I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the gospel according to John, John chapter 4. John 4. My heart was settled upon this passage this morning. I was thinking about it yesterday afternoon. I got up today and began to look at it. I felt that this was where I needed to go.

I'm going to look, not at all the verses, verses 1 to 30, not all of them in their completeness, we never could anyway, but I'll look at verses 1 through 30 and make some comments as we go through. But before I look at this, I want to do something that I truly have had on my mind today.

I know when the Lord taught, he taught in parables. Scripture says without a parable, he didn't teach. And that thought was going through my mind today. And as I was trying to study for this passage of scripture, I thought about something that happened to me. And relating that to a parable of the Lord, I'm not even remotely trying to say that there would be any comparison. I'm not saying that at all. But what I am saying is something that happened to me made quite an impression upon me. And it fit in my mind with this passage of scripture.

So what I want to do before we begin to look at these verses of scripture, I want to tell you something that happened to me while I was in Mexico. And every time I would go down to Mexico, Betty would want me to to do a portrait, a painting of something.

You know, usually one of her grandchildren. I've told you that many times. And I probably told you what Walter asked me one day, but it came back to my mind again today and I wanted to share it with you. Walter had asked me one day, he said, how much do you charge for a portrait, to do a portrait?

I just answered based on my dealings with doing that kind of thing. And I told him $3,500. And he paused for just a second. And then he asked me this. He said, would you do it for a pizza? And I paused for, you may have been there, Linda. I don't know. I can't remember. But I paused for just a second, and I told him, I said, Walter, for you, yeah, I'd do it for a pizza. And I did. I did. That's what I did.

And humanly speaking, I thought, when you think about what it would cost to learn how to do. I always enjoyed art, but I had to have some instruction on how to do stuff, how to mix paint and how to, I had to be taught how to do that kind of thing, how to look at something and train my hand to look at something.

Everybody's got a nose and two eyes and a mouth. Everybody's got that. But we don't all look alike. We're different. Everybody's got those characteristics, but it's being able to look at something. I'd tell kids when I was teaching these art classes, I said, I want you to draw what you're looking at, not what you think you're looking at. I want to draw what you're looking at.

And I thought to myself, what it cost to four years going to school to be able to learn how to do a portrait. And then all of the time that it took to just go through the training, not just the money of the schooling, but the years and years of training just to do that. And then for just a moment, If I even thought about it, it was just a moment. But though all those things were so, though it took four years of college and how much money, I don't know.

But when Walter asked me, would you do it for a pizza, I just told him, for you, yes. All of that other stuff, it just faded into insignificance. Whatever it cost, whatever, it didn't matter. It was who asked me to do that? And I told him, and I did. And I did just exactly what he asked me to do, and I did it. And I got my pizza. I did get my pizza.

And I thought there was three reasons why I did that painting for Walter. Well, number one, I wanted to. I wanted to. When Walter asked me, I wanted to. It was just, you know, it was my desire. And secondly, because I had been taught how to how to do things, how to lay out a painting and the line and direction and hue and all of these contrasts and all of those things that you, you know, I had been taught to how to do it. I had the ability to do it. But here's the third reason I did it, is because I loved him. I loved him. This was a man that I had gone down and had stayed in his home and it was a pleasure. This man had gone down and had given his life to the ministry and he had given up.

Walter had a thriving business in Houston and he was in the oil industry and he just one day He told people, he said, he said, I'm going to sell out and I'm going to move my family down to Mexico. And I was the one that asked him one day. We were sitting over at a friend's house in Franklin and Walter was sitting there and I don't know, six, eight of us. And I asked him, I asked him, I said, Walter, what would possess a man that had a good job, a good job, to just, you know, he had his family, Betty and the kids.

And I said, how would you know when selling out, moving to another country, how did you come to that conclusion that that's what you wanted to do? And he told me, he said, when something becomes more important to you than what you're doing right now, he said, that's when you'll do it, when something is more important. And I thought to myself, that made all the sense in the world to me. It didn't matter whatever else. This was his heart. This was his heart. He wanted to do that.

