021 s1-630 Revelation 7:17 06-09-2013

well let's get to it the book of Revelation chapter 7 we're going through the Bible if you're just joining us we go verse by verse chapter by chapter book my book right through the scriptures and so glad to have you chapter 7 is where we left off on Wednesday night true story Prince of Grenada an heir to the Spanish crown was sentenced to life in solitary confinement in Madrid's ancient prison there called the place of the skull but the one thing he was given was a Bible and so he read that Bible for 33 years what do you think a guy in a prison cell with a Bible what do you think is gonna happen there well it's interesting because with a nail he was able to scribble on the walls some thoughts about the things that he learned in the Bible after reading it for 33 years what do you think he wrote were they huge tidbits of wisdom what was it well here's what he wrote Psalm 118 verse 8 is the middle verse in the Bible Ezra 7 21 has all the letters of the alphabet except for Jay Esther 8 9 is the longest verse in the Bible and on and on it went just Bible trivia things that really may have some significance maybe but really reading the Bible for 33 years how painful is it that a guy would do that and miss the whole point and yet I think that there are those who do exactly that in today's church Manion go to church and you can know the stories you can know the scriptures but at the same time has it been a life changer for you have you been altered do you have a radical living vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ does it come alive on Sunday morning sort of in action but then the rest of the week it's just kind of like your little hobby that you tuck away for the for the weekend it's Sunday if you go to church you've got a seek wreak man I and I really do pray for this often that we would not be the kind of church where that's very easy I want to make that really really hard on you if I can I'm gonna lay it on as hard as I can because you know what that could be the worst thing in the world I have a bunch of people that think oh yeah we're Christians because we go to church you know going to church does not make you a Christian and by the way just even reading your Bible does not make you a Christian oh I know some of you might think this I mean maybe you were raised with us but being good does not save you that is hoping that your good will outweigh your bad the reason that's so so tragic is because the Bible says that even your best deeds that you will do are like filthy rags our righteousness is like filthy rags and the Bible says there's no one saved by your works but you're saved by grace through faith not of works lest any man should boast Ephesians 2:8 tells us that clearly oh sure there there's a fruit of being saved when you become a Christian faith without works is dead so James makes it clear that yeah man if you're a Christian you will see good works happen in your life oh they may not be all the time but if you really are a Christian you'll start to see some changes some good works will start to happen that don't make the tragic mistake that so many have thinking that well just be good enough and when I stand before God I'll have paid my taxes I'll have been a decent husband or a decent wife or a decent you know kid or I'm a good person basically compared to like Charles Manson and I'm really good or maybe Osama bin Laden yeah I'm a good person but the Bible makes it clear that there's only one way that you can be called good there's only one way that you can be declared a righteous person person and that is to be declared righteous by one person only that is Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord the one who went to the cross dying for you since he took a penalty for you the penalty of our sin is death we've all sinned we've all fallen short the penalty is death the gift of God free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ not through your good works not through the gone at the church not eating Donuts in first service those aren't good Donuts man you notice that man yeah and here's the thing we as Christians we have to be careful not to just go through these motions and have trivial knowledge about Jesus but to truly know Jesus personally I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ I'd like to ask you when exactly does it get personal when do you spend time just with you and your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that's why Sunday nights I think are so important is that is a very personal intimate time between you and the Lord and and man we come and just spend an hour and 15 with the Lord it's just a really a really key time I believe in a Christians walk and not only that in your own personal morning devotions or getting up just a few minutes early to spend time with your Lord and Savior start the day out with the one that you have a relationship with but the thing is there's people who miss that personal relationship with Jesus and they miss the benefit they miss the joy it's almost like you've got the misery of religion without the benefit of religion you know what I mean by that it's like if you're not really even a Christian and you go to church you're like one of the sorriest people on the planet because I think if if you just go to church and kind of go through the motions how boring would that be see let me just tell you what I'm talking about the only reason I get really excited about the Bible is because it's real and it's because it's living and Jesus is powerful and his word is powerful and I I believe that this is the inspired Word of God and and Jesus saved me from the fires of hell so when I get to read about that it makes me really happy now if I didn't believe any of that I just kind of showed up to church and kinda okay we're gonna know their Bible study learn about the good book and the man upstairs and all that stuff that those guys say that people I don't really think know I wouldn't call them the man upstairs I think when you see the man upstairs you're gonna wet your pants I don't think it'll air well by putting up stairs my buddy old pal no it's it's God God and His Holy Word and we've got this right here and we get to sit here on a Sunday morning and read his word if it doesn't really mean anything to you man I'd be kind of bored frankly I wouldn't want to sit and listen to a guy like me up here talking about something that I don't really care that much about but but there's a reason why people come here to a the Creek in the warehouse I'm thankful to have a bunch of people are willing to go through long and tedious studies all admit it they're long most people you know they like their little sermonettes for little Christian nets I'm not trying to be mean I'm just saying I'm thankful to be a part of a group of people say yeah we'll sit and listen for an hour okay an hour and 15 minutes of a Bible study will do that because we believe in Jesus and He is our Savior in our Lord and His Word is living