Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn 684. The tune is Manchester 180. Of cistern waters art thou sick,
and lo'st the mire they bring, then hither stretch thy thirsty
neck, and taste a living spring. Hymn 684, tune Manchester, ? Is the water's own fountain ?
? And water's own spring ? ? And water's own spring ? Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave A spring in the deep, just above
the cove, Where purest fruit has flowered. and rocked me not by mountain's
rock. Mater, thee told us so, The spring will wedge the forest
like this It makes the mountains fall Which passeth not with heav'nly
haste, And glory in the highest True and true, we say the truth. Faith, love, and faith is faith. ? Tis people, sinners, gone and
lost, ? ? Tis God who loves again. ? It's all right, the happy thing,
And life is winning way. He draws the thirsty to the stream,
The drinking and singing his praise. ? O joy divine ? ? Thy children
crowned ? ? O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave ? Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Gospel according to John,
chapter 4. John's Gospel, chapter 4, and
we'll read down to verse 42. when therefore the Lord knew
how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more
disciples than John, 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 unto 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 wouldest 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 hast is not thy husband, and that saidst
thou truly. The woman saith unto him, sir,
I perceive that thou art a prophet, Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where
men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her woman, Believe
me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain,
nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know
not what, We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers
shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father
seeketh such to worship him. 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 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 said 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 unto him in the mean While
his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. And he said unto
them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said
the disciples one to another, Any man brought him ought to
eat. Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him
that sent me, and to finish his work. say not ye there are yet
four months and then cometh harvest behold i say unto you lift up
your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to
harvest and he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathers fruit unto
eternal life that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may
rejoice together And herein is that saying true, one soweth
and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon
you bestowed no labour. Other men laboured and you entered
into their labours. 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 unto 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 saith unto
the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we
have heard him ourself. and know that this is indeed
the Christ, the Saviour of the world. May the Lord bless the
reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of
real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God of heaven, we do desire to bow before thy glorious majesty
We do desire a spirit of true worship. We have just read together,
O Lord, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning them
that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. And we pray, most gracious Lord,
that we may be favoured even this night with that spiritual
form of divine worship, that we may come to Jesus just as
that dear woman, and that we may be favoured with that unspeakable favour
that she was given. I that speaketh thee am he. We
pray Lord that it may be so with us here tonight, that thou would
speak to our hearts. that thou wouldst guide us by
thy counsel, that thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and a
light unto our path, and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of
the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us. Oh, we do pray
that we may know by sacred experience for God has sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Lord, we pray that
we may know that by sweet experience, that we are the sons and daughters
of the Lord God Almighty, and that we may indeed be separated
unto thee by thy blessed Spirit. in that gracious faith that is
in our Lord Jesus Christ, that faith that worketh by love, that
we may be drawn to our Lord Jesus Christ and worship his glorious
person. Think of those precious words
of grace, there is one God and one mediated between God and
man, the man Christ Jesus. who gave his life for ransom
for all to be testified in due time. We pray that that precious
living water may be poured forth among us tonight and that poor
sinners may drink sweet draughts of that living water and indeed
feel that eternal life in their hearts, in their souls, and being
able to say, I'm blessed, I'm blessed, forever blessed. My
rags are gone and I am dressed in garments white as snow. Oh Lord, we do pray that it may
be so, that we may truly worship Thee. And we do pray that Thou
would come and open the word of truth to our heart and to
our understanding and grant that we may delve into the deep that
coucheth beneath, keep the door of our lips, that it uttereth
no perverseness. But grant, Lord, that we may
be filled with thy spirit, both in the pulpit and in the pew,
