Date:      1st July 2007                                                                           (Sunday AM)                                                                       Ref: A0318

Place:     Kambah P.S.

Title: The Drought Breaker

Text:        & Acts 13:48-52

Illust:     East Gippsland is experiencing some of the worst flooding in recent memory. On Wednesday night, due to the rising waters in the Glenmaggie dam, they opened all the gates to release the water. A wall of water rushed down the McAlister river & slammed into the little town of Newry flooding homes & destroying property & livestock. – One local rang his insurance company as was told he wasn’t covered for flood “This is man made,” he says bitterly. “It’s not an act of nature. They waited until the weir was full and let the gates open.” In a roundabout way, he blames drought for the flood. He thinks the authorities were scared to let precious water flow from the dam – until it was too late. – When in drought, like we have been, water is precious and the desire is to conserve it. ~ Want to look this AM at a never ending supply of living water.

I.                   Fountains of Living Water

A.               A Land of Droughts

i.                 For a long time we have been living with a drought, the land is parched, the ground dry & cracked, plants are wilted or dead. A land where a meagre fruitfulness is scraped out through sheer hard work & diligence. – Jeremiah gives us a picture of drought:

         Jeremiah 14:4-6 4 ... the ground is parched, For there was no rain in the land, The plowmen were ashamed; They covered their heads. 5 Yes, the deer also gave birth in the field, But left because there was no grass. 6 And the wild donkeys stood in the desolate heights; They sniffed at the wind like jackals; Their eyes failed because there was no grass.” (NKJV)

ii.               In this city we are in a drought, a drought of the precious rain from heaven that floods over every life filling to overflowing. Yes we see fruit, souls saved, but it is handfuls, and requires much hard work & effort. Many Christians struggling, just getting along wilted in their faith & Christian walk

iii.             In individuals a barrenness of soul, the direct result of their lack of any real relationship with God – They attempt to cover up this barrenness with things / relationships / pursuits (sport, entertainments)

      In the end still barren - devoid of purpose & meaning – Expected of the lost tragic when it is Christians.

         Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. (NKJV)

B.               Water of Life

i.                 Times when fruitfulness comes easily: the farmer plants, the rains water the soil, the sun shines and a bumper harvest comes in, seemingly without much effort. This is what we need in this city & nation

ii.               As Christians, the Holy Spirit is the agent of our sanctification (a dedication, consecration, or setting apart for some specific and holy use.[1] ) From being separated from God by sin we have now been brought into relationship with Him

         1 Corinthians 6:11 But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (NKJV)

iii.             Yes we are saved, but there is a subsequent Holy Spirit Baptism with the evidence of speaking in tongues that is the enabler, to empower you. ~ Power to live the Christian life in victory.

         Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (NKJV)

         Acts 2:3-4 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (NKJV)

      Need to be baptised in the H.S.

II.                 Leaky Vessels

A.               Not a Once Off

i.                 What you need to be conscious of is that the Bible never speaks of this as being a once off event. We see that later in Acts after Peter & John had been arrested and confronted by the religious authorities. They are facing opposition:

         Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (NKJV)

ii.               In our text & vs 52 - tense of the verb filled speaks of a continuous filling. The need in your life is to have a constant inflow of the Holy Spirit.

      Fill to overflowing

         John 7:38  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (NKJV)

iii.             Enables you to handle the events of life – In our text; Paul & Barnabas persecuted yet leave filled with joy. With the victory - they were under the fountain of living water constantly being filled & refreshed. They were in total submission to God with complete faith & trust in Him

B.               Punctures

i.                 See, while we may have been filled once, the truth is we are leaky vessels. The Holy Spirit within us is allowed to drain away, be drawn out of us by

           the pressures of life: ~ day to day living - Finances, health issues, relationship trials, the job

           the assaults of the enemy

           All weigh us down & dry us out.

ii.               The pressures of Service in the Kingdom, being involved:

           Keyboard, setup, Sunday school, cleaning, outreach, prayer nights, revivals, rally's, impact teams, conferences;

           Sometimes even just getting to church.

           Draining, leaves you feeling empty dry, wasted. Lose the joy.

iii.             But as much as we do or think that we do, let’s look at the lives of the early followers of Jesus.

           In our text, Paul & Barnabas kicked out of town yet still have the joy,

           In Philippi, Paul & Silas beaten with rods, thrown into prison yet still have the joy

           What's wrong with me you might say?

           Leaky vessel, not constantly being filled.

III.              Be Filled

A.               Fresh Touch

i.                 We need daily & moment by moment a fresh touch from heaven, we need to be constantly being refilled by the living waters the fountains from heaven, the Holy Spirit.

ii.               Sometimes during droughts the natural springs can dry up & stop flowing. How many know this can't happen with God, The Holy Spirit is a limitless supply, The fountain is flowing. The problem is not the supply it's whether you will make use of it

         Isaiah 41:18 I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. (NKJV)

iii.             Are you overflowing with the Holy Spirit or are you drying out.  - maybe you feel totally dry & wasted. - Need again to be filled

B.               Ho Thirst

i.                 The main requirement is thirst. Are you thirsting for more of God, for a fresh touch, to be constantly filled?

         Isaiah 55:1  “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. (NKJV)

ii.               Takes steps to be filled afresh, to continue to be filled.

           Pray, cry out to God. ~ How much do you pray? - Not talking about at church

      Your own personal prayer life. If I asked you to add up the time spent what would it be.

      Prayer before service. - Are you praying for God's presence, Are you there, What do you pray for? - Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh

           Read His word. How many chapters did you read last week? - If any.

           Be in a place where you can receive a fresh touch through the laying on of hands

         Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. (NKJV)

iii.             The promise of the word of God is that IF you thirst, the Holy Spirit will fill you & continue to fill you:

         John 4:13-14 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (NKJV)

         John 7:37-39 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;. (NKJV)

IV.             Altar Call

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[1]Duffield, G. P., & Van Cleave, N. M. (1983). Foundations of Pentecostal theology (237). Los Angeles, Calif.: L.I.F.E. Bible College.