WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:13.599 2 Kings 4, starting in verse 1, says, One day the widow of a member of a group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:18.960 But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:20.800 What can I do to help you? 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:22.320 Elisha asked. 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:24.960 Tell me, what do you have in the house? 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:26.640 Nothing at all. 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:30.559 Except a flask of olive oil, she replied. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:40.880 And Elisha said, Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors, and then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:46.799 Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it's filled. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:49.359 So she did as she was told. 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:54.159 Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:57.920 Soon every container was filled and full to the brim. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:00.799 Bring me another jar, she said to one of her sons. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:02.719 There aren't any more, he told her. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.040 And then the olive oil stopped flowing. 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:14.079 Verse 7 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. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:14.959 Amen. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:18.560 I don't have time to do this text justice. 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:27.280 I got 28 minutes and five seconds, and uh it's not enough time, but I'm gonna do my best uh to give you about five hours worth of content in about 25 minutes. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:38.560 Um I want to start with this uh concept of I'm gonna give you a real simple chart, and it's something I hope sticks with you in your mind, and it gives you something that you can uh think about over the years. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:50.879 As you think about your faith, your relationship with God, there's like three elements going, and it's uh you have in, you have out, and you have up. 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:54.319 In, out, up, up. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.439 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:01.519 We start by giving to God. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:04.000 We start by worshiping God, we acknowledge God. 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:18.960 There's uh there's things that happen between you and God, and and and as you we worship him and we lift up his name and we think about him and we learn about him and we honor his word and we read his word, and and so there's some things that that happen just with you and God. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.479 And there's some things that happen inside of you, inside of you. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:37.759 If you went to the woods or you went up on a mountain, or you went to a quiet place and you were meditating on God's word and you were thinking, and there are certain things that happen in the quietness of your mind, and no one else is around, and it's is it's you, and you see a revelation of yourself. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:49.199 You know, one of the things that happens is you uh really grow in your faith, you catch a revelation of God, you see something about God, you learn more about God, but often you learn more about yourself. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:54.400 There's things about you that's revealed to you inside, and then of course there's out. 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:58.000 Out is other people, out is community, it's relationship. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:01.280 And you can't um you can't separate that completely. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:08.080 Like, yeah, there's some things that happen you by yourself or just you and God, but there's much of our faith that's worked out in community. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:12.879 That's why this entity, we are not just about putting out content or giving speeches. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:21.199 It's about community, it's about relationship because all of these things that we talk about in principle, it manifests in relationship. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:27.759 That's why Jesus said, By this, all men will know you're my disciples, that you have all the right answers. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:29.120 That's not what it says. 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:32.800 By this, all men will know you're my disciples, that you love each other. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:33.360 That's right. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:44.639 If flesh is out in community, our love for one another, our respect for one another, our treatment of one another should be like an eye-catching, eye-popping thing. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:51.919 And so that's, you know, a big part of our relationship and and our maturity happens in community. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:54.479 In, out, and up. 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.800 Uh, this story in 2 Kings 4 is a beautiful story. 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:00.240 It's it's captured my heart. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:13.199 I I don't, I can't even fully explain the depth of what it's done uh for me personally, but but uh you I think it's one of the great demonstrations in the Bible of in, out, and up. 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.279 We sort of airdrop into a story of a woman who's a widow. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:18.720 Her husband's died. 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:27.839 He was a religious professional, so he worked with the community of prophets, he served people and clearly loved and and um feared God. 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.959 He respected and revered God and gave his life to that. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.560 But in the process of doing so, he accrued debt. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:37.040 And eventually he died. 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:43.759 And so his wife is in a position, if you know anything about the culture of that day, she is completely exposed. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.399 She has every reason to be terrified. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:56.800 Uh, imagine being both caught up in grief of what you've lost, but also fear of what you face. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:05.519 She's lost her husband, and that's enough to want to just pull your covers up over your head and spiral into depression. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:08.160 But she faces a major threat. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:26.879 The cost of the covers going over her head and her going into inaction is a steep cost, which is this her both of her sons are legally liable to become indentured servants or slaves to pay off their deceased father's debt. 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:31.279 And so she feels this weight of responsibility. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:32.879 This, I can't. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:34.720 I'd like to pull the covers up. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:35.519 I can't. 