Why The Spirit Is Worth Shouting About
Why The Spirit Is Worth Shouting About
During the sacred Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus made such an important announcement that He literally shouted it to interrupt a ceremony that had been practiced for thousands of years. His revolutionary promise was that anyone who is thirsty could come to Him and drink, with rivers of living water flowing from their hearts through the Holy Spirit. This wasn't just for the Jewish people present that day, but for anyone who recognizes their need for something more in life.
The word anyone was radical then and remains radical today. Many people disqualify themselves from receiving the Holy Spirit's fullness, thinking they're not spiritual enough, haven't been living right, or don't understand how it works. But Jesus simply said anyone who is thirsty qualifies - whether that thirst is for meaning, love, purpose, or any deeper longing of the human heart. The Holy Spirit wants to satisfy not just spiritual needs, but every area where we experience lack or emptiness.
Jesus described the Holy Spirit as rivers of living water, emphasizing the continuous, flowing, unlimited nature of God's presence in our lives. This promise was fulfilled on Pentecost when believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and it remains available today. We receive this gift by acknowledging our thirst, inviting the Holy Spirit to fill us, and opening our hearts in worship and prayer. Rather than living like we have a limited supply of God's Spirit, we can live each day knowing that rivers of living water are actively flowing through us, providing strength, comfort, hope, joy, peace, and love for every situation we face.
-
Rivers of Living Water: Understanding Jesus' Promise of the Holy Spirit
On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate one of the most powerful promises Jesus ever made - a promise so important that He literally shouted it to thousands of people, interrupting a sacred ceremony to make sure everyone heard it. This promise wasn't just for the people standing there 2,000 years ago; it was a prophetic declaration for every believer, including you and me today.
What Made Jesus Shout?
Picture this scene: thousands of Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, a seven-day celebration remembering God's provision during their ancestors' 40 years in the wilderness. For seven days, they sang, worshipped, and performed sacred ceremonies, including a daily water ceremony where priests would pour water on the altar, thanking God for His past provision and asking for future blessings.
On the final day, at the climax of this ancient ceremony, Jesus stood up and shouted: "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' (When he said 'living water,' he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)" - John 7:37-39 New Living Translation (NLT)
This wasn't just a gentle teaching moment. Jesus was so excited about what He was announcing that He couldn't contain Himself. He interrupted a ceremony that had been going on for thousands of years because what He had to say was that important.
Who Is the Holy Spirit For?
The Revolutionary Word: "Anyone"
The first word Jesus shouted was revolutionary: "Anyone." In a culture where people believed God's Spirit was only for the chosen Jewish people, Jesus declared that the Holy Spirit is available to anyone who is thirsty. This wasn't just radical for that time - it's radical for us today too.
Many of us disqualify ourselves from receiving the Holy Spirit's fullness. We think:
"I'm not spiritual enough"
"I haven't been living right"
"I've been backslidden"
"God hasn't answered my prayers before, so He must not love me"
"I don't understand how the Holy Spirit works"
But Jesus said "anyone who is thirsty." He didn't say you need to be thirsty for God specifically - just thirsty. Thirsty for meaning, for love, for purpose, for something more in life. If you recognize there's something lacking in your life that needs to be filled, you qualify.
What Does the Holy Spirit Satisfy?
Every Thirst, Not Just Spiritual Ones
The people at the festival were asking God to meet their physical needs - water for crops, food for survival, basic provision. But Jesus was announcing something far greater. He wasn't offering just enough to get by; He was promising that the Holy Spirit would satisfy every thirst, every need, every longing of the human heart.
This means the Holy Spirit isn't just there for your "spiritual" needs while you handle everything else on your own. He wants to be your source of:
Strength in difficult times
Comfort when you're lonely
Hope when you're discouraged
Joy even in the midst of depression or anxiety
Peace during uncertainty
Love when relationships fail
Your employer can't meet all your needs. Your friends can't. Your family can't. Even your spouse can't meet every need you have. Only the Holy Spirit can satisfy the deepest longings of your soul.
How Does the Holy Spirit Work in Our Lives?
Like a Flowing River
Jesus described the Holy Spirit as "rivers of living water" flowing from within us. Notice He didn't say a cup, a bucket, or even a lake. He said rivers - flowing, moving, alive, continuous.
Many Christians live like they have a limited supply of God's Spirit - like they received a small portion when they got saved and now they need to carefully ration it out. But the Holy Spirit is flowing right now. He's not stagnant. He's not limited. He's not running out.
This means:
You can call on Him every day
He's present in every situation
There's always more available
He brings life and vitality to your faith
He's working in your life right now, not just remembering what He did in the past
When Did This Promise Come True?
The Day of Pentecost
When Jesus shouted these words, the Holy Spirit hadn't been given yet. He was prophesying about what was coming. That prophecy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, described in Acts 2:
"On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability." - Acts 2:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
What were those believers doing? They were simply being thirsty - believing in Jesus and asking God to fill them. They didn't know exactly what to expect, but they opened their hearts to receive from God.
How Do We Receive the Holy Spirit Today?
Come Thirsty and Open
Receiving the Holy Spirit isn't about following a formula or having a specific type of experience. It's about coming to God with a thirsty heart and being open to however He wants to work in your life.
Some practical steps:
Acknowledge your thirst: "God, I need you. I need more of you in my life."
Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you: "Holy Spirit, come and fill my heart."
Open your heart in worship, prayer, and reflection
Don't compare your experience to others - let God work in your unique way
Walk in faith, trusting that God responds to sincere, thirsty hearts
Some people feel overwhelming joy. Others experience deep peace. Some cry, others laugh. Some feel like shouting, others prefer quiet reflection. Some don't feel anything dramatic but notice changes in their daily life as they walk in faith. All of these responses are valid.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to live like someone who truly believes the Holy Spirit is a flowing river in your life, not a limited resource. Instead of trying to handle life's challenges on your own, actively invite the Holy Spirit into every situation you face.
