A Miracle in the Pouring

[Preached February 10, 2008; Based on 2 Kings 4: 1-7 and Matthew 20: 20-28]

Words of Meditation – “God’s ability to use a gift is in no way hindered or enhanced by the size of that gift. And it is the sacrificial faithfulness of the giver, not the size of the gift, that is the true measure of the gift’s significance…. It is not the greatness of the gift that counts, but rather the greatness of the God to whom it is given.” (John MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men, 86)

Jesus said, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24) This morning’s message is the last in our series of Rock Solid Giving. Have you ever caught yourself thinking you would love to give to your church, but you just don’t have anything to give?

• One of Satan’s chief strategies is to convince believers that they don’t have anything to give to God. The evil one knows if he can keep believers from giving, the Kingdom of God is held back.
• Satan would have believers focus their sights on what they think they don’t have... instead of fixing their eyes on the possibilities and potential contained in what they do have.
• Satan wants Christians to confess what they can’t do; God encourages us to confess and act upon what we can do through him. [I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:19)] The devil seeks to blind believers to the possibilities we possess in Christ; the Lord opens our eyes to see the potential miracles all around us! If Satan can get Christians more focused on what is wrong with themselves, their marriage, and their church instead of what is right, then the battle is half won.

A wise observer once noted: “Some of us give up too quickly on ourselves. We see possibilities in others, but never dream of the potential that lies within ourselves.” The Old Testament woman faced a terrible dilemma. Imagine her situation. She was a bankrupt woman whose husband had just died. Her creditors were coming not to repossess her house, but her sons!  Her need was overwhelming. What could she do? 

Can you recall a time that your need was way more than you thought you had – you just couldn’t see your way out?

Elisha asked her what he could do for her. She told him what was happening and he asked her, Tell me, what do you have in your house?" In other words, what resources do you have? Her response was very telling:

"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil.” (2)  Isn’t that just like us? We think about our resources and we don’t think we have anything to offer others... anything to give.

She said, “Really, I have nothing... nothing there at all!  Well, nothing except a little oil.” That word “except” is such a big word. I have nothing except! Don’t tell me what you don’t have, what do you have?

While she thought she had nothing, Elisha saw something! The little jar of oil – it sure didn’t seem like much, but it was the key to her solution. To her, one small jar of oil was insignificant. What good could it possibly do to erase the enormous debt hanging over her head?

When I started working on this sermon, I was feeling the time pressure. I needed to get started on it because I had a commitment to Pastor Aaron. You see, we have worked as a team on this series: Rock Solid Giving. Each of us took every other sermon and did the “legwork.” It may seem as though sermons just fall out of the sky but they really take prayer and work and time to develop. So, I was feeling the time crunch because the result was not merely affecting me.

I only had a little bit of time because I had a full agenda that day.  Did you know that if you wait for the perfect time to begin some project, you’ll never get started... but if you take what you have and give your best, then God will take your effort and bless it? So, I didn’t have time to complete the entire message; I did have time to begin it!

It’s like the quote we mentioned a few weeks back: “Don’t wait for all the lights to turn green before leaving home.”

I may look at what is needed and then at what I have... and feel discouraged. I could allow what I don’t have to paralyze me... or, I could give what I have now and trust God to provide more later!

The jar of oil had potential, but that potential wasn’t released until the widow released her faith.

1. Do you think it might have been difficult to send her sons to her neighbors to ask for help? “Do you have any jars we can have? We really need as many as you can spare.”
2. Then, when they collected the jars, how difficult must it have been to take that little jar of oil and begin to pour it into the first of the larger empty jars! Can you imagine having one small jar with oil and a whole bunch of larger empty jars laying around?
3. Don’t you imagine she was thankful that God didn’t ask her to publicly begin pouring that oil?  God allowed her to do it in private – with just her boys present, her little family – in the privacy of her own home, she began to pour the oil... and when she did, the miracle began. The miracle was in the pouring.

When this woman exerted her faith, put her faith into action, and gave what she did have – that’s the point God began to work.  It was a personal issue of faith.

