The Woman At The Well

Encounters – Conversations with Jesus

The Woman at the Well

October 28, 2018

• This well was the Starbucks of Sychar. Women gathered there each morning not only to retrieve water, but to talk, laugh, and probably gossip about the immoral woman who lived in their village.

• Only poor women came to the well. People with means had servants do this task.

• The woman was front-page tabloid material – married five times and now living with a man who was not married to her.

• This is probably why the woman was coming by herself in the heat of the day to get water – it was the only time she could escape the condemning glares and spiteful whispers of her neighbors.

• Sychar – Town of Drunkards (Hebrew Word)

The worst woman from the worst town in the worst country was about to meet Jesus.

1. Jesus shows up on time.

John 4:4-9 NIV

“Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

• This was the shortest route, but most Jews took a longer route just to avoid Samaria.

• If God has promised to answer any prayer that I pray according to his will, why are my prayers not being answered?

• The answer is – timing. God sees the entire journey and he recognizes opportunity better than we do.

Romans 5:6 NLT

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

2. Jesus points us to a generous God.

John 4:10 NIV

“Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

God wants to give us good gifts.

We are valuable to God.

“He would have given you …”

3. Jesus points us to our destiny.

V.13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Jesus was introducing her to new appetites because our appetites will determine our destiny.

• Money, Success, Prosperity, Pleasure, Popularity, Security – they are all dry wells.

• How many times have I lowered my cup into these wells and how many times have I brought it up empty?

We all need to be saved from ourselves.

Hope is seeing Jesus in our future.

Matthew 28:20 NIV

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Conclusion:

John 4:28-31 NIV

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

When we drink from the right well, we’ll find the life God has intended for us.

• Are you tired of drinking the wrong water from the wrong well?

• God wants to give you another chance! TIMING, HOPE, PURPOSE