[0:00] Lord Almighty God, we serve. And I'm thankful for it. 2 Kings chapter 4. My daddy's going to be here in a couple weeks. My hero.
[0:11] My pastor. For 30 years. My spiritual father. My counselor. My role model. He's walked with the Lord. He made me want to be a pastor.
[0:23] I counsel so many young men and say, I don't ever want to be a pastor after I've seen either what happened to my father or the kind of man my father was. I'm telling you, I couldn't wait to be a pastor because of the dad and the mom.
[0:39] My mother. I believe my dad will be here by himself. I wish my mom could make it. But he's coming in. And then he's going to be here the next day afterwards. And then he's going to fly to Tallahassee. And he's going to see his family.
[0:50] My parents grew up in Tallahassee. So he's taking advantage of the opportunity to get this close. But my dad got saved at the age of 30. He's a businessman. Ran a nursing business. Contracted nurses in hospitals all over Northern Virginia.
[1:02] Played golf every Sunday. And my mother and his mother had found their way to Fairfax Baptist Temple, an independent fundamental Baptist church, predominantly white. But yet they were there.
[1:13] They talked him into leaving the golf course on a Sunday. July 22nd, 1970. I'm sorry. Well, it was actually probably March of 1976 on Easter Sunday. He walked in that church.
[1:24] Doesn't remember the message. But the pastor, Dr. Bud Calvert at the time, held his Bible up at the end of the service. He said, let me take a Bible and show you how to go to heaven. My daddy had never heard that before. And those words rang in his heart.
[1:35] Three months later, two soul winners from that church called the house on a Thursday night. Said to, we're from Fairfax Baptist Temple. He handed the phone to my mom. He said, it's got to be for you. She handed it back, said, it's for you.
[1:46] They will come see you. For some reason, he let them come. And 30, 45 minutes later, he baptized in trust Christ as Savior. Soon to preach two years later, enrolled in their Bible institute that I think they started to train him.
[2:00] And then planted the church in 1981, northwest Washington, D.C. in a banquet room of a Howard Inn hotel, where the nursery was a hotel room and several members.
[2:10] And then two years later, we moved to Northern Virginia. And he faithfully, faithfully pastored the Crossroads Baptist Church for 30 years. That was the honor of my life to stand where he stood on the same platform and pastor that church.
[2:22] And to pastor him, mom and daddy sit right on the second row when they're in town, right there. Daddy sits there like a proud father watching his son hit a home run.
[2:34] And mama sits there like a proud boss saying, boy, if you mess up, I'll beat you like I did before. And she looks over her glasses like this.
[2:45] And she's just old school. We listened to the choir sing. Mama watched the ladies walk down. Amen. Y'all know what I'm talking about.
[2:57] And we're shouting over the song. Mama said, mm. And she reads through the Bible about five times a year. She walks with the Lord. Three battles of cancer.
[3:09] And still here by the grace of God. And I'm so proud. I want to say that I'm so proud of my parents. God forbid. God forbid. I go wrong. God forbid.
[3:20] I've been too blessed to be a mess. 2 Kings 4. 2 Kings 4. Would you stand on your feet with me for the reading of God's word, if you could? 2 Kings chapter number 4.
[3:36] Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elijah. Elisha, rather, saying, thy servant, my husband, is dead. And thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and that the creditor has come to take unto him my two sons to be bond men.
[3:54] And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me what hast thou in the house. And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go borrow thee vessels abroad.
[4:08] If all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow not a few. When thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
[4:22] So she went from him and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. It came to pass. When the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel.
[4:35] He said unto her, There is not a vessel more than the oil state. Then she came and told the man of God. He said, Go sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live, and thy children of the rest.
[4:54] Let the church say amen. Our Father, we pray God that you help us in these moments tonight. I pray that as your vessel, you'd cleanse me of sin, that you would empty me of self, and that you'd fill me with your spirit.
[5:06] Help me to be a blessing to these, thy people. I believe, I believe, that you ordained, that on this day of March, 2019, I believe, I'm exactly, right now, where I'm supposed to be.
[5:21] I pray that you help me, and I pray that you use me, and I pray that you use everybody in the building, that we might do a work for God. Billions of people all over the world, lost, and on their way to a devil's hell.
