New series in John

John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Attitudes to Jesus

Thirsty Desperate for life Life = Deliverance from death Hope for the future Purpose and meaning Peace and well being

Thirsty Desperate for life Deeply unhappy with present Purpose and meaning

THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY WORK DAY IS THIS HAM SANDWICH

FROM NOW UNTIL QUITTING TIME NOTHING ELSE WILL BE AS REWARDING.

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER WORK?

I THINK ABOUT THE SANDWICH

Thirsty Desperate for life Deeply unhappy with present Purpose and meaning Achievements

Thirsty Desperate for life Anxious for satisfaction Deeply unhappy with present Purpose and meaning Achievements Experiences

Thirsty Desperate for life Deeply unhappy with present Yearning for something new John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Thirsty Isaiah “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Thirsty Isaiah 44 2 This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, my servant, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Come John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Invited to go Movement required To me Not to anything else To Jesus

Drink John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Receive what Jesus offers Deliverance from death Hope for the future Purpose and meaning Peace and well being

“Many pews on Sunday morning are filled with people seeking God, praying like mad, studying the Word, but who still wonder why God seems so distant.”

“Maybe it is because our culture has taught us to pursue goals that do not bring us closer to him. Perhaps those goals undermine the relationships we are to have with him and with others.”

What are some of our misguided goals? "Where our culture says, 'Seek your place in the world!' our God says, 'Seek the kingdom of God.' Where our culture bids us to 'find yourself!' God calls us to 'lose yourself, and so find life.' Where our culture calls us to 'be your own self- made person!' our God calls us to become 'members together of one body...' Where our culture teaches us to 'look to your own needs and interests!' God calls us to have 'the attitude of Christ Jesus, who took on the nature of a servant.' Where our culture promises, 'You can have it all!' God calls us to 'consider it rubbish, that we might gain Christ.' Where our culture mandates, 'Be at the top of your game!' God calls us to 'be crucified with Christ.'

“Where our culture teaches us to 'look to your own needs and interests!' God calls us to have 'the attitude of Christ Jesus, who took on the nature of a servant.' Where our culture promises, 'You can have it all!' God calls us to 'consider it rubbish, that we might gain Christ.' Sermon by Rev. William J. Kemp

“Where our culture teaches us to 'look to your own needs and interests!' God calls us to have 'the attitude of Christ Jesus, who took on the nature of a servant.' Where our culture promises, 'You can have it all!' God calls us to 'consider it rubbish, that we might gain Christ.' When we perceive our existence as a call from God--rather than as a search for self-- we free ourselves from the maelstrom of self-oriented ambition and find our ultimate purpose in life." Sermon by Rev. William J. Kemp

Drink John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Receive what Jesus offers Do what Jesus asks Develop relationship Stop going elsewhere Allowing flow

Drink John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Receive what Jesus offers Do what Jesus asks Stop being dehydrated by the things that rob us of...

"Money is like sea water; the more you drink, the thirstier you become."

Drink John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Receive what Jesus offers Do what Jesus asks Stop being dehydrated by the things that rob us of... Deliverance from death Hope for the future Purpose and meaning Peace and well being

Flow John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” We become channels for... Deliverance from death Hope for the future Purpose and meaning Peace and well being

Flow John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” We become channels Allowing God’s Spirit 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. To fill To flow

"Churches bore for me the relation to God that billboards did to Coca-Cola; they promoted thirst but did nothing to quench it.” From John Updike Novel “A Month of Sundays” "Churches bore for me the relation to God that billboards did to Coca-Cola; they promoted thirst but did nothing to quench it.” From John Updike Novel “A Month of Sundays”

“The Holy Spirit empowers the church to be the agent of change in the world, a counter- cultural entity. The task of the church is to breathe in the Spirit and be inspired by the Spirit to act on behalf of God. As the Spirit of God flows into us, it also ought to flow from us in the way we treat one another, the way we speak to one another, in the way we treat others in our community, in the way we live out the new life we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord.” “The Holy Spirit empowers the church to be the agent of change in the world, a counter- cultural entity. The task of the church is to breathe in the Spirit and be inspired by the Spirit to act on behalf of God. As the Spirit of God flows into us, it also ought to flow from us in the way we treat one another, the way we speak to one another, in the way we treat others in our community, in the way we live out the new life we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord.”

Flow John 7 37 On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” We become channels Allowing God’s Spirit to flow By desiring and seeking power to bring Deliverance from death Hope for the future Purpose and meaning Peace and well being

Personal transformation is a starting point but not the end point. We are blessed to be a blessing, changed to be agents of change, healed to heal others, transformed to transform the world. Brian McClaren

What might be contributing to my dehydration? Questions for reflection What am I thirsty for? How can I go to Jesus? How willing am I for the Spirit of God to flow out of me?