It only works, if you drink it
Pastor Danny Williams – April 5, 2008
John 7:37-39
Rivers of Living Water
John 7:37(BK) On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, (BL) "If anyone thirsts, let him(BM) come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me,(BN) as[f] the Scripture has said,(BO) ’Out of his heart will flow rivers of(BP) living water.’" 39Now(BQ) this he said about the Spirit,(BR) whom those who believed in him were to receive,(BS) for as yet the Spirit had not been(BT) given,(BU) because Jesus was not yet glorified.
It is important to note the order of these seven feasts, for they give us a “prophetic calendar” for both Israel and the church.
1. The religious year opened with Passover, which pictures the death of Christ.
2. On the day following the Passover Sabbath (a Sunday), the Israelites celebrated First fruits, picturing our Lord’s resurrection from the dead.
3. The week following Passover was devoted to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when all the leaven was put out of the houses. This illustrates the sanctification of believers as they put sin out of their lives.
All of this took place in the first month of the year.
4. Fifty days after First fruits is the NT Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the church. In the seventh month, three feasts were celebrated.
5. The Feast of Trumpets opened the month, reminding us of the gathering of God’s people when the Lord returns.
6. On the tenth day was the Day of Atonement, illustrating the cleansing of God’s people;
7. and from the fifteenth to the twenty-first days, the Jews joyfully celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, picturing the blessings of the future kingdom.
On the seventh month -
Last day of Feast - Feast of Tabernacles ( 23:33–44 )
For seven days, the Jews were to live in booths, reminding them of God’s provision and protection when they were in the wilderness.
Vs 43that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."
The Feast of Tabernacles was the final and most important holiday of the year.
The importance of this festival is indicated by the statement, “This is to be a lasting ordinance.”
The divine pronouncement, “I am the Lord your God,” concludes this section on the holidays of the seventh month.
Leviticus 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
God is saying what I brought you out of is forever!
The last day was dramatic!
It was a celebration; it was a dramatic way to express to God their need for rain, the water that them the fruit of the ground.
The feast would symbolize, how they would rejoice when The Lord came!
It was right at the moment when the people shouting and dancing around,
Shouting: Hosanna, meaning – save please!
Psalm 118:25 - It is a cry to God for help. Help, save me"
Isaiah 12:2-6
Can I tell you that Jesus hears our Hosanna cry?
It was at that moment! Vs.37
Look with me: Vs. 37
Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Jesus stood up! – I thank God, Jesus stood up! While the world sits down, Jesus Stood up!
When no one else hears my cry, Jesus stood up!
When I cry Hosanna, Jesus stands up!
When I cry for help, Jesus stands up!
Amen?
When no one cares Jesus stood up! The announcement is indicated by the statement, “This is to be a lasting ordinance.”
This will last!!
( a teacher always sat in that day)
He startled and shocked the people to attention!
Why?
Because sometimes, I can’t hear, him for all the noise around me.
I need to hear Jesus shout over me!
Picture thousands of voices shouting, “for God to send living rain, God save us!
Then the Thunder of Jesus Voice!
And cried out!
If anyone –a corporate call
Who is anyone? Anyone, you know what anyone means in Greek? Anyone!
What does it mean in English? Any person at all!
No exceptions,
Are you an anyone?
Do we understand what Jesus meant?
He meant anyone.
Question -
Do you know anyone?
Are they thirsty?
Yes, but their thirst may be mistaken for other things
The counterfeit of thirst is lust, greed or even pain.
Do you know anyone who is hurting?
Then they are thirsty.
Thirsts – What does it mean to thirst?
Not thirsty, which is temporary,,, but Thirsts!!!
Not the ground, but my Soul!
: an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing : a strong desire especially for something unattainable
Jesus says if you have a desire for something that everyone says you can’t have. If you have an intense urge, a knot in your stomach for something more!!!
A thirst! Do you have a thirst? Deep down inside of you, not in your mouth, in your heart!
Oh’ God give us a thirst!!
thirst ~ (B) ~ A great desire for God - Psalm 42
1(B) As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2(C) My soul thirsts for God,
for(D) the living God.
When shall I come and(E) appear before God?
Jesus says if you have this kind of thirst,
Let him – a personal invitation.
It has to be personal>>>>
Come to me – not to a church, not to a preacher, not to a law or a doctrine,,,,,,
He said come to me!
A complete surrender of our life!
Isaiah 55:1 come everyone who is thirsty.
AND Drink – not draw!
Let me explain, most preachers only draw from the word, so they can give it to someone else.
People draw from the word to give it to someone else
The woman at the well in John 4 was drawing water,
But Jesus said Drink.
Drawing is what you do for someone else
Drinking is what you take in!!!
Not Baptism, that’s outside,
This is inside!
How? Do we drink?
This is the message that shook the world?
It only works if you drink it!
Five essentials steps for a drink,
1. Your thirst must be for Christ alone – He is the only source of Life!
He is the only one who can quench the thirst of a thirsty heart.
Living water comes only through believing on Christ!
John 6:35 - Jesus said to them, (A) "I am the bread of life;(B) whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst
How do we drink? By Next verse, 38 Whoever believes in me,
Believing!
So if my drinking depends so greatly on believing.
Then my foundation of Believing must be right.
I said last week right living comes from right believing!
What is the foundation of right Belief?
2. Your belief must be from Scripture alone – Belief is found in Scripture,
Look again
Vs 38 - as the Scripture has said
This is Jesus saying as the scripture says,
Isaiah 58:11
Not in opinion, not in perception, hear say, folk tales
In scripture!
3. Your receiving is from Grace alone - ’Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’"
Let me make this clear, Jesus is the source of the Holy Spirit flowing!
This is the only place in the bible, the term Living water is defined!
When Jesus spoke of giving living water, He meant he would give,
Give, by grace, How?
By grace, By his shed blood,
Eph. 1:7 In whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
Eph. 2:4-8
Flow, constant!
Flow to move forward,
Rivers, not river!
4. Your believing is by Faith alone – Not by works, not feasts.
vs. 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive,
Only those who believe in Christ would receive the Holy Spirit.
John 4:13-14
Galatians 3:14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might(A) come to the Gentiles, so that(B) we might receive(C) the promised Spirit[a] through faith.
Through the Law?
5. Your purpose is for the Glory to be for God alone –
for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Only when Jesus is glorified will the Spirit come!
Come on somebody!
Satan may not be able to stop the believing,
But he will assault the Glorifying.
Casting doubt,
John 1:10-11 – he came to his own,
God wants glory out of our lives,
Two responses: Division among the People
40When they heard these words,(BV) some of the people said, "This really is(BW) the Prophet."
41Others said, "This is(BX) the Christ.
" But some said,(BY) "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes(BZ) from the offspring of David, and comes(CA) from Bethlehem, the village(CB) where David was?"
43So there was(CC) a division among the people over him.
44(CD) Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
