"There Is a Fountain"

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Introduction: There is a fountain located in Rome that is called Trevi Fountain, perhaps the most famous fountain in the world. It stands 85 feet high and 65 feet wide. It was commissioned to be built by Pope Urban VIII in 1629 but work wasn’t begun until 1732 and then it took 100 years to build. There are superstitions that are connected with this fountain that was the center point for the movie, “Three Coins in the Fountain.” If a visitor throws a coin into the fountain it supposedly insures that they will return to Rome in the future. It is considered lucky to throw three coins with one’s right hand over one’s left shoulder. Over 3,000 Euros are collected from the fountain each day.

Introduction:

There is a fountain located in Rome that is called Trevi Fountain, perhaps the most famous fountain in the world. It stands 85 feet high and 65 feet wide. It was commissioned to be built by Pope Urban VIII in 1629 but work wasn’t begun until 1732 and then it took 100 years to build. There are superstitions that are connected with this fountain that was the center point for the movie, “Three Coins in the Fountain.” If a visitor throws a coin into the fountain it supposedly insures that they will return to Rome in the future. It is considered lucky to throw three coins with one’s right hand over one’s left shoulder. Over 3,000 Euros are collected from the fountain each day.

There is a fountain in Peterhof, Russia, a Russian city that is known for its lavish fountains. In front of its most famous one, the Grand Cascade is a sculpture of Samson tearing open the jaws of a lion. This beautiful fountain was commissioned at the order of Tsar Peter.

There is a fountain in Chicago called Buckingham Memorial Fountain that was built in 1927. It has underground pumps that are able to jet the water to heights of 150 feet into the air. It has beautifully sculpted seahorses that spray the water and the beauty of the fountain at night is enhanced by the ever changing colored lights.

There is a fountain in Las Vegas that is a dazzling display of water and lights that are choreographed to opera, Broadway and classical music. It is considered to be an entertainment wonder.

These and many other beautiful fountains attract millions of tourists each year...but let me tell you about another fountain. One that is more beautiful...far more significant...and absolutely essential to our relationship with God. This fountain was commissioned by God Himself before He even created the world. It is not a fountain of water...it is a fountain of blood.

I’ve mentioned to you before that the hymns that we sing are abundant with great theology. So, when we sing we should always pay close attention to the words. A case in point is William Cowper’s poem, “There is a Fountain” which has become a standard hymn to help us focus our thoughts at the time of Communion. Let’s note the words of the Prophet Zechariah several hundred years before Christ, “On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and defilement.”

William Cowper’s poem, “There is a Fountain” has become a standard hymn to help us focus our thoughts at the time of Communion. As we continue our journey closer to the cross let note the words of the Prophet Zechariah several hundred years before Christ, “On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and defilement.”

I. The Blood of Christ is Essential for our Salvation

This morning we sang another great hymn that speaks of the importance of the Blood of Christ.

“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

With these words we attest to one of the great themes in the lives of those who follow Christ. Nothing in the world has happened that has had such an impact in the lives of men. What is greater than knowing that we can be washed clean of our sins?

Think for a moment the tremendous change it can make in the life of each person.

Sinners can be forgiven!

A foul, hateful spirit can be changed to a gentle, loving Christian!

A person addicted to alcohol, drugs and a dozen other things can become

an upright citizen! (People can change! With God’s help people can change!)

Abusers of families can become loving fathers!

Selfish, hardened women can become mothers who are a blessing to

little children!

Teenage rebels and delinquents can become zealous for the things of God!

Homes that are preludes to hell can become homes that are bits of heaven

on earth!

It is no small wonder that we sing of the precious blood of Christ...that can wash away our sins!

Recall again Cowper’s hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains!”

I remember asking a young lady ago if she could think of anybody now living that was perfect...without sin. Without hesitation she responded, “No.” Her answer agrees with Scripture. , “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Link that verse with , “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

I asked a young lady a couple of days ago if she could think of anybody now living that was perfect...without sin. Without hesitation she responded, “No.” Her answer agrees with Scripture. , “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Link that verse with , “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Paul also says in , “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” And again in , “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Complete harmony reigns in heaven. Only those in harmony with God will be there. That harmony or reconciliation is only through the blood of Christ.

There is no sinner too great to benefit from this soul-cleansing blood. “In the sea of God’s forgetfulness there’s room enough for me, Praise God, my sins are gone.”

There is no sinner to great to benefit from this soul-cleansing blood. “In the sea of God’s forgetfulness there’s room enough for me, Praise God, my sins are gone.”

We make contact with that precious blood when we are baptized into Christ. That’s why Paul wrote that we are baptized into His death. ()

It was in His death that Jesus’ blood was shed. We may be 2000 years removed from the event but His blood still has the power to cleanse us from our sins.

Listen to Cowper’s hymn, “Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood, shall never lose its power...till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more.”

We should be reminded again and again that our salvation is possible because of God’s action for us. We, ourselves, can never earn our salvation. We can never be good enough to earn it. We cannot pay enough to buy it. Our salvation is based on grace...the grace of a loving God. It is approached by our faith in the Son of God. And, the cleansing comes by the blood of Jesus! Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe so that we could be forgiven a debt that we could never pay!

We should be reminded again and again that our salvation is possible because of God’s action for us. We, ourselves, can never earn our salvation. We can’t be good enough to earn it. We cannot pay enough to buy it. Our salvation is based on grace...the grace of a loving God. It is approached by our faith in the Son of God. And, the cleansing comes by the blood of Jesus!

II. The Blood of Christ is also Effectual to our Growth as a Christian. (1 John 1:5-10)

II. The Blood of Christ is also Effectual to our Growth as a Christian.

Every Lord’s Day we are invited to the Lord’s Table where we partake of the emblems that focus our minds on the death of Christ for our sins.

