Boiling Water Series

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“Boiling Water” Romans 12:11

? Discern that the power of diligence comes from employing the energy of the Spirit and enlisting the encouragement of the saints.

The second phrase in this verse indicates the power source of life and love.

“In regard to the spirit boiling over.”

“to boil or seethe, eagerness, burning zeal, spiritual glow, show enthusiasm, have great fervor, be hot, to well up.” Used of boiling water, cooked meat, glowing sand, stormy sea, fermenting wine, fervent Christians

To continually press forward toward divine directives indicates diligence. To press forward with a passion and fervency indicates a supernatural empowerment from the Holy Spirit. “in regard to the Holy Spirit – boiling over, fervent, glowing, eager, overflowing, hot welling up.”

Jesus alluded to such a ministry of the Spirit in John.

Jesus answered and said to her (the woman at the well), "Everyone who drinks of this well-water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the (spiritual) water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:13-14

“Springing up, leaping up, gushing up”

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' " But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

“flowing over, springing up, bubbling over.”

God desires that every believer experience the inner ministry of the Holy Spirit bubbling up out of our regenerated spirit into our souls and overflowing through our bodies in ministry to those around us.

What happens when you heat ordinary water to boiling? You get steam which turns giant turbines which produces sufficient electricity to power entire cities. What happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to set up a nuclear plant in our soul? His power heats the ordinary water of our life into steam and fervor which fully engages the members of your body which produce electrifying spiritual impact sufficient to enlighten entire countries. Even the image of flowing water illustrates power and impact. The Spirit longs to boil over in our life. Scripture refers to it over and over again. It promises it and describes it and prescribes it for all believers. God used a multitude of images to communicate its power.

Filling as wind in a sail. Rushing wind, Flames of fire.

Paul identifies such ministry power flowing in his own life.

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Col. 1:28-29

Paul told the Ephesians of the grace given according to the power of God. Paul prayed that we would come to know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. The same kind of power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Paul prayed that the Colossians would experience such power in their midst.

strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously given thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Col. 1:11

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Cor. 2:4-5

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8

I pray that God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, Ephes. 3:16

The entire book of Acts testifies to the impact of those filled with the Holy Spirit.

Even the Old Testament attests to the necessity of this source of power.

'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. Zech. 4:6

Jesus’ whole life and ministry functioned by means of the power of Holy Spirit.

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. Luke 4:14

I can’t read these verses and think about this admonition without looking at my own life and even our ministry for God here in this community. Where is the power? Are we bubbling over? Where is the fire, the wind? How hot is our water?