You're Burning Out Because Nobody Told You When to Stop

You know, when I was younger, I had a secret place where I hide myself. And every time when I hide, nobody would find me until I get out, until I decide to get out. so our our our message today is entitled you're running on empty but i wanna i wanna just reiterate the fact that since um since the 14th of june we started a series of principles of jesus and I made the mistake not to tell you exactly what the principle is. And somebody asked me, but you say it's a series, but you have not tell us what is it. So just to quickly recap, our first principle was come closer even when you feel too far. come closer even when you feel too far gone to be touched. That was the leper in Matthew 8. And the principle number two was show up yourself. Do not just pay the bills. That was our Father's Day message. So it was a message of showing up, not just paying the bills. And we went to release the third principle, release what was never yours to carry. So why are you still tired after you sleep? It means that you didn't release what you were not supposed to carry. That was the third principle. The fourth principle is take the root to God, not the symptoms. You remember we were talking about you keep fixing the wrong things. So that was the message. And principle number five was take the first real action before you feel ready. So some of us want to first feel I can do it, then start doing it instead of just doing it before you feel ready. That was the principle number five Principle number six which was on the 19th of July Bless the little you have and start with that You know, like where we were talking about the five loaves and the two fishes where God was, where Jesus was saying, we bless the food and then the food multiply. So whatever you have, bless it. That's the principle. And then principle number seven was step out and own the thing you are hiding and you will stand. That is the one we were talking about when we were saying, when you feel like sinking last week. Principle seven was last week. This is where we were talking about you feeling like you're sinking, but God is still in that same storm where you feel like you sink. So the principle is step out and own the thing that you are hiding. So today's principle is the principle number eight. So last week, the truth is what made a man to stand. So today I want to show you the place nobody sees where the strength to stand actually comes from. But I want to make sure that you understand who this message is for. It's for the person who gives and give to everybody but have nothing left for themselves. I want to speak to the person, the one everybody leans on to, but has nobody to lean on to. It's like everybody is saying you, you, you, but are you the one who have somebody who also you can lean on to? The person who cannot even remember the last time they were alone and quiet on purpose. Because of every time when you just want to have your own quiet time, somebody call you. Come and do this do that and the other The person who fills every gap this is like everywhere And yet, there's always noise scrolling down and never sits still. This is your, you can almost say your, what, Mary and Magdalene, who's that? off the top of my head. Okay, the one sister was sitting with Jesus and the other one was still busy working. I can't... Yeah, but... Yeah, Mary Magdalene. Yeah, but it doesn't matter. Let's just call the one sister was sitting by the feet of Jesus while the other one was busy cooking up something, if I can call it that way. so we also speak about the believer who serves everyone in the church but when you're looking at the person himself he's dry like a dry bone in Ezekiel this is who I'm speaking to we think rest is pulling away from what you're supposed to do. You think rest is a weak spot. When you rest, you are weak. This is who I'm speaking to. I'm speaking to the person who pour out every time, but never get refilled. This is the person I'm speaking to. Now, when we're looking at Adam, in Genesis 3 verse 8, Adam was made to walk with God in the cool of the day. That was a daily unhurried time in his presence Like literally nothing was stopping him nothing was moving him except for taking the time and spent it with God and when you're looking at it when you go back to the Israelites when God saw that they will get burn down or burn out. Sorry, not burn down, burn out. Like Allah and Moogers. He gave them the Sabbath. Now my question to you today is, why would you think that Jesus said at the time you are busy with the wrong thing? And why would God give the Israelite a Sabbath? And why would the psalmist say in Psalm 91 Let me do this. Why would the psalmist say in Psalm 91 He that dwelleth in the presence I don't want to let's say he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty why would the psalmist say that there's something about a secret place There's something about a well Because the moment you start to go in Or want to go refill There would always be something happening The lady that was about to refill Get into a place Where Jesus was saying The man you even have now Is not even yours Why is it that every time Whenever there was a time to refill Why There was an experience that come from that. But you think that you just have to keep keeping on. You just have to go, go, go, go. Everybody demands something of you, but nobody demands that you must rest. and therefore the principle of today is you're running on empty but Jesus knew this that is why he went into certain places let's go to Matthew 14 when you go to the book of Matthew Matthew 14 and verse 23. Let's do Matthew 14 verse 23. The Bible says, And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain a path to pray. And when the evening was come, he was there alone. What is it about being alone that is so blessed, if I can say it that way? It's there where you go and refill yourself. Let's read Mark. Mark 1 verse 35. I just want to show you something Mark 1 verse 35 And in the morning Rising up great While before day He went out And departed into a solitary place And there prayed Solitary place and they prayed. So we read this as a quiet sight verse It like almost as if you are saying you need to go into quietness But this is not a message about quietness. This is a message about a secret place. Where is your secret place where you go and refill yourself? is this