My Soul Thirsts for the Living God — Shane Idleman

Thirsting for God Rather Than Merely Desiring Him

I'm just going to talk about Psalm 42, 1 for just a minute. As the deer pants for the water brook, so my soul pants for you, O God. And that's the difference really between desire and desperation. Because you can have a desire for something, but until you're desperate, it's going to be hard to find that longing for God.

That's what sets the difference. I'm thirsty somewhat versus absolutely famished, and I have to find that water. And guys, I'll just, I'll shoot you straight. It's either revival or we die where our nation is.

Revival as the Church's Only Hope

Revival or we die. We are so perverted. Worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. Families are falling apart. Churches are walking away, embracing ungodly things. Truly, we're calling good evil and evil good. Revival is our only hope.

God awakening the spiritually dead. This is a very important topic. It's the only option we have before us is to truly pursue God. And revival is when God honors our pursuit and satisfies our thirst. Revival is when God honors our pursuit and satisfies our thirst.

And there's a lot of talk right now about this theme of revival. And it's because we need spiritual resuscitation. We need to be revived. And that's what it is. It's when God honors our pursuit. And let me tell you, you have to dig in.

Sometimes you have to keep contending. You have to keep praying. You have to keep petitioning. You have to keep seeking. This is not microwave Christianity. Pursuing Him. Arthur Wallace said, Revival is a strategic attack by God upon the strongholds of Satan.

And I am absolutely convinced. Listen, we deal with the demonic often. We deal with all kinds of things. The only way to truly break down a demonic stronghold of Satan is to pursue God like never before.

To be like that deer that pants after that brook. That's how you break down these strongholds. So what does a pursuit do? The pursuit builds expectation as a deer pants. He's expecting something. I'm sure that that brook, that ice cold brook is just over that next little hill.

There's an expectation brewing. And sometimes when we don't feel a certain way or it was hard to maybe come to church tonight. And the enemy wants to keep people away from church. And when we start to fill that expectation and it starts to build and build and build.

And as a result, your faith will be built as well. The pursuit also reinforces the worth. The pursuit reinforces God's worth, God's value. The more we pursue, the more we value it. And so the reason I'm telling you this is this is why sometimes things don't happen overnight.

This is why sometimes we don't receive immediate answers to our prayers. This is sometimes why there's travail and why you have to go and do things. Sometimes you don't feel like it. And pull ourselves to worship and pull ourselves to worship morning tomorrow.

Your flesh is going to want to sleep in, but I would encourage you, tell the flesh to shut its mouth and get here and pursue God like never before. It also becomes a priority as you're pursuing as the deer panted after that brook.

It became a priority. He had to find that brook. The pursuit also creates passion. Where does the passion come from? It comes from the pursuit. I know people often label me as this boy, you're really passionate while pursuing God.

Passion is the byproduct. You can't just wake up, boy, let me be passionate today. Passion comes from the pursuit. I've got to find that living water. I've got to find that brook. And as you develop that and pursue that, that's where the passion comes from.

Also the pursuit gives us a deeper appreciation of God and His word and standing on His word. And the language, I mean, we'd have to unpack the Hebrew a little bit, but as the deer pants means he's got to find this water pretty quick.

Panting is, I've got to find this. Have you ever been there? God, you've got to answer. You've got to answer. And there's an appreciation. When he finds that brook, he's very happy, very thankful. He's appreciative that it was there because he couldn't have went many more miles possibly.

Pressing Into God for Fresh Fire

And it also, the pursuit is about pressing in, pressing into God like never before. Do you think that that deer was worried about other things in the wilderness there, or the, I should say, the forest?

No, he had to find that brook. And that's what it does to us. We have to press in. We have to keep moving forward. And I'm convinced many people remember what God once did in their life, but they've forgotten and they forget what he can do now.

I talked to so many people, oh, I remember years ago. I remember years ago. When are you going to get that fresh fire today? We need fresh fire. We can't go off what we experienced years ago. As a matter of fact, that's a little dangerous.

You lose that fresh fire of the Spirit. Now here's the interesting thing. With Psalm 42, I don't know how many of you know the context. The context of this is he is talking about this in the midst of discouragement.

My tears, he says, he goes on to say, my tears have been my food day and night. Doesn't sound very happy. Anybody here with anxiety, fear, trepidation, discouragement? The enemy can really use discouragement against you.

I get discouraged often, especially in the ministry. So he says, my tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say, where is your God? They mock us. Where is your God? And they might not say those words, but they do by their actions.

You watch what happened at the Grammys. It's almost like mocking, where is your God? Or the halftime show at the Super Bowl, where is your God? Or allowing little boys to become little girls. It's not possible.

Mocking God's Word, mocking creation, mocking His design. Where is your God? And discouragement sets in. Lord, where are you? But here's the beautiful thing. The more you thirst for God, the more you are refreshed by His Spirit.

