If You Knew

Q: What does the Bible say about election?

Election is God's sovereign choice of individuals for salvation, based on His foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2). Election refers to God's sovereign decision to choose certain individuals for salvation. According to scripture, believers are elected according to the foreknowledge of God, as stated in 1 Peter 1:2. This doctrine emphasizes that God's choice is based solely on His will and purpose rather than any foreseen merit or action on the part of the individual. The idea of election is foundational in Reformed theology, indicating that it is God who initiates the saving process and draws individuals to Himself, ensuring that His purpose will be accomplished in His perfect timing.

Q: How do we know predestination is true?

Predestination is affirmed in scripture, particularly in Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:5. Predestination is a biblical doctrine that teaches that God has predetermined the fate of the elect before the foundation of the world. In Romans 8:29-30, the Apostle Paul explains that those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. This means that God has a specific purpose and plan for those He chooses, ensuring their ultimate glorification. Similarly, Ephesians 1:5 declares that God predestined us for adoption as His children. These scriptures demonstrate that predestination is not just a theological concept but a doctrine rooted in the scriptures, evidencing God's sovereign control over salvation.

Q: Why is Jesus' humility important for Christians?

Jesus' humility exemplifies servanthood and serves as a model for how Christians should live (Philippians 2:5-8). The humility of Jesus is significant for Christians as it sets a perfect example of how to live in service to others. In Philippians 2:5-8, Paul urges believers to have the same mindset as Christ, who humbled Himself by taking on human form and becoming obedient to death. This act of humility demonstrates that true greatness in the kingdom of God is found in serving others and putting their needs before our own. Jesus’ willingness to engage with and serve the lowly, as He did with the woman at the well, calls Christians to reflect that same humility and love in their relationships with others, thus fulfilling the Great Commandment to love our neighbor.

Q: What does living water symbolize in the Bible?

Living water symbolizes spiritual life and eternal salvation found in Christ (John 4:10). In the Bible, particularly in John 4:10, living water symbolizes the spiritual life and fulfillment that comes from a relationship with Christ. When Jesus offered the Samaritan woman living water, He referred to the salvation and eternal life that He provides, distinguishing it from regular water which only temporarily quenches physical thirst. This metaphor highlights that true satisfaction and spiritual nourishment can only be found in Him. The living water represents the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life, providing an inexhaustible source of strength and hope. It reflects the depth of God’s grace and the fullness of life that Jesus offers to all who come to Him in faith.

