Sermon Title:  Bubbly Christianity

Summary:  Jesus is the source of fulfillment because he is the only way to meet
with God, which is the only place for true fulfillment.

Function:  To motivate the hearers to invest their time and energies in the pursuit
of God.

Text:  John 7:36-39

Scripture Reading:  John 16:20-22


Intro:
1.  Bubbly person
2.  In the text, they have been disagreeing about the identity of Jesus
3.  In one concise, pregnant statement, Jesus reveals who he is
4.  Text:  John 7:36-39 - Who is Jesus - 3 images of who he is

I.  He is the source of living water
	A.  Can’t get a real appreciation for this without the Old Testament
	B.  Significance of this statement
		1.  During the Feast of Booths - Lev 23:39-44; Dt 16:13-15
			a.  Driest time of year, cisterns low, not much water
				- Would be a reminder of time in the desert
				- In the desert, had to rely on God
			b.  Water Ceremony
				- Every day, priest take golden pitcher of water from
				  Pool of Siloam/ Gihon Spring
				- Takes it to altar, pours it out
				- People follow in procession with tree branches
				-  People sing Psalm 113-115 - Songs that 
				    commemorate God’s salvation
			c.  On day 7, procession happens 7 times
				- Priest recites Isa 12:3 when he pours water on altar
				- Looking for waters of salvation
			d.  Festival of Booths a time to reflect on the meaning of the 
			     wilderness experience
				- Dry desert, no water
				- Needed water
		2.  Hard for us to relate to a lack of water
			a.  Just turn the faucet handle
			b.  Lawns, gardens, swimming pools, run through sprinkler
			c.  Lived in Texas - Water ban, not enough water
			d.  In Africa, water rare - EAt with hands, it cleaner
		3.  There has been a drought in Israel
			a.  It happened in Ezekiel - Got got in flying saucer and left
			b.  Blessing of his presence - gone, they vulnerable
			c.  Hope and life dried up - Dry bones Ezek 37:11
				- Will the glory of God return?
				- Still looking for the coming kingdom?
		4.  But ends on note of hope - Rebuilt temple (Ezek 47:1-12)
			a.  Water from the temple - lots of it
			b.  Water blesses everyone
				- v. 8- Sea is fresh
				- v. 9- Cause creatures to live
				- v. 12 - Trees for food and healing
				- v.12 - In season all year around
			c.  Irrigation farmers have nothing on this
			d.  Picture of restored kingdom - Water ceremony brings 
			      images of this
	C.  It was during all of this Jesus cried out
		1.  From his innermost being will flow...
			a.  Lit:  “Belly” or “bowels”
			b.  Belly seat of emotion, heart seat of the intellect
			c.  Heart of compassion - lit:  bowels of compassion
			d.  This water quenches inner thirst - peace, joy
		2.  No more drought - Rivers of living water if thirsty
	D.  This is similar to bread of life discourse
		1.  Everyone has a thirst, a desire for fulfillment
		2.  Like the woman at the well
			a.  5 Husbands, now living with someone
			b.  Was she trying to find fulfillment?
		3.  Only one thing to satisfy - Living Water from Christ
		4.  Go to Christ and drink - This provokes another image ...

