The Lost Oil - Refilling What's Been Depleted Series

INTRODUCTION

Church! Last week we talked about the broken altar - that place of worship and surrender that many of us have neglected. Today, we're diving into something equally critical - THE LOST OIL!

In Scripture, oil represents the Holy Spirit, the anointing, the presence of God. And let me be real with you - many of us are trying to light lamps with empty vessels! We're wondering why there's no power, no transformation, no breakthrough, while we're running on spiritual fumes!

Our key scripture today comes from Zechariah 4:6, where God declares, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."

This is a word for somebody today! You've been trying to make it happen in your own strength. You've been pushing, striving, hustling - but you're exhausted because you're running on empty. Today, God wants to refill what's been depleted!

SECTION 1: EMPTY VESSELS MAKE NO IMPACT

Let me ask you something: Have you ever tried to use your phone when the battery is at 1%? You're careful, right? You're not scrolling social media, not playing games, not watching videos. You're preserving what little power you have for what's essential.

That's how many Christians are living their spiritual lives - on 1% power, carefully rationing what little anointing they have left, just trying to make it through another day. But God never intended for us to live on spiritual fumes!

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise and kept their lamps filled with oil. Five were foolish and let their oil run out. When the bridegroom came, the five with oil were ready, but the five without were left behind.

Church, we're living in a Matthew 25 moment! The Bridegroom is coming, and He's looking for a people whose lamps are filled with oil, whose lives radiate His presence, whose impact is undeniable because they're connected to an unlimited power source!

But empty vessels make no impact. You can't pour from an empty cup. You can't shine without oil. You can't transform lives when you're spiritually depleted.

I've been there! There have been seasons in my ministry where I was trying to give what I didn't have. I was preaching from an empty well. I was counseling from a depleted spirit. I was leading with no oil in my lamp. And let me tell you - it doesn't work!

Listen, your hustle can't replace the Holy Spirit! Your effort can't substitute for the anointing! Your talent, your education, your experience - none of it can fill the place of the oil!

When the oil is gone, here's what happens:

1. Prayer becomes a monologue instead of a dialogue

2. Worship becomes a performance instead of an encounter

3. Ministry becomes a burden instead of a blessing

4. Life becomes a struggle instead of a surrender

The early church didn't turn the world upside down because they had better programs, bigger buildings, or more talented leaders. They changed the world because they were filled with the Spirit! They had the oil!

SECTION 2: THE SOURCE OF THE OIL IS SURRENDER

So where does the oil come from? How do we get refilled when we're running on empty?

The answer might disappoint those looking for a quick fix or a three-step formula. The oil doesn't come from trying harder; it comes from surrendering deeper. It's not earned through performance; it's received through presence.

In Acts 1, just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you."

Notice He didn't say, "Go start the church immediately! Get busy for the kingdom! Launch your ministry now!" No, He said, "Wait." Why? Because He knew they needed the oil before they needed the activity. They needed the power before they needed the platform.

Some of you have been working so hard for God that you've forgotten to walk with God. You've been so busy serving in the kingdom that you've neglected spending time with the King. And now your oil is gone.

The source of the oil is not your effort; it's your surrender. It's not found in doing more; it's found in being still. It's not produced by human hands; it's poured out by divine presence.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." That word "still" in Hebrew means to let go, to release, to surrender. It's in that place of surrender that the oil begins to flow again.

I remember a season where my own lamp was empty. I was doing all the right things - preaching, leading, serving - but the oil was gone. The presence was missing. The power had leaked out.