You might feel spiritually exhausted like the speaker did three months into planting a church, but there is a river of living water waiting for you. Come to Jesus today and let His Spirit fill the voids that nothing else can satisfy. Allow the Holy Spirit to flow through your life and bring the wholeness God intends for you.
*Amen*. Wonderful. Now, I, have a super special it's just an honor today to get to introduce a couple of people to you that have meant the world to me, and I'll tell you why in a second. Doctor Phil and Kathy, would you guys come out? Would you guys give them a big old hand?
You don't even know why yet. You're just giving them a hand.
A Hand on credit.
Hand on credit.
Yeah. So so
this is doctor Philip Brasfield and his beautiful wife, Kathy. And they are here today. They lead a network relational network of churches and pastors, about 4 to 500. How many? Something like that.
And it's awesome, but I wanna tell you why they mean so much to me. You know, planning a church is hard. And we planted this church 3 and a half years ago, and I remember about 3 months in, I'm just exhausted. I'm still praising the Lord, but I don't really know why I don't have any motivation, you know, in the middle of the week. I'm like, where is all of this coming from?
And I remember calling doctor Phil and and and telling him, you know, because he's when I'll text him from time to and he's just crazy busy, but I'll text him from time to time or give him a call, and he and he calls back. And he texts back. And and when I have a major leadership, you know, question because I don't know what to do, I I call my dad, and I call doctor Brasfield. And so I called my dad, and then I called doctor Brasfield. And he said he said, well, David, when's the last time you took a vacation?
You know, it's 3 months after you planted a church. And if you've never planted a church, you it's it's there's a lot. You know? And I said, what? Like, what is I didn't remember.
I couldn't remember. And he said, well, if I write you a 800 check for your family, would you go on a vacation? And I said, yes, sir. And so they sold $800 into me and and Courtney. But by doing that, they were taking care of you.
Because we spent a weekend at Busch Gardens, laughed, had fun. Our kids got to spend a lot of time with us that maybe they were missing out on, you know, because of taking care of the church. We took some of that money, and we we, for a whole year, paid for Busch Gardens tickets so that every now and then we could escape and just have fun as a family. And because of that, I was we were rejuvenated to be able to lead the church well in that critical first year of a church plan. And so not only were they sowing into us personally, they were sowing into you.
And we're a healthy church in in large part due to that 1 seed. Ain't that beautiful? And then God is just blessed and and and so it it meant the world, but it also I knew that, man, he really cares and they really care about us, and they really care about the success and the health of this church. And I'll tell you too, he's he's a great speaker. When he speaks, I'm on the edge of my seat.
I'm writing notes like crazy, and it's just weighty, and it's full of Jesus. And so it's an honor for me to get to introduce doctor Phil and Kathy. And and as I'm excited for you to get to receive what Jesus has put in them for so many decades. Amen? Amen.
So praise the Lord. Amen. Alright. You wanna
you wanna say something?
Wow. You guys, it's such an honor to be here. I can't even describe what how blessed I've been this morning just being being with you all and worshiping the lord together and and we're so excited about what god's doing and and here at at Real Church with pastor David and Courtney. We're so proud of you guys. So proud for you guys and just anticipate so much that God's gonna do right here.
What he's already doing And we're just so so proud to be here today.
*Amen*. Kath? Yeah. You can give her a hand. Thank you, Judy.
Give her a hand. Yeah. Don't you pray? I need prayer this morning. Will you pray over me?
Sure. Amen.
Let's pray together. Lord, thank you so much for this amazing day. Lord, thank you for your presence today. Your word says that you dwell among the praises of your people, lord and we just experienced your your presence Yes. And your company today, Lord.
And we know that's just the beginning. Your presence is just the beginning, Lord, of what you wanna do in our lives and in our church today, God. And we receive your word that you've given Philemon to speak. We receive it with open hearts Yes. Today and open minds.
And we know that where your word goes, it doesn't go undone. You're gonna complete works that you've begun in our lives and you're gonna finish them, Lord. Thank you for all you wanna do today. Your kingdom come, your will be done today. In Jesus name, amen.
