Dig the Dirt Out, Daddy! - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Dig The Dirt Out, Daddy!

Genesis 26:15-18

Intro: I preached on these wells a week ago. But there’s more in these verses that I want to look at.

The Philistines envied Isaac in Genesis 26:16.

The Philistines are a picture and a type of the world and the flesh.

The Philistines were enemies of God and God’s people.

They were constantly reproaching and reviling the God of Israel.

They were constantly in conflict with God’s people.

Application:

The Philistines are envious of God’s people for the same reasons that they envied Isaac in Genesis 26.

The day you realize that, the day Psalm 73 does not have to be your testimony.

The Philistines envied Isaac in Genesis 26:16. Why?

They envied his:

A. Potential – vs. 12 he sowed and reaped 100-fold.

That is maximum potential. (30-fold, 60-fold…)

B. Power – vs. 13 “…he waxed great…and grew until he became very great.”

DEFINTION of WAX GREAT: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise,

magnify, do great things

C. Progress – vs. 13 “…and went forward…”

Most of the world is going nowhere, or backwards.

They are envious of God’s people when they see you going forward.

The transformation in your life has blown their minds.

D. Possessions – vs. 14 “For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds…”

God has loaded us with benefits!

· Psalms 68:19 Blessed [be] the Lord, [who] daily loadeth us [with benefits, even] the God of our salvation. Selah.

E. Partnerships – vs. 14 – “…and great store of servants…”

He had lots of people around him to help him succeed.

We have a lot of the servants of God around – a great store of servants – to help us be successful.

The world doesn’t have any help.

They have to fight alone; they have to struggle alone; they have to suffer alone.

But I want to focus on the fact that Isaac had the character to dig the dirt out of the wells that his father had dug.

They worked for him, they provided water for him, and he knew they could provide water for his family too.

Isaac did not let the Philistines:

I. Dictate the Necessity of the Well

Abraham had dug wells all over the place for his family.

Now he’s dead and gone, but we find Isaac digging wells.

He learned how to dig wells from his father.

But the Philistines had filled the wells with earth.

They were trying to kill him and his family but cutting off their water source.

They were trying to force Isaac to give up his wells and only use theirs.

We cannot let the Philistines dictate to us the importance of these wells.

The Philistines don’t want you to have them – but you can’t live without them!

Whether it’s Salvation, the Scriptures, the Sanctuary or the Servant of God, you need the wells!

Everywhere he went, he dug wells.

Why? Because you need water in order to live.

The well is a necessity for a number of reasons:

· You need water to drink.

· You need water to prepare food.

· You need water to wash and clean with.

· You need water to heal and sanitize.

Without a well, you are helpless and cannot survive.

Bottom line – these wells are a picture and type of anywhere you get LIFE-GIVING WATER.

They are absolutely necessary.

Isaac did not let the Philistines:

II. Determine the Nurturing of the Well

Isaac digged again the wells of water.

They were actually wells of dirt, but Isaac wasn’t going to let that stand.

The Philistines had stopped the wells and filled them with earth.

But Isaac insisted that they be WELLS OF WATER!!

The Bible is clear in Ephesians 6:

· Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Isaac made it a priority to DIG AGAIN THE WELLS.

Get the dirt out! Get the earth out! Get the world out!

You can’t serve water to your family with it full of earth!

You can’t serve water to your church with it full of the world!

Dad! It’s your job to dig the dirt out of the wells!

What is the condition of the well at your house?

Is the well at your house full of earth from the Philistines?

· What do you allow in your house?

· What do you watch on the TV?

· What movies do you have stockpiled in your house?

· What kind of language do you use and allow in your house?

· What kind of music is playing in your house and in your vehicles?

· What kind of people do you have over and spend time with?

· How much time do you as a family spend in church together?

· How much time do you sit around and talk about spiritual things?

· What kind of guidelines do you have for your children and their friends?

· What kind of courting rules have you implemented in your home for your older children?

The Philistines are pouring dirt into our wells every single day.

We have to be digging the dirt out every day or our family will be in a mess!

Isaac did not let the Philistines:

III. Define the Names of the Well

· vs. 18 …and he called their names after the names by which his Father had called them.

Abraham had named these wells.

It is possible that the Philistines had renamed them, we can’t be sure.

One thing we do know – Isaac renamed them, but he named them the names that his father had called them.

When he dug the dirt out, he stuck with the names that his father had named them.

This stood out to me.

The Philistines want to change the wells, and change the names of the wells.

They want to change the INSIDE of the wells, and they want to change the IDENTITY of the wells.

Isaac wouldn’t stand for either one!

Isaac said, “We are going to call it the names that my Father called it!”

The world is still trying to change the names that the father gave to things.

The Philistines are re-naming vital truths in an attempt to get us to abandon them.

We must insist in calling things what the Father calls it!

We cannot let the Philistines RENAME the very WELLS THAT PROVIDE US WITH LIFE-GIVING WATER!

The Philistines call it ISLAMAPHOBIA - but the Father said JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.

The Philistines call it LORDSHIP SALVATION – but the Father calls it REPENTANCE.

The Philistines call it LEGALISM – but the Father calls it SEPARATION.

The Philistines call it BACK-LOADING WORKS – but the Father calls it SANCTIFICATION and HOLINESS.

The Philistines call them ATHEISTS – but the Father calls them FOOLS.

The Philistines call it an ARCHAIC TRANSLATION – but the Father calls it the PERFECT, PRESERVED WORD OF GOD!

The Philistines call it CONTEMPORARY – but the Father calls it “loving this present world.”

The Philistines call it AN ALTERNATE LIFESTYLE – but the Father calls it AN ABOMINATION.

The Philistines call it PRIDE – but the Father calls it UNNATURAL AFFECTION and VILE AFFECTIONS and AGAINST NATURE.

The Philistines calls it A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE – God calls it MURDER AND SHEDDING INNOCENT BLOOD.

The Philistines call it SEXY – but the Father calls it THE ATTIRE OF AN HARLOT and SENSUAL and NAKEDNESS.

The Philistines call it PHYSICAL ATTRACTION – but the Father calls it LUST and LASCIVOUSNESS.

The Philistines call it SOCIAL DRINKING – but the Father calls STRONG DRINK RAGING AND DECEPTIVE.

The Philistines call it being an ALCHOLIC – but the Father calls them DRUNKARDS, GLUTTONS, WASTERS and SLOTHFUL.

The Philistines call it MAGIC – but the Father calls it SORCERY AND DIVINATION AND OBSERVER OF TIMES.

The Philistines call it PARTYING – but the Father calls it DRUNKENNESS AND REVELLINGS.

The Philistines call it FOOLING AROUND – but the Father calls it FORNICATION.

The Philistines call it AN AFFAIR - but the Father calls it ADULTERY.

The Philistines call it CHILD ABUSE – but the Father calls it CHASTENING and CORRECTION.

The Philistines call it BEING BALANCED - but the Father calls it LUKEWARM and it makes HIM SICK!

The Philistines call it MISSING CHURCH – but the Father calls it FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF YOURSELVES TOGETHER.

The Philistines call it HAVING A STRONG WILL – but the Father calls it STUBBORNNESS AND REBELLION.

The Philistines call it a FIB – but the Father calls it a LIE and TRUCEBREAKERS.

The Philistines call it HOLDING A GRUDGE – but the Father calls it BITTERNESS and UNFORGIVING.

The Philistines call it TELLING YOUR SIDE – but the Father calls it SOWING DISCORD AMONG THE BRETHREN.

We could go and on, but Isaac said, “We are going to call it the names that the Father called it!”