Ahhh! Refreshment!

• WHEN THE AMERICAN WEST WAS SETTLED, MANY TRAVELERS PASSED OVER THE FERTILE LAND OF THE TERRITORY OF NEBRASKA.

• THE DIRT THERE IS RICH AND BLACK, BUT THE TRAVELERS COULDN’T SEE WATER ANYWHERE.

• THEY THOUGHT THE LAND WOULD BE GOOD FOR NOTHING.

• ONE WRITER CALLED IT, “THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT”.

• SOME PEOPLE EVEN DIED ON THE JOURNEY, FOR LACK OF REFRESHMENT.

• TODAY NEBRASKA IS ALL ABOUT FARMING.

• NOW IT IS CALLED THE “BREAD BASKET OF AMERICA.”

• MORE WHEAT, AND CORN ARE GROWN THERE THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE UNION.

• WHAT HAPPENED?

• WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE THAT THOSE EARLY TRAVELERS DIDN’T SEE?

• THIS IS THE EYE OF NEBRASKA.

• THE OGALLALA AQUIFER - IT LIES UNDER THE STATE OF NEBRASKA.

• IT’S AN UNDERGROUND LAKE, THAT LIES UNDER 2/3’S OF THE STATE OF.

• THE OGALLALA AQUIFER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 30 PERCENT OF THE WATER USED TO IRRIGATE CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES.

• THE OGALLALA AQUIFER ALSO SUPPLIES REFRESHMENT!

• 90% OF THE FRESH WATER TO NEARLY 3 MILLION PEOPLE IN 8 STATES COMES FROM IT.

• SOME ONE GOT THE BRIGHT IDEA TO DIG DOWN AND FOUND ALL THE WATER THEY NEEDED TO TURN THE “GREAT AMERICAN DESERT” INTO THE BREAD BASKET OF AMERICA.

• MANY OF THOSE TRAVELERS ON THE GREAT PLAINS DIED FROM LACK OF REFRESHMENT.

• WHAT THEY DIDN’T KNOW WAS THAT WATER WAS JUST A FEW FEET UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE DRY LAND.

• HYDRATING COLD AND CLEAR REFRESHMENT RIGHT UNDER THEIR FEET!

• REFRESHMENT! IN THE FORM OF WATER IT QUENCHES, THE PARCHED THIRST.

• WATER REFRESHES AND COOLS THE BODY. IT REHYDRATES MUSCLES.

• IT ELIMINATES DRYNESS AND SATISFIES OUR DESIRE FOR SOMETHING WET AND COLD.

• REFRESHMENT!

• IN THE SPIRITUAL FORM IT’S THE WATER OF THE WORD.

• REFRESHMENT IS ALSO THE ADMONITION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF LIKE MINDED PEOPLE THAT CALMS US, BRINGS US JOY AND LIFTS OUR HEARTS WITH HOPE.

• THIS MORNING, REFRESHMENT!

• WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT DOES AND HOW TO DO IT.

• BUT BEFORE WE START THAT PART OF THE LESSON, LET’S PRAY.

• FROM A GREEK WORD MEANING “TO GIVE INTERMISSION FROM LABOR”, REFRESHMENT CAN ALSO MEAN “TO MAKE COOL.”

• ACCORDING TO THE OXYRHYNCHUS PAPYRI FOUND BY GRENFELL AND HUNT IN 1896, REFRESHMENT MEANS “TO TAKE RELAXATION”.

• AND IN ACTS 27:3 THE WORD TRANSLATED REFRESHMENT MEANS “TO RECEIVE ATTENTION FROM FRIENDS”.

ACTS 3:19 – THEREFORE REPENT AND RETURN, SO THAT YOU SINS

MAY BE WIPED AWAY, IN ORDER THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY

COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

• IN THAT PASSAGE REFRESHING IS USED IN THE SENSE OF BEING OR GETTING RELIEVED.

• IN OPERATING ROOMS SURGEONS ARE REFRESHED WITH A WET SPONGE TO THE BROW.

• I REMEMBER SEEING THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER.

• THE SENTINEL IS RELIEVED OR REFRESHED.

• CERTAINLY IN TRYING AND STRESSFUL TIMES LIKE THESE WE NEED OUR SPIRITS RELIEVED AND REFRESHED.

• IN HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND GREETINGS TO THE CHURCH AT CORINTH THE APOSTLE PAUL COMMENDS THE REFRESHING PEOPLE WHO CAME TO HIM.

1 CORINTHIANS 16:13-18 - BE ON THE ALERT, STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH, ACT LIKE MEN, BE STRONG. LET ALL THAT YOU DO BE DONE IN LOVE. NOW I URGE YOU, BRETHREN (YOU KNOW THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANAS, THAT THEY WERE THE FIRST FRUITS OF ACHAIA, AND THAT THEY HAVE DEVOTED THEMSELVES FOR MINISTRY TO THE SAINTS), THAT YOU ALSO BE IN SUBJECTION TO SUCH MEN AND TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS IN THE WORK AND LABORS. I REJOICE OVER THE COMING OF STEPHANAS AND FORTUNATUS AND ACHAICUS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUPPLIED WHAT WAS LACKING ON YOUR PART. FOR THEY HAVE REFRESHED MY SPIRIT AND YOURS. THEREFORE, ACKNOWLEDGE SUCH MEN.

• WE’VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AT THE CHURCH IN CORINTH.

• THERE WAS DIVISIONS AMONG THEM. THEY TOLERATED SIN. HARBORED IMMORAL PEOPLE, TOOK ONE ANOTHER TO COURT, SANCTIONED DYSFUNCTIONAL MARRIAGES, SINNED AGAINST MAN, CHRIST AND GOD BY ABUSING THEIR LIBERTY.

• THEY WERE OUT OF ORDER IN WORSHIP, CONFUSED ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS AND HIS CHURCH.

• THEY WERE SO PRIDEFUL OF THEIR GIFTS PAUL HAD TO SPELL OUT HOW TO USE THEM IN LOVE.

• IN A SEEMINGLY RUDDERLESS CONGREGATION WITH NO ELDERS OR DEACONS,

• PAUL SAYS THERE ARE REFRESHING PEOPLE AMONG THEM WHO THEY SHOULD SUBMIT TO.

• SPEAKING OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANAS, THE FIRST CONVERT OF ACHAIA (SOUTHERN GREECE).

• IN CHAPTER 1:16 PAUL SAYS THAT HE HAD ONCE BEEN THE VESSEL OF THEIR REFRESHMENT.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:16 – NOW I DID BAPTIZE ALSO THE HOUSEHOLD OF

STEPHANAS; BEYOND THAT, I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER I BAPTIZED

ANY OTHER.

• STEPHANAS AND HIS HOUSEHOLD WERE DEVOTED IN THEIR SERVICE TO THE CHURCH.