Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is interviewed by Joan Bakewell in December 1970

A Biblical Case for the Church’s Duty to Remain Open

Christ is Lord of all. He is the one true head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18).
He is also King of kings—sovereign over every earthly authority (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14;
19:16). Grace Community Church has always stood immovably on those biblical principles. As His
people, we are subject to His will and commands as revealed in Scripture. Therefore we cannot and
will not acquiesce to a government-imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship or
other regular corporate gatherings. Compliance would be disobedience to our Lord’s clear
commands.
Some will think such a firm statement is inexorably in conflict with the command to be subject to
governing authorities laid out in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. Scripture does mandate careful,
conscientious obedience to all governing authority, including kings, governors, employers, and their
agents (in Peter’s words, “not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are
unreasonable” [1 Peter 2:18]). Insofar as government authorities do not attempt to assert
ecclesiastical authority or issue orders that forbid our obedience to God’s law, their authority is to be
obeyed whether we agree with their rulings or not. In other words, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 still bind
the consciences of individual Christians. We are to obey our civil authorities as powers that God
Himself has ordained.
However, while civil government is invested with divine authority to rule the state, neither of those
texts (nor any other) grants civic rulers jurisdiction over the church. God has established three
institutions within human society: the family, the state, and the church. Each institution has a sphere
of authority with jurisdictional limits that must be respected. A father’s authority is limited to his own
family. Church leaders’ authority (which is delegated to them by Christ) is limited to church matters.
And government is specifically tasked with the oversight and protection of civic peace and well-being
within the boundaries of a nation or community. God has not granted civic rulers authority over the
doctrine, practice, or polity of the church. The biblical framework limits the authority of each institution
to its specific jurisdiction. The church does not have the right to meddle in the affairs of individual
families and ignore parental authority. Parents do not have authority to manage civil matters while
circumventing government officials. And similarly, government officials have no right to interfere in
ecclesiastical matters in a way that undermines or disregards the God-given authority of pastors and
elders.
When any one of the three institutions exceeds the bounds of its jurisdiction it is the duty of the other
institutions to curtail that overreach. Therefore, when any government official issues orders
regulating worship (such as bans on singing, caps on attendance, or prohibitions against gatherings
and services), he steps outside the legitimate bounds of his God-ordained authority as a civic official
and arrogates to himself authority that God expressly grants only to the Lord Jesus Christ as
sovereign over His Kingdom, which is the church. His rule is mediated to local churches through
those pastors and elders who teach His Word (Matthew 16:18–19; 2 Timothy 3:16–4:2).
Therefore, in response to the recent state order requiring churches in California to limit or suspend all
meetings indefinitely, we, the pastors and elders of Grace Community Church, respectfully inform our
civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction, and faithfulness to Christ prohibits
us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services.
Said another way, it has never been the prerogative of civil government to order, modify, forbid, or
mandate worship. When, how, and how often the church worships is not subject to Caesar. Caesar
himself is subject to God. Jesus affirmed that principle when He told Pilate, “You would have no
authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). And because Christ is
head of the church, ecclesiastical matters pertain to His Kingdom, not Caesar’s. Jesus drew a stark
distinction between those two kingdoms when He said, “Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Our Lord Himself always rendered to
Caesar what was Caesar’s, but He never offered to Caesar what belongs solely to God.
As pastors and elders, we cannot hand over to earthly authorities any privilege or power that belongs
solely to Christ as head of His church. Pastors and elders are the ones to whom Christ has given the
duty and the right to exercise His spiritual authority in the church (1 Peter 5:1–4; Hebrews 13:7,
17)—and Scripture alone defines how and whom they are to serve (1 Corinthians 4:1–4). They have
no duty to follow orders from a civil government attempting to regulate the worship or governance of
the church. In fact, pastors who cede their Christ-delegated authority in the church to a civil ruler
have abdicated their responsibility before their Lord and violated the God-ordained spheres of
authority as much as the secular official who illegitimately imposes his authority upon the church. Our
church’s doctrinal statement has included this paragraph for more than 40 years:
We teach the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with the right
of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations
(Titus 1:5). We teach that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other for the
presentation and propagation of the faith. Each local church, however, through its elders and their
interpretation and application of Scripture, should be the sole judge of the measure and method of its
cooperation. The elders should determine all other matters of membership, policy, discipline,
benevolence, and government as well (Acts 15:19–31; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4–7, 13; 1 Peter
5:1–4).
In short, as the church, we do not need the state’s permission to serve and worship our Lord as He
has commanded. The church is Christ’s precious bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23–27). She
belongs to Him alone. She exists by His will and serves under His authority. He will tolerate no
assault on her purity and no infringement of His headship over her. All of that was established when
Jesus said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).
Christ’s own authority is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And [God the Father has] put all
things in subjection under [Christ’s] feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is
His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:21–23).
Accordingly, the honor that we rightly owe our earthly governors and magistrates (Romans 13:7)
