A MATTER OF TRUST
John 4:1-30

Introduction: Did you know that people will pretty much believe anything? For instance, the percentage of Americans who believe: That Elvis Presley is still alive: 10; In reincarnation: 30; That aliens have visited earth in the past 100 years: 53; That the U.S. government is currently involved in cover-ups and conspiracies: 74. (Well, there may be something to that one!) People will believe anything, but they will stop short of believing the most important thing. Some people will accept all kinds of theories and beliefs, but many won’t accept what the Bible says about Jesus Christ. Our text today presents a woman who has been around and around, riding the merry-go-round of life and she worn out from it. But, one day, Jesus Christ showed up outside her little town and takes this misrable, hardened woman and leads her to a place of trust. I feel that I am speaking to people who have grown world-weary. Aren’t you are sick of walking the treadmill of life day in and day out? It may be that Jesus wants to bring someone here to a place of trust today.

  I.        A MISERABLE SAMARITAN

A.                 The Misery Of Her Isolation (v.6)

·        She Was A Social Outcast - Why did this one woman not come with the others?  I think the answer can be found in verses 17-18 and verse 28. It would seem that this woman was an outcast socially.

·        She Was A Spiritual Outcast - He tells her that she is even isolated from God (vv.20-22). Even the little worship she managed to work into her sinful life was of no use for her spiritually. 

(Note: She is a picture of every person who is not in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? The Bible says that our sinful condition separates us from God, Isa. 59:2. What a miserable condition to be in!  To lack the ability to pray, to worship and to fellowship with God is a horrible way to live. Yet, many are in that condition this morning. They pray, but God doesn’t hear, Psa. 66:18. They go to church to worship, but they cannot worship in Spirit and truth because they are lost in sin. All their religious activity is merely an exercise in the flesh.  It does not reach Heaven and it does not touch the Lord.  They are lost and are isolated from God, His blessings and His salvation!)

B.                 The Misery Of Her Ignorance (v.6)

This poor woman tries to argue religion with Jesus.

·        She talks about their religious differences, v. 9. She uses sarcasm and ridicule, v. 11-12, 15.

·        She tries to bring up a religious dispute in verses 19-20, in an attempt to escape the penetrating statements of Jesus in verses16-18. Through all of this, Jesus shows her just how little she knows about God, about worship and about herself.  Notice the little word “if” in verse 10. Regardless of what she thought she knew, Jesus points out to her that there is one thing she does not know.  She does not know Who Jesus is and that is the main thing!  Jesus tells her that “if” she only knew, she could ask Jesus for “living water” and she would be forever satisfied!  Left to herself, this woman might have died thinking that she was alright spiritually. Thank God that Jesus reached into her darkness and dispelled her ignorance about Himself and about the way of salvation!

(Note: Someone has said, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” I say, “What you don’t know can send you to Hell!”  Far too many people are living in ignorance when it comes to how to get to God. Many are like this woman in our text. They know just enough about the church and about Christianity to be a danger to themselves. Many will die and go to Hell from the pews of Baptist churches because they missed Jesus! They learned how to go to church and to Sunday School. They learned how to tithe. They learned what kind of Bible to buy. They learned how to turn over a new leaf and how to live a clean live. They learned many things, but they never learned the truth that salvation comes only through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They never learned that salvation is by grace, through faith, Eph. 2:8-9.)

C.                 The Misery Of Her Inconsistencies (vv.11-26)

Here she is, a woman with a checkered past, living a wicked life, v. 16-18, yet she feels that she is qualified to argue religion with the Lord Jesus Christ. She demonstrates a clear picture of hypocrisy in action! (Note: People attempt to do this kind of thing all the time!  Everybody thinks they are qualified to argue with God. They say, “Well, I think this or that”, or “I believe this way or that way”, or “I know what the Bible says, but…”  What foolishness! If you want to be right and go to Heaven when you die, then you will do it God’s way.  If you want to remain lost and spend eternity in Hell, then you go ahead and do it your way. God did not leave this thing open to debate, but He clearly, concisely and concretely stated how things are and it is settled! 

