Encounters 2 (The Outcast)

Welcome to the radio ministry at Cleveland church in Henderson Varco is to make Christ visible Clearview is a place of genuine worship with ministries for all age groups and all people. For more information, visit us at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson for visit us online@clearviewb.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor Otto.

This is our second message in this series from the gospel of John calendars engaging people. The Jesus way and today we will see how an outcast and outspoken and outright sinner woman had an encounter with Jesus Christ in her life was changed forever. If you have your Bibles with you turn to John chapter 4. Starting in verse three of us all stand together for the reading of God's word P meaning. Jesus left Judeo and departed again into Galilee, but he needed to go through Samaria so he came to the city of Samaria, which is called sidecar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacobs well was there, Jesus therefore being wearied from his journey, Santos by the will. It was about the sixth hour it woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink. Have you ever been thirsty and I mean really thirsty. Maybe it was after you cut grass on a hot day. Maybe it was after you play the sport out in the hot sun. Maybe it was after a workout, but have you ever been really thirsty. How many field that all of us pretty much for living human beings and we can drink tea we can bring hope, Pepsi, whatever. But there is no substitute to cool. Clean water.

Would you agree with that. In the passage we just read Jesus uses the imagery of water of first to convey the gospel to a woman of Samaria to keep in mind if you were here last week and you know where I'm going with this. Over looking at for individuals between these two bracket versus the first bracket is John chapter 2 verse 24 through 25 and the second bracket is John chapter 5 verse 34 in verse 41 between these two bracket versus therefore, individuals for people who had an encounter with Jesus Christ.

The first one is a man by the name of Nicodemus, a religious man. We saw him, met him last weekend this morning to meet the second person, a woman of Samaria, a person with an embarrassing pass. Who is searching who is thirsting for something that will satisfy our spiritual thirst. The third individual began to meet him next weekend was a rich man a brash person who wanted what he wanted now and begin to meet him next weekend and the last one. It was a sick, hopeless patient waiting for someone to help him for different individuals for different walks of life. Jesus met them right where they were no one-size-fits-all methodology. He met each one of them individually in their own settings and he transformed them this morning to meet the Samaritan woman, an outcast and outspoken woman and outright sinner. Jesus met her right where she was transformed her life changed her destiny forever this morning. Let me ask you a couple questions always do before we going to the message.

How do you see people you know. We can claim that we are saved Christians born again child of God. But if we cannot see people beyond their skin pigmentation or the clothes they wear, or the background they come from something is wrong. If we cannot see beyond the surface to what is inside their hearts.

It doesn't matter who that person is where they come from, how they act, how they talk. They have one thing in common. Sin and have only one solution is Savior Jesus Christ.

Are you willing to look beyond the surface. Are you willing to understand the people and ignore the veneer. The surface stuff are you willing to meet them where they are. Are you willing to bring them to Jesus Christ.

Do you see the person in their hearts, and when I see people. It's so easy as people can offend you. People can be rude to you.

People can be hateful to you. People can talk down to you people can take advantage of you. It is so easy to just see those things and react to them instead of saying I know what you've done in an the old me wants to fight back or run away from you, but there's something inside of you that you are made in the image of God and you are bursting for the living water. Are you willing to see that. Are you the one who is thirsty for the living water.

Have you ever had an encounter with Jesus Christ.

Because this morning the message is not about how to help others. You need to help yourself you to come to Jesus, you need to let him engage you with the gospel and transforming your life first. I have met many many people who thought they were saved but they never met Jesus Christ, the met church, the meta-pastor the matter famous preacher. The meta-book of Bible study then never had an encounter with Jesus Christ you never met Jesus years lost in your sins. So this morning. Let's look at the woman of Samaria.

Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. Who was the Samaritan woman let's begin in verse three it says Jesus left Judeo and departed again into Galilee, but he needed to go through Samaria. He needed to go to Galilee, which is up to the north right here Samaria is right here in the middle it says, but he needed to go through Samaria wasn't for theological reasons or was it for geographical reasons wasn't because he wanted to reach out to the Samaritans here with the gospel wasn't because it was the easiest, quickest, safest route 3 a Roman territory. I believe it was because it was a simple straight shot.

