Go with the Flow – Remain Connected to the Head

Go with the Flow — Remain Connected to the Head

Text: Psalm 133:1-3

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.”

Introduction — The Lesson from a Headless Chicken

Story Recap:

• On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen in Fruita, Colorado, set out to butcher a young Wyandotte rooster.
• With a swing of his axe, he cleanly struck—yet oddly missed just enough vital connection to kill it. The jugular vein and most of the brain stem remained intact.
• The rooster—later nicknamed Mike the Headless Wonder Chicken—stood up, wobbled around, even tried to preen his feathers.
• Olsen fed him by hand using an eyedropper of milk, water, and ground grain straight into his throat.
• Word spread. People paid money to see him. He ended up in magazines, traveling in sideshows—making the farmer the modern equivalent of $60,000/year.
• For 18 months, Mike lived — not thriving, but existing in a bizarre, fragile condition —until one night he began choking and the motel room lacked the syringe needed to save him. He died.

Application to us:

• Mike was moving, eating, reacting — but only in the most basic, reflexive ways.
• He had no head — therefore, no vision, no command center, no awareness, no true life direction.
• Without the head, a body may twitch and move — but it cannot grow, lead, or thrive.
• Spiritually, this is like a church, a marriage, a business, or even an individual believer trying to operate without connection to the Head — Jesus Christ.
• They may be active, busy, full of motion — but without divine direction, it’s just reflex survival until inevitable collapse.

I. Understanding Psalm 133 — Unity That Flows from the Head

• A Song of Ascents:
  The people of Israel would sing this as they went up to Jerusalem for the feasts. Worship ascended — and blessing descended.
• Notice the direction of blessing in the psalm — from the head down.
  • Aaron as High Priest — anointed at the head, oil flows down to the beard, then the garments.
• Two beautiful images:
  1. Oil — Anointing, consecration, empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
  2. Dew of Hermon — Moisture from the highest mountain giving life to a dry place. Without dew, the land is barren. Without anointing, ministry is barren.

Truth: Real unity is both good (morally right) and pleasant (emotionally delightful). But it cannot be manufactured from the ground up — it flows from above, from Christ the Head, through a properly connected body.

II. Life and Leadership Begin Headfirst

• In all living creation — life begins with the head:
  • Babies emerge headfirst in birth.
  • Creatures orient, feed, and sense through the head.
• Spiritually:
  • Christ is “the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18).
  • Without Him functioning as head, the church is spiritually decapitated.
• Just like Mike the chicken — movement without intelligence or coordination will result in eventual disaster.
• Many churches, marriages, and ministries are busy — but they are headless chickens.
  • Decisions made without prayer
  • Agendas set without the Word
  • People running without vision or instruction from the Head.

III. The Pastor Is Not the Head — Christ Is

• Pastors and leaders are examples of life connected to the Head — not the source of life.
• The role of leadership is to model connection, to keep the body aligned under Christ’s commands.
• When the Body of Christ operates without the mind of Christ, it acts on reflex, not revelation.
• Illustration: Parkinson’s disease is a breakdown of communication from the brain to the limbs — just as disunity or disconnection from Jesus causes poor spiritual coordination.

IV. Aligning Thoughts Before Actions

• Isaiah 55:8-9: God’s thoughts lead His ways — and our submission to His thoughts changes our ways.
• The Bible never says God’s thoughts cannot be ours — but that naturally they are not. Through the Spirit we can “have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).
• Prayer should focus on doing His will, not asking Him to bless our plans.
• If your thoughts are aligned with Christ, naturally your ways will change to match His — producing unity and anointing.

V. Unity Requires the Right Head

• 1 Samuel 16 – Samuel tried to anoint Jesse’s older sons — but the oil did not flow. Only David, God’s chosen head, received the anointing.
• The oil won’t flow on a wrong or worn head.
• Jesus is the ultimate chosen Head — the Anointed One (Messiah/Christos).
• John 1:32-33 – The Spirit descended on Jesus and remained.
• Any unity not rooted in Christ is dangerous:
  • Example: Tower of Babel — unity in rebellion produces evil power.
  • God honored the principle of agreement but judged the project and confused their language.

VI. The Flow of the Oil — Holiness, Consecration, Purity

• Aaron’s Beard — Symbol of maturity, priestly calling, separation from pagan culture.
  • Leviticus 19:27 — Israelite priests did not shave like pagan priests.
  • Indicates being “set apart” from worldly fashion, mindset, and priorities.
• Without the Spirit, holiness becomes legalism; with the Spirit, it becomes joyful consecration.
• If you are truly connected to Christ, you will hunger for holiness — not as a duty, but as a desire.

VII. The Garments — Covering and Identity

• Oil flows to the edge of Aaron’s garments — symbolic of blessing reaching the people.
• Garment Themes:
  • Adam & Eve — God clothed them after sin (Genesis 3).
  • Isaiah 61:10 — Garments of salvation, robe of righteousness.
  • Matthew 22 — Wedding garment required for entrance.
  • Luke 15 — The prodigal clothed in his father’s best robe.
  • Revelation — White robes of the saints.
• Without the anointing, garments are empty tradition (Acts 19 — believers without the Spirit).
• We must put on Christ daily (Romans 13:14) — by faith, intentionally, before engaging the world.
• “Don’t come together without your clothes on” — spiritually cover yourself each day in prayer, Word, and worship before engaging people.

VIII. The Dew of Hermon — Life Flowing Down

• Dew is a quiet, gentle life source. Not loud like rain — but essential for fruitfulness.
• When unity exists under Christ’s headship, life flows naturally — no striving.
• Without dew (anointing), dryness overtakes the land; without spiritual unity, dryness overtakes the church.

Application Questions for the Congregation:

1. Is Jesus truly the Head of your life — or just an honored guest?
2. Do your thoughts align with His thoughts — or just your ways?
3. Where might you be running like a headless chicken spiritually — all movement, no direction?
4. Are you clothed with His righteousness and anointed by His Spirit daily?

Conclusion / Gospel Call:

• Mike the chicken survived 18 months without a head — but never thrived. Eventually, he choked because he had no way to clear himself.
• A life, marriage, ministry, or church without Christ as Head is living on borrowed time.
• Unity, blessing, life forevermore — these are not man-made. They are commanded blessings from God when the Head is honored and the oil flows down.
• Today, reconnect fully with the Head — yield your thoughts, align your ways, and walk daily clothed and anointed in the Spirit — and watch the blessings flow.

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