Water: Nothing Grows Without It | Tyrone P. Jones | Kingdom Ground | Full Service

(upbeat music) - Good morning. Will you stand with us? Wow, so glad that you guys are here. You battled through the rain, the storm, and you made it to church. Hallelujah. Well, it's good to be here, guys. Always a great day to be in the house of God. If you're new and you're watching online, we would love to get to know you. We'd love to serve you in any way that we can so you can click the link in the chat there and sign up for things like baptism. Any next steps you have open house, learn more about the church. If you're here in person, pretty easy, you can go to that table out there in the lobby of the beautiful people that'll be smiling at you, ready to help you out, all right? Well, before we get into worship, let's open the word of God, shall we? We're gonna be in Isaiah, chapter 43, verse 19. See, I am doing a new thing. What's the first word there? See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

You see, God wants to do a new thing in your life. This morning, but in order for you to perceive the new thing he wants to do, what do you need? New vision, new sight. It means that you need to, you know when you have glasses that get old, you can't really see anymore? Well, you need the Lord's corrective lenses this morning to see what he wants to do through you and in you. Let's pray. Father God, we love you so much. Thank you for your Holy Spirit's presence this morning. Let your Holy Spirit be present with us in our worship. Let us cry out to you and never give up on crying out to you, Lord. Let us praise you with our mouths, with our hearts, and with our minds. Jesus, we love you. And just in your holy and precious name we pray. Amen, let's worship, come on. Amen. Come on, church, let's foster ourselves for this moment of worship. We give him all the praise and honor. Just lift your voice, lift your hands. He's the Lord, the praise that he deserves. Do thank you, Jesus. ♪ There was a moment when the lights went out ♪ ♪ The death had claimed its victory ♪ ♪ The King of the forgiving of his life ♪

♪ The darkest day in history ♪ ♪ They're on a cross they need for sinners ♪ ♪ For every curse has but its own ♪ ♪ One final breath and it was finished ♪ ♪ But not the end we could know ♪ ♪ For the every curse will show ♪ ♪ And the fill will stand ♪ ♪ For it's every vice must be ♪ ♪ As the hell with his own ♪ ♪ All hell Jesus ♪ ♪ All hell is the Lord of heaven and earth ♪ ♪ All hell Jesus ♪ ♪ All hell is the Savior of the world ♪ ♪ The Savior, the Savior of the free ♪ ♪ Praise your Jesus ♪ ♪ There was a moment when the sky lit up ♪ ♪ I flashed a line and prayed you through ♪ ♪ When all was lost across eternity ♪ ♪ The King of the life was on the moon ♪ ♪ The King was in the dark cold too ♪ ♪ For our Lord was the King ♪ ♪ And what the round you led to it ♪ ♪ Never change ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ♪ All help Jesus ♪ ♪ All help Lord of Heaven and Earth ♪ ♪ All help Jesus ♪ ♪ All help, Savior of the world of Heaven ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ All help, Savior of Heaven and Earth ♪

♪ All help Jesus ♪ ♪ All help, Savior of the world of Heaven ♪ ♪ Thank you Lord, let every need let every need ♪ ♪ Come bow before the King of peace ♪ ♪ Let every tongue confess to his love ♪ ♪ Live love your shall ♪ ♪ Let every tongue confess to his love ♪ ♪ Live love your shall ♪ ♪ Let every tongue confess to his love ♪ ♪ Live love your shall ♪ ♪ Let every tongue confess to his love ♪ ♪ Live love your shall ♪ ♪ Let every tongue confess to his love ♪ ♪ Let every tongue confess to his love ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Come on church, why you're drinking my shadow praise ♪ ♪ I always thank you, Jesus ♪ ♪ We're so grateful Lord ♪ ♪ Jesus, my Lord ♪ ♪ Do things ♪ ♪ The person that will call the beat me ♪ ♪ A broken heart and mother at his feet ♪ ♪ The pain of it all ♪ ♪ The earth shakes ♪ ♪ Darkness falls of Father hides his face ♪ ♪ His body hits the dust of a borrowed grave ♪ ♪ You played it all for me ♪ ♪ For me ♪ ♪ Come on, just thank him ♪ ♪ My faith, thank him ♪

♪ Thank you for the cross ♪ ♪ Our praise, praise ♪ ♪ Without it I be lost ♪ ♪ There's no love like your love ♪ ♪ A thousand songs are not enough ♪ ♪ To say thank you ♪ ♪ Thank you for the cross ♪ ♪ My reach to rain ♪ ♪ Nursing from the grave ♪ ♪ My reason key ♪ ♪ Sacrifice the love of his healthy feet ♪ ♪ You played it all for me ♪ ♪ For me ♪ ♪ Your faith, thank you ♪ ♪ Thank you for the cross ♪ ♪ Our praise, praise ♪ ♪ Without it I be lost ♪ ♪ There's no love like your love ♪ ♪ A thousand songs are not enough ♪ ♪ To say thank you ♪ ♪ Thank you for the cross ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ Oh thank you, Jesus ♪ (dramatic music) ♪ For the Bible, for the sign ♪ ♪ For the power of your love ♪ ♪ For the spirit that's in ice ♪ ♪ For the blood it only comes ♪ ♪ For your life ♪ I see that you, that you