*Amen*. Thank you, darling. Amen. Watch your steps, sweet girl, as you go off the stage. Well, good morning, everybody.
*Amen*. How many are so excited to be in the presence of the lord today? Amen. Ain't it great to be in god's presence? Of all the things that you could have done to get to come into an environment and be in the presence of the king of kings and the lord of lords.
*Amen. How many are thankful for the god* that you serve today? Amen? Amen. I know.
And I got a feeling there's a few Jesus freaks around. So I I I wanna I do. And on another note, how many believe that you guys got just about the best pastors in the entire world right here? Amen? We love David and Courtney and are so grateful for all that God is doing in their lives personally as a couple and also as pastors of this great church.
And, you know, if you're new here or this is your first time to visit this church, get ready because you are about to experience a a life changing moment in the presence of God, not just this morning, but any given Sunday you come into this place. You're gonna experience the power of the presence of the Lord and something that's real in this world and in this season of veneers and things that are not always real. How many are ready for something real in your life? Amen? Amen.
And so you're part of an awesome church. I had a chance to meet the the dream team this morning and some of the staff that are making it all happen, and I was so impressed with all of them and their heart for the Lord. And they prayed for me in the lobby, and I can how how many can use all the prayer you can get? *Amen*. And so, you know, we're from Arkansas.
We don't have nearly as much beach front front property as you all have and we're staying out near the beach and you know, you look out on the water and the Gomer pile comes out. Like, golly.
Look at that water.
My my. But we're excited to be here and and I've already had a great time and we are gonna enjoy fellowship with your pastors today and some of the leaders later today. I know you've been in a series on the the the holy spirit, the work of the Holy Spirit. How many have enjoyed that series? Haven't that been great?
I've gotten in on just a little of it video wise and so I wanna just kinda wrap that series up for you today in a message that I've entitled "searching for thin". Searching for thin. And you don't know me, so this is our first time to get acquainted. We do serve a ministry called Destiny Ministries and the the "best collection of churches" and pastors and leaders in the world. We love them all.
There's not a bad 1 in the bunch. They're all awesome and it's a great honor for us to do that. And so to get to come and to be with you all and have this first visit with you guys is is a real honor. But if you'll be okay with it, I'm not gonna try to win a preaching Grammy or anything today. Is it okay?
The name of the church is real. Right? Can I just be real? Is it alright? So forgive me if the Arkansas comes out occasionally.
I've worked years trying to, you know, press it down but it just comes out inevitably. So, I may not get it alright in terms of how I say it but I'm gonna do the best I can to communicate a message from the heart of the lord for you all. How many believe when god gives us a word, it's always on time and on target. Amen. So I come into this room anticipating that there are those that need this word and that for you, it's gonna hit the sweet spot of what god wanted to do in your life when he got you up and brought you to this place this morning.
So here's the deal though. There's a little caveat. It's it may feel a little bit more like bible study than preaching because I'm gonna have to meander through a few passages. Now, I was raised in church all of my life. My dad pastored for 50 years.
My granddad 60 years before that. My granddad was ordained to ministry in 1917 and then ministered his whole life and then my my dad. And so I come from a long line of preachers and I know that when preachers get up and say buckle up because I have more scripture than I would normally use. That's when I was a kid. I'd always look at my mom and say, gang gum.
You know? Because I knew I needed a a distraction, a bit of a a bit of a diversion. But I'm gonna try to be careful with your time. I matter of fact, I commit to you. I'll be careful with your time, but I wanna try to share my my view of the work of the Holy Spirit in all of our lives, and I'm gonna do it metaphorically.
So I'm gonna do it using the analogy of the river of God. And then you have to remember my title is searching for thin. Searching for thin. So that's the basic premise today and just keep your bible handy and we'll we'll go to a couple places in a moment. 1 of the most beautiful places in America is an amazing natural spring in North Central Arkansas.
It's not far from where we live. It's more than a small bubbling spring. A lot of times when we think about a spring, we think about a babbling brook or or something along those lines. But this, and the Ozark Mountains where we are from in Arkansas and Southern Missouri have a lot of those lot of those kinds of springs. But the name of this spring gives a bit of perspective regarding its size.
