Talk 4: The Woman at the Well

0:00 Good morning, everyone. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Andrew Harris, and I'm part of the staff team here at Glen Abbey. And today I have the privilege of teaching a pretty incredible passage to you. We'll be exploring a true story today from John chapter four, where Jesus has this extraordinary encounter with a woman at a well, a Samaritan woman. And this story is rich with meaning, with truth, And also with challenge that I hope and pray will resonate with each of us. Whether we already believe in and follow Jesus, or maybe still exploring faith in him. And so as we go through the passage this morning, just to lay out our direction of travel, here are the three main points that we're going to be focusing on this morning. Number one, everyone needs Jesus.

0:52 And Jesus reaches out to everyone. Two, worship is for everyone. One, everywhere. And three, share your story. Share his word. Let's read through John 4, 1-42 together. Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

1:27 Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Saqqar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, will you give me a drink? His disciples had gone into the town to buy some food. The Samaritan woman said to him, you are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?

2:00 For Jews do not associate with the Samaritans. Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. Sir, the woman said, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock? Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But he ever drinks the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water that I give them will become in them a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.

2:44 The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water. He told her, Go call your husband and come back. I have no husband, she replied. Jesus said to her, you are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is you have had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true. Sir, the woman said, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.

3:21 Woman, Jesus replied, believe me, a time is coming. when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in the spirit and in truth. The woman said, I know the Messiah called Christ is coming. When he comes, he'll explain everything to us.

4:04 Then Jesus declared, I, the one speaking to you, I am he. Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, what do you want or why are you talking with her? Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Meanwhile, his disciples urged him, Rabbi, eat something. But he said to them, I have food to eat that you know nothing about.

4:41 Then his disciples said to each other, could someone have brought him food? My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don't you have a saying that it's still four months until harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest. Even now, the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying, one sows and another reaps, is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.

5:15 Others have done the hard work, and you've reaped the benefits of their labor. Many of the Samaritans from that time believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words, many more became believers. They said to the woman, we no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the savior of the world. And as we begin to pick apart this passage, and before we move into the three main points this morning, I want us first to take a brief look at some important context and background that will help us to understand these things as we go forward.

6:03 So first, a little geography lesson for everyone. In the passage, we are told that Jesus is journeying from Judea to Galilee with his disciples in order to avoid the attention of the Pharisees. And we're also told that Jesus had to go through Samaria. Now, as you can see in the map behind me, Judea is in the south, Galilee's in the north, and slap bang in the middle is Samaria. So it shouldn't raise too many eyebrows that Jesus chose to travel that way, because you can't really miss it. Or can you? Because actually, if you look into it a little bit more, the truth is that Jesus geographically didn't have to go way through Samaria. And actually a more popular route for Jewish people traveling from Judea to Galilee at that time was to cross the Jordan to the east and travel up to Galilee that way, completely avoiding Samaria.

6:55 It was a longer route for sure, but way more preferable for a lot of the Jews at that time because of their hatred of the Samaritan people. So why then does John tell us in his gospel that Jesus had to go through Samaria when he really didn't have to go that way at all? Was it maybe because it was the shorter route, only a three-day walking journey, and Jesus was maybe in a hurry? Or perhaps John is hinting to us that Jesus's journey through Samaria was a necessity because there was somebody there that God was wanting him to meet, and Jesus had to go through Samaria because he simply had to meet the Samaritan woman at the well. And so on their journey, Jesus and his disciples arrive at a place in Samaria called Saqqar near Jacob's well. And now there's a bit of a debate about this because this is the only place in the Bible where Saqqar is mentioned. But in all likelihood, Saqqar is another name for the town of Shechem from the Old Testament, which just so happens to be right beside Jacob's well in full view of a mountain called Gerizim. And this, this is where Jesus decides in our passage to take a midday rest as the disciples head into the town to grab some food.

8:08 The story goes on and a woman approaches the well to draw water and she's alone. And Jesus asks her for a drink. And now all of a sudden we have a Jewish man in conversation with a Samaritan woman, representatives of two very distinct groups of people. And if you haven't picked it up already from our reading of the passage, there's a bit of tension between these two main characters because of who they are, where they come from, and what they believe. And I think it's important for us to understand this tension a little bit more. So here are some key similarities and differences between the Jewish people and the Samaritan people in Jesus's time that I think will help us. The first thing to highlight is that both the Jewish and the Samaritan people actually worship the same God, Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, the same God that we worship today, England Abbey. And both groups were actually looking forward as well to the coming of the Messiah, albeit with different expectations.

