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?
As Jesus promised, He sent His Spirit to flow out of our life in at least three powerful rivers. The Power of the Spirit works both in us and through us. He lives in us to finish God’s renewing and transforming work in us. He works through us to touch the lives of others. Are we experiencing the fullness of the Spirit in our own lives demonstrated by the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
“Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Are we seeing the manifestations of the Spirit in ministry mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12?
The Spirit floods our heart with power, love and discipline.
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline diligence. 2 Tim. 1:6-7
Genuine love for God persistently and passionately pursues divine directives empowered by engaging the energy of the Spirit and enlisting the encouragement of the saints. Like mighty river or wind effects great change, the Holy Spirit promises to bubble up and overflow our lives to greatly impact all we touch. The refreshing waters of the Spirit impact those around us by our words, our deeds, and our prayer.
River of Words
River of Deeds
River of Prayer
The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16
Spirit empowered words -- Spirit enabled deed -- Spirit driven intercession
OK! OK! I want this power. What is the problem? Why aren’t we experiencing such dynamic power as seems indicated in the Bible?
Four Questions
? Do you have the Spirit?
? Are you connected to and drawing on an abundant water source?
? Have you grieved or quenched the Spirit
? Are you walking daily by the direction and energy of the Spirit?
How we block the Spirit?
"For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13
Dam of sin and pride
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephes. 4:30
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you." John 5:14
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16
Dam of disobedience and doubt
Do not quench the Spirit; 1 Thes. 5:19
Let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11
How we engage the Spirit’s power
Humility and dependence
The opposite of SIN and pride is purity and humility.
James 4:5-6 2 Cor. 12:9 Lu 11:9-13
The Word of God (Seek)
In the Word we find the water of life. It is the source of life for the believer. Without connecting to this water source we run out of water to be heated. We must humble seek the living water, the fountain and forsake our little broken leaky cisterns that cannot hold water anymore. The word of God equips for every good work.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Tim. 3:16
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of TRUTH. Only as we seek the truth of God’s word will we meaningfully connect with Him. Only as we continually drink in the water of life will we have water that can be heated by the Spirit into energy producing steam.
Faith (Knock)
The one who finds truth must take the next step and interact with the truth. That takes an action on our part. We knock on God’s door expecting an answer. The main means of accessing the power of the Spirit in our life is faith. If disobedience due to doubt and unbelief blocks the Spirit, then faith releases the power of the Spirit in our life.
Galatians 2:20; 3:2-5
We must trust God to do for us what we cannot do on our own.
Prayer (Ask)
The Father provides the Spirit’s power to those who ask. Pride refuses to ask. Pride tries to get along with out having to ask for help.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26
These are the three main things that connect to the nuclear power that will generate the steam that energizes the members of our body to produce the fruit that impacts lives. Seek the living water Knock on the door of heaven with faith believing God to do what we can’t. Ask for the increase of the Spirit’s power on a daily basis.
Along with these I would suggest the other disciplines that reinforce these three things. When ever we neglect them, our water turns cold or lukewarm good for nothing but inducing vomiting. These are all simply the means by which we deepen relationship with God or anyone. These are the things that remove the barriers and build the connections.
? Solitude with God (time)
? Interaction with the truth
? Humble submission
? Confession and Repentance
? Prayer and Fasting
? Faith / Trust
? Worship and Adoration
? Fellowship
? Sacrifice, giving, simplicity
? Spiritual warfare
? Sharing faith with others
Conclusion
Out of water?
Blocking the work of the spirit? Failing to access the fire?
More than ever…
? We need Spirit-generated words.
? We need Spirit-energized deeds.
? We need Spirit-impassioned prayer.
? We need people who will continually walk by the power of the Spirit who promises to heat the water that fills our life from the word into the steam that stimulates the body members which produces lasting fruit, illumines and energizes those around us for the glory of God!
Last week’s word was “keep pressing forward” with passion toward divine directives.
Today’s summary…
“Let the rivers flow.”
