We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise this evening in Psalm 96 in the Scottish Psalter.
Psalm 96 in the Scottish Psalter, singing from verse 1 to verse 6.
The tune is St. Magnus.
We'll sing a new song to the Lord, sing all the earth to God.
To God sing, bless his name, show still his saving health abroad.
We'll sing verse 1 to 6 to God's praise.
O sing a new song to the Lord, sing all the earth to God.
To God sing, bless his name, show still his saving health abroad.
Among the heathen nations, his glory do declare.
And unto all the people show his works that wondrous are.
For great the Lord, and greatly he is to be magnified.
Yea, worthy to be feared is he above all God's beside.
For all the gods are idols come, which blinded nations fear.
But our God is the Lord by whom the heavens created well.
Great honour is before his face, and majesty divine.
Strength is within his holy place, and there doth beauty shine.
Amen.
Let us come to God in prayer.
Let us pray.
Our gracious Father in heaven, we do give thanks to you that we can come and sing.
Sing a song to you, a song of praise, a song of worship, a song of thanksgiving.
A song that reminds us that you are the only one worthy of praise.
We live in a world that makes up its own idols in so many different ways.
There is worship going on around us.
Even though it's unknown to some, they feel that they are just living life,
and yet they worship the gods of this world.
And we can be so guilty of it ourselves and being caught up in the worship that does not give all our glory and focus to you.
But we get distracted, Lord.
We worship the things of this world more than we should.
But we thank you that your word reminds us that you are the only one who is worthy of our praise.
That you are the only one who we are to worship with all of our hearts.
And so we thank you for the reminder of your word and of your day.
We thank you for the reminder of your people.
All these reminders that you have given to us.
That we are people who are to be set aside.
Set aside for a great purpose to live in this world, not for our glory, but fully for yours.
And we thank you that for that purpose, for that reason, in the midst of all the distractions that we face,
and the ways that we were living, and maybe still are living to some,
that you gave your own son.
That your word reminds us that in the lostness of this world,
and in the hopelessness that we can experience and feel,
that you sent your son to offer us the way to hope,
and the way to salvation.
The way to find that path to the living waters that will fully quench our souls,
and quench our appetite.
That will fulfill us and satisfy in all things.
We thank you for your word, and how it does that.
How it refreshes our souls.
How even the singing of your praises uplifts our spirits.
And how we are able to come and unite our hearts and our voices in praise of you.
We ask, O Lord, that you will come and be in our midst this evening.
That you will help us to offer up praise worthy unto you.
Spirit filled and with rejoicing and gladness in our hearts.
That you are the one who has opened our eyes,
or who is able to open our eyes,
and to see the wonder and the beauty of salvation in Christ Jesus.
So we pray, Lord, that you will be with us.
That your name will be magnified and blessed.
Not just here, but around the world today.
In the worship of your name and the praising of it.
That your people will be uplifted.
That sinners may be saved.
And that your name would go far and wide.
That people would hear it, maybe even for the first time.
Hear the name of Jesus.
And wonder what it means.
But come to behold the wonder of the name above every name.
That name that we are to worship.
So, Lord, may you guide us in our worship this evening.
May you open your word to us.
And may your spirit be upon us.
May you open your heart and in our hearts.
And in our souls and in our minds.
As we can feel the distractions of this world.
And even perhaps the distractions of the week that lies ahead.
With all the plans that we may have.
And all the different things that we will be looking forward to.
And anticipating.
That we would not be so distracted.
That we would not go into the week forgetting about you.
So, Lord, we ask for your blessing on us as a people.
And as a congregation of your people here.
That we will know, Lord, your presence.
That we will know your hand upon us.
Leading us and guiding us.
Every step of the way.
We thank you, Lord, for your day.
That day in the week when we have the quietness of it.
We are able to put all other things to one side for a time.
And we know there are those who have works of necessity and mercy.
We remember them, Lord.
We remember the many who have to work today.
And who may be even feeling the tiredness of this day.
And a busyness.
The busyness of a week.
We remember those who work in hospitals and homes.
And all the different services that provide safekeeping for us, Lord.
The police, the fire service, the coast guard.
There are so many who have to work, Lord, for our needs.
Even on this day.
And we do thank you for them.
And we pray that they will have rest for their own bodies and souls.
During the week.
In their own time as well.
And we thank you for the means that we have to engage in worship.
That we can come together here.
That we can tune in online.
That we are able so often to catch up with services during the week as well.
And we pray that in the week ahead that we will take heed of your word.
That we would come to unite our hearts in the prayer meeting.
