River or Reservoir? The Flow of a Faith that Lives - DJ Dickerson

There are few sightes

more powerful,

I believe, than moving water.

A river cutting through rock, a stream

that dances over stone,

water moving, alive, it seems,

determined.

But there is another image as well, a

reservoir that's large, contained,

quiet,

where water gathers. Water that holds,

water that sits.

Now, both of those that imagery that I'm

wanting us to to get this morning is

that both of those the the reservoirs

and the rivers, they both contain water

obviously, right?

But the difference is only one actually

flows.

And so for this morning, I want to ask a

question that reaches into the very

heart of our disciplehip.

river or reservoir,

the flow of a faith that lives.

And what we find from the scriptures

is from John chapter 7. In John chapter

John 7 · chapter mention John 7 · chapter mention

7, I want you to go there in your

Bibles. John chapter 7. Again, as I like

John 7 · chapter mention

to remind, make sure to prove all things

according to God's word, not DJs. John

John 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7. I believe we find not just in

this verse but other verses that we will

consider together this morning is an

invitation for us to flow in John

John 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7. And I want to start there in

verses 37 and 38 where the scripture

says,

"On the last day, that great day of the

feast, Jesus stood and cried out,

saying, if anyone thirst, let him come

to me and drink, he who believes in me,

as the scripture has said, out of his

heart will flow

rivers of living water.

I want you to notice something here uh

in this passage that what Jesus did not

say. Okay? Jesus did not say he who

believes in me will store up living

water.

He did not say he who believes in me

will become a container.

He said out of his heart will flow

rivers of living water.

Now

very interesting. The Bible has a lot to

say actually about water. Um

thinking about rivers uh specifically

a river is not passive as mentioned at

the beginning. A a river moves a a river

gives a river nourishes everything it

touches. And even in verse 39 Jesus

continued to speak concerning the

spirit, didn't he? In John 10:39,

John 10:39

notice, "But this he spoke concerning

the spirit whom those believing in him

would receive. For the Holy Spirit was

not yet given because Jesus was not yet

glorified."

And think about how all this works. What

Jesus is showing us even today, the

spirit works in the heart of a Christian

as we are connected to him, to the vine.

Okay? A lot of imagery we have in the

scriptures, don't we? A lot that's

emphasized about where the living

waters, where that comes from.

But what he's saying is always there's

movement, there's influence, there's

outward expression demonstrating uh that

of faith, a faith that was never

designed to be stagnant. Now friends, if

you take two bodies of water, you got

one against the flowing river and then

you got one that's a stagnant pond. All

right? Uh and leave them untouched for

months, you will notice something. The

river will stay clear,

but the pond will grow murky.

Why is that?

Because movement brings life while

stagnation breeds decay.

Now spiritually speaking, the same is

true. A Christian who's always receiving

but never giving

actually becomes spiritually stagnant.

So that's what I want us to note

throughout this lesson.

Well, let's go to a reservoir

Christianity for a moment. may have

never heard the idea of reservoir

Christianity

but a reservoir as mentioned stores

water for use. Now there is nothing

inherently wrong with storage. I mean

they they certainly play a a role.

Reservoirs certainly play a role

definitely because we're taught in

scripture about certain things we

certainly need to store. We need to put

in well think about 2 Timothy 2 and

verse1 15. study to show yourself

approved unto God, a workman that

needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing

the word of truth. All right, if you're

using the New King James King James

version, you saw you probably see the

words, be diligent to show yourselves

approved unto God. Right? That that's

the very thought as we study the word of

God. We got to be like the Bereans in

Acts who were searching the scriptures

daily to prove whether those things were

so. That we have to do. And in turn, we

are to grow. We are to take that word

truth find lodge and good and honest

hearts so we can grow in the knowledge

and the grace of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ. That's second Peter

2 Peter 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 17 and 18 that talks about

that. And then we have to build depth

right Colossians chapter 2 and verses 6

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

and 7 hits on that. We talked about that

passage not too long ago about how Paul

was talking how we are to be rooted and

established in him. Who is in him? Who

is that? Well, that's Jesus Christ. You

find that Colossians 2 and verses 6 and

7. And being built up in the faith that

that that again that idea of roots has

to do with the depth. It has to do with

the depth part.