It's called Mammoth Springs Mammoth Springs and it's located in a city that bears the same name, Mammoth Springs, Arkansas. In this small sleepy Ozark town, the ground opens wide and a spring roars out that creates a beautiful clear water that flows for about 57 miles. This river flows and refreshes miles of Arkansas land between its headwaters and where it empties into the White River downstream. Hour after hour, 24 hours a day, 9,000,000 gallons of water emerges out of this underground river and breaks into the light of day. You can't see it, but it flows for miles underground before it reaches a "broken place", an opening, and then releases itself into the landscape of the Ozark Mountains.
In a similar way, there is a spiritual river, ladies and gentlemen, that flows from the throne of God. And night and day, year after year, it flows. Look at your neighbor and say, "get in the river". Get the river. You see, a lot of times we make this Holy Spirit thing kind of weird and a little cookie and a little mystical, but the truth is it really is as simple.
The power of the Holy Spirit working in your life is really as simple as you getting into the river of God and staying in the river. Learning to let the river take you where the river wants to take you and going where the river goes. Can I get an amen? Amen. And so that's my metaphoric package today.
That introductory package kinda set the stage and it wasn't my idea. The truth is I didn't create this metaphorically and say, oh, well, this is a cool idea, kind of an analogy for explaining the Holy Spirit. The truth is it's all over the scripture. This mighty unseen river. And so I wanna walk you through a few passages of scripture today that will help set the stage for activating the river of God in your life.
The river of God in your life. If you'll turn with me first to the book of Jeremiah, I wanna read a passage of scripture in Jeremiah-2. Now this will feel a bit negative but it's not really negative, not the message just this verse. It's it's kind of setting the stage and establishing a couple of principles that are true. Alright.
Jeremiah chapter number 2 verse 13. Jeremiah the weeping prophet is prophesying to the nation of Israel and he speaks about their turning away from God. But in the process of him speaking this, we learn a couple of very important things. Here's what that verse says. I'm reading from the New King James version.
You may have a different version up or you may have a different version on your digital device or or in you know, this is what like the Bible, you know. So, *amen*. If you happen to bring 1 of those today. Though you couldn't read it, I understand unless you got a flashlight, but that's okay. Alright.
Chapter 2 verse 13 for *God* speaking, for my people have committed 2 evils. Wow. Okay. About to get it straight. They have forsaken me and if you were highlighting or if you were taking a note you might even highlight this passage.
God now through the prophet is identifying himself in this way. Notice what he says, for they have forsaken me, the **"fountain of living waters"**. God, how important is it when God said I'm a river? Yeah. The fountain of living waters and notice what they did.
They've hewn for themselves cisterns, **"broken cisterns"** that cannot hold water. 2 things that the people of god had done wrong. Number 1, they had walked away from the source of of living water. Number 2, they had replaced the flowing source of water for their own man made containers that will never be able to do what a flowing stream can do. Anybody in this room realize that life will mess you up and life will break you?
I think it was Hemingway that first said that, that life breaks us all. And in the process of being broken, if you're not careful, you'll try to fill your life with all kinds of things to try to satisfy the longing that God has built in your heart for himself with all kinds of other types of water. He'll convince you that the I'm talking about the world. The devil will convince you that you can satisfy that thirst and that longing for fresh water with with success or money or relationships or sex or any kind any number of addictions that might try to counterfeit the presence of God in your life and convince you that it can satisfy you in this world. But can I can can I tell you that when life does you that way, it breaks you to a degree that none of that, you cannot hold that kind of water?
You will always be dissatisfied, you will always be disappointed if you're looking for love in all the wrong places, looking to take a drink out of the success modules of life, it will always leave you empty until Jesus fixes the brokenness in your life. And when he fixes the brokenness in your life, guess what? You can take a big drink of a water that never runs dry. Amen. I I love the way the feedback happens.
It's like you step out toward the wood, you get that little low rumbles like, yeah. I mean, I could just organize that and kinda use it for sound effects, it'd be kinda cool. It's like, and God said to the world. It's like, oh, Never mind. Forgive me.
