Hope you have a Bible nearby and and you can follow along with us
as we read a little bit about our Lord and get to know a
little bit more about him in John, chapter 4, if you want to
go to one of the gospels and he want to learn about Jesus,
there's no more. There's no better place to go
than the Book of John and that's where our message will be taken
this morning. And my studies through the Book
of John on the last year or two. I noticed something that I
hadn't caught before, and I don't think it's an accident and
how these things come together and where they come together.
But whether or not it was intended or not, we can
certainly take note of the fact that Jesus connected with both
the very highest and the Very lowest of society.
In John chapter 3, when no doubt Jesus was exhausted from another
very busy day, we find him. Discussing the kingdom, with
Nicodemus, Nicodemus, was a wealthy powerful prestigious
intelligent educated, and morally and religiously
respected, man. Among the highest in the land,
this man Nicodemus was Yet. Jesus did not write him off.
He spoke with him about the beauties of God's love and the
coming Kingdom. And then we come to chapter 4
and we meet a character who is everything that Nicodemus was
not. Let's notice some of the
comparisons between the two, some of, the contrast Nicodemus
was a man, and the woman from Samaritan, of course, was a
woman. He was a Jew.
She was a Samaritan. He was a person of influence.
She was a nobody, he worshipped at the right place.
She worshipped and the wrong place.
He belonged to the religious right of the day.
She was a religious Outcast. He was morally pure and she was
spiritually destitute. They were both miles away from
where they needed to be, but they were in totally different
directions, yet Jesus in his love and Concern for both of
them. We see is equally great to
Jesus. They were both sheep without a
shepherd and all he longed to take both of them into his fold.
It's particularly fascinating to me how naturally he connected
with a Samaritan woman. Let's see.
How from the story that John relays to us how the story
unfolds? And the great love of Jesus, I
love that we should be striving to emulate in our lives.
In this little story we find that Jesus the model Soul winner
shows the rest of us and reaching out to the lost that
barriers can be overcome. We see this with with nearly
everyone, we meet there are some kinds of barriers between us and
between them as we try to lead them to Jesus.
We can overcome those barriers just like Jesus.
Did Jesus overcame racial barriers?
He overcame gender barriers, he overcame me National barriers,
religious barriers, more barriers and physical barriers.
The physical barrier in this story is that he had to have
been. After this lengthy Journey
exhausted, he overcame these barriers to win this woman's
heart and soul, how did he do it?
Well, with all their differences, he found Common
Ground. He found that they both needed.
Something, they both needed water.
They were both thirsty. We find that Paul.
Uses this same idea approach in First Corinthians 9 verse 19,
through 23. I am become all things to all
men. That I might save some.
Well, Jesus deplored the state of the Samaritan woman.
She was not where she should be. He knew that and he wanted to
change that but it didn't come right off the bat and just start
slapping her around. Like, sometimes Christians, do
not thinking about, what if I was where she is, or what if I
was where he is, we fail to do that.
Sometimes Jesus wasn't like that.
I thought things through he used Common Sense, the Bible teaches
and in First Timothy second Timothy 3:16 that all scripture
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable every single
word in the Bible is beneficial. The Holy Spirit.
Never waste words. He had at first glance verse 3
and 4 as we read in our texts seem to be of no moment seemed
to hold no great significance. But beneath the surface, their
significance, swell Wells. Let's read first.
John John 4 verses 1 through 4 therefore, when the Lord knew
that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized
more disciples than John, although Jesus himself did not
baptize but his disciples. He left Judea and departed again
to Galilee but he needed to go through Samaria.
Verse three and four, what possible significance, could
these two verses have he's going to make the trip to Galilee.
But what of what importance is it that he passes through sychar
and Samaria on his way to Galilee, well, The Jews despised
hated really, the Samaritans that lived in this region right
here. And when they would ordinarily,
make a trip from Judah to Galilee, instead of going the
shortest route, they would go across the Jordan River, go all
the way around and then come into Galilee.
Why they hated them. They despise them so much.
They didn't want to be around them.
They didn't want to see them and they didn't want to be defiled
by passing through their country, their region.
The Bible says he needed to go through Samaria.
Why the 70 mile journey to Galilee through Samaria took
three days on foot, but most Jews would take the long hot
desert road from Jerusalem to Jericho up the Jordan Valley
which took seven days an extra four days.
