What Does It Mean to Encounter God | Pr Gloria Paul

You're listening to a message to go from Acts Church. We hope this message

will light up your team. From the Book of John, chapter four,

and to give you a bit of context. Okay, the Book of John

is one of the Gospels, right, so we have Matthew, Mark,

Luke and John. Matthew, Mark and Luke is quite similar if you look

at the stories and you know the timeline and how is it return. Yeah,

the Book of John can be a little bit different because if you know

John the disciple, he regards himself as the most favorite disciple. Okay,

how many of you actually have siblings, Sue would say, Oh, mom

loves me the most or dad loves me the most, right, Yeah,

and it's always a rivalry between siblings, and it was who John is,

Okay, but I admire his confidence because he could borely say that God Jesus

loves me the most, I'm the most favorite. That just shows how much

your doss Jesus. You know how much he enjoyed being with him. And

so it is written a little bit different. Yeah, and you can see

that it starts off. You know, if you're if you have not read

the Book of John, encourage you in fact, it's a very good book

to start off with. Yeah, you will see that. The first chapter,

it's about John the Baptists, who comes, you know, who tries

to introduce who Jesus is, you know, to the world and what the

Word of God is. And then it goes on with the very first miracle

that Jesus performed. Anyone knows what's the first miracle that Jesus did. Yes,

he turned water into wine, right, So that was the first encounter.

And then he goes on traveling with his disciple. So at this point,

Jesus already had many followers, you know, just like there were many

teachers different rubby they called them the rabbis. At that point, there were

people who were following him to different places reading the word. More people were

coming to know him because they knew Jesus as the son of Mary and Joseph.

But now they begin to see him performing miracles, right. And this

was the group of people who were waiting for the Messiah, you know.

So they encountered God as the father of Abraham, you know, who Moses,

who the God where Moses served to free the Eastraelites. And they knew

that there was a messiah coming. But not coming yet. Okay. So

this was a group of people that were figuring out like who's this Messiah,

Who's this person is going to come and save us? Like what our our

fathers was telling us, you know, so imagine with me, you know

this, this is that kind of a crowd. Okay. Um, some

have started believing that Jesus is the Messiah. Some were still figuring out right,

and just like what we are living in the kind of community that we're

living in. We have different races represented, right, and I mean we've

got to be thankful that at least in Malaysia, things are a little bit

more peaceful. Um, not much of rivalry. You know, yes we

hear racist stories, but not as how it is in different parts of the

world, you know, where it where it ends up with war and fights.

M But when it happened in Jesus's time, Um, there was such

conflicts between the different ethnics, different backgrounds, you know, different tribal So

some were more of the prominent ones, like the Jews. You know,

they were like the high class atas people you know, it used to be

dressed up well, people respect them, you know, and and the pride

that they had. Um, and then of course we had like the Samaritans,

um, you know, where they see them as more outcast ones,

you know, because of their background, the kind of jobs that they used

to do, not as how it is for the others. Yeah. So

this was the kind of community that were there, okay, and people were

figuring out and looking for someone to believe in the Messiah. Yeah. So

in in the book of John four, we seem an encounter that Jesus has

with this woman and it's a Samaritan woman of all people. Yeah. And

as we know Jesus as a Jew, okay, and people see he saw

him, that they knew his background, who he is. And so when

this scene took place, Okay, just imagine with me as we go through

as we read the scripture. In a bit, we have the disciples walking

with Jesus and then they come to this place where Jesus was all by himself

with the woman. Okay. So in fact, the scene, the story

tells us how Jesus was there and then the Samaritan woman comes to fetch water

and then the conversation starts. Right. So let's just read the scripture and

then we'll take it from there. Gave xt can help me with that.

Yeah, John four was one I'm bringing from the NNALT version, he says.

Yeah. Jesus knew the Pharisees had hurt that he was baptizing and making

more disciples than John. So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He

had to go through Samara on the way. Eventually he came into the Sumar

written village of Sakar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son.

