ENCOUNTERING JESUSPart 4: Deep Thirst Satisfied (John 4:1-29)

Sermon Q & A: 720.815.5717 (text only)

ENCOUNTERING JESUSPart 4: Deep Thirst Satisfied (John 4:1-29)

Sermon Q & A: 720.815.5717 (text only)

ENCOUNTERING JESUSPart 4: Deep Thirst Satisfied (John 4:1-29)

Sermon Q & A: 720.815.5717 (text only)

NOVEMBER 24 & 25, 2018 NOVEMBER 24 & 25, 2018 NOVEMBER 24 & 25, 2018

If we will turn to Jesus with our deep thirst, He will satisfy it.

She was trapped. Trapped by her past and her pain. Trapped by her culture and her choices. Even trapped by things outside of her control: gender, ethnicity and race. Surprisingly during a simple, daily task of collecting water, she had a life-changing encounter with the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Her deep thirst for joy was satisfied. Do you wonder if He could do the same for your mistakes, your heart and your life?

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, by He Qui

I. Jesus Initiates (v. 4-9)Faith always begins with God’s initiating grace (Ephesians 2:8). In John 3 and 4, Jesus is initiating faith conversations with two very different people because the gospel is grace and good news for all. There is no one so good that His grace is not needed and no one too far that His grace cannot reach.

If we will turn to Jesus with our deep thirst, He will satisfy it.

She was trapped. Trapped by her past and her pain. Trapped by her culture and her choices. Even trapped by things outside of her control: gender, ethnicity and race. Surprisingly during a simple, daily task of collecting water, she had a life-changing encounter with the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Her deep thirst for joy was satisfied. Do you wonder if He could do the same for your mistakes, your heart and your life?

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, by He Qui

I. Jesus Initiates (v. 4-9)Faith always begins with God’s initiating grace (Ephesians 2:8). In John 3 and 4, Jesus is initiating faith conversations with two very different people because the gospel is grace and good news for all. There is no one so good that His grace is not needed and no one too far that His grace cannot reach.

NicodemusNightMaleJew/InsiderRespectedGoodSeeking Answers

SamaritanDayFemaleForeigner/OutsiderOutcastBadAvoiding Conversation

NicodemusNightMaleJew/InsiderRespectedGoodSeeking Answers

SamaritanDayFemaleForeigner/OutsiderOutcastBadAvoiding Conversation

NicodemusNightMaleJew/InsiderRespectedGoodSeeking Answers

SamaritanDayFemaleForeigner/OutsiderOutcastBadAvoiding Conversation

If we will turn to Jesus with our deep thirst, He will satisfy it.

She was trapped. Trapped by her past and her pain. Trapped by her culture and her choices. Even trapped by things outside of her control: gender, ethnicity and race. Surprisingly during a simple, daily task of collecting water, she had a life-changing encounter with the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Her deep thirst for joy was satisfied. Do you wonder if He could do the same for your mistakes, your heart and your life?

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, by He Qui

I. Jesus Initiates (v. 4-9)Faith always begins with God’s initiating grace (Ephesians 2:8). In John 3 and 4, Jesus is initiating faith conversations with two very different people because the gospel is grace and good news for all. There is no one so good that His grace is not needed and no one too far that His grace cannot reach.

II. Jesus Invites (v. 10-12)“He sees within her a cavernous aching, a cistern in her soul that will forever remain empty unless He fills it.” Ken Gire

III. Jesus Illuminates (v. 13-26)

x Our Thirst In every heart is a thirst for joy that cannot be met without Jesus. All our desires point to Him.

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

x Our Attempts to Satisfy Jesus will graciously expose our sin and our attempts to satisfy our thirst. Whatever they are, He will illuminate our vain efforts to quench our thirst. “Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives, but rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of His grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.” Max Lucado

x The Truth This is the only time that Jesus voluntarily declared that He was the Messiah. Jesus tells us the truth, about Himself and our hearts. He gives thirst and He will satisfy it. Jesus will not play games with us, withholding Himself. He loves us too much to do that. The question is whether or not we will heed, or even listen to, what Jesus says about our efforts to satisfy ourselves.

IV. Jesus Satisfies (v. 28-29, 39-40, John 10:10, John 7:37, Psalm 42:2, John 19:28)Jesus didn’t promise that any of the circumstances of her life would change. He gave her more than that. He gave her what her soul really longed for, what she thirsted for, Himself.

Jesus died thirsty so that we would never thirst. He offers us His living water, Himself to satisfy our deep thirst. Will you drink?

