I. Introduction
1. The Text: John 7:37-38
2. The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated with certain festival rituals.
3. One was a solemn procession each day from the temple to the Gihon Spring.
4. A priest filled a gold pitcher with water while the choir sang Isaiah 12:3. –Therefore with joy shall you draw water from the wells of salvation.
5. Then they returned to the altar and poured out the water.
6. This ritual reminded them of the water from the rock during the wilderness wanderings (Num. 20:8-11; Ps. 78:15-16).
7. It also spoke prophetically of the coming days of Messiah (cf. Zech. 14:8, 16-19).
8. The Feast’s seventh and last day was its greatest (cf. Lev. 23:36).
9. Jesus stood, in contrast with the Rabbis’ usual position of being seated while teaching.
10. Said in a loud voice that startled the listeners for this was an important revelation
11. 7:38. Streams of living water will flow from within one who believes in Jesus.
12. That is, he will have a continual source of satisfaction, which will provide life continually (cf. 4:14).
13. When Jesus added, As the Scripture has said, 7:39. John explained that the “living water” (v. 38) was the coming gift of the Holy Spirit.
1. The Spirit within a believer satisfies his need of God, and provides him with regeneration, guidance and empowerment. In the earliest Greek manuscripts, the words,
2. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, are simply, “for there was not yet Spirit”.
3. “The Spirit had not [yet] been given” to indwell believers permanently (cf. Ps. 51:11).
4. That happened after Jesus was glorified, that is after His death, resurrection and Ascension. “Glorified
14. It was a promise of the power of God within man to sustain him or her under any circumstances
B. The Mandate
1. Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
a. Here we witness the real attitude of a worshiper
b. In those days, people left their usual occupations and at the time of the great festivals turned their faces toward Zion.
c. The temple was a real community center
d. No one would dare miss the opportunity to worship and praise the Lord
2. Make a Joyful Noise:
a. Make –
i. create – bring it into existence - especially with the use of imagination
ii. produce – to cause it to happen
iii. develop --- to add details to a basic plan ; build up
b. Joyful – full of joy ; cheerful
c. Noise - - a collection of sounds, not being on the same time nor of the same language or background.
3. This means there are some situations in which it may be difficult to make a joyful noise.
4. We have this mandate to make sure that the noise is cheerful
5. What kind of noise are you making?
6. Anyone can make a noise, but is it a joyful of noise
7. Make a joyful noise in these trying times?
8. People have real problems
9. It begins with themselves
10. If you have a problem praising God, check yourself first
11. You may be making a noise, but is it a joyful noise?
12. I did not ask if you were happy, but is your noise happy about God
13. A joyful noise can only come when there is peace between the noise maker and God
14. These are pressured times
15. But there is an urgent need to praise God
16. The urgency is not that God needs it, but that
17. He knows you need it.
18. Praise is not an option,
19. It is required
20. God requires praise as an act of obedience for who He is
21. And to enrich your life for service
II. A Noise in My Belly
A. The Purpose of the Noise
1. The purpose of the praise is to develop the right attitude for service
2. Attitude precedes service
3. A noise is a sound, esp. one that is loud or unpleasant or that causes disturbance
4. It comes from an old French and original Latin phrase that means to make nauseous
5. It is has the purpose of getting your attention
6. You cannot ignore a noise
7. It provides a stimulus for action
a. Tornado warning
b. Police or fire siren
8. But in this Scripture it refers to the type of sound that prepares for that which intimidates the devil –the praises of the people of God
9. For the Lord inhabits the praises of His people
a. When praises go up the Blesser comes down
b. Where Jesus is there is liberty
10. That is why it is hard to keep still with a Noise in Your Belly
11. Your shouting and dancing means nothing when your praise is tainted with too much of you.
12. What is the quality of your noise?
13. What comes out of you is a direct reflection of what is in you
B. Out of My Belly
1. The source of appetite
2. An empty belly cries out for nourishment
3. Jesus cried out saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink . . .”
4. He sends nourishment to meet the desperate need for the appetite for peace, loneliness, love, contentment
5. He told the woman at the well”, . . .. whosoever drinks of the water I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14)
6. He also said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”(John 10:10)
7. What is in your belly?
III. Conclusion
A. Rivers of Living Water
1. Jesus said,
a. Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled (satisfied)
b. The problem today is that the devil has hushed our noise
2. Too many problems
3. Too many bills
4. Too many screaming children tugging at you
5. Too many of everybody tugging at you
6. You need to do this and you need to do that
7. It is nothing new
8. Such is the course of life
9. But the devil wants to use it to quiet your noise
10. The prophet Jeremiah got discouraged one day
11. Jer. 20:9 (KJV) Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
12. One songwriter said, “You don’t know like I know what the Lord has done for me”
13. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion
14. The people were rejoicing and shouting hosanna, blessed is he that comes in the name of the lord
15. And the critics tried to get Jesus to make them be quiet
16. And Jesus gave them an answer: Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
17. The psalmist said, I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth
18. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad
19. It was never designed to be quiet.
20. It is a noise of praise.
B. Make Some Noise
1. Regardless of circumstances and situations
2. Regardless of how long I have been silent
3. I won’t be silent any more
4. The Lord is worthy
5. Worthy of all the praise
6. With my lips I will praise Him
7. With my hands I will praise Him
8. With my heart I will praise Him
9. With my life I will praise Him
10. Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord
a. As long as I live, I will praise Him
b. With my whole heart I will praise Him
c. He is worthy of the praise
11. When I was in the pit I lost my praise
a. Out of the miry clay
b. He had to teach me to sing again
c. Put a new song in my mouth
12. But when God raised me up
13. The noise in my belly became a praise from my lips
14. I will offer the sacrifice of praise
