MAY 11, 2008  SERMON ARCHIVE

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, AMEN.

The text for our meditation this morning is the Gospel Lesson for this Feast of Pentecost, John 7:37-39. You have that text before you and I will reference it many times in our meditation.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 'He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive. (John 7:37-39a [NKJV])

In the name of Jesus, AMEN

Imagine with me, for a moment, that you've been working outside in your garden, or in the field, or wherever planting tomato plants to share with the pastor, and you've just gone inside to get a drink of water. You pull a glass out of your cupboard, fill it with water and begin drinking.

Soon the glass is empty and as you catch your breath, you refill the glass and begin drinking more. When you've finished, you set the glass down on the counter. One of the first things you might think to yourself is, 'Man, I didn't realize I was that thirsty.'

Dear Christian friends,

In our text, Jesus is speaking to the Jews in Jerusalem who don't know that they are thirsty. But Jesus is not speaking of a physical thirst, He is speaking of a spiritual thirst. Jesus is offering to quench the spiritual thirst of the Jews in Jerusalem, who don't even realize that they're thirsty.

How often are you and I like those Jews? How often are we unaware of our spiritual thirst? Now, I could stand here this morning and say that we're all sinners. You could sit there and nod your head in agreement, or you could nod your head cause you are falling asleep.

Then I could say that Jesus died on the cross to forgive your sins, and once again you would nod your head in agreement, or because you are about to fall off the front of your pew. But I'm not going to do that. What I will say this morning is this: Jesus is offer you life-giving water right now, to quench the spiritual thirst that you don¡¯t even know that you have.

The text says, 'On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out.' This feast, was the feast of Tabernacles. This feast, one of many commanded by God, set aside time to present offerings to God which would make satisfaction for the sins of the people. On the last great day, the people would gather together for worship. One of the songs they would sing is found in Isaiah 12, 'Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.'

It is at this point that Jesus stood and cried out. Now, at first glance that may not be significant. It may not seem important that Jesus stood. But it is. You see, teachers of that day generally sat when they were teaching. The fact that Jesus stood showed the importance of what He was saying.

And how about His crying out? Did He cry out to be heard? Did He cry out because all the people in the temple were thinking about the great dinner they had prepared at home and how they were then going fishing or golfing and couldn¡¯t wait for the service to be over, so they were not listening? No, He cried out because of the anguish and grief He was feeling. You see. The people were actually opposing Him.

Earlier in this chapter, Jesus refuted the false charges made against Him by speaking about the divine origin of His person and teaching. In verse 16 Jesus says, 'My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.' And in verse 18, 'He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.'

When Jesus dealt with the people again in verses 31-36, many came to believe Him because of the signs which Jesus performed. But the people were rejecting His saving work and this is why He cried out. He cried out because of the deep love and desire He has to save those who oppose Him.

Dear friends, are you ever like that? Do you sometimes push Jesus aside in your lives because there are so many other 'things' that need to be done? How many of you have tried to strike a bargain with God as you looked for signs? 'If you answer my prayer the way I want you to, then I'll think about the things You want me to do.' How many of you have denied His saving work looking to your goodness, your righteousness, your works for our salvation?

Martin Luther said, 'The error of neither knowing nor understanding what sin is usually brings with it another error, that of neither knowing nor understanding what grace is.' Are you ever like those Jews in our text for today. Do you go about your daily lives living only for yourselves. Oh, of course, you do remember to set aside one hour each week because you need to make satisfaction for your sins.

A minister was speaking in a college chapel when one student asked another, 'What is this business of sin he's talking about?' The other replied, 'I think it has something to do with Adam and Eve.' The first student concluded, 'Oh, then it doesn't have anything to do with us.' But I assure you, this business of sin does vitally pertain to you and me.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 53, 'Everyone of them has tuned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.' The apostle St. James writes in chapter 2, 'For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.' And Isaiah tells us in chapter 64, 'But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness¡¯s are like filthy rags,...'

Yes, my friends, Jesus cried out to the Jews in Jerusalem and He is crying out to you to you today also. He calls you to turn from your sinful ways and repent of your sins. He is calling you to recognize your sinfulness and to recognize your thirst. He is calling you to truly admit with your hearts those words spoken by the Psalmist, '...Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.'

Yes. Jesus cried out to the Jews. Yes, Jesus cries out to you today. But He also cried out somewhere else . . . on the cross. He experienced great grief and sorrow as he hung on the cross forsaken by His Father. Jesus took upon Himself the suffering and death which was meant for us. St. Paul proclaims to us, 'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Romans 6:23)

Jesus is that 'well of salvation' mentioned earlier that the people sang about at the feast. In John 4, Jesus says to the Samaritan woman at the well, ''Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst again. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.'' (John 4:13-14).

One commentator speaking on this text said, 'Those whose souls thirsts for God . . . must go to the Savior for their souls refreshment. For in the salvation earned through Christ's Passion and death there is full satisfaction for the desire of all humble souls for mercy and forgiveness.'

Jesus does forgive you, each and every one of you as He Himself invites you to drink of this life-giving water. He says, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.' This invitation is repeated throughout he Bible. The prophet Isaiah wrote, '' Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat . . . Without money and without price.'' Matthew 11 says, 'Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' And St. John writes in Revelation 22, 'And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.' (vs. 17 [NKJV]) Anyone and everyone who thirsts spiritually is fit for receiving the free drink of the Gospel.  

But Jesus doesn't stop with the invitation to drink only. He tells us that rivers of living-water will flow from the heart of all who believe in Him. Notice that He says rivers and not streams or trickles. Rivers are often referred to as 'living' because of their continuous movement and the Greek word used here literally means 'life-giving'. Jesus spoke concerning the Spirit when He said these things. Jesus was looking forward to the day that we celebrate today, Pentecost.

Pentecost means fiftieth. On the fiftieth day after Easter, Christ sent the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, just as He had promised. Perhaps you noticed the change in color this morning of the paraments. This didn't happen because I decided it was time for a change. The paraments on The Day of Pentecost are red, the color of fire, to recall the manner in which the Spirit made presence known.

The Holy Spirit filled those first believers with courage and strength. Immediately they began to preach to others about the Crucified and Risen Christ and more than 3000 were converted in a single day. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit which occurred at Pentecost continues today. It is through Baptism that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit takes place.

By faith, we believe that the Holy Spirit enters the hearts of all who are baptized and that He will also work faith in the heart of that person.

By faith we believe that it is through the Word of God that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit takes place.

By faith we believe that the Holy Spirit works through the Word to assure us that the saving work of Jesus was for our forgiveness.

By faith we believe that through the Sacrament of Holy Communion the outpouring of the Holy Spirit again takes place as the forgiveness of sins is given to all who approach God's altar with repentant hearts, trusting in the saving work of Jesus and firmly believing the words, 'Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.'

The Holy Spirit has never left Christ's people, but has been our constant contact with the Lord, our never failing source of inspiration and zeal. Years ago, a man went to a Pastor and said he wanted to join the church. When asked why, he described one of the members of that church who lived in the same boarding house where he did. And he summed up his impressions with the ringing words, 'That man has a faith to live by. I want that faith.'

You too have been given that faith! And just as the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to proclaim the message of Christ during the Apostolic Age, he also gives you the words and the courage to share the life-giving water with those around you.

Dear friends in Christ, go forth this morning and always, go forth with the confidence of Peter and the other apostles and offer to those around you who are unaware of their spiritual thirst this life-giving water from the well of salvation, Jesus Christ.

Go forth from this place dear friends, and tell everyone that Christ Is Risen.

AMEN