He Made An Offer That
I Couldn’t Refuse
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall given 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. John 4:13-14
My brothers and sisters, all of us have been privilege, if you will have been presented with offers. We’ve all been faced with the opportunity to do one thing or another. The privilege that has been presented to each of us at some time or another to do things that may or may not have been to the Glory of God. That being what it may, yet the offer was extended. And with the coming of the offer we began to be thrust into the valley of decision forcing us to decide whether it would be an offer we would except or an offer that we would refuse. We’ve all had offers. Am I right? Some of them were offers and privileges that was extended to us in some way or another would have proved beneficial to us though it might have only been temporarily. And sometimes we are faced with some right then decisions from that offer. And sometimes we can see what we accomplish from our accepting of that offer. Oh, yeah think about the offer that you received. Think about the privileges. Think about the opportunities and see where your mind fall. You determine where your mind will fall.
We’ve all had offers. We’ve all had our opportunities. We’ve all had various privileges that we had to either accept or reject. Sometimes our phones ring less because we rejected somebody’s offer. Sometimes the doorbell ring less because we rejected somebody’s offer. There are all kinds of opportunities going around in this world. There are all kinds of privileges floating around in this world. Some of them would benefit us on into Glory and some can condemn our soul to a eternity. But we’re talking this morning about an offer that was made personally to me. And choose to be based upon the benefits, an offer I could not refuse. Our text tells us of an offer that was presented this morning to someone whose name is not given. Whose name for one reason or the other is not mentioned. There is a man sitting by Himself at a well in a Samaritan town. There is a man sitting down beside Jacobs’ well.
This is Samaritan village, but yet the man at the well is a Jew. He sits there at the well. He’s out of His native land. Racially, He has no business in that town. Ethnically He has not business in that community. He stands out, He sticks our like a sore thumb. Who is this fellow sitting at the well? And what is His purpose? Why is a Jew in a Samaritan town? For it is common knowledge that there was no dealing between the Jew and the Samaritan. Not because the Samaritan wanted it that way, but because the Jews felt themselves to be better than the Samaritans. And not only the Samaritans, but to anybody who was not a Jew. You got to understand that the Samaritans were a mixed breed. Is it alright if I have Bible Study for a minute? You see I got to give you some background to this message so that you can get a good understanding. Am I right? The Samaritans were mixed breed. They had some Jewish blood, but they weren’t full blooded Jews. Therefore the true Jews put them on the lower level of the totem pole.
Even though the Jews looked down on them, my brothers and sisters, they were still people. It’s wrong of anybody, black or white to think themselves better than someone else simply because of the color of your skin. You got to understand that we are all the results of one blood. We all come from one Adam. I hadn’t read no where it said there was two Adams. There was only one Adam. And that tells me we all came from that one seed, the seed of Adam. Can I get a witness? Now Jesus sits, a Jew, by Himself in a Samaritan town. He’s not nervous. One would think being out of His social background, being an alien in a Samaritan town, He would felt a little bit out of place. He would no doubt be recognized by those who would come by and attempt to drive Him out of town. But He sit there comfortably. He sits there cool, calm and collective. There’s no fear in Him. He sits as though in wait for someone to arrive. I think I ought to tell you that Jesus had already told His disciples, “I must need, go through Samaria.”
Jesus went through Samaria because there was a great need for His presence. And you know I’m glad that Jesus did not comply with the personal hang ups of man. Can you imagine what it would have implied if Jesus had bypassed Samaria? If Jesus had went on by Samaria and not went in, it would have placed His stamp of approval on segregation. It would have tended to place His Divine approval of the separation of the Master. So, Jesus said, “I must need to go through Samaria.” Can I get a witness? His need was multi-purpose. He needed to go there to tear up some hang ups. Are you going to pray with me? He needed to go through Samaria to send a message not only to those of that day, but to those of days to come that I love everybody regardless of their race. So to hear Jesus saying, “I must need to go through Samaria,” because the need will tear down the barriers of segregation. The need will tear down the barrier of racial separation.