9:09 The Jews were waiting for a Messiah who was a descendant of King David, a king himself with a focus on political and religious restoration, whereas the Samaritans were expecting someone more like a prophet who would bring about spiritual renewal and restore true worship to the right place. But the Samaritans, in comparison to the Jews, they were a mixed race of both Jews and Gentiles. And because of this, Samaritans then were unable to prove their Jewish ancestry and their roots, and as a result, they ended up being completely rejected by the Jewish people. The Samaritans then, as they became a more distinct people group, they decided to only accept the first five books of the Bible as scripture, the Pentateuch. That is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. That was their scripture. The Jews, on the other hand, considered all of the Old Testament books as scripture. And then the final key difference between both groups is that for the Jews, the Jerusalem temple was the only right place to worship God.

10:13 While Samaritans believed it was Mount Gerizim, the mountain in which they built their own temple, in Samaria in about 400 BC and the setting of today's encounter. And these differences, as differences sadly often do, led to hatred. Deep, deep hatred and division between the Jewish and the Samaritan people. And so that's the context, that's the background. Hopefully that will be helpful for us as we move forward into our first of our three points, which is this. Everyone needs Jesus. and Jesus reaches out to everyone. Looking back to last week, we heard Stephen share about Jesus' encounter with a Jewish man called Nicodemus.

11:00 He was a Jewish man and a Pharisee, a well-respected member of the Jewish ruling council and a typical day in the life of Nicodemus could have looked something like this. After waking up and grabbing some breakfast, perhaps some bread and olives, he'd begin a time of study, prayer and reflection. then wearing his distinctive and expensive pharisaic robes he would step out of the house and head through the marketplace people make way for him as a man of high standing and he takes the time to engage with some of the locals greeting them and listening to them as their faces light up and being honored in such a way by one of Israel's great leaders in the afternoon he makes his way to the Sanhedrin the highest court and decision-making group in ancient Jewish society where he is a respected member. There he joins with the other leaders in serious discussions about Jewish laws and decisions that affect the whole community. Later on, he goes to the synagogue where he begins to teach, sharing his knowledge of the Torah, the scriptures. His evenings are quiet, spent surrounded by his family over a simple meal. And as night falls, Nicodemus prays before going to sleep. Fast forward into today's chapter, and our main character is just a little bit different.

12:17 And here's what a day in the life of this Samaritan woman may have looked like. Her day begins early with simple tasks. Preparing breakfast for her partner, note, not her husband. Cleaning, getting ready for the day ahead. By midday, she heads off to Jacob's well on the outskirts of the town, carrying a heavy jar under the hot sun. And she's alone. She is always alone. On the way, the other women in Sakaar mutter under their breath as she walks past, looking down on her and making sure to avoid getting too close to this adulterer.

12:53 At the well, she draws water and takes a brief rest, and her mind wanders and begins to dream of a different life, the life she had once hoped for, a life filled with family, friends, joy, and laughter. But that dream's over now. No one wants anything to do with her except for her partner back home, and even then she's wondering whether or not this one will stick or he'll leave her like the others. She heads home and the afternoon is filled with more household chores and again, no one to talk to. In the evening she prepares dinner for her and her partner. They eat mostly in silence and then they go to sleep. And this is what struck me first about this encounter as I began to study it after hearing Stephen's talk last Sunday. Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman are complete opposites.

13:44 Nicodemus was Jewish. The woman was Samaritan. Nicodemus was well respected and honored. The Samaritan woman was alone and a social outcast. And as I thought about their differences, I turned to what was common between the two of them. And it struck me that despite their differences, both Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman needed Jesus. That's what they had in common. And also that Jesus reached out to both of them.

14:15 And what this tells us is that even today, it does not matter whether you're rich or poor, whether you're respected or looked down upon, whether you're successful or a failure, whether you're religious or an atheist, whether you're surrounded by friends and family or completely alone, good living or the worst of sinners, the truth is that you need Jesus. and the incredible thing about the gospel the good news that Jesus brings is that in your need Jesus has reached out to you and is reaching out to you today through his death and resurrection Jesus has reached out to you and is offering you the very same thing that he offered Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman and every man and woman since he is offering you eternal life forgiveness of sins reconciliation with God, his spirit living in you. The hope of living forever with him in his new creation beyond this life in his kingdom that is now here and will come in its full on his return. The truth is that everyone needs Jesus and no matter who you are or what you've done or what you believe or where you come from, Jesus is reaching out to you. And for those of us in the room, and there's many of us who've already responded to him, who've perhaps been following Jesus for many, many years, who perhaps inwardly maybe yawning a little bit right now because you've heard all of this before, here's the challenge. Who do you see when you look around you, when you look at the people around you, when you head into the office, or when you go to school or uni, or you're on the rugby, football, hockey pitch? Who do you see when you're in a coffee shop or the cinema or walking along Port Stewart Promenade or shopping in the center of Belfast? And for that matter, who do I see?

