Come, Drink the Living, Thirst-Quenching Water...Jesus!

[0:00] if you're visiting with us a Bible in the chair in front of you you go towards the back and it's the New Testament is renumbered they renumber the New Testament so find page 73 and that's Black Bible 73 for John chapter 4 John chapter 4 we're gonna study this morning the first 26 verses it's hard to split this up I decided to split it right here at verse 26 and then we'll look at excuse me at 27 to 42 next week so let me read John 4 John chapter 4 1 through 26 therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John although Jesus himself was not baptizing but his disciples he left Judea came again into Galilee and he had to pass through

[1:03] Samaria so he came to the city of Samaria called Sychar near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph and Jacob's well was there therefore Jesus wearied from his journey sat by the well it was about the sixth hour high noon a woman came Samaritan woman came to draw water Jesus said to her give me a drink his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food therefore the Samaritan woman said to him how is it that you being a Jew ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman for Jews have no friendly relations with Samaritans Jesus answered and said to her if you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you give me a drink you would have asked him and he would have given you the living water she said to him sir you have nothing to draw with the well is deep where then you get that living water you are not greater than our father Jacob are you

[2:06] I don't think so who gave us the well and drake of it himself and his sons and his cattle Jesus answered and said to her everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a spring of water springing up to eternal life the woman said to him sir give me this water so I will not be thirsty I will come all the way here to draw he said to her go call your husband come here the woman answered and said I have no husband Jesus said to her you have well said I have no husband you have had five husbands and one who we now have is not your husband this you said truly the woman said to him sir I see you are a prophet our fathers worshipped in this mountain you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship

[3:06] Jesus said to her woman believe into me an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem shall you worship the father you worship that which you do not know we worship that which we know for salvation is from the Jews but an hour is coming now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth for such people the father seeks to be his worshippers God is spirit and those who worship him it is necessary for them to worship him in spirit and truth the woman said to him I know that Messiah is coming the one who is called Christ when that one comes he will declare all things to us Jesus said to her I am the one who speaks to you December of 1990 Chris' parents had the idea that maybe it would help to kind of keep us apart so they centered down to Masters College in January of 1991 so for five months

[4:21] Chris and I were apart we were together since June of 1990 and we were together all the time and so she I remember driving her down January of 1991 with my mother-in-law and then driving back up with my mother-in-law to San Jose San Jose to SoCal back up from SoCal to San Jose I was mad and it backfired it didn't work here I am my 1969 Dodge Dart driving down two I think maybe at least two maybe three times to go visit Chris down at Masters College Masters University sorry driving down to Los Angeles and I was working and going to school full time San Jose State University I would go down and see her and so she was in the ladies dorms and she had a friend whose boyfriend was staying in the guys dorm so I would stay with

[5:21] Adrian Donato stayed in his dorm visit for like a weekend or something like that and then drive back up and what so January to May it was horrible five months of torture and all it did was further our thirst to be with each other our longing for each other so then November 1991 we got engaged May of 1992 we got married the rest is history and so we come to this passage and that's the idea a thirst a desire a passion you know thirsty it's hot you need ice cold water you need that because you're so thirsty you need it you come to passage like that and that's the idea passage like this that's the idea that Jesus is the one who satisfies our thirst who quenches our desires

[6:33] John's gospel says come receive believe know Jesus that's the theme and today we'll see come drink the living thirst quenching water Jesus come drink the living water the thirst quenching water that's Jesus come drink the living thirst quenching water it's him drink him partake of him let's put these 26 verses in a statement okay Jesus the living water offers himself and he truly satisfies us quenching our thirst when we drink him he exposes and cleanses our sin and it's a response of worshiping the triune

[7:36] God that's how you can put these 26 verses in one statement he's the living water he offers himself Jesus said that if I thirst I should come to him and he truly satisfies us quenching our thirst and when we drink him he will expose your sin and he will cleanse your sin and that drinking of him that is a response of worship that's what that is it's worshiping the triune God so Jesus and his father in the spirit must be the focus in our worship the living water is Jesus who must be central in our worship Jesus and the cross must be the apex of our worship I mean you realize baptism is a display of the cross you understand that right water is bad water means judgment you die the old

