June 21, 2009
Morning Worship
Text: Ezekiel 47:1-12
Subject: Sermon # 3 – Seven Steps to Receive God’s Promises
Title: Stand in the River
We continue this morning with our sermon series on the seven steps to receiving God’s promises. Last week we saw that the first step is to consecrate yourself. That means setting yourself apart from the worldly desires and the lusts of the flesh and to allow God to have pre-eminence in your life.
The second step, as told to Israel by Joshua, Stand in the River.
As I told you last week, the main work in consecration or sanctification is separating yourself from sin by giving your life to Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be set apart from the world. That is the first step and it is God’s grace at work in your life. Interestingly enough, the second step is also an act of grace, and like the first act it requires that the recipient ask for it. It is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and is available to all the saved who ask for it. Acts 2:38-39, 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Have you ever gone to the gas station to fill up - you know your tank is about empty so you put the nozzle in to start it. The next thing you know the automatic shut off kicks in at about eight gallons. You know your tank holds sixteen gallons. So what is your next move? Do you take the nozzle out and say, “Well, I guess that is all God wants me to have today. I’ll try again some other time.” Or, do you say, “I came to get filled up and I’m not leaving here until I am!” That is the attitude that God wants you to have. That is why He told the Israelites that even though it didn’t make any sense, to go stand in the river.
Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Ezekiel 47:1-12,
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
I. THE SOURCE OF THE RIVER 1The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). There have been many explanations of the vision of the temple that Ezekiel sees. Some say it is the Temple that will be built in the last days in which animal sacrifice will resume. Others say it is a picture of the Temple that will be built during the Millennial Reign of Christ. Still others say it is symbolic of the Church, the temple of the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately. If you are the temple, in the light of what is flowing from it, you might think that the last interpretation is the right one. However, if you look at the river in connection with the description of the River in Revelation 22 we may begin to see something different in mind. 1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Do you see the connection between the river as seen by Ezekiel and the River of Revelation? Now, about the temple… Revelation 21:15-21, John sees a picture and gives a beautiful description of the eternal city. 22I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. So let’s look at it from that perspective. The Temple is the eternal temple or God. The Temple faces east but the River is flowing from the Temple on the south. That means that the place where the river flows from is on the right side of the temple – right where Jesus is right now – seated at the right hand of the Father. And it is from Jesus that the River of the Holy Spirit flows. John the Baptist said in Mark 1:7-8, “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” OK, so how do we make the connection between this river that Ezekiel sees and the Holy Spirit? Jesus does that for us. John 7:37-39, 37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
II. THE DEPTH OF THE RIVER. In verses 3-6 Ezekiel now describes four different levels of encounter with the Holy Spirit. 3As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. 5He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist…” If you try to understand the River of the Holy Spirit as something that happens in a series of progressive moves as you grow in the Lord it would seem as though this first level of the river would be for entry level Christians – just the beginning of your life in the Spirit. But I think there is more to it than that. Some seem to think that you can step in and try it out and if you don’t like it you can just get out About fifteen years ago we were down at Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Camdenton, MO. It’s a beautiful place. We hiked along the top of a bluff and then down to Ha Ha Tonka spring which is the twelfth largest spring in the state. When we got to the spring Charlotte and the three girls immediately kicked off their shoes and took off across the water over to a gravel bar. Not me! The first thing I did was to bend down and feel the water to see if I wanted to get in it. And it was way to uncomfortable for me so I never got in. It was about ninety-five degrees that day but I chose to stay out of what would have refreshed me. That is the way that too many Christians are today. It doesn’t matter that the Word of God says we should be baptized in the Spirit. It’s not something that we grew up with, or, I was never taught that, or, I don’t want anyone to think I’ve gone off the deep end. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” God wants you to take that initial step without concern for your comfort zone. But the reality is that the first three steps – ankle deep, knee deep and then waist deep, do not refer to the fullness of what God has for His people. The first three steps can only take you as far as the measure of the Spirit you receive at salvation will go. You see, at that point you have a desire to move in the Spirit. You want a more intimate relationship with the risen Savior. But it just can’t happen. Am I saying that you can’t draw closer to God after you are saved? Not at all! What I am saying is that when you are ankle deep, knee deep or waist deep your feet are on the ground. You are in control. You go where you want to go and do what you want to do in your power. Romans 8:5, Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. At that point you are still operating in the flesh. You can be saved and still be under the authority of the sinful nature. Remember that the sinful nature isn’t just about sin I your life. It is about doing what seems right in your own eyes instead of being led by the Spirit. Trying to please God by what you do instead of accepting what He has already done. You may say that you want to be led by the Spirit, but the only way to do that is to take the next step. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. 6He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this? Notice that the man in the vision wanted to make sure that Ezekiel saw and understood what was taking place. God wants His people to experience the fullness of life in the Spirit. Ephesians 3:16-19, 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now turn over to Acts 19:1-7. How important is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? Paul understood it to be of vital importance. 1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all. 1) Paul knew that these men were saved; “he found some disciples” and when you believed?” 2) He knew they needed the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It was only after he had talked to them and determined them to be Christians that he took the next step. 3) He laid his hands on them and the received. What was the evidence? They spoke in other tongues... What points to tongues as evidence is that it is not something that occurs in the natural? It is out of the control of the individual, which is exactly what Ezekiel sees as God’s desire for His people. Acts 2:32-33, 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. He wants to take us to the middle of the river where the current of the Spirit takes us where He wants to go. We submit totally to His will for our lives.
III. THE EFFECTS OF THE RIVER Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. Five effects of the river. 1). It brings freshness…8He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Psalm 104:30, When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. 2) It brings life… 9Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. That is the abundant life that comes from the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 3) It attracts great numbers… There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. John 6:2, a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 4) It provides food…10Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. 12Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food… Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God… The baptism in the Holy Spirit will increase your hunger for the word and increase your understanding of the word. 5) It provides healing… their leaves for healing.” Mark 16:17- And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues… hey will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Joshua told the Priests that step #2 was to go and stand in the river. It was not until they were willing to do so that they opened the door for a miracle.
When we were at Ha Ha Tonka spring I felt the water. Charlotte and the girls waded in it. Others were walking waist deep. But the ones who impressed me the most were the crazies who scrambled along a very narrow foot path, holding on to whatever they could to get them over to a rock outcropping, where they would then jump or dive into the deepest part of the spring. They didn’t wade through ankle deep water to get there. They went from the safety of land to the frigid waters of the spring where they were at the mercy of the river. They didn’t look at the conditions - the depth, the temperature or the height of the cliff. They just bailed and squealed with delight all the way down.
Romans 14:17-18 says that is the way that we are supposed to be. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Is the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues for you?
Are you saved? Then it is for you.
Are you hungry? Then it is for you.
Are you willing to give the Holy Spirit control of your life? Then it’s for you.
Well Pastor Mike, I’ve got things in my life that I need to get rid of first. The truth of the matter is that it is Holy Ghost power that you need in your life to get rid of those things. If you could do it on your own don’t you think you would have?
Are you ready to stand in the River?
Your life will never be the same.