I have to entertain myself sometime. Religion will do that to you as well. Do do you know it's not just living a worldly lifestyle that will break you? The truth is religion without relationship will mess you up too. It'll break you.
It will try to replace that authentic fresh drink of life giving water with rules and regulations and things that will suggest to you they can satisfy that gnawing longing in your life that will never be able to satisfy that longing in your life. My dad, as an old pastor in old school, back in those days, they baptized people. Now, we roll we roll out the the troughs. Right? You know, in those days, they took you down to the creek or the pond or the river and baptized you.
Dad had a way of saying. He said, baptism won't save you. He said, it's not that that saves you. And he said, you can do religious actions all your life. And he said, you can be baptized in every creek river till every fish knows you by your first name.
But if you haven't met Jesus, how many know we can do lots of religious things? I've been around religious folks, was 1 myself but that but all the religious stuff you can do if you don't have that encounter moment with the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ as you surrender your life to him and accept him as your personal savior, it will never satisfy. Why? Because you just can't hold that water. This is what Jeremiah said.
But God has something better for believers. It's real water, flowing water, clear water. Somebody say something better. Yeah. Fresh water.
It's never stagnant. It's not polluted. It never disappoints. It always satisfies. It connects us to the greater part of us.
Did you know that you're mostly water? About 75 or 80%. Did you know this this I mean, I'm not a medical doctor but I I I can read. You know what I'm saying? It's like 80% of your brain is water and some of you might be tempted to raise your hand and say, know this 1 sitting next to me, that's a 100% true.
There's 8 out of every 8 out of 10 of everything that's there is purely liquid. Liquid. Yeah. Yeah. But there's something deep.
*God* God you I think this metaphor is in the scripture because it connects it connects to the essence of our creation. The the the essence of who we are. The truth is there is this deep answering to deep that when you taste and experience the power of the Holy Spirit beginning at the cross with the redemptive power of Christ through his blood and as we've just celebrated in communion, as you taste that and experience it, it connects even though you may not understand it all, though you may not have enough theological degrees to get it all put down textbook but yet you've experienced it and something in you says that that which was lost has been found and that which was broken now has been healed and that which has been used and abused has now been refreshed and renewed. You know what that is? It's the power of the holy spirit.
It's the river of God. Amen. And this river can actually be tracked through the scripture. Jeremiah mentions it. We get a clue as God even identifies himself as the fountain of living *water* but then we see that it's mentioned in scripture.
Let's skip to the end. *Revelation-22*. Let's turn over there and let me show you this *river* in Revelation-22. Revelation being written toward the end of the first century by the apostle John and I like to go to the end because the end in this case is actually the beginning. John gets a glimpse as he is aging and drawing toward the end of his life reflecting on so much of what he'd heard and seen in the life of Jesus personally.
As he's reflecting on that and he's writing his his gospel and then the epistles and then ultimately revelation and commending it to the church as he finishes the book. And I'll tell you, honestly, Revelation is not a book that I frequent an awful lot. I mean, I read it. I work through it. I've studied through it.
Took a few classes on it. Probably taught a few on it but you know, it's it's like I I I love just hanging out in Paul's writing, you know, the Pauline epistles. I love the gospels. I there, anybody, y'all look at me like something's wrong with me. Anybody else know what I'm talking about?
It's like they get to the beast and they're just like, oh, the vows. I'm like, whoo. Okay. But I love when we get to the 20 second chapter. I'm having fun with y'all.
You you you'll get it in a minute. It's okay. Yeah. Chapter 22 and John's looking into heaven and notice what he says and he showed me a pure river of water of life. *God* had told Jeremiah, I am the **fountain of living water**s.
And then John picked it up at the end of the book where we see the beginning, the headwaters of that stream. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb and in the middle of its streets or in the way and the bed that it went, in the middle of its streets on either side of the river was the "tree of life". Now we begin to see a bit of the impact of this river that's flowing from the essence of the nature of God into the world that John says began in that heavenly temple, in that heavenly throne. The the realm of the unseen if you will, the way that the spring breaks forth in Arkansas and millions of gallons of water explode to the surface and form a river. In that same way, there is this unseen river that is moving from the throne of God, from the very essence of who God is and John sees it.
