Sunday Messages

Jesus-followers must be prepared to give testimony to God’s work so others may see and believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

God continues to disclose to us in his Word that Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. We conclude this series with this final message. We have desired to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. We must affirm again…Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

God created each of us as Jesus-followers with the capacity to communicate with him, and with people around us. In fact, when it comes to communication, the word dialogue is loosely used in everyday day speech. It is, therefore not to be wondered at that persons speak of dialoguing when, strictly speaking, they have merely exchanged a few superficial words with another.

Dialogue =“a progressive development of relationships between self and others requiring appropriate communication skills.”

Persons who expect dialogue on a first encounter are doomed to frustration and disappointment. People in dialogue…

• Try to receive feelings and thoughts of others without attempting to change them;
• Can let others be themselves even when they are different;
• Listen without trying to refute or argue down the speaker;
• Listen to understand;
• Ask questions to check out or insure understanding;
• Don’t sit in judgment;
• Are open to being changed should the evidence point in this direction.

God calls us to put out the welcome mat to all types of people. Dialogue moves a relationship from dependence to interdependence, to a sense of belonging and bonding to the life-giving relationships for which human beings are created. Through these life-giving relationships dialogue becomes the key to growth.

Dialogue is the one form of communication, whereby Jesus-followers welcome one another, as they exchange through the process of speaking and listening an understanding of information. Communication takes tact in the words we project, and warmth in the body language we portray.

There is a story about a man who once asked his brother to mind his cat while he went away on holidays. The cat-owner was very nervous. He had never left his cat in the care of anyone and wanted assurances that his brother would take very good care of his prized pet. When he got back from the holidays he telephoned his brother to arrange the pickup of his cat. His brother simply said "the cat died" and hung up. Our cat-owner was devastated, and spent days grieving the loss of his beloved pet.

Finally he got up the courage to ring his brother back. Considering how brothers relate to one another, they exchanged some harsh words. "That was a rotten way to tell me my cat had died" said the cat-lover. "Well how exactly should I have broken the news to you? I knew you would be devastated no matter what I said and that you'd probably blame me for the cat's death." "You could have broken the news to me gradually. When I asked about the cat you could have said, 'she's playing on the roof'; then you could've rung me again later to say she'd fallen off the roof and broken her leg. Then you could've phoned me the next day to say she passed away during the night. But noooo, you had to be blunt and cruel." The brothers continued talking, moving on from the cat to the holiday trip, to family. "How's mom doing?" asked the cat-lover. "She's playing on the roof" replied his brother.

To relate to one another on the level of dialogue is challenging, but we have a model to guide us. Jesus has come to show us how to respond to our call to be in relation to God as his witnesses and with one another. Jesus is our principal model for he has said: “I am the Way; I am the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).

In studying the paradigm of Jesus’ encounters with people from all walks of life, we come to the essence of our call to be welcoming people, working and living together, and challenging one another of growth through dialogue.

One day on the streets of the ancient town of Sychar, in the region of Samaria, a woman who had been looking for a welcoming presence in her life was about to be surprised. She was looking in all the wrong places when she encounters Jesus. In John 4 Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. He gets her to see her need, satisfies her need and uses her to be his messenger.

Let’s build into the key verses of our message a context of this encounter of dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. We can observe four perspectives:

• At the well, dying of thirst
• A stranger at the well
• An appeal for deliverance through worship
• The disciples rejoin Jesus

So a woman dying of thirst meets a stranger at the well. In the course of their dialogue they really discuss the true nature of the woman’s thirst. It is a spiritual one. The woman is looking for more than companionship. She is looking for one who can assure her that her search for true purpose in life is a valued one. God is on the outlook for true worshipers, not just Jewish or Samaritan worshipers. Jesus helped her see that ethnicity wasn’t as important as authenticity. It was all about the heart, not the art. Where one worships wasn’t as important as that one worships. Not only did the woman see it, but she also wanted it.

We have here the remainder of the story of what happened when Jesus was in Samaria, after the long dialogue he experienced in his encounter with the woman in John 4:39-42…

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

We may observe that this woman’s response to the dialogue with Jesus was dramatic. When she finally realized who Jesus was, she ran to tell the townspeople her experience. 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" It was the beginning of something wonderful for the whole area. Her change would spark fires of further change.

Revival in Samaria

When the woman shared her story, a revival broke out in Samaria. Many of the Samaritans of that city believed Jesus. We may notice a number of key results due to the women’s testimony of faith in Jesus.

We observe here,

1. How many of the Samaritans believed

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."

The woman’s “word” to her own people is really a report, a testimony, a piece of news. She is faithfully telling what has happened to her. Many believed in him [Jesus] because of the woman’s witness. It caused them eventually to come to Jesus, which is the chief purpose of anyone’s witness. How often a radically changed life is particularly effective in bringing others to Jesus.

