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[0:00] Good evening and a very warm welcome to the service this evening. I've been asked to intimate! There's a fellowship after the service. We're all warmly invited to attend that. I'll be! speaking myself. I don't know what I'm going to be asked to speak on, but I'm sure that'll come. So we look forward to that, if you're able to wait for the fellowship. We're going to begin the worship this evening by singing in Psalm 63. And we're going to sing from the beginning of the psalm to the end of verse 6. Psalm 63, from the beginning of the psalm.

[0:39] Lord, ye my God, I'll early seek, my soul doth thirst for thee, my flesh longs in a dry parched land wherein more waters be. That I thy power may behold, and brightness of thy face, as I have seen me heretofore within thy holy place. We're going to sing to the end of verse 6, from the beginning. Lord, ye my God, I'll early seek, my soul doth thirst for thee.

[1:05] O be my God, O Lord, ye seek, my soul doth thirst for thee. My flesh longs in a dry far shine, where in no water stream. But I thy power may behold, the brightness of thy face, as I have seen me heretofore.

[1:58] O Lord, ye my holy place. Since back the hills I follow the night, my lips be great, shall hear.

[2:28] O Lord, ye my miracle.

[2:58] And thou my mouth with joy for this sing places unto thee.

[3:13] When I do thee upon my head, remember which delight.

[3:28] And when I do thee in eternity in watchers of the night.

[3:47] Let's join together. Our Father in heaven, as we come before you this evening, we ask that we would indeed be aware of our thirst within our souls.

[4:04] Our thirst after the living God. Our thirst to see you as we may have seen you before in your holy place. And experienced your power. This is what we want to experience.

[4:16] We want to experience entering into your presence. And we want to experience your power working in and through us. So we come to present ourselves before you.

[4:30] Asking that you would be pleased to make yourself known to us. We're not aware of many of the situations of the people that have gathered here this evening.

[4:41] But we know that you're aware of them. Because we believe you're the all-seeing God. And that there is nothing hidden from your eye. And you can see the end from the beginning.

[4:52] So that whatever the circumstances of the people that have gathered here this evening might be. We believe that you will be aware of it.

[5:02] And we also believe that you're able to meet with them at the point of their own individual needs. But we come together as a corporate body.

[5:13] And we are united in our desire to worship you. We are united in our desire to give you the glory that is due unto your name.

[5:24] And we're united in our acknowledgement that we cannot give you what you desire. Because sin has left us impotent.

[5:35] And we're not able to do anything that will give you any glory. But we're not coming seeking to be heard as a result of our own righteousness.

[5:46] We're coming seeking to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. And we're coming seeking that we might be found in the intercession that he offers up on our behalf at your right hand.

[5:59] And we know that he's the one that's able to grant us the grace that will help us in our time of need. So we ask, O Lord, that you would help us to worship you.

[6:12] Help us, O Lord, to humble ourselves as those who acknowledge that we need you. And we come seeking to experience the fulfilment of the promise that whosoever would ask for your Holy Spirit would receive him.

[6:31] And we need your Holy Spirit. We're coming before you asking, O Lord, that you would be pleased to pour down your Spirit upon us. So that we might be successful in our desire to worship you.

[6:44] And as we leave this place that we will be able to say, it was good for us to have been here. Lead us to these ends and hear and answer our prayers.

[6:56] Forgiving us for our sins in Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to sing again to God's praise this time in Psalm 107 on page 382.

[7:10] Psalm 107 on page... Sorry. I'm thinking we've got the blue books, but you haven't. So it's Psalm 107 from the beginning of the psalm.

[7:24] Praise God for the psalm. Praise God for hay is good for still.

[7:35] His mercy is lasting me. Let God's redeem his soul for me.

[7:47] From the end we stand it free. And God let them and come and land from Mars and East and West.

[8:06] He's prayed in desert, fatherly, no city found to rest.

[8:19] For birds that hunger in them fixed their soul when they stand friends.

[8:32] With lions through the Lord that he can preach from their distance.

[8:45] That most of them are way to walk. But right is he divine.

[8:58] That they lie through the city door. Where in them might have I.