Start each day by saying, "Holy Spirit, I'm thirsty for you. Fill me fresh today." When you face stress at work, anxiety about the future, loneliness, or any other challenge, don't just push through - call on the Holy Spirit to be your strength, comfort, and guide.
Ask yourself these questions:
Am I living like the Holy Spirit is actively flowing in my life, or like I have a limited supply that I need to ration?
What areas of my life am I trying to handle on my own instead of inviting the Holy Spirit's help?
How can I cultivate a more thirsty heart - recognizing my daily need for God's presence and power?
What would change in my daily life if I truly believed that rivers of living water are flowing through me?
Remember, Jesus shouted this promise because He was so excited about what the Holy Spirit would do in your life. Don't settle for a dry, struggling Christian experience when rivers of living water are available to you every single day.
-
A discussion guide for the sermon can be found here.
-
All right, John 7:37, 39. Some of you would have heard this scripture before. We're going to go into a little bit of its background after I've read it.
John 7:37 39 says this. This is Jesus about to speak. He says on the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For the Scriptures declare rivers of living water will flow from his heart.
And when he said living water, he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory. I want to ask you this. When was the last time you got so excited about something that you could not contain it in and you just had to shout out wherever you were, whatever was going on? Can you think of that time?
Few of you. When was it who was at a sporting event or watching sport of some kind?
Collingwood winning the premiership. Trevor went from Mr. Conservative to Freakazoid Collingwood supporter.
We all have these moments at different times. Kids seem to have them more than others. I remember when, you know, when you find out you're going to the show or you've just got a Christmas present you really love, and there's this exuberant excitement. My last time, I mean, I do it a lot, actually, because I'm half Italian, get the passion out. And we get excited about different things.
But I remember just a few weeks ago, the Crows versus Port Power. I know some of you don't care, but whoa, Crows, Port Power. We lived in Adelaide. My wife goes for Port and I go for the Crows. And we were down by five points in the fourth quarter, and it was not looking good.
And somehow in the last few seconds, the ball got down to our forward half. Braden got the ball and with a few, he didn't know, but there were 10 seconds left, and he kicked for goal. And it sailed through the middle of the goals. And suddenly, six points, one point leaders with like five or so seconds to go, the Crows beat Port Power at the showdown. The closest ever showdown, Adelaide Crows ever, Adelaide versus Poor in history.
And I shouted, yes, we've won. I didn't care that my wife was in bed. I didn't care that Ella was sitting there quietly not caring. I didn't care about the neighbors. I got so excited, I had to shout out my exuberance.
And this is what happens to human beings when something so exciting and so passionate happens to us, doesn't it? That we just let it out right now. We let it out on things that. Who cares? You're like, I don't care about the Crows, Adrian, and we're not interested.
But I'm telling you, there are some things worth shouting about. And in this scripture, I talk about that because we see something fascinating that you miss. We miss if we just read through and go, that was nice. And we get on with it. We hear about this living water, rivers of living water.
But it's very interesting at the start of this passage, on the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds. There's very few times, I think there's only two times that Jesus ever raised his voice and it said that he raised his voice. One was in the temple when he was getting rid of the people that were trying to take advantage of others. When it was called God, he said, this is a house of prayer, and you've turned it into a den of robbers and thieves. And he shouted then and he got the whip out, actually, and got angry because people were mistreating the house of God and taking advantage of people.
And this is the other time. And this wasn't a time of anger. This was a time of exuberance. This was a time when Jesus got so excited. What was it that Jesus got so excited about that he had to get up and shout it out?
Because it's even bigger than just getting excited in a moment with a few friends around. It says here at the start, on the last day, the climax of the festival. And so if you go early in this scripture, you'll see that there was a festival happening in Jerusalem. It was called the Feast of Tabernacles. And it was a celebration that have every year with thousands upon thousands of people would gather in Jerusalem and they would celebrate this idea of God's provision from thousands of years previously when they'd come out of Egypt and the people of Israel, remember if you know the Ten Commandments and Moses and coming out, he brought the people out of Egypt, and they ended up walking around the wilderness for 40 years.
But God provided for them and he provided shelter. He provided manna as food every day, and he provided water for them, because water would come out of rocks that weren't supposed to God miraculously provided. And so there was a festival every year to celebrate the provision of God from thousands of years ago. And to that day where they're saying, God, we want your provision again in our lives. And so they would all gather around and they would have these little huts that they would put together to represent tabernacles, which are just called tents.
And so have these tents, they would have palm leaves, they would gather and they would sing. They would sing songs of joy and exuberance. They would read them and sing them from the psalms, worshiping God. And so it was a bit like, we do worship the people of Israel outside, thousands of them singing, joyfully, celebrating. And then they would get to the climax of this fair.
For seven days they would celebrate like this and they would all be around. And then the end day, the seventh day, they would all gather together and they would have sacrifices and they would do things around the altar. And it says here that at that moment, the crescendo of this ceremony, after seven days, Jesus gets up and shouts some words. Now, here's the interesting thing. He wasn't supposed to.
So imagine right now and please don't do it. Don't do it, anyone. Imagine right now in the middle of this service, the climate, where it's like, hey, this is the moment. We're trying to listen, we're trying to go through word. Someone just got up and starts shouting something that is so important.
That's what Jesus did to thousands upon thousands. And we know he's the Son of God, so what he does is right. It wasn't inappropriate. He was so excited and so passionate about what he said that he shouted it and broke up where the priests were doing their performance and doing their stuff. He said these words, they must be important.
And if they're important for Jesus, they must be important for us. And we can miss it if we just go over it, but we shouldn't miss it. We're coming into Pentecost Sunday today, but we should be remembering this every day. And so what did he say? He stood and shouted in the middle of something else going on and got everyone's attention.