and powerful that's we're gonna give some serious time to it I love that I love that now here's the deal there are those who will miss that and they'll go through the motions of religion and then when we get to the book of Revelation we start talking about the rapture of the church I know some people think that's crazy but the Bible says that there will come a time where the trumpet will sound the dead in Christ which is or rising first is the idea those who have risen first died before us then after that after the dead in Christ rise first then shall we which are alive and remain be caught up Latin word there's rapture the Greek word is harpazo we will be caught up to be with him now that means that there's gonna be people who are of the church who will be taken up and people who are not of the church and they will not be taken up they'll think that they're part of the church they'll think they know Jesus Christ but they really don't those who are what we would call left behind I know people think that's a joke because it was a big series of books written and it was real popular for a while now everybody sort of has departed from that and largely the church moves away from end-times theology right now which is sad but at the same time the Left Behind idea well that's what Chapter seven is going to tell us about those who are left behind but there's a verse here that I want to show you and I think it's kind of a key and we'll talk about what it means to the people who are left behind and then what it means to us it's a single verse we'll look at the whole chapter on Wednesday but look at verse 17 there we read in Revelation 717 for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of water and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes again for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne that's Jesus shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of water and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes this is Jesus and it says he will feed them and lead them question trick question who's the them in this passage oh there's people over smart here that's great yeah some people say love to us and you would sort of be right but you're talking of technically wrong if you say that's us well yeah the Lord wants to lead us and feed us right yeah but that's not who we're talking about here in fact let's back up a little bit well we'll look at who these people are on Wednesday night it says in verse 13 one of the elders answered saying unto me what are these which are arrayed in white robes whence came they and I said to him Sir thou knowest and he said unto me these are they which came out of Great Tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb therefore are they before the throne of God and serve Him night and day in his temple he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of law and God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes who are these people yes they are the tribulation Saints what's that well I believe it's my opinion there's good Christians who disagree I'm just like to remind you of that but as I read the Bible it's it seems that we as Christians were not appointed unto wrath that means that when you became a Christian your sins were dealt with the wrath that was meant for you was put on Jesus Christ when he died on the cross God punished his own son because of you so I believe that we are not appointed another wrath and that's what the Bible says 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and 5 tell us about the rapture of the church and how we are not appointed unto wrath but to obtain salvation it says wherefore it says comfort one another with these words if you find it comforting to think wow we don't have to have the wrath of God poured out upon us is that comforting it is to me especially when you read the book of Revelation chapters 6 through 19 because that is called the time of God's wrath or the wrath of the Lamb what's that well it's when the Lord says that's it it's time to judge this world of it's sin and just like lot was pulled out of Sodom by the Angels he was taken out of Sodom members lot never really left Sodom is you know you coloured the picture that he was running out of the gates of Sodom he didn't do that the Bible says God took him out and set him outside the city just because remember the previous chapter in Genesis where Abraham said will you destroy the righteous with the wicked and Lord ultimately in so many negotiated words said no I will not destroy the righteous with the wicked so it's for that reason I believe we will be raptured however there's gonna be a ton of people who are left behind millions and even billions of people on this earth who will be left behind and what's gonna happen well there's gonna be a lot of bad things happening during the tribulation but at the same time do you wonder about those people then maybe came to Athey Creek and heard me talk about the rapture of the church and the end times and they laughed and they said ah that's that's when where is the promise of God's coming you guys have been talking about them forever I don't know I'll tell you what if you get raptured then all become a Christian you say bread is that even possible the answer is yes if you're left behind and you reject Christ you can become a Christian and you're what we would call tribulation Saint now some people try to say that Chapter seven years talking about us because they're robed in white robes they've been washed in the blood of the Lamb therefore it must be the church but what I'm gonna show you on Wednesday night is there's a position that they have in the throne and around the throne with God that's very different than what the Bride of Christ the Church of Christ is going to do during this time very different description I'm going to show you they're very different people so the relationship and what you do in heaven will actually be different if you're if you're not in the rapture the rapture of the church that's the Bride of Christ the tribulation Saints have a different relationship when they get to heaven that's something that we'll look at and explore on Wednesday but not only that just remember do you really want to go through the tribulation I mean if you think being a Christian is not really fun right now well you think it's fun then see because the Bible says if you choose to believe in Jesus during the seven-year period that's coming called the tribulation these people are going to be killed for their faith martyred for their faith Oh Brett that's so prehistoric who's martyred for their Christian faith any more can I tell you that there have been more Christian martyr martyrs in the last ten years than there have been in the last hundred years combined the martyrdom is on the rise in places like China and then places like Iran and many places in the Middle East if you're a Christian it will cost you your life what's interesting by the way not to be too graphic but in the Middle East one of their