Holy Spirit Pictures A Promise

[00:00:00] Thank you for the precious, wonderful, sweet name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. My wife and I counted a privilege and a blessing and a blessed opportunity to come back into your midst. I'm not sure how many times I've been here already, but we always look forward to come and be a part of a service at Calvary Chapel with our brothers and sisters here. [00:00:33] Thank you for the privilege and opportunity to come. Also, a real heartfelt appreciation to the congregation here for your part in our financial support in living in Thailand. We are grateful. Thank you. Our prayer would be that the Lord would reward you openly for your gift of love in that way. Freely we have received from the Lord through you and freely we want to give to the needs of the great gospel needs in discipleship and evangelism in Southeast Asia. [00:01:15] So thank you very much. Thank you very much. We are indebted to the Lord through your support, and we thank you for it. It seems so small, but I want you to know that we do greatly appreciate it. Do come back tonight to see what your support is doing, how God is using your support to accomplish His will and His heart in Southeast Asia. You'll see that tonight. [00:01:46] So we really encourage you to come and see how God is using you in that way. Praise the Lord. Well, I feel led of the Lord to preach a message this morning entitled, Holy Spirit Pictures of Promise. Holy Spirit Pictures of Promise. I don't really have a key text to get started, But I think we need to consider the promises of the scripture of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. [00:02:26] We know that it was John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 3 verse 11. You can turn there if you want to. Matthew chapter 3 verse 11. We also find this in Luke 3.16. But in Matthew chapter 3 verse 11 John the Baptist says these words I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance But he that cometh after me is mightier than I Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear [00:02:57] He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Whose sand is in his hand And he will thoroughly purge his floor Gather his wheat into the gurner, but he will burn up the chaff with the unquenchable fire. You know, we speak quite a bit about the baptism unto repentance and water baptism, but that's only half of the baptisms that John spoke about. [00:03:28] He also spoke about a baptism of the Holy Spirit and with fire a baptism of purification a baptism of cleansing a baptism of getting rid of myself and my plans a baptism that turns me inside out if you would and makes me weak precious for his use and for his honor and for his glory. [00:04:03] We also know the verse in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 where Jesus said, actually his last words according to Luke in the book of Acts But ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me Both, Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world [00:04:34] These are all verses that relate to an overwhelming, overcoming, overpowering ministry of the Holy Spirit And you may be sitting here and you may be saying, whoa, where is he going to go with this? You can just let your seatbelt on, it's going to be okay, okay? It'll, it'll, it'll be alright. We're going to follow the scripture and what the scripture has to teach. There are many pictures in the Old Testament, I believe, that relate to this baptism and overwhelming, overcoming, in this one, in being spiritually baptized, we believe in immersion. [00:05:21] I'm not talking about a water baptism, I'm talking about a spirit baptism where you are overcome, overwhelmed, overtaken by the ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit for His work, for His glory, for His kingdom the Bible clearly teaches that kind of a baptism of the Holy Spirit Amen? The question comes to my heart, what does this all mean? Now there's many aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. [00:05:52] I understand that. And I'm certainly not going to cover them all. You know, we could go to John 16, how that the Holy Spirit will convict you of sin, and the Holy Spirit will convict you of righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. The Holy Spirit will never speak of Himself, but rather He always speaks of Jesus Christ. He always testifies of Jesus Christ. He will always glorify Christ in you and through you So we're talking this morning about the spirit of Christ [00:06:25] The spirit of Jesus Christ Overtaking you, overpowering you Where He has overwhelmed you And the God of heaven becomes a living reality He's real to me When I rise up in the morning The God of heaven through the person of Jesus Christ He's real to me He's alive He is right there with me and I sense His presence. He's not distant. He's not off somewhere in the blue. He's not just in a book. He's reality. [00:07:00] He's a living reality. That's what we're talking about, being overwhelmed with the presence of a living God. And He has control of my life. My life is not about me. It's all about Him. Overtaken. Overwhelmed. That's what this baptism means. Immersed in Him. For His honor. For His glory. For His eternal purposes. Let's go to... Now let me say this yet. [00:07:32] The Bible speaks about many spiritual realities. New Testament now. Romans 8. A spiritual walk. Ephesians 5.18. spiritual fullness, Romans 8.6 spiritual mindedness, Ephesians 6 spiritual armor and