Our Nothing is God’s Something

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message, we will learn how when we place what we think is NOT enough in God’s hands, he can transform it into MORE than enough!

***1st week ODD months add communion & target message at 15 pages.

***1st week EVEN months add space for dedication, baptism, or ministry highlight & target message at 15 pages.

***Green in sermons means illustration, something we are looking for a response from, and/or a picture that goes on the screens.

***Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.

Sermon:

Hello Family Church!!!

Welcome to Family Church… whether you are in person or watching online…

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Celebrate salvations / re-dedications / baptisms last week.

We are still in our series walking through the life of a prophet named Elisha in the Old Testament.

We are looking at all these incredible ways that the Holy Spirit worked in and through him.

We have been walking through this guys life for the last two full months….

So we cannot recap everything we have learned.

BUT…

You can always go to our website, app, or podcast and listen to those prior messages!!!

PAUSE

But because we do not like anyone feeling like they are lost… Let me give you a little recap….

Last week, we saw Elisha do crazy and amazing things.

It started with him cleansing a body of water that was making people sick!

Then he summoned some bears to maul 42 boys who were making fun of his male pattern baldness…

Yup…

You heard that correctly!

The Bible has some AWESOME stories!

You need to read your Bibles!!!

Then some kings came to him because they were in a drought and needed help…

And he made them dig some trenches to prepare for what God was going to do…

And after they stepped out in FAITH and dug those ditches before there was even a cloud in the sky….

AFTER they listened to God’s prophet, Elisha…

When they woke up in the morning, ALL the ditches were filled with water…

AND…

God helped them win the battle they were about to lose!

PAUSE

Today, we are about to see another miracle and it is going to teach us something VERY important…

And let me remind you all Elisha we learned in week #1 was a regular guy.

He was a farm kid.

A farm kid in the middle of a regular day of work was called to follow the prophet Elijah.

We saw this regular farm kid take a MASSIVE step of faith and follow even though he did not know what was in store for him.

Even though he didn’t know what was going to happen.

We saw him just trust God to fill in the details later.

This regular guy has become this incredible prophet…

And so let me make a point right out of the gate today!

ANYONE can become a great man/woman of God IF they will FULLY follow God.

Repeat

PAUSE

I have good news for all of you here today that might feel a little over overwhelmed in life…

Today’s message is for you.

If you feel like you could NEVER fully follow God…

If you feel like there's too much going on in your life.

If you’re in need right now,

If you feel like you don't have enough energy,

If you don’t have enough time.

If you’re really low on faith.

Today’s message is one you really need to listen to!

Take great notes because you are going to see how generous our God is and how he can fill us to overflowing even when we are running on empty.

So, if you would open your Bibles with me to

2 Kings 4

And by the way…..

(New Person Bible Connection)

If you do not have a Bible, that is ok!

After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!

Or if you have a Bible stop by there anyway and we will give you a gift card to a local restaurant because we LOVE that you came today and we want to bless you!!!

Just go to (ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE) and get one for FREE!!!

PAUSE

2 Kings 4: 1-2 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.”

2 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.”

Let’s stop right here.

In ancient times, women did not tend to have jobs or training outside of running the home.

To be a widow was a scary thing because husbands provided everything.

Back in this time, there was no such thing as saving up so your wife would be set for life if you passed away.

If this woman could not remarry, she would have a hard time surviving.

This woman is in a tough situation.

She's lost her husband and now must provide for herself and her two sons.

To make matters worse, there are creditors coming after her husband’s debt!

And her creditors are threatening to take her two sons to be slaves as payment!!!!

PAUSE

I don’t know what is happening in all the lives represented today.

You might find yourself in a hard place today…and if you do, you can identify with this mother.

This mother seems to have no hope whatsoever.

She has REAL problems….

She's lost her husband.

She can't pay her bills.

And now she's going to lose her sons.

She is going to lose EVERYTHING!

PAUSE

This is a BIG problem…

Not like a lot of the SMALL things we get so worked up about like…

When a car takes the spot you were eyeballing across the parking lot….Like you had eye lock on it and so it is clearly yours……and then a person pulls into your space right before you….and you punch your steering wheel…..and cuss them out…

That’s not a big problem…

And you probably need anger management help….

Or when you're at the restaurant, and you're blowing up on your waitress because they didn’t take the onions off your burger, and you have to do it yourself……

And you like I TOLD HER!!!!

And the vein on your forehead starts popping out and you’re going to blow up!

That's not a big deal!

Or when you suddenly feel ugly…because you only got seven likes on your most recent self-y, and no one said, "hashtag, you're so beautiful."

And you wonder what did I do wrong? Should I have done this side?

Maybe I should have done a mirror shot.

Those are NOT BIG problems.

PAUSE

For some of you today; you are constantly getting wound up about stuff that does not matter.

But some people do have BIG problems, and they’re facing BIG problems just like this widow.

For some of you….

Your marriage is barely hanging on and you don't know if it will make it. You have been betrayed; you don't even know what to do.

Maybe you've got a childwho may be going the wrong way, and you're mature enough to know that if they keep going down that road, they will end up in a place you don't ever want to see them in. You're in agony because you're watching someone you love make decisions that are going to hurt them.