favorite ways to kill someone is to behead them well Brett what's the point of that the point is it's honorable to certain people around the world in Islamic faith of fundamental Islamic faith to kill someone with a knife or a sword that's that's a an honorable killing and so the beheading of someone like the you know the Muslims that was there and in England who just tried to behead the the did behead the soldier on the street there a few weeks ago to Islam fundamentalist Muslims they believe that's a cool thing now there's some of you that are angry at me right now and we're have radio and online listeners and people that are saying oh that's not the Muslim I would just say just do your homework it's not even hard to figure out that fundamentalists Muslims around the world that's one of the ways they kill people is with knives and they like that that's what they do but but you say breadboards the point well the point is the tribulation period says in the Bible that that's the way that they'll kill those people who believe in Christ and I don't know about that I'd rather be on I'd rather be a Christian now and be saved and be raptured and be taken out of here Oh Brett you're just trying to escape and I like to remind you Jesus said in Luke's Gospel we pray that you be counted worthy to escape all of these things and I think that's what I want to do wouldn't it be great Neal delight to have some Muslim friends and we talked about these things and what's funny is my Muslim friends the ones that I have I have a few when I've talked with them they admit that the fundamentalist version of Islam is exactly what I talked about it's funny how the Muslims by and large don't deny it it's only Wolf Blitzer and others who will say oh the Muslims are a piece like what's our presidents George Bush and Obama both said our peace loving friends the Muslims they're the ones who are saying Islam as the peace-loving religion but you know the sad thing is the Muslims are so lost they need Jesus too I think that's one thing we need to remind people is is that if you meet a Muslim one of the greatest things you can share is that it's not about this capricious god that cannot be known like Allah it's actually a God who wants to know you personally and he loves you and wants to forgive you for all your sins what a great message that is so I believe during the tribulation there's going to be a ton of people we call the tribulation Saints that is those who will accept Christ after the rapture of the church during the tribulation period and there will be I believe Millions it's gonna be really actually a great revival but those people will not be a part of the worldwide you know government economic system they won't be a part of the Worldwide Church that there's going to be ecumenical II moved together we're gonna study all this stuff as we get into this but they're gonna be very much outcasts and unless you take this mark that the Bible talks about the Bible says you won't be able to buy or sell without the mark of this coming leader that the Bible tells us about we're gonna get into all this so you say bread that's kind of a bad news then we got some bad news here that these people who are gonna be fed and led by Jesus the Lamb that's not us I think it's good news that it's there that the Lord Jesus is gonna lead them and feed them in the tribulation but I've got really really good news for you right now because these people are gonna be led and fed by Jesus only after they're beheaded and make it to heaven you however have the opportunity to be led and fed right now right here Jesus wants to be that one who leads you and feeds you today like we get to get the blessing of having Christ be our Good Shepherd isn't it interesting we've talked about the different analogies Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah so john hears that he turns around to look at the lion and what does he see the lamb what a dichotomy he hears oh there's the lion oh really oh that's the lamb what's up with that now we've got the lamb who's leading and feeding what kind of a person leads and feeds a flock a shepherd see we're seeing this evolution of who our Savior is yes he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah but he's also a lamb that was slain but at the same time he's a shepherd who leads all of us sheep who've gone astray and he wants to do what with you he wants to lead you and feed you the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures that's some good food he wants to feed you he leads you beside still waters he wants you to have that living water he leads us and feeds us that's what the Lord wants to do today how great is that see the bad news is this is not us the good news is this is not us or not the people are going to go through the tribulation but right now the Lord wants to give us life and life abundantly and abundantly and he wants to meet your needs feed your soul there's so many people that are hungry and thirsty today there's so many people that are needing Jesus Christ Man III tell you if only people could see some of the things as a pastor I see I know some of you have jobs I think that are similar you know when they have learned others my job is similar to a police officer in that we see people who are sometimes in the worst trouble who are maybe even some of the the lowest places a person can actually get I don't know how our police officers do it because frankly you just see the same people doing the same crimes getting out over and over again and there's no real answer I get to be the pastor who sees those people in those place to say man Jesus wants to lead you Jesus wants to feed you from the fountain of the living water you know I did a funeral Friday afternoon here in the sanctuary and tragic suicide 20 fertil guy shot himself and it was it was it was heartbreaking and the despair there was pretty heavy I mean the suicide is especially of a young person for some reason it makes it really really tough but I was so blessed because the the the father of this boy said Brad I want you to share the gospel and I want you to invite people to become a Christian just like you do at church now you gotta understand when I do that here I have mostly friendlies in this room that are praying and it's really cool I know that some of you guys pray when we're in biting people to come to Christ and I love that but this was mostly hostels and yet what was so cool after that memorial service is I just did the invitation I said man if you want to become a Christian there's life and there's hope and I said would you please look up at me and that whole thing just look at me in and I'll pray with you and it's so cool for for young people just totally gave their hearts to the Lord you know the Lord takes a tragedy like a suicide and he turns it around for good and and what's so great is that those four and and I hope there's even more who had seeds planted in their heart that were there that that they realized the hope lies in Jesus Christ and nothing