SERMON TITLE: A Process OF Life
SUB TOPIC: Well Water vs. Living Water
Sermon Text: Isaiah 9:8
8. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
Introduction:
God sent a word into Jacob (Israel), a spoken word (prophetic) that was manifested in written word (Holy Scriptures) incarnated in the living word (Jesus). This was a word of judgment; for the impending punishment of Israel for their sins and the error of their ways. The word comes to shed light and remove the darkness of sin to enlighten us of the reality and fact that God chastise those whom he loves. 1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. O, taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8) Are you thirsty? Do you need a drink of water? Are you concerned about the source, quality and purity of the water you consume? Water is essential to life, without water everything would dry up, and life as we know it would cease to be. Not only would we become dehydrated and die, but the food chain would be destroyed also. Without water there would be no vegetation; without vegetation there would be no produce; without produce animals would die; without animals there would be no meat. Then if that’s not enough, one must be cautious about the source, quality, and purity of the water we drink. The same thing that will make you will break you. We need only to look at third world countries to see the peril, and devastation of water born disease, illness, sickness, such as cholera and E-coli that is very deadly. Water pollution is a deadly problem, so we buy bottle water, we invest in water filtering systems for our tap water, and we certainly do not drink well-water. So if I may inquire, what are you drinking? Is it Ozarka? Is it vitamin water (ActivWater)? Is it Perrier water? Is it Aquafina? Is it Smart Water? Back in the day well-water was the best natural source of drinking water. Consequently, within the process of time well-water has become polluted with the run- off sewage leakage, hazardous waste, and contaminated with pesticides and environmental chemicals. Therefore, well-water is not fit for human consumption, but life necessitates the best, good, pure, and superior water that is essential to preservation of life. Subsequently, the process of life has weaned us from well-water.
If I may speak metaphoric of well-water, it is the world system of economic gain, and the pursuit of fame, fortune, and prosperity. It is the obsession with the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of Life. It is the indulgence of the profit of filthy lucre, ill-gotten gain, and the worship of mammon (demon of greed). Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Are you thirsty? May I offer you a drink of living-water? You need Jesus, You need God. Let me take you to Gen. 1:1; In the beginning God; (period) We can stop there; in the beginning there was no-one and nothing but God. He is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. There was no one before, and there’ll be no one after him. God, the one who is divine; the transcendent one, meaning he is in all-through all-above all-over all-and beyond all. For only God is self existent and he is the essence of his being; he is simple meaning that He is whole, complete, pure, and there is no ad-mixture to God. To say it simply, God is God!
Therefore, whatever exist cannot and does not exist of itself. Hence it (whatever) exists by the sanction of God the creator of all that is created or made; for all things that were made, were made by him. Everything has its existence outside of the mind of God; whether he willed it to be-spoke it into existence or fashioned it with his hands. Subsequently, by definition that which is one with it-self, self existent, pure, whole, void of admixture, the essence of its being, transcendent, preeminent, and eternal is God! It’s important to have a concept of God. One needs to have a concept of who God is. He is the creator and sustainer of life; the Lord is the author and finisher of our faith; the God of our salvation. Then God spoke a word; a word of power and authority, a word of creation; God said, “Let there be” God speaks! Have you heard him lately? He has spoken from eternity past unto this present age. After the fall of man (Adam & Eve) God saw the need for intervention; Dispensation is the divine intervention in the management of the affairs of men. God desired communion and fellowship with man, and man needed communion, fellowship and guidance. Man needed a revelation of God, and most importantly men needed a relationship with God. God has spoken to and revealed himself to man in and through the Bible, the written word. Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. Some of us don’t believe we’re in the last days. We are well into the last days; the last days began with the Epiphany (explain) This brings us to the sermon text, found in Isaiah 9:8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel
The Historical Setting of Our Text Today (exegesis):
Jacob represents Israel as God’s chosen people. The 12 sons of Jacob, comprise the 12 tribes of Israel (past). Presently, the focus is the Nation of Israel, and future-wise the reality is Israel as the church (God’s chosen people). The dispensation of the word is also a prophetic word; meaning it was given at a specific time, to a particular people, with a definite message, and prophetic in that it is applicable to right now-today-and the future. Are you thirsty? What are you sipping on? Is it Gin and juice? Is it Rum and coke, is it Seven and Seven? Or is it just well-water? Example: When Jesus met the woman at the well (Jacob’s well); He asked for a drink of water. She asked, why would a Jew ask of a Samaritan a drink of water? Jesus said, if you knew who ask for a drink, you would ask me, and I would have given thee living-water. She said, Sir the well is deep and you have nothing to draw with, from whence then hast thou that living-water. Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself, his children and cattle? Jesus said, whosoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again. Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give will never thirst again, and shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting Life. She said, give me this water that I thirst not. Jesus said unto her call thy husband and come hither. She said I have no husband. Jesus said, thou hast well said, for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. The woman saith unto him Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. (John 4:7-19) And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32
The light of the word reveals the darkness of our sins. The exposure of sin, (your sins and mine) should bring conviction. You know you have sinned: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23, having conviction is to be remorseful-sorry; For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 Some of us are not sorry about anything we’ve done; even Reuben Stoddard ( the American Idol) said, he was sorry for 2004! In Romans 14:11 it states; For it is written, “As I LIVE SAITH THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.” He spared not his own son. All sins must be repented of. No big sins or little sins, sin is sin. I thought I was in good shape because I was saved, but then I realized I hadn’t repented. Have you repented (since you’ve been saved)?