During the week.
On the different evenings, Lord.
That we would enjoy being together with one another.
And hearing your word.
And praising your name in that way.
And we ask that you will hear our prayers.
We know that there is much to pray about.
Even as we look at our own notice sheet.
We realize, Lord, the different things going on around us.
Both locally and nationally.
And even internationally too.
We thank you for the work of among our young people.
And we pray for the youth fellowship to take place this evening.
May you be with them there.
May you be with Mojo as he speaks and shares a word of testimony.
May you be with the leaders and the young ones who gather as well.
That they would enjoy that time together.
Of getting to know one another.
But above all to hear of the wonder of your work.
How you are a God who longs to save his people.
And longs to show that real care and compassion towards us.
We thank you, Lord, that even when we are blind.
That there are times when we can look back and see.
The wonder of your grace and your mercy towards us.
So we pray for all our young ones to know the wonder of your grace.
And that saving grace.
That saving faith.
We pray too for the youth and discipleship worker, Gordon MacLeod.
We thank you for all the work he is doing.
And for our presbytery.
Throughout our islands.
The way he encourages.
The way he helps.
The way he supports.
And guides.
Not just the young.
But ministers.
Elders.
Deacons.
And even all congregations as a whole.
How he is able to encourage.
And share of his experience in different ways.
And we pray that he will be encouraged.
In his own heart.
That you will help him, Lord.
To lean upon you.
And to look to you.
And in all the plans for the future going forward.
In that work.
We pray that you will lead and guide in it.
And may your hand of blessing be upon him.
And upon all that he does.
We pray too for our congregation as a whole.
And all the different activities going on.
And all the people associated with us.
We thank you for those who have gone out from our midst.
To different parts of the world.
And we think of Muriel.
We thank you for her work.
And pray for her as she prepares to return home.
That that would go well in her preparations.
And planning for it.
And her travels too.
And all the arrangements to be made.
That all would go well with her.
And that her time at home would be a refreshing time for her.
And a time where we can enjoy fellowship with her.
We thank you for the great privilege of being able to share.
In the prayerful work of your ministry far and wide.
That when we feel that there is maybe little else we can do.
That we would remember the great power that there is in prayer.
And that we can pray for the work of your ministry here and far and wide.
To know the blessing of your hand upon it.
Remember our nation at this time as well.
As we look ahead in the week before us.
Lord and we think of the funeral to take place tomorrow.
We pray for those who will minister in it.
We pray for your word.
As it will be read and sung and heard.
That it will be heard.
We thank you that your word reminds us that your word is powerful.
That it is sharper than a two-edged sword.
That it can pierce deep within us.
And we pray that that will be the case even tomorrow.
That as your word is proclaimed.
As it is read.
As it is heard.
That your spirit will be with it.
That you will pour out your blessing on us as a land.
And that you would, Lord, come in a day of your power.
To revive us.
To renew us.
To give us a real sense of our need of you.
We pray, Lord, for our nation in the days ahead.
For all who will rule over us.
A new king.
A new prime minister.
And the governments.
Throughout our land.
In terms of Westminster.
Hollywood.
And also our council chambers as well.
That, Lord, you will grant great wisdom to all who rule.
And to rule well and according to your word.
So, Lord, we pray.
Looking to you now.
That you will continue with us.
That you will open up your word to us.
As we come to share from it.
As we continue to sing your praise.
Be with the one who leads us in the singing this evening.
Help us all, Lord, to lift up our voices in praise to you.
And to have ears to hear what you are saying to us.
And, Lord, we pray that your word will minister to our hearts.
And to our souls.
That it will refresh us.
And challenge us.
And convict us.
Above all, it will convince us.
Of the wonder of your glory.
Of the wonder we have.
In the saviour Christ Jesus.
The one who we can come.
And call our Lord.
Our Father.
And our God in heaven.
So, we pray you'll hear our prayers.
That you'll continue with us.
And refresh your people far and wide.
And bless your word.
To all ends of the earth.
For all we ask.
We ask for the forgiveness of our sins.
And to your name be the praise and the glory.
Amen.
Let's again sing to God's praise.
And sing Psalms.
Version of Psalm 62.
Page 80 of the psalm books.
Psalm 62.
We're singing from verse 5.
The tune is Heron Gate.
Find rest my soul in God alone.
In him my hope is ever sure.
My safety fortress sheltering rock.
In him alone I am secure.
We'll sing from verse 5.
Down to the end of the psalm.
To God's praise.
Find rest my soul in God alone.
