Series: Let the river flow pt 2/3
John 7:37-39 “Jesus has the life giving water!”
• 37…Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive…
• How thirsty are you for this water of life?
Revelation 22:1-2 “It flows from the throne of God and the Lamb to bring life, and healing to the nations.”
• 1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
• Where is the original source of this life giving water found? – In Heaven! – In the Holy City! – Inside of you if you are a believer!
• It starts and flows out of the throne of God and the Lamb and it flows from His throne and it brings eternal life and healing to all who drink it and soak in it.
So what holds back this life giving water today?
• How are spiritual dams erected? These dams are manmade structures which hinder or even stop the flow of this life giving water.
• Paul warns us in 1 Thessalonians 5 not to block the flow of the river of the Spirit!
• I Thess. 5:19: “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.”
• The Apostle Paul lists several things here which will block –hinder or even stop the flow of the water of life into a church, a community, a family or even a person’s life.
• Remember – the water of life represents the Spirit of the Lord- the Holy Spirit!
The dream
• Share the repeated dream you had and the vision from the Lord for Christian Hills and the community.
• The dam represents what man does to flowing water -- they dam it up and stop the flow of the river and in so doing – it causes things to die because of the lack of water. The nutrients which sustain life are blocked from parts of the river bed and therefore it dies.
• Mankind is known for building dams to stop or hinder the flow of water – now the same is true spiritually – when men or women start adding to the Word of God or taking away from the Word of God or even create man made rules and regulations we in essence erect a dam that hinders the flow of the Spirit into our churches, our community and our own lives.
• We actually can block the flow of the water which sustains our spiritual lives and therefore we slowly dry up and eventually die spiritually.
• Last week I had an analogy illustration of a dam: I had a symbol of the vision and the dream –We had a wall which looked like dam – we had water – we hit with hammers, money, bats and even sledge hammers –We saw the trickles from the cracks in the wall – we learned how to break down the dam- we discovered how to release the flow of the Holy Spirit and the River of Life into our community, our lives, our families and even our church.
• We talked about some of the blocks which hinder the flow of the Spirit – We looked at 1 Thess. 5: 12-28:
• Final Instructions
12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
16Be joyful always;
17pray continually;
18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
20do not treat prophecies with contempt.
21Test everything. Hold on to the good.
22Avoid every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
25Brothers, pray for us.
26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
• The blocks to the move of the Spirit we discussed and Paul addresses are: A lack of respect for leadership, pride, division, dissension, revenge, idleness, apathy, not being thankful, but grumpy and critical, being unwilling to forgive, having a spirit of offense, sin, rebellion, idol worship, legalism, selfishness, arrogance, greed and some others!
• Too many Christians are erecting dams rather than busting down the dams and allowing the River of Life to flow! Too many are hindering even blocking the flow of the Holy Spirit rather than releasing it into our midst and community.
We came to the point that to release the streams of living water into our church, our families and our lives we had to do the following:
• We have to believe that Jesus will give us this life giving water of life!
• We have to be thirsty enough to ask Jesus for it!
• We have to be willing to pray and intercede for it!
• We have to be willing to do what we are instructed to do to break down the dam – faith without action is nothing.
Quote: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5:24
We sang the song: “Let the River Flow” as a prayer to the Lord to release this life giving, healing water of life to the church, to the community and to our lives.
"Let the River Flow" by Darrell Evans:
Let the poor man say,
I am rich in Him
Let the lost man say,
I am found in Him.
Let the river flow.
Let the blind man say,
I can see again.
Let the dead man say,
I’ve been born again.
And let the river flow.
Let the river flow.
Let the river flow.
Let the river flow.
Holy Spirit, come.
Move in power.
Let the river flow
Let the river flow
Let the river flow
Let the river flow!
Video clip: Review of last week showing me hitting the dam and it busting and then show the river flowing!
The application point for the Congregation: There are three categories of people in life today. There are those that make things happen. Those that watch things happen. Then those that don’t know what is happening. If we want revival in this church, in our lives, in our families and in our community we need more people that will make things happen. We need people to jump aboard the raft (Christian Hills Church) and ride the river of life, we need to do it now while the water is flowing from His throne.
