Drawing from the Wells of Salvation

Bill Woody

Overcoming Spiritual Depression • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Depression

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Drawing from the Wells of Salvation Series: “Overcoming Spiritual Depression”

And in that day thou shalt say,

O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me,

Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

2 Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and not be afraid:

For the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song;

He also is become my salvation.

3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

4 And in that day shall ye say,

Praise the Lord, call upon his name,

Declare his doings among the people,

Make mention that his name is exalted.

5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things:

This is known in all the earth.

6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion:

For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Introduction:

* The chapter we have read this morning is a very unusual chapter in the Book of Isaiah.

* In the first 11 chapter of the Book of Isaiah we see great and dark prophecies concerning Israel and the other nations surrounding Israel.

* Chapter 12 is unlike any of the other chapters in the book of Isaiah. Chapter 12 is a chapter of joy and praise inserted right in the middle of the book between a series of dark judgments and prophecies of Israel’s’ redemption and future with here Messiah in the Millennial kingdom.

* Many times we see this “law of contrast” in the books of prophecy in the Bible.

* When distress is at its height, it is suddenly brought to an end, and changed into relief; and when prophecy has become as black with darkness as in the previous section, it suddenly becomes as bright and cloudless and full of hope and rejoicing.

* This chapter is actually two short songs of praise that are placed right after the terrible judgments that came in the previous chapters.

* When the chapter opens it says “in that day,” speaking of the Day of Israel’s salvation.

* This verse expresses the thought that the night of sin is over and the day of salvation is come. * Israel has gone through the terrible night of the Tribulation, and now the light has come. * The Tribulation is over, and they enter the peace and joy of the Millennium Kingdom. * Immediately after the great tribulation, the Bible says that Jesus will sit on an earthly throne in the city of Jerusalem and rule and reign with his saints for 1000 years.

* This is an occasion for praise! The thing that will characterize the kingdom age is pure joy.

* This is the historic setting and context of our text this morning.

* In many ways this chapter can also be applied to the life of a Christian this morning. I would like to use this old Testament text to bear and deal with a spiritual truth concerning the New Testament Christian this morning.

* I want to focus our attention on one verse in this wonderful chapter this morning- verse 3

* Therefore [with joy] [shall ye draw] [water out of the wells of salvation.]

* Our text says that Israel, with great joy, will draw out of the wells of salvation. * As we look at our own salvation this morning, I believe that it would he needful and proper this morning to consider the words of verse 3 in relation to a particular problem concerning our own salvation as believers.

* The “wells” in verse 3 speak of abundance. Our salvation gives an abundance of satisfaction and joy to the heart this morning.

* During the kingdom period there will be a time of great joy, which is what the Lord wants for His own, including every believer this morning.

* He wants us to be happy now. Our salvation should cause us to rejoice and sing praises to the Lord. I do not think we are ever witnesses to Him until we have that fullness of joy.

* The Hebrew poets often associated the concept of water with salvation. In a dry and arid land such as they lived in that day, the provision of wells and springs was regarded as a divine gift from God.

* Isaiah’s readers thought of how God satisfied the physical thirst of their ancestors in the Wilderness and compared it to how our salvation satisfies the soul of man.

* The NT amplifies this vivid picture to include the supply of spiritual water for the thirsty soul.

* Listen to the words of Jesus: concerning this eternal satisfying water of salvation:

John 4:13–14 (KJV 1900)

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:37–39 (KJV 1900)

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. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: * Turning again to the text of Isaiah 12:3-

* I have divided this verse up by it’s key phrases this morning in order to teach a particular truth.

* It would be good if you would underline these key phrases in your Bible this morning. These divisions are: 1)- With joy 2)- shall ye draw 3)- Wells of salvation

I will attempt to apply these key phrases from verse 3 to address a very serious problem in the lives of a great number of Christians- Spiritual Depression.

* The Illustration of water to supply joy.

* Water is basic to human life. In Scripture the physical need to drink is often used as a picture of human spiritual need that only God can satisfy.

I. The Diagnosis of Spiritual Depression. [With Joy] * The first order of diagnosing the problem of spiritual depression is to examine what a healthy Christian looks like. Ephesians 5:17-21 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Illustration:* D. L. Moody is short with someone on a train.

* “the birds stopped singing” in his heart.

