April 4, 2023
Rivers to Swim In – Ezekiel 47:1-12, Isaiah 11:6-9, and Revelation 22:1-5
Listen to Rivers to Swim In found in Ezekiel 47:1-12, Isaiah 11:6-9, and Revelation 22:1-5
Pastor Peter’s sermon “River to Swim” is about the need for believers to dive deep into the river of God’s spirit and experience His abundance of mercy and grace. The sermon is based on three scripture texts: Ezekiel 47:1-12, Isaiah 11:6-9, and Revelation 22:1-5. These passages paint a glorious picture of the coming Millennium Kingdom of the Lord, Jesus Christ, where the curse of sin will be broken, Satan will be locked up, and there will be no more violence, crying, sorrow or pain. In this eternal kingdom, the animal kingdom will be at peace with man, and the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth.
Pastor Peter uses Ezekiel 47:1-12 to show how this passage is more than just a picture of the Millennium Kingdom when Christ returns. Instead, it is a glorious picture of what our life can and should be right now in Christ as children of God. The river that flows out from our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the River of His Holy Spirit, which flows from the heart of God to the hearts of every believer in Him. It is a river overflowing with life, strength, power, peace, and pure joy that the world can never know or steal from us.
Pastor Peter stresses the importance of believers immersing themselves in the river of God’s spirit, being filled up, and baptized in its fullness. The river is so powerful that it can transform us, claim us, and eternally change us. The journey downstream in the river is set into distinct segments, with 1000 cubits representing a measurement of fulfillment or completion. In verses 3-5, there are four stages or categories that we find ourselves in, with some growing through them or stuck in them. Many are not finding the victories or fulfillment they seek because they are seeking the wrong thing. Instead, they need to be in the river of God’s Spirit, not playing in the ankle-deep water, but seeking and moving ever-forward into deeper waters.
Believers should always step forward until they can no longer touch bottom, and the current of God’s Spirit carries them forward in His will and purpose. The sermon concludes with a call to seek more of Jesus, laying hold of Christ in His fullness, and experiencing the joy, peace, victory, and abundance of life that He desires for us.