He said it's proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb and in the middle of the streets on either side of the river was the tree of life which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. Listen, this river is so powerful that a tree doesn't just give 1 harvest, it gives a harvest every month. Come on. Every month. Now, that may be more normal for y'all in Florida because I think y'all grow stuff year round.
Right? But in Arkansas, you're gonna if you don't get all the apples and you need some more, you're gonna have to wait till the winter comes and goes, spring, and then wait. No. No. In in this particular passage, John says, I'm looking at the river.
It's pure and clear and beautiful and the tree of life is there and these trees along the sides of the river are yielding fruit every month. Wow. Which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves notice, the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there was no more curse.
Can I tell you ladies and gentlemen, when you get in the river of God and begin to experience the "river of god", all the cursed things of life that have vexed you and messed you up and all the things, the bad decisions you've made or that somebody else made that caused you to be victimized by a moment? All of that cursed life that we lived in sin can be washed away and wiped away and the curse in your life can be lifted and now you can live in the blessing and the prosperity and the healing of god.
Yeah. Amen. Yeah. Amen. Whoo.
Yes. Whoo. Spoken with attitude. Yes. You don't have to live whacked out, weirded out, and broken all your life.
If you're drinking from the wrong pot, you'll never have enough. It'll never satisfy and you'll always be wondering what to that water in there. But I'm gonna tell you what, when Jesus comes in your life, he will fill you with a joy and a flow of power and a flow of joy and contentment that will be transcendent of anything you've ever experienced in your life. It's bigger, better, better than anything you've ever tried to put in you before. That's right.
I need a better amen than that because that is true right there. Whoo. No more curse but the throne of god and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him. The apostle John writing at the end of the century century of in Revelation-2 describes this heavenly river and says it has a source and the source is the throne of god. God gives us better clarity even in Jeremiah when he says, I am the river.
In other words, he connects the headwaters of the heavenly stream to god himself. He goes on to say that the stream produces *life* which bears fruit. Whatever you have need of, you find in the river of god. That's the point of this opening monologue is whatever you need, you find in the river of god. That's right.
Somebody say, get in the river. Get in the river. Or get in the flow, whatever your whatever your flow is. Get in the river. That's John he sees at the end, but did you know Ezekiel?
That's John's about maybe 35 years after Jesus is crucified and resurrected but before that, even before Jesus is born, another prophet picks it up 600 years before Jesus and gets a glimpse of this same river. Let me show it to you. Turn with me to the book of Ezekiel. And I'll just give you a minute. It's back in the old on the left side.
Will you say with me big and loud same river? Same river. Ezekiel sees it in Ezekiel-47. I'm gonna read for the production team a few verses here. Verse 1 and then 7 through 12.
Then he brought me back to the door of the temple. Now, he's not talking about the temple in heaven. Ezekiel is talking about the temple in Jerusalem. The Temple Of Jerusalem. So, imagine, god says, I am the fountain of living water in Jeremiah.
John says, that river starts in *heaven* at the throne of god and is unseen. It's moving subterranean move toward the earth and Ezekiel-600 years before Jesus is born picks it up and sees when the day that it's going to break forth and where it's going to break forth and he essentially tells us that the river is going to break open like it does at Mammoth Springs. It's gonna break open in the temple in Jerusalem. And it's gonna flow from the temple and then metaphorically, he says, it's gonna flow down to the Dead Sea and I'm covering some of this passage here so as not not take you through it or be laborious in our scripture. It take it goes from the temple toward the Dead Sea.
Now, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth. I've been there many times. It's they call it dead for a reason. There's nothing alive in the Dead Sea like we would think about it being alive because it can't live in the *waters* and Ezekiel uses this picture of the river of god and tells us and I want you to see for a moment that he sees similar things to what John sees. He brought me back to the door of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east.
For the front of the temple faced east. The water was flowing from under the right side of the temple south of the altar. Then, we'll skip ahead to verse 7 and when I returned there along the bank of the *river* were very many trees on the sides on 1 side and the other. Then he said to me, this water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley and enters enters the sea which would have been the Dead Sea. Notice what happens.
