How Much Is in Your Tank
Key Passage: Matthew 5:6
Date: June 7, 2024
I’ve tried to get him to work on my timetable about a million times. He never did it one time. It’s always in His time. And a great, great message in that song right there. I hope you got it today. Turn your Bibles, if you would, to Matthew chapter number five. Matthew chapter number five. We’re going to read just one verse: verse number six, Matthew five and verse number six.
I believe the Lord would have us focus on this subject: How much is in your tank? How much is in your tank? And if you would, go check your cars, turn your key ignition on, find out where that needle goes to, you know. How much is in your tank? Hopefully it’s not right below the red. It’s funny when you get a new car; you have to find out how far you can go. You ever been there?
I have run out of gas finding out how far it would go. It didn’t go as far as I thought it would, and we’re just there sometimes. But how much is in your tank? Matthew chapter number five, one verse, verse number six, Matthew five and verse number six. Would you stand, please, as we read the Word of God together? Matthew five.
Verse number six, just that one verse right there. The Bible says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Would you read that verse out with me? Here we go: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Let’s just focus. I want to try to sense from the Lord exactly what He wants, but I feel like He wants us to focus on this. I don’t know everything exactly, but just where’s your tank at? How much is in your tank tonight? Let’s ask God—would you ask God to speak to your heart as I pray? And let’s pray together, would you please? Father, thank You for Your word.
It is so true, just like Miss Penny sang about. Lord, sometimes I get impatient, but it’s always true. Thank You for it. And, Father, tonight, as we focus on this truth, Lord, would You make it real and make it applicable to every single person here tonight? Father, would You touch their heart as they need, and mine also, Lord? Convict us if we need it, and shine light on our lives through Your word tonight. And, Lord, we’ll brag on You. We’ll thank You for what You do. Father, I’m asking for this in Your Son, Jesus’ name. So we’re asking in faith because of Jesus. And Jesus, then we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
For years, especially when I was single in college and newlyweds—newlyweds typically don’t have any money, you know—I always ran on empty. I don’t know what it is, but I just never had much gas in my tank. It was a good day when it dawned on me, “Paul, it didn’t matter if it’s on empty or on full. It costs the same amount.”
And you’re going to burn the same amount. So I said, “Paul, you’ve got to keep that thing a little bit fuller.” For the longest time, it seemed like I was always right there towards empty. I didn’t want to spend the money. You know, I’d spend the money sometimes, [thinking] we might as well fill it up. I know you’re never like that. But I was like that. Still like that every once in a while, but maybe not as bad as it used to be.
Have you ever been going on a trip? I try to get good prices on gas. You’ve seen it somewhere—I don’t know if it was in South Carolina or Georgia or wherever—but I saw it for $2.05. I don’t want to pay $2.15 for it. In fact, I don’t want to pay $2.06. I want $2.05. Anybody else out there? You ever been there? You know you need to get gas, but at that exit, I’m just not paying $2.15. Brother Anthony’s on board about this for sure. Then you get a little bit closer—$2.07. I know I should; we’re getting down to the red. But maybe I just hold out for one more. “Lord, with the next exit, would You give me $2.05?” So you pass by that exit, and then you see that sign: “Next exit isn’t for 25 miles.” Oh, then your prayer life really goes up.
And it’s bad when your wife sees it also. “Paul, aren’t we about out of gas?” You’re not supposed to see that. No, it’s just your angle looking at it. It looks worse from your angle. You ever been in there, guys? Come on now. I’m looking straight on. Straight on, it’s not quite as bad as it looks from over there. You say that, but inside you’re saying, “Lord, please help us here, mercy.” But how full is your tank? Let me just give you three thoughts along that line from this verse.
Sometimes we’re not filled in our spiritual tanks because we’re not truly hungry for righteousness. Did you notice that in that verse, verse number six? “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after…” What’s the next word?
