The old song made famous by the Sons Of The Pioneers, describes a man and his mule trekking through the desert. The sun is hot, the journey is long, the canteen is empty and the outlook is grim. He laments:
“All day I’ve faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water, cool water.
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water,
Cool, clear, water.
Keep a-movin’, Dan, dontcha listen to him, Dan
He’s a devil, not a man
He spreads the burning sand with water.
Dan, can ya see that big, green tree?
Where the water’s runnin’ free
And it’s waitin’ there for me and you?”
But however luxuriant it appears, no mirage is a true oasis and there is no cool, clear water. Just sand, sun, suffering, suspense and silent death.
But once in awhile there is a true oasis where springs up a supply of life saving, refreshing water.
Have you ever been so thirsty that your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth and your lips bonded with your teeth? And have you ever been so parched in spirit that you think you will perish?
I bring hope to you — or rather Jesus brings hope. Hear His gracious invitation. Let’s read the Scripture,
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’” John 7:37-38 (NASB).
John wrote in Revelation, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who hears this say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” Revelation 22:17 (NLT2).
This no mirage, no “pie in the sky bye and bye,” no product of the imagination. Think about His invitation to an ever available, ever plentiful, ever fresh, ever refreshing, life saving oasis.
I. NOTICE THE WIDENESS OF WELCOME:
A. Every thirsty one is welcome. The only stipulation is that we be thirsty. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 (NASB).
1. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”
2. “Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.”
B. The only barrier is unbelief and our refusal.
1. No sin is too awful to debar us.
2. No defilement can shut us out. Charles Spurgeon rightly stated, “Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified.” Consider the Samaritan woman at the well, who had had 5 husbands and was cohabitating with a man who was not her husband. But Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10 (NASB), “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (NASB).
C. In one sense the Gospel is universal but in another sense it is selective.
1. It is universal in that all who will may come because Jesus shed His blood. John wrote, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 (NASB)
2. It is selective in that all who disbelieve, and because of that, fail or refuse to come, don’t get to drink His Living Water. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38 (NASB).
D. The long and short of it is, “Whosoever will may come!”
E. A man was lost in the Arizona desert. The sun was high and he was very thirsty - when he stumbled upon an old hut where no one lived. The hut had only part of a roof left and the doors were almost off the hinges.
Just outside of the hut, he saw an old hand pump so just to check it out he went over and starting pumping as hard as he could. But all he could get out of it was a squeaking noise and so he walked back over to the hut sat down by the table to rest.
Then he noticed a note on the table. He picked up the note and read: “You will find a bottle of water buried in the sand next to the pump for preservation. You have to use all the water in the jar to prime the pump. Do not drink the water, PRIME THE PUMP WITH IT first. Before you take a drink refill the bottle and bury it deep enough to keep it for the next person.”
He thought about it for a bit. Should he drink the water in the jar or should he take a chance and do what the note suggested? He decided he would do as the note said and risk the result.
So he primed the pump and began to work the lever. But all he got was the same squeaking noise but not one drop of water. But he kept pumping and the pump creaked into action and water began to flow. Soon he had all the water he needed.
So he filled the jar back up and added to the note, “It really works but you have to give it all away.” There in the desert was a life saving, plenteous supply of water.
The welcome mat is out, and the pump is primed so come on in.
II. NOTE THE SINGULARITY OF THE SOURCE:
A. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
1. The thirsty, repentant sinner must come to Jesus, not to religion, not to just church membership, but to the Savior.
2. Some protest the narrowness, but I didn’t say it on my own authority,
a. Jesus said it, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 (NASB).
b. Peter said it, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NASB).
B. There are two questions.
1. Some ask, “What if that’s not true?”
a. That is the wrong question! But the RIGHT ANSWER is: “If it is not true we are all in the same boat heading for the same destiny.”
b. The right question is: “What if true?” And the RIGHT ANSWER is: “If it is true, only those who are in the right boat are traveling with Jesus to a safe harbor. The ark is ready. Board it or tread water.”
