Life Changing Encounters w/Jesus — Gospel of John — John 7:4 (NLT) 4 “You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” Conversation #3 — An Outsider Woman (At the well) John 4:7–9 (NLT) 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 1. Jesus initiates conversation. When Jesus begins to speak to her, he is deliberately reaching across a racial, a cultural, gender, and moral barrier. 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 2. Jesus eases into confrontation. “And Jesus says, “Unless you’re worshiping me, unless I’m the center of your life, unless you’re trying to get your spiritual thirst quenched through me and not through these other things, unless you see that the solution must come inside rather than just pass by outside, then whatever you worship will abandon you in the end.” ~ Timothy Keller 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” 3. Jesus loves her with the truth. 4. She found the living water because Jesus said, “I thirst.” “It is because Jesus experienced cosmic thirst on the cross that you and I can have our spiritual thirst satisfied.” ~ Timothy Keller What now? Reflect — “why did losing what I love hurt so much?” Refocus — “what / who do I really need?” Repent — “is it time to turn around & make Jesus my “one thing”? So… Focus on what Jesus did & why he did it to turn your heart away from the things that enslave you & toward him in worship. CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION QUESTIONS 1. What do YOU think of this paradox? “It is because Jesus experienced cosmic thirst on the cross that you and I can have our spiritual thirst satisfied.” ~ Timothy Keller 2. Jesus is saying : if I’m not the “one thing” you live for, your other “one thing” will fail & enslave you. Have you or anyone you know ever experienced any of the following outcomes: Everybody has got to live for something… Whatever that thing is, you will tell yourself that you have to have it or there is no tomorrow. That means that if anything threatens it, you will become inordinately scared; if anyone blocks it, you will become inordinately angry; and if you fail to achieve it, you will never be able to forgive yourself. If you do achieve it, it will fail to deliver the fulfillment you expected. 3. Which of these might be your best next step to respond to this story ? Reflect — “why did losing what I love hurt so much?” Refocus — “what / who do I really need?” Repent — “is it time to turn around & make Jesus my “one thing”?