Brief Summary
This sermon emphasizes the importance of maintaining a constant connection with God and living a life that reflects His light. It warns against complacency and encourages believers to actively fill their "lamps" with the "oil" of the Holy Spirit through prayer, scripture reading, and righteous living. The sermon also addresses the need for personal responsibility, urging listeners to avoid blaming external factors for their spiritual state and to strive for genuine holiness.
- Importance of personal responsibility in maintaining spiritual fullness.
- Warning against complacency and the need for constant connection with God.
- Encouragement to live a life that reflects God's light and truth.
Introduction and Prayer
The speaker opens with a prayer, asking for the anointing of the word to the listeners' ears, hearts, homes, and the church. He emphasizes the importance of hearing what the Spirit of God is saying and asks for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, mercy, and grace to be released upon the people. The prayer concludes with a request for the people to not just hear a good message but to live a godly life because of the authority of the word.
Ministering Unto the Lord
The speaker highlights the significance of ministering to the Lord through singing, praying, dancing, shouting, flagging, and kneeling. He clarifies that preaching is also a ministry to the Lord, ensuring that if he ministers to God properly, he can minister to the congregation effectively. The speaker then introduces the sermon series on "hitting the mark," referencing the previous week's discussion on the four types of individuals represented by the four soils of the heart.
Understanding the Parable of the Lamp
The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the parables of Jesus, particularly the one about the lamp. He cautions against viewing the Bible through an Americanized lens, advocating for understanding it through the lens of Jewish culture to grasp its true meaning. The speaker stresses that the Bible is not just a science, math, or history book, but the God-breathed source of life and abundance. He highlights the need to apply the word of God to our hearts and laments the lack of obedience to James 1:22 in many churches.
The Candle and the Lampstand
The speaker reads Mark 4:21-22, where Jesus asks why a lamp would be brought to be put under a bushel or a bed instead of on a lampstand. He explains that the "candle" Jesus refers to is actually an oil lamp, not the modern beeswax candle. He uses historical context and artifacts, such as ancient oil lamps, to illustrate this point. The speaker references Matthew 25, where the wise virgins ensure their lamps are full of oil, emphasizing that the lamp is only as good as the oil it contains.
The Importance of Being Full of Oil
The speaker notes that many people desire to shine for the Lord but lack the commitment to being full of oil. He explains that a dry wick will only burn momentarily, likening it to those who start strong in their faith but quickly fade away. The speaker emphasizes that keeping one's vessel filled with oil requires a cost, including potential rejection from friends, family, and even church communities. He connects this to the "man plan," questioning why seemingly simple principles require such a deep level of commitment.
Avoiding Hiddenness and Complacency
The speaker warns against hiding one's light, stating that a godly public life reflects an even more godly private life. He cautions against spiritual complacency, using the analogy of putting a lamp under a bed to represent those who are asleep to their spiritual dryness. The speaker encourages listeners to wake up from their spiritual slumber and avoid hitting the "snooze button" on life. He shares a message from Twitter where someone felt uncomfortable with their spiritual state after hearing him speak, considering it a sign of success.
The Consequences of Spiritual Emptiness
The speaker emphasizes that nothing is hidden and that one's true nature will eventually be revealed. He explains that those who are burning brightly for the Lord will illuminate the darkness in their own lives and the lives of others. The speaker references Numbers 32:23, stating that "your sin will find you out." He criticizes the church for often conditioning people to cover their tracks instead of living in true light.
The Leaky Vessel
Using an ancient oil lamp as a visual aid, the speaker explains how people often become "leaky vessels." He describes how small compromises, such as spending time on the phone instead of praying or harboring unforgiveness, can gradually drain the oil of the Holy Spirit. The speaker urges listeners to respect the value of the oil they receive and to avoid emptying themselves on irreverent, foolish things.
