I want to invite you to John chapter 7. John 7 is where we’re going to be this morning. A beautiful section of scripture to encourage us in really pursuing after God. As I approach this text, if I kind of set up where I think Jesus is in this story is it relates to our life, when I think about the world around me, sometimes when I poke my head out of the sand, look at what’s going around me, I quickly want to dive back down. But as I look around I think the world is falling apart and in that I want to at least get life right.
I want my life to matter. I’m just going to go out in a limb and say because of your presence this morning, you’re probably with me in that sort of attitude right? I’m not here to waste my time, I don’t think you’re here just to waste your time. You want to get life right and you want life to matter too. But I want to say, when I think about that. I am not interested in being the John Wayne in this world. I think sometimes as Americans we sort of have that mentality, okay if I’m going to stand up it’s going to be big and I got to be the savior of everything. I just look at as, I don’t need to be the savior of anything. I already got one. He’s pretty good at that role right?
His name is Jesus. He’s the savior of the world. I want Jesus to be Jesus and I’ll be me. I’ll be what God has created me to be right? Whether, God uses me to make little waves or whether God uses me to make great waves. I just want to make Godly waves. I want to make the right kind of waves that God has made me for in this world. I am certain you do too. When I consider how that would look in my life, some days even on vacations just was meditating on was the idea of what it looks like being a Christian, Christ follower looking to Jesus, what his life was about and one of the versus the lord really used to churn over my mind this last week Matthew Ch. 3 verse 17.
God the father gives an interesting statement about Jesus. Let’s talk about this verse a few times as a Church. A lot of it goes back to the old testament, implications on why the father gives the statement about Jesus. I just want to look at the idea that it represents not so much of the historical context but how it plays out in our lives. Just think about this for a minute, Behold a voice from heaven said, this is the father speaking. This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.
Something that really struck me about this verse as I thought about it this past week, what the father says about Jesus… knowing Jesus hasn’t really done anything in his ministry yet. When the father says “this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” It’s really not about what Jesus has done to this point, because Jesus ministry hasn’t even started. The father is pleased by Jesus not because what he’s done. You think what this statement is. This statement is thee inauguration of his ministry. It’s from this point Jesus goes on and does all the miracles you read about in scripture. But yet, God the father in this statement says about Jesus in whom I’m well pleased. You think what has Jesus done at this point? Well, he’s been a carpenter, he’s been a good son, I guess to his parents and he has learned the old testament and walked with the father. He really hasn’t done enormous things in life that we read about in the gospels because his ministry hasn’t even started yet. Yet the father says of him in whom I am well pleased.
According to God, your greatness is not driven by what you do, by who you are connected to. Do you see that? This is what Jesus life been at this point. The father is saying that and I am well pleased because Jesus ministry hasn’t even started but if you look at what Jesus life has been at this point. Its been about fellowship with the father and so, what God is really teaching us here in this story is that your greatness is not driven by what you do but by who you’re connected to and why is that? It’s because who you’re connected to… will determine what it is that you’ll do.
They say that, maybe in the most practical way you want to become a millionaire, hang out with millionaires. You want to become a horrible person, hang out with horrible people right? What you want to model in your life, you’re attached to the term of what that becomes. That’s what we’re learning here in this lesson. Which is why we say John ch. 7. We approach this text, this is like a Dr. Seuss sort of statement here but its not about the what, it’s about the who. We look at John 7, this is the idea that Jesus is sharing with us. The significances of not so much about you do, but who you’re connected to because who you are connected to determine who you will become.
So if you want your life to matter, you want to get it right, the question isn’t about just looking at yourself, whether or not you’re a do-gooder. Its defined and orient in what your life is about because your direction determines your destination. John Chapter 7 is all about that. But when we approach this text is what important is to hear how Jesus contrast this thought for us because John 7 becomes that Chapter where really Jesus, sees his demises voice.