It was—I don’t know, maybe a couple years into it—our kids when they were younger, Sunday afternoon we noticed they didn’t want to eat. Where I grew up, you eat what’s on your plate. Amen? You eat what’s on your plate. It was a battle Sunday afternoon. We began to realize our kids rode the bus. On the bus, they give them chips or candy or a little drink, a little hug or something. Then they go to Sunday school. Why are you doing Sunday school? Give them some candy. Then they go to children’s church. What are you doing there? Best boy, best girl—quite surprised—candy if you’re good, candy. Then they ride home on the bus again. Well, no wonder they weren’t hungry on Sunday afternoon. We’re fighting an uphill battle here. That’s why you have to choose your battles. We’re like that spiritually.
It’s funny, but sometimes if I’m not careful, I’ll find myself trying to fill my spiritual tank with earthly things. Sometimes not even sinful things, just earthly things. Earthly things can never fill a spiritual tank.
You can try to fill your tank with friends. Friends are a good thing. The Bible talks about fellowship; you need good friends. But friends cannot fill your spiritual tank.
Sometimes we’ll try to fill our spiritual tank with just the pleasures of life. Sometimes the movie—I’m talking about a clean movie. And they’re saying “pure flicks” or whatnot. We don’t have a TV per se, but we can pick up things on the Internet. But sometimes your spiritual tank is low, and you’ll try to fill it with things like that.
Not even sinful things, but sometimes the news, and sometimes social networks. It’s amazing. I’m testifying here in a bad way; maybe I’m confessing. If I’m not careful, I get to the point where I tell my wife, “I want to get everything done before I sit down on the couch.” Because once you sit down on the couch, it’s a suction; it just sucks you in. It’s hard to get up once you sit down there. If I’m not careful, when I sit down on the couch with my phone, I’ll start scrolling through. I’ve been looking for a lawnmower for my mom on Facebook and Craigslist.
And I just let it go. You know, I’m trying to look at all the different things. You know what? I’ll talk about it there. You found this lawnmower, and so you want to go to their Facebook because you want to find out if this guy’s a dealer or what kind of guy he is. If I’m not careful, whether it be YouTube, sports videos, or Facebook, or whatever, I’ll be on that phone for an hour or two. I’m saying all those things that sometimes feel—and we know we’ve got a low tank, we know we can feel it inside, and we’re just hungry for something—if we’re not careful, we’ll try to satisfy that hunger with earthly things. You are quiet a little bit tonight. I’m there sometimes.
If I’m not careful, I can try—it seems like the older I get, I’m prone to this—I can try to fill this void a little bit, this hunger a little bit, with physical food. A good old hamburger never hurts anything, come on now. If I’m just not in a real good mood or something’s not right, well, let’s go get some good food. Chocolate will help anybody. Somebody say amen right there. I’m not saying these are sinful things per se, but I’m saying earthly things can never fill your spiritual tank.
If I’m not careful, I’ll find myself trying to satisfy that longing that God put in there, the Spirit of God put in there, and I’ll try to satisfy that longing with earthly things. It can even become sinful things: addictions, sinful addictions. Listen, the Bible says, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after what?” Righteousness. When your tank is getting low, let that—you realize hunger and thirst are very strong. They are some of the strongest appetites, the strongest driving forces there can be if you’re truly hungry. And He says both hunger and thirst.
Let those driving forces, that driving happen, let it draw you to the Lord. It’s sad, but sometimes I’m there. I’m a little low, and it’s almost because I am low, a little weak spiritually. I don’t have my time alone with the Lord. Am I the only one ever there? And I think, “Paul, you are a little weak spiritually.” Because of that, you go to the earthly things instead of going where you know you can get your tank filled. It’s crazy. Satan will get us seeking so many different ways. Man, get to your prayer closet. Okay, you didn’t have your time alone with God in the morning, and you’re just weak. Go stop by a park on your way home from work and read your Bible and spend some time alone with the Lord. That afternoon, getting home, say, “Hey, honey, I’m just a little weak spiritually. I love Him, but I need to spend time with the Lord for a little bit. Just get to Him.”