spiritual warfare, 2 Corinthians 10 spiritual weapons and spiritual authority, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 spiritual gifts, Galatians 5 spiritual fruit, [00:08:13] 2 Corinthians 3 spiritual ministry and of course Acts 1 which I quoted spiritual witnessing brothers and sisters all of these things can only be a reality in the believer's life in fullness when you and I are overwhelmed by the presence of a living God in His Spirit with the Spirit of Christ Being a living reality in me [00:08:43] Overwhelmed by the presence of a living God Overwhelmed and overtaken by the Spirit of God The Bible has much to say in the New Testament about being spiritual It's an overwhelmed baptism of the Holy Spirit that God has for every one of us as believers In the Spirit of Jesus Christ Now let us go, as I began earlier, let's try it again to Leviticus 14 and looking at some Holy Spirit pictures of promise most of them will be out of the New Testament Leviticus 14 way back into the Old Testament we want to go here we have oh let's drop in at about verse 14 Leviticus 14 verse 14 here we have in the context of leprosy the cleansing of the leper [00:09:39] Leprosy is symbolic of sin and we all know that we are born in sin with the endemic nature and here we have a picture of the ritual or you would say the routine that the leper had to go with the priest for cleansing of leprosy. And I'd like to suggest to you there is a Holy Spirit picture of promise in this text. First of all, dropping at verse 14, the Spirit shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, [00:10:15] shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. Here we have a picture of the priest taking some blood of the sacrifice offering, probably a lamb, I'm not sure. And he would take that blood and put it upon the individual that had the leprosy, put it on his right ear, his right thumb, and his right big toe. [00:10:47] So, suggesting or symbolizing cleansing from head to foot of the whole being of the person of leprosy. This is a picture already of the cleansing of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for sin. Cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Cleansed by the Crucified One. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:11:18] Are you washing the blood this morning? Hallelujah. Oh, the precious blood of Jesus. This is symbolic or a picture of the cleansing of sin, the washing of the soul, the washing of the heart, the washing of my very being in the blood of Jesus from head to foot, if you would. Amen? But it doesn't stop there. Let's read on. And the priest shall take some of the log of oil. Oil, brothers and sisters, in the scripture, is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. [00:11:55] David, as a youth, 17 years old, was anointed with oil. In the book of Samuel it says, and from that day forward, David, the Holy Spirit came upon David. and everything he did from that day forward was in the reality of the presence of the Holy Spirit or the power of the Holy Spirit if you would. So oil is one of the pictures of Holy Spirit, of the Holy Spirit. So it tells us here that the priest shall take some of the log of oil, pour it into the palm of his hand. [00:12:30] The priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and shall sprinkle of the oil with his fingers seven times before the Lord. I'm not going to go into it, but the Bible speaks about seven spirits of the Lord in Isaiah as well as Revelations. I'm not going to go into that. That's why it's seven times he would wave it before the Lord and with his finger before the Lord. Then it says that the priest shall take the rest of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him, [00:13:00] that is to be cleansed, upon the thumb of his right hand, upon the great toe of his right foot, and upon the blood of the trespass offering. So what is the priest doing here? He's putting the oil on top of the blood. On top of the right thumb, right ear, right thumb, and right toe. The oil goes on top of the blood, which is a picture, brothers and sisters, The Holy Spirit can only work where the blood is applied, where the cleansing has taken place, where my heart is washed in the blood, where my heart and soul are cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. [00:13:49] the oil, the presence, the working, the fullness of the Holy Spirit can only operate where the blood of Jesus Christ is applied. If you're here this morning and the blood of Christ has not been applied you have not experienced the first baptism unto repentance that John the Baptist spoke about this message is not for you. You need to get right with the Lord. You need to repent. You need to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the offering that was given once and for all on the altar where Christ suffered and died and shed his blood for the remission and the forgiveness of your sin. [00:14:27] First the blood, then the oil. Very clear picture here already in Leviticus 14 of how the Holy Spirit will only operate where the blood has been applied. But there's more. Verse 18. The remainder of the oil that was in the priest's hand And the remnant of the oil, the balance of the oil That is in the priest's hand He shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed [00:15:00] And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord There's the baptism of the Holy Ghost Right here in Leviticus 14 We already see a picture However, first a dip of oil on top of the