Fill Us again!
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Fill Us again!
Fill Us again!
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Intro:
Jesus is offering us something here that I believe is worth paying attention to.....
.......I see him giving this invitation!!
And whenever Jesus is offering something to us it’s always beneficial....
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(expound)
I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
(expound)
So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(expound)
And in today’s text I find Jesus offering something to us......
And as I reflect on what Jesus is offering to us in light of what’s happening around us
(PAUSE)
I believe that........
Something different is being experienced even as bad as things seem right now....
......in relation to what I see Jesus offering to us in this text...
(pause)
Because.....
We keep hearing everyone admit that......
......something feels different this time.
And I believe that its the fact that........
....... we all are approaching the throne of God thirsty!
(pause)
It’s one thing to come to the refrigerator and take a casual drink of water
And then.....
It’s a completely different thing when we are attacking the the same refrigerator.....
........because we are desperate for something to drink!!!
(pause)
And I believe that......
.........the casual approach is non satisfactory in the hearts of many of us!
.......I believe that some of us are just in a different flow right now!!
(pause)
And I believe it is because we can sense that Jesus is offering something to us different in our Spirit man!
(pause)
And you’re hearing people say things like........
“I really can’t put my finger on it, but something is different this time....”
(pause)
There is no King.......
......and there is no Malcolm
........and there is no Ella Baker
But something
........is being Poured out!!!!!
(pause)
Look at it now.....
Read verse 37, and 38a only......
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”
According to the text.....
.....there is a Feast that is taking place
....and this feast is called the “Festival of Shelters” and at this point in the text the people are proving the purpose of this feast as they are found praying for rain.
And the way this works is that if rain comes at this time while they are praying, it was a guarantee that there would be sufficient rain for the crops that they would expect in harvest season.
(pause)
And so......
....each day of the feast the prayer for rain was symbolized in dramatic fashion.
There is this procession of the people toward the Gihon spring on the southeast side of the Temple hill.
And it is at that spot that a proiest would fill a golden pitcher with water, and the choir would repeat the words of Isaiah 12.3
“With joy you will draw water from the well of salvation!”
And then the procession would go up to the temple through the water gate.....
.....and when they got to the altar at the front of the temple they would wave the willow twigs and myrtle tied with palms in their right hands....
......and they would wave lemongrass plants in their left hands.
And while they were waving.....
.....the Priest would go up the ramp and pour the water into a silver funnel, and when they would pour it through this silver funnel it would flow down to the ground.
(slight pause)
And it is in this context that we experience the signifnicance of Jesus’s words......
Because it is on this momentous day of the feast.....
......this creschendo of hope and expectation if you will
.....that Jesus stands up and says,
“If anyone thirsts......
......let him come to me
......and drink!”
I wonder if you see the significance in these words of Jesus!?!
(pause and expound)
Because......
It is at this deepest point of human need.......
........this incredibly powerful moment of expectation
(slight pause)
That Jesus shows up! (slight pause)
......and I don’t know how you feel about it.
.....but I get excited concerning this,
(pause)
......and the reason I get excited about this is because we do not serve a Jesus that runs and hides when we are standing in a place of great need, and great expectation.
But instead.....
........we serve a Jesus that stands up and responds directly to our need!
(pause)
Could you imagine what it would have been like for Jesus to respond at this particular time.....
At the climax of their hope......
......as the water is being poured out over the ground, out of the golden pitcher that the priest is holding
......as the water is splattering into the dirt after running off the altar!!
Jesus Speaks Up!
Watch this!
.....because at the same time that they heard the Water start Flowing.....
.......Jesus starts SPEAKING UP!!
And that’s what I love about God.....
God always speaks in the MOMENT!!!!
All of my life.....
.....my experience has been that God always speaks in significant MOMENTS!!
(pause)
......and everytime God speaks in these types of situations,
It’s always Jesus who is calling for our attention!
(pause)
And in my spiritual imagination I hear him asking the question......
I know you came to this festival because you need rain......
I know that this festival means something to you!!!
I know that you are here in this MOMENT because you are expecting something....
(pause)
So let me ask you a question..........
“Do you need ME?”
(pause and expound)
And it is in this moment that I see Jesus.....