For the fall, for the sight, for the power that's in love For the skin that's in light For the blood that's in love For your life, for your death For the hope that's still ahead We see that you, for the Christ I thank you, thank you, thank you, for the cross And I'm thankful, for being with you Without a life in voice, there's no life For your love, a thousand songs are not enough To say thank you, thank you, thank you, for the cross I praise you, praise you without a life in love For your love, a thousand songs are not enough There's no love, like your love, a thousand songs are not enough There's no love, like your love, a thousand songs are not enough To say thank you, thank you, for the cross Come on, we thank Him, thank You, Jesus Thank You, Lord, for the cross And for the sacrifice You continue to worship He is worthy of it all, come on Church Again, once again, let's just lift our voices and our hands We just put this moment, and we set a posture of worship As we're singing this together We worship You, Father, You deserve all the glory and the honor Come on, every voice you sing And all the saints and angels But be for your throne And all the elders cast their crowns before the Lamb Love, God, and sing You are worthy of it all

You are worthy of it all Yes, You are, Lord For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory Yeah, every voice And all the saints and angels But be for your throne And all the elders cast their crowns before the Lamb Love, God, and sing You are worthy of it all All the glory and the honor, Jesus For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory Oh, we sing You are worthy of it all You are worthy of it all You are worthy of it all For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory Well, we give him praise and honor For he deserves it all And we're a church that celebrates new beginnings Let's turn our attention to the screen as we watch someone go public with their faith this morning My name is Caitlyn Before I had a relationship with Jesus, I felt lost And living in survival mode Not because my life was falling apart, but because I didn't really know what direction I was going I was just going through the motions, taking each day as it came

to see what life would bring next. Being a single mom to four boys I felt like I Somewhere along the way I realized I didn't want to keep relying on myself. I wanted peace, purpose, and a relationship with God. I started attending church for the city and I had no idea how much my heart would change. What started as simply showing up on Sundays became something I was looking forward to all week, my favorite day of the week. I began building a relationship with God and finding the peace and direction I had been searching for. I chose a relationship with Him and I surrendered everything to Jesus. I'm surrendering, my life isn't suddenly perfect, and I still don't have everything figured out. But the difference now is that I don't feel lost anymore. And I have a peace that I didn't know before, I didn't have before knowing God. He's at work in my life. I'm learning to give Him the parts of me that need healing, to let go of things that aren't meant for me, and to trust Him with what's next. Today I'm going public with my faith. Hey Caitlin, Jesus said every disciple should be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. And because of the confession of your faith today I baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and according to scripture you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We sing day and night, night and day, we live through name on my end. Happy boys, come on we sing. Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise. Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise. Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise. Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise. Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise.

Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise. Day and night, night and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise, and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, since the rise and day, let in, [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] All right, well, good morning to you. All right, well, okay. I'm going to try that again. Everybody ready? How many glad to be in the House of God? All right. Good morning. Amen. Welcome to Church for the City, where we teach the Word of God, where we encounter the presence of the Lord, and where we spread in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm grateful, grateful that you're here with us, and I'm trusting the Lord going to speak to you. I certainly had a wonderful time and worship. I love singing with the people of God. When you can just lift your voice, nobody cares what you sound like. Nobody cares what you sound like. There's only one command that we should obey. You know what it says? Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Even God don't care. He said, just make a noise. Just make a joyful noise to the Lord. Can you celebrate the opportunity to worship God? All right, yeah, happy Sunday. The 1st of November time is just moving right along. We're closing in on holidays already. Yesterday, for some of you, the 31st was Halloween. For me, it's Reformation Day. I celebrate the fact that Martin Luther posted those 95 theses on that door that says that we can worship the Lord in freedom and in truth. And so it's so, so good to be in a place where we can do that. There's a few things that's going to roll by you. One is once a month, we go down to the food bank through, we love our city and go down and help them. This is, of course, even more so as we get toward a time when people have greater needs.

But there's November 7th, sorry, is an opportunity where you can join with it. If you hit the tap disc in front of you, it'll give you the times and how you can lock yourself into give an hour or so, also at the connect table. So if you're available on Saturday to help, as we serve our community, please do so. And now also, every time you come into the building, as you know, there's an opportunity for generosity, forgiving, we absolutely believe what the Lord says, that every, all things that we are given are things that the Lord trusts us with. That includes our finances. That includes your paycheck. That includes your manner and means of income. It all belongs to the Lord. What the scripture asks of us is to be generous with that to the house of God for the work of the ministry. One of those manners is through tithing. When you come into the building, there's ways you can give, there's ways to give up on the screen, and it's good to be faithful. I just want to share this with you, just for this reason alone. About 30% of the people that attend CTC actually do the contributing for CTC to operate. 30%, so that's three out of 10. If you were to look down your row and there's 10 people, that's three out of 10 that does that. That's 30% of the people that believe God, trust God, and receive the blessings of the Lord.

