The Woman at the Well

Good morning. My name is Brent lights, and I'll be filling in for Rob who plan to be here this morning, but couldn't find a caretaker for Terry at the last moment. So I am just feeling in this morning, but I would like to think a little bit about Shepherd's this morning in the Bible talks a lot, about Shepherds and sheet. And some of us in here actually have first-hand experience with that, but many of us, probably don't know much about the, the shepherding World. Jesus calls himself in John chapter 10, the Good Shepherd and he calls himself, the door of the sheet. And one of the neat things, we've learned from Rob's last and it's the way that the ancient Shepherds would take care of the sheep at night in one way, they would do, it is to bring them into a Corral and lay across the open bottle themselves. Then that's why Jesus calls himself. That's what he means. That's what people are thinking of when he says, I'm the door, I lay in the Gap to protect the Sheep, which is really neat. There is Maybe I'm more relevant or more. Modern-day example. There was a, a show on a Travel Channel about a Shepherd in the mountains of Italy and he was telling about his dog. This impressive. Great Pyrenees. This Great Pyrenees was so loving, and so devoted to to the Sheep there, that he would go with, for two days without food if necessary, to take care of those sheep. In fact, the shepherd eventually had him, we're up a metal collar, thick metal collar, not because the dog needed it for any sort of obedience. But, because the dog was so prone to take on wolves which tend to go for the throat in fighting. So it was it. He was so ready to stand out for those sheet that he got extra armor on and maybe that's a little bit more relevant example. Because many of us have faithful dogs that we love, we certainly are a dog household in our family. But I'm a little bit more of a relevant example of taking. Someone is willing to lay down their life for us and Shepherds have been a lot on my mind and my heart lately. And I expect that may be true for many of us here today. And so I wanted to share it here at the beginning. A few, a few things that I've been thinking about personally that I hope Also may resonate with you and hopefully, share some ideas that may be useful for all of us here even now whether you've been a member here for a long time or if you're just visiting with us today, but I can remember in January of 2020. Sitting in around the table with five men who I greatly respected and trusted, they were five elders and and I remember feeling so blessed and so safe and secure under their leadership and their guidance. In fact, I I realized in this process of thinking about this, that's really why 20 years ago, I 24 years ago. Now that I when I came to Britain Road as a college student, I do see that I decided. Yeah, I can, I can stay here. I can be safe here. I can grow here. A lot of it was because I saw those men who were leading the congregation and I thought. Yeah, I'm safe here. They're going to help us follow Jesus. They're going to help Point me that way as I grow in my face and it was because many of you were sitting in here as well. That I just felt that this was a congregation made up of good people since your people who really want to follow Jesus as closely as we can. But of course, today three of those men are gone and they have finished their race. They, you know, where such a blessing to us and I'm also, I want to say how grateful I am that, we still have with us and around that table where Rory and and, of course, his wife Rhonda and Bob and Carla. And that we still have Becky and Debbie, and even even Doris with us from afar. You will always be a part of this, of course, and asked, you know, as to the teaching in the example of Jerry done. For those of you who didn't didn't have a chance to know them, Jerry Durham Ron beaver and Charlie Powell me and their teachings in the example that they said it's going to, I know it's going to live forever with me. And I, I know that all of all of us feel that way that their words and their deeds, they're going to be with us as long as we live God, provided those people and he will provide those, those kinds of leaders in those kinds of people again, as we seek to reform and eldership for our congregation, but, you know, for those of us who are among the Sheep Wii for Wii sheep, we have to kind of acknowledge The last 4 or 5 years might have left us feeling a little bit busy. These two, these changes that just seemed to come in Rapid succession most of which we really would not choose, right? I was, I was thinking and I hope I'm not out of line and saying this, this is borderline material, I guess, but I was thinking like if I could make the list of people that, you know, who gets to live and who to get who has to die, then you know that I would have met ordered the list very differently. Personally, thankfully, I don't have that. Thank you. I don't have that responsibility, but I know a lot of us feel that way. It's just the ground is Shifting under our feet. In, this is not what we want. I'm sure you out there. Are thinking, I don't want to hear an amateur preacher this morning. I want to hear the professional, let me hear Rob, he's got 40 years of experience, right? And and, and he doesn't. And he doesn't want to have to be taken care of Terry the way done. And as I prayed about these things and thought about them, I just really felt the question. Are many questions came to mind. I kind of wrote down, but the one that I kept coming back to an underlying, is, what do we do now, right? Like, what, what should we do? What should we do sheep? Do now as we are in this. And of course, I think we absolutely should all re-familiarize ourselves with the qualifications of Elders think that's important for each. And every member seriously does as individuals to do at this time. So definitely would urge you to read 1st Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and be getting familiar with those things and also in 1st Peter 5, where it talks about you who are younger be subject to the elders, right? And be thinking about as we are talkin about selecting Elders, like who were the kind of people that we could appoint and be subject to and be faithful to But that those are important things. But I also think there are other works for us to do as we go through this process. At Charlie's funeral, just a few weeks ago, we heard from Ed who is up here, presenting the talk for the table out of John chapter 3, which is really neat. Because we're going to look at pretty much all John today and are sermon, but I told about how he was getting ready to leave for his rehearsal dinner when Charlie and Debbie knocked on his door, to try to share the gospel with him. And here he is 40 plus years later being a teacher. You know, that for our Bible classes and telling other people about Jesus and doing a wonderful job presenting about the truth of the Gospel, just telling the truth of the Gospel plainly and how wonderful that is. And we heard that from from Rollo and from other people. And as I sat there, during the funeral, I know my heart was very convicted about. How important that is in was to Charlie and Debbie to teach other people in, to share the truth of the gospel. And it kind of made me, you know, think right. With with his absence that you feel, if we feel that absence because there's a gap, right? There's a gap of someone. We knew was willing to always study the Bible with someone, or someone we knew, was always willing to teach a class of how much was I different perhaps to those trustworthy people. You know, what is, are any of us? Possibly guilty of that? Let's go back about five years but to think, oh, well, there's a, there's a leak in the roof. Jerry Durham will take care of that. Right, course, I went to Rollo this morning to say you seen the leak in the roof.

