WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 have the opportunity to look back on some things 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:05.160 and yet then look forward on some things also. 00:00:05.500 --> 00:00:07.580 And there's probably some things that all of 00:00:07.580 --> 00:00:10.919 us have experienced in our lives that might be 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.939 applicable for tonight also. So that's where 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.100 we'll be going tonight, God's hands in meeting 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:19.879 our needs. We're gonna be in 2 Kings chapter 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.339 four, verses one through seven. I'm only gonna 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:27.579 get through seven verses. I've got 23 slides, 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:29.800 and I'm sure that I should be able to get 23 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:32.719 slides done. So are you going to be doing the 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:35.979 prayer time tonight? OK, so I just want to make 00:00:35.979 --> 00:00:41.619 sure how much time you need, because I'm just 00:00:41.619 --> 00:00:45.280 teasing, just teasing. So as we go into our study 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:47.399 tonight, one of the things I want to do is give 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:52.060 us a little bit of background on this man, Elijah 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:56.810 and Elisha. And so as we look at those two individuals, 00:00:56.929 --> 00:01:00.810 the background is that during this time, Elijah 00:01:00.810 --> 00:01:03.649 has gone to glory. He's in heaven right now. 00:01:04.250 --> 00:01:08.549 Ahab, King Ahab is dead. The terrible King Ahab. 00:01:08.750 --> 00:01:12.969 And then Azahiah is also dead. That was his son. 00:01:14.049 --> 00:01:18.109 And Jehoram is now the reigning king. And we 00:01:18.109 --> 00:01:20.769 also know that Jezebel is living during this 00:01:20.769 --> 00:01:25.590 time also. And she's... up to no good also. So 00:01:25.590 --> 00:01:30.950 this is a period of time when this man Jehoram 00:01:30.950 --> 00:01:36.629 continued in the ways of his, in the sins of 00:01:36.629 --> 00:01:41.530 Jeroboam, the son of Nebad. So Israel is in a 00:01:41.530 --> 00:01:44.209 terrible predicament right now. We've got the 00:01:44.209 --> 00:01:47.090 Northern Kingdom, we've got Judah, and we've 00:01:47.090 --> 00:01:49.810 got Elisha, and what he's dealing with during 00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:53.150 this time. And this is just a good representation 00:01:53.150 --> 00:01:55.950 of some of the homes that existed during this 00:01:55.950 --> 00:01:59.349 time. And keep this in mind as we get into the 00:01:59.349 --> 00:02:01.590 study of the lesson, because some of this will 00:02:01.590 --> 00:02:05.329 really come about and make some good points. 00:02:06.650 --> 00:02:09.750 Okay? Isaiah chapter 64 verse eight says, but 00:02:09.750 --> 00:02:14.030 now, O Lord, thou art our father, we are the 00:02:14.030 --> 00:02:19.909 clay. Thou art our potter, and all we are the 00:02:19.909 --> 00:02:24.689 work. of thy hand." So as we think about who 00:02:24.689 --> 00:02:28.449 we are and how God has crafted each one of us 00:02:28.449 --> 00:02:32.849 in our individual uniqueness and how he's done 00:02:32.849 --> 00:02:37.110 it in such a way that there are no apologies 00:02:37.110 --> 00:02:40.949 from him. He has done things within his sovereign 00:02:40.949 --> 00:02:45.650 will and we just have to relax and know that 00:02:45.650 --> 00:02:50.150 God knows exactly what he's doing. When I don't 00:02:50.150 --> 00:02:53.349 know what he's doing and when I maybe would say 00:02:53.349 --> 00:02:57.169 I wish things would be this way, you know God 00:02:57.169 --> 00:03:00.650 Understands me and and maybe as he's shaping 00:03:00.650 --> 00:03:02.629 me He's probably got some areas in my life that 00:03:02.629 --> 00:03:05.469 he wanted to put a little pressure on Because 00:03:05.469 --> 00:03:07.990 he wants to conform me to the image of his son 00:03:07.990 --> 00:03:10.490 So I need a little bit more pressure here for 00:03:10.490 --> 00:03:12.550 you need a little bit pressure here and you need 00:03:12.550 --> 00:03:14.949 a little bit pressure on this side But on all 00:03:14.949 --> 00:03:18.560 our uniqueness he is trying to conform us to 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:24.300 the image of Jesus. He is our Father, and that 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:29.979 relationship will never, ever change. Amen? Never 00:03:29.979 --> 00:03:32.460 change. So, we're gonna be in Kings, 2 Kings, 00:03:32.460 --> 00:03:35.520 Chapter 4, verses 1 through 7. We're gonna read 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.500 this together, and then we're gonna get into 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:41.840 a study tonight. Now, there cried a certain woman 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.240 of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:49.870 Elisha, saying, Thy servant, my husband, is dead. 00:03:50.469 --> 00:03:53.830 Thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, 00:03:54.370 --> 00:03:57.830 and the creditor is come to take unto him my 00:03:57.830 --> 00:04:02.229 two sons to be bondmen." And Elisha said unto 00:04:02.229 --> 00:04:05.569 her, what shall I do for thee? Tell me. What 00:04:05.569 --> 00:04:09.270 hast thou in thy house? And she said, Thine handmaid 00:04:09.270 --> 00:04:12.210 hath not anything in the house save a pot of 00:04:12.210 --> 00:04:16.579 oil. Then he said go borrow the vessels abroad 00:04:16.579 --> 00:04:20.439 of all thy neighbors even empty vessels borrow 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:24.720 not a few And when thou art come in thou shall 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:28.040 shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:32.879 shall pour out all Those vessels and thou shall 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:37.220 set aside that which is full So she went from 00:04:37.220 --> 00:04:41.199 him and shut the door upon her and her sons who 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.230 brought the vessels to her and she poured out 00:04:44.230 --> 00:04:47.449 and it came to pass when the vessels were full 00:04:47.449 --> 00:04:50.769 that she said unto her son bring me yet a vessel 00:04:50.769 --> 00:04:54.589 and he said unto her there is not a vessel more 00:04:54.589 --> 00:05:00.230 the oil stayed then she came and told the man 00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:04.889 of God and he said go sell