Sermon 2 River rafting Title: River Rafting 101
The theme of the River of Life flows throughout the Bible. According to Genesis, in the Garden of Eden there was a river that flowed into it to water all the plants and to give the Garden life. According to the Gospels, Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. And then, another John’s final vision in Revelation includes yet another river — the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb as shared earlier.
Years ago we all went rafting in Colorado as a family – show the picture. I learned a few lessons about river rafting then and have learned that they apply to spiritual river rafting as well.
Question: River Rafting 101: How do you ride the river - the wave of the Holy Spirit?
What do you do when the dam bursts?
Get into a river raft a church!
Ride the Spirit’s wave!
Hold on!
Understand that you will get wet! and that the river raft may overturn at some point on the journey.
Video of river rafting and the adventure.
Thesis: It’s important to understand that river rafting has many dangers and difficulties just as the journey of life does. We must know how to ride the river and manage the spiritual journey of life.
The following from the Article: “International Scale of River Difficulty” from a search on the web.
There are six grades of difficulty in white water rafting. They range from simple to very dangerous. Remember the journey of spiritual life down the spiritual river also has different grades of river difficulty. The simple to the dangerous!
Grade 1: Very small rough areas, might require slight maneuvering. (Skill Level: Very Basic)
Grade 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require some maneuvering. (Skill level: basic paddling skill)
Grade 3: Whitewater, small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering. (Skill level: experienced paddling skills)
Grade 4: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed. (Skill level: whitewater experience)
Grade 5: Whitewater, large waves, large volume, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise maneuvering. (Skill level: advanced whitewater experience)
Grade 6: Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous as to be effectively un-navigable on a reliably safe basis. Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and/or substantial drops that will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment. Traversing a Class 6 rapid has a dramatically increased likelihood of ending in serious injury or death compared to lesser classes. (Skill level: successful completion of a Class 6 rapid without serious injury or death is widely considered to be a matter of great luck or extreme skill).
Each stage of rivers and rafting them has different obstacles and dangers therefore is it vitally importance that you navigate them correctly and rightly. Rafts in white water are very different vehicles than canoes or kayaks and have their own specific techniques to maneuver through whitewater obstacles.
T.S. – So the 1st thing you should know about River Rafting is you must listen to your guide.
I. Listen to your guide – he knows what he is doing!
a. We must make the conscious decision before we get in into the raft that our guide is in charge – with all his wisdom and insight so as to lead us safely down the river experience. We spiritually must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us down the spiritual river and listen to His guides as well.
b. Scripture Text is an example of what we should be doing for our spiritual river journey: Acts 16:6-15:
i. Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.
7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
ii. Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.
12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
iii. In Acts 16:6-15: We have a scenario set by a river. In it, Paul, has a vision that sends him to Macedonia, to the city of Philippi. Once there, instead of preaching in a temple as he usually did, on one Sabbath morning Paul went outside the gate of the city and found a river there. By the river, there was a place of prayer, and women gathered there. By the river Paul sat down, spoke about Jesus, and a certain woman named Lydia had her heart opened by God, and she believed. After Paul was done speaking, she asked to be baptized, along with her whole household. We can only presume that they baptized in the river which was next to the meeting.
1. I actually got to visit this sight when I was in Greece – a very peaceful beautiful place.
2. You need to be reminded that the symbol of water is connected to eternal life - the Bible and Jesus made this connection. Jesus made it clear that the water of life – the life giving water-the healing water flows from the Holy Spirit which was poured out on the Day of Pentecost.
c. Michael Milton says: The big thing in white-water rafting is to let the guide lead. This is important. Without the voice of the guide, who is constantly shouting, “Full back!” (row backward) or “Ahead!” (row forward) or “All left!” This command is especially critical. It means the rowers on the right side need to immediately move to the left side in order to avoid tipping over.