My hope is ever sure
My safety for the sheltering rock
In him alone I am secure
My honor and salvation rest
On broad my walk and mighty fort
O people, trust in him always
To him alone for a good heart
The low for man is but a breath
The high for man is but a life
Within a bullet, side by side
They come to nothing but a sign
Do not seek after wealth by force
Or die afraid, will God in gain
And even though your wisdom please
Set not your heart on what is vain
My God has spoken, I have heard
That you are strong and loving Lord
Each one according to his deeds
You will assure and be reward
Can we turn together now to read in God's Word
In the Gospel of John
We're going to read in chapter 4
The Gospel of John chapter 4
And we read from the beginning down to the verse marked 42
And here we have one of these wonderful encounters
Where Jesus meets with someone who in many people's eyes
Would seem to be a hopeless case
And yet he opens her eyes to see
The wonder of having her thirst quenched
In a way that's so amazing
And just a reminder to ourselves too
That when we feel a little lost in this world
And maybe don't know where to turn
That we have the one we can call on to
The one who is the Christ
So we come to read here in John chapter 4
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard
That Jesus was making and baptizing
More disciples than John
Although Jesus himself did not baptize
But only his disciples
He left Judea and departed again for Galilee
And he had to pass through Samaria
So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar
Near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph
Jacob's well was there
So Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey
Was sitting beside the well
It was about the sixth hour
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water
And Jesus said to her
Give me a drink
For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food
The Samaritan woman said to him
How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?
For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans
Jesus answered her
If you knew the gift of God
And who it is that is saying to you
Give me a drink
You would have asked him
And he would have given you living water
The woman said to him
Sir, you have nothing to draw water with
And the well is deep
Where do you get that living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob?
He gave us the well and drank from it himself
As did his sons and his livestock
Jesus said to her
Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him
Will never be thirsty again
The water that I will give him
Will become in him a spring of water
Welling up to eternal life
The woman said to him
Sir, give me this water
So that I will not be thirsty
Or have to come here to draw water
Jesus said to her
Go, call your husband and come here
The woman answered him
I have no husband
Jesus said to her
You are right in saying I have no husband
For you have had five husbands
And the one you now have is not your husband
What you have said is true
The woman said to him
Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet
Our fathers worshipped on this mountain
But you say that in Jerusalem is the place
Where people ought to worship
Jesus said to her
Woman, believe me
The hour is coming
When neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem
Will you worship the Father
You worship what you do not know
We worship what we know
For salvation is from the Jews
But the hour is coming
And is now here
When the true worshippers
Will worship the Father in spirit and truth
For the Father is seeking such people to worship him
God is spirit
And those who worship him
Must worship in spirit and truth
The woman said to him
I know that Messiah is coming
He who is called Christ
When he comes
He will tell us all things
Jesus said to her
I who speak to you
Am he
Just then his disciples came back
They marveled that he was talking with a woman
But no one said
What do you seek?
Or
Why are you talking with her?
So the woman left her water jar
And went away into town
And said to the people
Come
See a man
Who told me all that I ever did
Can this be the Christ?
They went out of the town
And were coming to him
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him
Saying Rabbi
Eat
But he said to them
I have food to eat
That you do not know about
So the disciples said to one another
Has anyone brought
Brought him something to eat?
Jesus said to them
My food is to do the will of him who sent me
And to accomplish his work
Do you not say
There are four months
Then comes the harvest
Look
I tell you
Lift up your eyes
And see that the fields
Are white for harvest
Already
The one who reaps
Is receiving wages
And gathering fruit
For eternal life
So that sower and reaper
May rejoice together
For here the saying holds true
One sows and another reaps
I sent you to reap
For that which you did not labour
Others have laboured
And you have entered into their labour
Many Samaritans from the town believed in him
Because of the woman's testimony
He told me
All that I ever did
So when the Samaritans came to him
They asked him
To stay with them
And he stayed there two days
And many more believed
Because of his word
They said to the woman
It is no longer because of what you said
That we believe
For we have heard for ourselves
And we know
That this is indeed
The saviour
Of the world
And so on
And may God bless
That reading from his word
We again sing
To God's praise
Before we turn
To look at that passage
In Psalm 107
In the Scottish Psalter
At the beginning of the psalm
Psalm 107
Page 382
I'm going to sing
From verse 1
To verse 9
Praise God
For he is good
For still his mercy's lasting be
Let God's redeemed say so
Whom he from the enemy's hand
Did free
We sing from verse 1
To verse 9
To God's praise
Praise God
For he is good for still
Praise God
For he is good for still
Praise God
For he is good for still
His mercy's lasting be
Let God's redeemed say so
His mercy's lasting be
From the enemy's hand
He is great for still
His mercy's lasting be
From the enemy's hand
He is a great for still
His mercy's lasting be
And gather there out of the lands
From north, south, east, and west
They stayed in desert pathlessly
No city found to rest
For thorns and hunger in them face
Their soul well streets them blessed
They cry unto the Lord
And he then frees from their distress
Them also in a way to walk
That brightest he did die
That he might do a city go
Where in the mind abide
O thy name to the Lord who fear
Praise for his goodness there
And for his words of wonder done
Unto the sons of men
For he the soul that longing is
Thou fully satisfied
With goodness he the hungry soul
That fell under thee
Well, let's turn back to our reading in the Gospel of John
In this reading in chapter 4
We're going to look at the whole of the passage that we read
But we can read again at verse 25
The woman said to him
I know that Messiah is coming
He who is called Christ
When he comes he will tell us all things
Jesus said to her
I who speak to you
Am he
Just then his disciples came back
They marveled that he was talking with a woman
But no one said
What do you seek?