Joseph was six. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired from the

long walk, sat verily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Summar written

woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, please give me

a drink. He was alone at that time because the disciples had gone into

the village to buy some food. Let's just pause there so we can have

the context against is Jacob's well so meaning it's not any other well, but

it's Jacob because even the fact that it says Jacob is meaning that is how

they they regarded the place. You know, our ancestors, our fathers built

this for us, and so their belief was very much founded on all this.

Okay, and it says that Jesus was tired, he wanted to rest.

He took a rest, and he was all by himself, no other

disciples, so it was just between him and then the woman comes in and

then he would say, give me water. Right in fact, the time,

yeah, it says that it's during the noon. Okay, but if

you know history, or if you've watched movies, you will you will know

that you know, when women fetch water, they go in groups. They

don't go by themselves. In fact, it's like their fun gossip time,

you know, but they talk about what's latter's you know, who did what?

Right, So it's there, it's their time to bond. But over

here the scripture says that she came all by herself and it was during the

noon. Can you imagine the heat in the afternoon. Okay, she she's

walking and so the usual time of watching what would be in the morning because

they need the water for the day, or maybe later in the evening when

the sun has gone right, but this was striking hot and she brings,

um, you know, a pot to actually feel water. So it's a

very odd timing. Yeah, so this talks a little bit about the woman.

Okay, she's a Samaritan, and she didn't want to face anyone.

She wanted to just be by herself, which, like I said, it's

not common. Okay. She didn't want to encounter other women, she didn't

want to have conversations, she didn't want to be seen, and so that

is why she went out during this time. Yeah, okay, let's continue

reading here. Okay, it says Jesus says, okay, soon as in

verse seven, it says, soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water and

Jesus said to her, please give me a drink. He was all alone

at that time because disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

The woman was surprised for Jews refused to have anything to do with the Samaritans.

Now you remember, right, there's always a conflict between these two groups.

So for a Jew to speak to a Samaritan, it's like, what

do you want from me? You know you get in imagine she could be

shocked, should be like confused, right, why why is this person infect

She doesn't know that Jesus. Okay, So the confusion is there. And

she said to Jesus, you are a Jew and I'm a summer written,

woman, why are you asking me for a drink? Because it's not the

culture? Right? And then worse ten, Jesus replied, if you only

knew the give God has for you and who you are speaking to, you

would ask me and I would give you living water. So look at the

respond God gives. I mean Jesus gives. Right, he's asking water and

she says, why would you want it? And then she says, I

can give you living water. I mean if someone tells you that, or

would you how would you respond? We're talking about water here, quencin toters

and ay, you're talking to me about living water and you're a Jew.

Can you imagine the confusions that might be in a hit? Right? Okay?

And then she continues in worse eleven. But sir, you don't have

a rope or a bucket, she said, And she's being practical, right,

I mean you don't have You're talking about living water, but you're here

without a rope or a bucket, and this well is very deep. Where

would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you are

greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you

offer better water than he? And his sons and his animals enjoyed. Jesus

replied, anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those

who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a

flesh bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. Right in. Our

response was fifteen, please, sir. The woman said, give me this

water, and I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come

here to get water. And then he doesn't stop there. He says,

go and get your husband. Jesus told her, do you do think it's

a bit odd for her to actually say go and get your husband, because

you're talking about water here, still, right? But she responds, I

don't have her husband. The woman replied, Then Jesus said, you're right,

you don't have a husband, for you've had five husbands and you aren't

even married to the man you're living with. Now. You certainly spoke the

truth, sir. The woman said, you must be a prophet to tell

me. Why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place

of worship while we Samaritans claim it here at Mound Jerism, where our ancestors

worshiped. Okay, as we paused there, you can see the conversation where

it's leading, right, So she didn't stop the conversation. She kept asking

questions. In fact, when she said in the scripture, just now,

God give me the water, we wouldn't know if she's saying it out of

you know, being sarcastic, or either she mean it. Okay, where's

this conversation going? And then he pops off the question about your husband,

and then he reveals what's going on, right, and from that she knows

that, Okay, this is not just an ordinary man, he's a prophet

because he knows what's going on in my life. Yeah, and so this

speaks a little bit more about this woman, the background she comes from,

you know, and the reason why she was at a very odd time coming

to fetch water when no one else is there. She said that the hot

afternoon because of her lifestyle, the number of husbands she's had, she's living

