“The Real Source of Satisfaction”
John 7
Sermon Series: “Getting Acquainted With Jesus”
Introduction: I want to begin the message by asking three questions that, in my opinion, are very important?
-Do you ever feel empty?
-Do you feel like that in your emptiness that you sometimes fail to give people what they need from you?
-Do you sometimes try to fill your emptiness in the wrong ways and from the wrong sources?
As we think about these questions, let’s look at the Scripture and see how we can have real satisfaction.
1. Real satisfaction comes through the person of Jesus Christ instead of religious rituals. Jesus transforms us internally instead of pacifying us externally.
Acknowledge our thirst and what it really means (Jeremiah 2:13)
Believe in Jesus (trust Him personally and not religious rituals)
Come to Jesus and drink (notice that is finding satisfaction in personal interaction with Jesus)
2. Real satisfaction comes through the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us (see also John 14:15-19).
The Holy Spirit is the Person of God in our lives.
(1) He is a Person. John demonstrates this by using a masculine pronoun when spirit is a neuter noun.
(2) He is God.
Application: He is the 3rd person of the Trinity. He is not some ghost or influence or “active force.” Thus, we are to relate to Him as God like we do the Father and Son.
The Holy Spirit is the Presence of God in our lives.
He is God with us.
He is God in us.
He is God living through us.
Application: This takes away our excuses and gives us a responsibility. However, it is also an awesome privilege, and it should be a great encouragement to know that God Himself is in us.
The Holy Spirit is the Power of God in our lives.
How can we live in the power of the Holy Spirit?
Be careful not to quench the Spirit (1Thessalonians 5:19).
Be careful not to grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? Essentially, being filled with the Spirit means being controlled by the Holy Spirit. It is not a formula because we are relating to a Person, but here are some steps to take in order to be filled with the Spirit.
Examine your life, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal all sin, and confess all known sin (1 John 1:9). We have to be clean in order to be filled.
Repent of sin and make things right with others if needed (2 Corinthians 7:10, Matthew 5:23-24).
Surrender your will completely to God (Romans 6:11, Luke 9:23). We have to be empty in order to be filled.
Ask to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
3. Real satisfaction causes purity instead of pollution to flow out of us to others. Good intentions can never replace the power of the Holy Spirit when it comes to how we speak to and treat other people (see Galatians 5).
Conclusion: Will you trust Jesus instead of anything else so He will fill your life with satisfaction by filling it with Himself? Will you walk in the Holy Spirit so the fruit of the Spirit will be produced in your life? Will you let the Holy Spirit produce pure water that flows out of you instead of the polluted water of sin?