that we may be given ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts
to receive thy precious word. And it may be as good seed sown
in our hearts that will bring forth fruit to the great glory
of thy holy name, and it may be watered with the
dew of heaven. My doctrine shall drop as the
rain and be as the dew. Lord, we pray that it may be
so. Even tonight, the outpouring of thy Holy Spirit, those living
waters, that river that proceeded from beneath the throne of God
and of the Lamb, that river that we read of, there
is a river the streams were of shall make glad the city of God,
the dwelling places of the most high. We pray that that river
may flow tonight in its heavenly power, in its divine unction
to refresh and renew and replenish and revive us, that we may drink
of that river, that we may indeed be thirsty sinners We thank Thee
for those wonderful words of grace and we've seen the effect
of them in what we've read tonight. This man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them. O Lord, we do thank Thee that
that is the case and we pray that Thou wouldst graciously
work among us and receive poor sinners and draw them to Thyself. that they may truly worship thee. Remember our brethren, the deacons,
and give grace, wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities. Remember the little ones and
the children they've brought into the sanctuary, that the
fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom may be placed
in their hearts. And remember, Lord, we pray thee,
the young friends, bring them to live in faith in Jesus Christ. Remember the prodigals that have
wandered away and stretch out thy almighty arm and cause them
to return. O Lord, we do beseech thee for
thy great namesake. Thou art able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask or think. O Lord of hosts, O God
of Israel, O Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth
among us here. Shine forth into this village
with the mighty power of Thy Gospel. O may the glorious light
of Jesus Christ shine into this village, into the surrounding
villages and hamlets. May precious, precious souls
be gathered in May the strongholds of Satan be pulled down. May
the kingdom of Jesus Christ be set up in the hearts of sinners. Lord, let thy work appear unto
thy servants and thy glory unto their children. And fulfil those
wonderful gospel promises, I will bring thy sons from far and thy
daughters from the ends of the earth. and they shall come from
the north and from the south and from the east and from the
west. Lord, fulfil that promise here and among the churches of
God, that there may be a turning again unto thee, that there may
be an ingathering of precious souls, that there may be a building
of the walls of Jerusalem, that we may see the fulfilling In
our days of that wonderful promise, I will abundantly bless her provision,
I will satisfy her poor with bread. Lord, let thy hand be
upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou madest
strong for thyself. Hear us, O Lord, we humbly beseech
thee. Lord, remember, we do pray thee,
all in the midst of the journey of life, Give wisdom and help
to parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. Grant the fulfilling of that
wonderful promise, instead of thy father shall be thy children,
whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. And O Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst graciously guide and direct all
in the midst of the journey of life. Deliver us from the temptations
of Satan. Deliver us from the power and
dominion of sin. And when the enemy comes in like
a flood, may the spirit of the Lord lift up a standard against
him. O Lord, do hear us, we humbly
pray thee. Deliver us then from the temptations
of Satan, whether as an angel of light to deceive or a roaring
lion to devour. Those things, O Lord, are equally
dangerous unto thy people. We pray to be delivered then
from the power of Satan. The dear apostle, he writes of
Satan hindered us. He writes also of them that had
received another gospel which was not a gospel. We do pray
that thou would keep us faithful to thy holy word. to the doctrine
of truth. We read, O Lord, in those letters
to the seven churches of Asia of the solemn controversy that
thou didst have with some of them because they had departed
from the doctrine of truth. Lord, we do pray that we may
be delivered from that and that we may be delivered from sin
and from its power from its influence. Remember those of us that are
now in the evening time of life's journey, grant a gracious preparation
for that great change which must come and Lord it may come very
suddenly, may we be ready, ready for the coming of Jesus Christ,
ready to depart this life, ready to be with Christ, which is far
better. Prepare me, gracious God, to
stand before thy face. Thy spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of grace. We pray for any and any particular
trouble, or trial, or perplexity, or sorrow, sadness, or bereavement
that thou wouldst undertake for each one. all thy servants as
they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, that
thou would set them free, set them at liberty, send out thy
light and thy truth. Remember those, O Lord, who labour
in other lands. We think of the Savannah Education
Trust and that great work that they are doing in Ghana, May
it be down to the honour, to the glory and praise of thy great
and holy name. Remember Ian Sadler and that
great work that he's doing among so many different countries in
the distribution and exposition of holy scripture in Africa and
in the Far East. Lord, supply their every need.