[5:33] I'm glad tonight, that I didn't have to come to a missions conference, to find out that there are missionaries, that are going out, and reaching the world. Bless every one of them, to raise support, to get to the field, to have receptive hearts, and to do the work to which you've called them.
[5:48] Now, ordain this time, give me unction to function, and help me to be a blessing. Bind the devil, keep him out of this place, that he might not handle the work of the Holy Ghost of God. For my wife and children, up the road, I pray you'll watch over them, until I get back tonight, and would you use us, for thy glory, and for our good.
[6:04] In Jesus name, amen, amen. You may be seated. Thank you so much for standing. I love this story, in the word of God. It has encouraged me, over the years, and here lately, it seems to encourage me, more and more.
[6:19] I love the story, because it highlights, and reminds us, about some things about God, that sometimes, we tend to forget. The main thrust, that I want us to be reminded about tonight, about God, is this very thing.
[6:35] He will provide. Let me say that again. He will, oh preacher, that's so elementary, that's so rudimentary. Listen to me now. We go through life, and the hustle and bustle of time, and we battle the devil, and we war with this flesh, and we deal with this world.
[6:51] We're in it, but we're not of it, and yet we walk through it. Sometimes we get back home, and we feel so filthy, so contaminated, so bombarded, so bombarded, so pulled, and so pressured, and we look at the news, and we observe the economy, and we look at the debates, and politics, and we look at the paradigms, as they shift, and the statistics, as they predict, and we look at what the devil, seems to be winning in, and how the saints of God, seem to be losing, and somehow, through the midst of all, of that gobbledygook, we forget, that there is still, a God in heaven, who has not lost control, of what's happening, he has not handed over, the reins of authority, to Satan, and sin, he is just as much God, just as much capable, just as much credible, just as much authentic, just as much authoritative, as he always been, when he put the stars in place, and the moon in space, and the sun hanging on nothing, that it never falls down, when he parted the red sea, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, forgave the debtors, made the blind see, the lame walk, the dumb talk, and the deaf hear, he had all power, but in 2019, he still does, yes he does, and we believe, he shut the mouths, of the lions, so they couldn't bite Daniel, we believe, he took the heat, of the fire away, so it couldn't burn, those boys, don't we, we believe, he raised Jairus daughter, back to life, we believe, he calmed that raging storm, don't we, we believe, he took a lunch, for one boy, and fed 5,000 men, beside women, and children, with 12 doggy bags, left over, we believe it, we believe it, we believe it, baskets for some of you, theologians, but I'm just simply saying, we believe it, we believe it, but somehow, when that God, gets brought into our life, we bring him in, with some predetermined, limitations, yeah Daniel, yeah David, yeah Paul, yeah Silas, yeah Saul, these guys,
[8:49] I'm telling you, he's the same God, for us, he will provide, and if every day, we needed him, to provide, is this day, I'm troubled, about the direction, of our world, our country, I will tell you something, I am less troubled, about the direction, of our country, than I am about the direction, of the New Testament church, okay so, I'm not going to spend, all my time, trying to fix Congress, I'm a pastor, I'm concerned, about men, women, and boys, and girls, who are born again, by the spirit of God, not a corruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abided forever, and dwelt, by the holy ghost of God, they've been washed, in the blood, I'm talking about heaven bound, their names, are written down, in the lamb's book, of God's their father, Jesus their savior, the holy ghost, their comforter, and the word of God, is their guide, I'm concerned, that people, who knew God, and that God, lives inside of them, don't really believe, God can provide, I'm telling every missionary, standing on this platform, you don't, you don't, not my churches, hey, not my pastors, I'm telling you,
