[0:00] Let us turn in our Bibles to the New Testament to the Gospel of John chapter 4.
[0:17] The Gospel of John chapter 4. And we'll read the first 30 verses. John chapter 4.
[0:35] When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not but his disciples, he left Judea and departed again into Galilee.
[0:57] And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
[1:13] Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour.
[1:27] There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
[1:39] For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?
[1:53] For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[2:16] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to drink with, and the well is deep. For whence then hast thou that living water?
[2:27] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.
[2:48] But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
[3:08] Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband.
[3:21] Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband, for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband, in that saidst thou truly.
[3:37] The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
[3:54] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, The hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
[4:10] You worship, you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
[4:34] God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth.
[4:46] The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things.
[4:58] Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he. And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman.
[5:13] Yet no man said, What seekest thou? Or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did.
[5:36] Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. And may God bless to us, the very reading of his own word.
[5:59] Now let's sing once more to God's praise, once more from Psalm 31, and we sing from verse 21 to the end. Psalm 31, at verse 21.
[6:12] All praise and thanks be to the Lord, for he hath magnified his wondrous love to me, within a city fortified.
[6:23] Down to the last verse. Be of good courage, and he strength unto your heart shall send, all ye whose hope and confidence doth on the Lord depend.
[6:36] Psalm 31, verse 21, to the end. to God's praise. O face of verse, The glory of His sing complicated The glorious hall to given Lion's throne is like in His kingdom O through my eyes, the Lord I am, I in my midst astound.
[7:35] My wisdom is a great to thee, with Christ my Lord I bear.
[7:53] O blood that are found in your sins, because the heart that I, O the people have given that the sweet pride to thy glory Lord.
[8:30] Be of good courage and descent, and to your heart shall send.
[8:48] O hear it, O my confidence, and on the Lord I am.
[9:18] Let's turn now to the passage of scripture which we read in the Gospel of John chapter 4. And while I want to refer to much of the 30 verses which we read, we'll just read again verse 10.
[9:35] John chapter 4 verse 10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[10:02] This morning we looked at the saviour and a very intelligent doctor of law.
[10:19] Tonight we look at the saviour with an ignorant, loose woman. How differently the son of God treats them both.
[10:36] Here we are taught heavenly outreach, personal divine evangelism. This woman is extremely ignorant about the spiritual things, and seeking only earthly needs.
[11:19] One of the important verses is verse 4. And he, that is Christ, must needs go through Samaria.
[11:36] Now, if you look at a map, and if you see the roads there, you will see he doesn't need to go through Samaria. It's kind of like going from Tolstor to Stornoway via Breesclit.
[11:52] Why? Well, it's interesting. Strict Jews would go a bypass roost from Jerusalem to Galilee, bypassing, bypassing Samaria.
[12:11] They wouldn't go through Samaria. They wouldn't go through Samaria because, as we read, the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. But Christ must, needs, go through Samaria.
[12:27] You see, Christ has his eye on his Father. Christ is following his Father. He has an appointment.
[12:40] He has someone to meet. He has someone to bring into the kingdom. Maybe you are here tonight, and you say, I always go on Sunday night.
[12:55] Don't go any other time, but I always go on Sunday night. Maybe Christ. Maybe Christ. Maybe Christ is here to bring you into his kingdom tonight.
[13:09] Now, if the woman of Samaria is surprised that Jesus even speaks to her, she's absolutely startled at what he says to her.
[13:23] He says, give me a drink. To a loose woman, give me a drink.
[13:37] She can do that. Maybe you're here tonight, and you say, there's nothing I can do for Christ. God doesn't want anything from me. Well, doesn't God ask something from you?
[13:53] Doesn't God in the Scriptures ask you? If you're here, if you're here, and you're unsaved, unconverted, he's asking you to give him something.
[14:04] He says, son, daughter, give me your heart. You can give me your heart. You're polluted. You're dirty.