with someone not married, you know, so you can just imagine there's a

lot of things going on behind. Yeah. So she continued asking the question

because of again maybe just wanting to know more, like who's this guy,

because it's supposed to worship here and then you're here. She's trying to get

some clarity there, and Jesus replied in worse to anyone. Let's read this

last part. It says, Jesus, believe media woman. The time is

coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain

or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship,

while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

But the time is coming. Indeed, it's year now when true worshippers will

worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those

who will worship him, and that way for God's spirit. So those who

worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Right in spirit and in

truth. So if you can just again imagine the story, the scene,

how the conversation started, and how it kind of it was little in the

middle of it. They had other things going on after that, but how

it was leading on right Jesus not talking about worshipping in spirit and in truth.

What can we learn from this passage? You know, what can we

learn about the encounter that this woman had with Jesus and how did Jesus actually

even reach out to her. You look at a couple of pointers here today,

right now, the first part of this passage, we see how Jesus

asked the summar Witten woman water. Okay, if you think about God and

having an encounter with God, or if you're blessing someone with the gift,

it's most of the time us just giving, right, right, So you

end out this gift to the person, Oh, happy birthday, this gift

is for you, or you say, okay, I want to pray for

you. So you stretch out your hand and you pray for the person.

But do you see what Jesus does here. He was asking something from this

woman, right, I mean, he's Jesus. I'm sure you could fetch

his own water. I'm sure you could have asked his disciples to get him

water. But he was very intentional to send off his disciples. And then

he said, by the well, waited for this woman. And then he

asked, could you give me water? Right? And I'm just reminded of

how Jesus reach us out to us, the way Jesus reach us out to

us. It's not about just at all. Okay, I pray for you

or I bless you. But most of the time Jesus is concerned with the

condition of our hearts. Are we in a position where we are ready to

even receive what God is giving to us? Right? Because He could be

speaking to us now, right, all of us sited here. He can

be telling you something for the season of your life. But if our mind

is is somewhere else, we will miss that, right, we will miss

what He's trying to tell us. And Jesus had to start off that conversation

to kind of get to her. And what was the closest water because that

is what she does her routine, a normal routine. Right. You didn't

have to find a very fancy way of reaching to her. But it was

true her usual day and time that he came to her. Right. And

the interesting thing about this asking for water is not first time found in the

Bible. Okay, if you're familiar enough the different stories, we can see

how this happened with Rebecca. You know, when they were looking for a

wife, okay, and she was in the in the well, they asked

for water, and so the way she offered water, she said, Okay,

I'll give you water and I will feed your camels. Then they kind

of know that, Okay, this is a good candidate, you know,

and then she she was brought brought to the family. Yeah, the same

thing happened between Elijah and the widow. When Elijah wanted to pray for the

widow's son, the first thing he asked was for water, and when the

widow said, I have nothing, but she gave all that she had,

and that is when the sun eventually received healing. Yeah, so asking for

water seems to be like a way of ministering, a way of seeing what's

in the condition of the heart to the person that you are reaching out to.

Right, And this just reminds us how you know, God is interested

so much with what we have to offer to him. And I say offered

to him meaning our thoughts right our heart. Are we positioning ourselves to say,

Okay, God, I am ready to be ministered by you. I'm

ready to receive this word. You know how many of you when you come

to church you say that, pray and say, God speak to me today.

Because it's all about positioning ourselves, because it's so easy for us to

be somewhere else. I can tell you, I'm sure there's some minds are

all over. You know, it can be present, but I have to

complete this work. I have homebook to be done, right, what's for

lunch? All these thoughts, But it takes a lot of intention, being

intentional to say, God, I want to hear from you today. What

is it that you're showing me? What is it that you're teaching me?

Yeah, And he had to bring that laid the woman in that place because,

first of all, remember the culture differences, right, because it's just

so odd for a Jew and a samar return to speak. And what more,

a background like hers where people will regard as even more an outcast.