I really want that to be 100%. I would like every one of you to trust God enough to say, Lord, this ain't mine, it belongs to you, and watch what God does. Y'all all right with that? I mean, it took you a while to say good morning, so I'm just gonna, I'm getting you warmed up. You getting warmed up? Let me read a testimony to you. You know, those of you that have given for the first time, you've probably received the hand, I know you have. You've received the handwritten card either from me or Lady V, because we're so grateful that you have done that. I'd love to read testimonies of people who actually believe the Lord in his word. This came from Bernie. He says, "I've been attending CTC for almost two years now, "and I've had the privilege of serving on the security team "and as a city youth leader. "One thing I've always struggled with "in my Christian walk is tithing. "I never fully understood why giving was so important "or the impact it could make, "but something I've always appreciated about CTC "is a transparency. "Almost every service were reminded where our giving goes, "whether that's missions, humanitarian aid, "or spreading the gospel. "Over time, that helped me trust the leadership "and understand that giving was about something

"much bigger than myself. "About two months ago, I was sitting in second service "when the giving QR code popped up on the screen. "I felt the conviction in my heart to start giving. "So I pulled out my phone, scanned the code, "and set up automatic weekly tithing. "I remember thinking about the 90-day money-back guarantee "and chuckled to myself. "A few weeks later, things started going downhill. "I began experiencing some of the worst spiritual battles "I faced, nightmares, spiritual exhaustion, "and moments when I felt distant from God. "Then my truck started having serious mechanical issues, "and I found out I was looking at nearly $4,000 in repairs. "I remember thinking, God, why now? "The next morning, while driving to work, "I turned off the radio and started talking to God. "Not some fancy prayer, just an honest conversation, "between a son and his father. "I love that statement. "I said, Lord, I don't know why any of this is happening, "but I'm going to trust you in all things. "As those words left my mouth, I became emotional. "It felt like God had placed his hand on my shoulder "and whispered, 'Don't worry, son, I've got this.' "Later that afternoon, I came home and checked the mail. "I opened an envelope from my home loan company "and nearly broke down. "It was a check for $2,000. "An unexpected escrow surplus from my property taxes,

"money I had absolutely no idea was coming. "Just that morning, I had surrendered my worries to God, "and now I was holding the check "that covered half of my truck repairs. "Come on, somebody." (audience applauding) Yeah, I looked at my wife, fighting back tears, and all I could say was, "He is so good. "I know God isn't some vending machine "where we put money in and expect blessings to come out. "What brought me to tears wasn't to $2,000. "It was the timing. "It was a reminder that even when I feel distant from him, "my father in heaven, For years, I looked at tithen as something I was giving up, but I'm starting to understand that it's really about trusting God with something I've always wanted to control. And the funniest part, it wasn't even 90 days into that commitment. I still have a truck to fix, but one thing I know for certain that God is faithful even when my faith feels weak. Can you say, man, thank you, Bernie. God bless you, thanks for allowing me to share that. Now, we're going to pray now. Let me ask if you don't mind raising your hand. How many of you have already voted, OK? There's still a great percentage in this. Now, please don't get offended by this. Please, because I'm going somewhere with this.

If you haven't voted, it's either because you're illegal. Or you're going to vote on Tuesday. Or both? Come on now. So listen, if you haven't voted-- listen, it is an absolute privilege of us as Americans to vote. And I absolutely believe it's a right that we as Christians ought to do to be salt and light. We have the ability to make a statement about what we believe is right and good for all propositions and for all candidates. So I'm going to be sending out something this evening. I think it'll go out. Creen is not here, but I think it's going to go out this evening, where if you want to read some stuff before you go to the polls on Tuesday, but I encourage you to vote. Don't sit these things out. Don't sit them out. If you don't vote, then you are robbing yourself of an opportunity to make a statement as an American and a Christian. It's important that we do that. Are y'all hearing me on this? So I'm going to encourage you, if you haven't voted, please do so. And if you fall in the category of our dear friend, then go ahead and go ahead and vote. Let's pray.

Father, I thank you now for the opportunity we have to be in your house to worship you in spirit and in truth. I thank you, Lord God, that you have given us the ability to worship, to have relationship with you, and to have a hope for all eternity. Lord, may the Word of God today even add more insight to what you have done for us, for those of us that call the name of Jesus, more insight to what you have done, and why you have done it, and why we absolutely can be people that celebrate this new life that we have. So Father, I pray no matter whether people is watching, people will listen later, watch later. Those in the house now. May the words of the Holy Spirit be louder than mine, that the Spirit of God will speak to each one. Father, I also pray for every church in this county. People gather together. Lord God, to do your work, your will. I pray for Parkside Church, Pastor Willie, and family of faith. Pastor Neville's Lord, as they work their part of the vineyard, Lord, that you will be gracious to them. Pray, Lord God, for each one of us, as we do go to the polls, Lord God, that we will use wisdom. We will allow, Lord God, our voice to be used in a manner that's for the good, you told us in the Word of God that we're to seek the welfare of our city, that that place will be a place that we can dwell, where you are glorified. So Father, I pray that you be with us and help us to do just

that. In Christ's name we pray, may the people of God say amen. Amen, stand with me if you would, go to Psalm 107. And just two verses here, this actually sets the tone of where-- well, I should say more so as the foundational verse of this series that we're going into Kingdom Ground. This is the time of the year where we do a series that leads to our legacy commitment in December, and then we go into Advent, and then we'll pick back up in Acts 1st Sunday of January. Psalm 107, verse 37 and 38, they sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruit for harvest. He blesses them, and they multiply greatly. I'll read that again. They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruit for harvest. He blesses them, and they multiply greatly. So Father, read of the Word. This series is just five weeks. It's going to culminate, I guess, or consummate thanks, grace into the last matches which will be on harvest. And the scripture is so clear to us about God's desire for our life. Harvest is a theme, actually, very much throughout the scriptures. It depends on what version you use. You'll see the word 50 times, and I think that's the least of them, some versions translations use it more. But the idea is that the Lord wants us to have a harvest in our personal life.

