When the Demand Stops, the Oil Stops: Spiritual Perception
Dr RJ Sing, 22 min
Originally preached as “Spiritual Purification”
Sermon outline
Miracles and favour flow to those with spiritual perception: people who enlarge their capacity, shut out doubt, keep making a demand on the anointing and honour the servants God sends them.
Main text
- 2 Kings 4:1-17
Opening
He welcomes viewers to Life in the Spirit and turns to 2 Kings 4 in the Amplified Bible. He announces his subject as spiritual perception in obtaining miracles and the favour of the Lord, then reads the story of the prophet's widow who had nothing in the house but a jar of oil.
1. Borrow vessels, and not a few
Elisha was stirring the widow to create a huge spiritual appetite for her miracle, because the vessels speak of capacity. Some have not received their answers because their capacity is still small. You can never trouble the Lord by bringing Him your requests.
“The greater your capacity, the greater the favor of the Lord, the greater the blessing of God.”
- 2 Kings 4:1-3
- Matthew 5:6
2. Shut the door
Many fail to receive because they don't shut the door on fear, doubt and unbelief, and let family, friends and well-meaning sympathisers talk them out of their blessing. Shut the door to every voice that tries to rob you of the Word planted in your heart.
“You obtain something from God by faith. And you retain it by faith.”
- 2 Kings 4:4
3. Release what is in your hand
Many are willing to receive from God but not to release and give. The widow had only a little oil, yet she released it. Whatever you have, bring it to the altar in your church and ask your pastor to agree with you in prayer.
Illustration: Everything happens at the altar: children are dedicated there, we give our hearts there, we make marriage vows there, and even our bodies are brought there when we leave this earth.
“It might be so that you're sitting with just a little oil, but don't lock it up in your cupboard.”
4. When the demand stops, the oil stops
The oil flowed until there were no more vessels. The day your hunger and intense desire stop, the supply stops, so ask the Holy Spirit to increase your desire. In every service, make a demand on the Word and on the anointing present.
Illustration: He says most of his own spiritual breakthroughs have come from constantly making a demand on the Word and on the anointing of the men and women of God around him, through their preaching, television programmes and books.
“Remember that when the demand stops, the oil stops.”
- 2 Kings 4:5-7
5. Perceive that this is a holy man of God
The Shunammite woman perceived that the prophet who passed by was a holy man of God. Many Christians lose spiritual perception and see their pastor as just someone they know, missing that he or she is a vessel God uses to bring their breakthrough. Open your heart when you hear the Word and believe for a hundredfold harvest.
“Spiritual perception is an important thing.”
- 2 Kings 4:8-9
- Mark 4:8
6. Be willing to sow into the life of the man of God
Having perceived, she went to the next gear and built the prophet a room with a bed, table, chair and lamp. Her gift drew a response, and though she was barren with an old husband, she bore a son the following year. Believe God's prophets and you will prosper; you cannot attack or backbite your pastor and expect to be blessed.
Illustration: People who grumble that the pastor must be buying his car with church money are told that it is none of their business, because the pastor is employed by the Lord.
“Sometimes when you sow, you might not be sowing for your now.”
- 2 Kings 4:10-17
- 2 Chronicles 20:20
Putting it into practice
- Enlarge your capacity and your hunger for the things of God.
- Shut the door on fear, doubt, unbelief and discouraging voices.
- Bring what is in your hand to the altar of your local church.
- Make a demand on the Word and the anointing in every service.
- Honour your pastor, sow into their life and refuse to criticise them.
Closing
He asks viewers to place their hands on the screen as a point of contact, breaks the curse of poverty and the spirit of lack, and prays for supernatural increase and breakthroughs within seven days. He gives words of knowledge for a man named Ivan, unemployed for a long time, and a woman named Sheila, then invites viewers back next week.
In his words
- “Fear will snatch your miracle away.”
- “The day your hunger stops, the day your desire, your intense desire stop, for the things that you're trusting God for, the supply of oil will stop.”
- “You cannot attack your man of God or your woman of God and expect to be blessed.”
- “Once you have spiritual perception, then the door is open to the blessings of God.”
Every scripture in this message
- 2 Kings 4:1-7
- Matthew 5:6
- 2 Kings 4:8-17
- Mark 4:8
- 2 Chronicles 20:20
- Philippians 2:10-11