Sermon – “Living Water”

37 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. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing[g] in Him would receive; for the Holy[h] Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 40 Therefore many[i] from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,[c] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “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.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.

3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;

This morning my message is titled Living Water He wants us to have a living water. And he wants a living water to flow out of us and that that’s going to be the focus this morning scripture comes from John Chapter seven versus thirty seven through forty four hear the word of the Lord. But on the last day. That great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirst let him come to me and drink he who believes in me as a Scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Let that sink in for just a moment out of his heart those who believe in Christ out of his heart will flow rivers of living water but this he spoke concerning the speared. Whom those believing in Him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified therefore many from the crowd when they heard this saying said Truly this is the prophet others said this is the Christ but son said with a Christ come out of Galilee has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem where David was so there was a division among the people because of him now some of them wanted to take him but no one laid hands on him and got out his blessings to the hearing and reading of His Holy Word you know when you read that the middle part of that many in the crowd said well this is a prophet some said well though this is a crisis some said Well Willie didn’t say come out of Galilee Well not much has changed hasn’t folks because there was a lot of confusion then on who Christ was what he really was it’s the same today you’re going to you’re going to be fine and some that would say oh yes he was a great prophet some would say well is he really the only way. There’s still a lot of confusion surrounding Christ but what we believe in here in the here of who Christ was is the most important thing Who is he to you is he truly the son of the living God the one that died on the cross bore our sins upon himself and rose from the grave. Given us the victory over the sin in our lives is that who he is to you a man before I continue less open or less have a word of prayer Heavenly Father we do thank you and praise you for your words and Lord you’ve not left us in the Dark Father You’ve are. Wiil delight to us in that light is Jesus revealed the light through your word and we thank you forward and father may you be lifted up the small made your word be exulted we thank you for the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we thank you that he is now at your right hand and father may your spirited wells within us guide and direct us today Lord help us to receive what you have force and they weep glorify you in it in Jesus’ name amen what wonderful words does our Savior speak here. As he gives a promise to those who believe in Him that out of their hearts will flow rivers of living water. So that’s going to be my main focus this morning is the significance of living water so we’re going to be looking at a couple different C.S. as in season bodies of water as an example of how important living water is and how we can achieve having living water in our lives so the first see that I’m going to be looking at I’m sure some probably have a pretty good idea of what I’m talking about since we’re talking about living water and C.S. The first is the Sea of Galilee the Sea of Galilee is situated in North East Israel between the go Golen Heights and the Galilee region it is located in what they call the Jordan Rift Valley the Sea of Galilee which has also over the years been called the Sea of God merit and the lake of Knesset or the lake of type beer eous it is the lowest freshwater lake on talking about the shoreline around the lake it is the lowest flood freshwater lake on the earth it is the second lowest lake of all the lakes or seas that you want to call it on earth it is approximately six hundred eighty six feet below sea level. It is thirteen miles long eight point one point one miles wide and it has a maximum depth of about one hundred forty one feet. The sea or the lake whichever you want to call it it is fed partly by underground springs although its main source of freshwater is the Jordan River the Jordan River flows in on the north end of the lake and it flows out on the southern end so there is fresh water flowing into the sea there is fresh water in the Sea of Galilee and there is fresh water flowing out of the Sea of Galilee now it kind of seems like I’m stating the obvious here but it’s very important it’s very important to the main focus of today’s thing because now I want to look at the second lake that I want to talk about the second lake or the second see that I’m talking about the Jordan River flows out of the south end of the Sea of Galilee and it flows a mere one hundred four miles downward I might add to the sea that is called The Dead Sea But the freshwater from the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea Also known as the salt sea. It borders Jordan to the east in Israel and the West Bank to the west it is a hyper sailing lake it is truly one of the Earth’s most unique places seen images of a new sea chunks of salt floating around in areas of the lake. The surface and assures of the Dead Sea are one thousand three hundred and eighty eight feet below sea level if you remember us said to see a galley was the second lowest lake on earth the Dead Sea is the lowest lake on Earth talking about the shoreline the water level one thousand three hundred eighty feet below sea level it is the Earth’s lowest elevation on land now we know the oceans go many miles deep but the lowest allegation on land is at the Dead Sea It is one thousand two hundred thirty seven feet deep at its deepest level with making it the Deep is hyper sailing lake on earth. It’s several It’s saltiness sailing levels supercede that of the ocean waters Dead Sea is approximately eight point six times saltier than the ocean the hot the high salt levels provide loop prevent micro scrapping aquatic organic thing such as plants and fish from living in it there is no living fish no plants in it of course that is why they call it the Dead Sea correct there are a miniscule quantities of bacteria and micro bio fund G. present in a dead sea but that is it it is thirty three point seven percent salinity the Dead Sea. With that high content of salt means that people can easily float. In the Dead Sea Isabel you would have no problem floating she was trying to float in the ocean last week when we were to be. And she did pretty good I can float for a little bit but have a tendency to my feet