Surrender For Victory
John 7:37-39 (Audio Only)
Message #12
It is our last message in the Holy Spirit series. It’s been a real blessing for me to teach; I pray it’s been a blessing for you to hear. So, what I’d like to do today as we wrap up this series on the Holy Spirit, is review a little bit of what we have been through the last eleven messages.
We started by talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Is there one? Yes. Does it happen after salvation? Yes and no. Is there a certain sign? Yes. Is it tongues? No. Is it the fruit of the Spirit? Yes.
Next, we said that the Person of the Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead at work in the world today. And that’s why it is so critical that we understand his role. It is God, the Holy Spirit, who is primarily at work in the world today in our lives and in the world around us. He is the one who is working in us and through us.
Next, we said that because of that, we cannot live for Christ without the Holy Spirit. We cannot be a disciple of Christ without the Holy Spirit. We can be religious without the Holy Spirit, but all we have is our flesh to serve God with if we don’t have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. And so, that flesh equals religion, and relationship equals Jesus Christ living in you lit alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Next, we said most clearly, that the Holy Spirit’s overwhelming role in our lives is to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. The totality of his work is to transform us into the image of Christ.
And so, then we started with an overview of the gifts. We looked at manifestation gifts, those that come at a specific time for a specific purpose. And we looked at ministry gifts, those that cause us to fill the role in the Body that God, the Holy Spirit, has sovereignly chosen for us.
Then, we dove into the gifts, two by two. And we did quite a few, not all of them. And then we were repeatedly reminded during the study of the gifts that the sole purpose for the gifts of the Holy Spirit was the edification of the Body. It was the building up, the strengthening, the supporting of one another. And that may very well be where this call to prayer for one another has come from. Certainly, it has come from the Holy Spirit. But more and more, there is an acknowledgment that the purpose for our role is for the person sitting next to us, and we made that very, very clear.
We dealt with how to fulfill your role in the Body. And the one before that was what I considered the most important message of the entire series, “Spirit or Flesh.” How to know whether we are walking in the Spirit or walking in the flesh.
That is a quick review of all that God has taught us over the past eleven weeks. Today, we end the whole series on the Holy Spirit with this battle cry, “Surrender For Victory!” And I don’t know if it is a strange summation to you, but it just seemed too appropriate to me. And let me tell you why.
I had two weeks to pray and contemplate and think about how to wrap up this series on the Holy Spirit. And I felt like we’ve studied the key theology of who the Holy Spirit is pretty well. I thought we had acquired the knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit, the role of the Holy Spirit pretty well. But in our key scripture, today, we read where Jesus says that out of us will flow rivers of living water. That there will be rivers of living water flowing forth from our lives. Speaking of the Holy Spirit. And so, the question was one of application that came to me.
And this is the question that rose to me. If we have taken the appropriate steps of salvation, of baptism in the Holy Spirit, and if we have understood the role of the Holy Spirit both in his life and in the Church, and if we have agreed to these things and said amen, and if we have even applied them to our lives, then there has to be one ringing question in our ears. And that is, do we see rivers of living water flowing forth from our lives? Because the Bible promises that there will be rivers of living water flowing forth from our lives.
And so, that is the question that requires honesty for me and for each of you. And if we are honest enough to say, “Well, not really. I’ve been here. I’ve heard it. I believe it. I’ve accepted it. I’ve said amen; I’ve even applied it. But rivers of living water gushing forth from my life… no, not really. I don’t see that.” Or maybe we would say, “Well, not as much as I would like. I’d like maybe a little more of that gushing forth.”
Then I think we have to say, if not, why not? If we don’t see those rivers of living water after twelve weeks immersed in the Holy Spirit, why don’t we? And I believe that the answer is in our text today. This text speaks very loudly in John Chapter 7, in my opinion, as to why the fruit of the Spirit does not flow forth from a believer’s life.
By the way, the answer to the question “Why?” is hidden in these verses, so you have to look very closely.
John 7:37-39 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;
So, it’s wonderful to know that as the scripture says, out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water. If we use the much more descriptive meanings of the original language, the original language paints a picture of torrents of rushing, living water. Of living water rushing out of our lives. Torrents of living water rushing forth from our lives.
And then, of course, in verse 39, it’s very clear that it is talking about the Holy Spirit. Well, when we say the Holy Spirit, we mean the fruit of the Holy Spirit. So, turn to Galatians 5 and ask ourselves what does that mean to have rivers of living water flowing forth from your life. What does it look like in English? The Bible is very applicable and not difficult to understand.
