"Living Water" | June 22, 2025 | Ps Joel Lowery

In the bustling streets of ancient Jerusalem, amidst the fervor of a grand religious festival, a voice cuts through the noise. It's not just any voice, but one that would change the course of history. "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!" These words, shouted above the din of celebration, carry an invitation that echoes through time, reaching our ears today with the same urgency and promise.

This invitation speaks to a universal human condition – thirst. Not just physical thirst, but a deeper, spiritual thirst that often goes unrecognized or unaddressed. It's a thirst for meaning, for purpose, for life itself. And the one who issues this invitation claims to have the answer – a source of "living water" that can quench this deepest of thirsts.

But what is this living water? The scripture tells us it's the Holy Spirit, promised to all who believe. This isn't just any water; it's described as "rivers of living water" that will flow from within the believer. It's a powerful image that speaks of abundance, of life-giving power that doesn't just satisfy but overflows.

This living water brings three key things into our lives:

1. Life
The Spirit brings life, not just in a biological sense, but in a fuller, richer way. It's the difference between existing and truly living. Just as water is essential for physical life, the Spirit is essential for spiritual life. But there's a crucial difference – while natural water sustains life, this living water is itself alive and active.

Think of the Nile River in Egypt. In a land that is 97% barren desert, 99% of the population clusters around this life-giving river. People are naturally drawn to sources of life. In the same way, when we're filled with the Spirit, we become life-giving people, attracting others who are thirsting for hope and meaning.

2. Freedom
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But this isn't just freedom to do whatever we want. It's freedom to become more like Jesus. It's freedom from fear, from the chains of our past, from the tyranny of sin. It's the kind of freedom that allows us to live with purpose and joy, even in the face of life's challenges.

This freedom should be evident in the life of the church. If we truly believe in the power of the Gospel and the presence of the Spirit, our gatherings should be marked by joy, laughter, and life. We should be the happiest, most life-giving places on the planet!

3. Overflow
When we're filled with the Spirit, we naturally overflow. Like a bucket placed in a rushing river, we don't have to try to overflow – it just happens. This is the essence of true evangelism. We don't need complex strategies or guilt-inducing challenges. When we're full of the Spirit, we can't help but talk about God and impact those around us.

Remember the Samaritan woman at the well? After her encounter with Jesus, she couldn't contain herself. She rushed back to her village, a place where she had been an outcast, and told everyone about her experience. Something had changed in her, and people noticed. That's the power of the Spirit's overflow in our lives.

So how do we access this living water? It starts with recognizing our thirst. We have to admit our need, our spiritual dehydration. Then, we must come to Jesus. He doesn't force the water on us; He invites us to come and drink. It's a continual process, not a one-time event. Like the Israelites gathering manna daily in the wilderness, we need to return to the source of living water regularly.

This invitation is for everyone. There are no prerequisites, no special qualifications needed. Whether you're a longtime believer feeling spiritually dry, someone who's been hurt by religion in the past, or someone who's never given faith a second thought, the invitation stands: "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!"

But there is one condition – belief. To truly drink of this living water, we must believe in Jesus. It's through this belief that we open ourselves to receive the Spirit.

The challenge for us today is to position ourselves to receive. Sometimes we play it cool, waiting passively for God to do something dramatic in our lives. But positioning matters. We need to humble ourselves, admit our need, and actively seek the infilling of the Spirit.

Imagine what our lives, our churches, our communities might look like if we were truly filled to overflowing with this living water. Picture a church so full of life and joy that people can't help but be drawn to it. Envision believers so transformed by the Spirit's presence that they naturally impact everyone around them.

This isn't just a nice theory or a comforting metaphor. It's a reality that's available to every believer. The same Spirit that empowered the early church to "turn the world upside down" is available to us today.

So, let's ask ourselves: Are we thirsty? Are we willing to come to the source of living water? Are we positioning ourselves to receive all that God wants to pour into our lives?

The invitation stands. The river of living water flows freely. Will we step in and drink deeply?