That’s why we sent commitment cards to your home and asked you to prayerfully consider your financial participation in the life of this church for 2008. We don’t want anyone to feel public pressure. It is a personal issue of faith more than an issue of wealth. The Apostle Paul wrote: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9: 7)

If you have not completed one of the commitment cards, we have them available under the clips throughout the sanctuary. If you have already prayed and discerned God’s direction for your giving, then complete it and turn it in today. If you have not prayed about it, then take a card home and together with your family, pray about what you can give to further God’s work. As you can see on our insert, we are on the final Sunday of Rock Solid Giving and we’re not quite one-half to our goal. No, you don’t have to be a member to complete a card... we have gotten cards from Winter Texans.

God doesn’t expect you to give it all, but you can give something... and what a blessing it is to partner together and see all that God is doing to reach the Harlingen area for Christ! Don’t focus on what you don’t have, but rather on what you do have!

The widow woman began to pour the oil from the little jar and the empty jars began becoming full and literally overflowing to erase the debt she faced. The oil only stopped flowing when she ran out of vessels.

It seems to me that Harlingen still has many “empty vessels” – people who have not yet received Christ!  Are we willing to go around our neighborhoods and invite them to gather in our house?  There’s still room in our house. It may get rather full from time to time, but not week in and week out. There’s still room for one more.

Do you ever think: If I invite a neighbor, I wonder whether our pastor will have a message sufficient to fill them?  After all, the need is so great and the message is only 15-20 minutes – what good can it possibly do?  We only have an hour to touch the lives of all who gather, do we have enough oil?

Then, once the last jar was filled, notice with me if you will: Then the oil stopped flowing. 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.” (6-7)

Her work wasn’t over; she had an assignment. Not only will your debt be wiped out, which is what you sought, but God will provide extra for your family to live on. Not only would there be cake, but icing!!

When we are willing to act in obedience and faith and give what we do have... then God will not only take care of our obligations, but us as well!

I am so excited about our 2008 year of ministry. Our 2008 proposed budget includes:

• Tripling our children’s, youth and Valley Praise budgets – Is there any doubt that reaching our children, youth, and those without Christ is essential? 
• Adding an additional pastor for preaching at a new service at our downtown campus (to attract young adults and young families: Valley Praise has proven we can do that, so let’s do it downtown, as well), homebound visitation (which has declined significantly since Pastor Wayne’s death last year), and hopefully help to assist developing our senior adult ministry – an effort to take care of our own...
• Payments on the property at Harrison and 5^th Streets Yes, we did pay $95,000 in cash and thus, borrowed a little less than half and our lender expects us to pay it back... that is, unless someone feels led to retire that debt – it’s about $75,000.
• The less than inspiring increasing costs of Utilities, building and maintenance costs, insurance, etc. which are going up!
• Adding a cook for Wednesday evening meals and creating a line item for staff continuing education.  It is essential that our staff members continue to grow that they may be leaders! At this time, we have no money in our budget for non-pastoral staff for continuing education!

I really hope we won’t have to trim this requested budget much, if at all, but I am committed to the biblical principle: 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9: 7)

So, together, we have gathered as many jars as possible into the Lord’s house and our Stewardship Council and pastors have prayed and prepared and presented God’s Word as well as we know how... how many jars will be filled with God’s blessings to meet and exceed the obligations of the church and extend Christ’s Kingdom throughout the area?

Today is... a tale of two mothers... a tale of two prophets... two tales of servanthood... one mother wanted to save her sons from slavery while the other wanted her sons to rule. Was one right and the other wrong? That’s how we typically interpret these passages.

• Who could blame the widow of one of Elisha’s coworkers for attempting to rescue her sons from certain slavery?
• On the other hand, James’ and John’s mother was ambitious and wanted prominence for her boys – position, prestige and honor.

Both prophets responded with what was needed: Elisha gave practical instruction on avoiding the worst outcome. Jesus also gave practical instruction but it wasn’t what the mom wanted to hear: If you want to be great, then be the greatest at serving others. What? Was he kidding?

James and John’s mother asked something of Jesus that was not his to give.  Sometimes I find myself doing the same: “Lord, if you could help us get out of our credit card debt, then we will contribute to the SWTAC Capital Campaign, Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow,” in order to begin new churches across Texas.  I believe the Lord wants us freed from all chains, including debt, but we are not to bargain or negotiate with God; we are to put our faith into action.

Are we ready to pour out blessings on others and have them poured out on us? In order to receive abundance, we must be willing to pour. We must be willing to pour out the little, in order to receive the much... The miracle is in the pouring.