Sermon Tone Analysis

*Finding Living Water*

*At a Stagnant Well*

New Hope B.C. 

9:30 a.m.

November 19, 2006

 

*Text:*

John 4:13-14

 

Introduction:

    There are certain characteristics of water that we intuitively consider.

Characteristics that many of us take for granted.

Many people in under-developed countries have no choice in the water they drink, but we, in this land, often take our precious gift for granted.

We intuitively consider water temperature, water turbidity, water color, and water taste or odor.

There is nothing like a cold glass of water on a hot day or after a strenuous activity.

But we want it clear, without turbidity with a fresh clean taste.

Many times water that is drawn from a well lacks these qualities.

One reason is the stagnation of the water in wells.

It is interesting to note that the term stagnation identifies something that is sluggish, inactive, dull, heavy and declining; something that is on its last legs or have seen better days.

Such was that woman in our text, the Samaritan woman who drank from the stagnant waters of Jacob’s well.

Scripture does not name this woman of Samaria, but it is not difficult to determine her current state at the time.

The woman was a Samaritan.

She was from the region of Samaria, not the town of Samaria.

Now, just being a woman in that day was bad enough, but a female Samaritan was far worse.

They were considered by Rabinic Law to be continually menstruating, so anyone drinking from their vessels was also considered to be ceremonially unclean.

We know from Scripture that this woman was living an immoral lifestyle.

She had been married five times but at the time of her meeting with Jesus, she was living in fornication.

She came to the well around the 6th hour.

That could have been at high noon Jewish time or 6:00 in the evening Roman time.

At any rate, it was a time of day when she would probably not run into other women of the town.

She did not want to be caught in their presence to be ridiculed, talked about and humiliated for her lifestyle.

The woman came to the well to reload her water pot.

The well, a familiar source that she used to refill her empty life.

A source of filling that kept her coming again and again.

The well of stagnant water that would only offer a temporary filling, temporary solutions, and temporary filling of the void in her life.

This woman who any other Jew would avoid like the plague, it was of this woman that Jesus dared to ask, “Give Me a drink”.

The translators of the Scripture reminds us that the Jews would have no dealings with the Samaritans, but a more literal rendering would be that they would never drink after a Samaritan or use dishes that they had used.

The Jews had some dealing with them for the disciples had gone into town to purchase food.

But for Jesus to ask for a drink from her ladle was a shock to say the least.

Most times when people are void of life giving nutrients; when they are stuck in filling up on stagnant water; when they continue to return to the same old place and continue to live in the same old, non-satisfying, non-producing way it is because they are ignorant of better ways.

This woman was no different.

When she met Jesus she was ignorant also.

Ignorant of *His Identity*; Ignorant of *His Capacity*; and Ignorant of how to execute *Acceptability*.

*His Identity:*

    This woman was living in the natural and she sought material things to satisfy her needs.

She mistakenly thought that Jesus was speaking about material water when He was speaking about Spiritual.

She was seeking a material filling for a spiritual void in her life, yet she did not know that she was speaking to the One who could satisfy all of her needs.

She was in the presence of the One Person that she had heard so much about and had been taught about, the Messiah.

It matters when seeds are dropped in the lives of those who do not know Christ.

It may not come to full bloom right away, but sooner or later, it will be watered and it will bloom.

Recently on the news it was reported that the Marines refused to accept an $80,000 gift of dolls for the Toys for Tots program.

The dolls were originally rejected because they each quoted various Biblical verses like “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”.

Their reason was that the dolls would go into Jewish and Muslim homes and they did not want to offend.

After much public outcry, the dolls were accepted, and if they are truly passed out, they could very well be the seed that God will use to reach even one soul.

Some of us sitting here this morning have had seeds of faith planted in our lives, many from childhood, but the tragedy is that many of us have never come to really know the true identity of Jesus.

We know about Him but we lack full knowledge of His person.

That’s why many continue to return to material ways and material things.

Material meaning the world’s way instead of God’s way.

Just like this woman, many people are looking for love in all the wrong places; seeking fulfillment from temporary means and always hungry for some satisfaction and fulfillment in life yet never really attaining it.

This woman was seeking a temporary fix from the Eternal God.

Jesus said it best but I can just paraphrase and say that when you drink from His well, when you satisfy your thirst with the ‘living water’ that only He can provide, they you will never thirst again.

He identified Himself to the woman.

She said she was looking for the Messiah and that when He came He would be able to tell her everything.

Jesus went a little further, for He said what you’re looking for, ‘I Am’; the same ‘I Am’ that sent Moses before Pharaoh and safely led millions through the Red Sea.

What you need, ‘I Am’; what you need, ‘I Am’, what your really want, ‘I Am’.

He’s saying the same thing today to you and to me, whatever you need, ‘I Am’; wherever you are in life, ‘I Am’.

You need a new start?

‘I Am’.

You need inner peace?

‘I Am’.

You need love?  ‘I Am’.

You need a lighter burden?

‘I Am’.

In fact, I’m the burden bearer, the heavy load carrier.

I’ll lift you when you’re down.

I’ll brighten your day and still your nights.

I will provide all of your needs, according you My riches in glory!

I can because, I Am!

*His Capacity:*

    The woman at the well was ignorant or Jesus’ capacity, His generosity and His ability to offer her just what she needed.

She was ignorant of His capacity and ability to give her lasting fulfillment, His capacity to bring activity into her dormant life, His capacity to bring joy into her otherwise dull existence.

The true story is told of a woman whose car was stalled.

She flagged down another driver for help.

She explained that she could not start it, but that her husband said to ‘just jiggle the wire on the battery and it will work’.

The other driver explained that the cable was too loose and that with the proper tools he could tighten them.

She insisted that just a jiggle would work, to which he replied ‘that would only be a Quick-Fix, but with a wrench and a couple of minutes he could solve the problem for good’.

The woman at the well had been looking for love in all the wrong places.

She had experienced one Quick fix after another.

In the process of her search, her search to fill a thirst that no man had been able to seal, her longing to be loved, her desire to experience lasting relationships and friendships, in her process and longing to revive a declining existence and life, she failed to realize that she was face to face with the grantor of Eternal life.

Like that woman, many of us have tried to get quick fixes from life and Quick fixes from God.

We want Him to just jiggle the wire and get us out of a mess, quick.

But God does not want to just jiggle our wires.

He wants to reconnect us.

You see, His Grace is not only sufficient, it is Eternal; his love not only invigorates, it is sustaining.

Many times we make do with fakes and imitations.

We have trained ourselves to live with fake love from fake people; fake peace from an uncaring world; fake joy that dissipates when real trouble comes; fake thirst quenchers that look like Gatorade; fake friends and fake acquaintances – but you don’t have to keep using the fakes, you can enjoy the real thing.

A few years ago, Coke Cola introduced a version of coke.

They sponsored it at taste rallies and offered free samples at the super market.

The public immediately chimed in and let their dissatisfaction be known.

They did not like the fake coke cola.

It didn’t taste the same; it didn’t bring about the same affect.

It didn’t fizz the same.