We’re in the middle of our Summer Series entitled: “LIVE-LIKE-THAT” and through this series of messages we’re challenging each of us to begin living as Jesus lived and loving as Jesus loved. Jesus demonstrated the importance of loving God with all of His being and here at Gateway that’s our desire as well . . . to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength . . . make disciples (fully devoted followers of Jesus) who love God with all their head, heart, and hands. And, so we’re spending the Summer months examining particular events from the life and ministry of Jesus as well as specific teaching from the Gospels that demonstrate how Jesus interacted with others and how He calls His followers to live in relationship to one another and to those in the culture around them.
Our hope is that as we look to Jesus, we will begin to LIVE-LIKE-THAT. The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ . . .” [1:21] and ultimately that is our goal. As disciples (fully devoted followers of Jesus) our lives are to emulate the character of Christ; to live as He lived; to LIVE-LIKE-THAT.
-------------------------------------
It had been a long time since anyone had uttered a kind word. Her life began as any other, but had taken a turn for the worse. Bad choices, poor judgment, and a lack of direction had left her feeling ashamed of whom she had become. The people in her life – her family and so called friends – had rejected her. Others mocked her, made fun of her, pointed and talked behind her back, but just close enough to make sure she could hear. All she really wanted was love, acceptance, a little compassion – someone to put their arm around her and tell her, “I know you’ve made mistakes, but I love you and I care about you in spite of those things.” She lived her life hoping that someone – anyone – would just love her.
This is how I imagine the woman we find in John chapter 4. We really don’t know a great deal about her or the details of her life. We do know that she lived in Sychar, a city of Samaria, near what was known as Jacob’s Well. She would draw water from this well, but the Bible tells us that she came at the sixth hour of the day. The Jewish day began at 6:00am, so the sixth hour would be 12:00 noon. This would have been the hot part of the day. Most would have come to carry water in the coolness of the early morning . . . but not this woman. Why would she come to carry water at such a hot part of the day?
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly why, but we can make some guesses based on some of the details we find in John chapter 4. She probably didn’t have the best of reputations. She had been married 5 times and the man she was living with at the time wasn’t her husband. I know it’s just inference, but can you imagine what the others in the small town of Sychar must have thought about her? You know how small towns are . . . everyone knows or at least thinks they know everyone else’s busyness. The gossip hot-line and the rumor-mill runs rampant. Even in today’s culture, she would have been looked down upon and even gossiped about – FIVE HUSBANDS! Give me a break! And know she’s working on number 6. Can you imagine what the people in her day must have thought? Can you hear the other women as they come to draw water in the coolness of the early morning?
“Oh look! Here she comes. I heard she’s had 4 husbands . . .”
“Oh no, she’s already been through 5 and someone told me the other day that she’s working on number 6!”
“She’s married again?”
“Oh no! This time they’re just shacking up.”
“Oh! What a slut!”
And on, and on it goes! Day in and day out! Gossip and rumors are flying about – no one taking the time to talk with her and see things from her perspective. Who cares about that? It’s much more fun to be vindictive that to empathize, right? The latest juicy gossip is much more fun than actually finding out the truth. No wonder she comes to draw water at the sixth hour. She’d rather endure the burning heat of the sun than to experience the searing words and looks from the others. She’d rather just be alone, in spite of her deep need for love and acceptance.
So, she begins her day like any other. She waited until the sixth hour in order to avoid everyone else. But on this day, her trip to the well would impact her life so as to never be the same again. For it was on this day . . . she met Jesus.
[Woman at the Well – Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y2GlmTxpkM
This event in the life and ministry of Jesus is found in the Gospel of John chapter 4, verses 1-42. We’ll not take the time to read through all 42 verses, but we’ll work our way through as we unpack this event and, as we do, we’ll discover three important lessons that we can apply to our lives today that will help us LIVE-LIKE-THAT.
This encounter with Jesus would forever change the course of this woman’s life and it would impact, not only her, but also the community in which she lived. Jesus met her at the point of her need. He was able to look beyond her past seeing her for who she really was recognizing her intrinsic value as a person loved by the Father. He met her and accepted her for who she was – without judgment or accusation, without harshness or unkind words, but full of grace and truth . . . with the love, mercy, and grace that she longed for.