It was easier to do that than to go all around everywhere.

Sometimes I hear people say things like the Jewish people back then would not have gone through Samaria. That's bad scholarship. We have plenty of evidence to the Jewish people traveled back and forth through Samaria so this, let's try to create the profile of the Samaritan woman. It says in verse five so he came to a city of Samaria who were the Samaritans, just like the Pharisees. When we talk about the Pharisees last weekend.

There is a lot of debate about who wear these Samaritans these people who lived in the middle who are these people if you were to ask the Samaritans, by the way, there's about thousand of them living in Israel right now that's all that's left. If you were to ask them they would tell you that they are the direct descendents of ancient Israel.

They will tell you that they are the real deal and they trace their history back to the high priest Eli remember Eli Murray. Eli was the high priest and a woman by the name of Hannah came in she was crying and Eli saw her, and he tried to rebuke her as a woman are you drunk, and she said no I'm not drunk I'm weeping for a child and she goes home she has a child and his name was Samuel the Samaritans claim that Eli was the man who messed things up because he moved the worship center from Shechem, which was up here to Shiloh. Down here because he did this down here is Jerusalem.

This is where Jesus is at because he moved the worship center away from Shechem to Shiloh. Things went downhill in the Samaritans claim that they are the original Israel that was a Bible say that some of the Bible says in second Kings chapter 17. It tells us where the Samaritans came from. It all happened when the Assyrian Empire of Syria was up here. This is the Assyrian Empire. When God sends the Assyrians against the northern kingdom. He send them this way they came and captured the north and they had a policy it was a policy of resettlement what they would do is when they conquered a region. It will take those people move them over here and take the people from their move them over here right of the do that, but now you don't have any roots you don't have any ancient architecture you don't have any you know graveyards, you have nothing to be patriotic about you. Are immigrants so what the Assyrians would do is they would move people back and forth, and if you turn the second Kings chapter 17 verse 24.

Just listen to those words than the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, which is from here brought people from who taught Avraham Matt and from stuff are VM and lays them in the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel to the people living in Samaria were not due original Israelites, but in time.

Some people were from the original were still living around here somewhere and these people who moved in they intermarried them so they were somewhat somewhat connected to the people of Israel.

They still had their foreign gods. They began to worship the God of Israel, but this still had their foreign gods and there was always tension between these people and the people of Judeo the constantly bicker with each other. Why because the people in Judeo said you're not the real deal to Samaria and said Samaritans and yes we are. Yes, we are this is how you're not from here you been brought here over him intermarried with the people there law that doesn't mean anything.

This woman was from Samaria now want to think with me for a moment if she was from Samaria.

What kind of a woman, would she be as she probably just like these people. She had a chip on her shoulder. She probably had in a historical pride. This imagine that for a moment she had religious pride. What is this essay about her. It says so he came to a city of Samaria, which is called sidecar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph means you saw Samaria big region. She was not living somewhere here or there. She was living at a very significant lays in Samaria, a place where Jacob had dug a well me she was not just an ordinary Samaritan. She was proud. I mean really proud to be a Samaritan so I would put here. She even had spiritual pride not an ordinary person. See the book the Gospel of John gives us his bits of information for a reason.

What is this essay about her is says not Jacob's well was there.

I have to pay attention Helen to pay attention okay bring it on. I see your face.

The Bible says that she will from sidecar sidecar was to the north.

Jacob's well was about a mile to the south near Shechem. There was a spring a whale in sidecar. How do we know archaeologists have found. She was from sidecar not from Shechem if she wanted water she could've gone to her own village well but she came down a mile to Jacob's well we all getting the picture she was not coming for physical water. This woman was searching what you searching for. She was searching for something D to quench the worst of her heart.