This is the Chapter that really spurs the Jewish people on to, to want to kill Jesus. In fact, we look at this chapter and its mentioned over and over again. Verse 1 they want to kill Jesus, verse 19-20, Jesus says they want to kill me, in verse 25 they are acknowledging Jesus, they want to kill you. So, in verse 30 they grab the temple police and Let’s go over and find Jesus and arrest him so, this chapter what Jesus says in this chapter is a very dividing discussion as far as the culture is concerned to the point where they really hate Jesus. Jesus is saying here is a very significant statement, so much so that Jesus knows he’s putting his life on the line for saying what is about to say. Yet he finds it so important that he wants to say it anyway and so Jesus now in this story is going to contrast the world vs him.
I don’t think this so much Jesus vs the world. When you stand for truth, it’ll put that divide there. It’s the world opposition against Jesus. It’s the world vs Jesus. If I was to hang this in two verses to look at. In verse 7, it really builds for us in verse 37-38. This two contrasting verses, I just want to look at it for a moment. What the world says who Jesus is, verse seven says this the world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it, that its deed are evil. Then the opposing thought to that, Jesus is recognizing the world here. Verse 37 Jesus stood up and cried out, if anyone thirsts let them come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters.
That’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. We’re going to unpack those two thoughts as it plays out in this narrative of Jesus life here. I want to lean more into verse 37 here at the end. Lets just consider verse 7 for just a moment when Jesus is saying here, the world cannot hate you but it hates me because I testify about it. That its deeds are evil.
Jesus calls the world evil. Why does he do this? You think about that? Why does he do this? In fact, if you just really thought about it, in this context in the moment, where Jesus is saying this. Jesus is saying this in a society that is really full of religious do-gooders. And he is more honestly directing this to the leaders of this religious do good society.
He’s calling what we typically look at, as good people. And he’s calling it at that moment, evil. And that’s a sobering thought. Cause often in our society as long as you’re good, that’s all that matters. But yet, is in the middle of that type of society and he’s referencing their actions in that moment as evil. Why? Why would God reference this world as evil? In fact, didn’t God make the world? When God made the world according to Genesis the first thing he says about the world is that its very good right?
He makes every day, he says its good, its good, its good, and then he makes Adam and Eve. Then he says it very good and then his creative work is done. Why now is Jesus referencing this world as evil? Just to clarify, I think its important, what Jesus is saying here, he isn’t saying the world itself is evil right? That’s not what the phrase is. He says, it’s the deeds of the world. The deeds of the world, are evil. Why? Why are the deed of the world evil? The things of this world is not evil. Any objects in themselves aren’t evil. It’s what you do with the objects that God has created that determines whether or not its evil.
Money in itself isn’t evil. It’s what you do with money that determines whether or not if its used for Gods glory or evil. Power in itself is not evil, it’s what you do with it that will determine whether if its evil. The less of the flesh the less of the eyes of pride in life right? Sex and sexuality is not evil, God made it. God made it for joy to be experienced right? But its what you do with it that will determine whether or not its used for evil. So, what is evil? If you look up in the Webster dictionary it defines somewhere in these lines that evil is immoral, its immorality, it’s using something for harm, when I think about that definition. It’s really such a surface level definition, it doesn’t get to the root of what the problem is.
It’s the very reason why Jesus was looking at a religious society and saying what you’re doing is evil. When you think about what morality is, just to find evil in that way, evil is a lack of morality. Its immoral. The question we should be asking is what makes things moral? Because in our society today, the God of America isn’t Jesus. The God of America is ourself. Americas God is you, me, we wake up every day, we see life, ourselves as a certain of life. We ask the question, what will make me happy because life should be all about me. I certainly think God wants you to be happy but God wants you to understand the purpose of life is about you, the God of America is self and really the religion of American is Oprah Winfrey.
You think about what Oprah is known for saying. What’s your truth? What’s your truth? You define the purpose of reality and existence in yourself. So, therefore on that kind of basis thee determination of what is moral and not moral is you, because you’re the certain of the university. That is what God calls evil, because life wasn’t created for you, life was created for him. Life is about his glory, not yours.
