Life Lessons at the Well

Sermon Text: John 4: 4-15

Sermon Text: John 4:15 15 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.”

Sermon Title: Life Lessons at the Well

BP: Move the hearers to drink from Jesus Well

Introduction: Life has a way of making you thirsty…You will visit many wells…

Point 1:  The Well Vs 5, 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 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.

Wells are an essential part of biblical life. They were more than watering holes. We find them throughout the Bible. Isaac found his wife Rebecca at a well. Jacob met his wife Rachel at a well. Jethro, the priest of Midian, seven daughters found Moses at a well. Wells were used as deeds to property as Isaacs’s enemies tried to cover up his father's wells to take away his land rights and inheritance. He finally dug a new well and called it Rehoboth. God established that well as the place of his blessing. David wanted some water so bad from the well in Bethlehem his soldiers broke through enemy lines to get him that well water.

Wells were often under dispute because they sustain life. Wells were where oathswere taken to settle disputes. They were borders between enemies. Jeremiah talked about spiritual wells built by hand but were unable to sustain life because they were broken. Moses reminded the Israelites they would drink from wells they didn't dig.Proverbs says a man's mouth is like a well. 

So when we come to the well in our text,there is so much more than what it looks like…an accidental meeting at the well. No one should be under any illusions about what is going on at this well. The water at this well runs deeper than a drink.

​Everybody has a well.  Everybody has a place they go to try to work things out in their lives. Some people wells are Starbucks, some folks

Point 2:  The Welcome Vs 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)

The exchange between Jesus and the woman at the well is unusual. John even points out the disciples have left to get something to eat to show why Jesus is alone. In other words, a woman would never be talking to a man not her husband in public. On top of this they are from two different ethnicities. In her conversation you can hear she didn't feel like she measured up to even talk to Jesus. “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan.”  

This text is replete with how welcoming Jesus is to this woman. John, who remained behind as the other disciples went to get food, tells us everything we need to know in the text. He says the woman came alone at 12 noon. No woman comes alone to get water unless there's a reason she is not a relationship with other women. Women always came together early in the morning to get water for their families.  What was she alone? John tells us Jesus was tired hungry and thirsty. The morays of that day prevented her from talking to a strange man in public let alone a Jewish man. 

​So Jesus initiates the conversation. Jesus ensures she feels welcomed by asking her for something to drink. Jesus breaks the ice. “Give me a drink” In four words Jesus’ destroys all the barriers of that day. 

Point 3:  The Worship vs 23, 24 - 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seekingsuch people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Here is one of the major life lessons in this text. Worship. Jesus redefines worship in a way that transcends the issues thatpreoccupy the woman. REPEAT she wants to know where to worship because she is genuinely confused. Now that she has confessed her sins, she wants to go give her sacrifice to complete what Jesus has started. In other words, Jesus welcomes her to a new life regardless of her past. Now she needs to go to worship as a result of her new life, but there are two places to worship. Mount Gerizim on is a quarter mile away where Samaritans are supposed to worship or Jerusalem where the Jewsworship. Jesus answer transcends culture, tradition, place and time. Jesus said, “worship the father in spirit and in the truth”of who you are.

Worship in Spirit means anywhere because God is spirit and cannot be contained or restrained by a physical location. Truth means in the truth of who you are. The truth of who this woman was had kept her from worshiping but with Jesus the truth of who she is made her want to worship. REPEAT

Conclusion:  Life lessons at the well tell you everybody has a well. Everybody needs to feel welcome. And once you meet Jesus you will have to worship him.