He wants soul saved, that's a harvest. Harvest for the church, harvest for mission. If I was to give a thesis which is there on the screen, God alone gives spiritual life and growth, yet He graciously calls the church, us, His church, to participate in the harvest. So that, the objective of God, obviously, is for heaven to be crowded. That's one way people can say it in a very common vernacular. But that means people would need to be saved. That means there needs to be a harvest. That was God's idea. Genesis 822, while the earth remains seed time and harvest, cold and the heat, some in winter, day and night, shall not cease. So God established a principle. As long as we're here on earth, there will be seed time and there will be harvest. That's a God-given principle. This is right around the no amic covenant, by the way, after the rainbow, the whole nine yards. And God is saying, this is something that will always take place. Just as much as you can be sure when you see a rainbow, I'm making you a promise that the earth will never be flooded again and destroy mankind. You can also be sure there will always be seed time and harvest. Isaiah 9, 3, you have multiplied the nation, you have increased this joy.

They rejoice before you as with joy in the harvest. So here He's given a real understanding that harvest time is a joyful time. It's a time of abundance, it's a time of blessings. Matthew 9, 37 through 38, Jesus is with His disciples, and He says the harvest is plentiful, but the labors are few. So pray earnestly that the Lord of the harvest will send out labors into the harvest. So here He's taken the principles. He does the same in John chapter four, also which will be on the screen. He takes the principle of natural harvest and He ties that into spiritual harvest. There will always be a natural harvest on the earth and there also will be a spiritual harvest. God established that. And honestly all of us that are here, we're harvesting today because somebody planted yesterday. Somebody planted before us water the ground, gave the money, built the buildings, established the ministries. We're harvesting today because somebody planted yesterday. And for us to be the mindset, we want to plant today so somebody can harvest tomorrow. That should be the heart of us. Now, one thing I know, I spent, we have a lot of farmers in our church and I'm so thankful for them.

I spent time with one last week. And I can tell you, farming is grueling work. It's grueling work, it can be stressful. It takes a lot of diligence. You don't, it's no magical thing. There's planning that has to be done, there's scheduling that has to be done, strategizing, getting the ground ready, irrigation, planting, cultivating. All of that takes place each week. We're going to deal with an element, one of the elements of farming. Water, soil, seed, cultivation and harvest. It's going to lead to our legacy Sunday, when the first Sunday of every December, we ask you to make a commitment for year-end giving that leads to our various initiatives, in this case for 2027. I'll share more about that as we get there. But here's what I know. Whatever we're doing as a church, it takes all of us to be part of it. Whatever is going on on a farm, on acres of land, it takes multiple people to get that done. From the watering, to the ground prep, to the planting of seeds, to the cultivating, to the harvest, it takes people working together. That's a picture that the Lord used. He took an agricultural term, I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

It's not important who does the planting or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose, and both will be rewarded for their own hard work for we are both God's workers. So every one of us have a role to play. No one comes to Jesus on their own. There's something that's been done. When people come to Christ, somebody prayed for them. When people come to Christ, somebody's planted a seed. When people come to Christ, somebody's had a conversation with them about the Lord. We're all workers. God is the one that does the work, the finishing work and the increase, but we all work through this together. Now, in our valley, you'll see some pictures of our valleys, I should say. You'll see some pictures on the screen of our valleys, whether it be Dome Valley, whether it be Yuma Valley, et cetera. There's over 200 and 10,000 acres in our county that is used for farmland. That's farmland. We're the number three produce producer in the nation, number three in the nation. It's a three billion dollar industry for us. Out of every four jobs in Yuma County, one out of four is somehow ag related, one out of four. Doing the season, when harvest actually harvest begins next week, there'll be a thousand trucks a day going out of our community. A thousand trucks. I love farmers, celebrate farmers and thank God Yuma County farmers are feeding the nation and thank God for them. They're feeding you, by the way, and thank God for them. Now, here's what I know. They can have the best seed. They can have sophisticated equipment. They can have experienced farmers, prepared fields, but they can't grow a dog on thing without water. No water, no produce, no growth, nothing grows without water. Now, God is so brilliant that throughout the scripture you see things that are so natural to us that all of us understand. And he uses it as symbolism so that we understand him. And one of those is water. Throughout the scripture, you'll see where water is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. Water is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. So, if you take that same metaphor that I just think metaphor might be an analogy, but that same statement that I just made, if there is no water, you will see no crop. If there is no Holy Spirit in your life, you will see no growth. It's the same practice and same principle. What water is to the ground, the Holy Spirit is to your spiritual life. You got to have the water of the Spirit of life in you. Am I talking to the right church? So, here's Isaiah 44, 3 through 4. Again, he is using natural terms to make a spiritual principle. He says, "For I will pour out water

to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parts' fields. And I will pour out my spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your children. They will thrive like water grass like willows on a river bank." Listen to what the Lord is saying. You're a thirsty people. You are people that's parched. I'm going to pour out water up on you. What is the water he's talking about here? He's talking about the spirit. I'm going to pour out the spirit up on you to quench your thirst and to irrigate your fields so that your descendants and your children will be blessed and that they will thrive. They will thrive like water grass like willows on a river bank. What the Lord is saying to us is the spirit gives us life to do what human effort cannot produce. That is the spirit of the Lord that does that. So now, I want to give you three principles in this message that's dealing with water and how that connects us to the water of life. The first one is this. Water cleanses and brings new life. Water cleanses and brings new life. This is Ezekiel 36, again, 25 through 27. This will be on the screen. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. You will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart. And I will put a new spirit in you. And I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Listen to what the word is teaching us. None of us are able to do the right thing based on the heart that we have. None of us will do the thing unto God if there's not a heart change. You can look at the scriptures of Adam and Eve and you can think, well, if I was there, I wouldn't have made that decision. That ain't true.