Something else is mentioned in verse six Jesus therefore being wearied from his journey sad.

Thus, by the well. It was about the sixth hour of the sixth hour is noon time 12 o'clock in the afternoon in the Middle East as a very very hard time of the day. Women don't go looking for water or go to fetch water at that time of the day the usually go early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

What is that mean once again she was searching. What is it we can get about this woman. Verse seven Jesus said to her, give me a bit to drink for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food Jesus this Jewish man we know he was the son of God, but she doesn't know that is sitting by himself at this well then the woman of Samaria said to him, how is it that you being a Jew ask you drink from me, a Samaritan woman. She is spunky. If I can say that she is an out spoken woman in a back in those days women will even make eye contact with men leave alone a Samaritan woman talking to a Jewish man. Jesus says can I have some drinking I what he one thing for me.

You don't like us.

She's also fearless, she is not running away.

Seeing this one man sitting by the well. She's like I'm here to get water. And that's what I'm going to get before I leave this place. She is not scared something else about her is that she is truthful she is not lying to him.

She is not like oh you know that's right. I'll get you some water. She's like a listen I am Samaritan you are Jewish y'all don't agree with the way we handle our stuff and how we euro fire vessels you don't want this water she wasn't going to lie to him she's telling him the truth. By the way, there's one more thing we can learn about this woman. Later on in just a few moments. How many marriages does she have five and she was working on the sixth, one. She was an independent woman, she was not the type you would say all you know, sit in the tent until your husband tells you what to do. She was independent.

Back in those days for this woman to have five marriages working on the sixth one because the five didn't work out. She was independent, more than likely she was, you know, self-sufficient. Most women would depend on the man bag.

Then she was not dependent on her man. She was I'm tired of these five guys they don't seem to satisfy me I'm looking for another one. By the way, don't think that she was a prostitute because she would have a husband. We ask you this morning before we go any further. Do you know some Samaritan women. Do you know some Samaritan men.

If you ever talk to them about the gospel they will immediately talk to about how the granddaddy build a church down the road over there and boil our whole family been going over there was last of you when there why don't go anymore where they have spiritual pride.

Anybody anybody come into your mind only been baptized up and confirmed this happen to me that's job done all of that stuff. They have a deep sense of spiritual pride, but their first if you ever look at them. If you ever talk to them. There always searching, and one way I can tell a lot about certain people where they are spiritually as they never stop there constantly running now. Sometimes you have to do that with business but if you costly running.

If your heart is never settled down. Could be that you're trying to jostle your heart with all you have inside of you is it stinky nasty pond. What you're trying to do is you're trying to build up a fountain by moving back and forth but nothing happens because when you stop the same mosquito infested pond is still there. These people are independent they are outspoken there fearless your rules and regulations don't apply to them, or so they think you know any Samaritan men and women how to be trip typically treat them like is that your excellence over there or she's like this at they want one to God's going to get her.

We don't like them in charge because there are two independent we can control we can tell them you sit down, stand up do this do that they will listen to you, your rules and regulations. They will not follow a listen if you want to be a soul winner.

If you want to be a soul winning church.

You have to get over that whole thing up controlling people and making them just like you do you know any Samaritan men and women. Do you know people like this. So here comes the question, how did Jesus engage her listen to verse 10 Jesus answered and said to her.

She said you know you're a Jew I'm a Samaritan. He said if you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, give me a drink you what I've asked him and he would have given you living water beautiful to me how Jesus used the imagery around him. She's at the well this is Jacob's well there is a spring deep within and he is using the same imagery Jesus met people where they were. He met them where they were, but he transformed them and by the way, member how she was like where your Jew I'm a Samaritan.

Jesus did not answer that question. He did not lash out at them. He listen, if you start telling people about Jesus. And telling people about Jesus is not like hey do you know Jesus do you do need to get saved. Are you in charge. Most of the time when I meet with people we don't even talk about those things we did have a normal casual conversation. Amazingly, how the Holy Spirit directed toward spiritual things.

