Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Flow Factor*

 

Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will */pour out/* my spirit upon all flesh;

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is */come upon you/*: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with */power from on high/*.

John 7:37 † In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

These familiar scriptures explain what happens when we receive the Holy Ghost.

Jesus said that out of our innermost being rivers of water would flow.

/Is there a connection between what is poured in and what flows out?/ 

Yes, it is the FLOW FACTOR!

When Jesus stood up at the feast, he made it clear that when we receive the Holy Ghost, it would be like water flowing out of our innermost being.

From this, we can conclude that the Spirit of God will flow through us.

But it also confirms a very key element in experiencing the power of God in our lives.

*/ /*

*/Water flows down./*

Water flows down just like the Spirit of God flows down through our lives.

How do we make sure the power of God is flowing through our lives.

We get down!

Seriously, there is a pattern on how we can ensure that the power of God is moving in our lives.

It always flows to the lowest point first.

That is why down and out people can come in here and feel the flow of the Holy Ghost.

They think it strange because they are so far from God and yet He seems near.

But that is just the beginning.

If you don’t have the Holy Ghost, the living water Jesus spoke of, you can have it tonight!

If you do have it, you have the one ingredient needed to see God do great and miraculous things in their life.

Have you wondered why some saints seem to have power with God, and others don’t?

You wouldn’t go as far as to say that they aren’t saved, but something is lacking.

Maybe you feel that way about yourself.

You know that you have the Spirit, but it doesn’t seem to flow very swiftly through your life.

You can have rivers of flowing water flowing out of you – you can experience God’s best!

Reader’s Digest tells the following story; A 747 was halfway across the Atlantic when the captain got on the loudspeaker: "Attention, passengers.

We have lost one of our engines, but we can certainly reach London with the three we have left.

Unfortunately, we will arrive an hour late as a result."

\\ An hour later the captain made another announcement: "Sorry, but we lost another engine.

Still, we can travel on two.

I’m afraid we will now arrive two hours late."

\\ Shortly thereafter, the passengers heard the captain’s voice again: "Guess what, folks.

We just lost our third engine, but please be assured we can fly with only one.

We will now arrive in London three hours late."

\\ At this point, one passenger became furious.

"Come on," he shouted.

"If we lose another engine, we’ll be up here all night!" \\ \\

 

It’s true.

I did read this in RD, I just didn’t say it was a true story.

This passenger had no clue, but I’m not sure he was much different than we are when it comes to activating the power of God in our lives.

We know we’ve experienced it, but how do we keep it flowing?

It’s a simple to assume that once God has delivered us, bailed us out, and miraculously intervened on our behalf that we are going to be better off.

How do we get down after He has brought us up?

God shouldn’t have to get you out of a financial crisis every two weeks; /but how do we see a miracle if we don’t need one?/

I’ve seen people get a real experience with God; and not come back to church.

This is the beginning.

The key is to keep a position that allows God to flow through us.

When the Jews had feasts, there were to help them remember their past.

The Feast of the Passover reminded them of when they passed out of Egypt.

The Feast of Tabernacles relived life in the wilderness and how God dwelt among them.

Each day a joyous celebration was observed in which the priests brought water (symbolic of the water supplied from the rock in Ex. 17) to the temple from the pool of Siloam in a golden pitcher.

During the procession the people recited Is. 12:3 “therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”.

The water was poured out on the altar as an offering to God, while the people shouted and sang.

On the last day Jesus stood and said, “If any man thirst…

 

His proclamation spoke not only to their need, but their ability to meet the needs of others.

Drink what I’m providing and it will take care of your needs and provide you with the resources to affect other people.

~* You weren’t given the Holy Ghost just for you.

It’s for those around you too!

 

Out of his belly shall flow RIVERS – John 7:37-38

The */spirit (breath)/* is that */inward (belly; joint)/* part of people which gives them their identity and by which they think */(mind; conscience; imagination),/* feel */(heart; reins),/* and have */life/*

 

THIS IS A PROMISE – WE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AND FROM OUR INNERMOST BEING AND IDENTITY WILL FLOW LIFE

 

/WHAT IF IT’S NOT HAPPENING?

WHAT IF YOU NEED MORE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD?/

 

 

*/What can be done to maximize the force of water?

Build dams!  /*

*/Almost 20% of the world’s electricity is created by dams.

With the exception of the Great Wall of China, dams are the largest structures ever built.

Throughout history, big dams have prevented flooding, irrigated farmland, and generated tremendous amounts of electricity.

Without dams, modern life as we know it would simply not be the same.

/*

*/ /*

*/In addition to a flow of water, there are three elements involved - /*

 

*ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES*

* *

*Flaming Gorge* – built in a ravine – what is the difference between a river and a swamp?

*CREATE FALL*

                Build things in our life that create an avenue through which God to flow.

Fasting, prayer, Bible Study

Ps. 1

 

 

 

*OPEN UP A CHANNEL. *

~*JESUS WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE WOMAN WHO GAVE TWO MITES BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T GIVE OUT OF HER SURPLUS, BUT HER SURVIVAL

 

/Story of pool liner splitting/ – the water pressure was because it came from the bottom – the belly of the pool.

There have been times since then when we have left a hose running in the pool and come back after church to find it seeping over the sides.

Not only was the release slow, nothing more could be added.

* *

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, /that they are/ the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end /is/ destruction, whose God /is their/ belly, and /whose/ glory /is/ in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly;

 

Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV)

“For My people have committed two evils:

     They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,

     /And/ hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

There is a limit to how much of God we can handle if we’re not passing it along

Water flows down.

What if there is no lowest point?

There is no flow.

God’s Power goes to the point of need.

Once we have the Spirit of God, the manner in which He flows through our life has to do with how we handle it.

The anointing is for a purpose.