Title: Going Deep
Theme: Show the importance of getting deeper with the Lord in the new year to see healing waters flow.
Text: Ezekiel 47:1-12, Mark 4:1-12
Ezekiel 47:3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
Introduction
What an awesome and powerful service to close out our 2012. It was almost as if the Lord was saying this the beginning. I believe the Lord removed some “old wineskins” of 2012 and we are going to see the Lord pour out some new wine in our lives in 2013.
I just feel an expectation as we go through this fast. I am seeing the request that I write down differently. Just a reminder as you pray over these needs pray that you want the Lord’s will done, which means not my way but your way because your way is best.
If you would I would like you to turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel 47. Read Ezekiel 47:3-5
This is a picture of where the Lord wants to take us in 2013. It is not just a gimmick to say “Go Deep” for 2013 but I believe that that there is a divine mandate for the Andrews Church of God that is connected with many blessings poured out in our life.
Introduction to Ezekiel
The book of Ezekiel is written from a prophets perspective in captivity in Babylon. Ezekiel, whose name means, “God strengthens or sustains” is commissioned in chapters 1-3 to preach to the captivity of Israel. In this we see God’s desire to keep fresh in the Israelites mind who he is and what they are to do.
It would be easy for the Israelites to blend into the Babylonian society. Although they were brought into this nation against their will they seemed to have all the freedoms except to be able to leave. We learn from Ezekiel that he lived in a private home and was married. It would be easy for them to just fall in line and be a part of this nation.
How easy is it for us to live in the world but yet keep separate from this world? It seems so easy just to fit in and ignore all the injustices and immortality of our society. Yet God reminds us over and over again in scripture that we are to be a “children of light in a dark world”.
I Love the way the Message Bible answers this dilemma
Romans 12:1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. (2) Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
God reminds the Israelites of their coming judgement if they just become a part of society and don’t obey God. This happens throughout all of chapter 4-24. Then from chapters 25-32 the judgement of the other nations is prophesied. Ammon, Moab, Edom, Phista, the extensive judgements of Tyre, Sidon and Egypt. One by one the prophecy of destruction is shown. In some cases such as Tyre it is a prophecy of total annihilation.
Then finally we come to chapters 33-48. These are the chapters of renewal. Chapters of revival. Chapters of restoration. A promise from God to restore his people. In it we see the call of the church and its purpose. A while back we took a Sunday and looked at the Valley of Dry Bones and sensed God’s calling to revival. Revival in the church. Oh that we could sense God’s calling of revival.
We quickly learned that Revival would only come when God’s people are sensitive to the leading of the spirit of God. Knowing that revival begins when we walk in the spirit of God.
Now we come to another vision. A vision of peace. Here again Ezekiel is led. He is not a man left alone to fend for himself but he is led. “he brought me again unto the door of the house”. Oh that we would feel the desire to be led by his spirit then we would experience the things of God.
Ezekiel’s vision - The River
In this vision Ezekiel is led around this house
Ezekiel 47:1-9 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. (2) He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
Description of the river and where it flows from. Notice this river flows from the temple of God. This not something that is trumped up by the church or some emotion but it flows from the throne of God. Reminds me so much of the vision that the Lord gave me for the Andrews Church of God. A church with the flowing of the Holy Spirit going out across this community and county.
Psalms 46:4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
(3) And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. (4) Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. (5) Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
East
Measured - precise, there is a purpose to this.
1000 cubits = approximately 1500ft (18" per cubit, the measure from elbow to hand), telling us that there is a plan to this. I think the Lord is also showing us the process and importance of going deep. Not just staying. Each level has its benefits but we must move on.
Ankle deep - in control (treading in the waters checking things out), beginning faith, You got to get in. At least you are here. Don’t be surprised here. I am going to talk about going deeper but if you are not even here then this is where you begin.
Joshua 3:14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Knees - starting to get shaky
Our knees are generally associated with prayer. Here is where we get deeply into prayer. We are getting comfortable. We are starting to believe. We are taking a deeper step of faith.
waist -losing control
Here we are learning the movement of the Holy Spirit. This is where we have to make a decision of what we will do. We have waded out this far are we going to step back on go all the way in.
swimming - going deep
why do we need to swim?
Healing Waters
(6) He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" (You got to come see this!) Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
(7) When I returned,(he has already been here before but this time things look different) there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
Increase the borders
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." (10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.
(8) Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. (9) And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
We are not talking about skimming on the surface
Sounding the depth of Divine things
It is good to be often searching into the things of God, and trying the depth of them, not only to look on the surface of these waters, but to go to the bottom of them as far as we can, to be often digging, often diving, into the mysteries of the kingdom of God, as those who covet to be intimately acquainted with those things. (M. Henry.)
10 And It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi (ane geh'-dee “fountain of a kid”) to En Eglaim (ane eg-lah'-yim “fountain of the two calves”); ; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
Casting the nets. The fish were full and the nets were cast. The Lord tells us that the "harvest is white and the labors are few". We must see the harvest, the fish in the great sea. We must offer them healing waters.
Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Matthew 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.
Why? Because they are stagnate. They have no outlet. The Lord wants to flow through you not just in you.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy [35] Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:38-39)
John 4:14 whoever drinks of this water I give will never thirst
In Joel 2:28-29 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. (29) And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
we know of the prophetic word that was given in reference to the baptism in the Holy Ghost and the day of Pentecost.
In chapter 3 Joel writes
18 And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the LORD And water the Valley of Acacias.
(12) Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."
Matthew 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Believers Bible Commentary
D. The Millennial Land (Chaps. 47, 48)
1. The Healing of the Waters (47:1-12)
Ezekiel saw in a vision a river flowing from the door of the temple, past the altar, through the wall south of the east Gate, and down to the Dead Sea. The waters of the sea . . . will be healed, and fish will abound in it. Yates writes:
The water of life is a favorite figure in the Old Testament. Desert areas need water that life may be possible. This stream which Ezekiel sees flowing from the Temple makes its way toward the arid regions of the Arabah. In an ever deepening stream it goes on its way to bring life and health and abundant fruit wherever it goes. It is the one remedy that is needed. Jesus took that figure as a basis for his sermon to the woman at the well. (Cf. also Psa_1:3; Psa_46:4; Joe_3:18; Zec_14:8; Joh_4:7-15; Joh_7:38; Rev_22:1-2.)
This stream (which will be an actual geographical river) is a striking figure of the blessing, widespread yet incomplete (v. 11), that will flow out during the Millennial Reign of Christ. God will dwell in the temple and therefore a stream of blessing, ever increasing, will go forth to other places. Today God does dwell in our bodies (1Co_6:19) and therefore a stream of blessing should be flowing to others around us (Joh_7:37-38). "If a man is filled with the Holy Spirit, and his life touches other lives, something happens for God." What a challenge for us to meet the conditions that will produce a blessing!
The river will bring life wherever it flows—a vivid picture of the life-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Medicine – healing
Psalms 107:19-21 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. (20) He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. (21) Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Promise to the Israelites
Exodus 23:25 So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
Psalms 30:2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
Jesus’ Mission
Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed (appointed, chosen) Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives (MSG “pardon to the prisoners”) And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty (“set free”) those who are oppressed (burdened, battered NLT “will be freed from their oppressors”); (19) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
John 6:35 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
It is God’s preserving river.
Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Psalms 36:5-9
Conclusion
Psalms 1:1 ΒΆ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
In this New Year it is time that we went deeper with the Lord. It is time that we start seeing the harvest and know that if we want to see people healed in their relationship the Lord then we must go deep. This is what the world needs from us. The need life and hope that Christ offers. As we go deep Christ heals those around us.
