Be Like Water Series

Be like water.

The Bruce Lee parable.

Sermon by: Pastor Johnathan Bloch

Firestonee Park Baptist Church, Akron Ohio.

Bruce Lee, the Martial Artist, Philosopher and the ultimate Asian Icon, had many wise words to illustrate the philosophies of Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts style he founded. His philosphies have many applications to our walk with Jesus Christ as well. Bruce had studied martial arts for many years and had done very well with himself until one day he lost a fight that almost ended his corrier, He had to re-think the way he did everything, the way he moved, the way he acted and reacted. You see, the style he had learned as a youth told him the only time you can throw a punch is if you are standing exactly like this, or the only time you can throw a kick is if your target is only moving in this one way. Bruce questioned why he lost, he learned that by only doing things the way he had been taught limmited what he could do, he needed to find a way to break free from the limits that had been placed in his life. So, he spent years rethinking his style and his application till it hit him one day, WATER, I MUST BE LIKE WATER. he noticed that water holds no form yet it takes on any form its placed into, that water can be calm and peaceful and yet it can be all powerfull and destructive. Durring an interveiw this is what he said about being like water.

"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

Doesnt that sum up what we should be like? that we as christians shouldnt just hold to what we know best, but we should be able to adapt and change forms that address the issues in the best way.

Lets look at some scripture to help us understand what water can do.

Job14:19a

As water wears away stone,

water wearing away stone, water can be a very destructive force, just look around the world. the grand canyon was formed by water, time and time again we see how water can tear away homes and alter live's. We used water to break away large stone from the feilds, we would use a pick and hammer and chisle a hole into large rocks, then as winter came, we would pour water into the holes we chisled, when it would freeze it would expand and crack the large rocks, then come spring we would have small rocks to remove and not large ones. We needed to remove them from the feild to make the feild useful. Even God used the destructive force of water to remove things he couldnt use to be productive from his harvest feilds when He flooded the earth.

Psalms 23:2b

He leads me besides still waters.

Water is such a destructive force yet it can also bring comfort and security. Water can be tranquil and refreashing.

Have you seen or heard of the stress therapy of listening to water? They record the sound of a slow moving stream or of the ocean shore and the sounds of it can relax and calm you. Across the world man has always taken the time to seek out a fresh supply of clean water, its not just a luxuary its needed to support life. Every major civilization has always been based around a water suply, its a need. However, water is also used as a tool, it can be used for cleaning, it can be used for growth of crops, it can be used to produce electric power, it can be used in physical therapy.

now then, just so we have a very clear understanding of what water can do for us, its uses and its power lets recap a few things.

the power of water,

1. its a destructive force 2. it can change the face of the earth 3. when water is not under control it can take life and cause massive damage to life. however, when water is under control it is...1. it supports life, 2, it naturally attracts life to it. 3. it produces power. and its theraputic.

Now lets see how this all comes together with God. How this all comes clear to us when we look at Jesus.