else you know because if these are memorial services one thing I've noticed is we see slideshows that are fun and I'm pro slideshows of memorial services but what's interesting is you always see what a person was really really into their collection of rocks and they got all their rocks or or they were really into 4-wheel drives or they were really really into music but you know at a memorial service you sit there and watch the slide show and and nobody's willing to say it but we're all thinking it that stuff means nothing our hobbies are four-wheel drives that we had great experiences in and but when you're gone and dead what matters is did you know Jesus Christ personally so I would say to you does the Lord lead you and feed you I hope you've seen the value of Jesus let me show you a few examples of leading and feeding two things first he wants to feed us go with me to John's Gospel turn back a bit there into the Gospels of John chapter 21 we have here a story where Jesus is seen feeding someone quite literally by the way one thing I love and I know some of you in shape people and all you fitness freaks and stuff you're all you know kid in shape and love Jesus and it's all the same bodily exercise profiteth a little Bible says but one thing I love about Jesus in the design are always eatin food Jesus is inviting himself over to people's house for dinner you know and I love that about the disciples I love that about Jesus I know I know anyway chapter 21 verse 1 it says after these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias that be the Sea of Galilee and on this wise he showed himself now what's the big deal about him showing himself to his disciples well this is after he died on the cross so that's a pretty big deal wouldn't you when you say Jesus died was buried in a tomb three days later he rose up from the grave just like he said he would do and and now he's gonna show himself the disciples this is a great stuff verse 2 there were together Simon Peter Thomas called didymus and Nathanael of Cana of Galilee the sons of Zebedee which means James and John and two other disciples Simon Peter said unto them I go efficient and they said to him we'll go with you so they went forth and entered into a ship immediately but that night they caught nothing now pause for a second this is you gotta understand if you're new to this whole story Jesus found Peter and his brothers their occupation was fishermen that's what they did for a living they were professionals they had a boat there in Galilee when we go in November one of my favorite stops is we get to see this boat they found buried in the mud in the sea of Galerie Galilee that dates back to the very first century it's a first century fishing boat from the time of Jesus it makes you wonder it could that be the one that Jesus was in we don't know for sure but it is a cool thing to see but they that's what these guys were that they're in the fishing boat and their nets and they went out and that was our occupation Jesus said hey I will make you fishers of men and they left their nets they left their boats and they followed Jesus and became sort of ministry guys they they became sort of pastors if you would Jesus called them out of fishing into ministry so then Jesus says before he goes to the cross as you guys I'm gonna go to Jerusalem they're gonna kill me three days later I'm gonna rise from the dead and then after that I want you to meet me in Galilee but you definitely get the sense that when not all came down and Jesus was crucified the disciples forgot all about that they forgot that he told them that he would rise again they forgot that they could be of good cheer because after he died he'd be alive again they didn't believe it and after that they didn't go to Galilee to wait for Jesus they went to Galilee and went back to the old fishing hole back to the old occupation back to that which they did before they ever met Jesus and what did they find there were they fulfilled and going back to the old fishing hole did they find an old joy of the old times no it says they caught nothing some of you will find that as you've been a Christian maybe four years and you go back to the old fishing holes before you were a Christian and what you'll find there is emptiness you're like what did I ever see in this before I was a Christian to find emptiness that's what Peter and James and John these fishermen they're like man they fish all night and caught nothing so it says verse 4 but when the morning was cutting out come Jesus stood on the on the shore but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus then jesus said unto them children have you any meat and they answered him no by the way that's one of the greatest miracles of the Bible fishermen answering honestly have you caught anything no they didn't even tell about the big one that got away or anything like that they say nope caught nothing verse six so he said to them cast your net on the right side of the ship and you shall find now now if you're a professional and you've been fishing all night wouldn't you be tempted to go home brother who was this dude on the beach man he thinks he knows some fish we've been doing this rat ever we this is our sea of gallilee man you know we've been doing but they interestingly they hear this guy saying throw it on the other side like five feet over and so you got to admire the disciples they did that they they cast there for middle of verse six and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved sent him to Peter that's John by the way I love how John refers to himself here in his own book the disciple that Jesus really loved yours truly said unto Peter it is the Lord now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord he Girt his Fisher's coat undone for he was naked and he did cast himself into the sea don't you love Pete he doesn't say hey guys rowed ashore he puts on his robe dives in and swims to shore he loves the fact that Jesus is there so the other disciples came in the little ship a little boat verse eight for they were not far from the land but as it were two hundred cubits dragging the net with fishes as soon as they were come to the land they saw a fire of coals there and fish laid thereon and bread and jesus said unto them bring of the fish which you have now caught and Simon Peter went up and drew the net to the land full of great fishes 153 for all there were so many yet not the net broken so what's going on by the way interesting if you ever wonder why the Bible gives us in significant numbers we were talking about Bible trivia and I and I made the statement that it doesn't have always that much meaning but could it have meaning I think that Bible trivia actually does only the dude in prison didn't get any of that but 153 fish what's the big deal what's interesting is a marine biologist a few years back did a study on the Sea of Galilee it's teeming with life by the way when we go to the Sea of Galilee in November and hang out by the Jordan River the fish there