It has been pointed out by students of evangelism that most of the spontaneous, real witnessing is done by new Jesus-followers within two years after their conversion. As they are drawn more and more into church activities, they become domesticated. I call it becoming “Christianized.” As we grow older in the faith, many believers don’t grow up in the faith. Our webs of influences get smaller and smaller with unbelievers. Our relationships are centered around other Jesus-followers. We begin to worry about what people will think of our relationship with Jesus, and we lose that early, joyous abandon. What a tragedy!

2. How many of the Samaritans increased in numbers

40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

These Samaritans are spiritually thirsty, longing for living water. All prejudices are brushed aside as they urge the Jewish Traveler, who has had such a profound effect on this needy woman, to stay with them. This is no surface invitation, but an urgent cry, “Come and live with us!” The Word made flesh now tabernacles among these estranged and needy people. And while it was only two days—we must notice John’s detail—what a rich, full time it became. A few hours with eternal consequences, a time of celebration.

There’s a story about a man who came home from work to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy?" "Yeah?" replied the man. "Daddy, how much money do you make an hour? "Well son, I don't really think that's any business of yours" the man said. "Please daddy, please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy. "If I tell you, you must promise you won't tell anybody else." "I promise" said the little boy. "Alright then" said his father. "I make $25.00 an hour." "Oh," the little boy replied. He looked a little sad, then said "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?" His father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is so you can borrow some you can go straight off to bed. I work long and hard to provide the things you need, not so you can borrow money to spend on toys or whatever junk you want $10 for!" The little boy burst into tears and made his way to his room. After an hour or so the father had calmed down and went to his son's room. "I'm sorry for being so hard on you earlier son. If you tell me what you wanted the $10 for and it's a worthwhile thing I'll think about giving it to you." The little boy ran across the room to his piggy bank and counted out all its contents, exactly $15.00. "$15.00, that's a lot of money son. Surely that's enough for what you wanted to buy" said the father. "Well with the $10 you'll give me it will be" the little boy replied. "What is it that you need $25.00 for son?" "For you Dad. I'd like to buy an hour of your time!”

I’m sure the Samaritans had the heart of this small boy. They wanted to spend time with Jesus, if for only two days. In fact, people around us today can vividly see in our conversation and conduct if we have spent time with Jesus. Time well spent with Jesus will increase the number of those who will come to know Jesus.

3. How many of the Samaritans gained firsthand faith

42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

During those two days Jesus spent in that village, it was his word the people heard, and they came to believe in the One who shared the Word. Faith is never faith if it is based only on someone else’s testimony, how thrilling it may be. No, saving faith comes by hearing the word of the Messiah and trusting him! Yes, genuine faith is firsthand faith! When Jesus ministered in the city, many more believed.

God really has no grandchildren. Every person who becomes a Jesus-follower must come to believe personally that Jesus is the Christ, God’s very own Son. As much as I wanted my children to come to know Jesus, it had to be a personal decision on their part. Although they gained tremendous influence having Jesus-followers as parents and growing up in a fine church, they still had to make it a personal act of belief. We are called to transmit and translate the faith to the next generation. However, like the Samaritans who believed, they heard firsthand that Jesus was really the Savior of the world.

So when Jesus ministered in the city, many more believed. Their faith now was dependent not on the testimony of another, but upon their own personal experience with Jesus. It is these Samaritans, not the Jews, who first know that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus has performed no physical miracle among them, only made himself known. They have been outsiders and now they know they are included. He has come for them as well!

From our Samaria to our area.

How does the story of an obscure woman at the well in the Middle East over two thousand years ago relate to you and me? We probably can’t relate to her marital history. And her lifestyle probably doesn’t connect with ours. However, her encounter with Jesus reveals some truths that apply to men and women of all ages and all backgrounds.

How do we put out a welcome mat for others to experience a firsthand faith in Jesus this Easter?

Setting a climate. Jesus’ actions and words first create a climate where growth and inner healing can take place. We set a climate for those people close to us.

Revealing a compassionate perception. Jesus sees people with problems rather than problem people. We reveal a compassionate perception to others when we look beyond their problems to see their real needs.

Making a personal response. Jesus responds to people whatever their need—physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We relate personally to others, sensing their needs and seeking to help them in their needs.

Initiating a relationship. Jesus risks entering into relationships with others, shares himself with them and invites them to live and to grow. We risk entering into relationships with those in our webs of relationships, encouraging them to grow in Jesus.

Confronting a commitment. Jesus openly confronts them with their weaknesses but calls them to life and growth. We confront those close to us to firsthand faith in Jesus.

Dialogue is the dynamic that Jesus used. Day in and day out Jesus was there with the people, teaching them and listening to them. He created a climate of trust. He spoke to them concerning the gut issues of their lives. He knew the problems facing them. He was concerned about their concerns. Yet he did not hesitate to confront them, to criticize when criticism or confrontation seemed indicated. He revealed himself to them. He dialogued.

Peter instructs Jesus-followers to be ready to share our testimony of God’s work in our lives so others may see Jesus and believe he is the Savior of the world…

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. –1 Peter 3:15.