This is what should be gushing forth from our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love (see 1 Corinthians 13, which is about the fruit of the Holy Spirit), joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control.
So, speaking specifically to Christians today, to those of us who have been born again, and baptized in the Holy Spirit, here are the questions. If we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, and if we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, then we know that this verse is true, positionally. Why don’t we see it more in our lives? Why is there not more evidence of these rivers of living waters specifically described there in Galatians 5:22? Why aren’t these things gushing forth from our lives? And now, certainly, there are a number of answers that would be appropriate there, and many great Bible teachers spend their whole lives defining these answers. So, we may not be able to address them all today, but I can – with you – address one, in my opinion, major overriding reason why these things aren’t flowing forth from our lives.
One overriding, humungous reason. Let’s read John 7, verse 37 again. I pray the Holy Spirit really reveals this to us today.
John 7:37-38 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The first phrase is come unto me, and the second phrase is believes in me. Two small phrases in a great and famous verse in the Bible most often totally skipped over on the way to this fabulous statement of rivers of living water flowing forth from our hearts. But I believe in these two statements, we find the overriding reason why the fruit of the Spirit is not flowing forth from our lives. I believe, and I have to be careful to say this, in one sense, that these two phrases make this verse conditional. These two phrases make this promise conditional.
Now, it’s critically important that I say I am not talking about salvation today because salvation is by faith and faith alone with no conditions. I am talking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit flowing forth from a believer’s life. And I’m telling you, there are conditions for that. And I believe there are two massive ones are in these two verses.
So, the first conditional phrase found in verse 37 come unto me (King James style). If anyone thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. Guys, this is what I want you to hear today.
The phrase come unto me is a phrase of surrender of our own will.
The verb translated, come means literally “to leave one place and arrive at another.” Very appropriate definition. To leave one place, our own will, and arrive at another place, his will. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? Sure, as long as you didn’t have the flesh with you, it would be simple. To leave one place and arrive at another – come unto me.
I am indebted to Oswald Chambers (and to my brother Walt Stoermer) for the devotional, My Utmost For His Highest. Oswald Chambers has taught me many of the greatest lessons of walking with Christ. Watch very carefully in this quote how critical the surrender of our will is.
Oswald Chambers The questions that matter in life are remarkably few. And they are all answered by Jesus’ words, Come unto me. (Very powerful statement.) It’s not do this or don’t do that, but come unto me. Have you ever come to Jesus? Watch the stubbornness of your heart. You will do anything rather than the one simple childlike thing, come unto me. The attitude of coming unto Jesus is that the will resolutely lets go of everything and deliberately commits all to him.
Guys, to come unto Jesus is the complete one hundred percent surrender of our own will. It is leaving the place of our will, and arriving at the place of his will. Come unto me and drink.
Let me give you Oswald Chamber’s number one devotion. When he describes the title of his devotion on his first day, he says this. Paul says my determination (meaning the Apostle Paul) is to be my utmost for his Highest. To get there is a question of will. Not of debate, not of reasoning, but a surrender of will. An absolute and irrevocable surrender on that point and an arrogant consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that decision.
That is how Oswald Chambers starts this possibly most powerful devotional book around, in some of our opinions.
Here’s the question again. Why do we not see the fruit of the Holy Spirit flowing from our lives? I believe, and guys, I’m always a how guy. I always say, “Okay, Lord. How? How do I do that in my own life?” And honestly, don’t take this wrong; your benefit is because of what he does in me. So, I’m not saying, “Lord, how do I change the congregation?” Man, that’s not even my job! My job is just to change me, and then God will change you. So, I say, “God, how do I do this in my life?”
And I believe the answer is that if the fruit of the Spirit is not flowing forth from our lives, that it is primarily because of our stubborn, prideful, self-centered will. And a refusal to truly surrender our will to God’s will.
Now, obviously, people will say, “Well, what about sin, etc.” It all comes from your and my prideful, stubborn, self-centered will. So, as we leave this study on the Holy Spirit, if you and I as believers have listened and agreed and said amen to all the truths, yet we see little flowing forth from our lives of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, then I just challenge us (me included) to accept and acknowledge that it is our will that is keeping us from seeing the fruit of the Holy Spirit flow through our lives. It’s not God because he has done it all. He’s provided it all.
So, even as Christians, we refuse to come unto Jesus. Even as Christians, we refuse to set our will aside and to fully, completely throw ourselves down upon the will of Jesus Christ.
