A Deeper Well
Prairie Baptist Church – 10/25/09
A.M. Service
Text: John 4:1-29
Key verse: John 4:23 - But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Premise: When the woman of Samaria met Jesus she received something deeper than water from Jacob’s well; she received a deeper relationship with God.
The Introduction
Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve twisted that way and the other this way; one shoulder bulged out and the caved in. He pulled and managed to make his body fit. As he returned home on the bus, another passenger noticed his odd appearance and asked if Hans the tailor had made the suit. Receiving an affirmative reply, the man remarked, “Amazing! I knew that Hans was a good tailor, but I had no idea he could make a suit fit so perfectly for someone as deformed as you.” (Richard J. Foster.)
In this portion of Scripture, Jesus deals with a deformed, depraved and dehydrated life; the Woman at the Well.
(Explain the woman of Samaria’s background)
Pagan – Samaritan (mixed race, did not accept much of the OT except for the Pentateuch)
Immoral – had gone through 5 husbands and was currently living with someone, unmarried
We spend a lot of time focusing in on how sinful people are, but we already know that. We need to zero in on their spiritual need, just like Jesus did.
For the woman we find acceptance
Not acceptance of her lifestyle
Not acceptance of her spiritual deviation
Acceptance of her because she is a living soul Jesus loves.
There is a deeper well that Jesus wanted to take her to that would change her life as well as ours.
Body
1. A Deeper Refreshment – 7-14
A. Nancy Spiegelberg, in an issue of Decision magazine, wrote these words: Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to You with my empty cup, uncertain but asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known You better I would have come running with a bucket.
B. It is free (10a – gift of God)
i. A gift is not a gift if it isn’t free
ii. It is a priceless gift, there is no way you could afford this living water
C. It is Spirit life (10c – living water)
i. Living water is literally “running water.”
ii. The word “living” signifies life that can only come through the Holy Spirit
iii. John 7:37-39 - 37On 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. 38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
D. It is limitless (14a - will never thirst)
i. Continual satisfaction
ii. Earthly water has limited benefits but this living water has recurring benefits
iii. When one is saved, it is satisfying in every area of life.
E. It is eternal (14b – everlasting life)
i. Everlasting is everlasting. God is no cheat.
ii. We cannot be separated by human means - John 10:28-29 – 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
iii. We are sealed (guaranteed) by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14)
iv. Nothing on earth or in this universe can take it away – Romans 8:38-39 - 38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. A Deeper Recognition – 16-18
A. This woman was living immorally
i. She had gone through five husbands already
ii. She was living with another man, unmarried
B. Jesus knows us deeply – Psalm 17:3 - You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
i. Our lives are an open book to Him
ii. There is nothing we can hide from Him (Ps. 13)
C. We ought to be self-examining our lives to make sure we are living in a right manner before God.
D. Better for us to examine ourselves than to be careless and have God examine us.
3. A Deeper Relationship – 21-24
A. There is a relationship which makes life complete. Without that relationship, there is a void, a vacuum in life. Many people, even those who are well-known, can attest to that void.
For example, H. G. Wells, famous historian and philosopher, said at age 61: ’I have no peace. All life is at the end of the tether." The poet Byron said, ’My days are in yellow leaf, the flowers and fruits of life are gone, the worm and the canker, and the grief are mine alone." The literary genius Thoreau said, ’Most men live lives of quiet desperation."
Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life: ’I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day." Morning Glory, May 29, 1993
B. The old relationship was external and temporary
i. In a temple or on a mountain
ii. Through a continual sacrifice
iii. God was beyond the veil
C. The new relationship is internal and permanent
i. The sacrifice of Christ opened up a new relationship with God – Mark 15:38 - Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And, 2nd Cor. 3:12-18 - 12Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
ii. We, in turn, became that temple – 1st Cor. 3:16-17 - 16Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
D. The deeper relationship is pure worship
i. It is done in the spirit
a. There can be no true worship without a new relationship with Christ
b. This is accomplished because His Spirit is in us – 1st Pet. 3:18 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
c. It is not dead worship, but living and vibrant worship
ii. It is done in truth
a. This is the essence of Christ - John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
b. This is the essence of the Spirit - Eph. 5:9 - (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
c. This should be included as the essence of our worship.
4. A Deeper Reformation - 28-29
A. In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception ’that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior." He goes on to say, ’It is revival without reformation, without repentance." Quoted in John The Baptizer, Bible Study Guide by C. Swindoll, p. 16
B. A change that is invigorating (28a - she left her waterpot)
i. She was so excited about meeting the Messiah, she forgot what she came for
ii. Meeting Jesus does that to you
C. A change that is inviting - 29
i. She did not ask them to take her word for it, possibly because of her past sullied reputation.
ii. She said “come”
iii. She wanted them to see for themselves what had changed her
D. A change that is infectious – 39-42
i. Many believed because of her testimony (39) and others believed when they met Jesus face to face.
ii. Lives were changed and destinies altered because one woman who couldn’t help but talk about her new master
iii. That kind of reformation infects those who are touched by its message and passion.
Picture this: You have just finished a ten-mile hike on a 95 degree day, and on the entire journey you haven’t had a thing to drink. Stumbling with thirst, you come to your father’s house and plea for water. With love and concern, he brings you a cold pitcher of water and a glass and tells you to take what you want, he’s got plenty more. With a chuckle, he tells you that his well is full. What do you do? You take a couple of sips and quit. Drink more, he insists, you must be parched. But you decline because you don’t want to impose on his generosity. When you leave, you are still thirsty, and he is hurt and disappointed. Why did you do that? Why do you do that spiritually? Your heavenly Father wants you to experience fullness -- fullness of life... fullness of joy... fullness of God Himself. And yet you are only taking a few sips of living water. Source: From a sermon by Mark Roper, "Fully Experiencing the Fullness of God" 2/19/2009.
Conclusion:
When the woman at the well met Jesus, she met someone who gave her living water that would never run dry. She experienced eternal refreshment.
Have you met Jesus Christ enough to be changed by Him? (Salvation)
Christian, does your enthusiasm for Christ noticeable by others who are seeking to have their thirst quenched?
Are you telling others about this Living Water?
Is there excitement in your walk with Jesus?
If your walk and talk with Christ has lost its luster, it may be time to renew your commitment to Him and ask Him to reinvigorate your relationship.