They would go because their religious and racial disdain for
the Samaritans. This area.
Samaria today is referred to that was Menachem, begin, I
believe. Who first began referred to it
as the West Bank. They stayed away from that area.
another reason, why People may not have always traveled that
way, was because they were concerned for their personal
safety. This was a dangerous, right.
We have find also in verse 9 as John narrates, the story, the
Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Why was that? Let me give you the fastbacks on
the samiri situation and Sumerian with the Samaritan.
On this is important. I think it's interesting as well
as valuable for us to know this, the children of Israel.
That's the northern 10 tribes committed idolatry and worship
the gods of other nations. So, God as a punishment to them,
just like, he'd warn them Cynthia, syrians which came from
the area where modern day Iraq, Iran and Syria are low and Syria
are located. He sent these people to take the
Israelites of Samaria. Captive, read about this in
second Kings, chapter 17, is about 750 years before Jesus met
this woman. And in Samaria.
Well, the Assyrians settled into this region.
And after the Captivity, and these people, the Israelites
were allowed to go back. They returned to Samaria.
And now they settled in and intermingled and intermarried
with the Sumerian, the Samaritans, or with the
Assyrians and they gained the name of being the Samaritans.
And then though, as time walk rolled on, they decided that
they wanted to help. Those that Judah build the
temple in Jerusalem. Well, this offer was flatly
refused and as a result of that, they became bitter enemies and
they built their own temple on Mount gerizim, which was right
here, was right the same place. In fact, when Jesus is talking
to the woman at the well, he's just right at the foot of this
mountain, where these people for also long had worshiped and
worshipped in error because God said that was not where you were
to worship. Well.
When their temple on the mountain was destroyed, they
still directed their worship to mount.
Good reason, the Samaritans were guilty of open religious
apostasy now, they pretended, like many people today, do and
Christianity. Well, it just doesn't really
matter that much where you worship as long as you worship.
But they were wrong. In evaluating their situation
that way they pretended that those in Jerusalem.
Now they are the ones who had digressed.
And in doing so they rejected all of the Old Testament books
except the first five books. They said those other books,
those aren't really God's word that was part of the arrogance
of the, the tribes that were located in Samaritan Samaria.
Now less, you get the wrong impression.
The southern tribes were not as pure as the driven snow either.
They were all so disobedient rebellious.
It seems like they were just a few steps behind the Samaritans
in their wickedness. And in their idolatry.
But at least they did worship at the right place over time.
The Samaritans were further alienated from the Jews as they
intermingled. And as they intermarried with
the Assyrians, we don't usually give the historical background
as we look at this story, but I think it helps us and
understanding why the Jews? And the Samaritans were such
bitter enemies. And why it was such a big deal
that Jesus would go through. In this region.
I hate this also helps us to understand what a slam it was.
When the Jews said of Jesus, in John 8 48, do we not rightly say
that you are a Samaritan and have a demon that was a racial
slur. Had a had a had a horrible
intention behind it. And what they were trying to say
about G is worse than any of the ones that you might here today.
So why did Jesus need to go the shorter?
The shorter Passage Through Samaria.
Maybe it was partially because of the journey.
Jesus didn't have time to waste that four days.
Why waste the four days by going around, was it?
Because he did not share the general, Jewish hatred for the
Samaritans. Possibly, he certainly deals
with that head on in the story of the Good Samaritan, but I'm
convinced. The main reason that he wanted
to spend those extra days. Save those extra days by going
the shorter route through Samaria.
Was because he wanted to begin some, that wouldn't take really
take place till ax8 some 15 or so years later.
He wanted to begin to turn Samaria upside down, and he
wanted to start with this immoral woman who carried around
a chip on her shoulder. Let's read verse five and six.
So, we came to a city of Samaria, which is called sychar
near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son.
Joseph. Now Jacob's, Well, was there,
Jesus, therefore being wearied from his journey sat thus, by
the well, it was about the sixth hour.
Again, now sychar was right on a line about halfway between
Jerusalem and Galilee. Jesus had been traveling about a
day and a half now so it was probably A noontime and he was
worn out. He was wiped out, he was
exhausted and so he stopped to rest at Jacob's.
