Rivers Of Life
Sermon Audio
Sermon Notes
Today we’re continuing our Visible God teaching series, which is about seeing God through the life of Jesus. We’re studying a book of the bible called the Gospel of John, which records the life and words of Jesus as it was written by an original source, an original follower of Jesus, and before we get into today’s message I want to remind you that our 1 hr baptism class is coming up on March 29th. Baptisms are where we celebrate people responding to faith in Jesus, and our baptism class is a great next step for anybody who’s never been baptized, who was baptized as an infant, or who wants to reaffirm their faith in Jesus. If you’re interested in learning more about out baptism class, just fill out the Connect Card on your seats, mark the box that says baptisms, and put it in the offering baskets after the message. We’ll contact you later this week with more info. That being said, let’s get into today’s message.
So this past week I went hiking in the Econ with some friends and my 2 boys. We were daring each other to do stupid things along the trail. “Bet you can’t cross the river on that log! Bet you can’t do it on 1 leg. Bet you can’t go to the middle of the log, do a downward dog, into a warrior 1 yoga position!” We were doing all kinds of stupid dares, until one of our friends tried swinging on a branch and fell into a muddy stagnant pond. To which we we’re like “Ooh! That’s nasty.” And it was nasty! Muddy stagnant ponds are full of bacteria, they’re very nasty. Nobody wants to go swimming in a muddy stagnant pond. But a river? That’s not nasty, it’s fun! Minus the gators and moccasins, it’s a lot of fun! I love tubbing down a North Carolina river or going whitewater rafting on a Tennessee river. It’s fun doing those things, a lot of life happens around a river. People tube, swim, fish, picknick, do all kinds of things at a river that you can’t do at a muddy stagnant pond. Its because a muddy stagnant pond isn’t life giving like a river...In today’s text Jesus is gonna give us a life giving invitation. He’s gonna offer to change our hearts into not a dead muddy stagnant pond, but into a flowing river of life. It’s a heart that’s full of life, and is flowing little streams of life into the hearts of others. Let’s turn to John 7:25-52 and get into it. If you open your bible to the middle, turn a few books to the right, you’ll find John. It’s John 7:25-52. The title of today’s message is Rivers Of Life, and here’s the big idea. Jesus offers to change our hearts, into flowing rivers of life...Jesus offers to change our hearts, into flowing rivers of life.
Context:
Here’s your context. In John ch 7 a lot of Jews are questioning Jesus. In fact there’s about 20 questions being asked about Jesus in this chapter, and most are focused on his identity. It’s because they want to know if Jesus is the real Messiah, the real Savior or not. Last week in vs 1-24 we saw a lot of people were skeptical of Jesus, and so they make all kinds of judgments about him. They judge his actions, his identity, his teachings and education. They judge all kinds of things about Jesus, and so in vs 24 he tells them to not judge by appearances, but to judge with right judgement. But the questions continue, the judging continues, and we’ll pick it up in vs 25.
The Word:
John 7:25-52 states this, “Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, ‘Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.’” Okay so the crowd is wondering why the Jewish leaders aren’t arresting Jesus. They’ve been wanting to arrest and kill Jesus, they now have their chance, but they’re not doing anything about it. So it causes the crowd to wonder if Jesus really is the true Messiah, the true Savior. Now they start debating over where Jesus is from because some of the rabbis taught the Messiah would just suddenly appear on earth, while other rabbis taught he’d come from Bethlehem like the prophets foretold. So at this point they’re debating over where Jesus is from, and there’s division in the crowd.
Vs. 28, “So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.’” Jesus is referring to his divinity here, and that he’s been sent by God the Father from heaven. He’s having an ancestry.com moment with them. I’ve never done that before, but I know people who have, and they discover all kinds of things about their family history. They’re like “I didn’t know I had Spartan blood. I didn’t know I’m the real Last of the Mohicans. I didn’t know Bill Gates was my cousin. Where’s he been my whole life? Cheapskate!...I’m switching to Apple...” You learn all kinds of things about your family history doing ancestry searches. Well Jesus is saying they need to go back even further in the ancestry database. They need to go back further than Nazareth, further than Bethlehem, further than his lineage with King David, even further than Adam and Eve, because he’s God. Jesus is God, he’s eternally existed before all those people. He’s saying “You think you know me and where I’m from, but you’re missing the point! You recognize my humanity, but you’re failing to recognize my divinity and that I pre-date Nazareth, Bethlehem, and all your ancestors! You’re failing to recognize that I’m the pre-existent Son of God who’s co-equal, co-eternal with God the Father...I’ve been sent from heaven to be your Messiah, to be your Savior.”
Vs. 30, “So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’ 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.” You’ll see them wanting to arrest Jesus several times in this text, but like vs 30 says, they can’t lay hands on him. He’s like Bruce Lee, you can’t touch him unless he lets you. You don’t pick a fight with a guy with cauliflower ear. Chances are he’s been in some cage fights, and you won’t win. Some of the leaders keep trying to pick a cage fight with Jesus, but it’s a fight they can’t win. They think they’re in control, but it’s Jesus who’s in control. They can’t touch him, unless he allows them. They won’t take his life, instead he’ll lay down his life. He’ll lay down his life for our sake, for our sins. But it’s not that time yet, which is why they can’t touch him. Now in vs 33-36 the doubts, questions, divisions continue, so Jesus gives this invitation in vs 37.