blood, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, but then we have a picture of the remnant, the remainder of the oil, I don't know how much the priest would have had, possibly a whole cow's horn full, he only put a little bit on the right ear and the right thumb and the right toe, the big toe [00:15:35] whatever remains he shall pour over him that is to be cleansed and overwhelm him immerse him if you would it's not an immersion in that sense with oil way back here already in Leviticus 14 we have a Holy Spirit texture of promise of being overwhelmed with the power of the Spirit beautiful, beautiful [00:16:08] it's a promise that is clearly John the Baptist spoke about in the New Testament and Paul spoke about it do not be drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled be overcome be overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit let's move on now from there let's go to Leviticus 9 and just getting another glimpse, what I really wanted there is that the Spirit only operates where the blood has cleansed. [00:16:46] Many people are praying for the Holy Spirit from time to time. I encounter them and they're never even been born again. No, no, no, no, no. The Holy Spirit operates where the blood of Christ is first applied. and then there is the overwhelming outpouring of the Spirit beyond that. Alright, let's go to Leviticus chapter 9 and let's drop in there. We're still in the Old Testament looking at Holy Spirit pictures of promise. [00:17:24] In Leviticus chapter 9, here we have in this chapter, the first part of the chapter, We have Aaron's offering unto the Lord and preparing himself before the Lord to make an offering for the people in the prior part of this chapter. In verse 15, as he's making an offering for the sin offering, in verse 15, Aaron had to shed blood for the sins of the people, which is again pointing forward to Jesus Christ shedding his blood on the cross. [00:17:57] But now in verse 16 to verse 21, the Bible tells us here that we have the burnt offering. The burnt offering. The burnt offering, brothers and sisters, is a picture of giving ourselves unto God in a complete sacrifice. The burnt offering of the Old Testament, I repeat this, this is very important. The burnt offering of the Old Testament is symbolic. of a complete sacrifice and here in this text the symbol it's not oil it is now fire we know that [00:18:39] fire is another symbol of the Holy Spirit as we read those verses in Matthew chapter 3 shall baptize you with fire and it's also in Luke chapter 3 we have that same promise of the work of the Holy Spirit. So here we have this complete offering symbolized by a burnt offering. Verse 24, let's just drop down. The way it was known that God accepted the burnt offering here is clearly evident. [00:19:16] And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and it consumed upon the altar of the burnt offering, and the fat which when the people saw it they shouted and they fell on their faces. So now picture with me as we consider the burnt offering here. Now it seems there's also a peace offering that is part of the burnt offering and there's also a wave offering. [00:19:47] All of them are somewhat brought together with the burnt offering. So while the priest is cutting up the bullock, he's preparing to make the complete offering unto the Lord, the bird's offering. And he's cutting up the bullock piece by piece, and he's putting it on the altar. And he comes to the, let's say, the back shunga, the back ham, okay? [00:20:17] I think shunga is Dutch, isn't it? you know what I mean that quarter and he says you know this is a perfect quarter this is a beautiful piece of meat you know I'll just I got a visiting preacher you know he's a missionary you know and I like to impress him you know so he's coming for supper tonight you know nobody will ever know just between me and the Lord here you know and so I'll take this ham and I'll just sort of slip it aside and put it over here and you know sort of set it aside you know I'm gonna I'm gonna use it for a you know a good thing you know [00:20:53] it's a good thing I got a visitor and I need to cook a meal for him and it's a good ham you know I'll keep it for him I'll put all the rest on the altar I'm going to keep that perfect ham for and he puts it all on the altar except that hand or that shoulder or that that quarter will the fire fall what will happen will the fire fall why not it's not a complete sacrifice it's not complete [00:21:31] There's a portion which is kept back for myself. Oh, nobody knows. You see, this is the sacrifice I believe that the Apostle Paul is speaking about in Romans 12. When he says, after all that the Lord has done for us in shedding His blood on the cross of Calvary, Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Complete. On the altar of sacrifice and this fire of overwhelming of God [00:22:09] will fall upon a complete sacrifice. If it's not complete, no fire. Now I'm above the persuasion, brothers and sisters, that when you're soundly, thoroughly, completely converted, you've got all of Him, you've got all of His Spirit, but the problem is right here. He doesn't have all of us. There's pieces we're keeping back to ourselves. He doesn't have all of us. [00:22:43] The fire of God falls on a complete surrendered sacrifice. And it's a beautiful thing for His honor and for His glory. Look at the verses that follow. After this fire fell, before we do that, let's go back to chapter 6. Let's go back to chapter 6 where the commission