[9:12] Oh, I've made to the Lord who could preach all his goodness and.

[9:26] And for his works of wondrous death. And for his works of wondrous death. And for his works of wondrous death. And for his works of wondrous death.

[9:38] Amen. Amen. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to kill?

[10:16] But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is.

[10:26] But when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Then cried Jesus in the temple, as he taught, saying, You both know me, and you know whence I am.

[10:37] And I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is through whom you know not. But I know him, for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

[10:51] Then they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man has done?

[11:06] The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him. And the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

[11:24] You shall seek me, and shall not find me, and where I am, further you cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go that we shall not find him?

[11:36] Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, You shall seek me, and shall not find me, and where I am, further you cannot come.

[11:49] Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

[12:06] But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. Many of the people, therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the prophet.

[12:23] Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

[12:36] So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him, but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees, and said unto them, Why have you not brought him?

[12:50] The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

[13:04] But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, He that came to Jesus by night, being one of them, That our Lord judge any man before it here, and nobody doeth.

[13:19] They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet. And every man went unto his own house.

[13:32] Amen. And may God bless to us. That we read from his own world. We'll join again in prayer. Let's pray together. Our Father in heaven, as we continue in your presence, And as we continue to expect your Holy Spirit to lead us and to guide us, We ask, O Lord, that you would help us to bring our situations before you.

[13:58] That you would help us, O Lord, to remember your people here in this part of your vineyard. We're asking, Lord, that you would be pleased to meet with them and meet with your people, Equipping them with the grace that they need to exercise the gifts that you bestow upon them.

[14:19] Because all of your people are gifted in one way or another. Some with many gifts, others with less. But all of them with gifts, and you expect them to use these gifts.

[14:32] And they're expected to ask for the grace that you so freely offer us, So that we might exercise these gifts. So that we would go forth as you commanded us, Seeking that we would spread the gospel to all the nations of the world.

[14:51] But although we might not be able to go to other nations, Or even out of our own locality, We're still required to be your witnesses where we are.

[15:03] In our homes, in our workplaces, And wherever our Lord has been cast by you. We're asked by you to be your witnesses. We're told that we are the light of this world and the salt of the earth.

[15:18] And the only way that we're going to shine forth in this dark generation Is that we live in dependence upon your spirit. Because we cannot work out our own salvation unless you work in us.

[15:34] But you're the God who has promised to work in us. So therefore we are to work out with fear and trembling That which you have worked in. So help us, O Lord, to take our responsibility seriously.

[15:47] That we might indeed be the light that this locality in the island needs. And that we might be the salt of the earth. That we would be different from the children of this world.

[16:01] And that we would arrest the spiritual and moral corruption That we see taking place all around us. Just as the salt helps prevent the rot from entering in.

[16:13] This is what you require your people to be in this world. And we're asking, O Lord, that you would forgive us for our shortcomings And what is required of us.

[16:25] But that you would give us renewed commitment to yourself. That we would seek to draw near to you. And seek to draw from the throne of grace.

[16:35] The grace that will help us in our time of need. To go forward in the strength of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Because of ourselves we acknowledge we can do nothing.

[16:49] But if we have faith in Jesus Christ. We can do everything that you require us to do. So help us, O Lord, to realise that we have no excuse For not being obedient to your commission to us in this world.

[17:06] We ask, O Lord, that you would remember Not just your people here. But that you would remember those who are not yet your people. And who are yet to become your people.

[17:17] We pray, Lord, that you would alert them to the dangers That they're in as they continue on the broad road. Alert them, O Lord, to their need to cry out to you Whilst they're still on mercy's ground.

[17:33] Alert them to the fact that they don't know When the day that you've alerted them will come to an end. And this is the day of salvation. This is the probation period that you've given to us.

[17:46] For however long we live in this world. Help us to make use of our probation period. And impress upon them the urgency Of coming to commit themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.

[18:01] Before death comes as a thief in the night. And catch them at a time when they least expect it. Because we know that death can come like that. And we know that many will be caught off guard Who have promised themselves That they will seek the Lord.

[18:18] But not yet. They have promised themselves a more convenient time. Well, the convenient time is always now. So we ask, Lord, that you would continue to strive By the power of your own Holy Spirit In the midst of the people of this community.