the oil pay thy debt 00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:09.970 and live thou and thy children off the rest let's 00:05:09.970 --> 00:05:13.509 pray Father, we thank you for this night and 00:05:13.509 --> 00:05:16.230 what you're gonna show us in your word. And we 00:05:16.230 --> 00:05:21.490 just pray that we can understand the act of faith, 00:05:21.910 --> 00:05:25.329 the act of being obedient, the expectations of 00:05:25.329 --> 00:05:27.589 our faith. And we bring all these together in 00:05:27.589 --> 00:05:31.230 such a way that we might be able to live victoriously 00:05:31.230 --> 00:05:36.310 for you, in Jesus' name, amen. So, Elisha is 00:05:36.310 --> 00:05:41.019 ministering during a time when Israel, is suffering 00:05:41.019 --> 00:05:46.620 grievously for several years because of unrepentant 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:49.120 immorality and idolatry. We've been talking about 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:52.139 idolatry. And so the prophet of God had been 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:54.639 brutally murdered, or they're fleeing for their 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:57.980 lives. And so all of this is going on. There's 00:05:57.980 --> 00:06:01.100 drought, there's famine, there are people who 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:04.060 are suffering during this time, and it's a bad 00:06:04.060 --> 00:06:07.680 time. And yet, During this bad time, God brings 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:10.319 us this little nugget of truth and a little bit 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:15.120 of his light, of his glory in this one woman 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.300 that is here. So tonight, as we consider these 00:06:18.300 --> 00:06:23.079 verses, three basic faith responses are revealed. 00:06:23.100 --> 00:06:26.259 It's gonna help us see God at work in our lives, 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:29.620 especially when seeking his help. These three 00:06:29.620 --> 00:06:34.459 are respond with an obedient faith, an obedient 00:06:34.459 --> 00:06:38.910 faith. We respond also with an expectant faith. 00:06:39.670 --> 00:06:42.350 And then lastly, we respond by giving God whatever 00:06:42.350 --> 00:06:47.810 resources we have. So that's gonna be good. So, 00:06:48.810 --> 00:06:51.829 you've heard of this, the American idiom, at 00:06:51.829 --> 00:06:54.269 the end of your rope. Who has all heard that 00:06:54.269 --> 00:06:57.110 before? Okay, so we got one, two, three. What 00:06:57.110 --> 00:07:01.350 does that mean? You're fed up done. What does 00:07:01.350 --> 00:07:08.600 that mean? You've had it. You're just at the 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.040 end. Nowhere else to turn to. You're at the end 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:16.339 of your rope. In fact, you guys are spot on. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:20.259 The person who was noted for this was actually 00:07:20.259 --> 00:07:22.240 Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When you come to the 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:27.079 end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Okay, 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:31.180 so as we look at this, first of all, there's 00:07:31.180 --> 00:07:36.839 a feeling of being overwhelmed or helpless. There's 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:39.860 also the idea of the lack of patience and strength. 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:42.860 I just can't do it anymore. It's it's too heavy 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:46.199 for me I just I can't lift it again I just don't 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.740 know what I want to do or you it's time for a 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:53.079 change or break At the end of a rope and there's 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:56.339 no more options I don't know if I shared this 00:07:56.339 --> 00:08:00.959 with with many of you, but growing up in Texas 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:09.579 we were Poe we couldn't afford that second O 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:14.060 in poor. Kind of a bad time to be growing up. 00:08:14.819 --> 00:08:18.360 My dad was a pastor and there was just nine of 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:25.180 us and it was rough going. We lived out on the 00:08:25.180 --> 00:08:28.879 farm in Petersburg, Texas and then we moved to 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.879 Lubbock, Texas when I was about five or six years 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:37.590 old. It was at that time my brother Dennis and 00:08:37.590 --> 00:08:40.970 my sister Cheryl came along. And so I've told 00:08:40.970 --> 00:08:43.250 you guys this before. I'm the oldest of the last 00:08:43.250 --> 00:08:45.970 three. And there's three above us. And then there's 00:08:45.970 --> 00:08:49.950 the oldest three. And like anything else, those 00:08:49.950 --> 00:08:51.769 three had to take care of these three, which 00:08:51.769 --> 00:08:55.289 took care of these three. And I can remember 00:08:55.289 --> 00:08:58.950 in this true story, I can remember going to the 00:08:58.950 --> 00:09:01.750 refrigerator and opening up the refrigerator 00:09:01.750 --> 00:09:04.460 and looking inside. And there was nothing in 00:09:04.460 --> 00:09:12.419 there. My mother had contracted cancer. And so 00:09:12.419 --> 00:09:15.700 we had all these doctor bills. And things were 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:21.559 tough. And my dad said, we are not going to go 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:23.879 on any kind of government assistance. We're going 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:26.539 to make it. We'll be fine. You know, as I think 00:09:26.539 --> 00:09:29.360 about it now, there were times that I didn't 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:34.179 know what we would eat that night. didn't have 00:09:34.179 --> 00:09:38.860 a clue. I remember having one pair of Sunday 00:09:38.860 --> 00:09:42.179 shoes when I was about eight or nine years old, 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:47.879 one shirt for Sunday, and then I had school clothes. 