a well where you need to go and fetch water where Jesus can meet up with you? Because when the lady came to fetch water by the well, Jesus spoke to her. Jesus even said to her about the five men. And do you know what happened after that? After Jesus said that to her She had so much energy That she actually ran and told people about this Jesus The secret place I started off by saying to you When I was younger I had a secret place where I hide myself and when I hide myself in there nobody could find me I could hear how my mother would scream Caro, Caro my mother never called me Ricardo she gave me the name Ricardo not even she but the name Ricardo but I was always called Caro Caro my dad will scream Caro and I would not come out until I decide I want to come out. And when I come out, I would make sure I look first so that nobody can see my secret hiding place. And that was a place where I could feel I was calm. You know like Africans I was calm Now I want you to look at your life Have you seen how busy you become You become so busy that you don have a secret place You don't have a secret place. Now, the Greek word for a solitary place, it's iremos. E-R-E-M-O-S. It's a solitary place. it's almost like you can call it the same as a desert, a lonely deserted place away from people and noise. Away from people and noise. It's the same word for the wilderness where he was tempted. It's the same place where Jesus went into the wilderness. It's the solitary place, the iremos place. Now, when you go into the enormous place, it's where Jesus was tempted. The lonely place is where you are tested and where you are refined. So this is not a place of just go and see. I'm going to relax there. it's a place where a lot of things would come to strengthen you for the road ahead it's a place where a crew will come and feed you for the road that is ahead of you do you know the prophet that ran away and went into hiding He went into hiding for a woman That was chasing him It's almost as if it was a Prophetic move For him to go into a solitary Place to be fed By a crow Where is the place Of solitary That you need to go to Where is that place of solitary where you need to go to? So I want to tell you if Jesus who was one of the strongest people if he would pull away on purpose what makes you to think that every place you need to go to, every war you need to go and fight in, every move you need to go into it, why is it that Jesus even when there was a crowd of people surrounded him he pulled away a lot of people that demanded him to be there for them at that moment but he pulled away so what makes you to think that you are better than Jesus to just keep on keeping on. There's a secret place, a solitary place that God needs you to be in. And you kept missing it. You have been missing it every time. Because you think being busy is what makes you being better. Busy doesn't make you better. Sometimes you have to go into a solitary place. And a solitary place is where you find strength. Mark 6 verse 31 Just remember I'm always I'm always using King James Version. You can see I don't even have my wife's Bible here that I normally keep for the Amplified. I just use the King James Version. So I will not keep on saying in the King James Version. Just know I'm reading King James all the time. 631 says the following. And he said unto them, Come here yourself apart into a desert place and rest a while. Mark 6 verse 31. Come here yourself apart into the desert place and rest a while. For there were many coming and going and they had no leisure. So much as to eat. Do you know what is what is my what is my. My secret. What is that? my secret I don't know how can I call it my check check check check check check check check check in your massacre I have a secret weapon let me call it that way do you know what my secret weapon is I can tell somebody I will come but when the day comes and I don't feel like going I'm not going I'm not going because I have a thing that if I don't feel prepared for you I will not go if I tell you tomorrow by 8 o'clock we are going and I feel like I will call you and say sorry I can't make it the one thing that you need to understand is that let's make an example of your phone let's make an example of your phone do you know that when your phone is on 15% or let's call it today's phones Okay so please look at your phone and just picture this Why is it that your phone will alarm you at 20 or 15 telling you please charge It's because the phone knows the moment you don't charge at that time, the phone might die on you. Now what makes you think as a person that you can just keep on keeping on without recharging? Somewhere, somehow, you need to find your solitary place. You need to find your secret place to hide. not just to hide but to hide from a lot of things that is unnecessary things that is unnecessary let's talk about my car this one that my wife always say you will get stuck one day because the car light goes on I will say no we can still we can still go we can still go that light will start flashing showing you now it's more than urgent that you need to refill and if you don't refill at that time you will get in trouble so the strongest people always pull away on purpose and I need you to understand that that's that is a principle for even the the the wealthiest even the the most successful people if you can call it that let me explain to you do you know that a lot of people who have a lot of money sometimes doesn't even have a lot of money. They just know that it's important that they must rest. They make it their means that once a year they go to Dubai to Mauritius to wherever to go and refill or refuel if I can call it that way So it's very important that you understand that you cannot be working for a full year without taking a one day off. there's a there's a person that i think don't take my word for it now i heard it somewhere if it was on a tiktok if it was on the radio i don't know but all i know is there was a person that was working from the age of 18 he never took leave and then when he when he's he become retired at the age of 65 all the money that he put away for when he retired he will be able to actually go and rest you know what happened the age of 65 was the time for him to retire a few days after that he died all the money that he put away for retirement he couldn't even enjoy all the rest that he needed even the time when he was working got