does not include compliance when such officials attempt to subvert sound doctrine, corrupt biblical
morality, exercise ecclesiastical authority, or supplant Christ as head of the church in any other way.
The biblical order is clear: Christ is Lord over Caesar, not vice versa. Christ, not Caesar, is head of
the church. Conversely, the church does not in any sense rule the state. Again, these are distinct
kingdoms, and Christ is sovereign over both. Neither church nor state has any higher authority than
that of Christ Himself, who declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”
(Matthew 28:18).
Notice that we are not making a constitutional argument, even though the First Amendment of the
United States Constitution expressly affirms this principle in its opening words: “Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The right we
are appealing to was not created by the Constitution. It is one of those unalienable rights granted
solely by God, who ordained human government and establishes both the extent and the limitations
of the state’s authority (Romans 13:1–7). Our argument therefore is purposely not grounded in the
First Amendment; it is based on the same biblical principles that the Amendment itself is founded
upon. The exercise of true religion is a divine duty given to men and women created in God’s image
(Genesis 1:26–27; Acts 4:18–20; 5:29; cf. Matthew 22:16–22). In other words, freedom of worship is
a command of God, not a privilege granted by the state.
An additional point needs to be made in this context. Christ is always faithful and true (Revelation
19:11). Human governments are not so trustworthy. Scripture says, “the whole world lies in the
power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). That refers, of course, to Satan. John 12:31 and 16:11 call him
“the ruler of this world,” meaning he wields power and influence through this world’s political systems
(cf. Luke 4:6; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). Jesus said of him, “he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
History is full of painful reminders that government power is easily and frequently abused for evil
purposes. Politicians may manipulate statistics and the media can cover up or camouflage
inconvenient truths. So a discerning church cannot passively or automatically comply if the
government orders a shutdown of congregational meetings—even if the reason given is a concern
for public health and safety.
The church by definition is an assembly. That is the literal meaning of the Greek word for
“church”—ekklesia—the assembly of the called-out ones. A non-assembling assembly is a
contradiction in terms. Christians are therefore commanded not to forsake the practice of meeting
together (Hebrews 10:25)—and no earthly state has a right to restrict, delimit, or forbid the
assembling of believers. We have always supported the underground church in nations where
Christian congregational worship is deemed illegal by the state.
When officials restrict church attendance to a certain number, they attempt to impose a restriction
that in principle makes it impossible for the saints to gather as the church. When officials prohibit
singing in worship services, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible
for the people of God to obey the commands of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. When officials
mandate distancing, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible to
experience the close communion between believers that is commanded in Romans 16:16, 1
Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In all those spheres, we must
submit to our Lord.
Although we in America may be unaccustomed to government intrusion into the church of our Lord
Jesus Christ, this is by no means the first time in church history that Christians have had to deal with
government overreach or hostile rulers. As a matter of fact, persecution of the church by government
authorities has been the norm, not the exception, throughout church history. “Indeed,” Scripture says,
“all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Historically, the two
main persecutors have always been secular government and false religion. Most of Christianity’s
martyrs have died because they refused to obey such authorities. This is, after all, what Christ
promised: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). In the last of the
beatitudes, He said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all
kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for
in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12).
As government policy moves further away from biblical principles, and as legal and political
pressures against the church intensify, we must recognize that the Lord may be using these
pressures as means of purging to reveal the true church. Succumbing to governmental overreach
may cause churches to remain closed indefinitely. How can the true church of Jesus Christ
distinguish herself in such a hostile climate? There is only one way: bold allegiance to the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Even where governments seem sympathetic to the church, Christian leaders have often needed to
push back against aggressive state officials. In Calvin’s Geneva, for example, church officials at
times needed to fend off attempts by the city council to govern aspects of worship, church polity, and
church discipline. The Church of England has never fully reformed, precisely because the British
Crown and Parliament have always meddled in church affairs. In 1662, the Puritans were ejected
from their pulpits because they refused to bow to government mandates regarding use of the Book of
Common Prayer, the wearing of vestments, and other ceremonial aspects of state-regulated worship.
The British Monarch still claims to be the supreme governor and titular head of the Anglican Church.
But again: Christ is the one true head of His church, and we intend to honor that vital truth in all our
gatherings. For that preeminent reason, we cannot accept and will not bow to the intrusive
restrictions government officials now want to impose on our congregation. We offer this response
without rancor, and not out of hearts that are combative or rebellious (1 Timothy 2:1–8; 1 Peter
2:13–17), but with a sobering awareness that we must answer to the Lord Jesus for the stewardship
He has given to us as shepherds of His precious flock.
To government officials, we respectfully say with the apostles, “Whether it is right in the sight of God
to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge” (Acts 4:19). And our unhesitating reply to
that question is the same as the apostles’: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Our prayer is that every faithful congregation will stand with us in obedience to our Lord as Christians
have done through the centuries.