and the order from God was given to Aaron and Moses and how this is to work on this burnt offering sacrifice or complete sacrifice. [00:23:18] Verse 12, this was the order that was given from God to Aaron and Moses, and then here in Leviticus chapter 9 where we were, was the first time the fire fell after God gave the commandment of the burnt offering sacrifice. You see in verse 9 of Leviticus 6, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. there it is and let's just drop down now to verse 12 [00:23:49] and the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it it shall not be put out the priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order upon it and he shall burn there on the fat of the peace offering if the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar it shall never go out God's heart is brothers and sisters that we would load up that altar of sacrifice a complete sacrifice it means in the morning, morning by morning when I get up [00:24:20] it's not my life it's not my day it's not my plans they're all on the altar of sacrifice they're all on the altar of surrender morning by morning that fire shall burn and not just in the morning, day by day my life is a living sacrifice for Him it's a complete sacrifice Listen to your prayers sometimes. Here's often what they sound like. [00:24:54] Not always, okay? Lord, go with me today in where I'm going and what I'm doing. Is that really a complete sacrifice? Many a complete sacrifice would maybe sound like this God, it's not my life I'm bought with the price, the blood of Jesus It's not my day, it's not my plan It's yours [00:25:26] Where are we going today, Lord? What is your plan for my life today? What do you have for me today? So often we're saying, God, I got it all mapped out I know where I'm going. Go with me, Lord. I think a sacrifice would sound more like this. God, it's not my life. I just see a man on an altar. There he is. He's an altar. And he's a sacrifice. He's a living sacrifice. It's not mine, Lord. [00:25:58] It's all yours. What do you have for me today? Where are we going, Lord? And you may go to work just as you planned. But your day may end up a little bit different than what you planned The fire of God falls upon a sacrifice And this is a beautiful thing Why do I say that? Let's go back to Leviticus chapter 10 When this fire came out from the Lord In verse 24 of Leviticus 9 Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them to his censer [00:26:33] And put fire therein, and put incense thereon and offered strange fire unto the Lord, which he commended them not. And there went out fire upon the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh to me and before all the people. I will be glorified and Aaron the father of these sons held his peace listen carefully [00:27:09] in this context of the Holy Spirit there's a lot of strange fire today I don't know if you're exposed to it or not but I am a lot of strange fire fabricated Mustard up It's not from the Lord at all The fire falls upon a sacrifice Where the fire of God in this immersed of a baptism Has burned up the chaff [00:27:40] Just as we read in Matthew chapter 3 A fire that consumes my self-life A fire that consumes my agenda A fire that consumes worldliness a fire that consumes lust, a fire that consumes me much of the fire out there that is proclaimed to be fire is strange fire, there's no sacrifice are you with me? it's fabricated, it's duplicated, it's copied if you would [00:28:13] let's be careful, healing campaigns, tongue campaigns I've seen them all, let's be careful, I don't want to judge them but the fire of God falls upon a sacrifice you know what a fire from the Lord came out and consumed them Aaron's sons and look what Moses said unto Aaron I will be sanctified in them this fire sanctifies you this fire sets you apart [00:28:44] this fire makes you holy this fire makes you like Christ sanctifies you It's not about you. It's about me. It's about the Lord. It's about His glory. It's about His heart. It's about His will. I will be sanctified in them, those that come nigh to me, and all the people, I will be glorified. Brothers when it comes and sisters when it comes to this baptism in the Holy Spirit [00:29:14] It always glorifies God It's not about me that I can speak in tongues And that I can do healing campaigns And I can do whatever It brings glory and honor to God People will see Jesus That's the baptism of the Holy Spirit That's the fire of the Holy Spirit It's not my life It's all about Him let me just drive it home there in Acts chapter 2 we quoted Acts 1.8 [00:29:45] but you shall receive power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you, you shall be witnesses unto me both Jerusalem, all of Judea Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world that was the promise, Acts chapter 2 it's fulfilled and there the disciples are in the upper room on the day of Pentecost and on each yes, the wind of the Holy Spirit another symbol, blew into the upper room and on top of them, what was it? What sat on top of their heads? Tongues of fire. Did you ever wonder what that's about? [00:30:16] Why the fire? It's exactly what we're speaking about, brothers and sisters. They were baptized with fire. And the fire of God was falling upon a sacrifice. Their lives were living sacrifices. Jesus They had forsook their boats They had forsook their nets Maybe some of us need to forsake some nets How many fishermen are there here? [00:30:48] Probably none But what about