2.7.10 2.8.2026 A Thought for the, Thirsty, Alone, Afraid. John 4.7-26

Instagram…Twitter (or whatever it’s called), TikTok, FaceTime, texting—So Much Connection…and yet so much loneliness. This is one of the perplexing mysteries of our age.

Entice: One of these days, our children will ask us

“How did this happen?”

It is can be difficult in this environment to differentiate symptom from cause. Another defining question of this generation will be

“Are You lonely?”

Our technology accelerates loneliness or alienation. It does not create it.

Today we are looking at pre-modern text with all the drama of the post modern world.

Engage: Our pool of loneliness is deepened by Social Media. Many find themselves in the deep end of that pool. Social Media is immediate and personal, and many lack the discipline to protect both their identities and their hearts. One of our 21st century ministry tasks is to teach those who are vulnerable and help those who are already caught up in cycles of loneliness, alienation, and despair. We must help broken people find relief, expressing kindness, compassion, and goodness to lonely, isolated, skeptical people.

Expand: Today’s story almost appears contemporary except for the years and cultural distance.

Once, Jesus met a lady.

She had a bad reputation.

“Social Media” guaranteed that people knew her past.

Her people were considered half-breeds, and she was an outcast among them.

She came weary and teary-eyed every day to draw her water without her nosy neighbors spying and prying.

That day, Jesus saw her as she really was.

He scrutinized her sins,

He took note of the wounds,

He spoke love and forgiveness to her scandal and shame.

He changed her life.

He changed that community.

He showed love & compassion, toughness & tenderness, purity & perspective-he even used humor & humility.

Listen while I read John’s account

John 4:7–26 ESV

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 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.) 10 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.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 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.” 15 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Excite: Jesus teaches us how to touch lives without being haughty, hateful, hurtful or rude. Jesus shows us how to be both firm and kind, Jesus teaches us how to provoke the right questions. Our society is full of people whose access to the Kingdom is barred less by their own sin than it is by what others think of them.

We need to be provoking dialogue and providing the promised answers to the persistent questions of our alienated culture, because...

Whatever your question; I promise you Jesus is the ultimate answer.

Explain: He provides answers to questions people don't even know how to articulate. questions like…

1 Why am I So Thirsty ?

Perhaps you are lowering the

1.1 Wrong bucket—wrong well.

We focus on the temporary, physical, and obvious

Rather than the eternal, spiritual, and elusive.

Many remain thirsty because they fail to fully commit themselves to using the right bucket to dip deeply into the right well.

Friends

1.2 We don't need a sip—We need the Source. Your spiritual thirst can be quenched but you need to drink fully.

Next Question…

2 Why am I so Lonely?

Answer #1…social-cultural reality—

2.1 Every group has ins and outs.

Even the Samaritans had "undesirables".

We humans are a fickle bunch. forming our assessments, attractions, attachments, and affections based on both difference and similarity—often with no real reason. Humans are both exclusive and inclusive. Sometimes we are judgmental or just plain mean.

So, massive amounts of time, talent, and treasure are expended to get “likes” and “followers.”

But once excluded it is nearly impossible to get included.

So yes, people are fickle jerks, but the loneliness runs far deeper because

Beyond the mere human factors the plain fact is that…

2.2 Sin cannot deliver what it promises.

Big, impressive promises yield small, continual humiliations. Surely she thought that husband #1, or 2, or 3…someone? Anyone! Would end her loneliness. But sin is always short on cash…and we owe far more than we have at hand.

Guilt and shame are always the price of vice. Guilt and shame are the pillars upon which loneliness rests.

Final Question—

3 Why am I so Confused?

Perhaps it's because you

3.1 Change the subject rather than address your own sin.

If you ask the wrong question…you won’t know the difference between the right and the wrong answer.

When we engage the curious, we must try and turn the conversation toward the right questions, eventually getting them on subject.

God is not easily distracted nor is He surprised by our defense mechanisms.

If you are confused you need to listen to the one who has the answer.

Admittedly, Many people are confused because sadly...

3.2 Sometimes Godly People value conflict over consensus.

Yes, religious people, good people have real disagreements about the details of faith doctrine and practice.

The Church lives, not to be right but to impact the lost, to embrace the lonely, help the thirsty find living water, and the confused to find the truth.

We in the church must own the fact that for many, our conflict, bickering, and divisions reassures and reinforces indecisiveness. It’s not fair or appropriate…but it is real and people use it as an excuse.

We cannot allow petty differences to keep us from our task. This is why I constantly talk about (prattle on) about knowing correct doctrine and understanding what is essential. Most division and most conflict is over trivia. We need to be on the same page doctrinally so we can pursue our purpose.

And once again Jesus leads us to this transformative truth

3.3 Faith focuses not on principles or processes but a person.

That person is

Jesus

The central issue is not

" what are you looking for?"

But

" Who?"

Are you Thirsty ?

You don’t need a

better bucket …

You need to draw from the

right well