I’ll often feel like sometimes—ever see back in the day they had this? I don’t watch it anymore. Probably shouldn’t watch it when I was young, but we would once in a while. But the WWF, the fake, you know, crooked as a dog’s hind leg type thing. This fellow is just getting the snot beat out of him there in the ring, and his partner’s over there on the outside of the ropes just trying to tag up with him. He’s trying to reach. And every time this guy calls over there to tag up, the other guy would just drag him away and beat him up a little while longer. Satan would love to pull you away when you’re trying to tag up a little bit.
Hey, listen to preaching. We have access to sermons, good sermons, 24/7. I was very happy; Brother Marlin, Wednesday night, I think it was, I mentioned old Curtis Hutch back in the day. He used to preach the message, “Building and Battling.” Brother Marlin texted me on Thursday, maybe Friday, and said, “Man, I listened to that; that was a good one.” I thought, “Praise the Lord, he’s listening to good stuff.” Sometimes we’re not filled because we’re not truly hungry and thirsty after righteousness. Man, get some good preaching.
I recently listened to my first podcast. Man, I think I’m tech-savvy now! So, “Pastor, you’re so outdated!” There’s a good preacher I like, and he has a podcast. I want to hear that. You ought to saturate yourself with good stuff. If you’re truly hungry and thirsty for righteousness, seek to be filled in that area. Go after it. If I’m hungry, I’m going to try to get some food somewhere. Baby, got any food? If not, do I need to stop by and bring something home? I’m going to go after food. If you’re truly hungry and thirsty for righteousness, seek to fill your tank. Look for it. Here’s a good thing: talk about spiritual things in your house, with your mate, with your children, with your parents. We talk about ball games. We talk about people. We talk about money. We talk about politics. And sometimes we’re not talking about spiritual things.
Look over in Joshua 1:8, a great promise in the Bible. Joshua 1:8 was what I called my life verse for a while. Look in verse number eight, Joshua chapter one. There’s a little thing in here sometimes we miss; we just kind of fly over it. But Joshua 1:8, the last part of the verse is amazing. He says, “For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Wow. Anybody out there like to make your way prosperous?
Anybody like to have good success? That good success could be raising your children, could be in your marriage, could be in your finances—a lot of different things. I just like that. Look and see what he says about the beginning of verse 8. “This book of the law”—how does it start off? “Shall not depart out of thy mouth.” We don’t talk about the Bible like we should. Talk about it. “Hey, why don’t you get out of the Bible this morning? It’s the verse that’s been on my mind.” It “shall not depart out of the mouth, but thou shalt meditate.” Chew on it. And that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. All of it’s important: talking about it, meditating on it, and trying to observe it. Talk about it, and get your mind going toward spiritual things, trying to get your tank full.
It’s an amazing thing, but sometimes you go through a crisis, and because of that crisis, it drains your tank a little bit. If I’m not careful, I’ll go to earthly things trying to fill my spiritual tank. You almost have to train yourself to go to spiritual things because we live in a fleshly body. We have not laid this robe of flesh down. I’m not about—we won’t have our flesh in heaven. Anybody out there with me? Man, I’ll just do right by instinct. I’m ready for that. I mean, I just do everything right, just—I don’t even try it. What a day that will be! But until then, we have a flesh. I have to battle that.
So I have to train myself, have to make myself. “I’m a little low here. I don’t want to go there because I am low, but I’m going to go over there to the Lord and on purpose seek the Lord.” Lord, how would You have me seek You more? I’m a little low. Do I need to have another prayer time? Do I need to listen to a sermon? Do I need to hear some good Christian music? Do I need to sing Christian music? That’s biblical, Ephesians 5:19. How would You help me, Lord? I’m a little low. Seeking Him at moments like that are crucial. But I must train myself, because if I leave it neutral, I won’t go there. I’ll go to fleshly things because I’m a fleshly person, just like all are.
