April 10, 2005

Girls Rule

Dying For a Drink

John 4:4-26

Opening words: Today I begin an eight part sermon series I have called “Girls Rule.” The main characters in all these sermons will be of the female gender. Sometimes our leading ladies will be a model of perfection. Sometimes our leading ladies will have a few shortcomings. However, in every situation there is something there for you to help you live out the Christian faith.

Our study begins today with the unnamed woman at the well. To give you a little understanding of this passage let me say this about the Master. Jesus did not care much for boundaries. In this short story Jesus crosses three boundaries. First, Jesus crossed the boundary of racism. Jesus was a Jew. The unnamed woman was a Samaritan, a half breed. It was not acceptable for the two to mix. Second, Jesus crossed the boundary of sexism. It was not permitted for a rabbi to speak to a woman in public. Third, Jesus crossed the boundary of moralism. Jesus had a pure past. The woman had a questionable past. Yet, it is in this conversation of this odd couple that we learn some valuable lessons. 

Introduction

This is my question for you today. Where do you look for contentment in your life?

During the early fifties there was a television showed called “The Goldbergs.” In one episode, Jack Goldberg came home for supper with a wonderful idea. He surprised his wife, Molly, with the news that he was going to start his own business! Molly surprised Jack with the money to start his own business! She had been saving for such an occasion for years. Jack looked at Molly and said, “It is going to be great. Someday we will be eating on gold dishes.” Molly responded by saying, “Will the food taste any better?”

Where do you look for contentment in your life? Jack Goldberg looked for contentment in material possessions. Some seek contentment in their jobs. Some seek contentment in their relationships, their spouse, their children or their friends. The woman at the well looked for contentment in a lifestyle. You can try to find contentment in your patriotism. You can try to find contentment in your church membership. Let me ask you the question again. Where do you look for contentment in your life?

Body

We are in the forth chapter of John this morning. Jesus has decided it is time to leave Judea in the north and travel to Galilee in the south. However, in order for Jesus to travel from Judea to Galilee he must travel through Samaria, the home of the hated Samaritans. It is 12:00 noon on a hot day. Jesus stops by Jacob’s well in Sychar for a cool drink of water. It is while he is at that well that the Master has a conversation with a sinful Samaritan woman. It is within this conversation that we find a real model for evangelism. The woman’s spirit is restless and Jesus offers her contentment. In this story we find three wonderful divine principles that will help you find contentment in this world. So if you are ready to look at these three divine principles then say, “Amen!” 

Divine Principle Number One: Never be afraid to ask questions. If you use your sanctified imagination you can imagine the scene. It is just Jesus and the woman. It is Jesus who initiates the conversation. He asks her for a glass of water. It is from that point on that she asks Jesus three questions. In verse nine she asks, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” In verse 11 she asks, “Where can you get this living water?” In verse 12 she asks Jesus, “Are you greater than our father Jacob?”  The heart of this story is Jesus answers but there would be no answers without the questions. Questions are not a sign of a faltering faith. Questions should be seen as a sign of a growing faith! James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom then he should ask God…”

Have you ever stopped to consider all the wonderful questions people asked Jesus in the Bible? Jesus encouraged questions! For example, Nicodemus asked Jesus, “how can a man be born again?’ Thomas said to Jesus, “We do not know where you go how we can know the way?”

When I get to heaven I am going to ask some questions. Why does the rest of the world have so little and Americans have so much? Why do some babies have to be born with birth defects? Why did God put us in the world without any medical knowledge? Why do athletes make so much money and teachers and librarians so little? Why am I only five feet eight inches and not 6 feet five? What questions do you have for God? If you would like to ask God a question or two then say, “Amen!” Ask you questions because your questions are a sign of a growing faith.

Divine Principle Number Two: Thirst is a gift from God. I want you to use your sanctified imagination one more time. There is Jesus talking to the woman at the well. It is Jesus who uses the phrase “living water.” It sounds strange to us but to the unnamed woman it was not foreign. Living water was the proffered water of the day. It tasted better. It came from running brooks and streams. Dead water came from cisterns and wells. The woman misunderstands Jesus at first. He is not talking not about water that satisfies a dry mouth. Jesus is talking about satisfying a restless spirit. Jesus knew the woman had a restless spirit because everyone has a restless spirit. Everyone still has a restless spirit.

Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in God.” Rudolf Bultmann said, “Within everyone there is a recollection of Eden calling us home.” John Wesley called it prevenient grace. It is a kind of grace that leads us back to God. It is like standing in front of an open refrigerator in the middle of the night. You know you are hungry for something but you don’t know what it is. Everyone has a restless spirit.

One of the really nice people in my life is my brother-in-law Tom. His goal in life is fun. He has the ability to make any occasion a fun occasion. Tom has hosted more parties than is humanly possible to count. Through the years I have been invited to those parties and I have met Tom’s friends. They know I am a preacher and they love to give me a hard time about it. I will walk in and they will all stop and look at me. They will say the Reverend is here. We better clean up our language. Then they will drop the “F bomb.” However, once that initial contact is made an amazing thing happens. One by one they come to me and we talk. They tell me about their lives and they tell me their questions about God. Their parents have a variety of health issues. The spouses are lost in depression. The young in their lives are lost in credit card debt. They are questioning and you can see the restlessness. Everyone has restlessness. The people in your life have restlessness. Psalm 42:2 says, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” If you have ever thirsted for God then say, “Amen!” You are not alone. Everyone thirsts for God. 

Divine Principle Number Three: Water is meant to be shared, not hoarded. Go back to the well with me one more time. Jesus tells the unnamed woman about this living water that can quench her spiritual thirst. Jesus shared that water with the woman and with us. Water is meant to be shared, not hoarded. The truth is once you have experienced that living water by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you cannot help but share that living water with someone else.

Scott is a young man I know. He shows some scars of living in this world. He is about thirty years old. He is divorced once and is still trying to collect enough money to finish that college degree. Along the way someone shared some of that living water with him. He accepted Jesus intro his heart and he decided to share that living water with others in his life. Have you ever met a new Christian that wasn’t excited about sharing Jesus with someone else? He is so excited about Jesus that he is making his family a little crazy. He is making his friends a little crazy. Everyone in his life wishes Scott was more like them. I wish we were more like Scott. We have too many people who are taking Jesus in stride and not enough people who are excited about Jesus. Are you excited about Jesus? When was the last time you shared the living water, Jesus, with someone else? If you think you could share Jesus with someone else, then say, “Amen!”

Conclusion

During the fifth century a man by the name of Arenius lived in Egypt. He wanted to live a holy life so he lived in the desert. However, once a year he would travel to Alexandra and visit the markets and the bazaars. Ask why, he would respond I love to see all the things that I do not need.

Where do you look for contentment in your life? Jack Goldberg looked for contentment in material possessions. Some seek contentment in their jobs. Some seek contentment in their relationships, their spouse, their children or their friends. The woman at the well looked for contentment in a lifestyle. You can try to find content in your patriotism. You can try to find contentment in your church membership. Let me ask you the question again. Where do you look for contentment in your life? If you find contentment in Jesus then say, Amen!”