Or why are you talking with her?
So the woman left her water jar
And went away into the town
And said to the people
Come
See a man who told me all that I ever did
Can this be the Christ?
Have you ever had a meeting
With someone that just stays with you
For maybe days, weeks, maybe even years afterwards
Maybe it's a meeting you've had
Some point in the past
Maybe you can even look back
In your more recent experience
Maybe even this last week
You've met someone out and about
Or maybe someone's popped in to visit
And you've had a conversation with them
And you've come away from it thinking
That did me good
That was a good experience for me
Because there are times in the hustle and bustle of life
When just a wee conversation with someone
And especially a conversation from a believer
A Christian
Who has a word
Just to refresh our souls
Just makes us ever so thankful
For all that the Lord has done
Have you ever had an experience though
Like this woman of Samaria has
In this passage that we've read together
Perhaps you have
Perhaps you know what it is
To have met with the one
Who is able to give you waters
From a well that will never run dry
To satisfy a thirst that you've had for a long time
And to know that you will thirst no more
Because you are believing and trusting in him
Or perhaps you haven't had this meeting yet
Perhaps you are longing for this meeting
To encounter with this one
Who is able to satisfy your thirst
Perhaps you are looking in life to find something
That will just give you that satisfaction
That joy
And yet all the time you are just feeling tired
And jaded with it all
While our text this evening
Reading this evening shows us
This woman of Samaria
Whose life is very much
In that category of being just tired
And jaded
And weary
A life that has perhaps been going
Round and round in circles
For a very long time
And she's just worn out
By it all
And she's tried
Drinking from every well that there is around her
And every place she's gone
Every time she's come away
Feeling even more thirsty than she was
When she first came
But then something happened
A meeting happened
That completely changed her life
The Lord Jesus came to her town
And outside that town
In the middle of the day
In the heat of the day
In the weariness of life
She finds one who is able
And who does indeed transform her life
He opens her eyes
To see what she needs
And not just that
He opens her eyes to see
Where that need can be found
And this woman
Who was tired and weary
Coming to the well
Returns to her town
To a people that perhaps
Had shunned her and turned away from her
As we'll see as we go through this passage
They turn to hear
What she has to say
And in listening to her
They begin to realise
That something as incredible
Has happened in her life
That she has met with someone
Who has made all the difference
And as she says to them
Could this be the Christ
The Messiah
The promised one
Well, Jesus we see here
Takes this jaded
This hardened woman
And he leads her to a place of trust
And a place to
Coming to quench her thirst
And drink
From the living water
Of the well of faith
And the well of salvation
And she realises
There is much more in this well
Than just the water that quenches her natural thirst
Here her very soul
Her very being
The very thirst in life
Is quenched
And satisfied
And these
This meeting, these verses
They remind us
Of two things
First of all
They remind us that
If you are saved
If you have encountered with this Jesus
Who offers you living water
We are reminded how good
He has been
How gracious
He has been to us
In redeeming our soul
What He has done for us
Goes beyond
Any way we can give thanks to Him
And yet we come
Praising His name
Thankful
That He is the one
Who continues to refresh our soul
And to refresh us through His words
That even as we feel weary and jaded in this world
Through all that is going on around us
As we come to the living water of His word
We find ourselves refreshed
And encouraged
But it also reminds us too
Secondly, if you are lost
If you are like this woman was
As she made her way to the well
Just jaded and weary
Trying to find a way to find joy and happiness
And hope in this world
It reminds us that the answer is found
Not in the wells of this world
And the things that this world will say
Will satisfy us
Our satisfaction
Our thirst can only be quenched
Into coming to the living water
That the Lord Jesus Christ offers us
And to drink from this well
To drink from His word
To find with Him
Through His word
The Spirit
Convicting us and convincing us
And giving us that hope
That hope of eternal life
Through Him
I want us to see
Three things as we look at this passage
Three things of the ones
Who we see in this passage
And the first thing we are going to look at is
The woman in the sense of
The lonely woman
We read here that
Jesus had left Judea