Well, now Jacob's, Well, was and still is quite a historical
place at this time when Jesus stop there, it had been in
existence for 1800 years. It's still in existence, in
fact, you can still visit this same spot what now which is
2,000 years later almost 4,000 years.
Der this well, was dug. Jaden McGarvey after visiting,
the will. A hundred years ago, wrote
Jacob's, Well is listen about 100 feet from Mount gerizim,
which Rises high above it to the West.
The whale is a perfect cylinder, seven and a half feet.
In diameter wall with stones of good-sized smoothly, dress and
nicely fitted together. An excellent piece of masonry.
He says in 1839, it was found to be 75 feet deep the well but
with only 10 to 12 feet of water, all visitors of more of a
more recent date. Have found it dry and gradually
filling up from the habit of throwing stones into it to hear
the reverberation when they strike the bottom.
I want to just stop here and make a point Jesus here.
I believe was valuing good works.
This well, had been here for 18 hundred years for 1800 years and
now he stops and he's resting at the well and and satisfying his
great thirst at the well, you know, there's really no telling
how many people may benefit from the good works that you do.
Certainly the Servants of Jacob that Doug that well 1800 years,
before Jesus ended up. There had no idea that the
Messiah some day would come and stop at that.
Well, And quench their thirst right there.
The Messiah himself, the Son of God, and you remember that your
random acts of kindness your words of encouragement, your
Good Works. May bless others that you may
never even meet. We take a lot for granted.
It's probably safe to assume that the Samaritan woman here.
And the story is also thirsty, consider this, she had to walk
out. This well, with a pot, a heavy
pot and she had to carry at this time, a 70-foot long rope, just
to get a little bit of water, no doubt.
This would be part of what allows her to covet The Living
Water. That Jesus is going to speak of
in just a little while. Notice also that Jesus needed
rest in 2nd Thessalonians 3 verse 10 through 15, the Bible
teaches that the man who does not work.
Work should not eat and that other Christians should not even
associate with him. In first, Timothy 5, verse 8
Paul says that this kind of man is worse than an Infidel worse
than an unbeliever and while slothfulness and laziness is a
serious sin, good and godly men and women have put themselves in
a premature grave. Because they did not give their
body their Temple, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, rather rest
First Corinthians 6:19 and 20 teach that.
So Jesus stops here to rats and he stops here to satisfy his
thirst, verse 7 through 9. A woman of Samaria came to draw
water. Jesus said to her, give me a
drink. For his disciples had gone away
into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said
to him, how is it that you being a Jew?
Ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman.
For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
So DS is resting at the, well wise disciples have gone to town
for food. Jesus asked her for a drink of
water. Notice here, that Jesus spoke
first. Jesus initiated this
conversation. Sometimes we think that well as
long as we just live a Christian, what Christian Life
that that's all we have to do know, there are times when we
need to initiate conversations. We don't wait for somebody else
to talk to us. We initiate the contact.
Jesus did teach in the synagogue and his public teaching was
important, but Jesus was more than just a Sabbath morning.
Teacher Jesus, just like Paul and the other Apostles and
preachers and elders. And so on they taught publicly
and from house to house, the church does not glorify God by
adding to the New Testament pattern by embracing women
preachers. First Corinthians Chapter 14
verse 34 and 35 of you believe the Bible.
You believe what I'm saying? It's a shame for a woman.
Women to speak in the church nor does the church honor God by
neglecting to teach from house to house.
We heard teachers and we who are preachers will be judged, more
strictly James 3, verse 1 says. And so while in the United
States, the days of baptizing dozens during a gospel meeting
have apparently passed. More than anytime.
More than any generation in these United States.
We must teach the lost as well as the faithful publicly and
privately Jesus model that he did it right here.
He took the time. I'm going to talk to this one
woman. Yes, he talked to the multitudes
on The Sermon, on the Mount but he's zeroed in from time to time
on one particular individual and he initiated the conversation
and he did that first of all by establishing a relationship a
friendship. Once remember that, when we're
working, Working to reach out and to save the lost.
Well, a Samaritan woman was stunned.
She was shocked, imagine that you were there.
Imagine you were there watching. Imagine you were there.
Listening somehow hidden behind some bushes, somewhere to
experience this. You could see the facial
expressions there, if Jesus clothing, didn't give it away
his accent. Did she knew that this man was a
Jew? Watches the story develops to
see how her knowledge of and respect for Jesus grows.
