Build His Kingdom 8

Announcements

Party With The Pastors - after service today (completed 3 service challenge, making RA home)

Known Conference - Sept 6 & 7

FOI Fall Retreat - Oct 18-20

Recap

Ezra 1 “…build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel…”

Nehemiah 2:18 (CSB)

18 …They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.

BORDERS AND BOUNDARIES - what we have been talking about the last several weeks.

How good and necessary it is for we who have experienced God’s grace and mercy in our lives and claim Him as Master and Lord - to build borders and boundaries to protect what is holy and sacred.

Protecting primarily the presence of God, where we meet Him - often in the secret place - where on a regular basis we are one on one with God Almighty .

We draw a line between what is righteous, and what is unrighteous; between what is holy, and what is unholy. We protect the things the are holy and righteous in our lives - and we resist the things that are unholy and unrighteous. The man and woman of God yearn for these things.

It is imperative for the life of a Christian to protect our relationship with God, our time with God, our bond with God.

This is a key element as a Kingdom Builder - because this is the goal, to be used of God for His Kingdom purpose and His Will be done in Aviano as it is in Heaven.

But we can’t fully do this without seeing God has the first in our life

We’ve been referring to Colossians 1 during this sermon series and constantly reiterating the supremacy of Christ in all aspects of all that there ever was, all that there is, all that ever will be. Jesus will always be FIRST and SUPERIOR to anything and everything. Never count God out of any troubles you may be facing.

And in conjunction with that scripture we see:

Colossians 1:21–23 (MSG)

22 But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence (God gets rid of the mess). 23 You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message (of the Gospel of Jesus), careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message.

Thank God He helps us see our mess for what it is. Because we see God’s grace and mercy in the middle of our mess and His desire to take us out of our mess.

The second most thing I dislike about going to the beach - sand gets everywhere. And when its time to leave you’ve got sand and mud all over your stuff and things, and its just so annoying.

So when I go to a modern beach and they have those outdoor faucets and showers, I’m so grateful for those things - especially if its on a concrete pad and you get a solid surface all the way to the car. I’m so grateful that amongst my mess, there is a fountain of fresh water to rinse away the sand and mud and clay.

Spiritually speaking, that’s what the Holy Spirit does for us. He takes us out of the mess and sets our feet on solid ground - the solid rock that is Christ Jesus.

Psalm 40:1–3 CSB

1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. 2 He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.

This is the transition out of the mess and standing on the Rock of our Salvation - the Fountain Gate.

Fountain Gate

Nehemiah 3:15–25 (CSB)

15 Shallun son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and roofed it. Then he installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also made repairs to the wall of the Pool of Shelah near the king’s garden, as far as the stairs that descend from the city of David. 16 After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors. 17 Next to him the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 After him their fellow Levites made repairs under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, made repairs to another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle. 20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai diligently repaired another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib. 21 Beside him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs to another section, from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of his house. 22 And next to him the priests from the surrounding area made repairs. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. Beside them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 After him Binnui son of Henadad made repairs to another section, from the house of Azariah to the Angle and the corner. 25 Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and tower that juts out from the king’s upper palace, by the courtyard of the guard. Beside him Pedaiah son of Parosh made repairs.

Fountain gate near the Pool of Shelah, and what is believed to be the Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed a blind man. This pool is also known as the King’s Pool.

It’s no coincidence that the closest gate to the Dung Gate is the Fountain Gate. Fountains of refreshing always follow God dealing with your mess.

There are some important things to know about the Fountain Gate and the Pool of Siloam. It was fed by the Gihon Spring through Hezekiah’s Tunnel.

Gihon Spring - fountain of “bursting forth” - fountains of fresh waters that burst forth

For centuries the Gihon Spring is a primary source of life for the city of Jerusalem.

Also is where King Solomon was anointed king of Israel.

The Gihon Spring represents a position of refreshing life, and of power bursting forth

Hezekiah’s Tunnel was built by King Hezekiah’s in anticipation of an Assyrian assault on Jerusalem and in the event of an enemy’s siege.

During any siege of a city, it is typical to blockade the city from receiving any life-giving resources - such as food and water. The people of the city would begin a slow death as they have no water to drink, nor do they have water to clean with. And waste and sewage will build up within the city, and they would slowly die of dehydration, starvation, and disease, until they would surrender.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel was a channel of life-giving water from a source of bursting refreshing water, and it was a defense against any enemy that would try to lay siege to Jerusalem’s resources.

We need such a tunnel in our lives - we need a tap into the source of living waters; We need a supply by which rushing and living waters can pour into our daily living that gets rid of the mess and the filth of bad decisions of our past, the filth of worldly affections, the filth of fleshly commitments and all kinds of idolatry.