i. In our spiritual lives, there are constant threats in life. The best way to get through the rapids of life is to listen to our Guide, the Lord, rather than doing things our own way.
d. The Bible is consistent with the repeated point that God is to be our Guide in life:
i. “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling” (Exod. 15:13).
ii. “For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end” (Ps. 48:14).
iii. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).
e. Milton states, "Our guide knew that stretch of the Arkansas River that we were rafting like the back of his hand. We had never been that way before. Our safety, our success—our lives in a sense—depended on listening to our guide. I do well to remember this: Follow the Guide. Listen to His voice. He will get me safely home."
i. I can say the same thing about our river of life journey - our guide knows the way and what to do and we just need to listen to His directions and trust His knowledge of the river.
T. S. - Not only do you need to listen to your guide you need to make sure you bring the proper equipment for the river ride.
II. We must have the proper equipment for the river journey:
a. One of the ways to ensure a safe rafting trip is by having the much needed rafting supplies. It is in fact your responsibility to be fully-equipped before heading out and jumping in the raft. Rafting trips often begin with safety presentations to educate customers about problems that may arise. You also sign a waiver stating the dangers involved in the journey. No one is forced to make the journey you have to agree and sign the paper that you understand the danger.
i. When we went rafting we all had to fitted into our equipment so each person had the right gear and it was fitted properly.
ii. The truth is each one of us when we receive Christ is specifically equipped for a purpose. God the master designer fits each of us with the proper equipment we need to take the journey.
b. Ephesians 6:10-20:
i. The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
c. The necessary safety equipment for river rafting and spiritual river rafting:
i. The Helmet – Helmets protect the most vital and vulnerable part on a person their head – their thinking!
1. Spiritually: We need to be wearing the helmet of salvation as we ride the wave of the spirit because the river is full of obstacles, rocks, river hydraulics, hot spots, whirlpools, and drop offs.
a. The helmet is placed on our head by the Lord to protect us on our river journey.
b. The Lord made it to fit our exact size head.
ii. Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
1. Life jackets – life preservers – breast plate of righteousness – wear it will keep you afloat in the water if you get knocked out of the raft.
2. Spiritually: Life jackets keep you from sinking as so does your righteousness. Your right standing with God.
iii. Rafting Clothing
1. In rafting you need to wear the right clothing to stay warm and dry.
2. Spiritually: In spiritual rafting the Shield of Faith or faith is what we are to wear so as to stay warm and comfortable in our long wet journey of life, it will protect us from the elements and keep us warm and secure.
iv. Sunscreen –To me this is the anointing from the Holy Spirit which keep us protected from those un-for-seen damaging ultra violet rays which can burn you .
1. The sun’s rays off the water do more damage than from above so you need sunscreen to protect your skin.
2. Spiritually: The anointing of the Holy Spirit protects you from the unseen elements of life and empowers you to move forward.
