You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.
Good morning. Greetings from Colorado. I fear that September 19, 2015 will not be a day that
many Alabama, Auburn fans remember, with fondness. But there was another date in reference to Ezekiel
and the passage this morning. The date was August 14, 586 B.C. August 14, 586 B.C. You see,
10 years earlier, about 10,000 Jews from Judah, and Ezekiel was one of them, were taken to Babylon
in exile. And for 10 years, false prophets had told those 10,000 people that it was going to be a short
exile. There's no way God will allow Jerusalem to fall. There's no way. Jerusalem is his city,
and we just need to wait, and God will restore us. The prophet Ezekiel, he was like a lone witness.
If you've ever read that book, you know that the dude was crazy. I mean, he would cut his hair off,
he would shave it, he'd put it in piles, he would burn it, he would cook his food over manure. He built
little models of a village. He was crazy, and he was the only one that gave the message of the word of the Lord.
He was the one that said, the exile is not going to be short. It's going to take a long time. He was the one
that said, don't put your faith or your trust in how you were born or your lineage, or don't put your faith
in Jerusalem. It will fall. And it happened on August 14th. And you can imagine those exiles
as they faced friends, relatives, their people coming into Babylon and realizing,
that crazy guy, I think he was telling the truth. Now, I chose Ezekiel 47 because a couple of years ago,
it seemed to me as a pastor that there were many in our church that were really frustrated with the
direction of our nation. There were many that dreamt of going back to yesterday, maybe a nation in the
50s. There were many who worried, what's going to happen to our nation? Can we even call it a
Christian nation? Is that a good thing for us? There were many that felt a real sense of despair.
And their tendency was to draw into themselves in a sense of protection, digging in.
Words of despair. And you've probably heard it. You've probably heard people comparing the United
States and saying, are we going to become like Europe? Are we going to have these beautiful
buildings like this that eventually are turned into office space or restaurants? That's what's
going to happen to the United States. And I thought of the prophet Ezekiel. Here he is speaking to a
people that claimed promises, promises from the Word of God, promises that dealt with who they were and
what they believed and how they were born and where they were raised. And yet in great despair,
as they would have seen their friends, their people. And you've probably watched it on TV,
the Syrian refugees. They're facing even worse. They were being carried away as slaves.
And yet what's beautiful about this prophet and what we read from Isaiah is the prophet always brings
the Word of the Lord for the conviction of the people of God. And he always holds out the grace of God.
It's not just something in the New Testament. The prophet Ezekiel, especially starting in chapter 47,
but even as far back as 37, you know, you know, the valley of the bones, the dry bones. And God is saying,
if Ezekiel, from these dry bones, I can create a nation, surely if my people return to me, I will
restore them. But he gives this beautiful picture in Ezekiel 47. It is the picture of a river. And if you've
ever flown west, if you've flown over New Mexico or Arizona, Colorado, and you look down at daylight,
you see, oftentimes you'll see those green circles, right? The green circles. And it's the irrigation
that's on that big wheel that comes around. And you see where water has been. Or you'll see those
fingers of a river. And it's all green in this barren land. And the river has been God's illustration
from Genesis 2 of life. We've sung about it. The water that brings life. And so Ezekiel picks up
that image. And we'll read about it. The word of the Lord from Ezekiel chapter 47. If you've wanted to
hear God speak to you, he does so in his word. And I would ask if you are able this morning to stand
for the reading of the word.
And then he brought me back to the door of the temple. And behold, water was issuing from below
the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was flowing down
from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by
the way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the
east. And behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. Going on eastward with a measuring
line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits and then led me through the water. And it was ankle
deep. Again, he measured a thousand and led me through the water. And it was knee deep. Again, he measured a
thousand and led me through the water. And it was waist deep. And he measured a thousand. And it was a
river that I could not pass through. For the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river
that could not be passed through. And he said to me, son of man, have you seen this? And then he led me
back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river, very many trees on the one
side and on the other. And he said to me, this water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into
the Arabah and enters the sea. When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.
And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live. And there will be very many
fish. For this water goes there that the waters of the sea may become fresh. Everything will live
where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea from En Gedi to Inglaim, and it will be a
place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the great sea.
But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh. They're to be left for salt. And on the banks,
on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither,
nor their fruit fail. But they will bear fresh fruit every month. This is important. He says,
because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. The fruit will be for food and their leaves
for healing. You may be seated.
The remainder of the book of Ezekiel, the Lord gives him a vision of a city and lands and temple.
But this morning, we'll look at this river, this river of life.