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:44.959 And if you've ever been in that spot where you feel like you needed space to grieve, or you had you needed time to work through your stuff, but unfortunately, there was a threat. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:53.439 There was a deadline, there was a creditor, there was something that if I do that, this is going to bottom out and it's gonna cost my kids. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:55.759 This isn't just you're gonna take my car. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:58.800 If it's just about my car, you can have my car. 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:01.040 If it's just about my house, you can have my house. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.079 I'd be homeless if it was just me, but it's my boys. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.399 And you're not gonna take my boys. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:12.399 And so there was something there that caused this woman to have to get up and I've got to take action. 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:17.279 And so she goes to Elisha, and clearly she feels inadequate. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:19.199 I I'm not, I don't have that. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:20.399 I'm helpless. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:22.560 Uh but she's she's one of these people. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:26.800 I have a sense she's the type of person who doesn't like to ask for help. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:29.040 She doesn't like to ask for help. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:32.879 And the reason I say that is because she doesn't ask for help. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:40.000 If you look at the text, look what she says in 2 Kings 4, 1. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.199 My husband who served you is dead. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:46.560 My husband who served you is dead. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:48.319 You remember how faithful he was to you. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.000 And you know how he feared the Lord. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:51.120 You know that he honored God. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:51.839 He's a good man. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.480 In other words, this should not have happened. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:55.839 But it did. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:02.319 But now a creditor has come to threaten, threatening to take my two sons as slaves. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:07.199 It is within their legal right to take my boys. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:12.560 And not one time in those sentences does she say, Please help me. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:20.079 Because sometimes, even though you know you need help, it's hard to ask for it. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:26.160 If we look at what Elisha does here, this is so amazing. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:27.600 It's so beautiful. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:28.959 He cuts in, right? 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.360 He can see her twisting in the wind. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:34.079 And he says, What can I do to help you? 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:36.240 So he doesn't even make her ask. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:37.839 But notice the language. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:39.920 What can I do to help you? 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:40.480 Yes, sir. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.000 I want to help you. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:52.560 Because part of what's going to happen in this story, and it's about to really pop off the page here, is he wants her to get a revelation of God here real soon. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:08:03.439 But along the way, he wants her to get a revelation of herself because she's in a culture, in a world where a woman who's not connected to a man has no way of sustaining herself. 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.199 And so she feels like she's helpless and she feels like she's weak. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:17.199 And so part of what Elisha is gonna do is he's not only gonna help her and give her a plan to save her sons and all this, he's gonna pull the lion out of this woman who thinks she's helpless. 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:23.439 He's gonna give her her dignity back, he's gonna show her she's capable of more than she feels like she is right now. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.000 And so he says, How can I help you? 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:27.600 How can I help you? 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:31.199 I'm not gonna do this for you, but I'm gonna come alongside you. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.279 How can I support you? 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:37.519 And then he says, Tell me, what do you have in the house? 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:40.080 Nothing at all. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:43.600 Except a flask of olive oil, she replied. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:45.679 And Elisha said, Now look at this. 00:08:45.919 --> 00:09:01.759 Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors, and then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you, and take, you know, the flask, the little bit of olive oil, and pour that into the jar, setting them aside when it's filled. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:12.399 Instead of him saying, Oh, you poor little damsel in distress, oh, you you're you're so weak, you're so vulnerable, he says, Hey, you're not as weak as you think you are. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:16.799 And he gives her a plan and he helps her claw her way back. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:17.840 I'm gonna give you a plan. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:18.639 And what does he say? 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:24.879 He didn't say, Hey, you go in the house and lay there, and and Big Daddy Elisha is gonna take care of this myself. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:28.000 You just lay there because you know you're so feeble and weak. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:34.159 You just lay there and you stay home and just lock yourself in the house and go ahead and pull the covers up and I'll go knock on doors. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:36.799 No, he gave her a job, he gave her a plan. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:38.480 Go knock on doors. 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:49.759 And if you've ever had to knock on doors, you've ever had to cold call, you've had to just go in unannounced, you've had to chase down your own leads. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:53.120 Okay, you know that you get doors slammed in your face. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:56.399 You know that some people say, I ain't got it when you know they got it. 00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:58.080 You know some people blow you off. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.519 They treat, and so he gives her a tough job. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.519 It's a hard job. