A thirsty life and living water( John 4:7-15)
Throughout our lifetime, there are many things that we need. We need a suitable environment and condition. We need financial stability, status and etc. Isn’t that right? However, unfortunately, we can’t obtain all these things just because we want them. At a time like this, we feel anxious and we feel the thirst. Also, even if we’ve acquired all these things, we would still feel the life’s vanity and emptiness. Whether we’re rich or poor, we still have to deal with life’s trouble. In today’s text, a Samaritan woman is a good example of us living the thirsty life. I am not sure what the reason was but this woman changed husband five times to find happiness but she felt thirstier. When the woman met Jesus at Jacob’s well, she said, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty.” I believe this is the confession of people living in the present day. You and I feel the thirst in our lives too. Therefore, I would like us to receive grace with a sermon titled, “A thirsty life and living water.” I pray God’s grace fill your spirit.
First of all, let’s think about why our lives are thirsty? There are three reasons. First, it is because of sins. Second, it is because of lack of God’s word. Third, it is because we don’t follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. First, when God created this world, He had created it good. God’s purpose for creating humans was to have us give glory to God and rule the world with goodness. Nevertheless, the first humans, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God’s rule and crossed the line. It’s like the train derailing on the track. If a train derails, what come next are, death, shouting and pain. Since the present day people have derailed from God’s order, we suffer from thirst and pain. Second, the thirst comes from lack of God’s word. Amos 8:11 says, “The days are coming, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine through the land- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” Today, the people in the present day have wealth, status and pleasure. So, why are they in famine? Like Korea, the youngsters in U.S. have lost the life’s worth and they are wandering. Why is that? That is because they are lacking God’s word. The schools, classrooms and auditoriums don’t like to teach God’s word. Therefore, in order to go to school, the youngsters have to pay the price by rejecting or not learning God’s word. Due to this, the communist countries are ruined and they are not sincere because they don’t have God’s word. An individual that rejects God’s word is a thirsty life. A nation that rejects God’s word is a thirsty nation. God speaks to us. Let’s read Isaiah 55:1-2 together. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the riches of fare.” I believe only in God’s word we will have the ability to avoid the famine. Third, we need to be led by the Holy Spirit. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God guided and protected them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. In the present day, the Holy Spirit comes to us and protects us by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. However, the people disobey the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Due to this, do you know that we feel thirsty and we feel the emptiness in life? On occasion, we disobey the Holy Spirit’s guidance and live according to our will. We live according to our thoughts and carnal desires. The bible tells us that this is like the sin of divination and the evil of idolatry. (1 Samuel 15:23) Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” If we neglect God’s word and disobey the Holy Spirit due to our sins, we can’t escape the thirsty life.”
Secondly, how can we find the living water in the thirsty life? Let’s find out the ways. That is, first, to meet Jesus Christ. In today’s text, since the Samaritan woman met Jesus Christ, she found solutions to her life problems and soul problems. She was afraid to be in the public eye so she avoided being in public. It was hard for her to even go out and draw water from the well. In the old days in Korea, the ladies at the well often gossiped. I think that’s how it used to be in Israel, too. Therefore, she went to the well at the hour when nobody came. Although she changed her husband five times, her life became more difficult. When she chose her last husband, she had the hopes of spending the rest of her life with him. But she found out that he was a married man. This is so appalling. Even if she wanted to cry, her tears were dried up. Her body and soul were exhausted. Then, she met Jesus. Jesus came to her. He was waiting to meet her at the well. Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” When she heard this, her thoughts had changed and her life had changed. She was born again as a new being. The woman who was avoiding people stood in front of people. She shouted, “I know that Messiah is coming.” Not only she is born again but also she became the messenger of God’s word. The verses 28-30 tell us this. Let’s read these verses together. “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 Christ? They came out of the town and made their way toward him.” Yes, that is right. I believe the only way for us to find solution to our life’s trouble is to meet Jesus Christ in our life. Second, it is to pray. By praying, we receive the ability to get rid of life’s thirst. If we look at verse 15, it says, “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.” She realizes that she’s in a hopeless situation and she’s desperately pleading to Jesus. What is a prayer? A prayer is to earnestly express our wishes to Jesus. This is indeed a prayer. The bible tells us this (Philippians 4:6) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Don’t think that prayer is difficult. When we pray, we are to tell God about our present situation and condition. Don’t be mistaken by thinking that God will be pleased with a prayer full of beautiful words. We believe that God answers better to the tax collector’s prayer than the Pharisee’s. For example, it is like a baby, who can hardly talk, getting all the love from his mom just with his crying. If we just ask earnestly, “O Lord, I need this and that,” God will listen to us and answer our prayers.
Dear congregation, I’ll end here. The Samaritan woman appealed her thirsty life to Jesus. What about our life? Are we suffering from the thirst in our life? Jesus waited to meet the wounded woman. Today, I believe Jesus waits for us. The Lord speaks to us. (Jeremiah 33:3) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” I pray in the name of the Lord that all of you meet Jesus and get rid of the life’s thirst by drinking the living water and live a bountiful life.
By, Rev. Samuel Choi