* In Ephesians 5 we are instructed to be filled with the Spirit. * Immediately following the instruction to be filled with the Spirit, we are given the evidence of a Spirit filled life- Joy

* Just as a thermometer is used to determine the severity of a child’s sickness, the presence of joy, or lack of joy, can be an indicator of our spiritual health.

* The presence of joy in the heart of a believer is the normal state of a Christian.

* If you find yourself with no joy as you hear this sermon, it may indicate you have a spiritual problem- the problem of spiritual depression. * In our text he prophet Isaiah spoke of the day that great joy would accompany salvation:

Isaiah 12:1-3

1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

* If your salvation does not bring joy into your life, there may be something wrong with your salvation.

Illustration:

George Mueller’s salvation experience:

* George Müller was a man of faith and prayer who took care of orphans in 19th century England.

* George Muller was a pastor and also started a bible college to train pastors and missionaries for the ministry. What George Muller is most remembered for is the great orphanages he started and maintained. The orphanages covered over thirteen acres of ground on Ashley Downs, in Bristol, England. * When God put it into the heart of George Muller to build these orphanages, he had only two shillings (50 cents) in his pocket. * Without making his wants known to any man, but to God alone, over a million, four hundred thousand pounds ($7,000,000) were sent to him for the building and maintaining of these orphan homes. * There were five immense buildings of solid granite, capable of accommodating two thousand orphans. * In all the years since the first orphans arrived the Lord had sent food in due time, so that they had never missed a meal for want of food.

* Mueller’s early life was marked by all kinds of sins, he was a constant liar, he cheated people, stole from his father’s tax collections, rented expensive hotels ran up bills, skipped out owing money. Lied to his parents about attending college, gambled and wasted away his father’s money.

*As a result of a life of sin, George Muller’s life was a roller-coaster of the “pleasures of sin for a season,” followed by the mental torture of regret and restlessness, that led again to more sin to pacify his unhappiness.

* One day Gorge Muller went to a prayer meeting in a home where there were 6 people meeting for prayer. As George Muller listened to one of the men praying, the Lord reached down and saved his soul.

* When I was reading a book about the life of George Mueller I ran across a quote from the journal of George Muller. In this quote, Muller was amazed that his salvation experience was first marked by great joy- Even before sorrowful repentance.

Quote from Muller’s Journal:

“This shows that the Lord may begin his work in different ways. For I have not the least doubt, that on that evening, he began a work of grace in me, though I obtained joy without any deep sorrow of heart, and with scarcely any knowledge.”

My personal salvation experience

* When I was saved as a six year old boy, I didn’t know much about the Bible, but I know that God had filled my little heart with great joy on the day that I gave my heart to Jesus!

* When you are filled with the Spirit, the very simplest of the pleasures of life will bring great joy to the heart of a Christian.

The early church was filled with Joy.

Acts 8:4-8 (KJV)

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.

Acts 13:48-52

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 15:3-4

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

* Being filled with joy is the normal, healthy state of the Christian.

II. The source of Spiritual Depression. [Shall ye draw]

A. Ignorance of spiritual warfare. (Lack of understanding)

4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

* Many times the reason that we suffer from spiritual depression as Christians in not because we have not read the Bible, but because we have not understood fully what the Bible teaches. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Seeking before Finding

* The Christians’s life will pass through at least four stages, from the time he is converted until he is raised to glory. * In the beginning, when we are first saved, there is a time of unparalleled joy that comes when it is easy for the saint to draw water from the wells of salvation. * A time of trials and spiritual depression is encountered next, as faith becomes the target of satanic attack. *Then a very soul searching time happens in the life of a believer, during which the believer discovers how new and old natures are fighting within us to master and control us. * For a while the old nature wins this battle until the Christian learns to depend on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit for victory of the flesh and the Devil.

* It is not until this battle is won for by the Word of God over the old nature, that a Christian can know the fullness of Joy and the complete peace of God that “passes all understanding” and keeps our hearts and minds.” Phil. 4:7

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

B. Ignorance of the Word of God. (Lack of knowledge) * Isaiah 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” This morning as we look to identify, and treat, the source of spiritual depression in the lives of Christians we must understand that the primary cause of spiritual depression is a poor diet. 4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

* The reason that we suffer from spiritual depression as a Christian is not necessarily because we have not read the Bible, but because we have not understood fully what the Bible teaches.