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:13.440 And yet she's in the place where the opportunity cost is too great, the cost of inaction is too great. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:18.080 And he starts by showing her that she has something to work with. 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:26.240 You know, often we become so focused and fixated on what we don't have that we look right over what we have. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.360 Because what we have feels inadequate. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:33.200 When you have a massive debt, what is a flask of olive oil? 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:37.039 When you have a thousand hungry people, what's five loaves and two fish? 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.679 When you have a humongous need, what's what's two small coins? 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:52.639 And yet we see a pattern in scripture where faithfulness and steps of faith, it doesn't start with you have all that you need, but you have all you need to get started. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:56.000 And so he says, What do you have in your house? 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:04.159 She thought all of the solutions were external, and he says, No, you have a miracle brewing right up under your nose. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:05.759 You just looked over. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:15.120 In fact, we see from her response, nothing at all except, nothing at all, except this little jar of olive oil. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.840 And he says, I want you to start there. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:36.320 I I wonder how many of us uh have not taken action in an area that we could take action and make progress if we would take a step of faith, because we don't maybe the thing that keeps us from taking action is we don't have right now all we need to complete the job. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.600 And so it keeps us from getting started with what we have. 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:40.799 You have enough to get started. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:45.440 Maybe you don't have enough yet, just yet to finish, but I have enough to get started. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:47.120 And often that's what keeps us. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.080 It's a self-limiting belief that what I have isn't enough. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:55.279 And friend, I want you to just take a moment to step back a little bit and to look at what's right in front of you. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:56.320 What do you have? 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:00.639 Elisha didn't come to her and say, Hey, what do you not have in your house? 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.720 That's what she was thinking about, what she didn't have in her house. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:05.679 What do you have? 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:10.960 I know you don't have as much money as you want, but you have you have something to get started with. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.279 I know you don't have all the experience that you want to have, but you have some experience. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:16.159 Start with that. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:22.399 I know your network isn't as robust as you wish that it was, but you know some people, go ahead and start with those people. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:23.360 You see what I'm saying? 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:24.559 You you you gotta start going. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:26.320 I know the education level that you're at. 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:29.200 You wish you had more education, but you know some stuff. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:30.879 So go ahead and start with what you know. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:32.080 Work with what you have. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:36.399 You got something in front of you, and now go take that and start knocking doors. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:38.159 Now think about this. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.279 He gives her a tough job. 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:42.159 Go knock doors and and make a weird request. 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:44.960 Ask for empty jars. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.000 Ask for empty jars. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:55.440 When I I I just sat there for probably like 15, 20 minutes, and I just imagined this lady. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:13:00.480 This lady who really wants to pull the covers up over her head and just be sad. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:02.480 And yet she can't do that. 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:03.679 I cannot do that. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:05.759 My boys are dependent on me. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.320 You know, when you're thinking about what things you're gonna do, right? 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:17.679 Somebody casts a vision in front of you, or you have an opportunity in front of you, you should be asking three questions in order. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:20.879 The first question is, does this need to be done? 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:26.399 Somebody's trying to get you involved in something, they put something in front of you, does this need to be done? 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:28.960 Number two, does it need to be done now? 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:30.480 Is this urgent? 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:31.840 What's the urgency of this? 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:36.480 If it doesn't need to be done at all, and it doesn't need to be done now, it might not be worth your time. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:40.320 And the third is if the answer is yes, it needs to be done, and two, it needs to be done now. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:42.480 Number three is where's what's my part? 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:44.000 What am I supposed to do? 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.200 This is what this woman looks up and she goes, Does this need to be done? 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:48.080 Yeah. 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:50.080 Does it need to be done now? 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:50.960 Oh yeah. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:52.320 Major sense of urgency. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:53.600 Third, what's my part? 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.039 Knock doors. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:56.320 What's my part? 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:57.840 Ask for help. 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:00.320 And so she goes door to door. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:09.440 You know, you think about there's part of part of me that wishes, you know, Elisha had done this for her and just give this poor lady a chance to breathe. 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:16.399 But when I, as I started to imagine her doing this, I thought about all the different responses she probably got in knocking on the doors. 