There’s a story about a sailor that helps describe this (I don’t do very many stories).
There was a sailor who always got lost at sea. And so, his friends gave him a compass one day and said, “Next time you go out to sea, take the compass so you won’t get lost.” Well, the sailor went out to sea and immediately got desperately lost. And so, when his friends finally found him lost at sea, they asked him, “Why didn’t you use the compass we gave you?” And he said, “I didn’t dare use that thing because all the time I was going north, it said I was going east. So, since it was obviously wrong, I threw it overboard.”
Guys, we’ve learned how to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. We’ve learned how to walk in his power. We’ve learned how to be supernaturally changed by his leading, by his gifts, by his guidance of our lives. But if we will not surrender our stubborn and prideful will, then we will end up throwing the Holy Spirit overboard and continuing on, steadfast into destruction. Having all the knowledge, all the power, all the guidance in our hand, we still must surrender our will to the power of the Holy Spirit. Or otherwise, we are throwing him overboard. No surrender, no victory.
If we refuse to surrender to all that we know and all that the Holy Spirit is in us, our lives will not change.
And so, if our lives aren’t changing, then we’re not surrendering. It’s as simple as that.
So, our battle is in our desire to align the Holy Spirit with our will. Do you understand that? If the Holy Spirit happens to make sense to us, if we happen to agree with him, then, hey, why not? We’ll go along with him. How often does that happen? Never. The Holy Spirit will always fly in the face of human reasoning. The Holy Spirit will always be in in contradiction in total contrast to fleshly, human logic.
How often does the Holy Spirit give us guidance that flies in the face of our own reasoning and logic? And so, instead of following him, because he is God, we throw him overboard like the compass? Why? Because we are stubbornly determined to continue in our own way. It’s really as simple as that.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Is there any indication in that verse that you will automatically take the way of escape? No. But there is a promise that God has made it. God’s compass to point you to the way of escape has a name. His name is the Holy Spirit. And when he says, go east, and you say, “I’m throwing you overboard because I’m going north,” then you will not make that way of escape. And you will continue in the tribulation that you have put yourself in, to begin with. All the time, you have the power for you to take the way of escape that you may be able to bear the tribulation. But if you refuse to use it, it’s of no good to you.
Guys, the issue is a surrender of our will. Walking in the Spirit is not an intellectual act. In fact, walking in the Spirit flies in the face of our own intellect. It flies in the face of our own reason and understanding. If you ever find yourself saying, “God, that just doesn’t make sense,” then take that route because it is probably God. And as soon as you say, “Yeah, that’s the way. That’s what I’m going to do. Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me,” then have someone lock you up in a room until you get over that! The Holy Spirit will always be contrary to your own opinion. And if you ever do happen to agree with the Holy Spirit, that’s the Holy Spirit in you, and on that point, you have surrendered. But you, in and of yourself, will never agree.
The context in 1 Corinthians 2 is spiritual wisdom.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;
Your nature does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. In fact, you’ll say, “That’s foolishness. Forgive when I’ve been hurt to that extent? Love when I shouldn’t have to? Serve when they don’t deserve it? That’s foolishness.” That should be your sign to prove that is God. If it sounds like foolishness to your nature, there’s a pretty good chance it’s from God.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
And so, when we get that miraculous peace of saying, “Lord. That’s the craziest thing in the world. Let’s go do it!” that’s a good thing. We can’t line up the guidance of the Holy Spirit with our own will because they can’t be aligned. They’re like oil and water. So, you can’t wait for your will to line up with the Holy Spirit. Your will needs to be crucified, surrendered, left, and you move to God’s will, falling wholly and completely on him. Surrender our will to the will of God.
Unfortunately, we are so often so set on our own will that this supernatural power-compass-guide-gift-giver we throw overboard because we are dead set in our own methods.
Here is a quote from Chuck Smith’s book Living Water. This is the book that a good part of this study has come from.
Chuck Smith “The Christian life really is the ultimate experience. But it is only so for those who allow God free reign in their lives.” (That is a statement of the surrender of our own will.) “The Christian life is the ultimate experience only for those who invite God to do everything for them that he wants to do. It is so only for those who say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit, moving unto Jesus. It is the ultimate experience only for those who allow God to bring forth much fruit in their lives.”
Guys, what we need to hear as we leave this series on the Holy Spirit, is that the Spirit-filled Christian life is the ultimate experience and it is so only for those who have surrendered their own will one hundred percent completely and come unto Jesus. And have thrown themselves down at the will of Jesus. Only then is the Spirit-filled Christian life the ultimate experience. Only then will Christians see the fruit of the Spirit rushing forth, torrents of living water from their hearts. Only then will we find victory as Christians as soon as our own will is surrendered.
