Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to today's broadcast. For today's message, I have just one verse to read, and it's from the prophet Zechariah.

It's Zechariah chapter 13 and verse 1, where Zechariah records these words. In that day, there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. My title For today, and my subject for today, I give directly from the text, There Shall Be a Fountain Opened. This prophecy from Zechariah about the Lord Jesus Christ sets forth the Old Testament hope of the salvation of sinners. I have just four things to try to give you today on this broadcast about this prophecy of Zechariah, about this fountain being opened. And remember, Zechariah is quite clear, in that day, in that day there shall be a fountain open for things.

Number one, it is a fountain where sin and uncleanness is dealt with. You hear what I said? It's a fountain where sin and uncleanness is dealt with. Now, the reason this sin and uncleanness must be dealt with is because God is called a thrice holy God.

We read in Isaiah, Isaiah chapter six, mainly verses one through four of Isaiah receiving this vision of God seated upon his throne, high and lifted up, and his train, his train, that which followed behind him, it filled the temple. And there were cherubims around that throne, and they were crying, holy, holy, holy. And those cherubims each had six wings, and two of those wings they used, these holy angels, used to cover their faces. And they would cry before the throne of God, holy, holy, holy. This is why it's a fountain open for sin and uncleanness, because the thrice holy God cannot have fellowship. cannot have anything to do with union and love and compassion. He cannot have fellowship with sin and uncleanness.

I don't care whether it's immoral uncleanness or whether it's some kind of moral uncleanness. There are a lot of things in our day now that are claimed to be moral when years ago they were claimed to be immoral. So morality just shifts back and forth with the times. But I don't care whether it's some kind of immoral uncleanness and sin. I don't care whether it's some kind of religious uncleanness and sin. I don't care whether it's some kind of societal uncleanness and sin.

And there's also the sin of self-righteousness. What's that really mean? What's this sin of self-righteousness? It's anything that I think that I do, anything that I think that I do that makes me acceptable to God or would give God some kind of communion with me. It is a fountain where sin, as I said, this is the first thing, it is a fountain where sin and uncleanness is dealt with. See, sin and uncleanness, God must first deal with that before he'll ever commune with the likes of me. or ever commune with the likes of you.

It's simply that fact. God is not declared holy by the standard that some men think of holiness today as you don't smoke cigarettes, you don't drink liquor, and you don't go to the dirty picture shows. God is holy because he is distinct, far above us as his creatures. He is unique, and he is not only without sin, but he is absolute righteousness, absolute light, in whom John says, the apostle John said, in whom is no darkness at all.

You see, sin and uncleanness, God must first deal with before he will ever commune with the likes of me or the likes of you. It is that simple, and yet, Here is this thrice holy God saying to sinful men, sinful men, corrupt men, unclean men, saying these words, in that day there shall be a fountain opened in the house of David and to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and unclean. The very thing that is our problem, God, will deal with. That's what Zechariah said. God will deal with. I'm here to say today that God has dealt with that. He has dealt with that.

Here's the second thought. This fountain is a person. It's a person. Yes, it's a person, but it's even the person of Jesus of Nazareth. That's who it is. He didn't just open a fountain. He is the fountain. As I said, this fountain is a person. The person of Jesus Christ. Now, think about this. There's a couple thoughts here under this second thing. That is, this fountain is a person. As I've already just said, but I want to elaborate on this a little.

Christ did not open a fountain, he is the fountain opened. There's a big difference between that. A lot of people think Jesus is pointing them to the way. I mean, Aviva, you know the phrase, I'll go to hell if I don't change my ways. It ain't about that. It's about Him. It's about Jesus Christ. It's about Him being the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. He is the fountain. That fountain is a person.

And He said these words, and John recorded them. In John chapter seven, we hear the Lord Jesus Christ saying these words. John chapter seven, there's two verses. He said these words, in the last day, That great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried. And I can just almost see him in my mind's eyes, we say. I just kind of close my eyes and I picture him standing there. And in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood. So he stood and he cried. He cried. What did he cry saying?

If any man thirst, Do you see it? If any man thirst, he's not talking about physical thirst, of course. He's talking about spiritual thirst. Do you have sin and uncleanness? Are you dried up to the marrow of your bones before God because of your sin and uncleanness?

Look, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. Do you see that? Let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me. Now there we see the drinking. The drinking now Christ is defining as what? Believing. And this is not just mental acceptance of the facts about him. It's coming to him to quench your thirst. coming to him as the fountain.

Do you see it? The fountain open. He that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Do you see that? So again, I say this fountain is where sin and uncleanness is dealt with. And I will say that, this now. It has been dealt with in Jesus Christ, and that's saying the second point.

This fountain is a person. Christ didn't open the fountain. He is the fountain, but here's a second thought about that. That's the fountain being a person. Christ is not only the fountain, but he is the opener of the fountain. You hear what I said? He's not only the fountain. He's not only the fountain opened, but he is the one who opened the fountain. Christ is the only foundation. He's the only opener of this fountain.