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:19.440 Yeah, some of them she probably knocked and nope, nobody answered. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:25.120 And some she probably knocked and somebody came to the door and said, Hey, I don't, sorry, I can't help you, you know. 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:26.720 I don't have any jars. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:31.039 Some of them probably said, Hey, why do you need empty jars? 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.200 She's like, I don't know. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:36.080 I just know I need them, you know. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:37.840 Elisha told me I needed them. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:39.679 What are you gonna do with them? 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:42.799 Uh not sure. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:44.879 When am I gonna get my jar back? 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:47.279 I don't know. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:49.679 I just can't, I can promise you I'll bring it back. 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:52.240 No, that you don't have enough answers for me. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.679 Some of them, she probably opened the door, she's like, hey, do you have any empty jars? 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.360 And they're like, We don't have any empty jars. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:02.080 And she looks right past them and sees a vase with flowers in it. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:07.519 And she probably let a few people close the door, and eventually she's like, I need these jars, man. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:09.519 My son's lives are on the line. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:11.120 How about that vase? 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:13.120 Oh no, sorry, I can't do that vase. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.879 Uh, we have flowers in it. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:19.919 And the feeling of devalue, like, well, my son's lives aren't as important as your flowers. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:21.679 Why don't you dump your flowers? 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:23.039 God'll make more. 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:28.080 But people choosing their flowers over her need. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:36.000 Then she goes to another house and somebody comes, and after having a bunch of doors slammed in her face, somebody said, jars? 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.840 I got 2,000 jars in my basement. 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:43.039 I almost threw them away last month. 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:47.120 But I decided, you know, I might want to hang on to them a little bit longer. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.080 I come from a long line of people that can stuff. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.080 And you know, I didn't know what I was gonna do. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:55.840 Oh, here's the mother load of jars. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:59.600 And somebody said, Well, I don't have a lot of jars, but I got a little one. 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:00.960 She's like, I'll take that too. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.519 And then somebody had a big old jar, just a huge. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:04.799 Where'd you get that jar? 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:06.720 I don't know, it's been passed through the family. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:16.720 And so she's leaving with all different sized jars, and some door slammed in her face, and I'll bet she came to a door that somebody said, Aren't you that lady whose husband died? 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:17.279 We all sat. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:19.679 Yeah, your husband prayed for me. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:21.279 Your husband feared the Lord. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:22.799 Yes, your husband served people. 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:25.120 That's really sad what's happening to you and your sons. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:26.320 Let me help you. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:36.000 And so this woman has something going on inside of her, and what's happening is she's dealing with her grief, but simultaneously, she's building resilience. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:41.279 She she's bouncing back, she's finding it within herself that I'm not this damsel in distress. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.159 I'm not this person that just sits back and is helpless. 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:46.399 I can do something, I can knock on doors. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:51.200 And she started to get some progress, and somebody showed up with a bunch of jars, and somebody said, You know what? 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:52.399 Your husband did a lot for me. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:56.000 Here, I'm gonna dump out my flowers because he was there for me. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:57.679 And I want to help you guys out. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.639 And so she starts to get some revelation of the community. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.039 Yeah, some people don't care, but some people do care. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:19.519 Some people do care, and so she probably got some healing, and she probably got a uh again a sense of self, of what she was capable of, of who she is, and and and so then it goes all the way through, and she gets all these jars. 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:21.279 She got every jar she could get. 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:22.880 Got every jar she could get. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.119 Friend, I want to encourage you. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:28.480 I want to encourage you to bring what you have. 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:32.160 There is a pattern throughout scripture. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:42.799 There's a pattern throughout scripture of people who had feelings of inadequacy at what was in front of them, and it being too much for them. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:46.319 And yet they were willing to take what they had and step out. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.440 I mentioned John 6, the boy with the loaves and fish. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:52.319 Uh, I mentioned Luke 21, the widow's might. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:53.440 You remember this story? 00:17:53.839 --> 00:18:15.440 The widow, she's got it's the two, it's the smallest coins in the Hebrew currency, and everybody's giving, and they gave in such a public way that everybody could see the amount that everybody was giving in this volume, and everybody's like, ooh, ah! And there's this widow with two pennies, essentially, the smallest part of the currency. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:29.119 And she's she's off to the side, and Jesus gives the disciples, he's like, That caught my eye. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:31.359 That caught my eye. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:36.400 Somebody that's willing to say, What is it that I can do? 