We turn for a few moments this morning to the fourth chapter of John's Gospel, returning to this passage as we have yet to discover the important truths that are developed in the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well. The Samaritan woman, no doubt, presents us with a picture of human need that is akin to all those who are outside of Christ. She also, in a measure, presents the typical responses of those who are confronted with a spiritual solution to their obvious dilemma. which in their mind is physical. I'm sure that you've often noted that when someone broaches spiritual or religious things in conversation and they are obviously working from an angle of the human and the physical and you try to bring them into the spiritual, you can almost see the confusion in their mind. How can that relate to the situation that I am in. And that's how it comes across. We have already encountered this in the previous chapter with Nicodemus. Remember how Nicodemus struggled to put into a spiritual understanding the things that he was focusing on in terms of the natural. And so it is with the woman at the well. So when she comes to the well, She is obviously on a mission. Her mind is already focused on the reason for her coming. She is preoccupied with a desire to satisfy her physical thirst. And therefore, at least at the beginning of the conversation, she is analysing everything that is said to her in the framework of the physical. It would be safe to say that the welfare of her soul was not initially for her a matter of primary concern. And so as she approaches this whole encounter and the subsequent conversation, she does so from a physical and human perspective. But we have already noticed how Jesus approaches it all. We go right back to the first verses of the chapter, particularly to verse 4. He needed to go through Samaria. So while the woman is on a mission, and that is a physical advantage, coming to get water from the well to quench physical thirst, Jesus is also on a mission, but His mission is spiritual, not physical. And we can see that as the conversation ensues in the chapter. We go back into John chapter 2 and in verses 24 and 25, you'll remember that here is the confirmation that Jesus knew all that was in man. And that prefixed what was about to happen in his conversation with Nicodemus. Now we come into chapter 4, and not only do we know that Jesus knew all that was in man, But if you look down at verse 29, you will see that Jesus also knew all that was in woman. Come see a man who told me all things that I ever did. So again, the gospel clearly identifies the fact that it is universal in its application, that is, to mankind, to man or to woman, either need to know Christ and either can know Christ, because the gospel is open to those who believe, to those he calls male and female. So she has a limited knowledge of Jesus. So limited that she has to apply her sense of understanding to the outward. She gathers by the clothes he wears, by the absence of the usual water bottle that he is a Jew, and that he is nothing that he can draw water from the well with. So her depth of understanding of who Jesus is, is limited to the things that she can see. Now you will find that very much in the world today, the problems of the unconverted in their understanding of Jesus, their estimation of the work of grace, simply rests on the fact that they have no enlightenment therefore no understanding of the grace of God revealed in Jesus and they have to rely upon what they see and what they read and what they hear. And that's why you find all kinds of arguments that are raised and all kinds of gestures that are made to cover up the fact that they don't fully understand who Jesus is. Now the woman at the well immediately addresses the situation from the only position and perspective that she knows. And therefore she struggles with an understanding of the teaching of Jesus. There are Two problems that dominate her thinking and her mind. You'll find in verse 9, the first rather obvious one, the woman of Samaria said to him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Now we did look in our last study on this chapter back into 2 Kings chapter 17 to read there of the history of the Samaritans to discover that they were a renegade group of Israelites who had sworn allegiance to one heathen king and then in the middle of the anticipated problems of the territory, the way of war and battle and conflict, they switched allegiance and as a result they were infiltrated by the Assyrians And the development was that there was intermarriage, there was cross-breeding, and the group that emerged and the culture that emerged from that was a kind of token acknowledgement of the religion of Israel. that was very much synchronized to a pagan worship of Babylon. And so there were heathen practices blending in with the Jewish practices culturally and religiously. And so as a result, the Jews said of the Samaritans, they are no longer in covenant with God, they are no longer eligible for all of the benefits and the blessings of God, and they had literally become outcasts to the Jews. And so that was the first problem. Here is a Jew, very obviously by his garb and also by the conversation, and she wonders, how is it that a Jew can have dealings with me, a Samaritan? So there was that cultural and religious barrier. And then secondly, if you go to verse 10, you'll notice that the second major problem is that her knowledge of God's Word is limited. Verse 10, Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water. If you knew the gift of God. If you come back into Isaiah chapter 55, Isaiah 55, verses 1-3. You read the words of the prophet. Isaiah 55, verses 1-3. Here is a word of prophetic anticipation. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Ecline your ear and come to me, Here on your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David." Here is the prophetic anticipation that one would come who would be as living water to those who are thirsty. And to drink of that water that is a gift It is without money and without price. It is freely offered to all who believe. Then those who drink receive that satisfaction and the quenching of their thirst. So back in verse 10 of John chapter 4, Jesus said, If you knew the gift of God. So obviously she was not familiar with these scriptures. And how many are there, of course, in the world around us who know nothing or know little about their Bibles? The Bible is produced at certain times of the year. They might even have a little Bible somewhere at home in a drawer that was presented when they were baptized as a baby or had some form of identification as becoming or becoming involved with the family of God, but that is as much as they have and as far as it goes. They may be received a Bible at their wedding, but they know little or nothing about the content and the teaching of God's Word. The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. But this woman at the well, she has a background, a culture that does not open up the way for her to understand the traditional teachings and belief and faith of the Jewish nation. And secondly, she has a problem with the limited knowledge of the Word of God. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters and drink, and the water is without money and without price. It is a gift. And so if you knew the gift of God, Jesus said in verse 10 of John 4, then you would have asked of Him. John 3.16 brings us that inclusive text. God so loved the world. And here Jesus is declaring Jew and Samaritan can access this living water. It is a gospel that is open to all who believe. And if you look at John 3.16, you'll see that John 4 and 10, the living water equates to eternal life in John 3.16. Now for living water, the woman immediately thinks of running water as opposed to still water. Remember in Psalm 23 when the Psalmist David speaks of the shepherd leading to the rich pasture and to the still waters. The thought is that the well has still water But the living waters would indicate a stream or a river. But there are no rivers in this area and that presents in her mind another problem. How can you give me a drink from running, living waters if the water that is in this well is still water? will not satisfy my thirst." But as we go through, and we just want to very quickly move through the chapter, we see the next issue that confronts her. Verse 11, the woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water? Jacob's well was approximately 105 feet deep. There was a depth of 15 feet of water in the well. So if you do your maths and you do them correctly, you'll discover that in order to get down to the water, there was a depth of 90 feet. So she looks at Jesus and she asks herself, as she verbally expresses her thought, You have nothing to fetch the water with and the well is deep. Now she had a water pot, she had a bucket that she could use to go down into the well. But a Jew who has no dealings with the Samaritan would not be permitted by law to use the same bucket that the Samaritan used in order to get the water. So here is a kind of stalemate. She had the bucket, but Jesus had the living water. So how were they going to resolve that particular issue? How was he going to give her this living water? Well, Jesus confronts her skepticism and doubt with a very clear and simple presentation of the gospel. You see in verses 13 and 14, three truths. Just very briefly, let me underscore these this morning. You see, first of all, in verse 13, he speaks of a parching thirst. Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. There's no question. There's no doubt. It is a fact. If you rely upon this water alone, then your internal thirst will never be satisfied, never be quenched. Secondly, in verse 14, the first part, you see a personal trust. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. And then the final thought in the latter part of verse 14, a priceless treasure. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life." So we have a parching thirst, a personal trust, and a priceless treasure. The gospel simply defined and explained. Let's just look at the first thought, verse 13, a parching thirst. The point that Jesus makes is that the physical will never satisfy the spiritual. We will never discover a spiritual contentment by gathering around us the things of the world. We will never know the spiritual ecstasy of fellowship and communion with God if we seek to employ the things of the world as vehicles to bring that benefit and blessing to us. Remember in Hebrews 11 and verse 25, when that great chapter on faith describes the position and the condition of the heart of Moses, And we are told that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin but for a season. And in that text we are told that the pleasures of sin, they may be great at the moment, they may be intensely enjoyable at the time, but the pleasures of sin only last for a season. And Moses was prepared to acknowledge that and to put them aside because he knew that in the presence of God there are pleasures forevermore. They are eternal. The pleasures of this world will vanish and pass. But the pleasures of God's people in eternity will never fade or pass away. If you go to Proverbs chapter 21 and read verse 17. Proverbs 21 verse 17. The wise writer of the Proverbs confirms He who loves pleasure will be a poor man. If that's all you have, then at the end of the day you have nothing. Remember what Paul warns young Timothy of in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and in verse 6. She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. You see, the world cannot satisfy the parching thirst of the soul. God has made us. He has created us. with an intensity and a capacity for spiritual blessing that can only be satisfied when we are in relationship with God. We are made up of three parts, body, soul and spirit. We can be very much aware of the world around us. Our body can be tuned in. We can tan it. We can tune it. We can do all that is necessary to be healthy But if we don't know God, then it's of no value. We may be tuned in to our own emotions, to ourselves. We can control our temper. We can exercise our emotions appropriately and under discipline. We can laugh. We can cry. We can have all of these things and be very much aware of the kind of person that we are. But if we don't know Christ, we're not fully satisfied. Body and soul can work in harmony together. But in order to be complete, there has to be the element of the Spirit involved. The Bible tells us, in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we are complete in Him. We're not complete without Him. We cannot be. And it is that God-shaped vacuum that reaches out to touch