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billbarton@juno.com
Mar 1, 2026, 7:00 PM (10 hours ago)
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Hi,
Below and attached is the message from this morning!
Grace and peace to you!
Bill
Numbers 6:24-26
Seeking Spiritual Renewal
Drink Living Water!!
March 1, 2026
Scripture: John 4:4-26
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later...."Da-ad...." "What?" "I’m thirsty. Can you bring a drink of water?" "No. You had your chance. Lights out." Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad...." "WHAT?" "I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??" "I told you NO!" If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!" Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad...." "WHAT!" "When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"
Think about these facts associated with our body and water. The human body is ⅔ water. By the time you are 70 years old, you will have required 1½ million gallons of water. Studies show that increasing water consumption can decrease fat deposits, suppress one’s appetite, help digestion, and various other benefits. Here is an interesting fact. If you lose 2% of your body’s water supply, your energy will decrease by 20%. A 10% decrease in water, you will be unable to walk, and a 20% decrease – you’re dead.
What is true of the physical is also true of the spiritual. God has made you with a spirit, soul, and body that gets thirsty. If you fail to satisfy that thirst, your spirit, soul, and body will become dehydrated. So, it is critical to spiritually hydrate! Today, I want to note several important principles to spiritually hydrate, to experience His presence, his power, in your life.
We read in the first few verses of John 4 that Jesus had learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was becoming more popular than John the Baptist. Jesus wanted to avoid any conflict with the Pharisees at this time. He knew that the time was not yet right for direct conflict, so He abandoned Judea in the south and headed north toward Galilee.
Instead of avoiding going through the Samaria region, they took a shortcut through it. John 4:4 states, Now he had to go through Samaria. We are not sure why Jesus and his disciples had to/must go through Samaria. It might be related to the Pharisees. Many scholars believe that one of the reasons Jesus took this route was to minister to the Samaritans. Several times the Apostle John uses this Greek word for “had to.” For instance, in John 9:4, Jesus said, As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Jesus always acted according to His knowledge of His Father’s will.
Verses 5, 6a states, So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground 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.
The Jews viewed the Samaritans as biological and religious half-breeds. The hostilities between the Jews and the Samaritans went back for centuries. Sychar has been identified as part of ancient Shechem. Genesis 33:18-20 notes that Jacob bought this land for a hundred pieces of silver where he pitched a tent, set up an altar, and most likely dug a well.
Jesus was tired, and he decided to sit down by the well. Verse 8 indicates that while Jesus rested at the well the disciples went into the city to buy food.
Here is a good lesson for us. Take time to rest, take a break, slow down! In our society, we get so caught up with go, go, go, go, go, that we don’t take time to rest.
The end of verse 6, 7a then notes that a Samaritan woman came to the well around noon time. The normal time for women to get water was either early morning or later in the afternoon. This woman came to the well at noon to avoid others because of her immoral life. We learn later in the text that she had five husbands and the one she was with was not her husband. To avoid conflict with others, she came to Jacob’s well alone, in the heat of the day. She did not expect anyone from the town to be there.
Jesus initiates a conversation, end of verse 7, by asking, Will you give me a drink? Jesus was not afraid to begin a conversation with this Samaritan woman. He didn’t write her off like the disciples and others would have (Note v. 27).
Verse 9, the Samaritan woman responds, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus catches this woman completely off guard. Why was this? Jewish men and women, especially an immoral woman, generally were not to speak in public with one another. Jews and Samaritans also didn't spend time together and they certainly didn't drink together. The Jews would typically look down, prohibit, talking with Samaritans as they were considered unclean.
Jesus says to her verse 10, 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.
Jesus uses water as a common interest to introduce spiritual matters as he uses an analogy of water from the well and living water. Jesus might have been thinking of verses from the Old Testament. Jeremiah 2:13 states, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 17:13 states, Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. Note Isaiah 12:2, 3.
Water is life. You draw your life from God. God wants to give you the gift of life, abundant life (John 10:10). The gift of living water is the salvation that the Holy Spirit imparts. It is the Lord Himself, dwelling in believers. To Nicodemus, Jesus spoke about being born again of the Spirit (John 3:6, 8).
On the last day of the Feast of the Tabernacles in John 7, Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. The gift of God was the presence of God, the Holy Spirit residing within.