II.         A MATCHLESS SAVIOR

A.                 In His Grace (v. 4)

The Bible tells us that “He must needs go through Samaria ”. Thank God that Jesus does not operate like other men!  He did not care about their heritage. He did not care about the hated of others. He did not care about the racial lines drawn by ignorant men. He operates in the realm of grace! Jesus went to that place and sat on that well because He wanted to save this poor woman! If Jesus had acted like any other Jew, He would have passed this woman and her town by. But, He extended grace to them and brought salvation to Sychar! (Note: If you and I got what we deserved, we would have never gotten a second look from God.  He does not look at people on the basis of our wretched, sinful condition. He looks at us through eyes of love and grace!  He is not blind to our sin, because it separates us from Him, but His grace bridges the gap between us and brings Him near to offer salvation to you and to me. God’s justice demands that you and I die for our sins, Rom. 6:23.  But, when justice cried out to be satisfied, mercy answered and God sent Jesus to die in our place on the cross, Rom. 5:6-8.)

B.                 In His Graciousness (vv.7-26)

Jesus works with this woman patiently. He took her where He found her and gently led her to where she needed to be.  He brought her to the place where she was ready to hear about Him and about Who He was.  Then, when He revealed Himself to her, v. 26, she was at a place where she was ready to believe on Him.

C.                 In His Gift (vv.10-14)

Jesus promised this woman that He could give her a drink of “living water”. He promised her that this water would satisfy her in the depths of her soul. Marriage had failed five times to satisfy her. Living in the depths of sin on the fringes of society had failed to bring her happiness. Here, Jesus offers her an opportunity to find everything she has been looking for, by merely receiving His offer. (Note: The words “drinketh” in verses 13 and 14 are worth noting today. In verse 13, the word “drinketh” is in the “present tense, active voice”.  What Jesus is saying in verse 13 is this, “Even if you keep on drinking the water from this well, you will get thirsty again.”  However, the word “drinketh” in verse 14 is in the “aorist tense, active voice”.  In verse 14, Jesus is saying, “But whosoever takes just one drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…” In other words, Jesus is promising that just one trip to Him will satisfy the soul forever. 

III        A MARVELOUS SALVATION

A.                 There Is A Change In Her Activity (v.28)

When she hears that Jesus is the Messiah, (v. 26) she has all the information she needs.  Now, she wants to tell others about the well of living water she has experienced! That “artesian well” Jesus spoke of in verse14 is starting to flow and she cannot keep it in.  She is different and she wants others to experience it too! (Note: This is what Jesus does in every life He redeems. He changes old sinners into something brand new, 2 Cor. 5:17. When Jesus comes in, He will change everything!)

B.         There Is A Change In Her Approach (v. 28-29)

She is different, and the ones who knew her best see the change first! (Note: Again, when salvation is real, there will be a change in your life. Old friends will see the difference and familiar activities will become something you used to before you met Jesus. Everything changes when you meet Him!)

C.                 There Is A Change In Her Acknowledgement (v.29)

Notice how this woman moved from not knowing Jesus to proclaiming Him as the Messiah.  In verse 9, He is a “Jew”. In verse 11, she calls Him “Sir”.  In verse 19, she sees Him as a “Prophet”. By verse 29, she has reached the place where she calls Him “Christ”.  She sees Him as the need of her soul.  How did she make the progression from antagonism to acceptance?  She was led along gently, by the Lord.  He brought her from knowing nothing about Him to seeing Him as her only hope in just a few minutes.  It was a work of grace! (Note: Friend, if you expect to ever be saved, you must come to the place where you understand that Jesus is your only hope, Acts 4:12.  If you will follow the light the Lord gives you, He will lead you to that place!)

Conclusion:  Are you saved today?  Have you come to the place in your life where you are trusting Jesus and Him alone for the salvation of your eternal soul?  If not, then you need to do that right now.  If you will come to Him, He will save you.