We find in verse 7. She speaks of him and not real
positive. Way about him being a Jew by
verse 11. She's saying sir when she speaks
of him by verse 19, she speaks of him as a prophet.
And then finally in verse 29 she's talking to him as the
Christ, the Messiah. But first, she must have been
thinking what a strange man and she says, in effect, Who do you
think you are and what do you think you're doing?
I think another element of Jesus wisdom here is seen in how well
he was able to listen and how much he listened to this woman.
If Jesus was going to limit this car conversation proportionally
to who was right? And who knew what they were
talking about. He wouldn't have let this woman
get a word in edgewise. He just say not shush.
You stop. And you listen to me and even
though Jesus did initiate the conversation, we see Jesus
listening Swift to hear James 1 verse 19 says, slow to speak,
Swift to hear. We see that.
It's interesting to me. I took the time to go down and
and break down the conversation from verse 7, through verse 20,
And did you know that they both spoke exactly 114 words a
completely balanced conversation.
He was going to turn the conversation but he allowed her
to talk. He allowed her to express
herself. She says though, how is it that
you being a Jew? Has to drink from me, a
Samaritan woman. She was really scolding him.
I believe for violating the conventional cultural etiquette,
you shouldn't be doing this mr. I know who you are.
You need to know who you are, but Jesus wasn't deterred.
Sometimes we give up too easily. Jesus wasn't like that.
He wasn't deterred by the awkwardness.
By what was perhaps an insult or brush off.
He loved the Samaritans. Just like he loved the Jews.
He loved the women. Just like he loved the men.
He loved the Harvest just like he loved the holy ones.
People who don't understand the Bible or the time, sometimes
slander, the New Testament, they slander, Jesus.
And Paul saying that all, or maybe from time to time, one of
them were against women. That's not the case.
Jesus elevated the woman and he and he spoke with and treated
women better much better than the men of that day.
I think it's important for us to know that as we here.
Some of the things that we hear out in the world Jesus honored
and value the six Mary's, their names are preserved as being the
ones that were there right to the end when some of the men
couldn't be counted on Jesus mother.
Mary Magdalene. Mary, the wife of clopas, Mary
and Martha, Joanna, Susanna solo me Dorcas Jesus, highly
esteemed. These Godly women.
Without putting them in the Pulpit like some think they have
to do or without elevating them to a place of church leadership.
The eldership, we can still do what Jesus did graciously today,
and honor Godly women just like Jesus did without violating the
New Testament teaching. We see the same a, the Apostle
Paul that we saw in Jesus, he singles out Phoebe, and Romans
16, not saying that she's some kind of a church.
Vishal but he elevates her as a Godly woman.
He singles her out just like he does Priscilla and try Fina and
try fossa persis Rufus mother Lois Eunice and he did this and
Jesus did this in a day when Jewish men often lived in
harmony with the rabbis who taught that worm should not talk
with a woman on the street, not even with his own wife and
certainly not somebody else's wife because of the gossip of
men. It was forbidden to give a
woman, any greeting here. Jesus is.
Talking not just to a woman but to a Samaritan woman.
In fact, some of the synagogue's back in that day segregated, the
women they had to sit behind a veil, some rabbis thought and
taught that women should not even hear the law.
Women were treated little better than a slave but not Jesus, and
not the Apostle Paul, and not the New Testaments in meekness
and humility Jesus continually condescended From the throne
room of Heaven to a Manger in Bethlehem from the presence of
the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the angels to the lepers
Hypocrites, and the harness. Oh, what?
Amazing savior. We have, he condescended down to
me. And to you sometimes we thank
well. We've got ourselves cleaned up.
We're United States, we're Americans, and we know a lot,
and we've seen a lot and we've done a lot, and we've got a lot.
We feel pretty good about ourselves, but We're just
Sinners. Those of us who have obeyed, the
gospel or just Sinners. Who have been saved by the grace
of God, because we've obeyed our Lord.
He condescends to me. Oh, to be more like him to, not
think that I'm better than any man or any other woman on the
earth to treat them with as much respect every one of them.
Has anybody else that I would that's the way Jesus is.
We need to be more like that brothers and sisters.