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:42.160 And to not feel feelings of shame or embarrassment, Jesus said that mattered to me. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:47.519 This person gave with a heart of generosity, and it caught his eye. 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:50.480 I I told you guys last week at 9 a.m. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:53.680 I came into service and a young boy named Leo. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:56.319 I said last week he was nine, but he's eight. 00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:56.799 Okay. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:58.640 He corrected me. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:00.240 He's like, I'm eight. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:01.920 I'm like, dude, you seem very nine. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:06.319 Okay, he's precocious young man, okay? 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:12.319 And he comes up and he he gives me his uh, hands me this jar. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:14.559 And what he had done is he went he went home. 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:26.000 He was at the early commitment night with his mom, and I was talking a little bit, I shared a little bit piece of this verse, this scripture, and I talked about, you know, the jar, and everybody just, man, we're we're collecting jars today, man. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:27.920 Everybody bring your part, do your part. 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:33.279 And so he he went home and he took his piggy bank, which is a is a is a ceramic football. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:37.279 And he's like, you know, I can't have my piggy bank, but I'll give you my coins. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:43.599 And so he empties his piggy bank into a jar and he brings it and he said, I want to do my part, was exactly what he said. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:47.839 So I was so moved by it, it encouraged me deeply, and I shared about him in the message. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:50.160 And his mom sent me a message, Mom Michelle. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:53.039 She sent, she said, Hey, thanks for encouraging Leo. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.599 He was really excited about this, and and and you really did something and encouraged him. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:00.160 And a lot of people saw him and were like, Aren't you Leo? 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:01.680 And he's now he's excited. 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.960 And she said, now he came up with a plan he'd like to meet with you. 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:12.799 So I FaceTimed with Leo this week, all right. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:16.079 I took a few screenshots because he was in the zone, all right. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:17.920 So go ahead and bring it up, okay? 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:26.799 This is Leo and me, and he's he comes on the FaceTime, he said, Pastor, uh, I have a plan. 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:28.960 I've been working on a plan. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:32.559 I said, let me see your plan, Leo. 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:33.759 Go to the next one. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:39.279 He said, I drew it up, uh drew up a plan here. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:45.440 I don't know how well you can see it, but he said, Um, we're gonna need a large piggy bank. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:49.359 I said, how large are you thinking, Leo? 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:52.000 He's like, about your size. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:57.839 So that is a large piggy bank, Leo. 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:02.640 I said, What are you imagining, Leo, in terms of what this piggy bank would be made out of? 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.119 He's like, something clear. 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:07.920 Something clear. 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:11.680 He's like, we need to be able to see the work, what's what's being done. 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:13.759 We need to see inside of it. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:16.319 I'll go ahead and go zoom in. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:18.000 The next one. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:22.000 You see, it says this guy right here, that's Leo. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.680 He goes, I'm I'll I'll stand next to the piggy bank if you need me to. 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:31.920 He said, I'll I can stand there and encourage people, you know, as they're giving. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.240 And then go to the next slide. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:36.000 Go to the next slide. 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:39.440 He said, You just stand there and preach. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:55.599 I'm gonna need a job someday, Leo. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.359 Oh, there's so much more to the conversation, but. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:03.680 I thought, man, this is what it's all about. 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:10.640 Because you have, by the way, a young boy who brought some coins, you know, and he's very proud of his gift. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:14.400 Not in a seven deadly sin pride kind of way, like he's proud to be a part. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:15.359 I want to do my part. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:21.279 I want to do my part, and I want to stand here and I want to be a part of this thing that God is doing, and he's proud of it. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:25.519 And I want to encourage you, like, you might not have as much as you want. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:27.759 You might desire that you want to do more. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:28.799 Do your part. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:29.759 Just what is your part? 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:31.119 Be proud of what you can do. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:32.160 You know what I'm saying? 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:38.160 If if all if what you can do right now is two pennies, then do the two pennies and put your name on it and be proud of it. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:40.720 If what you can do right now is$10, then be proud of it. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:45.680 If what you can do right now is$100, if right now is like, Lord, I'm I'm still asking, Lord, what do you want me to do? 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.640 Whatever God's asking you to do, be proud of it. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:58.720 When I was in college, okay, I was so broke, I would uh I would cut hair in the dorm for money, you know, for a little bit of money. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:00.480 I was a dorm barber, you know. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:02.480 I I still to this day I cut my own hair. 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:04.400 People ask me all the time, they're like, man, you always have a haircut. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:05.440 I'm like, yeah, it's free. 