I want you to open your Bibles
now to the book of John. I'm going to speak this morning
from John chapter 4. John chapter 4. While you're
turning to the Scripture, tonight's message, if you want
to read the Scripture that I'll be using this evening, I'll be
preaching tonight from the book of 2 Timothy. No, 1 Timothy. I beg your pardon. 1 Timothy,
chapter 6 tonight. 1 Timothy, chapter 6. I'll preach from that this evening. My subject this evening will
be the Lord's good people. The Lord's good people. I want
you to hear this message tonight. I think it's a very important
message. Somebody says there's none good,
no, not one. That's true too, but the Lord's
people are good people. He calls them good people, and
they do good work. 1 Timothy 6, you read that chapter
and then come back tonight and you preach from it. John chapter
4 this morning, John chapter 4, when therefore the Lord knew, how the Pharisees had heard that
Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John. Though Jesus
himself baptized not. He didn't baptize anybody. His
disciples did the baptizing. He left Judea and departed again
into Galilee. Now there's a scripture that
sheds some light on these verses. The Pharisees heard that A lot
of people are following the Lord Jesus. In fact, more disciples
than John the Baptist. People coming from everywhere
to hear Him. He was enjoying quite a bit of success. And when
our Lord knew that, He slipped quietly away. He went somewhere
else. Just moved out. Now there's a
scripture that sheds some light on that, found in Galatians.
Don't you turn, let me just quote it. You remember it, I'm sure
when I quote it. But when the fullness of time was come, God
sent forth his Son, made of woman. When did Christ come? When the
fullness of time was come. God's purpose is always accomplished
in God's time. Never early, never late. In due
time, Christ died for the ungodly. And so when the Pharisees would
kill Him, or when the people would crown Him, it made no difference. He said, My time has not yet
come. I wish we could learn that. That God has ordered all events
and all things for His glory and our good. And it will take
place when the time comes. Our Lord knew this, and whether
they wanted to kill Him or whether they wanted to make Him king.
You know, when He went down into Nazareth in Luke chapter 4, and
they would lead Him out on the brow of the hill and throw Him
off, kill Him, He just walked quietly through their midst and
went about His way. And here success had come His
way and acclaim and applause Pharisees were stirred up, the
people were stirred up, everybody was stirred up, and our Lord
went somewhere. Mine hour is not yet come. Oftentimes
He would tell people whom He had healed. Sometimes He would
say to them, go and tell, go home and tell them what great
things God's done for you. Other times He would tell them,
Don't tell anybody. Remember? Don't you tell anybody. You see, our Lord Jesus Christ
came to save, to redeem sinners, not just to attract attention,
not just to attract followers, not just to overwhelm people
with his power, not just to heal sick bodies. He came to accomplish
God's purpose. And that purpose will be accomplished
when the fullness of time has come, and in due time. Let's
remember that, and go quietly about the Master's business.
Hear a line, there a line. Hear a word, there a word. See
what I'm saying? It'll take place when He places
it. And our Lord knew that. Watch
verse four. And He must needs go through
Samaria. Now he was going to Galilee.
He left Judea. He departed into Galilee. That's
where he's going. He's going to Galilee. He left
Judea. But it says here in verse 4, he must needs go through Samaria. Well, in going from Galilee,
from Judea to Galilee, the most direct route is through Samaria.
No question about that. If you're going to leave Judea
and go to Galilee, you're going to go through Samaria. But there
was a problem. There was a longer route which
the Jews took in order to avoid Samaria. They didn't want to
go through Samaria. The Jews wanted to avoid contact
with the Samaritans. And they'd usually go around
Samaria. When they'd go from Judea to
Galilee, they'd go around Samaria to keep from having any contact
with the Samaritans. But the Scripture says that our
Lord must, must, go through Samaria. Why must he go through Samaria? I'll tell you why he must go
through Samaria, because there's some sheep there. There's a woman
there that we're going to read about in a few moments, whom
the Lord loved and whom the Lord purposed to save. He's going
there to give her the Word, the truth. That's why he must need
to go through Samaria. And he must need to go through
Samaria. He must go through. She must hear the gospel. You
see, he said, other sheep I have which are not of this foal, them
I must bring. And they shall or must hear God's
word. They must. My friends, election
has to do with people. God elected a people. We are
elect according to the foreknowledge of God. God knew us and elected