[14:16] You're filthy. You're hopeless. But give me your heart. Christ can make you a new creation. But if the cause upon you, give me your heart.
[14:34] Give me your life. Christ asks you to give him his place in your life. Now, when the Savior, as it were, challenges him, you can see in verse 9, is it, how the woman of Samaria tries to sidetrack him and put him off these searching questions and these challenging issues.
[15:01] But Christ, of course, has the right to demand our lives. Whether we agree with it or not, he has the right.
[15:13] God is the sole proprietor of everything. God is our maker. And he has the right to intervene in our lives and say, stop.
[15:24] Give me your life. Give me your heart. Give me your attention. He has the right to demand it.
[15:39] Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth. And I often used to ask, what is authority? Authority is the right.
[15:52] Having the right to make demands on you. Our maker. Our maker. God. His son, Christ, who was involved in creation, has the right to demand of us our hearts and our lives.
[16:13] How does the Savior reply when she tries to sidetrack him on verse 9? We come to the words of her text.
[16:25] If thou knewest. In today's language, we would say, if you only knew.
[16:38] If you only knew. If you only knew. If you only knew. If you only knew. What? What does he say? If you only knew. If you only knew.
[16:49] What? If you only knew. If you only knew. How many lives could be changed. If you only knew. How many tragedies could be avoided in life.
[17:02] If you only knew. How many natures could be transformed. If you only knew. If you only knew. If you only knew. If you only knew. If you only knew. The blessings that could be received.
[17:14] If you only knew. What? Well, there's at least two things mentioned here. He says, if you only knew. The gift of God.
[17:28] Do you know. God. As a gift for you. Do you feel God's hunting you? Tracking you down?
[17:41] Tracking and tracing you? Do you know what it's for? It's to give you a gift. Isn't that the way our first father behaved? In the garden of Eden. When he sinned.
[17:52] Remember God said, Adam. Where are you? Where are you, Adam? And Adam ran away. And Adam hid.
[18:04] That's the way we sinners believe. Behave. And if you think God's chasing you. And you're running away from him. And hiding from him. It proves you're a son of Adam.
[18:15] And here's the good news. What is God. What is God chasing Adam for? When God said to Adam. Adam. Where are you? Of course God knew all the time where he was.
[18:26] But where are you? What does God say to him? Adam. He's saying, Adam. I know what you've done. But I'm raising a saviour.
[18:39] I'm raising a saviour from the seed of the woman. He's got good news. And isn't it amazing? Sinners run away from God.
[18:51] And he's got good news for them. I tell a story to the kids. Sorry. I used to tell a story to the kids. And at a congregation.
[19:01] There's one I always remember. It's about a poor woman. Who couldn't afford to pay her rent. And a rent collector was coming after her.
[19:13] And she was terrified. Because she just hadn't got the money to pay for it. And the minister. Her minister heard about it. So.
[19:25] He says. I'll pay her rent for her. So he put the money in an envelope. And put it in his pocket. And went off to the woman's house. The widow's house.
[19:36] And he went into the gate. And he went up there. And he. Knocked on her door. No reply. So he knocked again. No reply.
[19:49] Oh she can't be in. He said. So he gave it another look. No reply. So he went back home. Next Sunday in church.
[20:01] The widow was in church. So he spoke to her at the door. And he said to her. Oh. He said. I. I.
[20:12] I had. I had the rent money already to give you. And I went to your house to pay for it. But you weren't in. Oh. She said.
[20:24] What day did you come? He said. Tuesday. What time? Oh. He said. Three o'clock. Oh. She said. I was in.
[20:34] And I heard you knocking. But I thought you were the man calling for the rent. Is that you? Running away from God.
[20:47] And God is chasing you. And he wants to give you a gift. If you only knew. If you only knew. The gift of God.
[20:58] If you only knew the blessing. That God wishes to give you. In Christ. If you only knew.