You would have made decision according to your fallen heart, which was to reach for independence, to make a decision and action independent of God. We only make the right decisions when we become dependent on the Lord. And we can never become dependent on the Lord unless our heart changes. The only way your heart can change is the Holy Spirit come in your life and change your heart. Your heart has changed, your mind has changed, your will are affected, your emotions are affected because the Holy Spirit comes in our life. The new comes in and the old goes out. So before he's saying, you would go after, you would go after worthless idols. But once the Holy Spirit comes in you, then there should be a desire for the things of God, things that have value, things of truth, not the things of worthlessness. Your heart becomes tender to what is right. Your heart becomes tender to what is good. You have a new love for him. You have a new love for the church. You have a new love for the kingdom of God. There's a reverence and an obedience to God and his word. Why? Because the spirit of the Lord has come in and made you new. Can you say amen to that? Now here's Titus chapter three,

verses five through six, it's a wonderful passage that talks so particularly about what the Lord has done. Hear this, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Now you know the only reason you need mercy is you in trouble. Nobody ain't calling for mercy if everything's going wonderful and great. You only ask for mercy when there's a chance, things don't go bad. He saved us, not because of the righteous things that we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed our sins, washed away our sins. He gave us, given us new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. So here is, we understand the element of our salvation is the work of the spirit in our life, where we become people that are born again. There's a work that goes on within us that we want to repent. We've lived our life separated from God, or apart from God. You know the Bible even causes enemies of God. We've lived that kind of life based upon our own thinking, our own processing, our own independence. But when the spirit of the Lord comes in,

there's this thing that takes place that's called repentance, where you surrender going in a way that was opposite of what God wants, and you turn toward what the creator of life wants for you. That's repentance, when you make that move, the scripture says there's a forgiveness of your sins. Your sins are washed away by the spirit of the Lord, and you are now in a right relationship with him. That cleansing, that washing comes by the water of the spirit of God. Now, here's the second thing. Your thirst is for the water of life. Your thirst in this life is for the water of life. Now, this story here in John chapter four is actually a remarkable story. And you know it as of you heard of it as a woman at the well. Here are the elements of this. John four, seven through 14. Soon as Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised for Jews who refused to have anything to do with the Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, "and I'm a Samaritan woman. "Why are you asking me for a drink?" Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you, "and who you're speaking to, you would ask me,

"and I would give you living water." But, sir, you don't have a reward. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoy? It's so much I can unpack here, but here's what she's saying. First of all, you're talking about giving me water. You don't even have the ability to get water. The well is deep. Now this well was built by Jacob centuries ago before this woman is alive. If you go to Israel now, that well is still running water. It's still running water. But listen, she's speaking about how important water was to their community. She's saying, listen, this water provides for us. This well provides for us. If it wasn't for this well, we wouldn't have water in our community. None of us would be able to survive. None of our children would be able to survive. None of our livestock would be able to survive. Are you saying that you're greater than Jacob? You're greater than Jacob who provided what we need to live. That is such a set up for Jesus because she just called Jacob great because he built a well. Jesus said to her, listen to verse number four, 13. Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them giving them eternal life. Do you hear what Jesus is saying? Of course I'm greater than Jacob because this well, you gotta come to every day to get water. And yes, it helps you survive, but you're coming here to fill a thirst that only this water will give you from day to day. Why am I greater than Jacob? Because I can give you water that satisfies you, gratifies you for all of your life. For all of your life, yes, I'm greater than Jacob because you will no longer thirst if you receive the water that I want to give you. And here's the thing when it comes to thirst. God has designed the human body to recognize this need for water. He's designed it. And you know, as well as I do, if you don't partake of enough water, it can be life threatening. It's not just a desire for something refreshing. It's an absolute necessity. 50, the human body's approximately 50 to 60% of water. All of our organs need it, depending upon it. Our brain needs it, all of our cells need it. And when we lose water just by breathing, we lose water with sweating, you know,

urination, just normal body functions. As we lose water and not replenish our cells, our blood becomes more concentrated and then also the volume of our blood can decrease. The brain, there's receptors that automatically say something is wrong. There's not enough water coming into the body. Goes into all kinds of mechanisms that on the one hand try to preserve water within you. But also it's motivating you and telling you that you need to drink. The signal that God or the alarm that God has made within us as people is thirst. When we feel thirst, that's God's way of saying within us, you need to drink water. You need to get water in you so you can live. You don't have to teach your body to be thirsty. God already put that design in it. It will get thirsty when you got more water going out than you got coming in. Just as God has done that with our physical bodies, the scripture says that's the same thing with our souls. If we don't partake in and receive of the living God, the living water that comes from him, there will be a depletion of us. And eventually, as you well know, a spiritual death. And the alternative of that is not good. We need the life that comes from the water of the Lord. Here's Psalm 42, one through two, and again, some more brilliant language from the psalmist