[8:46] Pat died and there's a new Pat there's a new Duane there's a new Dutch there's a new Catra and they're telling you that they're telling you that by their very actions this is what's happened to me so the cross is the apex of our worship Jesus and the cross and living water is a real spiritual person it's not a natural substance and drinking living water is who we worship and how we worship not where so some questions am I worshiping a what or a who am I worshiping a God of my own making or the Lord Jesus Christ is he truly satisfying to me or am I looking elsewhere to people stuff money sex glory food to satisfy me health relationships a family am I looking to those am I looking elsewhere to satisfy me one writer he put it this way so good he said seek

[10:18] God as he is not who you want him to be for you this was the woman's problem she was seeking God how she wanted him to be not how he is and that's that's our problem it's easy for us to do that to seek a God who we want him to be for me I want you to be this kind of God for me that's not how it works man that's not how it works God doesn't jive like that our worship must be Christ centered and cross centered true worship one writer put it like this true worship is directed to the father mediated through the son and empowered and directed by the spirit so our focus is the father personally centered on Christ and is done in the spirit this is true worship the true worship of

[11:20] God's people and speaking of God's people the local church is the living expression of worshiping the triune God because the real body of Christ and the real presence of the spirit is here whether you have the elements here or not the Lord's supper elements that doesn't matter this is just a reminder that he's here when the body of Christ gathers together Jesus is really here isn't that that's like dumb founding the real presence of Christ is here the real presence of the spirit is here right now worship is rightly done in his body the church and not saying a godly life doesn't worship God yes a godly life is an aspect of worship Romans 12 right of course but we are living out spirit and truth together when we gather we're living this out we're doing this is our very basic need the basic need of thirst and

[12:36] God seeks and satisfies us with a kind of drink that we could never imagine himself it's way better than alcohol not just himself but the mission of the triune God to drink this drink truly satisfies us and is the true response of worship and one more statement before we jump into the text you realize there's not a tension between this woman and Jesus I mean it is but it's really it's a tension between the world and Jesus she did not really understand her true need neither do we so I broke this these 26 verses down into four different parts so I'll present them to you part number one first number one to realize

[13:37] God's predetermined plan for living water drinkers God's predetermined plan for living water drinkers verse one through seven notice one in verse one he knew the Lord knew Pharisees heard he was making more disciples baptizing more disciples than John although verse two excuse me he wasn't doing it but his disciples were left Judea and passed to Samaria came to Sychar near Jacob's well so he's weary from his journey it's high noon a woman came from Samaria let's talk about this so disciples baptizing his popularity is rising he left Judea there's Samaritans Jacob's well he gets thirsty it's high noon she comes there's two aspects you gotta make mention here that we gotta recognize here in reference to God's predetermined plan for living water drinkers first the

[14:37] Samaritans who are these people the northern kingdom of Israel which was named Israel the southern kingdom was called Judah it split after Solomon they named Samaria as the new capital and after the Assyrians came and took over the land and laid waste to everything the Assyrians settled the land with foreigners who intermarried with surviving Israelites and these half breeds if you would adhere to a false form of Old Testament Judaism so the Jews by this time they viewed the Samaritans as children of not just political rebels but as half breeds to add to the tension the Samaritans built a rival temple in 400

[15:38] BC on Mount Gerizim and Mount Gerizim was important there were some important things that happened in Mount Gerizim in the Old Testament with the patriarchs not everything what the Samaritans thought John Hurcanus he destroyed that temple but they still worshipped in that same place and the Samaritans only recognized the first five books of the Old the Prophets so there was hatred and distrust between Jews and Samaritans as a matter of fact both were guilty of violent war crimes against each other but they weren't kind of unfriendly terms let's just say so that's the first thing we need to understand about these first seven verses which adds to the weight of this conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman but something else you need to notice look at verse four and he had to pass through Samaria it was necessary for him to pass through Samaria D-E-I delta epsilon iota in the

[16:41] Greek which means it is necessary it must happen the father determined Jesus to speak with this woman it was in his plan it was in the plan of Jesus which tells us something he tells us what God elects and predetermines salvation that's true but he also predetermines the means by which people are saved we give them the gospel God elects people God predetermines them absolutely that's in the Bible if you don't think that's in the Bible you need to read your Bible it's there you got to do something with that but keep in mind he also predetermines the means by which those people are them the gospel God predetermines situations and puts you in those situations so he gives someone the gospel it happened Friday just Friday about 6.15 I'm about to leave and here I start talking with this guy about Christ it just happened

[17:45] I'm praying okay Lord bring this conversation into the gospel and he does it goes in the gospel God predetermines his predetermined plan for living water drinkers keep that in mind okay second aspect we gotta look at splitting this up into four different aspects number two drinking living water is offered and notice he not it he satisfies drinking living water is offered and he satisfies verses 7 to 15 let's walk through this a Samaritan woman she's unschooled no influence possibly despised women likely came in groups to draw water maybe she was an outcast she trusted a false religion she's a female Jews didn't talk with women and a