The more you thirst for God, the more you are refreshed by His Spirit. See, I can drink this and I'm satisfied. But when you drink of the water that Jesus gives you, it's an all-consuming passion. It's a thirst that never leaves you.

It never forsakes you. That desire is there, and then you keep wanting more of that living water. Look for the brook. Look for the brook. It's the deer pants for the water brook. We have to be looking for that brook, seeking after God.

The Influence of a Believer's Pursuit

And here's really what I wanted to get this point across as well. Your pursuit of God affects a lot of people, negatively and positively. Ask the drug fiend how his lack of pursuit affects his family.

Or the alcoholic. Or the angry mom, the angry dad. Pursuing everything but Christ. That's why the nation is crumbling from within. It's crumbling from within. Our pursuit affects those around us. Whatever we pursue is going to affect those around us, is it not?

There was so much I appreciated about, you know, my dad. Teaching me a lot about sports. We had pitching machines in the backyard when they weren't real popular. We'd go out and throw all the time. Practice makes perfect.

Doing very well in sports. I still remember where I was. I remember 1981 when the Dodgers won World Series. Steve Garvey, Ron Say, Bill Russell, Davey Lopez, Linfield. He was really good at showing me those things.

Hard work. Yeah, I could hop on any Caterpillar, any Bulldozer, any Excavator and run it. Diligence, discipline, but there was no pursuit of God. And that left me broken. I mean, if the person you look to isn't pursuing God, why should you?

Think about that, parents, grandparents. People are looking at us. It affects our families. And the big lie we believe is, I can't do that. I'm not perfect. Our kids don't want to see perfection. They want to see direction.

I'm striving. I'm seeking God. I'll fall short. I'll apologize. I'll repent. I'll get back on track. But they see somebody living it out. They see, that's the pursuit I want. And I don't do very many memorials where you hear that about the person.

That their pursuit ignited a fire in others. And sometimes I think we forget that. It's not just about me in this bubble. Your pursuit, my pursuit, is going to affect others in a very deep level. At a very deep level.

And it doesn't mean you will never encounter the storm. But you'll have an anchor through it. Doesn't mean that you won't have problems, but you will have the answer. It doesn't mean that the old nature won't try to draw you back.

Overcoming Complacency and Staying on the Narrow Path

But the pursuit will keep you going in the right direction. Does that old nature ever taunt you? As you're pursuing the cross? I'm pursuing it. The old nature begins to draw us back. And it actually begins with complacency.

A lack of spiritual disciplines. A lack of fervor. A lack of fire. A lack of being in God's Word and obeying it. And we become discouraged and disillusioned. It's the pursuit that keeps you on the right path.

Why? Because you have to walk somewhere. On the broad road, narrow road. The pursuit of Christ keeps you on the right path. And only one thing will satisfy this thirst. And the young adults, what they're going through now.

I mean, statistics are alarming on the suicide rate, ODs, the transgender movement. And they don't realize the only thing, one thing will satisfy this thirst. God and God alone. The right source. The deer could not go drink from a rock.

The grass didn't have enough water to satisfy. The pebbles, the tree, the bark. Nothing, nothing, nothing but that brook. He had to find that water brook. But I need to give you a warning. We're seeing this a lot right now too, even in this church.

Avoiding False Spiritualities and Seeking the Living Water

You can be so spiritually, you can be thirsty spiritually that you'll consume anything. You can be so spiritually thirsty that you'll consume anything. And that's why we see all these movements towards new age or magic and Satanism.

Satanism is really exploding. I don't know if you've followed After School Satan Club in schools and such. My dad should be just at that and other places because they're so thirsty. They've got to consume something.

So be careful. This comes with a warning label. Drink from the right brook, the healthy brook, the crystal living water. It's been said that the early church, the early church wept. They worshipped and they waited.

That's a great combination, folks. They wept, they worshipped and they waited. You can't force tears. It's not a good idea, obviously. But what's hard for me to really understand is where is the anguish in the church today?

Where's the brokenness? Do we see what's going on around us? Do we see the sex trafficking in 11, 12, 13? Fentanyl overdoses in our valley? Look to crystal alcohol. God's Word is being mocked. And that's my concern.

America's angry, but she's not very humble. Oh, she's upset, but she's not very broken. She's not panting after the brook. The heart cry of the believer. The heart cry of the believer is this. I hunger and thirst for righteousness, but it's only found in one place.

I hunger and I thirst for righteousness, but it's only found in one place. Take me into the holies of holies. What wonderful lyrics. Have you heard that song before? I hunger, I thirst for your righteousness.

It's only found in one place. God, take me into the holies of holies. It even goes on to say, past the people, past the priests who sing your praise. Oh, I just want to see your face. There's only one place that I can find that.

Through the veil, that veil that was brought down on the cross and going into the holies of holies. That desperation, that desire, I hunger and thirst for your righteousness. And if you're saying, I don't really feel that way, that's okay.