Isn’t it amazing? It seems like God kind of gets rid of your flesh and crucifies him, and you wake up the next morning, and he grew about ten feet tall! Remember, when you’re low, you’re in trouble. God gives some special promises for that time if you go to Him. Psalm 50:15. Many of the Psalms are David or others crying out to the Lord during crisis times. What a wise individual, crying out to the Lord in crisis times! God gives special promises for that.
Psalm 50, verse number 15, a wonderful promise: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble.” When you’re spiritually weak, when your spiritual gas tank is low, when you’re depleted—call upon Me in the day of trouble. “I will deliver thee.” That’s pretty strong language from God. God doesn’t mind crisis praying. He’d rather we pray all the time, but I’d rather have crisis praying than no praying at all. It says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” It is glorifying to God when I’m feeling weak and my spiritual tank is low, and I say, “Lord, I need something from You.” God sees a person wise enough not to try to use physical things to fill up the spiritual tank, but they go to the Lord. And God says, “That brings Me glory.” God said, “I like that right there. They are truly glorifying Me.” What a promise! Day of trouble, about to run out of gas, waiting for the next exit—where’s the $2.05? I need something. God says when you do that, that brings glory to Me, and I shall glorify Me.
We are not filled many times because we’re not truly hungry and thirsty after righteousness. See, that’s the key.
Let’s look at another thing here real quickly tonight. Sometimes we’re never hungry and thirsty because we’re never giving out. Did you notice that in verse number six? Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst.” Activity creates hunger. It creates the appetite.
A couple Thursdays ago, we helped the Stovers move. I hadn’t gotten to eat lunch—I had some crackers, a little bit—but I could have eaten lunch. We went and helped the Stovers move. After that, we came back here. We thought about stopping to eat, but we said, “Well, let’s get the tent set up quick, and then we’ll go home and spend time with our families and eat with their families.” My wife was sick and whatnot. I thought that was a good idea. So we set the tent up. It was one of those windy days setting up the tent. Then we had to move stuff out there and all that. Honestly, by the time all that activity was done, this old boy was hungry. Preachers work every once in a while. I know that’s a miracle, but we do. Very rarely, but every once in a while we will.
But activity creates an appetite. Sometimes in America, Christianity can get to a point where we are so spiritually full that we have gotten stagnant. We’re never giving out. A lawnmower, if you never run it, that gas just sits in there and gets stagnant. If we’re never giving out, if all I’m doing is taking in, I’m not going to be hungry. You understand where I’m coming from. “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.” We can, if we’re not careful, become like Garfield. I don’t know if they still have Garfield comics. The fat cat, anybody know? Brother Anthony gives a thumbs up back there. The fat cat—if we’re not careful, we become like that; we’re just fat cats because we take it in, but we’re never giving out.
It becomes like a pond. You ever see a pond that has no outlet? It can become stagnant and get that green slime on it and be nasty. You know, like, “Man, I don’t know if I want to eat a fish out of there.” But you get a river, and it’s flowing in and out; there’s a stream. You get something clean. If we’re not careful as Christians, if all we ever do is take in and never give out, we can get stagnant.
Sometimes you’ve got to work at it. Young people, this is a bit of a danger point when you’re young. If you’re not careful, everybody’s serving you, and that’s just part of this stage. I’m not mad at you for that. But I say this: even I’ve seen people who ride the bus, and everybody’s doing things for them all the time. They get used to always taking, getting, and receiving. I grew up riding the bus myself, or your mom and dad are always serving. But if you’re not careful, you’ll just be always taking. You’re going to be a taker, but you want to be a giver also. When you give out, pretty soon you think, “Man, I need something myself.”
On Sunday morning, you know who is the most hungry typically? I’m talking about spiritually Sunday morning. Sunday school teachers. They’re praying, “Lord, give me something. I need something for my class.” Children’s church workers. The preacher—man, I typically, not always, but a lot of times, I’ll get up earlier on Sunday morning than any day of the week. “Man, I need the Lord because I’m about to give out.”