C. The invitation is as narrow as Jesus only and as wide as whosoever will. He made it so, not me nor the church nor any angel in Heaven.
D. The truth is that we all know and accept the fact that there is a narrowness in many areas of life where there is no room for tolerance.
1. It’s true in Science. Water is always, and only, H20 and if you change it to H2SO4 and drink it, you will find that sulfuric acid will burn your mouth and throat injuring you, perhaps fatally.
2. It’s true in Mathematics. Try as you might, argue as you will, you can’t make 2 plus 2 equal anything but 4.
3. It’s true in Medicine. If you take the wrong medicine in the wrong amount terrible things might happen.
a. Your face might turn blue, your hair turn purple and your ears fall off in the shower.
b. You might even terminate your lease on life.
c. The AMA and my goodwill to you demands that I say, “NO! DO NOT DO THAT – EVER!” Just realize the truth of it.
4. Wise, informed people recognize that truth is narrow enough to exclude the false. C.S. Lewis said, “An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or Practical reason is idiocy. If a man’s mind is open on these things, let his mouth at least be shut.”
E. When I lived with my brother and family in Las Cruces while attending NMSU, one morning my niece, Peggy Jo, fixed my breakfast oatmeal. She misread the directions and added ½ tablespoon of salt instead of ½ teaspoon. I tried to eat it with a smile, but after a couple of bites, nausea overpowered nobility and I had to beg off eating the rest. She was sincere but wrong. Sincerity does not create truth.
Note the truth that Jesus is the single source of Living Water.
III. NOTE THE PLENTEOUS PROVISION:
A. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
1. He did not say, “from his innermost being will drip in living water.”
2. He did not say, “from his innermost being will condense living water.”
3. He said the river will flow!
B. When God provides He does not give barely enough, but in abundance. He gives a plenteous provision.
1. Only after filling every available pitcher, bowl, jar and what have you in her possession with oil poured from one did the miraculous flow of oil cease.
2. After feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish, there were 12 baskets full left over.
3. When God sent a Savior He didn’t give second best, He didn’t give an angel, He gave His Son – how could He give more?
C. The problem is, when we come to Him for provision we often come with too little capacity to receive!
1. Our hearts may not be right and may harbor anger, lust, unforgiveness, pride, hate, and the list goes on. No room in that heart to receive His provision.
2. Our faith may too small. The Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NASB).
3. Our lives may be too full of clutter like McGee’s closet, which, when opened disgorged its contents in an avalanche.
a. Too much involvement in pursuit of temporal riches to the neglect of God and family.
b. Too much time spent on secular attractions and amusements to the neglect of spiritual matters.
c. Too full of self to the neglect of others.
D. Let us come with sincere hearts, simple faith and uncluttered lives to receive blessing upon blessing; grace upon grace; promise upon promise and provision upon provision.
E. A little girl from a poor home was hit by a car and was in the hospital. As she recuperated enough to eat, the tray was set before her. On the tray was a full glass of milk. At home, she had never had a full glass of milk because she had to share with her siblings and there was not a full glass for each of them. The nurse noted when she came back that the milk had not been touched. She asked if the little girl didn’t like milk. She replied, “Yes, ma’am. But you didn’t tell me how deep I could drink.” The nurse, with tears in her eyes replied, “Drink all of it. I brought it just for you! And there is plenty more where it came from.”
Jesus offers a full glass of Living Water and we can drink it all because there is more where it comes from. More than enough is provided that every one of us can quench our soul’s thirst.
To our guilt it brings forgiveness; to our strife, peace; to our confusion, understanding; to our fear, boldness; to our deceptions, the truth as it is in Jesus.
Thirst is one of the strongest off our physical distresses add to not quench it is terrible.
But Jesus can quench it. Though the soul were utterly dehydrated, Jesus could restore it.
God said, and still says, “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. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Isaiah 55:1-3 (NIV).
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water." The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?" Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." John 4:10-14 (MSG).
Who’s ready for a drink of Living Water?
