Sermon Cloud

People God wants in church

The loner (someone who likes to be alone)

Galilee in the north, Judea in the south

Samaria in the middle

Jesus had to pass through this middle country

This is the story of the woman at the well

There are some points we NEED to get from this passage.

They follow the acrostic W-E-L-L.

John 4:7-10 (page 738)

Jews don’t associate with Samaritans. They’re unwelcome

Jesus stepped crossed the barrier between Jews and Samaritans.

Jews don’t associate with Samaritans. They’re unwelcome

She was welcome with him.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 (NIV) ⁹ I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Jesus didn’t just ask her for a drink, he offered her living water

John 7:38-39 (NIV) ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

We as the church need to let people know

“You’re welcome here.”

There should be no barriers between us and others

Christ came for everyone: people from every tribe, nation, people and language (Rev 7.9)

Christ is available to everyone. No one is barred from Christ.

Christianese – don’t use it, or at least explain it

WELCOME

However, welcome does not always mean comfortable.

John 4:13-18

EXPOSED

The woman’s personal life was exposed. She was vulnerable. We’ve been vulnerable before, and too many times we’ve been wounded. So, we’ve learned to protect ourselves.

When vulnerable, we close up and get impersonal.

We might even avoid that experience, whether it’s a worship service, small group, or a personal relationship.

1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (NIV) ²⁴ But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, ²⁵ and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

Through God’s word, we come face-to-face with the Almighty God, the secrets of our hearts are exposed (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). That’s uncomfortable. Most people close up at that point.

God is not about wounding, but healing. We are safe with God, which means we need to be safe among Christians.

Leaders among God’s people are repeatedly called shepherds. A shepherd protects his flock. Not all problems come from outside the flock. A shepherd won’t let one sheep injure the others.

Likewise, we need to be very careful, as sheep of Christ, not to wound each other. And when a non-Christian comes in, we need to be careful not to wound him or her, either.

We are EXPOSED BUT SAFE

Before I explain the first “L”, the woman changes the topic here. That doesn’t mean she was hurt, she just wasn’t used to being vulnerable.

Jesus let her! He let her talk about what was on her mind. It was all a worthwhile discussion. But he didn’t press the point. He let her know he knew her life. That’s all.

John 4:19-24

Jesus explained that worship is not about here or there. Likewise, it’s not about now or then.

Christianity is a way of life. We need to be careful we don’t look like Saturday sinners and Sunday saints. We must be Christians all the time.

Worship is life. More accurately,

LIFE IS WORSHIP

We are called to live in such a way that God gets all the glory, and that is real worship (Matthew 5:14-16; Romans 12:1-2).

***Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We seek God in the good and the bad (James 5:13).

James 5:13 (NIV) Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

God gives us scriptures, stories, songs to get through life, through the whole week, not just Sunday.

That’s what we’re supposed to give each other.

Colossians 3:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

John 4:25-26

John 4:28-30

The last ‘L’ is LEAVE…TO INVITE

The story has come full circle. The woman had met Christ, and she invited others to do the same.

We invite people to meet Jesus Christ.

She had one-on-one talk with Jesus. Suddenly the whole village is out there. How do you get close to Jesus in a crowd?

John 4:39-42