v. The oar represents - the Bible- the Sword of the Spirit
1. They give us the ability to direct the raft and to help maneuver it down the river of life.
2. Bit notice we only get one?
3. It only works in conjunction with other peoples oars.
vi. A patch kit
1. You need to carry a patch kit for your raft in case it gets a hole in it so you can fix it.
2. Spiritually: The patch of forgiveness is what all of us in the church should carry to patch any leaks in the raft.
3. ILLUSTRATION: Famous Mountain Climber struggled
a. References: Psalm 41:9 Psalm 55:12-15 Matthew 6:14-15 Matthew 18:21-35 Matthew 26:21-23 John 13:21 John 18:2-3 Romans 15:2-3 Galatians 5:13-16 Ephesians 4:31-32 Ephesians 5:1-2 Philippians 2:1-4 Philippians 4:2-3 Colossians 3:12-15 James 3:13-18 1 Peter 2:1
b. Many mountain climbers regard Italian Walter Bonatti as the greatest climber of all time. In 1954, when he was 24-years-old, he was the youngest member of the Italian climbing team that became the first in the world to conquer K2, the second tallest mountain in the world after Everest. Wikipedia says, "K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among the ’eight thousanders’ for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying." Mountaineer Reinhold Messner told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, "Bonatti was just a boy from Bergamo who in a very few years became the best climber in the world," and that he had been envied around the world because he was "too ahead of the curve, too alone, too good." But when Bonatti died in 2011 at age 81, his New York Times obituary focused much of its attention on a controversy surrounding the 1954 conquest of K2 that dogged him for the rest of his life. Although two members of the Italian team reached the summit of the mountain, Bonatti himself did not. He and a porter were responsible to transport oxygen tanks to a camp at 26,000 feet, where they were to meet the other climbers who were waiting for them. Then together the entire team was to make the final, one-day ascent to the top. However, when Bonatti and his porter arrived with the oxygen tanks at the agreed-upon location, no one was there. Bonatti and the porter had to spend the night camped in the open, where they almost died from the cold. The next morning, leaving the oxygen tanks in the snow, they rushed back down the mountain, and the porter lost fingers and toes to frostbite. A few hours after Bonatti and the porter had left the oxygen tanks in the snow, the other members of the Italian team appeared, took the tanks, and proceeded to the summit and to mountaineering glory. Later, Bonatti accused them of deliberately missing their planned meeting place on the mountain. The others denied it, and the Italian Alpine Club sided with them. From then on, Bonatti did much of his climbing alone rather than with teams, and for the next 50 years the controversy over K2 lingered in the climbing community.Then, in 2004, one of the Italian climbers who had reached the summit of K2 essentially admitted in a book that Bonatti’s version of the events was true.When Bonatti died in 2011 at age 81, his partner Ms. Rossella Podesta, age 77, said, "The K2 story was a big thorn in his heart. He could not believe that, even after all those many years, nobody had apologized or acknowledged the truth. This falseness has left a mark in his life." In his own book, The Mountains of My Life, Walter Bonatti wrote, "My disappointments came from people, not the mountains." Indeed, forgiving others can be more difficult than climbing the world’s tallest mountains.
i. Craig Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com; source: Graham Bowley, "Walter Bonatti, Daring Italian Mountaineer, Dies at 81," N.Y. Times (9-15-11)
vii. Pure drinking water – usually they recommend a water pack that you were.
1. You must bring good clean drinking water to prevent dehydration.
2. Spiritually: You need to have the Holy Spirit in you to stay hydrated.
a. If no spirit then you will dry up
viii. The safety rope
1. You need one to throw out to someone in need to pull them to safety if they get caught in a whirlpool or undertow.
2. Spiritually: Belt of truth is our safety rope to throw to those caught in whirlpools in the river, or rough water.
ix. Water Shoes
1. Protect your feet from getting cut up and helps protect them the elements.
2. It also helps your feet get better traction under the water.
3. Spiritually: The Gospel of peace is the covering we need to be able to keep our traction on the slippery rocks in the journey and we need it’s protection from sharp objects found under water. It’s essential to protect our feet in the journey so we can keep moving down stream to our destination.
x. The raft - is the church – He gave us this boat given to helps us float and manage the ride or the flow of the Holy Spirit.
d. Risks come with the fun and excitement when conquering the rapids. Take the necessary precautions to lessen the chances of having to deal with unwanted situations. Be fully-equipped and have a safe Rafting adventure.
i. Risks come with riding the wave of the Holy Spirit and revival. but if we catch the wave and ride it it will be something we will be talking about for ever.
ii. When some asks you in heaven what was your river ride like you can say it was amazing and it was a class 6 ride.
T.S. - Not only do we need the right equipment but we have to make this journey with others and work as a team to get down stream to our destination. It’s God’s divine plan!
III. Learn how to steer the raft with others – be a team player and do teamwork! (Ephesians 4:3)
a. Ephesians 4:1-6:
i. 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—
5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
1. We need to be one as Jesus and the Father are one we need to be there for one another and work together in the river ride of the spirit.
