Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro needs some work

Where do you go when live lets you down?

Where do you go for life?

What do you worship?

All experience it.

When thing we thought would make life perfect either isnt what we thought or is stripped away.

I wonder what that thing is.

All looking for life.

Where can we find it?

TRUST JESUS AND HE WILL QUENCH YOUR SPIRITUAL THIRST

Ever felt dissatisfied.

We all do from time to time.

Actually our culture is one of discontent.

However much or little we have, we are always searching.

“Everybody loves your life but you” Robbie Williams

“All you need is love” - but where do we find it?

searching for answer found in love.

But soon find hurt and disappointment.

so search continues.

How can we have this insatiable thirst for life and love and contentment satisfied?

Is it even possible?

Or are our lives just doomed to be empty searches?

Let Jesus the Saviour of the world give you the life you really need.

Meet Jesus the Saviour of the world

who meets you where you’re at

J takes journey v 2-6.

travels from Judea about 40 miles, a day and a half, arriving in Sychar about noon, tired, hungry, disciples go for food.

We get to this unbelievable encounter.

God ordained.

Jesus knows you

READ v9-10

v9-10

Doesn’t seem so strange - until we understand culture at time. 2 words make this the most shocking of encounters.

Samaritan and women.

Long history of tension between Jews and Samaritans.

Same heritage up to a dividing point.

800 yrs before Jesus Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyrians - most of population taken into exile, so to repopulate Assyrians brought in people from other parts of empire, other nations, who intermarried with those still left in land - creating a mixed race people later known as Samaritans.

600 years before Jesus, Southern Kingdom Judah, overrun by Babylonians, and again many taken into exile.

But later when Babylonian empire fell to Persians, King let exiles of Judah return to Jerusalem where they began to rebuild temple and repair walls, at which point Samaritans offered to help but were rejected - Jews regards them as impure, Ever since great tension between including wars.

Enemies.

Samaritans built own temple on mountain.

Never found worshipping together.

Considered unclean.

Yet here is Jesus by nationality a pure Jew talking to a Samaritan women.

She is shocked - response.

probably a snub.

v9.

How can you Jew ask me for a drink?

Shcoking

But equally shocking because Jesus is speaking to a women.

Now rightly nothing of it, but in society of day for a Jewish man to initiate conversation with any women let alone Samaritan was not okay.

Saying of rabbi reads

“One does not speak with a women in the street, not even with his own wife, and certainly not with another women, because of peoples gossip”

This women not just any women, or even Samaritan women, but also a shameful women.

We get this 1st by time of day - in hot country noon is not the time to gather water.

You’d do it in the morning or evening to avoid the hottest part of the day, and it would be a social activity.

But this women is out in the heat of the day alone - why?

To avoid the shame of her life being talked about.

She’s known about town.

Subject to gossip.

5 husbands, and now with 6th who is not husband.

Translation 2 meanings

husband could literally mean that - which means she has been married 5 times and husbands have either died or divorced her, and she is not with living with someone who she isn't married to, even someone else's husband.

Or could husband could simply mean “men” - 5 previous adulterous relationships and now on her 6th.

Either way in religious community she would have been shamed.

[Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland - troubles] deep seated tension.

illustrate with two groups in recent history who would not mix.

Why does Jesus go out of his way to speak to this Samaritan women?

That desperate for a drink?

(No - could have just waited for disciples to return) It because Jesus wants to show his

Why does Jesus go out of his way to speak to this Samaritan women?

That desperate for a drink?

(No - could have just waited for disciples to return) It because Jesus wants to show his

ground break, shocking, fascinating, outrageous, counter cultural care!

He cares about this women.

He doesn’t care about what society will think.

he isn’t worried.

Conversation unfolds not about his need for refreshment but satisfying her greater spiritual thirst.

Jesus meets us where we are at.

Doesn’t wait till we match certain socially acceptable criteria, or till we turn up at certain event, or buy the right outfit, or sort that bit of our lives out.

Meets us where we are.

Astonishing news of gospel is that Son Of God - one who was there at beginning, at creation, one who holds all things together, one who sits on heavenly throne in glory - came into this world to meet with sinners.

There is no one whose level he will not come down to.

Sinners.

Tax collectors, adulterers, scum bags, sick, outcast, shamed.

Lowly.

Maybe this morning you feel like you can’t come to God.

You have this thirst - know you need help, know you need something, in your very soul you feel this need, restlessness, struggle.

But maybe think that Jesus can’t be for you - can’t meet you yet - need to get yourself sorted first.

Jesus wants to meet you where you are at.

He’s here this morning with us by His Spirit.

Let him in.

Hear what he offers.

[Danger of pride in low self esteem].

Maybe say - but he doesn’t know me.

And heres the thing

[CLICK]

and brings you to God.

READ v10.

He knows you completely v