That's the way Jesus was and that's why he's going to get
this woman and that's why he had such a tremendous effect and
that's why Christianity has spread like it has verse 10,
Jesus answered and said to her, if you knew the gift of God and
who it is, who say C says to you give me a drink, you would have
asked him and he would have given you living water.
Jesus, did not let her impertinent criticism.
Throw him off trap. Living Water I've got for you.
Do you know who this is? How is Jesus able to keep his
cool and not get distracted or disturbed by how she behaved and
how she responded. I believe it was because he
remained focused on her welfare and not on her words, he wasn't
focused on his own Pride, or his own ego, he was focused on her.
I've got to lead this woman to the father.
I've got to bring her to God. He wasn't concerned about what
what type of A foolish words. She might say he lost himself
just about where we so many times.
Have we lost our cool? Well, she didn't have a clue
about this living water, but now with his patient persistence, he
had her curious and her curiosity.
Next led her to challenge his ability and his identity will
get to that in just a minute. Let me quote from Bruce Milne
here, he in his Harry gives us another thing for us to remember
when it comes to evangelism, he's emphasizing Jesus
compassion and sensitivity. I'm quoting through the entire
conversation. Jesus deals with her as a person
in her own right with her with their own unique history and
special longings. She emerges in the account as a
character with personal dignity because Jesus treats her as such
simply put Jesus loved her. Although we don't read the
words, I love You' in the text. She could see it.
And was prepared to breach, age-old conventions to reach her
our failures and evangelism are so often failures in love.
Nothing is so guaranteed to draw others to share our living
water. That an awareness that we
genuinely care about them. People want to know that we care
before they care about what we know.
Remember that Down to verse 11 and 12 the woman said to him,
sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.
Where then do you get that living water?
Are you greater than our father? Jacob who gave us the well, and
drank it from it himself as well as his sons and his livestock Is
Americans would just like the Jews.
They're always talking about their their Heritage you greater
than Jacob. They had that same common
Heritage. Are you greater than Moses?
Yes, greater than alive. Yes, David.
Yes. That's what she was asking.
Really who do you think you are? And now Jesus turned the
conversation from the carnal to the spiritual, but she still
struggling to catch on to connect all the dots.
What is he saying? What does he mean?
Verse 13 and 14? Jesus answered and said to her.
Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again.
But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst. But the water that I shall give
him will become in him, a fountain of water springing.
Springing up into everlasting life.
Now Jesus is moved from instructing, the Samaritan woman
to really teaching all of us. He's talking to every last
person here today, this is very similar to his teaching, in John
6, verse 35. And he says, I am the bread of
life, he who comes to me, shall never hunger.
And he, who believes in me, shall never.
Thirst, blessed are they those who hunger and thirst, after
righteousness, for they shall be filled.
It's talking to us. For thirsting, for the right
thing we have the right kind of hunger will be satisfied.
He's also saying that, nothing worldly, nothing carnal, nothing
physical, can satisfy us the law, the besides just in the
short run, Nothing besides genuinely serving, God can bring
genuine peace, joy and contentment as Jesus puts it in
John 15 only if we abide in Christ and he and us, can we
maintain the joy of Salvation is hika back in the Old Testament
had hinder what Jesus was talking about right here in
Ezekiel 36:26. And 27, I will give you a new
heart and put a new spirit within you.
I will take the Heart of Stone out of your flesh and give you a
heart of Flesh. I will put my spirit within you
and will cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my
judgments. And do them.
Verse 15. The woman said to him, sir, give
me this water that I may not thirst nor come here to draw,
she's tied to making this trip. Give me this.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Where is this water? What do you mean?
Give it to me? I'm ready.
She was just like the crowd in John 6.
Who said Evermore? Give us this bread.
She doesn't fully understand what Jesus is talking about.
But she does acknowledge at least that maybe this man does
have the power to By this miraculous water he's talking
about now. Jesus goes from changing it to a
spiritual conversation, to changing it to her.
He's targeting her. He's targeting the woman.
Her situation verse 16 through 19.
Jesus said to her, go call your husband.
And come here. The woman answered and said, I
have no husband. Jesus said to her, you have well
said, I have no husband for you have had five husbands and the
The one that you have now is not your husband in that you spoke
truly the woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a
prophet. Now, it's possible that this
woman may have been widowed five times that all five of her
husband's had died but that's not very likely.
Is it even given the benefit of the doubt on her five marriages?