[9:49] God will provide, he'll use churches, and he'll use pastors, but I'm telling you, God will take care of you, faithful is he, who called you, now look at this story, in second Kings chapter four, he will provide, but there's, there's a pattern here, there, there are some imperatives here, every missionary, wants to go to the field, no question about it, this young man, wants to preach, someday, pastor, be a missionary someday, don't you think, that's a good thing, there's young people, in here today, there's Spanish folk, in here, Chinese folk, in here, well don't you think, they're here tonight, because they, they want to do something, for God, I mean people show up, on church on a Thursday night, I mean they're not just, trying to punch the clock, I mean they're trying, to do something for God, I'm here to tell you, God will provide, but I'm telling you, there are some imperatives, in this story, God's got to do it, but that doesn't mean, we get to do nothing, now notice, in second Kings chapter four, God will provide, I want you to notice, the desperate individual, in our text, there cried a certain woman, of the wives, of the sons of the prophets, of Elisha, I want you to notice, how desperate she was, she was a woman, in emotional pain, she'd lost her husband, she'd lost her husband, those in the building, who've lost a spouse, could tell us like, we could not understand, that the emotional pain, of losing a spouse, is beyond description, can you imagine this woman, she didn't just lose her husband, he was a good man, he loved the Lord, she was in emotional pain, she was battling, something emotionally, that she could not prepare for, she was in an economic plight, she was broke, she didn't have money, to pay her bills, pain, and on a plight, she had an endearing past, she had served God, with the financial means, to do it, and now, she could not, and if that wasn't bad enough, her emotional pain, her economic plight, her endearing past, also presented her, with an extreme predicament, here came the creditors, to take her boys, and I'm telling you, after losing her husband, to think, she was about to lose her boys, her mind must have been, absolutely bombarded, as a pastor, as a Christian,
[11:47] I don't know, I don't know, if I've ever felt, like the people of God, are more desperate, than in these days, you read church prayer, listen, how many of them, are with people, that are just, plagued by diabetes, and cancer, struggling, with all kinds of sick, I'm talking about good people, I'm talking about good people, I'm telling you, when that doctor told us, that Natalie May, had triple negative breast cancer, my first thought was, no way, no no no, not her, not faithful, loving, godly, virtuous, virtuous, counseling, compassionate, selfless, soul winning, there's got to be, some other candidates, that deserve it, not her, I'm telling you, this is a good woman, in second king chapter four, she is not in this position, because of sin, she's in this position, because of the providence of God, somebody in the building tonight, cannot somehow, wrap your head around the fact, why you're living for God, and going through these problems, why you're standing for God, and going, listen to me, I know godly people today, who are on their knees, more than they've ever been, right now in their life, because the devil is trying, to take their kids,
[12:53] I mean they've raised their kids right, they've brought them in church, they've lived in exactly, listen to me, do you realize, you can teach your kids the right way, and they can get up one day, and choose to go the wrong way, what does a mom and daddy tonight say, when their husband, is watching his son, walk off from God, these parents are walking, they're watching their daughter, choose a lifestyle apart from God, they are desperate individuals, young men trying to serve God, without a daddy, it's desperate, but I'm glad, God provides for desperate individuals, the truth of the matter is, you may have a daddy, you may have a savings, and you may have a clean bill of health, but if you're going to do something for God, you're desperate too, I'm telling you, God has a way, of kind of prodding us to desperation, because we are so self-sufficient, we are so comfortable, we are so contingency planned, we always got a backup plan, we always got a fallback plan, we always got a way out the back door, can I tell you, she didn't have contingency, she didn't have fallback, and she didn't have a special door, if she didn't have God, she didn't have anything else,
[14:00] I know, it's a scary place to be, but it demands spirituality, maybe God is nudging you to desperation to that, you don't like where you are, because you can't control it, yeah, maybe you ought to let him control, desperate individual, notice number two, there's a direct inquiry that goes on, so she comes to the man of God, tells him her whole predicament, my husband died, I'm broke, you know he was a good man, they want my boys, they want my boys, show me a mama, that won't fight for a kid, something wrong with her, they want my boys, I mean mama's a fight to daddy for the kid, and the daddy's a good man, we had a bunch of people over our house one time, I mean we were fellowshipping, we had people over, after service, house full of people, cars all up the driveway, my wife's car, my car parked in the garage, cars all behind us, somebody must have given my son Kobe, something with peanuts in it, he's allergic, he started hiving up, all of a sudden, my wife realizes, her boy, her Kobe, the one that just loves mommy so much, got whips on his face, and somebody gave him peanuts, she grabbed that boy, she said, he's got to go to the hospital,
