I will pour water on him that is thirsty

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 6 JUNE 2021 am

ISAIAH 44 VERSES 1 - 8

We are turning to these verses that have been upon my mind and thoughts for the coming gospel mission particularly verse 3 "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring."  Isaiah was a prophet who lived 700 years before Christ.  The people he ministered to were in danger of being taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.  They had turned their backs on God.  Isaiah 1 verse 3 "The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know; my people doth not consider.  An sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters, they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward."  Such was the state of the people of God  Idols of gold and silver were the order of the day.  They sat on every street corner.  Offerings were made on them, their children were sacrificed.  Isaiah 29 verse 13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."  God was giving them a great promise - to renew and restore.  He is crying out to this nation "I will pour water on him that is thirsty"  That is what we need today.  Not that we need another mission but it is to see God move in a mighty way, to pour out his blessing.  Maybe God is looking for that individual today, ready to say "here am I thirsty, I am giving my all to you today."

Notice the source of these waters - "I will pour water".  It is only God that can send this reviving power.  It is not something man made.  It is not something man can muster up for himself.  He is showing to us that it is a land that is dry, barren, parched, in great need of water.  It is a similar situation to ours today - we see a people in need of great reviving power.  Our churches need refreshing again, they need blessing from God.  Psalm 127 verse 1 "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."  That is our problem today.  Are we depending on man?  We can see many man made revivals all across our world but we need a mighty revival from God today.  We cannot be idle or slack about God's business.  You and I who know our sins forgiven, that our names are written down in heaven and one day when Jesus comes or calls we will be taken home to be with him have a responsibility today.  This is God's work.  As we think of this week of mission it does not depend on man.  It is the power of God.  Sometimes people look for the right evangelist and they will not hold a mission unless they have him.  We need the power of God alone.  Moses in the wilderness for 40 years tending the sheep.  What did it mean to be a shepherd?  He had to know the wilderness like the back of his hand, where the pools of water where.  He was a man experienced in leading the sheep.  When it came to lading the people that was totally different.  The people cried out because they had no water.  What did Moses do?  He cried unto the Lord.  There was nothing in his ability to bring water to this people.  We need to be crying unto God of heaven that we might see the state of this province and cry for his mighty outpouring.  Ezekiel said the Lord sought for a man to stand in the gap that somehow judgement would not fall.  God is still looking for that man or woman as his vessel.  Sanctified, set apart for him.  Zechariah 4 verse 6 "not by might nor by power but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."  The people stated to rebuild the temple after they came back from Babylon but became discouraged.  This work was not by might (intellect) nor by power (military strength) but by the Spirit of God said the Lord.  We need God to come in a mighty way.  The source of the strength to build the temple was of the Lord.  The source of the power for each night of the mission is in God.  We need to look to God, to bring home the word with power of the Holy Spirit.  He is asking us to cry out to him as Moses did in the wilderness when the people asked for water.  Remember when in Babylon the Lord told the people he would raise up Cyrus to bring them back into their own land.

The secrecy of this water - God moves first.  Is there anything hindering the move of God in our lives today?  Wouldn't it be amazing if God came and sent this reviving power today?  Isn't that what we are looking for today?  We want to see God move.  When the Children of Israel were in the wilderness and they had no water to drink they asked Moses to help.  The water was so bitter.  Exodus 15 verse 25 the Lord showed Moses a tree.  He got his eyes off the problem and the people and set them on a tree.  We want to point men and women to a tree outside Jerusalem.  There on Mount Calvary the Lord died.  His hands were stretched out and nailed to that tree.  His feet were also nailed and on his brow was a crown of thorns.  He sacrificed for you and me.  When you take him as your own and personal Saviour you become his child.  The gates of heaven are open to you  We can point to a tree that can be sweet to every man today.  The Lord knows the answer to everything in the most unusual way.  Remember how the pople thirsted for a second time.  The Lord directed Moses and the people to a rock in Horeb.  Moses was commanded to strike the rock.  The Lord Jesus is that rock.  The bible says in Isaiah 53 verse 4 "Surely he hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted."  The rod of judgment was taken out of the rock and living water flowed from it.  Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and Jesus said to him "the wind bloweth where it listeth and you can hear the sound of it but you cannot tell where it is coming from or where it is going, so it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3 verse 8)  John himself said "He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7 verse 38)  Acts 2 verse 2 was the fulfilment of Luke 24 verse 49.  Sitting in the Upper Room those disciples experienced the outpouring of the Spirit of God.  That is still the greatest need in our lives today.  When you ask for that filling today God will grant you his Holy Spirit.

The sufficiency of the water.  God is well able to pour out the spirit today - "I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring."  The water would make the change.  Elijah ran out into the wilderness as a result of a threat by Jezebel.  The Lord met him there.  Elijah confessed he wasn't the man he needed to be, everyone else deserted him and he was the only one left.  The Lord laid him down to sleep, then he woke up and was fed and slept again.  Why did he do this?  The journey was too great for him.  This is something we will need - strength for the battle.  The battle is on for your family and my family today.  God has promised to pour out water on him that is thirsty.  It is a picture of a dry, barren land but we can see what God wants to do.  In Acts 2 Peter filled with the Holy Ghost went out into the streets of Jerusalem and preached the word.  The people heard the word of God in their own language.  When Peter preached the Holy Spirit came down.  He saw the fruit of his ministry.  In 2 Kings we read of a widow woman who was told by Elijah to take her only cruise of oil, borrow pots from her neighbours and close the doors to her house.  She began to fill the pots one by one.  When she filled the last one and called for more there were no more to fill.  The cruise of oil was sufficient for her needs.  God's spirit will never diminish, never be exhausted. God is looking for an empty vessel today.

The subject of this water - it is to him that is thirsty.  Will God look at this mission and say "I cannot find a vessel to flow through?"  Will he find us thirsty for himself or will he find no-one?  Will God find a man who will stand in the gap?