Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Give the background for the passage -

The Feast of Tabernacles; the observance; the ceremony;

The Type of the Lord; Jesus in their midst; the emptiness;

The Invitation - not to religion, but to experience Him!

Illustration - Evangelist Mike being asked if he wanted a drink on the airplane - "Oh, no thank you, I had a drink a number of years ago that satisfied me completely." - "Must have been some drink."

- "Oh, it was."

- " What was it?"

- "Finish serving these others, and come back and I'll tell you..." - She did, and came back, strapped herself in to the seat next to him, and said, "Tell me about it," - and he did.

Main Thought: It's time to stop simply going through the motions of empty religion and it's time to start enjoying a real relationship with the Savior Himself!

Sub-intro: Is that your experience?

Is there in you a river bubbling up?

Is there in you a satisfaction because you have drunk deeply of Jesus?

But more than a satisfaction, are you being a blessing?

Is your life overflowing with blessing?

It's an amazement to me how many people today are trying to find the answer.

Some people think that the answer is intellectual.

They think if they can just learn more facts, if they can just learn more theology, if they can just learn more history, if they can just learn more of this or that.

And so they go from class to class, and church to church with their heads getting fuller and their hearts getting emptier.

They know that the answer is not intellectual.

Others think that the answer is in activity.

If they can just do more, if they can just work harder, if they can just stay busy doing church work, a busy Christian is a happy Christian, so go to work.

And people wear their fingers to the bone, and sometimes even ruin their domestic tranquility, by never being at home, doing this thing and doing that thing, trudging to church every time the doors are open, but still no reality in their lives.

Others think that the answer is emotional.

i. e.

The Charismatic Movement.

Is the answer intellectual?

Is the answer in the activities that we do?

Is the answer in emotionalism?

And then there's the answer that the Pharisee has.

He thinks that the answer to life is the way that he lives, primarily noted by what he doesn't do.

I don't do this.

I don't do that, and I don't this, and I don't do that.

And so the proud Pharisee as he trims his limbs, he strengthens his root, becomes a bitter, hard Pharisee.

He has religion, but he doesn't have reality.

He does not know what Jesus Christ is talking about.

And there are many in America who do not know they have religion.

It's time they stopped enduring religion and started enjoying salvation.

It is time that they came to understand what the great heart of Jesus longed for.

When Jesus on that last day stood up and cried, and said to them what he's saying to you, "Are you thirsty?

Come to me and drink."

And out of your inner most being will flow a river of living water.

Body: Notice Four Simple Steps to Satisfaction in the Savior:

I.

The Subjects

To whom is Jesus speaking?

The big "If..." = He is not speaking to everyone here, there is a condition.

Any person who is thirsty

Jesus stood and cried saying, If any man thirst.

That's all prefaced by this, "Are you thirsty?" "Well," you say, "God knows I'm empty."

I didn't ask if you were empty.

I asked, "Are you thirsty."

My car has been empty many times, never once been thirsty.

There are many thirsty people today.

There are people who come to church on Sunday morning like they've done God a wild favor, but they don't come seeking God.

They don't come with a burning, blistering thirst.

Oh some might have a shallow thirst.

Those who have a shallow thirst'll get a shallow satisfaction.

Many are not thirsty at all, because they are filled with the stagnant waters of self love and worldliness.

I don't know how much of God you have, but I'll tell you, you have all you want.

It's not your job to persuade God to fill you.

He wants to fill you.

Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.

For they shall be filled.

If you don't have anymore, it's cause you don't want anymore.

It's not because God somehow has neglected you.

You've neglected God.

And if you're not thirsty, I would suggest that the very first thing you do is to analyze your life, and pray that God would help you to get things in order, that God would help you to see things in reality, that God would give you the big picture, that God would grant to you a burning, blistering thirst, that you would say, "I'm done with religion.

I want reality.

I am thirsty today for that which is real."

The subject's the thirsty ones.

II.

The Source

The Person of the Lord Jesus

Jesus said, "If you thirst, come to me."

He was talking of himself.

You come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You don't come to religion.

You don't come to rituals.

You don't come to rules.

You don't come to resolve.

You don't even clean up your life, and then say, "Lord, here it is.

Fill me."

It's one of the biggest mistakes we make.

Sometimes we get the idea that we want more of God.

We want that fulness of the Spirit.

We want that Living Water.

We want that reality, and we think well, you know, if can just clean up my life, if I can just get right, if I can just somehow discipline myself enough, pray enough, study enough, work enough, live clean enough, then I'll be a candidate for the blessing.

All that is, is a work's based righteousness, and you'll never ever make it.

You're like a man in quicksand.

The more you struggle, the deeper you sink.

If you don't hear anything else in this message, I want you to listen to this.

Holiness is not the way to Christ.

Christ is the way to holiness.

~ Dr. Adrian Rogers

Write it on your heart right now.

Holiness is not the way to Christ.

You don't work your way to the way.

He is the Way.

Don't get the idea that if you could live right, God will fill you with the Holy Spirit.