Pastor John MacArthur

The Best of the Best # 11 1997 ‘Never Give Up’

Today’s Message is part of a Series I’m calling, The Best of the Best; in this series I’m preaching what I think is the best message from each year of my 33-year pastoral ministry, which began in 1987

So far, I have done 10 Messages (1987-1996)

Today’s Message is # 11 and comes from 1997

The Message is called – ‘Never Give Up’

We began our new ministry here in Nelson in early February 1997

The Church asked me to be their new Pastor because they wanted the Church to grow

The Church had been losing members, every year, for 14 years and the previous Pastor had become discouraged

When I met with him for the final ‘hand-over’, he said to me, “David, you are left with the complainers”

I thought, “Uh Oh, that didn’t sound good”!?

For the next 3 months I met one-on-one with everyone in the Church and asked them what they wanted to do to help the Church grow

Most of the long-time members didn’t want to do anything to help the Church and some of them said that they were planning to leave the Church regardless of who the new Pastor was

Thank God, there was a small group of young people in the Church who did want to help the Church grow

That year about 30 long-time members left the Church but a lot of new people joined the Church – the Church was growing again

Today’s Message comes from June 1997, and, I think the Lord was using it to prepare me for what was coming – the greatest pressure I have ever experienced to give up

Now to our text: Please turn to the Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild Jerusalem (444 BC) after the City was destroyed by the invading Babylonian Empire (586 BC)

Over the early years of Nehemiah’s new ministry in Jerusalem, he faced massive pressure to give up, but he didn’t give up – and neither should we!

Here are some of the pressures that Nehemiah faced, and, that I faced, and that you too will face, as we serve the Lord

1/ Pressure on your family

Nehemiah was a descendant of the Jews from Judah and Benjamin who were captured by the Babylonians and exiled to Babylon

Nehemiah served in the Court of the King when he heard about the suffering of the Jews in Judah (His extended family)
Nehemiah 1: 1-4

In early 1997, I had inherited a difficult Church, but there was worse to come – July 1997 began a ‘season’ of weeping, mourning, fasting and prayer for Jennifer and me

Samuel, our lovely 13-year-old son became severely unwell and was diagnosed with mental illness

It would have been so easy for me to give up, but I didn’t

Nehemiah taught me that in facing massive pressure on your family, it’s not time to give up

Nehemiah asked permission from the king to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the City and save his people from their suffering
Nehemiah 2: 4-8

Dear Friends, like Nehemiah, God has called you to serve Him, so, never give up!