him to a place where he couldn't even rest or spend the money. He died. Now my question to you is why do you think that the law of South Africa specifically, I'm not worried about the other laws of other countries but I'm talking South Africa specifically why would they say that you need to have let's call it at least a 15 days a 10 days or whatever those days is leave for the year is because of a principle you need to go into solitary you need to rest you need to refuel you really need to refill this takes me to the second part you cannot pour from an empty cup look a car cannot drive on an empty tank who are you that think that you can just give give give give give give give and not refund Jesus had multitudes of people that he poured into. But he could do it for one good reason. It's because every time he felt like it was that time he went into a solitary place and go and refuel himself. Not just by refueling but refueling himself by the Father himself. there's no such thing as an output if there's not an intake make sense what I'm trying to say if ever there's anything that needs to be output you need something to be intake and this is where it's easier to explain it like a car. Intake petrol to take you further. Even the electric car today you have to have some sort of intake. Even the car that drive with the solar panels on top of it. The sun is constantly intaking. Isaiah 40 verse 31 If you read Isaiah 40 verse 31 31 it says but they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength there's a there's a waiting period or a period of refueling to restrainting you need refueling to restrainting yourself So shall renew their strength They shall mount up with wings as eagle And they shall run and not be weary And they shall walk and not faint Psalm 23 verse 2 and 3 says the following Do you know why Psalm 23 verse 2 says He maketh me to lie down in green pastures why would he say that? Is to go to refuel yourself in green pastures. He leaded me besides still waters. He restored my soul. The one thing that you must know if you climb a mountain with something in a bag and the bear carrying a rope, the longer you hold on to that, the rope will start cutting in your hands. Okay, let me not get into that. Some of the things you need to let go of. Some of the things you need to let go of. Some of the times you need to let people know, even if it's crowded. Let me make an example. Do you know when my family pass on? You have so many people that constantly coming to the house, coming to give condolences. Yeah. They're constantly coming to give condolences, constantly coming. And some of them will say, Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm coming so late. I'm coming from work only now. You say I coming from work only now meaning to say that you know it too late for you to come now Give the people a place of solitary so that they can refuel. I'm of the opinion that people don't know how grieving works. when you grieve over somebody or when you lose somebody, it is not your words that always make them stronger. Sometimes you have to leave them also without saying a word. You just sit with them. You don't even say anything. Just show them you are with them. It's enough Because a solitary place Is a place where you don't Have to even say anything My kids will tell you My wife will tell you My family will tell you I take naps whenever I want to I don't care Even the day when when my family passed away, I remember it so vividly. That morning, I said to my mother-in-law, you know, today I feel morbid. I feel like I want to cry. And she was the one, knowing that I love my sleep, she said, no, why don't you go and take a nap? Mommy said, Go and take a nap. You remember I was sleeping that morning. It was about 11 o'clock even. I was sleeping. It was early in the morning. I remember it vividly, vividly. She was even the one that says, As you so feel, How come you sleep? You're not sleeping. And I went to sleep. Sleep for me is refueling me. When the doctor spoke to me about Leighton being when he broke his leg or not when he still his leg is still in the cast one of the things that the doctor said it was rest said let him rest even when he was he was on the uh what is that at school they had school drill for fire. And the teachers said to him, no. Rest. You were not supposed to do this drill. Rest. So a solitary place is rest. A solitary place is refueling yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot pour from an empty cup. If there is something I can tell you today, you will be able to do three days without sleep. But can I tell you something? In the third day, you will make mistakes. Whatever you do, you will walk and you will walk in front of a car without even thinking that the car can bump you. Tired will kill you. Go into a solitary secret place. Because a secret place is where public power comes from. Wait, wait, wait, wait. A secret place is where public power come from. Let me explain to you this way. If you're looking at, let's go to any place with high buildings. Their secret lies within the depth that they are dug into. Your foundation of power lies in your secret place That where your public power come from People would see the skyscrapers And people will brag, wow, that's a nice skyscraper. But where does that skyscrapers power come from? It's from the depth of the secret place. the crowd saw the miracles of Jesus they saw it but they never saw the mountain at dawn where he went for the power they never saw him going into his secret place no no no let me say the sin power is literally fed by the unseen prayers. Go into your closet and... What is that scripture? Let me give you that scripture. Matthew 6 verse 6. Let's go to Matthew 6 verse 6. I want to read something for you. Matthew 6 verse 6 says But thou when thou prayest Enter into thy closet One good Enter into thy closet And when thou hast shut thy door Pray to the Father which is in secret And thy Father which in secret Shall reward thee openly The father that seeth in secret shall reward thou openly. So your powerful looking at yourself comes from the prayer that you say in your closet. There's something that you need to understand that. if you want a life that is poured pours out if you want a life that pours out you have to protect the place that nobody sees The place that nobody sees. You have to protect that place. What is your place today? Where is it that you're drawn from? Who is it that you're drawn from? Where is a solitary place where you can go to? Where is a secret place you can hide from? That God can give you strength. You know what I always did for years? It's now, where are we now? 26, 2026. It's only from 2020, if I can say it that way, that I stood up and start showing my ministry openly. Let me explain what I mean by that. I would always stand with the oil and serve somebody else while praying for that person while they are busy ministering. I would go to a church where everybody starts in front and preach and teach. I will not teach or preach. I will stand at the back and take in. There was a time that people were calling me an elder because I was ordained as an elder. Revely 2006, I think. 