16:15 Do we just see people? Or do we see people from all walks of life whose deepest need is Jesus? Do we see them as he saw them? Do we see people who need Jesus, who Jesus came into this earth to save and who Jesus is wanting to reach out to through us and through you. Everyone needs Jesus and Jesus reaches out to everyone. And for those of us who follow him, Jesus wants to reach out to them through you. And it is oh too easy, even as devoted disciples, to look at those around us and forget that God loves them and that he loves them so much that he sent Jesus into this world to pay the price for their sin and their shame so that they may have forgiveness, eternal life, and hope so that they can have everything that we have. And it's also so very easy to forget or perhaps ignore the truth that Jesus is wanting to reach out to them through us.

17:21 And I pray this morning that God will give all of us the eyes to see people as he does, to look on them with compassion no matter who they are, where they're from, what they've done, what they believe and to reach out to them in love with the answer to their greatest need. Our second point this morning is this. Worship is for everyone, everywhere. As I've already mentioned, the Jews believed that the Jerusalem temple was the only right place to worship God, whilst the Samaritans believed it was on Mount Gerizim, the mountain in which they built their own temple. And this is an issue that the Samaritan woman raises with Jesus. He's just revealed to her how he knows about her string of husbands and the man she's now living with. And in an attempt to deflect from the issue and the topic of her own personal failures, she changes the subject and says, our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where you must worship is in Jerusalem. And the question that really never came, but that Jesus answered anyway, was this.

18:27 Who's right? The Jews? The Samaritans? Or neither of them? Where is the right place to worship God? And when it came to the issue of where God should be worshipped at this point in history, the Jews were 100% right. And the Samaritans were 100% wrong. In 2 Chronicles 7, 11 to 12, we read these words.

18:55 When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said, I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. And from that moment on, it was God's insistence that there be only one temple and one place of worship and sacrifice. The temple at Jerusalem. And so when the Samaritan woman brings up the issue here in the passage, Jesus gently shares the truth with her. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. For salvation is from the Jews. and right there and then in first century Israel the Jews were 100% right to say that worship could only take place at the temple in Jerusalem exclusive as that may be because that's what God had said and the Samaritans had disobeyed God by setting up another place of worship on Mount Gerizim and that can I briefly add in is the danger of picking and choosing for ourselves what is scripture and what is not what we believe to be God's word to want to be God's word and what we don't want to be.

20:18 The Samaritans did that. They only accepted the first five books of the Old Testament, and in the end, they deprived themselves of the whole truth. Let's not make that same mistake as we approach scripture. Moving on, you may be wondering why God made the place of worship and sacrifice so exclusive. Because it doesn't seem fair, And it doesn't seem right. Surely anyone should have full access to God and be able to worship him whenever and wherever. Yet the reason why God chose only one place for worship at that time is simple. Sin.

21:01 Because of man's sin, because of our disobedience and rebellion before God, before Jesus came and died and rose again, it simply wasn't possible for anybody to approach him anytime, anywhere. Because God is God and because he is completely set apart from us, because he is holy and pure and good, he could not allow sinful people like Nicodemus or the Samaritan woman to worship him, to approach him, to have access to him freely. And the only person at the temple in Jerusalem who could actually approach God to go beyond the massive curtain that separated God from man was the high priest. And he actually could only do it once a year and only under a very specific set of rules and instructions. And so as Jesus sat down at the well with this Samaritan woman, at this point in history, because of sin, access to God was limited. And it was limited to the temple in Jerusalem. But Jesus goes on as he shares with the Samaritan woman. Woman, Jesus replied, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

22:16 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the spirit and in truth, for they're the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in the spirit and in truth. A time is coming where everything will change. Let's put ourselves at the foot of the cross for a minute. Jesus has been hanging there all morning suffering when all of a sudden he cries out, It is finished. And that work, the food that Jesus was talking about to his disciples, the work of doing God's will and finishing his work, it was now done.

23:11 It really was finished. It was complete. There's an almighty earthquake. Huge rocks are split in two. The dead begin to rise. And the massive curtain in the Jerusalem temple, that massive curtain that separated God from man, is supernaturally torn in two from top to bottom. Fast forward and Jesus has returned to heaven, having been resurrected and having left instructions to his disciples. The disciples are now in Jerusalem.

