I want you to pay very, very close attention. There is one thing that fills the heart of the Son of God and fills it from eternity. His hands are filled with one great task. The one thing that fills the heart of the eternal God and the one work which fills his hands is the salvation of sinners. The heart of God Almighty is filled with grace. of our great eternal God are filled with the work of redemption. How I wish I could make you see, hear, understand, and rejoice in this fact.

The Lord our God is a God ready, willing, able, and anxious to save sinners. God is anxious to be merciful. God is anxious to save. God is anxious to deliver. God is anxious to show mercy. Let me show you from the scriptures. Turn to the book of Micah. The book of Micah, chapter seven. Micah, the seventh chapter. Listen to what the prophet says. If you're not there, just listen. You can read it later. Verse 18. Who is a god like unto thee? The pagans have their gods. They have their gods of power, and their gods of wisdom, and their gods of light, and their gods of darkness. They have their gods. Their idol gods. Their nothing gods. The free will Arminian has his gods. He has a God of frustrated love, a God of frustrated desire, a God of frustrated compassion, a God of frustrated grace.

But who is a God like unto thee? A God that pardoneth iniquity. A God that passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. He retaineth not his anger forever. Because, listen to it, he delighteth in mercy. That's our God. He delighted in mercy. He will turn again. He will have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities. And thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

The Lord our God is a God whose heart is filled with grace, filled with mercy, filled with love, filled with compassion toward fallen man. As soon as Adam sinned in the garden, just as soon as Adam sinned, how do we see the Lord God? You can read it in Genesis 3, 9. The Lord God came looking for Adam and he said, Adam, where art thou? No sooner had Adam said, God, get out of my life. No sooner had Adam said, God, you have no right to rule over me. No sooner had the Lord God been himself the object of Adam's proud rebellion than the Lord God condescends seeking Adam. The first words from God to fallen man are words of compassion. Where are you? Where art thou?

The first words of a man regarding the newborn babe, Christ Jesus, our Lord, the very first words recorded in the scriptures that were spoken by a man concerning Jesus Christ were these words, thy salvation. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, the old man said. He said, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. He looked at Christ and he said, here's how God's Son incarnate in human flesh is seen by me, described by me under the inspiration of God. Let it be written for all ages to read. Thy salvation. That's the purpose of Christ's incarnation. His name is called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

The first words spoken by a man to identify Christ when he began his public ministry, the very first words were the words of John the Baptist. When he saw the Lord Jesus coming across the field, he said, Behold, there he is. There's the one I've been talking about. There's the one I've been telling you about. There's the one in whose name I have come. There he is, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. The very first words spoken by our Lord himself as he came into this world were words concerning the salvation of sinners.

When our Lord came into the womb of the Virgin Mary, as he came into the womb at the time of conception, he said, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O God. By the which will? We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all his people.

And the last words spoken by our Lord just before he ascended back into glory, the very last words he spoke are recorded in Mark 16. He said, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

Our Lord, when He came into the world, He said, I come to do thy will. Simeon said, He's God's salvation. The angel said, His name is Jesus. The Lord Jesus was beheld by John. He said, He's the Lamb of God. He's come to take away the sin of the world. And as He left this world, He said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.

and the last words of God recorded in the Bible. The very last words of God recorded in the Bible. Turn over to Revelation 22, you'll see it. The very last words of our Savior that are recorded in the Scripture are found in verse 17. Look at what it says. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. Our Lord said, the Spirit says, come. The church of God says, come. All who have heard my word, they say, come. And he says, let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

What I'm saying is this, nothing is more important to the Son of God than the salvation of sinners. His whole heart is filled with the work of salvation. His hands are filled with the work of salvation. Everything he does, everything he has ever done, everything he is now doing, everything he shall yet do. Everything in redemption, everything in creation, everything in providence, everything in grace, everything he does is done for the accomplishment of the salvation of God's elect. Everything.

Thou hast given him power. power, authority, dominion, the right to rule over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. In other words, our Lord declares that the end, the result, the goal which God has in mind in putting all fullness in Christ and giving Christ dominion over all flesh is the salvation of his elect. That he should give eternal life to as many as the Lord God has given him.