are amazing there's there's these catfish in the Jordan River that are like three four feet long and their heads are just huge and they're a little creepy I don't show them the people the catfish until after the baptism in the Jordan River because I like people to get baptized but the catfish are afraid of us so they don't mess with us now there are these little fish in the Jordan River that come up and like to just kind of attach themselves to your legs you feel their little teeth going but they don't need too much it's all right it's not that create well it's kind of creepy but it's not that creepy but there's fish in the sea and what's interesting about this marine biology study that was done what they found is interestingly the guy recorded that there's a hundred and fifty-three species of fish in the sea of gallilee 153 fish species how many fish did Peter cut and the gang catch 153 coincidence or God Owens I don't know maybe we make too much of these things it's possible but I have to say Jesus said I will make you fishers of men and then he said I want you to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every tongue nation and kindred could it be a little bit interesting that maybe just maybe they drew up every kind of fish out of the Sea of Galilee I mean that seems like Jesus I mean it is a miracle that they cast their net on the right side and suddenly had a drove of fishes that's great but 153 what's the point maybe there's a point there that he Peter was supposed to be out make being a Fisher of men of all men that was what he's supposed to be busy doing then I wonder if the Lord was just making a little statement with an exclamation point it's possible but you say okay what else is going on here well did you notice the very thing that Peter and the disciples were looking for that was fish Jesus had all along on the beach Jesus was sitting on the beach and what was he doing when they came up to them there was a fire of coals fish that was laid on the fire with nice bread do you ever wonder this is as a food aficionado never wonder what Jesus was fish tasted like I bet it was really really good I don't even like fish that much you know I'm saying I'm all about red meat but but I would have eaten Jesus's fish you know I bet he had a spice just right man it was great the bread and the coals of fire Jesus had what the disciples wanted all along why I hope you've learned that lesson because there's so many of us to go back to the old fishing holes the old habits the old things that we used to do and look for some sort of fulfillment or satisfaction meaning in our lives or whatever we're doing and all the while Jesus has exactly what we need exactly what we're looking for and I also love the the Heart of Jesus because Jesus is about to kind of give Peter a bit of a word of Correction Peter just denied Jesus three times I don't know them and blankety blank blank blank he cursed and denied that even knew Jesus now Jesus said hey want some food and he feeds Peter and he warms Peter by the fire how gracious is that and he says Peter do you love me and you that whole feed my lambs feed my sheep that whole discussion but before Jesus got into the spiritual issue of Peters life he helped the physical issue of Peters life he was wet cold been fishing all night and so Jesus has warm yourself by the fire eat the food that I've cooked up for you Peter then Jesus dealt with a spiritual so I'm not I think that's a good lesson for us a lot of times Christians will try to go to the world and say man you need to repent from your sins but we have not taken any time to care for their physical needs before we actually try to get into the spiritual needs Jesus does that here the point though is simply this Jesus fed the disciples here literally but I believe also figuratively and spiritually it would be from this point on that these disciples would go out really and start the greatest ministry of all or the Church of Jesus Christ would be taught and preached by these fellows for ages to come and here we are in a theory Christian Fellowship a little in Wilsonville a warehouse here studying these stories because these guys after this story went out and preached the gospel to all the fishes I'm thankful for that see the point that I'm making is Jesus wants to feed you and and and the very thing you're hungry for oftentimes we try to fill it with something but Jesus has the best food right there it's like when you when you know you have a really good dinner coming but then you think I'm just gonna subsidize a little bit I'm gonna eat a little bit before so you go to McDonald's and getting your quarter pounder and you know your fries and your milkshake you gobble it down and you feel sick you want to barf and then you go it's time for dinner and you've got filet mignon and you got Lobster mashed potatoes does anybody ever had lobster I just had lobster mashed potatoes for the first time I must be hungry this morning I'm talking about food so much I could wither away to nothing but anyway but all that to say man if you eat the junk food and you try to fill that need then the good stuff and you're not even gonna be hungry for it Jesus wants to fill your hungry soul and if you try to feed it with the garbage of this world you're gonna be hungry Jesus says man I want to I want to I want to feed you but not only that number two he wants to lead you only doesn't want to feed you John 20:1 the story there but he also wants to lead you and I'd like to show you where he wants to lead us in John chapter four go backward in the Gospel of John to John chapter four now where does he want to lead us well in the tribulation Saints it says here that he's going to feed them and then he's going to lead them unto the living fountains of waters he's gonna feed us with food but he wants to lead us to the Living Waters the fountains of living waters that's where he wants to lead you so we have a story that really taps into that in Chapter four of John it says in verse four John 4:4 it says in Jesus must needs go through Samaria then came he to the city of Samaria he said where's Sumeria it's just some area where is Sumeria I'm Sumeria while it was full of the Samaritans it was sort of between the north of Israel and sort of the city of Jerusalem and the reason the Samaritans were hated by the Jews by the way and by the way that the Samaritans hated the Jews the Jews hated the Samaritans here's why hundreds of years earlier the Assyrians came down and conquered the northern ten tribes of Israel took them off into captivity and by and large intermarried with a Syrian people and the Assyrians and the Jews created sort of a new group of people that are called the Samaritans so the Jews in Jerusalem they sort of viewed them with hatred and and disrespect because they called them half-breeds and you're half Jew and you're half Assyrian and we don't like you and there was a real hatred there and you know they had language like we think you Samaritans are fuel for the fires of