What is overflowing out of you? Is it the things of God? Or the things of this world?
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Psalm 23:5 NKJV
What is overflowing out of you? Is it the things of God? Or the things of this world?
Make no mistake about it we will not stay empty we will be filled; the question is it’s what will we be filled with? Is it His will and His ways? Or yours and the worlds?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 NKJV
I got to be honest, I need some work here. I know I don’t always as the scripture puts it, hunger and thirst for righteousness. Sometime me and my flesh, just wants to be right, or make it right. Hey I like that eye for an eye thing….
But if we take that approach and we give into that hunger, we will get filled and eventually consumed by anger, bitterness, un-forgiveness….
Like I shared before we will get filled, but what is occupying that space? What are we allowing in?
The great thing is if we are full of Him (and not ourselves) there is no room for the other stuff. The more we allow Him to occupy the less, junk that can fill in the gaps… Jesus wants you to live filled with His ways, His will, His desires
Think of yourself as a hotel and each room can hold something different, you want that hotel to be booked out “No Vacancy” sign lit up bright… What are we renting space in our heart to?
There is no room for anything other than God in our hearts….
But I continue to get caught up on the Overflow piece, isn’t Full good enough? I mean you don’t Overfill your gas tank, or a cup of coffee. That would just make a mess or be a waste. Overflow Milk cup….
Now don’t get me wrong, when we talk about overflow, I am good with overflow in the bank or in the pantry, we won’t talk about that like its ever too much or a waste…
How often do we come to Church on Sunday we fill our cup and expect that to sustain us all week? We get ours and then go home? Saturday comes and we are parched
Living a life of Overflow makes us change this mentality and our approach on how we should operate.
Let’s dive in - When you break up overflow you have Over and Flow
Over - More, greater, abundance, above and beyond
Flow - Steady, moving, stream
In my study time, and as I broke this word up, for where God showed Himself, Over and more than enough.
Now there are many many examples of this, but one of my favorites is found in Kings 4:1-7.
You have a widow here who is about to lose everything. When we think lose everything in todays world when we lose things it is not like this situation where she was going to lose her kids to a debt collector. But God shows up, through His people.
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 NKJV
I love this story and it shows
God is not a God of not Enough , or
God of just enough, but He is the
God of more than enough.
He is the great multiplier.
He works in abundance.
He works in the OVER…
She asked for money to pay off the debt collector, but now her bank OVERflows to live off of.
Many of us want that blessing, but we come to God with a thimble and say ok give me my fill for the week Lord…
Notice in the story Elisha told her Go borrow jars for everywhere, DO NOT just gather a few!!
I think we can take that advice. God is pouring out, God is freely giving, but if we show up with a single Coffee Cup and wonder what gives. Next time show up with a dump truck… Here I am LORD I am READY!
Lets show up everyday, not just Sundays with an increased expectation, lets show up with as many jars as we can and a knowing in our heart, that he is the God of more than enough and that He will fill everything we bring to him.
You might need to share what you get… Actually at some point you WILL have to share what you get
We are those vessels and He will occupy and fill everything we bring to Him.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV
Are we coming to Him with arms stretched out, Lord here I am fill me, all of me. Not just the parts I show people, but those areas we want to hide those areas we are ashamed of…..
He will fill everything we bring to Him… But He doesn’t stop there, He wants us to over FLOW, not to be just filled, but to over flow..
Something happens to water when it sits there, it gets Stale, grows algae, its just not good. If faced with needing water, I want it from a steady river or creek that has a nice flow, vs a stagnant river…
Ever notice how those body of waters look best when they are moving…
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38
I find it really interesting how Jesus says out of our heart will flow rivers of living water. I think this is so important there is flow, it is fresh, it is renewing, it is clear.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” John 4:13-15 NKJV
Don't you find it interesting that this overflow that should come out of us is referenced as water? Our Cup will over flow, out of us will flow rivers of living water, a fountain of water springs up….
So why water… Well first you ever try living without water? Well heres a secret, it can’t be done…. You can go a few days, but you will need it at some point. You can actually go without food longer than you can without water.
Our world is in need this Living Water, but we got to share. Jesus allows to over flow, but we got to allow Him to.
Jesus gives us the Over and the Flow is for those around us. We can’t just show up and fill our cup. We need it to Overflow.
Our world is in desperate need for His followers to live and operate in Overflow… When what is in is Overflows out of us, all those we are around and come in contact with lives are impacted.
When we live and operate in the overflow given to us we will be the world changers that Jesus has called us to be.
Lets take a look at John 7:37-38 again…
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38
If you know Jesus and declared Him Lord and savior of your life, we are called to live different and be different.
Out of us should OVERFLOW rivers of living water. We can do this because He is in is, He has changed us, and He wants us to help others see Him as Lord and Savior.
Will you bring it all to Jesus, and allow His Overflow to work in your life so those around you are benefiting? So those around you are refreshed and renewed?
Our word is needing us to live the life Jesus has called us to.
If you are here for maybe the first time or never gave your life to Jesus. But you know your life is missing something. Maybe you are seeking for things to fill what only Jesus can and not out fill, but Overflow.
The first part is simple, the word tells us we need to believe in your heart and declare with your mouth. So we will do a simple prayer together.
Lord Jesus, I am a sinner in need of a savior. I believe you died for my sins and rose again. Come into my heart and make me new and rom this day forward I am a citizen of your Kingdom. In Jesus name Amen…
If you said that for the first time, know that there is a party up in heaven for you.
Allow us to celebrate with you by telling some, stop by out Information desk we will have a gift for you!
For all of us lets live tomorrow like no other day, we have been commissioned by the King Himself to share and live our life in Overflow so that others may know Him like we do. Let’s operate in Overflow as we leave here and everyday we have breath in our lungs.