Steps to An Overflowing Life
Steps to an Overflowing Life
John 7:37-39
Have you ever been so thirsty that all you could think about was getting a cool drink of water? I can remember times when I was driving a combine cutting and thrashing wheat when I became extremely thirsty. Cutting wheat in Western Kansas on a hot, sunny day with dust blowing in your face, I couldn’t wait to get a cool – cold drink of water. I would go to the large can of water that had a chunk of ice in it and pour out a large glass. That drink was the most satisfying thing I would do all day.
The human body contains 80% fluids. We are basically like a blob of fluid walking with skin and bones. Water is essential to life. A person who is water depraved is in trouble. Without water the mind plays tricks, vital organs become weak. Water is critical to life.
The context of John 7:37-39 takes place in the temple in Jerusalem. The Jewish Feast of Tabernacle was being celebrated. During the seven day celebration each morning the priest filled a silver pitcher with water from the pool of Siloam and carried it down a path lined by people. As the priest passed the people joyfully chanted, “With joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3 Trumpets blasted as the priest entered the temple and poured out the water around the altar. The priest did this once a day. This act reminded the people that God provided water for the people Israel from a rock under the leadership of Moses.
Then on the last day the priest circled the altar seven times dousing the altar with seven vessels of water. Probably at that moment Jesus stood and in a loud clear voice said: “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.”
I. Come Thirsty
The first step to an overflowing life is to “come thirsty.” “If anyone is thirsty let him come.” John 7:37 Jesus also said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Why don’t people come to Jesus to drink? Because their life is so full of the things of this world that they are stuffed and don’t feel the need to come to Jesus.
Sin keeps a person from coming to Jesus. Sin keeps a person’s soul shriveled, calloused and hard. Satan, the god of this world, blinds the hearts of people and fills their life with junk food so they are so stuffed they are not hungry or thirsty for the springs of living water.
A life lacking spiritual water has a dehydrated heart. A dehydrated heart results in tempers that flare, being overcome with worry, guilt, fear, hopelessness, sleeplessness, loneliness, resentment, irritable, and insecure. These are all signs of a dehydrated heart.
Dehydrated hearts show up in people who are (slides of people) 1. Stringy, 2. Self focused, 3. Sour, and 4. Legalistic.
History tells us that in 1665 an epidemic left a hundred thousand people in London dead. No cure was known. But the plague of sin makes the Black Plague seem like a little cut. No person can sidestep the infection of sin. Sin sees the world without God.
When God is left out of people’s life the result is lawlessness. The Apostle Paul describes the results and outcome when sin is given full reign in Romans 1:21,24, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was their minds became dark and confused. So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.” NLT
Jesus calls us to come thirsty and drink. We can pray from our hearts, “Lord Jesus I come thirsty. I come to drink and thank you for your death and resurrection. I’m turning my life over to you. I’m going to drink deeply of the living water of life. I thank your for your love and forgiveness.
II. Drink
The second step is to “Drink.” Jesus called out, “If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink!” John 7:37-38
To drink of the living water is a choice. No one can force you to swallow water. No one can force you to drink the water of life.
Jesus is not calling people to come and accept a certain doctrine or creed or belief. Jesus said, “Come to me.” The gospel is all about knowing Jesus in a personal way. If you leave out Jesus all your beliefs end up in futility.
The story is told about an Englishman who lived in Cairo who visited an Arab Chief in Arabia. The Englishman was treated with such kindness and royalty that he invited the Chief to visit him in Cairo, Egypt. He promised to show him the great sights of the city.
The Arab Chief made the journey with his entourage to Cairo. The Englishman arranged for the Arabs to stay in the finest Hotel in Cairo.
The next day the Englishman went to the hotel to greet his guests and show them the great sights of Cairo. He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He could hear voices in the room but no one came to the door. The door was unlocked so he opened the door and quietly slipped into the room. He found the chief and his group huddled together in the bathroom. They were turning the faucet on and off, splashing the water on each other and talking like excited children.
The Englishman said, “Friends, it is time for us to be going to see the great sights of Cairo, the pyramids, the Sphinx, the museums, etc.
The Arab Chief answered, “Sir, we’re not interested in all those sights. As you know, we come from Arabia, where water is as scarce as gold. But here you can turn on this spigot and get all the water you want. As far as we are concerned this is the greatest sight in Cairo!”
On the last day of their visit the Englishman came to the hotel to tell them goodbye. He knocked on the door and again there was no response. He quietly slipped into the room and found the Arabs gathered in the bathroom again. He looked in amazement as one man had a pickaxe in his hand and was digging into the wall. Another man was using a wrench on the pipe. The Englishman cried out, “Stop what you’re doing. You’re destroying hotel property.”
The Arab Chief calmly said, “Please don’t be angry with us!” We are returning to Arabia and you know how scarce water is in our country. We want to take this water faucet with us so we will have all the water we want.”
We can have a multitude of things, creeds, beliefs, doctrines, in our lives, but without Jesus, the source, our life will not overflow.
In John 4:9-10, Jesus asked the woman at Jacob’s well in Sycar for a drink of water. The woman said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 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 questioned Jesus how he could give her a drink because he didn’t have a rope or a bucket to get water out of the deep well. She also questioned Jesus on how he could give better water than Jacob who dug the well.
