Given on Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sermon Title: Are You a Fountain or A Drain
Bible Text: John 4: 4-39
 
Water is an important part of understanding how God works in our lives. God parted the waters of the Red Sea and the Hebrews were saved from destruction. Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River and God sent his spirit upon him.
Jesus first miracle was changing water into wine. The outward seal of our fellowship with Christ is the water of our own baptism.

So here's a water question. Are you a fountain or a drain?
A drain takes all the water that life can give it and pulls it in, never to be seen again. A drain is a taker.

A fountain takes the waters that life gives it and sprays it into the air, refreshing the water and sharing it was all who thirst. A fountain is a giver.

In your life as a Christian, do you take in the waters of Christ's spirit and keep them in you, making his presence a private event? Or do you take the waters of Christ's spirit and send them forth to quench the thirst of someone or refresh their soul again?

The story of the Samaritan women at the well is a good example of this. She begins her conversation with Jesus by being a drain. "Give me some of that living water", she says, "So that I will not be thirsty again." She wanted what Christ had to give and intended to keep it to herself. But when Christ showed her compassion and revealed to her that he was the Messiah, she was so filled with his life giving waters that she rushed back to the village and gushed forth all that had happened. Because of her fountain of enthusiasm, others were led to Christ and found his living wates being poured into their lives too.

Along side this Bible story, I am reminded of a story of two men who were ship wrecked on a deserted island. "Let's go to the opposite sides of the island and pray. Then we can see whose prayers God will answer. The man who suggested this idea prayed for food, and found a fruit tree; he prayed for a mate, and a woman washed on shore; he prayed to be rescued and a ship finally arrived. As this man and his mate were getting on board, he looked at the other man, whose side of the island was barren and said, "Let's leave him behind. God must not have cared about him very much. Look, none of his prayers were answered." But as he was saying this, the voice of God sounded, "If it were not for him, you would have nothing. That man had only one prayer - that Your prayers would be answered."

The moral of this story is, "For all you know, your blessings are not the fuits of your prayers alone, but those of another praying for you......by being a fountain and not a drain."

Christ calls us to be his glorious fountains ....a source of prayer support for someone, an assuring word, the love of Christ, a drink when someone is soul thirsty.

Christ has poured his spirit upon us.....his living waters ..... and calls us to be his overflowing fountains.

Prayer:
Make me a fountain, Lord. Someone who lets the blessings your pour on me overflow into the lives of others .... a celebration of how much each of us depends on others, as we become the ways your streams of blessings flow. Amen

   Devin R. Jones, Pastor of St. John's Church.  Cappeln, MO
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