Sometimes we’re not careful in America. We’ve just got so much and become spiritual Garfields, and we’re never giving out. We’ll just always take it in. Young people, be aware of that. A lot of times older people, you’re at the point in life, if you’re not careful, you think, “Well, I did it all.” That’s a mistake. As long as God has you here, He has something He wants to do. If you’re not careful, you’re just always taking in. Take it, man, give out.
I liked it: Brother Troy, when I visited him in the hospital, had a stack of tracts over there. He’d been witnessing. That’s pretty good. Brother Larry, trying to talk about the Lord when I was in the hospital with him. I mean, find ways. Look for ways to give out, give out. Witness to your neighbors. Have a burden for your neighbors. Make a ministry of your neighbors. Have a Bible study at work. Just serving people. Get burdened over somebody. Giving out, serving others, doing something for someone—always giving out. But after you give out, you realize, “Wow, I need to get something somewhere.” You’ve been busy working; you’ve got an appetite. You’re hungry.
Some in America, if we’re not careful, are never truly hungry because we’re just sitting, and our appetite got really low. Sometimes it’s as if that food on our stomach can spoil. I never forget when we were young, we went to a buffet. We didn’t go to buffets a whole lot back then. We went to, I think it was Morrison’s buffet in Florida. We ate and we ate and we ate. And after that, there was dessert. You have to get your money’s worth. I never forget John literally saying, “Now John, the more you eat, the cheaper the food is.” “All right, Dad.” He didn’t get it; he was about four or five. He was just stuffing it in there. We were stuffing it in there. To be honest with you, one of my brothers—I won’t say which one, praise the Lord, my sister—that would be worse. We went out that front door of the restaurant. You ever eaten so much that it hurts when you stand up? We went out there, walking down the sidewalk. You could still see in the glass of the restaurant all those people in there eating. My brother, before he left the premises, decided to give their food back to them all over the sidewalk. I don’t know how many people inside the restaurant saw that, but I think they lost their appetite pretty quick.
I’ve seen young people like that. Everybody’s been feeding and feeding and feeding and feeding, and they just reject it. A very interesting young man grew up in a good church, a large, strong independent fundamental Baptist church, and had a Christian school with just good families and everything. Someone asked him, “You’ve seen a lot of classes graduate; some turn out good, some turn out bad. What’s the difference?” He thought about it and said, “Those that turned out right were young people that worked in the bus ministry. Those that didn’t turn out right were not working in the bus ministry.” Wow. He had seen hundreds graduate. Some of them didn’t just take, take, take; they were giving out, giving out. Sometimes we’re not hungry because we’re just taking all the time. I have to give out.
When I’m active, involved, and giving out to people, very soon I say, “I need something myself; I’m hungry here.” “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The Christian life was never designed just to get. Once that verse from John 7:38: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” That’s God’s design.
Are we hungry for righteousness? Are we giving out? It’s a good thing. There are so many different ways to give out. Take somebody through the Soul Winning program. We have the little tracts on the back table. We have the Soul Winning program in the kitchen where we keep the ushers’ jackets. Just minister to somebody; find somebody. Go to the nursing homes and serve. Get a children’s Bible study in your neighborhood and have Vacation Bible School once a week. Thursday night at my house, playing games, giving a Bible. Just find a way to serve and give out—about 10,000 ways around here other than the county Baptist church to give out. Getting involved: PA ministry, ushers, nursery. You can sign up for Saturday morning breakfasts; give out a whole lot there, amen. Music—why? Just serve. Giving out. Be a little bit responsible for someone spiritually. “Lord, I want to feed them.” Look for that. Give it out.
Number three: Don’t get used to running on fumes. Did you notice that verse right there? Verse number six, Matthew 5:6. He says, “Blessed are they…” Excuse me. (Self-correction regarding coughing/smoking reference) Let’s try it again. Would you erase that, Brother Chad? Please don’t put that in there.
