Living Water For A Thirsty Soul.

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Background: ‘Sukkot’.

(2). Jesus: Announcement.

(3). Water: Symbolism.

(4). Cross: Paradox.

(5). Salvation: Choice

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• According to the American radio and television writer Andy Rooney.

• The two biggest sellers in any bookstore, are the cookbooks and the diet books.

• The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food,

• And the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it.

Ill:

• Orson Welles once said,

• “My doctor has advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for four,

• Unless, of course, there are three other people eating with me.”

Ill:

• A California scientist has computed that the average human being,

• Eats 16 times his or her own weight in an average year,

• While a horse eats only eight times its weight.

• This all seems to prove that if you want to lose weight, you should eat like a horse.

• TRANSITION: Harvest is a time to give thanks to God for the food,

• But without sunshine and rain, there is no food!

• I want to speak on water:

• “If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink!

Ill:

• Peter Cotterell missionary story.

• Often, we do not appreciate what we have been given!

• On one occasion visited a Chief in Ethiopia and the Chief asked him this question,

• “How long does it take your woman to fetch the water?”

• Peter thought to himself, how do you explain the system of pipes and a tap etc.

• He tried his best to answer, then asked the same question to the Chief.

• The Chief replied, “It takes my woman six hours”

• He then added, “Instant water, how happy the people of London must be!”

• TRANSITION: We take it for granted,

• But we forget that it is a luxury many people in the world do not have!

(1). Background: ‘Sukkot’.

Reading: John chapter 7 verse 37 to 39.

37On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me! 38If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”? 39(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

• The festival of shelters:

• Was a type of harvest festival that lasted 7 days (in time, an extra day was added).

• In English we call it, the Feast of Shelters/booths/Tabernacles,

• In the Hebrew language much simpler, one name: Sukkot.

It was one of the big 3, one of the major feasts:

• Although other festivals or holy days are mentioned in the Old Testament.

• e.g. Purim, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah/New Year),

• The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Day of Assembly (Azaret)

• There were three major feasts/festivals:

• Passover, Pentecost & Shelters.

• It was compulsory for all Jewish men who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem to attend,

• And a good Jew outside that area would also try to be there for the festivals.

• At the time of Jesus, the population of Jerusalem could increase four-fold!

• As pilgrims flooded the city.

These three (Passover, Pentecost & Shelters) were seen as the key ones:

• NUMBER 1: The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Pesach/Passover),

• (Passover was a time when the Jews remembered their time in Egypt. Slaves/freedom)

The other two feasts were agricultural. When the Jews thanked God for the harvest.

• NUMBER 2: The Feast of Weeks (Shavout/Pentecost),

• Where the Jews thanked God for the harvest of grain.

• This feast took place about seven weeks after Passover.

• That is when the grain harvest would be for the Jews.

• As Christians we remember God's gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

• Acts chapter 2.

• NUMBER 3: And the Feast of Shelters/booths/tabernacles (Sukkoth).

• In the early autumn. Jews gave thanks for the harvest of grapes.

• Grapes were the fruit which they made into wine (Deuteronomy 16:13).

• At this feast, Jews left their houses and lived under shelters [also called tabernacles].

• They made the tabernacles with the branches of trees.

• This was to remind them that God gave them food and drink in the desert.

• Moses led them through this desert after they left Egypt.

• God provided their food in the desert by a miracle.

• Then he also provided a land called Israel for them to live in.

• You can read about the Feast of Booths in Leviticus chapter 23 & Deuteronomy chapter 16.