Psalm 46, we're told there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. In Isaiah 33,
Zion is described as a place of broad rivers and streams. In Joel 3, we're told that stream beds flow
in the fountain from the house of the Lord. In Zechariah, he prophesies on the day,
living water shall flow out from Jerusalem. The river brings life.
This morning, I want to encourage you to think of yourself as a church and your place in the changing
of the world. Do you realize that what happens right here is essential for God's plan to change
the world? What happens in this sanctuary, what happens when God's people gather together to worship
him is designed not just to make you feel good or to teach you something new, but to change the world.
Now, the Lord gave Ezekiel all sorts of visions. And in chapter 8, he is told to make a hole in the
wall of the temple. And he looks inside the temple. And the text tells us that in there,
he sees all sorts of detestable things, grotesque images. Some of you have been overseas to Nepal or
India, and you see some of those idols, the pictures of the god Kali who is holding human skulls. And
I can only imagine that that's exactly what he saw as he looked in the holy place in the temple of
the Lord. In chapter 10, he has this terrible vision. It is the spirit of the Lord, the cloud that every
Israelite knew represented this presence of the God who is with us, the God who took us out of slavery,
the God who will lead us to the promised land. The cloud leaves the temple. He departs.
And Ezekiel tells the people he departs. And that's precisely why he departs. What was going
on in the temple was horrible in his sight. This morning, I want you to think about the origin and
the flow and the purpose of this river. The world needs a river just like this. Huntsville needs it.
Alabama, the Bible Belt, desperately needs it. And so first, I want to look at the origin of the river.
Verses 1 and 2 and the end of verse 12. The origin of the river. Where does it start? Where does it come
from? And I can tell you a few things. I can tell you where it doesn't come from. It doesn't come from
the palace. It doesn't come from Nebuchadnezzar's great and glorious reign and his rule and his
magnificent city. It doesn't come from the Senate. It doesn't come from the university. It doesn't come
from a great sports arena. It doesn't come from a mall. It doesn't come from the great outdoors or a
hospital or a wonderful community center or the Justice Department. It doesn't come from a brothel.
It doesn't come from a restaurant. It doesn't come from someone's nice dream home. It doesn't come from
the perfect spouse, friend, or lover. It comes from the altar. From what was going on in the temple.
From the altar in the center of the city. Daniel Block writes about this. He says,
the structure at the very center of the temple symbolizes God's desire to receive sinful humans
and his delight in their worship. I love what you say here about experiencing and expressing grace.
The Lord, when he set a temple, said, in the center of that temple will be a place where I will meet with
my people and blood will be sprinkled and sins will be atoned for. People will come in in great need
and great filth and great want and great hunger and unsatisfied. They will come in and they will receive grace
and mercy.
From the altar.
The other thing we notice about this is that it can't be stopped.
I mean, you've all had an overflowing sink. Hopefully not an overflowing toilet.
It's hard to stop water, isn't it?
It can't be stopped.
When what goes on amongst the people of God is right.
When his mercy and grace are not just preached, but received and acted upon.
Then the expression has to flow.
It cannot be stopped.
The influence
is unstoppable.
Now, it causes us to ask a few questions.
As the Lord would say that we are now,
those who put their faith and trust in Christ,
are now living temples.
It's not a tabernacle building.
It's not a sanctuary.
But the living God
inhabits the people of God.
And he lives in their temple.
It demands the question,
doesn't it,
of what's on the altar
in your heart?
What have you brought in?
In the meditation this morning,
it would appear that our enemy,
he is just as happy
to mix Christianity
with any other religion.
To add something to it.
And little by little,
that's exactly what the people of God did.
They had the temple,
and you read,
they worship God,
but they also worship
the other idols of the nations
around them.
I think the way to find out
what's in there
is you ask yourself,
is the God that I serve,
is it giving me life?
Or is it demanding
and taking life?
I mean,
I had a whole list
that I just went over
of places
that the water doesn't come from.
Some of them are absolutely fine.
Some of them are right
and good institutions.
But if anything,
other than the grace
and the mercy of our Savior
inhabits the altar of your heart,
you're in great danger.
The worship of the living God
giving or taking life.
Secondly,
we see this flow of the river.
You see,
what had happened
at the altar in the temple
was the opposite
of what was supposed to happen.
Instead of the living water
flowing out,
the people of God
had brought in
what was wrong
and detestable,
but they had brought it in
in order to worship it.
Now,
in Missouri,
we had a really nice house.
In the basement,
as those of you
who have basements,
there was a drain
in the middle of it.