Listen to what he said in Matthew chapter 11. And Matthew records it for us. In Matthew chapter 11, and in verse 27, we read these words, Matthew 11, 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. Now listen to the last phrase. And he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Do you see it? Christ has to open this. We're blind by nature. We can't see by nature. By nature, we're not even really thirsty. We kind of like our sin and our uncleanness. But he's the one who opens it. You see it again?

All things are delivered to be of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. And he, to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. But not only that, in John chapter One, we read John writing these words. And he records these words. John chapter one and verse 18. We read these words. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Do you see it? He hath declared him. Luke chapter 10. I'm just laying the foundation for this fact that this fountain is a person. This fountain is a person. And Christ didn't open a fountain, he is the fountain. And not only is he the fountain, he's the opener of the fountain.

Now listen to Luke chapter 10. And listen to what is said by Luke, recording the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke chapter 10 and verse 21 and 22. In that hour, Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent and has revealed them unto babes.

You see it? God did this. Now, he hid it from some people. Somebody says, does God do that? God does do that. He hid it from some people. other people he reveals it to. But he calls them babes, but even there it must be revealed to the babes. The babes have no natural ability toward this. The babes have no natural will toward this. It's even and has revealed it unto babes. And then we read these words from the Lord Jesus himself. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered to me of my Father, and no man knoweth who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. And I have one more, John chapter five. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ said again, and John records the words in John chapter five, and verse 25, 26, and 27. Truly, truly, or verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.

You see it? To have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment. That's not condemnation. That's this declaration, this verdict rendering of whom he'd give life to. That's the context. And hath given him authority to execute judgment, to render the verdict also, because he is the son of man. So again, I have to be dogmatic about this.

It is a fountain, that is this fountain that Zechariah prophesied would be opened. It is a fountain which I'm saying has been opened. This fountain is where sin and uncleanness must be dealt with. And God, God dealt with it there. And this fountain is a person. It's Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Remember, he didn't open a fountain. He is the fountain. And not only is he the fountain, but he is the opener of himself. He's the one who reveals God to anyone that ever has God revealed to them. Here's a third thought. Christ the fountain opened himself and dealt with sin and uncleanness by his suffering on the tree. Do you hear what I said? He dealt with it by his suffering on the tree.

Listen to what the book of Hebrews says. It's right off the bat. Book of Hebrews is filled with all kinds of types and symbols of the Old Testament that pointed toward Jesus Christ. Listen to how the book just starts right off the bat. Hebrews chapter one, verse one. God, who at sundry times, or that is in various times, God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. who may have the appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being in the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power," now listen to it, here it is, when he had by himself, hear what I said? By himself, he's the only fountain, he's the opener of himself, the fountain.

When he had by himself, purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Hebrews makes it clear. Sins were purged, not when you repent. Not when you believe. Sins were purged before he even ascended to the Father's right hand and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.

And he did it all by himself. He is the accomplisher of it. Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He wrote these words in Romans chapter five. And he, listen to these words. Just listen to the word of God. I will make a few comments, no doubt, but listen to what the word of God says. Romans chapter five, verse six.

For when we, excuse me, for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. So we see this. How much strength did any one of us have? Nobody. The people Jesus Christ died for are people without strength. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. That's who Christ died for. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, much more than being now justified. How? How does it say? Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

I'm saying he opened the fountain because he is the fountain and he's the one who must open it to whoever it is open to. And here he calls them people without strength. people who are sinners, people who are godly, people who are enemies. And not only so, verse 11, and not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement, or the word is reconciliation.

So again, that fountain that was to be opened. In that day there shall be a fountain opened. Do you see it? A fountain opened, for what? For sin and uncleanness. God dealt with it there. The fountain is a person, it's Jesus Christ. He is the fountain, he's the opener of the fountain. Christ opened the fountain himself and he dealt with sin and uncleanness by his suffering on the tree. It's not he did his part, now you do your part. That's not it. That's not the gospel. The gospel is this, Christ has done it all. Do you believe him? Christ has accomplished reconciliation. It's done. Do you believe him? That's the question. Here's the third thought. Here's the third thought. As I said, this is the third thought.

Christ the fountain opened himself and he dealt with sin and uncleanness by his suffering on the tree and he did it according as we looked at in Hebrews, by himself. By himself. Here's the last point for this message. Christ, the opened fountain, is opened, now listen to me, is opened even according to this prophecy, even according to Zechariah hundreds, hundreds and hundreds of years ago. This fountain, Christ opened this fountain for a specific people. Do you remember reading it? You remember hearing it? In that day, there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David. and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness." Think about the wording that Zechariah is moved by the Spirit of God to use.