Or to think, you know someone need somebody to pray with them. They should talk to Ron right? Let's get him connected with Ron. Ronald play with them at the drop of a hat or someone needs to study the Bible. Let's go get Charlie, Charlie knows the Bible less bills to and he'll study with them. And absolutely, he would have right? But without their presence, without them being here, it races. That question of what? What do we do now? When someone needs to study the Bible, what do we do now? When someone needs to be prayed with or someone needs a card,

And I just can't think of any better answer than to fix our eyes on the Good Shepherd, on, on the great Shepherd and keeper of our souls and to really watch and see what he did and what he said and listen to what he said. So I asked Aaron if he could kind of pull forward to a fairly large passage and hey, you could absolutely accuse me of using a large long Bible passages filler. I'd I will take that anytime and but it really is it really is also important in sincere in doing it because there's nothing that I could say that would be more beneficial and useful to all of us then to listen to what Jesus says. So we're going to turn to John chapter 4. So interesting that Ed's teaching this morning came out of really the beginning of John telling that whole first story. And then John chapter 3 verse feel, maybe the Holy Spirit was at work 2 to bring. Things together cuz that was not planned. Yeah, we're going to read John chapter 4 and we're going to read. Actually we won't start in verse one. Like I said Aaron, I'm sorry about that. We're going to start when he comes through Samaria but we'll start in verse 7 to shorten it up a little bit, but as we read this, I just do really urge you to watch carefully. What Jesus does. And listen carefully to what Jesus says, a woman from Samaria. Came to draw water and Jesus said to her, give me a drink for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him. How is it that you a Jew? Ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans Jesus answered her. If you knew the gift of God and who it is, that is saying to you give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. Wilfred said to him, sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father? Jacob, he gave us the well, and drank from it himself. As did his sons, and his livestock Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks of? This water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, the water that I will give him will become in him, a spring of water, welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. Jesus said to her, go, call your husband, and come here. The one that answered him, I have, no husband, Jesus said to her, you are right in saying I have no husband for you. Have had five husbands and the one you have now is not your husband. But what you have said is true The woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet, our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem, is the place where people ought to worship. Jesus said to hurt, women, believe me the hour is coming. When neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the father, you worship? What you do? Not know. We worship. What we know for salvation is from the Jews, but the hour is coming. And is now here when the true, worshippers will worship the father in spirit and Truth for the father, is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship Him must Worship in spirit and Truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ. And when he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you and he Just then the disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman but no one said, what do you seek or why are you talking with her? So, the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? They went out of the town and we're coming to him. Meanwhile, the disciples were urging him saying Rabbi eat, but he said to them, I have food to eat that. You do not know about. So the disciple said to one another has, anyone brought him something to eat, and Jesus said to them, my food is to do. The will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say? There are yet for months and then comes the Harvest. Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for Harvest already. The one who reaps is receiving wages, and gathering fruit for eternal life. So that the sower and Reaper May Rejoice together for here. The same holds true once owes. And another reaps, I have sent you to read that for which you did not labor. Others have labored and you have enter Into their labor laws, their leave off there and just mentioned that in the following versus the town comes to Jesus and they eventually say to the woman if no longer because of what you said that we believe for, we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is indeed, the savior of the world will. If we look carefully at that interaction there there is so much we that you could do a year-long sermon series on this on this interaction with Jesus. But there's a few things that I think he does that speak, especially to us. And what we need to be doing what, what is the work that is God's work. What is his will that we need to be about accomplishing that cuz because that's what Jesus says he was doing, right? That was his food. That was his sustenance. He needed that more. Just like the dog who takes care of, you know, takes care of that sheet. There he needed to do that much more than he needed to eat the eighth because he had to. But he lived to tell people about God and about how to be a true worshipper of God. But just one, one thing that we can notice right away, is that Jesus truly sees this woman, he truly takes the time to discuss it and just Be present with her and truly talk to her Victor. And I've been reading a book together called, how to see a person's actually written by a journalist, but he's talked to a lot of people in his life and he's