[18:47] Samaritan for everyone else it's like no way for Jesus perfect Jesus loves stuff like this Jesus began a conversation with her breaking all social taboos he likes doing stuff like that notice he says verse 7 give me a drink verse 8 for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food there's some food that would be clean for them to eat even though they despise them this was a polite command from Jesus asking for to share a cup share a cup with me you drink and then I'll drink or maybe some other dish so you can have a drink from the well water you know this is the thing about Jesus he loves doing this and it's about the gospel the gospel always breaks down social walls ethnic walls and cultural walls you don't have to admit your whiteness to do that our culture tells you you have to admit your whiteness that's ridiculous that's straight teaching from the depths of hell you don't need to admit your whiteness it's the gospel that unites us it's the truth and that's what breaks down everything

[20:15] God spirit truth worshipers unites people to be the one new humanity because we drink of the same living water and he satisfies verse nine therefore the servant said to him how is it that you being a Jew now and I'm saying this like this because her question challenged Jesus she was shocked and her question was sharp like a cutting reply that's why I'm reading it like this how is a Jew being a Jew ask for me a drink since I'm a Samaritan and I'm a woman too you're a Jew I'm a Samaritan I'm a woman this is defilement why are you doing this Jews don't use dishes or utensils that Samaritans use in that case it'd be unclean there's ritual purity separate the Jews and Samaritans but

[21:15] Jesus didn't care he broke many social taboos to give the truth verse 10 oh excuse me end of verse 9 Jews have no friendly relations with Samaritans verse 10 Jesus entered and said to her nah lady if you knew who I was that's what he was saying no no no no no the surprise is greater than you think and your response to me would be opposite from what you just said if you knew the gift of God that is eternal life or salvation which culminates in the spirit given by the father if you knew the gift of God and who it asked him and he would have given you living water Jesus is speaking now in a spiritual higher plane she's thinking naturally who it is who says to you her concern was a wrong who he constantly point to himself as the need to be the object of her worship as the need that she must drink him she didn't know

[22:39] Jesus she thought she did notice you would have asked him he would have given you living water reminiscent of Jeremiah 2 13 my people have committed two evils they've rejected me the spring of living waters says the Lord you read out loud Isaiah 55 come you who are thirsty drink this water is God's satisfying eternal life mediated only through Jesus the Son Messiah Savior and his work done by the Spirit his true rest his true satisfaction in the triune God through Christ drink living water you drink me that's what he's saying you have no idea who you're talking to lady that's the irony he asked her for a drink she's really the one who needs to drink right her reply another cutting sharp reply sure you have nothing to draw with in the world deep where then you get this living water she's skeptical at best at worst she's laying the sarcasm real thick where you get this living water she's still thinking natural water she wondered where she wondered where not who she wondered where not who he get this living water if you're offering this fresh water without expending any kind of energy going down this deep well then you'll be greater than

[24:39] Jacob yeah right fake messiah her question implied a no answer the way it's structured it implies a no answer you're not greater than our father Jacob are you who gave us this well drank of himself and his got all apparently buddy you don't know your heritage and you don't know your roots from her perspective you're greater than Jacob inconceivable that word I don't think it means what you think it means you think this water is inadequate for you who are you pal verse 13 Jesus said to her I'm not talking about this water all the ones who drink of this water so thirst again because if you drink this water you're going to thirst again because you're never really going to be satisfied verse 14 whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst the water

[25:51] I give he'll never thirst again and this thirst is a thirst for God the water I give him shall become in him a spring of water springing to eternal life it will spring up inside a person a well of water to eternal life it's a thirst for eternal life in God's presence which comes by the outpouring of the spirit as you trust in Jesus when you drink Jesus it will create a heart that knows and experiences God in a real true way thirsting to love him thirsting to receive him thirsting to know him thirsting to do his will that's the water I give lady and that waters me and it's this water it's a water that truly satisfies satisfied in

[26:52] God in Christ in the spirit as it says in Isaiah 12 3 with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation Jesus is the living water that's why he's going to shout it out in three chapters later chapter 7 verse 37 if anyone starts let him come to me and drink fine give me this living water verse 15 woman said to him sir give me this living water this water so that I will not be thirsty come all the way here to drink still on natural level maybe with an ounce of skepticism it is true she wanted to get out going there to draw water notice something she knew she wanted it but she didn't realize her deepest need she didn't realize how deep that need that she had she didn't get it drinking living water is offered to you and

