NO WATER
Ps. 63:1
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. The minister gave his Sunday morning service, as usual, but this particular Sunday, it was considerably longer than normal.
2. Later, at the door, shaking hands with parishioners as they moved out, one man said, "Your sermon, Pastor, was simply wonderful - so invigorating and inspiring and refreshing."
3. The minister, of course, broke out in a big smile, only to hear the man say, "Why, I felt like a new man when I woke up!"
B. TEXT
1. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Ps. 63:1.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Isa. 55:1.
C. THESIS
1. Tonight I want us to see that there is no other way to find satisfaction than Jesus!
2. We’re going to see first that this world can’t satisfy us; secondly, see the source and value of water; and lastly, how to obtain these waters.
3. The title of this message is, “No Water.”
I. THE NATURAL WORLD HAS NO WATER
A. THERE’S NO WATER IN THIS WORLD
1. There is “no water” in this world. We often think that there is some spiritual refreshment in the natural world, but in reality there is NONE.
2. No other religion besides the worship of Jehovah has any water. They are empty man-made facades that offer peace but can provide none. The Creator God is not in them.
3. Human love, learning, pleasure, wealth, popularity, etc., all seem to offer inner satisfaction, but are mirages. They are clouds without rain. In the end, the searcher finds their soul still empty.
4. As Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man/woman that only God can fill.”
B. SUBSTITUTES ATTEMPTED
1. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the Fountain of Living Waters* and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” [Jer. 2:13; *KJV description; otherwise, NIV]
2. A cistern is a man-made, shallow collection tank, not having fresh, running water, but catching runoff rain water. It's dependent on rainfall. It can't refill itself. It's usually dirty water. They collect bugs, frogs, parasites and other trash. The water is stagnant.
3. Jesus is the Fountain of Living Waters. He’s like an artesian well: always flowing with clean, filtered, pure water. It's self-supporting. You don't have to pump it. It needs no filter. It doesn't need any rainfall.
4. We have many cisterns where we go to find a drink (relief) -- food, TV, counselors, religion, pain killers/ stress reducers, people, a book, shopping, diversions of all kinds, etc.
5. Who, after drinking at a fresh, clean artesian well, would desire to drink filthy, scummy, cistern water? What we need is the Fountain!
II. WHAT & WHERE ARE THESE WATERS?
A. WHAT ARE THE WATERS WE NEED TO DRINK?
1. What are the waters the Bible describes? The anointing of the Holy Spirit. Water is a type of the Spirit.
2. Jesus told the Samarian woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14. Jesus later promised “rivers of living water” which was identified as the Holy Spirit, John 7:38-39.
3. So Jesus offers us the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is what God intends to slake your thirst!
B. EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER
1. WATER IS THIRST-QUENCHING
a. What water is to the physical body, the Spirit is to the spiritual body.
b. The world searches for something to satiate an unknown inner need; they stagger and search everywhere for it. But only the Holy Spirit is the thirst-slaker.
c. Ps. 42:1-2; “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Ps. 143:6; “I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.” Joel 1:20; “Even the wild animals pant for you.”
2. WATER IS LIFE PRESERVING
a. To the thirsty, a drink of water is worth its weight in diamonds. A wealthy man in the desert would surrender his fortune for a drink.
b. Where there is water, there is life, growth, plants, etc.; where there is no water, there is death.
c. In Jesus is life and life abundantly – Jn. 10:10. “In Him was life and that life was the light of men” Jn. 1:4. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” 1 Jn. 5:11.
d. If you want your life preserved, then you take a refreshing draft of the living waters.
3. WATER IS FILTH-PURGING
a. When you are filthy dirty, it’s natural for most people to want to get cleaned off. What feels better – when you’re hot and sweaty – than a hot bath/shower?
b. Spiritually, we all by nature are dirty and want to be cleansed. Our sins are so defiling they would pollute the whole Atlantic ocean before being washed away.
c. But the Waters of Life can wash them away. Try it; your worst grime and filth will be transformed into a sweet aroma!