Remember the Mombasa mission and at thy servant there that
has laboured, and at many trials and many difficulties. Remember
our friend and his dear ones as they go to join them. And
Lord, we do thank thee that there are those that desire to present
their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto thee,
and to go and labour in thy vineyard and we pray that thou wouldst
grant them good success, that there might be mighty signs and
wonders that shall follow the preaching of the word. We do
thank thee for all thy tender mercies. We thank thee for the
throne of grace and our glorious king that sits upon it. All power
is given unto thee in heaven and in earth. We would come in
all our need in all our emptiness, in all our poverty and thank
thee for the abundance of thy mercies. Thank thee for the wonderful
glory of the work and power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the law fulfilled in his holy life and everlasting righteousness
brought in for his people. We thank thee for the sacrifice
of Calvary where sin has been put away, divine justice has
been satisfied, God and sinners are reconciled. We thank thee
for that precious sin-atoning blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for his death and
glorious resurrection. He has destroyed death. He has
swallowed it up in victory. He brought to naught the counsels
of the wicked one. He has redeemed his people. He
has ascended up on high and led captivity captive, and now sitteth
at the right hand of the Father. Help us, Lord, to worship thee
this night. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. And do make up in giving
where we do so fail in asking. as we ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 1091. The tune is Old Chapel, 383. How welcome to the soul oppressed,
In sorrows veiled by raging thirst, Scorched by the sun's meridian
beam, Is the sweet well of Bethlehem. Hymn 1091 Tune Old Chapel 383
? Joy to the world ? ? Joy to the
world ? ? In every way, O in every way
? ? And I know this, Lord, and I will sing ? ? Oh, I know this, Lord, and I will sing ? ? O come all ye faithful ? ? Joyful
and triumphant ? ? O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem ? ? Come
ye, come ye to Bethlehem ? ? Come ye, come ye to Bethlehem ? ? I have been born, born, born
again in heav'n ? ? I have seen so much love in you, my love,
my love ? Oh say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, Yes, I will. Allow the Lord to
see, O Friendly Friend. ? Still waits the last season here
? ? It's on her shoulders ? ? Lost together ? ? What is to come?
? Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail! ? Come returning home to the land
of old ? ? In this land every man is free ? ? From sin or death
? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that
we read, the fourth chapter in the gospel according to John.
And we will read for our text, verse 29. John chapter 4 verse 29. Come see a man which told me
all things that ever I did is not this Christ. This is the testimony of this
Samaritan woman by Jacob's well. We notice here, as it says in
the text of scripture, that there was a needs be, in verse four,
and he must needs go through Samaria. The Jews, as the woman herself
answering Christ, the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. And what the Lord Jesus is doing
here, it took a long and a lot of teaching to his disciples. It says in verse 42, 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 Saviour of the world. What teaching there is in just
those words? The Saviour of the world. The
Jews, were so taken up and centered in themselves that they believed
that when the Messiah come there would be a restoration of the
Kingdom of Israel just as it was in those glorious days when
Solomon was King of Israel. And when the Messiah come he
would restore the Kingdom of Israel. And that is how they
understood it and how it was interpreted among them and of
course it was wrong. God so loved the world he gave
his only begotten son. No longer was the truth to be
confined primarily to the Jewish nation. When the Messiah come
And of course, when you read through the prophecies of the
Old Testament, this was very clearly prophesied. But there
was not many, even among those that were called by grace, there
was not many that really understood the import of this truth. The Son of Man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost. Jew and Gentile. The world when we read that word
so often I mentioned you just recently the
man that rang me in Scotland to accuse me of spreading lies
about Jesus Christ because as he put it you're a Calvinist And he kept quoting that word.
God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. He said,
it's the word, God loves the whole world, he says. You believe
he only loves his people. I said, amen, I do believe that.
Because my Bible teaches me that it is that. But no longer, see
the emphasis, the world, is that The truth of God and the gospel
of Jesus Christ is not to be confined to one nation. When the Lord Jesus Christ commissioned
his disciples, it stands out probably most clearly in Mark
16, where he says, go ye into all the world. You know, friends, personally,
myself, in exercise concerning the ministry of the word that
as a word that has walked up and down in my very soul go ye
into all the world preaching the gospel unto every creature
no longer was it to be for them to choose who they would receive
the truth and who wouldn't receive the truth the lord has his people
the Word of God clearly says, in every nation, every kingdom,
every tribe, every people, a multitude that no man can number, of both
Jew and Greek, bond and free, and the Word of God, the Word
of His grace is very clear on that point. The preacher doesn't
know who the Lord's people are, And the preacher doesn't choose
who the Lord's people are. Nor do we live like the Pharisees
to separate from this one, that one, and another one. That's
not the Christian way at all. The Lord Jesus, he speaks so
solemnly, so certainly, against that spirit. And here, in a very practical
way, the Lord Jesus Christ before his disciples opens this precious
truth and he must needs go through Samaria. That was the needs being. Why? Because he was going to
meet this woman and then through her testimony he was going to
meet the men and the people of Sychar, the city of Sychar. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria,
which he will psychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob
gave to his son, Joseph. Now Joseph's well was there,
Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied
in his journey, you know, there's a lot of teaching even in this. He was weary and he was thirst. What is the teaching here? The
sacred true reality of the human nature of the Son of God. He knew all the sinless infirmities
of our nature. He knew what it was to hunger.