us. He'll gather his elect from the
four corners of the earth. God elected a people. Predestination
has to do with things. Predestination has to do with
the end or goal for those people. We're predestinated to be like
Christ. predestinated to be like Christ.
So election has to do with individuals, with people. God chose a people,
chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. But predestination
has to do with bringing those people to Christ, bringing them
to be like Him. You see what I'm saying? Election,
here's an example, election chose Joseph to be king over Egypt. Now Joseph is an Israelite. Joseph
is a lad, 12, 14, 16, 18 years of age. Joseph came from
a tribe of people that are poor. There were only 70 of them. The
whole outfit, only 70. But God Almighty has elected
him to be king over Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. How's he going to get there? God predestinated Joseph to have
a dream, to interpret that dream, to anger his brothers, to be
sold into slavery, to work for Potiphar, to be put in jail,
to know the butcher and the baker, to interpret their dreams, for
Pharaoh to have a dream, to interpret his dream, for Pharaoh to see
in Joseph what Joseph is, his knowledge, his wisdom, his God,
and made him king. Pharaoh didn't make Joseph king,
God did. It was never in Pharaoh's mind
to make Joseph king, it was in God's mind. And God chose Joseph
to be king over Egypt, and he predestinated the means and the
events and everything that would come to pass for that purpose
to be accomplished. And this person down in Samaria,
our Lord is in Judea. And all of these events that
happened there caused him to leave Judea. And he's going into
Galilee, but he must go through Samaria. He must. This must come
to pass. Other sheep I have, Them I must
bring, the Son of Man must be lifted up." All right, the next
verse. Then he comes to a city of Samaria.
This is a very historical, well-known place, Samaria. He came to a city of Samaria
which is called Sychar, Shechem, near to the parcel of ground
that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. We talked about Joseph a while
ago. This is the land that Jacob, Jacob had a love, God said, We're
called sons of Jacob. Jacob was Isaac's son, son of
Abraham. So there's Jacob here, we're
talking about Jacob whose grandfather is Abraham. And Jacob gave this
land to his son Joseph, this place where Christ is going through,
stopping off. Here's an old, historical, well-known
place, Shechem, Sychar, Samaria. which Jacob gave to Joseph. Now
look at this next line. And Jacob's well was that. Jacob
either dug it or used it, because it's called Jacob's well, 2,000
years old nearly. This well was that. And it was
used by the people of that area. It was Jacob's well, that's what
they called it. And Jesus, now watch this, being
weary with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about
High noon. Now, you think on this a moment. You think on this a moment. Our
Lord was weary. God is tired. God is tired. You see, Jesus
Christ is God. The very God of very God. He's as much God as if He had
never become a man. He never gave up any of his essential
glory, holiness, or power. He's still God. But he manned
as if he was not God. Jesus Christ was made of a woman,
made flesh, and dwelt among us. He took on himself the habit,
the form of a servant. And he learned obedience for
the things he suffered. Jesus Christ was tempted in every
point as you and I are yet without sin. I can't explain how God
can become a man. I can't even explain how a man
can become a man. Can you? I can't explain a birth,
how the infinitesimal microscopic seed can join with some type
of egg And in that conception, every, the color of the hair,
the color of the eyes, the talent, the ability, musical ability,
or mathematical ability, or the height, the weight, the knowledge,
whatever, at that time takes place, doesn't it? Isn't that
what I understand? At that time of conception, what
you are, what you know, what you're going to be, is all right
there in that conception. I explained that. So I'm sure
not going to explain how God became a man, but he did. And he became a man in such a
way that he was just like us. He hurt. When he was pricked
in the skin, it bled, and he hurt. He thirsted. He wearied. He was a man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief. He was a man in every sense of
the word, or he couldn't be our substitute. How could Jesus Christ,
how could He obey the law if He wasn't under it? How could
Jesus Christ be a sympathetic high priest with me if He didn't
really suffer, if He really didn't hurt, if it really didn't pain
Him when someone hated Him? It pained Him. When someone mistreated Him,
it hurt Him. Our Lord was tried and tempted
in every point as we are. Now, you argue impeccability
and all that. Oh, you want to. I just know
that His trials were real. His temptations were real. They
were genuine. Genuine. He was tried in all
points. And He was tired, and He came