[15:15] I'm taking him, she grabbed him, she jumped in the car, started her car, about to put the car in a verse, I said, honey where you going, there's 15 cars behind you, you can't move the car, I don't care, I'm moving, I'm taking my son, give me the boy, give him some Benadryl, praise God, he's going to sleep for a change, hallelujah, he woke up the next day, and he was fine, I'm just trying to tell you, when something happens to her children, mama going to do something about it, she shows up to the man of God, let me tell you what's going on, and all of a sudden, the man of God, asked her this question, verse number two, what shall I do for thee, what shall I do for thee, it sounds like it's kind of cold, in a response, to ask this woman, what shall I do, but in so many words, he was saying to her, your husband passed away, your money is gone, your past is endeared, and they're coming to get your boys, and you've shown up to, a Baptist preacher, what you think I got, Elisha's not being cold, he is directing her attention, to the only one, who can do something about it, in other words, ma'am, did you come here, looking for help from me, or did you come here, looking for help from God, see I can't bring your husband back, and I can't give you money, to pay those creditors, and I can't take that emotional pain, away from you, but I know a God who can,
[16:39] I'd like to ask you, on a Thursday night in March, did you show up, so the preacher won't ask you, where you were, did you show up, because the ministry, can't function without you, so you think, did you show up, because you used to, showing up on Thursday nights, or did you show up, because that Bible, is full of precepts, and principles, and expectations from God, that you cannot fulfill, unless God gives you something, I'm here to tell you, God wants to find out, did we come looking for people, or did we come looking for him, why are you here, when you opened this book, this morning, and read, did you read to check it off, or did you read, because the only person, who can help you, out of your predicament, is the one who wrote this book, he wanted her, to have an admitted desire, but he also wanted her, to enter, into him, with an availability discussion, tell me, question number one, what do you want me to do for you, question number two, what you got, no, no, here comes a broke person, asking for help, and you ask the broke person, what you have, can you imagine, seeing somebody, on the side of the road, please, could you give me, just spare change, and you roll your window down, and say, how much change you got, hi I'm a missionary,
[18:13] I'm going across the field, I don't have, plane tickets, and visas, and support, and how much money, you got in your account, see, see, see, the question, really wasn't about, how much you had, the question was about, could God have it, it was an availability discussion, see we always like, to talk about, what we don't have, but we never want to talk, about what we do have, see God doesn't need, what you have, but you need God, to have it, come on now, I'm telling you, God is asking us, on a Thursday night, young man, I'm not asking you, what you don't have, I don't have a lot of this, and I don't have a lot of that, and I'm not eloquent, and I can't talk good, and I don't come from a family background, and I don't have a lot of churches, supporting me, and I don't have a lot of education, and I didn't make good, great, that's not what God wants to know, he's asking you tonight, what do you have in the house, where it's a little, hey God, specializes in doing a lot, with a little, I'm telling you, he wants to know, what do you have, Moses had a stick, amen, Abraham had anonymity, Peter had too much ambition, a whole lot of other people, had nothing,
[19:18] David had a slingshot, come on now, but God took little, and made much out of it tonight, I'd like everybody, to look in the inventory tonight, and answer this question, what do you have, how about a young lady, just a little bit of innocence, in a world full of imaging, can God have it, can God have you a little shy, see average, report card sale, can he have it, can God have your scared, inadequate, uncertain, soul tonight, come on, can God have your car, that's barely running, can God have your 10%, that in your mind, doesn't do much, for the missions program, at Vision Baptist Church, can I ask you a question, it's not about your dollar amount, it's about your percentage, can God have, what you have, I meet pastors, all the time, and every, it's always about, what they don't have, they don't have a large enough staff, they don't have a large enough building, they don't have a loyal enough people, they don't have enough seats, they don't have, a fancy enough bathroom, let me tell you something,