Jesus did not fight back. He just said you don't know who I am but I can give you living water. What is a response she says Sir now. She has little respect for him. You have nothing to draw with in the well is deep. Where do you get that living water, just like Nicodemus, this woman has no clue what Jesus is talking about Denny's. She says in verse 12 are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and and his livestock. She is now with lay theologian hereby has a theology they may not have a degree but they have theology she's arguing with Jesus what is Jesus answered her listen to what he says in verse 13 Jesus answered and said to her. Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never terse but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life is a woman.

I'm not talking about physical, terse, I'm talking about spiritual perjury by the way it always surprises and shocks me when feminist or people who are, you know always talk about women's rights. They try to say that the Bible is so male chauvinistic or so and how women Jesus here, the son of God, the Savior of the world is having a conversation with a woman. The Bible does not denigrate women lifts them up. A men. So Jesus says to her as listen I will give you this this fountain of water springing up in you into everlasting level Jesus talking about what we know them to get to John chapter 7, that the spring this fountain what it is in verse 38 he who believes in me, Jesus says, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, but this he spoke concerning the spirit, the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the living water when she would come to that fountain. What he gives you is this internal spring from deep within and that is the Holy Spirit and by the way, you have a jump up and down and hallelujah praise the Lord and and and climb up the pews to prove that you have the fountain you can just see that you drinking fresh water this into a response to that, the woman said to him, Sir, give me this water that I'm not hers nor come here to draw. She that she still does not understand her.

She's being sarcastic or she is being skeptical.

I love what Jesus does. At this point is time to go deeper is that the Hurco call your husband and come here. The woman answered and said I have no husband.

Jesus said to her, you have well said, I have no husband for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband in that you spoke truly. She didn't say in that you are a dirty rotten sinner. I mean how people come to me and want to get me to be people over the head over being a center Jesus Christ and do it is that you're telling the truth actually complimented her what would happen if we just drop our our way of thinking that we think is so right and start doing the Jesus way is a reason why there is a revival by which he was not talking down to her because you see in her response. She says Sir she knew that this man loved her and not in the wrong kind away.

She set up her see that you are a prophet.

She keeps graduating Jesus. What Jesus is telling her when you said you have had five husband is that he is telling her I know all about you. What he's telling her is this that I'm not just some ordinary man I am God. I have omniscience I can see through you and know exactly who you are in my essay this and I wanted him to very carefully of the Christ you've met does not know you through and through. You got the wrong Christ, she argues with him about where to worship or not to worship, listen to what Jesus says to her in verse 24, number rushing through because a time. 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 who is called Christ when he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her I who speak to you am he, Jesus did not say go to Jerusalem. He did not say will start reading the Torah, Jesus did not say why think you need to start a Bible study he said come to me. I am the one was a response woman then left her water pot she was in there to get water anyways and she went her way into the city said to the men by the way men there do not mean men and women. It simply means men mean she he went to the leader.

She said hey you guys, come see a man who told me all things that I ever did. She didn't say just save you that he knows me. Could this be the Christ than the Samaritans went out and they met Jesus. He stayed there two days and many believed in him and listen to what they told her this and now we believe not because of what you said. For we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ the Savior of the world. Not one person just had an encounter with Jesus now in entire village. A group of people we don't know the numbers but Samaritans, the outcast met Jesus you know that woman that came to Jesus. I don't know what she felt like before she came to Jacob's well when she left that place she was transformed. Maybe she was searching in those relationship maybe one of these men will satisfy me and and quench this person.

My heart like some people do. Even today, looking for relationships are looking for a for success, money, stuff power there, searching their thirsty so only when you come to Jesus have an encounter with Christ.

He replaces the pond with an internal spring. Thank you so much for joining us for this message and keep in mind if the Christ you've met does not know you through and through. You've got the wrong Christ.

You see, Jesus was not only our Savior but he is also the God of the universe who knows us for more information visit us online@clearviewbc.org and for the notes of this sermon, visit my blog@avedonshaw.com