EXERTING EXTRA EFFORT… THE SEEDS OF GOOD DEEDS!
VISIT AT THE WELL VS LIVING AT THE WELL!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Proverb 11:30 (Amplified) The fruit of the (consistently) righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise captures and wins souls (for God---- he gathers them for eternity.)
Corrie ten Boom said: When I enter that beautiful city, And the saints around me appear, I hope that someone will tell me: IT WAS YOU WHO INVITED ME HERE.
Corrie ten Boom also stated: I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands,that I still possess.
One more Corrie statement: IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD, YOU WILL BE DISTRESSED. IF YOU LOOK WITHIN, YOU WILL BE DEPRESSED. IF YOU LOOK AT GOD, YOU WILL BE AT REST!
THERE IS A FAMOUS PLACE IN ISRAEL IT IS CALLED JACOB’S WELL. Jesus is returning to GALILEE but he felt compelled to take a detour through SAMARIA… The Jewish tradition was to bypass Samaria. Jews never had dialogue with Samaritans.
We must understand: THE WOMEN OF THE VILLAGE ALL TRAVELED TO THE WELL IN THE EARLY MORNING. The women traveled together. The water was essential to daily life. Why was this woman not with the group of ladies? This woman had a STAINED PAST. Her choice of lifestyle meant she had a BAD REPUTATION. She was considered an outcast … an “UNTOUCHABLE.” Jesus valued each person…
TODAY JACOB’S WELL IS IN THE WEST BANK AREA OF ISRAEL. IT IS MAINTAINED BY THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN SYCHAR, SAMARIA. The well is deep and it has an artesian spring in it.
AT THE WELL, JESUS FOCUSES HIS ATTENTION THAT EVERY PERSON MATTERS IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY.
Jesus said: I MUST NEEDS GO… WHY? JESUS WANTED TO TEACH US THAT EVERY PERSON NEEDS TO BE LOVED REGARDLESS OF THEIR PAST OR THEIR CLASS IN SOCIETY OR RACE…
John 4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
TO MINISTER TO THIS SCARRED, BROKEN WOMAN JESUS HAS TO BREAK EVERY OBSTACLE STANDING IN HIS WAY: LET US STUDY A FEW…
1. ONE HINDRANCE THAT HAD TO BE OVERCOME WAS JESUS WAS TIRED… HIS JOURNEY HAD BEEN LONG…
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
2. ANOTHER HINDERANCE WAS THE GENDER PROBLEM… TODAY WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM OF GENDER… To this day many areas of the world refuse to permit male/female contact unless there are family ties.
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
3. ETHNICITY: separated in groups made up of same cultural background, descendants, language, dialects, beliefs, practices… RACIAL DIFFERENCES…
John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
4. PERSPECTIVE, KNOWLEDGE, IGNORANCE… IF YOU ONLY KNEW? WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN KILL YOU!
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
5. THE PHYSICAL OBSTACLE… HOW COULD YOU DRAW WATER… YOU HAVE NO BUCKET OR ROPE…
John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water.
JESUS, you have nothing to draw water out of this well. Jacob’s well is at least 120 feet deep and to this day it still produces clear, cool water. Travelers today can still drink from this well. People are not allowed to take pictures of the well for safety and sanctity of this area.
6. AUTHORITY OBSTACLE… Who has the right to give orders, make decisions and choices? JESUS YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS AREA… NO POLITICAL POWER, legislative, police power, abilities or rights.
John 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
7. INCORRECT INTERPRETATION, MISUNDERSTANDING, WRONG PERSPECTIVE. Miss understanding the conversation with incorrect assumptions and emotions.
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
8. IT IS EASY TO DENY AND IGNORE YOUR PROBLEM…
John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
9. UNCONFESSED SIN, MORAL ISSUES…
John 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
10. IT IS HARD TO OVERCOME TRADITIONS, BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATIONS… Behavioral patterns, repeated and reinforced, bond.
John 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
11. THE HABIT OF MAKING EXCUSES… INDULGENCE, OVERLOOK…
12. WRONGFUL EXPECTATIONS… WORSHIP PATTERNS…
13. THE OPINION, A VIEW OR JUDGMENT NOT NECESSARILY BASED ON FACTS… VALUE, WORTH. How your peers accept?
John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
CONCLUSION: WE MUST NEVER GIVE UP ON PEOPLE. JESUS OVERCOMES EACH OBSTACLE TO RELEASE THE VALUE OF AN INDIVIDUAL. IN JOHN 4 we find a great hidden lesson to overcome and press forward. . THIS FAMOUS PLACE IN Sychar, Samaria has a real lesson more than about water. Find beauty in this place CALLED JACOB’S WELL. Jesus is traveling and returning to GALILEE but he felt compelled to take a detour through SAMARIA… Will we go out of our way to touch others? WHY? There is value in one soul. The Jewish tradition was to bypass Samaria. Jews never had dialogue with Samaritans. Jesus needed to touch a lady that will touch many others.
We must understand: THE WOMEN OF THE VILLAGE ALL TRAVELED TO THE WELL IN THE EARLY MORNING. The women traveled together. The water was essential to daily life. Why was this woman not with the group of ladies? This woman had a STAINED PASS. Jesus saw the potential in the scarred life. Her choice of lifestyle meant she had a BAD REPUTATION. She was considered an outcast an “UNTOUCHABLE.” Jesus valued each person… Jesus cared enough to love one. If each one won one the church would grow.
We as the CHURCH need to visit SYCHAR, SAMARIA. Some lost soul needs you. We have a deep well and it has an artesian spring in it. The living water died thirsty that we have access to the living waters of eternity.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Check out: YouTube: Wade Hughes)
