2 Kings 4

Introduction:

•Have your ever felt like you

were running on empty?

•In our text, 2 Kings 4:

•A man died

•Left his wife penniless

•She had no husband/money/food

•She had two sons, the creditors

were about to take as slaves…

•In her emptiness she learned

something about nothing!

Introduction:

• Empty is the key word in this story.

• Elisha sent her to get more emptiness.

She had a lot of emptiness but not

enough!

• He’s saying, I want you to see what

God can do with emptiness.

• Story continues… God fills all the

emptiness! What happens next? v.6 b

• God meets the various needs of His

people. He never fails! Mt. 6:33

Spiritual Application:

• Premise: If you are not experiencing

God’s presence in your life, it may be

that you’re not empty enough!

• In John 6 “Empty stomachs”

• Four plans: One chosen

• Take the little boy’s lunch, and

demonstrate that little is much when

God is in it!

• Showing the multitudes that only

God can fill their emptiness.

Spiritual Application:

• In John 2 God filled some empty water pots at a

wedding feast.

• The joy the world has to offer is only temporary!

It always runs out, and you’re left feeling empty.

• “The best day you’ll ever spend in sin is the 1st day”.

Heb. 11:25; Prov. 14:13; 20:17

• But Jesus gives a miraculous joy that never ends!

The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows

• Are you experiencing intimacy with Christ on a daily

basis? If not, it may be you’re not empty enough!

Intimacy with Christ is poured into a

vessel that has been:

• Emptied of sin - Is. 59:1-2

• Intimacy is an impossibility if we harbor sin in

our lives.

• Before this intimacy can flow like oil, there

must be recognition of sin, confession of sin,

and forsaking of sin. Ps. 66:18

• Not sinless perfection, but that you don’t have

an ongoing sin in your life that you’ve just

learned to tolerate.

Intimacy with Christ is poured into a

vessel that has been:

• Emptied of Self

• Total and complete surrender and intimacy with

Christ go hand in hand.

What happens when a Christian empties self?

• They are filled w/ Spiritual understanding! Jn. 7:17

• Nothing blinds your spiritual vision like self-will.

• Nothing clears spiritual blindness like total surrender!

Galatians 2:20; 6:14

What happens when a Christian empties self?

• They are filled with joy!

– Jn. 15:10 -11 Yes, total surrender and joy

go hand in hand!

• There’s no joy in being a half-hearted

Christian.

• Make a total surrender of self to God and you’ll

have joy unspeakable!

What happens when a Christian is emptied of self?

• They are filled with God’s intimate presence!

John 14:21

The oil of intimacy is only poured into a vessel that has

been emptied of sin, emptied of self and…

• Emptied of Substitutes – Don’t try to substitute, service for surrender or

work for worship, Martha becomes a Mary when she

drops her “to do list” and falls at the feet of Jesus!

Luke 10:38-42

Intimacy with Christ is poured into a

vessel that has been:

Conclusion:

• Running on empty?

• Empty yourself of sin, self,

and all the substitutes!

• Then ask God to fill you

and use you!