My text is here in John chapter four. The book of John is probably the most famous book in the whole Bible. This particular chapter is a really famous chapter. A really famous story within this chapter is the story of the woman at the well. I'm actually going to preach through the story, through this passage of Jesus presenting the gospel unto the woman at the well. It's also known as the Samaritan woman. The Bible's made up of two things. There's two things in the Bible. It's made up of stories that are told, and it's made up of statements, clear statements. When we read the Bible, and we interpret the Bible, we should always use statements in the Bible. Number one, that should be our number one priority. Clear statements that come directly from God. That's what we base everything upon. Also, not to say that the examples in the Bible, the stories of the Bible aren't profitable.
The stories are made up of examples of many great men. You have David, who was known as a man after God's own heart. You have John the Baptist, which Jesus said, "Among them that were born of women, there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist." You have John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Many people are recorded in the Bible as great examples for us, but all these men are just sinners. They're just like us. They're men. When you read through there, you have to take the statements in the Bible and use discernment and use judgment when reading about the things that these men did. As an example, we know that David, with Uriah, what happened in that situation was wrong. We know that because the Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery." We take those clear statements, and we use that to interpret the stories. They're made up of examples. Number one, whether it's a good example or a bad example, it's profitable. A good example, we can learn what to do, and a bad example, we can learn what not to do. It's all profitable unto us today.
Here in the book of John, in John chapter four, the great thing about the gospels is that we get to read about Jesus Christ, which is God in the flesh, walking on this earth. When we read the stories about Jesus Christ living on this earth, the Bible says that he went about doing good. He's a man just like you and I, yes, 100%, but he's 100% God. When we read the stories of Him, you can take it to the bank, whatever He did or whatever He said. You should follow that example. You should do the same things as He did. We approach the stories of Jesus a little bit differently. It's good to learn from examples in the Bible. Obviously, it would be the greatest example unto us, the ultimate example, I've heard Him referred to as many times, is Jesus.
We don't get very far here in John chapter four before the Bible actually starts revealing the deity of Christ. If you look down at your Bible at John chapter four, verse one, the Bible reads, "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus Himself baptized not, but his disciples," it says in verse three, "He left Judea and departed again into Galilee." Notice in verse one, it says, "When therefore the Lord knew." That's referring to Jesus, because verse three says, "He left Judea and departed again into Galilee." That is an antecedent referring back to the subject of the first verse, which is "The Lord." The Bible clearly calls Jesus Lord over and over again. It's a very clear doctrine in the Bible. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter three, verse 16. 1 Timothy chapter three, verse 16. There is no debate about Jesus' deity in the Bible. It's crystal clear. It's very clear. Hebrews 1:8 says, "But unto the Son He saith, 'Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.'" That is God the Father referring to the Son as God.
In 1 Timothy chapter three, verse 16, where you are, the Bible says, "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." There's numerous other Scriptures that we could look to, but what I'm going to do here in John chapter four is, I'm going to go through the gospel here. Like I said, we can learn it as an example. I'm going to compare Scripture with Scripture, the entire time. We'll just compare spiritual things with spiritual things and learn more. If you go back to John chapter four, we'll keep reading again in verse four. The Bible says, in verse four it says, "And He must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour."
There, I want to point out one other thing in verse four there, how it says, "He must needs go through Samaria." This phrase, must needs, those two words being coupled together, is only found a few times in the Bible. That is actually, if I were to say that today, you would probably think that I'm being redundant. If I were to say 'must needs do something', because those two words are synonymous. I must do something, or I need to do something. He repeats that. Number one, all throughout the Bible, it will use words together to couple words together to give you a definition of what it means, number one. Number two, here, I believe that it's emphasizing the necessity that Jesus has, that He has to go through Samaria. What it teaches is the love or the compassion that Jesus Christ has, not just for the world in general, but just for humanity, for individuals and just one single person. When we read this story, as a result, other people end up getting saved, but His number one priority, His primary application when He comes there, His primary purpose was to preach the gospel just to one individual, to one person.
