Well, today is a very emotional day for me.
I suppose that goes for a very logical reason.
!
I've been away from you for several weeks, and that's atypical.
Judith and I took vacation and enjoyed it, first deer hunting, which she didn't participate
in.
And then we spent some quiet time at Norris Lake in Tennessee, but we couldn't help ourselves.
We came back a little early, and it was our privilege last Sunday to be in the services
and listened to you sing and listened to Pastor Saul as he ministered the Word of God to you,
and I was blessed.
I think about the words of the Shulamite woman when the prophet Elijah said, so what do you
need?
What can I give to you?
And she said this.
Does anybody know?
How many of you know what the Shulamite woman said?
One.
Linda Parsons.
Thank you.
It would be a good idea to know what the Shulamite woman said.
Here's what she said.
I dwell among my own people.
Don't underestimate the price and prize that that is.
So, it's my rich blessing to be with you this morning, and it is my privilege to open
the Word of God and share what we are going to study together in John chapter 7, and it
goes without saying that one of the things that you have heard me say so many times is
that this passage is really exceptional.
It is.
But one of the things that makes a passage exceptional, for one, is that I have that undeserved and
rich privilege of studying the Scriptures specifically for my own soul's sake and then for yours.
Most of the time, that is a one-week process of prayer, meditation, study, and then the matter
of writing the sermon that I'm going to bring to you.
And this is an exception because I really have had three weeks to do it.
So, how many of you understand that things that mellow and ferment and kind of grow through
meditation actually get better?
And so, I want to tell you that this is an exceptional passage, for one, because it's the Scripture,
and two, because it has had the benefit of three weeks of prayer and study.
So, let me read the passage to you in John chapter 7, verse 37 through 39, and then pray.
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.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow living water.
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.
Let's pray.
Our Father God, this morning, as we come to you in prayer, we come with thanksgiving because
you are the good, the giver of all that is good.
You are supremely capable of meeting our needs far beyond our wildest imagination.
You who have ordained the plan of salvation have graciously called us to be your own,
have given to us your Scriptures that we rely upon this morning to inform and instruct us.
And you've also given to us, who are believers, the indwelling Spirit whose many-faceted ministry
includes helping us understand the Scriptures, includes helping us see the Lord Jesus more
clearly, includes also working in us that we who are your children would grow to be more
like him from day to day.
And so our prayer this morning is this, is that you who abide in us, you who are at work in
us, would this morning graciously work to tune our hearts to eternal and spiritual things and
draw our hearts away from the affections of this world and its distractions and focus solely on you.
And I pray, Lord, for those that are in our services that don't know Christ, that today
the preaching of the Word coupled by the prompting of the Spirit of God would draw them to see,
first of all, the darkness and the despair of their soul and that they would understand through your
enabling that Jesus alone is the answer to the emptiness, to the shame, to the guilt, to the
brokenness of an unrepentant heart.
And that those who are here this morning that know Christ would have their hearts encouraged
and strengthened, that their ambition when they leave this place would be to please you
who are the lover of their soul.
And that we with joy would drink from the well of living water.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, let me explain that this week is going to be the exegesis, fancy word, for I'm going
to dive into the text and kind of break it out for you.
And next week is going to deal with the application of this passage.
The first week we're going to look primarily at what Jesus says in this passage and what we
take away from that exactly as we see it here in the text.
Incidentally, at the end of the day, that's really what a pastor's responsibility is.
I'm not up here to give you a rendition on what happened in USA Today or CNN or Fox News
or whatever else.
I am up here to expressly and specifically open up the scriptures and help you see what
God says.
And by the way, one of the things that goes along with that is as I am preaching and teaching,
I should be kind of coaching and modeling how you can find it for yourself.
You see, being spiritually encouraged and nurtured and strengthened through the word of God is
not something that God intends to have happen in the believer's life once a Sunday.
It's to be a daily thing.
And so I pray that as you are listening and as you are learning, one of the things that's happening is that
you're learning how to do this yourself.
Go ahead.
Try it at home.
By the way, how many of you have ever seen those TV ads where it says,
this is being done by a professional, do not try this at home, that kind of thing?
How many of you notice that?