You know, she's a sinful person if we shouldn't go near her. And

so that is why later on and the disciple sees Jesus with her, they'll

be like, what's going on with this guy talking to her? Right of

all people, she's a sinful person. But that didn't mean anything to Jesus

because he was concerned of ministering to her daughter, to his daughter, right,

And so when he asked for water, it's about you know, God

is asking, you know, He's wanting to reach out to her, and

that itself opened up the conversations to go on before that. Yeah, the

conversation to go on before that. And we're going to encourage your church from

this as we see how Jesus reached out, as there have been a time

when God is asking you of something, right, because sometimes when we ask

God, we always just wait, like God, Okay, yes, I'm

waiting, I'm waiting for this blessing. I'm waiting for this open door.

But are we ready to give ourselves first? You know? Are we ready

to give our time to maybe let go of certain things. Our schedules can

be just so packed. Then how are we going to take time to listen

to him? Right? How are we going to time to learn from the

world when we don't even have time to do that to be silent? Right?

Our world has gone so fast that we run from one task to another

that we sometimes forget how to breathe right. But if you want to encounter

God, you've got to make space. And I can see that this woman

made space. She could turn out to be something else. She could have

run away, she could have just been silent, because remember she was trying

to avoid people, what more a Jew. But she just had conversation.

And I would like to think that she may be offered water to him because

standis would be so tasty and you wouldn't be able to continue speaking, right,

So she could have offered, right, and she continued the conversation.

So something for us to think about. You know, when Jesus reaches out,

In fact, he's always reaching out to you. Do you know that.

Yeah, He's always waiting for opportunities. Don't think that I am nothing.

I am too small, right, I am not seen. You may

be trying to hide away from the world, like how this lady did,

but God still finds you. You can be hiding under your bit, You'll

still pull you out and he speaks to you. Right, So Jesus is

reaching out to you. Amen. Now the second thing that we can see

here is the Samaritan woman response. How did she respond? Because only when

she asked those questions, And if you look at those questions again, she

talked about the Jews. She talked about what fathers ancestors had taught them.

So where do we worship? Then, you know you're a Jew? Why

are you asking me water? So these questions were not like okay, like

right, immediately obedience, you know, okay, speak to me Lord.

It was not that but there was confusion, there was doubts, but she

didn't stop, right, she just kept asking, like, Okay, you're

here, you're speaking to me, so I'm going to ask you. She

went from one question to the next question. And that is how Jesus was

able to minister to her. And how many of us actually have those conversations

with God. And it's okay to bring those trouble thoughts to him, you

know, it's not just waiting to hear that beautiful prayer. You know,

like sometimes some would say, well, I don't know how to pray,

what words to use? Just use whatever words you know. In fact,

he knows what's in your thoughts before you even say it. Do you know

that? Right? You can? If you can express it best in songs,

just do that. If you can express it through dance, just do

that right. If you can express it true drawing, do that whichever way.

Because he knows every language, he knows how to reach to his turn.

But it's a matter of whether are you making it a two way conversation?

Are you communicating with him two ways or is it just one way?

Right? So how do we respond when he reaches out to us? Think

about the last time he reached out to you, Has it been a very

long time? Does it mean that if we should just change the way we

position ourselves so that he can respond, he can communicate with us. Yeah,

we all know that a successful communication when it happens two ways. It

shouldn't be just one person asking question one is going to do all the talking.

Then it's not no difference, right, But it's always two ways.

And that is what was happening between this lady. And if you look at

this Hemoritian woman, she's not the best of all examples, but yet she

encountered him, right, And that's the beauty of it. He doesn't just

go to all those who are ready. He went to those who were lost.

He went to those who are figuring live out thinking that my life is

messed up, but he went to them. Yeah, he went to them.

And the third thing that we can see here about Jesus is that his

timing is always right. Remember we spoke about the time that she stepped out

to fetch water. It was bright on a sunny day in the noon when

no one else would have come out. So why would he then be there

waiting for water if he's thirsty? Right, because he would be figuring out.

Yeah, I mean, it's not part of a culture that anyone would

be coming out at that time. In fact, you would have asked someone

else to get him water. But yet he was waiting there, right,

So it was a very odd time, but yet a very timely encounter.