[18:37] That you would seek to make a great name for yourself. That you would seek to plug brands out of the burning. That you would seek to extend your kingdom.

[18:48] And that you would mobilize your people In order to achieve these ends. We ask, O Lord, that you would Not just confine your blessing to Your people here and to this locality.

[19:03] We pray for our island. We pray for our nation. We pray for the leaders of our nation. Our politicians. Our councillors. We pray for those in positions of authority In schools and in our homes.

[19:18] Parents. We ask, Lord, that you would give them wisdom In a dark day and where There is so much pressure being brought To bear upon children.

[19:29] We ask, O Lord, that you would Stay the tide of iniquity That has come in upon us like a flood. That you would reverse that tide.

[19:40] That you would raise up a standard against it. And that you would Be pleased to Draw children to yourself. And that you would be pleased To instruct them In the ways of God.

[19:52] That you would be pleased to Give parents the guidance And the wisdom that they need When there is so much Peer pressure Brought upon children To conform to the ways of this world.

[20:07] Lord, we ask that you would Remember our parents. We ask that you would remember Our teachers Who are faced with difficult Situations Because of the legislations That have been passed In the last decade Or the last couple of decades Which have eroded the foundations On which our society was built And where people have forgotten The real heritage That was ours.

[20:37] We ask, O Lord That you would Help us to hold fast The things that we mean. Help us, O Lord That we would not allow Any more erosion Of the great things That we have Still in this island.

[20:52] And that you would help us To stand up For what we believe in. Give us the grace And the courage That we would be bold In our witness for Christ.

[21:04] And that you, O Lord Would be pleased To bless every effort That is being made By your people To hold back The tide of iniquity. We ask, O Lord That you would remember Then our nation.

[21:20] We ask that you would remember The nations of the world. We ask particularly For nations That have not yet As a nation Come to acknowledge you.

[21:31] Nations who are Worshipping false gods Who are indoctrinated By the gods Of man's imaginations. Gods who may Be formed And fashioned And made to look like gods In the way That they have been Carved And been brought To bear upon the people But who may have ears And eyes But cannot hear or see.

[22:00] They cannot hear The people That worship them And they cannot answer Their prayers Because they're dead. They're all dead All the idols And all the false gods Of this world Which Satan Has been successful In introducing Into the societies Of this world.

[22:18] We pray that you would Bring down The strongholds Of darkness That you would Encourage and equip The people That have gone To evangelise These nations Even at the risk Of losing Their own lives.

[22:33] We pray Oh Lord That you would Be pleased To prosper them In every effort That has been made To extend Your own kingdom To exalt Your name And to bring Before the people The living And the true God.

[22:49] We ask That you would Destroy The powers Of darkness And that you would Remind us As a church That the gates Of hell Cannot prevail Against us Because greater Is he That is in us Than he That is in the world So that we ought To be encouraged And that we ought To have confidence In going forward In your promises That you will Be with your people And they will prosper In whatever Their hand Finds to do it If they're seeking To do it To your glory And by your strength So we commit them To you Lord We pray that you Would raise up More labourers To go into The great harvest Field We know that we Ourselves As a denomination Here in this Island Are in need Of more ministers Coming to Fill the gaps That are In our churches We ask for this Church Itself

[23:50] This congregation That you would Be pleased To provide For them One that would Be your under Shepherd One who Will have The same heart As you have And who will Desire to do As you will Who will be Desirous to feed Them From your truth Dependent Upon your spirit And that He would not Draw back From the Doctrines That might Offend And doctrines That might Hurt People For a While Until they Realise That it's The truth That's going To set Us free So even As we've Been convicted Of our sins It is not So that you Might destroy Us You didn't Send your Son into This world To destroy Us You sent Your son Into this World To save Us But we Need to Be convinced Of our Sins And have Our minds Enlightened In the Knowledge Of the