The Apostle Paul tells us of God's providence. He says, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. And then he tells us what God's purpose is. He said, whom he foreknew, then he also did predestinate. Whom He did predestinate, them He also called. Whom He called, them He also justified. Whom He justified, them He also glorified.

Well, if God be for us, who can be against us? This is God's purpose. This is the desire of His heart. Our Lord Jesus Christ does everything for the salvation of His people.

The very glory of the triune God. The very glory of the triune God is wrapped up in the salvation of sinners. Turn over to John chapter 12. John the 12th chapter. And listen to what our Lord says. Here's a conversation that took place between Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God the Father. He says in verse 28, Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven saying, I have. I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood by and heard it said it thunder. Others said an angel spoke to it. Jesus answered and said, the voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. In other words, God spoke audibly so that you'd hear what he says.

Now, here's how God glorifies himself. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Now listen, this he said, signifying what death he should die. The glory of God, the very glory of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is wrapped up in this thing called salvation. It is the nature of God, the glory of God, the desire of God, the determination of God, and the joy of God to be gracious and save guilty sinners. Can you grasp that? That's the nature of God. That's the desire of His heart. That's the determination of His eternal counsel. That's the joy of His being, the glorious salvation of sinners.

He illustrates it for us in Luke 15. Our Lord gives us a parable. We generally teach it and preach it as though it were three parables, but it's really just one. Our Lord here gives us a parable concerning the lost sheep, the lost silver, and the lost son. When he speaks of the lost sheep, listen to what he says. In verse 6 of Luke 15, When he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me. Rejoice with me. The Son of God says, come on, come, come, redeemed ones, come, celestial beings, come, rejoice with me. For I have found my sheep, which was lost. I say likewise, I say unto you that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repented, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.

Our Lord speaks of the lost coin. The woman sweeps the house looking for a coin. And when she's found that piece of silver, in verse 10 we read, our Lord says, likewise I say unto you, there is joy, listen, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repented. Songwriters talk about the joy among the angels. Well, that's probably true. I'm certain that's true. But the text says, There shall be joy in the presence of the angels. Joy in their presence. Well, I wonder who rejoices in their presence? The Lord God himself. the Lord God Himself. There's joy in the presence of those angels as they bow to worship at His throne, as they fly swiftly to do His will, as they sing His praises. Every time one of God's elect is saved, the angels see the face of God Himself beamed with joy. There's joy in the presence of the angels.

And then in verse 20, we see a picture of this lost son returning to his father. The only time in the whole Bible, the only time in the whole Bible we ever see God getting in a hurry. The only time in the entire Word of God we see God running. The only time in the scriptures it is mentioned concerning God Almighty showing showing compassion in a burning, fervent way. Now, don't misunderstand me. The terms, as I said this morning, when we talk about God's passion and God's heart and God's emotions being in God, those things are just anthropomorphic terms. But they express what the Spirit wants expressed. They express to us the burning joy of God's heart, the burning desire of God's being for the salvation of His people. Look at what it says here. And He, the Lord God, arose. Or the sinner arose. He arose and came to His Father. But when He was yet a great way off, His Father, that's the Lord God our Savior, His Father saw Him. and had compassion on him. He had cold passion on him. He felt for that boy and he ran and he fell on his neck and he kissed him. The one thing that fills the heart of God our Savior and fills his hands is the salvation of sinners.

Now with that in mind, I want you to turn to our text in Revelation 21. Revelation 21 and verse 6. May the Spirit of God give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to believe what our Lord Jesus says in this text.

And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Did you hear him speak? The Lord Jesus Christ declares, I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Now these words are the words of him who sits upon the throne, the great eternal sovereign king. In verse five, we read, and he that sat upon the throne said, it's the same one speaking now. Here is the great sovereign. This is the one who has total dominion. This is the God who sits upon the throne of everlasting glory, doing His will in all things. This is the God of sovereign election, sovereign predestination, sovereign redemption, and sovereign calling. This is the God of sovereign grace and sovereign dominion. God Almighty sits upon the throne and He says, I will give.

