Come And Drink

At Walloon Lake Community Church, we just wrapped up our four-week series titled Taste and See, a journey through Scripture that reminded us how Jesus alone satisfies the deepest longings of our souls. We began with the Samaritan woman at the well, then moved through stories of crowds hungry for more bread, and finally landed at Jesus’ bold proclamation during the Feast of Tabernacles: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). This final message brought us full circle, back to the image of living water—Jesus Himself—as the only true source of lasting refreshment for our weary hearts.
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The sermon walked us through the cultural and spiritual backdrop of Jesus’ words. During the Feast of Tabernacles, the high priest would draw water and pour it out at the altar as a symbol of God’s provision in the wilderness. It was at this powerful moment, with crowds watching and songs rising, that Jesus stood and cried out His invitation. He wasn’t just making a poetic metaphor—He was declaring that He is the rock, the one from whom living water flows, just as God had once provided for Israel in the desert.

This bold claim was more than a theological statement. It was a personal, spiritual call for every soul in the crowd—and for us today. We live in a hot, dry, and spiritually parched world. Many of us are dehydrated—not physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Jesus invites us to come and drink, not just once, but daily. He offers His Spirit, flowing like a river, to anyone who believes.

Too often, we ignore our empty spiritual tanks until frustration, anxiety, or impatience exposes how dry we’ve become. We brush off our behavior, blaming our personality, our upbringing, or our culture. But Jesus doesn’t call us to excuse our dryness—He calls us to refill. The Spirit He offers softens the hardened places, flushes out what’s toxic, and fills us with the fruit of His presence: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and more.

The imagery was clear: we are meant to be “mobile splashing units,” carrying the refreshment of Jesus to everyone around us. But we cannot splash what we have not received. When our tanks are low, what spills out is irritation, pride, or bitterness—not the presence of Christ. That’s why it is so essential to monitor our spiritual fuel gauge and make it a priority to be filled up by Jesus, especially on hard days.

This isn't about striving or performance; it's about surrender and dependence. Just as water instinctively knows where to go in our bodies, the Spirit knows where to go in our souls. We don’t have to micromanage the process—we just need to drink deeply and consistently. Jesus doesn’t need our direction; He only asks for our permission to come in and fill us.

There’s a world all around us—our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces—filled with people who are spiritually thirsty. They don’t need to see more religion or polished behavior. They need to see Jesus, alive and flowing through His people. If the only thing they see in us is what they already know—anxiety, impatience, bitterness—they’ll never be drawn to the living water we claim to know. But when we are truly filled, the Spirit will overflow into every interaction, and people will encounter the hope and joy of Christ in real, tangible ways.

Jesus’ invitation still stands: “Come to Me and drink.” Let’s be a church that drinks deeply and daily, allowing the living water of Christ to refresh us and then flow through us to a world in desperate need of Him.

- Adapted from sermons preached across our 3 campuses on 6/8/25.