Let’s look at the second condition.
John 7:37-38 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
That’s our second conditional phrase for having living water flow out of you. Believes in me. Sounds pretty easy, right? Let’s take a look at what the word believe means and see if it is still so simple.
The word believe means literally “to put your full trust and confidence in a thing or a person.” Let me give you an example. Do you believe that this pulpit exists? Yes. Do you put your full trust and confidence in this pulpit? No. (Nor should you in the person standing behind it.) You believe this pulpit exists, but you don’t put your trust and confidence in this pulpit. Now, let me read verse 38 again, putting in the literal meaning of believe. Now, watch carefully the conditional statement for living water flowing forth from your life.
John 7:38 (Paraphrased)
38 He who puts his full trust and confidence in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Have you ever seen a Christian who believes in Jesus but maybe at least for the moment, does not seem to be putting their full trust and confidence in Jesus? Yeah, I have. Have you ever been a Christian who believes in Jesus but, at least maybe for the moment, have not been putting your full trust and confidence in Jesus? I have.
John 7:38 (Paraphrased)
38 He who puts his full trust and confidence in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
There is a critical point in Mark 10 that I want you to see. And the point is this: it is the word full in that definition of belief. Full trust and confidence. Not ninety-nine percent. Full.
Mark 10:17-22 (NKJV)
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at him (have an intense gaze as if into the soul), loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Now, is this text about possessions? No. Not at all. Did Jesus tell everybody to sell their possessions? No. Not at all. Why did he tell that to this man? The man did not go away sorrowful just because he had great possessions.
Please hear this. The man went away sorrowful because he put his trust and confidence in his possessions. The possessions aren’t an issue. They don’t matter. But when you put your trust and confidence in something other than Jesus, Jesus will look into your soul and loving you (as it says here), he will say, Surrender that. That thing that you put your trust and confidence in that is not me; surrender it. And when you do, you will have riches, treasure in heaven. And as you follow Christ, you will live the ultimate experience. But first, you must surrender that one thing that you have trust and confidence in that is not Jesus Christ. That’s what he means when he says, He who believes in me.
He who puts their full trust and confidence in me, will have rivers of living water flowing from their lives.
Guys, it doesn’t fit our reasoning. It doesn’t fit our logic. But Jesus says, we’ve got to surrender our own will, one hundred percent, come unto me. And we’ve got to surrender anything else that we put our trust and confidence in other than Jesus Christ – believing in him only.
In what area, what one thing do you put your trust and confidence in other than Christ? I’m not talking about possessions. Maybe it’s an opinion that you hold on to so tightly. Maybe it’s a wrong that has been done to you that there is no reason in the world you should forgive. Maybe it’s a belief that God should be doing something more your way. Jesus will look at you, loving you, and say, Surrender that and follow me. Come unto me. Leave that and come unto me. And when you do, you will have treasure in heaven, and you will begin to see rivers of living water – supernatural life – issuing forth from your heart.
What does it have to do with the Holy Spirit, and why is it applicable here? Because the Holy Spirit is the compass. The Holy Spirit is the one that tells you that’s the flesh. That’s not God. Why are you going that way? There’s destruction down that path. Why are you going that way? Yikes! I’ve got to throw that compass overboard before I start listening to it because I am so committed to go the way I want to go.
That’s the Holy Spirit’s role. He’s the guide. He’s the messenger. He’s the power. He’s the life to surrender your own will, throw yourself on Christ, to trust him completely.
When the Holy Spirit gives you the way out, you will have an instant where you must choose, where you must surrender your own will and throw yourself in abandon onto his will. If we arrogantly cling to our own will, putting our trust and confidence in something other than Christ, we will be allowed – as Christians, even Spirit-filled Christians – to continue on a road of devastation and destruction simply because we refuse to surrender our own will to Christ.
I’d just like to read you “Dave’s paraphrase.” All I want to do is plug in the definitions of these two phrases into these two verses.
John 7:37-38 (Paraphrased)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him surrender his own will, casting himself completely onto Me, and drink.
38 He who puts his full trust and confidence in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
I hope that makes as much sense to you as it does to me, not in our flesh, but in our spirit that makes so much sense.