2. One person cannot be paddling in the wrong direction because it hinders the direction of the raft, it can stale it, spin it and even flip it.
b. We must work together!
i. Illustration: Onlookers Band Together to Save Man from Burning Car
1. References: Psalm 133 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Matthew 10:1-10 John 13:34-35 Acts 4:32-33 Romans 12:4-5 1 Corinthians 1:10 1 Corinthians 12:12 Ephesians 4:1-6 Philippians 1:27-28 1 Peter 2:4 :
2. On September 12, 2011, Brandon Wright, a 21-year-old Utah State University student, was driving his motorcycle en route to the school’s computer lab when a BMW pulling out of a parking lot collided with him. Both vehicles burst into flames. The BMW driver quickly escaped from the car, but Wright was trapped under the 4,000-pound sedan.The horrific accident drew an immediate crowd of students and construction workers. One passerby walked around the burning vehicles to survey the situation and saw a motionless body, apparently dead, beneath the BMW. Another individual, testing his strength, attempted to lift the car, but without success. A handful of others joined the effort but could not budge the car. A young woman lay on the ground to peer under the car and saw evidence that the trapped victim was still alive. The flames were intense at the front of the car, where the motorcycle also lay on the ground burning. Nevertheless, at this point a dozen members of the growing crowd joined shoulder to shoulder at the side of the car, lifted in unison, and tilted it high enough to allow another rescuer to pull Wright to safety. At that point the city’s emergency responders appeared on the scene. They doused the flames and transported Wright to Intermountain Medical Center, where he was treated for two broken legs and a fractured pelvis. What one person could not accomplish alone, a team of people did. "Every one of those people put their lives in danger," assistant Logan police chief Jeff Curtis said. "Those people are heroes. You can only speculate what the outcome would have been if they hadn’t lifted that car."Greg Asimakoupoulos, Mercer Island, Washington; sources: John Gonzalez, Associated Press (9-13-11); Jennifer Dobner, Chicago Sun-Times (9-13-11); the rescue was captured on video by Chris Garff who was looking out of a 9th floor window of a nearby building taking a break from producing a promotional film for the university.
a. Illustration from Preaching Today.
ii. This is a simple lesson that many would immediately agree to but it becomes another story in the heat of running a rapid, but we must work together.
1. Milton from Preaching.com “Four Spiritual Lessons I Learned from Rafting, by Michael Milton | President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina states, "When the guide shouts out the command, we have to listen and then work together. If we didn’t follow her motions quick enough we were told, “Come on people, work together!” Again, our safety depended on unity, as well as our success in navigating the rapids."
iii. The Apostle Paul tells us that the church is a team that must work together.
1. Ephesians: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16).
a. God’s plan for us is teamwork!
b. Together, Each, Achieves, More!
2. I am reminded by the Holy Spirit that I am to do nothing alone. I am part of a team that is navigating the treacherous river of life and together we will make it to our destination. If I try to do alone I will most likely drown or be stranded on a river bank all alone to die to the elements.
iv. Quote: Milton: Years ago an older minister admonished me with these wise words: “Do no ministry alone. Somehow involve others, equip others, and hand off to others. Minister together.”
c. The ability and willingness to – “Lean In!” in the river raft journey.
i. Milton states, "The Arkansas River is a crystal clear but snaky river that moved us along through fields of rocks. Big rocks sat right in the middle of the river. As we headed toward them I wondered if I was going to be swimming in that ice-cold river with a big knot on my head, or worse. But every time we were headed for a big, bald rock our guide yelled out, “Lean in!” That meant, as we were instructed beforehand, that upon that command we were all to lean in to each other. Our weight together would move us away from the danger. We were safe when we were leaning in. "
1. This river lesson is also a lesson from the Bible –which is God’s Word to us: “Beloved, lean in together!”
a. Milton adds these spiritual thoughts to:
i. Being God’s people together in fellowship is important. Being a covenanted part of fellowship is to traverse the rapids of life, not alone but with each other. And as we go through trials and difficulties, and as we see big boulders in our way, we need to “lean in.” That is what being a part of the family of Christ is all about.
b. The writer of Hebrews states: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:24,25).
c. In a real way Milton states, I need time with my family because I need to “lean in” to their lives. There are always rocks ahead. The Lord wants us to turn to Him and turn to each other. Let us always be open to others out there, sharing the larger raft of humanity with others who also need to lean in. Let’s be welcoming to others to come and join us."
d. Other techniques required by the team for steering a raft down river and through rapids from a search on google: “River Rafting?”
i. Punching – Rafts carry great momentum, and on rivers hydraulics that are dodged by canoes and kayaks are often punched by rafts. This involves the rafting crew paddling the raft to give it enough speed to push through the hydraulic without getting hung up.