Divine sovereignty, you see, is not opposed to free grace. In fact, it is the source and cause of grace. The Lord Jesus Christ may give or withhold grace as he pleases, but he tells us that it's his will to give. He will have compassion on whom he will have compassion, but he will have compassion. He will be gracious to whom he will be gracious. I defend his right to be. I declare the fact of it, but I'm telling you he will be gracious. He will be merciful to whom he will be merciful, but he declares that he will be merciful. This is our Savior. He tells us his own purpose of grace, saying, I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

And he proves his willingness to do so. His covenant engagements prove his gracious will. The Lord Jesus Christ, before the world began, entered into a covenant with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit on behalf of his people, a covenant of grace, a covenant of mercy, a covenant of peace, whereby he agreed to accomplish our redemption. In His incarnation, when He comes into the world, assuming our nature, the Lord Jesus became a man. He became one of us, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. Will you not hear what He says as He comes into the world? His name is Jesus. He will say. That's His character. That's the reason He came.

Our Lord lived a life of grace and mercy, a life of compassion and goodness. And throughout his life, he demonstrated his will to be gracious, for he was ever gracious. His death declares His will to be gracious. The Lord Jesus Christ did not die for nothing. He did not die simply to set an example. He did not die simply to show men His willingness to save. He died declaring to men that He will save, that He will be gracious, that He will have compassion, that He will show mercy, that He will give life to dead sinners. The Lord Jesus now sits in heaven upon the throne of glory making intercession for, for who? For whom does he make intercession? The scriptures are very plain. He makes intercession for the transgressors. He does not make intercession for good folk. He does not make intercession for self-righteous folk. He does not make intercession for moralists. He makes intercession for transgressors, for sinners, for workers of iniquity. That's his character. He makes intercession at the throne of God for sinful fallen men declaring, I will give to him that is a thirst.

These are the words of Him who has finished the whole work of redemption. He said unto me, it's done. It's done. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, I will give, is the one who says, it is done. These words were spoken by our Lord three times in the scriptures. They were first spoken in John chapter 17 and verse 4. When our Lord had finished the work of righteousness, when he had lived on this earth for the full age of a man for 33 years and lived in perfect obedience to God, living in perfect obedience to the law of God, living in perfect submission to the will of God, our Lord Jesus comes to his father and he says, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. It's done. It's done. I finished the work which God gave me to do. God in the covenant had placed upon him the responsibility of establishing righteousness in the earth. And the Lord Jesus comes down and he says, Father, I've lived as you required. I have finished the work you gave me to do. Here's the righteousness.

And then in John chapter 19 and verse 30, When our Lord had suffered the wrath of God, the full venting of God's anger, wrath, and justice, when he had suffered the wrath of God to the full satisfaction of divine justice as our substitute, our Savior cried, it is finished. And when he had finished the work of redemption, when he had finished the work of atonement, when he had finished the work of salvation, he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. And now, sitting upon the throne of glory, sitting in the lofty heavens, the Lord Jesus Christ looks down upon a sinful man, a man called John. A man who, being just a man on this earth, a sinful man, a fallen man, a corrupt man, a depraved man, he represents us all. And the Lord Jesus speaks to John and he said, now John, write this down for sinners like you to read everywhere. Write it down. It's faithful and true. Write it down. He speaks to John and he says, hear me now. It is done. It's done. What's done? Everything God requires. Everything man needs, it's done. Redemption is accomplished. Justice is satisfied. Sin has been put away. Righteousness is established. Salvation is complete. God is reconciled to man. Man in Christ is reconciled to God. It's done. That's the word of our Savior.

And as the result of his finished work, he says, I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. These are the words of that man. who is himself God, our salvation. When our Savior says, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, he's declaring two things. First, he's declaring his eternal divinity, his eternal Godhead. He says, I am Alpha and Omega. Those are words which describe God. Those are words which are used of Jehovah, the Eternal I Am. The Lord Jesus says, I am. I am the beginning. I am the end. I'm the source of all and the end of all. I'm the beginning of all and the finishing of all. I am the Alpha and the Omega. But more than that, He's declaring that He is God, our salvation. I am the beginning of salvation and the end of salvation. I am the author of salvation and the finisher of salvation. I am the source of grace and I am the goal of grace. I am eternal. I am God. I am grace. I am salvation. And our Lord says now, amen.