As we examine this event in John Chapter 4 and see how Jesus related to this woman, we’ll focus on two important truths that will help us LIVE-LIKE-THAT. The first is this . . .
JESUS BREAKS THROUGH SOCIAL BARRIERS
Whether we acknowledge them or not, there are social barriers that we face as we reach out to the world around us. Unfortunately, some of these barriers are of our own making. Even within the Church. If we’re not careful, we will make “church” a barrier to accomplishing the very thing that we have been commissioned to accomplish.
The Christian music group “Casting Crowns” has a song entitled We Are the Body. Listen to a few of the lyrics from the song: “It's crowded in worship today as she slips in trying to fade into the faces. The girls teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know . . . A traveler is far away from home. He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row. The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances are better out on the road. But if we are the body – why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body – Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way?”
As we examine this scripture, we find that Jesus breaks through three different types of social barriers. First, He breaks through cultural barriers of His day. Notice verse 27 of John chapter 4. While Jesus had been having a conversation with his woman, His disciples were off in the nearby town to buy some food. They return in verse 27 . . .
“At this point, His disciples came and they were amazed
That He had been speaking with a woman . . .”
Culturally, it was unheard of for a man, let alone a rabbi, to be speaking publicly with a woman . . . especially not one on one! In 1st century Palestinian culture, women were not valued nor honored as they should have been … just as it is in many Middle-Eastern cultures of today. Women were considered sub-class in comparison to men. Not only was she a woman, but she was a woman with a checkered past and a poor reputation. Check out verses 16-18 … there is a shift in the conversation [read John 4:16-18]. Jesus broke through that cultural barrier demonstrating that this woman was just as important to the Father as any man would be … even in spite of her checkered past
If we are going to LIVE-LIKE-THAT, we too must break through the cultural barriers of our day. We must be willing to reach those who are set apart in our culture as being “less” or “unimportant” or “different” or “unlovable” … we must be careful not to disregard others simply because they live in the “wrong” area of town, or because they dress and act differently, or are struggling with addictions, or homelessness, or they’ve been in and out of jail, or because of their current socioeconomic status. We, like Jesus, have to be willing to look beyond the checkered past and see the intrinsic value of each one loved by the Father.
Jesus not only broke down cultural barriers, but he also broke down racial barriers. Remember how this event begins in John chapter 4. [show map] Jesus was in Judea down by the Dead Sea and he purposed to travel North to Galilee which was by the Sea of Galilee. The only problem was that in order to do so he would have to do one of two things; (1) travel straight North through Samaria, or (2) do what any “good, self-respecting” Jew would have done and travel East crossing the Jordan River, then North for several miles, and then West back over the Jordan River into the region of Galilee. Because heaven forbid that you would ever set foot in Samaria and defile yourself.
But Jesus breaks through the racial barriers of his day and moves with purpose through Samaria to the city of Sychar … almost as though he had an appointment. It’s there we find him sitting by a well when this woman comes to draw water and … he speaks to her. Listen to her response in verse 9 …
“Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?’” and then there’s this parenthetical statement: “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”
Jesus refused to accept the racial prejudices of his day … and if we are going to LIVE-LIKE-THAT we too must break through the racial barriers of our day and begin loving our neighbors as ourselves recognizing that we have no more value in the eyes of God than any other person … regardless of our racial or ethnic background.
If fact, the Bible says that God “…made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” [Acts 17:26]. Although we may have different ethnic background, truly, we are all of one race … the human race. What a difference it would make in this world if we would begin to view one another – regardless of our cultural background – through the eyes of God. We are all God’s children created in His image and for His glory. What a difference it would make if we, as followers of Christ, would begin simply to love God and love one another.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Jesus not only broke down cultural barriers and racial barriers, but he also broke down traditional barriers.
Take note of verses 20-24 … there’s another shift in the conversation. One of the “big issues” between Jews and Samaritans (aside from the racial prejudices) was that of their worship traditions. The Jews maintained that true worship was to take place in Jerusalem (where the temple was) and the Samaritans pointed to mount Gerizim just to the west of Sychar where their ancestors worshiped.
But Jesus breaks through these traditional barriers.
“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” [John 4:20-24]
Jesus disarms the whole situation. It’s not about locality … it’s not about residence, but it’s about relationship. God is Spirit and those who worship Him are to worship in Spirit and in Truth. These are the ones that the Father is seeking to be His worshipers … These are the ones He is seeking to be in relationship with.
