Ezekiel 47:1-12 - Contagious Grace

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

Ezekiel 47 · chapter mention

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.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

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Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.