Turn to 2 Peter chapter three, verse nine. 2 Peter chapter three, verse nine. There's people out there which teach that it's not God's will for all to be saved, that there are individuals, there are specific people that God has foreordained to be damned. God does not want those people to be saved. We're going to look here in 2 Peter chapter three, verse nine. While you're there, I'm going to read to you first from 1 Timothy chapter two, verse one. The Bible says, "I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." Verse three, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." It says very clearly, "Who will have all men to be saved." 2 Peter chapter three, verse nine, where you are, the Bible reads, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promises as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
If you take this verse and you show this to a Calvinist, they're going to try to tell you that that word all does not really mean all. They're going to tell you that it means something else. 'It only means all the saved,' but what about the word any in this verse? Look at the verse. It says in 2 Peter 3:9, "Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." In order to believe that, with this verse, you have to redefine two words, not just one. Turn over, if you will, to 1 Timothy chapter four, verse ten. 1 Timothy chapter four, verse ten. 1 Timothy chapter four, verse ten, the Bible says, "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe." By this, we can define what all means, whether it means the whole world. Over and over again, the Bible says, "For God so loved the world." It says He died not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
In order to believe this doctrine, you have to make major leaps. You have to, over and over again, say, "All the world doesn't really mean all the world, and any doesn't really mean anybody. All, that word all, that doesn't really mean all." Right here, the Bible says, "Who is the Savior of all men." Watch this distinction: "Specially of those that believe." There's two groups of people talked about here, not just one group of people. It says, "He's the Savior of all men," as in the whole world, and then he gets specific and he says, "Especially of those that believe." It makes that clear distinction, proving that He's the Savior of both groups, those that have believed and what they would say, the Calvinists would say, would be those that are foreordained, but this proves that it's those that have believed and those that haven't believed, both groups of people.
Go back to John, if you will, John chapter four again. We'll pick up back reading in John chapter four, verse five. John chapter four, verse five, the Bible says, "Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, 'Give me to drink,' for His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, 'How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans?'" The woman of Samaria is just, she's astonished that Jesus even approached her and even asked her for a drink in this situation. That's because the Jews and the Samaritans pretty much, they had a lot of animosity towards each other at that time. They had become enemies. The Jews specifically were looking down upon the Samaritans. That's why she's so surprised.
The Bible says in Acts chapter ten, verse 34, it says, "Then Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth, 'I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.'" God, for us, obviously, He set forth that perfect example. We see Jesus Christ doing the exact same thing here, because we know that Jesus is Lord. We see Him, that He was not a respecter of persons. There may have been a battle or some sort of feud going on between the Israelites, but Jesus Himself did not take part in that. We, obviously, should follow His example and be the exact same way. Pick up in verse ten there, where the Bible says, "Jesus answered and said unto her, 'If thou knewest the gift of God and Who it is that saith to thee, 'Give me to drink', thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.'"
Turn over to Ephesians chapter two, verse eight. Over and over, there's two things I want to point out about this verse. Number one, the first thing I'm going to focus on is when Jesus says to the woman, "If thou knewest the gift of God." Over and over again, salvation is referred to as a gift, over and over again in the Bible. If you're in Ephesians chapter two, verse eight, I'm going to begin reading there. The Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Here, in verses eight and nine, the Bible actually does the same thing we talked about before. It actually repeated itself four times, if you were to pay attention, there. It restates or reiterates the same thing in four different ways. It says in verse eight, "For by grace are ye saved through faith." That's one time. "And that not of yourselves," that's the second time. "It is the gift of God," the third time. "Not of works, lest any man should boast."
A gift is something that has to be given by grace, number one. A gift is by grace. A gift is something that you haven't deserved, that you haven't earned on yourself. That's why it says "not of yourselves." After that, "it is not of works." That ties in also with just not earning something. A gift is free. Turn to Romans chapter five, verse fifteen. A gift, by definition, is free. Romans chapter five, verse fifteen. Bible reads in verse 15, Romans chapter five, "But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." A gift, like I said, by definition, has to be free. God is not the author of confusion. He always says things very explicit. He tries to be extremely clear. Just like a minute ago, He wants to express certain points, like when He says, "Must needs go through Samaria."
Right here, he calls a gift a free gift. Just to be very, very clear, that we understand that a gift has to be free, or it's not a gift. If you were to work for a gift at all, it would not be a gift. Just like Titus chapter three, verse five clearly tells us that salvation is not of works. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us." Philippians 3:9 tells us, "And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." You have Romans chapter four, verse four, "Now to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Flip back over to John chapter four again, here. The first question that Jesus, the first part of that question that Jesus asked was, "If thou knewest the gift of God." Then He says this, the second part is, "And Who it is that saith to thee." "Who it is that saith to thee." This is the first hint. I'm going to point out here in just a minute another one. He gives her a couple of hints here that he's not just an average man. He's not just an average prophet, even. He gives a couple of minutes. He alludes to a couple of things here. There at the end, another thing I want to look at is when it says, "And He would have given thee living water." Turn over to John chapter seven, verse 38, just a couple of pages. John chapter seven, verse 38. One thing you'll notice here, too, by following along while He's preaching the gospel is that it's the exact same gospel that we preach today. I'm going to go through all the elements and all the points here in just a minute. You'll see that it fits in line perfectly with the same thing that we do.
