Digging Wells In the Dessert Part 2

Prayer

O Lord our God, How excellent is thy name in all the earth……..

· So, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight

· And let it fall on good ground and let it bring forth an abundant harvest in their lives.

· Touch my lips of clay, so I can preach your word with power, authority and convict those who contradict

· Take away every stony heart and replace it with a heart of flesh in Jesus’ name we pray

· So that lives will be changed, and destinies transformed in Jesus’ name. Amen

Introduction

I hope you have your bibles with you today, if you do then please turn with me to Genesis 26:18-22

I also want you to get your pens and paper

· Note pads and iPads

· Ladies if you don’t have a pen just grab an eye liner or something

· As long as you right something down that’s ok with me

· Because they say the weakest pen is always better than the strongest memory

I remember I was 18 years, straight out of high school

· My brother and I hooked up with some friends and went the carnival

· I met this beautiful girl in, dark-skinned complexion like she had been kissed by the Sun

· We hanged out for a little while just dancing and talking trash like kids do

· Not long afterwards, it was time for her to go home

· So, I got my mac into perspective, and I said can I have your number

· Back in those days we didn’t have mobile phones

· All we had was the little black book if you old enough to know what I mean

So, smiled and she said “Do you have a pen, then I said nope”

· Fellas you always need to be prepared for battles. Hallelujah

· Then all of a sudden, she put her hand deep down in a handbag

· And to my amazement she took out an old supermarket receipt and a well-used eyeliner

· And she scribbled her number down and gave it to me

· She became my 1st love and we dated for 3 years

· Just because she dared to write a number down her number in the most unconventional way

I’m here to let you know that God is about to give you and unconventional blessing and

· You might end up falling in love with Jesus not for 3 years but perpetually

· Hallelujah, Amen. If you are ready, then let’s go

The Title

· So today, we are going to continue this week with our message “Digging Wells In A Dessert”

· And I’m sure by the end of this message, You will be extra motivated to keep on digging wells in the desert,

· Regardless of the trials and tribulations that may come your way

Background Introduction

For those who were not with us last week, let me give you a little recap of what you missed out on

We looked at a story of a man called Isaac, The Son of Fathern Abraham

· Who found himself the in middle of a severe famine?

· The famine was so bad

· That he had decided to relocate his family to Egypt in search of grain, food, a biscuit,

· Anything to sustain his family

· Have you ever been so hungry that beans on toast felt like a 3 course meal. hmmmmmm

And on his way, Isaac did a pitstop at Gerar and that’s where he had an encounter with God

· And God said to him

· Do not go down to Egypt; but stay in the land of which I will tell you.

· And in that land, I will be with you, I will bless you and favour you,

· And as a matter of fact I will give all these lands to you see to your descendants and

· I multiply them as the stars of the heavens,

· And I will establish my covenant with you and carry out the oathwhich I swore to your father, Abraham. Oh God what a way to be blessed

Today, may you be divinely connected to the same blessing that God spoke over Isaac

· May the unadulterated blessing of God Come upon you and a thousand generation

· And your family and your children and your children, children

· And the Lord bless you and favour you, enlarge your territory and

· Cause His face to shine upon you, that may you walk in good health, vitality and newness of life

· In Jesus name. Amen x3

After a couple of years in Gerar, food was no longer the problem

· But now Isaac and his family were running out of water

· So, Isaac started on a water exploration program

· So, they dug the 1st well and the natives of the land took it away from him

· So, He dug the 2nd well and the war mongering tribesmen fought over that one also

· Not because he was a gentleman, but because he was filled with the Holy Spirit filled He just walked away again

· Because carnality or walking in the flesh will have landed him in fight

· At times in life, you need to know when the Battle is the Lords or when the Battle is yours

· But he walked away and dug a 3rd Well.

· And God shut the mouth of the opposition they did not quarrel over it

I believe they gave up challenging Isaac once they realized nothing will stop him from digging wells in the desert.

· They saw his determination in the midst of frustration

· Regardless of how much they opposed him,

· Regardless of how much they challenged him

· He persevered through the drama and through their wahala

· And kept on digging up wells in the dessert

The bible says He called the 3rd well Rehoboth,

· Meaning "broad places" or "room"

· And He testified that “For now the Lord has made room for us,

· Who: His children and those connected to the Abrahamic covenant; which included you and I?

· and said we shall be prosperous in the land.”

Who is ready for broad places?

· Who is ready to prosper not after but in this pandemic?