Hear me, I am the one who sits on the throne. I am the one who finished the work. I am God. I am salvation. And I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Now look yonder. In your mind's eye, look to the glorious throne of the eternal God. The throne of sovereign dominion. There, sitting upon the throne of the universe, there's God. Do you see him? I see a man. I see a man with a pierced brow. I see a man with stripes on his back. I see a man with nail prints in his hands and in his feet. I see a man with a hole in his side. That man, that man of compassion, that man of tenderness, that man of mercy, that man of grace, that man of goodness, that man of love, that man of peace, that man of mercy, that man is God our Savior, God our salvation. That's who he is. This one who sits upon the throne, who is God eternal in human flesh, is our salvation.

Now hear what he says. He says, I, I, I. Nobody else. I. If you get anything to drink, it's gonna come from me. I. I will. I will. This is my will. This is my purpose. This is my decree. This is my nature. This is my desire. This is my delight. I will. I will give. I will give. I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Let me just make four statements and raise a question. I'll be as brief as I can. But oh, may God make my brief words, words of eternal weight and value to your soul. First of all, I want you to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the fountain of the water of life. He says, I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life. The scientists tell us that all life originally came from the water. Of course, they're fools, we know better. Life is created, life is given, life is sustained, and life is taken away by God. But insofar as spiritual life is concerned, it's true. All spiritual life comes from and is found in the fountain of the water of life. And that fountain of the water of life is Jesus Christ himself.

Our Lord tells us that he is the bread of life. He tells us that he is the light of life. John tells us that he is the word of life. And here we see him described as the water of life. What's he saying? Everything that is essential to life, everything that is essential to life, Jesus Christ is. Everything that's essential to life, Jesus Christ is. He is the word who gives life. If He'll speak tonight, better somebody will live. He's the Word who gives life. He's the Word of life. The Lord Jesus is the bread who nourishes life. Feed on Him and your life will find nourishment. He's the light who strengthens and guides and directs life. Without that light, there could be no strength to life. Life could not exist. Life would have no meaning and no direction. And he's the water, the water who supplies, refreshes, and replenishes life. Without the word of life, you couldn't live. Without the bread of life, you couldn't live. Without the light of life, you couldn't live. Without the water of life, you couldn't live. Our Lord Jesus Christ is that water of life. He's the fountain of the water of life.

Now, a fountain implies several things. A fountain is not a sister. A fountain is not even a well. A fountain implies activity. Did you ever see an artesian well? An artesian well just bubbles up, just bubbles up. When I was in West Virginia, one of the fellows in the congregation there, Had an artesian well out on his farm. He'd walk out on the farm anytime. Anytime. Didn't matter how dry it was. Didn't matter how cold it was. Didn't matter how hot it was. You'd go out there on that farm and he'd have a well just bubbling up out of the ground. Just bubbling up. He never ran out of water. He stuck a pipe in it and had water for his whole family. He just constantly had water bubbling up out of the ground.

That's what a fountain is. A fountain bubbles up with water, but this fountain is unlike that fountain of water in the ground. That fountain did have its limits. That fountain will sooner or later run dry. That fountain does not have an infinite supply of water. This fountain is bubbling up with an infinite supply of water. There is activity in a fountain, and there's abundance in it.

In Christ Jesus, there's the water of life. The water of life in undiminishable abundance. I chose the word purposely. You might not find it in the dictionary. It says what I wanted to say. Undiminishable abundance. Drink from the fountain. Take in great draughts of water from this fountain. Everybody who will, come drink at the fountain. Drink at the fountain every day. Drink at the fountain constantly. It'll never be diminished. Never. It cannot be used up.

And a fountain implies freshness. Freshness. Water in a cistern. Not very fresh, is it? You have to treat it and you got to add chemicals to it. It's pretty good if you catch it right after it rains. But if it sits there for a few weeks, it's kind of stagnant. It's not much count. But water out of a fountain. I'm talking about a gushing fountain. I'm talking about a fountain with limitless supplies, always fresh, never stale, but ever fresh.