Living in Disobedience
The speaker condemns the American church's comfort with disobedience, listing examples of sinful behaviors such as lying, drinking, doping, and engaging in illicit thoughts. He challenges listeners to live holy and righteous lives, seeking counsel from those who are also living righteously. The speaker criticizes pastors who avoid addressing controversial issues and emphasizes the cost of his own "oil," refusing to waste it on immature or disloyal individuals.
The Value of God's Substance
The speaker reiterates that when one's lamp is full and burning brightly, all things will be made manifest. He connects this to deliverance, explaining that the light exposes darkness. The speaker encourages listeners to embrace the light, as it clears the conscience and allows one to live without shame or guilt. He shares that his preaching style is influenced by his old-school grandfather, emphasizing his commitment to speaking the truth, regardless of who it offends.
Personal Responsibility and Holiness
The speaker urges listeners to take personal responsibility for their decisions and to avoid blaming others for their spiritual state. He uses the analogy of an old couple in a car, where the wife blames the husband for their lack of closeness, but he points out that she is the one who moved away. The speaker emphasizes that one is as close to God as they want to be and as holy as they choose to be.
Authenticity and Striving for Perfection
The speaker emphasizes the importance of authenticity and warns against playing games with demons. He references Matthew 5:22, encouraging listeners to strive for perfection, even though they will have bumps and inconsistencies along the way. The speaker reiterates that God will not continue to fill those who disrespect what He puts in them and that believers have a responsibility to live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Numerical Growth vs. Spiritual Power
The speaker contrasts numerical growth with spiritual power, noting that many churches focus on filling buildings with crowds but lack the oil of the Holy Spirit. He recounts his own experience with programs aimed at doubling church attendance and shares that he had to make a choice between pleasing consumers and feeding the sheep. The speaker emphasizes that he would preach the same message even if only two people showed up, as he is committed to filling the people who choose to stay as the remnant.
The Worst is Yet to Come
The speaker challenges the "double for your trouble" prophets, stating that the worst is yet to come. He explains that all hell is about to break loose, but when it does, heaven comes down. The speaker reiterates his goal of preparing people and filling their oil, even if it means giving them 12 principles for 153 days. He emphasizes that spiritual growth is a personal responsibility and that wives should not have to beg their husbands to be spiritual.
The Process and the Power
The speaker emphasizes that everyone desires power, but few are willing to undergo the necessary process. He explains that the process involves humiliation, embarrassment, repentance, humility, and confession. The speaker warns that receiving power without the process can be destructive, as one cannot respect the power without it. He reiterates that all things will come to light and that sin will be exposed.
The Story of the Railroad Worker
The speaker shares a story about a railroad worker whose job was to warn oncoming trains of obstructions on the track. One night, he failed to light his lamp before waving it, resulting in a collision and loss of life. The speaker uses this story to illustrate the danger of "waving empty lamps," or going through the motions of faith without genuine spiritual light and oil.
A Call to Repentance and Consecration
The speaker calls for a spirit of conviction to come over the house, urging listeners to repent of their disobedience and to respect the oil they pray for God to put in them. He encourages them to break, bend, mold, and make themselves before God, avoiding the act of shaking empty vessels. The speaker emphasizes that the altar is not just a place of confession but also a place of consecration, where one can maintain what is right within them.
Living a Holy and Separate Life
The speaker urges listeners to take back territory from the enemy and to avoid opening themselves up to sin. He encourages them to be holy, filled, clean, cleansed, righteous, and separate from the world, refusing to settle for average or lukewarm. The speaker invites those waiting for water baptism to take the opportunity, as it may be the very thing keeping their oil from being full to overflowing.
Final Thoughts and Benediction
The speaker prays that listeners would only hear and remember what is of God, building the church into battlers and builders for the kingdom. He expresses his commitment to preaching the truth, regardless of who hates him for it, and states that his hands and conscience are clean. The speaker concludes by encouraging listeners to let the Lord have His way, allowing people to continue praying, being baptized, and seeking salvation, healing, deliverance, or restoration.
