The Living Water

John 4:1-26

I. Intro

a. Just yesterday I read a news article about Linda Damm

i. Her body found in the trunk of her car in her garage after one month of being stabbed to death by her 15 yr old daughter and 17 year old live in boyfriend

1. They spent hundreds of dollars from her mother’s debit card on “teenage stuff”

2. They several times to get rid of the body

a. Dumping it in a landfill but their tire got stuck in the mud

b. They tried to bury her in a nearby cemetery, but fearful that the grave was too shallow

c. The body was notified by a an anonymous caller of its location in her own garage

ii. Family members testified that Linda Damm, a struggling alcoholic who recently lost her job was also losing control of her daughter

1. Neighbors said that they could hear numerous arguments, yelling matches and physical violence displayed from both the mother and daughter

iii. Wow-

1. We could have many different responses to a story like that one

a. You could be amazed that such people live in the world

b. You could be grateful that you have the family and life you do

c. Some of you may think apathetically, this is just the course of sin in this world

i. your means of self defense form the depressing news we hear each and everyday

d. Some of you may say this is just inevitable, the rapture and Armegeddon is right around the corner

e. Some of you may feel great sympathy, they are lost, she is so young, lives lost unnecessarily

b. Question to you is, is it really necessary to hear of graphic stories like this to remind us that our world is lost? That the world needs Jesus Christ? Does it take graphic tales to remind the church of its ultimate mission?

c. Or does it only take a mere glance into the eyes of your neighbor, your landlord, your boss, your students, your friends to know if nothing is done, nothing is said, they are destined for hell

i. I want so much for our church to move beyond the initial self serving religious order where God serves as some fort of Ulitarian genie, He exists to make our lives easier, safer, simplier, more convenient, more comfortable

Reading the Passage

Opening Prayer

· As we look at the outset of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we now come to a very familiar story, his encounter with the Samaritan Woman

o The Apostle John pens this gospel with one theme, the deity of Christ, that Jesus is God

o Before we witnessed his coronation to launch His ministry

o Last week, we witnessed His display of divine power to authenticate His deity

o But today, we witness His proclamation of deity

§ It is seen in four scenes- circumstance, contact, conviction and the Christ

II. The Circumstances, vv. 1-6

a. The Pharisees

i. This is the first mention of Pharisees in our study, it is important that we know who they are- they will be mentioned in greater portions in the future studies

ii. Their background

1. They are of three religious sects, groups that rose out of the inter-testamental period

a. Along with the Sadducees, of the aristocracy of Israel who ran the temple the priestly order

b. Essenes- mysterious group that became like hermits

2. They were the most pious of all religious groups

a. Their name probably means, “separatists”

b. They desired to build a fence around the Torah

i. An elaborate system of oral traditions and legislations that should rule and given every Jew according to the God’s commandments

iii. Because of their piety- rose a system of legalism

1. Any legalistic system

a. Which is self centered, rather than God centered

b. It easily translates into an external, religious order

2. Everything was based upon what you saw, the number of times you prayed, the means of your cleansing, the quality of your sacrifice

iv. Any time you are in a position of authority, you may feel threaten

1. As Jesus’ ministry was gaining momentum

a. They felt threaten

i. The message of Jesus, Kingdom of God is at hand

ii. Repentance from one’s sins

1. Salvation in their eyes came from keeping the Law- not repentance from it

b. When you are driven by an legalistic, external system, you can rarely see one’s faults

i. That is why they criticized Jesus for sitting with tax collectors and ministering to the sick and fellowshipping with prostitutes

§ Movie Borat, Sasha Baren Cohen was trying to reveal the obvious hypocrisy in America

Christians were a major target, scene when he is learning table ediquette

He invites a prostitute to dinner

v. It wasn’t the time to publically confront the Pharisees

1. On His return to Galilee, He had to go through Samaria

b. The Samaritans

i. To understand the nature of Christ’s ministry here, one must understand the geo-political condition between the Jews and the Samarians

1. It dates all the way back to the exile of the Jews from Israel by the Assyrians some 700 yrs prior

2. The Assyrians did not take all the Jews, but left the poorer Jewish population behind

a. They in turn chose to intermarry with the occupying Assyrians

i. It is one thing to have hatred for your enemy, it is another to intermarry with them

ii. Especially to those who hold strictly to the Law such as the Pharisees when God specifically told the Jews not to intermarry nor adopt the idols of foreigners

ii. By the time of Christ they were a people unto themselves- a nation of mixed breeds

