III. THE NEED TO EXPERIENCE CHRIST
In chapters three through eleven of the Gospel of John, we see the different needs of various kinds of people. One by one, all these needs are met by the Lord of life.
1. The moral: represented by Nicodemus, an upper-class man. Because he sought Jesus, he received life’s regenerating.
“Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
2. The immoral: An immoral woman, at the moment when she was most thirsty, met the Savior, and experienced life’s satisfying.
“But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life.” John 4:14
3. The dying: By the word of life the Lord healed the dying son of a royal official; thus he received life’s healing.
“Jesus said to him, Go, your son is living. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his way.” John 4:50
4. The impotent: By God’s mercy, a man who lay in his sickness for thirty-eight years received life’s enlivening.
“Jesus said to him, Rise, pick up your bed and walk.” John 5:8
5. The hungry: A hungry crowd, through Christ’s rich supply of life, enjoyed life’s feeding.
“Jesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fishes, as much as they wanted.” John 6:11
6. The thirsty: When the human enjoyment came to its end, the Lord was there as the river of living water for man to receive life’s thirst-quenching.
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38
7. Those under the bondage of sin: The Lord as the light of the world rescued a woman in sin; thus she received life’s setting free.
“Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
8. The blind: A man who was born blind, through the anointing of the Lord’s Spirit, received life’s sight.
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes, and said to me, Go to the pool of Siloam and wash; so I went and washed, and I received sight.” John 9:11
9. The dead: The Lord turned death into life. Through Him the dead and buried Lazarus received life’s resurrecting.
“Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, even if he should die, shall live.” John 11:25
The above nine cases not only represent the conditions of various kinds of people; they describe the need of every man. Only the Son of God can fully meet these needs.
This shows us that if we experience Christ, all of our needs will be fully met.
IV. THE SECRET OF EXPERIENCING CHRIST
1. ENJOYING THE BOUNTIFUL SPIRIT
“For I know that for me this shall turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:19
In the previous lesson we saw that after Christ passed through the process of glorification, He became the compound, life-giving Spirit. With all His rich and bountiful elements He is like an all-inclusive drink which is sufficient to meet all our needs.
If we drink of the Spirit by calling on His name and pray-reading His Word often, we will receive a continual supply to experience Christ.
2. RECEIVING THE RICH WORD
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16
The bountiful supply of the Spirit is embodied in God’s rich word. If we daily pray His word and sing His word, and let His word dwell in us richly, we will be nourished and strengthened to experience Christ.
V. THE RESULT OF EXPERIENCING CHRIST
What fills a man inwardly will be spontaneously manifested outwardly. If we continually experience Christ and receive Him as our life and everything, we will become the expression of Christ.
1. LIVING CHRIST
“For to me to live is Christ.” Philippians 1:21
The normal experience of Christ is to live Him. To live Christ means that we take Him as life in any kind of circumstance so that our living is just Christ lived out. In this way Christ will:
(1) Be revealed in us
“It pleased God...to reveal His Son in me.” Galatians 1:15-16
(2) Live in us
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20
(3) Make home in us
“That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3:17
(4) Be formed in us
“My children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you.” Galatians 4:19
2. EXPRESSED THROUGH THE CHURCH
“The church, which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:22b-23
The church is the Body of Christ and also the fullness of Christ. This fullness comes out of the enjoyment of the riches of Christ. Christ’s riches are unsearchable (Eph. 3:8). When we experience Christ and enjoy His riches continually, we will become His fullness.
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