Nice, big,
I think it's about
a six-inch drain
in the middle of it.
And concrete around it.
And you know what it's for.
It's the clean-out.
You know,
it's where everything
that is gross and dirty
in the house
goes out to the street.
Except when it backs up.
Now,
I always tell my wife
that she is very much
like a potted plant
or a potpourri.
She brings beauty
and good smells
into the house of men
and stench.
And yet,
something wasn't right.
I walked into the house
and you could smell it
and maybe you've experienced it.
The flow going backward.
You see,
it's vitally important
that the mercy and grace
that you receive
is shared.
It is not just for us.
It has never been just for us.
It is to flow outward.
So what had happened there
is the accumulation
of other gods
that turned the whole flow
backwards.
But the flow
is to be out.
And what's amazing
about this passage
is that as it goes out,
it grows.
You know,
I mean,
it's not like
you receive
a certain dose of grace
and it's just enough for you.
And if you share that
with someone else
by taking upon you
something that doesn't
belong to you,
by not being offended
when you should be offended,
by giving when maybe
they don't deserve it,
it's not as if you lose it.
It's as if it grows.
And grace shared grows.
That's absolutely the picture
that he is showing us here.
As it flows out
and the further it goes,
it feeds everything.
And as it feeds everything,
it gets greater
and greater
and greater.
Lastly,
we see this function
here
of the river.
Verses 6 to 12
tells us that this river
gives trees and plants
for food.
It makes salt water fresh,
provides fish to eat,
employment for fishermen,
it leaves salt
that is necessary,
it grows the trees
that are just like
the tree of life
that you read about
in Revelation.
The fruit to eat
and every month
bears its fruit
and leaves
for healing.
It spreads
and brings life
to everything.
So quite simply,
Southwood,
what's the function
and what goes on here
matters.
What's your job
as the people of God?
Well,
it's absolutely
to invite the unclean
into the presence of God.
To invite the unclean
and the outcast
to bring them
as you yourself
have come
in desperation
and need.
That's your job.
It's to worship
the living God.
Worship is not
just something
that is done
for our own edification.
Worship is formational.
And there are many
in our reformed circles
that have not grasped that.
We tend to believe
that the human being
is,
we could kind of
boil down a human being
to a brain on a stick
and if we teach them
what's right,
if people know
what's right,
they will do it.
Just,
just have a kid
if you believe that.
As a youth pastor,
often parents would say,
have you taught
on children
obey your parents?
And I would look at them
and I'd say,
yes,
I've taught.
And quite honestly,
if I did everything
that I taught,
I would be perfect.
It's not just
the knowing.
And it's a frustrating
thing for us,
isn't it?
When the heart wants
what the heart wants
and we know
something is not right
and we know
something will not fulfill
and we still long for it
and worship
is formational
in our affections.
Do you not see that
on a Saturday?
I guarantee you,
if you're an alien
from another planet
and you came
and landed on a Saturday
in SEC country,
you would say,
these humans,
they worship
this leather
pigskin thing.
They gather.
Sometimes they're so excited
they're there
hours beforehand.
And they sing
these same songs
and some of them
are absolutely ridiculous.
You should see
what they wear.
And what goes on
in there
has this amazing
power
to bind
people together.
Oh, my wife and I
were there
when John Elway
had one of his
great drives.
I mean,
it was amazing.
And what happened?
All these people,
black and white,
people we didn't even know,
what are we doing?
We're hugging each other.
I'm letting some other man,
I don't know,
hug my wife.
Why?
Because Elway
threw a touchdown.
Worship is
formational.
I think our advertisers
have figured that out.
Some of you have probably
seen the Nike commercial
that shows a football stadium
and it just says the word,
worship,
with a Nike swoosh.
Our advertisers know that.
It used to be,
when I was a kid,
it would be nine out of ten
dentists recommend it.
Now,
the right toothpaste
gives you friends.
The right tablet
puts you in a whole
community of people
that love you.
Worship is formational.
And it must be right.
It must be Christ-centered.
It must celebrate
this work that God has done,
this call to a people
to be His own possession.
We invite the unclean
to be clean.
We worship God
and then we leave
those rivers
of grace.
I mean,
you can almost envision
that in Huntsville,
can't you?
As you will go back
to your places
of work.
What does it mean
that you're filled
by grace?
It means
at the office
you don't have to
always defend yourself.
You don't always
have to be right.
it means that you can be
a neighbor
that even though
your other neighbor
is so offensive.