00:09:48.059 --> 00:09:52.659 He had two pair of pants, and that was it. I 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:56.840 mean, it's really amazing. We had to wash everything 00:09:56.840 --> 00:10:00.759 often at night because there wasn't enough clothes 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:04.789 to wear. And you're looking at me like, right, 00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:09.570 yeah. It was tough growing up when I was a little 00:10:09.570 --> 00:10:13.429 guy. And we were so poor, it was just, it was 00:10:13.429 --> 00:10:18.049 miserable. But we never missed a meal. And I 00:10:18.049 --> 00:10:20.649 always was stressed. It may not have been the 00:10:20.649 --> 00:10:23.769 best clothes in the world. And I got teased about 00:10:23.769 --> 00:10:28.269 how I looked. And that was okay, because I remember 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:31.149 my grandmother saying, you guys are the... proudest 00:10:31.149 --> 00:10:37.049 poor people I've ever seen. They were iron. They 00:10:37.049 --> 00:10:39.549 weren't much. We didn't have much. We had one 00:10:39.549 --> 00:10:42.070 raggedy old car, and when we would go places, 00:10:42.090 --> 00:10:45.649 we'd all pile in, and we would sit, boy, the 00:10:45.649 --> 00:10:48.450 police would have a field day with us with seat 00:10:48.450 --> 00:10:50.269 belts. Thank goodness that didn't happen back 00:10:50.269 --> 00:10:52.970 then. But we'd pile in, there'd be four or five 00:10:52.970 --> 00:10:54.789 of us in the back, and the other three or four 00:10:54.789 --> 00:10:58.129 was in the front, and we just packed in until 00:10:58.129 --> 00:11:01.019 we were all in there. And that was just, that 00:11:01.019 --> 00:11:04.059 was the way it was. But it wasn't just us. There 00:11:04.059 --> 00:11:05.679 were other families in the neighborhood that 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.220 was pretty much in the same condition that we 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:15.620 were. And so when I remember things being terrible, 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:21.799 I'm now reminded of this lady. She cried out 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:26.480 to the prophet Elijah because she was poor. Things 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:31.200 were bad for her. She had nothing, and then her 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:35.399 husband died, and then when he died, he left 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:40.700 her in a very precarious situation. So let's 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:43.419 read about how he left her, and then I'm gonna 00:11:43.419 --> 00:11:47.059 give you guys some things to do tonight. Second 00:11:47.059 --> 00:11:49.320 Kings, and we of course read verses one through 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:51.740 two, but I want to read verse one because that's 00:11:51.740 --> 00:11:53.799 the first one we're gonna exegese. Now there 00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:56.799 was a certain woman of the wives of the sons 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:00.639 of the prophets unto Elisha saying, thy servant 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:06.840 my husband is dead. Thou knowest that thy servant 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:09.139 did fear the Lord and the creditor has come to 00:12:09.139 --> 00:12:13.200 take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. Okay, 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:15.799 so let's just stop right there and think about 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:22.820 this Okay, she was what a widow Okay widows during 00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:27.139 that time had a lot of stroke, right? Families 00:12:27.139 --> 00:12:30.059 took care of families communities took care of 00:12:30.059 --> 00:12:32.919 communities Synagogues took care of the people 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:37.100 but during this time there wasn't people money 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:40.980 and Resources available to take care of everyone 00:12:41.389 --> 00:12:47.429 When she cried to Elisha, she cried, this word 00:12:47.429 --> 00:12:55.370 is a satak, is to cry out in distress or in need. 00:12:56.190 --> 00:13:00.090 And so she had no resources, she had nothing 00:13:00.090 --> 00:13:04.350 to do, and so she came to him and just laid her 00:13:04.350 --> 00:13:07.230 case. She prostrated down and she just said, 00:13:07.250 --> 00:13:10.909 I need some help. And so she laid it out. She 00:13:10.909 --> 00:13:15.529 was a single mother and she was a widow and she 00:13:15.529 --> 00:13:19.190 was very poor. And she reminded him that her 00:13:19.190 --> 00:13:23.809 husband feared the Lord. The one good thing about 00:13:23.809 --> 00:13:26.129 that is when I think about fearing the Lord is 00:13:26.129 --> 00:13:29.889 Proverbs 1 -7 says that the fear of the Lord 00:13:29.889 --> 00:13:34.250 is the beginning of knowledge. But it doesn't 00:13:34.250 --> 00:13:38.090 stop there. It says, but fools despise wisdom. 00:13:39.850 --> 00:13:43.629 and instruction. He wasn't a foolish man. He 00:13:43.629 --> 00:13:46.370 was a man who loved God. He was a man who served 00:13:46.370 --> 00:13:52.049 God. And now God took him. Does God take away 00:13:52.049 --> 00:13:54.690 family members and leave the others in distress? 00:13:56.990 --> 00:14:03.570 It happens sometimes. So the husband, the creditors 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:06.710 came and they were going to take her sons simply 00:14:06.710 --> 00:14:12.679 because there was a debt. that was old. And so 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:15.720 when confronted with God's power, beauty, majesty, 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.940 and glory, the only appropriate response is one 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:23.139 of awe that leads to love for and obedience to 00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:25.919 him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:33.399 knowledge. What do you know of God? If it's the 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:37.039 beginning of knowledge, then I have to study 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:40.610 the word of God. to know who God is so that I 00:14:40.610 --> 00:14:43.409 can respond appropriately, so I can love him 00:14:43.409 --> 00:14:46.570 in the right manner that I should love him. All 00:14:46.570 --> 00:14:51.570 this comes to me as I seek him and seek to know 00:14:51.570 --> 00:14:58.429 him. Verse two, he said to her, what shall I 00:14:58.429 --> 00:15:03.450 do? So the question to you tonight is hear this 00:15:03.450 --> 00:15:07.029 single mother, widowed, and she comes to the 00:15:07.029 --> 00:15:12.070 prophet, And he says, what shall I do for you? 00:15:13.590 --> 00:15:18.450 What is the response? Oh, well, you need to think. 