[21:10] That the good news is free. The good news is for all. And the gift. The good news is to all. Are you discounting yourself?
[21:23] Are you saying. I'm not good enough. For this Christianity. You're not the first. To think that. And you're not the last. And heaven.
[21:35] Has plenty of people. Who used to think like that. Listen. To God. When he speaks. So.
[21:49] The first thing. He says. If you only knew. The gift. I have. To give you. The blessing. You could have. But he says. There's a second. There's a second thing. If you only knew.
[22:01] Who it is. That's speaking to you. If you just realized. Who is saying to you. Give me. To drink. If you only knew.
[22:13] This person. Can make. Immoral. People. Righteous. In one moment. This people.
[22:24] Can. Transform. Nature. In one instant. This savior. This son of God. This Jesus.
[22:35] Christ. This one. That's speaking to you. He can. Give you. Eternal. Life. For the asking. For the asking.
[22:51] Won't it be. Extremely. Won't it be. Terribly. Sad. If on the great. Day of judgment. When you stand.
[23:02] At the judgment. Seat. And you are asked. Questions. About the life. Your life. Did you do this? Have you done that? Have you done the next thing?
[23:13] And the evidence. Will only be too clear. And then you'll be asked. Did you ask. For forgiveness? Did you ask.
[23:23] For pardon? How silent you'll be. How quiet you'll be. You never asked. Ask. You never asked. You never asked.
[23:36] All you had to do was ask. Ask. And you shall receive. Seek. And you shall find. If you knew. Who Christ was.
[23:48] You would know. You cannot ask him. For forgiveness. And eternal life. And be rejected. There's some things.
[23:59] It's impossible. For Christ to do. And that's one of them. It's impossible. For Christ. To reject. A repenting sinner.
[24:10] Someone sorry. For their sins. Someone coming along. And thinking. They're unqualified. And fit for heaven. Which they are. Asking for mercy.
[24:23] And being turned away. Impossible. Christ cannot do it. In verses 13 and 14.
[24:34] A poor woman you see. He says to her. Christ says to her. There's no water. In this world. That can give lasting. Satisfaction.
[24:46] She's coming along here. She's a little bit interested. A little bit interested. Because she says.
[24:57] I don't want to keep coming along here. I wouldn't have to bother coming here. Give me this water. That'll last forever. Jesus says.
[25:09] The water that I give. Satisfies. You know. There's two. There's two reasons.
[25:20] Why we want more of something. And there is a. A sign that I find. Found very helpful. Well. Found it very helpful. It's humorous.
[25:31] But I'm not trying to be funny. But. How is money. Like grace. In what way is grace like money. This way. The more you get.
[25:42] The more you want. The more you get. The more you want. But listen. Why do you want more money. Because it does not satisfy.
[25:55] He that loveth silver. Will not be satisfied. With silver. The Bible tells us. But then. Why do you want more grace.
[26:07] Because it does satisfy. Two reasons. Why you want more of something. One. Because it doesn't satisfy. And one. Because it does satisfy.
[26:17] And that's why the disciple said. Lord. evermore. Give us this bread. But learn this. From verses 13 and 14 as well.
[26:30] What satisfies. On earth. Flows over. Into the next world. It has to be tasted on earth.
[26:44] If you don't taste. Everlasting life. On earth. You'll never. Have everlasting life. In heaven.
[26:57] It's. You have to taste it on earth. You have to enjoy it on earth. Catechism number one. Tells us why we were born. That we.
[27:07] Might. Enjoy. God. Here's. Here's a. Here's a test. Are you a Christian? Do you. Do you enjoy. Enjoy.
[27:18] God. Do you enjoy. Worship. Do you enjoy. Reading the Bible. Do you enjoy. Praying. If you're a Christian.
[27:29] You enjoy. These things. That's why. When. As we said. In the mornings. Salvation. Is a change. Of nature. Can you enjoy.