hell that's why you exist and if a Jew were travelling and you had to go through Samaria they wouldn't they would go around even if it was many many miles out of their way they would go around Samaria cuz they hated Samaritans so Jesus says we need to go through Samaria and the disciples like oh boy we gotta go through Samaria so here they are in Samaria a place where the Jews hate the Samaritans and the Samaritans hate the Jews came to that city verse 5 which is called Sychar near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to a son Joseph now Jacob's Well was there and Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey sat thus on the wall and it was about the sixth hour now there's a couple things with this isn't it interesting that Jesus was actually weary um I want to remind you you know I used to think when I was a kid that when Jesus hung on the cross that he just gave him Frink 'old himself with anti-pain dusts or something so that he could be hanging on the cross but not have to deal with it but I want you to remember Jesus felt everything we feel and here he's just plumb tuckered says he was wearied in his journey he was tired he sits down that just shows us the humanity of our Savior Jesus Christ very very important but also he went to the well about the sixth hour now this is an important thing because first century historians tell us that there was customs in those days of when you would draw water from a well there were specific times when the well would be available for the very rich people for the powerful people for the normal people for the middle class everybody had their time in place when they were to go to the well the sixth hour of the day was the time when the lowest of the low would go to get water from the well the reason they did this they did when I rub elbows with riffraff what a sad thing you know it's a little bit sad frankly in Portland have you ever noticed how we have very much a divided city we have our little cordoned off areas and there's people that won't go into certain parts of town because well there's certain kind of people there yeah that's that sad thing about our city it's it's very divided but that's the way the Samaritans are they on a certain time so it would be the the homeless the prostitutes the sinners the people that nobody liked they would be the ones that got to six now that's just the way history tells it so now Jesus goes to the well the sixth hour I think that's funny in Samaria that's even funnier Jesus is gonna about blow by the way all social norms to pieces right now so he goes to the well at the 6:00 hour and there came a woman of Samaria to draw water and Jesus said unto her give me to drink for his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat then saith the woman of Samaria and Jim how is it that thou being a jew asketh of me which I'm a woman strike one of Samaria strike two for with the Jews they have no dealings with the Samaritans she's marveling how is it that you being a Jew do you sense a little bit of a derogatory tone that this woman has what is up with you mr. Jew well jesus answered verse 10 and said if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink you would have asked of him that he would have given thee living water that's just the King James way of saying I know that you're perplexed because I'm a Jew asking you to give me a drink of water but if he only knew you that you could ask of me to give you water and I'll give you water that's living water the idea is he's inviting her he's inviting her to ask for that living water so the woman said unto Him sir do you sense a change of tune just a little bit before I was you mister Jew now she's sir now you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep from whence then hast thou this living water how you gonna bring in me living we've got a bucket man verse 12 art thou greater than our Father Jacob which gave us this well and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle now it's interesting she's starting to touch on something true isn't she are you greater than Jacob our Father what's the answer to that question yeah uh-huh for sure but but it'sit's insightful that she even asked are you greater what's up with you there's something about you she started to dig in a little bit in Jesus verse 13 answered and said unto her whosoever drinks 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 under everlasting life and the woman said it was Sir give me this water that I thirst not neither come hither to draw now before Jesus can bless this woman with the living water there needs to be a repentance and sort of an openness I hope you know that before you can be saved and drink of the living water of Christ sometimes we needed to say you know what I'm a sinner and I have things that I need to deal with this woman has some issues what are our issues well Jesus lovingly jet plea taps into that check this out this is great so the woman says sir give me this water that I thirst not and Jesus senator go and call your husband and come hither go get your husband break and I'll give me this little well the woman says answer Jesus says I have no husband Jesus senator thou hast well said I have no husband for thou hast five husbands and he whom thou hast is not thy husband in that you've spoken truly don't you love Jesus's you know talk about if you remember when your mom said if you don't anything nice to say don't say anything at all here's Jesus basically calling this woman out saying yeah you actually have I've had five husbands but the one you're living with right now is not your husband liar that's that's the way a lot of us handle it you know go and tell your go get your husband I have no husband did you say you're a liar pointing his godly finger that's what a lot of people think God does but notice how gentle Jesus is with his woman he's not condemning her he's not angry at her just like he's not angry at you just like he's not pointing his godly finger you sinner that's the problem we sometimes misrepresent the Lord I believe but at the same time God will convict our heart of sin that's what happens this woman she lied to Jesus but she says you've spoken well and that you've said you have no husbands because they have actually had five and the one you're with right now is not your husband you're shacking up with a guy right now verse 19 the woman said to him sir I perceive thou art a prophet bright lady nothing gets by this lady now now don't you see she goes from Jew - sir - now prophet so what happens when somebody finds out you're a spiritual man or a pastor or a prophet the first thing people do I know this is a pastor the first thing people do once they find out I'm a pastor is they ask me their favorite Bible question can God make a rock so big that he can't lift it did Adam have a bellybutton you know and all those questions of people at once so she asked the question of the day she says in verse 1 our fathers worshiped in this mountain which by the way is Gear ISM that's