the infinite, to discover God. It is that that is satisfied when we recognize that Jesus came The Word made flesh dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. And it's only when we are in touch and in communion and fellowship with God in and through Christ that we are satisfied. We are complete. Come with me to Jeremiah chapter 2. Jeremiah chapter 2. And Jeremiah 2, verse 11. Has a nation changed its gods which are not gods? But my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate, says the Lord, for My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. If we were to read down through to verse 19, you'll discover there the journey that those who are backslidden in heart, those who step out of that communion and fellowship and knowledge of God's will for their lives, they forsake the fountain of satisfaction and they take up implements that cannot contain the water that satisfies their heart. They turn from the things of God, from the glory of God, to the world. And God has to bring them back. And He does so. Verse 19, Your own wickedness will correct you. Your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord God of hosts. And if you're listening to this service today, and you know that you've grown cold in heart, you've walked away from the will of God, you're no longer vibrant in your worship and fellowship, you've gone back to the world, then take note of these verses. God will, if you are His, He will draw you back. But the way of the transgressor is hard. You cannot be satisfied in the world if you are in grace. So here, as the woman sits at the well, Jesus confronts her in her need. She is to discover that there can be no satisfaction without Christ. There is no other water that can satisfy. Let's just do one final text and then we'll come back to this, God willing, next Lord's Day. Come with me to the book of the prophet Amos. Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah. Amos chapter 8. Look at verse 11. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land. Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea and from north to east. They shall run to and fro seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. In that day the fair virgins and strong young men shall faint from thirst, Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, who say, as your God lives, Zodan, and as the way of Bathsheba lives, they shall fall and never rise again. A famine for the Word of God. The Bible tells us, blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Can you imagine living in a world without the Word of God? That day may well be coming in the weekend of a convention I notice that everything these days, of course, goes up on big screens. And even the Bible, when it's quoted or used, is put up on the screen. And that's good, particularly if you have good eyesight, you can see the larger print a lot more clearly. But on the downside of that, it also means that you're trying to leave your Bible at home. And the preacher can so easily twist a text out of its context. And if you don't have the means to follow through the text or to look at its background, you can quite easily begin to believe what the preacher tells you the text is saying. And here we are told that there is coming a day when the Word of God will be difficult to find. Now, I know that we can find the Bible now on our phones and iPads and all of that, and that's all good. But from the preacher's point of view, it's hard to tell whether you're sending a text message off to someone or you're reading through the Scriptures. But here is the thought. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. What will we do when there's a famine for the Word? When God withdraws His Word? And we're living in an age where the Word of God is under attack. We expect to see it from the enemy, from those who are avowed enemies of God and His people. We expect to see it. And when we see the rise of of evil sweeping across the nations. We understand that there is an antagonism against God. And the devil knows that he has a short time, so he's on the move, he's on the march, he's trying to do the maximum damage before the end comes. And we understand that. But can we ever understand when we go into our theological colleges and seminaries and hear lecturers who now begin to isolate portions of Scripture and to criticize interpretations of the Word? And we're now seeing a range of young men trained for the ministry who have no real understanding of the Word of God. And they're taking up work in pulpits and they're ministering to people. And we are developing a church that has lost its way, has lost its insight, has lost its authority and its power. Here, Jesus confronts the woman of Samaria with these words. In verse 13, whoever drinks of this water, will thirst again. And let me finish on this note. Remember the rich man and Lazarus. Remember how Lazarus went into the presence of God, but the rich man went into hell. What was the first thing the rich man pleaded for? It was a drop of water. Why? Because if you drink the water of the world alone, you will thirst again. And even in hell, there will be thirst. But as we conclude this morning, let us be reminded that Jesus opened up a door for her. But, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water." So here we have the still water becoming running water because the still water flows into the fountain and the fountain bubbles up and it runs over. springing up into everlasting life. Have you been to Jesus? Have you taken from Him that gift of eternal life? This morning, by faith, drink deeply at the wells of salvation. Let us pray. Our loving Father, we thank you for these precious moments around your Word. We know that we are finite. We are human. We are physical. We live in a physical world. We live in the midst of temporal things. But we have learned that the only source of true satisfaction in life The only real preparation we can make for eternity is to look beyond all of the things that are around us and to lay hold by faith upon the gift offered freely by grace in Christ. And we ask that you will enable us today, if we have strayed, to return to Jesus the Shepherd, the Bishop of our souls. If we know not Christ as Saviour, give us faith today to trust in Him that we might know our sins forgiven. Grant us the ministry of grace. In our Saviour's name we pray. Amen.