It was great that He needed to go through Samaria, but not only for that purpose, but He needed to go through Samaria in order that a city revival would take place in that town. That town needed a revival and that town needed some saving. Can I get a witness? So Jesus had a need to go through Samaria. Not only to destroy the barriers of racism, but to save men and women from their sin. So He went through Samaria. And now we find Him sitting comfortable at Jacob’s well. He chose to sit at the well, because everybody sooner or later will have to come by the well. There was no running water. There were no sinks with faucets. There were no indoor facilities. Everybody who wanted a drink of water had to go by the well. The well was a center gathering place. The well was in the center of the community and everybody had to stop by the well. But Jesus sat there at the well for another reason. The well was where needs were being met. The well was where thirst could be quenched and where thirst could be satisfied.
So He sat there at the well because He knew that the well was means of quenching and meeting their physical needs. But Jesus was there to meet their spiritual needs. So what we have now is a well at the well. What we have now is a fountain of water at a well of water. Physical water on the one hand and spiritual water on the other hand. There’s water with water. Water beside water. Water around water. Somebody know what I’m talking about. Jesus sat there at the well waiting patiently. He sat there with great expectations. He sat there in the knowledge that there will soon drop by that well a woman. A woman who had just left her house with water pots coming to draw water from the well to fill her pots and return to her home. I’m persuaded that she did not leave her house empty. But I’m persuaded that there was somebody there whom she had left behind. I’m persuaded that beyond the shadow of a doubt that she left a friend at the house while she went to the well.
But my brothers and sisters, as she made her way to the well with empty water pots, she was also on her way to the well with an empty heart. Oh brothers and sisters, so often in life we try to fill the physical needs and let our spiritual needs go lacking. We must remember that it’s not enough to take care of the physical man. We must remember that the spiritual that is within us also need caring for. There’s a soul that needs healing. There’s a soul that needs comforting. There’s a soul that needs holding. There’s something within us that every now and then need to be rocked. There’s something in us that hunger and physical food can’t satisfy. There’s something within us, that thirst and H2O cannot quench. There’s something within us that needs to hear. We have a greater need than the physical need. There’s a soul within man that none can be satisfied. Oh, Loving Peace we’ll never feel complete, no matter how much money we have unless we are spiritually filled.
There are some things that don’t seem to quench our soul. No matter how much prestige, popularity and power we have , it doesn’t seem to do anything for the need of the soul. You understand. No matter how beautiful and how elegant the clothing that we wear are, it does not satisfy the hunger of the soul. Can I get a witness? Oh brothers and sisters, she was on her way to the well with some empty water pots, but most importantly with an empty heart. Look at her journeying to the well with no idea about who she is going to come in contact with. Oh, Loving Peace, I’ve heard during my life of preaching, folk saying I came to church with no desire. When I left home I didn’t have no thought in my mind that I was to take a step. There was nothing on my mind saying I was to join, but somewhere doing the service, joining got on me. Somewhere doing the service a thirst got in me. A hunger got in me. And I saw that the table was set and I thought that what I needed was on the table. And I made my way up to where the table was. Somebody know what I’m talking about.
This woman journeyed to the well with no possible expectation that she would meet a man who had the power to not only save the body, but to also save the soul. She approaches the well glancing at Jesus, possible out of the corner of her eye. She gazes upon but Him, but doesn’t want to see that she’s looking. She looks at Him as though she is examining Him, wondering who He is. No doubt saying to herself, “He’s not one of us. I’ve never seen Him here before. He’s a Jew sitting up here at our well. He’s a Jew sitting up here boldly, calmly and collectively in our town. Thinking He’s better than us. He probably come across the track just to see how the other folk live.” Oh brothers and sisters, Jesus just sits there. When He began to talk to her, she makes no effort to speak to Him. If Jesus had said nothing to her, believe me, she would not have said nothing to Him. So Jesus makes the initial contact. Jesus breaks the ice.