Often our traditions can become a major barrier to fulfilling the very mission to which Jesus has called us. Jesus had strong words toward the religious leaders of his day declaring that they transgressed that commandment of God for the sake of their traditions … saying that they shut people off from the Kingdom because of their hypocrisy … they were so worried about their traditions that it was like they strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel. [see Matthew 15 & 23].
If we are going to LIVE-LIKE-THAT, we must come to the realization that this life we live is not bound up in the religious ritual, but is fulfilled in the relationship. It’s not about our traditions. It’s not about our preferences … our likes and dislikes … or about a particular style … or a particular posture … or location … or method … it’s about the heart of the worshiper and the connection we have with the Father through the Son in the Spirit. These are the ones, Jesus says, that the Father is seeking to be His worshipers.
If we’re going to LIVE-LIKE-THAT (live like Jesus lived), we, like Jesus, must break through social barriers of our day. The second truth is this …
JESUS BRINGS OUR FOCUS FROM THE PHYSICAL TO THE SPIRITUAL
Let’s look at verses 10-14 …
“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.” She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” [John 4:10-14]
Water is a key necessity to life … second only to oxygen. Survival experts talk about the rule of 3’s … in general; you can only survive 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.
This woman was coming to draw what she needed for her physical life … and Jesus recognizes that, but he shifts the conversation from the physical to the spiritual: Whoever drinks this water will thirst again. It may quench your thirst for the time being, but not for long. I’m offering you something that will quench the thirst of your soul for eternity.
If we are going to LIVE-LIKE-THAT, we must shift our focus from the physical to the spiritual. Scripture teaches us that since we, as followers of Jesus, have been raised up with Christ, we are to keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. We are to set our minds on things above not on the things of the earth. [Colossians 3:1-3]
The Apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4 that we are to “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
As we begin to live as Jesus lived; to LIVE-LIKE-THAT … we must shift our focus from the physical to the spiritual; from the temporary to the eternal.
[NOTE: I used several real buckets to give an object lesson as I preached through this next part]
Let me try and illustrate it this way … Like the women at the well, we each have a bucket. They come in a variety of sizes and shaped. Some may be plastic, others maybe be metal or even galvanized. Often we get dissatisfied with our bucket … our bucket just doesn’t fulfill us anymore … so we think that maybe if we get a different bucket, things would be better … bigger bucket (shiny and new) – maybe that would make things better. Or maybe we think it would be better to have a really small bucket, so we downsize and simplify and find us the least little bucket we can find. But that doesn’t seem to work so maybe instead of our wee-little bucket, we think maybe a strong reliable 5 gallon bucket is going do the trick … or maybe we think we don’t want the plastic bucket, but a nice galvanized bucket that will last us into our golden years … and on and on it goes.
Let me tell you something … listen closely … it’s not about the bucket … the problem is … you’re drawing water from the wrong well! The water you’re drawing may quench your thirst for the moment, but you will thirst again. Jesus offers water that will quench your thirst FOREVER. When we come to the well of Jesus we receive water that will become a well of water in us springing up to eternal life!
This reminds me of the proclamation that Jesus made over in John 7:37-38. It begins this way: “Now on the last day, the great day, of the feast ….” Let me set up the context here. The feast referenced here is what is known as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles and it was a celebration and remembrance of God’s provision in the wilderness for 40 years. Water and food were scarce, but God provided both for His people. During this last day, the great day, of the feast, the priests would make processionals from the temple to the pool of Soloam, from which they drew water that was then brought back and poured out as a drink offering before the alter. As they poured out this offering, they would recite Isaiah 12:3 which says this: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
This is the occasion. This is the setting here in John 7:37. Keeping that in mind let’s look at the text again: “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
We know from the very next verse that these “rivers of living water” is a reference to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. It is the Spirit that brings life … eternal life. This is the offer that Jesus made to this woman at the well … and she got it! Jesus totally transformed her life … did you notice? She never drew out the water she’d come for. In fact, in verse 28 it tells us that she left or waterpot and hurried back to the city to tell everyone she could about Jesus!
This is the same offer that Jesus makes for us today … and it’s the same offer that we are called to make to the community in which we live.
Revelation 22:17 says this, “… let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