to that well, and He sat down. I'm tired. As older I get, the
tireder I get. Don't you folks, the older people,
don't you sometimes say, I'm so tired, I don't know what I'm
going to do. And he sat down on that well
just tired out. And it was high noon, the sun
was directly over him. Now listen, there cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. And
Jesus said to her, give me a drink. His disciples were going away
into the city to buy meat. Here's another little tidbit
for you to talk about, for me to talk about. His disciples
were going to buy food? Frank, that's a good one, isn't
it? Why don't he just turn the loaf into all the loaves and
feed 5,000? Feed his disciples and himself. Why doesn't he do
what Satan told him to do, turn these stones into bread? You
hungry? He fasted 40 days. Turn the stones into bread. You
hungry? I'd have done it. That's me. Why did Jesus Christ sit down
on this well and send his disciples to buy some food? I'll tell you why. Now listen
to this. It goes back to this God-man business. It goes back
to this representation. It goes back to this substitution.
Christ is the substitute of his people. He's the representative.
He's their federal head. Adam and Adam would die, and
Christ would be made alive. And Adam would sin, and Christ
would be restored. And Adam would disobey, and Christ
would obey. He could not perform any miracle
to relieve his own distress. or suffering. He couldn't do
it. When the wind blew and he was
cold, he couldn't say, stop blowing, I'm cold, because I can't do
that. When he didn't have anything
to eat, he couldn't perform a miracle and get something to eat, because
I can't do that. He was, he limited himself, this brought him to
telling the truth now. He limited him, now he could
feed others, In other words, when he's hanging
on the cross, why doesn't he just say, well, nails, stop hurting.
Can't do that, be my Savior. But he can make your nails stop
hurting. The woman that was bent over with the cripple, he said
straighten up, she straightened up, but he couldn't do that for
himself. No sir, no sir. Doing the crown
of thorns, he could not resist that crown. They shoved it down
into his head. He had to be led as a lamb to
the slaughter. Now, this is so, what I'm saying.
He sent his disciples to buy some food so they could eat.
That's exactly right. He was a man. Now, there came
a woman to the well. And when you read John 3 and
4 together, and we ought to read them together, there's a striking
contrast here. John 3 tells you about a prominent
man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus. He calls his name over and over
again, Nicodemus, Nicodemus. John 4 talks about a woman. Her
name is never in the book. Unknown, unheralded, just a woman. But I'll tell you, my Lord, is
gracious to the unnamed and unknown." That's right. Nicodemus was a
man of high rank. She was a woman who had to draw
water for herself. I bet Nicodemus never drew a
bucket of water in his life. But she had to come and draw
her own water. I don't care. I know how far
she walked. Nicodemus was a favored Jew. She was a despised Samaritan. Nicodemus was a man of strict
morals. This woman was a man of very
questionable morals, no reputation. Nicodemus sought out Christ to
talk to him about some theology. Our Lord sought her out, talked
to her about water of life. To Nicodemus, Christ simply said,
you must be born again. To the woman who said, if you
knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me and I'd give you
living water. What a contrast. But you know, our Lord's request
struck that woman with surprise. He said in verse 7, "...then
cometh a woman of Samaritan to draw water, and Jesus said, There,
give me a drink." Give me a drink. I'll tell you why she was so
surprised. Verse 9 tells you, "...then said the woman of Samaritan
to him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of
me, which am a woman of Samaritan?" The Jews have no dealings with
the Samaritans. Among the Jews, it was considered
the debt of degradation to speak to a Samaritan. You didn't speak
to a Samaritan, not a Jew. But to ask a favor of a Samaritan
would never be tolerated. You wouldn't speak You wouldn't
have any dealings with the Samaritans being a Jew, but you wouldn't
dare ask a favor of one of them, and our Lord asked this woman
to give him a drink. And his humility made her marvel. Oh, the humility. Our Lord humbled
himself and became obedient unto them. Oh, the grace of our God,
the stoop to our level. In her eyes, he was nothing but
a Jew. And so look at verse 10, And
Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew, if you knew. Oh, my friend, if you knew. Here was a woman, poor, A woman
of no reputation, unnamed, unknown, coming to a well to draw water
at noon, when the sun was at its peak, when women didn't go
to the well. Women went to the well in the
morning to draw water. They had to have water for washing
and cooking and all these other things. They went in the morning