Water, you see, is a necessary, essential, delightful element of life. That's what Christ is. He's necessary. He's essential and he's delightful. We must have water or we can't live. It's essential to life. And yet it's one of the most pleasant, delightful aspects of life. Nothing quenches thirst like water. You get out on a hot day and work and sweat. use up bodily fluids and you want something to drink. You can try some lemonade and that helps. You can try some Gatorade, that's all right if you can stomach the taste. You can try some tea and that helps. You can get you a Pepsi Cola and want some more, but get you a nice cool glass of fresh water. Ah, that quenches the thirst.

Nothing quenches thirst like water. and nothing is more highly valued than water when its supply is threatened. Now, you saw on the news this summer during that drought we had, the great fear people had, great fear because the supply of water is threatened. Now, you can get along without a lot of things, but man, you cut off water, you cut off the life supply. You cut off water, you cut off everything. If the water is contaminated, or the water is stocked, life ceases to exist. There can't be any life without water. Now we take it for granted, in this country especially, because we have an abundance of water, really. We have some scarcities from time to time, but in comparison with the rest of the world, we have an abundant supply of water. We run water and just run it until it gets hot so we can shave and run it until it gets good and hot so we can take a bath or shower at the right temperature. We run water to water our lawns and we run water to wash our cars. I've been places where they don't get water but just once or twice a day for an hour or two at a time. And I guarantee you they don't waste any. They take good care of the water because that water means life. Without the water, death is certain.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is that water of life for our souls. Christ Jesus gives like water, both that which is essential and that which is delightful. He gives us righteousness. That's essential. Oh, but there's nothing more delightful. The Lord Jesus Christ makes us what God requires, and that's what our souls desire.

The Lord Jesus gives us atonement. That's essential. You cannot meet God acceptably without atonement. Oh, what a delight. What a delight for me to stand here and proclaim to you accomplished redemption. What a delight for me to know in my soul that my sins are atoned. That's essential. But there's nothing more delightful. The Lord Jesus gives us pardon. Pardon. That's essential. Well, your sins got to be pardoned or you can't meet God. Your sins got to be pardoned or God will never touch you. Your sins got to be put away or God will never accept you. But oh, how delightful to hear him in your soul declare, thy sins are all forgiven. How delightful to hear God speak in your soul through the gospel by his spirit and declare pardon in your heart.

The Lord Jesus gives us immortality, eternal life. Eternal life. How essential. If we had not immortality and eternal life, we would have endless death and destruction. But how delightful. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.

Christ is the fountain then of living waters. But Christ is also a fountain open for sinners. Turn over to Zechariah 13. Let me show you this. Zechariah chapter 13. Verse 1 is talking about the coming of Christ and His death. When you see Him, when the Spirit of God speaks in verse 10 of chapter 12, He says, I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. If God gives you a spirit to seek grace, to supplicate the throne of grace, it's the work of His grace in you. I will pour out the spirit, the Holy Spirit of grace and supplication. And when he does, he says they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. And when they look and they see. When they mourn, when they repent, when their hearts are broken with sin, look at what it says in verse 1 of chapter 13.

In that day, in that day, in that day when the Spirit of God is poured out so you can say, oh God make this the day for us. In that day, in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."

What on earth is the prophet telling us? The Lord Jesus is a fountain opened for sinners. Open to the house of David. That is open to all of God's elect. Christ Jesus is a fountain open for all of those who are loved and chosen of God. All who are redeemed by Christ. All who are called by His Spirit. Open for God's elect. He's a fountain open for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. That is for the church of the living God. Again, for God's elect. For those who come to Zion. He's a fountain open for cleansing. For cleansing from sin and uncleanness.