2/ Pressure from bad people

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and made plans to rebuild the city and help his people
Nehemiah 2: 11-12a
12a ‘the plans God had put in my heart’

As Nehemiah began the task that God had given him, immediately bad people put pressure on him to fail

Bad people have lots of ways of applying pressure on you to fail – here are a few

A) They will mock you
Nehemiah 2: 19
Nehemiah 2: 20 “The God of Heaven will help us succeed”

B) They will threaten you
Nehemiah 4: 7-8
Nehemiah 4: 9 “But we prayed to our God”

C) They will cause you money problems
Nehemiah 5: 1-6
Nehemiah 5: 7 “I called a public meeting to deal with the problem’’

D) They will distract you
Nehemiah 6: 1-2
Nehemiah 6: 3 “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

E) They will lie about you
Nehemiah 6: 6-7
Nehemiah 6: 8 “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”

F) They will intimidate you
Nehemiah 6: 10, 13
Nehemiah 6: 11 “Should someone in my position run from danger”?

Dear Friends, like Nehemiah, God has called you to serve Him, so, never give up!

3/ Pressure of success

Nehemiah overcame the 1/ pressure on family and the 2/ pressure of bad people and succeeded in rebuilding Jerusalem and prospering the people
Nehemiah 6: 15; 7: 1-2
Nehemiah 7: 3 – 13: 5

But there was one more challenge he faced – success is ‘hard won’, but it can be lost very easily

After the ‘work’ had been completed, Nehemiah returned to serve the King in Babylon, and later, when he returned to Jerusalem, he found that all his work had been neglected and he had to rebuild the ‘work of God’ a second time
Nehemiah 13: 6

Nehemiah 13: 7-8 the Temple
Nehemiah 13: 10 the priesthood
Nehemiah 13: 15-16, 23-29 the people’s devotion to God

Here’s something I have learned after many years of serving the Lord – in your absence, generally speaking, most people will neglect what you have spent years building up

(I thank God for the good Leaders He has given us at the NIC)

Dear Friends, like Nehemiah, God has called you to serve Him, so, never give up!

Jesus said: Luke 18: 1 ‘never give up’.

The Great Apostle Paul said: 2 Corinthians 4: 1, 16 (x2) ‘never give up’.

Romans 12: 11-12 ‘work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying’.

* Full notes are available on this Message in my new book, ‘The Best Of The Best’ due out in March/April 2021

Train Ride to Tibet on the Worlds Highest Railway

The Best of the Best # 10 1996 ‘Serving The Lord’

Today’s Message is part of a Series I’m calling, The Best of the Best; in this series I’m preaching what I think is the best message from each year of my 33-year pastoral ministry, which began in 1987

So far, I have done 9 Messages (1987-1995)

Today’s Message is # 10 and comes from 1996

The Message is called – ‘Serving The Lord’

In January 1996, we started our 3rd new Church – a Samoan Church. All the Samoan Members in our Church became the Foundation Members of the new Church

In late 1996, I was at home doing some chores on our property and I felt the Lord say to me, “I’m just as interested in your development as a Pastor as I am in the development of the Church”

Later that day, a Pastor friend of mine called me from Blenheim and asked if I would consider becoming the new Senior Pastor of their Church. (I declined)

On 8th December 1996, I was invited to preach at the Christian Life Center Church here in Nelson, and the following week the Senior Elder of the Church called me and asked if I would become their new Senior Pastor. I said yes.