What did he say? Anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For the scriptures declare rivers of living water will flow from his heart. And it says he was talking about the Holy Spirit.
So you should not miss it. If Jesus got up and shouted, you shouldn't miss it either. It's important for you. It's important for me. I want to tell you all the things that I believe Jesus was wanting to point out to us that are important.
The first one is right there at the beginning. He says it, anyone who is thirsty. The first thing we need to know about the Holy Spirit of God that Jesus wanted everyone to know was that the Spirit of God is for who? Anyone. The Spirit is for anyone who is thirsty.
And this is an interesting. Jesus was way ahead of his time because if you've listen to what I was saying, the Jewish people were celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. It was the Jewish people that were in Jerusalem. It was a Jewish festival. And they said, well, we're God's chosen people.
He chose us, and we're going to choose to worship him. And they believe that they were the ones that God had selected. And that's what they were celebrating. You brought us out of Egypt. They was a select group, and they believed that everyone else outside of that group was not chosen.
So when Jesus said anyone, he was breaking all of that tradition and all of that understanding. They didn't get it. At the time. There were Jewish people there. They were like, oh, when you say anyone, you meaning anyone here.
Anyone here in our group. Don't we do that? We say, oh, Jesus is for anyone except them. And maybe them. And sometimes us, we do it to ourselves.
Jesus came and said, jesus is for anyone. He was making a statement that said, I'm not just for the Jewish people who've been chosen by God from thousands of years ago. I'm for the Gentile people, too. I'm for the ones who aren't Jewish, who haven't technically been chosen by God in the history of things. But in Jesus eyes, they were chosen.
In Jesus eyes, this was something that had to be extrapolated by Peter later on because he was a disciple listening. He didn't get it till afterwards. He didn't get it till in the Book of Acts. He had to have a dream and a vision from God that Jesus was for Gentile people, too. And we get this now because we are mostly Gentiles here.
But here's the thing. We disclude ourselves and others from this. Anyone? Some of us go, well, I'm not spiritual enough. You know, when you say anyone about the Holy Spirit, that's for somebody who's been brought up in the church.
Or maybe it's for someone who's been brought up in a Pentecostal church because you have been taught about the Spirit and that's how you do it. Maybe it's for someone who's been living the right kind of life and living a holy life, and you're the one that Jesus is talking about. But I'm discluded, Adrian, because I've been a bit backslidden in my heart or I haven't been coming to church. I've never got brought up in church. Or, you know, I just don't think that God loves me because maybe I.
Maybe when I was younger, or maybe last week I came to an altar call or I prayed and I asked God to meet my need and I didn't feel anything and nothing changed. And so I'm not in the anyone, Adrian. I'M not in the anyone. Because, Adrian, you don't know the stuff I'm going through right now, and you don't know how hard it is. And I've called out to God, but he hasn't fixed the problem, and it's still there.
So you know what that tells me? I'm not in the anyone. God's left me behind. God doesn't love me. And I know what you'd say to that person.
You know, what if you had to counsel that person who was saying that, what would you tell them? That's a lie. That's not true. God loves you. He's chosen you.
He loves you. He wants to be there for you. You know the problem we have? It's very hard to teach and preach that to ourselves when we're the ones who think that. We're the ones who think we've been forgotten.
We're the ones that think we're not included in the anyone. But this is why Jesus had to shout it out. Because he was saying, anyone. Not the spiritual people, not the religious people. Anyone who is what?
Thirsty. Anyone who's thirsty may come to me. That's a pretty broad category, because guess what? He wasn't just talking about physical thirst. He was talking about the deep thirst of the human soul and the human spirit.
He was going far deeper. They were talking, the people of the ceremony were talking about God's provision of water and for their crops and saying, yes, we need our physical needs met, Lord. That's what we're looking for. But Jesus went deeper and he said, anyone who is thirsty, I'm thirsty for something more in my life. I'm thirsty for meaning, Thirsty for love.
I'm thirsty to have this. What do people say? This classic. This hole, this gaping hole that I'm trying to fill with other things in my heart and my spirit. I'm thirsty to have it filled.
Some people are lonely. I'm thirsty for a relationship. I'm thirsty to be loved. I'm thirsty to be happy. I'm thirsty.
And Jesus says, he didn't even say you need to be thirsty for God. He said, anyone who's thirsty. Anyone who has an. Anyone who realizes, you know, what he's saying. Anyone who gets a revelation that there's something lacking in their life that needs to be filled.
I'm thirsty, and I know I need. Come on. Who's like that in this place? Some of you have been. You haven't been brought up in church, or maybe you walked away and you were a kid growing up.
But you walked away and you've done your own life and you've lived it your own way, but something wasn't. Wasn't satisfying something. There was a thirst still there, and you've come back in going, I'm thirsty for something. I don't even know what it is. Jesus says, that's the anyone I'm talking about.
Isn't that beautiful? Come on. Who's discluded themselves from being in the anyone? Some of us think, oh, well, I don't know about how the Holy Spirit works, so I'm not in that. No.
Jesus said, anyone who's thirsty may come to me. You don't even know what you're looking for yet, but you come looking thirsty, and then you find him, and then you have a revelation and something. That's the someone. I was looking for something, and I found Jesus. I've heard stories in this place, brothers and sisters.
Every week I hear stories of people telling me. We get people just driving in and just turning up to this church because they were thirsty and they didn't even know what for. And then they came into the meeting and they said, I experienced something. I felt. It was like love, it was like acceptance.
I just felt happier. I go, you know what? You came thirsty and you met with Jesus. You've experienced Jesus because He said, anyone who's thirsty may come to me. Come to me in your brokenness.
Come to me in your shame. Come to me. When you've stuffed up this week and you haven't been living right for him. The answer is not to run further away from God in shame. The answer is to run to him and say, God, I've been satisfying my thirst with the worldly lusts.
