Water World

Water and the World System

We often think of water as a symbol of purity...washing our sins away in baptism (from the Greek meaning to Wash). Thats as far as we go. God forgets those sins. But if you think of those sins as dirt...where would they go? In the water!

Water i have come to see...is a symbol of the world system.

Going back to Genesis...the Lord flooded the earth and the water swallowed up the evil.

Plagues in Exodus made the water polluted and undrinkable.

In Exodus...the jews walk through the parted water and the sea then swallows up the evil following them.

Earlier in Exodus...Moses was rescued from the water...taken out.

That brings us to MATTHEW 4:19

And He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' "

Fishers of Men....just what are we pulling those men from....not literally water...but the world system.

We know that we are in this world ....but not OF this world.

John 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

We are born into the world system... but

Jesus walked on the the water because he was above the world system...not immersed in it.

Mat 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

Mat 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

Mat 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Mat 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Mat 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Mat 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Mat 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

The moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus...he began to fall back into...get swallowed up by the water...the world system. But Jesus saved him and pulled him out of the water. Just like we are to fish men out of the world system. Jesus saved us...now He uses us to fish for them.

This brings us to the question....what is the world system?

Many bad things...but it really all comes back to money.

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

1 Timothy 6:10

"For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows."

What does money have to do with water? The same root is involved!

Mer

as in Mermaid...or how about Merchant? Merchant Marine (a fleet of ships used for commerce)?

Our entire economy is based upon the law of the sea...trade...merchandise...money...commerce.

What about the phrase "The money flows" ... Water flows as well :-)

...and... we call money "currency"

Currency is defined as "a circulation or medium of exchange"...just like the current in water.

And I think Jesus gives us one of the final clues as to what water represents in Mat. 17

vs. 24 When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the double-drachma tax [r] approached Peter and said, "Doesn't your Teacher pay the double-drachma tax?"
vs. 25 "Yes," he said.
When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, "What do you think, Simon? Who do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes from? From their sons or from strangers?"
vs. 26 "From strangers," he said.

"Then the sons are free," Jesus told him. 27"But, so we won't offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and catch the first fish that comes up. When you open its mouth you'll find a coin. [v] Take it and give it to them for Me and you."

Where did they get the money? From a fish in the water.

Jesus shows us we can use the world system...but we must be careful not to get swallowed by it... we are above it. We have a higher focus...we pull people out of it.

Finally...in Revelation

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

But ther is a difference between water...and LIVING WATER:

John 4

vs.13
Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Revelation 21:6

...I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Retail Gangs

I was called into work last night at 9:30. There had been a shooting at Opry Mills.
No reporters were available...so I went solo. The exits from Briley Pky. were blocked...but the officer waved me past in my unmarked newscar. I arrived to find a crowd of parents on cellphones being held back by police. The kids could come to the parents...but no one was allowed to the mall.

After traffic from the mass exodus cleared a bit...police began to let people in. I followed a mom running and waving her arms to find her children.
It turns out that 2 gangs were in the mall and started stacking gang signs at eachother. The buildup resulted in a gunshot...injuring 2 members of one of the gangs.
People in the mall described the scene as pandamonium...running....jumping...yelling...crying.

Don Aaron (Metro Police PIO) commented that the police have been working to rid the Hickory Hollow Mall of gangs and that maybe, as a result, a couple of the gangs decided to hang out at Opry Mills.

In today's society it seems that almost no place is safe...but there is an answer to that. The bible seems to have an answer for every situation, and this one is covered by Psalm 91.

Psalm 91 (Contemporary English Version)

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 91

The LORD Is My Fortress

1Live under the protection

of God Most High

and stay in the shadow

of God All-Powerful.

2Then you will say to the LORD,

"You are my fortress,

my place of safety;

you are my God,

and I trust you."

3The Lord will keep you safe

from secret traps

and deadly diseases.

4He will spread his wings

over you

and keep you secure.

His faithfulness is like

a shield or a city wall. ^[a]

5You won't need to worry

about dangers at night

or arrows during the day.

6And you won't fear diseases

that strike in the dark

or sudden disaster at noon.

7You will not be harmed,

though thousands fall

all around you.

8And with your own eyes

you will see

the punishment

of the wicked.

9The LORD Most High

is your fortress.

Run to him for safety,

10and no terrible disasters

will strike you

or your home.

11God will command his angels

to protect you

wherever you go.

12They will carry you

in their arms,

and you won't hurt your feet

on the stones.

13You will overpower

the strongest lions

and the most deadly snakes.

14The Lord says,

"If you love me

and truly know who I am,

I will rescue you

and keep you safe.

15When you are in trouble,

call out to me.

I will answer and be there

to protect and honor you.

16You will live a long life

and see my saving power."

Trust in God...He won't let you down.
-Cam