Some of you may be in a financial situation where you don't know how you're going to get out of it. There is such stress that you just feel strangled. For others, it may be a health issue. You went to the doctor, or someone you love did, and if there's not a miracle from God, you don't know what will happen, and you may end up experiencing the very thing you wished never would happen.

You have a real problem…and you don’t know what to do.

You're in significant need today…..

I want to give you the key thought for this message, which I believe God is going to drive into our spirits to build our faith.

If you're taking notes, I want you to write this down.

When you don't have what you REALLY want, you might discover that God is what you actually need.

Let me say that again because this is really important. When you don't have what you REALLY REALLY REALLY want…

You will discover that our good God is what you actually need.

PAUSE

Let's see this truth come to life in our Bibles today!

PAUSE

This widow has a real need….

She has a real issue….

Let’s go back and re-read this….

1 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.”

2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you?”

Stop there…

He doesn't say, "Wow, that is really a bad predicament your in.”

He doesn't blow her off.

He doesn't say, "Oh, that's bad. I will be thinking about you."

He doesn’t say what I hear so many of us say, “Oh, I am so sorry will pray for you.”

And then we walk away and forget to ever pray for that person.

What does he do church?

He makes himself available to her…

He offers to help.

When someone at the office says, "I've got a problem."

Someone in class says, “I can’t figure this out."

Someone says, "My spouse is driving me crazy."

Someone says, "My kid is going off the deep end."

When someone says, “I need help.”

Be like Elisha and say, "How can I help you?"

Make yourself available!

Even when it is not convenient, make yourself available.

PAUSE

Then he goes on to say, look in your Bibles….

Tell me what do you have in your house?

Elisha says, "Let's start with what you have and let God meet your needs through what you have."

Let’s write this down…

Some of us here today need to hear this and not forget it.

Sometimes, God will meet your needs through what you already have.

Repeat

Now….I know when I say that some of you are already thinking….

Ummmm pastor….

If I already HAVE what I NEED….then I would not have the NEED…

I don’t need God to show me what I HAVE…

I know what I HAVE and it is NOT what I NEED….

And if that is you today….

OK….

Lean in….

Because this woman responded the same way!

Look at the rest of verse 2 in your Bible… She said:

“Your servant has nothing there at all,”

Hold up right there…

Isn't that what we say when we have lost all hope?

When we are hurting, we only see what we lack.

We miss can miss what God might do!

So, we say things like:

I don't have enough money, so I can never be happy.

I don't have a spouse, so I just sit at home alone.

I am not athletic, so I’ll never make a sports team.

My house isn't nice, so I never have anyone over.

I was born into a poor family, so I’ll always be poor.

I've known ladies, but never one personally, but maybe you've known one who walks into a closet with clothes everywhere.

And what do they do?

They touch all of them, and then they say?

Help me out…what do they say???

"I have nothing to wear."

Pastor Bob could clothe an entire African village with what most of you have in your closets, yet you say, "I've got nothing to wear."

Too often, we FOCUS on what we don't have.

And this is precisely where this widow was.

She thinks she has nothing....

PAUSE

Now, we are about to see God speak to this woman through Elisha, and I believe God is speaking this to some people right now.

Let’s read it again….verse 2:

2 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.”

Here is what I need us all to understand…

Write this down…

Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.

REPEAT Come on, someone should AMEN that!

What did she have…what does it say in your Bible???

A small jar of olive oil.

PAUSE

But she said, “I don't have anything…well…except this insignificant, worthless, tiny, little jar of oil.”

Remember…

Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.

Olive oil was NOT worthless back then.

Oil was used in cooking.

In lamps to burn for light.

As a moisturizer.

It was used to help keep leather pliable.

It keeps iron from rusting.

Oil was used as an offering to God.

It was used to help anoint people in religious services.

The issue was NOT that it was worthless…

The issue was she only had a little jar of it.

PAUSE

Just like how some of us think:

I don’t have enough money to tithe.

We aren’t talented enough to serve.

We aren’t smart enough to lead.

We aren’t athletic enough to preach….

Just seeing if you are paying attention!!!!

PAUSE

I have to say, I am so thankful that we serve a God who specializes in doing a lot with a little.

I am a great example. (ADD PERSONAL EXAMPLE)

Years ago, I was DEATHLY afraid of preaching and NEVER wanted to do it.

My first sermon was a train wreck….

When I went into ministry I said I would NEVER be a preaching pastor!

When I went into ministry I said I will NEVER be a Sr. Pastor!

I did not have the talent to do what I do now!!!!

And if not for God, there is no chance I would be up here today.

I am here only because our God specializes in taking those with little and multiplying it….

And this is going to speak to somebody because we serve a God who is absolutely capable of doing a lot with a little.

All through scripture, you'll see it again and again.

Like Jesus did in John 6…feeding the 5,000….

Or in 1 Samuel 17, when David did not have enough to fight Goliath…

This widow did NOT have enough….

But the good news is….

We serve a God who can do a lot with a little.

We serve a God who can take what is not enough and make it into more than enough.

If you have just a little faith, you will see God do a lot with a little.