The pleasures of this world have been filling my life because I'm thirsty. And I've tried to fill it with things that I realize aren't helpful. So now I'm coming here and I need you, and he says, you're the one I'm talking to. You're the one I'm talking. You're not discluded.
Anyone who is thirsty, are you thirsty? Then you're in the anyone, and Jesus is speaking to you. Do not disclude yourself from this passage. Do not go over it. Do not think I've already received.
So I'm not in the anyone. Anyone who's thirsty may come to me.
Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. Because he goes on and he says, the Spirit isn't just for anyone. The Spirit. This is his promise. The Spirit of God will Satisfy every thirst.
That's a big claim because many people think that Jesus and the Holy Spirit and some of us are Christians in this place. We think he's there to satisfy our need to get to heaven and to be forgiven and to, you know, sort of our spiritual side. That's like a little part of your life and then all these other parts, you'll satisfy yourself. And I want to tell you, you are missing. You are missing the whole point, point of your Christian faith.
Some of you are saying, jesus, you come and satisfy this little bit of my need. I want to get to heaven, and I want to just know that I'm going to be okay. And if I go through a hard time, I just want to know that you're there, that I can pray. But apart from that, I got a whole bunch of other ways to satisfy my thirst. And Jesus was coming and saying, if you're thirsty, you come to me and I will fill you.
And my Holy Spirit will come and fill your life, and he will satisfy your every need. Who's experienced Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit satisfying every need you have. Because he wants to. He wants to. I've got to go back to this feast that was happening because we've got to understand what Jesus and why it was so important and profound, what he was saying.
The feast of Tabernacles, they would have a water ceremony. So they would celebrate, they would sing songs. One of the things they'll do every day, once a day for seven days, the priests, the high priest would go, and many scholars think they would go down to the pool of Siloam, and they would gather. They would have a golden scepter, a golden scoop of, like a jar, a scoop of. And they would gather the water in the pool of Siloam in this golden scepter.
And then they would walk through the city towards the temple, and they would walk back through, and they would go through what's called the water gate and go through into the temple. And they would go to the altar where people were gathered around. And at the altar where all these people were gathered once a day for seven days, they would take that water. They would give thanks to God with a sacrifice. They would give thanks for his provision for all those thousands of years ago that God has looked after them.
And they would pour the water out on the altar to say, thank you, Lord, that you provided. This is a symbol of the provision you've given us. And then they would pray and say, God, would you continue to provide for us because we need water for Our crops, we need it to rain. We need you to keep looking after us. And they were talking about their physical needs.
They were talking about God, we believe, and trusting you, and we're asking you for our physical needs to be met. And in that, on the seventh day in the climax, Jesus stands up and shouts. You know why he shouted? Because he'd had a revelation and he couldn't contain it anymore. And he wants to give it out to everyone there and everyone who ever hear him.
And what he was saying was this. You don't just need a little scepter, a container of water. You don't just need God's provision in your physical life. You don't just need to pray that he'll give you enough food and sustenance to get through the next day, the next week, that he'll give you what you need, that the rains will come when you come to me, when the Holy Spirit pours out on you, he will satisfy every desire and every need you've ever had forever. That's why he shouted.
And some of us have not got that revelation. We're waiting on God to give us our needs for tomorrow. And God's saying, lift up your vision. I want to satisfy your every need. I want to be there for you in every circumstance.
I'm your provider. I'm your strength. I'm your source of joy. I'm your source of hope. I'm your source of love.
Oh, when you're lonely and no one understands you and you're looking for a partner, I'm the one that will comfort you and be your guide. I will provide your partner. I don't know if we've realized this. Some of us young people, we will. We all will.
Our partner, that you get together, that you say, I love you with all my heart. They cannot meet your needs. We will try and we will fail. We need God. We need the Holy Spirit.
Because without him, your employer can't meet your needs. Your pastor can't meet your needs. Your friends can't meet your needs. No one, your parents can't meet all your needs. Only the Holy Spirit of God can satisfy every thirst.
And he doesn't just satisfy your need for food and sustenance and satisfaction in this world. He satisfies your soul and your spirit forever. So you can go through the valley of the shadow of death. You can walk through the hard times and the Holy Spirit is still satisfying your soul. You can walk through cancer.
You can walk through the death of a loved one. You can walk through losing your Job. You can walk through the rent increasing. You can walk through whatever happens, getting a bad grade in your school, not knowing what the future holds for you. You can walk through doubt and feel fear and pain.
And the Holy Spirit will satisfy your soul. When you look to this world, it is full of a quenching for a moment. But when you go to the Holy Spirit and get filled with him, he satisfies you forever in every area. And so Jesus stood up and he wanted the people to know. He interrupted this ceremony of thousands of years old and said, I am your source, and the Holy Spirit I will give you, will satisfy you forever.
No more. Every year coming for another bit of rain, another bit. Lord, please, Lord, please. I will be the one that flows in you all the time. I remember I was in Mozambique a few years ago.
I got to go. I've only been to the continent of Africa once. And we had some missionary friends. Roger and Amanda went to. We sent them to Mozambique as missionaries and they were doing a great job.
They were there for several years and I got to go visit them. And they said, come and stay with us in our house for a few days. And I said, yes, I will. My pastor had said to me beforehand, adrian, missionaries don't live like the rest of us, so just be ready. I said, I'll be right.
They're fine, they're great. So I got to their house and they took me to my nice room and I was like, here we go, set it all up for you, Adrian. They said, let me show you around the house. Here's the bathroom, here's the toilet. It all works fine.
And they said, right now, when it comes to bath and shower, we don't have any hot water and we don't have a shower. And so what we've done, he goes, what I've created, Adrian, because he used to make things and sort things out, he goes, what I've created is a bucket. I've got a bucket. And he goes, I've put some holes in the bucket. And he goes, what we do is we boil the kettle with really hot water, then we add it into this bucket and then we open the holes up in the bucket and we put it, we hoist it up on some rope and then the water comes out and it's sort of like a shower.
