Dharius Daniels - Running on Empty - Part 1

We want to talk about this subject this afternoon: running on empty, running on the empty. If you’re ready for God’s word, clap your hands, please, all over this place, family. Last Sunday began what is known in Christian contexts and circles as the Advent season. Everyone say «Advent.» The word «Advent» has its roots in a Latin word that simply means «coming.» Therefore, the Advent season is the season wherein Christians commemorate and celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Celebrating, commemorating, and appreciating His coming is appropriate, and I believe it is important. But as we celebrate and appreciate that He came, we should also consider asking the question: Why did He come? There are a number of appropriate answers to that question, but in this series of teachings that we will be engaging in over the next few weeks, I would like to adamantly assert that one of the reasons He came was to fix our lives. Jesus isn’t just a Savior; Jesus is a fixer. My encouragement to all of us who are seated in this sacred space is not just to allow Jesus to save it, but to allow Him to fix it because He specializes in fixing things. For those of you who may be unaware of this, Jesus’s earthly occupation was that of a carpenter. Christ was a carpenter, and the carpenter specializes in fixing things. When there’s trouble in your home that you are unable to remedy yourself, you have to pick up the phone and call somebody who has the expertise to address an issue that you couldn’t resolve on your own. Just because you can’t fix the pipe doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed; it may mean you just need to know who to call—the one who has the expertise to fix what you can’t fix yourself. Is there anybody here in this room who can reflect on their own experiences and say, «I can testify that there have been times when I tried to address issues in my home myself, only to end up frustrated and dejected, coming to the conclusion that I needed to call someone—God Almighty—who has the expertise to address an issue I can’t resolve on my own»? I want to let you know there’s a carpenter who isn’t in the Yellow Pages; his number is not on Google. But if you know how to pray, you can call him up and tell him what you want. He’s a fixer who specializes in fixing what was previously perceived to be unfixable. In Mark chapter 5, there’s a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. She went from place to place, attempting to search for a remedy for her issue and found no solutions. But she heard about Jesus of Nazareth and heard He was passing by. She said to herself, «If I could but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole.» She had to say it to herself. In year one, she probably had people to say it to her, but the deeper you get into your trouble, the fewer people there are who will speak into it. You don’t hear me. As soon as the funeral is taking place, people will call you, but the deeper you get into the grief, the fewer texts you receive. That’s the time you have to look in the mirror and tell yourself what you were waiting for others to tell you. She said, «If I could touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole,» and what was unfixable for twelve years got fixed when she found Christ the carpenter. Blind Bartimaeus had been blind since birth, but his blindness was fixed when he found Christ the carpenter. The man at the pool of Bethesda suffered from an infirmity for thirty-eight years that was not addressed, but it got addressed when he met Christ the carpenter. Don’t just settle for being saved; realize that your Savior is a carpenter, and He can help you be fixed. Theologically, we call it sanctification. He’s able to give you a makeover, a home improvement, and a redemptive renovation. Is there anybody here who can look at your life and say, «When I look in the mirror, I see an extreme makeover»? Because when I look at who I was and where I was before I met the carpenter, and I look at who I am now, I can say not only am I glad He saved me, but I’m glad He fixed me. If He’s fixing you, somebody give Him praise right now! He’s a fixer. He’s a fixer. The text we just read in John 2 reveals and exposes an area of our lives that I believe the carpenter wants to give attention to during this Advent season. I think this text exposes us to a reality wherein there is a revelation for you and for me as we go through this Advent season. This text teaches you and me that the carpenter is able to help us when our wine runs out. Maybe not in this church; maybe someone online, I don’t know, but it’s possible that you may be living with a leak. Did you hear what I said? It’s possible to regularly attend worship services and consistently engage in the spiritual disciplines yet at the same time feel like you’re running on empty. Because if I’m leaking, it matters not how frequently I’m being filled. Until I address the leak, I will not be able to benefit or find enjoyment in what I’m being filled with. Some leaks you can’t fix on your own; some leaks require that you call a carpenter. And I want to let you know that Christians all over this country are leaking wine.