That is not what's going on here.
Okay?
I want you to try this at home.
I want you to expose yourself to the word of God and prayerfully ask the spirit of God to help you
learn and grow in understanding the word of God and in that process,
grow in your love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
So this week is exposition.
And we're going to look at what the text says and in particular how this passage is evangelistic.
Next week is going to deal with application.
And we're going to dive in and delve in the matter of, okay, how does this passage apply to us as believers?
With that, I want you to look there and recognize, first of all, that setting is important.
Remember, I'm giving you little signals for Bible study at home.
Setting is important.
The context is critical.
And I want you to understand the setting of Christ's great announcement.
Sometimes when we're speeding through a passage, we have a tendency kind of, well, I want to do verse 48 and 49
and I want to finish the chapter because it's on my reading plan.
And that's not all bad, but it helps to really dig in and say, what is going on here?
So I want you to mark what the text says there in verse 37.
It says,
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out.
John uses that phrase to identify the moment in the Jewish celebration of the Feast of Booths or the Feast of the Tabernacles
when Jesus made a particular announcement at that concluding day.
Now, I want you to understand that the Feast of Tabernacles was one of three explicit feasts
that God instructed His people, the nation of Israel, to celebrate publicly.
They were celebrations that were obligations to the nation of Israel.
How many of you enjoy Thanksgiving?
I mean, hey, we're going to have a Thanksgiving dinner, and it's a nice thing.
It's dinner on the grounds.
It's potluck.
It's all those good things rolled together.
But do you know that Thanksgiving celebration is not something that is obligated on us spiritually?
There's no passage in the Bible that says,
Thou shalt do Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter.
You know, it's...
But God told the nation of Israel,
You are to have these three feasts and celebrations.
One of them was the Feast of Tabernacles.
And incidentally, that feast was the time in which God wanted them to live in...
Actually, to get out in the neighborhood or in their yard and live in tents.
And they did that.
In fact, if you want to go home and fire up your computer and Google it,
just kind of say,
You could order a contemporary Jewish tabernacle,
so you can do that in your yard when this time rolls around.
And you can go from soup to nuts.
The best ones are actually made out of real branches and kind of rough wood.
And they'll send you a package deal where you can set it up in your yard and you can be right with it.
Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration that they all kind of lived out in the rough for about a week.
It was a week of just absolutely joyful celebration
because the nation was remembering God brought us out of the land of Egypt
and He cared for us all the way.
How many of you have every now and then wondered,
Is He really going to take me all the way home?
I mean, today is pretty rough.
And what the nation of Israel did during the Feast of Tabernacles
is they reminded themselves,
The God who made promises is the one who's going to get you home.
He's going to take care of things.
And this is a time when you remember His care.
It was also a very interesting time where on every day,
the priest, one of the priests that was assigned with the responsibility,
would take a golden urn or a golden pitcher,
a large water pitcher,
and he would walk down to the Pool of Salome
and he would dip it in
and then he would carry it back to where the main altar was
and he would pour that water out.
Now for us, water's no big deal.
It really isn't.
I mean, if you want water, what do you do?
What do you do?
Isaac, when you want water, what do you do?
What do you do?
It's a buh.
If you want water, you can walk right out this door, those four doors,
and you can go to the drinking fountain or you can go to the sink.
Do you follow that?
I grew up in India.
My parents were missionaries.
And I can tell you that we lived in an area that rained all the time
for a very short period of time.
I mean, we had floods and then we had dry seasons.
And when it was a dry season, we had to have water carried.
And as a result of having all of our drinking water carried,
I have kind of an apoplectic attitude towards don't waste water, even now.
When Judith and I first got married, and I've told this story before,
but some of you probably forgot and others need to hear it.
We'd been married about a week and a half, and I heard water running in the bathroom.
Well, you know, I mean, when water runs in the bathroom, in my mind,
it should be only temporary.
I mean, you fill up a glass and that's it.
And the water was running, and the water was running,
and the water was running, and the water was running,
and I became really concerned about the exorbitant waste that was going on,
because even though water wasn't being carried at that time in my life,
I knew that water shouldn't be wasted.
I went into the bathroom.
I said, what are you doing?
She said, what does it look like?