Vs. 37, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” There’s the life giving invitation. It’s an invitation to change their hearts into “flowing rivers of living water.” And notice Jesus says this on the last day of the Feast of Booths. The Feast of Booths was arguably the greatest holiday in their calendar year. It was a joyous time where they celebrated God’s provision in the past, when God gave them water in the desert after Moses struck the rock at Meribah. So they celebrated God’s provision in the past, but they also sought God’s provision for watering their crops in the present. They didn’t have irrigation or plumbing back then, so rain in the desert was seen as a blessing, it was a matter of survival. We don’t know this kind of desperation for water living in America. The closest comparison we have is when there’s a hurricane or right now with the coronavirus. People freak out, stock up on water and life straws, and there’s a shortage of water in the grocery stories. But that shortage is nothing compared to the shortages they felt if it didn’t rain.
So this is why the Feast of Booths was so important to them. It’s because rain for them was a necessity, it was a matter of survival, and during this week long festival a Jewish priest would draw water from the stream of Siloam. The priest would then pour it on the altar thanking God for His provision in the past, and asking God for His provision in the present. This was such a big deal for them, that some historical records say the people yelled at a priest for not holding the water high enough to see the water being poured. Another record states they threw fruit at a priest for spilling the water on his feet. That’s how desperate they were for water, especially if it didn’t rain. But the priest would come, he’d pour water on the altar, and the people would sing Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” So what Jesus is really saying on the last day of this festival, what Jesus is really saying when offers them flowing rivers of living water! Is he’s the fulfillment of that scripture, he’s the climax of their festival, he’s the life giving water that was given in the past and is available to them now in the present. In ch 6 he said he can provide a greater manna, a greater food that’ll never perish, and here he’s saying he can provide a greater water, an everlasting water, a flowing river of living water that’ll never run dry. He’s saying he’s the very life giving water they need and we need for our souls! So let me give you 5 things, it’s 5 things I want you to notice about Jesus’ life giving invitation.
#1 The Human Soul Thirsts = The human soul thirsts, it thirsts like our physical bodies thirst. Look everybody gets physically thirsty. It happens when you exercise, eat too much salt, drink too much coffee, or don’t drink enough water in the day. You’ll get physically thirsty, and that thirst you feel is a reminder you need a drink, or you’ll die of physical dehydration. In a similar way the spiritual thirst you feel is a reminder your soul needs a drink, or it’ll die of spiritual dehydration. Just like your body needs water to live, your soul needs God to live. A body without water will thirst, and a soul without God will thirst. The human soul thirsts without God.
#2 Jesus Can Satisfy Our Thirst = The human soul thirsts, but Jesus gives an invitation to satisfy that thirst. When your soul’s thirsty, when it isn’t satisfied, it’s a reminder that the things you’ve been drinking of...wealth, power, sex, drugs, popularity, entertainment, none of its able to satisfy your thirsty soul. Trying to satisfy your thirsty soul in things of this world, is like drinking salt water. It’ll never satisfy your thirsty soul like Jesus can. It’ll only leave you with a thirsty, parched, dehydrated soul. But Jesus says if you thirst for him, if you believe in him, he’ll satisfy your thirst. He’ll start the process of changing your heart, into flowing rivers of living water.
#3 It’s A Universal Invitation = The human soul thirsts, Jesus offers to satisfy our thirsty souls, and it’s a universal invitation he extends to everyone. He extends it even to his enemies who are trying to kill him. Jesus says it’s for anyone who thirsts, it’s for whoever believes.
#4 It’s A Free Invitation = It’s a universal invitation, but it’s also a free invitation. So you can’t earn it by doing good works, by doing good deeds, by being super religious. Instead you can just receive it. Jesus says you can receive it by thirsting for him, by believing in him.
#5 It’s A Continually Flowing Invitation = It’s a continually flowing invitation, meaning we can always come back to it. If we stumble, find our souls thirsting again, we can come back to Jesus, back to the living water of the gospel and have our souls renewed. Jesus says the rivers of living water will flow in our hearts, meaning it’s like a spring constantly flowing in our hearts. But it’s also supposed to flow from our hearts into the hearts of others. A river constantly flowing can’t be contained, it has to flow into other places, and the same is true for the Christian life. Our souls are meant to be satisfied in Jesus, but a soul satisfied in Jesus spreads satisfaction to others. We do this by following the teachings of Jesus, serving like Jesus, doing acts of kindness like Jesus, talking to others about all the joys we have in Jesus. Serving is the trenchwork that prepares the streams to flow, but it’s talking about Jesus that allows the joyful gospel streams to flow. The Christian life isn’t meant to be a dead stagnant pond, it’s meant to be a life giving river that flows.
Isaiah 44:3, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground.”