II.  Jesus is the Rock
	A.  Where did water come from in the wilderness? 
		1.  We are in festival of tabernacles in this story
		2.  Water came from rock
	B.  Bible comes to the image of the rock several times
		1.  1 Cor 10:1-4
			a.  Water from the rock
			b.  But it is spiritual water
			c.  Dt. 8 - Not live by bread alone, but by every word of God
				- True life comes from word of God
				- Jesus is the word that gives live
				- That is how Jesus is the rock that gives water
		2.  (Isa 48:20-21) - Tells us what took to get water from the rock
			a.  2nd Exodus - From Babylon this time
			b.  Uses Exodus imagery
			c.  God “split” open the rock for water to sustain them
				- Same image in Ps 78:15-16
		3.  If Jesus is the rock, was he split open?
			a.  Yes - and living water came forth
				- Through his death we have life
				- By his wounds we are healed - 1 Pet 2:24
			b.  Jesus is the giver of the water of life
			c.  Jn 19:34 - When pierced, out came blood and water
				- Both represent life for us
				- Through his death, we have life
		4.  Jesus gave living water when he died
	C.  ILL:  Hiked up Mt. Wantaseqit
		1.  About 2500 feet up - Tired, thirsty
		2.  Half way down, found water bubbling from a rock
		3.  Ice cold - Spring water - Drink and splash around in it
		4.  Refreshed, happy, spirits lifted, 
	D.  This is what Jesus will do for us
		1.  God split him open to revive us with life
		2.  We need to go to him
		3.  But there is still another image:

III.  Jesus is the Temple of God
	A.  They looked for water to come from Mt. Zion
		1.  Temple/God dwells there - Water is blessing of his presence
		2.  This goes back to Exodus
			a.  God came down
			b.  Had people build sanctuary
			c.  Enthroned above the Cherubiim
			d.  God became accessible
				- We think of separation (in retrospect)
				- But to Israel, God dwelt among his people
		3.  It was a glad time Ps 122:1 - I was glad when they said to me, 
		     let us go to the House of the Lord
			a.  Pray toward that place
			b.  Found blessing in that place
			c.  Found forgiveness in that place
		4.  The blessing of his presence = water
	B.  But the sanctuary was destroyed, cut off
		1.  God left temple due to their continual sin
			a.  They became a valley of dry bones - death
			b.  But that is not the end
		2.  Ezek 47:1-11 - Promises life once again from sanctuary
			a.  Yahweh will one day return
			b.  His name, his glory will be among us again
			c.  The blessing of his presence will be felt
		3.  Jesus is fulfillment (John 1:14)
			a.  The Word “tabernacled” among us, saw his glory
			b.  Matt - Call his name Immanuel - God with us
			c.  Water not from a building, but from Christ himself
		4.  Will once again experience the blessing of his presence
			a.  Jesus did it by destroying temple and rebuild in 3 days
				- His body was the temple
			b.  Paved the way to inner sanctuary
				- That’s were God is - Heb 7-10
			c.  He did not give up, came down personally
	C.  ILL:  Moved from Texas to Nebraska after Air Force
		1.  STacey stay behind to finish Jr. College
			a.  Could talk on the phone - Missed each other
			b.  Shane busted lip at church
			c.  Phone was protection, she couldn’t reach me
		2.  But it not the same
		3.  Finally went down to get her
			a.  That better than the cold hard phone
			b.  Better to hug, have her near
	D.  God came himself to bring us near
		1.  Why?  Love!  (Isa 49:14-16 - Like Mother’s love)
		2.  We now can experience the blessing of his presence

Concl:
1.  So is this it?  Do we live in his presence, or is there more?
	a.  There is till famine, death, pestilence, evil, etc.
	b.  There is more
	c.  We are in the wilderness right now
		- God split the rock, Christ, and we have water
		- But there is so much more coming
	d.  We will one day enter the promised land...
2.  (Rev 21:22 - 22:5) - Use imagery from Ezek 47
	a.  Jesus is the temple of God
	b.  Water from the throne
	c.  No night, Uptopia, peace, contentement
3.  ILL:  Niagara Falls
	a.  100,000’s of gallons a second over the falls
	b.  This is a river you cannot ford
	c.  Can see spray 3 miles away
	d.  That is the picture we get
4.  Do you feel dried up?  Whithered?
	a.  Jesus will revive your spirit
	b.  Let him fill you up.  Don’t turn to
		- Boyfriend, girlfriend, beer, hobby, career
		- All of these things are a dead end
5.  Can find peace in Him, will bubble over with life, forever!