Verse number six, let’s try it again. Now I’m really going to start coughing. The Lord’s going to pay me back for that, right? He says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” For they shall be—what’s the last word? You ought to be filled once in a while. If you never feel filled, something’s wrong. Maybe you need to change your food intake a little bit. I think the best book I’ve ever read or listened to on nutrition is Eat to Live. He’s just on it: You need nutrients. You’re getting all these empty calories and junk food; you’re never going to be full. Maybe that’s it.
Sometimes we just get used to running on fumes. Motorcycles—I think the new ones probably too, I don’t know—the older ones, especially dirt bikes and four-wheelers, have a valve to turn the gas right below the gas tank, on the left-hand side. You can turn it to off, you can turn it to on, or you can put it on reserve. The thought process is you run in the “on” position, and if you start running out of gas, you still have a little bit, so you can turn it to reserve, which will get you back home or to the gas station. But sometimes you say, “I’m full on that; I don’t have to mess with that,” and you’re running on reserve. You ever been a couple miles out in the woods and run out of gas? Just not a good thing.
Spiritually, we get used to running on fumes. Now, there’s a balance. As I get busy for the Lord and serving and giving out, you’re going to get depleted sometimes, and that creates a hunger. Train yourself: when I’m there, you need to go to the Lord. Sometimes you can be so busy you don’t have time for God; you’re just too busy. Sometimes you get to the point where you’re not doing anything; you’re just a Garfield. There is a balance, and there is an adjustment to it. Balance is not, “Well, this is balance for me; I’m just going to sit right there.” No balance. If you put a broomstick on your hand, there is constant adjustment. You are constantly asking the Holy Spirit and changing: “What do I need here? How do I need to change? What do I need to adjust right here?” Especially if you have a family, because it’s not only you, but it’s your wife and your kids, and you’re always adjusting to people around you while keeping yourself right.
If you’re always continually running on fumes, something’s not right. You ought to have times when you are filled. “They shall be filled.” Go to God. “Lord, what’s going on? Am I not feeding on righteousness? Am I never giving out? Am I so busy? Or maybe, just out of lack of character, I’m never taking in from You, Lord?” That’s why church—church is vital. That’s part of taking in. That’s why the nursery… we don’t want any lady in the nursery more than twice a month. That’s why we have that rule. We don’t want our children’s church workers in children’s church more than twice a month. Why? We need church. All of us need church. We don’t want someone out serving somewhere all the time where they never have time to get filled. Those things are for a purpose or reason. Make sure you’re having your quiet time with God. Train yourself to seek the Lord. It’s scary when you’re always running on reserve.
They say your adrenal glands get worn out from always running on them. There ought to be times for the Christian where you’re filled. It’s part of God’s plan. If I don’t have this formula going on in my life—“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled”—if I’m never there, something’s not right. It’s not all the time, and I’ve got to work at that, and I’ve got to adjust, but there ought to be times when I’m filled.
Years ago, my sister and brother-in-law lived in Florida. My brother-in-law, Harvey, moved up to Michigan for a job. We decided I was going to drive my sister up to Michigan, where he was living. They got me a plane ticket, and I flew back to Florida. We were going to take my sister’s car. My sister was expecting, by the way. She had an old Dodge Dart. Anybody remember those? It had that slant-six engine that seemed to last forever. It was a tank. She actually drove it into her apartment complex one time when the brakes went out. The car was fine; a wrecking truck pulled it out, taking some stairways out, I think. But anyway, the car was fine. It’s a tank.
But it had a few problems. One thing: the gas gauge didn’t work. We were driving from central Florida up to Michigan, and the gas gauge didn’t work. That’s not too bad, but the odometer didn’t work either. I didn’t know how many miles. I don’t think the speedometer worked either. We drove—I remember we drove two hours—and I stopped. This was just a year or two ago. I stopped and put five dollars’ worth of gas in there. Back then, I think that was around five gallons. I thought, “Well, two hours [of driving], we can probably drive four hours because I only put five dollars in there.” We were driving through Atlanta coming up. I thought, “All right, on the other side of Atlanta, we’re going to stop and get gas.” I forget now, it was around 4:30 a.m.