00:15:19.070 --> 00:15:23.629 That's what I want you to do, think. Okay, so 00:15:23.629 --> 00:15:26.570 what shall I do for thee is what he said. So 00:15:26.570 --> 00:15:32.210 he took her mind off of all my problems and all 00:15:32.210 --> 00:15:35.049 what's going on to say, so you tell me what I 00:15:35.049 --> 00:15:40.440 need to do. So what did she need? What did she 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:46.659 need? Money. She needs relief from the creditors. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:54.940 What else did she need? Prayer. Long term, what 00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:58.879 does she need? Think about it. Would she with 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.720 two kids need to get married maybe again? Move 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.419 to where relatives are? I mean, there's a bunch 00:16:06.419 --> 00:16:11.059 of different alternatives for her to do. So when 00:16:11.059 --> 00:16:13.820 we think about it, he says, so tell me, what 00:16:13.820 --> 00:16:18.080 do you have in your house? What's inside? OK, 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:20.940 take your mind off of where you're at and think 00:16:20.940 --> 00:16:25.320 about that that you have. And she said, what 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:31.379 I have is not much. It's just a pot of oil. All 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:38.549 of us have. a little bit of something left. And 00:16:38.549 --> 00:16:44.149 God can use our something in a very big way. 00:16:47.009 --> 00:16:50.970 Sometimes he allow us to go through those times 00:16:50.970 --> 00:16:57.330 when I'm frustrated, angry, not really knowing 00:16:57.330 --> 00:17:00.899 what I want and what I need. And he lets me go 00:17:00.899 --> 00:17:05.119 through that so I can finally look up to him 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:09.660 and say, God, I need help. My help coming from 00:17:09.660 --> 00:17:14.420 the Lord who made heaven and earth. And so he 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.619 lets us sometime go through these things so that 00:17:16.619 --> 00:17:19.839 we will look up and see what it's all about. 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:23.539 Now let's look at the next two verses. Then he 00:17:23.539 --> 00:17:33.369 said, go and borrow. Okay, so the vessels abroad 00:17:33.369 --> 00:17:37.130 of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow 00:17:37.130 --> 00:17:40.990 not a few, and when thou art come in, thou shalt 00:17:40.990 --> 00:17:44.210 shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and 00:17:44.210 --> 00:17:47.670 shalt pour into all those vessels, and thou shalt 00:17:47.670 --> 00:17:53.410 set aside that which is full. Sounds like a good 00:17:53.410 --> 00:17:57.980 plan. I've got this small pot, this small jar 00:17:57.980 --> 00:18:06.279 of oil, and I got all these big vessels. So things 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:08.839 are getting ready to get a little nutty here. 00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:13.079 So John MacArthur said this, this is a really 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:16.019 good saying. God gives us many things without 00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:21.640 limit. His love, His grace, and many other things. 00:18:23.099 --> 00:18:30.160 but his gift of time strictly measured. She could 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:34.539 have just, oh, go home and shut the door, but 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:37.759 she moved immediately. Sometimes that's what 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.859 we need to do. When God tells us what to do, 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:44.160 we need to move on it. Not sit and go, yeah, 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.660 I'm gonna pray about it again. I'm gonna pray 00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:48.420 about it again. I'm gonna get a couple other 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:50.759 people to pray with me about it. Why don't you 00:18:50.759 --> 00:18:54.000 just do, why don't we just do what God asked 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:58.019 us to do? So she did what was commanded to do. 00:18:58.059 --> 00:19:03.180 She did it in faith. What does Hebrews 1 say? 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:12.920 11 verse 1. So then faith cometh by hearing and 00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:16.839 hearing by, no wait a minute, is that the right 00:19:16.839 --> 00:19:23.660 one? No. 11. Faith is the what? Substance of 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:27.059 things hoped for, the evidence of things not 00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:35.119 seen. Wow. So she is going to act on faith. And 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:38.059 so God takes care to deliver his servants in 00:19:38.059 --> 00:19:41.859 a way that exercise their faith. He will not 00:19:41.859 --> 00:19:45.319 have them be little in faith. So faith is the 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:49.160 wealth of the heavenly life. Charles Spurgeon. 00:19:50.009 --> 00:19:53.470 So, she told the boys, go get empty vessels. 00:19:55.190 --> 00:19:59.910 How many do you think they got? When you tell 00:19:59.910 --> 00:20:03.829 12 -year -olds, go get all the pots you can find, 00:20:04.210 --> 00:20:07.549 you think they got a lot of them? They probably 00:20:07.549 --> 00:20:11.450 went out and, is this one empty? Can we borrow 00:20:11.450 --> 00:20:14.970 it? What about this one? Is that one empty? Can 00:20:14.970 --> 00:20:19.859 I take that one too? Maybe all day long, they 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:23.279 brought pots, vessels. Maybe it was into the 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.839 evening, they were bringing vessels. See, sometimes 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:30.160 when we read scripture, it's like, she spoke 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:33.759 with Elisha, she shut the door, she filled the 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:39.339 pots. Think about that. It can't happen that 00:20:39.339 --> 00:20:41.880 quick. You can't walk down the street and bring 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:46.650 25, 30 pots, vessels into your house. So there 00:20:46.650 --> 00:20:49.390 is a period of time, so when you think about 00:20:49.390 --> 00:20:53.289 that period of time, he told me, the prophet 00:20:53.289 --> 00:20:57.049 told me to pour the oil into the empty vessel. 