Thirst for the Lord

Scripture and Introduction

The great joy of the Christian life is the thirst of the Lord. To want to be drawn to the Lord. It is the great calling upon a sinner when the sinner awakes to His need of the Lord.

Today we will encounter this thirsting for the Lord and next week we taste symbolically of the Lord with a Lord’s supper service. I ask the hymns be around the Lord’s supper and passion.

I also request each of you brings a passage of scripture that has brought you hope of the Lord to read next week.

This being stated, let us go to our passage today.

Psalm 119:145–152 ESV

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes. I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O Lord, according to your justice give me life. They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law. But you are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are true. Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever.

Thirsting for Salvation Verses 145-146

Christian I must ask you this question as I have walked among you for the past 13 months. I’ve seen the sins of Waughtown, I’ve seen your sins. You have seen mine.

There is not a single day that we don’t wrestle with the sins of our selfish desires against Christ who saves.

In a very real real way salvation goes beyond the initial call of I prayed a prayer and became saved. That indeed is the worse theology that has led many sinners to hell. Trusting a prayer at a young age or church membership for 8 decades, but never truly being born again.

Our salvation in Christ is progression of His saving grace. It is the salvation that upon birth into a new life is granted justification in the Lord, fully declared forgiven and righteousness but His works and not your own.

But this salvation is evident in sanctification of the Christian. A Christian who remains in the state of sin or has little affection for the Lord outside of a Sunday routine, must be in doubt of his salvation.

The fruit of justification will always produce works, just as a church who God has not removed the lampstand from will always produce works. It is when the Lord has removed Himself that the false convert will truly be avail at the chaff to be burned at the Lord’s judgement, and the churches door will be closed.

The Lord will send His servants to give warning, but unless the soul of the Church, of the Christian cries out for salvation She will never be saved. She will never produce or multiple beyond herself.

Salvation in her third element is that state of glory to when the bride of Christ is encompassed into the great wedding day or the day of her death from this world. The day of glory for where she will then be perfected and kept in His grace by His atoning work.

The question

So I ask you Christian? Have you truly called out to the Lord for salvation? Or have you simply trusted in your religious duties all the while believing you were born again when in reality you will die and face the judgement of God?

Look towards the Promise Verse 148

Friend’s many of you upon hearing that word of judgment are now in a state of fear. Mind you I believe fear has a place for the sinner as a it does a child who rebels against their parent’s.

I believe a fear of God is that which is missing among the churches today, among Christians today. The fear of the Lord is watered down in western culture as it’s just about honoring the Lord. No! Where in scripture is this taught about fearing God?

Fear is not evil, fear in worshiping God is a great thing, a great blessing. The fear of the Lord saves sinners from God’s wrath and points them to hope of the promise.

What is this promise Christian? It is Christ and His saving works applied to you who thirst for the Lord, for His salvation. The works of Christ are this.

Prophet; The giver of the word as His is the word

Priest: The mediator between man and God the Father

King: The ruler of every nation on earth and King of Heaven. The ruler of our lives.

What great promise is this that for the Christian, the Christian can enter these works of Christ living out the salvation that He has given. This is to thirst for Christ.

How to live out the promise as a Christian

Prophets: You Christian are called to this work in Christ by bringing His word to others. If Christ who is the word that prophets gave. How much more are you who are in Christ called to the give word that He commanded you to give.

Christian when was the last time you discipled someone? Or maybe you have wasted the last 50- 100 years of your life just coming to church and being comfortable in the Christian bubble. A sheltered life is not pleasing the Lord, a holy life is but the holy of holies entered the most un-sheltered places to give the word and save sinners. He calls you not to save them, but to disciple sinners.

Priest: The great joy of interceding not only for the saint who is now in Christ, but the wandering prodigal son. To plead to the Father for His election upon the prodigal son, the draw the sinner to Himself.

Like a priest, to also share the law of the Lord upon both sinner and saint.

King: You are hiers of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is here and still to come. O what great joys when this work, which is done through the local church plant who plant churches, sends foreign and domesticate missionaries.

When the baptismal is wet and not dry; when the laughter of little children are running around the church, when the infant is crying as the preacher is preaching. O what a sound that would be, far greater than any hymns ever sing is when a church has become for the community.

I say this not to condemn but to challenge you in the next season; you may have grey hairs but work as heirs of the KIngdom to bring in children, young families into your homes, into the place of worship, to know the salvation of the Lord.

The work of the Kingdom is within the church that expands into the nations, her city, and her very backyard. O what great work it is.

The greatest blessing is is disciplining another. My wife and I not even six months into our chapter of New Jersey were presented an opportunity to be exchange parents for two girls from N. Viet.

We agreed and keep in mind we don’t like teens (that is joke) One of those little girls at the time we got her was 16 going on 17 first generation Christian that many of us in Jersey spoke into her life got to see her become a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

Seeds for salvation for our other spiritual daughter was at least planted.

Christian the work of the King is a blessing if you will step into this work.

The Love of God 149

O Christian to thirst of God is to know His love which was displayed at the cross, in the Resurrection, and the Hope of His eternal Kingdom.

I disciple a bunch of middle school boys and I tell you that is a challenge. Some of my boys I know will walk with the Lord, like a young boy named Ryker or a kid we call Preacher Cooper.

Two young men I am so proud of and just love their heart for Christ and thirst for His word.

Some of them I don’t know where they will end up. I tell them there is one lesson I can’t teach you and it is to know the love of God and loving God.

Church I tell you the same; I can not teach what the faithful love of God. I can point to the cross , the Resurrection. I can not give you that love, I can not teach that love, and I can’t keep you in that love.

Christian you must learn to love God and it starts by crying out to Him and He will hear your cry.

Conclusion

To thirst for God is to enter the life of the cross. You must experience the cross of Christ, to know what is is to thirst for the Lord God almighty.

I can’t make you want to thirst and even if you were thirsty I can’t make you drink. But I plead with you to go to Christ and not let a day go by where you don’t.