HAND ME ANOTHER JAR
One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas. Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are "clothed with God’s power" find themselves out of gas....
2 Kings 4:1-7 4:1 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? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 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." 5 She left him and afterward 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. 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."
• Ever run out of time? ..options? … resources?
• The oil stopped when the empty vessels ran out.
• Empty vessels … there were lots of vessels – none empty.
I. SHE CAME WITH A PROBLEM
a. 4:1 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."
b. Nothing like a good problem to bring us to the Lord.
i. The bank was going to take her sons.
ii. Little different than today. Her sons were her only “commodity”.
iii. She did all she could in her own strength and came to an end.
iv. The woman had lost her husband (which was her source of living)
v. She had lost her earthly possessions
vi. She was about to lose her children
vii. She was reduced to a jar of oil
viii. All she had left were Death and debts
TEENAGE GRANDSON: "Grandma nothing is working in my life!" GRANDMA: "How do you mean?" GRANDSON: "You know! At school, at home, my friends, my girlfriend . you know!".
GRANDMA: "Would you like some of the cake I’m making?" GRANDSON: "Sure!" GRANDMA: "Here, have a ¼ cup of cooking oil." GRANDSON: "Yuck! I can’t drink that!" GRANDMA: "How about a couple raw eggs?" GRANDSON: "Gross, Grandma!" GRANDMA: "Would you like a cube of margarine! Or some flour? Or maybe baking soda?" GRANDSON: "Come on Grams, those are sick! I want some cake!" GRANDMA: "That’s right, they seem bad by themselves. But when you put them together in the right way and slowly bake them in an oven, they make a great cake!"
c. The good news is: SHE CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE – GOD!
i. Folks sometimes our lives are so filled with things that distract us that God has to remove them before we can see clearly enough to see Him
ii. Often God has to remove those things in our lives that makes us comfortable
d. You come to the end of your ROPE – ABILITY – RESOURCES
i. Phil. 4:19 my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
II. SHE CAME WITH WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT
a. She goes to the right place but relies on the wrong things.
In recent years head coach, Jimmy Johnson, divorced his wife of 26 years when he left coaching a college team to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He said he needed a wife while coaching on the college level for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In pro football, however, she was an unnecessary accouterment and a distraction to winning. He said winning football was his number one priority and his two sons second. How tragic! In contrast to this, Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas cowboys said, "The thrill of knowing Jesus is the greatest thing that ever happened to me ... I think God has put me in a very special place, and He expects me to use it to His glory in everything I do ... whether coaching football or talking to the press, I’m always a Christian ... Christ is first, family second and football third."
b. Elisha – “your servant”, “my husband”, “track record”
c. Some Christians are looking for Gods help because of their spiritual credentials.
i. I did this …
ii. I know …
iii. I’ve supported …
d. Rom.9:15,16 He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
e. Don’t come looking for your rights and what’s coming to you, come looking for mercy.
f. He’s a merciful God … approach asking for favor.
g. Your spiritual credentials are tainted
h. She came with what she thought was important …. BUT ALL SHE NEEDED WAS AN EMPTY VESSEL!!!!
III. SHE DISCOVERED WHAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
a. 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 little oil."
b. It wasn’t what she had done in the past. It wasn’t what she had in the past.
When asked why he had been so successful, Tom Landry responded to a crowd of more than two thousand students at Baylor University, "In 1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do, I determined my priorities for my life - God, family, and then football."
c. WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THE HOUSE NOW?
i. What is available for God to multiply?
ii. Remember the story of the feeding of the 5,000
1. John 6:1-14
2. I have nothing …… BUT ….
3. We all have something.
d. It’s not what do you want to have. WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
e. The only thing she had was a vessel.
f. WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS NOTHING WAS ABOUT TO BECOME EVERYTHING.
g. Jar of Oil.
i. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to understand the Spirit is represented by oil through out the word.
IV. SHE OBEYED AND DID WHAT SHE COULD
a. 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."
b. She heard the Word and obeyed.
i. She may have had a little oil but her faith was absolutely active.
ii. She had no idea why …. She just obeyed!
iii. Imagine the neighbors.
iv. What in the world is she up to now?