With that backdrop, I want us to consider, for just a little bit, I've entitled this message, The High Cost of Free Grace. The High Cost of Free Grace. And I want to take these scriptures. It's a scripture about when the Lord Jesus Christ met a woman at a well.

John four we look at and and remembering what what it was why did I do what I did concerning that portrait it was because I could I could do it and I wanted to do it and because of who it was because I loved him I loved him and He just, this is what he wanted. He wanted a portrait done. And so with that in mind, I want us to look at how the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world because he came into this world to save his people. This was the will of his father. The Lord Jesus came into this world because number one, he could. And number two, he wanted to. And number three, he came for those that he loved. He loved them. Now let's just look at this for a few minutes. John chapter four, let's just read the first 10 verses to start with. 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 the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, set thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour.

And there cometh a woman. of Samaria to draw water, Jesus saith to 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 me which am a woman of Samaria? The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it was that saith unto thee, give me to drink, thou wouldest ask of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Now here we find a woman, according to the scriptures, according to the Lord, She's in a place called Sychar. That's what verse 5 says. And the Lord Jesus came there, according in verse 6 of our passage, and the scripture says that he was wearied. That explained something concerning our Lord's being made flesh. He was in all points. as we are, yet without sin. He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Now here's God Almighty who spoke this world into existence.

And the will of His Father, this is what He desired, His Father desired. This was His Father's desire, that of all that He had given to the Lord Jesus Christ, to save that he should lose none of them. This is what he father wanted. And I'm thinking now, just think with me on this thing of this portrait. It just kept coming back to my mind. This is what Walter had wanted. Here's the illustration here. What was the father's desire?

That of all that he had given the son, The son should lose none of them. That was the father's will. And what was it going to take for the Lord Jesus Christ to save all that the father had given him? He was going to have to live before God's law and do exactly as the law demanded. His father's will was that all that he had given his son, he should lose none of them. And the son came because of the father's will.

He came because he could. He could come into this world and be made flesh. And who could do that? Who could do that but God? That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That was born of the spirit. But here was God Almighty who could come into this world.

But you know why he came? Because he loved his father. And he loved all that his father had given him. He came into this world because he wanted to. My will is to do the, my meat, I'm sorry, is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish the course. He wanted to come. And he could come.

And the reason he came is because he loved his father, and he loved all that his father's given him. He told his disciples, he told Jeremiah, I've loved you with an everlasting love. I've always loved you. You are my father's gift to me. And my meat is due to the will of him that sent me. That's what I want to do. I want to do it. What's it gonna cost? It's gonna cost him his life. He's gonna have to die. He's gonna have to be made sin. But he wanted to do that.

And he came down, verse 6 says, he came down to this place. He was wearied with his journey. He sat by the well. It was about 6th hour, about noon. It was hot. And he's sitting exactly where he is because there's a certain lady that's going to come by. And this woman is going to be proven. I'll show you that in a minute. This was one that the father had given him in electing Grace. She's going to believe. She's going to confess what she told I don't want to get ahead of myself in the story here, but when she finally goes and tells all the men of the city, come see a man. Is this not the Christ? Is this not the Messiah? Is this not Him? This is Him. Come see a man.

Told me all I ever did. Well, the scripture says, she comes to this particular well, verse 7, cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water, and Jesus saith unto her, give me to drink." Now, I noticed something about that. This woman, she's a Samaritan. He's a Jew.

And she knows she's going to say so in just a few minutes. Samaritans don't have anything to do with Jews and life and vice versa. How is it that you're talking to me? She didn't start the conversation. If you look at it, It says in verse 7, then cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water, and Jesus saith unto her. She didn't greet him. She didn't say anything. He said to her. He started the conversation.

Give me to drink. I thought about that scripture. I am sought of them that ask not for me. I am found of them that sought me not. I said, behold me, behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name. She said, how is it that you, a Jew, you're speaking to me, a Samaritan? And the woman, verse nine, Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."