00:20:57.750 --> 00:21:04.549 My boys are out getting vessels. So what's going 00:21:04.549 --> 00:21:09.650 on in this whole idea of what she's dealing with 00:21:09.650 --> 00:21:15.309 and in her mind? I've gotta pour oil. That's 00:21:15.309 --> 00:21:19.230 all he told me, just pour oil. And by faith, 00:21:19.230 --> 00:21:22.309 she was just gonna pour oil. And that's all she 00:21:22.309 --> 00:21:25.910 focused on was pouring of the oil. Would you 00:21:25.910 --> 00:21:31.589 have thought about something else? I mean, there's 00:21:31.589 --> 00:21:36.329 only 16 ounces of oil that I have. And when I 00:21:36.329 --> 00:21:45.019 pour that all out, what do I do then? Hmm. Now, 00:21:45.579 --> 00:21:49.799 her whole living room, the bedroom, the kitchen 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:56.140 is full of vessels, stacked in the corners, laying 00:21:56.140 --> 00:22:00.700 across each other and all over the place. And 00:22:00.700 --> 00:22:04.000 she told her boys, okay now, let's fill them 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:17.660 up. Ready? It starts pouring. It keeps pouring. 00:22:20.740 --> 00:22:27.380 Now, all of a sudden, that vessel is full. Okay. 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:37.000 Pour a little bit more. Hmm. Two or three minutes 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:45.359 later, that one's full. And that process is repeated 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:51.880 and repeated and repeated and repeated. Faith 00:22:51.880 --> 00:23:00.180 says, just be obedient. Pour. Keep pouring. David 00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:02.799 wondered about myself. Would I have kept pouring 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:09.059 or would I have when? Look at this. Look at this. 00:23:10.759 --> 00:23:15.519 I know me. I ought to start pointing, but all 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:24.400 these vessels are being filled, okay? And she's, 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:28.319 so sometimes we're hesitant to seek God's help 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:34.579 in our time of need, because maybe number one, 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:39.400 admitting we need help is sometimes viewed as 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:44.000 an admission of weakness. You ever felt like 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:50.319 you don't really deserve God's blessing that 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:53.740 is so undeserved? Maybe we feel like we don't 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:57.180 deserve it. Our faith is weak. We either doubt 00:23:57.180 --> 00:24:00.700 his willingness to work in a miraculous way, 00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:05.539 or we're afraid we won't like his solutions. 00:24:06.859 --> 00:24:11.119 Regardless of our reasoning, we shortchange ourselves. 00:24:11.579 --> 00:24:16.019 when we don't seek help from the one who loves 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:22.079 us, saves us, and has our best in mind. Whoa. 00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:29.680 Can someone turn to Ephesians chapter three, 00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:34.700 verses 20 and 21? Ephesians chapter three, verses 00:24:34.700 --> 00:24:39.460 20 and 21. When you get there, stand and read 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:46.849 it with the right voice inflection and don't 00:24:46.849 --> 00:24:50.450 laugh Dave okay Judy's gonna do it now voice 00:24:50.450 --> 00:24:57.089 inflection volume rate pitch what else? Diction 00:24:57.089 --> 00:25:00.230 all that good stuff okay all right here we go 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:23.430 she's gonna wallow us Amen. Boy, I tell you what, 00:25:24.549 --> 00:25:29.349 and that's about the way I'm sure she felt during 00:25:29.349 --> 00:25:32.730 that time as she was filling those jars up. So 00:25:32.730 --> 00:25:37.170 she shut the door and began to pour. Faith is 00:25:37.170 --> 00:25:39.309 the substance of things hoped for, the evidence 00:25:39.309 --> 00:25:43.809 of things not seen. So she had to pour in faith 00:25:43.809 --> 00:25:47.740 into borrowed vessels. And as she did, the oil 00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:52.839 miraculously kept pouring from the original vessel 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:57.059 until all the vessels were filled and everything 00:25:57.059 --> 00:26:02.599 was all taken care of. So we respond, or she 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:06.680 responded, as we should, with an obedient faith. 00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:12.599 He said, go get empty vessels, bring them inside. 00:26:13.609 --> 00:26:19.829 Shut the door and pour an obedient faith She 00:26:19.829 --> 00:26:23.029 could have said just go get five or ten vessels. 00:26:23.029 --> 00:26:26.210 I don't know if this is gonna work or not But 00:26:26.210 --> 00:26:31.250 she said no go Borrow vessels go get them. It 00:26:31.250 --> 00:26:34.990 was an obedient faith But and then she responded 00:26:34.990 --> 00:26:40.049 as we should with an expectant faith that as 00:26:40.049 --> 00:26:46.200 she poured oil would continue to flow and continue 00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:51.160 to fill. And so lastly, we respond by giving 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:56.819 God whatever resources we have. She had just 00:26:56.819 --> 00:26:59.880 a little and that little that she had, she gave 00:26:59.880 --> 00:27:03.500 to the Lord. And the Lord can take our little 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:09.680 small efforts this big and make them big. Man, 00:27:09.700 --> 00:27:14.519 I mean. He can take just the smallest and make 00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:17.960 it miraculous. So gathering as many containers 00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:21.619 as she could was a clear sign of her expectant 00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:25.339 faith in God. She was willing to believe that 00:27:25.339 --> 00:27:30.420 God could do what nobody else could do. She needed 00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:36.180 to keep her sons from going to be bondsmen. And 00:27:36.180 --> 00:27:41.210 that was a normal thing. during that time. So 00:27:41.210 --> 00:27:44.910 she stopped that from happening to her boys and 00:27:44.910 --> 00:27:47.130 she had some that was left over. We're gonna 00:27:47.130 --> 00:27:50.190 see that here in just a little bit. And so if 00:27:50.190 --> 00:27:53.170 all you have in your possession is a jar of oil, 00:27:54.009 --> 00:27:56.970 it immediately becomes more valuable because 00:27:56.970 --> 00:28:01.329 it is all you have. Yet for her to receive God's 00:28:01.329 --> 00:28:04.849 help, it was necessary to give what she had to 00:28:04.849 --> 00:28:13.420 God and let him be. in charge of it. The last 00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:18.220 section. So she went from him and shut the door 00:28:18.220 --> 00:28:21.440 upon her and upon her sons who brought the vessels 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:26.079 to her and she poured out. And it came to pass 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:28.140 when the vessels were full that she said unto 00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:32.059 her son, bring me yet a vessel. He said unto 00:28:32.059 --> 00:28:37.019 her, there is not a vessel more. The oil stayed. 