There's many people out there that believe that there's more than one gospel, when the BIble's very clear there's one Jesus. There's one Spirit. There's one way to heaven. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father by by Me." There's one gospel. The Bible says here in John chapter seven, verse 38, "He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Watch verse 39, "But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." A lot times, when you have a question about something in the Bible, your answer, not always, but your answer will end up being very close to where your question is. Even more so, and even more common is that it will at least be in the book that you're reading, just like this was only three chapters away. He defines what the living water that He was talking about. It's figurative, obviously, but it's a spiritual representation. He defines what he meant by the living water. It says in verse 39, "But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive."
One other thing. Turn over to John chapter 20, verse 21. We're going to look at real quick the actual account of when Jesus does give the Holy Spirit. This is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is our eternal life is what we're talking about right now. This isn't the, many times throughout the Bible, the Spirit will come upon somebody. When that happens, that man will be able to speak with boldness. This happened in the Old Testament a lot. It will happen in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, maybe it was before they were fighting a battle. They would win this battle. In the New Testament, many people would be out preaching and the Spirit would come upon them. Every believer, if you've ever believed in Christ, if you've trusted Christ as your Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit at that moment. That's the indwelling. That's your eternal life. That's your everlasting life.
Here in John chapter 20, verse 21, the Bible says, "Then said Jesus to them again." This is the account when they received the Holy Spirit, when the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is given. "Then said Jesus to them again, 'Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.'" Watch this. "When He had said this, He breathed on them and saith unto them, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost." One thing I want to point out about this is that when He breathes, He doesn't make a statement and then breathe, and then make another statement again. Watch closely what happens here. It says, "Then saith Jesus to them again, 'Peace be unto you. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.'" That's the first statement He makes. It says this, "And when He had said this, He breathed on them and saith to them, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost.'" While Jesus is speaking, that second statement that Jesus makes, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost", he's actually breathing on them at that moment.
Here's a scientific discovery for you, that when you speak, you're breathing. When the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3:16, it says, "For all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," that word is like our common word, respiration, which means to breathe. It's not, like a lot of people today say, "The Scriptures were inspired." They think that means that God, that the men were emotionally moved to write these things down. That's not what it's saying. It's referring, actually, the book of Peter, when it says, "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Turn over real quick to Ezekiel chapter 37, verse one. Ezekiel chapter 37, verse one. That's what that word means. It means that God breathed into the Scriptures, that it was actually God's breath and God's, God was the one that was speaking through these men when they were speaking the Scriptures, when the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Just like if you go all the way back to Genesis, and when God gives life unto Adam, it says very clearly that God breathed the breath of life into Adam's nostrils and man became a living soul.
The way for us to receive life has to be through God's breath. It has to be through God's Word, specifically. Look here in Ezekiel chapter 37, verse one. I don't have that one down, so I've got to turn there real quick. Ezekiel chapter 37, verse one. We're going to begin reading in verse one. The Bible says, "The hand of the Lord was upon me." Yeah, "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley, which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them roundabout. And behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry." I'm going to point out words over and over again, that are used repeatedly, when we go through here. "And He said unto me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord God, Thou knowest.'" Verse four, "Again, He said unto me, 'Prophesy upon these bones and say unto them, 'O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.'"
Notice, the word of the Lord is what's being spoken. In order for these bones to receive life, to come back to life, the Word of God has to be spoken. Keep reading. Verse five, "Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, 'Behold.'" Watch this. "'I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin.'" Watch this. "'And put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.'" Verse seven, "So I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a shaking, and the bones came together." Notice, what was he doing? He was prophesying. He was preaching the Word of God. Keep reading. "And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above, but there was no breath in them. Then said He unto me, 'Prophesy unto the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say, 'Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds.''" Watch this. "''O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.''"