· Then may this be your portion and your testimony in Jesus name

· If this word is for you today,

· Then come on and put your hands up and wave them wherever you are

· Stamp your feet, Snap your fingers, Do your step and You could do it all by yourself

· Shaback the Lord somebody and give Him a crazy tehillah praise

· Cuz He’s worthy of your praise. Hallelujah

The Message

Gen 26 Starting from Verse 18

Text: Gen 26:18

18 Now Isaac again dug [and reopened] the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Abraham his father,

19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley (somewhere in the desert) and found there,a well of flowing with [spring] water,

20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours!” So, Isaac named the well Esek (meaning quarrelling), because they quarrelled with him.

Let’s do verse 18 again

18 Now Isaac again dug [and reopened] the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Abraham his father,

There are certain seasons in your life that you don’t need to dig new wells

· But re-dig the old wells that have already been dug by those you preceded you, those who came before you

· At times we must go back to the drawing board,

· And walk boldly in the footsteps of those who preceded you

· We are living in a generation were have lost our moral compass, because we want to go our own way

· We have blurred lines between right is wrong & good and evil

· But in this season, we need to go back to that old time religion because if it was good

· For Paul and Silas, Peter and John, Moses and Abraham then its sure good for me too

· We need to go back and re-dig the old wells of prayer and supplication

· Where we held on to the altar and pray for revival

· We need to go back to those old wells of holiness,

· Where adultery was a sin, Where fornication was a sin, Drunkenness and revelry was a sin,

· Perversion, lesbianism and homosexuality was a sin because it’s time we stop misinterpreting scriptures to suit our carnal desires

· It seems like we have lost our way as Christians and we need to work onour spiritual hygiene

· We are living in a generation of compromisation

· A generation where we thrive on the justification for our actions

My brothers and my sisters, We are living in the end times, and Jesus is coming soon

· So start re-digging those wells before its too late

· Get your shovel, your spade, your pick axe and start digging out all the dirt in our wells

· Eph 5:27 says Christ is only coming for a spotless, holy, without wrinkle and blemish church

· It’s time to dig re-dig those wells x5 that have been filled up with junk,

· Those wells we have filled up with carnality

· With the pleasures of the lust of the flesh,

· The lust of the eye and the deceitfulness of riches

Let me ask you a question what are your wells is filled with. X2 (Pause)

Your wells have to be filled with the Holy Spirit because in Luke 11:24

· When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.( Not filled with anything substantial) 26Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; (Your well) and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

· Fill your well with Holy Spirit, The fruit of the Spirit

· Fill your wells with prayer and supplication

· Fill your well with the things pertaining to righteousness because the devil loves an abandoned well

Let’s see what happened to Abandoned wells in this scripture

· The Bible says in Verse 18 because the Philistines had filled them up [with dirt] after the death of Abraham.

· The Philistines were so Jealous of Abraham that when He died,

· They wanted to kill his legacy, so they started filling his wells with dirt, rubble, sand, stones

· The devil is looking for the opportunity to kills your legacy

· So, we need to teach our kids how to return and re-dig the same wells when they ever find themselves in a spiritual drought

· We need to instil, some Godly traditions, morals and values and our children.

But I want you notice something even more interesting,

· Isaac did not only just re-dig the well, but the Bible says he gave the wells the same names that his father had given them.

· Remember whatever you say and whatever you do

· Your kids are always listening, imitating, copying you

· If you are bigot your child will become a bigot,

· If you are racist your child will become a racist,

· If you love to cuss people around your child will have a foul mouth

(Johns Testimony)

Kids are going back tomorrow……………….

· This tells me that what we speak at home is so important

· Because the power of life and death are in your tongue

Let me ask you a question. What are you calling your wells?

· Because Isaac he gave the wells the same names that his father had given to the well.

· And your children will give the same name that you give to your wells.

· Hallelujah. Amen and amen

Verse 21

21 Then his servants dug another well, and they quarrelled over that also, so Isaac named it Sitnah (meaning enmity or contention).

· Have you ever been in that place in your life where people just want to pick a fight with you and?

· They seem to have a problem with everything you do

· Even when you are minding your own business, they try to get into your business

· Those hatters want to provoke you and get a reaction

Do you know why they do that?

· Because they see the hand of God all over you

· So, they can’t stand the fact that you are blessed.

Let’s regress for a minute and look at verse 16 for a minute

16 And Abimelech (The king of the Philistines) said to Isaac, “Go x3 Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

17 Then Isaac departed from there and [b]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

· Go away from us not because Isaac was a bad person but just because he was favoured by God

· It aint my fault that favour aint fair

· Abimelech and Isaac sowed in the same season, but Isaac reaped a hundred-fold,

· And Abimelech was jealous.

· Have you noticed how people can’t stand you because you are anointed?

When you were broke like a joke, it was ok to be their friend because they could Lord over you

· And were their subordinate and they were superior to you

· But now they are the lowest denominator, they’ve turned in the terminator

· But now they are mad at you, because they don’t want you to be equal to them

· Or see you surpass them

· They need someone in a worse predicament so they can feel better about themselves

· So, when God starts to bless you all hell breaks loose

· The devil is a liar, because in this season there is only one way

· Which is up, because when they go low, We go up……..

