The miracle of multiplication

There’s an old hymn that says, "Little is much when God is in it." Do you believe this to be true? I’m counting on it. If you do believe it to be true the next question is, “have you acted on that belief?” I have found that many Christians struggle to believe that God could ever use them in any significant way? They feel that there's very little or nothing that God can use in their lives to further his kingdom. But the truth is that we can be too big for God to use, but we can never be too little for God to use. Little is much when God is in it.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7 we find a poor widow who found herself in a desperate situation. Although she had nothing, but a little oil, God used it and multiplied it to meet her needs and the needs of her family. From her life we can glean seven principles for how God can use what we have, no matter how little it may seem, and multiply it for kingdom impact.  

Principle # 1: A crying out to God in times of great spiritual need always precedes an outpouring of the multiplying power of God.

Notice that the widow woman reached out to Elisha when she found herself in dire need. "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen" (2 Kings 4:1).   

As is has been well reported, Christianity has been spreading in China in spite of years of persecution and poverty?  According to the World Christian Database, of Gordon Cromwell Theological Seminary, there were about one million Christians in China in 1970, which was a sharp decline from earlier in the twentieth century because of Communist repression. But there about 120 million today, with some 70 million in unregistered churches. If this estimate is correct, it would constitute one of the most spectacular explosions of Christianity in religious history.

Why has Christianity been multiplying in China in spite of a lack of the freedoms that we enjoy in America and many years of persecution? For the same reason that Christianity spread from the very beginning: Persecution drove believers to cry out to God in dependence on His miraculously power to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 4, for example, the early church gathered together to cry out to God when being threaten by the religious leaders of their day for preaching Jesus. Afterwards we read, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. ³² And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.³³ And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:31-33).

The history of the Christian church reveals that the greatest threat to the spread of the gospel has not always been times of persecution, but times of prosperity. In times of prosperity the danger has been for Christians to become self-centered, self-satisfied and dependent on worldly comforts. Consequently there is a very little sense of the gravity of sin and the greatest need of the world, namely, the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And the end result is that the gospel ceases to spread.      

O, but in contrast, what has always preceded the multiplying effects of the gospel is when Christians, with an increase sense of the eternal consequences of sin, cry out to God for power to spread the hope of Christ.  

Principle # 2: God will not multiply in our lives what doesn't take any faith on our part to accomplish.

 Notice that not only did the poor widow cry out to the man of God for help, but she responded in faith to his unusual request.

 “And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.” 

Notice that after the widow cries out to Elisha for help, he asked her, “What hast thou in the house” (2 Kings 4:2-5).  She probably was not expecting that response from Elisha. Some might have responded, “Are you kidding me?  My husband is dead, I’m broke, and the creditors are coming to take my sons as payment, and you’re asking me, what I have in my house?”  Now that’s not what she said, but the sentiment is similar. What she said was, “I don’t have anything in my house except a pot of oil.” You know she could have been very protective of that oil since it was all she had. But instead, she takes the oil and does what Elisha told her to do with it, namely to pour it in others vessels that she was to borrow from her neighbors. What Elisha was asking her to do didn’t make a lot of sense, but by faith she did what he asked.  

If you’re saved and seeking to live for God’s kingdom, He is going to ask you to do something that requires that you trust him for the outcome. God wants to use us to build his kingdom in ways that our beyond are human capabilities, and capacities.  But in order to do so, he going to ask us to get out of our comfort zone and trust him to do in us and through what we could not do in our own strength. And until we are willing to do what will require trusting the Lord for the outcome, we will not see the multiplying power of God—we will not see God using us in ways that our beyond our ability.  What are you doing for God that requires that you take a risk...that requires that you trust Him for the results?

Principle # 3: God has a history of using the little that someone has that seems to amount to nothing in order to do great things that only he can do.    

Remember that all that this widow had was a little oil. Yet God wanted to use the little oil that she had and multiply it to meet her needs and the needs of her family. But when Elisha asked her what she had in her house, she responded: “I don't have anything except a pot of oil.” Notice that initially the widow’s main focused was on what she didn't have. But, as one Pastor put it, “Elisha was interested in her exception…And it was her exception that became the vessel for an exceptional miracle.”  

Sometimes what keeps some Christians from being used of God in exceptional ways is that we think we don't have enough for God to work with.  Maybe we feel we don't have enough training, enough resources, or eloquence to be effective at doing something for God. Or maybe we feel that our past failures disqualify us from ever being used of God to build his kingdom.  But what we fail to realize is that God specializes in using the little that we have, what we think is not enough and multiplying it for kingdom impact. Often what make us believe we don't have enough talent, enough time or enough resources is that we compare ourselves with others.  And when we compare ourselves with others who appear to have more than we have—who are more gifted than we are, we will feel that we don’t have much to offer. But God is not asking us to give what we don’t have. He's asking us to be willing to give what we do have, regardless of how little that may seem, and trust him to do with it what only he can.

Principle # 4: The multiplying flow of God's power is unleashed as we obey Him.

Notice that the little oil that the widow had did not begin to multiply until she did with it what the man of God told her to do. After Elisha told her what to do we read: "So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out" (2 Kings 4:5).