Because here’s the deal: Waters supplying Jerusalem diverted from the Gihon spring and represented God’s supply making reliance on foreign kings unnecessary.

A city under siege is normally dependent on make a trade with their aggressors, if they want to live.

A house under duress will often make a deal to ease the pressure.

You and I, without the Holy Spirit in our lives and under pressures of this sinful world, will find excuses to compromise and give in to what the enemy brings against us.

But this is where we remember - there is the Anointed One of Israel, He is the Messiah, the King of all Kings who, as Acts 10:38 describes Jesus as anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power, who brought with him a well-spring of Living Water; and he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with Him.

Acts 10:38 CSB

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.

Jesus is the one who proclaimed,

Luke 4:18 (CSB)

18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news…

The One called Jesus the Messiah is the Anointed One, baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, and brings us a fountain of refreshing- and we can sing - just like the Israelites wandering in the desert sang - “Spring up, oh well - within my soul! Spring up, oh well, and make me whole!”

John 7:37–38 (CSB)

37 …Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”

Jesus and the Holy Spirit, by way of the Father’s Promise, give the refreshing waters of Life for the weary soul.

Revelation 22:17 (CSB)

17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.

God’s desire and will for you today is that you would never thirst again.

God’s desire and will for you today is that you would flourish in the well-springs of Life!

This Pool of Siloam outside the Fountain Gate is the same place Jesus healed the blind man in John 9 by spitting on the ground to make some clay. Then Jesus anointed the blind man’s eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam.

John 9:6–9 CSB

6 After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit begging?” 9 Some said, “He’s the one.” Others were saying, “No, but he looks like him.” He kept saying, “I’m the one.”

Again, it’s no coincidence that Jesus would choose this very Pool of Siloam outside the Fountain Gate to be a place of healing - where literal blind eyes were open.

Jesus was able to make some clay, anoint the blind man’s eyes, and when He washed off the clay in the clean waters of the Pool of Siloam, that man was no longer blind.

He could see, and he could see the purpose of which he was made clean.

This Holy Fountain brings us the ability to see clearly after we’ve gone through the Valley.

This Holy Fountain brings us the ability to have vision and a clear identity when we’ve gone through the Dung Gate.

This Holy Fountain brings us to the moment, where through the power of the Holy Spirit we can BE SENT and be the witnesses God has called us to be for His Glory.

This Holy Fountain brings us out of the position of “I can’t” to a posture of “I Will”.

The old man, under duress of pain and an evil world says, “I can’t”. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, I’ve been made alive to “I Will”.

The man or woman, whose vision in life and has no identity, says “I can’t”. But the Holy Spirit bringing clarity and understanding of our identity in Christ says “I will”.

You’ve had a season of life in the Valley. Hold on, refreshing is coming.

You’ve had a season of grace where God has revealed some mess in your life that needs to be cleaned up. Hold on, refreshing is coming.

You’ve had a season of duress, where your life has been under siege. Hold on, refreshing is coming, and is here!

You’ve got to go to the source - you’ve got to get to the fountain of blessing and healing.

This is why we sing and pray the old hymn

“Come thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.”

The Gihon spring flows by way of Hezekiah’s Tunnel to the Pool of Siloam.

God’s well-springs of life, flow by way of the Holy Spirit, to the place from where you’re sent.

That means refreshing comes through operating in your Calling. What has God called you to do? What is the Holy Spirit sending you to do?

Point of repentance:

This fountain represented the life source of God Himself (Psalm 36:9; Isaiah 8:6). Prior to the captivity, Jeremiah prophesied:

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" Jeremiah 2:13.

Of all the sins of Jerusalem, these two were singled out by God as the most severe. These two sins remain the most severe in the Church too:

1. Forsaking the spring of living water (Jeremiah 17:5-8,13). This means abandoning the Source of life altogether - forsaking the Word of God, and abandoning God’s presence in your life.

2. Building broken cisterns (Jeremiah 14:3-4; 38:6; Genesis 37:24; Zechariah 9:11). This means trying to build our own pools of sustaining life away from God’s provision. Operating on your own accord, your own desires, and your own abilities. These may provide a moment of satisfaction, but they’re leaky and won’t hold water. There’s no flow.

Point of perseverance:

When we pursue the Father’s Promise - the gift and baptism of the Holy Spirit - we receive power for the purpose of accomplishing our personal Kingdom mission on this earth.

But we have to desire the Holy Spirit to do His work in us and through us.

Point of progress:

God has marching orders for us to follow. Having the Holy Spirit present in our lives and following His leading, the Holy Spirit will reveal through the Word of God what it is you and I should be doing.