Acts 20:35 (NKJV) 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

The Dead Sea is what we see referred to in the Bible as the Salt Sea There are many interesting facts about the Dead Sea The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, some 1,385 feet below sea level The water is so dense due to the high mineral content Dead Sea Acts 20:35

Because it is so dense, a person can actually sit down in the water and read a newspaper without sinking

The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River, although it has no outlet The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River, although it has no outlet. All the fresh water flowing into the Dead Sea becomes stagnant. It’s water is undrinkable, polluted, and putrid. So what does all of this have to do with us? I think that there are some interesting parallels between some Christian lives and the Dead Sea that we read about in the Bible What are the lessons we can draw from this body of water that can teach us how we should or should not be in the body of Christ?

There is but one source that feeds the Dead Sea That source is the Jordan River The Jordan River is what feeds water into the Dead Sea So how does this compare to you and I in a spiritual way? James 1:17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” We too have our source in life Our source is God, the one who blesses us and gives us every good and perfect gift in this life Matthew 7:7-11

Constant Flow Remember we said that the water in the Dead Sea was stagnant…why is that? It’s simply because there is no outlet; water comes in and simply sits, creating absolutely no flow Again, what does that have to do with you and I in this life? There are some who are called by the name “Christian” who are just like the Dead Sea They collect and take from God all that they can, however, they never give God never created us to be a reservoir that only collects and never gives Acts 20:35 Ecc. 11:1 – “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” God expects us to give from what He has given to us, not just to collect and hold on to it Those who give and give generously are happy and blessed people (II Cor. 8:2) Remember what Christ said about giving (Luke 6:38) It starts with my generosity (Question about hungry)

Stagnant The problem with only taking and never giving is that, just like the Dead Sea, we will become stagnant in our spiritual lives The only way for us to maintain our freshness in this life is to allow the good things God gives us to flow through us onto others Judas was a taker when it came to money, but did not want to be a giver Jesus told the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 (Taker, not a giver) God took his life from him and said this in verse 21, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” How can we be rich toward God? Christ said we do it through others (Matt. 25:31-46), they are Him Luke 16:19-31 shows another man who was a taker but not a giver Here was a man who had an opportunity right in front of himself everyday Maybe you have an opportunity everyday w/one you pass We see what happened to the rich man as the story unfolds because he was a taker, but not a giver We cannot allow our lives to become stagnant by only taking and never giving