And when it enters the Dead Sea, the waters are healed. And I'm just I mean, I know I'm stretching this analogy but if you'll allow me the the dramatic license to do it, let me that tells me that there's no place so low or so dead that the power of the Holy Spirit flowing into my life can't raise me up and heal the brokenness in my life. Hallelujah. You I don't know what's been done to you. I don't know what you've done but I can tell you that you can't escape the goodness of god.
If you'll give him a chance today, he'll transform everything in your life and he will take you out of *brokenness* and hopelessness and bring peace and joy to your life with water that will never disappoint. That's right. Amen. When I returned there, I saw this river and there were trees on each side of the river. I'm paraphrasing.
And then he said to me, this water flows toward the eastern region, goes down to the valley, enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing now look at the impact of this water in verse 9. It shall be that every living thing that moves wherever the river goes will live. Now, it's having an impact on its surroundings.
So, ladies and gentlemen, when you get in this river, it's gonna change the way you view your marriage. It's going to change the way you view your spouse. Your kids are going to feel the impact of the river of god in your life. When you go on the job, people are going to say something's different about you. You're not that same grouch you used to be.
Something's happened. It begins to have impact in your life. I'm talking about the power of the holy spirit. Wherever the river goes, whatever living thing there is will live. There will be very great multitudes of fish.
Now, we see abundance. Fish in those days was 1 of the staples of life. In an ancient Mediterranean culture, diet, it was 1 of the staples. They relied on largely came from the Sea Of Galilee in in this particular region but the Mediterranean had fish in villages all along it. Fish were a big thing.
So for a prophet to say where this river is flowing, there's bunch of fish is code for there is **financial and provisional prosperity**. So now we see that there's healing in the waters but we also see now that there's a lifestyle of blessing and prosperity that is found in the waters of god. Yeah. Well, me and you got it down, brother. We're going.
Yes. Thank you. I'm with you. I'll just preach to you for a minute. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, it's I don't believe god wants you to be broke, busted, and disgusted. No. No. I believe god wants to bless you.
We look at the biblical narratives and we see it. He blessed Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That was part of the blessing of the covenant that Paul said that was promised to us and discovered and experienced in Jesus Christ and that's not televangelist prosperity preaching. Maybe it is prosperity preaching. It's just not televangelist stuff.
You know what I'm saying? I I I'm what I know is if you get in the river of God and then they experience the power of the Holy Spirit consistently in your life, it will change everything in your world. People will notice a difference. Your family will notice a difference, the people around you will notice a difference, it will be demonstrated in your obedience to God and his provisional supply. Ezekiel said, when I saw this water, it was filled with fish.
There was a bunch of stuff, good stuff in there. It was multitude of fish because these waters go there for they will be healed and everything will live wherever the river goes. Verse 10, and it will be that fishermen will stand by it from in Gedi to in Egliam. Say that 50 times and then give yourself $5 because that's for the big word. It's not that the words in scripture are often big.
They're just not spelled the way we're used to spell them in Arkansas. They they conjugate them just a bit different. The verbs and and the usage grammatically and the way they spell it is not. There will be places where they spread their nets, their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the great sea. Talking about the Mediterranean.
Exceedingly many. He just labors there for a minute. Just stays there for a minute. And then notice in verse 11, but it swamps, y'all do have some of those. Right?
We were in around New Orleans. I think I think it was last weekend. Maybe or maybe the weekend before and they do have the the first of all, they eat things in New Orleans. Honestly, they eat things in Louisiana that we're not used to eating in Arkansas. Probably enough said about that but and and I I mean, I was raised as a country boy in Arkansas and I've been I hunted and fished and all that stuff but there's some stuff there's some places in Louisiana and those marshes and swamps.
I'm thinking, I'm not going in there. I'm not gonna do that. Mm-mm. Notice the impact that this holy *river* has and its swamps and marshes will be healed. It swamps and marshes.