Think about that. Yeah, And the same thing is for us. Sometimes

we think that, Okay, God speaks only in a setting like this in

a church, you know, or when a pastor praise, then I encounter

God, or when I'm all holy and perfect, then he speaks to me.

But was it all in the lady's life? Nothing was there, right,

She was caught in a messed up background, She was figuring live out,

she was staying away from people. But yet God's timing is perfect,

right, God's timing is perfect. And this just reminds us that he does

not need any special occasions. You know, he doesn't need a big revival

meeting for you to encounter him. In fact, it doesn't have to be

in a church. Could be in your quiet time in your bedroom, when

you're all by yourself and you're figuring live out. He meets you, He

speaks to you. Yeah, and I'm reminded of how he even speaks to

those who might be faithfully doing what you're doing every day. Yeah, some

of us, I mean, we work really hard, you know, we

have busy schedules, and yeah, you're doing it faithfully day after day.

It could be a routine. You're doing it for your family or doreeing it

for someone and yet caring burdens and you know, God can still speak to

you at those times. Yeah, he still speaks to you when you're faithfully

doing what you're doing in your routines. Right. When he wants to speak,

he does it. But are we ready to listen? Are we ready

to encounter him? Yeah? I'm not too sure if this lady was ready,

Okay, but looking at the questions she had, she might have had

different doubts in a mind which she may not have anyone to ask. And

because she got this opportunity of this guy out of nowhere coming and asking water,

she just blooded all those questions. Like so that's why you saw the

questions were from all sorts about what she knows, what she thinks? Who

are you? She just asked, right, and those questions brought her that

encounter. Right, So he's timing. Some of you might be waiting for

something, waiting for a breakthrough, waiting to say like or is it never

ending? Just trusting his timing, you know, is the utter and the

finisher of our fate is the beginning and the end. So what he has

started in you today, wherever you are, he will carry you true.

Yeah, he will bring you true to the next destination. He will bring

you to the next job, the next life, the next whatever it is.

He will bring you true. But it's just a matter of whether we

are going to trust this process. We may not know where or what,

but we know who is holding our future. Yeah. His timing is always

right. And the thing about timing when we speak about it, is that

it's not with the way we see timing. You know, like how the

world says, you know, you are in your thirties, you've got to

figure live out, You've got to buy your new house, you've got to

settle down. Right, this is how the world, the culture has taught

us. But his timing is different. Right, The way he thinks is

different because he knows what's best. And all of us remember we are our

own track road. You know, we're running a race. We are not

running the same track, right, because we're gonna just clash with each other.

That is why runners have their own track. So we can be running

towards the same destination. We could be running with our same God. But

yet we all have different strength, we all have different ability. He so

let's be focused with that, right, Let's focus on our trek, not

comparing with the left and right, who's better, who's faster, but what

God has for me. Yeah, He's timing is perfect. And when the

timing happens right, when he's timing is the perfect one. We see that

he's able to offer, right, He's able to give what no man could

give. That brings us to the fourth point. He offers you what no

man could give, which is the leaving water. So remember about this lady.

She's been searching. You know, she's not one husband, she had

five husbands. In fact, she's living with someone that was not even a

husband. I mean that speaks a lot, right, I mean it doesn't

clearly talk about a pass in an elaborated way, but that just speaks about

what she's searching. You know, why was she just staying away from people?

Yeah, she was searching for love maybe, right, she's looking for

temporary fix to feel a void one break up to the next. Yeah,

she was looking for something that could just keep her going, you know,

but none of it could sustain her. You know, none of it could

last. And that is why she was at that place of needing something that

could last. And that is when Jesus promises her living water that never runs

dry. Yeah, and some of us here could be there. You know,

we're trying to find temporary fix. I'm tired, and I just do

that temporary fix, okay, But I'll be feeling our spiritual life. How

we nourishing ourselves. Are we feeling that water that sustains okay, because the

physical can can just bear off at one point. In fact, we are

going to wear off, you know, all our youth here. You're not

going to be always youthful. There will be one day that you're gonna lose

our strength, right, But what keeps you going is the living water living

in you, that keeps you going, that sustains right. And so in

Isaiah twelve tree, it says we joy you will drink deeply from the fountain

of salvation. In Isaiah for the four tree, it says, for I'll

pour out water to quench your tists and to irrigate your patched fields. And

I will pour out my spirit on your descendants and my blessings on your children.

