I always love to listen to challenging sermons and teachings by people I truly respect.
A few Sundays ago, Pastor Jerry shared a very interesting topic about spiritual thirst and how this very nature, can affect our very desire to know God, do more for His glory and enjoy the christian life. Below are a few of the notes that I got while sitting and clicking my blackberry phone,trying to jot down everything he shared for almost an hour. I hope you’d be blessed by it as I was!
NOTES ON “NATURE OF SPIRITUAL THIRST”
Thirst is one of the most powerful spiritual symbols in all of scripture.
Biblical Passage: John 7:37
Jesus was on the feast of Tabernacle when he shared this message.
“With joy you will draw water from the wells from salvation”
In this scenario, it was at this climax that Jesus stood up and declared “if anyone is thirsty,let them come to me…”
What was wrong with the crowd,is as wrong to the many people today.
3 Imp. Nature:
1. To gain spiritual thirst,we must desire for it.
Notice the condition that Jesus lays down, “if anyone…” It refers to someone who is seeking, those who are thirsty and looking for God.
The first thing that we need to do as christians is to seek God. It’s a lifestyle and not a religious sect. It’s more of seeking God of your life. That is the real trademark of a real christian life.
People are not thirsty in developing their relationship with God. Jesus knew that they were following only the ritual of the feast of tabernacle.
We develop our relationship with God when we thirst for God.
We have to thirst ps. 42:32 like how David cried out Ps.63 and expressed his desire with God.
We will never have a close rel. With God unless we thirst for him. The question is “do we have the spiritual thirst that God refers?”
Beautitudes example
Your christian life is boring because you failed to develop a thirst and hunger for God.
Enjoying life in earth, you survive,you thrive bec the secret of having the thirst and hunger for God.
We’re must fill up our spiritual tongue and ask Jesus bec he is willing to fill us up.
2. To gain spiritual thirst, we must come to Jesus
The Lord JC is the only satisfaction that we can have in this earth.
King Solomon, the richest king, tried everythong drinking in this polluted well and he tried but he failed.
Ecc. 2 was written at the end of his days. He gave a diary of his earthly experience as a king.
Solomon became a party boy but gained nothing of it and declared “meaningless, everything is meaningless!”
Wine doesn’t work and will only give you hangover and a liver disease.
The eyes of men are never satisfied, as King Solomon said and found out utterly meaningless…
Solomon became the playboy of his day, 700 wives and 300 concubines.
Some men struggles with their mother in laws.
Finally, Solomon tried wisdom and saw that it is better, the more that he learned, the more he knew that everything is futile without God.
Ecc. 12:13
Solomon found out that at the end of life, he realized that it is only fearing God and keeping his commandments that gives meaning to life.
Only God can satisfy the needs of your heart alone. This thirstiness can satisfy through Jesus. That’s why we need to have a spiritual passion for God.
The way to Jesus is not holiness, the way holiness is Jesus. The root of all of it is Jesus and the fruit of these are spiritual blessinsgs.
If you would like to gain spiritual thirst, you must not only desire it but also you must come to Jesus to obtain it.
The infilling of the HS is an imp. Part of our spiritual life. It’s an everyday event for a christian life bec that is the desire for God for each one of us.
The verse in Jn. 7:37 is a practical advise for our spiritual life
If you desire an experience which is eternal in nature,all you have to do is to thirst and hunger for Jesus.
Desire is the main imp. Factor as believers. Our testimony depends upon our desire to include God in our lives to share the goodness of his kingdom to others.
So,how can you testify unless you are filled with the spirit of God?
The world will try to substitute your quench but will not satisfy eternally.
3. To gain a spiritual thirst, we must make a decision
“Let him come to me and drink…”
God will lead you to the water, but it’s your decision whether to drink or not.
That’s the problem with some christians, they are drinking on the well only on Sundays.
When you come to Jesus, he will provide us living waters. A spiritual contentment that can satisy all your needs.
Conclusion:
If you are tired of living without the zeal of God, the Lord invited you this morning for a spiritual renewal.
His invitation is simple “if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me…”
