Sermon Central
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Wading In The River Of Life
Contributed by Perry Anderson on Sep 20, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: We must submit to God and let Him have control of our lives...It takes faith.
Verses 1-5: “In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through.”
The book of Ezekiel is filled with many visions from God.
Visions of: Judgment – Call to Repentance –Redemption
In these verses, Ezekiel shares his vision of the coming kingdom.
He shares his vision of being led into the river of life and healing.
The river flows to bring life to a dry and thirsty land.
The river of God flows freely now bringing life to dry souls.
God calls us to wade into the water of life that flows freely.
He calls us to trust in Him and follow as the Holy Spirit leads.
We can’t always stay on dry land, but must wade deeper & deeper.
>Ankle Deep
It takes more than just getting your feet wet; you must fully submit.
To enjoy all the blessings Jesus offers, you must trust in Him fully.
The more you trust, the deeper your relationship with God grows.
As venture deeper, the Holy Spirit begins to open doors of ministry.
He leads you into a more fulfilling and joyful life in Christ’s love.
As your faith grows, the more you’ll be ready to go a little deeper.
You’ll be ready to venture a little deeper into knee deep water.
>Knee Deep
Wading out in knee-deep water means we must work a little harder.
You’ll have to trust even more as God leads you in deeper ministry.
Knee deep water can hide many obstacles and cause you to stumble.
This compels you to trust more in God & less on your own abilities.
God is saying to you, “Step on out a little further and trust in Me.”
As your faith grows stronger, God will lead you even deeper.
>Waist Deep
This is where the going really gets tough...the current is stronger.
The deeper you wade out in water the more difficult life gets.
There are more hidden obstacles & the challenges are even greater.
The deeper you wade out in water the more difficult life gets.
The current is stronger and you will have less control over your life.
When you wade in waist deep, the waters covers half of your body.
It’s at this point you will begin to see less and less of yourself.
The deeper you go in the water means your faith is getting stronger.
You are seeing less of yourself and more of God as He takes over.
Be assured that God is with you and is holding your hand tightly.
Finally, you’re ready venture out into the really deep water.
Can you feel the powerful current the Holy Spirit flowing?
>Over Your Head
This is where we can’t touch bottom and have no control at all.
The current is too strong and the volume of water is massive.
When you’re this deep, you’ve gone beyond your own ability.
This is where you lose all control and depend fully on God.
Too often people fail to trust in God and choose to stay on shore.
They think they are safe from danger, but it’s just false security.
You will never experience the joy of life if they fail to trust in God.
There will be times when this world will challenge your beliefs.
Your faith will be tested and you’ll want to get back to shore.
We must stay strong in our faith and let go...God will take over!
Your spiritual growth is determined by your ability to trust in God.
You must go in over your head to experience true victory in Jesus.
Revelation 22:1-2 tells of the Eternal River of Life.
“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.”