* In John chapter 15 and verse 11, Jesus said “these things have I spoken to you that your joy might be full.” * Jesus knew that our joy would not be full unless we understand the word of God. * Let me read our text verse again this morning: Isaiah 12:3 Therefore [with joy] [shall ye draw] [water out of the wells of salvation.] * Many Christians suffer from spiritual depression this morning because they have a false understand of how the Christian life works. * Evangelists and Sunday school teachers many times give the false impression the joy of the Christian life is something that comes to us automatically, but this is far from the truth. * Our text verse says “With joy [shall ye draw ]water out of the wells of salvation.” * This process of drawing out of the wells of salvation is not an automatic process, but this is something that we must do. * The fullness of joy that Jesus spoke of is not something that happens to us, but it is something that results from an act that we do! The act of Drawing! * My friend you will never know the fullness of Joy that Jesus spoke of to His disciples until you learn how to “draw from the wells of salvation.” * Well you might say “How then do can we draw from the wells of salvation?” * The answer is quite simple; we draw from the wells of salvation by understanding the great doctrines that Bible teaches us concerning our salvation. * This lead us now to the conclusion of the matter before us- How do we prevent, treat, and cure the problem spiritual depression that is destroying the lives of Christians?

III. The prescription for spiritual depression. [Wells of Salvation] (Bible Doctrines) * The prescription is not to pray about it. * There is a dangerous folly that we can fall into as preachers and teachers in the church. * This problem is that when God’s people come to us for some symptom of spiritual depression or another, we always tend to just blow people off by saying “well you just need to pray about it!” * There are some things, such as the problem of spiritual depression, that we are not to pray first, but we are to go to the Word of God first! * You can pray until you are blue in the face about the condition of spiritual depression, but praying is not the answer this morning! * Spiritual depression is an attack of the Devil on our faith. We cannot cure a problem rooted in a lack of faith by slapping on the “bandaid” of praying about it!

* The nature of faith is such as it is that we must cure spiritual depression by understanding the Word of God! * Romans chapter 10 and verse 17 says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” * The prescription for spiritual depression is to understand the Word of God, which will build up and strengthen our faith. * Listen to the words of the apostle Paul as he writes the prescription to the people of the church at Ephesus. Paul doesn’t tell them to go pray about their spiritual depression first- He gives them the prescription and the cure, then after that he tells them to always to be in an attitude of prayer: Ephesians 6:10-19 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. * Paul didn’t say go pray about this thing of spiritual depression! He said be strong! Where does Paul say this strength comes from? The armor of God. * Where do we get the armor of God? From the Word of God, the Bible! * The apostle Paul then explains where spiritual depression comes from. The source of spiritual depression comes from the fight with the Devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. * Paul, just as a faithful pastor should, writes a prescription for the condition of spiritual depression- Paul says stand by knowing the Word of God, which in turn produces strong faith! 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: * Last of all Paul says to continue praying while you are standing on the world of God. 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; * The prescription is to “draw” from the wells of salvation. * The Lord willing, as your pastor I will be preaching for the next few Sunday mornings, in an effort to prevent and cure spiritual depression.

* The Lord willing it will be my purpose preach on the Great Bible Doctrines concerning salvation in order to empower and strengthen our church. * The first of the sermons will be on the doctrine of “The Believers Union with Christ.” * When we come to the full understanding that we have been joined with Jesus, they we will fully understand that when Jesus died on the cross, we also died with him. * Then person that we were, born in Adam, died. This is why Paul taught that we are dead to the law. This is also why the apostle Paul taught that we are dead to sin. * When we understand these great principles from the Word of God, then the Devil will no longer have the power to keep us in a state of spiritual depression. * On the next few Sunday morning we will examine each of the great doctrines concerning our salvation such as: * the doctrine of Regeneration * the doctrine of Adoption * the doctrine of Redemption * the doctrine of Atonement * the doctrine of Eternal Security and Assurance * the doctrine of Grace * the doctrine of Justification * the doctrine of Sanctification * the doctrine of Glorification * the doctrine of Predestination and Election * The doctrine of Judgment * the doctrine of Eternal Punishment

IV. The result of the cure.

* Following the future Day of the Lord, Israel will testify to the rest of the world about His greatness and majesty. This was His purpose for His earthly people from the beginning.

* The result of the cure for spiritual depression will be: - spontaneous desire to pray - the spontaneous desire to praise The Lord - the spontaneous desire to witness to others. * I want you to notice the result of the cure for spiritual depression this morning in our text verses: And in that day thou shalt say,