I'm brushing my teeth.
I said, what's the water running for?
She said, well, that's what I do when I brush my teeth.
I said, no, you don't.
I said, what?
Now, there are some things that Judith has changed in my life,
and there are some things that I've changed in her life.
One of them is we don't waste water.
And here was this picture.
Day after day, the priest would dip that golden pitcher,
and he would then walk in joyful procession,
people singing and people rejoicing.
They would walk from the pool of Siloam over to the steps of the temple,
and they would come up to the great altar,
and they would pour it out.
And when they were pouring it out,
one thing that they were remembering, certainly,
was the way in which God had provided for them day after day after day in the wilderness,
water from the rock.
Another thing that actually is supposed is that the pouring out of the waters was kind of a prayerful time
in which the nation of Israel would say,
God, we are dependent upon you sending rain.
That's what the rabbis today would communicate.
I tend to think that the thinking of the Old Testament saint was probably a little more instructed by the Scriptures
rather than the matter of seasons.
And Alfred Edersheim, who is a Bible scholar,
kind of references the fact that this matter of taking that water from the pool
and then pouring it out on the steps there in front of the great altar
was really a reference to the coming of the Messiah and salvation
and also the giving of the Holy Spirit.
And so I'll...
By the way,
when a pastor makes a statement,
one of the things he ought to do is he ought to reference that with a Bible verse.
How many of you understand that?
So now we're coming to the,
if he said it, he better be able to prove it.
Everybody said, amen.
Okay, well, here we go.
Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 12, verse 3.
And I'm going to just reference a little part of it.
Isaiah chapter 12, verse 3.
With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation,
and you will say in that day,
give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the people,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
With joy, you are going to draw water from the wells of salvation.
If you have ever been thirsty,
if you've ever been in an environment
where water was precious and valued
and something that you didn't take for granted like we do today,
then you can understand this verse is,
with joy,
you're going to have this resource
that's available for you.
And in this context,
it was a reference to the matter of salvation.
Another passage that I want you to reference,
you're there in Isaiah,
but I want you to turn over to Isaiah chapter 44, verse 3.
This is a prophecy of what will come in the future.
And there in verse 3 it says,
For I will pour water on the thirsty land
and streams on the dry ground.
I will pour my spirit upon your offspring.
And I want you to understand that when this water was being poured,
for one thing,
I do believe that it was a reference to the matter of salvation
and to the satisfaction that an individual receives
in having the gift of eternal life given to him by God.
But I believe also,
accurately on the basis of this passage,
that it was a reference to the giving of the Holy Spirit.
And I tend to prefer that understanding of the passage
to the idea as opposite to the idea
that it's just a matter of,
hey, we're asking you to do something with the rain.
So against the backdrop of this daily procession
for seven days they would do this,
and the recurring events of those seven days,
Jesus used the symbolic pouring out of the water
to announce his wonderful offer.
I want you to understand as you go back to John chapter 7
that no one should be able to ever say
that Jesus was not clear about his person,
his mission,
or his offer of salvation.
Not only did he begin his public ministry
with the cleansing of the temple,
but he stepped out into the limelight
on this great day,
this great day of the Feast of the Tabernacles,
at the end of those seven days
of having the water poured
and that imagery in people's minds,
he came to the forefront,
and here's what he did.
Listen to me.
He shouted.
I debated in my office.
Should I really shout?
And I thought, well, some of you who are arresting,
it might be disconcerting,
so I won't do it.
Okay?
You understand that?
But I want you to hear it.
I mean, it's thunder.
I mean, Jesus let it rip.
He shouted,
if anyone thirsts.
In essence,
Jesus was saying,
I am the fulfillment of the promises of God.
Now, before we move on,
allow me to emphasize something here
from this opening text
that tells us something about
our God and our Savior,
the Lord Jesus.
I want to make this clear.
He will never be faulted
for hiding the message
and the hope of salvation.
Do you hear me say that?
He will never be faulted
for hiding the message of salvation.
Those who end up in hell
and die for their unrepentant sins
will not die in total ignorance.
They will die having chosen
to refuse what they have heard
with their own ears
and seen with their own eyes.
