ENCOUNTERING JESUS… It’s Time to Quit Searching.

TEXT:                             John 4:39-42kjv (Chp. 4:1-45)

³⁹ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

⁴¹ And many more believed because of his own word;

⁴² And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

INTRODUCTION:

• This is an excerpt from Jesus’ episode with the Samaritan woman by the well.
• We all get thirsty in life at different points in time or during the day.
• However, every one of us chooses different methods or substances with which to quench our thirst.
• While, some will drink water, others may opt for a glass of juice, some others will go for a bottle of soda. Others will rather drink tea or coffee depending on the weather.
• Though we all chose different items, the end desire is the same – To quench our thirst.
•  Regrettably, there is only one item on the list above that is meant to and can conveniently quench thirst.
• Drinking any other substance other than it will leave you craving for more or searching for something else to quench your thirst.
• It’s interesting to note that all the above are liquid drinks that have ‘WATER’ as a common denominator in all of them however, WATER itself stays in its pure nature and devoid of any additives to it. That’s what separates it from the rest and makes it the best thirst quencher.
• The above analogy is a classic example of what happens in life generally.

QUESTION:… What do you drink when you thirst?…. What do you use to quench your thirst? Or are you still searching? STOP THE SEARCH!

Encountering Jesus involves:

1.       TESTIMONY (Others):

• Hearing about Jesus (other People’s testimonies of him)

VS 28-29

⁸ The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, ²⁹ Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

• SEEKING:(Hebrews 11:6)
• Seeking and Coming to Jesus.
• VS 30:  ³⁰ Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

• HEARING: (Romans 10:17, Psalms 119;130, Psalms 119:105, John 17:17)
• Listening to Him through His words.
• Hearing Him and from Him directly
• Searching His word for yourself

• VS 40-41: ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. ⁴¹ And many more believed because of his own word;

• KNOWING:
• Having a Personal knowledge of Him.
• Getting to know Him personally.
• VS 42: ⁴² And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.… ”This is Indeed The Christ”

• REVELATION:
• Gaining Deep Spiritual insight of Him..
• VS 42… “The Saviour of the world

• A Continual interaction with God, leads to a Revelation of God.

• Interaction leads to Revelation.

• The depth of your revelation of Him strengthens and reinforces what you have come to know and believe about Him.

This Was The Same With The Woman…

1. She came seeking and searching
2. She interacted with Jesus. She heard and listened to him.
3. She Got to Know Him better
4. She Had a revelation of Him … “I perceive that Thou at a prophet” ….VS 19

Stop 🛑 The Search ;

• She was thirsty and as a result, she began seeking and searching for what would quench her thirst

• She tried several things including having so many “husbands” with everything that comes with that such as sex, affection, companionships, having so many people in her life, several in-laws, and going to the well over and over and over.

HUSBAND:

• A man to which a woman is married to. A spouse to a woman.
• husband…To conserve resources or use them economically or prudently.

MARRY:

• To join together; combine harmoniously:
• To blend or combine with something:

THE ROLE OF A HUSBAND:

• The Priest                –          Leadership/Headship
• The Prophet             –          Direction
• The Partner             –          Emotional Comfort
• The Provider           –          Meet Needs (Sustainer)
• The Protector         –          Security, Stability

The assertion that she has been ‘MARRIED’ to 5 ‘HUSBANDS’ and now leaving with a sixth one is on one hand literal and on the other hand referring to anything she has been ‘joined to’ or ‘blended with’ (become one with) for the sake of performing the above roles or quenching a certain thirst in her life.

• It could or may have been to sex, to alcohol, to work, to a career, to clubbing, to all forms of addiction, to study, to men, the list goes on.

• Joined to anything in search of companionship, comfort, a sense of belonging, identity, and fulfillment with the intention and desire to attain a lifelong and permanent SATISFACTION which is only found in Jesus Christ.

FILLING THE VOID OR EMPTINESS WITHIN:

•  Her continual thirst kept her searching endlessly.

1. At a point she thought it was coming to the well and drawing water 💦

• Hence, she kept coming back to draw and drink 🍹 from this well.

• But her interaction with Jesus made her realize that what she thought was a solution was only a TEMPORARY FIX which, had no inherent power to permanently quench her thirst.
• She was left WANTING MORE…

• She wanted a permanent solution and so she asked;

VS 15….¹⁵ The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

• Her question reveals to us that she was TIRED  OF SEARCHING
• Tired of running around endlessly
• Tired of running 🏃‍♀️ from pillar to post
• Exhausted 😴 from wanting and toiling and still coming up short
• She was weary of an endless vicious cycle ⭕️
• An endless repetition of pain, shame and reproach.
• She was tired of having a lot of motions with no progress
• Dispensing energy with no reciprocal, proportional or commensurate reward and return

1. It was all an effort in futility 

PACIFY  VS SATISFY

• Some things only pacifies but don’t satisfy.
• She was searching for SATISFACTION in what is meant to only PACIFY.

LANDING

• The woman was searching, not quite knowing what she really needed.
• Her ignorance elongated and perpetuated her misery
• But her meeting and interacting with Jesus brought KNOWLEDGE and
• Her continual interaction and experience with Jesus gave her a revelation that brought her deliverance and transformation. 

• SHE SIMPLY ENCOUNTERED JESUS —-
• The saviour
• The deliverer
• The healer
• The mender of broken 😞 heart
• The satisfier
• The thirst quencher
• The husband she really needed

COME SEE A MAN…She says.

• Come see a manner of man (Matt. 8)… A certain kind of man… a man unusual.

• Much like God saying to John “Come Up Hither”….in Rev. 4:1

• Much like Peter saying to Jesus, “If it is thou Bid Me COME’ and Jesus said to him ‘COME’….in Matthew 14:28-29
• Much like Jesus saying to us“²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”…Matthew 11:18

COME SEE A MAN is saying:

• Come to a new life….Come to a new you ….Come to a better you
• Come to an upgraded you
• Come to a healed version of you
• Come to a changed version of you
• Come to a delivered version of you
• Come to a transformed version of you
• Come to an uplifted version of you

• UPLIFTED…out of pain
• Out of shame ….Out of reproach …..Out of depression
• Out of confusion and chaos,
• Out of anxiety, emotional damage and meltdown
• Out of identity crisis, rejection and frustration
• Out of emptiness, lack, debt, want, limitation
• Uplifted out of every shade of darkness

COME SEE A MAN is to come

• Get healed, freed, and delivered from all kinds of infirmities and oppressions
• Come get delivered from all kinds and all manner of sicknesses and diseases
• Come exchange your misery for ministry. Come to a new experience and reality

ISAIAH 60:1-3

 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. ² For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. ³ And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

AMPC : Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord),

PROTECT AND PRESERVE YOUR ENCOUNTERS:

• We’ve got to protect our encounters against laxity and apathy.
• Against distractions and obstructions.
• This we do by upholding consistently the 5 points highlighted above.