the mountain they worship the Samaritans but you the Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship she's asking the question which one's right is it garazeb murderer or Jerusalem Mount Zion and that was the debate of the day who had the true mountain to worship on isn't it funny that churches get into such stupid questions we do the same thing well what's better to play with an organ or electric guitars well don't you know that the electric iron drums those are the devil's instruments is it better to worship in a warehouse like this or was big stained glass than a pointy steeple which one's better and I believe Jesus would answer the same way he's about to answer this woman answer's no well which one is it sanctuary was a stained glass and steeples or warehouse and whistle which was like no see we missed the point she's saying which mountain but check out Jesus's answer verse 21 jesus said unto her woman believe me the hour comes when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father you worship you know not what I believe he's saying you you you don't even know what you're worshipping because you're all into your mountain but you know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews is he saying the Jews are right is dyin well he's not really saying that he's saying salvation is of the Jews why would he say that it's real simple because the Messiah Jesus who's speaking here was a Jew don't forget that Jesus was a Jew very much of a Jew I think that's one of the biggest mistakes we Americans make when we think of Jesus we think he's a surfer from Southern California long blonde hair said gnarly dude like that's our view of Jesus he was a Jewish man and he was a practicing Jew you have to understand this and so she's standing there what it's what's the answer he says well it is the salvation is of the Jews because that's Jesus but the hour comes verse 23 and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship Him God is a spirit and they that worship Him must him in spirit and in truth boy there's a lesson there isn't that the father is not you know I think we as a church we look for the Seekers remember the whole seeker friendly movement that was a big movement in the church we need to draw the seekers and look for seekers who will come and make the church easy to come to and popular and hip and cool so that the Seekers will come and find Jesus but it's interesting we kind of got it backwards the father is the seeker and who is he looking for he's looking for people who are willing to worship Him in spirit and in truth it's funny how churches get you know major on one or the other we know church is a major in the spirit how about rice waiting for the chandeliers it's all about the spirit and emotion and feeling and the experience that we're having as we worship and all and that's the spirit part you got to have that but if there's no truth then you got wackiness at the same time I have good church friends and buddies that are really majoring in the truth and the problem is why their doctrine is sound and their teaching is right on it's a little chilly and it's a little dead is there even a pulse there's no spirit but there's a lot of truth the father seeks those who will worship in spirit and in truth have that perfect balance well I got a hurry here the woman verse 25 said unto him I know that Messiah comes or is coming which is called Christ when he has come will he tell us all things and Jesus said unto her I that speak unto thee am so he sent breath there's one more word read it they're really nervous I don't read the word he it's in my Bibles right there well did you notice the word he is in italics the reason why that's there in italics in some of your Bibles is because it's not in the original language it really is Jesus said I that speaketh of the EM I am that's what he's saying and Jesus would further expand that thought by saying I am the way remember when God identified himself as the I am to Moses are that's so that's what he sounded like according to Cecil B DeMille you know Charlton Heston that's what God said I am and and and then people you kind of say you you are what Lord you are and then Jesus came and said I am the way the truth and the life I am The Good Shepherd I am the vine you are the branches I am the door of the sheepfold I am the bread of life I am the living water and and Jesus would reveal all those great I am statements but here he just says to this woman I am that is the Christ she would have known what that meant and upon this verse 27 he came his disciples and marveled that he talked with the woman he had no man said what seekest thou or why talkest not with her see the point is it would be really strange for a Jew to be talking to a woman of Samaria at the sixth hour at the well so the disciples come up night though but for once they're doing something right they just didn't say anything and the Bible notes it they held their peace and there was good as they did so and verse 28 mark it well the woman then left her waterpot and went her way into the city and said to the men come and see a man which told me all things that I ever did this not this the Christ and they all went out of the city and came to Jesus what a great story but the reason I say mark verse 28 was the woman came to the well with her waterpot sedan with a normal day with her normal bad reputation of the woman who had five others was the one she's living with right now is not her husband and she comes there to draw her water with her little water pots and then Jesus shows up and that which was important to her on her way to the well suddenly became totally irrelevant totally worthless to her she leaves those water pots behind and goes back into the city saying I've met a man Jesus Christ and the whole town comes out to check it out see the point that I'm making is simply this Jesus filled this great lady who was perhaps unliked by so many but Jesus came and loved on her care and filled her up with the living water that's what Jesus wants to do not just for the tribulation Saints they're gonna get that but only after they die in the tribulation and go to heaven we however different than the tribulation Saints we get to be like this woman we get to be like Peter and the disciples of eight of the food that Jesus wants to feed not just fish but spiritual food he wants to fill your hungry soul and he wants to fill your thirsty soul with the living water and it's there for the taking right now but if you've not accepted Christ if you've rejected the gospel if you just kind of blown it off as though I'm a Christian because I'm an American or I'm a Christian because I go to church or I'm a Christian because I read a few chapters of the Bible or whatever that does not make you a Christian you're missing out on the feeding and the leading to the water of the living water of Jesus Christ you've not tapped into it I would suggest the hardest place for a person to be is somewhere be in between Christianity and secularism