Sermon Central
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A Changed Life- The Woman At The Well Series
Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Sep 8, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Coming to faith in Jesus is a process and the woman at the well experienced all the phases of that process.
INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Today as we continue with our Deep Thoughts with Jesus, we are going to look at an event that gets a great deal of coverage because Jesus offers some deep teaching on the logistics of worship.
• Today, we will listen in to the conversation Jesus has with the woman at the well.
• When we look at this exchange today, I want us to look at this event from a different perspective.
• We are going to see one woman’s journey from not knowing who Jesus was, to seeing Jesus change her life.
• The journey that the woman known simply as the woman at the well resembles a similar trek we all follow as we decide whether we are going to follow Jesus.
• As we try to introduce Jesus to those who do not know Him, we need to understand that for those folks, they too will follow the same path, so we need to be patient and we need to allow folks the room to be able to process who this Jesus is.
• Our deep thought with Jesus is that growing in Him and knowing Him is a life-long process and that as we try to introduce people to Jesus, that we have to not be discouraged of they do not jump on board immediately.
• The woman at the well shows us the progression that takes place to get one from not knowing Jesus, to allowing Him to change one’s life!
• Let’s turn to John 4:1-10, so we can examine the first step in the progression. I will put verse 7-10 on the screen.
• SLIDE #2
• John 4:1–10 (CSB) — 1 When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), 3 he left Judea and went again to Galilee. 4 He had to travel through Samaria; 5 so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. 9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Who is this man?
• I want to give you a little background as to why this woman is so surprised by this man asking her for a drink of water.
• Without going into all the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans that went back centuries after the Kingdom of Israel was divided 931 BC under Solomon’s son Rehoboam.
• Anyway, the Jews and Samaritans did not get alone, and the Jews who wanted to go from Judea to Galilee would take an indirect route in order to avoid going through Samaria.
• SLIDE #4 SEE MAP!
• RED TYPICAL ROUTE, BLUE, JESUS ROUTE.
• So, Jesus is tired, He is in a place that a typical Jew would not travel. He is one the way to Galilee, yet He does not take the Jewish route He heads straight North right through the heart of Samaria!
• Jesus is worn out, He is alone as the disciples went into town to get some food. He sits down at the well to get some rest, and low and behold a Samaritan woman approaches the well to get some water.
• Now it is time for Jesus to enter her world!
• He asks for a drink and the woman is astonished.
• 9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans
• Jesus came to her world and she did not know who he was, He definitely did not look like He belonged there.
• When we try to bring Jesus to people, He sticks out like a sore thumb, He does not fit into their current world.
• Here shock leads her to say I CANNOT IMAGINE YOU ASKING ME FOR A DRINK.
• So, the woman gets introduced to a man she does not know.
• When you try to share Jesus with people, even if they have heard of Him, they do not know Him, so do not be surprised when they are shocked or astounded by you introducing Him to them.
