I have invited you here today to look at one of the bible female characters whom story has been woven and knitted into the fabric of the scripture. Her life is not one that was not always perfect or of purpose. As a matter of fact her life, her conduct, her behavior and values are quite questionable. I really didn’t come to reopen the life of this woman of the bible for demogration, or castigation. But we have landed here because I have recognized that in the best of us there is some bad, and in the worst of us there is some good.
And what I have found out is that, if everyday is a classroom and life is a lesson. That means that in every life there is a lesson to be learned.
And I believe that the bad that we have pointed out that is lifted from the scripture about this person’s and her personality, can contribute positively to our own, personality or persona. In other words looking at this woman’s bad situation could possibly make us better people. (STOP) [And I pray that we have come to this place this morning with a mindset that says feed me until I want no more].
I’m really interested this morning in each of us coming to an understanding that every encounter, every incurrence, every episode, incident and event in our lives can be use too development us, and to enhance our dimensional growth.
I also believe what goes on in our life can heal us, or hurt us. What happens in our life can destroy us or develop us. The choice is base upon how you choose to see things. Because what I have learned in these latter years of my life, is that many of us are personally affected by things that people say and do.
Many of us assume that what other say, and what they do are personally direct towards us. But many things that effect us was not intended for us, there are some things that have hit home with us because we have chosen to allow ourselves to be exposed too some people that don’t mean us any good. That’s why negativity can grab us so easily, that’s why bad thought can enter into our hearts so quickly, because we have expose ourselves.
We have heard a lot of negative statements about people and some of it was true and some of it was not true. Not only that but we have we seen through scripture or heard of some of the negativity about even this women at the well.
But don’t look down your nose on her to quick because there are other women in the scripture that have had some problems also. There are others women in the bible that have had some bad reputation. Such as Ms. Eve [the one who was deceived by the devil], we have seen Ms. Pothiar wife [the one who tried to have an illicit love affair with Joseph. We have seen Lot’s wife, the who left her heart in Sodom and Gomar, [because she couldn’t help but look back and see what was going on in her old neighborhood, and when see looked back see turned into a pillar of salt]. Then we have also seen Ms. Delilah [the one who had her own barber shop in her own house, the one that who could not resist the hair cut of her lover Samson] and now we have come to another woman in the bible that could possibly help us see ourselves a little clearer, the women at the well, the one that is dying for a drink.
And I have brought you to this passage because it is exciting, it’s extensive, it’s full of encouragement. It is full of lessons that you and I can magnify on what just could have been just a well side conversation, but instead it has been magnified through the exposition and revelation of the Holy Ghost that bring us to an perspective and an angelic conversation that Jesus had, one that can brings a transformation and alteration to our lives.
And so when we come to meet this woman of chapter 4 of the gospel of John, the one that I have decided to label A Drink for a Drink. I need you to know that I have been taken by the fact, that first of all this woman is only known by her location, and not by her name. She’s known by where Jesus first met her [PAUSE].
If we wanted to do some archeological research or go to her city and do some geology studies to figure out who this woman family was, we couldn’t even began, because we are not supplied with a name, and that’s because she is just call the women at the well. And that’s all she is remember by is the women at the well. What a disturbing attribute, only to be known by your location of where you might hang out.
And let me ask you another question since I’m right here. And if you just had to be called by your location what would your name be?
Could anybody call you servant, could anybody you intercessory prayer at the church on the corner. What would they call you if they called you by your location, and not your name? I know some of us can’t even say it because it probably would embarrass you or demote your character. [Pause]
What a way to be known, people just name you according to your locate. And I know some of us has been seen in some places that we hope no-one ever mention because we don’t want to be known by our location.
She was stuck with a name like women at the well.
I need you to know that I get excited when I come to this passage and when we meet this woman, that the bible doesn’t even dignify her existence by giving us her name for any follow up validation or documentation. But yet this woman at the well has become significant, and celebrated because Jesus met her at this place where he needed a drink.
I discovered something when I read the bible thoroughly, I discovered something that it is impressive about this scripture, I discovered that a lot of the honey’s hung out at the well. It seems to me as though the well was the hot spot.
I know you all don’t believe me but let’s check your bible, remember Rebecca, Rebecca met Oletha at the well, and she was talking about how cool his partner Isaacs was, and she was trying to she if she could get a hook-up, and this at the well. Jacob got his rap game on with Rachel at the well, and now here is Jesus meeting a woman at the well. And I guess before I move on, I think that there are some people that are still hanging out at the well. So this women show’s up at the well in chapter 4 of John and something remarkable happens. Now she comes here out of a desire to escape the other sister’s who came to the well, and the reason that she chosen to isolate her self is because of the life style that she lived, which brought about embarrassment, it brought her some shame, and disgrace. But She Needed A Drink.