the worst existence for a person would be the person that's right on the fence saying uh-uh yeah god Bless America and I'm into this cool but but you're still kind of doing the worldly thing and not really knowing the Lord personally that's the hardest place to be for anybody I think if we are the Bride of Christ if we claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ I hope that you can say this is when my my relationship becomes personal I have times that I carve out how would you think of my my marriage to my wife Debbie if I just dutifully checked in once a week honey it's Sunday morning and it's 9:00 a.m. so this is the time where I say hello and I'm gonna sit in this chair like this and watch people talk about you and I will nod and sort of do the O and I will give to you dutifully an allowance of money and then after the 9:30 10:30 rolls around is it thank you I'm dismissed and I leave and I never talked to my my wife I never spend time with don't confide in her we don't go out to a romantic dinners we don't spend you'd say what kind of marriages that it's great my parents came to town this weekend they get up here once in a while but we got to take him out to dinner because is their 50th wedding anniversary and what a cool thing but you know my kids and us we're kind of getting grossed out because my dad's all you know kissing my mom and they're they're just romantic you know they're held in hands they're just they're they're more in love today than they ever were they've always been that way all you know just really in love and it's it's really an awesome thing and and I thought you know that that's what Jesus really wants with us he wants to have this just relationship can I ask it is to consider where you're at do you really have a personal relationship are you being fed and led by Jesus the lamb do you have the living water flowing in your life do you have the bread of life who's satisfying your need or you still look into worldly things to satisfy those cravings and those desires because if you are you're gonna find them to be empty just like Peter caught nothing just like the woman of the well left the waterpots because they were they didn't really mean that much to her it's the Lord who fills those holes and I would pray that we'd have ears to hear what the Spirit would saying in the church because if you're not a Christian there's something for you to think about be saved if you are a Christian there's something free to think about have a personal living vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ don't just go through the Americanized religion of sort of going through motions but man let's have a real powerful walk with Jesus amen and now let's pray I am gonna invite anyone who might be here who doesn't really know if they've ever confessed Christ and become a Christian you've never tapped in I'd like to invite you to to do that and Christians would you be praying right now because there could be a few here today who've never accepted and never received Christ I want to just I'm not gonna embarrass you I'm not gonna make you sign up for anything or do anything weird but right where you're sitting you can confess Jesus as your Savior your belief that he died on the cross for your sins and then he rose up from the grave the Bible says Romans 10 verses 9 and 10 tells us that that's how a person's saved you will be saved if you really mean that confess it oh sure there's repentance involved even as that woman had to kind of come clean before Jesus to say oh yeah I do have I've had five husbands or the one I'm with right now is not my husband she was living in sin right then and there but she was able to speak that out before Jesus and Jesus took that sin and forgave her he didn't condemn her he didn't yell at her he wasn't disappointed in her he just forgave her you can have the same thing I'm just asking you to indicate just before the Lord before me just just between you me and the Lord to say that's me I want to become a Christian today I want to accept Christ if that's you would you simply just look up at me right now so if I see your eyes looking at me you're saying Brett and just give me a nod as I look at you I want to just acknowledge if there is anyone today I wanted to see you and acknowledge that cool awesome so cool to be able to pray with you I count on a privilege and I love praying with people who are just saying yep I want to become a Christian because the prayer we're about to pray as simple as it is the reason it's powerful is because Jesus did all the work Jesus made it possible so why we think man isn't really just sitting in church saying a prayer of confession of faith that really matters what kind of what really matters is that by doing that you're accepting the free gift that God provided that he came among us died on a cross brutally for us and then rose from the grave proving he was God in the flesh one of those provable facts in all of history that Jesus rose from the grave more than 500 eyewitness people saw it and they were willing to go down martyred dead for their faith because they so believed Jesus was the Messiah that's that's radical so let's pray I'm gonna pray that prayer of confession and those three or four of you who looked up man let's pray this you can just pray this right right to the Lord he'll hear your prayer and church join in with us here we go dear father in heaven I thank you for salvation and that you've offered it to me I believe that your son Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose up from the grave and I believe I'm forgiven thank you for saving me and now help me to walk with you in Jesus name Lord how great it is to see people just give their hearts to you I pray Lord that from this day forward that they really would have that personal relationship Lord with with with you I pray that somehow someway you just confirm in the heart that the decision that they've made Lord that you would just reveal your power and your love in their lives right now Lord we know that this doesn't mean we're gonna be perfect from this day forward we know that being a Christian doesn't mean that we are really any different than sinners other than we've been saved and we have the hope of heaven and I pray that there would be fruit in our lives that would just be an example of believers so father give those that are saved just in surance of their salvation but I also pray for those other Christians maybe you've been walking with you for years but maybe somehow have left a little bit their first love behind that that relationship has grown cold and that our hobbies and our careers and our friends and business maybe has gotten in the way of a real working relationship maybe we repent from that turn to you and be sold out help us Lord and pray in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Lean-into-God

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Id: WRO6FIaqQ-8

Length: 61min 2sec (3662 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 15 2020