• 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.
• PAUL SAYS TO SUBMIT TO REFRESHING PEOPLE LIKE THESE WHO ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN THE LORD.
• BUT WHAT DID THEY DO THAT WAS SO VALUABLE TO PAUL?
• THEY WERE PROBABLY PART OF A DELEGATION SENT TO VISIT PAUL.
• DID THEY BRING AN ITEM PERHAPS? A COAT OR A SCROLL LIKE PAUL REQUESTED 2 TIMOTHY 4?
• HERE’S A GOOD RULE OF THUMB WHEN READING OUR BIBLES,
• WHEN WE COMES ACROSS A VERSE WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, DON’T STOP READING…READ FURTHER.
• VERSE 17 – WHAT WAS LACKING ON THE PART OF THE GREATER CHURCH AT CORINTH?
• A REFRESHING OF PAUL’S SPIRIT!
• “FOR THEY HAVE REFRESHED MY SPIRIT AND YOURS!”
• THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANUS BROUGHT A RELIEVING, CALMING, QUENCHING OF HIS SPIRITUAL DRYNESS.
• REFRESHMENT IN THE FORM OF ATTENTION FROM HIS FRIENDS GAVE PAUL A SPIRITUAL LIFT THAT THE WHOLE CHURCH IN CORINTH COULDN’T GIVE HIM.
• WE SAID CORINTH DIDN’T HAVE ELDERS, NO FORMAL LEADERSHIP – BUT PAUL SAYS TO SUBMIT TO A TO RECOGNIZE THIS “FAMILY” – THE GREEK IS OIKOS MEANING HOUSEHOLD.
• THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO NATURALLY GIVE US ALL A LIFT!
• MAYBE THIS WAS TRUE WITH PAUL AND THIS FAMILY BECAUSE THEIR DEVOTED AND GROWING SERVICE SHOWED PAUL THEY WERE GROWING.
• MAYBE HE WAS REFRESHED AS HE SAW “BABY CHRISTIANS” TAKE THE TIME TO PRAY WITH HIM AND FOR HIM.
• MAYBE HE WAS REFRESHED BY THE FACT THAT DESPITE ALL THE CONFUSION AND CHAOS IN THE CHURCH AT CORINTH, THESE WERE THE SHINING LIGHTS.
• I IMAGINE THAT AMONG THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANUS – THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME.
• PEOPLE WHO HAD JOBS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
• PEOPLE WHO HAD BUSY LIVES AND HAD TO TAKE TIME OUT TO VISIT PAUL.
• PEOPLE WHO HAD OTHER THINGS THEY COULD BE DOING.
• BUT THEY STEPPED AWAY FROM THE HOT MESS THAT WAS CORINTH AND MADE THE TIME FOR PAUL TO BE REFRESHED.
• NOTICE PAUL SAYS THEIR PRESENCE REFRESHED HIM AND THE CHURCH AS WELL.
• THAT’S ANOTHER THING THAT REFRESHING PEOPLE DO – BRING JOY TO THE CHURCH – AND THAT IS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – EMPOWERED BY THE FIRST FRUIT – LOVE – GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
• WHEN THE CORINTHIANS RECEIVED PAUL’S LETTER – THEY TOOK ACTION.
• THEY BEGIN TO WORK ON SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT PAUL ADDRESSED.
• HIS LETTER MOTIVATED THEM TO MAKE SOME CHANGES BEGINNING WITH GODLY SORROW FOR THEIR ACTIONS LEADING TO A CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:8-16 –
• THE GODLY SORROW OF CORINTH LED TO REPENTANCE AND THAT GAVE PAUL COMFORT BUT HE WAS REFRESHED BY THE FACT THAT TITUS HAD THREE TYPES OF JOY.
• REFRESHED BY THE JOY OF RECONCILIATION – WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE – WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN AND DID SOMETHING TO UPSET OUR PARENTS – HOW UNCOMFORTABLE WE WERE UNTIL WE MADE IT RIGHT.
• THE BURDEN IS LIFTED AND WE ARE FILLED WITH RELIEF.
• PAUL WAS REFRESHED BY THE JOY IN SEEING SOMEONE YOU BELIEVE IN JUSTIFY THAT BELIEF.
• NOTHING CAN BRING US A GREATER REFRESHMENT AND JOY THAN TO KNOW THAT OUR “CHILDREN” WHO WE HAVE MENTORED, TAUGHT AND RAISED ARE DOING WELL.