[27:40] Enjoy God. If you can't. Enjoy. God. In heaven. Forget about. Going to. Sorry. If you can't. If you don't. Enjoy.
[27:51] God. On earth. Forget. About. Going to heaven. If you don't. Taste. The pleasure. Of God. On earth.
[28:02] You'll never. Have it. In heaven. Begin. And join. Him. Down here. Now. Verses.
[28:14] 11. 12. And 15. The poor. Woman. Reveals. Just. How. Ignorant. She is. But.
[28:26] Jesus. Still. Has. Time. For her. We noted. In the morning. Jesus. Had. Time. For a doctor. Of law. During. The night. During.
[28:38] The night. He's. Got. Time. For this. Loose. Ignorant. Woman. Despite. Her. Disinterest. Despite.
[28:49] Her. Ignorance. Don't. Ever. Think. Christ. Has. No. Time. To listen. To you. Now. In verses.
[29:00] 15. And 16. The time. Comes. For Jesus. To begin. The work. Of salvation. In her. He. Begins. With. Conviction. You see.
[29:11] As we are. By nature. We don't see. The need. I always remember. When I was. Working. In an office. I always remember. A guy. Saying to me. Okay. You Christians. Fine.
[29:22] That's all right. He says. But. I just. Don't see. The need. To nail. The colors. To the last. Eh. For. I don't see. The need. For it. And they don't. Need to be.
[29:33] Convicted. First. You need. To see. Your sin. First. You need. To realize. The situation. You're in. And where. You're going. Now. How.
[29:44] Does Jesus. Deal with her. At a moment. She's only interested. In. The water. He can supply. Because it will make life. Easier for her. But she's got a bigger problem.
[29:57] A much bigger problem. Of having to go every. So often. To get water. Note. How gently. The saviour.
[30:08] Rebukes her. And convicts her. Of sin. Does he say to her. You harlot. Does he say to her.
[30:20] Stop sleeping around. What does he say. He doesn't despise her. He just says. Go call your husband. Go call your husband.
[30:33] That's sufficient. To convict her. Christ says. Go call your husband. Now.
[30:45] When she detects. Detects it. She's got a prophet. In front of her. She begins. Like the rest of us. Like the rest of us.
[30:56] She's no different. From you and me. She begins. To rebel. In verse 20. You say this. We say that. How am I expected.
[31:06] To know what's right. And who's right. Who's right. And who's wrong. And what's the truth. I don't know. Well. Exactly the same. As us.
[31:17] Am I right. A multi-faith. A multi-faith age. Says. That's only your opinion. What's Jesus reply.
[31:29] What's Jesus reply. To that. It's only your. Opinion. It's only your view. What's his reply. If you only knew.
[31:41] If you only knew. Well. Jesus. In verses 21. To 24. It's a very.
[31:55] Important. A few verses. He says. Woman. Believe me. The hour's coming. When you shall neither.
[32:05] In this mountain. Nor yet. At Jerusalem. Worship the father. You worship. You don't. You know not what. We know what we worship. For salvation is of the Jews.
[32:17] But. The hour. Cometh. And now is. When the true. Worshippers. Shall worship. The father. In spirit.
[32:27] And in truth. For the father. Seeketh. Such. To worship. Him. Just two or three things. About that.
[32:39] True. Worship. Has nothing to do. With places. Either. Mountains. Or buildings. True.
[32:51] Worship. Nothing to do. With mountains. Or buildings. True. Worship. Is only. To God. Worship.
[33:04] Requires an object. And it requires an object. Greater. Than ourselves. The Bible. The Bible. Speaks. About. The ignorant.
[33:17] Idolater. Who. Carves. An image. Out of wood. Or stone. Doesn't matter. But wait a minute. He's making it. He's shaping it.
[33:28] He's designing it. And he's worshipping. What he designed. The madness. The folly. You worship. You worship. Something. Something. Greater. Greater.
[33:38] Than yourself. Something. Bigger. And there's nothing. Bigger. Than God. True worship. True worship.