My heart Christ’s home. Robert Boyd Munger was a Presbyterian minister who wrote this timeless work over 50 years ago. As vividly compelling a read then, there is perhaps no other essay on the ABC's of the Christian life, other than Scripture itself, so impacting as Munger's wonderful work. Without question one of the most remarkable Christian doctrines is that Jesus Christ himself through the presence of the Holy Spirit will actually enter a heart, settle down and be at home there. Christ will make the human heart his dwelling presence. After Christ enters our heart and in the joy of this new relationship we say to him, "Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show You around and introduce you to the various features of the home that you may be more comfortable and that we may have fuller fellowship together." The Lord is very glad to come, of course, and happier still to be given a place in the heart. This booklet is a great gift to give to those who need the welcoming presence of Jesus in their lives.

So faith is believing words through dialogue—the woman believes something about Jesus because of what he has said to her. The town's people believe something about Jesus because of the woman's words. They then come to believe much more about Jesus from his own words. We can only imagine what Jesus would have said to them over the two days he stayed with them, or what the other disciples might have said. We aren't told. Perhaps we might ask,

What would we need to have Jesus tell us so that we might believe that he is truly the Savior of the world?

What would we need to have Jesus tell us so that this belief would make a difference in our lives?

What would we need to have Jesus tell us so that we are passionate about telling others and inviting others to experience the power of the Savior of the world?

We must state one more time…Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity. As Jesus-followers we put out the welcome mat so others in our relationships may see Jesus and imitate him as well. Amen!

Jesus-followers must demonstrate a willingness to surrender to the Spirit’s empowerment to experience greater understanding, personal intimacy with God and effectiveness as Christ’s witnesses.

God continues to disclose to us in his Word that Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. We desire to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

A Sunday school class was studying the Apostles Creed. Each member of the class was given a section of the creed to learn by heart; then Sunday by Sunday they would take turns to recite the creed, each student repeating their part. And so, one Sunday morning, the class began. The first child stood up and said "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." The second student stood and said "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord." Then there was a moment of silence, before one girl spoke up: "I'm sorry sir, but the boy who believes in the Holy Spirit is absent today."

Have we noticed that contemporary Christianity is obsessed with counseling and psychotherapy, and almost no one talks about the Holy Spirit anymore? Whatever happened to the Holy Spirit? The church seems to have turned away from the Spirit’s ministry in pursuit of a pragmatic, human-centered, psychological sanctification.

This trend is evident in many of the popular books on Christian psychology. They offer all kinds of advice for struggling Jesus-followers. But the Holy Spirit is conspicuously absent. Rarely is any mention made of the Holy Spirit’s power or ministry in the life of a believer. Little is said about walking in the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, or yielding to the Spirit.

Instead they usually offer a hodgepodge of current psychological thinking and clever, pragmatic methodology. In short, most of these books are more of the same kind of shallow "psycho-theology" we seem to hear everywhere these days. It's as if the church has gone to the other extreme from its preoccupation with the Holy Spirit in the decade of the 70’s.

We can add to this trend the many resources that are available for Jesus-followers today to gain advice for the ongoing challenges of twenty-first century living. Just to name a few… parents and peers; teachers, coaches, mentors, and counselors; workshops and seminars; horoscopes and psychics; self-help and psychology books.

[A number of years ago there was a funny motion picture released entitled “What About Bob?” It portrays a troubled but lovable therapy patient who fears everything! Bob’s a special friend. The kind that drives you crazy! After seeking help from a noted psychiatrist, Bob feels revived. But when the good doctor skips town to go on a quiet family vacation, Bob, afraid of being alone, follows—showing up unexpectedly at the therapist’s lakeside retreat. In the end, Bob drives the stressed-out shrink absolutely crazy!]

Unfortunately, many Jesus-followers choose to receive help from resources outside of the Spirit’s leading. They do not intentionally pursue the Holy Spirit, counsel from godly individuals, and the Bible as the foundation for the advice they receive. However, we may reaffirm from the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is active and personal. The third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit is equal with Father and Son. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, or Counselor.

Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON. He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage. He is not energy. He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather. Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the personification of anything...... He has individuality. He is one being and not another. He has will and intelligence. He has hearing. He has knowledge and sympathy and ability to love and see and think. He can hear, speak, desire, grieve and rejoice. He is a Person." -- A. W. Tozer, The Counselor.

The Greek word paracletos denotes the understanding of a helper “one who comes alongside to guide and empower.” He is a person who is not so much a Holy Ghost, as a Holy Guest!

The Spirit in control is a picture of power. That power comes in the form of a counselor. God has provided for each Jesus-follower our own personal counselor. That personal counselor is the Holy Spirit!

Counselor = “a person who gives help; advises about problems”

The qualifications for a good Christian counselor would include…

Personal commitment to Jesus Christ.

Bible knowledge and application of principle.

Morals, ethics, and behavior consistent with Scripture.

Stability and brokenness as evidence of spiritual and emotional maturity.

