THE WELL – A Place Where God’s Gift Is Offered
John 4:10-12 March 13, 2022
Introduction:
So many times we think we know what we need...The prodigal son in Luke 15 thought it was his share of his father’s estate...the rich fool thought it was bigger barns to hold his abundant crops. Adam and Eve thought it was fruit that would make them like God, knowing good from evil.
One of my favorite songs starts out...
We all want what we ain’t got,
Our favorite doors are always locked.
On a higher hill with a taller top,
We all want what we ain’t got.
We ain’t happy where we are,
There’s greener grass in the neighbors yard.
A bigger house and a faster car,
We ain’t happy where we are.
Jake Owens wrote those words in this song called, “What We Ain’t Got.”
But it’s the standard operating procedure of the Evil One. Create a desire in people’s souls to find the answer outside of God...make people believe that real satisfaction be found in something created instead of our creator.
If this door would first unlock for me...If I could just get a little higher up this hill...if I just had a bigger house...a nicer car...I’d be OK.
The woman at the well must have thought if I marry the right guy...I’ll be OK. We know she thought...If I don’t have to come here to draw water in the middle of the day my life will be OK.
“Sir...Give me this water! Then I won’t be thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water!”
Here’s the truth of what Jesus is dealing with at the well...and it’s the truth of what each of us struggle with spiritually.
I. A DESIRE TO SEEK A TEMPORARY FIX OVER AN ETERNAL GIFT
The Samaritan woman sees her immediate problem as simple...“I’ve got to drag myself out here in the middle of the day lugging these heavy water jars because I’m thirsty.”
And truth be told every single one of us are just like her. We as humans are much more reactionary than proactive.
Life becomes a series of “thirsty” situations...in which we demand for God to give us something to drink, RIGHT NOW!
The god that most people worship fervently today is “Immediate Gratification.”
Give it to me now! “Make me happy now.” In fact I’ll go into debt financing it if I have to!
Self denial was the first step of discipleship according to Jesus, “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
The only reason we would deny ourselves of immediate gratification is because there’s something worth waiting on...or someone worth following.
Instead of receiving a quick drink that temporarily quenches my physical thirst...I’ll receive God’s eternal, endless, gushing fountain of life to constantly refresh my deepest spiritual and emotional thirsts.
This is what Jesus is trying to get this Samaritan woman to discover.
“You keep looking for quick emotional fixes for your life...and God’s gift is the forever answer...it will change you from the inside out...why don’t you ask me for that?”
(Picture)
I keep thinking about that story of the little girl with fake pearls. A five year old girl bought her very own plastic pearl necklace with her very own money that she saved all year long. The little girl loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Her mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green. The pearls weren’t real but it didn’t matter to the little girl. She had bought them herself!
The little girl had a very loving father. One day he said, “Sweetheart, do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.”
“Then give me your pearls.”
“Not my pearls! You can have my toy horse.”
“That’s okay, Honey, Daddy loves you.” And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, the little girl’s father asked again, “Do you love me?”
“Daddy, you know I love you.”
“Then give me your pearls.”
“Not my pearls. You can have my baby doll.”
“That’s okay. Daddy loves you.” And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. This happened over and over and the little girl wondered anxiously, “If he loves me, why does he want to take away something I love?”
Eventually, the little girl nervously and teary eyed walked up to her father and held out her fake pearl necklace. “Here, Daddy. This is for you.”
The father reached out with one hand to take the imitation pearl necklace and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to his daughter. He had had them all the time, but was waiting for her to give up what she had to give her something even better.
I’ve been wondering lately if what I cling to and am so afraid of losing are actually fake pearls...and when the time comes when I’m willing to lay them down and give them up, then God will be able to do immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine.
The saddest, most heartbreaking thing for me is that Satan always offers us fake pearls when God has one of great price, eternal life...and most people will never give up the plastic ones to see the real ones held in a father’s nail pierced hand.
And we are all like this little girl...God you can have this...I’ll give you that...but then He asks for the most important thing...our lives and we’re afraid to give them up.
Jesus said in Matthew 13:45-46, “That the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
All of us are searching for a life that has real meaning, including the Samaritan woman that Jesus meets at Jacob’s well.
Jesus says...“If you knew the gift of God...and who I am...you would of asked me for “Living Water.”
But she’s still thinking temporarily...physically...“you don’t have a bucket...this well is deep, where you gonna get this...uhhh, living water?”
