Jesus said we are to abide in Him and bear much fruit, for without Him we can do nothing. As we abide in God — as we stay in relationship, as we fellowship with our Lord and Savior — we can only pour out what has been poured into us.

And as we pour out, we are continually refilled, because we are connected to the Vine. What flows through the Vine flows into the branches. Jesus spoke about Him being the Vine. As you and I pour ourselves into the lives of others, God will replenish us. We are connected to the Source — and Jesus is the Source.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name. — Hebrews 6:10, KJV

As we refresh others, God sees our labor of love. He will not forget what you have done for Him and for His people.

We are all ministers. When I say “minister,” I don’t mean a title — I mean “servant.” Each one of us, if we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are servants. Paul said, “I am a bondservant of the Lord Jesus.” So we are all servants of the Lord.

As we minister to each other and pour into others, do not become weary in well doing. God will see your work and He will not forget.

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. — Proverbs 11:25, KJV

We are wealthy in that we have the Word of God. Everything will pass away except the Word — so we are rich in His Word.

Once we abide in the Vine, and the Word of God abides in us, we can pour out. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done.”

We can only pour out what’s inside of us. If there is unforgiveness or bitterness inside, that will come out. But once we have the word of God, we have the word of God, once we are filled with the Spirit, once the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are in fellowship with the light, once we are connected to the body of Christ, as we abiding, as we feed on the light.

There’s a song: “Fill my cup, Lord — fill it up Lord.” We want our cup to be filled with the things of God so we can pour out, because like I said, and I keep repeating, we can only pour out what has been poured in.

When we are serving — pouring out, doing anything in the kingdom of God — we also have to be intentional about being refilled. I cannot pour out to you if I’m not spending time with the Lord. He fills us so He can use us.

Teachers, leaders — you pour out. You meet new students and new challenges, so you keep going back to be refilled. If we just keep pouring and never refill, we become bitter and burned out. Many have walked away from the body of Christ because they kept pouring without refilling. That’s why pastors take time for rest — not abandoning relationship with God, but to be replenished, so when they return, they are ready.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, leads us beside still waters. He restores our souls, so we can be refilled.

We are called to fellowship with other believers. On Sunday, we could feel the move of the Holy Spirit in the body. Yes, you can watch online, but there is something about being in the sanctuary.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together… but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. — Hebrews 10:24–25, KJV

Most importantly, we have to spend time alone with the Lord. Jesus often withdrew from the crowd to be with the Father. We can get so busy serving that we forget to sit with Him. Jesus said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

So we have to abide in Him, rest in Him, dwelling in Him, so we can keep pouring out. A person who is filled up can pour out, but a person who is dry, can only wear out. We don’t want to wear out my brothers and sisters. If we pour out, we are also to refill ourselves, because like I said, we run the risk of being burned out, we want to keep running the race. We want to be able to say like Paul:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. — 2 Timothy 4:7–8, KJV

I thought about it even in life, and in reference to how the Bible calls us — we as Christians are in a race, as a distance runner, as you keep running the race, you get dehydrated because you’re pouring out, you’re pouring out energy, sweat is leaving your body, and that’s potassium – it keeps leaving your body nd there’s so many things happening in your body.

And the Bible talks about being filled with – being submitted to the Holy Spirit. He talks about that in Ephesians 5:8 it talks about being filled with the Spirit. Let’s submit to the leading of God. We will walk in the spirit, we will be led by the Spirit, then we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

So let us continue to just abide in God so that we can be refilled, so that we can have what it takes, because if you serve in ministry, as you pour out, you can become weary, you can become burned out, but because you’re intentional — just like you’re intentional about getting your nails done, you’re hair done, whatever, spending date nights and all those things with your spouse, we have to be intentional about spending time with the Lord, fellowshipping with the body of Christ, reading the word of God; because it is living water. Jesus said.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. — John 4:14, KJV

So let us continue to drink from the living water so that we can pour out into others. Let our cup be empty, we can bring it to Lord every day, we can bring it to the Lord, and He will fill our cup and we will overflow, so we can pour into others. We don’t want to be a reservoir, let us be a conduit.

Let us be conduits, not reservoirs. Allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you, so you can do the work God has called you to do. Then we can say like Paul — “I fought the good fight, I finished the race,” and receive the crown of righteousness laid up for us.

Father God, we thank You for Your lovingkindness. Help us to abide in You, to be filled with Your Spirit, and to pour out to others from the overflow. In Jesus’ Name, amen.