Psalm 46:4, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God”
City Awakening a heart that’s flowing with rivers of joy in Jesus, will overflow streams of joy in our city... A heart that’s flowing with rivers of joy in Jesus, will overflow streams of joy in our city...Theologian James Boice states, “If you hear most Christians talk, you’d think the sole purpose of Christ’s coming was to save them and satisfy them. That’s one purpose of course, but it’s not the only purpose. That kind of Christianity produces a shallow, introverted, and eventually selfish approach to life with those around us. We aren’t called to that....The work of the Holy Spirit is to make you precisely as Christ was in the world. And that means getting outside yourself, getting interested in others, and becoming useful. Have you entered into that promise? Are others experiencing the abundant blessings of Jesus through you?” Simply put, a heart that’s changed by Jesus is changed on the inside, but then goes outside. Jesus changes your heart on the inside, but then sends you to go outside, to spread rivers of living water in our city.
Again vs 38 states, “‘Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ 41 Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ 43 So there was a division among the people over him.’” So Jesus gives them an invitation, and it leads to more division. Some say he’s the Prophet, others the Christ, and others are like “Let’s pump the breaks people. Let’s remember this guy’s from good for nothing Nazareth!” There’s division, and if you actually combine what they’re all saying, they’d be right. Jesus is the greatest prophet, he’s the long awaited Messiah, he was raised in Nazareth, but he was also born in Bethlehem and is from the lineage of David. So Jesus truly is their Messiah, their Savior, but some of them have such a biased hatred towards Jesus, that it blinds them from that truth. So they reject his invitation, and try arresting him again.
Vs. 44, “Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ 46 The officers answered, ‘No one ever spoke like this man!’” So these Jewish temple police have 1 job, it’s to arrest Jesus, but they don’t do it. They don’t do it because they never heard anybody speak like him before. These guys were trained to listen to different rabbis teach, and to arrest anyone going against their Jewish teachings. But they’re saying there’s something uniquely different about Jesus. He’s full of wisdom and knowledge unlike anybody they’ve ever heard before, which shows how incredible Jesus really is. I mean you won’t see this happening at the presidential debates. You won’t see Trump saying “Oh Bernie...That Bernie’s such an incredible speaker, I don’t even know why I’m here.” You won’t see Biden saying “I never heard anybody like Trump. He’s just so full of wisdom, I don’t know if I should run against him or join him?” Yet Jesus is so incredible, that these guys come to arrest him, but can’t find any fault in him. They come to arrest him, but walk away amazed by him. Jesus has such infinite wisdom and knowledge, that even skeptics and intellectuals have to wrestle with his teachings. In vs 47-52 these skeptics and intellectuals keep wrestling over him and his teachings. Instead of accepting his invitation, they reject his invitation, to change their hearts into flowing rivers of life.
The Big Idea:
So here’s the big idea. Jesus offers to change our hearts, into flowing rivers of life...Your heart’s thirst, your soul’s thirst for satisfaction, is a reminder that you’ll never find satisfaction until you find it in Jesus. Then once you’ve tasted his soul satisfying grace, you’ll want to come back for more, because you know all other springs are like salt water to your soul. But it all starts with a thirsty soul for Jesus, with drinking of his gospel promises, and believing he’s your Savior who died for your sins on the cross. He allowed his blood to flow on the cross, so his love could flow in your heart. It’s not a drop of his love, it’s a flowing river of his love.
So how’s your soul?...How’s your soul? Is your soul thirsty?...Is your soul thirsty for satisfaction? Then drink from Jesus, find your satisfaction in Jesus and all his joyful promises...Is your soul thirsty for provision for burdens you’ve been carrying? Then drink of his provision for your salvation. If he can provide for your salvation, he can provide for you in any situation...Is your soul thirsty for forgiveness from a sin you’ve committed that’s been beating you down? Then drink of his gospel, drink of his forgiveness on the cross...Look the same invitation Jesus gave back then, is the same invitation I’m giving you today. I’m inviting you to come to Jesus with a thirsty soul, to be forgiven of your sins, and to find satisfaction in him. So if your soul’s thirsty, then come to the front here to pray, or come to the side where I’ll be standing to receive prayer. Either way I’m inviting you to come forward as an act of faith saying, “Lord I’m thirsty! My soul’s so thirsty! Jesus I need you to be my Savior! I need you to forgive me of my sins! I need you to satisfy my thirsty soul!” So let’s stand and worship Jesus with thirsty souls, come forward in prayer as you feel led, and let the rivers of his living water flow.
Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
#1 The Human Soul Thirsts
#2 Jesus Can Satisfy Our Thirst
#3 It’s A Universal Invitation
#4 It’s A Free Invitation
#5 It’s A Continually Flowing Invitation
Isaiah 44:3, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground.”
Psalm 46:4, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God”
Theologian James Boice states, “If you hear most Christians talk, you’d think the sole purpose of Christ’s coming was to save them and satisfy them. That’s one purpose of course, but it’s not the only purpose. That kind of Christianity produces a shallow, introverted, and eventually selfish approach to life with those around us. We aren’t called to that....
The work of the Holy Spirit is to make you precisely as Christ was in the world. And that means getting outside yourself, getting interested in others, and becoming useful. Have you entered into that promise? Are others experiencing the abundant blessings of Jesus through you?”