Jesus recognized that this woman needed living water, not just physical water. She didn’t know she was dying of thirst, but Jesus did. She didn’t realize that her life was parched, wilted and dry, but Jesus knew. Jesus knew the living water that he could give her would heal her inner pain, her woundedness.
Here is the first principle to this morning. If you are going to receive the gift of God, the living water, the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, the gift of salvation (v.14) take to heart, understand that it is gift!
In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on his disciples. The Apostle Peter begins to preach about Jesus. In Acts 2:36, he stated, Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. Verse 37 notes the response, When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
We are called to turn from our sin and turn to Jesus, to have faith in Him. If one does, one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. The word “gift” emphasizes God’s grace. Living Water is a gift, not something that you can earn.
One of the most common spiritual errors is that we get into heaven by our good works. Every religion, except for biblical Christianity, operates on the principle that you must work for or earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8, 9 states, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Paul corrects the church in Galatia concerning the issue of being under law or under grace. He writes in Galatians 3:2,3 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Then Paul explains one receives the gift by faith, and one is to walk by faith. Galatians 3:14 states, He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Please take to heart that you are broken, sinful person, but through living by faith in Jesus Christ, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Now, if you are going to follow Jesus, then you need to know who He Is. Jesus said to the woman verse 10, If you knew not only the gift of God, but also who it is that asks you for a drink.
If she had known this person was Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, God Incarnate, Almighty God, the Prince of Peace, she would have gladly asked him for water.
Principle 2: To receive this gift of living water, you must know who Jesus Is!
This underscores the fact that faith is not a blind leap in the dark. To have faith in Christ, you need to know something about who He is. Is he real? Is he trustworthy? Did he really rise from the dead?
Old Testament prophecy indicated this. For instance, Isaiah 9:6 states this about Messiah. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 1:1, 14 states this, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In John 10:30, Jesus said, I and the Father are one. The Jews were ready to stone Jesus to death. Jesus asked them, Why?” They responded verse 33, We are not stoning you for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.
When Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, he declared to Jesus in John 20:28, My Lord and my God.
The Apostle Paul describes Jesus as our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).
Why is the question of Jesus’ identity so important? Why does it matter whether Jesus is God? Many only consider Jesus as a good moral teacher or a prophet. Yet evidence points to the fact that He is God in the flesh. For instance, if Jesus is not God, then the apostles would likewise have been liars.
C.S. Lewis noted that either you can view Jesus as a lunatic, a liar or as Lord. There are no other reasonable options. If Jesus is not God, then Jesus is the worst of liars and untrustworthy in every way.
To have faith in Christ, you need to know who Jesus Is! Jesus goes on and reveals who He Is to this Samaritan woman.
Verse 11 she says, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? She noticed that Jesus did not have a bucket to lower into the well. FYI: We know today that this well was over 100 feet deep.
She then asked, Where can you get this living water? She must have thought this living water was something special. Maybe she thought I wouldn’t have to come here every day. Maybe this living water was the fountain of life. She does not really understand, but she is curious and has a desire to get this living water. I am afraid that she was still thinking in the physical realm.
Yet, since she was curious, she then asked, verse 12, 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? In other words, can you provide water that is greater than what this well can provide? She is curious and desires something better.
Jesus responds to her verses 13, 14a, Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.
Physical water only satisfies for a brief time as you get thirsty again. Living water lasts.
Jesus explains, end of verse 14, Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
This living water is a continual source of life that the indwelling Holy Spirit supplies to believers. It’s active and always flowing. There may be times of greater and lesser flow, but it never dries up.
I love the words from Revelation 21:5-7, He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. Note Revelation 22:1-3.
Jesus invites this woman and each of you to come and drink his living water. This water will change your life. It will give you hope beyond this sick, sinful, death stinking world.
Verse 15, Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.
She still did not understand, but she asked for it (Note Matthew 13:18-23). She was thirsty. Her response reflects a sincere interest in what Jesus is offering. (Note verse 10).
Principle 3: Ask to be filled with the living water, the Holy Spirit! Drink deeply and regularly from God’s well, the Living Water.
A homeless man attended a church service at a shelter. As the group was singing the song, As the Deer Paneth for the Water, David, a homeless man started weeping. 'That's what I want, man' he said. 'I want that water. I'm an alcoholic and I want to be healed.'"