And that is the living water. When you take it, it overflows

to your descendants, to your family. It lasts, it sustains. And

that is why sometimes the prayers we say for ourselves for our families are very

important. You know, we're not just saying it for ourselves, but we're

telling it to the generations to come. You know, if you're a parent

here, pray for your family, Pray for your children, Pray for your

spouse, Pray for people that you're living with. Because it overflows. That's

the word of God tells us, I will bless yours sentence. Yeah,

I will bless you overflowingly. Right. So God knows what's your need,

He knows what you are struggling with, and sometimes he may know that you

are running away from trouble. Okay. But the thing is that when you

keep running away, nothing changes, nothing is fixed until you encounter the living

water, just like what this woman encountered. Right she was running away,

She was trying out different relationships, but all that could give her the strength

was the living water right, and Jesus knew that for sure. And we

can see this even in the Book of Revelation. You know that that's the

beautiful thing about scriptures. If you read it, you will see how it

was propheside in the Old Testament, how it takes place where because in the

Old Testament, when we read the scripture earlier in Isaiah forty four three,

we're talking about leaving water right being prophees side. And then we've seen the

Book of John as we are reading that the living water came, the living

water was speaking, was reaching out to minister right. And then if we

read the Book of Revelation, it reminds us of the second Coming, that

Jesus is to come again and again about the living water right, so that

itself brings so much power to God's word. You know, in Revelation seven

seventeen, Okay, Revelation seven seventeen, it says, for the lamb on

the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life

giving water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes, every tear

from their eyes. Springs of life giving water were living water that gives life

to the abundance. Yeah, that is what the living water does. So,

meaning this is our hope as believe us. I'm sure most of us.

I believe us here right, and we know that the Second Coming is

there. We are living towards eternity, and meaning we have this hope.

That is not that we are just living with living water now that keeps us

going. But he is to come as well, second coming, right,

and we are preparing ourselves for that. In Revelation twenty one six, he

says it is finished. Is from Jesus, Yeah, it is finished.

I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. To all

who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of

life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will

be their God, and they will be their children. What is the word

of God? Say? I'm the beginning and the end, the Alpha and

Omega. And so if you're here sitting thinking what's going to happen in the

future, just know that he is the end. He is the Omega,

is the altar and the finisher of our faith. So if he has chosen

you, he's given you this life it is not for just for fun.

Yeah, you're not just created Okay, I just made this person to be

good looking, that's it. He created you for a purpose. He created

you for a reason, and no matter what life control to you that makes

you feel like giving up at times, don't hold on to death, because

remember who holds your future, God, and what He has started in you,

he will bring it to accomplishment. All we've got to do is just

be ready to be ministered, to encounter him a man. Hope you're getting

something out of this church, Yeah, just to also encourage you to deepen

your understanding the word of God. You know, the only reason why we

can sometimes miss out from encountering God is when we don't know his word or

where we get so confused with the teachings of the world. Yeah, I'm

all in with media and what the media has to offer, but there's just

a lot of confusion as well. Remember Past the match shared with us last

week about false teachers, and false teachers comes in different forms. You've got

to know that it doesn't just come in scary forms. Yeah, weird looking,

but they can come in the most deceiving way as well. Scrolling through

your social media and a message pops out right and you think that it's the

truth. But is it the truth? Is it what God's word is telling?

When you hear a voice voice that is just bringing you down, can

you like for sure say that or is it a God's voice or the enemy?

Can I discern? So we've got to have a self check. You

know, if I'm put in a place where I need to know what's the

truth. When I say truth meaning God's word, would I confidently say that

this is from God or not from God? Is this God word or just

a lie? Because that would determine how much I know my God. Yeah,

so let's not fall to the lies of the enemy is always trying to

mess up with our thoughts, you know, it always messes up with our

thoughts first, and from our thoughts everything else. So let's take captive.

