Title: The Cistern of Christ.
Text: Lamentations 3:52-57
Introduction:
“Coca-Cola was the result of an accident. In 1886 a pharmacist named John Pemberton cooked up a medicinal syrup in a large brass kettle slung over an open fire, stirring it with an oar. When he was done, he figured he had created a fine tonic for people who were tired, nervous, or plagued with sore teeth. He and his assistant mixed it with ice water, sipped it, and proclaimed it tasty. They wanted some more, and the assistant accidentally used carbonated water to mix the second batch. Voila! Instead of medicine, these men had created a fizzy beverage--one that is now consumed around the world.”
Exposition:
The book of Lamentations is a book of the old testament that people rarely quote. I personally have never heard any sermons using this book, but yet it is a very strong and powerful book. It is written by the prophet Jeremiah whom people call the weeping prophet. A book that was written shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Written in a time of despair and a time of Gods judgment. But we learn something great in chapter 3 from versus 52 to 57. We learn that what man uses for harm God uses for His glory.
Proposition:
So who here tonight wants God to turn around the situation of your life and transform it for His glory?
Transition:
For us to want God to do that we must first understand the cistern we and Jeremiah were or are in.
Point 1) The cistern of Jeremiah
Text: Lam. 3:52-57
The text that we just read is a reflection or we can say a cry of what Jeremiah was feeling in Jeremiah 38:6
Cross Text:
Jeremiah 38:6 “So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.”
Application:
Jeremiah went from bad to worse. Jeremiah was imprisoned and they took him and placed him in a cistern. Jeremiah was placed in a cistern. Jeremiah was an innocent man. He was a man that spoke what God wanted him to speak and only did what God wanted him to do. But you can see that Jeremiah, an innocent man was placed in a cistern to die. There are many here today that are in the same situation. There are many here today that have been placed in a cistern. I want to go over two reasons of why you are in this cistern.
Sub-point 1) The cistern you have placed yourself in.
Many here are living the affects of bad decisions of the past. Some decisions may have been made as long as you can remember. Other decisions may have been recent. How many are living depressed because they decided something wrong at some point. Some got into wrong relationships, they made the wrong decision, and until today are unable to trust. You knew you should have never gotten into that relationship but you did and know you suffer from it. Others had two jobs offers but you decided that the one that paid more was better but you knew that you should have taken the other one and until today you cant forgive yourself for it. Others invested in the wrong places. Bad stocks, land, buildings and now you just don’t now what to do. How many here new they should have been on their knees praying for a situation but instead you thought your strength was good enough and did it your way and no you suffer from that. Unfortunately, many here are living in a cistern because you have put yourself in it.
Cross-text:
It was King Solomon, the wisest man ever that thought that he could do whatever he wanted with the wisdom God gave him, but looks at the end of his life. He had 700 wives, 300 concubines, a land full of idols, and a heart that was extremely distant from the Lord. Yes he did write at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12 to “fear God and obey His commandments” but he had already messed up to much to go back and change everything. The kingdom was then divided and idolatry grew so fast throughout the land after Solomon.
If you are this person that has made bad decisions then I want to tell you that God can have mercy on you and He can still change things around.
Transition:
But I want to focus on what this text is truly talking about. And it is talking about the innocent that has been placed in the cistern.
Sub-point 2) The innocent in the cistern.
There are those that have been innocently placed in the situation that you are. Not because you wanted to or because of a bad decision but because someone has put you in there. There are those that are in a position where they do not have a job. You might have had a great job once but someone with whom you worked with didn’t like you and cut your legs. So you were innocently fired. Those that almost nailed a great job but someone went behind you and stole it from right under you. There are those that sit here today that are depressed because a loved one hurt you. You are unable to trust and that rips you up inside. There are those that were and are great to their children but they have you one you are in such despair because they are going down the wrong path. There are people in here today that have been placed into a deep, dark, muggy, and depressive cistern. You are innocent. You do not disserve what they have done to you. But they did it.
Example:
Christ was also innocent but they took him, imprisoned him, beat him, crucified him and laid him behind a stone. But I want to tell you something today, They placed Christ in a tomb, but on the 3rd day the angel of the Lord came down and rolled the stone away and Christ walked out from behind that stone. Jeremiah was placed into a dark and cold cistern. An innocent man they placed him in there but God took him out. So just like God freed Jeremiah, he wants to free you today also.
Transition:
For Christ to free you from that cistern you need to understand one thing. You need to understand that the cistern is of Christ’s.
Point 2) The Cistern of Christ.
Text: Lamentations 3: 55-57
Cross-text:
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved.”
Application:
There is something about the cistern that fascinates me. When Jeremiah was placed into the cistern there was really only one way for him to get out. That way was the same way he got in. Jeremiah had to look up for his salvation. Psalms 121:1-2 1 … I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth!
When you are placed in a situation and are innocent God raises you up and what man tried to do to destroy you. Christ uses it for His glory.
It was in the times of trials that psalmist created the deepest psalms. As an innocent man, David was persecuted by Saul and in his times of trial he writes Psalm 23 which today is the psalm of comfort. In his times of trial that today we are able to look back and see that a man called Joseph that was false fully accused was the means of God then turning the situation around and using him to save his family.
God wants to turn around what man wanted to destroy. Man wanted to destroy you but God will turn that around and He will raise you up and plant you on firm ground so that His name can be glorified. Jeremiah cried out and God said do not fair. Tonight you are going to cry out to the Sovereign Lord and He wants to tell you DO NOT FEAR BECAUSE WHAT MAN WANTED TO DESTROY I WILL NOW TURN THE SITUATION AROUND AND MEET YOU HERE FOR THE GLORY OF MY NAME. The cistern is the place where the innocent are placed so that Christ can incline His ears from heaven and hear our cry. A place where they put you in for lions to eat you but Christ turns that around for His glory. A place where three man walk in to burn to death but Christ turns that around, meets you there, He changes the situation and His name is glorified. So do not look at the cistern as a cistern of despair but look at it as the cistern of Christ because there is where Christ will exalt you and His name and His name alone will be lifted up for the whole world to see that Christ is Christ and He will always be Christ!
Conclusion:
Right there where you are. In the middle of your cistern I want you to talk to God. Talk to him and tell him what people have done to you. As you do that the worship team is going to come up here and play something that is going to touch Gods heart. As they sing to the Lord I want you to open up to God tell him the situation you are in because in this situation that man has put you in is the very same situation that God is going to use to lift you up and bring Glory to his name.
Let the Holy Spirit Continue From Here.