It's a shower that lasts for about three minutes, Adrian. It's a three minute shower with sort of this dripping water coming out of the bucket. And that's what you got for the next week. And I was like, thank you, Roger. I was very polite.
In my head, I'm like, I have like 25 minute showers. That's like, that's my first world issue. I need. That's what I deserve. And suddenly I had to have a three minute bucket shower.
And so I endured it until we did get to go to a hotel. And I was like, ah, now I'm having like a 40 minute shower, thank you very much. Right. But, but I realized and I go, you know what, Some of us are living like that with God. We're living like God's got a bucket for us and it's got very finite amount and we've got to just ask him nicely and say, lord, would you provide my needs?
We're not sure if he will. But you know what? Jesus is shouting to us and saying to us very clearly, my Holy Spirit will satisfy your every need. And he is in abundance. He is in more than abundance.
Not a thimble, not a bucket, but overflowing like a river. What's a river? A river just keeps flowing, doesn't it? It doesn't dry. Is that what the Holy Spirit is to you?
Do you treat him like he's always present for you? Do you call on his name? Whatever you're going through, satisfy my soul. And then Jesus says this. He is like rivers of living water.
Come to me, anyone who is thirsty, and I will give you drink that will satisfy you. And it will be like rivers of living water flowing through your soul. That's the third thing that he says. The Spirit is like a flowing river. He is flowing right now.
And this is the thing we need to realize about the Holy Spirit of God. The people were coming to a ceremony and they were remembering something of God's provision from thousands of years ago. And sometimes we can be like that, can't we? I got saved. I had an encounter with God.
The Holy Spirit met with me. I called his name and I saw his healing power. I saw his provision. Have we got stories like that? When God's been there for you, you think about those.
And Jesus is saying, they're good, let's remember them. There's nothing wrong with them. But he said, the Holy Spirit isn't for yesterday. It's good to remember yesterday. But he said, the Holy Spirit is flowing now.
A river is not stagnant. A river. He didn't say, and it shall be like a lake. And the lake shall stay and be present. And there's the lake, right?
He didn't say they were near the Dead Sea. He didn't say, and it shall be like the Dead Sea that receives in and never sees anything. And it's got whole massive salt content. And that's what you'll be. The Holy Spirit will flow into you.
And you'd better just look after that bit that he's given you, because that's it. That's all you get. He's flowing like a river. It's right now. Come on, brothers and sisters, how some of us, we let ourselves get dry.
Do you know what our Christianity is supposed to be? Having a revelation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and then receiving the Holy Spirit in our lives every day and calling out his name. And sometimes I watch people and I'll go, their Christianity, I'm gonna get. I've been. This is third service I'm preaching, so you're getting raw, Adrian.
Now their Christianity is boring, fluff.
I've been there myself. Our Christian faith is not supposed to be this little segment going, oh, I trust God. I trust God. It's supposed to be alive and powerful and full of life, and it's supposed to be flowing. And I want to tell you, I have experienced the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.
I've experienced this in my life. It is like a river flowing, and it's alive, it's living. And he's speaking to me now. And God's never got stuff that he's never finished. Every time I go to him, I don't know if you found this.
Every time I go to God, it doesn't matter what I've been through. He lifts me back up and he says, adrian, you got through that hurdle. I've carried you through that. Come on, what are you believing for? Next.
What am I going to do in your life? Next. What am I going to do in your heart? Next? What am I going to heal?
What am I going to restore? What am I going to use you in? Come on. There's always more in God. That's what the Holy Spirit does.
And I don't want to be pastoring Christians who are like, well, I received Jesus back in 1976, Adrian, and I've struggled through ever since. And I don't know what God's doing, but I'm still here.
I'll tell you what happens when we become like that. This is true. You know, this is true. The next generation look and they go, why would I want that?
Because it's not the way it's supposed to be.
You know what? Pentecostals haven't been perfect. We haven't got everything worked out. But I'll tell you one thing I realized growing up in a Pentecostal church, I realized that, yeah, the spirit of God is flowing like a river. And he's living and he's alive every day.
And I need him every day. And I need him to revive my soul and my spirit. Because this life will SAP it out of you and wreck you. This life will disillusion you. This life will hurt you.
This life will promise you the world and then rip it from your grasp. But the spirit of God is life and life to the full. The spirit of God is the one that filled the apostle Paul with power and fire while he was in prison in Rome facing his death. And yet he went and wrote half the New Testament on fire for God. Because the spirit of God breathes life into you.
No matter what you're going through. Some of you are going through a difficult time. Some of you are struggling with depression. Yes, follow the doctor's orders. Do all the right things.
There's wisdom in all of that. But I promise you, right now, you need the spirit of God flowing in your heart because he can be with you and give you joy. Even when you're struggling with depression, even when you're struggling with anxiety. Young people, there's an epidemic of anxiety going through. Worried about the future, worried about this feeling lonely, feeling like I'm not.
I'm alone. You know who you need? Get support. Get help. You need the Holy Spirit because he is a river of living water that will flow through you and say, even when you're struggling and you don't know the answer, I am with you and I will carry you and I will give you hope.
I promise you. I know what it is to have anxiety. I know what it is to have depression. I know what it is to go. No one understands me.
I've been through those times. And even in the midst of it, the Holy Spirit of God. When I called out to him, he filled me with grace and love and joy and hope. And I said, God, how are you gonna get me through it? He said, trust me, son.
You watch and you wait and see what I do. And every time he's carried me through and even when I die, guess what? Some of us gone through difficult times and we face death in our loved ones. You know what? You can have the joy and the flowing of the Holy Spirit right up to the last breath because you're carrying on into eternity.
You got something to hope for, something to be joyful about. Isn't that A life. That's Christianity. Doesn't matter what happens. I'm not here to say, look at us and how successful we are.