given a picture that he knows everybody who's reading this can understand it. He says, "As the deer pants after the water brooks, "my soul pants after you owe God, "my soul thirst for God for the living God." The psalmist knows that everyone in his community, that reading that, they know a deer has to go get water. They know that a deer will search for water and make tracks to get to water, otherwise that deer won't survive. He's saying we are no different than the deer. The deer needs natural water, but we thirst after God. We need Him. We need a relationship with the God. Water for us, the spiritual water, I should say. It's not a luxury. It's an absolute necessity. The way that water absolutely quenches our thirst is the moment that we start to hit those phases where our receptors and our mouth and our throat send signals to our digestive system. The moment we take in water, it begins to let our whole system know that water is coming. It doesn't hydrate us immediately, but there's a real relief that comes. And immediate relief, the moment you drink a drink of a fresh cup of water, there's a relief that starts to come. Many of you, if you work outside, work in fields, work in a farming, on the farms or do any kind of outdoor work. If you've done any kind of activity, sport and activity

here in New Arizona, whether it's soccer, whether it's football, and you get thirsty, when you run to the sideline, after being sweating and all those things that take place on that field, and you're starting to feel depleted and you want to be refreshed, when you come to the sideline, you're not asking anybody to give you entertainment. You're not asking nobody to give you money. You're not asking anybody for a relationship. You're going to get water, because that is the only thing that's going to refresh you at the time. That is the same thing that happens with us on a spiritual level. We have to have that first quench. If it's natural water, there's stages you go through before you get to overwhelming dehydration that could kill you. That first stage is your first, and you've got to dry mouth, and maybe your urine gets darker. Then there's stage two, where you start to experience fatigue, and headaches, and dizziness, and reduce concentration. Then that third phase, low blood pressure, then rapid heartbeats, and confusion. And then there's that fourth stage, which could be absolutely fatal. That severe hydration can take you into shock. Organ failure, and ultimately death. Every one of us here knows what it's like to feel dehydrated or get to that point.

And you know how important water is. I've never, in my life, been to a doctor's appointment. And before I left that doctor's appointment, the doctor said, hey, Tyrone, by the way, drink less water. You know as well as I do, every doctor will tell you, make sure you drink enough water. Make sure, why? Because it's that important for us on the natural. Physical dehydration will threaten the life of the body. Spiritual thirst will reveal the deepest need of your soul. And here is what Jesus is speaking to for this woman. She's saying, hey, I can come to this well and get water every day. But what Jesus is driving at is the greater spiritual need that she has. He's making a great distinction, a profound distinction, between physical water, which must be replenished repeatedly and spiritual life, which only Jesus can give. Here's the tragedy. The tragedy is that some of us become so accustomed to living spiritually thirsty that we don't even recognize what our soul is missing. We don't even recognize what our soul is missing. We may become so successful but absolutely empty, so busy but unfulfilled, surrounded by people all the time but still have a deep loneliness. Grab ahold of everything that the world can offer and still have a sense that something is missing. The reason being is because our human soul was created to be in fellowship with God.

Our soul was created to have a relationship with the living water that comes from God alone. Here's a passage that'll be on the screen. It's Isaiah, sorry, Jeremiah 2, 13. Listen to how the Lord, even though he spoke this 2,000 years ago, this speaks to us today. For my people have done two evil things. They've abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and they've dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all. Listen to what he's saying. The only one that can give them living water is me. I'm the fountain of living water and they've abandoned me. But it doesn't mean that they haven't made cisterns achievement, it's water that's holding relationships, it's water that's holding money. As if those are substitutes for the living water. And those cisterns have cracks in them, which means no matter how full you get those cisterns of the things of life that you're putting in them, it can never hold them. It can never satisfy you. It can never gratify you. Jesus is making this point to this woman. And he does it from a standpoint of letting her know, "I know you. You are searching for life." Jesus says to her, "Why don't you go get your husband?" He's so slick. He set the woman up. And honestly, if I can just say something to you, there's never a reason to try to lie or hide something from God, because he knows it intimately. Jesus set this woman up, "Hey, why don't you go get your husband?" And she said, "I have no husband."

"Ain't? Oh, man. Okay. Now that's true. What I do know is you have five of them, and the one you live in with right now, ain't even the one. Jesus knows her intimately. He knows her history. He knows her circumstances. He knows the things that have defined her, whether it be by her own actions or by people. And yet he still gives her the invitation. Are you seeing the grace of the gospel here? The Lord never told her, "Listen, why don't you go get your life together, get rid of those old crackpots that you've been trying to make life with. Why don't you do all that, then come back to me?" Jesus, in His grace and of the gospel, He says, "Your life is pretty messed up like the rest of us. But right now, even now, with all of that, I'm saying you can have life. You can have everlasting life. You can have eternal life. He doesn't wait for her to get her life together. He offers her life right now. He does that for every one of us that are thirsty, every one of us that are searching for something, every one of us looking for significance, every one of us that's tried so many things and realized none of this really satisfies me at the end of the day. I'm going to tell you. I can't tell you how many people I've ministered to before they died. I have not found one yet that's laying on their deathbed and said, "Pastor, I got all the money I wanted. I've had all the relationships I've wanted.

