May I tell you about . . .

Knock, Knock!

Who’s There?

River!

River Who?

His Gift

q Did You Know . . .

“A river filled with the Water of Life flows from the throne of God . . . The One on the throne says, ‘I will give drink from this fountain to anyone who thirsts. It is filled with the water of life. It is a gift.

Let those who want to drink the water of life come and take it. It is a gift without cost.” Revelation 22:1; 21:6; 22:17

q We Do Not Understand the Scope of God’s Love for Us.

Most people do not know that eternal life is an amazing gift.

They needlessly go through life not knowing if they will ever meet God’s standard for entering Heaven. Do you know if you will go to Heaven?

Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God, . . . you would ask and I would give you living water. . . Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst. The water I give will become a spring welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13ff

This is because the ‘River of Life’ flows for you. You can drink from it and live. But you must first be willing to listen to God’s story about what He has done for you. Then you can grow thirsty for His wonderful gift.

q What is preventing so many people from drinking the Water of Life? The next step gives us the answer. . .

Man’s Dilemma

People are Sinful and Separated from God. They do not Know God’s Story about What He has Done to Rescue Them.

q We are All Sinful.

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt, there is none righteous, not one . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Psalm 14:2; Rms. 3:10-23

We were all created to know God, yet we do not. Why? Because we have sinned and gone our own way. Our relationship with God has been broken. Our fallen self-will is a basic evidence of this sin.

q We are All Separated from God.

“For the wages of sin is death [spiritual separation from God].” Romans 6:23

The stakes are as high as they can get: "Those who do not believe the testimony of our Lord Jesus will suffer eternal misery and be forever outside the presence of the Lord." II Thess. 1:8 & 9

This diagram shows that God is holy and we are sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows show that we continually try to reach God through our own efforts, but because of our sin, we always fall short. None of us can erase our own sin from before God’s holy eyes.

Holy God

Great Gulf

Sinful Mankind

q The next step explains our only hope to solve this dilemma . . .

God’s Plan of Rescue

Jesus has Died so that the Guilty may Live.

q Jesus Died in Your Place to Pay Your Debt for Your Sin.

“God has demonstrated His love toward us. His love is why Christ died for us even though we are sinners.” The just [Jesus] died for the unjust [us]. Jesus died to pay your debt to God — a debt you could not pay yourself. Romans 5:8

Jesus was born into a family office that enabled Him to represent you in God’s court and take the judgment against you upon Himself. He is your Kinsman-Redeemer, and paid your legal debt to God for you on the cross. This is the key to your hope of Heaven.

There is an exchange made: Your sin flows to Jesus and exchanged for His righteousness, which then flows to you. This is how God makes you just. It is the most undeserved act of mercy and lovingkindness ever performed for a guilty person. Jesus took your guilt and God’s judgment.

q He is the Only Way to the Father.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6

All religions have their prophets, but only Christianity has a Savior. He came and erased your sin from before God’s holy eyes for you. No one else could ever do this. Jesus is the Lord who Rescues—our Savior.

The following diagram shows that God has bridged the great gulf that separates us from him. He did this by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place—paying our debt to God.

God

Jesus

Man

q But it is not enough just to know about these spiritual truths. . .

How to Drink Living Water

You Must Believe God’s Story about Jesus,

Then You May Drink the Living Water.

q Heaven is God’s free Gift of Kindness to Those who Trust Him.

“Because of his kindness you are saved (rescued) through trusting Christ, and even the trusting is not of yourselves, it too is the gift of God, . . . ” Ephesians 2:8 paraphrase

You must believe that God’s testimony about what he has done for you is true and that he is worthy of your trust. Here is a sweet mystery: God’s testimony is the story of your salvation. The great question you must ask yourself is: “Do you believe God’s testimony?”

In turn, if you do not believe God’s testimony, you do not have salvation. The golden key that unlocks the kingdom for you is to believe him. Then you may drink the Living Water.

q What is Your Most Valuable Possession?

Jesus said, “For what advantage is it if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” Your eternal soul is your most valuable possession. Mark 8:36

God requires you to trust the destiny of your most valuable possession to him. You are not truly believing his story if you are not willing to trust the eternal future of your soul completely into his hands. This is saving faith.

q You Receive Eternal Life Through Faith—Not Good Works.

“By grace you have been saved through faith; and it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:9

Does this passage say that you can get to heaven by your good works? How does this passage say you get to heaven? Is heaven a gift to you from God?