Reminds us a little of Nicodemus doesn’t it...He came to Jesus at night to avoid others seeing him...He knows there’s something unique about Jesus...because of the miracles...BUT...He can’t see the eternal because of the temporary physical stuff either...Listen:
JOHN 3:3-15
Jesus is telling Nicodemus...“When it comes to God’s kingdom there is only 1 way people will see and understand what it’s all about.”
Only 1 way people can understand the eternal plan of God...and that is through a new spiritual birth...not a rebirth physically...but the Holy Spirit making your spirit brand new.
There are many in our culture and in the church who don’t “get it” because there’s never been a spiritual rebirth and indwelling. “You must be born again" isn’t an option, it’s imperative!!!
Nicodemus was one of Israel’s teachers as a Pharisee, but spiritual truth wouldn’t be found in the rules being kept...spiritual truth would only be revealed in rebirth.
The Samaritan woman’s life wouldn’t be different or redirected because of physical water...it would take “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
That rebirth, that living water is only possible...
II. IF YOU KNOW THE ONE OFFERING IT
The gift of God is always tied to the one who gives it.
Christianity isn’t a philosophy...It isn’t joining a church. Christianity isn’t a list of rules found in a book. Christianity is a person...His name is Jesus...and the truth of our salvation is found in our relationship with God through Him.
Listen to the rest of John Chapter 3 starting with the most famous verse in the New Testament:
JOHN 3:16-21
Jesus is the light of the world...He is the Truth...completely and perfectly. Everyone who wants to live their own life hates the light...hates the truth...because the light reveals everything!!!
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light...because God forgives...God changes...God transforms...even 5 failed marriages, even 7 years of rebellion and hatred...even phariseelike legalism...And when you’ve been reborn...when the spring gushes new life...you want the world to see where (or who) it came from...“In the sight of God.”
[Folks, sin and shame walk down the same hallway together...holding hands...and unless we deal with our sin and the shame that results from it...in a spiritual way...we will die...eternally...and little by little each day...
And we will look at either one of two sources that offer an answer...
1. I believe in an Evil One, Satan, the Devil, the Dragon, the Serpent of old, Lucifer. I believe he was in the Garden of Eden tempting Adam and Eve and perverting God’s truth. Why? According to Revelation 12:12 “He is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short.”
Satan is angry...He hates God with a passion. That’s what fury is...He’s here on earth with legions of his heavenly fallen angels...and his goal...Listen:
REVELATION 12:7-9
He leads the whole world astray...just as he did in the garden...Jesus said He is a liar, a thief and a murderer...from the beginning...there is no truth in him. He’s the Father (inventor) of Lies (John 8:44).
Why does most of the world listen...why do many we know and love listen...why do many here today listen...we love the darkness! We are drawn to find immediate gratification and quick fixes...So we choose to numb the guilt and shame...and the sin remains...Satan promises relief...it’s a lie...but he’s very good at it...or we
2. Hear the voice of the Great Shepherd.
JOHN 10:10-18
The Samaritan woman at the well had, like you and I, heard many voices in her life...words that influenced her heart, promises of forever broken, harsh criticisms of her bad choices...but in front of her at this well was Jesus...the good shepherd offering “the gift of God.” Here at Jacob’s well, the Messiah comes for one of his lost sheep...caked with mud...matted with a tangled life...hanging over the...The good shepherd had to be here...as He reaches for her soul and offers her...Himself...“I Am He.”
God’s word says, “No one can come to Jesus unless the Father who sent Him draws them.” (John 6:4)
So how does God draw? What voice does God use to deal with our sin and guilt? Jesus knew...He told his followers this
JOHN 16:7-15
Advocate is a legal term. “One who pleads your case.” The Holy Spirit pleads God’s case against our sin...The Holy Spirit shows us how good God is and how sinful we are. It’s how we feel guilt...It’s why we’d fear judgment...but then the prosecutor became a defense attorney and points us to the cross.
This Spirit has received from Jesus everything He is revealing to me...and to you...He is the voice of God drawing you to answer a call of salvation...from Jesus...Come to Me! Whosoever will my come.
I must tell you...I didn’t just start going to church when I heard this call from God. I didn’t just quit getting high and straighten up my life....I heard Jesus say, “Come to me...I fell in love with a Savior who came looking for me...calling for me. The same Savior who did it for this broken woman at Jacob’s well...did it for a High School dropout washing dishes at the Campbell House.
What should you do today if you hear the Advocate plead His case? Listen to Jesus.
“Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
Let’s pray.
