There is a Fountain

Tim Franklin

Is 41:17-18

Introduction:

Vision of the fountain
- Earlier this year on a Wednesday night during worship, I received a vision from the Lord. In that vision I saw our building (foundation and exterior walls). At each of the four corners a fountain was gushing upward and where the exterior walls would be there was a wall of water like a fountain springing up only not as big or as high as each corner fountain. As we worshipped I notice that when our worship would intensify the fountains at each corner and those making up the walls would also push higher into the air. As the water came back down it flowed outward away from the building into our community and across the county.
- God wants to do that work here. I believe that word was to encourage me and to encourage us to know his heart and what he desires to do.
Isa 41:17-18"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord , will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. ¹⁸I 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

Life in the Waste Land
1. The poor and needy seek water. Is 41:17 declares that the poor and needy seek water.
  1. Water is a basic necessity of life. You can go days without food and still live. But if you withhold water from this body after three days it will begin to severely shut down.
  2. A city without water will cease to exist. People will move out or die there. You have to have water to survive. I.e. In the OT, a common tactic of the enemy was to lay siege to a city and cut off its ability to get water. When the water was cut off the people would eventually surrender. Satan works to lay siege to our lives so that he can cut off the very thing that gives us life.
2. In the scriptures we often see drought associated with people’s disobedience. In other words, God was teaching an object lesson. If you leave me you leave life. If you leave me, the source of life, you will end up dry and thirsty in your own desert.
  1. I Kings 17 drought for three years.
    1. I Kings 16:33 Ahab did more to provoke God than any other king before him.
    2. I kings 17:1 “There will be no rain except at my word” Elijah =drought/dryness.
  2. Listen to the Words of David--Ps 32:4-5 My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. NKJV
    1. Vitality turned to dry barrenness.
      1. How is marriage?
      2. How is your relationship with your children?
      3. How is your relationship with God?
    2. If you are dry just maybe you are failing to connect with the giver of life.
3. When you are thirsty you seek. A thirsty baby will cry, a young child will ask for water, adults will seek out that which will satisfy the thirst of this physical body.
  1. The siege causes the city to surrender so that they can have water. They begin seeking so much so they are willing to surrender to the enemy.
    1. If you are not careful, when the enemy lays siege to your life you will start seeking and be willing to surrender to that which can’t satisfy nor give life.
  2. A siege to the believer’s life causes us to seek the Living Water. When I am dry I want God.
4. Another picture: Isaiah 35:1-2 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly (profusely) and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. NKJV In other words, God loves his people and the wilderness gets happy when they are there because the living water flows. We get happy because He is the only One who can cause the fountain of the deep to break open in our hearts to water our land. Ps. 42:7 Deep call to deep…
There is a Fountain

Fountain, Webster.
1. A spring, or source of water; properly, a spring or issuing of water from the earth.
2. A natural spring of water, issuing from the interior of the earth.
3. A spouting of water. Key understanding is that a fountain is a source. The water is fresh and moving not stale and stagnant.
Illustration:
1. In the summer of 2001, Joshua and I spent a week hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We spent a year preparing, studying and getting ready for this hike. We chose a portion of the trail that was listed as challenging. Part of the challenge of hiking the portion that we hiked was planning so that you had water. The summer we hiked was very hot and very dry. We had no idea how important water would be until we began to run low before our first watering hole. Most places were just a small place in the earth where water would seep out. We would dig a little hole let it fill with water and then pump water though our purifiers to drink. Key: we had to get to the source if we wanted to drink.
2. Two weeks ago we canoed Juniper Springs. The Springs in Florida are beautiful. Massive amounts of water come out of them each day. At Juniper the springs start really shallow and the flow narrow but by the time you get to the end the stream has become a river because of all the springs feeding it.
God is that Fountain! He is the head waters!
1. FOUNTAIN--The word fountain, like well and especially spring, is associated with the general biblical image of water as life. Since the fountain more precisely indicates the source or origin of water, its figurative use often means source of life. (from Dictionary of Biblical Imagery © 1998 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. All rights reserved.)
  1. We must get to the source.
  2. Don’t settle for anything less! Get to the source of life.
2. Psalms 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. NKJV
3. Jerusalem on the eastern side of the city we had the Fountain Gate.
  1. Fountain has to do with the Spirit of God. It was for drinking.
  2. Water Gate has to do with the Word of God. It was for cleansing
4. Ezek 47:1-2Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. ²He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. NKJV
  1. The temple is on the top of the mountain! It is not fed by any other waters. God is the Living Water. God is the source!
  2. We were told when in Israel in 2006 that their literally is water their now.
5. John 7:37-39 "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. NKJV
If He is the source then lets get into the river!

Life in the River

The River benefits believers. Ezekiel’s vision. Ezek 47:8-12When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. ⁹And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. ¹⁰It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many...¹²Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine." NKJV
The River benefits others. John 7:37-39 "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believingin Him would receive; NKJV
1. We will be like the Father a source of Living Water!
2. We drink by faith. He who believes out of his heart will flow rivers
3. The vision of the fountains at the corners of FCC and the fountains that make up the walls.
  1. Jesus gave the living water in the context of worship in Jn. 4
The River is full of Life
1. Isa 41:17-20"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord , will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.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. ¹⁹I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together, ²⁰That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it. NKJV God desire to restore all that he enemy has stolen and to the years the locusts have eaten.

Conclusion:

It is the good Shepherd who leads us to the river of God to drink.
- Rev 7:17 The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes." THE MESSAGE
- Rev 7:17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." NKJV
It is God who opens up the fountains of the deep in the waste places of our heart and causes us to bloom profusely.
Ps 36:7-9 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. ,⁸They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. ⁹For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. NKJV
Ps 46:4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. NKJV

Pastor Tim Franklin, 8/15/2009