We've been pushed down, the devil's tried to rip us off. The world treats you like this. Everything happens. Just because you're a Christian, you don't get free of that. But we are more than conquerors.
That's what Paul said. I am more than a conqueror. Through Christ, he saved me, redeemed me, transformed me. And then he does this and shouts and says, watch out, wait and see, because the Holy Spirit is coming your way. And you know what I love about what he did?
Right? It hadn't even happened yet. He was prophesying. He was prophesying. You know what I love about that?
He was prophesying into the future. He wasn't just prophesying into the future for a few days hence or a year hence. He was prophesying for us. He was saying, ah, rivers of living water will flow out of you. And this is.
You've got to get this. Because it says here, when he said living water, he was speaking of the Spirit who'd be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory. He was prophesying about the people to come, his church, the ones that would find him salvation in him. And they are the ones he was shouting to.
Guess who he was shouting to. You and I, not just the people around. He said, I gotta shout this out. I gotta break this ceremony up. They're looking to the past, but I got something to speak into their future.
And he's speaking it to you today. Will you listen to the words of Jesus? Will you listen to the words of Jesus? Because he says, I got the Holy Spirit of God for you. I died on the cross.
I rose again so you could be saved, transformed, redeemed, but so you could be filled with God. Oh, when you're full of the Holy Spirit of God, you watch out, devil. You watch out, world. It doesn't matter who they say you are. What has happened to you, you become a vessel of the Spirit of God.
And oh yeah, we're gonna go do some serious damage in a good way.
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. Why? Because the full of the Holy Ghost filling their lives. You walk into your school. Come on.
I'm believing some young people are going to walk into their school and start prayer groups and outreach groups that we can't go in and start. But they can start. And they're going to see people saved because of it. Why? Because you've got the Holy Spirit.
I'm believing in our universities. We're going to go in a Peninsula Monash university, and we're already seeing some people, young people, coming from there. We're going to see a flood of people, and we're going to make a difference in the university. Because who knows? The devil wants to control our young people and their ways of thinking.
But the spirit of God has another plan, and he needs some people that are flowing. Come on, nursing homes, families, your workplace. If you're full of the Holy Spirit, watch out. You don't need me to preach it to you. You'll be preaching to me.
You'll be like Adrian, the Holy Spirit got a hold of me. I remember going out on the streets when I was young and I got a hold of this message and I just started witnessing to people on the bus and witnessing to people in the street. I started inviting people from my university to come to church. And they came and they responded to the altar call, a whole Muslim family. This girl came and she gave her life to Jesus.
Why? Not Because Adrian was great. Because I got a hold of this. Rivers of living water will flow, and they're going to flow in me, through me, and out of me.
It's alive. It's now. The ceremony was about the past. And Jesus said, it ain't about the past. It's about right now.
And it's about tomorrow and the next day and the next day. And I want to ask you, are you asking the Holy Spirit to fill your life now? Flow in me now. You say, well, I don't deserve it. I haven't been spiritual enough.
Back to point one. Anyone who is thirsty. So if you're thirsty, how do you know if you're thirsty? Because you're hearing me speak and you say, I want that. I want the Lord Jesus.
I want his Holy Spirit. I need something. I don't know if I deserve it. You don't deserve it. That's the whole point of grace, is it not?
None of us deserve it. He gives it out of love and grace and because of what Christ did for us. And that's the free gift of the Holy Spirit. So all you have to do, you don't deserve it. So put that aside.
The devil tries to condemn you, and you say, thank you, devil. Thank you. That wrong thought in my mind, that's 100% right. Thanks be to God for his grace. Thank you, Jesus, that you said, I can have it even when I don't deserve it and I've failed you and I'm coming back.
Flow through me, Holy Spirit, because I need you. He goes, amen to that. That there are no rejects in the kingdom of God. Are no rejects in the kingdom of God. That's a lie of the devil.
Anyone who's thirsty may come to me and I will give you drink and rivers of living water will flow from your heart. And he was talking of his. He was talking of his spirit. God himself will flow through you, Christian. Stop living this half baked, sort of minuscule Christian life when the Spirit of God is available to you every moment.
And I'm not asking you to be some kind of Adrian kind of expressive. Some of you are like that. Go for it. All right. We love it.
All right. Stop looking at someone else next to you and wondering, how am I supposed to respond? What's the right way? I grew up in a church where we had, you know, some of you would know this. We'd line people up and then you'd get prayed for and the pastor would pray for you.
A pastor would pray for you. And you're supposed to fall over. Well, I don't know how that happened, but some people did, they did fall over. And they were like, really, they were really having an encounter with God and it was beautiful. And then other people looked at that and went, oh, that's the way I'm supposed to.
Like, I have to fall over as well. And we used to call it the courtesy drop, but it wasn't just a courtesy drop. You know what it was? It was this thing. Oh, that's.
That's how I'm supposed to receive from God, so I better do it, otherwise I'm missing out. And God's not into that. God says, you know what the prerequisites are? Be thirsty and come to me. And then let him do what he wants to do.
So in this church, this is how we receive from the Holy Spirit. We come thirsty. There are certain things you can do, you know, I encourage people to close their eyes. I encourage people to, to lift out their hands, speak to the Lord. Some people cry.
Some people want to get on their knees. Some people want to lift their hands. Some people start laughing. Some people, they get this joy. Some people feel like jumping.
Some people want to shout out, just you do. What is your encounter? Some people don't do anything. They sit there and some people don't feel anything, but they've said, lord, fill my life. And then you walk in faith and you say, thank you, Lord, that I've given this issue to you and I'm walking in faith in my workplace, in my home, that you're present with me.
And some people, you know what you do? You do what Paul did, he prayed all the time. He said, pray without ceasing. So what that means is not just like, going, thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you, Lord. And someone's trying to have a conversation and you're still praying.
