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John 4:4-22
John 4:4-26
4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.
5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.
7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?
12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.
14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—
18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.
20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”
21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.
. . . . . . . .
23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah!”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Jesus HAD to go through Samaria…
Commercial Theology…
A fifth grade teacher at a Christian School asked her class to watch TV commercials and see how they could be used to communicate truths about God. Here are a few they came up with:
Just like in Isaiah 11:6, so often we see how “a little child will lead them.” We need to make children feel comfortable in church. We want them to feel welcome. To feel loved. It’s ok to be a kid in God’s house. Shouldn’t we do that for adults too?
Just Because Somebody Showed a Little Bit of Kindness…
The story is told of Teddy Stallard. Teddy looked sloppy, he was turned off from school; he was the picture of someone who most teachers would think would wind up as a failure in life.
Miss Thompson loved to use her red pen on Teddy’s papers. Throughout the years, Teddy’s teachers recorded all of his problems. Bleak. No hope. While in third grade school, Teddy’s mother died. He was raised by his father but he showed no interest in him.
In 4th grade Teddy joined in on the giving of Christmas gifts to the teacher. He brought a gaudy rhinestone bracelet and a bottle of cheep perfume that was nearly empty. But Miss Thompson put the bracelet on and wore the perfume and thanked him for the gift. Teddy told Miss Thompson that she smelled just like his mother used to.
Miss Thompson then had a change of heart. Instead of writing about the problems and expecting Teddy to amount to nothing, she began to affirm him. To love him.
Teddy began to show improvement. He caught up in his grades and even began to excel ahead of his classmates.
Years later, Miss Thompson got a letter from Teddy saying that he is graduating first in his class; I wanted you to be the first to know. Four years later, another letter.
As of Today I am Theodore S. Stallard, MD; I wanted you to be the first to know.
I’m getting married next month. I want you to come and sit where my Mother would have sat if she were still alive. My father died last year, and you’re the only family I have left.
This life was changed, because somebody showed a bit of kindness. Like Jesus going through Samaria, breaking the “rules” and showing a bit of kindness to a sinful woman, lives were changed. And Miss Thompson had to go through “Samaria” too. Because she showed a bit of kindness to Teddy, Dr. Theodore Stallard is saving the lives of many people.
Jesus MUST go through Samaria… and so must we.
In the year 727 (2 Kings 17), Assyria came in and exiled the 10 Northern tribes of Israel. The Assyrians brought in people who didn’t know the Lord. The people in the region known as Samaria began to intermarry and to worship foreign “gods.” The southern kingdom of Judah wanted nothing to do with those people; they brought in “bad blood.” They didn’t share in the Israel nation. The Jews wanted nothing to do with them.
Samaria was a place filled with people who were rejected and left out.
Hot Coffee, or Loving Kindness???
Pastor Jim recently went to get a cup of coffee at 7-11, but God took him to “Samaria.”…
What would you say to someone who said “Nobody cares about me?”
There’s a God who loves you so much that He died for you. Don’t ever feel lonely. Jesus loves you and there are a lot of people who love Him too. Because they love Jesus, they’ll love you too.
Sometimes we go for one reason, but God sends us in a different direction for another reason. God’s “detours” are often calls to ministry… Calls to go to Samaria.
“Jim must go to 7/11!”
Stained Glass Masquerade (by Casting Crowns)…
The Christian group Casting Crowns has released a song called “Stained Glass Masquerade.” Someone needed a word of encouragement, but he couldn’t fine genuine encouragement from the church.
Is there anyone that fails here? Is there anyone that falls?
Am I the only one in church today who’s feeling pretty small?
Cause I take a look around and everybody seems so strong.
I know they’ll soon discover that I really don’t belong.
Someone who needed a hug, a word of encouragement, couldn’t get it at church because we have our “plastered smiles.” Do we try to fool eachother? Do we pretend that we care about those “Samaritans”… as long as somebody else goes there instead of us?
She Can’t Play in their Reindeer Games…
The Samaritans were so despised, that the pharisees called Jesus a Samaritan! (see John 8:48). This woman is despised. She can’t join with the others at the well because “Nobody Cares About Her.”
She was an outcast, had a bad reputation. But Jesus comes to her and talks to her. He gives her the opportunity to serve; “Give Me a drink of water.”
The Pharisees and even Jesus’ disciples couldn’t (at that time) couldn’t understand the truths about God expressed in verses such as Psalm 55:22 or 1 Peter 5:7…
Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
Jesus Must go through Samaria.
Living Water…
Jesus breaks the ice with a simple “give me a drink.” He uses language that the woman could understand. Real talk. He gets right to the crux of the matter.
Living Water– In the land, there were different pockets of water that would just bubble up. Jesus is saying that we can have a relationship where our love for God just bubbles up and spills out to others. Through his “sinful Samaritan”, an entire town learned about Jesus and was saved. She went to the same men who abused her and thought she was worthless. But Jesus gave her value. Jesus reached out to a woman in need.
How many folks do we pass on the street who need a drink of water? How many people are fooled by a mirage that will never be fulfilling? We have the living water… we need to share it with others.
But what about this Sprite Stuff???
Ok, Coke is the “Real Thing.” And we know about Allstate, Dial Soap, and all of those other ad campaigns. But- What in the world does Jesus have to do with Sprite??? Click below to open the answer…
Sprite?!?
In 1996, the Coca Cola company came up with a new slogan for Sprite:
“Image is nothing.
Thirst is everything.
Obey your thirst.”
Obey Your Thirst!
If you’re under a hot scorching day, you need ice cold water. You need God’s living water. If you’re sitting outside a 7-11 waiting for a bus, feeling that nobody cares about you, you’re thirsty. Obey your thirst.
But you won’t find the answer in Sprite.
There is a loving God who really does care. He is offering Living Water which will quench your “thirst”- Springs of Living Water that will never run dry.
Jesus says “obey your thirst.” Come. Come and get a drink. Come, and taste Jesus. Taste Living water and you’ll never thirst again.
Quiz Time!
Just for the fun of it, try out these True/False questions. Don’t Worry- there’s no gradebook!
Hint: Click Here for the answer to question #5!
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