Do You Have Oil?

6. WE MUST LEAD OUR KIDS INTO EXPERIENCING THE SUPERNATURAL FOR THEMSELVES! That’s what happened to the widow’s boys. They saw the miracle for themselves. They became believers in Jehovah for the rest of their lives, because they were a party to what God did. They saw it with their own eyes! Your kids need to see it!

7. The devil wants our young people. Fathers, be careful not to major on criticizing them; they need your love & prayers.

C. THE WIDOW WENT TO GOD IN HER TROUBLE

1. It’s important that this widow went to God in her trouble. She didn’t go to the banker, or the psychiatrist, or to the politician, or to the pharmacy for “mother’s-little-helpers;” she went to seek God for the answer to her needs!

2. We Christians should “cast our burdens upon the Lord!” We should “know from whence cometh our help, our help cometh from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!” If you’ve got a problem, take it to the Lord! He has the answers!

II. “WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?”

A. THE APPARENT LACK OF RESOURCES

1. Some of you are saying, “I don’t have any resources to meet my need.” This widow, when asked what she had in her house answered, “Nothing except a little oil.”

2. WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING IN OUR HOUSE. It may seem like nothing to us, but God can see the potential we can’t. We all have something God can use to help us.

3. When she said, “Nothing but a jar with a little oil” the prophet said, “That ‘something’ is the miracle in your house today!” Her nothing was God’s something!

B. ILLUS. OF THE McILHENNY FAMILY

1. Edmund McIlhenny was a man in the 1800’s who married Mary Eliza Avery of Avery Island, LA. The island produced salt from a mine and they raised cattle and food on their farm.

2. During the Civil War, Union troops under General Nathaniel Banks invaded the island and destroyed the mine, livestock, and farm (in the early 1860’s).

3. The McIlhenny family was living hand to mouth. One of the few things left on this ruined farm were some plants that had reseeded themselves in the garden.

4. So McIlhenny started experimenting with these plants to make a sauce to help the taste of the food they were left with. What plants had survived? Jalapeno peppers.

5. Using the provision that God had left him, McIlhenny began to produce a sauce he called Tabasco Pepper Sauce. It was quickly picked up and became a staple all over the United States.

6. Sometimes we don’t realize what we have around us or how God can use it for blessing!

C. DO WE HAVE THE WRONG THING IN OUR HOUSE?

1. If we want God to work in our house, we must be careful what we have in our house. Some things can keep God from working in our house.

2. DO WE HAVE WORLDLINESS IN OUR HOUSE?

a. Many Christians want the best of both worlds.

b. We want to have God on Sunday, and then on Monday thru Friday we want a little alcohol, a little profanity, a little TV filth, a little pornography. One minister preached on it and 21 church men confessed.

3. “Master” is the Greek word from which we get our word “despot.” It emphasizes Christ’s absolute lordship. In 2 Tim. 2:21, Paul talks about dirty vessels not being useful to the Master, except for purposes that you don’t want to think about. Have you ever been in a restaurant and received a dirty plate, glass or fork? Would you want to eat with a dirty utensil? Of course not. You’d demand a clean fork or plate.