A Beautiful Rhythm of Life - Thirst is a Good Thing 

 
We love the Chronicles of Narnia stories in our house- the one that has always been the favourite is Prince Caspian. Anyone seen the film? Our boys love the sword fighting and battle scenes, and when they were younger they would argue over who would be King Peter- Sam usually won as he was the eldest! Joseph got to be Edmund.
 
In CS Lewis' sixth book, 'The Silver Chair' we read this wonderful interaction between Jill and the lion- I just want to read a bit to you now:
 
"Are you not thirsty?" said the lion. "I’m dying of thirst," said Jill. "Then drink," said the lion. "May I- could I- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill. The lion answered this only by a look and very low growl. As Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realised that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. "Will you promise not to- do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill. "I make no such promise," said the lion. Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer the lion. "Do you eat girls?" she said. "I have swallowed up, consumed girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it. "I daren’t come and drink," said Jill. "Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion. "Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then." The lion said, "There is no other stream."
 
Have you ever felt like Jill? Have you ever felt thirsty for something? What sort of things are you thirsty for? The reality is deep down we're all thirsty for something - for love, for job satisfaction, for a special someone, for a healthy marriage, for children, for more fun, for no financial pressures, for friends, for direction in our lives, for kudos, for adventure....
 
Over the last few months, probably much longer than that actually, I have been really thirsty. I am genuinely thirsty for more people to come to know Jesus, there is no better feeling in the world than introducing someone to Jesus for the first time. I am thirsty for people to be healed, I am thirsty for God to come and transform our church so we can't wait to see what He is going to do on a Sunday morning, I'm thirsty for personally making a difference, for more adventures and more stories. But before January, as I looked around, I've seen people suffering, I've seen people angry, I've seen people dying, I've seen injustice and I've seen struggling. And to be honest, I've been contemplating, "Is this it?" Is this how its going to be for the next 30 years? Like Jill in the Narnia story when she says to the lion, "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then", I dreamt of escapism to that fictional place where there is no sadness and where everyone is filled with joy, miracles are abundant and we are all basking in the favour of the Lord.  Ben and I semi-joked about the chats we used to have of living in Australia - cause obviously there's no grief, pain or sorrow there.
 
We need to recognise our thirst, what are you longing for? What are you thirsty for?
 
When the people of Israel were living in exile in Babylon, they knew what it was like to be thirsty. They had been taken from the promised land, taken away from the temple of God and removed from His presence. They were wondering if they would ever win the favour of God again and they're sitting by the rivers of Babylon reading the words from Isaiah and desperate to know God's presence afresh. Let's read Isaiah 55:
 
55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
    my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendour.”
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”
 
Isaiah is a prophet, he is one who hears or sees from God. He is speaking on God's behalf and he's speaking into the hearts and minds of the people of Israel. It's a message of hope. Back in chapter 40, Isaiah speaks of grace, forgiveness and building a way back to God. Then in Isaiah 53 he starts to articulate exactly how that hope can be achieved and how that path of hope can be walked. He talks and prophesies about the one called 'the suffering servant' who was 'pierced for our transgressions' and who will be 'led like a lamb taken to the slaughter'. In chapter 54 Isaiah invites us to start dreaming and acting as if that hope is coming. And then we arrive at Isaiah 55 where there is this personal invitation for us to drink deeply so that our thirst can be fully quenched.
 
God has said very clearly to me that thirst is good. Because in order for us to be satisfied we need to start by being dissatisfied. I'll say that again- in order for us to be satisfied we need to start by being dissatisfied. Thirst is good. And what we do with that thirst is really important-sometimes its like a crossroads- do we ask the Lord to quench our thirst or do we look for other things to fill the need? In John chapter 4, we read how Jesus had to go through Samaria on his way back to Galilee. He didn't have to go that way, he could have taken a different route except He had planned an encounter with a woman at a well. Do you remember this story? He meets this woman at the well and he starts to speak to her. This was a woman with plenty of issues going on because she certainly shouldn't have been at the well alone and, at the hottest part of the day. Jesus is thirsty and asks the woman to give him a drink but she reminds him that she is a Samaritan and He is a Jew. Doesn't he realise what he's doing? They then go on to have this conversation and she is completely floored by his questions about life. The woman was thinking Jesus was a typical Jew, but Jesus took her up on this. If she had known his identity, He says, she would have asked him for 'living water'. Then incredibly, Jesus says 'Go, call your husband', she says 'I have no husband'. Jesus says 'You're absolutely right, you've had 5'. Why does he do that? It's so provocative. It's because He has to put her in touch with what she wants, He has to put her in touch with what she thirsts for. This woman was in great need both spiritually and morally. They then start to have this incredible conversation about thirst and life.
 
