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.
God spoke to me so clearly: "You've been operating in your strength, not My Spirit. You've been filling your calendar but neglecting your communion with Me. You've been impressive on the outside but empty on the inside."
That word broke me. I realized I had traded intimacy for activity, surrender for strategy, presence for performance. And my lamp was empty because of it.
So I did something radical. I cleared my schedule for three days. I turned off my phone. I went to a cabin in the woods with nothing but my Bible and a journal. No agenda. No sermon prep. No ministry strategy. Just me and God.
The first day was hard. My mind was racing with all the things I should be doing. The second day was harder. I felt the weight of withdrawal from busyness. But by the third day, something shifted. The oil began to flow again. The presence became tangible. The power returned not because I earned it, but because I positioned myself to receive it.
The oil is replenished in the secret place, in those moments when nobody's watching, when it's just you and Him. It's restored when you stop performing and start pursuing, when you cease striving and start surrendering.
SECTION 3: WHEN THE OIL RETURNS, THE FIRE IGNITES
When you're filled with His Spirit, when the oil is flowing, something supernatural happens - the fire ignites! Not an emotional hype, but an authentic, transformative power that changes everything!
In Leviticus 9, when Aaron and his sons had prepared the altar and the sacrifice according to God's instructions, the Bible says, "Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."
The fire came from the presence of the Lord! It wasn't man-made; it was heaven-sent! And when the people saw it, they couldn't stay the same! They shouted! They fell facedown! They were transformed by what they witnessed!
That's what happens when the oil returns - the fire ignites! And when the fire ignites:
1. Dead things come back to life
2. Cold hearts are set ablaze
3. Darkness is pushed back
4. Transformation becomes inevitable
Let me tell you about Marcus in our church. He came to me after service one Sunday and said, "Pastor, I've been a Christian for 15 years, but something's missing. I don't feel God's presence anymore. I don't have the passion I once had. I'm going through the motions, but the fire is gone."
I asked him a simple question: "When was the last time you were filled with the oil?"
He looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"When was the last time you stopped trying to serve God and started seeking His face? When was the last time you weren't rushing through a devotional but resting in His presence?"
Tears filled his eyes. "I can't remember."
For the next 30 days, Marcus committed to seeking the oil. He created space in his life for God's presence. He surrendered his agenda, his timeline, his need to perform. He positioned himself to be filled.
Two months later, Marcus came back to me, but I hardly recognized him. The light in his eyes had returned. The joy on his face was undeniable. The passion in his voice was unmistakable.
"Pastor," he said, "the oil is back! And with it, the fire has returned! I'm not the same person I was before!"
Church, I'm believing for a fresh outpouring in this place! Not just goosebumps, but God-encounters! Not just feelings, but filling! Not just emotion, but anointing!
When the oil returns, the fire ignites! And when the fire ignites, nothing remains the same!
SECTION 4: POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR A REFILLING
So, how do we position ourselves for a refilling? How do we create space for the oil to flow back into our lives?
First, we need to recognize our need. We can't be refilled if we're in denial about being empty. Blessed are the poor in spirit - those who know they're spiritually bankrupt without God's presence. The first step to being filled is acknowledging you're empty.
Second, we need to create margin. The oil doesn't flow into vessels that are already full of other things. We need to clear space in our lives - our schedules, our minds, our hearts - for God's presence to fill us. That might mean turning off social media, saying no to good opportunities, or carving out dedicated time for seeking God.
Third, we need to position ourselves at the source. In the ancient Temple, the oil for the lamp stand came from the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. The closer the priests got to God's presence, the more accessible the oil became. The same is true for us. We need to draw near to God, and He will draw near to us.
Fourth, we need to practice patience. The filling rarely happens instantly. It's not about a one-time emotional experience; it's about a sustained connection to the source. The wise virgins in Matthew 25 had been collecting and preserving oil over time. They were ready because they had been consistent.
Finally, we need to protect the oil once it's restored. The enemy wants nothing more than to drain you of the anointing. Guard your time with God. Preserve the presence. Don't let busyness, distraction, or sin deplete what God has restored.
CALL TO ACTION
I want us to do something different today. I believe God wants to refill some empty vessels right now. I want everyone who feels spiritually depleted, everyone who needs a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, to come to the front right now.
[Wait as people come forward]
Look at this! God is drawing His people back to the source! This isn't about emotion; it's about restoration!
Now, I want you to open your hands like you're receiving something, because you are! God wants to pour fresh oil into your life today!
Let's pray:
"Father, we come to You with empty vessels, with depleted spirits, with lamps that have gone dim. We acknowledge that we've tried to shine without Your oil, to serve without Your Spirit, to live without Your power. Today, we position ourselves to receive. Fill us fresh, Lord! Restore the oil that's been lost. Reignite the fire that's gone cold. Pour out Your Spirit upon us not because we've earned it, but because You're gracious. Not because we deserve it, but because You delight in filling empty vessels. We receive Your anointing now. In Jesus' name, Amen!"
For the next 7 days, I want you to start every morning by asking for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Not a religious ritual, but a relational request. "God, fill me fresh today. I can't do this in my own strength. I need Your oil, Your presence, Your power."
Who's committed to 7 days of seeking the filling? Let me hear you say "FILL ME FRESH!"
[Wait for response]
I believe with all my heart that God is releasing a fresh anointing in this place! The oil is returning! The fire is igniting! The light is about to shine brighter than ever before!
Next week, we'll talk about "The Refining Fire - Embracing the Process of Purification." You don't want to miss it! But until then, remember this: Empty vessels make no impact, but filled vessels change the world!