2005. I must actually go and check that video again. When I was ordained as an elder. Even when I was ordained as an elder, I didn't want to show I'm one of the leaders in the leadership side. I hide for so many years and people when they see at me look at me today seeing the the wisdom that come from God seeing the the way I do things come from God but they have not seen what I did for many years when the people were not in church. I would go into church clean the night before and as I clean wipe off that chairs and pray over those chairs one by one. I never told anybody except for my family that knows I wasn't there up until 10 12 at night when I come home Where were you? I don't even say where I was. They just know I went out. They just know I went out. That was my secret place. I remember in the year that it was what was that yeah okay but that doesn't matter i was on a saturday night i went to a specific seed and i was busy cleaning the seed and as i pray over the seed i said lord jesus this is the seed that you have ordained and this seat will have power. Lo and behold, the next day I was ordained to sit on that seat as a pastor. I'm not talking about three weeks, six months, twelve days after that. No. I'm talking about the Saturday night when I I call it clean but when I anointed the seed the next day I was ordained as a pastor. One of the things that you should do is choose a secret place for you What is a secret place? A secret place is a place where you go and refuel yourself. Go and get filled up. whatever that means to you God will tell you what it is I can actually explain it this way my wife is the one who always do the cooking always do the cleaning and then Laverne will be the one that will come after after supper do the cleaning that is a way of saying you did the cooking let me do the cleaning you get my point that's a secret place that makes you not to be drained out or to be drawn from from to be drawn from without getting an intake. Some of the things I do, I do it because I know if I don't do it, I might be giving somebody problems for the next time. I still do it. But I've learned I must give over to somebody else as well. Let me take this moment and tell you if ever you are tired don't go and keep on keeping on. Your rest will help to become your best. Heavenly Father I come to you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior I want to ask this week that each and everyone who is under the sound of my voice will plan to have a real solitary place for this week A real solitary place where they can be refueled Whatever it looks like to them, give them the wisdom to know how to. Where they will, even if they switch off their phone, where there's no noise, alone with God before they hit empty. Guard them like Jesus got their own time in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen and amen. So I just want to say to you today, you are running on empty because you keep pouring and never refill the strongest man who ever lived pull away to be alone with the father not after the work but right in the middle of the demand he pulled away you are not to be to to to to need you are not to need rest you are to need to keep running dry wait let me read this correctly You are not too needed. That's how I should be saying it. You are not too needed to rest. And you are not needed to keep running dry. Pull away this week before you crash. The secret place is where your strength comes from. So if you miss any of these, they are all also something that you need to understand that will help you. If you miss anything that I've spoken to you today, don't miss this one. Take time off to go to a solitary place. to go to a solitary place and i need you to to take time as well go and listen to all this messages that we we have talked about because all these principles that jesus gave us from principle number one on the 14th of june up until today and still going to go for it for the rest of the year because the principles of Jesus does not easily stop. I will keep on giving you principles of Jesus for the remainder of the here. So go and listen to principle number one on our YouTube channel. You will find it there. Next week is going to be Women's Day. Women's something. Women's Day. And I'm I'm talking straight to the one who has been hurting for years and nobody ever stopped to ask. You learn to keep quiet, to keep serving and to keep bleeding behind a smile. And I'm going to show you a woman who had been suffering for 12 years, ignored by everyone. And the moment the whole crowd kept moving, but one man stopped. You don't want to miss this one. You don't want to miss this one next week. So please do yourself a favor. If you have not gotten the message while I was preaching it go back to it In fact it easier for you to know which message that you want to listen to if you go on to our website, which is FountainGrace.org. Not Fountain of Grace, it's FountainGrace.org. And you will go to the sermons. and on the sermon pages it will show you all the sermons that has been preached you can choose which one you want to listen to and i and i must make an example now so if you feel today you are feeling somebody is delaying you i don't know how to uh give me the one for Disrespect you. I'm just making an example of that one. And you want to know what God is saying about disrespect. Go on to the website, fountaingrace.org. And go and type in. And there will be a message that will show you about that specifically. if you want us have any kind of message on fountain www.fountaingrace.org it's there enough let's let's share the grace the one for a grace can you not have said answer me