And I say that on the basis
of the character of Christ,
but I also say that
on the basis of Romans chapter 1.
What does it say there?
Paul says,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of God
because it's the power of God
unto salvation
to the Jew and to the Gentile.
And then he says,
hey, listen,
everybody hears
the testimony of the heavens.
And people have willingly chosen
to harden their hearts
against God's indictment of sin
and His offer of salvation.
Men who die in their sins
die because they have refused
and they have chosen
to stay with the hardness
of their heart
rather than to yield
to the authority of Christ
and the offer of salvation
that He grants them
in His finished work
on the cross.
Well, let's listen more carefully,
not only to the context,
but let's listen
to this incredible offer.
You're there in John chapter 7,
verse 37,
and 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.
I want you to understand
that Jesus made this incredible offer,
this broad offer of hope.
Think about those words
just for a moment.
If anyone thirsts,
if anyone thirsts,
I want you to understand
that when He made this announcement
in the public setting
that He did,
He was speaking
to all kinds of people.
Now, the inner court,
limited to Jews,
but when Jesus made this announcement,
it was something
that could be appreciated
by all who heard Him,
and He made this just broad,
overarching statement.
Listen,
if anyone is thirsty,
let him come to me.
Aren't you glad
that the offer of salvation
is not limited
to those who've got
their lives together?
I mean,
have you ever bumped into people
who,
well,
I'd like to have Jesus
as my Savior,
but, you know,
I'm just not there yet.
Okay?
Or,
there are some people
who think that,
well,
really,
Jesus is valuable
for those who
are pretty religious anyway.
I mean,
I'm doing the best I can,
and maybe I can add Jesus
to my list of personal friends.
That's not what He says here.
He says,
if anyone thirsts.
I do love the privilege,
the unbelievable blessing
of being an ambassador
of someone like that.
Thirsty?
Come on!
Have you ever been thirsty?
I mean,
really,
really desperately thirsty?
I was talking to,
Becky,
where are you?
Wave at me.
Becky Green.
Hi, Becky.
Can I tell this story?
That's okay.
Well,
now that I put you
on the public spot,
Becky's going to have
surgery Monday.
We're going to be
praying for Becky,
but Dennis and I
are going to spend time
while she's in surgery.
She's out,
you know,
but Dennis and I,
so we're talking about
having coffee together,
and Becky says,
don't talk about that
because I have to be NPO.
You know what NPO means?
It means it's tough.
It's hard.
Wait till you understand
what those words mean.
NPO.
Whoa.
Can't drink,
can't eat,
from 12 at night.
Now,
if you're going to have
to go NPO,
the best time to have
surgery is like
6 o'clock in the morning.
She's waiting till 3.30,
and so I said,
well,
I said,
Dennis and I,
we'll share coffee,
and we'll blow some
off the top,
you know,
just,
no one's ever accused me
of not being thoughtful,
you know.
I can tell you this.
Becky will be thirsty
at 3.30.
She'll be thirsty
because our body craves water.
Our body really needs water.
Do you understand that?
Water's not an option,
and yet,
it's amazing
how easily
we are distracted
from things
that are so important
to us,
and here's Jesus
who comes and says,
listen,
if anyone is thirsty,
let him come to me.
I do think,
just for a moment,
about the blessing
we have,
you and I,
who know Christ,
of being able
to announce
on Christ's behalf
what he said.
Do you understand that?
How many of you
bump into thirsty people
all the time?
I mean,
they're all around.
Now,
here's,
they're really not aware
of how desperately
thirsty they are
because they haven't
connected,
follow me,
they haven't connected
the unintended
consequences
of sin
with the genuine
concern of their heart.
How many of you,
people,
well,
my wheels are coming off,
and the problem really
is everybody else
around me.
That's how it goes.
And we have the problem
of saying,
actually,
what you need is Jesus.
You're thirsty.
Well,
I want you to understand
that not only did Jesus
make this incredibly
broad offer,
but he promised
to satisfy
the thirst
of desperate souls.
Look at the passage.
let him come to me
and stand in a long line
and wait for a sip.
When Becky goes into surgery,
I mean,
they may give you a pill.
I've been in there.
And they come in with
what I refer to
as micro Dixie cups.
