Jn.7:37-39 – Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
I read and preached about this passage again and again beginning with the outpouring of joy in 1994. It became so simple and so profound at the same time, come to Jesus and drink. I was recently talking with someone from another church and they told me that they were not supposed to use any ‘drinking’ terminology in their church. I just don’t get it, why is drinking so controversial when it comes to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Actually I do know what the resistance is about, corporate drinking of the Spirit brings a distinct sense of God’s presence into the house, that’s where conviction and change become essential, its the conviction and change that causes all of the problems. Drinking is simply coming to Jesus and receiving. Here is what Sam Storms says about this passage.
“Simply, yet profoundly, put, Jesus was saying: ‘This feast is all about me! The water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness symbolized me! The sacrifice on the altar is about me! The water in the golden pitcher points to me! The promise of refreshing waters of salvation refers to me! The water that I offer is better than that which flowed from the rock, better than that which falls from heaven to nourish your crops, better than that just taken from the pool of Siloam. I am the water that gives eternal life, eternal refreshment, and eternal joy! No longer do you need to go to the temple. No longer do you need to celebrate the feast. Celebrate me! Come and drink of me!’”
So its not that one time drink alone that the Lord is talking about, it is the lifestyle of drinking that He insists on. This passage is talking about coming to Jesus again and again and drinking in of His presence. This was a critical moment in the ministry of Jesus, He was telling the Jews that their old time religion wasn’t good enough, they needed a drink, they needed to drink in the Living Water as a lifestyle. This is exactly what our world needs right now, come to Jesus and drink the water of life.
1 thought on “COME AND DRINK AGAIN”
Those in our congregation basically must ignore and refuse a drink of living water, when it’s offered every time we meet. Going to church in need might expose oneself as there being less than perfection going on in their life. So we say to ourselves, “good enough” Really, why?