Don't have anything to do. We're considered dogs by you. How is it that you speak to me? And the Lord said something to her that absolutely revealed the true need of everyone who's made to see something of themselves. Something of being a spiritual Samaritan, a dog. How is it that you, being a Jew, you're speaking to me that you consider a dog? And the Lord said in verse 10, 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 him, and he would have given thee living water. Now he's revealing something to this woman, and she doesn't get it. He's telling her a fact. If you knew who I am. If you know who you're talking to, you would ask me to give you living water, and I would do it. Here's this woman. She's revealed to be, obviously right now, with an unbelieving heart, and she's attempting now, after the Lord told her that, to cast some doubt upon what was just said.

Look at verses 11 and 12. It says, The woman saith unto him, Sir, concerning this water you're talking about, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children? and his cattle, she has no earthly idea who she's talking to. Now, you think about the significance of that.

Before the Lord was pleased to reveal himself to us. Now, we went through the motions. We went through the motions. We did church. We did, you know, whatever, Easter coming up. You know, we'd probably go to church somewhere. It doesn't matter, just go to the church of your choice. In complete, total ignorance, spiritually blind. And the Lord told her, if you knew, which at this point in time, you don't. But if you did, you would. You would ask, and I would.

Oh, but thanks be unto God the long-suffering toward his bride. This was a gift from his father. And his father had ordained that he would come into this world, and he's going to get her. He's going to find her. He's going to get her. He knows where she is. He knew when she was going to be at that well, and he was there waiting on her. And she came along, he started. She showed her ignorance, but she was so patient. He was so patient with her long-suffering. Oh, how thankful I am for the long-suffering of God. When I think about, oh, the mess, things, mess, and stuff. That's what, that was my life, Fred. That's what I did, just stuff. And the long-suffering of God, who would not leave me to myself.

And when it pleased him, crossed my path with the gospel. When I didn't even know what was going on the first time, I remember going through periods, things and stuff, going through different times and stuff, and never knew what was going on until that point in time when it pleased God to reveal Himself. I'd hear this, I'd hear this. I'd hear the things of the gospel, and I knew it was contrary to what I'd been hearing. I was trying to put it together, and it was different, and it just... Oh, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace immediately.

Here's this woman. And the scripture sets forth that the Lord lovingly brought this woman to behold his true glory. He's beginning now to, he's gonna teach this woman something. But look at the patience and the long-suffering of God. Look at verses 13 to 18.

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water, and she's drawing water. That's what she's there for. There about noon when nobody else is, mostly nobody else I guess would be there. Too hot today, but this is when she comes. She's a Samaritan.

Whosoever drinketh of this water, the water she was drawing, shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. And the woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw again. Now she's still thinking of just natural water.

Evidently, he's got some way of making it where she doesn't have to come back to this well anymore. She still doesn't get it. Jesus saith unto her, Go call thy husband, and come hither. Remember, he's drawing her to himself wisely. And look how he draws her.

Go tell your husband. Verse 17, the woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus saith 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 saidst thou truly." Here's what he said. You've been married five times and the man you're with right now, you're just living with him. He's not your husband.

Can you imagine the shock on that woman's face? She doesn't know him. She doesn't know who he is. And he tells her her life story, and she recognizes and realizes, this man has told me something that nobody should know that doesn't actually know me. She doesn't know who he is. The scripture sets forth that this woman is crossed by the Lord Jesus Christ. She's never met him. And she's astounded. You've been married five times and the man that you're with right now is not your husband.

Oh, that marvelous truth that was revealed by the Spirit of God when Moses asked the Lord, show me your glory. Show me your glory. And here's what the Lord said. I will have mercy. on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. And then you've heard me say that the Apostle Paul was moved by the Spirit of God to say concerning that truth. So then, it's not of him that willeth or him that runneth, but God that showeth mercy.

And then the scripture says back here in John 4, verses 19 to 26, The woman said, verse 19, saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. And now she's gonna get real religious. I mean, she's, you know, you get around somebody and you just, once, I've told you, I try my best not to tell anybody I'm a preacher.

