No Demand, No Supply: Six Keys to a Bigger Capacity for God

Sermon outline

God pours into whatever capacity you bring Him, so hunger for Him, cry out, give Him your best and guard your mouth, because where there is no demand there is no supply.

1. 1. Cry out to God

   The widow of 2 Kings 4 did not murmur or whisper to Elisha, she cried. Desperate people cry out to God, but the church has become too dignified to lift its hands, sing, shout and dance. We lift our hands to pay homage to a great God who never sleeps, and when the praises go up the blessings come down.

   Illustration: He calls a petite young lady to the front to play the widow and acts out the scene, shouting 'Prophet Elisha! Prophet Elisha!' He adds that when a robber points a gun nobody has to be told to lift their hands, yet in church people must be asked.

   “Most people do not get breakthroughs because they do not have a hunger and a desire in their hearts to scream out to God.”

   • 2 Kings 4:1-2
   • Hebrews 7:25
   • Psalm 147:1
   • Psalm 150:6

2. 2. Have an unsatisfiable hunger for the things of God

   The blessing of Matthew 5:6 is for those who hunger and thirst, so God must be number one, above a new wife, a new car or a new house. The church has been diluted by the world and has lost its effect: believers no longer witness, pray for the sick or frighten the devil. The Word must be in your heart and spoken by your mouth, and your life must carry no double standard.

   Illustration: Old people who stretched a little orange concentrate with two litres of water, and a strong drink that loses its effect once it is diluted: a Christian who is no longer 'neat' is no longer effective. He also describes families at a thanksgiving service who will not eat until the pastor leaves, so that the bottles can come out from under the table.

   “We've got to make God number one. Nothing must take the place of God.”

   • Matthew 5:6
   • Exodus 34:14
   • Galatians 3:13
   • Hebrews 4:12
   • Matthew 5:13

3. 3. Press in whenever you have an opportunity to press in

   Elisha told the widow to borrow empty vessels, and not a few. The oil kept multiplying until the last vessel was full, and when her son said there was not one left, it stopped. This, he says, is the message of the morning: the supply matches the demand you bring.

   Illustration: A young woman in the church has driven down from Pietermaritzburg most Sundays for three years. He told her to find a church near her home and she answered that she would never leave, while people who live down the road walk past the church to the race course.

   “No demand, no supply. No heart, no hunger, nothing from God.”

   • 2 Kings 4:3-6

4. 4. Don't let anyone hinder your progress

   People will ask why you are becoming so holy and running to church all the time: do not let them hinder you. Earlier in the message he warns about the things that pull believers back, such as horse racing, the lotto and casinos, and the wandering eye. If you are hungry for the things of God you will not visit those places.

   Illustration: As a newly married young policeman on a small salary he phoned his cousin, a bookmaker, for racing tips. The cousin told him never to phone for tips again, because bookmakers get rich from people like him and very few ever win.

   “Don't look back. Be single-minded. Be single-focused.”

   • Galatians 6:7
   • Genesis 19:26
   • Matthew 5:28
   • 1 Timothy 3:2

5. 5. Always take a gift when you are going into the house of God

   Elisha asked the widow what she had of sale value in the house, because God will not give a breakthrough unless you are willing to give something back: He gave His Son to win many sons. Bring God your best, not your leftovers or broken things, and bring your tithe and offerings. No seed, no harvest, and what you give He multiplies.

   Illustration: Years ago, when he and his wife were both working, living in a big house and driving two cars, he dropped a two rand coin in the offering basket. God rebuked him: 'So to you, I'm worth two rand.' He vowed never to give God a coin again. He adds that he is willing to sell his own house to put down a deposit on land for the church.

   “That two rand coin that I put in the basket represented the capacity in my heart.”

   • 2 Kings 4:2
   • Acts 4:34-35

6. 6. Never speak against your man of God

   Perceive who you are dealing with: it is about the office and God's anointing, not the person standing in front. He teaches that speaking against an anointed minister, or even listening to such talk, brings a curse on yourself and dries up your miracles, so walk away from it. The same respect for God-given authority applies to children with their parents and to wives speaking about their husbands.

   Illustration: The church is your pool, where you come Sunday after Sunday and Tuesday after Tuesday to drink. When you speak loosely about it, or join those who do, you muddy your own water, and when you come back thirsty the cistern is dry.

   “Don't muddy my pool. Don't dirty my fountains.”

   • Psalm 105:15
   • Genesis 12:3
   • 1 John 4:20
   • Ephesians 6:2
   • Hebrews 10:31