[20:27] God can take what you have, and make something of it, but I'm telling you, don't you ask him, for what you don't have, until you give him, what you do, so we're having, an availability discussion tonight, what you got, some of you come to church, listen, some of you come to church, and limit God's ability, to do anything in your life, because you sit down, and before the first song can start, you tell him, what you don't have, I don't feel good, I ain't have a good day, I don't really want to be here, I got a lot of work to do at home, I'm worried about the roast burning, in the oven, nobody asked you that, what did you bring tonight, what do you have, because that's what God's, going to work with, number three, detailed instructions, okay, removing, she's a desperate individual, she's given a direct inquiry, but now, detailed instructions, okay, a pot of oil, is it, no account, no credit, no rich friend, nobody owes you a favor,
[21:31] I mean, none of your husband's, buddies, no, just a pot, of oil, okay, here's what I want you to do, go borrow, vessels abroad, look at the verse, empty ones, borrow not a few, now wait a minute, she has no abracadabra, no wand, no hat out of which, she can pull oil, but I tell you what she does have, she got two legs, two hands, and she got sons, and even though them sons, can't whip up some oil, they can run up the street, and ask people for pots, now wait a minute now, listen to me, I'm trying to preach tonight, there's a whole bunch of people, that have put things down, on their prayer list, that only God can do, but while they're waiting for God, to do something, they refuse to do what they can, there's not a person, in the building, that can save anybody, but there's not a person, in the building, who cannot be a soul winner, there's not a person, in the building, that can make money multiply, but there's not a person, in the building, who should not be tithing,
[22:34] I tell a lot of people, don't get nervous, when I start talking about tithing, I haven't even started, talking about your money yet, the tithe is the Lord's, the tithe is the Lord's, hell I got a family member, that's not saying, that family member is going to die, and go to hell, and I don't understand, why they won't accept Christ, and it's been five years, since you've shared the gospel, five months, since you prayed, somebody sat down with me, said pastor, I think it's over, I think it's over, I don't think there's anything else, I can do, I just, I'm at my wit's end, I just don't think, I think we're just going to have to, just give up, and quit on this thing, because I just don't see any way, God can work it out, I looked at him and said, have you prayed about it, for 30 days in the world, no sir, you mean tell me, you're ready to tap out, on the possibility, of deliverance in this area, and the God of the universe, who has no limitation, hasn't even been asked, by you for 30 days in a row, did you eat those 30 days, did you drink, did you get on Facebook, did you watch TV, did you skip any of that, for any one of those days, out of 30, but you didn't talk to God, about it for 30 days, and you about ready, to check in, to spiritual depression, for an extended stay, come on now, don't you expect, like they say on ESPN, come on man, let me ask you a question, you really willing, to tell me, that God should do something, when you haven't done anything,
[23:59] I don't know about you, our midweek services, when we have our prayer list, people phone in prayer list, they text in prayer, they email in prayers, they call in prayers, every once in a while, I tell them, do you realize, that Crossroads Baptist Church, every Wednesday night, prays for you, and I've yet to see you come, and pray for yourself, you on everybody's prayer list, but you're on, but you're waiting on God, maybe while you're looking, at your watch waiting on you, he's looking at his, waiting on you, you're waiting on him, I don't know when God's, going to answer my prayer, and God's saying, I don't know when, you're going to borrow some vessels, I can't save anybody, but I can soul win, I can't change anybody, but I can pray, come on, I can't produce support, but I can go on deputation, by the grace of God, that requires personal aggression, if you're taking those, borrow, not a few, borrow a bunch, and borrow, empty vessels, personal aggression, private attention, bring what you borrow, back in the house, shut the door, and have time with God, I'll tell you, all of the personal aggression, that we do for God, is never a substitute, for private attention, do what you do for God, as often as you can, but make sure you take time, shut the door, and get along with God, by yourself, and then, persuaded activity, pour, okay, let's backtrack, what you got, one pot of oil, okay, go down the road, and talk to all your neighbors, and get a bunch of pots, with nothing in it, yes sir, y'all heard him boys, go get the pots, yes ma'am, pots back, pots in, door shut, one pot's got oil, bunch of pots got nothing, now listen to what the man of God said, pour into all of them, are you missing something,