Everyone of us, even those of us who have the flow of god in our life, there can be swampy, marshy areas of our life that have not had access to this life giving flow but when you allow them, the holy spirit to get to those marshy spots, those muddy spots, those spots where you'd rather not anybody know you're still struggling with that. God doesn't just wanna heal the main current, the main stream of your life. He wants to heal every tributary, every swamp, every marsh, every part. Amen. He doesn't wanna leave anything untouched and if you'll let him, he won't.
Right. If you'll invite him, if you'll allow him, he'll he'll not just fill you with mainstream *holy* ghost.
Right.
That's what I'm trying to preach to you all this morning. It's not just about an experience that you have in an in a miracle moment. No. No. That may be where the water breaks out and begins to hit the light of day but the truth is God wants to touch every part of your life with the power of his love and his grace and his glory and his nature.
Verse 12, along the bank of the river on each side will grow all kinds of trees used for food and their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will "bear fruit every month". Wow. Okay. Like Revelation.
Yeah. They will bear fruit every month because their water flows from the sanctuary. Because of the source, it impacts the growing season, its yield, and its environment. Their fruit will be for fruit, food, and their leaves will be for medicine. Same river.
*God* told Jeremiah, I don't know why people would walk away from that. And try to fill the void in their life that only I can fill with junk that can never satisfy. And in that passage, he calls them back to that fountain of living water. Well, let let me finish it here because I've I've used up my time. Let me summarize for you as we begin to recap and I'm I'm landing the plane, guys.
What's what does the scripture teach us in these passages? Number 1, there is a river which flows from heaven. When I was a kid, we used to sing an old course. Most of you, most of you, none of you have ever heard. They said there is a river that flows from deep within.
There is a fountain. Listen. That saves the soul from sin. Oh, to these waters. There is a vast supply.
There is a *river* that never shall run dry. I see some of the gray haired folks like me shaking their head.
Yeah.
That's for you. That was for you. The skinny jeans are for the younger crowd. There's a river and that's for you. How many believe that that's still true?
*Amen*. Amen. There is a river that flows from the throne of god. The throne is closely associated with the nature, power, and person of god. It speaks of his reign as king, flowing from his throne, speaks of his majesty, and his kingly prerogatives.
You see, this is not just a goosebump feeling. It's a majestic kingdom that's flowing through this water. Number 2, it's a river of life, healing and provision. It's a river of life, healing and provision. Number 3, it flows from god's throne through his temple.
That's what the prophets if you harmonize them saw. God said, I'm the water. John says, it flows from there and Ezekiel said, but yeah, it's gonna break out here and on the day of Pentecost and the day the church was born, that river that flows from the throne of god in heaven broke forth to the light of day and became a gift available for every believer. And then says, Ezekiel says, let me tell you what it'll do and then he tells us what it will do. The river starts with him, flows through him, carries it into his by his authority, his character, and his purpose and god is looking today for thin places.
He's looking today for a thin spot. You know, when we worship, when we come together and worship through them, why do they do that? I don't get it. You know what we're trying to do is we're trying to create a thin place. If you imagine heaven and earth, we're trying to create a place for you to drink from this water by worshiping the Lord and narrowing that space, creating a thin place.
Have any of you ever been in a moment where it just turned holy in a second? It's like, woah. A thin spot. A thin place. Or maybe you've been in a moment of brokenness.
Maybe you're here today and you're in a moment of brokenness. Don't waste that broken spot. If you allow the Lord, he wants to flow out of that cave. To you it may look like a tomb. God said, I'll make it a spring.
To you it may look like the end. *God* said, I'll make it the beginning. You say, wow. That's an amazing story. I'll just tell myself that.
That's an amazing story, brother Revelation. A thin place where he can bring healing, prosperity, purpose, and power, And it doesn't flow a little. It flows a lot. I had a friend, Bishop Joseph Garlington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he loves to sing a song. This goes breakthrough breakthrough all my ears.
Have you ever figured out sometimes we pray for a breakthrough? But as I've experienced God through these so many years that I've loved and served him, can I tell you that mostly I discovered that it wasn't me breaking through to him? It was him breaking through to me. Breakthrough, he said, this incredible bishop. He said, breakthrough, "breakthrough all my fears".