[24:50] Lord Jesus Christ In order To be Saved So we Pray Oh Lord That you Would Continue With that Work That you Would Equip Those That you Raise up With a Knowledge Of your Word And an Ability To rightly Divide That word Without The fear Of man And the Feary In what He proclaims But that He would Be faithful To your Truth Lord we Ask that You would Be pleased To go Before us This evening And remember This congregation Remember those Who may not Be able To gather With us Who may Be confined To their Homes Through Sickness Or old Age Or whatever The reason We ask Lord that You would Bless them And that You would Meet with Them and Not confine Your blessing To the Building Lord lead Us and Go before Us this evening And have Mercy upon Us for Our sins And Shortcomings For we

[25:50] Ask it In Jesus Name Amen We're Going to Sing Now in Psalm Number 84 From the Beginning Of the Psalm How lovely Is thy Dwelling Place O Lord of Hosts To me The Tabernacles Of thy Grace How Pleasant Lord They Be My Thirsty Soul Longs Vehemently Yea Faints Thy Coats To See My Very Heart And Flesh Cry Out O Living God For We're Going to Sing To The End Of Verse Six From The Beginning How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place O Lord Of Hosts To Me How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place O Lord Of Hosts To Me AndOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOU

[27:17] My very heart and flesh I ask, O living God for thee.

[27:33] Behold the spiral and death of ours, and ours were in to reign.

[27:50] The swallow of all so far herself, a precious head again.

[28:06] Be blind, O Lord, just where she shamed, how young one's worth may bring.

[28:23] O thou the mighty Lord our home, through the one I thought and came.

[28:39] Bless all the nations, I have some love, any ever give thee praise.

[28:56] Bless all the nations, I have some love, any ever give thee praise.

[29:14] Who pass the flag of the end of the day, O living God for thee.

[29:30] O soul, the rich and all the nations, that always longer fails.

[29:49] We're going to turn back to John chapter 7. And we want to consider the words that we have in verse 37 and 38.

[30:01] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

[30:17] But this spake ye of the spirit which they that believed in him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.

[30:36] We live in a busy world, probably busier than it's ever been. And there's a vast diversity of human activity.

[30:49] And the things that interest some people may be of no interest to others. People are living in different circumstances, and therefore they have different goals.

[31:04] But there's one goal that will probably unite all of us. And that's our desire for happiness.

[31:17] And that's true of the businessman, just as surely as it's true of the servant. The desire for all of our pursuits is for happiness.

[31:31] But the depressing fact is that, although that is what we all probably seek, very few people find it.

[31:44] And it's not that happiness is beyond the bounds of possibility. There is such a thing as real happiness.

[31:54] The Godhead is happy. He is an ever-blessed God. The angels in heaven are happy.

[32:07] They are continually employed in praise. And the spirits of just people that have gone home to heaven are happy.

[32:19] Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. And we might think, well, happiness belongs to heaven. Well, we mustn't think that happiness is confined to heaven.

[32:32] And that it's out of our reach here in this world. There are people who live in this world who are at perfect peace with God.

[32:43] Perfect peace with themselves and perfect peace with their fellow human beings. They have this inward and inexhaustible source of enjoyment.

[33:02] Like a fountain of living water springing up in them unto eternal life. So if the desire for happiness usually leads to useless labour and finishes very often in disappointment, the problem doesn't lie with the fact that it's not possible.

[33:29] The problem lies with the fact that we're not seeking it in the right place. While all wish for happiness, there are few people in the world that truly find it.

[33:47] And the simple fact is that the reason that they don't find it is because they're seeking it in the wrong places.

[33:59] God brings this charge against his people of the Old Testament through Jeremiah. My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and they have hewn themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

[34:20] So that text in itself ought to educate us to realise that we can only find true happiness in God.

[34:36] Because it is from God that the fountain of life flows. The fountain of living water. The fountain that's going to give us the happiness that we desire.

[34:50] The fountain that will quench the thirst that lies within our souls. And people will never find it. Why do they not find it?

[35:02] Because they're looking for it in the wrong place. As Jeremiah said, we have hewn out for ourselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

[35:14] People pursue money. People pursue good jobs. People pursue education. People pursue nice houses.

[35:25] They pursue cars. They can pursue nice clothes. And all of the luxuries that this world can bestow upon us. But they find it doesn't really give them that peace.