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:07.039 I do it, I do it myself. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.240 I cut my own hair. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:12.160 And so uh I used to cut hair in the dorm and make a few dollars at a time. 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:18.000 And so all the money I had went to two things 89 cent cheeseburgers. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:19.680 Burger King. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:25.680 Had 80, I don't know if they still do, but at the time they had 89 cent cheeseburgers, and I gave them a lot of business. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:29.599 And the second thing was I bought gas to go to church. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:31.200 Gas for my car. 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:35.599 I hung out with other broke people, so none of them gave me any gas money. 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:45.519 Okay, I had a car that could see four, and so I would drive people to church, and all I had was money for cheeseburgers, 89 cent cheeseburgers, and gas. 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:46.160 I was broke. 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:46.640 All right. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:58.079 And I would go to the church, and the church I went to, when it came time for offering, they would say, Everybody get your offering out, get the envelope, and wave it in the air. 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:03.839 Anybody ever been in one of the? 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:08.880 Just take that, take that offering envelope and wave it in the air. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:12.240 I spent all my money on cheeseburgers and gas. 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:22.480 But somewhere between faith and shame, I grabbed me an empty envelope. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:26.799 Fill it, Lord. 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:29.200 Fill it, Lord, fill it. 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:31.759 In Jesus' name, fill it, Lord. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.519 You know my heart, Lord. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:36.559 You know my heart, Lord. 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:41.519 Little's poor offering team got a lot of empty envelopes with Greg Ford's name on it. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:43.519 Greg Ford's name on it. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:45.359 I'm putting my name on it. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:46.880 I'm putting my name on it. 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:48.319 I'm not ashamed. 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:50.880 I'm doing the best I can right now. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:53.920 And Lord, there's gonna be a day I'm gonna be able to do more. 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:57.359 And when that day comes, I'll know where my provision came from. 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:00.079 I'll know who put the oil in my jar. 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:04.720 Right now I'm knocking doors and the jars are empty. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:06.960 But God, I believe you're gonna fill it. 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:09.039 And when you fill it, Lord, I'll give it. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:09.839 Oh, yes, sir. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.480 And so I was I was turning in empty stuff. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:14.640 Listen, I've been praying about this day. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:17.599 I've been praying about it because I don't want this to feel at all shame. 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:20.400 I pray today your your shame melts away and your faith grows. 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:23.680 Even if you, even if all your money's going to cheeseburgers and gas. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:24.559 All right, sir. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:27.359 I want you to, I want you today put your name on it. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:27.920 All right, sir. 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:28.880 Put your name on it. 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:30.559 Lord, I trust that you're gonna feel it. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:38.559 And so this woman, right, she takes a step out, she goes and collects empty jars, and she gets a revelation of herself. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:43.039 I can knock on doors, and she finds out the community. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:46.559 Some people slam doors in my face, but some people gave me jars. 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:58.160 Some people chose their flowers over my sons, and yet some people dumped out their flowers and helped me out. 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:08.880 And then Elisha said, Now go in the room and take your boys and close the doors. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:11.920 Because now you're gonna catch a revelation of God. 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:34.400 And so she takes this flask of oil that was way inadequate, but when the community showed up with the empty jars, they now had a facility to facilitate the miracle, and she begins pouring the oil, and God did what only God can do, which is make this little flask just keep producing. 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:38.559 And her sons, can you imagine now the door shut? 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:43.039 It's mom and the two boys, and the thing just keeps pouring. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:44.960 Bring me another one, bring me another one. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:47.039 The boys are running back and forth, bring me another one. 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:56.240 You know, these boys they're mentioned briefly in the text as that their lives were on the line, you know, that they were going to potentially have to work off their father's debt. 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:03.839 But think about these boys who saw their dad fear God and serve people and still end up dead. 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:06.319 Think about their expectation. 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:12.240 If you do the right thing, you can expect health and wealth, and yet they ended up with death and debt. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:34.240 And these boys who were probably confused about God, and these boys who were as afraid for their mom as their mom was for them, for the boys that were wondering what was gonna happen to them and would God show up, these boys got to see a revelation of God and what he's capable of, and that he hasn't forgotten about you, and it formed their theology, and it changed how they felt about God and themselves and what was possible. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:43.119 So he says, not only are we gonna save these boys from the creditors, but they're gonna see something amazing. 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:48.079 And so they fill one after another. 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:56.400 I'm gonna give you this super quick, just because I wanna, I've told the story, but I want to make sure that we see everything in it. 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:59.279