So we know these scriptures and we know

that's what we need to do on that very

level on that personal level individual

level that we are to build and we are to

study and we are to grow but here's the

danger the danger is

this reservoir as we know has walls

and sometimes

we tend as disciples

of Christ Christians We build up

spiritual walls around ourselves.

You say, "Well, what does that look

like?" Well, what that looks like is

this. We attend services. We may take

some notes. We may highlight some verses

in our Bibles, maybe underline some

things. And so, what we do is we're

definitely accumulating some knowledge,

but what do we do with it? Does anything

actually flow out at any point? And I

want us to kind of back up over last

week. I mean, you think about the time

that we spend even just here in our

Bible classes and all all the great

discussion and observations that we find

and and being built up and and edified

and even our services that we have and

the songs that we sing and the prayers

that are prayed, the time that we spend

and memorial of of uh Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ who died and was buried and

rose to sit at the right hand of the

throne of God.

You know, we hear lessons

throughout throughout the week, Sunday

morning, right? Sunday evening and

Wednesday evening.

And all that does, right, is that we we

are to glorify God. Our our purpose is

to worship God in spirit and in truth as

John 4:4 says, and we are to to

John 4:4

become equipped.

So last week we heard a lot of

scriptures presented in sermons.

What did we do with that?

Did we share that with anybody?

Did we take the bulletins that we have

right articles? Did we share that? Did

we did we let that flow out or is it a

reservoir?

Did I just store that up because that's

mine? That's true. It is yours.

But you kind of see where I'm going with

this.

See, we're not just told to be hearers

only. But what are we supposed to do

with it? James 1 and verse 22 says, "But

be doers of the word and not hearers

only, deceiving yourselves." We got to

do something with the word. We got to

act on act upon it in our own obedience.

And part of that obviously

is being careful

with what we do, making sure we're doing

something because we're to be active in

our walk with God. And I want you to

notice that that the word that I put

there in a box there is deceiving.

Deceiving. Now, deceiving is is a word

that we have have to again keep in mind

because it's definitely possible that

think about a reservoir. A reservoir can

certainly look full,

but fullness without flow is actually

selfdeception.

Now, we we may think we because we know

scripture, we're spiritually healthy,

spiritually healthy. Uh but scripture

never measures faith merely by intake,

but also by output.

So, let's talk about some spiritual

symptoms of a reservoir.

The Bible talks about this.

How about knowledge without compassion?

What about attendance without action?

Again, we're equipped with with this

with a word. What are we doing with it?

Doctrine without disciplehip.

Conviction without conversion of others.

Now, I mean, the list could go on and on

and on. But the reservoir Christian

says, "I've got enough for me." But the

river Christian says, "Let it flow to

others. Let it flow to others."

Because when we start talking about

rivers and and the effects of what they

touch, well,

our scripture reading this morning,

Brother Luke read for us in Psalm 1. Did

y'all notice verse three?

He shall be like a tree planted by what?

I love the imagery by the rivers of

water.

What does that what does that mean?

Well, what does rivers of water do? It

brings forth its fruit

in its season because of that tree being

planted by the rivers of water whose

leaf also shall not wither and whatever

he does shall prosper.

Again, why does a tree flourish?

Easy answer. I already gave it to you,

right? The tree flourishes because of

the river. The river does not exist for

itself, does it?

The river actually sustains life

around it.

Spiritually speaking, when a Christian

truly walks with Christ,

you're going to see flourish.

What does that what does that mean?

Well,

examples

when Christians truly walk with Christ

and you get this river of water that's

flowing. Okay, living rivers of water.

Families are strengthened.

Weak brethren are encouraged.

The lost are influenced.

And the discouraged find hope. just to

name a few. Why is that? Because

something's actually flowing.

In the book of Ezekiel,

I told you there's a lot of passages

that give this kind of imagery, and I

could preach for a long time on this

one.

Ezekiel,

as we know, is certainly booking. If

you've been in a engaged in the yearly

Bible reading plan, you've been in the

book of Ezekiel and there's been some

visions, there's been some imagery that

may have kind of may your eyebrows may

have went up a couple times as you read.