If we want this to be true, if we want to see this “rivers of living water,” all we have to do is surrender our own will one hundred percent completely and come unto Jesus in abandon to his will, and put our full trust and confidence in him that he is God, that he does know, and that he is able. And then, via the Holy Spirit, rivers of living water will flow from our lives.
We started by talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Is there one? Yes. Does it happen after salvation? Yes and no. Is there a certain sign? Yes. Is it tongues? No. Is it the fruit of the Spirit? Yes.
Next, we said that the Person of the Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead at work in the world today. And that’s why it is so critical that we understand his role. It is God, the Holy Spirit, who is primarily at work in the world today in our lives and in the world around us. He is the one who is working in us and through us.
Next, we said that because of that, we cannot live for Christ without the Holy Spirit. We cannot be a disciple of Christ without the Holy Spirit. We can be religious without the Holy Spirit, but all we have is our flesh to serve God with if we don’t have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. And so, that flesh equals religion, and relationship equals Jesus Christ living in you lit alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Next, we said most clearly, that the Holy Spirit’s overwhelming role in our lives is to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. The totality of his work is to transform us into the image of Christ.
And so, then we started with an overview of the gifts. We looked at manifestation gifts, those that come at a specific time for a specific purpose. And we looked at ministry gifts, those that cause us to fill the role in the Body that God, the Holy Spirit, has sovereignly chosen for us.
Then, we dove into the gifts, two by two. And we did quite a few, not all of them. And then we were repeatedly reminded during the study of the gifts that the sole purpose for the gifts of the Holy Spirit was the edification of the Body. It was the building up, the strengthening, the supporting of one another. And that may very well be where this call to prayer for one another has come from. Certainly, it has come from the Holy Spirit. But more and more, there is an acknowledgment that the purpose for our role is for the person sitting next to us, and we made that very, very clear.
We dealt with how to fulfill your role in the Body. And the one before that was what I considered the most important message of the entire series, “Spirit or Flesh.” How to know whether we are walking in the Spirit or walking in the flesh.
That is a quick review of all that God has taught us over the past eleven weeks. Today, we end the whole series on the Holy Spirit with this battle cry, “Surrender For Victory!” And I don’t know if it is a strange summation to you, but it just seemed too appropriate to me. And let me tell you why.
I had two weeks to pray and contemplate and think about how to wrap up this series on the Holy Spirit. And I felt like we’ve studied the key theology of who the Holy Spirit is pretty well. I thought we had acquired the knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit, the role of the Holy Spirit pretty well. But in our key scripture, today, we read where Jesus says that out of us will flow rivers of living water. That there will be rivers of living water flowing forth from our lives. Speaking of the Holy Spirit. And so, the question was one of application that came to me.
And this is the question that rose to me. If we have taken the appropriate steps of salvation, of baptism in the Holy Spirit, and if we have understood the role of the Holy Spirit both in his life and in the Church, and if we have agreed to these things and said amen, and if we have even applied them to our lives, then there has to be one ringing question in our ears. And that is, do we see rivers of living water flowing forth from our lives? Because the Bible promises that there will be rivers of living water flowing forth from our lives.
And so, that is the question that requires honesty for me and for each of you. And if we are honest enough to say, “Well, not really. I’ve been here. I’ve heard it. I believe it. I’ve accepted it. I’ve said amen; I’ve even applied it. But rivers of living water gushing forth from my life… no, not really. I don’t see that.” Or maybe we would say, “Well, not as much as I would like. I’d like maybe a little more of that gushing forth.”
Then I think we have to say, if not, why not? If we don’t see those rivers of living water after twelve weeks immersed in the Holy Spirit, why don’t we? And I believe that the answer is in our text today. This text speaks very loudly in John Chapter 7, in my opinion, as to why the fruit of the Spirit does not flow forth from a believer’s life.
By the way, the answer to the question “Why?” is hidden in these verses, so you have to look very closely.
John 7:37-39 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;
So, it’s wonderful to know that as the scripture says, out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water. If we use the much more descriptive meanings of the original language, the original language paints a picture of torrents of rushing, living water. Of living water rushing out of our lives. Torrents of living water rushing forth from our lives.
And then, of course, in verse 39, it’s very clear that it is talking about the Holy Spirit. Well, when we say the Holy Spirit, we mean the fruit of the Holy Spirit. So, turn to Galatians 5 and ask ourselves what does that mean to have rivers of living water flowing forth from your life. What does it look like in English? The Bible is very applicable and not difficult to understand.
This is what should be gushing forth from our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love (see 1 Corinthians 13, which is about the fruit of the Holy Spirit), joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control.