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper He said, “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” ()

Through this weekly time of remembrance we maintain our contact with His precious blood.

The blood of Christ is not only important for our personal relationship but it is also to the life of the church. Listen to what Paul wrote as he said farewell to the Elders at Ephesus, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” ()

Our lifeline with God is through the blood of Jesus, His Son. Our growth personally and corporately is dependent on our blood relationship to Him and to each other. Our church is a work in progress...we have not arrived...we are still pressing on. Each of our lives is a work in progress...we have not arrived...we are still maturing in Christ.

We desperately need to get rid of....

I’d like to retire....

1. The notion that God is finished with any of us yet.

2. The suggestion that the term, “Blood of Christ” is outdated, old hat, or unnecessary. To the contrary, “The Blood of Christ will never lose its power.”

3. The idea that the church of Jesus Christ is passe or impotent—she is neither passe or impotent if she renews her passion for the lost and her purpose to make disciples.

4. The claim that God’s Word is irrelevant or out of touch. It is rather the most relevant, revealed Word from our Creator about how to get out of here alive!

5. The fear that Satan has the upper hand and that he is winning the battle for the hearts of men. Satan is defeated. He knows it and we should rejoice in the fact that God wins...He already has and we need to tell others about it!

6. The erroneous understanding that change is evil. We need a revival of the truth that methods need to change but God’s message stays the same.

7. The complacency that stifles the church and revive the commitment to be the best representative for Christ that we can be to a world that is watching and needs to see a living thriving, joyous, authentic demonstration of Christ to a lost world.

The blood of Jesus Christ will never lose its power!

There are those who would rather we not speak of blood. Liberals have accused Christians of having a “slaughter house religion.” One liberal preacher took his hymn book and marked out all the hymns that mentioned anything about the blood. Such an attitude...such an action is seriously spoken about in , “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

Cowper’s hymn again, “E’er since by faith I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die.”

The promise of speaks to our journey of life as a Christian and our need to be aware of the continuing effect of the blood of Christ to our lives, “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Our appreciation for that precious blood can be demonstrated in our desire to be faithful to Him in all things. Our appreciation of that precious blood can also be demonstrated in our desire to tell others about the cleansing...the forgiveness...the new life that is available through and because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ!

Conclusion: The importance of the Blood of Christ cannot be overstated! There is an amazing prophecy about Jesus’ death several hundred years before He arrived at Calvary. It’s from the 53 chapter of Isaiah.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Dr. Felix Ruh, a Jewish doctor in Paris, had a granddaughter who died of black diphtheria. Vowing to find out what had killed her, he locked himself in his laboratory for days and emerged with a fierce determination to prove, with his colleague, Louis Pasteur, the germ theory. The medical association had disapproved of Pasteur and had succeeded in getting him exiled, but he hid in the forest near Paris and erected a laboratory for his forbidden research.

Twenty beautiful horses were led out into the forest to the improvised laboratory. Scientists, doctors, and nurses came to watch the experiment. Ruh opened a steel vault and took out a large pail filled with black diphtheria germs, which he had cultured carefully for months. There were enough germs in that pail to kill everyone in France.

The scientist went to each horse and swabbed its nostrils, tongue, throat, and eyes with the deadly germs. Every horse except one developed a terrific fever and died. Most of the doctors and scientists wearied of the experiment and did not remain for what they thought would be the death of the remaining horse.

For several more days this final horse lingered, lying pathetically on the ground. While Ruh, Pasteur, and several others were sleeping on cots in the stables, the orderly on duty had been instructed to awaken the scientists should there be any change in the animal’s temperature during the night. About two a.m., the temperature showed a half degree decrease, and the orderly wakened Dr. Ruh. By morning the thermometer had dropped two more degrees. By night the fever was entirely gone, and the horse was able to stand, eat, and drink.

Then Dr. Ruh took a sledgehammer and struck that beautiful horse a deathblow between the eyes. The scientists drew blood from the veins of this animal that had developed the black diphtheria but had overcome it. They drove as fast as they could to the Paris municipal hospital and forced their way past the superintendent and the guards. They went into the ward where three hundred babies lay, segregated to die from black diphtheria. With the blood of that horse, they inoculated every one of the babies. All but three lived and recovered completely.

The blood of an overcomer saved them. The blood of an Overcomer has also spiritually saved many people. He too had to die to bring life to others. The importance of Jesus’ blood that was shed for you and me can not be overstated.

Conclusion: The importance of the Blood of Christ cannot be overstated! Even the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation draws attention to the “Blood of the Lamb.” Are you under the blood of Christ? Listen to the voice of heaven:

Even the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation draws attention to the “Blood of the Lamb.” Are you under the blood of Christ? Listen to the voice of heaven:

“And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, and the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down...and they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony.” ()

There is no question about it! The blood of Christ shed for us is essential for our salvation and our sanctification. There is another great hymn that does ask some pertinent questions. It’s great hymn by Lewis E. Jones and the questions that hymn asks are questions I urge each of you to take personally this morning:

“And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, and the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down...and they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony.” ()

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood.

Would you o’er evil a victory wind? There’s power in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride? There’s power in the blood.

Would you Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide? There’s power in the blood.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? There’s power in the blood.

Sin-stains are lost in its life giving flow. There’s power in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus your King? There’s power in the blood.

Would you live daily His praises to sin? There’s power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonderworking power in the blood of the Lamb;

There is power, power, wonderworking power in the precious blood of the Lamb.

"There Is a Fountain"

“There Is a Fountain”