Repentance and Creating an Atmosphere for God

There's a beautiful word called repent. Repent. God, I want to feel that way. I need to feel that way. God, would you please come and change my heart and location and atmosphere? Do matter, folks. He had to find the brook at the right location.

They're not on the side of a hill often. It's called a waterfall. Or a desert area. He had to find the right location. Location and atmosphere matter. We've got to get our homes back to holy sanctuaries.

We've got to get our churches back to times of worship and prayer. And let the atmosphere saturate our hearts. Atmosphere matters. Think about this. Would you rather be Peter preaching after the Holy Spirit fell on 120?

And he's preaching 3 ,000 were converted. The atmosphere. And then Paul goes and preaches on Mars Hill. I don't know if anybody was converted. Atmosphere. The presence and power of God. It's incredible.

The Cost of Pursuing God

So I just want to leave you with three takeaways. Pursuit has a price. Pursuit has a price that not many are willing to pay. It will cost you. It will cost you. And I think if we don't look at that, we think, well, I can kind of play church.

And kind of play with, you know, the world too a little bit. And I don't really want to go to these meetings or prayer nights or worship mornings. Or I don't want to press in too much. I don't want to read the Bible too much.

I don't want to obey too much. Then I might become weird. And there's a pursuit. If you truly want to pursue, God, there is a price. And God pursues saints when they pursue him. A wonderful truth. God says, I will pursue you if you pursue me.

And then lastly, are you creating an atmosphere for the pursuit? Are you creating that atmosphere in your home and in your own personal life? And here's what's interesting. I'm going to close here. Psalm 42, written by the sons of Korah.

Learning from Korah's Past and Singing a New Song

Does that name sound familiar? Korah. I mean, most theologians agree that was when the earth swallowed up Korah and his family. Because they rebelled against Moses. That Korah. And what I was reading, studying, it seems like it's the lineage of that Korah.

But what a wonderful picture. Don't let your past stop the pursuit. Don't let your past stop the pursuit. It doesn't matter if you came in here broken tonight. Or on the wrong path. Or distant. Or the brook is dried up.

Anybody have a dried up brook? That can be refreshed tonight. Psalm 96. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord. Blessed be his name.

And that new song is something that's never been heard. It's a renewed or a fresh response. So here's the wonderful thing. When we come back to the Lord and we begin to seek that brook. And we take of that living water.

And we're refreshed. And we're filled with joy. And we're excited. We begin to sing a new song to the Lord. A fresh response comes out of it. Did you know that the majority of the church is stagnant? Stagnant water, dead water.

How many people have witnessed, told people about Jesus because the well spring is springing up in you? Not many. Correct? In the store, weeks go by. Months go by. Stagnant, dry, dead. But that's okay.

Pain, Crisis, and the Need for Spiritual Awakening

Pain. Pain can drive you to the power of the cross. The crisis can drive you to the cross. The disaster that you might be facing or challenges can drive you to the master. Don't lose this opportunity, folks.

There's not a lot of time left for our nation. Or for our families. We have lost our mind. We are out of control morally, spiritually. We are bankrupt spiritually. That's why I often say, business as usual is not going to cut it anymore.

Let's do a couple songs. I'll give you a quick message. Another song. Let's go hit our favorite buffet. That's not going to cut it. It never has. But we have declined so far that we need to be revived and renewed.

Examining Ourselves at the Lord's Supper

And so with the communion up here, 1 Corinthians 11 .27. This verse to me is just amazing. Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

And sometimes pastors can kind of soften up the scriptures a little bit. And this is one people tend to soften up a little bit. But it's pretty direct. Did you know it goes on to say that this is why many are weak and sick among us?

The Amplified Bible says this. That careless and unworthy participation is the reason why many among you are weak and sick and a number have died. But if we evaluate and judge ourselves honestly, if we recognize our own shortcomings and we correct our behavior, we repent, we would not be judged by God.

So it's a wonderful time. So the communion is going to be available. Let's go ahead and stand. We've got about, I think we're going to end about 7 o 'clock. So we've got about 40 more minutes, 45 more minutes of just worship.

Seeking Living Water Through the Holy Spirit

So come up and take communion at your leisure. Remember what Jesus did. Reflect on that. And what I would encourage everyone to do, no matter where you're at, where you're doing good spiritually, you've drifted, is say, Lord, I want to hunger and thirst for that brook again.

Lord, I need that brook. I need that living water. I need that Holy Spirit to come and set that fire in me. The Holy Spirit is a fire that comes in our hearts and we witness for Christ. We have the fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and gentleness.

Could it be that the very thing we need is the very thing we're running from? We need that living water. But we go the other direction. And we can become critical and bitter. Another hindrance is attitude, what I call it.

They got an attitude. You ever heard that? Pride, arrogance, all of those things will clog up that living water. Just repent tonight and say, Lord, I need you. And the altar is going to be open. It's just a wonderful time to seek the heart of God.

Yuhu.