Here is how valuable faith is: When you, as a sinful person, believe with your heart God’s story about Jesus, your eternal soul is rescued from judgment. The great issue for your soul is whether or not you believe God’s testimony.

q Now that you have heard God’s story about what he has done for you, you can come to the Water. Drink and you will receive eternal life . . .

Drinking Living Water

Are You Thirsty for His Living Water?

q To Drink You Must Open the Door to Your Heart.

Jesus invites you to invite him in: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." [He will bring the Living Water with him and dine with you]. Revelation 3:20

n Can you tell me what door Jesus is talking about in the passage we just read?

n If you hear his voice and open the door, he will flow into your heart with Living Water.

n This step is an act of your will. It is a decision to believe Him and to trust Him.

n You must believe God’s testimony about your lost condition and about what Jesus has done to rescue you out of that condition. Then you must trust your eternal soul into His care—because He cares for you. He will give you new hope and new life.

q Drinking the Living Water:

You can drink the Living Water right now through prayer. The following is a suggested prayer:

Father in Heaven, I have listened to your story and believe that your testimony in the Bible is true. I also believe that you have called me to come and drink your Living Water.

Lord Jesus, I believe you died on the cross to rescue me from judgment. I confess the deepest sin of my heart to you ______. I ask for your cleansing forgiveness.

I believe you are my Savior and I now open wide the door of my life to you. I trust the destiny of my eternal soul into your care.

Holy Spirit, You are welcome in my heart. I ask the River of Life flow into me and through me, so that others may also drink and live. Amen.

q Does this Prayer Express the Desire of Your Heart?

If it does, pray this prayer right now. Ask God to reveal the deepest sin of your heart so you can quietly confess it to him. Trust Christ to come into your heart just as He has promised. He will. Let’s pray to God now.

Your Most Important Discovery

How to Know That Christ Is in Your Life.

q Did You Just Pray to Receive Christ?

n Look back at the verse from Revelation 3:20. According to God’s promise in this verse, where is Christ right now in relation to you?

n How do you know that God has answered your prayer?

(Answer: The Holy Spirit has entered into your heart to assure you that what God has said in the Bible is true. He has given you a new and special faith to believe Him.)

n The Bible will now become alive to you. You will discover that God will be speaking to you personally as you read the Bible. Start reading today in the Gospel of John in the New Testament.

n You will now have new peace, new hope, and a new love for Christians.

q God Promises Eternal Life to All Who Believe Him.

The testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:11-13

According to this passage: Who has eternal life? Does everyone have eternal life? Do you know if you have eternal life? How did you receive it?

Thank God often that Christ is in your life and that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). You can know on the basis of His promise and the testimony of his Holy Spirit—now in your heart—that Christ lives in you and that you have eternal life.

q What is the “River of Life’?

He is the Holy Spirit of God who now lives in you and will flow through you as you share him with others. The more you tell others what Jesus did for you, the larger the River will grow. Flow River flow! Flow through me! (See John 7:37-39)

Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to you than meeting Jesus Christ? You joy and strength in the Lord will be found in praising Him daily. Start now by thanking him for rescuing you today.

A Child of God

Now that You Have Received Christ.

q The moment you received Christ many things happened:

1. You were born again (John 3:1-21).

2. Jesus Christ came into your heart (Revelation 3:20; Colossians 1:27).

3. All your sins were forgiven (Colossians 1:14).

4. You became a child of God (John 1:12).

5. You received eternal life (John 5:24).

6. You found your reason for living (John 10:10; II Cor. 5:17 and I Thess. 5:18).

q An Important Reminder: Do not depend on your feelings.

Feelings come and go. The Christian lives by faith (trusting God and believing that His testimony in the scriptures is true). Feelings can mislead you. Right feelings are the result of faith fueled by praise (See Psalm 16 & Psalm 27).

FAITH PRAISE FEELINGS

This train will run with or without the caboose. However, it would be useless to try to pull the train by the caboose. In the same way, we as Christians do not depend on our feelings or emotions, but we place our faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God and the promises of His Word.

q Isn’t This the Most Important Discovery of Your Life?

“Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever.” Daniel 12:3

You can be a true disciple working in the Lord’s harvest. Ask the Holy Spirit to flow, then take this material to others. Ask for permission to share it with tehm by saying: “May I tell you about the most important discovery of my life?”

Most will want to hear. Read to them from cover to cover. Many will be rescued. Start with your family and friends (See John 4:35-36; Matthew 9:37-38).

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This revision is dated 9-12-00

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