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Last month we held three cell celebration events in various parts of London. I preached at each on the theme of spiritual thirst. Since then, London has been declared to be in a state of drought, and this seems to me to be a physical symbol of a spiritual condition. London is dry and thirsty - in need of spiritual refreshing.
Actually, this thirst is in all of us. We long for the cool refreshing streams of spiritual satisfaction. Dissatisfied with the things of this world, we thirst for the Living God. There can be no substitutes for what God alone can provide. That's why Jesus said, "if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37).
In his excellent book The Connecting Church, Randy Frazee asks the penetrating question, "Does the Christian faith offer a basic set of beliefs, values, practices, and virtues that can be classified as absolutely true and totally essential for a constructive and fruitful life?"
Most believers would automatically answer "yes", to that question. We believe the gospel to be the answer to our spiritual thirst. But I wonder how many of us know what it really means to come to Jesus regularly and drink profoundly of the living water only he can provide. Jesus offers us rich, abundant life and he wants us to enter into it. But how do we do that?
First, I think we must grasp the fact that the gospel is true. It is not just a set of nice ideas or theories. God is real and Christ is alive. The Holy Spirit is available to bring the revelation of God to our hearts. The Bible is not just a collection of human writings; it is the Word of God and it gives us the answers to the deepest questions of life and living.
But understanding is not enough. Next, we must experience God personally. Only when we "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8) can we truly commend him to others. God himself invites us to prove that his way is "good, perfect and pleasing" (Romans 12:2). By following closely after him we discover that he really can satisfy. This deep and growing experience is what will attract other thirsty people to Jesus.
Kensington Temple is like an oasis in the desert. People come to refresh themselves. But God wants us also to release those streams of living water from within our own lives. That is why God has placed you where you are - in your home, your place of work or your college. London is thirsty and you must give them something to drink.
Follow Colin Dye on:
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and his blog www.colindye.com