00:28:37.210 --> 00:28:43.950 It just didn't keep going. God's supplying of 00:28:43.950 --> 00:28:49.730 our needs meets that need and he never waste 00:28:49.730 --> 00:28:56.130 his efforts. And so he met their needs, everything 00:28:56.130 --> 00:28:59.230 filled up just to where it was and the oil stayed. 00:28:59.849 --> 00:29:02.829 Verse seven, then she came and told the man of 00:29:02.829 --> 00:29:07.960 God, Elisha, and he said, go sell the oil. pay 00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:14.420 the debt and live thou and thy children on the 00:29:14.420 --> 00:29:22.339 rest. I think he just miraculously did something 00:29:22.339 --> 00:29:25.440 that's never been done before and it was something 00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:29.880 that was just glorious. So, it was an obedient 00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:37.140 faith, she shut the door. Okay? There are certain 00:29:37.140 --> 00:29:41.660 times that God does things publicly, and as we 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:46.519 think about that, in Psalms 126, we see here 00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:49.299 and in other passages like this, that the nations 00:29:49.299 --> 00:29:51.900 are gonna be drawn to God because of the great 00:29:51.900 --> 00:29:56.539 things that he's done through his people. Sometimes 00:29:56.539 --> 00:30:00.779 God is gonna... glorified and people will be 00:30:00.779 --> 00:30:03.960 drawn maybe to Trinity because they see what 00:30:03.960 --> 00:30:10.779 God is doing so when the Lord turned again the 00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:16.119 captivity of Zion we were like them that dream 00:30:16.119 --> 00:30:20.059 then was our mouth filled with laughter and our 00:30:20.059 --> 00:30:24.920 tongue with singing then said they among who 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:29.569 the heathen The Lord hath done great things for 00:30:29.569 --> 00:30:33.329 them. The Lord hath done great things for us 00:30:33.329 --> 00:30:36.950 Whore of we are glad turn again our captivity. 00:30:37.349 --> 00:30:40.849 Oh Lord as the streams in the south They that 00:30:40.849 --> 00:30:45.430 so in tears shall reap in joy and he that goeth 00:30:45.430 --> 00:30:48.410 forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall 00:30:48.410 --> 00:30:51.390 doubtless come again with rejoice and bringing 00:30:51.390 --> 00:30:55.109 his sheaves with him and What is the song that 00:30:55.109 --> 00:30:59.950 this is? that is written after this one? Pardon 00:30:59.950 --> 00:31:07.109 me? No, no, bringing in the sheaves. Okay, I 00:31:07.109 --> 00:31:10.910 was gonna ask someone this time to sing that, 00:31:10.970 --> 00:31:13.230 but Carol didn't look at me, so we won't ask 00:31:13.230 --> 00:31:20.210 her to sing it. So there are times that we'll 00:31:20.210 --> 00:31:22.950 see it in public. And in Matthew chapter five, 00:31:22.950 --> 00:31:29.710 verses 14 through 16. He says that ye are, y 00:31:29.710 --> 00:31:32.549 'all are, I like what Pastor did Sunday. He said, 00:31:33.490 --> 00:31:39.509 he went from you all to you. I thought that was 00:31:39.509 --> 00:31:45.630 pretty good. And so you are the light of the 00:31:45.630 --> 00:31:52.890 world. You should be shining. The spirit that 00:31:52.890 --> 00:31:56.769 indwelt, you right now should be just beaming 00:31:56.769 --> 00:32:00.829 through you you are the light of the world a 00:32:00.829 --> 00:32:04.609 city that is set on a hill cannot be hid verse 00:32:04.609 --> 00:32:08.809 15 neither do men light a candle and put it under 00:32:08.809 --> 00:32:12.730 a bushel but on a candlestick and it give it 00:32:12.730 --> 00:32:17.509 light unto all that are in the house and he goes 00:32:17.509 --> 00:32:29.400 on to say let your light so shine Let your life 00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:33.700 what is your light? What is the writer saying 00:32:33.700 --> 00:32:37.019 here? What is the light anyone? What's the light? 00:32:40.859 --> 00:32:50.359 Love Okay Jesus Let your light. How do you have 00:32:50.359 --> 00:32:54.960 where's this light generated from? Yes, dad God 00:32:54.960 --> 00:33:01.569 Okay, let your light so shine Is your light shining? 00:33:06.210 --> 00:33:10.869 That's not a rhetorical. Is your light shining? 00:33:11.250 --> 00:33:13.450 And how does it shine? And what do you do when 00:33:13.450 --> 00:33:20.410 it shines? We proclaim. When your light's shining, 00:33:20.890 --> 00:33:26.990 what happens around you? People see who you know 00:33:26.990 --> 00:33:30.250 and who knows you. and who indwells you, who 00:33:30.250 --> 00:33:35.549 walks with you, who talks with you. Think about 00:33:35.549 --> 00:33:44.029 that. Let your light shine. Let your lifestyle, 00:33:44.809 --> 00:33:49.349 let your speech, let your dress, let your habits, 00:33:50.049 --> 00:33:54.369 let everything about you be in such a way that 00:33:54.369 --> 00:33:59.240 it reflects the glory of God. and then that light 00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:03.660 will shine and it'll shine before men that they 00:34:03.660 --> 00:34:11.000 may see your good works. John, what are good 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:16.539 works compared to bad works? What are good works? 00:34:17.699 --> 00:34:20.800 Good deeds. What are deeds? He said good deeds. 00:34:21.099 --> 00:34:27.800 I want to break it down. Things you do. Deeds, 00:34:27.900 --> 00:34:33.420 good things, you agree? That's a bad Sunday school 00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:40.440 answer, sounds good, he said it. My good works, 00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:44.719 that they may see your good works, then what 00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:54.719 are they gonna do? Okay, glorify. How do we glorify 00:34:54.719 --> 00:35:00.800 the Lord? we praise him how do you glorify the 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:13.820 Lord okay okay how do you glorify the Lord pardon 00:35:13.820 --> 00:35:21.780 me we sing okay sometimes I glorify the Lord 00:35:21.780 --> 00:35:24.980 I always my I just I love doing that I don't 00:35:24.980 --> 00:35:28.889 know why but I just I love doing that. I love 00:35:28.889 --> 00:35:33.590 to be in conversation with people and steer it 00:35:33.590 --> 00:35:38.070 to righteous things as opposed to unrighteous 00:35:38.070 --> 00:35:43.690 things. I try to bring them out of where they 00:35:43.690 --> 00:35:49.409 are into a different way of thinking and reacting. 