His opening statement was “Give me a drink of water.” No doubt in my spiritual mind she was looking around, not believing what she had heard. She says to Him, “Don’t you know who I am? Do you know what town this is? And do you know who you are? You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan. Don’t you know that the Jews and the Samaritans have a wall between us? When you see us, your folk get on one side of the street to keep from coming in contact with us. And since we know how y’all act, we get on the other side. Oh, my brothers and sisters, I think sometimes if there is not some Jews and some Samaritans in the church house by the way we treat each other. Sometimes a church member sees another member and go the far side of the church just to keep from coming into contact with the other. You hear what I’m saying. She’s not aware of who Jesus is. She sees His humanity, but she knows nothing about His divinity. She sees the human attributes, but she has not yet been able to see the divine in the human. Can I get a witness?
Now that Jesus has talked to her, this give Him a chance to get out all of the racial hatred that has been built up in her. I can hear her saying, “You are a Jew and Jews don’t have nothing to do with us.” Somebody ought to be able to see them now. No doubt she was saying let’s lay all the racism aside, you know you are a Jew. And you know that I’m a Samaritan. You’re asking me for water and you don’t have nothing to draw from? You know have anything to drink our of. I can’t give you no water, not because you are a Jew, but because you don’t have nothing to drink out of.” Jesus is not intimidated by her racial remarks. He’s not in any way upset by her hostile attitude. Oh Loving Peace, if I was there knowing then what I know now, I would have told this woman instead of her going off on Jesus just because He’s a Jew asking her for some water, if she know like I know, she ought to be asking Him for some water.
You got to understand Loving Peace that the water she had to offer wasn’t nothing compared to the water Jesus had to offer. When you drink the water that she came to get, after while you’ll have to come back for some more. But the water that Jesus has to offer, it is everlasting water that springs up from the wells of Living Water. Earthly water can only temporary satisfy. That’s the thing about well water, it doesn’t last. Anything you get out of the well, it may make you happy, but it will wear off after while. It doesn’t last. This water in Jacobs well, once you quench your thirst, it will hold you for a while. But you’ll thirst again. But the water that Jesus is willing to give, to freely give, if you drink it, you’ll thirst no more. Well you know the rest of the dialogue.. But in reality what Jesus was doing at the well was making her an offer. What the Lord was doing was offering her something everlasting. He was offering something that was eternal, that would satisfy not only now but forevermore.
He was offering living water that could not come from an earthly well. He was offering her living water that could not be bought with money. He was offering her living water that you can’t get from fame and glory, and prestige and honor. Folk just don’t look at you and say, “Oh, you’re so famous here’s some living water.” You don’t come by that water that way. Folk just don’t walk up to you and say, “Oh, you dress so nice, here’s your big glass of living water. We don’t get living water that way. No, no, Jesus was offering something that money could not buy. He was offering something that was priceless, yet it’s free. He was offering her something that was eternal, but it could be applied right now. He was offering something that would carry her soul down through the ages, but it would start keeping her right now. He was offering joy for her sorrow. Light for her darkness. Strength for her weakness. He was offering here hope for tomorrow.
He was offering peace, not only in the valley of tomorrow, but peace in the valley right now. Jesus was making her an offer. Well, brothers and sisters, I think I ought to tell you that everybody don’t know a good offer when they hear it. Everybody can’t recognize a good deal when they see it. Some folk get suspicious if the deal looks or sounds to good. Got to be a catch somewhere. Nobody offers anything this good free of charge. Somewhere there are some strings attached that will appear somewhere up the road. But you know I think God that this woman realized that what Jesus was offering her was priceless. She come to realize that He was offering something that she might not never be able to get again. You know they tell me that opportunity doesn’t always knock twice. Somebody here this morning has an offer to accept Christ and if you turn your back on it and walk out, you may not have this chance again. Opportunity may not always knock twice, but you ought to know a good deal when you see one. And take advantage of it while you got a chance.
Oh brothers and sisters I hear the Lord saying, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found.” The offer won’t be there always. Draw unto Him while He is yet near. For there will come a day when man will seek the offer and it will no longer be available. Well, the woman, thank God analyzed the situation. And she came to realize that this was offer that she couldn’t refuse. No doubt she said, “This is an offer I can’t let pass me by. Well, I have nothing really when you think about it to lose, but I’ll have everything to gain. He’s not putting me in any binding contracts. I don’t have to sign my name on anything. He’s offering me something the bill collector can’t worry me over if I fall behind in my payments. It’s really a good offer, life everlasting.” Oh, my brothers and sisters, the offer is on the table. He’s able to give you joy in time of sorrow and hope for tomorrow. I don’t know how you feel about it, but that’s special be offered help in my distress.