King David was a man after God’s own heart, but he sinned. He went up on the roof-top of his penthouse one day, and peeped over in his neighbor’s yard. We need to stop peeping in other folks yard (life). We’re too nosey and curious about what our neighbor has, or what’s going on in their lives. David saw something he couldn’t handle. He saw his neighbor’s wife taking a bath. David lost it, he began to burn in lust. David was drinking well-water (Gin & juice, Rum & coke, Seven & Seven) He was over-come in concupiscence, lasciviousness, covetousness, sexual immorality, and over-whelmed by the Pride of life, the lust of the eye, and the lust of the flesh. David decided to covet Uriah’s wife. He sent for Basheba and lay with her. Consequently, she became pregnant. He sent Uriah to the front line of the most fierce battle of the war, and Uriah was killed. David abused his position and authority, after all it’s good to be the King. David married Basheba and thought he had gotten away with murder and had hidden his sin. God sent the prophet Nathan to expose David’s sin. David was remorseful and repented. David was forgiven of his sin. Then came the fall-out; the trials and tribulations, the test of faith, the repercussions and consequences. Even though we are forgiven for our sins, we still suffer the consequences of our sins. Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7 God did not allow David and Basheba’s first born to live-David’s son Amnon seduced and raped his sister Tamar, and took her virginity-David’s eldest son Absalom had his brother Amnon killed for disgracing their sister. David suffered the consequences of his sins.
We’ve been Forgiven, but not cleansed “Sanctification”
We’ve been Saved, but not delivered “Glorification”
We’re still victims and not victors
Satan is able to take us into captivity and bondage by our sins. Un-confessed sin is un-repented sin. We have to confess our sins, forgive ourselves and forgive others, and repent. If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven.
Revelations 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that over-cometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Listening is not hearing, listening is the physical and mechanical exercise of hearing. If one doesn’t believe and receive what one hears, then one has not heard. Believing and receiving is synonymous, a Kingdom principle. One will not receive what one does not believe. If you do not believe the Word, you do not believe in God, God is the Word. If you do not believe-you are not saved. Romans 10:9, 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Conclusion:
I need to close this up; within the process of Life we need to be weaned from Well-water to receive Living-Water. We need to be weaned from the world system, the philosophy and wisdom of man, and the god of this world, to receive the God of the universe, the God of creation; God of life, Salvation, and eternity. You need Jesus, he sits at the well of eternity waiting to give you a drink of Living-water, if you would ask. Within the process of Christian growth and maturation we need to be weaned from the milk of the word; (I Peter 2:2) as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby: In full maturity we may be able to digest the meat of the word; (Hebrews 5:14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
I need you to go with me out on the hill, back to Golgotha. We need to revisit the cross; the cross of Forgiveness; the cross of Redemption and Salvation. My concern is that there are too many sick Christians. Where is the abundant life that Jesus promised? All the promises of God are yes and Amen. Where is the joy, peace, and love? You can’t have joy, peace, and love, and be sick. Too many Christians are suffering illness, and disease, and can’t get well. That’s contrary to the word of God. (Psalms 103:3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. We’re sick and can’t get well because we’re obese with transgressions, overweight with iniquity, and constipated with sin. (story about mama and my headache) We need some Holy Ghost ex-lax, Anointed castor oil, and some Spiritual black drought. God wants to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We’re full of stuff. (dung) We need to be purged. Purge is another word for repent. We need to purge ourselves; we need to repent. Our problem is unbelief. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed: (Isaiah 53:5) past tense, a finished work. We need to believe and receive; this is a Kingdom principle and dynamic. (Mark 11:24) Therefore I say unto you, What things so-ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. The same source of your Salvation is also the source of your healing. Believe it and Receive it! Our healing comes from the cross.
Out on Calvary, there are three crosses; you need to choose which cross you’ll bear. The cross of Reconciliation and Redemption has already been borne by our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. You either will bear the cross of Rebellion and Rejection or the cross of Repentance and Restoration.
We believe Jesus died for our Salvation
Why don’t we believe he died for our healing?
Repent-be cleansed-be delivered-be healed and made whole. Amen