what she should have; and I believe that you and I,
in the matter of spiritual blessings from God, have more to do with the measurement
of our mercies than we think. We make our blessings little, because our prayers
are little.
CH Spurgeon
So this story is a great
illustration of Gods Provision
How God can take a little to
do a lot.
A) What is in your house God can take the little bit
that we have to offer to do great things w/ it!
B) He loves to do that with us!
1) Do big things with little
people. / Great things thru those who are inadequate.
C) His glory is magnified!
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that
few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God
called you. 27 Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers
foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who
are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by
the world; things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing
what the world considers important, 29 so that no one can ever boast in the
presence of God.
. 31 As the Scriptures say,
"The person who wishes to boast
should boast only of what the Lord has done."
So God takes the little bit
that we have and He is able to big things with it!
A) What is in your house?
B) Maybe at first you might say like this woman
NOTHING BUT
. What gift?
1) Music
2) Sports
3) Cars
4) Time
5) Understanding
of the Word!
#2 A Parallel for our
lives!
A) See oil in Scripture is symbolic of the HS.
B) God has placed the oil of his spirit into our lives.
For it is the God who commanded light to
shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels,
C) Earthen vessels = Clay pots- humbling that is how
God sees us just a pot clay pot I am the potter I am forming you
But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
C) God has caused the oil of
His spirit to reside in these earthen vessels
1) these clay pots that are our lives!
D) Of All the things and places in the universe for
God to place His Spirit/ He put His spirit into us
Now God says take what I have
poured into you and pour it into empty vessels
A) All around us there are empty vessels
B) Those who are empty because they dont know Jesus they dont have the spirit
C) God says we are to pour into them Share the love
of Jesus with them
1) Allow His light to shine thru us
D) Love them pursue them/ reach out to them!
Others are empty vessels in
the sense that they are new believers they just dont know much
A) We who have been in the Lord a while need to pour
into them what we have
B) Discipleship
help them grow help them mature
1) Help them come to that place of discovering Jesus
2) His love / His sufficiency for their lives
Some are empty because they
are down and discouraged
A) God brings a person like that into our lives we
are to pour into them
B) Here is what happens
As we allow God to pour us out to bless others Share with others
1) The more we are filled
C) I experience this often I show up here Maybe I
feel dry or tired not much in the tank
D) Take the little bit that I have and share it with
you I allow myself to be poured out
1) And as I do I am
filled with more
Last week many of you came up
for prayer seeking to be empowered by the Spirit
A) Note this that empowering is primarily to serve
B) God wanting to fill you up so that He can pour
you out
1) But as He pours you out into empty vessels you
just keep getting filled up
C) On New Years Day I challenged you to pray that
you might lead one person to Christ this year
1) God would use you to take an empty vessel share
the love of Jesus See that person become filled
D) And then take that person
and disciple them pour into for 6 months watch them grow
1) You know who else is going to grow? You are
E) You take the little God has given to you and allow
God to use it for His glory Pour you out
1) You are going to be more blessed and
full and filled beyond measure
So this story is an illustration of
Gods Provision
An Interesting Parallel
for our lives
#3 Picture of Salvation:
A) This woman was in great debt She had a debt
that she couldnt pay
B) Her sons were about to become slaves.
B) So God used Elisha whose name means God is savior to
pay her debt in full
1) so that she could be saved
C) How was she saved? By acting in faith upon the word
of God!
Picture of the ministry of Jesus
A) We were in debt because of our sins.
B) Sins separated us from God
1) Slaves to sin and to our flesh
Passions &
lust and selfishness
C) It was a debt that we
couldnt pay.
1) Nothing that we could do that could change our
standing with God.
D) Jesus came and paid the debt for us!
1) Paid it in Full
Now He gives us what we
need to live life for Him
A) Life that pleases God Life that has control over
the flesh.
B) Not driven by lust/ not driven by passions/ not
driven by selfish pursuits
C) How did we come into this grace? Thru Faith
For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
D) When an empty vessel believes in the finished work
of Jesus on the Cross was for them
1) God fills them up with His spirit
E) The wonderful truth is this there is a full
Christ for empty sinners.
First a sinner needs to
realize they are empty
A) They are spiritually bankrupt Nothing in them to
pay the debt.
B) No amount of Good works kind deeds religious
pursuits.
C) That is the problem with some today why they are
still empty
1) TOO FULL OF THEMSELVES
D) Although there is a full Christ for empty sinners
but none for those who are full of themselves
1) First need to be emptied
In order for the vessel to be
filled it has to first be emptied
A) End of yourself beginning of God.
B) Some people are full of themselves in the sense
that they think I am a great person
1) I am good and honest my good out weighs my bad
C) If that was the Criteria for getting into heaven
then Jesus wouldnt have needed to die on the cross
1) NONE RIGHTEOUS NO NOT
ONE
Others are full of
Religion
A) Church attendance rituals
B) But they have no relationship with God
C) Again if attending Church could cover your debt
Jesus wouldnt have needed to die
D) Not goodness / Religion / It is the Blood of Jesus
that covers the debt
I was sharing with a guy once
in Oregon friends golfed He was too full for Jesus
A) I believe what you are saying but I just dont
need Jesus right now.
B) People come to Jesus when their live is falling
apart my life is great
1) Great Job lots of money
2) Great house
3) Great girlfriend
4) Great friends
C) Here is
what He didnt have:
1) Peace Kept
pursuing more
D) Freedom from Guilt
deep down he knew he was a sinner {Broke Gods law
E) Assurance of Heaven
when he died
One step from death!
A) Greg M -59
Mike M 21
B) Not meant to be a scare tactic but it is a
reality
1) You could die today.
C) Are you ready to stand
before God ?
1) Why should I let you into heaven? Good person
D) All he would have to do is show the video
1) Sins the 1000s of times in your life broke his
commandments Lie / lust / anger
E) Religion:
Countless lives lost who trusted in religion
F) He would say: Sorrow You are an empty vessel
1)
JESUS STANDS AT THE DOOR OF YOUR VESSEL
TODAY KNOCKS -