No, it just means in your heart, you can call out to the Lord anytime. Your heart can say, lord, thank you, you that you're with me. You don't have to speak it in words, calling on the Holy Spirit. You watch what. What happens in your life.
Some people read the Word and they have a revelation. Some people write something down. Can I encourage us as a church, Be hungry for the Holy Spirit, but don't look for the manifestations. Don't compare yourself. Just say, lord, I'm hungry for you.
And you can talk to people and say, how do I receive more? Go on into your quiet time. Go into your place. Worship the Lord. You do need to engage.
If you just stand there sometimes and don't engage, open your heart. That's what I'd say. That's what he said. Anyone who is thirsty. So how do you say I'm thirsty?
You tell the Lord, I'm thirsty for you. God, I need you. That's what I do. I actually need you, Lord, I need you in my heart. You know what I'm going through.
And then I invite the Holy Spirit to fill me. Lord, would you come and fill my heart? I need you. And then I reflect and I let him speak his beautiful love and presence in my life. Does that make sense to us?
We're not looking for manifestations. We're not looking for crazy. You have to do this. We're looking for open, hungry hearts, thirsty hearts. And then you watch what he does, and it's all of us and any of us.
That's what Pentecost Sunday is about. And that's why this is what I love about the Lord. We get to Acts 2, verse 1, the actual day of Pentecost Sunday, and the prophecy that Jesus had said when he shouted these words at the festival comes to pass for the first time. And it says in Acts 2:1, on the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place. And suddenly there was a sound from heaven and like the roaring of a mighty windstorm.
And it filled the house where they were sitting. And then what looked like Flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. We're not going to talk. All through.
All the ins and outs of speaking in tongues and what was happening and all of that. What I want us to see is that was the moment when Jesus prophetic word saying, those who are thirsty, I will fill with my Holy Spirit and rivers of living water will flow. It started right then. He prophesied it. People in the upper room, what were they doing?
They were just saying, lord, we're thirsty. We believe in you and we're thirsty. And they didn't know what to expect. And then the Holy Spirit came and filled them. And I'm telling you, something happens in your spirit when you connect with the Spirit of God.
It's something that cannot be completely taught. It can't be manufactured, it can't be mathematicized or whatever the word is, or there's no such word. But I made it up. You can't analytically give a formula. It's spirit to spirit.
And you know, when you're communing with God, it's a revelation. And he speaks and he loves and you go, I encountered him, and you can't prove it to anyone, but you know, and that's what happened to them. And Peter got up and he prophesied and he preached and thousands of people got saved and the Holy Spirit started flowing, and he's been flowing in his people ever since. And he wants to flow through you. Amen.
I want. Who? Come on. Who wants the Holy Spirit of God to flow through them like a river? Oh, God, that's my heart's desire.
Come on. Can we pray together today? And then we're going to worship and we're going to sing and we're going to open this altar. If you want prayer this morning, we're going to have pastors praying. We're going to stand in a second, but we're going to pray and we're going to say, lord, come fill me.
Come on. Why don't we close our eyes? Holy Spirit, you're here to fill us, God. You're here because. Rivers of living water, Lord, you want to pour it out on all of us, God.
Oh, I thank you, Lord, for your presence. I thank you, Lord, that you're present with us today. I thank you. Thank you, Holy Ghost. And I pray that you would come and fill each thirsty heart with your love and grace and presence, Holy Spirit, because That's what you want to do because you've died for us, Jesus, and now you've got life for us, Lord.
Life to the full. So we pray it in Jesus precious name. And all God's people said, amen. Come on, why don't we stand and I want us to start hungering and thirsting and saying in your own time, say, lord, I need your presence Just for a couple of minutes this morning. Pour your spirit out on us, God, I need you Lord, I'm thirsty God, I'm thirsty for you.
Let it be like a river flowing.
The fragrance of heaven.
Thank you, Lord. Oh, holy anointing the power of your presence holy Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour it out, Jesus. So pour your spirit out.
We need a fresh wind. The fragrance of heaven Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out.
A holy anointing the power of your presence.
Pour your spirit out.
There's something about. There's some people in this place and you need some prayer right now. Maybe you're going through a difficulty good time. And you say, lord, I want your holy spirit to come fill me because of what I'm going. I need a fresh infilling of your spirit.
Maybe you just say, God, I'm thirsty. And I'm not sure exactly how to respond, but one of the ways you can respond, it's not the only way, but one of the ways that I've found in my life has been something that stirs my heart and just helps me when we respond to God and he responds to us. When we seek him, we find him. And maybe in this place and you say, you know what? I'm sensing a stirring in my heart.
I'd like prayer. I just want to seek after God. I'm going to open this altar front up. We just got a few minutes before we finish and I want to invite you, if that's you, I want you to come down and we got pastors to pray for you. Maybe you just want to get on your knees before God and say, lord, I'm hungry.
Maybe God's stirring you to say, set your life aside, sell your life out to me and you watch what I do in your life. Maybe you're young, maybe you're older, whatever it is, we're going to open this up. Is that okay? And can I encourage you if you want prayer, especially if you need prayer, this is the place to come and respond to God. If you're hungry, come down and watch what he does.
When you step out in faith, God does something in your heart and life. So if that's you, I want you to come forward. The rest of us, why don't we lift out our hands to heaven? Why don't we close our eyes and focus on him and say, spirit, here I am. Fill me today.
And if that's you, just come on down the front. We're gonna pray for you. Got pastor Trevor, Narelle, Katrina, pastors are here. We're ready to pray and let God minister to us this morning. Let's just come right down.
Right down. Thanks, Justin. If you can help get people right down the front, that'd be great. Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Lord.
Thank you.
The power of your presence. Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out out when you got your heart Pray this morning oh, pour it out Pour your spirit out so pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out we need a fresh wind, the fragrance of heaven. Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out A holy anointing the power of your presence. Pour your spirit out Pour your spirit out.