A church member went to his pastor, Phillips Brooks, to tell him he was going to the Holy Land. He said that it was his intention to visit Mount Sinai. "In fact," the man told the minister, "I plan to climb to the top of that mountain and when I get there read aloud the Ten Commandments." Thinking this would please Dr. Brooks, the church member was surprised to hear his pastor say, "You know, I can think of something even better than that." The man responded, "You can, Pastor? And what might that be?" Brooks replied rather bluntly, "Just this. Instead of traveling thousands of miles to read the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, why not stay right here at home and keep them?"
V. SHE SHUT HERSELF IN WITH GOD
a. 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
b. She began to pour the oil into the empty vessels.
i. Big and small
ii. Round and tall
iii. Painted and plain
c. EVERY KIND OF VESSEL WAS BEING FILLED.
d. THEY ONLY HAD ONE THING IN COMMON: EMPTY!!
i. They were all filled from the same source.
ii. BUT they all came empty.
e. GOD SAYS, “WHERE ARE THE EMPTY VESSELS?”
f. 2Tim. 2:20,21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
g. Don’t bring your credentials or years of service … Bring your empty vessel.
h. Elisha brought her the Word.
i. The preacher can only bring you the Word … You alone must shut yourself in with God and act upon it.
j. Elisha wasn’t holding her hand … to many Believers want the pastor to hold their hand …. YOU NEED TO GET EMPTY AND GET GOD!
VI. HER ABILITY TO RECEIVE ENDED BEFORE GODS ABILITY TO PROVIDE.
a. 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.
b. “bring me another vessel …..!!”
c. Talk about momentum. When they had a room full of empty vessels the oil was flowing.
i. When all the vessels were full .. THE OIL CEASED!
ii. Sounds like some services I’ve been in.
iii. The oil stops flowing in our churches when the vessels are full.
iv. Eph. 5:18 “…but be filled with the Spirit” (Be .. being … filled)
d. Remember .. Lord bless us … then increase us.
e. Lord pour out your oil …. Again and again …
i. Empty yourselves into the people around you.
f. BRING THE EMPTY VESSELS TO THE LORD.
The nursing aides for the 89-year-old man planned a surprise party for him. This active and alert retired doctor had his leg amputated two years ago. It had been a struggle to adjust to living his life with only one leg, spending most of his time in a wheelchair. Family, friends and volunteers filled the brightly decorated room. He looked at the group and signaled a sweet six-year-old girl, the grandchild of one of his aides, to come over to him. He reached out and put his arm around her. He introduced her and announced, "She is my mascot!" He went on to tell the group assembled that he would never forget the first time she visited. She came in, looked at him and his folded up pants leg in the wheelchair, and in her charming voice asked, "Where is your prosthesis?" He was astounded she knew the word. She showed him her prosthesis and told him her story. When she was three years old, a man broke into her home, killed her 17-month-old brother and, with a machete, cut off her leg. He said this young girl taught him not to complain and to be grateful for the 88 years during which he had two legs. They share a very special bond. She feels proud that she was able to help a very old man. He has a very special smile for the young girl who walks with joyful and energetic steps, the prosthesis removing all barriers from her path.
VII. GOD NOT ONLY FILLED HE SUSTAINED
a. 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."
b. Before she did anything she went for the Word again.
i. Pay what you owe and live off the rest.
ii. Paul said “I am indebted (obligated) … WE OWE THIS WORLD THE TRUTH.
c. WE HAVE THE SPRIT TO SUSTAIN US AS WELL.
VIII. DO YOU COME EMPTY TONIGHT?
a. The story is simple … no empty vessels .. no miracle.
b. Do you come empty tonight?
There is a tale of a young man who was seeking God—he went to a well known and wise sage for help------He asked him how he could find God?-----the old sage took him to a nearby river and they waded out into the deep water----when the water got up to their chins the old man took the young man by the neck and pushed him under water --he held the young man down until the young man was flailing the water in desperation----another minute and the young man would have drowned--He finally let the young man up--and they found their way back to the bank---the young man asked----what did this have to do with finding God- The old man asked him: “while you were under the water, what did you want more than Anything else?” The young man said: “air” The old man replied: “when you want God as much as you wanted air, you will find Him”
c. Just how empty are you?
d. Eph.3:19,20 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