[28:02] Jesus satisfies Jesus offers to you living water if you're here you don't know Jesus he offers you living water come drink him and you'll be satisfied he'll save you if you repent and trust Christ as we heard up here four different times drinking living water is offered and he satisfies number three drinking living water exposes and cleanses sin exposes and cleanses sin verse 16 he said go call your husband and come here Jesus began to reveal just how much he needed the true living water as it says in Zechariah chapter 13 verse 1 on that day a fountain will be open to cleanse them from sin and impurity Jesus is getting personal here

[29:03] Jesus got personal and he has to be personal because the water of salvation quenches our lives that have become exposed by God remember you read out loud Isaiah 55 if you go down to verse 7 of Isaiah 55 it says this let the wicked one abandon his way drinking drinking living water exposes your sin and he'll cleanse you of your sin woman answered I have no husband Jesus said well said you have no husband verse 18 for you've had five husbands and the one who now have is not your husband this you've said truly she didn't understand her need and how deep this thirst was in her he wanted her to come to terms with the kind of water gift he was offering to her you know

[30:07] Jesus has a way of making things known in our lives Jesus will make known to us our deepest sin hopelessness guilt despair need and other thirst than him other thirst rather than him problem he'll do that that's why he says come and drink me you'll be satisfied and it was true she had no husband but notice how Jesus was such graciousness and gentleness he exposed the whole truth about her you see that for there to be living water of the spirits the drinking of the living water of Jesus cleansing must happen he does that he exposes it but he'll cleanse you so if you're here you don't know

[31:07] Christ come he'll expose your sin but he'll cleanse you and forgive you so drinking living water is offered he satisfies drinking living water exposes and cleanses sin here's the fourth one which will take us all the way to verse 26 drinking living water is worshiping the triune God when you drink that living water it's a response of worship so Jesus says this he exposes it in verse 19 the woman says sir I see that you're a prophet and people say that she's kind of blowing him off or she's like changing the subject no she's not she's realized he's inspired in some way she's intrigued he's a prophet of some kind and with that she brought up a controversial point of contention between Jews and Samaritans you're a prophet so what about this notice she's no longer cutting necessarily but now there's some interest verse 20 our fathers mean the

[32:17] Samaritans worshipped in this mountain they only recognized Mount Gerizim as the place the where of worship so she challenged Jesus about where to worship but you Jews say it's Jerusalem so what is it verse 21 woman and this is the same word same way that Jesus described Mary in chapter 2 so it's a respectful it's a kind speaking to her he's being kind and gentle but he's also distancing himself from her and it has here believe me literally believe into me notice he turned this into an invitation believe in me believe in me I am the very thing of which I'm speaking of in his very mission the hour refers to his death the cross the resurrection exaltation believe into me woman an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor

[33:26] Jerusalem shall you worship the father both places will become obsolete it doesn't matter there's no point in a debate because soon neither will matter but the hour he's talking about when he says an hour is coming he's saying he's talking about the cross you see hour in John's gospel it's talking about the cross it's talking about his suffering it's talking about his death and his resurrection and exaltation so notice he's focusing upon himself and the cross and by the way I just think this is kind of funny because here she's talking about worship and yet she's never been so close to worshiping God than right now isn't that so ironic God is right in front of you lady isn't that funny that's hilarious she's talking about worshiping

[34:31] God and yet he's standing right there I just think that's funny verse 22 the Jews had the origin and nature of worship correct you worship that which you do not know you Samaritans you have it wrong you don't understand God's revelation of himself that's what Jesus is saying here in verse 22 salvation was from the Jews in that they were the vehicle by which salvation came it's only by Christ the Messiah salvation lies Messiah as revealed in the Jewish scriptures which is more than just a Torah dear woman it's the whole Old Testament to the Jews were given the oracles of God it was a privilege and a responsibility to them we worship that which we know for salvation is from the Jews but then notice what he does here 23 and 24 are so pivotal within this passage but an hour is coming and now is that position between

[35:40] Jews and it's going to become obsolete why because all worship must center upon Messiah Jesus and the cross and hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth the eschatological age is not only coming but is now here the cross as one writer says fosters true worshippers who are children of God who have received Messiah so he's saying true worship takes place only in him and through him it's the cross which is the focal point and upon which the living water of the spirit depends all of it is possible only in the Lord Jesus the true worshippers versus false lady it's not about where it's who and how it's not about where this building can blow it up it doesn't matter this is not the church we are the church we are the worshippers it's not about where it's who and how who