They're medicine cups.
You know,
it's what you get your pills in,
and they come in and say,
now just take a sip.
Now,
what's wrong with filling it
up to the top?
I mean,
if I'm going to have
that 1.5 ounce,
you know,
it's like,
go to the top.
No,
they just,
all you have to do
is have this little sip.
Here's Jesus.
You come to me and drink.
I'll satisfy you.
And as you stop
and think about it,
I want you to understand
that here's Jesus
making this incredible offer
to people.
You come to me
and drink.
I'm struck by the fact
that getting thirsty enough
to ask Jesus for a drink
doesn't happen to those
who think they've got it
all together,
right?
I mean,
you've got your membership
in the country club,
and you have a second
vacation home,
and you're really counting
on the stock market
supporting your future plans
for self-indulgence.
And everything's working perfectly.
And someone comes along
and says,
if you're thirsty,
you come to Jesus.
I don't know if I can fit him
into my schedule.
But, you know,
when life's rough
and things are difficult
and things aren't going right,
that's the person
who's interested in Jesus
and wants to pay attention
to the offer.
I'm struck by
how Jesus handled
some of those people
who were pretty full of themselves.
Over in Luke chapter 5,
and I'll turn there
just for a moment if you would,
Luke chapter 5,
verse 31 and 32,
here's Jesus kind of
interacting with the scribes
and Pharisees
who really,
they were irritated
with Jesus.
31 and 32.
32.
And Jesus answered them.
What had happened
is that the scribes
and Pharisees
were kind of grumbling
with his disciples
because he was around
tax collectors and sinners.
He was with them.
There.
Why are you doing that?
Jesus said,
hey,
verse 31,
those who are well
have no need of physician.
Now, by the way,
did the scribes
and Pharisees
have a disease
that was going to lead
to their eternal condemnation?
The answer is,
oh yeah,
they just didn't know it.
They were sick,
but they didn't think so.
So here's Jesus
kind of dealing
with their attitude.
He says,
hey,
those who are well
don't need the physician.
Mattia's a physician
and I mean,
I don't visit Mattia
in his place of business
except when I'm really sick.
You don't go to the doctor
if you're healthy.
And so here's the statement.
Those who are well
have no need of the physician.
Those who are sick,
I have not come to call
the righteous
but sinners to repentance.
So if you're sitting here
and you're full of yourself
and you think you got it
all together,
don't be surprised
if you're not hearing anything.
But if you're sitting here
this morning
and your heart's hurting
and you're kind of thinking
of all the baggage
and the messes,
then Jesus is talking to you.
It says here,
I came to call sinners
to repentance.
By the way,
can Jesus satisfy?
Can He really satisfy?
Can He really meet
the needs of broken hearts
and people whose lives
are a mess?
I've got to tell you,
yes.
I'm living proof of it.
And you are too
who know Christ.
One more piece.
That's the unbelievable outcome.
You look there at the passage,
it says,
verse 38,
whoever believes in me
as the scripture said
or has said,
out of his heart
will flow rivers
of living water.
Underline the passage, please.
My pen started leaking.
I don't think I have anything
on my shirt,
so it's over here
wrapped in a Kleenex
and inside the bulletin, okay?
But take your pen out
and underline this.
Because I want you
to understand
that this is a supremely
important statement
that is very often overlooked
in believers' lives.
Let me read the two verses again
and cling to them
in your thinking.
Whoever believes in me
as the scripture has said
out of his heart
will flow rivers
of living water.
Now this he said
about the spirit
whom those who believed
in him were to receive.
Josh Bernard,
where are you?
Children's Church.
Okay.
Pray for Josh Bernard.
I've asked Josh
to do a little skit for me,
okay?
And he came to me
this morning.
You know,
pastors think of harebrained ideas
and then throw them off
on other people
and hope they can get them done.
That's me.
But I want Josh
to do a little skit
about this issue
of the Holy Spirit
and this passage.
So you can pray with him,
okay?
There's no promises
and there is pressure.
But, you know,
just so you understand.
I've got to tell you,
when I read this passage
and it began to kind of
soak into my life
several weeks ago,
like, my man,
this is a good passage.