But its when you find life for his glory that you really truly find joy in why its given for us or why we have come into existence. I heard of it being put in this way once, that there was a recently a dean of students in an Ivy league school who got before the student body and he was aghast by how the student body was living. He said to the student body, he said, guys, we’re going to have to get back to the basics and we’re going to have to teach you values again. Of which one of the student stood up and said that’s fine, but who’s values are you going to teach? The dean stopped because he didn’t know where to go and walked off stage.
So that’s the determining factor isn’t it? Whose value say so and why do we live life the way we should. This is where Jesus is coming to the Jewish people in this moment and calling it evil it’s because they’ve taken what God has created for them and they really started to write extra laws and rules to what they were doing in life and they made it about the laws and rules for which they created as themselves apart from God honestly. And that’s what evil is.
I think sometimes the best way to think about evil in a philosophical way is to compare it to a hole, which is a weird thought. How is evil like a hole? If you’ll leave out of here to a lot or gravel pit in the back and you were to grab a shovel and just dig. You could create a hole but here’s the thing about a hole. A hole can’t exist in itself, a hole can only exist without the form from which it came right? So, there’s has to have the absence of something in order for a hole to come into existence right? The same is true for evil, evil can’t exist in itself. Must be absent of something. What is it? God. Its absents, the presence and purpose of God. That’s what evil is. I determine God, not you. Not you, I am in charge, not you. It’s about what I want lord. Not you.
That kind of society becomes a little dangerous. Not just a little dangerous, a lot of dangerous. Cause when you’re in Genesis that’s what leads to destruction of everything. That’s what Adam and Eve did right? God, not you, us. God, step aside, we know better than you do. They took the apple and declared themselves God and what happens is the destruction of the world. What happens in our society when people took that sort of step, they pushed God out of the way. Well, ultimately might makes right. Whatever the majority of the people want, sometimes goes or even the minority as long as they scream louder and fight harder eventually they win the day. It’s the might that makes right. Everyone just does what right, in their own eyes. This is what Jesus is saying to us in these two contrasting ideas here.
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it, because its deeds are evil. But then Jesus says do you want to know the answer? It’s not morality, it’s not morality, remember guys? Jesus is saying this to the most moral people probably on earth at this time. The answer is not morality because if you just substitute the answer for morality when society seems like its lost its virtues and its lost moral compass. Just to say morality, the question is who’s morals? Who’s values? The answer is not morality. The answer is worship.
What does your heart surround to? Why do you wake up and do what you do? Who directs your life? Is not about what you do, but who you are connected to. Because, who you are connected to will determine what you become. You see Jesus heart for his people, I don’t think Jesus is saying look the world is evil, just because he wants to create a battle. I don’t think he is saying this just because he wants to be hateful for people. In fact John chapter 3 it says, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. Jesus is very aware of this kind of statement is, even if people are going to like it, it’ll lead to his death. He knows that and yet he stands up to this statement anyway.
Why? Not because he hates the people. He loves the people. It’s because he wants the people to experience life. When I say this, I’m not saying this is so we go out in this world and be obnoxious and thorns in peoples sides. I’m not interested in being obnoxious. Who wants to live a life like that? Or if you have to wake up today and Jesus calling to him is to be annoying to everybody.
Nobody wants to do that. That’s not what God calls us to but I love the way Paul says it in 2nd Timothy 2:24. Just listen to this verse. The lord servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged. So what he’s saying to us, is look God is not calling us in this world to be hateful to people. In fact, because you’re in Jesus, that should be the last thing you do because the one you’re following is gracious and loving to the point that he lays down his life just to bless you. So if you find yourself free in Jesus we are not coming into this world to attack this world but coming into this world to serve this world, the world is leading into is destruction because they chosen a path that contrary to him and even if they defined it as good, if it’s the void of God then its still evil, because the world was created for him. It was created for him and what evil is the absence of Gods presence.
Our heart should be inclined to invite him in not to dictate to God what should happen. But to ask God to lead our soul to the freedom of he delivers because from then, from him comes living water. But you see within this passage the tension that’s all over Jesus right. Who the people see him as and they fail to see his purpose. Verse 5 Pastor Wayne brought this up, so I’m going to do this very quickly here.