I've accomplished everything I've wanted. I've done all of that, and I am doing good in this death. I've heard this over and over again. I have this. I have that. I have that. That's the only thing that's given me peace right now knowing I'm going into eternity is that I got the living God living within me." That's it, folks. That's it. There's no satisfaction with that other stuff in the end. So Jesus tells this particular woman in some great language here. He didn't tell her that you'll get a bucket of water here and there. He says, "It's going to spring up in eternal spring in your life." That's the miracle of salvation. Because Christianity is not just an elite religious system of how people ought to live. Christianity is a life that God gives us, that God brings into us, and He lives in us. He doesn't just give us a mere set of rules. With Christ Jesus, we absolutely have a new life. He's not trying to change what you do merely. That's not the end of what God is doing, it's just changing what you do. He wants to change the source of how you live. He wants to change the source of your life. And so just like the Lord has created our bodies to thirst for water that can only satisfy God has created us to thirst for Him and we can ultimately only be satisfied by Him. We just cannot fall into the human condition and the tragedy of trying to live our lives to satisfy ourselves with the things that were not designed to quench the thirst. Success was not designed to do it, relationships wasn't designed to do it, pleasure wasn't designed to do it. Those things have some temporary enjoyment and thank God, God allows us to have those

things. But none of them can take the place of the living God. None of them can take the place of Him and that actually leads me to the last point. Because Jesus makes this invitation to this woman and He makes a very similar invitation in John chapter 7. He tells that woman that if you ask me, I'll give you a living water. believe in Him and to come to Him. Listen to this in John chapter 7 verses 37 and 39. On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and cried out. If anyone is thirsty let them come to me and drink. The one who believes in me as the scripture said will have streams of living water flow from deep within Him. He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified. So He's making a statement to them. This statement of glorification I should say is after Jesus ascended of course that He poured out the Holy Spirit. But He's telling the people that you have a thirst that only I can satisfy. The setting of this is what's called the feast of tabernacles or the feast of booths which still goes on in Israel now with the Orthodox Jews. And the feast celebrates that when the children of Israel were going through the wilderness all of those 40 years that they were tracking that the Lord always provided for them. We talked I don't know a couple of weeks ago about you know the shoes never wore out God always provided water when they needed water always provided food when they needed food. But they lived you know they traveled in we would call it kind of like tent living they they traveled in tents. Every year when they they go to Jerusalem and they re-enact living that life and they live in tents in Jerusalem for a number of days seven days or eight days I think it is that they live in tents because they want to thank God that even though we were living in tents the Lord provided for us. And the way they would consummate that at the end is the priests would go get water out of the pool of Ceylon and pour out the water as another reminder that even we never even lacked water in the

wilderness because God provided. Now what Jesus knew though because remember He had done this all of His life growing up as a Jewish boy go to that ceremony. He knew that every year that had to be done again and people had to be a they would celebrate what God has done and be be encouraged that God would provide for them for another year so that they can see that water being poured out again and being reminded okay God has sustained us for another year. There was no satisfaction though to that because they had not accepted that the Messiah had come so every year was always a reminder and a hope a reminder and a hope but Jesus comes and He stands on that last day and He says if any man is thirsty if any man is trying to be gratified if any man wants to be satisfied fully and entirely and not just have to keep looking forward hoping one day that all this will be fulfilled Jesus says if you've got that kind of thirst you come to me and drink I'm the one that can fully satisfy you finally bring gratification. He makes that declaration with the significance of the of the word of the people who were hearing it knowing that they are thirsty people and they were hoping that the religious ceremony would satisfy them and Jesus is saying it's not satisfying you because you have to come back every year and do this again and hope that one day you'll be satisfied you'll never find the satisfaction in the religious ceremony you only find satisfaction in me Jesus saying it's me and me alone that satisfies him I love the fact that he says if any man thirst he doesn't limit that invitation just to the religious elite or the morally successful he doesn't limit it to people who've failed like you and I he extends that to everyone that every one of us on a search I think it was the young lady Caitlin that was being baptized she said it wasn't that her life was falling apart but she was just wandering with no direction no satisfaction not finding that place of rest Jesus said if any man is like that let him come to me that's an invitation of the gospel the answer to all of our spiritual thirst it's not religious activity it's not even simply more information it's not personal achievement it's only a thirst that can be satisfied with the relationship with the living Savior with Christ Jesus alone

and he's not saying I'm just gonna bring out of you a few drops of water he says your life will be a life that's living water that's running out of you I think they're not all resolved. But what she does have is peace. What she does have is joy. What she does have is hope. That only comes from the living Savior who gives us the water of life. Can you say amen? Now here's the question, honestly, that each of you need to answer. Are you simply trying to survive spiritually? Are you just trying to spiritually survive? Or are you absolutely experiencing the overflowing life that Jesus provides? That's a question you got to answer. Are you experiencing overflowing life? Life of abundance? Life is full of peace, life is full of joy, life is full of hope? Life that gives you to overcome anxiety when it threatens you, fear when it threatens you, doubt when it threatens you. Are you living a life that is overcoming because you have the living water or you're just trying to spiritually survive? Your only hope is in Christ, the living God and the living Savior. As the team comes, let me close out with this. I don't know how many of you have heard of C.S. Lewis.