Over and over again, it's the Word of God, number one, and His breath while that's being spoken over and over again. Turn over, if you will, to 1 Peter chapter one. 1 Peter chapter one. Jesus said, while He walked on this earth, He said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are alive." In order for a person to be saved, they have to hear the Word of God. The Bible says, "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God." A person has to be presented with the Word of God in order to be saved. The Bible's really clear about that, over and over again. 1 Peter chapter one. 1 Peter chapter one. We'll start reading in verse 23. It says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever." We're born again by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Verse 24, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." Verse 25, "But the Word of the Lord endureth forever." Watch this. "And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
A lot of people will go out and just try to tell people about the gospel in their own words, but look at verse 25. "But the Word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you." Peter's not talking about speaking your own words. He's talking about speaking the words of God, the same words that breathed the breath of life into Adam's nostril. The same words that were prophesied by Ezekiel when he was speaking the words of God, the same words that were breathed. It's the same words that Jesus spoke while on this earth, and the same words that He spoke while He breathed upon His disciples. It was the Word of God. That's what contains life. When we go out preaching the gospel, it's not our own power that we do. Because we're believers, and we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, we're able to go out, and we're able to preach the Word of God, which has life, and then give that eternal life to other people by them trusting in the Word of God.
Flip back to John chapter four again. John chapter four. We're going to pick up reading again in verse 11. John chapter four, verse 11. The Bible reads, "The woman saith unto Him, 'Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast Thou that living water?'" Verse 12, "'Art Thou greater than our father Jacob which gave us the well and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?'" This just completely went over her head entirely. Turn back one page to John three. John chapter three. Obviously, she doesn't understand the spiritual aspect of what He's speaking about. Look at John chapter three. We'll begin reading in verse one. This is the story about Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night. It says in verse one, "There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and said unto Him, 'Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest except God be with him.'" Verse three, "Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto three, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"
Number one, this is a side point, but in verse three there, notice that Jesus doesn't answer his statement at all. He comes to him. He's like, "We know that you're a teacher sent from God, because you're doing these miracles." Jesus just says, "Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" This is a good example of what Paul said in the book of Corinthians, when he tells us, "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." We're not going to talk about anything else. We're not going to talk about aliens. We're not going to talk about anything else. We're going to talk about the Bible, and I'm going to try to give you the gospel first. You keep reading here, in John chapter three. Watch Nicodemus' reply. This is what I wanted to point out and tie in with John four. It says, "Nicodemus saith unto Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?'"
This is the same thing that happened to the woman at the well. She completely just doesn't understand, obviously, the spiritual aspect of what's being spoken of here. That's because these people are not saved right now. Nicodemus wasn't saved when he came to Jesus, obviously. That's why He's giving him the gospel. The same thing goes for the woman at the well. She doesn't understand, because she's not saved. At this time, obviously, they didn't have the Spirit at this time. In John chapter four, if you flip over there real quickly, in John chapter four, the statement that she makes in verse ten says, "Jesus answered and said unto her," I'm sorry. Verse 11, where we were. "The woman saith unto Him, 'Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence, then, hast Thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?'" The same thing that Nicodemus did was they related it to something physical. That's because in the book of Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 2:14, it says, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
You have to be a saved believer to understand these things. You have to be a saved believer to understand the deep things of God in the Bible. Jesus said in, I believe it's in the book of John. I can't remember exactly where it's at, but He said, "He that is of God heareth God's Word. Ye therefore hear them not, because you are not of God." Over and over again, the Bible teaches that you have to be a saved believer in order to discern the spiritual things that are in the Bible. Look down at John. We'll pick up reading in verse 13. It says in verse 13, "Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.'" Number one, the first aspect of salvation we saw Him point out a minute ago was that it was a gift, that it was by grace.
Here, we see Him point out the everlasting life. He says there at the end, "I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." Turn over to chapter ten, verse 27. Same book, John chapter ten, verse 27. Like John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." You have John 6:47, just over and over again. "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." Then, John 10:27, where you're at, says, "My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Flip one more page over to John 11 now. John chapter 11. We'll look at this again, just the eternal aspect of salvation over and over again, that Jesus is preaching unto the woman at the well.
It says in John chapter 11, we'll pick up reading in verse 24. The Bible says, "Martha saith unto Him, 'I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day'", speaking of her brother Lazarus. Verse 25, "Jesus said unto her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?'" Last place I'm going to turn on this subject, turn to John chapter five, verse 24. He says very clearly that "Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." Never die, "believest thou this?" He defines what eternal means, or what everlasting life means, like it needed to be defined. It's very clear, obviously, that it means forever. It means eternal. It means everlasting. It means we'll never die.
