Sermon Central
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Wells Of Salvation
Contributed by Wayne Burnett on Jul 23, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: IN JOHN CHAPTER 4 JESUS WAS THE WELL FROM WHICH THE SAMARATAN WOMAN DRANK. EVERY BELIEVER IS A "WELL OF SALVATION". ARE YOU DRAWING OUT THE, LIVING WATER FOR THE THIRSTY PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD? HAVE YOU TOLD SOMEBODY ABOUT JESUS LATELY?
WELLS OF SALVATION
I. JESUS - THE SOURCE OF LIVING WATER
A. The background of this event
B. Jesus - the source of living water
-John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
C. Jesus - the source of everything this world promises but cannot give
-peace, joy, love, purpose, satisfaction, contentment, eternal life
D. Jesus, as the son of man was a well from which living water flowed
-Jesus, as the Son of God is the fountain that provides water for the well
II. PEOPLE ARE WELLS
A. People are wells in this world
-every person on this earth is a well and something is flowing out of their life
B. People have all kinds of things in their well, some of the stuff people have in their well is deadly
-Israel at Mara - the well of bitter water
-example: the well of the drug dealer, alcoholic beverage producers, etc
-sometimes we wonder why people drink from these wells - people are thirsty
-Prov 27:7 ...to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
C. God promises judgment on those who call bitter, sweet and offers it to society
-Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
D. Some wells look promising but contain nothing
-wells of false religion that have the appearance of containing “Living Water” but in reality are empty
-Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
-2 Pet 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
E. Before you drink from someone’s well you better check the water source!
III. THE CHRISTIAN IS A WELL
A. As Christians, we too are wells
-John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
B. God’s purpose in this is two-fold
1-that we may have a constant supply of Christ’s life giving water to sustain us
2-that we may have a constant supply of Christ’s life giving water to draw out for others
C. Listen to the words of Jesus
1-John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
-Jesus was constantly drawing out the life giving water of salvation
D. Ezekiel and Revelation gives us a picture of the River of Life
1-In Rev 22:1 the River proceeds from the throne of God - “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
2-In Ezek 47:1 the River flows out from under the door of the temple - “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.”
3-1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
-the living water still proceeds from the throne of God, through the life of the believer (the N.T. temple of God) and into the world
C. God intends for the Christian to be a well spring, bubbling over with living water
-Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
IV. HOW DO WE DRAW THE WATER OUT?
A. How do we draw this living water out and give it to other people?
B. The water must be drawn out at the “Mouth” of the well
C. The only way to get the water out is to open our “Mouth”
-Prov 10:11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:...
-Ps 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
-Prov 10:20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
-Prov 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
-Prov 15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.