At the beginning of the chapter
To go to Galilee
And that journey
Took Him through Samaria
And on this journey
He enters into a region
That the Jews would be very hesitant
Of going into normally
Normally the Jews would avoid
Going through Samaria
We read here
That the Jews
And the Samaritans
They didn't get on
They didn't see eye to eye
In fact there was a real
Hatred and a real bitterness
Between them
But on this journey
He and his disciples
Making their way through Samaria
They stop in this town
Called Sychar
A small town
And here they stop for a time
It tells us there in verse 4
That he had to pass through Samaria
And he came to the town
Of Samaria called Sychar
Near the field that
Jacob had given to his son
Joseph
And Jacob's well was there
So Jesus
Weed as he was from his journey
Was sitting beside the well
And it was about
The sixth hour
His disciples
Had gone ahead of him
Into the town
To get some food for them
To share together
And it was while
Jesus was left alone
At this well
That this amazing encounter
Happens
Where this woman
Of Samaria
Comes along
Just by chance
She happens to come along
When Jesus is sitting there
That's the way many people
Would look at it
Isn't it?
Just this chance encounter
Perhaps you've had some
Chance encounters
As you see it in your own eyes
When maybe you meet with someone
Who has a word to give you
But they're not chance encounters
They're appointments
From God himself
They are there in God's providence
And here we see in God's providence
Jesus meets with this woman
Of Samaria
And I've called her
The lonely woman
First of all
Because that's what you see of her
At the start of this
This encounter
She's a lonely woman
In the sense of
The kind of life
That she is now living
And there are little things
That give us a hint
To that in this passage
The information we are told about
Or would indicate this
To us
First of all
You see there
When Jesus was sitting at the well
What time was it?
It says at the end of verse 6
It was about the sixth hour
That's midday
That's middle of the day
In the middle of the day
Noon
And here he is
Out at the well
At midday
And this woman
Comes to the well
And this is unusual
Because normally
In those days
The woman would come out
To the well
Either early in the morning
Or late into the evening
In the cool of the day
Not in the middle of the day
When the scorching sun
Is beating down on them
And they have to carry
These heavy water jars
They wouldn't make the journey then
Because it would just
Tire them out
And burn them out
Even quicker
So a work that was
Already difficult enough
Would be even more difficult
Here coming
At the sixth hour
And the other thing you notice
About when she came is
She was by herself
There was nobody else
With her
And again
This is a telling insight
Into her life
Because normally
They would come
As a crowd
They would come together
To do this work
So they would be speaking
With one another
Talking with one another
Helping one another
If the need arose
So this woman
Was different to the others
In the middle of the day
And by herself
This was unusual
And it's telling
It's telling that she was doing this
And then it goes on
To explain perhaps
The reason why
It was
That she was alone
And coming in the middle
Of the day
She had a lifestyle
That would seem to indicate
That grief and sorrow
Was never far from her
She had had five husbands
We are told
And now she's with a man
Who's not her husband
And again
This insight just shows us
The kind of life
That she had
It was one
That was lonely
Weerisome
No friends
Around her
Perhaps being shunned
By many who had once
Been her friends
There seems to be little
In her life
To fill her with joy
And happiness
What we are seeing instead
Is a lonely woman
And yet
It is a woman
That Jesus
Meets with
A woman that comes
In the middle of the day
And finds herself
Talking to one
Who is the Christ
And it's a great reminder
To us all
That Christ is there
For anyone
That Christ is there
For everyone
But it's a reminder too
Of what loneliness
And isolation
Can do to us
It can often leave us
Feeling a sense of hopelessness
But it also leaves us
In a very dangerous situation
As well
When we're lonely
When we're isolated
When we're feeling weary
In this world
It can often lead us
To turning to look for happiness
Anywhere and everywhere
We will try and find something
That will give us joy
But we're often looking
In the wrong place
And it would seem
That this woman
Had craved
The company of men
It would seem
That her whole lifestyle
Had just left her
Ended up
Seeking what would normally be
A happy and a healthy way of life
But to her
It had just led to disappointment
After disappointment
And for ourselves
It may not be
That's the way we try
And find our happiness
But there are other things
Where we try and find
Our happiness today
So where do you look for joy?