Ability to counsel - e.g. nurturing, self disclosing, reflective, sensitive, able to deal with strong emotions, showing personal warmth and caring.

Ability to communicate clearly and listen attentively.

Ability to work well with others, receive direction, and receive helpful criticism.

Over 35 years ago, Sue and I moved into our first home. The house was exactly what we had hoped for. (It even had a fireplace. I confess, we turned on the air conditioning and lit a fire in the fireplace, just to try it out.) A number of our friends from church helped us move in, and we wanted to show our appreciation by having an open house after church on a particular Sunday evening. As we might imagine, that Sunday Sue was most eager to get home from church as quickly as possible, before our guests started to arrive.

I was on my way out of the church when one of our youth stopped me in the breezeway. He wanted to engage me in a discussion, and I was not about to refuse. We walked into my office and then he proceeded to ask me what I thought of heavy metal music. Sue was out in the breezeway, eager to get home. Every once in a while, I would look past the youth, where I could see my wife waiting for me. She would catch my eye and I knew exactly what she was trying to communicate: “Come on; let’s get going. We have company waiting at our house!”

Eventually, the heavy metal music discussion ended, and we hurried out to the car. It was obvious that we were late, but I just could not seem to disengage this young man from the conversation. We were a bit distressed, to say the least, when we finally arrived home. We discovered many more cars there than we had expected—indeed, than we had invited. While we had been planning a gathering for our friends, these same friends had been planning a celebration for us.

Suddenly, it all became very clear to us. So that’s what the discussion about heavy metal music was all about. This youth had been assigned the task of delaying me, so that all our friends could arrive at our house first to surprise us. I now looked upon that discussion and our delay in an entirely different light. We had no earthly idea what this youth really had in mind. All I could think of on the way home was that some of our friends were waiting at our house, wondering where we were. It appeared that this youth was keeping us from something we really wanted, but in truth he was preparing us for something even better. Once we realized it was all a part of a ploy so that we would be delayed and our friends could surprise us, we understood everything. Sue and I were no longer distressed—we were delighted!

This is the way it was with the disciples of our Lord as well. In John’s Gospel, as the time of our Lord’s death draws near, Jesus seeks to prepare them for the future. The Upper Room Discourse contains a significant portion of our Lord’s preparatory teaching from John 13-18. As we read the things which Jesus told his closest followers, it all makes sense to us. Of course, Jesus was speaking of his crucifixion, death, resurrection, return to the Father in heaven and sending of the Holy Spirit. But what is clear to us in retrospect was not at all clear to the disciples in prospect. They were confused and greatly distraught by Jesus’ words. They did not understand what he was talking about, and what they thought they understood, they did not like.

Jesus’ final instructions and dialogue with his disciples are recorded in John 16:13-15…

13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."

In the context of John 16, this conversation has two themes: first is that Jesus’ departure is at hand; and second, Jesus will send them help. They grieve over his departure because they think they will be worse off, but Jesus says it is to their advantage, they will be better off—because his departure will bring their own personal counselor!

A Spiritual Link to the Father

We’ve all felt at one point or another as if we could use a good counselor. The disciples certainly felt that way. Jesus had just explained that he would be leaving them and returning to heaven. They were stunned, upset, dismayed. How were they going to go on without Jesus? Jesus gave them the reassurance they needed. He would send them their own personal counselor in his place. The Holy Spirit would come in Jesus’ place to become the permanent spiritual link to the Father.

In this conversation with his disciples, Jesus explains three ways in which the Holy Spirit “helps” us to enjoy a spiritual reality superior to that which the disciples enjoyed during Jesus’ physical presence.

1. Greater understanding of God’s message

13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Jesus was not surprised by much—he walked through life with measured step, ready for what life threw at him. But several times, he expressed surprise and disappointment at the spiritual denseness of his disciples. In spite of three years with the world’s best instructor, they consistently forgot most of what Jesus taught them and got confused about the part they remembered—especially the most important part of Jesus’ message of the cross.

So how is it that these same men authored the New Testament, which provides such an accurate record of Jesus’ life and teachings, and which has such profound insight into the meaning of his death on the cross? This is a work that has changed the world for good far more than any other.

Let’s notice a reason why it is better to have the Holy Spirit as our personal counselor. The Holy Spirit would guide them into all the truth. The Holy Spirit guiding the disciples into “all the truth” does not refer to advanced calculus, nuclear physics, the mating habits of orangutans, etc. It does refer to “all the truth” pertaining to Jesus and his mission. The Holy Spirit would also supernaturally enable them to recall what Jesus taught.

The explanation is not that they went to seminary in Jerusalem or that they generated it from themselves through a regimen of spiritual disciplines. The explanation is that the Holy Spirit became their personal instructor/counselor who gave them greater understanding of God’s message. The Holy Spirit literally guided them into all the truth. They understood and then wrote what the Holy Spirit spoke to them. The content of that inspiration was based upon only what the Spirit heard from the Father and Jesus. It also included what was yet to come. Today we need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all the truth when we read God’s Word. We’ve all heard people say, “well I don’t read the Bible anymore because I can’t understand what it says.” I can’t always remember the meals that I ate last week, but I know I didn’t stop eating because of it.