the net of basketball? Maybe it's pretty important to you The sports world What about the net of soccer? Nets I'm forgetting many of them The net of tennis The net of racquetball Nets Lots of nets in the sports world They had forsook their nets [00:31:21] Have you? Have I? They had forsook their homes I mean I'm just being practical they had forsook all to follow Christ their lives were not their own and then the fire fell brothers and sisters on a complete sacrifice I want to encourage you this morning don't seek the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seek the sacrifice [00:31:51] seek to be that empty vessel seek for a complete sacrifice they weren't necessarily praying for the Holy Spirit to come maybe they were but the fire of God falls upon a complete sacrifice the ball is in my court whoops, sounds like I'm a sports player but you got my point the ball is in my court it's up to me if I'm going to have that anointing [00:32:24] and that fire upon my life let's go and get another one of oil I'm sort of bebopping around here a little bit this morning my apology 2nd Kings 2nd Kings, let's go there another, by the way there is another picture there that you've just seen there in Leviticus a Holy Spirit picture of promise that the fire of God will fall on a complete sacrifice [00:32:55] 2 Kings chapter 4 Here we have another one on oil Another one on oil Symbolic of the Holy Spirit Verse 1 Here we have a certain woman The wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha saying Thy servant, my husband, is dead And thou knowest that thy servants did fear the Lord And the creditor is come to take unto him My two sons to be bondmen Here's the picture. Here's a widow woman. She has two sons. [00:33:28] She's been unable to pay her debt. She's in debt. And there's creditors that she owes to. She doesn't have a husband to help pay with the debt. And so the creditors are coming to take her two sons as bond slaves to pay her debt. She's very concerned about this debt. She goes to Elisha. And here's what Elisha said unto her. What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaiden hath not anything in the house, nothing. [00:34:01] Oh yes, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow not just a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door, come in thy house, thou shalt shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons and thou shalt pour out unto all those vessels and thou shalt pour us set aside that which is full. In other words, take that small vessel of oil that you have and fill all these vessels of oil. [00:34:33] So she went from him, Elisha, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons and brought the vessels to her and she poured out. And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said unto her sons, bring me yet a vessel and more and he said unto her the son said there's not a vessel more and the oil finally stopped then she told the man of God and he said go sell the oil and pay thy debt and live thou and thy children of the rest again I want to remind us that the [00:35:11] Oil is symbolic in the Old Testament of the Holy Spirit, a promise. Here we have an account of a woman who has a debt. She's unable to pay her debt. This debt, brothers and sisters, is symbolic of the debt that the church owes to those who have not yet heard the name of Christ one time. You see, Christ gave a great commission. [00:35:45] Go into all the world and preach the gospel. I'm going to empower you with the Holy Spirit to make you a witness. Beginning in Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. As long as the job is not complete, the commission as Christ gave it to the church, the church is in debt to the unreached. This debt, I suggest to you, is symbolic of the debt that we owe unto the unreached. [00:36:21] Paul spoke of this debt in Romans chapter 1, verse 16. Actually, it's verse 14. He tells the Romans that he would love to come unto them. That I might have some fruit among you Even as among other Gentiles But he says there's a reason I can't come He says I'm debtor Verse 14, Romans 1 I am debtor [00:36:52] Both to the Greeks and to the barbarians Both to the wise and the unwise Paul sensed that debt of the great commission as Christ gave it to the church He sent that to the unsaved. My question to you is, and I trust for many of you, you sense the same debt. And just as Elisha told this woman how that debt is going to be paid through the oil is how her debt was paid. [00:37:32] Likewise, that's how the church is going to pay its debt But you shall receive power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you And you're going to be a witness The church pays its debt through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit The same way that this widow woman paid its debt with the oil You know, I fear, you know, many times people tell me Over and over I hear it Brother, you talk a lot about missions and you pull missions all over the Bible. [00:38:06] He said, I don't sense a need. I don't even sense a burden. Debt? I don't know what you're talking about. I never sensed that debt. What's the problem? Tell you brothers and sisters, you get an anointing upon your life and that debt will become very keen to you. You'll become keenly aware of that debt. the anointing is the call the anointing is the awakening the anointing is the awareness [00:38:36] you know it grieves me that the church of Christ today many places, not everywhere is more acquainted with financial