This morning, Pastor Luke continued on with our “Get up and walk” sermon series with a message titled “Refreshed and Refreshing” out of John 7:37-38.

These verses are set within the context of the feast of tabernacles. During this feast, the people
set up booths and tables after the harvest where they read Scripture, shared food together, and celebrated and remembered with one another what God had done. We can read further about the feast of tabernacles in Leviticus 23:36-43.

On the last day, the festival came to a culmination, a thanksgiving celebration of God’s deliverance and protection. It was within this context that Jesus said: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Out of this passage, Pastor Luke made three primary points:

1. He cried out!

Jesus waited until the very last day of the festival to make this declaration. His big point was “come to me.” At the end of the day, Christianity is all about being reconciled back to God through a relationship with Jesus, and all are invited to come to Him.

We are born into a war story, whereby the souls of humans are at stake. This is why Jesus made His message very emphatic, because it held great weight.

2. Think about thirst.

Thirst is a lack and a want, the absence of a necessary thing. And just as we can be physically thirsty, so too can be spiritually thirsty. Four symptoms of spiritual thirst:

- You are never content. We are the only species inflicted with chronic longing and restlessness.
- You can’t figure out the question of why am I here?
- You live in constant fear.
- You are worried about your eternal destiny.

Jesus says whoever is thirsty can come to Him. To believe in Jesus is to surrender ourselves and come under His Lordship. He provides the answer and peace to all of our spiritual thirsting.

3. Rivers of living water

Christians are never to be a drain. We are filled with the Holy Spirit, and thus must be people of sacrificial giving. We are also not storage containers, to keep the love of God to ourselves. Faith is not meant to be a private thing. Our love and the living of our faith is to be out loud.

We need to allow the river to flow through us. Just as we have been refreshed, we must refresh others. It’s all about being available to God, for His river of life to flow through us. We want to be people who connect others to the living God.

When we thirst, Jesus gives to us freely.