Moving my family to Nelson was a big change for us but we did it willingly because we wanted to serve the Lord wherever He took us

Serving the Lord should be the priority of every Christian, not just Leaders and Pastors

But sadly, serving the Lord is NOT always the priority of every Christian

In 1996, a large Survey was done in the U.S, in Churches, and found only 10% of Christians were actively serving the Lord – whereas 90% were happy to just attend Church services

I think, our statistics (At the NIC) are better than that, and, I think we can improve even more!

Let’s go to our Text and consider what Jesus said about serving the Lord

Matthew 20: 20-28

1/ Serving the Lord is not about gaining a position of authority OVER other people

Matthew 20: 21

James and John wanted a position of authority OVER other people

Jesus said that this is what unbelievers want, and that His followers must have a different attitude

Matthew 20: 25

On this matter of authority OVER people, I want to make a few comments

The Apostle Paul said that secular (non-Christian) authority has a responsibility to (1) suppress evil and (2) honor that which is good – that is the role of GOOD government

Romans 13: 1-5

So, as Christians, we are to obey good laws made by GOOD governments that (1) suppress evil and (2) honor that which is good

But we also have a responsibility to resist bad laws made by BAD governments that don’t suppress evil and don’t honor that which is good

Born 4th February 1906 in Germany

As an adult he became a Pastor

When Hitler and the Nazi government came to power in Germany in the 1930’s, Bonhoeffer resisted the government

Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943, and in 1945, at the young age of 39 he was executed by the Nazis

Now, let me ask you a question; if you were living in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and 1940’s, would you obey the laws of that government, or, would you resist them, even if it cost you your life?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian who spent his short life serving the Lord even under the threat of death

Bonhoeffer quote: “When Christ calls a man, He calls him, come and die”

2/ Serving the Lord is about gaining a position without authority UNDER other people

Matthew 20: 26-27

Jesus went on to say that if we want to be a leader, we must become a servant, in fact, we must take the attitude of a slave without authority UNDER other people

That word, ‘slave’, in the original Greek language of the New Testament, is the word, ‘doulos’

A slave, a ‘doulos’, had no authority to do what they wanted, they only had an obligation to spend their life serving others

Illustration: Early in the early 1980’s, Jennifer and myself were privileged to go on-board the YWAM ship that was called ‘Doulos’

From 1978 – 2009, the Doulos was staffed by a crew of 350 Christians, all serving the Lord, taking the Gospel Message around the World

During that time, 21 million people were welcomed on-board the ship, and received the Gospel Message by being given Christian books and Bibles

That’s a perfect example of what it means to serve the Lord

3/ Serving the Lord begins by surrendering ourselves to Jesus

Matthew 20: 28

Jesus came into this World, surrendered to the will of the Father, to serve others, and give His life to save the lost

Jesus said

John 8: 28 ‘I do nothing on My own but say only what the Father taught Me’

In the same way, we surrender our lives to the will of the Lord – Jesus said

Luke 6: 46 ‘’why do you keep calling Me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say”?

Romans 14: 8 ‘we don’t live for ourselves…we are living for the Lord’

Finally

So, let’s live for Jesus, Let’s do what He says and serve the Lord together for His glory!

Romans 6: 13 ‘Give yourselves completely to God…for the glory of God’.

Itzhak Perlman – Gifted by God

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to the irrepressible joy of making music, which he communicates.

The Best of the Best # 9 1995 ‘Come Holy Spirit’

Today’s Message is part of a Series I’m calling, The Best of the Best; in this series I’m preaching what I think is the best message from each year of my 33-year pastoral ministry, which began in 1987

So far, I have done 8 Messages (1987-1994)

Today’s Message is # 9 and comes from 1995

The Message is called – ‘Come Holy Spirit’

In 1995 the Lord was continuing to expand our ministry

Early 1995, we met Pastor Frank Houston, father of Brian Houston, and he invited us to go to Sydney (Australia) to stay with him and Hazel in their home and attend their Church Services and the Hillsong Conference

So, in June 1995 Jennifer and me went to Sydney

We were inspired by the ministry of Frank’s Church that included 70 different ethnic groups. At that time, his Church, CLC Waterloo

