Voices of Lent: The Woman at the Well

Thanks so much to Maggie Fisher for her moving portrayal of the "Woman at the Well"! Thanks also to Mike True for his work on preparing the set and to Vanessa for being the creative force behind all of it! A huge thanks to Andy & Mike Marine for their work on the video and graphics that will accompany this series of messages! All of these elements help contribute to a powerful opportunity for all of us to experience God in a meaningful way! Pray for Pastor Jeremy as he prepares to preach this coming Sunday on our next "voice": Simon Peter! You won't want to miss one week of this series!

What Satisfies You? John 4:1-42
This is the question that Jesus essentially is asking the woman he meets at Jacob's well in Samaria. He said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." He quickly finds out that she thought a few other things would satisfy her:

• A Husband (Human Relationships) - She had been married 5 times and was now working toward number 6.
  
• Water from a Well (Material Things) - She thought something she could see, taste or touch would satisfy her. But she kept coming back to the well and was never permanently satisfied.
• Equal Treatment (Status, Position, Power) - She had 3 strikes against her: She was a woman, looked upon as second class citizens in that culture; a Samaritan woman, looked upon as unworthy and unclean by the Jews; an immoral Samaritan woman, looked upon as an outcast in her own community. She just wanted to be treated better!

Jesus sets a powerful example for us in how we should approach people who are far from God. As he approached the woman at the well he...

• ...Connected with her in a personal and relational way. Basically, he showed her that he really did care about what was happening in her life.
• ...Confronted with grace & truth the sin in her life. He didn't avoid the truth, but he spoke to her in a spirit of grace and love.
• ...Clarified some misconceptions she had about God. She wanted to know where she should worship (anywhere as long as it's in spirit and truth!) and when the Messiah would come (Jesus said, "I who speak to you am he").
• Commissioned her to go and tell others about Him! And she didn't wait until she was a seasoned believer who knew it all! She went right away, told her own story, and people came to Jesus in bunches!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied". As we hunger and thirst (like the woman at the well) for things that only God can provide we will come to Him, get our needs met and then be sent out in power to draw others to Him! This is the only way for us to be truly satisfied!

And then, when our days on earth are over, we will hear these words in Revelation 7:16-17, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Now THAT is truly satisfying!

In His Grip,

Pastor John