There is still no justifying her living with the man that she's
now with, and Jesus knows it. And she knows it.
He wants her to take a good look in the mirror to see herself for
who she is. And that she to needs a savior.
Oh, she can boast about being descendants of Jacob, but she's
a sinner and she's lost and she needs somebody and he is that
somebody Well, now she has a Bible question and maybe this is
maybe it's because she's a little bit overwhelmed with how
all of a sudden this has gone from a talk about getting a
drink of water till where she's on the spot, maybe she's wanting
to kind of deflect the discussion.
But she has a worship question for the one that she's now
acknowledged as a prophet. Let's look at verse 20.
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain.
What's neat about? This is now we know that where
she's standing there hundred feet away from Mountain reason.
She's pointing at that mountain. That's so interesting to me.
She says verse 20 our fathers worshiped on this mountain and
you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to
worship. She kind of wants to have a
religious debate going here. Oh, Jesus is going to disarm the
woman. He's treated her with respect as
a woman as a Samaritan as a sinner but now it's time for her
to drop her prejudice against the Jews and against the truth
and listen. Lovely.
And so he sets the record straight in verse 21 and 22 and
gives her a preview to the kingdom.
Jesus said, to her woman, believe me the hour is coming.
When you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem,
worship the father, you worship, what you do?
Not know. We know what we worship for
salvation of the Jews of the Jews.
Let me just say this controversy once and for all you Samaritan
has been wrong. All these years and where you're
worshipping. It's wrong.
It's no good. God doesn't accept it.
You're wasting your time, you're wasting your energy.
That's rather direct. And sometimes people don't like
to hear that. Their worship is not found in
the Bible. The Jesus is not defend, Diaz
are not support, and God will not accept their worship.
But sometimes when we love someone, we've got to let them
know when we've established as Jesus has done a relationship.
And we've demonstrated a genuine concern for them, and we've
talked respectfully them, Sometimes we have to tell them.
The way you're worshipping, it's not found in the Bible, it's not
there. And if you don't change, you're
going to be in trouble because God doesn't accept that worship,
verse 23. And now now he's really honing
in and he's going to come on real strong on this topic of
worship. Yes, it does matter, it does
matter, it did matter back then where you worship, but the hour
is coming and now is talking about us when the true
worshipers will worship the father in spirit.
And in truth, for the father is seeking such such to worship
Him. People don't think that they
need such thing as this exist true worship.
True worship. You mean that there is a kind of
worship that is not true. That's exactly what Jesus is
telling her. And that's exactly what Jesus is
telling us today. There is true, worship, and
every other kind of worship is false worship.
Doesn't matter how brilliant the man was who came up with it
doesn't matter how it. Well this is awful convenience
doesn't matter how sanitary it maybe if it's not found in the
Bible it's not true worship. True worshipers worship in
truth. Jesus already told her the fact
that the Jews were the true worshippers.
The Samaritans, were the false worshippers didn't matter how
sincere they were and what they were doing.
Of course, that's the prevalent way.
It is today, the philosophy in Christianity.
All worship is acceptable, but Jesus makes it clear that that's
not it. Listen, if we can't find our
practice in the New Testament, we're kidding ourselves.
If we think that God, accepts our worship, can you imagine
this Samaritan woman? Her mother and her father, her
grandmother and her Grandpa all the way back generation after
generation. They been worshipping this way.
He's just done to her what he did to Nicodemus in the previous
chapter said you're going to set all that aside.
You're going to have to do my will, you're going to have to
worship, just like, I tell you just write in the right place.
Now today it's not the right place today.
The Lord is not concerned about the longitude and the latitude
of all location where we worship, We don't have to have
lit Worship in a particular City.
I could date back there in Jerusalem as opposed to mount
good reason. But there are particular, is
that God makes clear when he talks about true worship.
There are some specifics, the next verse.
What does he say? In verse 24, God is a spirit and
they that worship Him must worship him.
That's not a condition. That's not a suggestion.
That is an absolute must worship Him in spirit.
And in truth, New Testament worship involves the teaching
and the meditation upon the apostles Doctrine, the singing
of Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs praying to God through his
son. Jesus Christ, involves the
observance of the Lord's Supper, the contribution, for the spread
of the gospel, and the care of meaty Saints.