23:41 They've just appointed Matthias to replace Judas as one of the 12 apostles. And they're gathered together in one house on the day of Pentecost. And suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them all of them were filled with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them and what has just happened the work has been done and the time has now come and the living water that Jesus had spoke of to the woman at the well. The spring of water that Jesus said would flow from within all those he gives it to. The water that wells up to eternal, never-ending, everlasting life. The very spirit of God himself has now begun to fill and live in all those who believe in and follow the resurrected Messiah, who follow Jesus. And can you see that what Jesus said would happen in his conversation with the Samaritan woman has now happened?

24:51 worship is now possible for everyone everywhere and why because in dying in our place for our sins not only has Jesus torn the curtain and made the way to forgiveness and a restored relationship with God possible but he has given us the living water the holy spirit of God himself and placed him in those of us who follow him. God is no longer behind a curtain at the temple in Jerusalem where only one man once a year can approach him. He now lives in each of us who believe and now gives all of us and any of us who would choose to follow him the freedom to worship him anytime, anywhere. Isn't that incredible? Well, I don't know about you, but I don't think I actually will or ever will fully grasp how incredible that is. That the God who I turn my back on time and time again, that the God who I've sinned against time and time again, the God who created all things, who sits above all things, has chosen to save me because he loves me. But not only that, but he has chosen to live in me through his spirit, the living water. So that I and anyone else who believes in Jesus may worship him freely as he desires.

26:09 In the truth of who he is and what he has done for us and in and through the spirit of God that lives within us. So what do we do now? Well, if you are here this morning and for the first time you've realized your need for Jesus and that he is reaching out to you right now and that he is offering you forgiveness, salvation, hope, and a future, now is the time to respond. If God is speaking to you and urging you to turn away from your sin and follow after Jesus, why wait? Do it today, do it this morning, do it right now. I'll be able to front here after the service for anyone who wants to come and talk to me more about these things and to pray with. Our prayer room at the back will also be open and there'll be people there to talk to and pray with.

27:04 Or maybe there's somebody here who's a believer and you'll be more comfortable talking and praying with them. go find them. Share what God is saying to you and ask them to pray with you as you respond. If God is speaking to you this morning, if he's urging you to make your choice when it comes to following Jesus, please, please, please don't ignore him. Don't reject him. What he is offering you is life. Life in all its fullness, a life that lasts forever and don't miss out on the greatest gift you could ever receive. for those of us this morning who have already realized our need of Jesus who have reached out to him to save us as he has reached out to us who have believed in him and trusted in his death and resurrection for our salvation who have acknowledged and gave thanks for the truth that we can now worship him anywhere and everywhere because he lives in us what is there left for us to do

28:05 well firstly we need to praise him will you shout hallelujah and give a shout of cry of praise because he has done this for us in our lives. And then my second suggestion is that we follow the example of the woman at the well and we run out those doors ready and willing to share our story and share his word. When the Samaritan woman, when she first arrived back in Saqqar she first told the people her story. and it's obvious isn't it that she didn't actually know that much about salvation or the ins and outs of the gospels and how it all worked and at that point she actually wasn't really even 100% sure that Jesus was who he said he was but as she talked with him something stirred in her and she was on the cusp of putting her hope in this man she had just met and so she shared that with her community but we today know more we know so much more we know the wonderful truth that we've been thinking about of what Jesus has done to save us and what he has given us. And so maybe for you, as you take up this challenge to share the gospel with those around you, it's going to start with simply sharing your story of faith, how you came to believe and follow Jesus with somebody you know. And as Jesus demonstrates through what we've been reading these past couple of weeks. Sharing the gospel can start with a simple conversation.

29:35 So often we think of sharing the gospel, of evangelizing as filling out Windsor Park, filling it with thousands, inviting a Billy Graham-style evangelist over to preach. Or someone as I am doing now standing up in a church and is preaching it. And Jesus did that, of course. He spoke to thousands about the kingdom of God and others still do it today. But not all of us are called to that kind of ministry. Not all of us are ever given that sort of platform. But what we all can do is have a simple conversation. And Jesus, as he talked with both Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, he showed a genuine interest in them.

30:15 He cared for them and it was obvious. He used things as common as childbirth and water to explain the truth of what he was saying. He spoke normally and plainly. He listened to them. He was patient and respectful. And he spoke the truth about their lives, their condition. And yes, he spoke about their sin. But he spoke it in love and without condemnation or judgment.