sink might be because I’m a lead foot I’m not sure. But my feet tend to sink so I’m not a real good floater so maybe I’ll have to go to the Dead Sea someday so I can float Well I seen images of people actually floating in it and they was almost in a sitting up position reading a magazine. I. Was feet on the bottom so you were just you were floating standing up only. On the floor of the. Net. Just a little one the puffy of out of the water so what an amazing thing. In the United States we have the great salt lake is very similar in that saltiness to it the Dead Sea is thirty one point seven miles long nine point three miles wide at its widest point but here’s the most important question. How can the same river feed two lakes in one be teeming with life. And the other be so salty that nothing can live in it. Absolutely nothing How’s that possible well here’s what Jonathan Cain says in his book of mysteries and I will say that I agree with this he says it’s because the Sea of Galilee is always giving what it receives. Fresh water flows in fresh water flows out it is giving of that which it receives. The Dead Sea only receives nothing goes out it only received I looked it up I will word is all that water go. One hundred thousand tons it evaporate every day but see it doesn’t go out it doesn’t feed anything else it only receives How does that apply to our theme today living water. That out of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ out of them will flow living water the same approach the same principle applies that applies to these lakes the life that gives of what it receives the life that blesses others with what God has given them is like the Sea of Galilee it will be teeming with life in Matthew ten five through eight these twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying do not go into the way the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as you go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand heal the sick plans the lepers raised the dead cast out demons freely you have received freely give. So you want to be living water freely you have received from God freely give to others Amen No God does not give us the words of life just so we can be saved from our sense. It’s not just for ourselves if God has blessed us with a spiritual gift and we only keep it for ourselves how ridiculous Would that be could you imagine a God give you the gift of healing when you’re walking down a street one day Oh let your knee blows out and down you go and you’re like Thank You Lord to bless me with that give the healing you lay hands on your own knee and say be healed and you get up in your well you start walking away and your neighbor the play and the brother that was the amazing God has blessed you I’ve been crippled for thirty years can you come by handle it sorry God just gave it to me I mean how ridiculous Would that be right well it’s just as ridiculous that we have the knowledge of salvation and we keep it to ourselves. We have that knowledge we are to give what we have received from God If we want to be living waters he promises that from the innermost being the one who believes in him will flow rivers of living water. If you stop if we not we I should say you if we stop on ask to what extent is that true of me. We also can ask ourselves since I trusted in Christ as my Savior has it been my experience that ever flowing abundant rivers of living water has gushed out of may have been flowing out of me a sense of a new price now I know that these questions can bring a little bit of conviction because I know that it brings can conviction on me but they can also bring us a bit of hope. Because if we haven’t quite yet reached up place where we can say yes there is Rivers a living water flowing out in May We still have the promise that it can. Because he’s promised that in John four verses ten through fourteen and this is where Jesus was talking to the woman at the well the disciples had gone away into town they were going to buy food Jesus said I’m tired I’m going to stay here for a little while you go ahead and go because he knew that he had an engagement a meeting with a woman who’s going to come in to draw water so this American woman comes to draw water and picking up at verse ten Jesus answered and said to her he had asked her for a drink he had nothing to draw with would you give me a drink of water so Jesus answered and said to her 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 the woman said to him serve you have nothing to draw with and how that and the well is deep were they and you get this living water. Or you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself as well as his sons and his livestock Jesus answered and said to her whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water water that I shall give him will never thirst but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to ever lasting life there is the key the key goes back if you would have asked him he would have given you living water but that’s the key many people have and ask many people don’t know that they need to ask but you know many people maybe they’re dissatisfied with their own salvation. But there is so much more there can be a river or they can be a fountain of life flowing out of us if we but ask him wardes filmy so much as this flows out of. Have we asking that I believe he’s faithful and will do it. If we are faithful and ask you know the more we walk with him the more we allow his word to fill us you know there’s an important part of that fresh water coming in the Sea of Galilee it’s good is for life we need to make sure we fill these vessels with that which is good with that which is holy not with the evil things of the world but we need to Big sure we are filled with the living water of God His word and his spear the more we are in His word more we allow a spirit to Philis we can turn that trickle of water into a river if we allow if we allow him to work you know but even the Apostle Paul said in full Libyans chapter three verses twelve fourteen through fourteen he says Not that I have already attained or am already perfected but I press on one that I may lay hold of that for which Jesus Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me brother and I did not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind me and reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus we may not have achieved it yet but we can press on that’s the main thing we do that we don’t give up we press on say Lord help that trickle to grow a little bit more each day that living water now another of the second point found in our scripture lesson was a verse thirty seven on the last day that great day the feast Jesus stood in the crowd out. I mean that was in a whisper he cried out in a loud voice saying if anyone. First let him come to me and drink the feast that Jesus is referring to is the feast of tabernacles or also called to feast a booths It is the third important feast in a Jewish calendar after Passover in Pentecost