JOEL D - Stand with the Oil

Stand with the Oil

Introduction

The theme we have been speaking on recently at church is Stand, Wait, Persevere.

In my preparation for this message, I was pondering the current theme we are in this season, and it led me to a follow-up question: How do we stand, wait, and persevere?

Today, we are going to take a look at how we can stand, wait, and persevere. The key word for this morning is “Oil.”

This morning, Church, we are going to cover four points to answer the question presented:

1. What is the Oil?

2. What does the Oil Cost?

3. Don’t Grow Familiar with the Oil

4. Bear the Oil / Preserve the Oil

So Church, the title of my message this morning is “Stand with the Oil.” Today we are going to unpack how we can stand with the oil.

Let’s pray.

Body

1. What Is the Oil?

Let us first define what we are talking about here. You may have heard this phrase “the oil” many times in church—maybe in messages like this or in worship.

When we say the phrase “The Oil,” we are talking about the anointing of God—the presence and power of God resting upon someone.

In the Bible, we see the oil mentioned in many parts of Scripture. Most often, we see this reference when kings, priests, and leaders were ordained by God for a specific mantle and purpose.

When we talk about the oil, Church, we are talking about the consecration, anointing, and presence of God.

Today, I would like to encourage you, Church, that this anointing—this presence—is active today, right now. God is still pouring out His Spirit upon His people. God has not stopped moving upon His people.

And Church, today God is willing and ready to pour out His oil upon you!

Along with the presence of God, the Bible illustrates the relationship between a shepherd, oil, and sheep to explain the protection that God gives His people.

Let us turn our Bibles to Psalm 23:5

We are going to read the second half of verse 5:

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Psalm 23 is a psalm that illustrates God as a Good Shepherd. A good shepherd would anoint his sheep in order to protect them.

Psalm 23 gives us insight into what the Father does for His children. He clothes us with His oil so that we may be protected from insects and flies.

A sheep has no capacity to protect itself from flies… But the Oil!

(Lead the congregation to exaltation)

When we face opposition, the oil brings protection and perseverance, so that we may Stand, Wait, and Persevere.

2. What Does the Oil Cost?

The oil costs us something. We’re going to take a look at the story of the alabaster jar from the Gospel of Mark.

Let’s turn our Bibles to Mark 14:3:

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?” “It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

Hunger offends a work based religion.

The people around couldn’t see what this lady was doing.

See, this lady understood something about the person and presence of Jesus. She was willing to give everything she had for Him.

This woman was washing the feet of Jesus with her tears and drying them with her hair.

What a level of humility and hunger.

The people around her missed the most important thing.

Yes, the work and the duties are important—but the most important thing is to be at the feet of Jesus.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus addresses this:

I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

(Share personally on how you have forgotten to make Jesus the focus of everything, instead making works the priority.)

This cost isn’t one of price—it is a posture.

The oil cost this lady something.

She was at His feet, completely undignified.

When was the last time we entered the presence of God completely undignified?

Let’s strip off our boundaries—God is calling us into a deeper level of intimacy.

This oil costs us something. It costs a posture.

What posture are you willing to take today?

3. Don’t Grow Familiar with the Oil

We are going to take a look at the parable of the ten virgins, found in Matthew 25:1–13:

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

They trimmed their lamps… with no oil?!

A lack of oil leads to a works-based Christianity.

What do I mean? It means we end up doing what looks right, what sounds right, but not being in step with the anointing.

See, the virgins knew the groom was coming. They followed the process—but they missed the most important foundation: the Oil.

(Share on how you’ve resorted to doing what you know to do, instead of ministering out of the presence and anointing of God. What was missing? “The Oil.”)

The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

A lack of oil leads to an unhealthy dependence on other people’s oil.

This may look like us relying on someone else’s encounter instead of seeking God for our own.

They were dependent on the oil of those around them.

But the oil is specific to the individual.

God has a specific purpose and mission for you, and He is calling us to seek the oil that is purposed for us.

“No,” they replied, “there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.”

A lack of oil leads to the purchase of counterfeits.

We end up buying what we think oil is.

“If I can just get on this platform…”

We are paying for all these things, but God originally called us to steward the oil He gave us.

(Share a personal testimony of how you felt the Holy Spirit wake you up to remind you not to grow familiar with His oil.)

4. Bear the Oil / Preserve with the Oil

In the Bible, olives were pressed in order to produce oil.

Olives were crushed to bring forth oil.

This study lead me to a personal question. What do I bear when I am crushed? God, I want to bear oil in the crushing.

Church, when we talk about crushing, we are talking about the pressures of life—the trials, the mountains.

One of the subjects I’ve studied in my Bachelor of Theology looks at a perspective that modern believers often have of Jesus.

Sometimes we forget that Jesus had both divinity and humanity.

He came to earth and took on flesh, just like you and me.

Jesus went through immeasurable anguish.

The story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane describes Him sweating blood.

I Was looking at this story and i found out that Gethsemane means “place of pressing oil.” It was located at the bottom of the Mount of Olives.

Jesus, in His time of great crushing and pressing, went to the place where oil was produced.

What came out of Him? What was His response in the midst of the crushing and pressing?

“Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Slow right down.

Jesus, in His moment of immense pressure and crushing, produced oil.

Lord, I want to produce oil…

Church, I was looking at the process of how oil was made in biblical times. What amazed me is that the process of making oil requires crushing in order for it to be preserved.

The crushing and pressing are for the preservation of the oil.

(Lead the people to exhalation)

Conclusion

Let’s revise the points we spoke on:

1. What is the Oil?

2. What Does the Oil Cost?

3. Don’t Grow Familiar with the Oil

4. Bear / Preserve with the Oil

Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and allow space for a response in people’s hearts.