ARE YOU THIRSTY?
Human Beings are largely composed of water.The orange juice or coffee you drank this morning was mostly water. The eggs or toast contains more water than we realize. Vegetables /fruits all contain water, even the air we breathe has high moisture content, (I wonder if we could really see ourselves with the exceptional eye, would we see essentially water residing in a body consisting of organized cells, organs, and bones.) About seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by water. (On December 26, 2004 an enormous earthquake under the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami. A huge wave of water, thousands and thousands of people were killed. Can you imagine that?) Too much water can certainly kill people. On the other hand, if we do not get enough water to drink we will get thirsty and we will die.
There are more than physical needs in our lives. We also need peace and happiness; fulfillment and satisfaction; we need to be connected to others -like the song says, "We all need somebody to lean on." Even though someone may be alive physically, they may be dead emotionally, socially. What about our soul, spirit – the other parts of us.
Turn with me to:
John 7:37-39
On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus was standing in the temple courtyard. He said loudly, "Whoever is thirsty must come to me to drink. As Scripture says, 'Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.” Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom his believers would receive. (The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Jesus had been glorified.)
In John 4
We read of the Samaritan woman going to the well and the spoken exchange between Jesus and her. In verse 13 He says: “everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will NEVER get thirsty again – EVER. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life” Water is mostly applied to the Spirit, (Heb 10:22,) He washes and cleanses us from the pollutions with water. Jesus came to give us new life, new minds why not new living water. Now it is called living water not because it is life giving but because it flows from a living fountain. Those who are dried up, thirsty can go and drink.
When we drink from the world, we will always be thirsty, always searching, always craving for more, the world only offers temporary satisfaction, it will not last. When we drink from Christ, WE WILL NEVER THIRST AGAIN, JESUS alone satisfies the longing of the heart. Jesus Himself said that from the innermost being, rivers of living waters will flow. “Innermost being” is literally, “belly.” The belly is the inner part of us that is always craving something. (Example: the craving for a chocolate, when eaten – happy, later you are craving something again). Or you are in the garden with a straw hat and gloves on, pulling out the weeds – sweat running like rivers down your back. All of a sudden your spouse comes out with a long tall glass of iced cool drink – how refreshing, oh relieve. As such our spirit yearns to be quenched as well.
Now it has been my experience and wonderings has there ever been a flowing abundant river of living water running out of me? (Could you imagine how strange that would be if it was meant literally.) If I were to be honest, there has been a trickle, some drought and dried up patches. However Jesus’ words give me HOPE, if my life does not match His description IT CAN! SO CAN YOURS! This is a promise from God to all who come to HIM and drinks: OUT OF YOUR INNERMOST BEING WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATERS!
However because of sin in our lives and our measure of faith do we really believe that living waters are in us.
In John we learn that Jesus was FLESH, He is also the BREAD OF LIFE, HE IS GOD, SO WHY WOULD HE NOT GIVE US LIVING WATER. Are we able to make such a promise as human beings, we all need to come to Jesus and drink? Whether you grew up in a Christian home, orphanage or a church and maybe you are/ could be the sweetest person or a convicted criminal, this offer is for all of us.
Rev22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let those who hear this say, "Come!" Let those who are thirsty come! Let those who want the water of life take it as a gift.
Now I do not know how many of you buy water to drink, but this is 100% free. Jesus did not say “If anyone is thirsty, keep digging and eventually you’ll hit water!” (He didn’t say, “If anyone is thirsty, let him join the church, get baptized, take communion, do penance, give money to the church, clean up your life, and attend church every Sunday!”) Jesus simply said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” “Me” implies that it is a personal relationship with Jesus, not a bunch of religious rules or rituals.
To appreciate (understand) Jesus’ claim here, we need to note the setting. It is the Feast of Tabernacles (now the feast of Tabernacles that Jesus was talking about) which was a harvest feast of thanksgiving to God. Isaiah 12:3 says, “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” And Isaiah 44:3 states, “For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants.”
Jesus cries, “If anyone is thirsty….” You have to be thirsty for God. In Revelation 21:6b, Jesus says, “I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.”
You have to have a hunger for Jesus,however because of sin people either don’t recognize their thirst or they seek to satisfy it in wrong ways. They think that success, money, fame, sexual pleasure, or other things will satisfy the inner thirst. But thirsting for things other than God will not satisfy. We need to discover that we are guilty, empty, needy sinners. Till we know that we are lost, once we recognize our thirst for God, the good news is that the offer is a free gift. You don’t have to work all your life to earn it. If you will believe in Him and come to the person of the promise who is the eternal God, who gave Himself on the cross for our sins. The condition of the promise is that you must be spiritually thirsty. The simplicity of the promise is that all you have to do is come to Jesus and drink.
In the upper room (In John 14) Jesus said he would send us a helper, we will know Him as He will abide in us and with us, now you are wondering, “If the Holy Spirit is living in me, then why don’t I experience the rivers of living water inside of me and flowing from me?
Paul states in Gal 5, that we must learn to walk in the Holy Spirit to experience His fullness.
Walking is something we have to learn how to do as children. At first, we fall a lot. It’s a slow, step by step process that will gradually get you where you’re going if you keep at it. To walk by the Spirit means that each day in every situation you yield yourself to Him, relying on Him to work in and through you. If during the day the flesh rears its ugly head with impure thoughts, selfishness, anger, or whatever, confess it to the Lord, turn from it, and ask the Holy Spirit to control your thoughts, words, and actions again. As you learn to walk this way daily, slowly the living waters grow within you.
People are dying of thirst. You and I are to be the rivers of living water that these dying people need. As they see Christ in us (the fruit of the Spirit), and want what we have, we can tell them how they can come to Jesus and drink. Not only then, lost people desperately need what we believe can give them.
However the rivers should also flow from us to other believers, especially to those who may be going through a dry spell. As you’re filled with the Spirit and satisfied in Christ, you can overflow to those around you, beginning in your home. If you only come to church to get something for yourself, you’ll be like the Dead Sea. It’s so salty that nothing can live in it because it has rivers flowing into it, but nothing flows out of it. When you come to church, come with the prayer, “Lord, fill me with your Spirit and flow out of me toward those who may be thirsty.” As you allow the rivers to flow out of you to others, you’ll discover that you’re actually more filled than before you gave out!
Conclusion
What should you do in response to Jesus’ promise here? Have you experienced that thirst because your last name isn't quite like those around you? Or because your speech still carries a slight accent? Or because you are cast aside and treated like a leper? Are you always searching, looking for something, anything?
Conclusion:
As you sit here, your mind running ahead, criticizing all you do are “rivers of living water flowing from your innermost being” pouring out of you? If it doesn’t describe you at all, then come to Jesus and drink! If you have to admit that it’s more like a trickle, make it your priority to be satisfied daily with the riches of Christ, the gifts of the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit and ask Him to fill you. Then get your focus off yourself and onto those you can bless.
Jesus doesn’t just have what our souls need; he is what our souls need.
This is God’s invitation to you. Not just mine. But God’s.
Come, drink, live.