But notice what he says. How does he describe God's elect? How does he describe the church of God? How does he describe those who are called by his spirit? He is opened for sin and for uncleanness. You think that you can't come to Christ because you're too sinful. You can't come to Christ unless you are sinful. He said, I can't come to Christ, I've got to clean up my life. You clean it up, you can't come. You clean it up, you shut yourself out. I can't come to Christ, I've got to get rid of sin in my life. You try getting rid of it, you can't come. You've got to come with your sin and with your uncleanness. That's the only thing that qualifies you to come. The only thing that qualifies anyone for grace is sin. You come to Him with your sin, but you come to Him to have Him cleanse you from your sin.

Brother Ralph Barnard, some years ago, had an experience that illustrates exactly what the prophet's telling us here. He was making his way across the United States, preaching, going to California, driving an old Model A Ford, I guess it was, paying it overheat. He had to stop and work on it, stop and work on it, stop and work on it. Finally, he got out to Yellowstone National Park. That park that was just burned up in that forest fire in Washington. He got over to that national monument, that national shrine, that geyser called Old Faithful. The bubbling up steamy hot waters coming up from the ground. He took his old handkerchief he'd been using to wipe his hands and wipe his brow. He just put it down in that water. He couldn't wash his face. He pulled it up and that dirty handkerchief came out as white as snow. He held up that handkerchief and he began to sing,

there is a fountain filled with blood,
drawn from Emmanuel's veins
and sinners plunge beneath that flood,
lose all their guilty stains.

Somebody standing behind him said, preacher, you mind if we join you in verse two? The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day and then may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

Plunge into the fountain, you who are sinful, you who are unclean, plunge into the fountain and in God's own sight be made completely clean of all sin. Made clean by Christ Jesus.

This fountain was dug in the eternal purposes of God, opened up by Christ's own death. It's revealed by the proclamation of the gospel and it's a fountain that's enjoyed by faith. The Lord Jesus is a fountain open. And our text declares that Christ will give the water, the water of life to all who thirst. This is what he says. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life. Oh, how can I persuade you to come to the fountain and drink in the water of life? Know this, know this, will you hear me? God help you to hear me. The Lord Jesus Christ keeps a fountain open for thirsty souls. It's always open. He says in that text I read earlier, the spirit and the bride say come, let him that heareth say come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life for him. There's not a word in there that says, no admittance. There's not a word in there that says, do not enter. There's not a word in there that says, you can't come. But every word our Lord says, come, come, come to the fountain, come to the fountain. Folks, find every excuse in the world not to come. Folks, folks refuse to come, they say, well, If I'm not elected, I can't come. If I'm not chosen, I can't come. If I'm not one of the redeemed ones, I can't come. The Lord God says come.

Now if you come, Baba, you're chosen. You're drunk at the fountain lately? You're chosen of God. If you come, you're re-drinking. Have you drunk at this fountain, buddy? If you're drunk at the fountain, you're chosen of God. Come on. Come on and drink. Will you come to the fountain and drink of the water of life? If you come, it's because God chose you. It's because Christ redeemed you. It's because the Spirit of God called you. He says, come. Come to the fountain.

The sign over his door is never keep out. It's always come and welcome. Our Lord Jesus is so anxious for thirsty sinners to have their thirst quenched that he issues invitation after invitation to thirsty sinners to come to him. Let's look at a few.

Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. Oh, everyone that thirsted. If you got a big thirst or a little thirst, everyone that thirsted. If you got a constant thirst or an occasional thirst, everyone that thirsted, come ye to the waters. I ain't got any money. That's all right. Come on in here. He that hath no money, come ye. Bye. Buy? How you gonna buy? I don't have any money. You buy this without any money. Buy and eat. Come ye, buy wine and milk without money and without price. That's the Son of God speaking.

Look in John chapter 4. Not only does our Lord invite us to come, but he looks up thirsty sinners who don't even know they're thirsty and causes them to thirst and then tells them to come. He came to the well of Jacob. He came there on purpose. He must need to go through Samaria. Because there was a Samaritan woman there who was a vile wretch in need of a savior, and she didn't know it. She was thirsty, but she didn't know she had a thirst. She was coming to get some water out of the well. And the Lord began to talk to her and said, if you knew what kind of water I could give you, you'd never thirst again. She said, well, I'm tired of coming to this well. I don't want to come here if I don't have to. Give me this water. And our Lord began to explain to her. He's talking about living water, water of life, spiritual water, spiritual life.