Sometimes the reason why Christians are not being used of God to build up his kingdom is that they want to “feel” God's power before they do what God is commanding them to do. Once again it wasn't until the widow obeyed what the man of God told her to do that oil began to flow. And it wasn't just oil that was flowing; it was the power of God being unleashed that filled those vessels with oil, which by the way is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

Whether it’s witnessing, serving in a ministry, or giving to missions, don't wait until, you feel God has blessed you with an abundance, don't wait until you feel the    power. Obey God first and trust him to make up the difference. Obey, and his power will flow.

Principle # 5: The more believers seek to be empty of self the more the Holy Spirit will multiply His work in their lives.

 Remember that the oil that the widow possessed began to miraculously multiply as she poured it out into empty vessels.  I mentioned already that oil in the bible is a type of the Spirit.  Not only is oil a type of the Holy Spirit, but the bible likens the body of believers to vessels and temples where the Holy Spirit resides. But although the Spirit resides in that heart of all who have trusted Christ as their savior, He does not manifest Himself in the same way or to the same degree in every believer. One reason that is it that we are not all gifted in the same way by the Holy Spirit for ministry. But also, and this is the point that I want to make, the reason that the Holy Spirit may not be fully manifested in our lives is because self gets in the way.

The Spirit was not given to us to make us look good, but to make Jesus look good. When Christians make the focus of their church attendance about others meeting their needs, rather than exalting Jesus, they will know very little of the multiplying work of the Spirit in their lives. Are you hungry for a greater experience of the presence and power of God in your life? If this is our desire we must die to our selfish ways, motives and attitudes so that Christ can be fully manifested in our lives.

6. The multiplying effects of the Spirit are more fully evident when many empty vessels are being filled by Him.

 When did the miraculous flow of oil stop?  In verse we read: "And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” (2 Kings 4:6).

 Notice that the miraculous multiplying flow of oil stopped when there were no more vessels to fill. But because many were filled there were great and lasting effects that met the needs of the widow and her family.

In many ways as Christians and as a church we are reaping the blessings of those who have gone before us. We heard the gospel and were saved because many Christians throughout church history sacrificed everything to spread the fame of Jesus. MBC has existed for 80 years now because of the loving sacrifices and faithfulness of many that have been a part of this church throughout the years. We can say that we have benefitted from the multiplying oil that flowed from their lives. We ought to be thankful for those who have gone before us. But God doesn't want us to rely on the blessings of the past. He desires for fresh oil to flow through each and every one of our lives today. And when it is not flowing from each and every one of us the multiplying effects of the Spirit may not stop, but they are limited. There are many areas in our church where we need others to step up and allow God to use them to build up the kingdom of God. And remember if you have not stepped up, you’re limiting what God desires to do through you and through this church body. 

Have you made yourself available to God?  Present yourself to God as an empty vessel. Cry out to Him to fill you with His Spirit and use you as he desires to build up His kingdom. Obey him as he directs you and watch him do in and through your life what you never imagined.

Principle #7: We can expect to receive the multiplying provision of God when we our living to fulfill his calling upon our lives.

 Keep in mind that the widow came to Elisha seeking God's Help knowing that he was a prophet of God and that God spoke through him. And by faith she acted upon what God through Elisha wanted her to do. As a result, she was able to meet the needs of her family. Many of you know that I'm a bi-vocational Pastor, which means that in addition to being a Pastor I'm also a Police Officer. And because it takes time to be a Pastor, a Police officer, a father and a husband I'm often ask, “How do you find the time to do all that you’re doing? A few days ago, I was having lunch with a Pastor who asked me that very question. The only way that I can is by the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit.  Knowing this the Pastor I was having lunch with prayed for me.

There were many encouraging things that he prayed, but one thing that stood out was that he prayed for God to multiply my time. It stood out because God has answered that prayer in my life multiple times. One way that he has is through others in our congregation that have stepped up and allowed God to use them to serve the church in various ways. Another way is during my sermon prep time. When I needed it most, God allows things to come together in less time than it normally takes for me to prepare a sermon.  I believe that as long as I'm doing what God wants me to do he will supernaturally work in my life to enable me to fulfill his calling.

Now God is multiplying my time as a bi-vocational Pastor. But is this what he will have me to do long term? If not, and there comes a time when he wants me to leave the Police Department to continue in ministry and I don't do it, should I expect for God to continue to multiply my time, energy, and resources to do what I want to do? It’s been said, “God does not appreciate what he does not initiate.” God is going to multiply His work in my life when I’m fulfilling His calling and His agenda for my life. This applies to all believers. When we are seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteous we can trust him to provide all that we need.

How many of you would say, "Pastor, I don't want to sit on the side lines? I want God to use me however, whenever and wherever he desires. I don't have much, but I'm willing to give to God whatever he ask and trust him to do with it what only he can. Present yourself to God as an empty vessel. Ask Him to direct you in what he would have you to do for His kingdom. Cry out to Him to fill you with His Spirit and use you to spread the fame of His name in a lost and dying world. Little is much when God is in it.