• PAUL WAS REFRESHED BY THE JOY OF SEEING SOMEONE HE CARED FOR WELCOMED AND RESPECTED.
• THE CORINTHIANS HAD ACCEPTED THE HONORABLE TITUS AS THEY WOULD HAVE PAUL HIMSELF.
• THEIR GODLY SORROW AND REPENTANCE.
• THE OBEDIENCE AND SUBMISSION OF THE CORINTHIANS TO THE WORD AND WILL OF GOD.
• THE ACCEPTANCE OF PAUL’S DEAR FRIEND AND STUDENT.
• THESE SHOW US HOW WE CAN HAVE JOY IN THE HONORING AND REFRESHMENT OF OTHERS – SHARING IN THE CELEBRATION OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER N JESUS.
PHILEMON 7 - FOR I HAVE COME TO HAVE MUCH JOY AND COMFORT IN
YOUR LOVE, BECAUSE THE HEARTS OF THE SAINTS HAVE
BEEN REFRESHED THROUGH YOU, BROTHER.
• WE’VE SEEN THAT AT TIMES OUR SPIRITS NEED TO BE REFRESHED.
• THAT THE REFRESHERS AMONG US ARE COMMENDED.
• THAT REFRESHMENT IS AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE RESULTING IN THE STATE OF JOY.
• BUT FORGIVENESS IS ALSO REFRESHING AND WE SHOULD PAY IT FORWARD.
PHILEMON 17-20 - YES, BROTHER, LET ME BENEFIT FROM YOU IN THE
LORD; REFRESH MY HEART IN CHRIST.
• THIS LETTER TO PHILEMON IS WRITTEN TO THE MASTER OF A RUNAWAY SLAVE WHO PAUL WAS SENDING BACK HOME.
• WHEN PAUL WROTE TO PHILEMON URGING HIM TO ACCEPT THE RUNAWAY SLAVE, TO FORGIVE AND RECONCILE WITH HIS…BROTHER,
• HE SAYS THE TRANSFERENCE OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THAT SLAVE TO PAUL WILL REFRESH HIS HEART.
• THINK ABOUT IT – IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN THIS MORNING, THAT’S WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU WHEN YOU FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTION OF ACTS 3:19.
ACTS 3:19 – THEREFORE REPENT AND RETURN, SO THAT YOUR SINS
MAY BE WIPED AWAY, IN ORDER THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY
COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD;
• IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN JESUS HAS MANIFESTED EVERY REFRESHMENT FOR YOU.
• HE RELIEVED YOU FROM THE BURDEN OF GUILT.
• HE’S GIVEN YOU AN ETERNAL INTERMISSION FROM YOUR LABORING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
• IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN JESUS MADE YOU COOL BY HIS ATTENTIONS AND AFFECTIONS.
• HE GAVE YOU A BREAK BY THE POWER OF HIS BLOOD.
• HE ELIMINATED YOUR SPIRITUAL DRYNESS.
• THE REFRESHMENT OF YOUR SPIRIT BY JESUS GAVE YOU A THIRST FOR HIS WORD THAT CAN ONLY BE QUENCHED BY HIM.
• AND IT IS THE SAME REFRESHMENT HE OFFERS TODAY IF YOU COME TO HIM IN FAITH.
JOHN 8:37 - NOW ON THE LAST DAY, THE GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST,
JESUS STOOD AND CRIED OUT, SAYING, “IF ANYONE IS THIRSTY, LET
HIM COME TO ME AND DRINK. HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, AS THE
SCRIPTURE SAID, ‘FROM HIS INNERMOST BEING WILL FLOW RIVERS OF
LIVING WATER.’”
• HOW CAN I BE A REFRESHING PERSON?
• I BEGIN BY ACCEPTING GOD’S OFFER OF REFRESHMENT THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
• BEING BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, IMMERSION IN WATER FOR FORGIVENESS OF SIN WE ARE REFRESHED AND OUR LIVES CAN BECOME REFRESHING LIVES.
• PAUL WAS REFRESHED BY GOOD GODLY COMPANY. BY THE OBEDIENCE AND SERVICE OF OTHERS.
• BY THE CORRECTION, FORGIVENESS, GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD SHOWN TO THE ERRING IN THE CHURCH.
• HE FOUND JOY THROUGH THE REFRESHMENT OF OTHERS.
• HE COMMENDS THOSE WHO PRACTICE IT AS VALUABLE TO THE CHURCH AND WORTHY OF SUBMISSION.