1. To do this you must paddle together and push hard even as a church to punch threw the river of life’s obstacles.
ii. High siding – If a raft is caught in a hydraulic it will often quickly go sideways. In order to stop the raft flipping on its inside edge, the rafters can climb to the side of the raft furthest downstream, which will also be the side of the raft highest in the air leading to its name. In this position the rafters may be able to use the draw stroke to pull the raft out of the hydraulic.
1. The people of the raft must be willing to shift to the high side of the raft to keep it from flipping over.
e. In river rafting we have to understand that a raft may capsize: Capsizing can occur anytime. In fact, it is almost to be expected in a trip. When it happens, the only thing you need to do is to re-right the raft. Whatever technique you employ in flipping it, just make sure to keep your safety in check at all times.
i. Dump trucking – Rafts are inherently stable crafts because of their size and low center of mass and often they will shed gear and passengers before they actually capsize. In the industry if a raft dumps some or all of its passengers but remains upright, it is said to have dump trucked.
1. Too many people have been dumped out of the raft in the river of life.
2. Keith Green in the 70’ssang a song which asked “Don’t you care that there are people drowning out there?”
ii. Taco – If a raft is soft, or underinflated, it may taco, or reverse taco. Rafts are said to have taco-ed if the middle of the raft buckles and the front of the raft touches or nearly touches the back of the raft. This often is a result of surfing on a hydraulic. A reverse taco is when the nose, or stern of the raft is pulled down under water and buckles to touch the middle or back, or nose of the raft.
1. Too many churches have Tacoed because they are under inflated without the Breath of Heaven to give them the ability to stay strong in the torrents of life.
f. You must learn how to re-right a raft if it capsizes.
i. Flip line – The flip line technique is the most used in commercial rafting where flips are common. The guide will take a loop of webbing that has a carabiner on it and attach it to the perimeter line on the raft, Standing on top of the upside down raft they will hold the line and lean to the opposite side from where the flip line is attached, re-righting the raft.
ii. Knee flipping – Capsized rafts that are small enough with little or no gear attached can be knee flipped. This involves the rafter holding the webbing on the underside of the raft, and pushing their knees into the outer tube, and then lifting their body out of the water, leaning back to overturn the raft.
iii. T rescue – Much like the kayak technique some rafts are large enough that they need to be overturned with the assistance of another raft or land. Positioning the upturned raft or land at the side of the raft the rafters can then re-right the raft by lifting up on the perimeter line.
g. Risks in rafting come from the unknown elements submerged under the water and from improper behavior from the rafters themselves.
i. Risks in white water rafting stem from both environmental dangers and from improper behavior.
1. Improper behavior from rafters can lead to unnecessary injuries and even death.
ii. Irresponsible behavior related to rafting while intoxicated has also contributed to many accidents and deaths.
iii. We need to work as a team to finish our journey on the river of life and be a team player not a irresponsible person who hurts others and even causes the raft to flip.
h. Certain features on rivers are inherently unsafe and have remained consistently so despite the passage of time. These would include "keeper hydraulics", "strainers" (e.g. fallen trees), dams (especially low-head dams, which tend to produce river-wide keeper hydraulics), undercut rocks, and of course dangerously high waterfalls. Rafting with experienced guides is the safest way to avoid such features. Even in safe areas, however, moving water can always present risks—such as when a swimmer attempts to stand up on a rocky riverbed in strong current, risking foot entrapment.
