ws071217
While people are praying
for a move of God, most often God is waiting for a move of people!
God demands we participate in our miracles.
2 Kings 4 NKJV
1 ¶ A certain woman of the wives of the sons of
the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and
you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take
my two sons to be his slaves.”
2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for
you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant
has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
Oil is often used in the Bible to
represent the presence of the Holy Spirit. Any attempt to spiritualize this
verse would certainly include the fact that when we have the Holy Spirit in our
home, we ultimately have everything we need. The Holy Spirit is makings for a
miracle.
3 Then he said, Go …
* Two thirds of God is Go! Human action is most often a required element
preceding divine intervention. What would have been the outcome for Naaman if
he had not have went and dipped seven times in the Jordan River? (2 Kings 5) What would have been the end of the story if Noah had not have
built the ark, (Genesis 7), or if Moses had not have gone down into
Egypt, (Exodus 3) or if the widow of (1 Kings 17) had not have made the prophet Elijah a little
meal cake first?
* One’s refusal to do
their simple part is the single downfall of God’s great plan for mankind. Go,
here, is not a suggestion nor an
option, but a command. When speaking with the
lawyer of Luke 10:25, Jesus concludes the parable of the good Samaritan and solves the
question of who is neighbor in verse 37 by saying,
> Luke 10:37 “Go and do thou
likewise.”
* Go and Do are the two cornerstones of the
Christian’s gospel responsibility whether they are seeking salvation for themselves or for others.
3 Then he said, “Go,
borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors …
*
Sometimes when one does
not possess what they need to get them from where they are to where they are
going, borrowing is God’s provision for the interim. Deuteronomy 15:6 & 28:12 give us to understand that God’s aim is to bring
us to the place where we will not need to borrow but shall rather be the
lenders. In Exodus 3:22 & 11:2 the Israelites were instructed by God to go and
borrow silver, gold, jewels and clothing from the Egyptians before leaving
Egypt and thus spoil their captors. These borrowed riches of the sinners would
later be used to make the instruments of worship for the wilderness tabernacle.
* God is not against
borrowing.
* Borrow with a plan and
plan not always to have to borrow.
* Borrowing can also be a
test of humility. Will one obey God when
they must first humble themselves in the sight of others? Will one admit that
they need and then ask for that need to be contributed to? The humility of
simply asking for help is and has always been one tenant of receiving the
miraculous.
* There is an element of
merging the natural with the supernatural to make a miracle. In 1 Kings 17
Elijah’s miracle comes from both the natural brook and the supernatural supply
of raven’s food. When the brook dries up Elijah is not sustained only by the
supernatural alone. God could have made water to flow from a rock or a jawbone
of a donkey as He did for others in their hour of need. (Exodus 17; Numbers 20; Judges 15). Rather Elijah was instructed to proceed to
his next miracle location which would require a natural supply from a widow’s
meal bin plus the supernatural multiplied supply from God’s increasing hand.
* Where God is unable to
motivate people to supply what they can and give what they have, He often does
not perform miracles.
3
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your
neighbors — empty vessels …
* My brother once told
me that the hardest position to fill is one with someone in it. I think this
true as well with miracles. Perhaps many are not spiritually filled because
they have not yet emptied themselves of the world. I am not talking about
stuff. You
can have stuff and stuff not have you. This was the barrier to the young rich ruler in Matthew 19:21 and
Mark 10:21. The young rich ruler was just too full. The young rich ruler went away sad because his
stuff had him. If this man would have emptied himself he would have been filled
from heaven with true riches that would never fade, be stolen or corrupted. There is such potential in empty vessels.
* Full vessels are at their
greatest day. You have to pour out at least a little before more can be poured
in. Give and it will be given to you. Free up some unproductive and wasteful
time so it can be filled with better and more profitable adventures. Life is
the process of filling empty vessels.
* For more than three
decades this concept of seeking empty vessels and lifting them to God to fill
has been at the forefront of our church growth and kingdom expansion
philosophy. Each time we have filled our Church we have looked for another
empty vessel to fill. Full vessels get stagnate. Like Kendal Bevil, an elder in
our church, once shared with me, “Even chickens die off to the size of the coup” Pastor Kendal Bevil. When what we are pouring into is not filled
yet, there is a freedom to expect more to come from God. When all we have is
satisfied then there is no greater expectancy.
3 Then he said, “Go,
borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors — empty
vessels; do not gather just a few.
* This is where many
people limit themselves and limit the hand of God. The prophet knew that he
should direct her to
get a big vision of supply.
A vision that would more than meet her immediate need. A vision that would
supply her and her family for many days to come so that she would not soon fall
prey to needing another miracle.
* If you are going to go
for a miracle anyway, what is the use of wasting all that God can and will do
on just barely meeting your desperate temporary need. He is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all you could think or ask according to or limited
by whatever is working on the inside of you. (Ephesians 3:20)
* Don’t limit God.
> Psalms 78:41 … they
limited the Holy One of Israel
> 2 Kings 13:18-19 King Joash limited his
future miraculous victories by
his own limited actions. Elisha was angry with him for not getting more.
> About 20 years ago I was praying about the church purchasing
our first church van and I took a drive to get away and pray. As I sat at a red
light on Twin City Highway I began praying in the spirit. I was agonizing about
spending the money. The need was evident and growing but I was wanting assurance
from the Lord that He would provide. I knew and operated under the principle
that God only pays for what He
orders. I was not looking for
a miracle I was looking for the divine guidance we need to order our normal
daily lives in respect to need verses income. I really wanted to be wise. At
that traffic light God’s voice invaded my moment and I heard Him clearly speak
louder than my thoughts, interrupting my thinking and praying. He simply said, “When it is all over and done with, I would have
been willing to give you more than you will get … (there was a pause for a second and then He said) … go for it.” This gave me a whole new point to consider when thinking about
kingdom matters that stretch me beyond my current means and into the realm of
the miraculous.
This evening I want to encourage us
all to take the limits off God! Your next miracle or the miracle someone else
needs may only be waiting for you to “Go and Do!”
> John 10:10 Jesus came to give you
abundant life
> 2 Peter 1:3 and all things that pertain
to life and Godliness
> 2 Peter 1:4 … exceeding great and
precious promises
> Ephesians 3:20 God is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above …