And in verse 14 of John 4, listen to what it says. But 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 life. And the woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. O Lord, give me this water, and take away my thirst for the wells of this earth. Give me this water, and take away my thirst for the pleasures of this world. Give me this water, and take away my thirst for the things of this world. Give me this water, that I may thirst for none else.

Then in John chapter 7, our Lord had been up to the feast of Jerusalem. Multitudes had come to church. I hope you never have to come here like they came there. Oh God, if you come here like they came there, shut down this house. Lord God, shut it down. Let it not be a mockery of worship, but a place of worship. These Jews had come to Jerusalem. They'd come, they'd come to the place of worship, they'd come with the word of God, they'd come with the oracles of God, they'd come to the place of God's appointment, but they came up hungry, and they went away hungry. They came up thirsty, and they went away thirsty. They came up weary, and they went away weary. For there was nothing in the place of Jerusalem for them. Nothing there.

And the Lord Jesus looked out over the crowd. as they were dispersing after all of their ceremony and all their sacrifices and all their ritual and all their songs and all their reading. And he says in verse 37, in the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood to his feet. He cried saying, if any man thirst, let him come to me. Let him come to me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

The Lord Jesus not only invites us to come, but he promises water to the thirsty and he can't lie. I wouldn't lie to you. I wouldn't lie to you. But don't trust me, I might. I might. Hubert wouldn't lie to you, but don't trust him. He might. He might. Don't put your trust in a man, don't do that. But God, who cannot lie, promises water to the thirsty.

Look over in the book of Isaiah 47, or 41 rather, Isaiah chapter 41. Listen to what God says. Verse 17, when the poor and needy seek water and there's none, and the tongue faileth for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make a wilderness, I'll make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water.

He does He does He came to me when my soul was nothing but a wilderness a dry barren and parched land And he's made my soul to be a very spring of water water of life everlasting look in Isaiah 44 Isaiah 44 verse 2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee. Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.

The Lord our God even explains what it is to drink. Now that's grace. Even a thirsty child knows what it is to drink. A thirsty child who's never learned a thing, a newborn baby knows what it is to drink. You just, you point that nose to his mama's breast, he knows what it is to drink. But the Lord condescends to our ignorance and he explains to us what it is to drink. I guess that's necessary because theologians have messed it up so bad, nobody can understand it when men begin to explain it, but our Lord explains it.

He told that woman at the well, he said, now drink of this water. That is, believe me. Believe me. And then he said to those folks at the feast in Jerusalem, he said, he that believeth on me. The two things. Believe what God says about him, believe what he says about himself in the word, and then believe on him. Trust him. Just rest your soul on him. Believe the facts, but more than that, trust the person. Believe the doctrine, but more than that, trust the Savior. Believe on him.

And then the Lord Jesus encourages us to drink, to drink at the fountain of the water of life by giving us emblem after emblem. of this drinking of the fountain. How on earth can a sinner have life before God? He's got to drink the fountain, the fountain of living water. Well, what is that? You remember when Israel was in the wilderness and they murmured because there was no water to drink? There was a rock that followed them. Wherever they went, that rock followed them. Night and day, that rock followed them. And the Lord said, he said to Moses, take the staff and smite the rock, smite the rock. Paul said that rock is Jesus Christ. And Moses smote that rock, the rod of God's justice, the rod of his law, smiting his own dear son. And when the rock was smitten, it gushed out with a river of living water. And men drank, drank, drank, and drank, and drank, and drank of the water. They just kept on drinking. That's Jesus Christ, the fountain of the water of life. God in his justice has smitten his son. And out of his death flows out the water of life for all who drink.

