Sermon Tone Analysis

Since he has the perspective of more than a half-century of “Spirit- filled living,” John – more than any of the earlier gospel writers – talks about the Holy Ghost.

He portrays the teachings, ministry, actions and reactions of Jesus in a way that shows us how to “live the good life” by walking in the Spirit.

We need to pay special attention to John’s “snapshots” of the Spirit-filled man!

While Jesus frequently spoke to “the multitudes,” he also spent considerable time in one-on-one situations.

John’s gospel account reveals one such incident in chapter 4.

Jesus’ travels were not haphazard; in fact, the gospels give the clear sense that His days were full of “divine appointments.”

John says that He “must needs go through Samaria” (4:4).

Samaria was not considered part of the Holy Land at that time, because it was populated by a mixed race with a pagan core.

Because of ongoing hostilities between the Jews and the Samaritans, the most common route was the longer one that crossed the Jordan River and bypassed the territory completely.

But Jesus had an appointment!

John makes it a point to record that

“the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (4:9)

and that His disciples “marveled” that He broke Jewish custom and talked with a woman (4:27).

He also reveals that the Samaritan woman was living an immoral lifestyle – she had three strikes against her, but Jesus still loved her!

One ancient Jewish proverb was: “May I never set eyes on a Samaritan.”

Most Jewish men at that time started their day with thanks to God that they were not a Gentile, a slave or a woman!

A Hebrew man did not talk with women in public – not even with his mother, sister, daughter or wife.

But with one request, “Give me to drink,” Jesus shatters all the religious barriers that held this woman back from a relationship with God.`

She is at first amazed that Jesus would even talk to her, and then intensely curious as to what He means when He talks about “living water.”

The Greek language reveals that Jesus uses two different verb tenses in His reply.

Consider His meaning:

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh (SUSTAINED ACTION) of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh (SINGLE ACT) 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.

Literally, whoever continues to drink of anything this world has to offer will thirst again, but whoever takes one drink of the water Jesus gives will never thirst again!

The things of the world never completely satisfy; there is always an unquenchable thirst remaining.

In fact, one of the most vivid pictures we have of hell is Jesus’ parable of the rich man tormented in flames crying, “I thirst!”

That’s the cry of hell!

Once Jesus reveals to her details of her life that He could not possibly know by human means, she realizes that He is a “prophet” and she asks Him the one question that burned at the heart of the Samaritan – Jewish conflict.

WHAT RELIGION IS RIGHT?

WHAT KIND OF WORSHIP MAKES ME RIGHT WITH GOD?

The Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, so they were missing all the later revelations God gave to His people.

They didn’t know about all the wonderful forms of worship that King David wrote about.

They didn’t have the exhortations of the prophets.

They were missing huge portions of TRUTH about how to serve God.

But the Jews were just as bad, because they had the entire revelation of Old Testament Scripture, but their religion had become mere formality.

They had TRUTH, but they were entirely lacking the heart or the SPIRIT of relationship with God.

Jesus bypasses the controversy entirely by giving this anonymous woman the most important key to true worship – BALANCE BETWEEN SPIRIT AND TRUTH!

He tells her that the Father “constantly seeks” for such worshippers.

The word “BALANCE” means to be in equilibrium, to be equivalent; to arrange so that one set of elements exactly equals another; to equalize in weight or proportion; to bring into harmony.

It implies the adjusting of two or more things that are contrary or opposed so that no one outweighs the other in effect.

In life and in church, it is always easier to lean either to the right or the left.

The most difficult position is in the middle of the road (where you get hit by the traffic coming both ways!).

EXTREMES ARE EASY; BALANCE IS DIFFICULT!

It is all too easy to overemphasize some Biblical principles at the expense of other equally important principles.

But the Bible instructs us to balance the scales!

The same Bible that teaches

Be ready for His coming - Occupy until He comes

God looks on the heart - Man looks on the outside

We are saved by faith - Faith without works is dead

God is a God of love - God is a God of justice

God loves us just the way we are _ He loves us too much to leave us that

Unbalanced teaching is damaging because it creates unbalanced churches and unbalanced Christians.

And nowhere is balance more important that in our individual and corporate WORSHIP of God.

If we don’t do it the way He wants, we don’t please Him!

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WHY DO WE NEED TO BALANCE SPIRIT AND TRUTH?

1. GOD’S TRUTH STENGTHENS THE STAKES; GOD’S SPIRIT LENGTHENS THE CORDS.

Balance of doctrine and spirit

Cords = spirit

Stakes = doctrine

2. GOD’S TRUTH IS A DEFENSIVE WEAPON; GOD’S SPIRIT IS AN OFFENSIVE WEAPON.

Truth protects me when the enemy advances against me!

But the Spirit allows me to advance against the enemy!

3. GOD’S TRUTH BRINGS DEATH TO THE OLD MAN; GOD’S SPIRIT GIVES LIFE TO THE NEW MAN.

It is a known fact that truth can kill!

Have you ever been caught between truth and tact when looking at a young couple’s new bundle of joy? (“What a beautiful baby!”)

Does this dress make me look fat?

The “truth” about me brings death to me

– my old man must die when faced with what the Word of God says about sin.

But then God gives me His Spirit to help me live a brand new life!

4. GOD’S TRUTH GIVES ME SALVATION; GOD’S SPIRIT GIVES ME RELATIONSHIP.

Listen to these verses and ask yourself “what saves me?”

So which one of these things saves me?

THEY ALL DO!

I am saved when I obey the Word of God, which is God’s truth.

You can’t cherry pick your truth…

If it was God’s grace, mercy or love that alone saved me, the whole world would be saved.

I HAVE TO OBEY GOD’S WORD TO APPLY SALVATION TO MY LIFE.

Truth saves me, but there are a lot of insecure saved people!

God’s Spirit works with truth to give me a RELATIONSHIP.

5. GOD’S TRUTH GIVES ME FREEDOM; GOD’S SPIRIT GIVES ME LIBERTY.

Some people see God’s truth as too restrictive and confining.

Their question is, “If Jesus came to set us free, then why does God’s Word contain rules?”

There are 206 bones in your body.

They, like rules, are rigid and inflexible.

But God did not give you bones to restrict your movement; He gave you a skeleton to provide you with maximum mobility.

Without your unyielding bones, your muscles would have nothing to work against, and you would be little more than a blob of flesh on the ground.

FREEDOM means, “the absence of restraint, liberation from slavery.”

That’s what truth does for me!

But LIBERTY goes beyond FREEDOM.

It means, “the power to choose, lack of inhibition.”

Quite literally, God’s truth frees me from sin, but God’s Spirit allows me to ENJOY my freedom!

John’s third “snapshot” of a Spirit-filled man: He knows how to balance His worship!

Mere religion isn’t much better than sin – they both KILL!

But a real relationship with God brings LIFE!