While visiting Israel, a man observed the newly excavated lower aqueduct, which originally linked Solomon’s pools to the Jewish temple. Being both ignorant and inquisitive, he inquired with a local resident the purpose for the aqueduct being connected to the temple. From this simple question, he unearthed an intriguing response. The man said, “In the temple, they only used ‘living water?’” Digging further, he asked how they defined living water. The man described: “It’s not stagnant—living water flows.”
Rarely does a simple inquiry draw such a momentous truth; but this, in my opinion, is one of those cases. What do our churches need? Living water in its temples! Let me quickly add that I am not referring to consumerist self-oriented worshippers detached from Christ’s mindset and mission. The most vibrant churches, which are few-and-far-between in my view, synergistically channel the gospel through their people. In this, they fight stagnancy head on!
God has embedded his gospel in human temples for dynamic results. Yet only when we see the multiplying of new disciples, do we realize actual flow. Show me a church that is fully engaged in making and empowering new disciples, and I will show you a church that is truly living.