Where do you look to have your thirst quenched today?
In loneliness
In isolation
In our own weariness of life
We can turn to the wrong place
Perhaps it leads us
To turning to drink
Perhaps it leads us to thinking
Oh, I'll do the lottery
Or I'll place a bet
And all of a sudden
We find ourselves
Just getting sucked into
A way of life
That is wrong
We try and find and think
That joy and happiness
Will be found in all the wrong places
People so often
Turn to things like a horoscope
And they think to themselves
Well this might have something good
To say to me
It'll give me something
To encourage me
It'll give me something
To encourage me
We're turning to all the wrong places
We all have a great need
And a hunger for joy in life
But so often we miss the mark
We look in the wrong place
And now the amazing thing
We see in this woman's situation
Is the one who comes to her
Is the one who can meet her every need
And that's the great news
Of the gospel for ourselves today
We have tried maybe
Drinking and filling her
Trying to quench her thirst
In all kinds of different ways
And there's no satisfaction
There's no quenching of that thirst
We're still feeling
That emptiness inside us
It is Pascal who once said
There's a great God-shaped void
In the heart of every man
Which cannot be satisfied
By any created thing
But only by God
The creator made known
Through Jesus Christ
You have that void
And you're trying to fill it
It's like the child
That's trying to put the blocks
Into the bucket
Where you're trying to put the circle
Through the square
It's just not going to go
You're trying to hammer it in
But it's just not going to happen
You have to put it into the right shape
And for ourselves
We're constantly just trying to put
The wrong shape into our life
It just will not fit
Because the only thing
That's going to fit
The only thing that's going to change
And fill that void
Is Christ
So here
This lonely woman
She meets with this Christ
That's what was missing
In this woman's life
Is it missing in yours?
Is that void in your heart tonight?
If you want to find answers
We're not to turn to the wisdom
Of this world
And the false temptations
The false longings of this world
That will say to us
This will satisfy you when it won't
And our only way to find satisfaction
Is in Christ
And this is a day that would change this woman's life forever
And as a Christian tonight
There's a great reminder to you if you're a Christian here
Of the importance of making time for people
The importance of being there when people perhaps have their questions to ask
The importance of getting alongside those who maybe in your eyes
Seem so far away from God that there's no hope
This is a reminder to us
That there's a void in every heart
And no matter how far away someone seems
We are to always have time
To always have time to come along and to answer
There's a man called Charles Adam
An American in the 19th century
He was a very important political figure
And he had a busy life
And again he didn't like things to interrupt his life
And he saw many things that were a waste of time
And he kept a diary
And one day he entered this into his diary
Went fishing with my son today
A day wasted
That was an assessment of that time spent with his son that day
What was interesting was his son kept a diary
He was called Brook Adams
And he kept a diary that day
And his entry was this
Went fishing with my father
The most wonderful day of my life
And you see when you look at the experiences
That when the encounters we have in life
Sometimes we feel that was just a waste of time
But you never know what's going on in someone's heart
In that person's heart
It might be the most wonderful experience in their life
If the disciples as you see them coming back
They looked on this woman
Speaking with Jesus
And they wondered why on earth is he spending time with her
Why is he wasting his time?
That's the way we would have seen it
But not Jesus
He had time for her
And she
Her life was totally transformed
By this encounter
Because who did she meet with?
Well we see
This lonely
This lonely woman met with a loving saviour
We're showing here just the love of Christ
Jesus had to meet with this woman
It was the only thing that was going to make a difference in her life
And the wonderful thing today is that God sent his son
Into this world for that very reason
To meet with sinners
Not just the woman of Samaria
Not just the ones we read of through the scriptures
Those who had gone away from God
The likes of maybe Paul
You see how Jesus met with him
And you think well there's a sinner
He was persecuting
He was killing Christians
And you look at the obvious candidates
And you think well there's someone who Jesus
Should meet with and needs to meet with
But the amazing thing is
That God sent his son to meet with you
Every one of us
That we would encounter this loving saviour
And the question is then
How do you respond?
What do you do with this loving saviour?
This woman as she comes
She begins to question
She begins to ask him
And you see this
The loving way that Jesus speaks to her
He opens up her eyes to see
How much he knows about her
He says in verse 16
Go call your husband and come here
The one answered him
I have no husband
Jesus said to her
You are right in saying
I have no husband
For you have had five husbands
And the one you now have
Is not your husband
What you have said is true
So as he questions
She begins to realise this man
He knows all about me
He knows everything that there is about me
But does he judge her?
