Obey Your Thirst

By Rev. Timothy Porter

INTRIDUCTION:

A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later....

"Da-ad...."

"What?"

"I’m thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"

"No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."

"WHAT?"

"I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"

We all thirst for something…

* We long to feel loved

* We long to experience happiness & joy

* We desperately search for meaning and significance

SPRITE ® in it’s latest marketing campaigns has enticed us with it’s slogan, “Image is nothing. Thirst is everything. OBEY YOUR THIRST!”. (like a sugared-up, fizzy, lemon-lime beverage has the ability to satisfy the deep longings of your soul! – Geesh!)

The result is an even greater thirst that seems as though it will never be satisfied. Jesus teaches is about thirst, and how to truly quench our thirst, and he tells it through an experience…

John 4:5-24 - Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink of water?”

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

The woman said “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” (nothing to draw water with) she said, “and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?”

Jesus replied, “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.” “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me some of that water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again….” (NLT)

The woman at the well was looking for something… she was studying a religion that she was not allowed to be a part of; she went through a slew of marriages and deice that to live with someone might be less painful.

She was thirsty – but not for water, she was thirsty for acceptance, love, meaning, happiness, God –and Jesus knew that. So Jesus made her an offer – and all she had to do was obey her thirst.

John 7:37-38 - On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.” (NLT)

In the woods behind my house, on the back side of the farm, there is a spring. It is an awesome thing to see. In the middle of this large, flat slab of rock is this crystal clear water bubbling up out of the ground. A few feet away are dirty, stagnant puddles. You could sit down by that spring and drink all day long and never drink it dry, as a matter of fact, it will put out more water than you could ever consume.

Jesus promises a life that is overflowing… an abundant life… for all of those who will obey their thirst for Him. If you are going to truly satisfy your thirst, you have to choose to…

Drink from the faucet - not the drain…

You can choose to satisfy your thirst by doing whatever feels right at the time. This will temporarily satisfy you, though you will be more thirsty when you are done. The thing that you thought would satisfy only drain you, and you are left parched and dehydrated. If you sucked hard enough on the drain all you will get is a bunch of _________. Well, you know… you get the best that the cesspool of life can regurgitate on you. And that is what many people settle for.

OR you can choose to satisfy your thirst by doing what God says. This will satisfy you for good. Though it might be painful, hard, counter-cultural, unpopular, it will satisfy you. It will become a constantly running faucet that does not run dry.