when it was cool. This woman, and no one there.
This was a well where everybody gathered. This was the well where
everybody got water, but there was no one there. I'll tell you
why there's no one there. It's noon. It's hot. What's she
doing there? Embarrassed. Ashamed. She was a great sinner. Been
married five times, was shacking up with a fellow when it wasn't
popular. That's why she was there. And our Lord, the God of glory,
oh, the mercy of God, the grace of God, let's learn from Him,
sat down on the well and talked to her. He did for her what He
didn't do for Nicodemus. He didn't share things with him.
He just commanded him. But our Lord loves sinners. He
delights to show mercy. And He sat and talked to her,
and He said, Would you get me a drink?" She said, you're a
Jew. Jews don't ask Americans for
a drink. Oh, he said, if you knew who
was speaking to you. I want to say that to the whole
world. If you just knew him, if people just knew him, if they
knew who he is, if they just knew what blessings he has in
himself, if she just knew, here's heaven, here's life, Here's love,
here's truth, here's grace, here's mercy, here's everything she's
looked for all her life. Standing right there looking
her in the eye. If she only knew. If she just
knew her need in the light of judgment. If she just knew He's
the only Mediator between God and men. If she just knew He's
the only Savior of sinners. If she just knew He is the Christ. And he said, Lord, if you just
knew, if you just knew. I tell you, if you did, I tell
you what your response should be. If you knew the gift of God,
the gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of mercy, the
gift of forgiveness, and who it is that's speaking to you
and asking you for a dream, you would ask Him. would have given you living water. Do you know why water is used
so often as a figure or a symbol of spiritual life? Do you know
why Christ said, I'm the water of life? Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
come to the water. If any man thirsteth, let him
come to me. Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
He says to this woman, talking about life, Salvation, if you
just knew who's speaking to you and the gift of God, you'd ask
me. I'd give you living water. You know why water is used so
often as a figure of spiritual life? I'll give you four reasons.
First, because water is the gift of God. Man cannot cultivate,
create water. He can't do it. He'd make Coca-Cola's. He can't
make water. That's the gift of God. That's
what the old people used to carry those pig water bags, you know,
over in the Far East, that dry country. They'd go down the street
selling water and they'd cry, the gift of God! The gift of
God! It is the gift of God. And secondly,
water is a necessity. Water is not a luxury. Water
is something you can't do without. It's got to happen. Salvation
is a gift of God. Eternal life you can't do without. Thirdly, water is the need of
everyone, rich or poor, old or young. Some of you old, some
of you young. You all need water. Black or
white. It's the need of every person. That's salvation. And
then water comes from heaven, not of the earth. A lot of things
that grow and come from the earth are not water. Water comes from
heaven. You say, the water table here, we dig a well, it came
from heaven. If that stops, this stops. You can quit digging wells if
it stops long enough. That's right, water comes. And
Christ came down from heaven. If you knew the gift of God,
And who it is that's speaking, you'd ask them. You'd ask them. And you know that your response
and mine, listen to what he says, if you knew. And that's the reason
I preach. You say, what are you doing up
there preaching all the time? Trying to convey some knowledge. Who
he is, what he did, why he did it, where he is. Because if people
know. I don't have to have people raise
their hands and come down this aisle and put pressure on and
off. Uh-uh. If you ever learn the gift of
God, if you ever learn it, in here and in here, if you ever
learn the gift of God, life, and who it is that gives it,
I guarantee you, you'll ask Him. You don't have to say, well,
come down and repeat after me. No. They'll skedaddle home and
get in the closet and shut the door and say, Lord, that's what
I want. That's what I want. And that's the only kind of salvation
that works in vain. That's what takes place between
you and Him. If you knew the gift of God, if it ever dawns,
if it ever is revealed to you and me, and if I ever know who
it is, by whom it comes, you'll ask Him. And you know His response? He'll give it. That's worse. You say, maybe I'll ask and He
won't give it. No way! Because you didn't know it but
by His grace. He started that whole thing. The woman said, now here we go,
I've got to hurry here. But the woman said, listen, this
is natural man talking. The woman said, you don't have
anything to draw with. Here we come. You know, she sounds
so much like all of us as we try to apply human wisdom to
