Please turn to John chapter four, please. John chapter four. John chapter four. And we've a number of verses just to read tonight, a very familiar story, but please, if you are familiar with it, let's look at it with fresh eyes to learn a little bit. And especially tonight, if you're here, and we're so glad that you are here, but especially if you're here tonight and you haven't taken off this thing called living water, Really want you to listen tonight and to see the experience of this woman at the well and see if you can identify with her. But let's come in at verse two and let's read through to verse 18 first of all. The word of God tells us in John 4, though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples, he left Judea. and departed again into Galilee, and he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?' Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband. For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband, in that thou saidst truly. And then come down to verse 24. 24 through 29, it says, God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah is cometh, which is called Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples and marveled that he talked with the woman, yet no man said, what seekest thou, or why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot and went her way into the city and went saith unto the men, come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? And then the final few verses, verse 39 through 42. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, he told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come on to him, they besought him that he would tarry with them, and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word, and said unto the woman, now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him ourselves. and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. Amen. We'll end it there at verse 42. We're continuing on in these Sunday nights looking at people who met the Lord Jesus Christ right at the point of their need. And tonight we have the well-known story of the woman at the well. You know, water is one of the most simple substances on earth. Anybody here not like drinking water? I know three children that don't like to drink water, unless it's colored orange, or colored some other color, and it goes down a wee bit easier. And to be fair, their father maybe takes the most of the dilutant in the house. But some people don't like the taste of water. And yet, I'll give you a few things about water. We are mostly made up of water. Our bodies are about 60% water. Your brain and your heart are 73% water. That explains a lot, doesn't it? Your lungs are 83% water. We are, pretty much speaking, walking water. Of course, water is essential for your survival. You can get by for about three weeks without any food, but you'll only manage about three days without water. It's absolutely vital to every cell in your body. And just like water, physical water, keeps your body alive, the living water, the Lord Jesus Christ, he can give life to your soul, that soul which does not die. You know, if we get dehydrated, even a 1 to 2% drop in your hydration, it can affect your thinking, your energy, and your focus. I must have been permanently dehydrated at school, for that explains an awful lot about it. But we can very easily become unfocused on all these different things. And in the same way, If we're spiritually dehydrated, we can become dry, we can get weary, and we can get distant and discouraged. And that's why we need the refreshing flow of God's Spirit and the Word of God. We need to be constantly filled. Don't try it, but you try maybe tomorrow or think about tomorrow, not taking any water on board at all. And very quickly, you're going to start to feel under the weather. I know for me, I probably drink about four liters of water a day. Maybe it's out of habit more than anything else, but I love to drink my water and keep my fluids up. Water also cleanses, it purifies, it washes, and it refreshes. And friends, spiritually speaking, we need to be washed, as it were, by the water of the word, and of course, most importantly, by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That brings us to John chapter four. Physical water is very important, but spiritual water, that living water, is all the more important and vital. The Lord Jesus Christ has come face to face with a woman with a need for physical water. Yes, she came to the well, but she also came to the Lord Jesus with a very thirsty soul. I want you to see a number of things with me tonight. You see, this lady, like maybe some of you here tonight, or maybe somebody listening tonight, she tried everything that maybe you are trying. This lady had tried relationships, she was trying routines, she even had religion, but she still wasn't satisfied. And maybe that's you tonight. You could tick all those boxes and on the outset, things might look okay, you might like you have everything in order, everything might be going well in your life, but deep down, you still don't have that satisfaction. But then the Lord Jesus Christ meets her and he offers her this living water. If you're not saved here tonight again, we're so glad that you're here. But friend, you are like that woman at the well. You're searching, you're thirsty, you're trying to quench your thirst, but only Christ can truly satisfy your thirst. I want you to understand a few things. There was an opportunity that presented itself to this lady. If you look at verse four, there's a lovely little phrase here about the Lord, and it says, and he must needs go through Samaria. You see, geography didn't matter to the Lord, but grace mattered to the Lord. It mattered because there was one soul that he had to meet. Now, if you know anything about the word of God and scripture and biblical history, you'll know that Samaria or Samaritans and the Jews did not mix well. It wasn't just as simple as we see on the page. You might read that and think he must needs go through Samaria. You mightn't really think too much about that. But those two groups traditionally did not meet or did not go too well together. Christ, as it were, had to go across the barricades to reach this one soul. Maybe you're here tonight and you think, well, Christ isn't for me. Christ isn't for our side of the community or our side of the fence. Friends, can I tell you tonight on the authority of God's Word, in fact, the Lord Jesus Christ said it in verse 14, but whosoever There's no barrier there. That doesn't narrow it down to any one particular group. Anyone can come and drink of the water of life freely, anyone. The gospel is for you. Don't you ever think the gospel isn't for you? But there's something else. In verse seven, we see this. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, give me to drink. You might think, well, this is fairly obvious. It's just a woman at a well. What's the big deal about that? Well, there's something very significant about this. See, the culture of the day was very, very different to 2025. There was no equality movement. There was no feminists about then. Well, maybe there were, but I don't know too much about them. But they didn't exist in the way we know them today. And it would have been very, very, very unusual for a man to speak to a woman, even his own wife, in public. Can I get an amen? Oh, I better move on. wouldn't even speak to his own wife in public. That was the culture of the day. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ talks to this woman on a whale. Don't let that wee detail skip you by. He spoke to it. In fact, it would have been deemed a breach of social custom for a man to speak to a woman in this nature. Secondly, she wasn't just a woman, but she was a Samaritan woman. As I mentioned, the Jews and the Samaritans tried to keep separate, they tried to keep apart, they didn't want anything to do with one another, and they tried to avoid it. And of course, in verse nine, the lady asks of the Lord, what does she say then, saith the woman of Samaria unto him, how is it that thou, being a Jew, Ask a strength of me, which I'm a woman of Samaria. She knew that. You might be here tonight and you might think, well, you might fall into the category of being a woman. I don't know if we have any Samaritans here tonight. If we do, that's a pretty good record. But friends, listen, you might think, and maybe you've been invited along tonight or you've stumbled across her message online and you think, well, the gospel, the message of the gospel, that's not really for me. It's for my friends, maybe for my family, maybe my mom and dad and my grandparents, but it's not for me. Friends, I'm just gonna repeat what I said two minutes ago. The gospel is for the whosoever. Anyone, anyone can call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. And friends, could I put it a little bit further to you? Everyone needs to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. There's a third point to this. She wasn't just a woman. She wasn't just a Samaritan, but she was a immoral woman. In verse 18. It tells us, the Lord Jesus Christ answers her. He says, You see, she's been married four times and now she was living with the fifth man. It was a definite breaking of the moral code of that particular time. And notice as well, she came at midday. She came whenever the sun would have been blazing and it would have been very, very hot. Perhaps she didn't want to meet any of the other women in that particular town. She was probably embarrassed, ashamed, and she maybe just didn't want to meet anybody on the way. In her shame, she'd sought out the quiet part of the day to try and get water to do all the necessary tasks. Three things that would, on the outset, disqualify somebody. Friends, what does that tell me tonight? This encounter tells me something very similar. Nobody is below or above the offer of salvation. Everybody needs to be saved, and Christ died for every single one. In terms of custom, tradition, and society, this lady had three strikes against her. Her gender, her creed, and her morality. But praise God tonight, Christ Jesus came into the world to what? Save sinners. It matters not any of those things. He came into the world to save you. Secondly, we've all been born in sin. We've all been born with that sinful nature. We might not all have been born as a woman or a Samaritan or an immoral woman like this woman found herself in her circumstances, but we've all been born in sin and we've all got that sinful nature and we can trace that all the way back to Adam and Eve. And that same sinful nature that this woman at the well was born with affects me tonight, affects you tonight, affects every single person here tonight. How can we understand sin? Well, think about the Lord Jesus Christ, because his life was perfect. you compare his life to our life and you'll understand. It tells me in Romans 3, 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This was the opportunity. The Lord has come through this particular place at a particular time to meet one particular person. And now I want you to see the offer in verses 13 through 15 this evening. the living water that only Christ can give. Look at verse 13 if you still have God's word open. It says, Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Do you see, first of all, Christ brings out a wee contrast. He puts one up against the other. In verse 13, he describes the water of the world. And what do you notice about it straightaway? It does not satisfy. It does not satisfy. Or it may satisfy for a little while, but it doesn't give that permanent contentment. And if you're here tonight and you're not saved, you maybe know immediately what I'm talking about. You see, deep within the heart and the soul of every human being, I'm convinced of this. There's a craving for God. There's a craving for God. There's a craving for a relationship with God. And so many people, just like myself, because I was born in sin, I'm no better than anybody else. But we all set out in life, and we try to fill or understand that craving, and we crave all the different things. For you, it might be alcohol tonight. I don't know. It might