This is probably my favorite verse in the whole Bible, John chapter five and verse 24. I love to use this out soul-winning. I actually had a guy, I was with Brother Matt. I had a guy one day tell me when I was trying to explain, that he went to a theological seminary, of course, is why he couldn't understand this. I was trying to explain to him everlasting life and eternal life and how it goes on forever. Like I said, that should not need, that shouldn't have to be explained. He said, "This is what you need to understand." This is what I had to understand. He said, "First, you have to understand this. When it says eternal life, when it says everlasting life, that it's not dependent upon time." Whatever that means. I understand what he's trying to say, but it still doesn't make sense. Look at John 5:24. I turned him here.
The Bible says this, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me", watch this, "hath." Hath is like saying has, present tense. "Hath everlasting life." Watch, "and shall not come into condemnation." What tense is that word? Future. "And shall not come," in the future, "into condemnation, but is," what tense is that? Present. Jesus is actually using time. He's basing everlasting life or eternal life upon time so that He can illustrate the point that it's forever, that it's everlasting life, as in while you're on this earth, if you receive eternal life or everlasting life while living, you believe on Jesus, it starts right now, and it never ends. That's what eternal life or everlasting life means. Flip back to John chapter four, just one page. John chapter four. You know what's so stupid about this? People that are Pentecostals, that actually believe you can lose your salvation. That makes no sense, especially here in John chapter four. He points at the water in the well, and He says, "The water that I give you isn't like this water. It's going to last forever."
Think about this. If you got saved and then you had to get re-saved, which makes no sense, because saved means past tense, but if you had to get re-saved or you lost your everlasting life and you had to get re-saved, would Jesus' water be any different than that water? No. Jesus was expressing the point that you drink of it one time and you're saved forever. It's eternal. It's everlasting. "Is," present tense, "passed from death unto life." Look down at John chapter four, and we'll pick up reading the next verse there. It says in verse 15, "The woman saith unto Him, 'Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.'" Here, she's asking for the water, but there's something that has to take place first. Watch Jesus' reply. He doesn't just say, "Here you go." He says this, "Jesus saith unto her, 'Go, call thy husband, and come hither.'" The woman replies, in verse 17, "The woman answered and said, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said unto her, 'Thou hast well said, 'I have no husband', for,'" meaning because, "'thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In that sayest thou truly.'"
We know, obviously, Jesus already knew this when He asked her. He must have asked her for her benefit. The benefit was that she had to admit that she's a sinner. Just like when we go out soul-winning, the first thing a person has to do before they receive the water, she's willing. She's like, "Yeah, I'll take the water." That's when He asks the question. He tells her, "Go, call thy husband." Then she admits to him. Look at verse 19, "The woman sayeth unto Him, 'Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet.'" She admits, "What you're saying's true. I perceive that you're a prophet, that you're able to figure these things out." He tells her to go call her husband. That obviously, He knew that, number one. You could tell from the passage, because He goes even further and reveals more information into it. Jesus knew this. This is the second point where she starts to know who He is, here in verse 19. He had already said, "If thou knewest the gift of God and Who is it that sayest to thee." He revealed to her the first time that He's not just an average person.
Then here, she's starting to pick up that He's a prophet at least. It says in verse 19, as we read, "The woman sayeth unto him, 'Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.'" Keep reading, verse 20. "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Verse 21, "Jesus sayeth unto her, 'Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor not at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.'" Verse 23, "but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." Turn over to Philippians chapter three, verse one. Philippians chapter three, verse one. If you had asked all the fundamental Baptists in the world today, 99% of them, if you had asked them, "Who is the true worshipers that Jesus is speaking about?" 99, probably .9 percent of them would get it wrong.
Philippians chapter three, verse one. We have to use the Bible to interpret the Bible. They would tell you that He's speaking about the Jewish people, that He's speaking about the nation, the physical nation of Israel. The Bible always has the answer for us. When people try to privately interpret things, you can always prove it wrong with clear Scripture. Look at Philippians chapter three, verse one. "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me, is not grievous, but for you, it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." When Paul says 'we,' he's speaking inclusively about himself, which is a Jew, and he's speaking about the church at Philippi, the people there. The people that were in Philippi were Gentiles. These were not Jews. These were 100% Gentiles.
