Empowered: Life in the Spirit week 1

“Thirst” part 1

Opening comments:

Vacation

Appreciation for Larry and Brandon

Prayer for Brandon’s family

Transition:

6-week series- “Empowered: Life in the Spirit”

Today, I want to talk about “Thirst”

2 Fundamental thoughts:

Pentecostal in name more than in practice.

Pentecostal in name has more to do with tradition.

Pentecostal in practice has more to do with thirst.

Thirst is the currency in Heaven’s economy.

Isaiah 55:1 (ESV)

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

The need to quench a spiritual thirst.

God promises to fill us to overflowing.

3 cautionary comments:

1. We cannot default to previous experience.

Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

2. We cannot imitate another congregation’s experience.

The dysfunction of imitated experience

3. The corporate expression of the Spirit’s outpouring is contingent upon our individual thirst.

Our level of corporate expression will flow from our individual pursuit of Christ.

John 7:37–39 (ESV)

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 rivers of 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.

Opening Observations:

The last day of the feast

The Festival of Booths . . .

One of three major Jewish festivals

Late September to late October (post harvest)

7 days in length

Concluded with “The Day of Assembly.”

2 purposes:

Remember God’s provision in the wilderness.

Prayer for the outpouring of rain.

The Great Day

The seventh day of the Festival of Booths (Sukkot) and is considered the climax of the festival.

The day is named after the Hoshana prayers, which are intense pleas for salvation and blessings.

On Hoshana Rabbah, this procession is performed seven times, commemorating the seven circuits made by Joshua around Jericho (Joshua 6) and signifying a heightened plea for divine intervention and blessing.

This ceremony involves drawing water from the Pool of Siloam and pouring it out at the Temple altar, symbolizing gratitude for past rain and prayers for future rain.

The themes of salvation and divine intervention are pronounced on Hoshana Rabbah.

Jesus stood up

A declaration

Drawing attention

Thirst

Jesus fully placed Himself as the One who could satisfy our thirst.

Flow

Thirst first

Flow second

Holy Spirit

The promise of the Holy Spirit was based on belief in Christ

*Pentecostal practice fully focuses on Jesus.

Master

Manifestations

Teaching . . .

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

The first word we see in Christ’s invitation is the word “if.”

*It’s all about thirst!

The conditional word “if” is based on the heart pursuit of the individual.

Jesus is placing the responsibility on the individual’s willingness to receive what He is offering.

It would indicate that Jesus is not forcing or manipulating in any fashion, but rather He is making readily available that which will satisfy our thirst, but we must address the “if” in the invitation at a personal level.

Secondly, Jesus makes His invitation equally available to everyone.

“Anyone” includes all socioeconomic classes, cultures, and tribes of people.

No one is excluded.

Each of us have the same invitation and opportunity to come to Jesus.

Thirdly, Jesus emphasizes that the condition needed to respond to His invitation is thirst.

We must recognize our thirst, and receive the invitation of Christ for it’s satisfaction.

Next, Jesus states; “let him come.”

It is a personal invitation extended to each individual.

I must come to Christ on my own behalf and not for another’s thirst.

I cannot drink on behalf of someone else.

I must come for myself, and they must come for the quenching of their thirst.

Jesus specifically indicates where we are to come for the sake of quenching our thirst; “come to Me.”

He places Himself in direct view of thirst’s provision.

He alone is the One who can adequately address our thirst.

Finally, Jesus gives clear instruction as to what we are to do when we come to Him; “drink.”

We must drink from Christ to quench our thirst.

Notice what happens next . . .

[John 7:40-43 ESV] 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.”

The invitation of Jesus generated a mixed response.

They became divided due to their current understanding.

They were unable to receive.

Pentecostal division . . .

More prophecy

More tongues and interpretation

More divine healing

It’s all about more thirst for Jesus!