30:39 And he looked beyond their surface to their greatest and deepest need. God brought the Samaritan woman into Jesus' life not by accident. Remember, Jesus had to go through Samaria because God wanted him to share these truths with her. And I believe, I have to believe that the people that God has brought into our lives are not an accident either, especially those who do not know him. And God has chosen to use you and to use me to reach out to those around us with his good news. And so who has God placed in your life that he wants you to share your story and share his word with? Right now, as you're sitting there thinking these things through, which person, which family member or friend or work colleague or whoever, whose name is God bringing to your heart and mind right now? And if you're taking notes, write their name down.

31:39 Who has God brought into your life so that you can share your story and share his word with? Maybe you're listening this morning and you're young in your faith. and you're not convinced that right now you could share your story well or strike up a conversation about Jesus with someone you know. The Samaritan woman was in a similar situation and yet what did she say to the people of Sakaar? She didn't go and point out the theology of the gospel. She invited them to come and see. And just because right now you have little confidence in sharing the truth of the gospel and God's word with others yourself does not mean that there's nothing here for you to do, that there's nothing for you to share. Your invitation to that person in your life that God wants you to reach out to could be as simple as come and see.

32:31 You're free this Sunday. I go to my church, Glen Abbey, at 11.30 a.m. That's where actually I first believed in and started to follow Jesus. If you're interested, do you want to come along and see and hear for yourself what it's all about? There's also free tea and coffee. maybe that's where God wants you to start with an invitation to that person in your life to come and see or maybe you've been a Christian for many years and you know the truth of the gospel and you know God's word and you're confident that you could sit across the table from someone and explain the gospel to them if only you were brave enough again who's that one person that God has put on your mind and on your heart?

33:17 Who has God brought into your life so that you can share with them about your deepest need? Ask God right now, through his spirit that is living in you right now and through who you can do all things, ask him to give you the courage and the opportunity, even this week, to have that conversation and to use you to bring that person in your life to Jesus and to eternal life. In the final verses of our passage, we get to see the amazing fruit of Jesus' conversation, of the Samaritan woman's story, of her invitation to come and see, and of God's word being shared. Many of the Samaritans from that time believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words, God's words, many more became believers. They said to the woman, we no longer believe just because of what you said.

34:23 Now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the savior of the world. Many people believed in Jesus because of the Samaritan woman's simple story. Many more believed because they listened to the words of Jesus, because they listened to God's word. And you know what? Many, many more people can come to believe in Jesus because of your story, because of your invitation, and because you have shared God's word with them. And isn't that what we want to see among us here at Glen Abbey? Many, many, many people coming to believe in the Savior of the world and follow him, to move from death to life, to move from a life of no hope to a life filled with his hope, to become sons and daughters of the living God, filled with his spirit and filled with his peace and his love. As Jesus explained to the disciples in our passage, sharing the gospel, sharing God's word, is never a solo effort.

35:29 And you may just be a link in a chain. Some of us will plant seeds, we'll share our story, we'll live lives worthy of the gospel, we'll invite people to come and see, and we'll talk about Jesus over a cup of coffee with a friend. And others, again, through simple conversation or through preaching and teaching, will get to reap what those others have sown. We'll get to, in our conversations, lead others then and there to the best decision of their lives. We'll get to lead others there and then into a relationship with Jesus. But ultimately, ultimately it is God who saves them. It is God who gives this growth. and in 1 Corinthians 3, 6-7 we read these words as Paul wrote to the church in Corinth I planted the seed Apollos here, he watered it but God has been making it grow so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but only God who makes things grow

36:30 sharing the gospel sharing God's word is never a solo effort and you may just be a link in a chain in that person's life but we all have our part to play trusting in God to take the little that we offer and make it much. I believe it's time for me, for all of us to lift our eyes onto the fields as Jesus instructed his disciples to see the people around us to see people as Jesus sees them and realize their deep, deep need of him and as the spirit leads from within us share with them our story invite them to come and see and share God's word with them as the band comes up let's just pray together as we finish and will you all just stand with me as we do that heavenly father and praise you today because in our need you have reached out to us. That no matter who we are, where we are from, what we've done and what we believe, you through Jesus have reached out and made a way to save us. I thank you that the living water that wells up into eternal life, the Holy Spirit is living in me and in many others in this room this morning. And I pray that as you've been speaking to those who don't yet know you, those without hope, that you will lead them to those of us who can talk to them, pray with them, and help them to respond to you and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life for themselves. For those of us who have already received this gift, Father, help us to follow the example of the Samaritan woman.

38:24 Help us to run out the doors here this morning with the courage that only you can give to go and share our story and share your word and gospel with those you've brought into our lives. Father, bring many, many, many people into your kingdom and family today and in the days ahead as only you can, using the little that we offer and bring. Amen.