We had been driving all night, pretty much. I think I got off second shift and then drove my sister up there. In the morning, when someone’s expecting, things just happen to come up, you understand what I’m talking about. I’ll never forget stopping on the side of the road in Atlanta to let my sister take care of some things. We hopped back in, and we were getting out of Atlanta. We were looking for that gas station at the next exit. “Where is it? Four hours—got to stop.” Sure enough, right before we got to the exit, we ran out of gas. About 5 a.m., right around Rome, Georgia—some of you know what I’m talking about. Pray, Lord. A little fellow stopped and helped us out.
It’s a sad thing to watch Christians who haven’t been filled in a long time. They are all across Middle Tennessee, and they ran out of gas. They are sidelined on the side of the interstate, not in church, not serving God. Somewhere along the line, they missed God’s formula where He said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Bow your heads, if you would, please. Eyes closed.
You say, “Preacher, I have not been feeding on the things of God as I ought to be.” By the way, I have been convicted over this part. Preacher, God spoke to my heart. I’ve been feeding on earthly things trying to fill a spiritual appetite. I’ve just not been feeding on spiritual things like I ought to be. God spoke to my heart about that tonight. If that’s you, would you slip your hand up? “Preacher, God spoke to my heart about that right there.” I’m with you tonight on that also. Anybody else? “Preacher, God spoke to my heart about that right there.” God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.
You said, “Preacher, God spoke to my heart. I’m not really giving out. I’ve not really ministered and loved and prayed for someone in a long time as I ought to.” I’m not giving out like I ought to. I’m taking in, man. I need to work. I need to have some spiritual exercise activity. God spoke to my heart: I need to be giving out. God spoke to my heart about that right there. If that’s you tonight, “Preacher, God spoke to my heart about it.” Did you slip your hand up? God bless you. God bless you. That’s good. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.
“Preacher, I have not been filled in a while.” I’m going to go to God and seek God why. I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit, “Lord, would You let me know why? It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been filled. Something’s not right.” Maybe I didn’t even mention what it is, but something’s not right. I’ve not been filled in a while, and I know that. I’m going to be seeking the Lord: “Lord, why? Lord, what do I need to do? Would You fill me?” God spoke to my heart about that right there. If that’s you tonight, would you slip up your hand? “Preacher, I’ve not been filled in a while. I’m going to ask God why.” Oh, that’s a good thing. That’s what mature Christians do—what Christians who stay in it for the long haul do. “Lord, what’s going on? I have not been filled in a while.”
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Would you stand tonight? We’re going to have a word of prayer. We’ll sing song number 300. “Have it all way, Lord, have it all way, Lord. Have You come? Just spend some time. Lord, help me to seek righteousness. And if I’m busy giving out, Lord, help me. I have not been filled in a while. Show me why. I want to get back to being filled. I know it’s not all the time, but I ought to be filled somewhere. Lord, show me why.” Let’s pray. Father, thank You for the promise. Lord, I come tonight saying, I want to be filled. I need that, Lord. Father, with the busyness and all the things going on in our lives, Lord, help us to make the time to be hungry and thirsty for righteousness so You can fill us. Guide us in that tonight, Father, please. Thank You, Lord, for what You do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Would you come as we sing? Would you come?
Sometimes the enemy of us being filled is self-reliance. We are just so reliant on our own resources and us getting through it and us making it. The honesty, the bottom line is that is pride. And God resists the proud. There have been times in my life where God says, “Paul, I have plenty to fill you. It’s not a matter of you being too busy; it’s a matter of your self-reliance.” I said, “Lord, I’m sorry. I want to depend on You.” He can fill you. “For they shall be filled.” The Lord’s spiritual kitchen never runs out. He has all we need. Let’s come to Him tonight. “Lord, I need to get in the spiritual kitchen.” He serves us, and He can give you everything you need to fill you. And let’s be hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
Original File: How Much Is In Your Tank - Pastor Paul Chisgar