00:35:50.269 --> 00:35:53.190 Let your light so shine before men that they 00:35:53.190 --> 00:35:57.340 may see your good works. and glorify your Father 00:35:57.340 --> 00:36:06.199 which is in heaven. Then there's those times 00:36:06.199 --> 00:36:11.400 that it's in secret. Take heed that you do not 00:36:11.400 --> 00:36:19.420 do your alms before men to be seen of them. What's 00:36:19.420 --> 00:36:26.260 the whole to be seen of them? What is the scripture 00:36:26.260 --> 00:36:30.380 saying to us there? To be, am I trying to be 00:36:30.380 --> 00:36:40.800 a show -off? Recognition. Validation. Take heed 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:45.920 that you do not do your alms before men. To be 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:49.840 seen of them. That's telling me that if someone 00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:55.159 sees, oh, look at what Gentry did. Ooh wee. Look 00:36:55.159 --> 00:37:01.280 at that guy, boy. Pastor, look at that guy, woo. 00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:07.179 Praise the Lord. And all of a sudden I go from 00:37:07.179 --> 00:37:21.579 humble to, yeah. Who said show off? Otherwise, 00:37:22.059 --> 00:37:26.239 You have no reward of your father which is in 00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:32.019 heaven. Oh, see all our works are gonna be tried 00:37:32.019 --> 00:37:37.980 by fire. There's gonna be precious stones, silver, 00:37:38.260 --> 00:37:41.639 gold. Then there's gonna be hay and stubble. 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:46.800 And it's gonna be tried by fire. I think about 00:37:46.800 --> 00:37:50.119 that and during some of the times that I have 00:37:50.119 --> 00:37:55.420 probably. taught a lesson, when it's tried by 00:37:55.420 --> 00:37:58.960 fire, it's going to go whoosh. It's going to 00:37:58.960 --> 00:38:03.679 burn just like that. Why? Because maybe I did 00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:08.079 it to just maybe kind of show off or say, hey, 00:38:08.159 --> 00:38:11.760 look at how smart I am. Dave, you've never done 00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:14.900 that. I'm glad you're like some people. They've 00:38:14.900 --> 00:38:17.500 never done something like that. But ooh, I know 00:38:17.500 --> 00:38:20.480 I have. And I think about that and it's like, 00:38:21.509 --> 00:38:24.989 I'm gonna have to answer for that. Oh my goodness. 00:38:25.610 --> 00:38:31.110 So where was I? You have no reward of your father 00:38:31.110 --> 00:38:33.610 which is in heaven. But there's gonna be some 00:38:33.610 --> 00:38:36.489 of the things that I do that are gonna be tried 00:38:36.489 --> 00:38:39.949 by fire and it's gonna come out refined. And 00:38:39.949 --> 00:38:42.369 I'll be able to lay that along with my crowns 00:38:42.369 --> 00:38:45.190 at the feet of Jesus. Therefore, when thou doest 00:38:45.190 --> 00:38:48.500 thine alms, do not sound the trumpet. before 00:38:48.500 --> 00:38:51.019 thee as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and 00:38:51.019 --> 00:38:56.440 in the streets, that they may have glory of men. 00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:02.260 Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:06.559 Don't worry about going to glory. You got your 00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:08.380 reward. Everybody patted you on the back. It 00:39:08.380 --> 00:39:11.239 happened here. You won't see it there. Verily 00:39:11.239 --> 00:39:13.559 I say unto you that they have their reward. But 00:39:13.559 --> 00:39:17.800 when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know 00:39:17.800 --> 00:39:23.380 what thy right hand doeth, that thy arms may 00:39:23.380 --> 00:39:28.480 be in secret, and thy father, who seeth in secret, 00:39:29.260 --> 00:39:33.659 shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, 00:39:34.500 --> 00:39:37.460 thou shall not be as the hypocrites are, for 00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:40.960 they love to pray standing in the synagogues 00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:46.110 and in the corners of the street. that they may 00:39:46.110 --> 00:39:53.130 be seen of men. I have to be honest. I've heard 00:39:53.130 --> 00:39:58.150 some people pray, and I said to myself, wow, 00:40:00.269 --> 00:40:05.570 what a prayer. And then I've heard some other 00:40:05.570 --> 00:40:09.909 people pray. And deep down inside, you can go, 00:40:10.590 --> 00:40:16.139 ooh, mm, mm. I'm not making a judgment call, 00:40:16.139 --> 00:40:19.400 I'm just saying how I feel and how you know it. 00:40:19.619 --> 00:40:21.860 You can almost, when someone's doing it for show, 00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:24.420 you know it. When you're doing it for show, you 00:40:24.420 --> 00:40:29.280 know it. You're not supposed to say right that 00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:38.880 loud. And thy father who seeth in secret shall 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:42.650 reward thee openly. And when thou prayest thou 00:40:42.650 --> 00:40:44.190 shalt not be as the hypocrites. We just read 00:40:44.190 --> 00:40:46.969 through that, let me go on. Barilah said to you, 00:40:47.250 --> 00:40:51.949 they have the reward, but thou, when thou prayest, 00:40:52.230 --> 00:40:57.550 enter into thy closet. He told the woman, go 00:40:57.550 --> 00:41:00.929 into your house with all those vessels and shut 00:41:00.929 --> 00:41:04.630 the doors. This is not gonna be a public spectacle. 00:41:05.789 --> 00:41:09.090 You are gonna by faith just do what the prophet 00:41:09.090 --> 00:41:13.880 asked you to do. And God is gonna bless and multiply 00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:17.300 the oil and it won't be something that is gonna 00:41:17.300 --> 00:41:19.639 be seen by a lot of people, but this is between 00:41:19.639 --> 00:41:22.659 you and the Lord and he is gonna richly bless 00:41:22.659 --> 00:41:24.980 you and he's gonna help you pay off your debt, 00:41:25.099 --> 00:41:28.000 keep your sons out of servitude and now you'll 00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:33.099 even have something to live on. But I can still 00:41:33.099 --> 00:41:36.599 see it. Let's transport ourselves back there 00:41:36.599 --> 00:41:39.860 and let's give her a name. What do you wanna 00:41:39.860 --> 00:41:45.760 name her? The old, the woman. Agatha? Agatha. 