He knew what it was to thirst. He knew what it was to be weary. Lord Jesus Christ. It's recorded
here in the Gospels that he used to spend whole nights in prayer
and that would have had quite an effect on his human nature. He was made in all points like
as we are yet without sin and so we can but imagine the drain
that that would have had upon his human nature. to make him
tired. The same truth is clearly revealed
when we read of the Lord Jesus constraining his disciples to
go into the ship and to pass over onto the other side. And
he was with them in the ship. And then we read, he was asleep
in the hindermost part of the ship. He was weary, tired, much
preaching, many miracles. People thronged him. It was a
constant and continual labor. He was asleep. And then a great
storm came. Not by chance. Nothing happens
by chance. The very hairs of your head are
numbered. Not one of them fall without your Heavenly Father's
leave. If that's true of every child of God, how much more so
of the Son of God? that was manifest in the flesh. And the disciples, when the water
started coming into the ship, they woke up the Lord Jesus and
they said to him, Master, save us or we perish. These were experienced fishermen.
Save us or we perish. The storm was so great. How much
teaching there is in these things. The Lord had constrained them
to go in that ship. The Lord was with them in that
ship. He was. Lo, I am with you all, even unto
the end of the world. But still they came into a great
storm. And they wake Him, Master, save
us or we perish. And Jesus arose. and he rebuked
the wind and the sea and there was a great calm, the Son of
God. How we see in that one little
narrative both the reality of his humanity and the reality
of his divinity and the disciples looked on in amazement and they
said what manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea
What manner of man is this? He's the Holy God man. He's the
eternal son of the eternal father. He is God manifest in the flesh. Now, while he was there, and as we
pointed out, there was, he must need to go through some area.
And this was the reason, this was the, needs be they come at
the woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her give
me to drink see how he opens the conversation this was without
any exaggeration an extremely notorious woman Just think of those lovely words.
The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 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? I've got no doubt whatsoever
that these things after the Lord was ascended into heaven would
have come vividly to the mind of the disciples of the apostles
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And no doubt the Holy Spirit
would have clearly revealed to them what the Lord Jesus was
teaching them. The same thing happened with
Peter when he had that trance and was sent to Joppa. to Simon
the Tanner and the basket or the blanket was let down full
of unclean animals. Eep, rise and eep, not so Lord,
not so Lord. I've never eaten anything that
is unclean. Call not that unclean which God
hath cleansed. three times and then those three
men that sought him and he perceived that he had to go down to Joppa
well to the house of these Gentiles and they received the gospel
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. See the Lord Jesus how he reveals
himself to this woman 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 wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given
thee living water. Living water. And obviously, same as Micodemus
in the previous chapter, completely misunderstanding, Nicodemus completely
misunderstand the spiritual meaning when the Lord Jesus said he must
be born again. He said, can a man enter the
second time into his mother's womb and be born again? And this
woman of Samaria? She did. Sir, thou hast nothing
to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou
that living water? Aren't they all greater than
our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank thereof himself
and his children, 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. What is he talking of? Well,
we've often pointed out to you, water, living water, the Holy
Ghost again and again and again is likened to living water. You know, we've only got to look
here at chapter seven in the Gospel of John and in verse,
37 in the last day that great day
of the feast jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst
let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the
scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water but this spake he of the spirit which they that believe
on him should receive for the holy ghost was not yet given
because that Christ was not yet glorified. See in the New Testament,
after the day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
you see this, it's the indwelling of the Spirit in the heart of
a poor sinner. My beloved friends, there's only
one thing that makes a real believer, and that is the indwelling, the
quickening power of the Holy Ghost in the heart. Just as Paul