I know I've read Ezekiel and sometimes

I'm like, "Wow." And I have to really

sit back and think about what's going on

there and the very context. But Ezekiel

has so much it's there's a lot of depth

there in Ezekiel chapter 47 uh

Ezekiel 47 · chapter mention

specifically the prophet uh the prophet

sees uh water and that water is flowing

from the temple. Uh now if you if you

notice that the whole chapter if you

have a

there a title there above chapter 47

your Bibles.

might being like mine may say the

healing waters and trees

and Ezekiel 47 goes into

some very interesting things here

because the prophet seeing this water

flowing from the temple that this

progression uh it started ankle deep uh

then knee deep then waist deep then

waters to swim in all right and wherever

the river went

in that passage Well, life followed. And

look at verse 9 of Ezekiel chapter 47.

Ezekiel 47 · chapter mention

And it shall be that every living thing

that moves wherever they wherever the

rivers go will live.

Love it. There will be a a a very great

multitude of fish because these waters

go there for they will be healed and

everything will live wherever the rivers

go. Wherever the river goes.

Friends,

that is the very picture of New

Testament Christianity right there.

That's the picture.

The church was never meant to be a

holding tank of believers

because this is sometimes what this is

pictured as.

Well, here's our holding tank right here

at 704 South Broadway.

That's not what the Bible teaches about

the church.

It was meant to be a moving forge. And

if you've been engaged in our Bible

study in the book of Acts, is that not

what we see?

They were a moving force.

They were rivers of living water.

And wow, even with the things that they

faced and persecution and oppression.

Oh, wow.

Are we like them?

Wherever the river goes.

Now,

with that in mind, we got to make the

the thought here

about the dangers.

We certainly note that several passages

in scripture that have to do with

warnings and that is the danger of

stagnation

because again if we're not the rivers

and we're just reservoirs

then we're not going to be like this.

We're not going to go and again see

vitality and life,

but rather again with the reservoirs,

we're going to be in that dangerous area

of stagnation.

Let let me submit this to you. Water was

never meant to sit still forever.

Okay. Um as mentioned earlier, when when

water moves, it refreshes. Uh when water

flows, it cleanses. Uh when water

travels, it nourishes. But when the

water stops moving, uh something begins

to change. I kind of use that pond

illustration, you know, earlier. Uh now,

at first, nothing seems wrong.

The surface still reflects the sky. Uh

it still looks calm. It still looks

peaceful.

But if you go down in the water, but

beneath the surface, there's stagnation

that begins to develop.

And let's ask the question, well, what

happens during stagnation?

Well, algae grows. Some That's pretty

nasty stuff sometimes, isn't it? How

about our favorite

in Leaport, Texas? My favorite is

mosquitoes breed.

Is that true? Yeah, we know that's true.

And so then you have contaminants that

collect

what once sustained life

slowly becomes unhealthy now.

And the tragedy is

that it didn't happen all of a sudden.

It's something that happens gradually.

That's exactly how spiritual stagnation

works.

A Christian rarely wakes up one day and

decides to become spiritually stagnant.

Instead, it begins quietly wherein

prayer becomes less frequent. Uh Bible

study something comes occasionally.

Encouragement of others becomes rare.

Evangelism

becomes uncomfortable,

service becomes inconvenient. And again,

that list could go on and on. And again,

I'm want us to do some reflection.

That's what we're doing. We're doing

some self-reflection. Again, I'm just

asking, go over last week. What did we

do? Were we a reservoir or are we a

river? Which one are we?

Where are we on this level? And the

dangers that we we have to look out for

because slowly the current of spiritual

life will begin to become sluggish until

eventually the faith that once flowed

becomes absolutely still and then we got

some problems. Now

years ago

someone observed that mosquitoes never

breed in rushing rivers.

H

they breed in stagnant water.

Now again as I mentioned we hear this

quite often in Leaport uh to we hear

this all the time uh to make sure to

empty anything that's holding standing

water.

You know if you got a wheelbarrow out

there buckets that might be sitting

somewhere out in the yard and it starts

gathering water. We're reminded dump it

and get rid of it.