Verse 5 and 6 you see how it starts to unfold as they dealt with this human and Jesus introduces to them. Verse 5 it says, for not even his brothers believed in him. Talking about Jesus brothers. Jesus had brothers and sisters in verse 6, Jesus said or at least half brothers and sisters. In verse 6 Jesus said to them my time has not yet come but your time is always here. So here’s what’s happening in chapter 7, chapter 5 in the book of John is the festival chapters. The Jews are celebrating festivals and in chapter 7 there going to the festival of Booths. Jesus brothers are going up, they’re trying to get Jesus to go. They’re like, look Jesus if you are, who you think you are, its got to be hard being brothers of Jesus. Mom is looking at them thinking everything Jesus does is great. Why can’t you be more like Jesus? Right? I don’t know if that’s how Mary talks but probably not.
But brothers of Jesus, if there’s one guy you want to get in the alley and punch him in the gut right? Jesus, people hate you, come up to Jerusalem. I told him to go up to Jerusalem. They’re really going to have their way with him. Jesus, come up with us. Let’s do it. Jesus was like “no way, I’m not going up there, they want to kil me.” Right. They’re like “aw come on Jesus, if you are who you say you are then you really got to prove it” and Jesus says to them “my time is not yet come, but your time is always here.” Let me just say a few things about this. One, I love how scriptures unfolds here because as you get to the book of Acts, you’ll find chapter 1, Pastor Wayne brought this up to us last week. Jesus brothers become believers, and not believers here, they become believers.
I just say this, guys there’s sometimes walking with Jesus in this world is not easy. Its not easy, this past year has not been easy. Trying to keep a church together over a pandemic when everyone has a different opinion, that’s not easy. You guys been very gracious, thank you for your love and grace. I have heard horror stories other places and I get on my knees and thank you for our church. Even in your opinion you still lay things aside and do your best loving each other. Thank you for doing that. Still, simply after the lord, its not easy in this world. Let me just encourage you here, just be patient, be loving, be Jesus to people. What you find as this story unfolds Jesus brothers become believers.
Even if its not true in your family, lets just say you’re the only Christian in your family. Even if that’s not the case, even if you choose to walk with Jesus the rest of your life and knowing your family follow Jesus. As you still honor Jesus, we don’t follow Jesus to manipulate people. We follow Jesus because its true and loving Jesus we learn to love people. That’s the result in pursuing Jesus. You should never stop caring for people, I know its hard. I know it’s not always easy, I know people bring conflict to your life because they live for a system oppose to you. That’s what Jesus is experiencing here. But don’t stop being Jesus to people. He says my time has not yet come but your time is always here. Let me just point out what Jesus is saying here.
In verse 6 Jesus gives this statement, sounds like he’s not going to the festival. In a few verses later Jesus is at the festival. Its like what’s up with this Jesus. Are you lying to your brothers here? Why are you telling them you’re not going and then you’re going? Jesus is saying here, his brother is trying to get him to come out and do this grand reveal. This pinnacle moment Jesus. Lets just lay down the law, declare yourself King. This is your moment Jesus. Just go. Jesus is saying, my time is not yet come. This is a phrase used repeatedly in the gospel. John first time he did it was at the wedding of Cana with his mom. Next time Jesus does it, is with his brothers. What Jesus is saying here is, my grand moment for which I am really here on earth I’ve not come to that yet. Where I am declared the king, I am not there yet. You know where that happens? It’s at the cross.
When Jesus dies on the cross, Jesus says ” my hour has come.” “Father glorify me as I glorify you.” As Jesus hangs on the cross, what phrase is written above Jesus head? King of the Jews. King of the Jews. Jesus hour to take his throne, the rightful position for which has come, its not come yet. So that’s what Jesus is saying here, Jesus has no problem going to Jerusalem after this. But just wants his brothers to understand, look, what you’re pushing me too, that hour is not yet here. Your hour is always here cause you’re living for the world. But that hour is not here. So they failed to see Jesus purpose.