In Psalm 107, listen to what the scripture says. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Ever been there? Fainting for hope, fainting in fear of death, fainting under sense of judgment, fainting with no life, hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. That's all right. Oh, God, find me some fainting souls. I've got good news for them. Listen to what he says. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men, for He satisfies the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

We're about to take the cup of communion. What does it mean to drink of the water of life? You'll take that cup of wine and a little bit, you who are believers, you who are not, watch, watch, we're going to show you what it means to believe. We'll show you what it means to drink of the water of life. You take that cup, that cup of wine, which symbolizes the blood of Christ. It only symbolizes it, it is not the blood, but it symbolizes the blood. And you drink it. And when you're drunk it, it's yours. It's yours. Not all the doctors, physicists, or chemists in the world can take it away from you. It's yours. It flows into your body. It becomes part of you. It becomes part of you. It's yours. Permanently yours. It's yours. By faith, we take Christ, drink Him in. And He's mine. He's mine. Permanently, forever mine. Not all the demons of hell can take him away. He's mine. He's mine. I know that Christ Jesus will give the water of life to all who thirst because I drink of the fountain continually.

The psalmist David speaks of this fountain and his experience in Psalm 42. Let me read it to you. He said, as the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, when I shall come and appear before God. When shall I come and appear before God? Then he speaks concerning this great God of his and says, when I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me, for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise, with the multitude that kept the holy day. And I said, why art thou cast down, O my soul? God satisfies the thirst of my heart.

In Psalm 63, David had the same kind of an experience. He said, he said in verse one, Psalm 63, Oh God, thou art my God. Early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee. My flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. And then he says, my soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness. And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.

And I know that Christ will give water to the thirsty. because he's pronounced his own special blessing upon those who thirst. Do you remember what he said in the Sermon on the Mount? He said, blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Now hear me and rejoice. Christ Jesus gives this water of life freely. freely. They say nothing's free, grace is. The only thing in this world that's free is grace, but that is free. He gives to all who are thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely. He doesn't charge a thing. There's no cost, no cost. More than that, he doesn't set any condition. They're no conditions. More than that, he gives no qualifications. They're none whatever. It's free. Grace is free.

And they're not even any stipulations. Some folks say that grace is free in the beginning, but then there are certain conditions and stipulations attached to it. Not at all. There's no cost, there's no conditions, there are no stipulations, there's absolutely no qualification to be met by you before you can drink, while you're drinking, or after you've drunk. There are no costs involved. Christ Jesus is the water of life, and the water of life is free.

Let me ask you one question, and I'm done. Are you thirsty? Are you thirsty? I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty. I looked up all the commentaries I have on this text, and a few that belong to some other fellas, and I read all the sermons I could find on it, and the more I read, the more I realized that fellas trying to explain what thirsty means is kind of like a fella talking to a blind man trying to explain what light means. If you're thirsty, you know it. You don't need me to tell you whether or not you're thirsty. If you're thirsty, you want something to drink. It's just that simple. Are you thirsty?

If you're thirsty, Christ Jesus is the water of life to all who thirst. I know that you're in great need But thirst is something more than the need. Thirst is the need realized. Thirst is the desire, the craving of the heart for water arising from a sense of need. Thirst is itself important because you'll never drink unless you're thirsty. But I'm afraid that a lot of fellows spend all of their time trying to quench their thirst with thirst. Well, thirst won't quench thirst. You got to drink to quench thirst. Are you thirsty? Thirsty for righteousness? Christ is the water. Come and drink.

Are you thirsty for peace? Christ is the water. Come and drink. Are you thirsty for life? Christ is the water. Come and drink. Are you thirsty for atonement? Christ is the water. Come and drink. Are you thirsty for communion with God? Yeah, I am. To know Him, fellowship with Him, hear His voice, to see His face. There's no point in sitting around talking about the thirst. Come and drink. Just come and drink. Christ is the water.

Are you thirsty? Come and drink. That's what He says. You thirsty for assurance, comfort, knowledge, cleansing? Come and drink. Thirsty for reviving of your soul? Come and drink. I hear people talk about revival. Some fellas spend their lives going around the country talking about revivals they used to have and how things ought to be. You want revival? Come and drink. Just come and drink. That's all I ask. Come and drink.

Are you thirsty? The Lord Jesus says, I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life. Breathe in. O God, make us to thirst, and God, quench our thirst with Christ Jesus, the water of life. Amen.