We, if we had time, we talk more about the specifics on each of
these. And as we noticed earlier than
me, there is a pattern, there is a pattern and we were to abide
in that pattern. We're not to add to or take away
from it. Now some people don't, they look
at their little thing and which they can't find in the Bible.
It ain't there. But they were you know, it's not
that big of a deal. We just do this little thing
here and that's the, we everything else.
We pretty much keep listen. You start making one change.
You have lost every last, right? To complain about all the things
that have been the flood of innovations that have come into
religion. You've Lost Your Right.
Look what happens when you abandon abandon the pattern?
This is what happens listen to all the that is just a short
list of some of the things that have come along since the New
Testament was established auricular confession.
The baptism of images, the baptizing of bells, the
baptizing of infant's, baptism for the dead, the burning of a
Incense the canonization of saints, celibacy of the clergy
communion under one kind, elevation of the host extreme
munchkin function, invocation of the Saints, the lighting of
blessed lamps and candles, Lenten, fast and ceremonies
orders of monks and nuns societies of Jesus, Purgatory,
prayers for those in purgatory. Pascal candles Priestly, robes
Investments. Holy paraphernalia.
Penance. Redemption of penances.
Pouring for baptism. Sprinkling.
For baptism, the rosary. The separation of Clergy and
laity, the doctrine of transubstantiation constant
Association, individual cups, the sprinkling of holy water,
the stored up Merit of dead Saints.
The use of instrumental music, women preachers, and on, and on
the list goes, once you start. Don't you ever complain about
anything else than anybody else is adding?
But the best thing is never to start.
Just stick with what the Bible has.
Just do it the way Jesus said it down.
And if you've gotten on the wrong road and you've taken yup,
one of these practices that Jesus didn't set up, you need to
let it go. That's what we're going to show
in just a minute. That's that maybe your water
pots. Well, let's read on verse 25,
the woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming, who
is called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us
all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak
to you. and he, Verse 27 at this point his disciples came and
they marveled that he talked with a woman yet.
No one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her?
The woman, then left her waterpot went her way into the
City and said to them and said to the men come, see a man who
told me all things that I ever did, could this be the Christ?
Then they went out of the city and came to him.
She left her waterpot when she headed when she was headed to
the. Well, the most important thing
in the world to her was her water pot.
Funny how it is. Sometimes we get so focused in
on our own little water pots that we forget what really
matters we get. So caught up in the world and
worldly things. We need to leave our water pot.
What are some of the water pots that we have?
What are some of the water pots that perhaps you have, there's
the water pot of self-will. The water pot of self-pity,
there's a water pot of family over faithfulness.
There's the water part of a carnal mind.
There's the water pot of fear, the water pot of Pride, I don't
know what your water pot is today, but if you're not living
right, you need to think about what is it?
What is the water pot that I need to leave behind?
So I know without any doubt that I'm pleased, the Lord.
And how I'm living and how I'm worshipping verse 31, through
38, in the meantime, his disciples urged him saying Rabbi
eat, but he said to them, I have food to eat up, which you do not
know. Therefore the disciples said to
one another has anyone brought him anything to eat?
Jesus said to them. My food is to do.
The will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Do you not say there are still four months and then comes the
Harvest. Behold.
I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields for, they
are already white for Harvest. And he, who reaps receives wages
and gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sews and
he who reaps may Rejoice together.
For, in this, the saying, is true, one sows.
And another reaps I sent you to reap that for which you have not
labored others have labored and you have entered into their
labors verse 39, and many of the Samaritans of that City believed
in him because of the word of the woman who testified, he told
me all that I ever did. So when the Aaron's had come to
him, they urged him to stay with them.
And he stayed there, two days, and many more believed, because
of his own word, then they said to the woman.
Now we believe not because of what you said for, we ourselves
have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the
savior of the world, look at all the good that's done from this
one private Bible study so to speak that Jesus has with this
Samaritan woman who's lived an immoral life.
He's turned Her life around and he's turned the city around and
they're going to be ready. Oh yes.
They will be ready in Acts chapter 8.
When Philip Comes To Town. We talked about a lot today.
We talked about how Jesus valued good works.
We talked about how the key was he initiated this conversation.
He elevated the woman and he taught that there is such a
thing as true worship, which automatically teaches us.
There's a thing, such a thing as false worship.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
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