Tabernacles was a harvest feast of thanksgiving to God the Israelites lived in boost to remind them of God’s care for them while they were in the wilderness where he provided the manna and the water from the rock the feast also look forward to the final harvest and gathering of the nations during the size Kingdom during Jesus’ time the feast was characterized by daily procession led by a priest carrying a golden pitcher of water drawn from the Pool of Siloam the water was poured out at the base of the altar at the same time that another priest poured out a pitcher of wine on the other side of the altar which pointed to the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit that’s what it represented. In Isaiah Chapter twelve verse three it says Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation in Isaiah forty four three it says for I will poor out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground and I will pour out my spirt on your offspring in my blessing on your descendants Isaiah prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit upon his people. John wants us to see in this that Jesus himself is a fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles he fulfilled that feast he is a fulfillment of it he is the Word became flesh and dwelt among us Paul tells us that Jesus is the rock that supplied Israel with the water in the barren desert in First Corinthians says I ate the same spiritual food. Or all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ that’s what Paul says he is also the bread of life the fulfillment of the manna that sustained Israel in the wilderness in John six says so then on the last day of this feast Jesus claims to be the source of living water to all who will come to him and drink he fulfills all that the feast symbolizes he is a fulfillment of it. The water pouring ceremony took place every day for seven days followed by an eighth day when a holy convocation was held scholars disagree on whether Jesus made his offer on the seventh day when the when the final picture was poured out or more likely on the eighth day when his offer of living water showed that he was a fulfillment of the pouring ceremony of the previous seven days Jesus said in seven thirty seven through thirty eight. He stood and cried out and shouted in a loud voice again I’m repeating if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink he who believes in me as a scripture said from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water what a claim. No mere human could make such a promise come in drink and in our fulfill the scripture by causing living living water to flow out of you no man could claim that only Jesus could do that only God in the flesh dwelling among us could make such a claim. Jesus offer is open to all it’s open to all who ask anyone is as bad as broad as you can get it in it. But it extends even to Jesus enemies. His enemies who were trying to kill him it was for them it was for the Jews they were in the temple they could hear it was for all. Who would call out to him. Everyone needs to come to Jesus and drink of that living water because I said here’s a problem many people today don’t know that they’re thirsty they don’t know. The trying to quench their thirst with the things of the world is never going to fill that void or fill that thirst they need to thirst for the Lord in need to thirst for God you won’t have this one on the screen but Isaiah fifty five one through three says ho. Everyone everyone who thirst come to the waters and you you who have no money come buy a neat Yes Come buy wine and milk without money and without price why do you spend money for that what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy listen carefully to make any what is good and let your soul the light itself in abundance incline your ear and come to me here and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you the sure mercies of David my friends that is the first step to true Christianity the first step is to understand it we are guilty to understand that we are empty without him to understand that we are needy sinners. That’s the first step to wonder Stanley saying to understand it really we deserve hell. But by His grace he offers us heaven once we recognize that we are sinners and recognize that he offers us that free gift then we can have the source of life we know that we can earn it. But he gives it to us freely whenever he he calls out he’s calling out he wants us to hear and he wants us to ask that are so can the light in abundance just come just come to the one who loved the so much that he came to this wicked earth and died that we might have life to pay our debt. For neck rolls. He who believes in made. He who believes can receive the living water that Jesus offers come to him and drink believe in him make him your own by faith. Rizana had some words about say it’s going to be a great message one day she’s going to prayer going to going to prepare a no do you own it Paul said Ma gospel he owned it as in he believed it so much he took ownership of it he believed it make him your own by faith own it. Be have the assurance have the living water you know we’ve all heard that old saying You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink you can lead him down there but you can’t force his head down in there and the same way we can tell others about Christ. But we can’t make them receive Him We can tell them about the living water man you drink of this water you’re never going to thirst again but you can make them drink it. But by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us by the fountain flowing out of us however you want to look at it because of the love that they see an US because of the fulfillment that they see and else because of the abundant life that they see enough’s. Because of the peace that they see enough’s all by the power of the Holy Spirt. They will desire it but we can only do it with the power with the help of the Holy Spirit that’s the only way that we can ever achieve that living water flowing out of us that’s what the scripture said because the Holy Spirit wasn’t given yet but the Holy Spirit has been given now when we believe in Jesus Christ have you ask him to feel you so that’s what I’ll close with the most important question how do you ask Him Lord fill me with that Holy Spirit fill me with that ever flowing water let that trickle Lord begin to grow let it become a you know a good stream and then let it become a river or let it become a fountain whatever it is but Lord use me nor do we get it we will and say Lord I give you my all as we sang in one song Have we given him all our all. And are we failing this vessel again I’m repeating I know with the things of God because we can’t fill it with some of that trash that we might see or we might hear and expect we can expect trash to go in and good things to come out it doesn’t work that way. We need to be filled with the fresh water if we want fresh water living water to come out a man a man.