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Sermon #5282

Fountain of Living Waters

A Sermon on the Fountain of Living Waters from Jeremiah 2:13

Originally preached Oct. 2, 1960

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Scripture

Jeremiah 2:13 ESV KJV
for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (ESV)

Sermon Description

Everyone must consider what they are chasing in life and if it will last. In this sermon in Jeremiah 2:13 titled “Fountain of Living Waters,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that all seek satisfaction from a worldview that is either like a cistern of stagnant water or a fountain of flowing, living water. What characterizes the cistern “way of living”? First, it is entirely human-made — all authority is subject to change depending on the shifting opinions of humanity. Second, all the effort for happiness is dependent upon oneself. They are expected to find what makes one happy and chase it with all they have. Third, this way of thinking is so limited because it reduces everything to rationality, even beautiful emotions such as love and joy that cannot be measured. This way of approaching life cannot satisfy—there is no hope. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that Jesus offers a fountain of flowing, living water designed to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul in Himself. In contrast to the cistern, this living water is rooted in God’s unchanging authority, providing a bedrock upon that which one can establish their life. Crucially, this living water has accomplished all the work because no one could not earn it on their own — Jesus’s offer of salvation accomplished through His death and resurrection to atone for the sins of all humanity is offered to the Christian. Take a deep drink from this living water and find eternal life.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The prophet Jeremiah addresses the nation of Israel during a time of trouble.
  2. Jeremiah calls the people to repent and turn back to God.
  3. In Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah summarizes the essence of Israel's sinful situation.
  4. The verse presents two possibilities in life: the fountain of living waters (God) or broken cisterns (human systems).
  5. Israel has committed two evils: forsaking God and making their own futile systems.
  6. All philosophies and theories of life apart from the Bible are human in origin and have no authority.
  7. Human systems require great effort to construct and maintain but ultimately fail to satisfy.
  8. The fountain of living waters (God) has always existed and provides an inexhaustible supply to satisfy the deepest needs.
  9. The fountain brings forgiveness, peace, power, knowledge of God, comfort, and hope.
  10. We must choose between the broken cisterns of human systems or the fountain of living waters found in God alone.

Old Testament

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.