I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR: Lyrics by U2 © 2011.
The singer of this song talks about searching for meaning in life, and not finding it in nature, city life, relationships or religious experiences. “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
Nature: I have climbed highest mountain, I have run through the fields
City Life: I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls
Relationships: I have kissed honey lips, Felt the healing in her fingertips
Religious Experience: I have spoke with the tongue of angels, I have held the hand of a devil
I believe in the kingdom come, Then all the colors will bleed into one
You broke the bonds and you, Loosed the chains;
Carried the cross, Of my shame, Of my shame, You know I believed it
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
PERSONAL TESTIMONY: All night drive-in question: “There’s got to be more to life!”
What’s the answer? Where do we find satisfaction, fulfillment and meaning in life?
BACKGROUND TO THE STORY:
“But Jesus needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.” (John 4:4-6).
• Why did Jesus have to go through Samaria?
• He knew that there was a woman there who still hadn’t found what she was looking for.
• This woman had tried to find satisfaction in relationships with men – she has been married five times, and was living with a sixth guy – but she was still empty inside.
1. JESUS OFFERS TO US THE WATER OF LIFE:
“7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ’Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:7-14).
• Was Jesus talking about well water? No! He was talking about something much deeper!
• He said: There is water you can drink that will never quench your thirst.
• In other words, there are things in life you can go to for fulfillment, but they will never satisfy: drugs, alcohol, relationships, sexuality, money, power, fame.
• But the water Jesus offers will quench your thirst: it is a fountain of living water!
ILLUSTRATION:
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later he calls out, "Da-ad!"
"What?"
"I’m thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"
"No. You had your chance. It’s lights out."
Five minutes later the boy calls out again: "Da-aaaad!"
"WHAT?"
"I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water?"
"I told you NO! If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!"
Five minutes later he calls out again, “Daaaa-aaaad!"
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"
2. WE HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE:
“15 “The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, ’I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” (John 4:15-19).
• Before we will hunger and thirst after God, we must come to a place where we realize that the other things in our lives haven’t really satisfied!
• This woman had to make a choice to ask Jesus for the water of life.
• Through her dialogue with Jesus, she had a supernatural encounter: “You are a prophet!”
QUOTE: “The weakness of our hunger for God is not because He (doesn’t taste good), but because we keep ourselves stuffed with other things… If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.” (John Piper, Hunger for God).
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jer. 2:13).
• Your choice: Come to Jesus and be refreshed by rivers of living water.
• Or go to the broken wells of worldly pleasures, dirty mud puddles that never satisfy!
3. THE RESULT OF COMING TO JESUS:
“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” (John 4:28-30).
• You will leave your water pot - the old sources where you used to find satisfaction.
• You will want to share Jesus with others! Once you’ve been filled with His Spirit, it will overflow to all those around you!
• When I became a Christian, the first thing I wanted to do was to tell others about God’s love.
• God wants to take us on a journey: from being hurt, to be healed, to helping others.
4. THE CHALLENGE TO THE CHRISTIAN:
“31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ’There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” (John 4:31-35).
• This second part of this story is a challenge to the Christian:
• If you have found satisfaction in Jesus, then it’s time to tell others.
• There is a harvest of lost and hurting people in the world who need to know Jesus!
• When we get involved in ministering to others, there is a joy and satisfaction that comes.
CLOSING TEXT:
“On 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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But 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.” (John 7:37-39).
THE BIG IDEA: Are you thirsty? Do you feel cracked and dry, broken, lost and empty? Come to Jesus and let Him satisfy your soul hunger and thirst!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