debt than this debt that Paul sensed and the picture that we see here in 2nd Kings chapter 4 Now let me quickly say I don't believe that God is calling everyone to go Some give by going Others go and work on that debt by giving [00:39:09] But all are called to give unto the Lord For His honor and for His glory This widow woman was keenly concerned about her debt She realized that she's not concerned about her debt If she's going to lose her son, oh that's a big one brothers and sisters. That's a big one for the church today. I'm not going to go there, but you put it together. If she would have not been concerned about that debt, she'd have lost her family. She'd have lost her son. Huge. Huge. [00:39:43] So she went to Elisha for help. What can I do? He said, what do you have in the house? She said, I don't have anything. The house is empty. Oh yes, there's a little bottle of oil. And Elisha says, that's all you need, sister. What do you have to pay your debt? I can't. I don't have no gifts. I don't have no ability. I don't even sense the burden. Do you have the Holy Spirit? That's all you need. He is the one that is going to pay your debt [00:40:14] when you give Him free course, full surrender, full yieldedness He's going to work it through you That's what Acts 1.8 says You're going to be empowered to become a witness beginning in your Jerusalem all of Judea, Samaria, the outermost parts of the world So, she does what He says She gets her son She goes all through the community She gets all these vessels Picture this in your mind I see huge pots they bring them all into the house they put them there in the house and she takes this little vessel [00:40:45] of oil I don't know how small it was and it just kept coming she filled the first pot she filled the next one and she filled the next one and it just kept coming oh what a picture of the abundant overflowing overpowering overwhelming ability of the Holy Spirit just kept pouring it out finally she gets to the last vessel and it's filling up and she says, sons, go get some more [00:41:18] get out there and get some more she said, mama, there are none we got all the vessels in the community in the village there are none and when the last pot was filled they were all full oh, what a picture of the abundant, overflowing ability of the Holy Spirit into empty vessels. Those vessels were empty. [00:41:53] Then she went to Elisha. Now what shall I do? Look what he says. Verse 7. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, go sell the oil and pay thy debt. There it is. Says it all. It was the oil that paid her debt. Likewise, you fully surrendering and being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit will pay your debt. [00:42:25] That you owe to the unreached. 6,000 approximately 6,700 people groups among 16,000 total that have never heard the name of Jesus the church is in debt the job is not done missions is not over the church still owes the debt 6,700 unreached people you see the oil was not for her [00:42:57] so many people claim the Holy Spirit for me me manifestations, miracles me and prove that I have the Holy Spirit no, the oil was for others she gave it to others to pay her debt that's the same thing that Jesus taught in Acts 1.8 to make you a witness for me, says Jesus it's not about you it's about me, says the Lord Jesus Holy Spirit power to turn you inside out and serve others giving your life to others others Lord others you can follow that through on almost every Bible picture of the Holy Spirit and I could stand up here for another two hours and showing you pictures of this it's for others not for me just like Jesus said in Acts 1 8 [00:43:57] and others, Lord. Oh, she got what was left over. Look what it says, verse 7. Go sell the oil, pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the balance. She got what was left over. Sure, there's some blessings in being filled with the Holy Spirit. There's joy and there's peace and there's love and there's goodness and many things. But it's the leftovers. the majority God wants to use to touch others [00:44:30] others Lord well my time is up you know it's amazing how the clock goes fast when you're having a good time amen there's nobody sleeping praise the Lord how can this overwhelming, overpowering, overcoming spirit be mine right here in this text I already said it but I want to say it again Those vessels were empty. They were filled with oil. Empty vessels. [00:45:04] God fills empty vessels. Are you with me? They were empty. Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5, I believe it is, Verse 18 Do not be drunk with wine I could talk about a long time how there's symbolism between a drunk man and a man that is filled with the Holy Spirit all positive, not negative [00:45:35] and I'm not talking about nonsense or foolishness I'm talking about positive things Time's up, I can't go there He says Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit God fills empty vessels On the day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, verse 4, the Bible says, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Once again, we already spoke about how they were living sacrifices. They had forsook all to follow Christ. [00:46:08] And then they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Repeatedly, as they kept putting all on the altar of sacrifice. It's not a once and done deal. I still have to wrestle with God. I've got to put it all on the altar This is not about me This is about Him I want to ask you a