Notice what it says in verse two, too. See who he's telling them to beware of. It says, "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision." That's another word for the circumcision. That's referring to the physical Jews, who these people try to say is the true worshipers. Watch what he says in verse three, "For we," meaning because, "Because we are the circumcision," saying for we are the circumcision. Beware of them, because we're the real circumcision, "which worship God in the spirit." That's almost the exact same wording that John four used just a minute ago when it said, "But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." You can prove who these true worshipers are. They're the people that are worshiping in the spirit and in the truth. They were the Gentiles here in Philippi, because it's anybody who believes in Christ and has received the Spirit. It's not a physical nation or a physical group of people today. It's believers in Christ.
Like it says in Romans chapter two, verse 28, "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, in circumcision of that of the heart and not of the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God." Over and over again, the Bible teaches that they that are of God, turn back to John chapter four, that it's the true worshipers is those that are worshiping in the spirit. The true circumcision is that of the spirit. John chapter four. We'll begin reading again in verse 25. The Bible says, "The woman saith unto Him, 'I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. When He is come, He will tell us all things.'" I'll tell you what I personally believe about what she just said. This, I can't really prove, but I believe this. A few minutes ago, that was the whole purpose why I pointed out to you when He says to her, the very first thing. He says, "If thou knew who it was that saith to thee, 'Give me to drink'", that was the first hint to her.
Then, we also saw that he revealed unto her that she had had five husbands, proved that he was, she, at that point, at least believed that He was a prophet. I believe when He keeps preaching through here, that she hears the words that He's speaking, and she understands this is not a normal man talking. She starts thinking that this might be the Messiah. I believe the question she asks right here is a baiting question, when she says in verse 25, "The woman saith unto Him, 'I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ. When He is come, He will tell us all things.'" Look at verse 26, "Jesus saith unto her, 'I that speak unto Thee am He.'" I believe she wanted Him to admit that. She was wondering or curious about it. It was more of a baiting question.
After this verse, the entire gospel has been presented. Number one, she admitted she was a sinner. Number two, Jesus told her that it was a gift, that you received it through Jesus, that you received it through Him. Number three, He taught her that it was everlasting, that it was eternal. Right here, she knows. The final thing is that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the Messiah. That's the final step of the gospel, proving that the same gospel that John, that Jesus preached. At the time the book of John was written, what it's recording is the same gospel that we go around preaching today. It's identical. There is no difference. Keep reading in verse 27 there. It says, "Upon this came His disciples and marveled that He talked with the woman, yet no man said, 'What seekest Thou?' Or "Why talkest Thou with her?'" Verse 28, "The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and saith to the men, 'Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?'"
We see her outwardly confess that she believes that He's the Christ. This is a rhetorical question, when she says, "Is not this the Christ?" She obviously believes this. It's why she's running in here and she's telling these people this. This is her confessing that she does believe in the Christ. If you look back, in verse 28, one thing I want to point out is that the woman came to the well, obviously, to get water. When you read through the story, she never one time, not one time did she ever stop and get a drink. It never records her stopping and getting a drink, not one time. All throughout the Bible, you'll have Jesus going around. In the gospels, all throughout the gospels, you'll have Jesus going around. He'll be healing people. When he heals them, there's an outward manifestation, the healing of these people's salvation. Over and over again, Jesus will say, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." Even one time, he goes around. He heals multiple people. He heals the blind, the lame, the maimed, the sick of the palsy, all kinds of stuff. One particular woman that He heals, He says, "Thy faith hath saved thee."
The Bible uses physical things to represent spiritual salvation over and over again in the Bible. Verse 28, like I said, the woman never got a drink. It says in verse 28, "The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and saith to the men." The reason she left her water pot, if you flip back, John four, was because what Jesus told her. He said, in John chapter four, verse 14, He says, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, he shall never thirst." Shall never thirst. "But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." It's a physical representation of this woman's salvation, of her leaving that water pot behind. I'll finish the sermon, if you turn over to Isaiah chapter twelve, verse three. Isaiah chapter twelve, verse three. Isaiah chapter twelve, verse three. The Bible reads, "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." Her leaving her water pot behind is just another proof of eternal security. It's a representation, a physical representation of her no longer needing that water pot any more, because she drank of the water that she would never thirst of.
Let's go ahead, and we'll have a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this night. We thank You for eternal life, everlasting life, dear Father. We thank You that it's so easy, and You loved us, and You died for us on the cross, and gave it to us. Dear Father, we thank You for the great example of You walking the earth for us, and we can read, and we can learn. It's profitable unto us. We love You so much. Just be with us, dear Lord, and bless us.
