Blessing: In the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Text: John 4:5-30, 39-42.
Illustration: Quotes
The Christian life consists of possessive pronouns; it is one thing to say, “Christ is a Savior,” it is quite another to say, “He is My Savior!” - Martin Luther
Salvation depends upon Christ’s work for us, while rewards depend upon our works for Christ. - Milburn Cockrell
Salvation is not something we achieve, but something we receive! - Anon
The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man was the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God. - Martin Luther
There are many different ways of bringing people into His Kingdom, even some ways that I specially dislike.” - C. S. Lewis in an interview with Sherwood E. Wirt, in May, 1963, quoted in His, November 1976.
ONLY IN JESUS ARE WE CONVERTED, JUSTIFIED, SANCTIFIED AND SOON WE WILL BE GLORIFIED
As John the beloved shares with us the story of Christ changing the lifestyle of this Samaritan woman. We see in her ourselves. Even if you were a babe when your dear mother brought you to the waters of Holy Baptism the sewage of sin pumped through your heart waiting to be filtered through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. We have all broken the heart of God by our pride, hatred, and self-righteousness. In verses 5-10 tells the location of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. In verses 11- 15 Jesus shares that He is life-giving water. In verses 16-24 Jesus convicts her of her sin and how we are to worship God. In verses 25-30 The woman is Sanctified, which is simply the third use of the Law, in other words she is now an evangelist, she goes out and tells people to come to Jesus. And finally in verses 39-42 The Faith that she has received is given and received and others believe as well.
We should never believe ourselves holy before God. God is holiness itself and holiness and sin can no more remain together than light and darkness. The Samaritan woman’s reputation was well known to the disciples as well verse 27 And upon this came his disciples, and were wondering that with a woman he was speaking, no one, however, said, `What seekest thou?' or `Why speakest thou with her?' She was the Elizabeth Taylor, the Jeniffer Lopez, the party girl of her day. See there is nothing new under the sun. Not even that saying that only ugly people date, the beautiful have hook ups. She was not ashamed in her shame. She was perfectly calm and her many lovers all kept each other’s secrets. And nothing has changed in the hearts of the unconverted. Nothing has changed in the hearts of those who believe they have a license to sin, those who say Jesus loves me no matter how I live. If Jesus loves those who love their sin, then why does He go through the trouble of offering this Samaritan woman living water? She might as well keep drinking from the well of sin, from the well of self-gratification, from the well of sin and death. She believes Jesus is a stranger, someone who doesn’t know about and when He tells her everything about she is convicted as she marvels. The Holy Spirit grabs a hold of Her and turns her whole world upside down.
Now Jesus has a hold of Her and do you realize that this woman may be one of the few people who He clearly says, that I am the Messiah in verse 26. When she heard the words “I am He” it all came together, this conversation about her past, living water, and how she should worship God made sense in Jesus. Faith was given birth in her hearing and took root into her heart. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith comes to you whether you are a baby or an adult Faith comes in the hearing, so that there may be some doing. Not the other way around. She believed the words of Jesus and it was like fire shut up in her bones. Well, how do you know that pastor, because when the light went on, when got the epiphany she dropped what she was doing and left that water pot and ran into town. She stood justified, because she believed in Jesus and His words that He was the messiah the one promised to take away all the sins of the world, He was the one who free us from our enemies; sin, death, and the devil with the name she now knew, Jesus. Now you know His whether you have been the vilest of sinners, the evil snake, there is redemption in Christ alone. It’s a free gift. Given to you in Jesus by believing that He is your redeemer, He is healer; He is the lover of your soul. When Jesus comes to you, you will never be the same. Jesus takes you from the sewage of your old life and cleans you off and gives you a new attitude in Christ. Now you can stand before a Holy God clothed by Baptism wearing the robes of Christ’s righteousness. You are now justified by Faith in Christ.
Some you wonder why I said that this woman felt she had fire shut up in her bones still. She left Jesus and told so many people about Him and the Holy Spirit so convicted her that a crowd gathered to come and see this Man. And when they heard Jesus they received faith to believe on the words of Christ as well for themselves. Look what the Lord has done once she a woman of bad reputation, now she had a reputation of a great evangelist, once she lived a life of death now out of her belly flows living water, once she was an enemy of the cross by her selfish living now the in the death of Christ she has everlasting life. Now go and do the same be a soldier of the Cross tell the world of the goodness of the Lord. Tell the masses that Jesus lives and He lives in you. Amen.
Closing: Philipians 4: 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
