Synergism: Opening The Door to God’s Indwelling Power

Chapter Five

Living Water Flowing from Living Stones

“³⁷ In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. ³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39).

The work of the Spirit of God through the lives of yielded believers is a supernatural work of God involving constant acts of re-creation. In other words, in God’s work of re-creation, He takes something that already exists in a broken or fallen state of existence, makes it new (unbroken and unfallen) and then begins to supernaturally multiply that new creation through the operations of His indwelling Spirit. What God produces through the lives of yielded believers in His operations of grace is spiritual fruit, not physical fruit. Spiritual fruit is eternal fruit. This is what Christ is speaking about in John 7:38 regarding the “living waters” that flow from within the new creation of a “born again” believer as that individual lives within the spiritual dynamic of the Tripartite of Power.

We cannot grasp the depth of what Christ is saying in John 7:37-39 if we do not understand the historical context of the Feast of the Tabernacles and the events of that Jewish Feast. It contains a number of prophetic types within its practices. The Feast of Tabernacles was instituted as part of the Mosaic Covenant shortly after of the Exodus.

“The seventh and final Feast of the Jewish calendar year is the Feast of Tabernacles. It occurs five days after the Day of Atonement on the fifteenth of Tishri (October). This feast is also called the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16; 34:22), the Feast to the Lord (Leviticus 23:3[4]; Judges 21:[19]), the Feast of Booths, or simply ‘the feast’ (Leviticus 23:36; Deuteronomy 16:13; I Kings 8:2; II Chronicles 5:3, 7:8; Nehemiah 8:14; Isaiah 30:29; Ezekiel 45:23,25) because it was so well-known. [quote corrected]

On the eighth and final day of the feast, the high priest of Israel, in a great processional made up of priests and tens of thousands of worshipers, descended from the Temple Mount to pause briefly at the Pool of Siloam. A pitcher was filled with water, and the procession continued via a different route back to the Temple Mount. Here, in the midst of great ceremony, the high priest poured the water out of the pitcher onto the altar.

Since in Israel the rains normally stop in March, there is no rain for almost seven months! If God does not provide the ‘early’ rains in October and November, there will be no spring crop, and famine is at the doorstep. This ceremony, then, was intended to invoke God’s blessing on the nation by providing life-giving water.”

(http://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/feasts/tabernacles.htm)

The Pool of Siloam was filled by a stream (the stream of Siloah ) that flowed from underneath the Temple Mount (The Mount of the Rock). Many believed this pool had healing qualities in that they viewed that it was filled from the water from the Rock. They believed that this water and the Temple Mount built upon the threshing floor of Ornan (I Chronicles 21:23) was the fulfillment of the prophetic type of the water from the rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6).

“¹ Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; ² And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ And did all eat the same spiritual meat; ⁴ And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. ⁵ But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ⁶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. ⁷ Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (I Corinthians 10:1-7).

Of course, Christ is the Rock from which that living water flows. Today, the local church is the body of Christ from which the living waters flow. The local church is the fulfillment this prophetic type through God’s work of grace in the baptism with the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ of all born again believers and through the indwelling of believers with the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37-39, Christ is saying the prophetic typology of the Feast of Tabernacles or Ingathering was about to be fulfilled and that fulfillment was not going to be water flowing from the Jewish Temple into the Pool of Siloam. The actual fulfillment was going to be the living water of the Holy Spirit flowing from the new Temple of the body of all believers united together in a local church, yielded to the Spirit of God, being living translations of the Word of God, and doing the “work of the ministry” as sanctified and consecrated priests before God.

In the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles, the emphasis was upon God’s work of grace in providing harvests and the water that nourished those crops to their completion or maturity. Without the water from God there would be no fruit. All the sacrifices, fasting, and cries of repentance before God was about national sanctification so that the life giving water from God could and would flow freely.

Another important point of what Christ is saying is that the water that was gathered from the Pool of Siloam was carried/ transported by the thousands of worshippers to the Temple to be poured out before the Altar of God. Israel understood that all the blessings of God (His operations of grace) were connected directly to the altar.

In fact, it was probably at the very moment when these thousands of worshippers stood before the Altar of God pouring out their individual pitchers of water from the Pool of Siloam that “Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37b-38).

“⁴ To whom coming {Jesus}, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. ⁶ Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious {upon which each lively stone is laid to build the living Temple}: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded {brought to shame or disgrace as was the Mosaic Covenant priesthood}. ⁷ Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders (the Christ rejecting Jews} disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, ⁸ And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. ⁹ But ye {Church Age believers collectively} are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: ¹⁰ Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. ¹¹ Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; ¹² Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (I Peter 2:4-12).

Yes, every individual believer is a “lively stone” and each individual body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit of God. However, as a “lively stone,” God never intended you to be a Lone Ranger brick wandering around alone. God intended you to be part of the something much larger than yourself; i.e. one born again believer working independent of others. God made you a “lively stone” to build a living Temple from which the His “living water” could freely flow. The Seed is the Word of God. The Water is the Spirit of God. The sower of the Seed is the Spirit filled “born again” believer overflowing with “living water,” “sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (II Timothy 2:21).

The spiritual dynamic in the reality of the praxis of the filling of the Holy Spirit is that every “lively stone” is to be built into the wall of the Living Temple of God upon the Head Stone (“Cornerstone”) of the New Creation in Jesus Christ. The Living Temple is the Church. Every “lively stone” built upon the “Living Stone” has the potential to produce a stream of “living water” from their midst.

When the world comes to that local church (either gathered or dispersed in everyday life), they ought to be able to come expecting the flow of “living water” from each of us individually, and, especially, all of us corporately as a local church. It is equally important for people to know that the source of the “living water” is not us personally. The source of the “living water” is the Living God Who dwells within us. “Living water” flowing from a rock is a supernatural work of grace manifesting the continuing work of God in constant re-creation. This Living Temple metaphor made up of Jesus Christ and all “born again” believers united together within the context of a local church assembly is what Paul is talking about in I Corinthians 3:9-16.

“⁹ For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building {oikodome, domed temple}. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God {the supernatural operations and workings of the Holy Spirit} which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation {faith in Christ that begins the regeneration} and another {other believers of succeeding generations by winning souls and making disciples} buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹³ Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day {Judgment Seat of Christ} shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. ¹⁶ Know ye not that ye are {este [es-the']; second person plural present indicative; collectively belong; i.e., the local church} the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ¹⁷ If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Corinthians 3:9-17).

The Church of Christ, as a Living Temple of God, is NOT to be merely the house of God’s dwelling place. The Church of the Living Temple (gathered or scattered) is to be the source of “living waters.” Therefore, now get this, every local church (believers united together formally by a common salvation, a common doctrine, and a common purpose) are to be God’s DISTRIBUTION CENTERS OF GRACE. God wants to do His work of re-creation in and through our lives.

What is the “living water”? The “living water” is the Water of eternal life flowing through the yielded believer’s life.

“¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (I John 5:11-12).

God never intended us to be merely bags of bones that have eternal life as some future promise for us that we call pie in the sky. Eternal life is already the possession of every “born again” believer. The greatest present aspect of the miracle of the regeneration is that when we are sanctified, separated from worldliness and unto God’s use, and sowing God’s Seed, we become the vehicles of this grace and the distribution centers for the miracles of the indwelling Creator.

Streaming Audio and Down Loadable MP3 available at link below:
http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/Pages/AudioSermons/Revival/RevivalMessages22.htm

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