Because stagnation creates the perfect

environment for decay and infestation.

Well, spiritually speaking, when a

Christian stops moving forward in faith,

something else begins to grow in the

stillness. Now, I'm about to give you

another list. Y'all ready? Because if

we're not busy in these areas that we're

talking about and and flowing out

and we're moving

that some other things start to well

kind of like the algae growing and all

that contaminant stuff we talked about

mosquitoes breeding all of that. Well,

spiritually there's going to be some

complaining. There's going to be

criticism, cynicism, comfort seeking,

and spiritual apathy.

Oh wow.

Because now what we've done is a

stagnant heart becomes vulnerable to

things that are flowing. Life would wash

away.

You get the imagery.

Let me give you some bodies of water.

Some more some examples.

The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Now

those are well-known uh geographic

locations in Israel. The Sea of Galilee

uh receives water. Where does the Sea of

Galilee receive water from? Well, the

Jordan River

uh and sends water out even.

Do you know what the Sea of Galilee has

full of life?

Uh fish thrive in that water.

communities flourish there.

But what about the Dead Sea?

That's pretty proper name for the sea

there, dead.

And we know why it's called Dead Sea

because it's it receives water but it

doesn't send anything out

because there is no outlet. The water

remains trapped over time. What is

happening? The salt concentration

has become so extreme that nothing can

live there.

Fish,

yeah, that's that's that's a bad

situation for them. They can't they

can't survive. Plants can't grow. Life

cannot flourish. Here's the point.

All because it receives but never gives.

It retains, it hoards, and it's

lifeless.

Same water source, but a different

outcome. Again, why? It's because one

gives while the other keeps.

Spiritually, that's the difference

between vitality and death.

That's exactly what Jesus is talking

about in the scriptures.

The danger of becoming a reservoir

Christian, friends, when we constantly

receive sermons and Bible classes,

encouragement and teaching, but we never

do anything with it. We never let it

pour out unto others. Our faith begins

to resemble the very dead sea I

mentioned.

We're full of information,

but we lack life.

One of the examples we find

that Jesus warned I mean it's pretty

vivid in Revelations 31 15- 16 our

revelation class a while back we were

spending this time a lot of discussion

we had through revelation revelations

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 15 and 16 Jesus warned about

this very danger when he spoke to the

church at Leadyia when he said I know

your works that you are neither cold nor

hot I wish you were cold or hot. So then

because you are lukewarm and neither

cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my

mouth. I know that's graphic language.

It's very graphic.

Do you ever think about lukewarm

stagnant?

I mean, it's not refreshing.

It's not lifegiving. It's useless.

And Jesus says something shocking with

that kind of language he uses.

Basically, he's saying lukewarm faith

repels him.

And that should cause every Christian to

pause and ask, "Am I still flowing or

have I quietly settled into stillness?"

Friends, I I want us to think back when

we first obeyed the gospel call.

Do you remember the excitement, the

hunger for scripture, the desire to go

and to tell others, the eagerness to

serve? Faith was doing what? Faith was

flowing. But over time, life happened.

Routine replaces passion.

Comfort replaces conviction.

Maintenance replaces mission.

And without realizing it, the current

was slowing down.

It was slowing.

And what stagnation has produced

unfortunately

is what we commonly call comfort zone

Christianity.

Fear of involvement,

resistance to change,

and declining evangelism.

Sometimes we might ask the question, you

know, this might be a whole another

sermon really, but but feeding off of

this, if all we are are reservoir

Christians,

then I think we can see why the problem

is the graveyards are getting bigger,

but the church is getting smaller.

You ever think about that? Cemeteries

growing, but the church is shrinking.

that bears a lot of responsibility on my

individual role because we have to think

about ourselves before we start thinking

about well you know so and so need to

hear that lesson

we have that tendency well let's let's

not do that let's think about ourselves

first

a sermon tonight it's called spiritual

enigmas be five o'clock for that one

because that's going to be kind of where

that's going Right?

Why there's comfort zone Christianity?

Why there's fear of involvement? Why is

there resistance to change? Why is there

declining evangelism?

