[Darris McNeely] We've been going through a series of BT Dailies, where we're seeking to come to an answer on the question, how is it that we come to Jesus? How do we come to a relationship as a follower, as a disciple of Jesus? Is it just by invitation? Is it just because we somehow have an emotional reaction at some point in our life, and we accept Jesus as our Savior and we make a decision for Christ or have a moment of reflection like that? Is that the way it works or is there more to it?

We've been going through a number of Scriptures that will bring us to some answers as we put it all together in a picture. There's one that I wanna go to today. It's in John 7:37. It's Christ in the temple in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. And it's come to the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the seventh day of the Feast. And Jesus stood, and the Scripture says in John 7 that He kind of cried aloud. He said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of His heart, will flow rivers of living water." And then it says, as John writes, "This, He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified." That spirit would be given later on Pentecost. And that spirit is available today to those who do come to Jesus, in faith, and in belief, and who do hunger, and in this case, thirst because they are parched, they're dry, and they recognize a need for something in their life in their very soul, the living waters that Jesus says only He can provide. And He's speaking about the Holy Spirit, but He says, "If you thirst, let him come." So it's an invitation.

This is a very encouraging, generous invitation from Christ, spoken at a time when the Jews are actually pouring water out in a ceremony on that last day of the Feast in the temple as part of the tradition that they had. And Christ was using that as a point of instruction to say to those who were spiritually thirsty, "Come to me and I will give you that."

For us to come to Christ and answer to that invitation, we have to take a step toward Christ. We have to be wanting that. And then we have to take that step towards Him, whatever Scripture tells us that is, which essentially is a profession of our faith. But it is also involving righteous works of obedience, as other Scriptures will show to us and we'll come to that in the series as well. But there is an access of that point of contact, where the water or the spirit is available. We must make that profession. But we, again, have to make that step. We have to go, if you will, and seek from Christ the rivers of living water that He spoke about here. We have to take that step to Christ, believing who He is, what He is, and believing what He taught. All right, it takes more than words. It takes more than emotion. It takes certainly an action of faith and belief, but it also takes works of faith that show that faith that are based upon the righteousness of the Word of God and the law of God.

And, you know, Scripture shows us that not everyone is able to do this. And there are a number of examples from the Scriptures that show us that. We'll look at that one next.

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