If I'm not going somewhere to a conference or something like that, if I'm just going somewhere, I just, I'd just rather tell them, in fact, I did one time. Got in a situation right after Glenn and I got married. You know what I'm gonna say, Glenn G. Right after we got married. We got married, went on our honeymoon, and this man and his wife had this wonderful place, and we were the only couple there for their honeymoon.

It was in a bed and breakfast, and we're sitting at breakfast the next morning, and this man, was telling me about all the way that he was making so much money, and he said, I love having this place, he said, because, he said, the people that support these kind of places are these religious folks.

He said, just, you know, you get somebody religious, and he said, they like to go on these retreats, and he said, I'm telling you, he said, you've got to love them. He said, cater, cater to religious people. He said, I'm giving you some wisdom. Cater to religious people. Because, buddy, there, he said, just say a little something religious, and they like it. Just love it. He said, by the way, what do you do? And Glenda Jean looked at me, and she went like this. I told him, I said, I'm an artist. That's what I do. Yeah. She said, oh, OK.

This woman, now, she's going to be real religious, you know. And she says, He said, our fathers, verse 20, he said, our fathers worshiped in this mountain. You say that in Jerusalem's place where men ought to worship, Jesus saith unto her, woman, believe me, the hour cometh when, now listen to this, when ye, he didn't say they, that ye stuck out to me. He said, 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, you 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. Oh, how amazing. The hour's coming, and right now it is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father. The Father seeketh such to worship Him. It's not man by nature that seeks those, themselves, to worship God. The Father seeks them out, not man. God is, verse 24, God is spirit. And they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. And when he is come, and you see, she still doesn't know him. She does not know him. When he's come, he will tell us all things. Now listen to this. Now here's what happens whenever the spirit of God is pleased to reveal himself. He reveals Christ to him. He doesn't reveal the religious things of this world. This is life eternal that we might know him.

Look at what he said in verse 26. Jesus saith unto her that I that speak unto thee am he. He that speak unto thee am. He is in italics. The one you're talking to is the Messiah. This woman is in complete ignorance. All the miracles of regenerating grace. I want you to listen what happened. After he said that, he revealed himself, this is who I am. I that speak unto thee, am. Look at verse 27 to 30.

And upon this came his disciples and marveled that he talked with a woman, yet no man Ask him, what seekest thou? Or why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and saith unto men, come and 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. I want you to come and listen to a man that told me what I am by nature. This is a man that told me everything I ever did. I read that today, and I've told you how many times I've thought about it.

And you have to. You that know him, you have to. The things that the Lord had shown mercy to a rotten scoundrel. I'm not just trying to be funny or sound, you know, anything other than truthful. A man that had done all these things that I would never want you to know. And you got them too. You got skeletons in the closet. I know you did. Come hear a man that told me all things ever I did."

Can you imagine what went through her mind? Is this not the Christ? Is not this the Christ? Lord, oh, have mercy on me. Look at 1 John, and I'll wrap this thing up. 1 John 5.1. 1 John, is not this the Christ?

1 John 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God, made flesh, the Messiah, that's the Messiah. God made flesh.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, born into this world, sin of his father, he who was made sin for his people, that bore their guilt, answered the law of God's demand for justice, for them, laying down his life for the sheep. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, that God had an elect people, loved before the foundation of the world, and came into this world and saved them, and is saving them now, and surely all that the Father's given him, they will not leave this world in darkness and unbelief. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast him out. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten by him.

Come see a man that told me all things ever I did. Is not this the Christ? Come see him. I started this message with a little illustration about doing a little painting for Walter. And the reason I painted it is because I wanted to. I wanted to. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world. to save his people. This is what he said, my meat, what I live upon, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me. He wanted to come to this world. I did a painting because I could. I'm not saying I can do it as well as a lot. I'll stab at it. I'll do the best I can. But I could.

The Lord Jesus Christ said in his high priesthood prayer, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee as thou has given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him. He could do the will of the father. All power in heaven and earth had been given unto him of the father that he should. and save all that the Father has given him. He wanted to, and he could. And the last reason he came, because he loved Him. He loved Him. Jeremiah 3, 13. I'm sorry, 31, 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. I pray that this might be a blessing to us for Christ's glory and our good.