be relationships. It might be betting on the football. Maybe all sorts of things that you're doing, relationships, maybe contrary to the word of God, whatever sort of satisfaction or pleasure that you seek, that's a craving and you're trying to somehow satisfy this desire within you to connect you to God. Friend, all those things will never bring you the satisfaction of God. Not one of those things. They might satisfy for a little time, but then you'll need even more the next time. And some of those things that I've mentioned can turn into really, really dangerous things. And many, many men and women are prey to those things, and they can't break those chains without the help of the Lord. The pleasures of sin, absolutely, yes, they are pleasurable, but only for a season, and they'll soon pass. What's the consequence of the water that the world gives? Well, friend, the consequence is a lost eternity. If you drink of the water of the world, you'll not only be dissatisfied in this life, but you'll be dissatisfied in the next because, friend, you'll go into that lost eternity, that awful place called hell, and there'll be no water of any description to satisfy your soul then. Friend, can I ask you tonight, What water are you drinking of? Are you drinking the water of the world? Or are you drinking the water that the Lord Jesus Christ can give? Let me just go a little further too. Maybe there's somebody here and you're saved okay. Saved maybe at a young age. But for some reason, you've maybe wandered. You've drifted. And even though you've experienced the living water, the best water that you could ever experience. For some reason, you're now dabbling in the water of the world. Those things are on offer to you, maybe as a young person, older person, doesn't matter. And you think, do you know what? Maybe I am missing out. Maybe try a wee bit of that, I'm sure it wouldn't do much harm, would it? Friend, how many testimonies and lives have been shattered by trying something that they shouldn't never have tried in the first place. Friend and young person, whatever age you are, if you have been saved and you have received the living water, don't dabble with what the world can offer you because it's only second rate. It's only second rate. What about you? What water are you drinking? See, maybe you're here tonight and you work hard to provide for your family. And that's a wonderful thing. We need more people with a good work ethic, don't get me wrong. And you work hard and you ensure that they're comfortable. But really it's just masking a problem and you don't have contentment. Maybe you're here tonight and you've worked hard and you've built up with your family, you've built up your bank balance and you've got a great job, you've got a great career path mapped out, relationships, all these things, everything's ticked, every box is ticked. And as the world looks on they say, that boy has got it sorted, that girl, she's on to great things. But deep inside there's that longing. Friend, the water of the world just isn't doing you no harm, but it's actually toxic. It's toxic. It's damaging you even in ways that you wouldn't know. But look at the great contrast here. At verse 13, we have the water of the world, because if we drink of it, the Lord tells us that you will thirst again. But look at verse 14, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Do you see who it's for? Anybody. Anybody. Whosoever. Anybody can partake of this living water. There's no exclusions, no restrictions. Whosoever means whoever. Let's not change the words of Scripture. But what does it do? It satisfies permanently, it satisfies completely. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. Did you notice here in these words from Christ, it's not talking about the water that a church or a denomination will give. If we could give out water, it would have exactly the same effect. as the world water. You'd still be thirsty after it. It's only the water that Christ can give which is that lasting, everlasting water. Friend, water is necessary for life. Salvation is necessary for true life in Christ. Water is also a gift from above. Salvation is also a gift from above. Water refreshes us and it satisfies us. So does salvation. But there's one fundamental difference because salvation permanently, totally, completely satisfies our soul. How long will it last? But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Friend, whenever you take of the water of Christ, your life will never be the same again. Never be the same again. In Him, in Christ, we are complete. Because the moment that you call out upon the Lord for salvation, you pass from death onto life and you can never pass back again. You pass from death onto life. Everlasting life, what does that mean? Well, it means satisfaction, peace, contentment in this life and also a wonderful glorious future with him for all of eternity with no sin and no shame. Now look very quickly with me at the change that was brought in this woman's life. Look at verse 27 through 30 and 39 through 42 and with this I am finished tonight. Verse 28, I love this because in verse 28 what does it tell us? After she's come face to face to the Lord Jesus Christ and explained all about this living water, the woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city And saith to the men, come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came on to him. Did you notice she left the very thing that she came to do? She came to get water for her family, for herself, but she left her water pot. Why? She got a new purpose in life. She had met the master and she went on and she was challenging and telling and testifying to others about what the Lord Jesus Christ had done for her. Can I just speak to the believers here tonight? Never ever be afraid to tell of what Christ has done for you. There's far too many believers across the province tonight and they think that their testimony isn't interesting. Friend, if you are saved, that's the most wonderful, radical thing that could ever happen to a human being. Don't you be afraid to tell it. You think, well, I