Number two, they failed to see his person. Look in verse 10, but after his brothers has gone up to the feast then he also went up not publicly but in private. The Jews was looking for him at the feast saying where is he? And there was much muttering about him among the people while some said, he is a good man, while others said no, he is leading the people astray yet for fear of the Jews. No one spoke openly about him.
Let me just say this for our faith in Jesus and having to encourage people in Jesus. It is not enough to simply say Jesus is a moral man. In fact, or just a good teacher. In fact Jesus never let that open up. Jesus made it very clear who he said he was. In fact, Jesus was killed for saying who he said he was. Jesus is God and King become flesh to be our savior and lord. That’s who Jesus is. And you see in this story, they’re trying to softball the identity of Jesus and or to take away the punch of his presentation right? As long as you know, it’s okay what you believe, but Jesus is a good teacher. He’s a moral teacher, Jesus is like “that’s not me.” I am God. Okay? And that’s the temptation that the people are facing here. But, it tells you in verse 13 why they’re leaning that way.
The fear of the Jews. They’re fearful. They’re fearful of what the repercussion might be with Jesus and let me just encourage you, don’t let fear keep you from where god wants to lead you. If God calls you to it, God will get you through it. Jesus has in this verse rivers of living water will flow through you. Why? Why deny that? Pursuing Jesus is important and people I say this just a few weeks ago that some of the dumbest decisions you’ll ever make in your life, some of the greatest regrets you’ll have in life is because you choose to follow fear over faith.
Jesus wanting for us to see in this story just the foolishness of the Jews who get lost in their own fear from following Jesus. Maybe even right now, we’re looking at, should I follow Jesus? Should I get my life, what’s my family going to say? What’s going to happen tomorrow? Why don’t you just leave that up to Jesus and just follow him. If he is who he says he is that decision is far greater than anything else then maybe, to give it a little bit of a warning the book of revelation chapter 21 verse 8, when God Judges, there’s a verse in revelation in 21 verse 8 where it talks about God judging the world. The first people group that he talks about judging are the cowards.
So if you’re going to deny Jesus, do it for a different reason than fear. That’s what this verse is saying. Don’t let fear drive you from where God calls you, let the lord lead you. Then in verse 3 they failed to see his words and therefore worshiped. Look in verse 14, in the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and became teaching. Verse 15, the Jews therefore marveled saying how is it that this man has learning when he has never studied? So Jesus answered them, my teaching is not mine but his who sent me.
Something to think about, they marveled but they never really worshiped. They were amazed by Jesus but never truly surrounded to Jesus. They give this remark about how great he is. They have this certain system set up for how you would to learn under a Rabbi. They knew that Jesus hasn’t really have never followed that full path of to get to the position where he was to be able to teach. They were amazed by it. I would just say about the bible, they are lot of people that read things about the bible but never really spend time in the bible. The bibles given us to transform your life. It speaks wisdom into your heart. It’s not about just knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, where not interested in just making you sound smart or puffing you up. But just to see you wise in the ways of the lord.
If you want God to speak to your life, he wrote his words down. Let him speak into your life by reading his word and to do more than just marvel at the saying, but to really worship. Now, I need to think as a church what we are about is Gods word. This is a conviction we will not back down from, this is nothing we will shy from, we want to be loving in the way that we interact with people. We also understand that the truth, the truth creates an obstacle. But we’re not going to diminish from the truth. We will stand for God word. We open Gods word to learn and we open our hearts to love.
That’s what we’re about. As Gods people, I love the submission Jesus expresses to the father here because he is modeling for us how our lives should look. This is Jesus is saying, you know how to get to this place of where I am? And this wisdom? It’s the fathers teaching. Gods teaching, Gods giving his teaching. Jesus is saying look, if you want what you see, that I am demonstrating to you, you can have it. You can have this kind of wisdom. Cause its not just my teaching, it’s the fathers teaching that’s been delivered to you. If, you would just spend time with him. That’s what he’s saying to the religious leaders here, to hear him. Then Jesus really at this point, starts to teach us who he is and I love this. Verse 19, has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keep the law. Why do you seek to kill me?