[37:07] Jesus how spirit and truth spirit that is in the gift of the spirit truth in the true personal knowledge of the word made flesh who is the truth how does one receive God's gift and drink the living water that Messiah provides in spirit and truth the father may be the may only be worshipped in spirit and truth in the gift of the spirit and upon the ultimate self expression of the father who is the son who is the Messiah it's Jesus who how Jesus spirit and truth notice what Jesus says here at the end of verse 23 for such people the father seeks to be his worshippers you can even translate seeks as demands the father demands these types of worshippers you don't worship of

[38:13] God of your own thinking you don't worship of God the way you want to it don't work that way you seek God and you worship him as he is not how you want him to be and you say that in our culture they'll laugh at you won't they they'll laugh at you because you can create a God of your own making and worship that God that's not how it works you worship God as he is as he reveals himself not who you want him to be that's the kind of worship that the father demands notice he says verse 24 God is spirit that's who he is God is spirit and how he should be worshipped and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth notice they must the same word that's used in verse 4 D E I delta epsilon Yoda it must happen this way the only true temple is

[39:17] Jesus body and it's the only way to worship the father the focus is on Jesus the only way 25 the woman said to him I know Messiah is coming the one is called Christ when this one comes he will declare all things to us he's going to answer these tough questions here's the irony she's explaining messianic expectations to the Messiah yeah get the irony it's kind of funny here again Jesus said to her from the Greek ego emi I I am the one who speaks to you I I am reminds us of Moses the burning bush this guy who's sitting next to you at Jacob's well is that Messiah it's me lady the

[40:20] Old Testament scriptures speak about me I'm the Messiah here's the irony she was waiting for what when the who was right in front of her now Jesus had to be careful with the Jews when he calls himself Messiah because there was political military connotations with that but with this woman Samaritans he openly said who he really was I'm the Messiah I'm the living water drink me Jesus the living water offers himself and he truly satisfies us quenching our thirst we drink him he exposes and cleanses our sin and it's a response of true worship of God so are you worshiping a God of your own making or the Lord Jesus Christ is he truly satisfying to you or are you looking elsewhere to people to stuff to money sex things whatever to satisfy you we seek

[41:24] God and we worship God as he is not how we want him to be our worship must be central Christ centered and cross centered true worship focuses on the father is personally centered on Christ and done in the spirit and remember we're the living expression of worshiping the triune God we're the living expression of that because the real body of Christ and the real presence of the spirit is here worship is rightly done in his body the church we're living out spirit and truth and when we partake of the elements together we're really worshiping in spirit and truth we're reminding ourselves of the truth of Christ reminding ourselves in the spirit who Jesus is and what he's done for us and we are reminding ourselves of what he's done for us and how we trust in him we trust his body was given for us he shed his blood that's why we partake of that and then when we partake of that we assimilate it into our bodies reflecting that we assimilated

[42:41] Jesus into our lives he's a part of me I live for him now so it's like a recommitment or we remind ourselves of our commitment to Jesus that's the Lord's supper that's why we take this which is why it's just for Christians if you're here today you're not a follower of Jesus this is not for you this reminds us of our communion our union with Jesus first you need to have communion union with Jesus before you take the elements and also want to say to you as well if you're a Christian and you have something against someone you've not gone you have not gone to reconcile with that Christian or non Christian for that matter you should not partake of the elements wait go try to reconcile with that brother or sister in Christ go try to reconcile with that person because if we take the elements which shows that we've been reconciled with God yet we have something against someone else see how it doesn't make sense we're the living expression of worshiping the triune

[43:43] God the real presence of Christ is here so celebrate that especially that Jesus is here right so let's pray and ask him to do that to remind us of that father we are so grateful for Jesus the living water who satisfies oh he satisfies our thirst the living water the thirst quenching water Jesus we pray for those that are here that do not know you that Jesus they will drink you and father we pray by your spirit those of us who know you and will partake of these elements remind ourselves of your grace reflect will examine and will remember what you have done so take this minute if you would ponder what we've seen in

[45:00] God's word fill your mind with truth preparing your heart reflecting on the gospel examining your heart but reminding yourself of grace take this next minute to do that would you please peace if health or Dominicanúsica or other hundreds or Österreich or seller or MaríaAR mort Thank you.