So, speaking specifically to Christians today, to those of us who have been born again, and baptized in the Holy Spirit, here are the questions. If we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, and if we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, then we know that this verse is true, positionally. Why don’t we see it more in our lives? Why is there not more evidence of these rivers of living waters specifically described there in Galatians 5:22? Why aren’t these things gushing forth from our lives? And now, certainly, there are a number of answers that would be appropriate there, and many great Bible teachers spend their whole lives defining these answers. So, we may not be able to address them all today, but I can – with you – address one, in my opinion, major overriding reason why these things aren’t flowing forth from our lives.
One overriding, humungous reason. Let’s read John 7, verse 37 again. I pray the Holy Spirit really reveals this to us today.
John 7:37-38 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The first phrase is come unto me, and the second phrase is believes in me. Two small phrases in a great and famous verse in the Bible most often totally skipped over on the way to this fabulous statement of rivers of living water flowing forth from our hearts. But I believe in these two statements, we find the overriding reason why the fruit of the Spirit is not flowing forth from our lives. I believe, and I have to be careful to say this, in one sense, that these two phrases make this verse conditional. These two phrases make this promise conditional.
Now, it’s critically important that I say I am not talking about salvation today because salvation is by faith and faith alone with no conditions. I am talking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit flowing forth from a believer’s life. And I’m telling you, there are conditions for that. And I believe there are two massive ones are in these two verses.
So, the first conditional phrase found in verse 37 come unto me (King James style). If anyone thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. Guys, this is what I want you to hear today.
The phrase come unto me is a phrase of surrender of our own will.
The verb translated, come means literally “to leave one place and arrive at another.” Very appropriate definition. To leave one place, our own will, and arrive at another place, his will. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? Sure, as long as you didn’t have the flesh with you, it would be simple. To leave one place and arrive at another – come unto me.
I am indebted to Oswald Chambers (and to my brother Walt Stoermer) for the devotional, My Utmost For His Highest. Oswald Chambers has taught me many of the greatest lessons of walking with Christ. Watch very carefully in this quote how critical the surrender of our will is.
Oswald Chambers The questions that matter in life are remarkably few. And they are all answered by Jesus’ words, Come unto me. (Very powerful statement.) It’s not do this or don’t do that, but come unto me. Have you ever come to Jesus? Watch the stubbornness of your heart. You will do anything rather than the one simple childlike thing, come unto me. The attitude of coming unto Jesus is that the will resolutely lets go of everything and deliberately commits all to him.
Guys, to come unto Jesus is the complete one hundred percent surrender of our own will. It is leaving the place of our will, and arriving at the place of his will. Come unto me and drink.
Let me give you Oswald Chamber’s number one devotion. When he describes the title of his devotion on his first day, he says this. Paul says my determination (meaning the Apostle Paul) is to be my utmost for his Highest. To get there is a question of will. Not of debate, not of reasoning, but a surrender of will. An absolute and irrevocable surrender on that point and an arrogant consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that decision.
That is how Oswald Chambers starts this possibly most powerful devotional book around, in some of our opinions.
Here’s the question again. Why do we not see the fruit of the Holy Spirit flowing from our lives? I believe, and guys, I’m always a how guy. I always say, “Okay, Lord. How? How do I do that in my own life?” And honestly, don’t take this wrong; your benefit is because of what he does in me. So, I’m not saying, “Lord, how do I change the congregation?” Man, that’s not even my job! My job is just to change me, and then God will change you. So, I say, “God, how do I do this in my life?”
And I believe the answer is that if the fruit of the Spirit is not flowing forth from our lives, that it is primarily because of our stubborn, prideful, self-centered will. And a refusal to truly surrender our will to God’s will.
Now, obviously, people will say, “Well, what about sin, etc.” It all comes from your and my prideful, stubborn, self-centered will. So, as we leave this study on the Holy Spirit, if you and I as believers have listened and agreed and said amen to all the truths, yet we see little flowing forth from our lives of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, then I just challenge us (me included) to accept and acknowledge that it is our will that is keeping us from seeing the fruit of the Holy Spirit flow through our lives. It’s not God because he has done it all. He’s provided it all.
So, even as Christians, we refuse to come unto Jesus. Even as Christians, we refuse to set our will aside and to fully, completely throw ourselves down upon the will of Jesus Christ.
There’s a story about a sailor that helps describe this (I don’t do very many stories).
