Sermon Notes
23 July 2006
Morning Worship
SPIRITUAL THIRST
JOHN 7:37
INTRODUCTION:
A. Have you ever been thirsty? I don't mean the average thirst where a drink of water sounds good after a long walk or after working in the garden on a hot summer day. I mean really thirsty
B. Spiritual Thirst Psalm 42:1,2 Psalm 143:6
I. THIS MORNING, WE WILL GAIN SOME INSIGHT INTO SPIRITUAL THIRST - JOHN 7:37
A. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said , “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."
. There were three great annual national feasts in the Jewish religious calendar. The first was the Feast of the Passover; the second was known as the Feast of Pentecost; and the third was known as the Feast of Tabernacles.
1. Now we know from John 7:2 that Jesus was speaking here during the Feast of Tabernacles. This was a high, happy, holy day in the life of the Jew
b. please notice some events of THIS FEAST:
1. During that feast the High Priest would go to the Pool of Siloam, take a golden pitcher, dip it into that pool, and carry it back to the temple. There he would pour that water out on the altar of sacrifice
2. At that moment the Levites would blow the trumpets, and the great crowd would cry out, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation"
3. It was right at this climax of this great feast that
the Lord Jesus stood up in that crowd, and cried out, "If anyone thirsts,
let him come to Me and drink." – John 7:37
4 You see, Jesus realized that many of these people were drinking from the
river of ritual… that after this day was over they would go back to the same
old fears, the same old faults, the same old failures, the same old
frustrations
5 What was wrong with that crowd in that day, is what is wrong with many
people today. They were drawing water from the wrong well
6 To often, we try to quench our thirst in all the wrong places. We drink
from the worldly well instead from the well of life which is found in Christ
II. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GAIN A SPIRITUAL THIRST, THEN LISTEN TO WHAT JESUS
SAYS IN -JOHN 7:37
A. TO GAIN A SPIRITUAL THIRST, WE MUST DESIRE IT
b We will never have a close relationship with God until we thirst after
Him. That is why Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and
drink":
1 Do you have the spiritual thirst that Jesus requires?
2 For Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled"
Matthew
5:6
III. TO GAIN A SPIRITUAL THIRST, WE MUST COME TO
JESUS:
A. MUST COME TO JESUS
B. TOO MANY ARE DRINKING FROM THE WRONG WELL. AS DID SOLOMON
Ecclesiastes
2:
1. First he tried wildness - vs. 1,2
2. He tried wine- v. 3
3 Then he tried wealth -vs. 7,8
4. Then he tried women - vs. 10
5. Finally, he tried wisdom. "Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what
has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light
is better than darkness." But he found out the more that he learned, the
less that he knew, and what he did know showed him that everything is futile
and foolish without God – vs. 11-13
III. TO GAIN A SPIRITUAL THIRST, WE MUST MAKE A DECISION:
a. Now I want you to imagine that you have been in a desert for several
days. You've gone totally without water. You are almost delirious. Your lips
are parched, your skin is cracked from the heat of that broiling, boiling
sun. All of a sudden, you come upon a river
b. What would you do? You know what you would do. You would drink…quench
your thirst
c. That is exactly what Jesus tells us to do. "Let him come to Me and
drink."
CONCLUSION:
A. His Words are simple…"if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and
drink."
b. Are you thirsty? Are you thirsty for God? Are you Are you thirsty for a
victorious life? Then friends, come to Jesus and drink, and He will fill you
until you overflow and become a river of living water that will bless others
as well
Evening Worship
SHINING AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
In The Midst Of A Crooked And Perverse Generation
Philippians 2:12-16
INTRODUCTION
a. A grave concern to any thoughtful Christian is how quickly our society is changing, and clearly for the worse
b. As some theologians would describe it, we now live in a "post-Christian culture"
1. This simply means that the old norms once held true are no longer accepted by the majority
2. For example, people as a majority once openly advocated belief in God, that the Bible is the Word of God, and that Jesus as the Son of God; but such is no longer the case
3. many no longer accepts certain basic principles of
morality taught in both the Old and New Testament, even ridiculing those people who do as "old-fashioned" and "un-enlightened"
I. BY WORKING OUT OUR OWN SALVATION FIRST - Philippians 2:12:
A. AS JESUS PUT IT, "FIRST REMOVE THE PLANK FROM YOUR OWN EYE"
Matthew 7:1-6
B. IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL, WE MAY LOSE OUR SALVATION IN THE WAY WE REACT TO OTHERS Galatians 6:1,2:
1. Many people go about trying to change society for the better, using methods that will keep themselves out of the kingdom of God! Galatians 5:19-21 Romans 2;21,22
2. Paul saw the need to be very careful when trying to save others
I Corinthians 9:27
II. WITH "FEAR AND TREMBLING"
Philippians 2:12:
A. THE WORD "FEAR" IN CONNECTION WITH GOD IS NOT POPULAR TODAY:
1. Perhaps a reaction to the "hell, fire and brimstone" preaching of another generation
2. But could it be that we have gone to the other extreme?
a. Have we diluted the concept of the "fear of the Lord" by our definitions?
b. To the point there is no place for "trembling" in our
definition of fear?
3. Jesus certainly taught the "fear of the Lord"
Matthew 10:28
B. THE NEED TO HAVE PROPER "FEAR AND TREMBLING":
1. Without it, it is unlikely we will seriously make the effort to "work out our own salvation"
2. Could this be a reason there is so much apathy today?
III. BY LETTING GOD WORK IN US
Philippians 2:13:
A. TO SUCCEED AS "LIGHTS IN THE WORLD":
1. It will be essential to let God do His work, something He is able to do beyond our ability to comprehend
Ephesians 3:20,21
2. He is there "working in you"! Philippians 1:6
3. How? Both:
a. To "will" - helping us in our motivation
b. To "do" - helping us in our ability
B. BUT IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL, WE CAN EASILY:
1. Quench God's efforts to work in us
2. Prevent God from using us altogether
Galatians 6:9,10
IV. WITHOUT MURMURING AND DISPUTING Philippians 2:14
A. BY MAINTAINING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE:
1. Living in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation can easily get us down, where we can become constant complainers
2. But allowing that to happen will render us less effective
3. And as with Israel, "murmuring" can lead to our own downfall
I Corinthians 10:10-12
B. BY GETTING ALONG WITH YOUR BRETHREN:
1. Unity among brethren is extremely important as we try to convince the world concerning Jesus
John 17:20-23
2. Disputing with one another simply reveals we have some maturing to do
I Corinthians 3:1-4
V. AS CHILDREN OF GOD WITHOUT FAULT
Philippians 2: 15
A. WHICH REQUIRES US TO BECOME "BLAMELESS":
1. Not that we are perfect, but like elders are to be blameless, we are to be "above reproach"
I Timothy 3:2
B. IT ALSO REQUIRES US TO BE "HARMLESS":
1. Though we may firmly oppose sin in all forms, sinners should never fear bodily harm from us II Timothy 2:24-26
2. But as Jesus said, we are to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" Matthew 10:16
VI. HOLDING FAST THE WORD OF LIFE
Philippians 2: 16
A. REMEMBER, THE WORD OF GOD IS THE "SWORD OF THE SPIRIT":
1. It is the ONLY "offensive weapon" we have in the armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-17
2. It is the instrument by which the Spirit convicts the world of sin, produces repentance and brings about the new birth James 1:18
I Peter 1:23
Romans 1:16
3. Thus it is truly the "word of life"
B. WE MUST BOTH "HOLD FAST" AND "HOLD FORTH" THIS POWERFUL WORD:
1. Some translations say "hold fast", others "hold forth"
2. Both are called for, as we should:
a. "Hold fast" the word in our own study and application
b. "Hold forth" the word as we proclaim it to those we are
trying to change
CONCLUSION
a. In these verses we find the way Christians are to "shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation"
b. It involves...
1. Working out our own salvation
2. With fear and trembling
3. By letting God work in us
4. Doing things without murmuring and disputing
5. As children of God without fault
6. Holding fast the word of life
c. If our ultimate objective is changing the hearts of men to the ways of God, then this is how we can do it!
d. And this is how we will "rejoice in the day of Christ" -- and know that our own labor will not be in vain! Philippians 2:16