You have a demon. Never say that to Jesus okay? You have a demon and who is seeking to kill you. This is an interesting verse for me. I was reading this, this week. Are they gaslighting Jesus? I think they’re gaslighting Jesus in this verse. That’s what’s happening right? If you don’t know what gaslighting is, here’s the definition… It’s a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception or judgment.
They started looking at Jesus, Jesus you’re crazy. Who wants to kill you? But if you look at this very chapter, verse 1 Jesus was like “People want to kill me.” Verse 25 the crowd right after this says “Jesus they want to kill you.” Yet in this verse, Jesus who’s going to kill you? Then in verse 30 you see people running around, trying to arrest Jesus. They’re gaslighting Jesus in this passage. In verse 21 Jesus says to them, I did one work and you all marvel at it. Let me say this, Jesus at this point only performed one miracle at the temple.
Mephibosheth, remember that? He healed a man that had been crippled for most of his life. Jesus comes in and heals him. And the crowd is still stuck on that. That’s why Jesus is getting criticized in this chapter. Jesus is like, you guys are marveling just at this one work? Then now, I love this verse 22, Jesus says Moses gave you circumcision. Alright, what does that have to do with anything? I would want to maybe try this, this week. Here’s a suggestion for your suggestion box in a discussion that is getting heated just throw things out like “circumcision”. That’s what Jesus does in this verse.
Why in the world does he do that? Let’s look at this, Moses gave you circumcision not that its from Moses but from the fathers and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. In verse 23 if on the sabbath a man receives circumcision so the law of Moses may not be broken. Are you angry with me because on the sabbath I made a mans whole body well? Do not judge by appearances. But judge what, judge with right judgment. Alright.
Why is Jesus bringing up circumcision? That’s just, this is not an uncomfortable conversation at all right? Here is what Jesus is saying. Remember Jesus when he did the healing to Mephibosheth at the pole? He healed on the sabbath. Jewish people didn’t like that. They had rules against working on the sabbath. We work on Friday Jesus, we work on Sunday (their sabbath is Saturday), We work on Sunday Jesus but ain’t nobody working on Saturday Jesus and because of that we hate you. You have a demon. That’s what they are saying to Jesus. And Jesus just stopped the party for a minute and said wait a minute guys, don’t you circumcise on a Sabbath. According to Jewish law, he is to be circumcised on the eighth day, and if the eighth day is Sabbath day, you circumcise that child on the sabbath. You don’t stop and isn’t that work?
Hypocrite. But here is what Jesus is saying, when Jesus healed on the sabbath, their laws not working on the Sabbath, those aren’t Gods laws. That’s mans law, the Jewish people had written, they developed their own system of self righteousness. Their own form of morality, their own void of God. God calls evil in this passage. To say this is what we have determined to what’s right because we are the center of the world and we determine the way things should go because we are in charge, we are God. Life is about me.
Oprah Winfrey. What’s your truth? They developed this elaborate system in religion. But we do the same thing, we speak our truth to let everyone believe what they want. That’s where our society is. You believe what you want, you believe what you want, you determine what truth is, because you’re the center of the world until your truth disagrees with me. Then when you disagree with me we’re about to cancel culture you.
Isn’t that where we are at today? I think about how it progresses. Well, my truth is, I want what you have. My truth is your bank account looks bigger than mine. I’ll take your bank account. My truth is your house looks nicer than mine. I’ll have your house. Right? Doesn’t that sound a little preposterous. Are we really there as a society? We may not be in the place where people are taking peoples houses but I’ll tell you we treat each other like that. You’re in a position I don’t like. So what am I going to do? I’m going to rip you apart because I want where you are and we degrade each other. Why? Well, it doesn’t match my reality and what I want is most important. Who cares about God?