Why are the cemeteries getting bigger

while the church is getting smaller?

Here's a simple truth.

Flowing water stays fresh. Flowing faith

stays alive. When we serve, we grow.

When we teach, we deepen.

When we encourage, we strengthen our own

hearts. That's the very design we see in

the scriptures because God designed the

Christian life to move. Move.

We're in Colorado. I love to see of

course the mountain streams. They are

beautiful. Beautiful.

Uh mountain streams as the observations

that I was thinking about how they stay

clear. Not because it avoids dirt or

rocks. We know that there's dirt and

there's rocks, okay?

But the mountain stream stays clear

because it keeps moving. The current

constantly refreshes the water. And in a

Christian who continues to serve others,

teach the loss, encourage the weak, grow

in knowledge, pour out love, they remain

spiritually vibrant

because movement keeps the soul aresh.

Stagnation does not happen because we

hate God.

It happens because we simply stop

flowing.

And when the flow stops, again, as I've

mentioned, decay begins. And this is the

part deceiving our own selves that we

are warned about throughout the

scriptures.

Which leads me to the next question we

must ask. What actually makes a river

flow?

What makes a river flow?

A river flows because of its source. Ah,

y'all see we're coming all the way back.

It's fed

from somewhere

higher.

John 15. I was reminded here and I was

thinking about in this lesson in John

15:es 5 and six

more imagery.

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the

branches. He who abides in me and I in

him bears much fruit. For without me you

can do nothing. For if anyone does not

abide in me, he is cast out as a branch

and is withered. and they gather them

and they and throw them into the fire

and they are burned. And I know we're

going from water to to botany now. All

right. And I had to teach a class of the

trail life group boys. I had to teach

about botany. There's not a whole lot I

know about botney, but I know John 15. I

can work with that. Right? But if we

disconnect from Christ, what what's

happening? We dry up.

But if we remain in him, we cannot help

but flow.

The early church we have been studying

in acts 8 and verse4 that's a powerful

example therefore those who were

scattered went everywhere preaching the

word

persecution didn't stop them pressure

did not contain them what were they

doing they flowed

they did not say we need to protect what

we have

yeah they were storing up they certainly

were holding hanging on to the word and

they were holding fast to that pattern

of sound doctrine. But they also had

something else to do. And what was it?

They let it flow. They let it spread.

And and I'm asking again, let's ask

ourselves these serious questions. When

was the last time our faith overflowed

into someone else's life?

When was the last time someone was

strengthened because of the way we

spoke?

encouraged because the way that we

acted,

challenged because we stood firm

maybe in some difficult or trying

circumstances of our lives.

Are we content simply attending

or are we influencing?

Because friends, what we have seen in

the scriptures is the mission of a river

Christian.

A river Christian encourages

intentionally.

They serve consistently.

They teach boldly. They give generously.

And they pray fervently. Is that not

what the scriptures teach? Paul said

even second Timothy 2 and verse two, he

told Timothy, he said, "And the things

that you have heard from me among many

witnesses, commit these to faithful men

who will be able to teach others also.

Friends, that's flow. That is a flow.

Do you know what's actually included in

this verse?

Four generations in one verse.

Sometimes we might miss that, but we're

going to break it down.

Paul said that you, who's you? Well,

that's Timothy. Heard from me. Who's

that? Well, that's Paul.

What is he supposed to do? You commit

these two faithful men and what are they

going to do with it?

They're going to teach others also.

Isn't that amazing?

That's called river Christianity right

there.

That's river Christianity.

That's not a reservoir. That's a river

system.

And that's God's desire.

And we got to ask ourselves, is that

what we are doing? Because, brethren,

water that does not move eventually

evaporates,

does it?

And so it is with our faith. Faith that

does not move, it will eventually fade.

And as we bring these thoughts together

and close this morning, I I want to

leave you with one simple word that I've

used in this lesson couple of times.

It's four letters. Move.

Move.

Because the difference between a river

and a reservoir, as we have certainly

noticed in this lesson, is movement.

Movement.

A river moves and a reservoir sits. And

throughout the scripture, living faith

is always described as something that

moves. And boy, did I want to go a lot

deeper into this.

