The Water Commitment
THE WORLD NEEDS MY WATER:
I have the Living Water in me. Infinite refreshment is mine in Christ, and I unlock it in me when I give it to others. I eagerly risk embarrassment to offer others the Living Water of Jesus. Matt 28:19-20 (Prov 11:25 :: John 4:1-41 :: Matt 10:42)
Specifically, I employ everything I am and everything I have for the benefit of others beginning in this church and extending to the world around me. To help others find full life in Christ, I will work to serve them, befriend them, share my faith with them, invite them to join me in this church, and help them know the gospel so they too can experience the life I have been given. I will rely on God to refresh me as I strive to refresh others.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is the story in John 4 where Jesus meets the woman at the well. Their interaction is just so priceless as Jesus the Rabbi shares a conversation with a Samaritan woman who is at the well in the middle of the day specifically to avoid all the other women who went to the well in the morning. Jesus promises her Living Water, and she gets all excited for it. However, the point of the passage is so much deeper than this little interaction over water. Jesus is making the point with this woman that the solution to her problems is to stop hiding from others, to stop feeling shame and embarrassment, and to start taking the risk to share the message of Jesus with others.
By the end of the story, the entire town has come to believe in Jesus, and why did they do so? Well, it’s because the lady had knocked on all the doors in the town and told everyone that they should pay attention to Jesus.
The living water doesn’t mean you suddenly feel better about yourself. The Living Water from God is something that only flows into you when you release it out into the lives of others!
Specifically…
I employ everything I am and everything I have for the benefit of others
God has given you so much. He has given you time, treasure, and talents that are unique to you. He has given you a personality that is unique to you. He has given you a unique set of life experiences and passions. He did all of that for you so that you could have a unique contribution in the lives of others and so that you could be of unique benefit in this world.
All you need to do is ask simply, “What do I have?” and “Who am I?” Then, you ask one final thing, “If that’s who I am, or if that’s something I have, what would it mean to use that part of me to bless others?”
Are you a nerd? Perhaps there’s something you could do to bless others?
Are you a teacher? Perhaps there’s something you could do to bless others?
Do you like nothing but video games? Perhaps you need to grow up… (Just kidding!) Perhaps there’s someone else who likes video games who would be willing to have a conversation with you while the two of you go get your frag on!
Most of all, what has God done for you, and what would it mean to help someone else learn what you have learned about God?
beginning in this church and extending to the world around me
Because this church is our family and our home base, we want our efforts to start here. Serving in your church is the training ground for serving in the world. It gives you real experience dealing with the frustrations of real human beings, and it gives you a real opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. But your service can’t be only in the church. At some point, the people in the church need to leave the walls of their building and get back into the world around them. That’s where there are people hungry and thirsty for something real. That’s where we have the chance to make an eternal difference in someone’s life.
Furthermore, we need to reach WAY beyond the walls of our church building! We have the opportunity to influence people globally through our relationships with missionaries. The Water commitment includes a decision to support global missions, and if you need more information about that, I would love to help you connect with one of our two missionary families.
To help others find full life in Christ, I will work to serve them, befriend them, share my faith with them, invite them to join me in this church, and help them know the gospel so they too can experience the life I have been given.
This statement is just practical, but it outlines a step by step process for how to help other people get closer to Jesus. Serve, befriend, share faith, invite, and coach. Anyone can do it, and I know you can too!
I will rely on God to refresh me as I strive to refresh others.
Finally, this last line of the water commitment reminds us that when you keep pouring yourself out into the lives of others, it can be tiring and hard. However, God has promised his Living Water for those who would keep their faith in Jesus and who would keep pouring that refreshing water onto others. Ministry like this can be difficult, and it can even be exhausting, but when you have the privilege of finally helping a person to make that decision to put their faith in Christ and to begin walking with him, it is completely worth it!
Make the Commitment with Me
I want to close out this little series by challenging you to make this commitment with me. We are in this together, and I think God wants us to be serious about it. Sunday’s coming! Are you ready?