The problem isn’t the difficulty of the text, but the receptivity to the Holy Spirit in interpreting its understanding and practical application. If we would just spend a few moments in asking the Holy Spirit to guide us, we would be able to comprehend and apprehend the Word of God in our lives. We must not merely get into the Word; we must let the Word get into us! The Holy Spirit enables this process.

What the disciples were unable to understand under Jesus’ tutelage, the Holy Spirit would make clear—especially the meaning of Jesus’ death. The Holy Spirit supernaturally instructed them and enabled them to accurately record Jesus’ instruction. We don’t receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit today; that’s why we don’t write scripture. But we do receive supernatural illumination from the Holy Spirit who tutors us to clearly understand and to practically apply what was written in God’s Word.

2. Greater personal intimacy with God

14 “He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

What would it be like to be with God-incarnate for three years? What would it be like to have breakfast with him every morning? What would it be like to have him personally comfort and encourage us? It was a life-changing experience for his closest followers. But as wonderful as that experience must have been, Jesus told his disciples that they would enjoy even greater personal intimacy with God when the Holy Spirit came.

Let’s notice another reason why it is better to have the Holy Spirit as our personal counselor. Whereas the disciples were only able to be “with” Jesus when in his physical presence, the Holy Spirit would be “in” them to glorify the Father. According to the Westminster Confession, the chief aim of every Jesus-follower is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This process of glorifying God takes place through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will not come to call attention to himself. He will come only to glorify the Lord. The greatest evidence today of the Spirit’s presence among us is the glorification of Jesus Christ in the life of every Jesus-follower. This can only take place because of personal intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit. Both the Father and Jesus “make their home” or “tabernacle” in us. They come to live permanently in our hearts so we can enjoy their loving presence.

There really are no holy places in New Testament Christianity. We may choose to gather here on Sunday mornings to worship because it is convenient for our schedules, but we have intimate access to God at any time or place. Even though this worship center has been a place of celebrating God’s presence, the décor, seating and building we meet in does not contain the presence of God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not limited to a place, but they are free to indwell a people. The physical appointments of our worship center must never take priority over the spiritual appointments we have with God each moment through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The ceremony must never detract from the company of our Savior!

Through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, we are freed from fear of God to talk with him as “Papa.” We experience God’s love, hope and peace that uphold us regardless of our circumstance. This is a reality so wonderful if we have experienced it, we know it is priceless beyond words. The older we get the more we experience and the more we experience the pain and brokenness in this fallen world, the more thankful we become for this work of the Holy Spirit. It’s really hard to understand how people handle life without the Holy Spirit. If we realize we don’t have this indwelling power, God invites us to receive his Holy Spirit right now. Not by baptism or confirmation or church membership—but by personally putting our trust in Jesus as our Savior.

3. Greater effectiveness as Christ’s witnesses

15 “All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."

Jesus called his disciples to be his witnesses—to testify to others that he was the Messiah who was offering salvation to all who believed in him. During their time with him, their effectiveness in this task was spotty at best. They didn’t want to witness to people of different ethnic backgrounds; they were embarrassed and confused about the cross; they misrepresented Jesus’ attitude toward those who snubbed him; and they caved in under pressure and denied Jesus.

Let’s notice one last reason why it is better to have the Holy Spirit as our personal counselor. The secret of the disciples’ witness was the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will enable them to have greater effectiveness in God’s mission because the Holy Spirit will be the witness who aids their witness. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…Acts 1:8.

So after Jesus departed, the disciples led a movement that within 50 years spread to over 1 million people all over the Roman Empire and beyond. How did they do this? Did they discover a Dale Carnegie course on self-confidence and public speaking? No, they never received any additional training. Did they gain political or military power through government involvement? No, they were persecuted by most governments. Did they create a poll-sensitive, market-driven message that became popular because it flattered human goodness and potential? No, their message was regarded by most people as a “stumbling block” and “foolishness.” This may explain the advance of many historical religious movements, but the disciples neither had nor used any of these means.

The Holy Spirit will make known the witness of the Father and Jesus to Jesus-followers today. He will testify through our witness. He will transform our lives so that others become curious for an explanation. And when we share Christ with others, it won’t be us alone. The Holy Spirit will provide courage, insight, articulation, etc. so that our witness will have far greater impact. Sometimes we experience this very dramatically; sometimes more subtly—but it is a fantastic experience to step out in faith to share Christ with others, and experience his empowering! Every Jesus-follower in this worship center experienced this, or we wouldn’t be believers today. Some of us are experiencing this right now. If we are, we need to respond to the Holy Spirit by receiving Christ.

The great evangelist D.L. Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly on our lives in order that we might experience a greater effectiveness as Christ’s witnesses?