The World of God reminds us to take captive of our thoughts, meaning don't

let it to a way. But the moment you find your mind wavering all

the way we have gone to not southeast west, come back, come back

to what the world of God tells. Pray and say, God, I

want clarity. I'm not meant to leave a confused life, not anxious,

but sound mind. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. That's

what the Word of God tells. Okay, So let's be very watchful.

They're living in a time and age where things are very confusing. With the

growth of knowledge, you know, we've got to figure out what is right

and what is wrong and the only way is true. God's it, okay.

And so with that, I just want to encourage your church. Also

in church, we have so many resources. We have our apps, class

going on. Things are broken down in a very simplified way. So if

you can sit and study the Bible all by yourself, I know it's not

the easiest to sit down and start and read and understand. Let someone teach

you, let someone walk with you. But you've got to just search out

for that, you know. So we have online classes, you know,

we have classes from the most basic foundation or what the Bible is, to

what is a deeper ones about revelation. We have all of that. But

just join in, you know, just just make it a goal for yourselves

that I want to see some growth to my faith. Don't just this technan

like how you were in Sunday School, right you don't want to remain You

want to keep growing. You want to keep knowing God even deeper. Yeah,

so this is an encouragement for you. He offers you the living water.

And so if you're searching for a revive, you know you want to

encounter God. Remember, the living water is made available. It's like a

juck display there, and it's a matter of whether you want to offer your

glass and say, okay, Jesus poil that water to my cup, right,

because it's always there, is offering it to you. Yeah. And

the last part, as we can see here. You know, once this

woman gets so excited and she says, Okay, give me this water so

that I will never go dry, right, I'll never turst again. And

then Jesus says about worshiping in spirit and in truth. So what does the

living water due to us? It allows us to worship in spirit and in

truth. That's the whole purpose. Remember, our ultimate purpose is to worship

God and worship And I say it's not just about singing. Singing is one

form of it, but worshiping God through our lives. The choices we make,

the interactions we have, you know, even the decisions we take do

you know that it's about worshiping God. Meaning before I make a major decision,

I first ask God, I honor him. I ask him God,

is this what you want me to do? And he gives you clarity.

Right, So we are called to be worshipers first, and that is what

Jesus reminds her. It's to worship in spirit and in truth. In verse

twenty four. Okay, it says for God is spirit, so those who

worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Okay. And when you

worship in spirit, and it should, it means you are set free.

You experience freedom. Do you remember the last time you fell so free?

You know? Happy? If you're seeing children running around, we miss Allison

and our little kids today running around. Yeah, but do you see how

care free they are. They can run around, they can put in different

uh, they can they can be anyone they want to be. Right,

they can be a police one day, they can be a teacher one day.

They're just so free, care free, you know. And that is

what the world of God always reminds us. To be like a child,

childlike faith. Okay. That means you are not concerned about the worries of

the world. Yeah, because yes they are worries, but you cast your

cares and to God and you are free. Right, you're free because not

just because I want to make it up, but because I'm free within,

I can worship in spirit. God is spirit, you know that Holy Spirit

leavesiness and it's just higher us. Even reading this, now we are the

temple of God, you know, so, meaning does God living us?

There's the spirit of God living us. Because if He lives in us,

our entire respond to life. It's going to be different. Right, It's

like a different hardware put in you, updated one that is so fast,

so quick, the latest. So how would you respond to things? Then

you'll be fast? Right, you are free because the Holy Spirit leaves you.

Right, the Holy Spirit leaves in you. So are we living our

lives To say that, oh, this lady looks like you know, God

is in her because that's how she responds to things. So this guy looks

like that does it represent? So you don't have to say it in words,

but just your movement and your actions shows who God is in your life.

That he takes the number one place, right, he takes the number

one place. And you know, do you know what happens when you worship

in spirit and in truth. Because she had the experience of leaving water,

she knows that, Okay, this is Messiah. I have hope, I

am set free. And what did she do next? Okay, what did

she do next? In the final part of the story, she says,

here, okay, okay. In verse twenty five, let's read that.