Time will not allow me, but it's

certainly going to hopefully stimulate

our thinking by using just two quick

examples, if you will. Hebrews 11:7 that

Hebrews 11:7

talks about faith, right? By faith, Noah

being divinely warned of things not yet

seen. What did he do? What do you do

with that faith? He moved with godly

fear,

prepared an ark for the saving of his

household by which he condemned the

world and became heir of the righteous

which is according to faith.

He moved.

Faith moved him. Faith did not merely

inform Noah. Faith did not merely

inspire Noah. Faith moved Noah.

For years, Noah built that ark according

to the pattern that God gave him. While

the world would mock and ridicule him as

a preacher of righteousness, but faith

kept moving him forward.

You fast forward to the life of Jesus in

Mark 6 and verse 34, the same thing

you're going to find there. And Jesus

when he came out saw a great multitude

and was moved with compassion for them

because they were like sheep not having

a shepherd. So he began to teach them

many things. Now I want you to notice

this. Sometimes it's easy to pass by

when we're reading this. But Jesus did

not simply observe the crowd and make

some observation about you know what

they're like sheep not having a shepherd

and I'm moving on somewhere else. That's

not the same type of moving I'm talking

about. Okay, that kind of movement, this

movement was deep-seated in the heart.

What said I, he moved with compassion

for them.

What did compassion do? It moved him.

Love moved him. Concern moved him. And

because he was moved, what does it say

the latter part of that verse? Because

he was moved, he began to teach them.

What did his compassion do? May I use

the river again?

Flowed outward.

It flowed outward.

Friends, this is the nature of true

faith.

It's the nature of true faith. Faith

moves. Faith flows. Faith pours into

others. A river does not keep its water

to itself.

Again, you can go through the scriptures

and I and I ask definitely do that. Go

look at all even Psalm one that we noted

earlier. Nourishes fields, sustains

trees, refreshes travelers. It brings

life wherever it goes. Isn't that what

Ezekiel 47:9 said? Absolutely.

Ezekiel 47:9

In the same way, a Christian whose heart

is truly connected to Christ cannot help

but move and let faith flow outward into

all of those things. Again, I just

briefly hit on them, but encouragement,

service, teaching, compassion,

evangelism, love for souls.

So, so really the question is not

whether we believe, the question is

whether we flow.

So, perhaps

this evening the most important question

is not whether we believe. The question

is, is our faith actually still moving?

Is it still flowing or has it quietly

settled into stillness?

Because a faith that moves

will build arcs in a faithless world

like Noah.

A faith that moves will teach the lost

like Jesus.

A faith that moves will strengthen

families, encourage brethren, reach the

lost, and bring glory to God in all.

Friends, Jesus did not die

for us to become private collectors of

grace.

That's not what he died. He died so that

life will move through us. You know who

talked about that too? Paul. Galatians 2

and verse 20. He said, "I am crucified

with Christ. It's no longer I who live

but Christ lives in me."

The cross was not a reservoir event. It

was the greatest outpouring in human

history

that we're going to remember this first

day of the week.

Blood flowed,

mercy flowed,

forgiveness flowed.

That's a river.

And now he calls us to live the same

way.

All aspects of our lives. Let your

marriage feel that flow.

Let your children feel that flow.

Let our fellow brothers and sisters in

Christ feel that flow.

Let the lost feel that flow.

May never said that we were spiritually

full

but functionally stagnant.

Instead, may it be said of us, they were

rivers.

I might be put some on a tombstone, huh?

They were rivers.

That person there was a river

because we flowed as rivers of

compassion, conviction, rivers of

courage, rivers of Christ.

And you know what they will say? Exactly

like Ezekiel of chapter 47 and verse 9.

Because wherever they went,

life followed.

May that be said of us.

And I'm asking again, are you a river or

are you a reservoir?

I think we have definitely seen the

difference between those two.

And I'm asking

if we have a flow of faith that lives

where life will follow.

Everything that we go and we touch

because of God, his word,

life and vitality is seen in it. Homes,

our communities, our own congregation,

and the list could go on.

That's the lesson.