T.S. – With all the dangers associated with river rafting it’s inevitable that we may have to be ready to rescue someone in need. So we need to be prepared to do so!
IV. Know how to rescue others who fall out of the raft and know what to do if you fall out (1 Timothy 5:10)
a. ILLUSTRATION: Navy SEALs Succeed by Focusing on Others:
i. References:Matthew 4:19 Matthew 20:24-28 Mark 1:17 Mark 10:41-45 Luke 5:10 John 13:1-17 John 15:13 Acts 20:35 Galatians 5:13-14 Philippians 2:1-11 1 Thessalonians 2:9 1 Peter 4:10 1 Peter 5:2-4:
ii. The elite team of Navy SEALs that killed Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011, is still largely shrouded in mystery. But in a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, Eric Greitens, a former Navy SEAL, divulged the one quality that makes for a successful SEAL—the ability to think about other people and a higher purpose. Here’s an excerpt from his article:The rigors that SEALs go through begin on the day they walk into Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., universally recognized as the hardest military training in the world. BUD/S lasts a grueling six months. The classes include large contingents of high-school and college track and football stars, national-champion swimmers, and top-ranked wrestlers and boxers, but only 10-20 percent of the men who begin BUD/S usually manage to finish ….What kind of man makes it through Hell Week? That’s hard to say. But I do know—generally—who won’t make it. There are a dozen types that fail: the weight-lifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an indication of their strength … the preening leaders who don’t want to get dirty, and the look-at-me former athletes who have always been told they are stars …. In short, those who fail are the ones who focus on show. Some men who seemed impossibly weak at the beginning of SEAL training—men who puked on runs and had trouble with pull-ups—made it. Some men who were skinny and short and whose teeth chattered just looking at the ocean also made it. Some men who were visibly afraid, sometimes to the point of shaking, made it too. Almost all the men who survived possessed one common quality. Even in great pain, faced with the test of their lives, they had the ability to step outside of their own pain, put aside their own fear and ask: How can I help the guy next to me? They had more than the "fist" of courage and physical strength. They also had a heart large enough to think about others, to dedicate themselves to a higher purpose. Eric Greitens, "The SEAL Sensibility," The Wall Street Journal (5-7-11)
1. From Preaching Today
b. Learn also what to do if you get thrown from the raft – called “Self-rescue:”
i. In rafting and other inherently dangerous activities, people’s safety is and should be the top priority. That is why rescue training is necessary. Everybody should be prepared for any unexpectede incident. While rescuers are usually available especially when rafting in groups, it is a must to know how to get yourself out of a sticky situation alone. Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to self-rescue if you out of the raft with no one around to help you:
ii. Knowing how to swim will keep you safe in and around the water. It is a plus especially when braving Class IV or V rapids. Make sure you are capable of handling yourself if and when you get thrown out of the raft. Being a good swimmer will enable you to go to an Eddy or river bank when necessary.
iii. Spiritually: We need to train spiritually in case we get thrown out of the raft so we can swim in the rough raging water to safety.
iv. If you are thrown out of the Raft and you are near the raft pull yourself back into it on the upstream side as fast as you can.
1. Key: If you get thrown out go up stream and try to get back in the raft from upstream.
v. Be very careful when wading in water and crossing the river. Do not step on crevices. You may get wedged between a rock.
vi. If you are swimming in a rapid, protect yourself against rocks and other obstacles. Float on your back and keep your feet downstream. Make sure that your feet are near the water surface to avoid foot entrapment.
vii. Learn how to re-right an overturned Raft. Carry out some capsize drills before running the rapids.
viii. Look after yourself when rafting. Be ready for any worst-case scenario by practicing self-rescue techniques before running challenging rapids.
c. How to rescue other rafters?
i. If you want to go Rafting, one of the important realities to understand is that Rafting is both exhilarating and dangerous. There are inherent risks that every rafter should be aware of, especially if you are planning to run difficult rapids. With these in mind, rescue training is of utmost importance. After learning the different self-rescue techniques, know some guidelines on how to render assistance to rafters in distress.