Won't you pour? Won't you pour it out?
O living water Coming overflowing power O living water God, Oh, we need you Holy spirit.
Coming to work Go within moving for you.
Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out all night Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out Pour it out.
Holy spirit, God's good, isn't he?
I want you to leave this place today. The Holy Spirit wants you to leave this place today knowing that he is for you and he is with you. And you don't have to wait for a service to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As you get ready in the morning, as you're on the bus, on the train, in the car, as you're in your room at work, says, call upon me and I'm with you, and I will fill you and let his living water flow through you. So can we pray?
Can I pray for you today as we're about to leave Pentecost Sunday? Lord, we thank you. Come, why don't we close our eyes? And if you want to lift out your hands before the Lord, we're receiving from him today as we walk out of this place, brothers and sisters, together, we're strengthened together, but we know we're strong in him as we walk out of here. And, Lord, I'm praying for each person in this place, whether They've been a Christian for 50 years or a Christian for a day, Lord, you are with them and you want to fill us with your Holy Spirit.
So I'm praying for fresh fire. I'm praying for a river flowing. I'm praying that we would know your presence, God. That we would know that you're with us, God. And that as we walk out of this place, we do it calling on the Holy Spirit, remembering Jesus words.
You shouted it so we would receive it. So, Lord, we know the spirit is worth shouting about. And we need your Holy Spirit. We're thirsty for your Holy Spirit. So come and breathe on us.
Come and fill us. Come and flow through us. We pray in Jesus precious name. If you don't, if you're in this place, the eyes closed, if you're in this place, and maybe you've never given your life to the Lord, I just feel prompted that we need to give you that opportunity because you're the anyone that he's talking about. You're the anyone that he's talking about.
The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. And that's what he'll try and do to your life. But Jesus came that you may have life and life to the full. And he came so he could give you his spirit and you could live redeemed and forgiven. So if you need to say this prayer to say, jesus, I believe in you.
Forgive me for my sins, we're going to say it all together. But you do this, maybe you've never done it, or maybe you need to come back to the Lord. I think there's some people like that in this place today. And God loves you and I love you. And he's got an amazing plan for you.
So let's pray. Dear Lord Jesus, I need you. I'm thirsty for you. I believe you're the Son of God and you died for me and you rose again from the dead. So forgive me, Lord.
Be my Lord and my Savior. I put my trust in you. Now come fill me with your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. Come on. Why don't we give those people a hand, a shout?
Well, I want to say thank you for listening. Thank you for having a heart, a thirsty heart to be in the house of God. And I promise you this, he will respond as we keep on thirsting after him. God responds to that. And you watch him work in your life.
Amen. Amen. Bless your people as they go. I pray. Be with us and let it be a river flowing through us, Lord, to others in Jesus name, Amen.
God bless you, church. See you again.
Related Bible Verses
Key Scriptures – "Pentecost Sunday"
John 7:37–39 (NLT)
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" (When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
📖 Read John 7:37–39 on Bible.com →
Acts 2:1–4 (NLT)
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to have a church background to come along?
Not at all. The message this week was built around Jesus' words: "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me." That word anyone was the whole point — it wasn't directed at the religious or the lifelong churchgoer. If you feel like something's missing and you're open to exploring, you're exactly who Jesus was talking to.
I've tried church before and it felt like it wasn't for me. Is Connect Christian Church different?
Pastor Adrian spoke directly to people who've felt left out, forgotten, or like God has moved on without them. The heart of this church is that there are no rejects — just people at different stages of their journey. You're welcome to come as you are.
What actually happens at a Connect service? Is it one of those churches where things get weird?
Services are welcoming, relaxed, and grounded in the Bible. There's contemporary worship music, a practical message, and time for prayer. Pastor Adrian addressed this directly — nobody is pressured to respond in a particular way. You do what feels right for you.
I'm going through a really hard time — anxiety, loneliness, depression. Is church actually going to help?
This came up honestly in the sermon. Pastor Adrian talked about walking through depression and anxiety himself, and the role the Holy Spirit played in carrying him through — not by removing the difficulty, but by providing hope and presence in the middle of it. This is a community that takes real life seriously.
What is Pentecost Sunday and why does it matter?
Pentecost Sunday marks the moment, recorded in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on Jesus' followers — traced back to a prophecy Jesus made at the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7. At Connect, it's celebrated as a reminder that the Holy Spirit isn't just a historical event but something available to every person, right now.
I feel like I've made too many mistakes for God to want me. Does this church judge people?
The sermon was emphatic: the Spirit of God is for anyone who is thirsty — including people who've walked away, made a mess of things, or feel unworthy. Pastor Adrian's message was that shame should drive you toward God, not away from him. Judgment isn't the culture here.
Do I have to do anything special to experience the Holy Spirit, or is it just for certain people?
According to the sermon, the only prerequisite is thirst — an honest awareness that something in your life needs filling. No church background, no spiritual performance required. You just come open, and let God do what he does.
Where exactly is Connect Christian Church, and are there services near Frankston?
Connect Christian Church is based in Frankston South on the Mornington Peninsula, with services also running across Casey, Mornington, Hastings, Bass Coast, and online. There's almost certainly a location close to you.
Is this a Pentecostal church? What does that mean for someone who's never been to one?
Connect is Pentecostal in its belief that the Holy Spirit is active today, but the culture is welcoming and non-pressuring. Pastor Adrian grew up Pentecostal and was refreshingly honest about what that can look like at its best — alive, expectant faith — without demanding everyone express it the same way.
I've been spiritually dry for years. Is it too late to start again?
The whole sermon answered this. Jesus interrupted a centuries-old religious ceremony to shout one message to the crowd: rivers of living water are available — not a drip, not a bucket, but a flowing river. The Holy Spirit isn't something you had once; it's something flowing right now, available to anyone ready to come back thirsty.