Invitation to drink from the Living water.

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

PENTECOST SUNDAY, 31^ST MAY, 2020.

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: “Invitation to drink from the Living water.”

             “Ipe lati mu ninu omi iye.”

TEXT: John 7:37 & 38

“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.”

The feast of Tabernacles is one of the Jewish feasts which is held to commemorate Israel’s 40years wilderness journey and as well used to get the Jews ready for the promised kingdom of Messiah. During the feast, all who are native Israelites must live outside in booths made of branches to remind them of God’s providential care of the nation Israel through 40years wilderness experience (Lev. 23:33 - 44). The period was always a festive time for the people, and the temple area was illuminated by large candlesticks which reminded them of the guiding pillar of fire in Exodus 13:21. Each day of the festival, the Priests would carry water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it out from a golden vessel, reminding the Israelites of the miraculous provision of water from the rock during their wilderness journey (Num. 20:9 - 11). Though the feast of Tabernacles was a time of jubilation for the Jews, but not so with Jesus, rather it was a difficult time for him, because it marked the beginning of open and serious opposition to him and his ministry as recorded in today’s gospel lesson John 7.

In the gospel according to St. John 7:37f, Jesus Christ used the event of the last day of the feast of Tabernacles to invite his audience to come and drink out of the living water which he alone provides. It was the tradition of the Jews that on the seventh day of the feast, Priests would march seven times around the altar while chanting Psalm 118:25 “Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.” They would then draw water out of the Pool and pour it out just to remind their people of how God provided water for their fore-fathers in the wilderness, on their way to the promised land. Not minding the Jewish leaders’ opposition, Jesus Christ used this symbolic occasion of water pouring to extend his great invitation to all thirsty sinners when he said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (Jn.7:37) Jesus, who invited people whose lives had been dried up by the power of sin and wickedness to come and be refreshed, had in his mind the experience of Israel which is recorded in Exodus 17:1-7. To him the living water he invited sinners to come and drink was but a picture of the Spirit of the Living God, which Prophet Joel spoke about when he said a time is coming when God’s Spirit shall be poured upon all flesh (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17).

As we commemorate Pentecost day this Sunday and remember with thanksgiving the day the first set of believers (Apostles) received the Holy Spirit as contained in Acts 2, Jesus Christ is inviting all of us to come, drink, and be filled with the Spirit of God without whom we are nothing. Men and brethren, the only identity card we need to enable us drink freely from the living water is our faith in Christ Jesus who alone gives the living water to all who come to him. He as well made it clear that those who believe in him would not only drink the living water, but they themselves would turn to channels of living water to bless the thirsty world, especially at this trying period of COVID-19 attack on human lives (Jn.7:38). The same living water was introduced to the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4:13-15. Living water is so important in Israel and everywhere in the world, because of its high quality. Unlike the stored or stagnant water, living water is a moving one as in rivers and rainfall. Such water is precious because it is fresh and seen as coming directly from God, no wonder it is used for ritual washings in Israel (Lev. 14:5 & 6, 50 & 51; Num.19:17 - 19). It must also be noted that at the time when Jesus Christ made this invitation, calling on anyone who needed water to come to him and have a drink was a period of dry season. The invitation therefore is a clear sign that Jesus is the only source of living water which can never dry up, he came directly from God and brought spiritual renewal to the entire world. Anyone who believes in him will definitely be delivered from spiritual dryness and shall never suffer spiritual kwashiorkor. Such a person will be filled with the Spirit of God as in the days of Moses in Numbers 17:24 - 30.

Just as water brings satisfaction to a thirsty soul and produces fruitfulness, so the Holy Spirit satisfies the inner person and enables believers to bear fruit. Brothers and sisters, come to Jesus Christ today, accept him as your Lord and Saviour, then he will offer you the living water which is the Holy Spirit, and assurance of eternal satisfaction will be your portion on this Pentecost Sunday. Let me make this clear to you today. Anyone of us who has any of the following signs of spiritual dryness in his/her life should know that he/she is in need of the living water, and as such do not hesitate to come to Jesus Christ for a drink. Signs of Spiritual dehydration include these:

1.    Prayerlessness

2.    Selfishness

3.    Anger

4.    Pride

5.    Laziness

6.    Greediness

7.    Lack of self-control or self-discipline

8.    Lack of interest in Christian giving

9.    Negative thinking

10. Loneliness and a host of others.

Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus Christ is here again to help us out of our spiritual dryness. He is calling on us today to come and be refreshed with the living water which no one else can give (Isa.58:11; Rev.22:17) Come and connect with the glorified Jesus and the Holy Spirit will be freely given to you. Brethren, do you know that the awareness of our spiritual dehydration is a gift from God; that we know that we are spiritually dried up and need living water is a blessing to us as people in this wicked world. Jesus’ invitation to come and drink therefore is a call to partake of his life and Spirit. I urge you to come, receive the Holy Spirit and become a living water through whom the Holy Spirit will flow to save and help others in our generation which at present is suffering from various attacks, such as BokoHaram insurgency, Coronavirus pandemic, kidnapping, ritual killings and what have you. Receive the Holy Spirit, the power of God to rule our world and remain victorious forever. Amen

Let us pray

 

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

Chairman OS-CAN.