CENTRAL THOUGHT
Conviction based on God’s word bring about genuine conversion.
HYMN: AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND
Text: John 4:1-42
INTRODUCTION
Jacob’s well was located outside the city along the main road. There, Jesus encountered this woman and gave her extraordinary message on the living water that would quench her spiritual thirst forever. Her encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ brought about a positive turn around in the entire city of Samaria.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
- Do you know who the Samaritan woman was before she encountered Christ.
- To examine her lifestyle with that of a typical religious person in the church without deep personal knowledge of Christ.
- To highlight the Samaritan’s Woman’s life after her encounter with Christ.
Bible Truth:
Q1. HIGHLIGHT THE LIFESTYLE OF THIS WOMAN BEFORE HER ENCOUNTER WITH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
The lifestyle of the Samaritan woman was what we can describe as a sinner who never knew God. She was naturally segregated from the commonwealth of Israel. Though she had a mental knowledge of the coming of the Messiah, she never knew that He “that was speaking to her was the Messiah”. She knew the religious pattern of the worship of the Almighty God but not the spiritual implication of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. She was as empty as her water pot. She was spiritually thirsty, hopeless, confused and disgusted. She was a free woman (jumping from one man to another). She had lived with five men and yet no husband (she was a divorcee/adulteress). She sought for what could not satisfy, but Christ (who knew what was her need) helped her out and she had joy for the first time in life.
Q2. DISCUSS HOW HER LIFESTYLE PARALLELS THE LIFE OF A TYPICAL RELIGIOUS PERSON IN THE CHURCH WITHOUT DEEP PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS.
The lifestyle of the Samaritan woman parallels the life of a typical religious person and the church without a deep personal knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such a person has probably found his/her way into the Church of the living God either for identification as a Christian, because he/she has received physical healing from God or physical that such a person has entered the church for refuge, as a cover-up for even as a family church or perhaps to enhance his social status and the society. There has never really been any personal conviction of his/her dirty state or Hell bound journey into eternity. There has never been any heartbroken stage of his/her repentance that leads to salvation which is so basic, and so profound an experience that without it, all religious activities will be eternity worthless. Such a person could have grown to the stage of being ordained and goes as far as speaking church (Christian) language such as ‘bless you’ etc. or claim to speak in tongues yet he/she has not encountered Christ the Savior of the world. He/she as not changes his/her eternal destination, no new birth or even feel sorry for his/her sinful life with the commitment to sin no more. John 3:3 says “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. such a person cannot explain the event of his/her encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Samaritan woman had a mental/carnal knowledge of the God of the Israelites, The distinction between them and other races and the coming of Christ the Messiah. Such knowledge could not change her lifestyle until she came in contact with the “change of destiny” so also only Christ can change whoever comes to him.
Q3. EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING:
- “Living Water”, John 7:38-39: Living water connotes the Holy Spirit which Christ promised to give to his followers. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost and it is being manifested in the lives of believers today. This was why Christ needed to make the Samaritan woman understand the necessity of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. Because that is the beginning of the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a repented sinner. It is evidenced by the recipients of the holy spirit baptism, the fullness of his power that indeed “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” John. 7:38.
- “God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”, John 4:24: God does not have his physical being with men on earth unless on specific occasions in the old testament where he had to appear to people (like Abraham, etc.) for certain assignments. His physical manifestation was in Christ (Matt 1:23). The coming of Christ has canceled the worship of God and the mountain in Jerusalem, establishing that anyone who must worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. During the ministry of Jesus, He stressed the importance of the new birth which is the only way to become a child of God. John 3:5-6 says, “except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot see the kingdom. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. The new birth is the only connecting point between God and man, and this only comes through Christ. It is so glorious that without it, spiritual life cannot be experienced and enjoyed.
Q4. THIS WOMAN WAS A SAMARITAN; A HATED MIXED RACED WOMAN KNOWN TO LIVE IN SIN, YET JESUS CROSSED ALL BARRIERS TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH HER. WHAT LESSONS CAN WE DERIVE FROM THIS?
“How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me which I am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” John.4:9. Generally, the Samaritans were known to be sinners and had no dealings with other races especially the Israelites. Jesus Crossed all barriers to share the good news with her because in the great commission, there is:
- No geographical limitation.
- No racial restriction or prejudice and
- No class distinction.
The coming of Christ has brought to an end the wall of partition between God and man and also has removed every barrier between races.
Today, those that accept Christ’s work on the cross of Calvary are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Q5. HIGHLIGHT THE OUTCOME OF HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD AND THE LESSON DERIVABLE FROM IT.
John 4:26-30, 39-42 “The woman 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 it not this the Christ?” John.4:28- 29. Based on the revelation of Christ, the Samaritan woman immediately became an evangelist. What a wonderful encounter with the Savior. People heard of the gospel, believed, met with Christ and there was a total turn around in the city of Samaria just because of one woman who was considered to be a nonentity.
There are outstanding lesson’s to derive from this event:
- Conversion: The woman was truly converted. Genuine conversion of a person has the tendency of turning the whole neighborhood, community, city, state, nation for Christ.
- Consecration: The woman left her water pot and went into the city to share the good news. This equally shows that genuine encounter goes along with the determination to prove ones calling. Any genuinely converted a person becomes a preacher (spreader) of the good news.
- Commitment: When Jesus gave her “the living water” she forgot her water pot went into the city in shadow living water with others.
The reason why believers message of the gospel are not backed up with the power of conviction which leads to sinners conversion could be that such messengers are either not converted, consecrated are committed.
Daily Living Application:
The woman of Samaria came to the well of Jacob empty and dried. She came confused but left with joy as she encountered the Lord. God promised that “ with joy Shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3. Are you still seeking the water that cannot satisfy? Have you heard the Savior call out “give me a Drink”, He seeks to change your story?
Today, if you can drop your religious practices and sincerely come to Jesus the savior of the world, he shall satisfy your soul with the joy of salvation.
Memory Verse
John 4:24
“God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”.
Daily Devotional Guide
Monday: The truth will set you free.
John 8:31-38
Tuesday: Rivers of living water.
John. 4:28-29, 7: 37-39
Wednesday: Can this be the Christ?
John. 7:25-30
Thursday: Jesus give rest.
Matt. 11:25-30
Friday: A sinful woman forgiven.
Luke.7: 36-50
Saturday: True blessedness.
Luke. 11:27-28