4. WATER SOFTENS THINGS THAT ARE HARD
a. Many things are softened when soaked in water. Hard dirt clods become mud. Even wood becomes bendable.
b. Spiritual waters do even better. Hearts of stone are softened into hearts of flesh. The most stiff-necked people become pliable when exposed to the power of Jesus’ love!
5. WATERS ARE FIRE-QUENCHING
There’s nothing like water for putting out fire. And for hearts on fire with anger, malice, unholy desire/ lust, the waters of life instantly put out carnal fires!
6. THIS WATER IS SPRING-CREATING
a. Jesus said He wasn’t forming a “pool” but a “well of water springing up to eternal life” John 4:14. With a pool, when you wash it all gets muddy and murky.
b. But with a running spring you can wash and then drink, because the spring water comes up and washes away the pollutants.
c. It’s hard to be a Christian with only a “pool.” To be effective, we need the waters of life to continue flowing in and through us! Then you’ll have freshness and not stale tradition.
7. WATER IS FRUIT-PRODUCING
a. Any orchard or meadow without water would be barren. We may produce a little fruit if we have a little water.
b. But if we have an abundance of water we will bear MUCH fruit! We’ll be improved and perfected.
8. IT IS HEAVEN-ASCENDING WATER
a. The Law of Hydrostatics says that “Water will seek its own level. It will rise as high as its source, unless impeded.”
b. Since it comes from higher above – heaven – it may rise to much deeper depths than we may reckon. “Sir, Give me this water!” she pleaded.
III. HOW CAN WE FIND THESE WATERS?
A. JESUS ANSWERED THIS QUESTION
1. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39, NKJV.
2. Jesus pointed out two things we must do: 1). “Come unto Me.” And 2). “and Drink.” Jesus as the Messiah (“anointed One”) has the Spirit without limit (Jn. 3:34). He dispenses the Spirit (John 15:26). He is the Baptizer in the Spirit.
3. He and the Father are happy to give us the Spirit. It’s as fundamental as a parent giving their child something to eat (Lk. 11:12-13). Our reception of the Spirit is the end-product of the whole plan of salvation (Gal. 3:14).
B. AND THE PRICE IS RIGHT
1. The good news is that there is “NO CHARGE” for God’s living waters! I remember when venders started selling bottled water; I was astounded! “Who would buy what you could get for free?” I asked myself.
2. An August 2016 story said, “Bottled Water to Outsell Soda for First Time This Year” told that people now buy more bottled water than soft drinks! I never thought I’d see that!
3. But God’s waters are still free! Isaiah 55:1 tells us it’s “without money and without price/charge.” It’s free and you can drink as much as you want. The only thing you have to do is come to the Fountain and drink!
4. We just need to come to Jesus – get quiet in prayer and look up to Him and make spiritual eye-contact. As we continue to look to Him, we’re changed and recharged.
5. Paul said, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:18, NKJV.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. When Amy Pye, who writes devotions for the Daily Bread was about to go home to London, her mother approached her with a gift – one of her rings that Amy had long admired.
2. Surprised, Amy asked, “What’s this for?” Her mom replied, “I think you should enjoy it now. Why wait until I die? It doesn’t fit me anyway.”
3. With a smile Amy received her unexpected gift, an early inheritance that continually brings her joy. [Daily Bread, July 15, 2018].
4. Similarly, God wants to give you an early inheritance – the firstfruits of His Spirit (Rom. 8:23), the “down payment” (KJV – “earnest.” 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14, KJV).
5. An “earnest money” contract is one in which a down payment is given to guarantee that the purchaser is serious and will follow that payment with many more.
6. The Greek word for “earnest” is arrabon. In modern Greek arrabona is the word for the engagement ring! The Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will raise you up from the dead and seat you on the throne with Christ, no matter what happens in this world!
7. So God wants to give you the ‘engagement ring’ of the Spirit so you can know you have a solid and binding commitment from Him.
B. THE CALL
1. Why wait to experience heaven when God wants to give you “a little heaven to go to heaven in”?
2. How many of you have more of the Spirit than you need? How many of us could stand to receive MORE of the Spirit?
3. That is your right and privilege as a child of God.
4. Let’s come to the front, find a place to pray, and invite God to fill us with His Holy Spirit?