[33:52] Is spiritual. It's. Based on. God's. Revelation. Of truth. And we still worship. For our.
[34:03] Hearts. True worship. We are told. Is. What God.
[34:14] Is looking. For. God. Is. Tracing. And tracking. What for?
[34:27] Not a virus. We're all viruses. God is tracking. And tracing. People.
[34:37] Who want. To seek. Him. Who want. To worship. Him. The father. Seeketh.
[34:48] Such. To worship. Him. To worship. The father. In spirit. And. In. Truth. Well. What's her response.
[35:01] To that. She has no answer. She doesn't. Know. Anything. Really. Except one thing.
[35:15] She has no answer. But she's absolutely. Sure. Of one. Thing. And what is that? Whoever.
[35:26] Messiah. Is. He. Will have all the answers. I don't have any answers. She knows. She has no answers.
[35:37] But I know. That whoever. Messiah. Is. He. Will have all. The answers. And Jesus says.
[35:49] What? He says. I am he. Jesus. Says unto verse 26.
[35:59] I. That speak unto thee. Am he. I'm the Messiah. I'm the anointed.
[36:10] One. Sent. By God. To bless. Sinners. Well. That's how.
[36:22] Jesus. Brought. An ignorant. Loose woman. Into the kingdom. He. He. He. Revealed. Himself. To her. As the.
[36:32] Saviour. Of sinners. And it's. Quite. Interesting. Actually. It's a long time. Since I studied. The original. Greek.
[36:44] So deeply. But if I remember. Correctly. Verse 7. When Jesus. Says. In conclusion. When Jesus. Says here. Give.
[36:55] Me. To drink. It could be translated. You. Give me. A drink. You.
[37:07] Give me a drink. You. Ignorant. Loose. Woman. Living. As you're living. You.
[37:18] Give me. A drink. You. Slake. My. Thirst. And you know.
[37:30] When Jesus. Was on the cross. When Jesus. Was dying. When Jesus. Was in agony.
[37:42] When Jesus. Tongue. Stuck. To the roof. Of his mouth. On the cross. And said. I thirst. I believe.
[37:53] He wasn't just. Thirsting. For physical. Water. He was. Thirsting. To see. The fruit. Of his. Suffering.
[38:04] He must have been. Asking there. As he hung. Who. Am I. Suffering. All. This. For. And he says.
[38:18] In a very real way. You. You. Loose. Ignorant. People. Slake. My thirst. You.
[38:28] Give me. A drink. You. Show me. I'm not dying. For nothing. I'm dying. To forgive. People. Their sins. And I mean it.
[38:41] And I want it. And I'm dying. Physically. To see it. And he rejoiced. So much.
[38:53] The sequel. As the next verse. As the next verses. Point out. The pleasure. It gave. Jesus. To see this loose. Ignorant woman.
[39:05] Safely. In. His. Kingdom. The joy. And the pleasure. That it gave him. He couldn't eat his food. Did we not read it?
[39:18] Oh no. It's the next verse. Verse 31. In the meanwhile. His disciples prayed him. Say. Master eat. Come on. Take your food. We went in the town. To get it. But he said unto them. I have meat.
[39:29] To eat. That you know not of. And the woman. The woman herself. The woman herself.
[39:39] Who had come. Because she was thirsty. And water. Water. Wanted water. She left. Without her water pot. Being filled. With a water.
[39:51] That doesn't satisfy. She found everlasting water. And if you need something. To satisfy you. Only.
[40:01] Christ. And the gospel. Will satisfy you. And you will say. Along with the disciples. Evermore. Give us.
[40:12] This. Bread. If you only knew. If you only. Knew. That's the words of Christ.
[40:25] If you only knew. What I have. To give. You. May God. The Holy Spirit. Make his truth.
[40:37] His word. His gospel. Effectual. To every one of us. Let's bow our heads in prayer.