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.” John 4:11-13
In the temple in John 7 Jesus continues this theme of giving living water. John 7:38 the verbs are in the present tense: “He that believeth on me (continues to believe) as the scripture has said, out of inner most parts (soul) shall (continuously) flow rivers of living water.”
When you make the commitment to become a Christ followers you are making a commitment to make that commitment daily. You don’t come and make a one - time commitment and say, “Well I’m set for life.” Daily we keep drinking the water of life. Daily we come to Jesus and seek His blessing and guidance.
Ephesians 5:18, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead let the Holy Spirit fill you and control you.” Here again is continuous action: “Keep on being filled, keep on drinking the water of life.”
III. Overflow
The Third step- is to overflow. The source of the overflow is from within like an artesian well. John 7:39 “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.”
Jesus said to the woman by the well in Samaria, “A spring of water gushing up inside that person giving eternal life.” John 4:14 NCV
The overflowing life is the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on all who confess Jesus as Lord of their lives.
Overflow happens when we become empty of our self and full of God. Overflow comes when we fully surrender to God’s will and daily pray, “Not my will be Thy will be done.” Overflow comes when we make Jesus Lord and Master of our lives.
The Apostle Paul prayed for the Christian in Ephesus that they may “know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19
An overflowing life is all about total surrender. Romans 12:1, “Therefore (Because God is creator and Lord of all, all wisdom and knowledge) Romans 11:33-36, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
When we come to a place in our Christian walk that we get out of the way and let God take over, we begin to overflow with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self control.”
Paul prayed for the Christians in Thessalonica, I Thessalonians 5:23-24, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
Do you actually believe He will do it? That you can overflow with love?
The question is not “how to get more of the Holy Spirit?” “But how can I give the Holy Spirit more of me?”
When we receive Jesus as Savior we have the Holy Spirit in our life. He is resident. When we surrender our all to the Lord the Holy Spirit becomes president – Lord of our life.
I saw in my mother the overflow of love. When my mother was ridiculed and treated unjustly. I saw her respond in love and kindness. In every circumstance my mother prayed and responded in love.
The illustration by Robert Boyd Munger, “My Heart---Christ’s Home” describes how to yield our lives to the Lord.
One evening Jesus was invited to visit the home of a certain homeowner.. Jesus was given a tour of the house. First Jesus was shown the study and library. As Jesus looked at the books the person became embarrassed. Jesus said the person needed to keep His Word central above all other books.
Next Jesus was shown the dining room. Jesus was shown the menu and the favorite dishes of the homeowner: academic degrees, stocks, fame and fortune. When the dishes were set before Jesus he did not eat anything. Jesus said, “If you want food that really satisfies you will do the will of your heavenly Father. Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires and satisfaction.”
From the dining room Jesus walked to the living room. They sat down by the fireplace. Jesus said he would like to meet often there with the homeowner. The homeowner used to take his bible from the case and read and pray every day, but his busy schedule interfered and he had been neglecting taking time to meet with Jesus. Jesus said that many times he was waiting in the living room but the homeowner never showed up.
Then they went to the workroom. The workroom was a work- bench in the garage. There were many tools laid out on the worktable. The homeowner had made several little toys for his children. Jesus asked: “What are you producing with your life for the Kingdom of God?” Jesus asked him to trust Him to guide the homeowner and allow Him to work through the homeowner to accomplish God’s will.
Next Jesus asked the homeowner if he had a recreation room where he went for fun and fellowship. He was hoping Jesus wouldn’t ask about his activities because Jesus would approve or bless some of them.
One day the homeowner found Jesus waiting for him at the door if the house for him. Jesus said, “There is a peculiar ordor in the house. There must be something dead upstairs. I think it’s in the hall closet.” As soon as Jesus mentioned the hall closet the homeowner knew what Jesus was talking about. He had some things in the closet that he didn’t want Jesus to see. They were things stored away that were left over for his life before he accepted Jesus. Why did Jesus have to go and open the closet door? The homeowner had given access to the dining room, the workroom, and the recreation room, why did he need access to the closet? He wanted to keep the closet key for himself. Jesus said he could not stay in the house with the horrible smell. After a time of struggle the homeowner gave the hall closet key to Jesus and told Jesus he would have to clean it out because he didn’t have the strength to do it. Jesus said, “Just give me the key.” Jesus proceeded to clean out the stink and stuff that was rotting there and got all the dead things out of the homeowner’s life.
Then the homeowner got a great idea. He asked Jesus, “Lord, is there any chance that You would take over the management of the whole house and operate it for me and keep my life what it should be?” With love and joy Jesus said, “I’d be glad to! That is what I do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own strength.”
Dropping to his knees the homeowner said, “Lord, You have been a guest and I have been a host. From now on I am going to be the servant and You are going to be owner and Master. The homeowner took his strongbox and took out the title deed to the house and signed it over to Jesus. He said, “Here it is, all that I am and have, forever. Now you run the house. His heart became Christ’s home.
Jesus gives the invitation, Come, Drink and Overflow… This morning Jesus is asking you for the master key to your life. Will you allow Jesus to have access to every room of your life and fill you with His love so you will overflow with love and fruit of the Spirit?
Let us pray.