says when he writes to the Ephesians in chapter 2 you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins whosoever drinketh of
the water as the Holy Ghost that I shall give him shall never
thirst but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well
of water springing up into everlasting life. The spirit of life, says
the apostle in Romans, that is in Christ Jesus, that's the Holy
Ghost, the spirit of life dwelling in the heart. The hymn writer
says, doesn't he dwell therefore in our hearts, that you want
to feel the living power of the Holy Ghost in the soul, but the water that is your gift
shall be in him, a well of water springing up into everlasting
life. Oh, my beloved friends, how true
what the apostle says in Romans chapter eight. If any man have
not the spirit of Christ, that's the Holy Ghost, he is none of
his. That's what he's speaking of
when he says the Spirit of Christ. He is none of his. Oh, how vital
is this. You hath he quickened. That means
given life who were dead in trespasses and in sins. But a well of water
springing up, constantly bubbling up in the salt. That divine,
powerful work of the Spirit And you know, as we've often pointed
out to you here in John 14, you can't have the Holy Ghost without
the Father and the Son. These three are one. And we will
come unto him and make our abode with him. It says in John 14.
It's a contradiction, a precious doctrine to say that you can
have the Spirit of God without the Son of God and without the
Father. These three are one. One blessed,
infinite, almighty and eternal Lord Jehovah and this spiritual
life in the soul springing up into everlasting life. I am come that they might have
life and that they might have it more abundantly. The woman
saith unto him, Sir, give me this water. that I thirst not,
neither come hither to draw. Now, we see the word, brief word
that the Lord speaks to her, but it was a word of conviction.
He exposes her sinful life. 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 now she perceived that he
was indeed a prophet. Sir, verse 19, Sir, I perceive
that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where
men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain
nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Why? Because this glorious gospel
This gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ was to spread to every
nation, kindred, tribe, and people. But the outcometh and now is
when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. You see, and now her answer. The woman saith unto him, I know
that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. When he is come,
he will tell us all things. Now in this answer in verse 26,
is something that the Lord Jesus very rarely did. He revealed
himself directly to this woman. Jesus saith unto her, I that
speak unto thee, am he. I that speak unto thee, am he. You see, and then his disciples
came and marveled. Why did they marvel? That he
talked with a woman of Samaria. Yet no man doth ask him what
seekest thou, or why talkest thou with her. The woman then
left her water pot, This was something so remarkable that
the Lord had done to her in revealing himself unto her. She left her water pot and went
her way into the city and said to the men, come, see a man which
told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? I remember Mr Ramsbottom telling
me, his late sister that used to worship at Ripley, she went
into a service when they were up in Haslingdon one Sunday morning
with no concern whatsoever about her son. And she came out and
under that sermon, she was convinced of sin and Christ was revealed
to her. in the same cell, convinced of
sin and Christ revealed. What a wonderful thing. And it's
the same with this woman. Literally, he convinced her of
sin and then he revealed himself unto her. We need to take note
of these things, my beloved friends. I've heard sometimes ministers
say, oh you have to have this and you have to have that and
you have to have something else and you wait months for this and
months for that. That is so prescriptive and it's
contrary to the word of God. The Lord works in different ways
in the hearts of each one of his children and it's so clear
here in the things that we have set before us. You see, my beloved
friends, what the Lord was teaching them. And then in verse 39, many
of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying
of the woman. See, you are my witnesses. They
believed on him for the saying of the woman. Come see a man
that told me all things ever I did. So when the Samaritans would
come unto 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 Saviour of the world. He stayed with them two days,
no doubt preaching the gospel of the kingdom and no doubt healing
the diseased, opening the eyes of the blind. There's no doubt
because wherever he went, he did that. Come, see a man that
told me all things that ever I did is not this, the Christ. You see, he showed Without her
speaking about anything, he showed her her sin. He spoke to her
what she hadn't told him. We read of our Lord Jesus Christ,
he knowing their thoughts. Jesus knows what we're thinking.