giving his point of view and writing this book is that we today in our society, lack the skills to see each other, the way that we need to end. This is, you know, yes, Jesus. He did have special insights into her life, there's no doubt. But truly, we all have that super power. If we are willing to ask someone about their story and about their life, and who they are, and truly listen to what they say, you actually also can gain special insights into someone's story. And that's a skill that we should all be working on it and looking you know looking for people that are seeking God because they really are all around us but we often don't notice that they're there. A second thing I notice is that he really didn't previous side about the woman and how she would respond. She very much good of you know according to Social custom probably said, this is very awkward. I'm going to get my water and leave Jesus even knew when he struck up this conversation. She's on husband number six, and even by our standards, that's a pretty big number of marriages. You know, he would be easy for us to see someone in that situation and go. Yeah, they may not be unfair, sadly. If we really examine our motives, we either decide that they wouldn't be interested or perhaps we decide that they're not. The kind of person that we would be, would want to have, as a brother or sister. And that's, that's a very sad thing, but he didn't make that pre decision about her or about this entire community of Samaritan and threw that she became one of the first missionaries. We read about a for Jesus, right? That she goes back into her town right away. Forget the water. She leaves a water jar behind and shows up and starts telling people you need to come and meet this person. You need to come and know about Jesus and the whole town comes and believes because of her testimony at first. And then when they hear when they meet Jesus themselves, right? But she introduces them to Jesus, which is just amazing. I think we could not, you know, we should not miss the fact of what Jesus says that it is his food. It is his work to do, God's Will and into really focusing on vs 34, + 38 where he says, don't you say, four more months and then the Harvest. But I'm telling you, the fields are white. And that means, if you haven't harvested, that means they're ready. They're out there right now. Everywhere, you look, as far as the eye can see think, like Little House on the Prairie white Fields ready for harvesting. And he asked the disciples in another place to pray that God will send laborers into that field that he will send workmen to help achieve that Harvest that God wants. And so we can look at our situation today and and realize I'm thinking about door-knocking from Ed and Rollo those stories, you know? Okay. Perhaps some things have changed about the methods that may be effective, door-knocking may be effective today. But yes, certainly, our society, has changed from what it was. 40 years ago, people are in a different situation, people have different mindsets and I think it's important for us to step back and not say oh and therefore it's difficult. We need to say, okay there for what do we need to do to be successful? How can we, how can we do God's work? How can we win for him, right? Some things that certainly stand out to me is that people know much less about God's word on average. You do not have to be a scholar to help people understand God's word better. And that they're also just less connected to individuals. People are feeling much less tied in and and having significant meaningful relationship intimate relationships with other people. And that's that's a huge opportunity for us. Isn't it to say, what could I do to truly reach out to someone else and Can I ask the question? Have you just ask them if they would like to know about God's word? Have you shared a part of the truth with them? Perhaps like Jesus did even just in response to an everyday question or to work it into a, you know, a normal conversation? There may be people out there who do want to know more about God and want to be introduced to Christ and you just haven't yet. Asked the question, right? We we have a tendency to kind of right. People off for, not really notice. But Jesus says that it is. It's now it's right now and it's not later. As I thought more about this, I realize that when we went to Winter Fest in January, we heard about a very neat Ministry called story of redemption and it is a case, there's a man named James Norwich who is he, he's raising funds and putting together, these excellent videos kind of short form videos that tell the truth of God's word. It kind of think you'll Miller, but updated for the 21st century, if you are familiar with what those that you know, VHS series was and he's making it available on the internet and now they're working on, translating it into dozens of languages. Most recently Arabic and people are responding to that because they're able to find it at many people abroad outside the United States really depend primarily on their mobile phone, not on a home internet connection and they're able to find it kind of where they live. And I see it in their own language and they're very impressed by then they're connected to it. And I remember learning about that and thinking I'm going to tell Charlie all about that when he gets better, when he's back and we're going to I'm going to I'm going to talk to Charlie and we'll make a plan on how we're going to. How could we do this together as a church? You know how could we make this? Something we do that was my plan but that was not what God had planned for for Charlie or for me. But I realize how much I've been deferring, just kind of deferring, like that action thinking. One more month, 10 more months, here it is November. And I've sent a couple of emails about that program, but haven't done anything else about it. the fields are white and Jesus says, the time is coming and has now come