Breakthrough all of my doubts and my tears. Break through that I might worship you. It's not you breaking through to him, it's he brought you here today to break through to you. And I can't talk about 2 prophets and leave Jesus out. Right?
I'm not gonna take you to the passage, but you can read it when you get home. In John-7, the scripture says, on the last day of the great feast this was the feast this was the feast of tabernacles. I mean, this is a 7 day feast. On the last day of that great feat great feast, the Israelites have essentially, it's martyr gras without the nakedness. I mean, essentially.
They dress up in costume. They do. They dress up in costumes. They have a parade. It's yeah.
They wear more clothes than they do in New Orleans, but and during that that that celebration, they go to the Pool Of Siloam, which is down the hill from Mount Zion where the temple was, and they dip a a golden pitcher, a a golden bowl in the water, and they march back up in the parade, and they go up to commemorate when God broke open the rock in the wilderness and let water flow from the rock. Remember the old testament? And they commemorate that in this festival. It's a big party. And they're ultimately gonna get back to the temple, pour that water at the base of the altar, and then break into a tribal rain dance.
It's what they were gonna do because they knew unless God sent the *water* that they were gonna starve, their crops wouldn't work. And each year, they went through this ritual, and they poured the water at the base of the altar. And then they would change the kind of the order of the meeting, and everybody would settle down and calm down. And then they would go into all kinds of rituals and dances, and they were they weren't praying to idols, they were praying to God. Send rain on our land.
There was a little silence. I I believe if you look at it kind of historically, there's a little silence in that moment when they pour the water at the base of the altar. And the scripture says on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus cried out with a loud voice. No doubt Jesus has come into the outer court of the temple. He's watched what's going on.
He's been part of the celebration. Yeah. God gave Israel I'm again I wonder if he did this like, yeah. I gave Israel water out of the rock. Yeah.
He had part of the party, you know I'm saying? And then at the moment when they poured the water at the altar and got quiet, he cried out with
a loud voice. He said, if any man thirst,
"let he come to me and drink".
And as the scripture has said, he that believes in me,
out of his belly will flow **"rivers of living water"**.
In 1 of the few places that John gives us apostolic commentary. In other words, this is commentary that's embedded in the scripture by 1 of the writing apostles. It's not often done, but John does it here. And John says, but this he spoke concerning the Holy *Spirit* that those who believed in him would receive. But it hadn't happened yet, my paraphrase, because he had not yet been glorified.
Stand with me, would you? There is a river that "flows from the throne". Day and night, day and night, day and night, day and night, day and night. That river can make you whole. That river can make you well.
That river can bring prosperity into your life. It's the river of the Holy Spirit. It's what this series has all been about. But you don't have to just let it be a series and oh, yeah, something I heard 1 time that was good. It can be something that released, that opened the gates of your *heart* and allowed the reservoir of God's river to flow into your life and you'll never be the same again.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Pastor's gonna come but I'm just gonna pray a prayer and seal this word in this moment, and then he can direct us in our response time. Let me pray for you. Father, thank you for the river of God. Thank you that it flows today as surely as it did with Ezekiel, as sure as it did with John, and with Jesus, it's still flowing.
There's "never been a drought" in heaven. There's never been a lack. There's never been a lack of supply. And I thank you that this beautiful congregation have allowed me to meander through this story. I pray God that everyone you brought here for change will be changed and everyone you brought here for an experience will have it with you.
And Lord, if there happens to be those under the sound of my voice that have been trying to use other things to fill that void that only your river can fill, I pray that you will help them turn away from the hopelessness of that junk and "turn back to you". In Jesus' name.
Thank you for tuning in today to the Real Church podcast. I pray that you walk away from today encouraged with a deeper understanding of how much God loves you. If you'd like to connect with us, we can't wait to reach out to you and pray for you. You can go to www.realchurch.us/connect. And then also, if you would like to give to what God is doing in and through our ministry, you can do so at www.realchurch.us/giving or you can text any amount to 84321, and then just search in the link that comes up.
Search for Real Church Clearwater. *God* bless you, and the best is yet to come.