Participation
gtcotr/ss052106
Key Scripture: John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. NKJV
An abundant life is a life in no need of miracles.
In the winter, spring and early summer of 2002, we conducted a bible study on the miraculous. Each Wednesday evening from January through June, we opened to the same passage of scripture in 2 Kings 4 and followed the story of a desperate widow in pursuit of her miracle.
During that six months, we learned many truths relating to miracles. One of the key factors which helped establish our perspective on receiving modern day miracles from God is encapsulated in the statement:
God demands we participate in our miracles.
As I prepared to bring the word of God to you today, I was drawn back to this particular passage in 2 Kings once again. Reading it I remembered all the time which I had spent studying each word and running each reference back in 2002.
The whole study could have been built around three key points:
1 Take what you have
2 Start where you are
3 Do the best you can
In the study we learned that with God’s guidance and intervention:
* We can take what we have and get what we want.
* We can start where we are and get where we need to be.
* We can do our best and God will do the rest.
Many today are in need of a miracle while others are living in abundance. For those of you in need of a miracle today, no worries, God will come through for you. Stay on His path for your life, take what you have, start where you are and do the best you can.
Remember:
* Don’t make it worse.
* And believe me … no matter how bad it is right now, you can make it worse.
* Don’t take a temporary situation and create a permanent problem.
* Don’t judge success on a daily or weekly basis.
* Look to God’s word and find your proper response.
* If money will fix it, time will fix it or if it’s just a tough decision that deserves to be made … it’s not really a problem but an opportunity.
* But even with real problems …
* What you are going through is not punishment for your past but positioning for your future.
* God will never leave you or forsake you … and …
* The journey is your friend.
We read earlier in our key scripture that Jesus came that we might have abundant life. A life in no need of a miracle. A ‘more than enough’ life. Continually living in the miraculous provision of God.
If you are currently living the season of abundance, or if you are just on the edge of receiving your miracle and moving into the abundant season of life, allow me to give you God’s Word on the practicalities of living the abundant life.
Moses told the children of Israel to be very careful when they came into that blessed and abundant season of life.
Deuteronomy 6:10-12 “… when you have eaten and are full - then beware lest you forget the Lord …”
This morning there are four things the Lord wants you to do in your season of abundance.
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."
3 Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.
4 "And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones."
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.
6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another vessel." So the oil ceased.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest."
What do you do after you have gotten your miracle? After you have received that inheritance, that insurance settlement, that windfall …?
Like Elisha told the now ‘rich widow’ in verse 7: Stay practical and keep participating in your miracle.
1. Go keep going - keep busy - don’t get lazy - be active
Jesus told the rich man who just had a bumper crop and decided to sit and take his ease and not go further - Luke 12:20 “you fool!”
2. Sell do business - trade - increase - involved in the future
In the parable of the talents, Jesus told those whom He had blessed to - Luke 19:13 “do business till I come.”
3. Pay do what’s right - pay tithes, offerings, tribute, creditors, attention.
Paul told the believers in Rome to render to every man what is due, whether respect, tithes or taxes.
Romans 13:6-8 “Pay … let no debt remain outstanding.”
4. Live
Ecclesiastes 3:15 & 5:19 “it is a gift of God.”
for a man to enjoy the fruit of his labor is a gift of God.
Participate in your miracle and continue participating after your miracle.
Don’t be like the 9 out of 10 lepers in the bible who received what they asked Jesus for and never even returned to give Him thanks.
If a little oil produced such an abundant miracle, imagine what a full pot or two of oil would produce.
We reap what we sow, in the same measure as we sow. Sow a thimble full and reap full thimbles - sow a cup full and reap full cups in return - sow a truck load and reap full truck loads - sow a warehouse full and reap full warehouses - pressed down, shaken together and running over will God cause men to heap into your lap and with what measure you give, it will be given to you again. Luke 6:38
Also, don’t wait for the blessing to begin participating.
Take what you have
Start where you are
And do the best you can.
You do your best and God will do the rest.
Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly.