question Can God fill this vessel Like the woman, the widow woman Those vessels were filled with oil Can He fill this with all of Him? [00:46:41] Can He? I know you're back there pretty far Can He? Hello? Kenny? No. Why? Yeah, it's already full. Yeah, you're right. God can't fill this. There's an altar of sacrifice that needs to be loaded up. Keys. Keys. [00:47:14] Now, I'm willing to put this key. it's the rental car out there that's sitting at Harold's place and it's going to have a huge bill so I'll put it on the sacrifice you may have it but you're going to pay the bill keys symbolize authority power you guys got keys to your tractors trucks, cars, motorcycles snowmobiles, four wheelers you got keys to your business your farm [00:47:45] you got keys they are symbolic of authority they got to go on an altar a sacrifice the fire falls on a sacrifice money money it's easy to get caught in the love for money more it's not wrong to have money but when it becomes the almighty dollar [00:48:16] it's wrong it needs to go on the altar we need to come to the place that Peter did Peter and John as they went up to the temple Peter said to the man that was begging alms he said silver and gold have I none silver and gold have I none does that mean Peter didn't have any money in his pocket? no it means that it was not important to Peter at all Peter understood that money in that sense cannot change a heart and cannot change a soul [00:48:50] He said that which I have, and what was Peter full of? Peter was full of the spirit of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ He said that which I have, I mean he's just come out of the day of Pentecost I mean he was full of fire, he was full of the spirit of Christ That which I have I give to you, money It's not wrong to have money, it's not what I'm saying but we need to live our lives that it's already under our foot. In glory, money is going to be right down here. Sildon Gover under our foot. [00:49:23] Am I right? Streets of gold. It's under the foot. My life is a testimony of that already here on earth. Gold is under my foot. It's not important to me. My life preaches that. Oh, there's more stuff in here. Oh, what's this? That one could be two things. That thing probably will end up in a net. Am I right? I don't know if that's a baseball, soccer ball. [00:49:55] I guess baseballs don't have nets, does it? Sports! You know, I'm appalled at how important sports are to the church today. Sports is the god of this world. the God of this world Super Bowl Sunday World Cup I mean we were just in Nepal and it was the weekend of World Cup and all the Christians most all the Christians were more concerned about World Cup [00:50:25] World Cup is soccer by the way than they were about the Lord most all of them I'm not going to say all of them sports on the altar of sacrifice there's a rock in here maybe your heart is hard God has been speaking things to you about things in your life you're dull of hearing you have a hard heart, you're stiff necked you're not hearing you're not obeying it's got to go on the altar and there's some dirt in here just anything earthly [00:50:57] God fills empty vessels where the Lord becomes everything to me he is he is my all in all through all by all for his honor and his glory there's still a little bit of dirt in there my all goes on the altar of sacrifice everything he may give it back to you he may not can God fill this with all of him [00:51:31] yes God fills empty vessels it's contingent to you this baptism of the Holy Spirit it's contingent to me by putting it all on the altar and then being willing when he uses you and fills you others others Lord turns you inside out for others for His glory, for His eternal purposes, for His namesake. [00:52:06] It's all about Him, not me. That's the one that the fire of God falls upon. That's the one that God is going to use. Empty vessels filled with the Holy Spirit for His honor, for His glory, for His eternal purposes. It's all about Him. It's not about me. and my life, my plans, and my agenda. Let me say it again in closing. Some go by giving, others give by going, [00:52:43] but all are called unto the Lord to give, including your whole life. Let's stand. God our Father we thank you for these beautiful Holy Spirit pictures of promise already in the Old Testament and Lord we see them lived out by the [00:53:14] disciples in the book of Acts they lived it out Lord 3,000 saved 5,000 saved, multitudes saved and the disciples multiplied greatly Lord we know that that's because the early church had surrendered all put it all on the altar of sacrifice as we see it there in Acts chapter 2 and the fire fell and the gospel went forth with boldness and multitudes came to Christ [00:53:45] Do it again, Lord, right here in Michigan, world over. Lord, do it again. Lord, you may be speaking to those here this morning to load up the altar of sacrifice. Maybe it's keys, maybe it's sports, maybe it's just a full surrender in driving a spiritual state. Lord, that the fullness of the Spirit can be my portion. give them grace and boldness [00:54:16] to step out and say Lord Lord I want that fire I'm putting my all on the altar of sacrifice Lord you already promised the fire will fall and Lord I pray you would give them encouraging grace to step out and say yes Lord I'm putting my all on the altar I want to be a usable vessel filled with your spirit, the spirit of Jesus Christ for your honor and for your glory In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.