To be offered help in my distress. To be offered a way out of no way. To be offered to accept an open door when all others have been shut in my face. He’s offering me something and it’s so tempting I can’t turn my back on it. In other words it’s an offer I can’t refuse. Can I get witness? Well the record is, this woman accepted Jesus’ offer. But oh, Loving Peace you know the story, Jesus said unto her, “Before I give you some water, there’s somebody else at your house that need some of this same water.” Can I get a witness in here? Jesus is not only concerned about saving you, but He wants to save those at home. The Lord is not just concern about saving the momma, He wants to save the daddy. He’s not only concern about saving the daddy, but He wants the son and He wants the daughter. So Jesus tells her to go home and get your husband and bring him back. And the same water that I’m going to give you, I’ll give it to him too. Because after all I know you’re not selfish. I know you would won’t him at home to have what you have.” Can I get a witness?
Conclusion:
* Well, you know Loving Peace, as I hurry on to a close. I thank God that this woman’s heart was right. Because when you drink of the right water, there are some things you won’t do no more. When you get a drink of the right water, there are certain places you won’t go no more. She realized that she was caught in a desperate situation. No doubt in her mind she began to think about her situation. I can hear her in my spiritual mind saying, “If he finds out that things at home are not like they ought to be, He might not give me some everlasting water. So, I’m going to tell Him, Lord I have none. I don’t have no husband at my house. Can I get a witness here? But that Christ of mine look at her. Looking in the inner most depths of her heart. And you know Loving Peace, it doesn’t matter what you don’t tell the Lord, He knows all about you.
You don’t have to tell the Lord that you’ll a liar, He already knows. You don’t have to tell the Lord that you hadn’t been faithful and committed, He already knows. Jesus looked at the woman when she said, “Master, I have none.” Jesus said, “You answered well. You spoken right, because you have had five husbands and the one you got at home is not yours.” Well, you know Loving Peace something came over her. You know the truth, if you’re halfway right will stir you up. The truth, if you are halfway right will excite you. I heard just the other day, the Bible say, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” But you first got to know the truth. Well, she got excited. She got so excited that she dropped her water pots and she started running back town. She went all through the city crying out to everybody, “Come, come, come, Oh, come, come see a man that told me everything that I’ve done. Ain’t God alright? I wish to God today that somebody in here would drop your water pots and go running through the rocks and the hills telling men and women to come on, come on and see a man that told me everything I’ve done.
You got folk who come to church to see Jesus and then they go back home and don’t tell nobody what the Lord has done. But Lord wants you and I to get in hurry. When service is over, when the benediction is given, you ought to leave and go running telling somebody, I was at church and the Lord fixed my soul. The Lord lifted my bowed down head. The Lord picked me up and turned me around. Ain’t the Lord alright? I’m going home when I tell you. I feel like preaching here. You know that the Holy Spirit will lift you up. Ain’t the Lord alright? I remember a time ago, the Lord made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I told the Lord, “If you need somebody, here am I send me I’ll go.” I’ll go if I have to go by myself. Is there anybody here that ever met the Lord? Has He ever pierced your soul? If the Lord has freed your soul and set you free and made you an offer that you can’t refuse you ought not mind waving your hands.
If he made you an offer you couldn’t refuse and you accepted that offer, you ought not mind let the world know that you tried the Lord for yourself. You ought not mind letting the world know that you accepted the offer. I don’t know about you, but accepted the offer. Let me tell you about Him. I don’t know your day, but I was lost in a word of sin, but that God of mine came to me and made an offer. He told me Hall, If you walk for me I’ll be by your side. The Lord told me, if you walk with me I’ll keep my arms around you. If you walk with me every step of the way, I’ll be there. I’ll be your joy in your sorrow. I’ll be you hope for tomorrow. he told me, I’ll never leave you not forsake you. Ain’t the Lord alright? Ain’t the Lord alright? Say yeah, say yeah, oh, yeah.
