Location, Location, Location

Where Do You Live?

If you are a real estate agent, or you’ve went through the process of buying a home then you know that it is deeper than just looking at a house, liking it and buying it. There’s credit requirements, if you have children you’ve probably looked at the type of school district that your kids would be a part of. Are there grocery stores within a reasonable distance, are appliances gas or electric, what type of upgrades need to be made, is there HOA, what is the crime rate like in that neighborhood. Then sometimes you just get what you can afford and make the most of it. I remember when me and my wife first got married, what we could afford was this small 1100 square foot, two bedroom house in West Mesa. We had the most friendly neighbors, we celebrated birthdays together we hung out in the backyard together, but one thing about the neighborhood was the crime, I vividly remember Valentine’s Day of 2015 when a young man was shot and killed in the street in front of my home. As much as I loved my neighbors, as much as I enjoyed being ten minutes from work I could no longer subject my family to living in that environment. When it comes to houses or any type of living situation location matters. Location make even matter as it pertains to the reason why you attend Camp Creek Church of Christ. It might be the closest to your home or maybe you work on Sunday’s and it’s close to your job, or maybe you grew up at this church and no matter where you live in the Greater Atlanta area this will always be your home. Nonetheless we should not be so attached to location that even if this location is no longer available we still make it a priority to worship God.

Even furthermore we dedicate ourselves to being a part of worship to a point that we are breaking down barriers that society has created. The church is a place of refuge. Barriers such as race, gender, religion and tradition, and social barriers should be broken down at the expense of Christians being dedicated to vulnerability and providing a hospitable place of fellowship that all people feel welcome. In this chapter of John 4 Jesus breaks down barriers that we still deal with today. Praise and worship are barrier breakers, that no matter who I am, where I come from or what my past looks like I have the freedom to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Where Is Jesus

Due to the division created by the spirit of competition at the expense of the Pharisees, we see often in the gospels that Jesus and His disciples had to take travel routes that often times kept them from danger.

John 4:3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee, but He needed to go through Samaria.

It’s imperative that we understand the relationship amongst Jews and Samaritans. Their opposition was at first politically and turned religious. A rival temple was erected on Mt. Gerizim, the idea of Hellenistic worship , the conquering and destroying of the Samaritan temple and according to 2 Kings 17 the ethnic differences and the idea that Samaritans worship of God seemed to only veil the idea that they worshipped idols made for an interesting relationship.

Considering these variables, the fact that Jesus even speaks to this Samaritan woman was quite revolutionary. “How is it that You, being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans according to John 4:9

The Well, A Meeting Place of Differences

Understand that culturally the well provided a obligatory substance that sustained life. No one can live without water. Many conversations, many meetings happened at the well. Similar to the church historically many conversations, movements and alliances happen at this meeting place.

Culturally, Jesus showing up to the well at this hour was quite intentional.

According to Genesis 24:11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.

The Samaritan woman was at the well at an undesignated time for women to be there.

·Water served as a basic need for agriculture, animals, cooking and personal hygiene.

·Wells were also a common place for bethrothal, Jacob met Rachel at the well, Moses met Zipporah at the well. Typically men would attempt to “holla” at a fly young honey at the well.

What Must We Understand

Similar to the church everyone that comes to the well is not perfect.

John 4:16 Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband and come here.

We see in the verses following not only does this woman not have a husband but she has been married five times.

No one in this building is perfect, therefore the lesson we learn is her imperfections did not prohibit Jesus from sharing the good news with her. God does not put conditions on the type of people that He desires to come to Him.

Romans 15:7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Worship should break down barriers, not build more. Worship should be like this scene in John, Her past no longer mattered, what matter was that she left he well better than she came.

This should be the goal of the church, no matter who walks in those doors, we should be edifying, and encouraging enough that we understand the magnitude of the fact that people should not leave here worse than when they came.

Barriers

Racial

The tension amongst Jews and Samaritans was so deeply entrenched that Jews avoided that town all together.

Generational Barriers

v. 12 “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who us the well and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock.

Even when people do not come with anything to draw with, that’s the beauty of the church, when I have nothing to offer, I have a family within the kingdom that can help me get the sustenance I need.

Religious

Think about how many people and places we avoid due to religious differences. Jesus did not let that stop Him - “Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me the house is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father....God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

What is the meaning of this word worship? I reverence in a sign of honor, allegiance and respect. I’m so focused on my unworthiness and thankful that God has made space for me that I not focused on your shortcomings but I’m thankful for the God that has blessed me to just be in this place!

Social Barriers

Worship should not be a place of oppressive practices, everyone should be edified and empowered to serve the Lord in a way that is life changing.

What we do at the “well” will affect how we are recieved in the community.

Because Jesus broke down barriers she was able to witness to people in the city. She came to the well a sinner, she came to the well identified by the community as a woman who had a bunch of men.

John 4:39-41

The New King James Version Chapter 4

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word.

We have to understand that Jesus is bigger than our barriers. He is bigger than our barriers of expression, He is bigger than our barriers of race and culture, He is bigger than our barriers of gender and tradition!

The reason why barriers exist is because like the Samaritan woman we worshipping what we do not know.

v. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews”

When we know where salvation comes from location no longer matters, social barriers no longer matter we just fastened to the idea that it is up to disciples to help those in sin leave a witness for the Lord.

The gospel allows us to move through barriers and get to a place of compassion, fellowship and family.

The first impression people typically have is what they see. She initially saw Jesus as Jew and conversation let her to understanding his ethnicity, and further conversation reveals Him as a prophet and eventually the Messiah.

The reason why we can’t be vulnerable around each other is because we can’t move past what we initially see!

Once I move past the outward appearance and get to know people I will hunger for the fellowship, I will thirst for the will of God and His purpose for me to be at the forefront of my life and ministry.

When we begin to move past the outward appearances we begin to focus on the spiritual needs of ourselves and more importantly others!

We move from location to relationship. The location no longer matters, I witness because I know what Jesus has done for me. You’ll see the same Jesus in me praising God in the sanctuary, just like you’ll see Jesus in me in the parking lot of Publix. You’ll see the same Jesus in me during bible class as you do see in the cubicle at work. You’ll see the same Jesus in me during revival week as you do in a leadership meeting. My location does not matter because I am fastened the spirit and the truth of truly being a worshipper!

What are you thirsting for this morning, many of us are quenching the thirst of life with things that will never sustain us like Jesus.

Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.

What are you thirsty for? Some of us are thirsty for new jobs, new relationships, out here parched over things that Jesus never intended for us to trip over. He is the living water, he is the sustainability that we need!

Jesus died on the cross in the midst of accusers, supporters and those on the fence so that no matter where we are in life or in the world geographically worship is a priority. I’m reminded of what John says in the first chapter of Revelation, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I hear behind me with a loud voice, as a trumpet saying, I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last!

Where you are in life doesn’t matter, come to Jesus.

What you’ve done in life doesn’t matter come to Jesus.

Who you are in the eyes of society doesn’t matter comes to Jesus.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”

Regardless of what’s going on in your life, witness to somebody so they can witness to someone else! If God has done something GOOD for you WITNESS!!!!