[26:04] I have one pot with oil, and a bunch of pots with no oil, how in the world, is that one pot, gonna fill up, them other pots, listen to me, she hadn't even gone, and got the vessels yet, she's just listening to instructions, can I tell you, second Kings four, wouldn't have even got to the end of the chapter, without faith, without faith, see, see, see, you can't wait on oil to move, you got to move on faith, because if you don't move on faith, you'll never get oil, come on, and there's some people of God, that will move, as soon as God gives evidence, the problem is, that's not faith, and whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, without faith, it is impossible to please God, he that believe, he that cometh to God, must believe that he, is, and that is a rewarder of him, that diligently seek it, can I ask you a question, what are you waiting for God to do, before you move, what are you waiting for God to give, before you move, what are you waiting for God to show, before you move, what are you waiting for God to calculate, before you move, what are you waiting for God to budget, before you move, you've got to believe, that God can do it, when you don't have it, and then put aside, that which you have, notice number four, divine intervention,
[27:12] I'm almost done, you know, what I noticed about this story, it took us to the fourth point, for God to get involved, do you realize, we're three points into this story, and God has done nothing, the woman had a problem, she went to the man of God, the man of God, told her what to do, and now, she's going to do, what the man of God did, and only after all that happens, does God get involved, proper obedience, she borrowed, she brought him in, she shut the door, can I tell you, that God still honors obedience, I know we're living in a day and age, we spend more time on holding mics, and vibrato, and songs, and looking good, and by the way, when you do something for God, you ought to be the best you can be, amen, I mean, it's not American Idol, but good gracious alive, it ain't just anything goes either, I mean, we ought to be practicing, we ought to be memorizing, we ought to be preparing, bless God, if you don't want to practice, for the recital, don't come up here, and make us listen to you, fumble through in church, amen, you ought to treat God, like he deserves excellence, but I want to tell you, we better get out of this mindset, in the Christian life, that obedience doesn't matter, it does matter, it still pays to obey, it still pays to follow instructions, it still pays to do what God said, and in this passage, she engaged in proper obedience, and that my friend, ushered in a providential outcome, notice what the Bible says, she poured out, oh, preacher,
[28:47] I'd love to have been there, oh my soul, I'd love to have been one of them sons, okay mama, we got them all laid out here, all these vessels, ain't nothing in none of them, nothing, and then she takes this one pot, and just keeps, they're handing them to her, pouring, pouring, next one, pouring, next one, pouring, pouring, can you imagine them boys, by the way parents, it pays when your kids, watch you obey God, I'm telling you what, listen, I've been the boy, handing mom and daddy the pots, with my mouth wide open, where they getting that oil from, I've watched daddy get beat up, by people he loved, and mount a pulpit, and thought, where'd he get that oil from, the way that man, he poured his life into, treated him, how in the world, is he standing up there, with love and compassion, and the feeling of God, where'd he get that oil from, you know what they said to me, I reckon, it's good that daddy knows, how to obey God, I watched mama go through, 360 hours of chemotherapy, and not miss a beat, I watched her go through, a major surgery, after she had her last reoccurrence, and she told me, on a Sunday morning, after major reconstruction, that she was a little sad, and discouraged, and she didn't feel good, and as she was up in Chicago,
[29:58] I said mama take the medicine, that's what you're supposed to do, when you don't feel good, she said I'm not feeling bad, because of pain, I'm feeling bad, because the first time, since you were born in the hospital, I'm missing church on a Sunday, this was after three bouts of cancer, you know what it said to me, I reckon obedience matters, where'd she get that oil from, mama still pouring, they must have looked at each other, mama still pouring, go figure, mama still pouring, hand me another one boys, mama still pouring, hand me another one boys, mama still pouring, hand me another one boys, mama still, come on boy, give me another, mama still pouring, no, have it, ain't no more mama, what?