1. And the Jews, a lower species of humans

2. They occupied a land that surrounded and came in between the land masses occupied by the Jews

a. If a Jew desired to travel from Judea to Galilee, he would take a round about route, east of the Jordan river just to avoid touching their desecrated land

III. Jesus’ Commission (His travels)

a. He would either travel in a round about manner or cut straight through Samaria, the direct route to Galilee

i. But He was compelled to travel through Samaria

1. John often used the Greek verb, dei “had to” to speak of Jesus fulfilling the mission given to Him by the Father

2. Jesus was compelled to enter into Samaria because he was compelled to do the Father’s will

b. Should this not be our charge?

i. Since Christ provide the supreme example and pattern for conduct , service and attitude and direction for life

ii. We should be concerned ourselves here with His relation to the world and worldwide missions

1. Evangelism is imperative for the purpose of the church

c. Are we not assured that Christ is building His church, and eventually present it to Himself a glorious church, w/o spot nor blemish

i. All this according to the eternal purpose which God has purposed in His Son

1. And the church is God’s chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people

a. Therefore the purpose of the church is to show forth the virtues of Him who called us out of darkness and into the light

2. The church is a purposive creation in Christ Jesus, it is the body of Christ, His visible manifestation

a. The temple of the holy Spirit

b. Created to accomplish the mission of Christ in the world

ii. Ever hear that Christianity gives one purpose, a reason to live

1. There it is

a. It blows away the Americana dream of living life for one self

2. The church “has to” fulfill it’s purpose

IV. Jesus’ Mercy

a. Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. V. 6

i. The incarnate Word, the divine presence of God in the world in His humanity was subject to physical limitations

ii. John describes Him sitting “thus”

1. Meaning as He was, not sitting upon a throne but simply sitting on the ground, tired, motionless after a long days work

a. Picture of Christ, especially that of the Gospel of Mark, shows our Christ constantly in action

b. If he was not ministering to large crowds, he was personally discipling His Twelve or the inner three or even matching wits with the irrepressible Peter

i. When a scribe came to Him and committed to follow Him where ever He goes, Jesus warned him,

ii. "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Matthew 8:20

c. Here is the picture of one tired man

2. Not only was He tired but He was hungry, it was the sixth hour, about noon

a. And his disciples were away gathering food for lunch

b. Not only was He tired but He was hungry

3. There really is only three reasons why a baby cries, when he is tired, he is hungry or when he needs his diaper changed- grown men are no different

a. Personal relationships are tiring, the emotional engagement takes much out of you

i. Ministry is tiring- but we see a picture of the model of Christ

iii. His love for souls was far greater than his love for personal comfort

1. When this opportunity, which is divine providence, presented itself

a. The Holy Spirit, through a willing spirit, empowers you to muster up the strength necessary to minister

2. I don’t think there is a more uncomfortable situation than traveling on a crowded plane

Story told by a pastor when traveling on a flight flying back to their home in Boston

o In the row in front of them sat two women in seats A & C

o With turbulence, the kids erupted in crying- it became a miserable flight

§ The women by the window played and tried her best to entertain the child in the middle seat

§ Downhill from there- child got sick and everything in her came out, her diaper wasn’t on tight and a stench began to rise

· Stewardess came over with towels, here mam’ these are for your child

§ This women was being merciful- she find an opportunity to be merciful

3. If Christ in His moment of extreme pain offered forgiveness to those in ignorance, should we not offer ourselves in our discomfort for salvation?

“It has been said that the world is run by tired men, and it is true, for we see daily see that America is run by tired political leaders- and that wars are won by exhausted generals- and that peace is secured by tired diplomats- and that great legislation is accomplished by weary legislators. The reason for this is that such leaders are willing to put themselves out whenever necessary in order to accomplish their noteworthy tasks.” - R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man

“He who labors diligently need never despair; for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor.” - Menander

iv. It is Christ’s example that a ministering heart is one of a laboring heart

1. “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” – 1 Thess. 2:9

v. This is a call for Christians to have the heart of Christ, to have a big heart

1. To have big hearts is to have laboring hearts, hearts that place their own concerns, their own needs secondary to the needs of others

2. Big hearts ready to dispense love and labor when called upon

a. If you fancy yourself to revel in the love of Jesus Christ for yourself but yet you are unwilling to place yourself in situations of inconvenience, you are merely deluding yourself to call yourself a faithful Christian

b. It is the merciful Christian that will put himself on the line, feel discomfort, willing to place his neck on the line, make commitments that cost, encounter storms in life, are tired for the sake of the gospel

i. And let their sails be filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit

vi. Think of those lost souls