Let me summarize my personal pilgrimage in regard to the Holy Spirit. I read the Gospels to see Jesus; to discover the lifestyle and spirit of Jesus. I believe in this Jesus; that he is the Christ, the only Son of God. Jesus is the one sent from his Father to reveal God to me. As I read I am impressed; I admire; I worship; I give myself to him and the work of the kingdom. I love him for his life and for his death on Calvary. I dedicate my all to him and resolve to follow him, and to be an obedient disciple.

The Jesus of history has entered my life as the risen Christ of experience. He also sends the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, to be with me forever. The risen Christ and the Spirit are within me as united evidence of the presence of the indwelling God. The words of the Gospel come alive for me as the Spirit prompts me: urging, restraining, instructing, and bringing to mind Jesus’ teachings. The more I listen, am aware, and obey, the more I will hear the Spirit and respond to its guidance.

Let’s spin down what God has disclosed to us through the words of Jesus. It really centers upon asking ourselves three questions:

Are we desiring greater understanding of God’s message?

Are we longing for greater personal intimacy with God?

Are we yearning for greater effectiveness as Christ’s witnesses?

The Holy Spirit will come to us and make our home with him. It is truly amazing that God lives within each Jesus-follower. God has chosen to take up residence or “tabernacle” in our souls. This Spirit is alive with us. The Holy Spirit is our own personal Counselor. The Spirit’s wisdom, guidance, and strength are ours. The Holy Spirit will lead, guide, and witness through us.

What are we waiting for? We ask our questions. We seek his advice. We don’t even need to schedule an appointment. The Holy Spirit of God is on call anytime, day or night. He is ready to hear us and willing to help us. All we have to do is ask. Amen!

Jesus-followers must be filled with the Spirit’s power so the floodgates of faith will open in us and from them will flow living waters.

God continues to disclose to us in his Word that Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. We desire to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

We want to begin this message with the understanding of how water fits into the economy of life. Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life. It appears colorless to the naked eye in small quantities, though it is actually slightly blue in color. It covers 71% of Earth's surface. It appears mostly in the oceans (saltwater) and polar ice caps, but it is also present as clouds, rain water, rivers, freshwater aquifers, lakes, and sea ice. Water in these bodies perpetually moves through a cycle of evaporation, precipitation, and runoff to the sea. Clean water is essential to human life. In many parts of the world, it is in short supply.

This natural resource is becoming scarcer in certain places, and its availability is a major social and economic concern. Currently, about 1 billion people around the world routinely drink unhealthy water. About 70% of the fat free mass of the human body is made of water. It is not clear how much water intake is needed by healthy people, though most experts agree that 8-10 glasses of water (approximately 2 liters) daily is the minimum to maintain proper hydration.

Bottled water is drinking water packaged in bottles for individual consumption and retail sale. The water used may be from any source, including spring water, well water, purified water, municipal water, or even untreated or contaminated water. The sales for bottled water are estimated to be between $50 and $100 billion (US) annually and increasing approximately 7 to 10 percent annually.

We have lots of people taking a drink as they carry bottled water around with them. Starbucks is open. A lot of people go there. Others go to the grocery stores to buy different “designer water” and assorted beverages. Others go to a restaurant. But these only provide temporary quenching of thirst. They are at best temporary thirst quenchers. More significant, they only quench our physical thirst. But it is not going to help our lives. We know of few beverages that try to improve the quality of our lives. They only admit to meet our superficial life needs.

When we think about the analogy of water and the kind of “vessel” we are as Jesus-followers, words like “empty,” “dirty,” and “thirsty” come to mind. Yet God accomplishes extraordinary things through the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the lives of ordinary people who believe that God can and will use them—imperfections and all.

Paul expresses the need to model the life of a vessel God can use in Ephesians 5:18-20…

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery [depravity]. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is God, and he is active and personal. The third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit is equal with Father and Son. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, or Helper. The Greek denotes “one who comes alongside us to guide and empower. God wants us to be vessels worth filling as we live in his power. We must demonstrate as Jesus-followers this willingness to surrender to God’s filling through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit in control is a picture of power!

Power = “dynamic and potent; something that can turn ordinary Jesus-followers into fully devoted followers of Jesus”

The Greek word dunamis, from which we get the words dynamite and dynamo, is a power that accomplishes something. God’s power in the form of the Holy Spirit is practical power. We enjoy the good feelings when power enters our lives, but we don’t let the lack of feelings prevent us from stepping out in the power of the Spirit.

If we’ve ever visited Hoover Dam, we would think that the water spilling over the top provides the power, not realizing that it is just foam. Deep within that dam are turbines and generators that transform the power of tons and tons of water to electricity—quietly, without notice, not like the flashy foam on top. So we are able to have the electricity needed to illuminate our Worship Center and provide the needed power to amplify our technical property systems. The Holy Spirit is likened to that power that is quickly originated from the turbines and generators.