1. Undergo rescue training. Knowledge in rope work and first aid are some of the essential things you need to learn.
2. Bring the essential river rescue gear and equipment. A throw bag, knife, whistle, and first aid kit are some of the items that should be brought on Rafting Trips.
3. Make a rescue action plan and be ready for the worst-case scenario. If you are the leader, discuss the plan with the rest of the group.
4. Be mentally and physically prepared to tackle any untoward incident. Think before you react. Analyze the situation and look after yourself. Otherwise, you might end up being the rafter in distress instead of being the rescuer.
5. Every second counts in any rescue operation. If it takes a long time to get the victim/s out of danger, the situation will get worse or the rescue will not be successful. Stay calm so you can think and act quickly.
6. Use River Signals to communicate with the rafter/s in distress and other rescuers. Coordination and effective communication are necessary to avoid actions that can make the situation a lot worse than it already is.
a. Rope Rescues: Being thrown overboard is part of Rafting, and this can be due to different reasons. Whether you are the rescuer or the one thrown out of the Raft, it is of utmost importance that you are knowledgeable in much needed rescue skills and techniques. In this section, know some basic guidelines in rescuing with the use of a rope/throw bag:
b. The first thing you need to do is assess the situation. Check if there are boulders or rocks downstream, how turbulent the current is, and if there is an eddy where the rafter on the water can go to.
c. After determining the proper position, make sure that you and the rafter see each other so the latter will be able to see the rope as you toss it.
d. A throw bag is a pouch filled with rope which is used in rescue operations. This serves as the link between the rescuer and the rafter overboard.There is more to tossing than just throwing the bag to the rafter overboard. Toss the throw bag overhand, underhand, or even sidearm. Practice different ways and employ which works best. The aim is for the rafter in distress to take hold of the rope. Make sure to throw the bag downriver of the rafter. As you toss the throw bag, shout ‘Rope!’ to get the attention of the rafter in distress.
e. If you are the rafter overboard, pay attention to the one who rescues you. When you see the rope coming, prepare to grab it and roll over onto your back. If you lie on your chest, you will be pulled headlong in the torrent. Also, do not wrap the rope around your wrist or body. Otherwise, the rope can snag on rocks or trees, making the situation a lot worse than it already is.
d. In the river journey you need to be ready at a moments notice to go help rescuecsomeone in need, and by all means know what to do if you all of a sunden get thrown out of the raft.
T.S. – You need to be ready to rescue others and be willing to celebrate the victories along the journey of life.
V. Give High-Five Paddles (1 Thess. 5:11)
a. In river rafting whenever you make it through a difficult part rafters will high five each other with their paddles to celebrate the victory.
i. We should do the same in the church.
b. 1 Thess. 5:11: 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
i. Milton notes: There were, in the stretch of the river we rafted, approximately 40 rapids that had to be navigated together. Some were not so bad. Indeed, most of the obstacles were easily overcome with teamwork. Others were extraordinary. One, in particular, was downright scary! And here is the thing. After each one, whether treacherous or common, our guide shouted, “Paddle Five!” We all made a sort of “high five” with our paddles. The children, the women, the men and even our guide (who has done this a thousand times) all celebrated. Each obstacle overcome was a victory. I wonder if you are in the habit of celebrating victories? As a community of disciples of Jesus, we face many obstacles together. Some of them are fierce. Many are common. But I believe that God is calling us to celebrate our lives together. "
c. Paul instructed the congregation at Thessalonica to celebrate their lives together: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:11).
Conclusion:
There are three categories of people in life today.
A. There are those that make things happen.
B. Those that watch things happen.
B. Then those that don’t know what is happening.
If we want revival in this church, we need more people that will make things happen.
We need to jump into our rafts (a church) and ride the spiritual river of life, while it is flowing from His throne.
Summary:
We need to listen to the guide.
We need to have the proper equipment.
We need to work together as a team to steer the raft.
We need to be willing to rescue others.
We need to be willing to celebrate each obstacle we overcome on the river of life.