It says, okay, I know the Messiah is coming, the one who

is called Christ. And then it verse twenty six, Jesus tells, I

am the Messiah. So now she knows who the Messiah is. Okay,

and then she goes on, we see over here, okay. In verse

twenty seven, okay, the disciples comes back. Okay, they see this

whole scene. Okay. And then in verse thirty nine, okay, it

says verse thurday nine, the same chapter many Samaritans from the village. She

believed in Jesus because the woman had said, he told me everything I ever

did. So she went on to witness. She didn't just keep this joy

within her knowing that she has living water, but she ran. If you

can imagine how she ran to the village for someone who was staying away from

people, and now she's running to people to say the good news. Can

you imagine that kind of emotion she was She felt okay for someone who are

trying to hide away because of shame or because of questions that she may be

getting. But now she's like free. So this is true freedom, right,

this is true freedom because she's not concerned about her past any longer,

because she had an encounter with God. She encountered Jesus for herself, so

she could leave all those society whatever pass baggages and run to the village now

to face a crowd of people and tell them who Jesus is. And I

find that a very beautiful scene. You can just imagine with me how she

encountered God. Yeah, and when you encounter God, that is what happens,

you witness. You just speak to everyone about God. You don't hold

back, You don't worry about what this person going to think about me.

Am I saying the right thing? But you just tell your stories, right,

it becomes so natural to you. This is my God, this is

what he did to me. When you say those things, you don't have

to sound all spiritual. You know, you don't have to be praying in

tongues for the person. Okay, but you're just telling stories like what this

lady did. She said, I found the Messiah because he knows what's going

on in my life. And then it was just a very simple statement,

and people would always of course, they are curious, who's this person?

If you can know your past, and for an outcast person like her freely

telling it, I'm sure that itself. So besides what she said, I

believe a gesture would have spoken louder, right, because this is someone they

have not seen in the crowd, and now for her to be out there

telling and beaming with joy, that would have been even louder. Remember,

action speaks louder, and that is what we see in her right, And

so that's what she says, He told me everything I ever did. And

verse forty, the last portion, let's see this. It says when they

came out, so this is the village. Right after they heard her,

they listened, They were curious. When they came out to see him,

they begged him to stay in their village. Now, let me just remind

you again, you're talking about Samaritans and Jews, people who are not in

good terms, and now they're begging Jesus to stay in their village. Isn't

there an encounter? If it's not, then I'm not sure what it is,

right, A change of perspective, a change of respond Yeah, And

I just want to say this. I just sense that as some of you

here who might be praying for break truts in your families, for a long

time, you've not spoken to each other for whatever reasons. But God has

the ability to bring healing to that. As how this happened between the Jews

and the Samaritans because they could welcome Him just like that, and not a

prophet telling them. We had a Samaritan woman telling them and then embracing Jesus,

a Jew to the village. And if you're here believing for a break

true in a relationship or in a family, can you believe that God is

able to do that? If you could have done it in the Bible,

what more in our lives. Keep pressing on in prayer, keep sharing your

stories. You could be the only believer in your family. But don't stop

speaking the word of God. The moment our mouth is silent, nothing happens.

But because this woman was so bold enough to say, the whole village

begin to embrace and I can only imagine the kind of difference that was there

between these two different ethnics, the Samaritans and the Jews. Yeah, and

they asked him to stay for two days. And then they say to the

woman, Okay, now we believe the village is right. They say to

the woman, Now we believe not just because of what you told us,

but because we hurt him ourselves. Now we know that he's indeed the savior

of the world. Isn't that powerful? Right from a woman who was staying

away from the world, And it's true her. They know who's the savior

of the world. And that is what it means by worshiping in spirit and

in truth. How many of you want to encounter that right, the true

freedom that no one else can give you. You can be trying for so

many years to let go of something, but just that one encounter, that

brief moment. When you look at this conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan,

I'm sure it was not a very long, few days conversation. It was

a brief conversation looking at the questions they had. But in that brief moment,

she encountered God, and not just her, the entire village, And

do you know that you have the same power within you. You can be

that one person in your family, you can be that one person in your

school, that one place, one person in your family. But when you

encounter him, your whole family can encounter him, your whole company can encounter

him. In fact, your whole community can encounter him. What more,

our old nation can encounter him. Right. I hope you've been blessed by

this message. For more information on our church, please visit x church dot

org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this

week is going to be a good week, a hit for you. God bless