[30:43] That's it, everything we borrowed, God filled, amen, that's providential, I'm telling you obedience matters, young men, don't fall in love, with the thrill, of being in public, and preaching, and signing somebody's bible, don't fall in love, with Facebook followers, and Instagram followers, don't fall in love, with your name on a flyer, fall in love with obedience, meeting God every morning, walking with him, fall in love, with personal integrity, fall in love, with dotting I's and T's, that the people in the crowd, can't see you dot, or cross, but God can, because I'm telling you, the filling of the oil, from almighty God, doesn't come from putting on a show, that impresses the audience, it comes from obeying your maker, amen, amen, there's a particular observation, that I don't want you to miss tonight, and this is the part of the story, that's convicted me, more than any of it, guess, how many, vessels, she filled, the amount she borrowed, here's where we failed God, we don't put off, put out enough pots,
[31:55] I've been in church services, where I could tell, five minutes in, by the way the pastor was talking, at the beginning of service, we ain't gonna get much oil, oh, see glad to see y'all here tonight, well it's kind of, midweek service, a lot of our people, don't make it on midnight service, come on up here, a little single or something choir, you know, a lot of been going through traffic, they really don't, they can't sing that good, you know, so when's tonight, he's looking at me, you know, so let's do the best you can, our people don't really go to the altar, so don't you be disturbed, I wouldn't go either, if you get up there, every Sunday as a pastor, and every Wednesday as a pastor, and put out, a little thimble full, and tell people, we sure want God to show up, if he really wants to, and by the way, I'm preaching, but I really didn't have much time, this week, so I'm gonna just, give a little something, something to you, no wonder God doesn't send oil, he don't have nothing to pour it into, since 2018, and going into 2019, did you put out any new pots, are you dreaming, and some people say, oh preacher,
[33:04] I got pots all over my house, yeah, but they're all full, full of you, full of your plans, full of your intentions, how's God gonna pour into something, that's already got mess in it, I tell you what, if you'd spend time getting empty, before you walk in that auditorium, maybe you'd leave full, amen, amen, amen, we got so many churches, full of people, full of themselves, so many pulpits, full of preachers, full of themselves, no wonder God doesn't fill the church, the preacher's so full of himself, God help us, it's made me look back over my life, and say maybe I got less, because I put out less, maybe, maybe, but wait a minute, here come revival, staff meeting, all right y'all, get all the pots you can get, we have a big meeting, people gonna be here, put out pots, when it comes to church cleanliness, put out pots, when it comes to the big choir songs, put out pots, when it comes to what we set up on stage, put out pots, when it comes to how we do the brochures, put out pots, and listen,
[34:08] I know you, I know you brother, you don't never, ever, ever, ever, ever wear a tie, but this is big service, buy a tie, put out pots, you know what we teach our people to do, that God only pours on big services, and then there's a Sunday night, when a church member comes in desperate, can you hold that desperation, two months till revival, and I asked you a question, you got up read your Bible this morning, how many pots you put out, well no I didn't put out any, I'm reading in Ecclesiastes, I'm saving my pots for Psalms, several years ago, I preached through the book of Ecclesiastes, and a preacher showed up, he said, Dr. Baldwin, I've heard you preach, whatever he called me, I've heard you preach all over, in a bunch of places, and he said, we brought our young people down, about 90 of them, on a senior trip, to visit your church, on a Wednesday, they won't be here on Sunday, he said, what I admire about you, is you were preaching, as hard as I've ever seen you preach, in Ecclesiastes tonight, on a Wednesday, just like when you're preaching, at a big meeting, in the summer, you know why, because you never know, what somebody needs, on a Wednesday night, and here I am, several years later, sitting at Papadou, on a Thursday night, and a young man,
[35:43] I've never met says, the message that, you preached that meant, so much to me, is Ecclesiastes 10, just a couple hours ago, I'm not bragging on me, but I'm glad, that on Wednesdays, in Ecclesiastes, we still put pots out, the four times, I walked into a different church, and God circled a young man, out of hundreds of people, said he needs a daddy, bring him in your home, I'm glad I had a pot out, those boys have become my sons, they're all called to preach, one's getting ready, to start a church, a week after this coming Sunday, in Dayton, Ohio, one's at Pensacola, I just left him yesterday, finishing up his last year, of Bible college, one's in Ohio, called to preach, one's in Indianapolis, called to preach, I'm glad I wasn't just blowing in, and doing my big name preacher thing, I might have gotten a love offering, but I might have missed some oil, and I have to go back, and go how many times, did I just kind of, put a little one pot out there, just to say I did, or none at all, could I close the message, there was a desperate individual, there was a direct inquiry, there were detailed instructions, there was divine intervention, and there was a delightful, inevitability, an amazing supply, when they were full, aren't you glad, that God doesn't just, put a drop in there, he fills it, he's a filling God, he doesn't give you a sample, he fills the bucket,
