Satisfaction Guaranteed
John 4: 3-15
INTRO: 1. Since creation mankind has always been in pursuit of happiness, contentment, fulfillment. Anything that will bring to their lives the smallest measure of satisfaction.
a. In vain, some pursue riches, while the rich pursues more.
b. Some pursue fame, while the famous is constantly in the headlines having taken their lives.
c. Some pursue success, but discover what they’ve fought all there life for wasn’t worth fighting for.
ILL. Multimillionaire George Vanderbilt killed himself by jumping from a hotel window. Lester Hunt, twice governor of Wyoming before being elected to the U.S. Senate, ended his own life. Actress Marilyn Monroe, writer Ernest Hemingway, rock star Janice Joplin and the list goes on and on.
d. Some pursue relationships, but divorce rate testifies that human relationships isn’t enough to satisfy our thirst.
e. Some pursue pleasure, but finds it only leaves them burned-out and even more empty than before.
f. There is a hunger in man that this world can never satisfy!
(created with a God-shaped vacuum in our soul)
2. Jesus at the well of Sychar found a women whose life had been wasted in the pursuit of satisfaction.
a. She had married five husbands in hopes she’d find someone to bring to her life what she’d always longed for.
b. She came to well in the middle of the day, most likely because she had become the object of scorn from a life devoted to pleasure and sin.
c. This pursuit had left her feeling worthless and burned out. Hopeless to ever find what her heart so desired.
d. But what she found at that well was what she’d been looking for all along.
3. The words He spoke she’d never forget – He quickly let her know that what He had she could receive.
a. He placed within her reach the keys to satisfaction.
b. He unfolds to this sinful women what the whole world had been striving for.
c. This is the single longest conversation recorded in the gospel between Jesus and an individual.
d. He, in detail, outlines the nature and the abundance of a satisfication guaranteed by Heaven.
4. This Samaritan women wasn’t convinced right away, she resisted at every turn.
a. She attempted to distract him with “religious talk” and bringing up political contraversies. Getting too personal, embarrising.
b. But Jesus didn’t stop until she ran to tell her neighbors about finally finding satisfaction.
c. You may be sitting here today skeptical that Jesus can really deliver what He promised, but Jesus isn’t intimidated by our doubts or our questions – but is willing to patiently work to give you what you’ve desired all along - Fulfillment of the soul.
I. A SATISFYING GIFT.
a. Jesus didn’t answer the question on her lips, but the question on her heart.
b. He started by revealing to her that this satisfaction is a gift from God.
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.
c. Didn’t come to give her a reward, but a gift.
d. She always thought that happiness would be her reward for her diligent search, but never did she dream that it would be a gift, given by a stranger at a well.
A. A GIFT JESUS WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO GIVE US.
1. This was a “must” for Jesus.
2. Not saved because of her seeking, but because she was sought out.
3. Jesus took the road less traveled to get to this women.
4. Didn’t send his disciples, Jesus came himself. (Took on flesh and walked among us)
5. Only Jesus can give you this gift. (no preacher or teacher can)
6. No matter what your story, Jesus went out of His way to reach you
B. A FREE GIFT.
1. Becuase our account is already paid in full! No strings attached!
2. Not in response to anything we’ve done.
3. Not hindered by what we are. (Samaritan sinner)
4. It couldn’t be any simpler to recieve.
5. It’s a gift with only one condition – recieve it.
ILL. Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the United States Mail sentenced to be hanged. President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon but he refused to accept. Chief Justice of Supreme Court, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. “A pardon is a slip of paper,” wrote Marshall, “the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If refused, it is no pardon. He must be hanged.”
C. AN INCLUSIVE GIFT.
1. She deliberatly chose this time of the day, so she wouldn’t have to deal with people - grown accustomed to being an outcast.
2. His actions spoke louder than his words - to Him she was no outcast.
3. Not only would he speak to her, but drink from her water pot. (Unheard of among jews)
4. Jesus stepped over the boundaries of racial, religious, and social prejudices.
5. Never one refused yet.
II. A SATISFYING DRINK.
a. While many a prophet would have been quick to point out her sin, Jesus was quick to point out her thirst.
b. Many live a life of sin, not driven by rebellion, but by thirst. It’s time we let them know where they can find a satsifying drink.
c. Jesus began by uncovering her thirst—that longing in us all.
A. IT QUENCHES WHAT THE WORLD CANNOT.
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
1. It’s the nature of the physical (eat until full, but tommorrow you’ll be hungry again)
2. In fact the physical things will only increase our appetite for more.
3. The earthly pursuit for satisfaction is a hopeless cycle.
4. We get deeper into sin, because the last sin didn’t satisfy us.
5. But what the world cannot quench, there’s a well that can.
B. IT QUENCHES COMPLETLY.
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; ...
1. We have to look no farther, we’ve found the source and the supply.
2. It needs no help from the things of this life. (Money, Fame, Nothing!!!)
C. IT QUENCHES ETERNALLY.
1. Earthly wells only give us temporary satifaction, but the water He brings, never stops.
2. Original language allows a double negative “Shall not thirst, no, never.” much stronger than our english word “never”.
III. A SATISFYING WELL.
a. Jesus let her know that what he had, wasn’t just a touch or a blessing, but a well.
John 4:14 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.
A. A WELL WITHIN US.
1. It’s resident with us - a part of us.
2. It goes where we go. (Portable satisfaction)
3. It goes through what we go through. (Crises, storms, trouble)
4. It’s resources are always readily available.
B. AN INEXAUSTABLE WELL.
1. Like trying to drink the ocean dry, always more flowing in than we can ever use.
2. This well will never run dry.
IV. A SATISFYING LIFE.
a. Jesus let her know that this water was “living water”
John 4:10 ...he would have given thee living water.
b. Liquid life is what he was saying.
A. LIVING, NOT STAGNANT.
1. That which is stagnant, is not just lifeless - it’s unclean.
2. Jewish peole believed that flowing water took away all defilement and made worshippers clean. (Priests washed in running water)
3. Ever fresh, ever new, ever flowing.
B. LIVING, NOT BORING.
1. She tried to distract Him with religious talk, but Jesus let her know that He wasn’t talking about religion he was talking about ’life.’
2. Such life sprang up from within her, she forgot why she had come there in the first place and left her water pots.
3. She ran through the streets knocking on doors stopping everyone she met - a woman that had lived for excitement had found the most exciting thing in her life - Living Water
4. Springing up, overflowing.
5. Soon to become a river flowing out of our bellies—the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
CONCLUSION: If we are not careful, instead of embracing God’s gift we’ll be distracted by the mechanics of how its done:
a. Samaritan was concerned with How he’s drawing water without a vessel.
b. She pointed out how deep the well was.
c. Will we limit Christ with our difficulty? With the Depth of our sin?