As we desire this fresh filling of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, a number of disciplines fill our lives so we may become vessels worth filling:

• Fruit of the Spirit
• Love of worship
• Grace to forgive
• Comfort in heartache
• Power in ministry
• Understanding God’s Word
• Strength in trial
• Compassion for lost people
• Boldness in sharing the faith

Jesus’ invitation to receive this power supply provided by the presence of the Holy Spirit is recorded in John 7:37-39…

37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

We can observe in these verses that Jesus offers an invitation on the final day of the Festival. He offers steams of living water to all who are thirsty, and speaks of the Holy Spirit, who will soon indwell all Jesus-followers. Jesus’ offer of water is strong and clear. He gives two imperatives: “come to me and drink.” It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that releases and sets free this stream of living water that Jesus offers to all who are thirsty and come to him for refreshment.

Come and Drink!

In the middle of a tremendous festival, Jesus spoke words that no one has spoken before nor would dare to speak. Only Jesus could both identify our thirsty hearts and yet bring a relief so gentle and healing to our darkest sins. As we discuss this passage, remember that we want to better see Jesus and understand who Jesus is and how that should affect our lives. One of the basic desires besides hunger that keeps us alive is thirst.

Just as Jesus symbolically used the term, "Bread of Life," He also used the term, "Water of Life" or "Living Water.” Living Water is fresh, running or flowing water. This living water is opposed to stagnant or well water, perhaps even the bottle or tap water of today. Besides needing Jesus' atoning death on the cross ("Bread of Life") for a restored relationship with God, we need the Holy Spirit ("Living Water") powerfully living in our lives.

1. The need for refreshment is worldwide

37 …"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

The first thing Jesus said was to identify the needs of the people for healing. When people heard Jesus, they knew he was not referring to physical thirst. This is all too symbolic of a great thirst deep within each person. Many of us purposely make ourselves too busy so that we will not feel the loneliness and sadness that are embedded deep in our lives. Others distract themselves with demanding goals in life such as degrees. Others drug themselves up to superficial ‘thirst quenchers.’ A more popular substitute is sexual immorality where the couple gets bursts of high feelings and feelings of relationship.

But all of these are horrible substitutes that take away more than we had in the beginning. Every moral compromise brings more pain and guilt. The only solution is to drink more goals, sex and alcohol down. People have great needs and are thirsty, but not many are willing to admit it. They are too fearful to expose their real heart pain for they don’t have any hope that it could really be eliminated. In fact, all they hear is that this is how life is.

I want to pause here for a moment. Jesus is here. I believe there well be could some thirsty souls right now in our congregation. I remember when I became saved. I had absolutely no intention about getting serious with God when I went to a youth meeting. Even afterwards when they told me to bow my head, I was just interested in going home, handing out with my friends, and playing. But then God showed me my emptiness and selfishness. I became so thirsty that I would run a marathon to get a drink that would quench my inner thirst. Fortunately, the gospel message I heard led me simply to believe in Jesus. I remember my belief in his death brought forgiveness into my life. I welcomed his life into my broken one. And wow, I never have been the same. The power of God’s Spirit has been poured out into my soul and it has kept running through me. How about your own soul? Can you sense someone prodding your heart? Don’t harden your heart. You might even hear words like, “You are no good” or “If people really knew what you were like, then they ….” This is the evil one trying to keep you dry. The truth is that we are desperate people and when you acknowledge that, and then the Spirit comes to help. If you sense this prodding, just tell Jesus to speak and fill your soul’s thirst.

Jesus is not without purpose exposing our tender heart sorrow. He knows of our deep and inner thoughts. He knows all about our pretend life. He is encouraging us to pinpoint our deep inner need. Can we? Dare we? Jesus wants to bring healing to our lives. What is our deep inner need like? Have we recently been quiet enough to hear our hearts’ real longing for “living water?”

2. The need for relationship is widespread

39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The second thing Jesus said was to identify the needs of the people for hope. To take a very relevant example—there has always been atomic power in this world; people did not invent it. But only in our own time have we tapped and used it. The Holy Spirit has always existed; but was never really enjoyed in its full power. It was only when people would know Jesus that they really knew the power of the Holy Spirit. Before that the Spirit had only been a power, but now he is also a person, for he has become to us nothing other than the presence of the Risen Jesus always with us.

We know several things about receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit as a power and presence:

First, our life-change comes from a change within and not without. It is not because of some outward experience that brings us to be a Jesus-follower. We instead learn that there is a whole new spiritual nature given to us. It is ongoing. It is a heart change.

Second, the Holy Spirit resides in our lives. The picture is ever so clear. The living waters flow out. Certainly this does not originate in our own selves but in the Living God.

Third, we note that this stream is not only abundant but extra abundant. We are not just speaking of one river but rivers. A river by nature has excess. It is flowing.

Fourth, we should note that the water is living. It is vivacious. It is life-giving and changing. By its very nature it brings hope, life and joy to our lives.

Fifth, we should remember that the reason for the image of the river is that it reaches beyond our own lives. Just as God is love, God’s goodness overflows from his throne down to the shores of earth. God’s love is spilling over into the lives of others.