And that is what Jesus is saying here to these people. You created this whole system and you think it’s a good system. But you haven’t realized its voided the very one that you need. Here you are, with your might trying to make right to the point you want to kill the one who set you free. Why are you void? Why not surrender? And so Jesus makes this bold declaration. You see how a matte platform, why Jesus wants to give this statement in verse 37 because Jesus understands even in a religious society, its important to know it’s not morality that sets you free. Its worship. Its worship, it’s not until you surrender your heart to him.
Verse 37 on the last day of the feast, the great day. Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come onto me and let him drink. Whoever believes me as the scripture has said out of his heart rivers of living water. Now, that he has said of about the spirit whom those believe in him were to receive for yet the spirit of not been given because Jesus is not yet glorified.
Let me just say this, Pastor Wayne did a great job on talking about Jewish festivals and how important those were. Which was really good for John 5 to 10 because this whole section scripture… I just want to board down on this particular festival on why Jesus is saying this. At the festival of Booths, every day a priest will go to a pole and golden jar, he would fill it up with water and a choir would sing a song.
Isaiah chapter 12 verse 3 which sings of the joy of Gods salvation. They would sing this song as the priest would gather this water and he would march back to the temple and the crowd around him during this festival, this time would have been packed in Jerusalem because the festival of Booths was one of those festivals, where the Jewish men at least, sometimes families were told that had to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate, so the streets were packed. As the priests would walk every day for this week up to the temple. He would carry this water and the crowd would sing Psalms 1:13 through 1:18 in celebration. He would poor this water up on thee alter in the temple. It was to remind Israel how God provided for them. Gave them life in the desert, he brought water from a rock. God was going to continue to be their salvation. Their source. There was also a foreshadowing of God sending salvation to them in Zechariah Chapter 14.
On the last day, this was the final day of celebration. They did it seven times, and Jesus in the middle of the biggest day with the most people in the middle of all this praise stands up in front of this crowd. And he gives this declaration of, you’re ever sticking your neck out, it’s this moment. That Jesus does this, and he already knows that the people want to kill him and now they’ve become more outward in their actions towards him. Jesus takes a huge risk and steps out and says this is me. I am that salvation. Out of your heart in embracing Jesus will flow rivers of living water, what you try to find in fabricating on your own Jesus will do it for you. Come to me who you are thirsty. Jesus, when he is saying this he is speaking to people who are fed up with the way life is, they want to make their life about something that matters beyond just the temporary. In Jesus, in this moment, its saying that answer is me, it’s not about morality, it’s not about you. Its really, it’s about worship.
It’s not about what you do, it’s about who you connect to, because who you connect to will determine what you become. Guess what you see in this passage. Let me just conclude with these quick thoughts. God wants to work in you and God wants to work through you. Do you see that? Not only do you find your thirst quenched, but from you flows living water.
Number two, when we seek Jesus what he’s saying to us the best has yet to come. Right, this is going to continue. This living water is life giving forever. Living water flowing from you, forever. This is so important how you view God because if you have a low view of God it’s going to Permanente in the way you view yourself and purpose in life. But when you see him as the true life source your soul will cling to that and purse that and number three let me say this, if Jesus comes to you in this moment so boldly for you, don’t back down from him. Don’t back down. You’ll realize what this story is here for. It’s here for you.
You’ll realize why Jesus stuck is neck out in this moment. He did it for you. He understood how this type of moment, this press of this moment, this hinge point in life, this defining place to say to the world, look this is how everything is set up on this side of this world. He says even in religion, but what I am inviting to you, inviting you to is life giving relationship to the point I am laying down my life. That you can walk in it, embrace me, because from you comes rivers of living water. In that, you’ll make a difference.
I love how John Pipers says it; he says this. I think it’s his book ‘Lets his nation be glad.’ Mission exist because worship does not. Mission exist because worship does not. God went on a mission in this world for you because our heart weren’t worshiping and God calls us on mission of this world for him because hearts aren’t worshiping but the thing that sets people free is worship in this King.
This message has been brought to you by Alpine Bible Church in Lehi, Utah. If you would like more information, please visit us online at alpinebible.com