First Fruits
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Body
Supernatural blessing can come from an insignificant offering.
The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
Who is Elisha?
Elisha was the apprentice or disciple of Elijah. After Elijah was taken to heaven, he gave Elisha a double portion of his power and he would go on to do twice as many miracles as Elijah.
There’s also mention of a jar of oil…
This jar was similar to, that olive oil container, that every mom has on their kitchen counter.
Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
Elisha made the woman go in faith. She had to get up and actively do something for God’s provision.
Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
You have God in the measure in which you desire Him.
You ever wondered why you can go to a youth camp or fall retreat and experience God…
That’s because there is an expectation and a desire of why you’re there, right?
Only remember that the desire that brings God must be more than wishful.
It has to be a willing desire.
Wishing and willing are vastly different. One gets nothing and the other gets everything.
She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
Elisha tells the woman to pour the oil herself. Elisha could have done it but he knew that she had to trust God for herself.
When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
The vessels also had to be empty before they could be filled with oil. It did no good to bring the widow full vessels.
“A full Christ is for empty sinners, and for empty sinners only, and as long as there is a really empty soul in a congregation, so long will a blessing go forth with the word…” (Spurgeon)
For the oil [Holy Spirit] to be poured out, the vessels had to be empty. God’s going to do what God wants to do, but He asks us to join in partnership with Him.
She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
Conclusion
Each vessel had to be prepared by being gathered, by being assembled, by being emptied, by being put in the right position and by staying in the right position. When there was no more prepared vessel, the oil stopped.
I wonder how many of us would be willing to go gather the jars this year?
Me, these adults, staff, will host and plan events but its up to you guys to get your friends there, here.
The principle of this miracle is that the amount of a person’s work with the miracle determined the amount of blessing and provision actually received.
God’s powerful provision invites our hard work and never excuses laziness.
God will always bless a willing spirit.
Prayer