These five points clearly tell us about the Holy Spirit in the life of a Jesus-follower. If we are going to be growing Jesus-followers, and those which help others grow, we need to be very clear on these significant teachings. This is the anointing that filled Jesus and is designed to fill our lives so that we might be empowered to do greater works.

There is no healing without the relationship of the Holy Spirit that comes alongside us. The Spirit might move in a mighty way in the life of the Jesus-follower, but that must be distinguished with the coming and indwelling of the Spirit. It is at this point all Jesus-followers have access to the fountains of life in the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Whereas Jesus was limited to a body, the Spirit is spirit and makes his dwelling in his people. When a person believes, then God dwells in that person. In a true sense God makes his people his throne.

The Spirit did not come and dwell in his people before Jesus ascended. Jesus first had to go to the Father and then the indwelling of the Spirit upon his people became common from Pentecost on. It signified a new way in which the Father would commune and work with his people. In the past the Spirit came upon a person or two. Now all of God’s people have the Holy Spirit. We should be humbled by God’s presence in our lives and tremble upon our accountability to him.

Some have critically commented that it is the weak and needy that need faith. They claim that Jesus-followers are weak because they need a crutch to get along in life. We can answer them by telling them about cars. Cars are wonderful machines. A car can transport us hundreds of miles back home. But does it make any sense to say that a car is a poor machine because it needs gas? Of course not. The car, agreed is very dependent upon gas. If we didn’t fill it up, then the car will go nowhere. The car, however, was designed with the gas in mind. The gas is a rich feature of the car. We were designed by God with the Holy Spirit in mind. It is a rich feature of our very beings.

So have we ever thought about the challenges that come to us as a result of our relationship with God as his redeemed children? The challenges that face us as Jesus-followers by faith in Christ are unique to us because, having been redeemed from the power of sin, death, and Satan by Christ, we have been restored to a loving and living relationship with our Father in heaven. That relationship challenges us to remain faithful to God in the face of the temptations of sin in the world around us. In order to live in a relationship with God, we're challenged to put CHRIST FIRST in everything, even before ourselves.

Jesus understands the spiritual challenges to our lives and knows the spiritual thirst that we feel as we face the challenges of living for him in the world. That's why Jesus encourages us to come to him and receive spiritual drink to quench our spiritual thirst, and strengthen us for our lives of service to others in his name. By the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are opened so that the "living water" of the Word and the Spirit can strengthen our faith and life in Jesus.

The apostle John records the following invitation in Revelation 22:17…

17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let those who hear say, "Come!" Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life (Revelation 22:17).

If we were to climb into a submarine we might think that, as long as it held watertight, we could glide on down to the bottom of the ocean. Sadly, if we tried to do this we'd soon discover how mistaken we are. Submarines can only go so deep before the pressure of the water crushes them like an empty soft drink can being crumpled by our hand. Indeed, a number of years ago a submarine called the Thresher went down too deep. The water pressure rose to the point that the submarines heavy steel bulkheads were crushed. The sub was torn apart, leaving pieces of debris scattered across the ocean floor for searchers to find.

If we want to go down really deep we need a specially designed research vessel shielded by heavy steel armor. Now imagine we jumped into one of these heavily clad research vessels and headed down to the ocean depths. Guess what we'd find? Fish. Fish! Fish with skin just millimeters thick. How is it that fish with just a thin skin covering can survive the pressure of such great depths, where a submarine with thick steel plates cannot? The answer is quite simple: fish have equal and opposite pressure inside them. Submarines do not.

When confronting the pressures of sin some Jesus-followers try to become like a submarine, shielding themselves from the outside world, strapping themselves into a narrow space where they are safe from external pressures. They make rules which are designed to reinforce them against temptation. But unfortunately, the deeper into life we go the more inadequate this approach will be. The external pressure will just become too great. This is why we need to be like the fish, to develop positive pressure inside ourselves. Rather than simply resisting the outward pressure of temptation we need to combat it by building up positive spiritual pressure within, replacing the values the world would impose with the Spirit developed power and character of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist the outward pressures of life, but at the same time, it generates a power that provides an inward positive spiritual pressure flowing within to enable us to become vessels worth filling.

It’s vital for our relationship with God that we face him and the challenges of the world every day. It gives us spiritual balance when we deal with inner and outward pressures. Beginning our day with God and his Word gets us ready to face the day's challenges and opportunities for service. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit quenches our spiritual thirst. By the Spirit's power and presence we become streams of "living water" flowing out to touch the lives of others so they, too, might know God's love and forgiveness in Christ.

Such work calls for us to deny ourselves and refrain, with the Spirit's help, from making ourselves the centers of the universe. By the Spirit's power, the floodgates of faith will open in us and from them will flow living rivers of love, prayer, and service to others in Jesus' name. What an exciting gift from God to see the Spirit's work through us! God has called us to be something remarkable—tingling pipelines and living streams of his love and Spirit. We become vessels worth filling for the glory of God and the good of others! Amen!