divine matters. She said, you don't have anything
to draw with. There's no outward means or works. That's how God
says without means and works, outward, our doings. You don't
have anything to go with. Look at it. The well's deep. The well's deep. This knowledge
of God. How can a man know God? He has
to find it out. It's deep. Listen to it. Where'd you get this living water?
You know, what we don't understand, we usually ridicule. Make us
sound smart. That's the reason we do that.
Where'd you get this living water? And then she went on, she said,
Are you greater than our father Jacob? What are your credentials?
Who are you, Mr. Nobody? Jacob, we all know. What are your credentials? What
sign do you show? And then she said, and here we
go again, Our father Jacob gave us this whale. This is the way
we justify our tradition, our religious tradition. What's good
enough for our fathers is good enough for us. Tradition first and truth last.
You see that? You see those arguments? It's
just like people argue today. You come along with a message
of the gospel, message of Christ. If you knew, If you knew the
gift of God, eternal life is the gift of God. Salvation is
the gift of God. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
the gift of God. Like water, it's the gift of
God. And if you knew who was talking to you, Christ, if you
knew through whom that gift comes, you'd ask Him. Like the publican
in the temple, Lord be merciful to me. Like the thief on the
cross, Lord remember me. You'd ask Him and He'd give you
living water. So she starts talking about all
these other things. Well, you don't have anything
to draw with. The well's deep. What's this living water? We
don't talk that way. You don't understand that. You're
using language we don't understand. Are you greater than Jacob? What are your predictions? Where'd
you come from? Who sent you? And then she capped it off with
this. I'm staying right where I am because Jacob gave me this
well. My great-grandfather preached
here. Somebody else, you know. I got this as a hand-me-down
deal, you know. And it's all right with Jacob,
it's all right with me. Our Lord said this. Now listen.
You know, He's put up with three things. Three things I see here. Number one, divine purpose. This
woman is one of His own. He's going to bring her. Isn't
that right? Secondly, divine providence brought
her where she is now. Divine purpose chose her. Divine
providence brought her to this confrontation. And divine patience
puts up with her. That's what I need all three. I need divine purpose. Divine
purpose chose some of us. Divine providence brought us
together here. If folks wrangle and twist and
wrestle, divine patience we need to put up with it. We need to
wait on God to finish His work. And that's what He did here.
He said to her, Woman, verse 13, Whoso drinketh of this water
will thirst again. You put a sign over this well.
Drink it today, you'll need it tomorrow. You'll need it the
next day. You'll need it the next day.
Whoso drinketh of this water will thirst again. You put that
sign over all the wells of this world. Whoso drinketh of this
water, I don't care if it's the well of health, the well of wealth,
the well of comfort, the well of fame, the well of luxury,
the well of applause, the well of ceremony of religion, drink
today, you're going to have to drink again tomorrow. You're
going to have to keep pumping it up because it will not satisfy
you. You'll thirst again. But the
person, verse 14, that drinks of the water that I shall give
him, and notice he says that twice. He says, that whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. Shall never thirst. For the water
that I shall give him shall be in him. In him. Not external. It's not something
I go to. It's someone who lives within. The water, let the water and
the blood from thy ribbons side which flow, be of sin the double
cure, save from wrath and make me pure. The water that I shall
give him, whether I work for it or merit it or earn it or
deserve it, I'll give him. I'll give him. And he keeps giving
it. Shall be in him. That's where true relationship
with God is, it's in us. Now today, like every day, there's
that outward form of religion. Why do people burn the candles? Why do they make churches certain
shapes, with steeples, stained glass windows, soft music, choir
behind? These are effects. They are effects. They are to help you to be spiritual. They are to help you to think
on God. These things come from without.
Cut them off? What am I going to do? I spend
one hour here with the special effects. Twenty-three hours one
day and twenty-four, six days. I don't have those effects. What
am I going to do? How am I going to pray? How am I going to worship? I don't have the effects. I don't
have the preacher screaming at me. I don't have somebody leading
me and acting a fool, waving my hands and jumping up and down.
What are the special effects? I need help, God, but I don't
have my special effects. I don't feel spiritual. That's what the woman said, now