[35:37] And shortly after they receive whatever they're pursuing, they're looking for something else because their thirst for happiness hasn't been satisfied.

[35:51] These things are broken cisterns. They're holding no water. They cannot quench our thirst. And the only one that can quench your thirst is God himself.

[36:06] So, the reason that most people never find happiness is that they're wasting all of their times chasing after the wind.

[36:18] Their goals will never give them what their souls are craving. And it's a waste of energy.

[36:29] And it would be a shame for us to have arrived at the judgment seat to realize that we have spent all of our lives accumulating the things of this world.

[36:41] And we're now going to be bereft of all of them. And they never gave us what we were desiring. True happiness. And if we didn't find true happiness here, we certainly won't find it in the eternity that we're going to enter into.

[36:59] If we haven't come back to God and made our peace with him. So that our souls would find satisfaction. Because God is the fountain of living water.

[37:14] He's the source. He's the author of the happiness that we desire. He's the only one that can inform us how to find that happiness. He's the only one that can supply that happiness to us.

[37:29] Now in this passage before, the passage that we read together and especially the verses that we read together. We see here Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[37:44] Who is Christ? Well Christ is God manifest in the flesh. And when he took to himself by nature, he began to reveal God to us.

[37:59] He began to reveal to us who the true God really is. He began to reveal to us who God is. He began to reveal to us where we could find true happiness.

[38:12] And he began to reveal to us who the true happiness is to be found in him.

[38:28] Because he is God. He invites us to come to him. So that we might obtain it. And he assures us that if we do come to him for this purpose, that our searching for him will not be in vain.

[38:49] Anybody that seeks the Lord will not be disappointed when they find him. Now that's a subject that ought to interest every person in the world.

[39:00] But there are few people in the world that are interested in this subject. Because unfortunately they think they know better than God.

[39:14] And they think they know what's going to give them satisfaction. And it's not the things of God. They have chosen to neglect God.

[39:25] They have rebelled against him. They have chosen not to listen to the instructions that God has given to us. In order that we might find him.

[39:36] In order that we might find what our souls are hungering and thirsting for. But they choose to neglect that message. And like many of the Lord's sermons, this sermon, this invitation arose out of the circumstances in which he found himself placed in at the time.

[40:02] He was attending the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Booze. And it was the last day of the feast we're told. That would be the eighth day. And every day when the morning sacrifice was offered up and the Feast of Tabernacles, a golden vessel full of water and wine would be brought in and poured out onto the altar.

[40:30] And this ceremony was accompanied with musical instruments and vocal singing. Some of the priests would be playing their musical instruments and some of the other priests would be engaged in singing.

[40:51] And the Jews took a great interest in this ceremony. It was a common saying among them that if nobody had ever witnessed this, that they had failed to see the rejoicing that the people who attended this ceremony experienced.

[41:13] And they claimed if you didn't go to this feast, you didn't know what true rejoicing was. Well, this is when Jesus speaks.

[41:25] The ceremony has been performed. The vessel of water and wine has been brought in. The priests have been singing and playing. And you can imagine that at these feasts that the coats of the temple would have been crammed packed packed with people.

[41:47] Now, everything has come to an end. And you can imagine that because of the solemnity of the festival that there was a stillness. When the priests stopped singing and stopped playing, when this vessel had been poured out, there would have been a time of great stillness.

[42:11] And then we read that the Lord shouted out, How full of majesty these words are, What a claim!

[42:40] No man would ever dare to make this claim because it was evident from the scriptures that the only person that could say that the rivers of living water flowed from him and that only he could satisfy that first was God himself.

[43:01] So you see, when Jesus gave this invitation, he was making it clear to them, This is God in your midst.

[43:15] If any man thirst, let him come unto me because I am the true and the living God. And he claimed that as the emblem of the living waters had been brought forth, they had witnessed it and they had partaken in the ceremony.

[43:36] Well, who are invited to take of this living water? Well, it's the thirsty that are invited.

[43:48] Who are the thirsty? Well, the thirsty ought to be every one of us and every person in this world because we ought to be aware, especially the longer that we live in this world, that no matter what we get in this world, there is still a craving for something else.