So the Word of God said that she went at the sixth hour which was about noontime. She went in the heat of the day when the other women didn’t go. And something we need to know and that is when we are out of the will of God you will have to go through some hot time, some struggling times, some tuff times and some difficult times. She went in the heat of the day.
If you have read this story before you will know that this woman had some problems in her life. She has had many marital disappointments. Her life was a collections of errors, as a matter of fact she has had five husbands and even now she was giving up bedroom benefits without the benefit of a ring to a man that was not hers.
She didn’t like going to the well when the other woman were there because the people would talk about her. [PAUSE] But you know what I have found out is that, people who are doing the same thing that you are doing will talk about you when you are doing it. They will be doing the same exact thing that you are dong but they will talk about you like a dog, they will bring you down, they will drag you down, and they are doing the sameeeeee thang.
And there is something else that we must realize here, and that is that the bible is a collection of the experiences of ordinary people who had some extraordinary encounters.
There is nothing different about the people on your block and the people in the bible. From Genesis to Revelations there are people that have had some problems.
So I am impressed because Jesus went to an extreme to meet this woman. The bible opens up by saying that Jesus said I must need go through Samaria. Now this was unusual because the Jews did not socialize with Samaria’s unless it was commercial or business and yet Jesus tells his disciple I must go here.
And that’s what I love about Jesus; is that Jesus will goes too the extreme for us. But there are those of us who will not to the extreme for him. We’re always too tried, I got too much to do, I need to go grocery shopping, I need to wash my hair, my third cousin on my fourth cousin side of the family is in town. We never go to the extreme for Jesus.
So Jesus gets to the well and he waits on her, please let me ask you this question, how long has Jesus been sitting waiting on the well waiting for you?
CLOSE: So the woman finally shows up at the well and what she discovers is a well sitting on a well. Yes she went looking for one well, but she ends up discovered two wells.
She came looking to get her physical need met, but there was a spiritual fountain waiting on her, to quench her thirst.
Jesus breaks the ice by saying give me some water, and the woman responded to him by saying. You are a Jew and you know that the Jews don’t have any dealing with the Samaritan
I can see Jesus within the spiritual realm saying, I didn’t come to disappoint you, but I came to appoint you, I didn’t come to dissatisfy you, but I came you satisfy you and I know that you are in need of a drink and I’m prepared to give it to you.
So I can hear Jesus saying to this woman give me a drink water; and I can hear the woman saying you know that we don’t have any dealing. But if you let me paraphrase this I can hear Jesus saying, I didn’t come to take anything from you, really came to give you a gift.
And I know that you want this water in the well, but I have living water, water whereas you will never thirst no more. But I can hear the Samaritan saying but you don’t even have anything to draw with, so, if I gave you a drink you couldn’t even reach down and receive the water, because the well is deep.
I can hear Jesus saying (You must don’t know about me) Jesus says I have living water and whosoever drink of this water shall never thirst any more. So I heard the woman say give me to drink of this water. But Jesus said wait a minute before I give you of this water, I need you to go call your husband and the woman says I have no husband, and Jesus said your right, as a matter of fact you have had five husbands and the one that you are with now is not yours.
And this really blew my mind because I love the number system that the Lord has. He said that you have had 5 husbands 5 is the number of grace. Then he said and the one that you are with now which is the 6th husband, and number six stands for man, and then she’s runs into Jesus who is the 7th man, and seven is the number of Completion, who prepares her for the eight man and eight is the number of new beginning.
Jesus said call on your husband and the reason that he told her to call her husband is because if you want to drink from this fountain you must allow a cleansing to take place, if you want this water you will have to clean up your act, for if you are fornicating, you can’t drink, and if you are a liar you can’t drink, whoremongers you can’t drink. You must give your life over to Jesus and be righteous.
And there are some of us that need a drink from Jesus but we can’t drink because our cup is filthy.
But if you want to clean your cup I offer you Jesus come to Jesus while you still have time.
He will keep your cup and give you a drink that you won’t forget.
I’m reminded of a story of a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance.
He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note.??The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need".
Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die.
After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept on pumping and water started coming out. So much water came out and he drank all he wanted, he took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find.
Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! And I’m here to tell somebody that it works, I’ve been primed and now I’m pouring into your Jugs that you might prime the well.
Jesus is the well. You might ask well what is the prime/
The prime is if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart the Lord Jesus then you will be saved.
Is there anybody that want to trade a drink for a drink? You’ve been thirsty all year long and you need your thirst quenched. Well come on and help me prime the well by lifting your hands and by praising the Lord.