Do not fall into that dispensational heresy. And there's a dispensational heresy out there that in the Old Testament, God saved the Jews a certain way. Now in the New Testament, this is only a part of it. I'm just giving you a part of this heresy. In the Old Testament, God saved those Old Testament Jews a certain way. Now in the New Testament, God saves Jew and Gentile alike through Jesus Christ a certain way, but then in the millennium or in the thousand years, then God will again save the Jews another or a different way. Salvation has always been from beginning to end of time through the personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, as I said, Christ, the open fountain, is open for a specific people.

This phrase, think of it, this phrase, the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, never, even in the Old Testament scriptures, this phrase never speaks of all Jews in any dispensation. It's the house of David, do you see it? Not the house of Israel, it's the house of David. You see it? And it's not for the inhabitants of the land of Israel. It's for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now, does the Old Testament give us any insight on this? I say, yes, it does. Here's the house of David. Listen to what my brother Isaiah wrote in Isaiah chapter 55. Listen to what he wrote. Isaiah 55, the first few verses. Isaiah 55 verse one, ho, everyone that thirsteth.

Come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? And you labor for that which satisfies not. Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me. Do you see it? and come unto me. Hear, and your soul shall live.

Listen. and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David. That's what he's talking about. He's not talking about mere physical descendants of David. He's talking about people here just like David who cried out in the mercy and forgiveness from God, even as recorded in Psalm chapter 51. Incline your ear. Come to me, here you'll live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David. Now look, behold, I've given him for a witness. Wait a minute, him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander of the people? Yes, there is a sense in which David himself was that in type and illustration and figure, but it points to a greater David, David's greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Behold, listen, behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not. Right here, it's letting us know this ain't just for physical Jews. It's not just for the descendants of David. As a matter of fact, just being a descendant of David didn't guarantee you this mercy because there were some of David's descendants that never received this mercy. Look. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the Holy One of Israel. That's Jesus Christ. That's his David's greater son. For he, you see it? For he hath glorified thee. Isn't that glorious?

It isn't if your heart's still blinded. It isn't if sin and uncleanness still dominate you. Like I said, I don't care whether it's immoral uncleanness religious uncleanness, whether you're caught up in some societal uncleanness, whether you're caught up in the uncleanness of self-righteousness, but if God Almighty has showed you that you have sin and uncleanness, you need a fountain open. I'm here to declare to you this day, that fountain is opened and that fountain is a person and that fountain opens himself up to whomsoever he will. And if you find yourself saying, I need that fountain, You're blessed of God. So again, I say don't fall into that dispensational heresy that the old salvations are different ways at different times. Salvation's always through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Talk about the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isn't that mentioned by Zachariah? Listen to how Paul puts it this way. Galatians. Let me find my spot. Listen to what Paul, how the Apostle Paul put it in Galatians chapter four, in just a few verses. 21, 421 of Galatians. Tell me ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, But he of the free woman was by promise, which things are an allegory." So what's Paul saying? He's saying those actual literal events way back yonder between Sarah and Agar and Isaac and Ishmael, these things are a picture, they're an example of a truer reality, the reality of Jesus Christ. which things are an allegory, for these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar, for this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage, still yet, after all those years, and is in bondage, even after the death of Christ, and Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with their children, but Jerusalem, which is above, is free, do you see that? Which is the mother of us all, for is written, rejoice thou barren that bearest not, break forth and cry thou that trevellest not, for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath a husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise, do you see it? And that didn't mean Jew or Gentile, Jew or Gentile, literally. Literally, if we looked at this prophecy from Zachariah, talk about the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, even it in and of itself excludes some Jews. But the blessed fountain opened, that fountain who is a person, that fountain who opened himself up to deal with uncleanness and sin, he dealt with it for all he reveals the Father to by his gospel.

Here are the inhabitants of David. Here are the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Can you relate to these two things? Can you relate to those? These are those for whom Christ the fountain opened Himself. I pray God that it's so. I pray God that He begins to show you that I'm the one with the problem of sin and uncleanness. That's what it all boils down to. It's not about being Jewish. or Gentile. It's not about being black or white. It's not about being a Baptist or a Presbyterian or a church of God or a church of Christ.

It's about knowing I have sin and uncleanness and it must be dealt with. And then all of a sudden hearing from the gospel, it's already been dealt with. Jesus Christ, the sovereign Lord, the sovereign King, the creator of heaven and earth died on the accursed tree for sinners. He dealt with the sin problem and the uncleanness problem on that tree. And I believe him. That's what it's all about. The Apostle John put it this way.

You either believe the record God gave the Son or you're calling God a liar. One or the other. There is no option here. There is no neutral ground. You either believe the record God gave His Son, and what's the record of His Son? It's done. As the old hymn writer once said, it's done, it's done, the great transaction is done. Salvation in the way of reconciliation and peace and redemption, it's accomplished. Believe Him. Just believe him for who he is. Believe him for what he's done. Believe the record God gave his son. They're in his hope again. And in that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. What? For sin and uncleanness. I need that. I need that. What about you?