00:41:46.760 --> 00:41:53.480 No, I'm not judging your name, Agatha. I asked, 00:41:53.500 --> 00:41:58.500 I did. Oh man, I should just use my own. Agatha, 00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:05.159 your husband died six months ago. How you doing? 00:42:06.360 --> 00:42:10.650 I'm doing good. Did you have family that helped 00:42:10.650 --> 00:42:19.269 you? Oh, my father helped me. Are you okay? We 00:42:19.269 --> 00:42:22.050 are doing just fine. In fact, they got enough 00:42:22.050 --> 00:42:24.809 that my oldest boy is gonna go to the synagogue. 00:42:26.329 --> 00:42:31.389 We're doing good. So your husband left you well 00:42:31.389 --> 00:42:39.480 off? No, my father took care of me. That's letting 00:42:39.480 --> 00:42:42.900 our light shine. Sometimes we have to tell that 00:42:42.900 --> 00:42:47.300 story of how good God is and how blessed we are 00:42:47.300 --> 00:42:51.719 because of what he's done for us. And they walk 00:42:51.719 --> 00:42:54.960 away going, wow, I'd like to meet her father. 00:42:57.340 --> 00:43:00.639 Didn't that door open up as an opportunity? Well, 00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:03.900 let me tell you what my father did. And then 00:43:03.900 --> 00:43:06.599 she can just relay that story about how good. 00:43:27.769 --> 00:43:31.369 Second Corinthians chapter four verse seven says 00:43:31.369 --> 00:43:36.170 but we have this treasure in earthen vessels. 00:43:36.559 --> 00:43:40.380 She had earthen vessels that she brought in to 00:43:40.380 --> 00:43:44.300 pour this oil into. That the excellency of the 00:43:44.300 --> 00:43:52.280 power may be of God and not of us. Clay jars 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:55.920 were both ordinary and actually fragile during 00:43:55.920 --> 00:44:01.280 this time. And as believers, we are the conduit 00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:04.579 God uses to proclaim the message of salvation. 00:44:04.829 --> 00:44:08.530 through Jesus Christ and so we should be humble 00:44:08.530 --> 00:44:12.070 when we are compared to ordinary jars there's 00:44:12.070 --> 00:44:17.829 nothing about us that is so precious that we 00:44:17.829 --> 00:44:20.949 that God says oh he is so good but that we are 00:44:20.949 --> 00:44:23.750 just vessels empty vessels that God wants to 00:44:23.750 --> 00:44:29.190 fill so that we can share with others Agatha 00:44:29.190 --> 00:44:35.190 had a chance to share about what was going on 00:44:35.190 --> 00:44:41.369 in her life and who did it. Justification, reconciliation, 00:44:41.829 --> 00:44:51.050 sanctification. Available to all who will repent 00:44:51.050 --> 00:44:55.349 and place their faith in Jesus as Savior and 00:44:55.349 --> 00:45:00.670 Lord. And at the initial moment when all believers 00:45:00.670 --> 00:45:07.639 sins are forgiven, then he or she is reconciled 00:45:07.639 --> 00:45:12.900 to God. And permanently receives the perfect 00:45:12.900 --> 00:45:17.519 righteousness of Christ is followed by the ongoing 00:45:17.519 --> 00:45:23.219 process of sanctification. That life long process 00:45:23.219 --> 00:45:28.019 of being transformed into the image of Christ. 00:45:29.340 --> 00:45:34.530 God's provision in life of this widow foreshadows 00:45:34.530 --> 00:45:39.750 God's provision through the atoning work of Christ. 00:45:40.909 --> 00:45:46.269 And we see that in his justification. I am seen 00:45:46.269 --> 00:45:51.650 by God, I'm justified. And that means just as 00:45:51.650 --> 00:45:59.639 if I've never sinned. That is mind blowing. If 00:45:59.639 --> 00:46:04.239 you know humans like I know humans we mess up 00:46:04.239 --> 00:46:09.940 quite often But God sees me in a justified state 00:46:09.940 --> 00:46:13.159 and I've been reconciled I'm not an enemy of 00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:17.860 his anymore. I am I have been reconciled I'm 00:46:17.860 --> 00:46:21.360 no longer an enemy, but I am I am joint heirs 00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:25.739 with Christ and then that sanctification continues 00:46:25.739 --> 00:46:30.239 in my life And it should continue in the life 00:46:30.239 --> 00:46:39.800 of all of us here today. The lesson of God's 00:46:39.800 --> 00:46:43.179 provision. One of the lessons we can learn from 00:46:43.179 --> 00:46:46.260 this episode is that God will do exactly what 00:46:46.260 --> 00:46:52.679 he promised to do. All the promises of God find 00:46:52.679 --> 00:46:56.400 their yes in Christ Jesus. Isn't that incredible? 00:46:57.539 --> 00:47:02.619 And God can do it all through Christ Jesus. Well, 00:47:02.619 --> 00:47:05.099 I said I would stop there and it's just about 00:47:05.099 --> 00:47:10.219 time. And then the limit of God provision. Now 00:47:10.219 --> 00:47:13.599 I just want to cover this name real close. The 00:47:13.599 --> 00:47:18.300 oil flowed into the vessels all ran out. When 00:47:18.300 --> 00:47:20.360 the day was done and every vessel was filled 00:47:20.360 --> 00:47:23.260 to the full, there was no limit on the amount 00:47:23.260 --> 00:47:26.639 of oil. The only limit was the amount of vessels. 00:47:28.419 --> 00:47:33.920 God's provision knew no limits. In the widow's 00:47:33.920 --> 00:47:36.900 case, it knows no limits. In your case, it knows 00:47:36.900 --> 00:47:45.940 no limits. God is able to meet every one of your 00:47:45.940 --> 00:47:55.949 and my needs. Are we prepared and ready? to let 00:47:55.949 --> 00:48:00.250 him meet all our needs. Father God, we thank 00:48:00.250 --> 00:48:04.030 you so much for this night and for what we've 00:48:04.030 --> 00:48:06.150 been able to learn through the study of your 00:48:06.150 --> 00:48:09.449 word, a story that we've heard many times before, 00:48:10.070 --> 00:48:13.929 but a story that still can speak volumes to help 00:48:13.929 --> 00:48:18.829 us understand about an obedient faith, an expectant 00:48:18.829 --> 00:48:23.530 faith. And then Father, just now, the ability 00:48:23.530 --> 00:48:27.380 now to... Just rejoice in that faith. We love 00:48:27.380 --> 00:48:30.179 you now. We ask that as we began to go through 00:48:30.179 --> 00:48:32.019 our prayer requests for the night and spend some 00:48:32.019 --> 00:48:36.679 time in prayer to you that Father, you said you 00:48:36.679 --> 00:48:40.239 would give us the desires of our heart. And Father, 00:48:40.260 --> 00:48:43.360 we just desire so many things from you. And we 00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:45.880 just ask that tonight, Lord, speak through the 00:48:45.880 --> 00:48:50.179 prayer requests and allow us to rejoice when 00:48:50.179 --> 00:48:53.119 we see those requests and those prayer requests 00:48:53.119 --> 00:48:55.610 answered. And we just thank you now in Jesus' 00:48:55.889 --> 00:48:56.630 name, amen.