........accepting responsibility
(pause)
And that’s when i wondered to myself.......
.....I said Self
........If you were in a position where you had a need
......and if you were in a position where you had a great expectation
......and Jesus SPOKE UP
......and spoke in a way that let you know he was talking directly to you
........and you basically heard him say,
“Do you need ME to do anything for you?”
(pause)
What would be your next response?
(pause)
Freedom family,
What would be the response if Jesus showed up in the middle of PEACEFUL PROTEST
.......at the height of our EXPECTATIONS
.......at the height of our Crying out for Justice and Equality
(pause)
And I don’t know about you,
........but if it was me I would have to admit,
“Lord, I’m here because I’m THIRSTY!”
I’m thirsty for JUSTICE
I’m thirsty for RIGHTEOUSNESS
I’m thirsty for new Policies
I’m thirsty for an end to mass incarceration
(pause)
Lord we need you to...
“Fill us Again!”
(pause and expound)
And......
......what I love about Jesus speaking up right here at this point.....
........ is that it repositions us to strengthen others!
(pause)
“And let the one who believes in me drink. as the scripture has said,
Out of the believers heart shall flow living water.”
(pause)
In other words.....
Jesus is saying,
“Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will pour out from his heart.”
(pause)
Everybody in the crowd showed up to get the same rain......
.....everybody showed up with the same thirst and expectation
.......and Jesus says,
“If anybody out there believes in what I am offering to you right now
........if you drink from this cup
........There’s going to be a HEART SHIFT
......and RIVERS are going to FLOW out of the same hearts that wer THIRSTY
(pause)
And I hear God saying,
I’m going to use those I FILL UP.......
(slight pause)
.....to go and FILL other folk UP!
And this is why if you say you are a believer.....
........you should not be subtracting from Lives
........but you should be adding to Lives!
(pause)
And so......
You can’t be Pro LIFE for babies in the womb
And not be Pro LIFE for Black lives in the world
(pause)
Because the bible says......
Rivers of “Living Water” or “Life Giving Water” shall flow out of your heart!!!
And then I thought about it more.......
.......and I wondered,
I don’t think we should ever be satisfied with where we are as a believer even if God is filling us up.
Because.......
........if we are LIVING out this life the right way,
......as soon as God fills us up we ought to be POURING it out on somebody else who needs it!!!
(pause)
And I just wonder if,
.........there is a FREEDOM in your life to let LIFE GIVING water FLOW into the lives of others!!
And I don’t know about you,
......but I don’t believe God saved us for NOTHING!
I believe God knew we had a heart that was thristy for who he is........
And now that we have drank from that DEEP WELL!!!
(pause)
Now is the time to........
LET THE RIVERS..............FLOW!!!!
(pause)
Now.....
John’s Gospel says.....
Jesus is referring to God’s Spirit!!!
Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
According to the text.......
The Spirit could only be received once Jesus had been glorified....
And now when the text talks about Jesus being glorified.....
.....it is discussing Jesus being raised to glory
And as John’s reader looked at this in their timeframe.....
.......there was a waiting period for the GLORY!
(pause)
But........
Now as we read this text as Believers in Christ........
we are reading this Post Resurrection!
Meaning......
......we don’t have to WAIT for the GLORY!!!
(pause)
And.
.....we don’t have to WAIT for the FLOW!!!
(pause)
......and that means that
we got POWER to ACT right NOW!!!!
......and we can start POURING right NOW!!!!
(pause)
And if that’s the case......
..........WHAT are we WAITING on??????????
Because.....
The Glory is ALREADY here.....
(pause)
CLOSE.........
So Jesus.......
since you’re OFFERING.........
(slight pause)
Jesus.......
.......we call on your NAME
Jesus........
........fall FRESH on us AGAIN
Another OUTPOURING.........
Another REVIVAL........
POUR it OUT.....
POUR it OUT.......
POUR it OUT.......
JESUS..........
FILL US AGAIN!!!!!!
So we can OPERATE in your POWER.....
.......AGAIN!!!!
(pause)
For the bible says...........
Where the Spirit of the Lord is......
.........there is FREEDOM!!!!
(pause)
In the last days, God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit on all people....
Your sons and daughters will prophesy!”
God....
FILL US AGAIN!!!!