Fountain of Living Waters
A Sermon on the Fountain of Living Waters from Jeremiah 2:13
Originally preached Oct. 2, 1960
Scripture
13For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
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
- The prophet Jeremiah addresses the nation of Israel during a time of trouble.
- Jeremiah calls the people to repent and turn back to God.
- In Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah summarizes the essence of Israel's sinful situation.
- The verse presents two possibilities in life: the fountain of living waters (God) or broken cisterns (human systems).
- Israel has committed two evils: forsaking God and making their own futile systems.
- All philosophies and theories of life apart from the Bible are human in origin and have no authority.
- Human systems require great effort to construct and maintain but ultimately fail to satisfy.
- The fountain of living waters (God) has always existed and provides an inexhaustible supply to satisfy the deepest needs.
- The fountain brings forgiveness, peace, power, knowledge of God, comfort, and hope.
- We must choose between the broken cisterns of human systems or the fountain of living waters found in God alone.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Jeremiah 2:13 Teach About Man's Two Evils?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Jeremiah 2:13, let me answer this important question about the prophet's powerful message.
What are the two evils that Jeremiah identifies in 2:13?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' exposition, Jeremiah identifies two fundamental evils that people commit:
- Forsaking God, who is "the fountain of living waters"
- Creating for themselves "broken cisterns that can hold no water"
These two evils represent humanity's dual folly - both rejecting the true source of life and satisfaction (God) and then trying to replace Him with man-made substitutes that ultimately fail.
What does the "broken cistern" represent in Jeremiah's metaphor?
The broken cistern in Jeremiah's metaphor represents all human-made philosophies, theories, and systems that people create to find meaning apart from God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that these cisterns are characterized by being:
- Man-made and requiring human effort
- Limited in capacity
- Containing only static, stale water
- Constantly breaking and needing repair
- Unable to ultimately satisfy the soul's deepest needs
As Lloyd-Jones states: "All philosophies and theories and views concerning life and how we are to live apart from what we have in this book called the Bible are entirely the work of men."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the fountain with the cistern?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights several key contrasts between God (the fountain) and human systems (the cistern):
- Origin: The fountain comes from God; cisterns are made by human effort
- Depth: The fountain has unlimited depth and resources; cisterns are limited
- Freshness: The fountain provides cool, refreshing, living water; cistern water is stale and flat
- Permanence: The fountain is permanent and unchangeable; cisterns break and decay
- Satisfaction: The fountain fully satisfies all human needs; cisterns "hold no water" and leave people empty
As Lloyd-Jones says: "There it is, there it has been, it's changeless. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever."
What specific human needs does the fountain of living water satisfy?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several specific needs that only God's "fountain of living waters" can satisfy:
- Forgiveness of sins and peace with God
- Moral power and strength to live rightly
- True knowledge of God as Father
- Comfort in all circumstances of life
- Hope in old age and in the face of death
- The promise of eternal life
As Lloyd-Jones states: "This is everything a man needs... It never has failed. It never will fail. It will satisfy your every need."
Why is this passage relevant to modern society according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones sees a direct parallel between Jeremiah's time and our modern world. He states:
"The world is in a terrible state tonight. The world is in awful trouble... The whole world tonight is seeking for satisfaction. Nobody wants to be miserable. Nobody really wants war. Everybody's looking for peace, happiness, satisfaction."
Yet like ancient Israel, modern society continues to commit the same two evils - rejecting God and creating inadequate substitutes. Lloyd-Jones points to the limitations of modern philosophies, materialism, and scientific thinking that fail to satisfy humanity's deepest spiritual needs while ignoring the fountain of living water offered in Christ.
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.