This is a profound passage.
Whoever believes in me
as the Scripture has said,
out of his heart
will flow rivers
of living water.
We know what Jesus
was talking about
because we're told
in verse 39,
what Jesus was saying
is that those who believe
will be more than just
personally satisfied,
they will become
satisfiers to others.
Did you hear that?
Do you understand that?
I want you to think with me
just for a moment
of what Jesus was really saying
in this passage
and turn, if you will,
over to the passage
in John 4, verse 14.
Okay?
John 4, verse 14.
Now here's Jesus
with the woman at the well.
Rank, known sinner.
Been shacking up
with one man after another,
just, you know,
kind of a,
she had problems.
She comes to Jesus
and he lets her know
that if she believes in him,
she would be satisfied.
Whoever drinks of the water
that I will give him
will never be thirsty again.
And that's true.
Those who come to faith
in Christ
are no longer thirsty.
Their thirst is satisfied
in the person
of the Lord Jesus
and I think it's fair
for us to recognize
that salvation satisfies
the thirsty soul.
Let me say it slowly.
Salvation satisfies
the thirsty soul.
And one of the things
that should go on
in your life is
you're thinking to yourself
this morning,
well, have I ever really
had my soul satisfied?
Am I satisfied with Jesus?
There's some of you
sitting here
and the truth of the matter
is you grew up in the church.
You learned the Bible stories
from childhood.
You memorized all the verses
in Awana.
You've got it all together
in terms of outside,
but there's never been
the genuine satisfaction
that comes
through the work
of the Spirit of God
in drawing you
to the cross.
All my life long
I had panted
for a drought
from some cool stream.
Songwriter goes on
and says this,
Hallelujah, I've found it.
Talking about the Lord Jesus.
Go back again,
if you will,
to John chapter 7,
verse 38.
And look at the passage
where Jesus points this out.
He says,
Hey, listen.
Whoever believes in me,
as the Scripture says,
out of his heart
will flow streams
of living water.
Genuine salvation
not only satisfies,
but it turns the believer
into a satisfier.
I want you to get your hands
around that.
Think with me.
Let me say it again,
and I want you to pay attention.
Genuine conversion
not only satisfies,
but it turns the believer
into a satisfier.
Hey,
I didn't say it.
Do you understand that?
I didn't say it.
All I'm doing is repeating
what Jesus said to you.
He said,
You who believe in Him
are going to be satisfiers.
Does a dissatisfied world
like when other people
are satisfiers?
What's the answer?
Well,
think with me,
you know.
By the way,
let's kind of,
I'm going to steal ahead
just a little bit
and tell you a little bit
about next week.
Come anyway,
you know,
but here's the point.
When the Holy Spirit
is working in a believer's life,
can a person be saved
and not have the Holy Spirit?
The answer is N-O.
No.
Okay?
When the Holy Spirit
is in the believer's life,
and that happens
at the moment of salvation,
He is there
as the resource
to make us
stop being dissatisfied,
to be satisfied,
and make us satisfiers.
By the way,
have you ever found anybody
that argues with love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering,
patience,
goodness,
meekness?
Anybody?
I really don't like peace.
Yeah,
that love business said,
don't be giving that to me.
You know,
it's like,
hey,
the fruit of the Spirit
satisfies broken people.
Do you understand that?
And those who have
faith in Christ
end up being
satisfiers.
Can you see that
in your life today,
honestly?
You know,
Zacchaeus was satisfied,
wasn't he?
Right?
Remember that?
Zacchaeus was satisfied
after he met Christ,
and he actually ended up
being a satisfier.
Matthew,
the tax collector,
he was satisfied.
And he ended up
being a satisfier.
Boy,
the woman at the well,
classic illustration,
remember?
Came to the well,
thirsty,
went home satisfied,
and she became a satisfier.
Other people flocked
to hear about Jesus
because they were satisfied
with what they saw
happening in her life.
Do you see that
in your life today?
I am fully persuaded
that those who are
genuinely saved
stay saved.
What Jesus does
stays done.
So,
how do I know
that he saved me?
That's a fair question,
isn't it?
The way I know
he has saved me
is not because
I know the Bible verses.
Now,
that's important.