How many of you have actually read any of the chronicles of Narnia? Okay, more of you than, and you're smarter than the other services, more of you. Have read it. Chronicles of Narnia are wonderful novels. C.S. Lewis wrote, and the idea was, there's four people, primarily, that go from the life they're living in U.K. in this fictional world into the land of Narnia where they experience what it is, they have life in the kingdom of God. And in the book, The Silver Chair, it's the second chapter. Jill is the young lady that was sent to go handle something for the group. As she is walking through the forest, now mind you, they're in this strange land of Narnia that they're just becoming to know, as she's walking through the forest, she gets frightened because she's just in this forest and it's a strange place, she's trying to get some place in a place that she really doesn't know. She's frightened, she's confused, and the more she walks, the more thirsty she gets. She's just wandering through the forest, just like a lot of people in life. They're on a mission, but they're just wandering, going through life, oftentimes frightened, oftentimes confused.

And then this thirst starts to overwhelm her. She hears some running water somewhere, the sound of running water. And so even though she's just wandering and not totally sure how to get to where she believes she's supposed to get to, she gets more desperate for the drink. So she makes her way to the stream. When she gets to the stream, she looks for a place where she can actually go down and get a drink of the water. When she sees where that place is, she realizes she's got a bigger problem. Because standing in front of the spot where she can actually drink from the stream of water is a lion. It's a beautiful lion. All of the chronicles of Narnia speak about this lion named Aslan, because Aslan represents Christ. Aslan is even killed and resurrected. She looks up and she sees Aslan, and she approaches him very cautiously, and she says to Aslan, I really am thirsty. Aslan speaks back, yeah, you're thirsty. I really wanna drink. He said, sure, you can get a drink. Well, but you're in the way. I need to get to the stream.

He says, you can come to the stream. Well, will you move and let me get to the stream? No, you gotta come toward me. But I'm afraid to go toward you. You're a lion, are you safe? I'm not gonna tell you, I'm safe. Are you gonna do anything to me? I'm not gonna tell you, I won't do anything to you. But I need to get to the stream. You're thirsty, and yes, you need to get to the stream. So you need to come to me. And I love that. I love the, because you could feel the tension in jail when you're, you ever watch a movie or read a book and you're in the character. You can feel it. You could feel her being so desperate to get to the water but at the same time her mind is thinking, I cannot go toward that line to get to the water. I can't do it. So finally she says, I'm so afraid to come towards you. I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna go find another stream. And what Azlon says is brilliant. He looks at jail and he says, jail, there is no other stream. Some of y'all got that, some of y'all didn't. There is no other stream. The only way you can get to the water is to come to Azlon, to come to Christ,

to get to the water. There is no other stream. There's no other place to go. If you want living water, you come to Jesus. He's the only one that can satisfy that thirst. There is no other stream. He's the only source of living water because there is no other savior. Jesus Christ and him alone is the water of life that satisfies us for all eternity. Everybody stand if you would, prayer team come. I'm gonna pray with you and Matthew Hoevenal is gonna lead us into communion. What we receive at the table of the Lord. Father, I wanna thank you for this opportunity we have now to hear about you, the life that you offer us. You have given us Jesus. Who is the living water? None of us have to live this life in wander, in fright and in confusion. If we simply come to Jesus. So Father, I pray that every one of us here that's here in the words of this message would embrace the call of Jesus, to come unto me and drink and out of your belly will flow rivers of living water. Let us be thirsty enough, let us be desperate enough. Let us have enough desire to have a life of meaning and purpose and significant that we come to Jesus.

Father, we thank you in Christ's name we pray. Amen. (soft piano music) - Well, good, I guess good afternoon, right? - Yeah. - Good afternoon church that I've been here for all three services. I'm happy to be here and pray to take the Lord's upper with the rest of the body of Christ here at CTC. Church I grew up in that I love near to my heart. Before we pray to take of the elements, it's always good to remind ourselves why we even do this in the first place. In 1 Corinthians 11, 26, Paul says, "For as often as we do this, "he to the bread, drink of the cup, "we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." And so every time we do this, we proclaim the body broken, the blood shed, but then when we take it into our bodies, we proclaim his benefit or the benefits of his death to us and what that means for us. Beyond that, the waters, baptism signifies a new life. This is a signifying thing of a sustained life. So as we are baptized into new, we are sustained by the Holy Spirit to continue on through the body and blood of Christ. And finally, the last thing this does for us is it affirms Christ's love for us, not just through the brokenness of the body

or the shading of the blood, but our Lord and Savior is so great, he takes it a step further and says, "I died for you, for your sin, "but even though that happened, "I invite you today to come to my table "and eat of my meal with me today "with the rest of the believers." So let's pray together and then we'll take it together. The Lord Jesus, thank you for instituting this meal, Lord, for everything represents to us, Lord, the body broken for us, the blood shed for us. May it be a unifying act for the entire body of believers, Lord, not just here at TTC, but across the nominal balance and across the country and across time and space. May it satisfy our soul, Lord, and may the Holy Spirit continue to sustain us in Jesus and my pray, amen. Let's peel back to the bread and take it together. And we'll peel back the juice likewise and take it together. Thank you, and let's continue to worship our Lord and Savior. We worship before we head out. [MUSIC PLAYING] Oh, thank you, Lord, for the blood. Thank you for your sacrifice. Always sing day and night. [MUSIC PLAYING] Day and night, night and day, let in sense arise. Day and night, night and day, let in sense arise.

Day and night, night and day, let in sense arise. Day and night, night and day, oh. Day and night, night and day, let in sense arise. Day and night, night and day, let in sense arise. Day and night, night and day, let in sense arise. Day and night, night and day, oh. You are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all. Day and night, night and day, let out you are worthy of it all.