Rivers of Living Water
A Sermon on John 4:13-14
Originally preached May 14, 1967
Scripture
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting …
Sermon Description
What makes Christians different from everybody else? The answer is found in the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who transforms believers and sets them apart from the world. This indwelling of the Holy Spirt ought to make believers more peaceful, joyful, and loving. This is seen in the early church as recorded in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirt comes upon the church at Pentecost and transforms them. They are given strength and boldness as the Holy Spirit grants them joy and peace in Christ. Sadly, many believers do not allow the Holy Spirit to work in them because they quench the work of the Spirit. In this sermon on John 4:13–14, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns against this quenching of the Spirit, but he also says that the Christian must not fall into excesses. They must look to God’s word to define who the Spirit is and how He works in the church and world. All Christians are commanded to live not in their own strength, but to rest wholly in the Spirit of Christ. It is in the work of the Spirit that Christians can experience joy, peace, and the love of God. All Christians should look to the Spirit of God who is given as the great comforter to all of God’s children.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon text comes from John 4:13-14 where Jesus tells the Samaritan woman about the living water he offers.
- Jesus was speaking to an outcast woman, showing his offer of salvation is for all.
- The living water represents the complete satisfaction Jesus offers, especially emotionally and spiritually.
- The Old Testament points forward to Jesus offering living water through the Holy Spirit. The prophets spoke of God giving soft, responsive hearts.
- John the Baptist said Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit, representing new life.
- At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out, bringing transformation. The disciples were joyful, bold, and praised God.
- The Holy Spirit produces Christian character and satisfaction. Christians are not just religious, moral or hoping to be saved. They have peace, joy and power.
- Paul said Christians have not received a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-control. The Spirit confirms we are God's children, producing assurance and joy.
- The Spirit works directly, pouring out God's love into our hearts so we know his love in a deep, experiential way. This brings delight, rapture and ecstasy in God.
- Examples from Christians like Henry Venn and Charles Simeon show this outpouring of God's love. It brings an inexpressible impression of God's love, lifting us out of ourselves.
- This is the fullness Jesus offers - freedom, joy, abandonment to God. Do we know anything of this? When the church knows this, the world sees the difference.
- We should ask if we know this joy and our neighbors see the difference in us. Jesus offers living water so we never thirst again.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.