Max Lucado shares a simple but powerful prayer he calls ‘The W-E-L-L Prayer.” The prayer outlines four essential fluids for soul hydration: God's work, God's energy, His Lordship, and His love. You'll find the prayer easy to remember. Just think of the word W-E-L-L.
"Lord, I come thirsty. I come to drink, to receive. I receive your Work on the cross and in your resurrection. My sins are pardoned, and my death is defeated.
“I receive your Energy. Empowered by your Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
“I receive your Lordship. I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that hasn't passed through You.
“And I receive Your Love. Nothing can separate me from Your love."
We all need to go to the W-E-L-L of God’s provision.
In the rest of this passage, Jesus wanted her to understand (Please note Matthew 13:18-23) what she was asking for and how she can drink deeply and regularly from God’s well, the Living Water.
Verse 16 Jesus told her, Go, call your husband, and come back.
Instead of trying to explain to the woman again the difference between physical water and living water, he tells her to go get her husband. Jesus moves to the deepest level of this woman’s need, her need for cleansing from sin. To do this, He gently exposes sin in her life. He begins by telling her to bring her husband.
In verse 17, she was honest with Jesus. I have no husband. She could have turned away. But she didn’t. She stayed there in the presence of Jesus and confessed. When we are honest with Jesus, we’re allowing Christ to enter into that place of brokenness.
Then at the end of verse 17 and verse 18, Jesus agrees with the woman. Then reveals His omniscience by informing the woman that she had five husbands and the man she is now with is not her husband. The one she is with presently is probably married to some other woman. Jesus pointed out her sinfulness.
I think it would be a little unnerving to have a perfect stranger uncover the sins of your past and present! Please note-Jesus lovingly tells her about her sin.
Principle 4: If you want to drink deeply and regularly from God’s well, the Living Water, you have to be honest with God and yourself. Acknowledge/confess to God that you’re a sinner.
If you are going to drink living water, then you need to understand your sinfulness. Before the bondage of your will can be broken, before you can be released from the dominion of darkness and your fallen nature, you must grasp your own sinfulness/weaknesses! One needs to examine oneself and recognize your issues, your weaknesses, your sinfulness.
Recognize the past garbage, the sin, the dirt, the grief, the pain of this life that hinders you or prevents you and truly see and trust the Lord. Then repent and apply I John 1:9 states, If we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
The woman in verse 19 realizes that she is talking to at least a prophet. 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Then in verses 20-22, it is indicated that she wanted to know where was the proper place to worship. Should you worship on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem? She wanted to know from this prophet which way was right. Jesus then tells her that change is coming.
Verse 23, 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.
Verse 24, Jesus states that God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. Jesus twice repeats, true worshipers must worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
Principle 5: If you want to drink deeply and regularly from God’s well, the Living Water, then worship the Lord in spirit and in truth!
Verse 25, The woman said, I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. She believed the Messiah was coming. She also was confident that the Messiah would explain everything.
Verse 26, Then Jesus declared, I, the one speaking to you—I am he.
Wow! What a statement!! Jesus declared that He is the Messiah. This woman came to believe and understand who Jesus Is! As a result, if you read the rest of John 4, she went back and told the whole town about Jesus.
Principle 6: If you want to drink deeply from God’s well, the Living Water, then understand and have the desire to know Jesus to even a greater extent!
As most of you know, I love what Paul writes in Philippians 3:9-10a, What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—
When I was in 5th grade, I remember doing a dumb skit at school’s talent show. There was a glass of water on one side of the stage. Then one person who come out on stage crying for water…. then another…another…then the last person would finally make it to the glass of water where he pulled out his comb and combed his hair…. Sometimes, we do the same thing with Jesus. We want him to satisfy our own selfish desires.
Jesus offers to satisfy you with Living water! He will give you joy in your trials; a spirit of love to overcome your anger and bitterness; a spirit of power and courage to overcome your fear, a spirit of self-control to control your immoral passions. As you allow the spring of water to flow in your life you will learn contentment when you have unfulfilled expectations. This living water will put you on the road to become emotionally and spiritually healthy. Plus, you will spend eternal life in God’s kingdom.
Jesus invites you to come. As Revelation 22:17 states, The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
He invites you to come and take the free gift of living water. Will you come and take Jesus as the Lord of your life?
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