No
He begins to talk to her
In a way that she begins
To have her eyes opened
As to who he is
And he does it in this way
Where he talks about
This living water
That he would get a drink from her
He opens her eyes to see
What is worship?
In verse 24
He says God is spirit
And those who worship him
Must worship him in spirit
And in truth
So there is this discussion
There is this discussion
Going on between them
And all the time
Jesus is working away in her heart
And in verse 25
The woman says to him
I know that Messiah is coming
He who is called the Christ
When he comes
He will tell us all things
Jesus said to her
I who speak to you
You am he
That realisation
That donning
That donning of the one
Whom she is speaking to
I who speak to you
Am he
And that's the wonder of coming
To the word of God
That's the wonder of coming
And drawing near to God
You meet with the Messiah
The Christ
This loving Saviour
And you see the one
Who has done all for us
She knows
The Messiah is coming
Perhaps you believe
That God is coming
Perhaps you know
Through all you have heard
And read in the scriptures
Yes there is a day
That God will come again
Maybe you believe it
But the question is
Do you believe in the Christ
The Messiah
The Saviour
Are you ready
For that day
He is the one
Who has come so lovingly
Alongside his people
He comes lovingly
Again and again
To show us the way
To speak to us
Through his word
He comes
As a great shepherd
Calling his sheep
I remember speaking
To a minister once
And who was telling
Of how he was dealing
With someone who had come
From a foreign land
And they had
He had come into this land
He had been a shepherd
Where he had come from
And he had come
To Scotland
He was based in Edinburgh
And he was living in this city
And he just hated it
He was lonely
He was afraid
He was isolated
He longed to be a shepherd
Back home again
But he knew it couldn't be
But the minister was able
To explain to him
And tell him
Of the good shepherd
Of the Lord Jesus
And one who knows his sheep
And calls them by name
He had to come
From his homeland
He had to come away
From everywhere
Where he was comfortable
He had to come into
A foreign city
A foreign country
To meet a stranger
Who could explain to him
The things of Christ
And there are many things
In our lives
That we cannot understand
Many paths
We maybe have to go down
And things that experiences
We have in life
And we cannot understand them
But as we look back
We see that God
Has used them
For our good
To bring us to a point
Where we hear
Of this wonderful Saviour
Jesus knew
Everything about her
And the scary thing
For you tonight
Is he knows everything about you
He knows everything about me
But our past
Our background
Is no barrier
To the offer
Of the gospel
And that's the offer
That we have here
To come
And take of this water
To come
And drink from this well
The offer that Jesus gives
To her here
Is that she would take a drink
And not thirst
Anymore
In verse 14
Whoever drinks of the water
That I will give him
Will never be thirsty again
The water that I will give him
Will become in him
A spring of water
Welling up to eternal life
That is the offer
That Christ has
For us all tonight
To come
And take
Of this water
The woman
Listened
To Jesus
And suddenly
In the midst
Of her loneliness
And in the most
Unexpected of places
There was this dawning
Of hope
In her life
When he comes
He will tell us
All things
She said
But Jesus said
I who speak to you
Am he
Jesus offers
This living water
He is a loving
Saviour
And if you haven't
Come
To this well
The invitation
Is there
And you say
But my heart
Is so wicked
I've done so much
In my life
That's wrong
Well so had this woman
So have we all
And yet we can still come
The offer of the gospel
Is free
And for all
So we are to come
And find
This loving Saviour
And to know him
But what do we do
To do with that?
Well then we see
The transformation
That comes
In this woman
She goes
From a lonely woman
To one who is longing
Longing to tell others
Of this loving Saviour
When the disciples
Came back
She was maybe
Afraid of them
But what she did then
Was she went back
Into the town
She went away
Into the town
She left her water jar
Went away into the town
And says in verse 29
Come
See a man
Who told me
All that I ever did
Can this be
The Christ?
What a wonderful
Transformation
Here she is
The one who was lonely
And had this encounter
Now she is
To be the one
The means to others
Coming to know
Of this Saviour
And it's a great reminder
To us all
This woman
Who had her life
Changed
What does she want
To do now?
She wants to tell people
She has had this encounter
She has met the Christ
And she wants to say
To others
Come
Come and see
This man
Could this be
The Christ?