Elisha knows this about God.

He has seen him show up repeatedly in his life and Elijah’s life.

That is why Elisha says, "What do you have in your house?"

What's in your house?

He did NOT say:

Not what do you think you need?

Not what do you want?

Not how much do you owe?

He did NOT ask where these men who were going to take her boys were so he could go talk to them...

PAUSE

He just said… what do you already have….so we can let God multiply it!

PAUSE

Here is what I want us to understand today.

Our world tells us all the time that we cannot do something because we do not have:

The right education

The right family

The right amount of money

The right training.

and so on…..

But God says…. We can PRECISLY because we don’t have that!

Because our limitations force us to look up to God and trust God to provide!

I have no shame in admitting that, at one point, I could have been rated as one of the world’s worst preachers.

My limitations forced me to look up to God and receive His help.

If we had everything we wanted in life, we wouldn’t look to God to find out what we really needed.

Sometimes, God doesn’t allow us to have what we want because that will actually keep us away from what we need!

Stop saying, "I wish I had something else so I could do….something more significant."

God is saying, "Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.”

To which some of you are thinking….but Pastor Adam, you don’t understand

I'm not a good up-front person. I'm not that charismatic. I know God is calling me to join the worship team, but I'm not a good up-front person.

Start with what you have…can you learn how to run sound?

Record video? Change slides?

START

There may be a guy in here who says, "I'm not a good provider. I don't make a six-figure income; we don’t have all the stuff other people do."

And God would say to you, "You're home six nights a week with your children. That's more important."

Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.

Men, fathers, please listen to me in this….

One of the most important things you can do is NOT what you do to get paid to do….

Fathers….the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do IS invest in the wife God gave you and, if blessed with children, them as well!

Your wife wants you present more than she wants more money.

Your kids want you at their events more than you at work!

They want YOU to be involved in their life!

Your wife wants to know you really love her!

And I speak about that from experience!

I did NOT always prioritize my wife and kids correctly!!!!

Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.

PAUSE

Here is what you all need to understand…

Write this down…

Offer God what we have and trust God to give us what we need.

Repeat

And you don’t have to take my word for it; watch it come true for this widow.

Verse 3.

3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.

4 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.”

Now, let’s be honest…

What Elisha said makes NO SENSE!

She has only this little bit of oil, and they are going to pour it into all these jars from their neighbors????

So…

Like last week…

This makes NO SENSE…

So, what does she do????

Verse 5….

5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons.

They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 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.

Don’t miss what the Bible just said, church…

As long as there was an empty jar…

God kept miraculously providing more oil.

Had they had the faith to get MORE jars, they would have gotten more oil.

As long as you are faithful to God, he will keep filling you up so you can pour it out into other people….

But once you stop pouring out….

God has to stop pouring in…

Someone needs to hear that today….

You are wondering why you cannot feel God anymore.

It is because you have stopped pouring him out for others!

You have stopped sharing the love of God, and you need to start pouring again!

When you STOP pouring OUT…God can’t keep Pouring IN…

PAUSE

Let’s keep reading….Verse7

7 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.”

When she offered what little she had…

God gave her everything she needed!!

As long as there was an empty jar, the oil kept flowing.

She had to pour the little she had left into someone else’s jar BEFORE she saw God show up.

She had to empty out EVERYTHING she had!

She had to trust God!

When we show God our faith, we get to see his faithfulness.

PAUSE

As we close today, I want to go back to what Elisha said.

He said, "Go get a bunch of jars. Go get a bunch of jars."

It doesn’t matter what kind of Jar.

Didn’t matter the size of the Jar.

Just get empty jars.

How does this apply to you?

We're like jars of clay.

When we empty ourselves of self.

When we empty ourselves of pride.

When we empty ourselves of greed.

When we empty ourselves of our own agendas.

When we come to God totally empty.

Then he fills us with the Holy Spirit.

And suddenly, we realize…

When you don't have outwardly what you want, it is God that you truly need.

And suddenly, he is enough; he is sufficient in every single way.

When you are weak, he is your strength.

When you're hurting, he is your comforter.

When you're lost, he is your guide.

When your life is unstable, he is the rock that does not move.

When you realize, "I do not have what I wanted," suddenly you discover that he is exactly what you need.

And someone came in here today, and you were empty and lacking.

And today, you are going to look to him!

And he is going to become everything that you need.

Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.

Offer God what you have and trust God to give you what you need.

Because when you don't have what you really want, you will discover that our good God is what you actually needed.

So, church, here is our life application for this week.

Life Application: Try taking your needs (no matter how big or small) to God, following His directions, and see what happens! As a result of today’s message, I will _________________________.

Prayer:

Make sure to do salvation call!

Offering:

Thank you all for being here today!

If you would like to continue your worship through giving, there are offering boxes by the doors as you exit or behind me on the screens you can see other ways to give here at Family Church.

You can also place any connection cards you filled out in there.

Week #5 -

Did you know you can add Family Church into your end-of-life planning?

We have lots of people who have added Family Church to their will to leave 10% to their church.

It is a great way to show your family that leaving a Godly legacy was important to you.

Have a great week!!!

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