I had one that
every Saturday night
I swear
he would do something
to his dog
so it would cry
all night
to keep me from sleeping
so I couldn't preach
on Sunday.
I had visions
of shaving
that dog
doing other things
to that dog.
An instrument
of grace
means
we're able
to treat others
simply the way
Christ
has treated
us.
And so
when we come
to the New Testament
and we see Jesus
entering in his
triumphal entry
what does he do?
He goes to the temple
and gentle Jesus
meek and mild
look upon the little child
what does he do?
He fashions
a whip
and he says
get out
of my father's house.
You have
turned it in
to a den
of robbers
get out
of my father's house.
There wasn't
living water
going on
in that temple
either.
Jesus promises
that those
who receive
him by faith
become
in themselves
dispensers
of grace.
John 4
as he talks
to the woman
at the well
and many of you
know her story.
She had
drunk from
every possible
well.
longing
to be
loved
accepted
cared for
significant.
He tells her
everyone who
drinks of this
water will be
thirsty again.
But whoever
drinks of the
water that I
will give him
will never
be thirsty
again.
The water
that I
will give him
will become
in him a
spring of water
welling up
to eternal
life.
the woman
said to him
sir give
me this
water so
that I
will not
be thirsty
or have
to come
here to
draw
water.
In John 7
Jesus says
whoever believes
in me
as the
scriptures
said
out of
his heart
will flow
rivers
of living
water.
Well I've
got
six things
for you to
take away.
I only
have one
week so
I'm going
to try
to squeeze
six things.
First
you've got to
understand that
the final
existence of
human beings
it's not in
some
disembodied
spiritual
collective
but the
final existence
of human
beings as he
has pointed
out here as
you see in
Revelation 22
is a physical
spiritual life
with God
and with other
human beings.
Secondly
before anything
or anyone
is used
of God
they must
first be
cleansed.
And probably
you here know
that and you're
saying duh
we know that
but you know
that most of
the world
outside the
doors of
the church
maybe this
church
they don't
think that.
I mean I'm a
pastor so when
people meet me
that's what they
talk about.
They ask
questions about
God and the
Da Vinci Code.
and they
think that in
order to be
accepted by
God you
clean yourself
up.
And that's
what they
tell me.
Well I'll get
to church and
I'd love to
join a church
but there's
just some
things I've
got to fix
first.
And I look
at them and
I say you
know what
that's like
saying I've
got to cure
my cancer
before I go
see the
doctor.
Before anyone
is used of
God they
must be
cleansed.
Third the
stewardship and
the renewal
of all things
is God's
work.
The renewal
of the
environment,
the renewal
of industry,
the renewal
of the
university.
It's God's
work.
It's the
flow of
grace from
the people
of God
that should
affect every
area of
human
flourishing.
Fifthly,
God's
concern.
for his
holiness and
his purity
is matched
by his
desire to
bless human
beings.
I mean,
you see that
in the
cross.
God's
absolute
purity
matched to
his desire
to be
merciful to
human beings.
Lastly,
it's the
new temple
of God.
The church
is his
change agent.
for the
world.
So I know
that there
are probably
many here
that have
felt really
discouraged
the last
few years.
Maybe it's
politically,
maybe it's
the laws
that we've
passed,
maybe it's
the polls
that come
out and
you feel
like we're
losing.
Let me
just tell
you too,
exiles,
defeated and
carried away
into slavery,
God gives
this picture.
God says,
this is what
I'm going
to do.
And you
come to
me.
Come to
me and
receive mercy
and grace
and leave
as rivers
of grace.
Experience
my grace,
express
my grace.
let's pray.
Father, we
thank you
for your
word,
that it
is always
true.
That your
word comes
as a fresh
river of
life to a
people.
A people
that should
have known
better that
all of their
culture pointed
to a
wonderful God
who out of
his own
love and
grace saved
a people from
slavery and
brought them
to a promised
land.
A God who
gave them a
prophet that
spoke his
direct word
to them.
Even in the
midst of their
rebellion, in
the midst,
Father, of
their idolatry
and fornicating
with false
gods that
you promise
them, as
always, you
will receive
the humble,
the broken
you receive,
and the proud
you turn away.
We pray for
your blessing
upon your
people, upon
your church,
upon this
city, that
this place
would be known
as this
fountain of
life.
That those
who enter
would experience
the cleansing
work of
Jesus Christ,
oh, not just
the first time,
but Father,
every week
be renewed
and filled
and sent
as agents
of your grace
and mercy.
We ask this
in the matchless
name of our
Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.