There was a sailor who always got lost at sea. And so, his friends gave him a compass one day and said, “Next time you go out to sea, take the compass so you won’t get lost.” Well, the sailor went out to sea and immediately got desperately lost. And so, when his friends finally found him lost at sea, they asked him, “Why didn’t you use the compass we gave you?” And he said, “I didn’t dare use that thing because all the time I was going north, it said I was going east. So, since it was obviously wrong, I threw it overboard.”
Guys, we’ve learned how to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. We’ve learned how to walk in his power. We’ve learned how to be supernaturally changed by his leading, by his gifts, by his guidance of our lives. But if we will not surrender our stubborn and prideful will, then we will end up throwing the Holy Spirit overboard and continuing on, steadfast into destruction. Having all the knowledge, all the power, all the guidance in our hand, we still must surrender our will to the power of the Holy Spirit. Or otherwise, we are throwing him overboard. No surrender, no victory.
If we refuse to surrender to all that we know and all that the Holy Spirit is in us, our lives will not change.
And so, if our lives aren’t changing, then we’re not surrendering. It’s as simple as that.
So, our battle is in our desire to align the Holy Spirit with our will. Do you understand that? If the Holy Spirit happens to make sense to us, if we happen to agree with him, then, hey, why not? We’ll go along with him. How often does that happen? Never. The Holy Spirit will always fly in the face of human reasoning. The Holy Spirit will always be in in contradiction in total contrast to fleshly, human logic.
How often does the Holy Spirit give us guidance that flies in the face of our own reasoning and logic? And so, instead of following him, because he is God, we throw him overboard like the compass? Why? Because we are stubbornly determined to continue in our own way. It’s really as simple as that.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Is there any indication in that verse that you will automatically take the way of escape? No. But there is a promise that God has made it. God’s compass to point you to the way of escape has a name. His name is the Holy Spirit. And when he says, go east, and you say, “I’m throwing you overboard because I’m going north,” then you will not make that way of escape. And you will continue in the tribulation that you have put yourself in, to begin with. All the time, you have the power for you to take the way of escape that you may be able to bear the tribulation. But if you refuse to use it, it’s of no good to you.
Guys, the issue is a surrender of our will. Walking in the Spirit is not an intellectual act. In fact, walking in the Spirit flies in the face of our own intellect. It flies in the face of our own reason and understanding. If you ever find yourself saying, “God, that just doesn’t make sense,” then take that route because it is probably God. And as soon as you say, “Yeah, that’s the way. That’s what I’m going to do. Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me,” then have someone lock you up in a room until you get over that! The Holy Spirit will always be contrary to your own opinion. And if you ever do happen to agree with the Holy Spirit, that’s the Holy Spirit in you, and on that point, you have surrendered. But you, in and of yourself, will never agree.
The context in 1 Corinthians 2 is spiritual wisdom.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;
Your nature does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. In fact, you’ll say, “That’s foolishness. Forgive when I’ve been hurt to that extent? Love when I shouldn’t have to? Serve when they don’t deserve it? That’s foolishness.” That should be your sign to prove that is God. If it sounds like foolishness to your nature, there’s a pretty good chance it’s from God.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
And so, when we get that miraculous peace of saying, “Lord. That’s the craziest thing in the world. Let’s go do it!” that’s a good thing. We can’t line up the guidance of the Holy Spirit with our own will because they can’t be aligned. They’re like oil and water. So, you can’t wait for your will to line up with the Holy Spirit. Your will needs to be crucified, surrendered, left, and you move to God’s will, falling wholly and completely on him. Surrender our will to the will of God.
Unfortunately, we are so often so set on our own will that this supernatural power-compass-guide-gift-giver we throw overboard because we are dead set in our own methods.
Here is a quote from Chuck Smith’s book Living Water. This is the book that a good part of this study has come from.
Chuck Smith “The Christian life really is the ultimate experience. But it is only so for those who allow God free reign in their lives.” (That is a statement of the surrender of our own will.) “The Christian life is the ultimate experience only for those who invite God to do everything for them that he wants to do. It is so only for those who say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit, moving unto Jesus. It is the ultimate experience only for those who allow God to bring forth much fruit in their lives.”
Guys, what we need to hear as we leave this series on the Holy Spirit, is that the Spirit-filled Christian life is the ultimate experience and it is so only for those who have surrendered their own will one hundred percent completely and come unto Jesus. And have thrown themselves down at the will of Jesus. Only then is the Spirit-filled Christian life the ultimate experience. Only then will Christians see the fruit of the Spirit rushing forth, torrents of living water from their hearts. Only then will we find victory as Christians as soon as our own will is surrendered.