[44:12] We are never satisfied with what we receive. Even the richest man in this world, Elon Musk, he's never satisfied with what he has.

[44:23] He's going on seeking to accumulate more. because it doesn't give him satisfaction. And that's true of every person in this world.

[44:35] Even the beggar that has nothing. He's craving for something that will give him something. He doesn't know what it is. And it doesn't really matter if we realise what it is that we're in need of.

[44:52] as long as we realise that we have a need. Because in realising that we have a need, we can respond to this invitation because there is a thirst within our souls.

[45:07] And the invitation is given to those who are thirsty. So it's not confined to people unless there's somebody in the world that has found true satisfaction and is perfectly happy with his lot.

[45:22] And who isn't striving for any more. Well I don't think you'll find anybody in the world that's arrived at that situation. we're all aware that there's always something deep down within us that is craving for something that we haven't yet received.

[45:47] And that's because there's a thirst in our souls. And it'll be the eternal cry of the person that doesn't have that thirst satisfaction.

[46:01] Jesus gave us a picture of the rich man that descended down into hell. What's he crying? He's crying for Lazarus to come and dip a small drop of water on his tongue because he's thirsty.

[46:19] And he will have that thirst eternally because he never came to the fountain of life to receive the water that would quench his thirst.

[46:31] and he will go on in that torment. And it is a torment naturally if a person is without water for a period of time there is a deep down craving just longing for a drop of water to be put on his tongue.

[46:51] water for a little time. And if that's true naturally how much more through is that spiritually? It's not something that's going to last for a little time.

[47:02] It's something that will last for eternity. We've all got this thirst. water for a invitation is for us every one of us in here.

[47:14] The invitation is for them every person that's out there whether they realise it or not Jesus is inviting them to come to him so that they might have their thirst quenched.

[47:30] And that's the second thing that we want to consider what are we being invited to? Well we're being invited to come to himself who is the fountain of living water from which we may drink and it's what we may drink from him that's going to give us the peace that we desire that's going to give us the joy that we're looking for.

[47:56] That's going to give us the love that we ought to have for God and the love that we ought to have for one another. We don't have that naturally.

[48:08] But if we did we would have heaven on earth. Because if we were at one with God and at one with everybody else there would be no more envy, no more greed, no more strife.

[48:21] Everybody would have everything in common. But we don't have that. But God promises that that's what we'll receive if we come to him because that's what's going to satisfy our thirst.

[48:42] And when the Lord presents himself as the fountain which can quench the thirst for happiness of all of mankind, he's claiming that he is able to make us happy.

[48:55] He is able to give us satisfaction and it doesn't matter how miserable we might be. And people in our day and age are miserable with all that we have.

[49:11] People are more miserable now than what they were in previous generations when they didn't have a fraction of what we have. They were a lot more happier because their happiness didn't depend on material things.

[49:30] But whatever our situation, doesn't matter how miserable we may be, he's able to supply and satisfy all of our needs.

[49:45] Though people claim to seek after God and they have never found satisfaction. What's the reason for that?

[49:58] Well, the reason for that is quite simple. They've determined within their own minds what God is like. And they have made up in their own minds what they desire from God to make them happy.

[50:16] So they have taken things upon themselves to tell God what's going to make them happy. And that's why a lot of our prayers are not answered.

[50:26] Because we're asking a moose. We think that it's the things of this world. We think that if we have perfect health, we think if we are financially sound, we think if we have nice houses, nice cars, nice clothes, that these things will give us satisfaction and when we don't have these things, these may be the things that we're asking God for because we have created a God of our own imagination.

[51:02] And if we've already determined what God's like and what he needs to give us in order to make us happy, then we will never find true happiness because we're seeking the wrong God.

[51:15] God tells us in this world what he's like. God tells us in this world what we need. But people won't go to the effort of finding out what God has revealed concerning himself and what God has revealed concerning us.

[51:38] Now, when God created man, he created him to have perfect communion with himself.

[51:53] So, in order to have perfect communion, man needed to have the same attributes as God himself had. He needed a mind, he needed affections, he needed a will.

[52:08] These are the main attributes of the soul. people. Now, when God created man, he created him with an intelligence far superior to any of the other creatures.