[37:16] I'm telling you, his hand is not short, his ear is not heavy, he's looking for empty vessels, to fill, an amazing supply, the appropriate service, this woman must have been shouting, I'm going to keep my boys, I'm going to keep my boys, I'm going to pay my bills, I'm going shopping, and the man of God, must have thought, yes you're going to shop, yes you're going to be okay, yes God came through, but yes pay your bill, don't get so happy in Jesus, over his blessings, that you forget your responsibilities, we had some people, on the prayer list, to get a car, they got it, drove everybody to church, we had some young men, pray that they go to Bible college, went to Bible college, and acted a fool, we've had some singles, we pray they get a spouse, they get a spouse, and do less for God, make sure while you're shouting, over the blessings of God, you go pay your bill, amen, thank God for the raise, are you tithing off of it, thank God for getting you, out that hospital bed, and giving you good health, are you coming back, to the church that prayed for you, while you were in there,
[38:22] I've had people on the prayer list, we were praying, that God would get them out to bed, and I see them on Facebook, somebody tells me, they're in the shopping mall, I wish we could have used that prayer, on somebody else, here we're telling the people, you can't walk, and you're walking through everywhere, but church, pay your bill, we prayed for you to get it, so you can give it to who, you owed it to, now you got it, now give it to the God, you owe it to, the absolute sufficiency, and live, off the rest, I don't think this woman, got rich that day, I really don't, I don't, I just think that every time, she went back, there was oil, isn't God able, in these last days, I've said this, as often as I can think, I have never enjoyed, serving God, any more than I enjoy, right now, and yet I've never felt, more under pressure, any more than right now, these are the last, of the last days, and men of God, are dropping, they ain't dropping, because God ran out of oil, if anybody tells you that, bust them in his head, and tell them, it was in the name of Jesus,
[39:48] God has not run out of oil, the world has not gotten too bad, for God to save people, okay, he hadn't, he hadn't just decided, I ain't calling nobody else, to preach, because they're getting on my nerves, it's not happening, it's not what happened, I get so sick and tired, of all people talk about, is what God used to do, I remember the day, I remember the day, I don't, okay, and I wasn't there, and I don't, I sound like you exaggerating anyway, but I remember the day, I remember, God bless you, chocolate chip cookie for you, praise the Lord, somewhere along the line, preacher, we stopped setting out pots, I'm glad, that in Alpharetta, Georgia, there's a preacher, still setting out pots, Papa and I were riding over tonight, we were talking about you, and, he said, oh, brother Gardner, oh, brother Gardner, a lot of people say, brother Gardner, brother Gardner's, straight on there, this, brother Gardner's, picky about this, brother Gardner stands here, on the, he said, you know what I like about him, he getting something done,
[41:00] I looked at him, I said, I do too, I'm so sick of preaching, all he do is talk, what are you doing, what are you doing, I mean, are you going to preach the great commission, are you going to do something about it, you're going to keep telling everybody, the mission of the church is missions, the mission, we got worldwide evangelization, what are you doing, have you sent out a man, have you trained anybody, I know Bible colleges today, bless God, we need people to go out and start churches, and you call, you get a guy out of your church, and you call him, we only support the people, that are affiliated with us, I like a man that's doing something, yeah, yeah, I want him on my team, I'm going to be on his team, I'm going to be on the team, I like a man that says, let's meet for dinner, and you show up there, and he's got a couple young men in there, he says come on, you ride with me, eat what you want, because I want you to be impacted, I've been some places, they don't like that, they're too afraid, that the young man might like me, more than like him, what about the kingdom of God, what about souls, what about his purpose, whoever's going to get him to his purpose, who cares,
[42:10] God's the one that gives the increase, I like a man that's doing something, what are you going to do teenager, sit around and talk about how bad the world is, and they're putting the same gender, in the same bathroom, and all your friends think you're weird, because you dress modestly, and it's just too hard to find a good guy, if you're going to be so virtuous, are you going to do something, amen, are you going to do something, or just bewail the world, let's do something, go put some pots out, you can't produce oil, but you can sure give God, somewhere to drop it into, and I pray to God, in these last days, that he can find an empty vessel, in me, father thank you, thank you Lord, thank you that you're doing something, what about us though, God are you the hold up, no, it's always us, thank you so much, thank you so much, thank you so much, and thank you so much, thank you so much, and thank you so much, it's always us, to meet with us, and thank you so much, thank you so much, you're going to be here, yes,
[43:33] I love you, thank you so much, you're going to ask me if I'm in, soriggs, but I'll be here a little video,