Jesus does that for us, He wants to put us in touch with what we're thirsty for. What are you thirsty for? Maybe you are not in touch with your thirst, maybe you ignore your thirstiness because the television programme is gripping, or the computer game is more appealing. Get in touch with your thirst. Maybe like the Samaritan woman you are trying to satisfy your thirst with something else? Maybe you are thirsty for the wrong things like money, sex and power?  I don't want us to fill our life with dirty water. It might be that you're filling up with water from the River Trent instead of from the best Highland Spring. We went white water rafting in the River Trent once and they advised us to drink a can of coke afterwards to kill off any Viles disease we may have got from swallowing the river water. Apparently its because of the rats. Don't drink from the River Trent- You have gallons and gallons of life giving water available at your disposal, given to you by a loving and generous God- you can fill yourself with other stuff but it won't quench your thirst.
 
Isaiah says,
 
55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
 
This stuff is for free. And not only does the water quench our thirst but it restores and renews us. It brings cleansing and restoration, it brings effervescence and clarification. And it doesn't cost you a bean.
 
Our generous God also offers us milk and wine without any cost. It's not just Best Price Asda milk, it's the best, like the best organic milk from a local farm given to us to nourish us for our good health, for a settledness in our lives and a living connection to God in our everyday life. Our generous God also offers us  the best wine (I'm not really clued up on wines so somebody might have to shout out a good wine) ... the best wine for laughter and exhilaration- for fun with friends and much joy.
 
Do you remember I spoke earlier of how I had been thinking and asking God, 'Is this it? Are there no more adventures to have?' I'll finish with what I feel the Lord has said to me over this time of me. I think it's relevant for us as a church too:
 

• He is very much present with us and He is at work right now. That I should not be dismayed for He is currently working in me, in you, in His church, in our city. It may not be the basking in the glory of the Holy Spirit with us all seeing miracles every day which we all long for, but He is certainly and most definitely at work as He changes us, as we go through this time of 'Waiting on a Promise'. He is at work and I love that. He is pleased that we are thirsty for more of His Kingdom.

 

• God reminded me of the gospel and that I am not stuck 'in the grave' . We have been bought for a very big price and in times when I feel like I am 'in the grave', Jesus reminds me that He rose from the grave, He didn't stay there...and He did it so that I could have life in all it's fullness- so that we could have life in all its fullness. It's not a life of trying to sin as little as possible, who wants that? It's a life of purpose and meaning. Some of you are acting like you're 'in the grave' and God is calling you to life.

 

• I repented and continue to repent. I repented and said sorry for thinking that this is all God has for us. I chose and continue to believe that He has much planned for us, that His promises are true and we will see His Kingdom come more and more in our church and in Leeds.  I always find it interesting that when we repent, our perspective is restored...Have you noticed that? We stop naval gazing, our love for the church is restored and our hearts are full of thanks and praise. I would encourage you to be people who repent quickly. If you need to do that this morning, it's very simple: Find some space, say sorry to God for what you've chosen to believe, think or do- be brutally honest, don't try and justify your thoughts and actions- and then receive his forgiveness. Ask him to fill you with his Holy Spirit.

 
So before we see what else the Lord wants to do, why don't I use the words of Isaiah 55 and pray for us...
 
May all of us come to the waters and drink deeply
May we come and buy milk and wine without any cost
May we seek and call on you Lord, right now that you are near
May we say sorry for any ways and thoughts that are not right
May your words be our words
May they accomplish what you desire
May we go out with joy and be led forth in peace.
Amen