[52:22] And with that intelligence, we were able to see God as he really is. We could see the true God had we remained in that state. But as a result of sin, we lost the knowledge of the true God.

[52:38] And we need that knowledge restored if we're going to find true happiness. Because it's from the true God that this happiness will flow.

[52:51] So we need to have our minds enlightened. So that we're not trusting in a false God or a God of our imagination.

[53:02] That we will know in whom we have believed. we need to have our knowledge rectified. Now Jesus is the great revealer of the truth.

[53:18] He can reveal to us what God is really like. And he can impart that knowledge to us. And rather than live in fear of a God who we have been convinced by Satan wants to spoil all our fun and doesn't want us to be happy.

[53:39] We will come to realise that the true God is not a God who wants to exercise his power to destroy us or make us unhappy. But a God who has exercised his power in order to reconcile us to himself so that we will find true happiness.

[53:58] So that we don't see him as a great force somewhere up there in the universe. But that we will see him as a father. A father that is concerned for the interests of his children.

[54:12] And a father who so loved his children that he was even willing to sacrifice his son in order to restore them. In order to bring us back into a true relationship with himself.

[54:27] In order to enlighten our minds as to what he's really like not what we think he's like. And in order to tell us what we need in order that he might meet that need.

[54:41] Now in the soul we have a conscience. And because we are guilty sinners we sometimes have our conscience giving us no rest because we realise that we are sinners, that we have come short of God's glory.

[55:00] Well we're told in scripture that Jesus can meet that need. Because his blood can cleanse us from all sin. And God is able and willing to forgive us for our sins as a result of what Jesus has done on our behalf.

[55:18] Man has affections. And like all of our affections, our affections are set on a certain object.

[55:29] It might be a person or it might be something. But they're very often misplaced. But if our affections are set on Christ or set on God and we begin to see the redeeming character of Christ, God manifest in the flesh and what Christ in his person was able to achieve for sinners such as we are, then he draws us and we see in Christ something that we can set our affections on and something that we can love, somebody that we can have our relationship with because he has demonstrated to us that he's concerned for us.

[56:18] So we love him because he first loved us. no sin made us weak and we're all weak and we need strength.

[56:35] Well, we're told that Christ was given the power of the Godhead. All power in heaven and on earth has been given unto him. Why has all power in heaven and on earth been given to him?

[56:48] Well, he already possessed all of that before he came to this world but in our nature it's been given to him as our mediator so that he can impart that power to us in the inner man in order to help us to overcome all the trials and the tribulations and all the things that cause so much misery to us in this world and in our weakness his strength is made perfect.

[57:19] God. Well, what about death? That sentence that's looming over us all the time. We're mortal and we need deliverance from the power of death.

[57:29] Well, if we come to him, if we come to Christ, if we drink of this living water, we're coming to our Christ who is the resurrection and the life.

[57:42] He guarantees us as a result of his resurrection that we will be raised again. raised again to a life of perfect bliss where there will be no more sin than the misery that sin brought into our experiences.

[58:04] Jesus is the perfect Saviour. We could go through all the things that we have need of. He has all the merit that can make us right with God.

[58:16] He has all the power. He has all the authority. He has all the knowledge. He has all the wisdom. He has all the kindness and the sympathy. We have the perfect high priest who can draw alongside us when we're being tempted or when we're going through a trial and assure us, I know what you're going through because I was tempted in all points as you are.

[58:40] I can fully sympathise with what you're going through. And not only that I can give you grace to help you, I can quench that first, I can give you what you need so that you will begin to experience through life the joy and the peace that's in the life that I'm willing and able to give to you.

[59:07] And that's the kind of saviour that we need. That's why he gives this invitation. He gives this invitation because he knows our needs.

[59:20] He knows that we need to come to him. He knows that we are thirsty and he knows that he is able to satisfy that thirst and he gives this invitation, come unto me, all you that thirst.

[59:37] well how are we going to receive this blessing? Well we need to come to him.

[59:53] How do we come to him? Well we need to come to the true Christ. Where is the true Christ to be found? Well he's found in his word. He's the word that became flesh.

