Thirsty?

Bunbury

Wed pm

17/03/10

“Thirsty?”

Intro: ***One of the prominent features today when you walk into a service station is the drink section.

Many years ago you could pull into a garage to get some fuel & not necessarily be able to buy a drink – they often didn’t stock them!

No so today!!! It’s almost a given that if you sell fuel you’ll sell drinks too.

Many of these well known brand drinks promise to have the answer to satisfying your thirst.

One is – The thirst crusher!

Another says it’s for – For a man sized thirst!

Coke is even bolder than this & makes the general claim that – Things go better with Coke!

Sprite (who is also owned by Coca Cola) tells us to – Obey your thirst!

Thirst is a universal appetite that is within each & every one of us....... not only this but it is a perpetual appetite!

In other words if you drink today & slake your thirst you’re going to have to do it again tomorrow & the next day & next week!

It’s a good thing that we have this perpetual appetite b/c w/o it we’d dehydrate & die in a very short time.

But it is also a perpetual spiritual appetite.

God has created men to be perpetually spiritually thirsty!

Feeling thirsty tonight? You may not know it but thirst is a part of your life & has been since the moment you were born.

What’s more it will continue to be a part of your life / desires for the rest of your life.

It’s a good thing then that we are aware of this & learn how to satisfy our thirst the right way.

I want to preach a message tonight simply called ‘Thirsty?’.

Text: Psalms 42:1-2 (NKJV) As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

# 1. The natural phenomenon of thirst.

A. Thirst is one of the most natural appetites in the human body.

a. We all have to live w/ the reality of thirst every single day.

i. The first thing a baby wants to do after being born is drink! ...... 9 months living in water & the first thing after being born is give me a drink!!!

ii. But this continues all through life ....... kids are born thirsty & continue to be thirsty.

iii. Teenagers seem to have limitless thirst – sometimes I think it’s a good thing the ocean isn’t made out of Coke!

iv. But it doesn’t stop there b/c whenever you find a group of adults together for any social setting there is invariably going to be something to drink – tea / coffee / soft drinks / alcohol.

v. Thirst has been referred to as the perpetual appetite in life.

vi. Jesus appeals to this appetite as he speaks to the woman @ the well ...

John 4:13 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,

b. But there are things in life that heighten / accentuate our thirst.

i. We often see this in people who go from r/s to r/s / job to job ..... even people who are continually travelling – many times its thirst they’re trying to satiate.

ii. The right r/s / job / place to be ........ but the only thing to come out of it is more thirst.

iii. We don’t know who wrote the Psalm but possibly the writer’s watching a deer being pursued craving some water in the chase & he says .....

Vs 1. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

iv. We are very much like that deer pursued – not by a hunter but by life – inwardly we thirst for deep / lasting satisfaction.

B. God has put something in us that won’t allow the thirst to go away.

*** A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later....

"Da-ad...."

"What?"

"I’m thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"

"No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."

"WHAT?"

"I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"

a. Like I said thirst is a perpetual appetite.

i. This means that you are going to get thirsty today / tomorrow / next week & next year – it’s going to keep coming back.

ii. That’s a good thing ....... b/c it drives us to do something we essentially need to do – drink!