And they come
And you notice
That they don't mention anything
About her past
Her background
Or everything that was leaving
Her lonely and isolated
They listen
And so we are to be bold
To tell others
We've had a
Today
In the Sunday school
This morning
Joanne and I
Last Friday
The over 55s
We were open to questions
And you never know
What kind of questions
Are going to come your way
But the questions
Were really good
In terms of
They make you think
They make you ask
Questions of yourself
Well why do we do
What we do?
Why do we believe
What we believe?
One of the questions
That came up
Among the young ones
Today was
How do you go about
Telling others?
Telling others about Jesus?
And the great thing is
That question is there
But it's not just
Among the young folk
Every one of us
Will maybe have that question
How can I go and tell others?
Well here's a great example to us
First and foremost
Is to be excited about the one we've believed
To know the difference that he can make
Come she says
Come see a man
Who knows everything I ever did
Could this be the Christ?
She's enthused
She's longing to tell others
And there's a great example to us there
Just come and share with others
Come
In other words
Invite
Invite people to come and hear of this Christ
Come and see of this man
This man who knows everything about me
A sinner
Just like you know me
A sinner in my past
And my present
And my future
And yet
I know a loving saviour
I know this loving saviour
Who can make all the difference
This woman's life
Is totally transformed
Where she's able to tell others
And the interesting thing is this
You never know
What other people are thinking
And maybe they're just wishing
I wish they'd say something
To me
There's a man called
Thomas Huxley
And he was
An agnostic
Quite a famous agnostic
And that's someone
Different to an atheist
Now an atheist
They would say
Doesn't believe in God at all
An agnostic
Will not say they don't believe
But they'll say that
Well God just cannot be proved
But at the same time
There's maybe a more openness
To reason there
To discussion there
Thomas Huxley was very anti-Christian
But there was a time in his life
It's said when one day
One Sunday morning
He had been with a crowd of men
In the evening before
And on the Sunday
There was a host of the men
Who were getting ready to go to church
And Thomas Huxley turned to one of them
And said
He knew he was a Christian man
He said to him
Will you stay at home
And tell me this
Why are you a Christian?
The man knew Thomas Huxley very well
He knew he was very good in debate
And discussion about the Christian faith
And why not to believe it
And he was a little bit hesitant
But Thomas Huxley said to him
I don't want to argue with you
I just want you to simply tell me
What Christ means to you
And so the man stayed at home that day
And spoke with him
And he explained to him
The reasons why he loved his Saviour
And how the Saviour had loved him so much
And Thomas Huxley's eyes filled with tears
And he said
I would give my right hand
If only I could believe that
And he rejected it
He pushed it away
But there was something that was making him ask the question
Because there's a void in us all
And there are in voids in many people around us
And we are to have the courage
And the boldness to say
Come
See a man
Who knows everything about me
Could this be
The Christ?
Are you saved today?
If you are
Rejoice
Rejoice like the Samaritan woman did that day
But you have discovered the greatest thing in this world
A well that will quench your thirst
A place where there is love
And joy
And hope
But if you are not saved
What for you?
Will you come?
Come to this well
Come to Christ
Come
See a man who knows all about you
Who knows what's missing
But above all
Has what you need
Will you come?
To this well
Of living water
There is hope with Christ
What's the greatest encounter you could have today?
It's to meet with him
To meet with Christ
And to bow before him
And worship him with all your heart
And to know his love
And his care
And his compassion
The one who says come
Will you not come
And have your thirst quenched?
Let us pray
Our Father in heaven
We do thank you
We do thank you for the gospel hope
We thank you for the Christ
The Messiah who has come
To come to give us that invitation
To the well of living water
And we pray that Lord you will help us to come
And to invite others to come
To come and meet with the Christ
Who can fill the void in all our hearts
We pray that we will know
Your blessing over us
And to go with us
In all the days ahead
In Jesus name
Amen
We're going to conclude by singing to God's praise
And sing psalms version of Psalm 139
Psalm 139a
And we sing at verse 16 to verse 18
And the tune is brother James' ear
Psalm 139a and at verse 16
And all the days that I should live
Which you ordained for me
Were written in your book O Lord
Before they came to be
We'll sing from verse 16 to 18
To God's praise
Psalm 139a and at verse 17
Amen
And all the days that I should live
Which you ordained for me
Were written in your book O Lord
Before they came to be
were written in your book, O Lord, before they came to thee.
O God, how precious are your thoughts, I scan them from afar.
And as I seek to grasp them all, how numberless they are.
When I took out them, they would be more than the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am with you, still safe within your hand.
Now may grace, mercy and peace from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with you all now and forevermore. Amen.
Amen.