ChurchFellowship (Small Group)PrayerBible ReadingApplying what we learn

How would you rate yourself?

BRING THE VESSELS

Have you every experienced running out of gas? Sometimes bec of my busyness, i run even when indicators of my gauge say im almost empty. Many times Ive find myself praying that I would see a gas station and even putting my automatic car on free wheel mode. Several times I actually ran out. Luckily for me and the peolple traveling with me, it was just about a hundred yards away from a gas station. How about you? Have you ever run on empty? Have you ever been in a situation where there was totally nothing left?

1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.2 Kings 4:1-7

This lady was a follower she was the wife of the prophet. However, bad things happen to right people. This woman didnt know what to do. she saidYour servant my husband is dead

Her husband was everything to him (provider, helper) and now she had done. Shes not only empty, shes actually negative Now people want to get her two children.

APPLICATION: This woman might have been down and out but she knew who to call out to Elisha was Gods representative on earth.

2 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 except a jar of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.

After hearing the problem, Elishas reply was What do you have in the house and the wifes reply was Nothing except a jar of oil For her it was nothing, it was that empty but God can use what the girl thought was nothing to turn things around

APPLICATION:God will use what you have to initiate a bigger thing in your life. What is it that you have?

4 And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.

Why do you think they needed to shut the door? Avoid distractions and Elisha wanted the children involved - its a family thing. and he asked them toPour it into all those vessels start moving, start working Elisha could have just come up with provision but he wanted them to work. God wants us to participate

By the way, Have you ever thought of what Oil Symbolized?

http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/1107/Oil-as-Symbol.htm

In the bible Oil represents God or the holy spirit so the woman through Elisha was actually something that symbolized Gods spirit and what was she asked to do? Pour out into empty vessels.

Now what or who are the empty vessels?

In 2 Cor 4:7 Paul says our treasure is in earthen vessels in some versions Jars of Clay. Clay because we can be broken

So the way I understand this the Pouring of Oil into empty Jars actually means pouring out of the spirit into lives of the people. This is what God is asking from us.

CONCLUSION: When the woman started pouring she found that she had more than enough.When we start putting others before us God starts to work in our lives

5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said to her, There is not one vessel more. And the oil stopped. 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 can live on the rest.

Imagine yourself on your last Vessel and Elisha tells you Bring me one more dont you wish you had prepared more? Its like youre in a bridal fair and you just bought 10 contracts and 10 receipts and 10 freebies expecting that youre only going to get 8 bookings and the 2 were just incases

What do you have in the house?Borrow vessels from all your neighbors & start pouring out your oilMake sure you have more than enough

With the greater series that ended last week with our stopping, doing, encouraging ourselves and finally striking the water marking the beginning of a new life. Can we honestly say that we gave it all specially when it comes to pouring ourselves out into people that God lays in front of us or giving our best in the things that He is asking us to do or are we content on just getting it done? When we started I asked you to rate yourselves What is keeping us from being a 5 on all?

What is stopping you from going all out in what God is asking you to do? And a 5 in all your spiritual disciplines? APPLICATION:

03 Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) [Split Track]Hillsong WorshipNo Other Name [Trax Mp3 Library], track 32014Christian & Gospel578088.0