Apart from
the word of God,
you can't be well informed,
but how do I know
that I am saved?
One is that
my soul is satisfied.
I have received
by the grace of God
an abiding,
lasting relationship
with the Lord Jesus
that has granted me
acceptance
in the beloved.
But there's something else.
I can look back
over my life
and you who know Christ
can see the same thing.
And he took you
from being a miserable,
unhappy,
broken wreck
and slowly
over the years
has made you become
someone who's not only
satisfied with him
but is a satisfier
of broken,
heartbroken,
hard lives.
Isn't that right?
So,
let me put it to you
practically.
There's some of you
here this morning
that do not know Christ
as your Savior.
Tim Kenoyer doesn't know
because none of you
have saved,
unsaved written
on your head.
You follow that?
It's not like I can see that.
But I just know.
There are some of you here
that do not know Christ.
And the truth of the matter is
is that
the unintended signals
of that
relationship
come out
like this.
Your life is marked
by perpetual
dissatisfaction,
by messiness,
by the unintended
consequences of sin,
by a complete inability
ultimately
to change
who you are.
And I would plead
with you this morning
on the basis
of the work
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He came into the world
to deal with
broken,
ruined lives
and he offers
salvation to all
who will humble
themselves and say,
Jesus,
I don't need,
listen to this carefully,
I don't need
any more evidence.
I figured it out.
I'm a mess
and I can't save myself.
Will you please
forgive me
and be my savior?
Isn't that simple?
You know,
it's not like you have
to crawl across
broken glass
or walk on hot coals.
You have to repent
and confess your sins.
There are some of you
here today
that do know Jesus.
You've been saved.
But the truth
of the matter is
is that you have not
made much progress
at moving from,
well,
there was a time
when I was satisfied
to being a satisfier.
How do I know
you're not a satisfier?
Hey,
everybody smile.
People don't like
grumpy people.
At least in my home
they don't like
grumpy people
and Judith doesn't like
when I have those moments.
And you know,
you're not satisfied yourself.
You're a grumpy.
You're a moody.
You're an unhappy.
You're irritable.
You're angry.
Am I doing well
with all the signals
anybody identifying
I've missed?
You know,
it's like,
hey,
you're not doing very well
at satisfying other people.
Well,
so,
you may have left
your first love.
You can't be filled
with delight
and satisfaction
in Jesus
without becoming
magnetic
to a broken world.
You also may be
an individual
who is sitting here
this morning
who conscious
and deliberate
in your
willing
disobedience
to God
at the high
and holy
calling
of your life.
Do you follow that?
So,
why are you
drawing breath?
Trick question.
So,
I can spend
more time
on Pinterest.
So,
I can really
invest my life
in sports.
So,
I can acquire
a mass
so I can retire
to Florida
or spend
the next six years
driving around
the world
in a motor home.
Is that why
he kept me alive?
No.
So,
I,
satisfied in Jesus,
can let other
people know
that there is
only one person
in whom
there is redemption
and it's
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Let's close
in prayer.
Holy Spirit,
this morning
we ask
that you
lift up
Jesus
and that
those who
are here
today
that are
believers
whose lives
are marked
by a
deficiency
in being
a satisfier
of other
people
would be
humble enough
this morning
to come
to you
and say,
Lord,
it's not
supposed to
be that
way.
And I
want to
move forward
in doing
the right
thing.
I want
my life
to be
about you
and not
me.
And I
confess,
I need
the work
of the
Holy Spirit.
And that
those who
are here
today
that do
not know
Christ,
that today
the Spirit
of God
would bear
in on
their life
and that
profound
dissatisfaction
with the
darkness
and the
despair
of their
soul
would have
no remedy
except in
Christ.
That they
would understand
the sweetness
of the
gospel offer
that whosoever
comes to
me,
I will
never
cast out.
And that
they would
come with
brokenness
and humility
and say,
I am a
sinner who
stands justly
condemned
before a
holy God.
But I
believe
God sent
Jesus to be
my Savior
and He
died on
the cross
for my
sins
and He
made a
promise.
Whosoever
believes in
Jesus will
have everlasting
life.
Let that be
their prayer
this morning.
I ask in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you.