So, they told Isaac “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

They Philistines acknowledge the blessing of God upon his life

· So, they tried to contend with him,

· So the Bible says He went down into the Valley of Gerar

· Because He had a revelation that Even thou, I walk through

4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

In the presence of those who contend with you, quarrel with me, insult and revile you

But You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over; my wells will flow over

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever and ever.x5

21 Then they dug another well, and they quarrelled over that one also. So, he called its name [d]Sitnah.

I don’t know what wells people are contending with you for

· Maybe that well is it’s your Job,

· Maybe your Promotion or Your Position

· Fellas Maybe someone is contending for your girlfriend

· You picked her up from the hood and made her look good

· Now she got a Gucci bags and Louis red bottoms

· Other folk are trying to drink out of the same well and she ready to accept new buckets

· Brothers, be like Isaac and walk away, just let go and go and dig a new well

· Or maybe like Craig David and walk and sing new song

At times you just have to learn to walk away with tears in your eyes because

· If that Oga, Chief Odoyewu steals your woman, just walk away.

· You might have a 6 pack but, he has an 8 pack in his wallet

· Birrions of Euro’s and dollars

· Go and dig another well my brother and call this one Esek.

· If they come contending with you again, just walk away again and just call that one Sitnah

· Hallelujah

A Ringa Nose Illustration:

Watch This: Because this is real talk.

· You need to have a spirit of discernment to know when to walk away or when to fight

· Because it could end up being Pyrrhic Battle

A pyrrhic victory is a victory that comes at a great cost.

· A victory that is not worth winning because so much is lost to achieve it.”

· It is a victory that inflicts such a devastating consequence on the victor, that it is tantamount to or it’s more or less a defeat.

· You won the Battle but you lost everything, You won the argument but lost your dad

· You got the job but you lost your family

· It is a battle that is not worth fighting

There was a King called Pyrrhus, of Epirus,

· A Man of Valour, He Defeated the Romans in the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC

· However, he suffered heavy losses it destroyed his army

· While the Romans still had a lot of re-enforcement in Rome, Phirus lost his men

· Some Battle are not worth fighting and at times you just have to walk away.

· Isaac was a man of discernment and He knew when to walk away, because He walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, but faith and but by emotions or by sight

Verse 22 says

22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So, he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

I love this part “For now the Lord has made room for us”

· I don’t know how many wells you have been digging

· I don’t know how many jobs applications you have filled

· I don’t know how many times they rejected your business plan

· All I know is in 2021, God is going to make room for you

· So get ready x5 Abena get ready

Alberts Illustration

2 Summers ago, I was invited to the Wedding of one the biggest real developers in Ghana.

Unfortunately, I was running late for a wedding of one due to mitigating circumstances

· So, I called my brother and asked him where are you and He said I’m on my way

· And I said ok, when you get there reserve a seat for me

· 45 mins minute later I arrived, and the chapel was packed to the extent that people had to stand outside because there was no more room inside

· So, when I got there, the ushers were trying to stop me from getting in,

· She said they said its full and there was no more room inside

· So, I said why has Jesus been born in a manger and there is no room in the Inn

Then I told them no x3 that’s where you are wrong

· My brother went before me, and made room for me

If my brother could make room for me, then what about God can make room for you too.

· Because He is large and in-charge and bigger than your Garage

· He can make a way there seems to be no way

· He can assign destiny helpers to assist you to your destiny

I don’t know but someone is about to enter into their Rehoboth

· Into a broad place, with no quarrel and no contention

· A place where the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will continue to locate you

You are about to find Water in an unexpected place,

· Favour in undeserved places

· People will try to stop you

· By throwing dirt into your well to distract you from focusing on God

· But you’ve got to learn how get that dirt off your shoulder

· Shake it off, Watch yourself and show them what you working

· And God will take you higher and higher to greater heights

· This is not a season to give up

Keep digging in the Valley, Keep the dessert, Keep digging at the midnight hour

· Keep digging those well when it’s not fashionable. Hmmmmm

· Whatever you do don’t stop digging

· They might quarrel with you, but don’t stop digging

· They might contend with you, but don’t stop digging

· They might quarrel with you, but don’t stop digging

· In the valley,

· And you might have to pernoctate, percolate and relocate but don’t stop digging wells in the dessert

· Because it only a matter of time when God will see you through.

· Glory Hallelujah

What do you do when all things seem to be going right and then all of a sudden things fall apart.

There are some breakthroughs that God needs more than you

He called his situation Rehoboth, what are you calling your

When we talk about wells we are talking storge and capacity

They got out their shovels out