we worship in the mountain, you worship in Jerusalem. He said,
you don't know what you worship. God's a spirit. God is, leave
the A out, spirit. And they that worship God, worship
Him in spirit. And that's the reason in your
preaching and your worship, you better leave the special effects
out. I don't go to church to meet God. People who know God,
God dwells in them. Christ dwells in them. And Bob,
whether you're driving down that highway tired and weary and by
yourself, you worship God. Ronnie, whether you're up there
in front of those kids teaching and laboring and trying to get
discipline and all these things, you know, you worship God. You
ladies in the kitchen there when you're washing your dishes and
the clothes keep piling up, you say, I washed all those last
week and I've got to wash them all again this week. I need some
special effects. Some organ music and some candles. Somebody light a candle. Let
me run in there and kneel in front of the picture. Oh, give
me a picture. I got to have a picture. I don't
know God without a picture. Get a picture of Wild Bill Hickok
and call it Jesus. Not a beard. You put a sign over all the wells
of this world. Drink and thirst. That's religion to drink and
thirst, thirst, thirst, thirst. But if you drink of this water
that He gives, it'll be in you a new heart and a new nature
and a new life. It'll be in you. And what's this? It'll be a well of water, a source of inexhaustible supply. And it'll spring up like an artesian
well. It'll spring up. Christ always
there. Well, I've got to quit. Too long. The woman said, give
me the water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
She's still thinking carnally, and she's naturally. Yeah, she
still doesn't understand. So often we don't. Her thoughts
were only of this present life and the comfort of this body.
How can our thoughts be turned to God and to spiritual matters?
How can we? Our Lord gave a clue. He said
in verse 16, Go call your husband. Here's the key. Here's the clue.
Here's the clue. Why was she here at noon? He
knew her problem. Go call your husband. He knew
that it triggered her whole problem. Why was she here alone? Why didn't
she have a bunch of ladies with her? She sure had some neighbors. Why does she have no understanding?
She answers, I have no husband. He said, you well said, I have
no husband. You've had five. And the man
you're living with now is not your husband. In other words,
your problem... And our Lord's not singling out one sin above
all others. He's meeting the woman where
she is. Her whole life has been a life of confusion. It's been
a life of sin. It's been a life of trouble.
It's been a life of... of her way. She just does everything
her way, not God's way. And that's her problem. And that's
what he's bringing her to face. See, this thing between me and
God, it's not a natural thing. It's
a spiritual conflict. It's not just healing the body
and getting two cars in the garage and a fine home and a good job
and all these things. I can do without those things.
But my heart needs operation. My sins need to be forgiven.
That's the reason. My unhappiness is not caused
by my lack of a comfortable car. It's caused by my lack of a regenerated
heart. That's my unhappiness. That's
the whole problem. Is things not right between me
and God? That was this woman's whole problem. And you see, if
faith can be straightened out between her and God, if she can
have peace and rest and joy in Him and faith in Him and His
approval and His acceptance, then it doesn't matter whether
she's got a big house or a little house. She's comfortable. Paul says,
I know how to abound. I know how to be obese. It doesn't
matter whether you've got a nice car or no car. You've got Christ.
See what I'm saying? It doesn't matter whether you're
a boss or a worker, sweeping the floor. It really doesn't
matter. It really doesn't matter. These things are all relative.
They're all going to fade away. That's right, in a few years,
folks will say, who was that old fella, Jim Eccles? I seem like I remember him. It'll all be gone. All of your
fame and fortune will be gone, just like waste paper blowing
down the street. But that relationship with him
will live with him. And that's what he's doing to
the woman. He told her to go call her husband, and that's
when he triggered what the whole problem is. Now she knows what
he's talking about. Live in Washington. Now I understand.
Now I say, I do have a problem.

If You Knew

What does the Bible say about election?

How do we know predestination is true?

Why is Jesus' humility important for Christians?

What does living water symbolize in the Bible?

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If You Knew

What does the Bible say about election?

How do we know predestination is true?

Why is Jesus' humility important for Christians?

What does living water symbolize in the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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