Discussion Questions (for small groups or the dinner table):

Read John 4:27-42 and consider the different reactions of the disciples, the woman and the people. Notice the transformation from a woman who is shunned to one who shares Christ. Have you ever been so overcome by the grace of Jesus that you, like this woman, couldn’t help but share Him with anybody who would listen?

Where do you go to be satisfied? What false well do you drink from? It might be work, family, a hobby, a habit, etc. Ask the Spirit to show you, confess it and ask Him to fill you.

Is there someone in your life who needs to encounter Jesus like the Samaritan woman? Pray that Jesus would initiate, invite and illuminate their thirst and give you an opportunity to say, “come and see Jesus.”

8.13.17NOVEMBER 24 & 25, 2018 NOVEMBER 24 & 25, 2018 NOVEMBER 24 & 25, 2018

II. Jesus Invites (v. 10-12)“He sees within her a cavernous aching, a cistern in her soul that will forever remain empty unless He fills it.” Ken Gire

III. Jesus Illuminates (v. 13-26)

x Our Thirst In every heart is a thirst for joy that cannot be met without Jesus. All our desires point to Him.

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

x Our Attempts to Satisfy Jesus will graciously expose our sin and our attempts to satisfy our thirst. Whatever they are, He will illuminate our vain efforts to quench our thirst. “Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives, but rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of His grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.” Max Lucado

x The Truth This is the only time that Jesus voluntarily declared that He was the Messiah. Jesus tells us the truth, about Himself and our hearts. He gives thirst and He will satisfy it. Jesus will not play games with us, withholding Himself. He loves us too much to do that. The question is whether or not we will heed, or even listen to, what Jesus says about our efforts to satisfy ourselves.

IV. Jesus Satisfies (v. 28-29, 39-40, John 10:10, John 7:37, Psalm 42:2, John 19:28)Jesus didn’t promise that any of the circumstances of her life would change. He gave her more than that. He gave her what her soul really longed for, what she thirsted for, Himself.

Jesus died thirsty so that we would never thirst. He offers us His living water, Himself to satisfy our deep thirst. Will you drink?

Discussion Questions (for small groups or the dinner table):

Read John 4:27-42 and consider the different reactions of the disciples, the woman and the people. Notice the transformation from a woman who is shunned to one who shares Christ. Have you ever been so overcome by the grace of Jesus that you, like this woman, couldn’t help but share Him with anybody who would listen?

Where do you go to be satisfied? What false well do you drink from? It might be work, family, a hobby, a habit, etc. Ask the Spirit to show you, confess it and ask Him to fill you.

Is there someone in your life who needs to encounter Jesus like the Samaritan woman? Pray that Jesus would initiate, invite and illuminate their thirst and give you an opportunity to say, “come and see Jesus.”

II. Jesus Invites (v. 10-12)“He sees within her a cavernous aching, a cistern in her soul that will forever remain empty unless He fills it.” Ken Gire

III. Jesus Illuminates (v. 13-26)

x Our Thirst In every heart is a thirst for joy that cannot be met without Jesus. All our desires point to Him.

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

x Our Attempts to Satisfy Jesus will graciously expose our sin and our attempts to satisfy our thirst. Whatever they are, He will illuminate our vain efforts to quench our thirst. “Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives, but rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of His grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.” Max Lucado

x The Truth This is the only time that Jesus voluntarily declared that He was the Messiah. Jesus tells us the truth, about Himself and our hearts. He gives thirst and He will satisfy it. Jesus will not play games with us, withholding Himself. He loves us too much to do that. The question is whether or not we will heed, or even listen to, what Jesus says about our efforts to satisfy ourselves.

IV. Jesus Satisfies (v. 28-29, 39-40, John 10:10, John 7:37, Psalm 42:2, John 19:28)Jesus didn’t promise that any of the circumstances of her life would change. He gave her more than that. He gave her what her soul really longed for, what she thirsted for, Himself.

Jesus died thirsty so that we would never thirst. He offers us His living water, Himself to satisfy our deep thirst. Will you drink?

Discussion Questions (for small groups or the dinner table):

Read John 4:27-42 and consider the different reactions of the disciples, the woman and the people. Notice the transformation from a woman who is shunned to one who shares Christ. Have you ever been so overcome by the grace of Jesus that you, like this woman, couldn’t help but share Him with anybody who would listen?

Where do you go to be satisfied? What false well do you drink from? It might be work, family, a hobby, a habit, etc. Ask the Spirit to show you, confess it and ask Him to fill you.

Is there someone in your life who needs to encounter Jesus like the Samaritan woman? Pray that Jesus would initiate, invite and illuminate their thirst and give you an opportunity to say, “come and see Jesus.”