I think the final thing we might notice from the story about, Jesus. And the woman at the well, if we often even in telling that we often get kind of hung up on methods and methodology and the how we're up, we're a big how culture, right? You can find that on YouTube, how to do almost anything but the real Power of sharing. The gospel has a lot more to do with, who That people are looking for a who and we need to be looking for who's that's what the that's what God's work is if to find those whose and to reach out to them. In John chapter 12, Jesus continues on. In, in the continuing on, in the story of watching with the Good Shepherd, does John chapter? 12 verses 23. Starting a 23, he says in Jesus answered them. The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified truly truly I say to you. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the Earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it Bears, much fruit whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me he must follow me and where I am there. My servant will be. Also if anyone serves me, the father will honor him and now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour but for this purpose I have come to this. Our Father, glorify your name. Then a voice from Heaven came. I have glorified and I will glorify it again.

There's so much to think about there, but I think that that describes in some ways, our situation of thinking about that it where, how the apostles and the disciples must have felt about Jesus, Jesus died. And of course they were devastated for those 3 days. Which must have seemed to them like, a period of months or years and then he returned and they were so Overjoyed about his return. But a new kind of might think. Okay, now now, it's now it's going to happen, right? This is the time, but then Jesus ascends and leaves them still I wondering, right? And I think perhaps that We can relate to that feeling in some ways of having lost so many wonderful Saints in the last five years. But

But Jesus says to us the hour has come the time is now. And you know what, I think Peter is another great example of that of how God, it was God's plan to take Jesus out of the picture, but in doing that, a gap was left. That those people had to step in to write that, those people had to step up and fill it became an opportunity for them to become teachers. And when Paul gets arrested and put in prison, that people could wonder why would God take this? Excellent preacher and teacher and take him out of off the circuit right take him out of the action but we learn as we have been reading Philippians and other a pistol that he's he's sending out his other people. He's sending out Titus in the password I to send all these people who are kind of his lieutenants and his workers that he are stepping up to fill in the Gap and fill in, what's what's lacking that Paul is not able to do. And so I guess my question as we might my question to you, as we try to answer the question, what do we do now? You may ask yourself. Well, what work have I been putting off that I have known for some time I ought to do. Or what person have I been reluctant to try to share God's word with that. I really know in my heart. I ought to want to at least ask even if they say, no, I have to ask. the answer to, what do we do now is we do his work And I hope that we are all prayerful about that as a congregation together as we work to reform our eldership but also as we just continue on and faithfulness and continue on in our race with Christ. What's the close with a prayer?

Dear heavenly father. Thank you very much for this, this wonderful body of Believers. We are. I'm so grateful to be a part of it. The most of all I'm so grateful that Jesus is the head of this body. I pray that we all will look to him and fix our eyes upon him. I pray that we will look to his example of how he walked when he was on this Earth and what he said, I pray that we will store that in our hearts just as we keep the examples in the words of many who we have loved and admired who are no longer with us right now. But I pray that we will set our hearts on the goal of striving of living Faithfully so that we can go to them and that we can come to where you are and we can come to dwell in your house with our brother Jesus.

Thank you again. God so much and it's in his name. I pray. Amen. So as as with as we usually do I, I will absolutely clothes with an invitation that if there is someone here, who would like to ask for help or for prayers, there are many here. Who would be willing to help and to pray with you? It may be a moment where that reflection needs to happen privately, 4/2, a private repentance or private confession to God about something that needs to change. If you have any of those kinds of needs than ever, if you need to do something publicly, then I welcome you to come up to the front. While we stand is singing this song.