He does, he understands everything. All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth. He knows all things. He sees
all things. He understands all things. There
is nothing hid from his eyes. He's God over all and blessed
forevermore. Our Lord Jesus Christ. He knows
all about you. He knows all about me. He knows
all about our circumstances. He knows all about our sins.
He does, he knows. He sees. You see, my beloved friends,
when the Lord reveals those things that are hidden from everyone
else and opens our heart to realize
that he knows all things. We read of one, do we not, in
the scriptures, thou God seest me. Thou God seest me. David, in Psalm 139. He speaks there very certainly
and solemnly and blessedly concerning the God of heaven. Of course,
Jesus Christ is the God of heaven. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. David, he says in Psalm 139,
O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. That's what this
woman found. Thou hast searched me and known
me. Thou know'st my down sitting and mine up rising. Thou understand'st
my thought afar off. Thou compass'st my path and my
lying down, and art acquaint with all my ways. For there is
not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou know'st it all
together. Do you realize this? Do you understand
this? in a feeling way in your very
soul? Thou hast beset me behind her before and laid thine hand
upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto
it. We can't grasp the infinite understanding
of the eternal God. It's beyond our comprehension.
Why? Because we are finite. That means everything about us
is measured. Everything about God is infinite. You can't measure it. God is
love, infinite love. God is holy, infinite holiness. God is a God of judgment, a God
of justice, infinite justice. He's a God of mercy, infinite
mercy. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high, I cannot attain unto
it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit,
or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall
thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say,
surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light
about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not
from thee, but the night shineth as the day, the darkness and
the light are both alike to thee. You see, that meditation that
the Lord gave unto his servant David on the infinity of God,
of the omnipresence of God. The word omnipresent, it means
in all places, at all times. God is everywhere. God is everywhere. We've often said about that little
boy visiting his grandfather, who was old and bedridden, and
he had over his bed a text or a word framed. God is nowhere. God is nowhere. He was an atheist. He didn't believe in God. And
his little grandson, he was teaching him to write, and he asked him
to copy out that little message, God is nowhere. No doubt with
that mind of convincing his grandson that God is nowhere. His grandson
misspelt it. God is now here. That's what
he wrote. God is now here. And that old
man began to tremble from head to foot. The Lord convinced him,
God is now here. And may that be so with each
one of us, to realise that God is everywhere. Come, see a man
which told me all things that ever I did is not this, the Christ. This is the eternal Son of the
eternal Father. And this is that one whom the
hymn writer refers to with heaven and earth at his command. He
waits to answer prayer. David, he says, doesn't he, open
thou mine eyes, May that be our prayer. Open
thou mine eyes. The apostle says in the Ephesians,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. May that be
so, my beloved friends, that we may be enlightened, that our
eyes may be opened and that we may have this realization of
this great God and this wonderful love, the power and grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth
us from all sin. It does. That glorious everlasting
robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son
of the Father, manifest in the flesh. In Him, the holy law of
God has been fulfilled. In His sacred, sinatonic sacrifice,
the curse has been taken away. He died for our sins. as our
substitute, he rose again for our justification. And he's now
ascended up on high and led captivity captive. He sits at the right
hand of the Father for such a high priest hath we, who is passed
into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. And he said as he
was about to ascend into heaven, all power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth. All power. He knows all things. He sees all things. He understands
all things. Oh, that the Lord would impress
these sacred, precious truths upon us. Come, see a man which
told me all things that ever I did is not this, the Christ. May the Lord add his blessings. Let us now sing together hymn
985. The tune is Almkot 785. O ye despairing sinners, hear! Ye thirsty sinsick souls, draw
near! His water, whose all-powerful
stream, shall quench your thirst and wash you clean. Its healing
power has always wrought beyond the reach of human thought. Hymn
985. Tune Elmcott 785. I will sing of Thee with my singing
songs for ever. ? In sojourn into the sea ? ? And
when the birds have washed their wings ? ? It's still the same
? Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there The desert moon is not like this,
Nor hills and vales, nor trellises. The silent stream, the children's song, But when I walk in the circle,
T'is Jesus' blood that cleanses me, The corpses filled and piled
away. To this day can danger be fed,
With all the mountain pains I've had I'd keep my station here
inside And watch her do O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each both now and
for evermore. Amen.