SERMON SUMMARY
Sunday, August 12,
2007
The Year of the Invitation : Taking Ownership of the Promises
Sermon given by Senior Pastor, Dan Tabolt
One of the neat
things I have seen over the years is the restoration of some old houses.
One in particular that comes to mind was on the outskirts of Croghan. It
was a big farm house that sat there through all my years in high school.
To be honest I really didn’t notice it until someone bought it and began
to restore it to its original condition. Year after year this house was
falling apart. Someone however began to take an interest in it and to see
the potential in it. Now of course anyone can dream of restoring an old
home like that, but apparently these people had the dream, the money and
the know how to bring this home back from the dead. In a lot of ways, we
too are like broken buildings. Before we meet the Lord, decay, corruption
and ungodliness have their way in us. But restoration is a Bible word. God
has the dream, the promises and the know how to make it happen. What a
wonderful thought it is to know that God has a good and perfect will for
each one of us. He will and can restore our souls.
Jer 29:10 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope . NKJV
I. Taking Ownership of the Promises.
Elisha and the Widow's Oil
2 Kings 4:1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried
out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that
your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two
sons to be his slaves."
2 So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you
have in the house?" And she said, Your maidservant has nothing in the
house but a jar of oil."
A. Receiving a Vision of Ownership. Owning your salvation.
1. Understand the purpose of your LZ. [Landing Zone] The whole environment
of the LZ is from the point they intend to possess the Land.
2. Possess your Salvation.
3. Do you see the value of your covenant with God?
II. Moving Out and Expanding Your Territory.
"Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil."
3 Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your
neighbors — empty vessels ; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have
come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it
into all those vessels , and set aside the full ones."
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who
brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass,
when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another
vessel."
And he said to her, "There is not another vessel." So the oil ceased. 7
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and
pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest." NKJV
1. The Secret Place.
Matt 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut
your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you openly. NKJV
2. Doing all you can.
Prov 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so. NKJV
2 Kings 7:9- Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This
day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning
light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go
and tell the king's household." NKJV
III. Spying Out Our Land.
A. Look at the Instruction.
Num 13:17 "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, 18
and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are
strong or weak, few or many; 19 whether the land they dwell in is good or
bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20
whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or
not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the
time was the season of the first ripe grapes. NKJV
1. Go up to the mountains, to a high place.
2. See what the land is like.
3. What kind of people are there?
4. Is the land good or bad, rich or poor?
5. What kind of Camps or strongholds are there?
6. Be of good courage.
B. Take a look at your life and do inventory.
Rom 6:10 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV
Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a
tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in
Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith. NKJV
C. Understand a familiar spirit.
If we are to look at our lives we will see a DNA of troubles in our family
and in our area. These are areas that seem to keep showing up, they are
familiar to us. So it is with a person, family and an area. You can see
patterns of curse areas that Christ had died to set you free from.
1. Alcoholism 5. Nomadic Spirit
2. Sexual Abuse 6. Unfaithfulness
3. Infidelity 7. Isolationist
4. Drug Addiction 8. Rebelliousness
9. Poverty 10. Conservatism
D. Pouring out your gift.
6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her
son, "Bring me another vessel."
And he said to her, "There is not another vessel." So the oil ceased. 7
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and
pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest." NKJV
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