Upon our arrival back in NZ, we told our Church Pastoral Team about the exciting things the Lord was doing in Sydney and a few months later we all went to Sydney for a long weekend to attend the CLC Waterloo Church

Upon our return to NZ, we enjoyed a time of revival in our Church

Later that year, we invited an Evangelist, Geoff Beacham, from CLC Waterloo, to come to our Church for a long weekend of Meetings

On the last night, so many people came to the Meeting, every seat was taken in the Auditorium (150 seats), 2 foyers were full of people (standing), side rooms were full of people, and a larger over-flow room behind the stage was full of people. None of these people could see the Meeting!

After the Meeting I met one of the mothers of one of our young people and she told me that she had only come to pick up her daughter from the Meeting but she got stuck in the crowd and couldn’t get out, and, gave her life to Christ!

In 1995, we were experiencing a Revival, a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Let’s come to our Text today

John 7: 37-39

The ‘festival’ that is named here is the Festival of Shelters, sometimes called Tabernacles

John 7: 37a

This festival was celebrated in Israel every year in the month of late September or mid-October

The purpose of the Feast was to celebrate God’s salvation of Israel, when He delivered them from slavery in Egypt, and, provided for His people during their 40- year journey to the Promised Land

On the last day of the Feast the Jewish Religious Leaders (J.R. L’s) would carry pots of water from the Pool of Siloam and pour out the water down the steps of the Altar which was situated in Temple area

The water, pouring down the steps, represented God’s salvation and provision, poured out like water upon His people

In the Old Testament, the Lord said that, as the Source of salvation and provision for His people, His people had abandoned Him

Jeremiah 2: 13 ‘They have abandoned Me — the fountain of living water’

Here, in out Text, we are reminded that, yes, generally speaking, God’s people had abandoned the Lord

We also learn, in abandoning the Lord, they had replaced Him with traditions (Pouring water down the steps)

For this reason, Jesus condemned their traditions

Matthew 15:3 “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God”’?

Now, Jesus calls the people to come to Him

John 7: 37b “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me!”

Jesus was saying that tradition can’t save anyone and that He is the Source of salvation and provision for His people

Hebrews 5: 9 ‘He became the source (the fountain of living water) of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him’.

Jesus went on to say that those who believe in Him, those who come to Him and obey Him, would receive salvation and provision like ‘rivers of living water’ that would ‘flow from (the) heart’

John 7: 38

1/ The ‘living water’ that Jesus talked about…brings new life into our barren lives

Isaiah 43: 19 ‘I will create rivers in the dry wasteland’

God gave Isaiah a vision/revelation of the living water bringing new life to His people

2/ The ‘living water’ that Jesus talked about…brings us into a deeper relationship with God

God gave Ezekiel a vision/revelation of the living water flow out from the Temple in Heaven bringing His people into a deeper relationship with Himself

Ezekiel 47: 1-5

3b ‘The water was up to my ankles’

4a ‘This time the water was up to my knees’

4b ‘it was up to my waist’

5b ‘the river was too deep to walk across…too deep to walk through’

Ezekiel 47: 9 ‘Life will flourish wherever this water flows’

3/ The ‘living water’ that Jesus talked about…brings blessing into our most important relationships

Psalm 36: 8b ‘drink from Your river of delights’

The original Hebrew translates ‘delights’, = pleasure/goodness/Eden

Genesis 2: 10 ‘A river flowed from the land of Eden’

Eden was the place of Adam and Eve’s creation, and, where they enjoyed perfect fellowship with God and with each other

Their relationships in Eden were filled with delights, pleasure and goodness

4/ The ‘living water’ that Jesus talked about…brings joy into the House of God

Psalm 46: 4 ‘A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High’. (Revelation 3: 12)

Jesus said that the ‘living water’ is the Holy Spirit

John 7: 39

My Prayer is: Holy Spirit come!

Come to Jesus and receive this ‘living water’