[60:06] This is where he's always found in his own word. So we need to read his word and we need to pray to him that he will reveal to us what his word is able to reveal to us.

[60:21] So that he will reveal to us the true God. That he will reveal to us our true need. And if we're sincere in our desire to come to him we will read this word, we will pray over this world word.

[60:37] We will come to church where this word is being expounded, not just in the morning or in the evening but at both ends of the day and not just on Sunday but through the week if there's a meeting available for us to come to him.

[60:54] We need to demonstrate to him that we're serious in our desire in seeking him, that we believe that he has what we need and we have to come to him because if we don't come to him we will never be able to drink what he's offering to us.

[61:13] And that's what we need to drink. Not what the world is offering to us but what Jesus is offering to us. Let's remind ourselves of what he's offering to us.

[61:25] He's offering life. What is life? Life is joy. Life is peace. Life is love for God and our fellow human beings. Living at peace with one another.

[61:39] Life is knowing that whatever situation we find ourselves in in this world that Jesus can help us. He can help us in our weakness.

[61:49] He can help us in our sins. He can forgive us. He can cleanse us. He can empower us. He can enlighten our minds. He can give us everything because he is the God who is all wise and we need his wisdom.

[62:09] And we need the true knowledge of God. We need to come to the true God. Not the God of our imaginations but the God who has revealed himself to us in the person of his son Jesus Christ.

[62:27] So we need to respond to this invitation come unto me he says. He cried out in the stillness of the temple when everything had gone quiet cried out saying if any man thirsts let him come unto me and drink.

[62:44] He that believeth on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water so that you'll never thirst again.

[62:56] this is the invitation and the question for us all is have we responded have we replied to this invitation.

[63:09] What an insult you would consider if you invited somebody to your wedding and they didn't even bother to give you an answer even if it was a rejection of the invitation.

[63:21] he has given us the invitation he expects us to respond and he wants us to respond positively.

[63:35] He doesn't want us to reject him one more time because every time we hear the gospel that's what we're doing to Jesus. We reject him and even although we might be promising not yet this is not the convenient time we're insulting his intelligence and his wisdom because he tells us today is the day of salvation because we don't know when this day will come to our end.

[64:10] We don't know if we're guaranteed tomorrow. So today is the appropriate time to reply to this invitation and to make up within ourselves I'm going to come to that Christ.

[64:27] I'm not going to rest until I find that Christ. And I'm going to use all the means of grace and they are means to unend, they are means to give us the grace that will give us this satisfaction, that will quench our thirst.

[64:45] God's make use of every opportunity that's available to me and I will not rest until I find Christ for my soul.

[64:58] May God grant that that would be desired. Let us pray. O Father in heaven, we come before you to give thanks for the gift of your Son.

[65:10] The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. And it's in him that we find life for our souls. It is in him that we will find true satisfaction to meet the needs of our souls.

[65:25] It is in him that we will find the thirst that is deep down with all of our souls being quenched. So help us, help us O Lord that we would come to him whilst we're still on mercy's ground and whilst we're still in the day of salvation.

[65:42] Lead us all to these ends. Have mercy upon us for our sins. For we ask it in his precious name. Amen. We're going to conclude by singing in Psalm 143 at verse 6.

[66:01] Though I do stretch my hands to thee my help alone, for thou well understandst all my complaint and my thirsting soul desires and longeth after thee as thirsty ground required with rain refreshed to thee.

[66:17] We're going to sing to the end of verse 8. It's the second version of the psalm by the way. From verse 6. Slow I do stretch my hands to thee my head bubble love.

[66:29] So I do stretch my hands to thee my help alone, for thou well and worst hands all my complaint and own, my thirsting soul desires and longeth after thee, as thirsty runs required with relief to thee.

[67:09] Lord, let my prayer prevail to answer anything to for though my strength of fail have not thy grace in me, lest I be like to those that who may doubt have said, are hidden as our clothes into the rest of him.

[67:50] He all my times can be O Lord, cause me to fear thy loving kindness free when more in dark are here, cause me to know the way where my path should be, for why my soul are high, I do lift up to me.

[68:28] Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with you all, now and forevermore.

[68:42]  Amen.