Let’s look at the second condition.
John 7:37-38 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
That’s our second conditional phrase for having living water flow out of you. Believes in me. Sounds pretty easy, right? Let’s take a look at what the word believe means and see if it is still so simple.
The word believe means literally “to put your full trust and confidence in a thing or a person.” Let me give you an example. Do you believe that this pulpit exists? Yes. Do you put your full trust and confidence in this pulpit? No. (Nor should you in the person standing behind it.) You believe this pulpit exists, but you don’t put your trust and confidence in this pulpit. Now, let me read verse 38 again, putting in the literal meaning of believe. Now, watch carefully the conditional statement for living water flowing forth from your life.
John 7:38 (Paraphrased)
38 He who puts his full trust and confidence in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Have you ever seen a Christian who believes in Jesus but maybe at least for the moment, does not seem to be putting their full trust and confidence in Jesus? Yeah, I have. Have you ever been a Christian who believes in Jesus but, at least maybe for the moment, have not been putting your full trust and confidence in Jesus? I have.
John 7:38 (Paraphrased)
38 He who puts his full trust and confidence in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
There is a critical point in Mark 10 that I want you to see. And the point is this: it is the word full in that definition of belief. Full trust and confidence. Not ninety-nine percent. Full.
Mark 10:17-22 (NKJV)
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at him (have an intense gaze as if into the soul), loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Now, is this text about possessions? No. Not at all. Did Jesus tell everybody to sell their possessions? No. Not at all. Why did he tell that to this man? The man did not go away sorrowful just because he had great possessions.
Please hear this. The man went away sorrowful because he put his trust and confidence in his possessions. The possessions aren’t an issue. They don’t matter. But when you put your trust and confidence in something other than Jesus, Jesus will look into your soul and loving you (as it says here), he will say, Surrender that. That thing that you put your trust and confidence in that is not me; surrender it. And when you do, you will have riches, treasure in heaven. And as you follow Christ, you will live the ultimate experience. But first, you must surrender that one thing that you have trust and confidence in that is not Jesus Christ. That’s what he means when he says, He who believes in me.
He who puts their full trust and confidence in me, will have rivers of living water flowing from their lives.
Guys, it doesn’t fit our reasoning. It doesn’t fit our logic. But Jesus says, we’ve got to surrender our own will, one hundred percent, come unto me. And we’ve got to surrender anything else that we put our trust and confidence in other than Jesus Christ – believing in him only.
In what area, what one thing do you put your trust and confidence in other than Christ? I’m not talking about possessions. Maybe it’s an opinion that you hold on to so tightly. Maybe it’s a wrong that has been done to you that there is no reason in the world you should forgive. Maybe it’s a belief that God should be doing something more your way. Jesus will look at you, loving you, and say, Surrender that and follow me. Come unto me. Leave that and come unto me. And when you do, you will have treasure in heaven, and you will begin to see rivers of living water – supernatural life – issuing forth from your heart.
What does it have to do with the Holy Spirit, and why is it applicable here? Because the Holy Spirit is the compass. The Holy Spirit is the one that tells you that’s the flesh. That’s not God. Why are you going that way? There’s destruction down that path. Why are you going that way? Yikes! I’ve got to throw that compass overboard before I start listening to it because I am so committed to go the way I want to go.
That’s the Holy Spirit’s role. He’s the guide. He’s the messenger. He’s the power. He’s the life to surrender your own will, throw yourself on Christ, to trust him completely.
When the Holy Spirit gives you the way out, you will have an instant where you must choose, where you must surrender your own will and throw yourself in abandon onto his will. If we arrogantly cling to our own will, putting our trust and confidence in something other than Christ, we will be allowed – as Christians, even Spirit-filled Christians – to continue on a road of devastation and destruction simply because we refuse to surrender our own will to Christ.
I’d just like to read you “Dave’s paraphrase.” All I want to do is plug in the definitions of these two phrases into these two verses.
John 7:37-38 (Paraphrased)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him surrender his own will, casting himself completely onto Me, and drink.
38 He who puts his full trust and confidence in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
I hope that makes as much sense to you as it does to me, not in our flesh, but in our spirit that makes so much sense.
If we want this to be true, if we want to see this “rivers of living water,” all we have to do is surrender our own will one hundred percent completely and come unto Jesus in abandon to his will, and put our full trust and confidence in him that he is God, that he does know, and that he is able. And then, via the Holy Spirit, rivers of living water will flow from our lives.