Tuesday, June 8

Keep Pouring

When we got to church this past Sunday, there was a table at the front decorated with assorted pieces of pottery and two big plastic water cooler jugs on the stage. Odd combo, right? Little did we know the important lesson we would soon learn…

Pastor Keith preached on the following passage:

2 Kings 4:1-7
One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” (This was customary)

“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied (Olive oil was used as a commodity back then).

And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”

So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!

“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.

“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.

When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

You might initially think is just another “miracle story” from the Bible that you enjoy hearing but don’t think too much about. I mean, who wants jugs and jugs of oil anyway? Other than on pasta or bruschetta, olive oil really isn’t that exciting.

Or is it?

Like many churches, our church has accrued some outstanding debt, specifically to our carpet, and it is time to get it paid-in-full. But in this economy, when our wallets are empty and funds are tight, how in the world can we expect to do this? Well, that’s the catch – we’re not going to do it. God is. We will start with a little, and God will finish with a lot.

Each carpet square cost $6. Each week, those who want to will “buy” a square or two or however many they want of carpet as a sacrificial offering to God, placing their offering into the big jugs. On July 25th, the jugs will be cut open, and the money will be counted.

Will it be enough?

Do we have the faith it takes to listen and then immediately do as we are told, as the widow did? 
Do we have the faith it takes to trust that God will make it enough?

The devil wants it not to be. Already I hear Him telling me that the only way this will work, I personally need to contribute a LOT of money - as though God needs my help!  Other people hear the devil’s voice too. “It won’t be enough.” “What will you tell the people?” “What can your God do with a $6?”

The awesome thing about hearing that voice though is that it means he’s scared! Scared of how faith can destroy him. Scared of how when people believe, he loses some of his grip on them. Scared of how God will conquer him…

and the carpet debt.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. ~Hebrews 11:6

1 comment:

momyof3girls said...

Awesome!!! Our message Sunday night was on the exact same passage!! Both of the messages have wonderful truths for us to learn!! It amazes me how God works! Love you!