haven't got a testimony like the people that maybe came along and shared that are weak. Don't let the devil get into your mind. If you're saved, you've a tremendous story to tell, because we're all born in sin. Don't you be afraid to tell. Look at something else here. In verse 29, come see a man which, look at this carefully, told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? Christ knows your heart. Christ knows your past. Christ knows everything that you've been at today and the last week, all the years of your life. Nothing's hidden from the Lord. Don't think that you somehow need to clean up your life before you come to Christ. It's pointless, because he knows it all anyway. He knows the end from the beginning. See, so many people, and I've met some people like this, and they tell me, I couldn't be saved because I've been too bad. I don't know what too bad is, because I can't find it in Scripture. There's nobody beyond the reach. of God's grace in the scripture. There's nobody here tonight beyond the reach of God's salvation. Friend, anybody can be saved. Christ knew everything about the woman at the well before he met the woman at the well. And he'd said a word to her that he knew. Friend, let me ask you tonight. Have you met the master? Have you met the one that knows everything about you already? Do you see, she not only testified, but there was a change in her life, and then she was concerned, why? She wanted to witness to others. Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? Now she had a new concern. There was such a change in her life, she wanted other people to experience that change. Remember, what was the three strikes against her? She was a woman, she was immoral, and she was Samaritan. Not one of those things mattered anymore. because she'd met Christ. She'd met the great leveler. What's that line in the song? The ground is level at the foot of the cross. She'd met the master. She'd met the Lord Jesus Christ. Warren Wiersbe writes, she was the most unlikely prospect for salvation, yet God used her to win almost an entire village. You get saved tonight. who in your family could be impacted. Those who you work with could come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and the great chain of salvation could continue. Friend, let me challenge you tonight as we close. We thought tonight about water, how vital it is for the body, and how dangerous it is to go without it, to cleanse and to sustain us. But more importantly, there's a different kind of water, that living water. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can give it. You see, the woman came to the well thinking she just needed to fill her water part, but the Lord Jesus Christ came to fill her heart. She came with shame, Christ met her with grace. She came to avoid people, Christ met her at the very point of her need. Friend, what about you? Are you still drinking from the world water? Are you still trying to find things that give you some sort of satisfaction but ultimately leave you dry, thirsty, and empty? Whether it's work, relationships, money, pleasure, religion, whatever it is, none of those things will quench the thirst of your soul. But friend, Christ is speaking tonight. He's speaking to the outcast, he's speaking to the broken, he's speaking to the guilty, to the weary, and he offers the same gift. He knows every single thing about you, your past, your failures, your secrets, and yet he's still offering himself freely to you. That's grace. And friend, here's the good news tonight. You can go, you can leave this place in just a few moments time, and you can leave the old water pot behind. You can go home tonight with your heart full and filled. You can leave here tonight with your guilt gone and your eternity changed because of Christ. Christ has come here tonight. Think of verse four, it tells us Christ must needs go through Samaria. There's a reason you're here tonight. Especially if you're not saved, there's a reason you're here tonight because God wants you to hear this message. You gotta come to him tonight. You gonna drink of the water that he gives? Or are you gonna walk out of here tonight still searching, still thirsty, and ultimately unsatisfied? May God write his word upon our hearts tonight. Let's just pray before we come to sing. Father, we thank you tonight for the ministry and song. We thank you for James, pray that you would bless him, keep your hand upon him as he travels home. Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this wonderful recollection and scripture that we have of the woman at the well. And Father, how she represents all of us, even before we met Christ. We were empty, we were searching, and we were spiritual outcasts because of sin. We thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ met us in grace and in love and in mercy. And he gave us something that the world could never, ever replicate. Lord, you know the hearts of each and every one here tonight, from the very youngest to the most experienced here tonight. And most importantly, Lord, you know their eternal condition and destination. Lord, we pray tonight, if there's somebody here and they're not saved or they're searching or they're confused, Lord, that you would speak with that clarity and that you would give them that water that will always satisfy, that living water. We thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross for the sins of the world. We thank you that that precious blood flowed and that blood is able to cleanse and clear from every sin and stain. And Lord, we pray tonight that not one person would leave here without knowing what it is to drink of that living water. Be with us as we sing our closing hymn tonight, we pray. Take us to your homes in safety. We ask these things in your precious name. Amen. Let's stand to sing 275. In the Songs of Victory, if you want to follow along there, the words will be on the screen. Oh, what a Savior. I will sing of my Redeemer and His wondrous love to me. On the cruel cross, He suffered from the curse to set me free. Let's stand to sing, please. Thank you.