25-0817a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(0:04) Good morning. The first scripture reading is that of the book of John, chapter 4, verses 13 and 14. (0:15) Jesus answered and said to her, whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (0:21) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that (0:26) I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.

(0:37) Good morning. This morning’s second scripture reading, God’s word is found in Psalm 63. (0:48) It’s the first three verses.

O God, you are my God. Early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you.

(0:59) My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. (1:06) So I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, (1:11) because your loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall praise you.

Amen. (1:23) Good morning. Good to see everybody.

It’s my turn in the rotation to preach. (1:31) We got six guys that preach, which is impressive for how small a number we have. So John’s preaching (1:38) tonight, I hope, because I don’t have anything prepared.

My sermon’s called Empty Wells, Living (1:46) Water. Most of us are thirsting for something more in life, a deeper sense of purpose, (1:54) peace, or fulfillment. We often try to quench our thirst with worldly things, (2:03) only to find them lacking.

How often do we look to the world for pleasure or satisfaction? (2:14) Like a weary traveler approaching a well, expecting water but finding it dry. (2:21) We discover that the world’s promises are fleeting. In John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan (2:29) woman at the well, revealing a truth that speaks to us all.

Only he offers living water that truly (2:38) satisfies. Let’s explore why the wells of this world fail us and how Jesus fulfills our deepest (2:46) longings. Deep down, many of us feel a void, a longing for something more.

We search for it in (2:57) the world, hoping to fill the emptiness in our hearts. We chase after better jobs, new relationships, (3:06) material possessions, or fleeting pleasures, believing they’ll bring everlasting satisfaction. (3:16) Sin is deceitful, Hebrew 313.

It promises joy but leaves us disappointed, always craving more. (3:25) How often did you look to a worldly thing to fulfill something you’re missing, (3:32) or were deceived, thinking you’re going to get pleasure, but when you do sin, it never fully (3:38) satisfies. You always left wanting more.

Like the Samaritan woman at the well, we come with our (3:46) buckets, seeking to meet a need, but the well we turn to often runs dry. In John 4, 13 through 14, (3:57) Jesus tells her, everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the (4:06) water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring (4:13) of water welling up to eternal life.

Jesus sees beyond our surface needs to the deeper thirst in (4:21) our souls, a thirst only he can satisfy. Today, let’s examine the empty wells we turn to (4:32) and discover how Jesus offers us living water that never runs dry. (4:39) The world offers countless wells to drink from, each promising happiness but failing to deliver.

(4:47) The well of wealth whispers that more money will bring security, yet no matter how much we earn, (4:55) the fear of not having enough persists. Proverbs 23, 5 says, cast but a glance at riches and they (5:03) are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. How true is this, (5:12) especially in times right now? Once you have some money saved up, it’s gone.

It disappears in an (5:22) instant. You know, you might have a medical bill, a car bill, washer and dryer, you know, groceries. (5:33) The money just vanishes.

We can’t look to money. The well of success tells us climbing a ladder (5:40) will give us purpose, but even at the top we often feel unfulfilled. The well of pleasure tempts us (5:49) with momentary thrills, yet indulgence leaves us emptier than before.

The well of relationships (5:59) suggests that the right person will complete us, but human love, while beautiful, cannot fill a (6:05) God-sized void. Proverbs 27, 20 warns, death and destruction are never satisfied, (6:15) and neither are human eyes. Our desires, when rooted in the world, are insatiable.

(6:25) How often have we, like I said, looked to the pleasures of the world, (6:30) you know, sinning, which seems fun, it seems like it’s going to fulfill a need, but it never does. (6:37) It always leaves us empty. It always leaves us wanting more.

I know I’ve sinned plenty, (6:45) and you can never get enough, but Samaritan’s woman life, Samaritan’s woman’s life, (6:55) marked by broken relationships and social shame, mirrors our own restlessness when we seek life (7:02) apart from God. King Solomon, who had it all, riches, power, pleasure, wrote in Ecclesiastes (7:11) 2, 10 through 11, I denied myself nothing my eyes desired, yet when I surveyed all that my hands (7:19) had done, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind. This is coming from the wisest, (7:29) richest, most powerful person, one of the most to ever live.

He had it all. He was brilliant. He had (7:37) the equivalent of, I think, eight master’s degrees.

You know, he was the wisest man on earth. He was a (7:44) king. He was rich as can be.

He had a thousand women, and he still said all that was useless. (7:54) We see in our own lives, the new car, the bigger house, the latest gadget. They thrill us for a (8:03) moment, but soon the shine fades, and we’re back to chasing the next big thing.

I’ve seen this plenty. (8:12) I’m a car guy, and having a nice car night, you know, right away you get the thrill, and it’s great, (8:19) but after a month or two, you know, you want something else. So that’s why these (8:26) millionaires and billionaires have a hundred cars and five houses and everything else.

(8:32) You can never be pleased. Jeremiah 2, 13 puts it starkly, my people have committed two sins. (8:45) They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns.

(8:51) Broken cisterns that cannot hold water. These broken cisterns are attempts to find meaning (8:58) apart from God, can never hold the water our soul needs. What wells are you drinking from today? (9:07) Are you hoping for a promotion, a relationship, or social media validation that will fill your void? (9:16) These are fleeting, unable to satisfy.

Jesus offers something radically different, (9:27) living water that quenches the soul’s deepest thirst. To the Samaritan woman he said, (9:34) if you knew the gift of God, and who it is that you ask for a drink, (9:41) you’d have asked him, and he would have given you living water. John 4, 10.

(9:48) This living water is his grace, his love, his presence, freely given to all who come to him. (9:58) Unlike worldly wells, which demand we keep returning, Jesus' gift is complete and eternal. (10:08) He satisfies not by removing our desires, but by fulfilling them in himself.

He is the bread of (10:15) life. John 6, 35. The way, the truth, and the life.

John 14, 6. In Christ we find purpose that outlasts (10:29) fleeting success, love that never fails, and peace that surpasses understanding. (10:36) Psalm 16, 11 declares, you make known to me the path of life. (10:44) You will fill me with your joy, joy in your presence, with eternal pleasure at your right hand.

(10:53) In Jesus, our deepest longings find their true home. The living water is not a one-time drink, (11:01) but a spring that wells up within us, sustaining us through life’s trials and leading to eternal (11:08) life. To drink from Christ’s living water, we must first recognize the emptiness of the wells (11:16) we’ve been drawing from.

What are you chasing today? Approval? Comfort? Control? (11:25) Ladies at the foot of the cross confessing their inability to satisfy. (11:32) This American woman left her jar behind, abandoning her old ways to embrace the new life Jesus (11:41) offered. We too must let go of what cannot fulfill us.

Second, come to Jesus. He invites us in Matthew (11:52) 11, 28. Come to me, all ye who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This is a (12:02) daily act of turning to him through prayer, scripture, and worship. Drink deeply from his (12:08) word and let his spirit fill you. Third, trust that Jesus is enough.

Psalm 23, 1 says, (12:17) The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In him every need is met, every thirst is quenched. (12:27) Finally share the living water.

This American woman ran to her village (12:34) proclaiming Jesus and many believe, John 4, 39. When we taste his goodness, we can’t help but invite (12:43) others to taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34, 8. It’s not enough that we’re saved.

(12:51) We have the greatest thing on earth and we need to share that with others. We need to spread the (12:57) gospel. The wealth of this world, money, success, pleasure will always leave you thirsty.

Their (13:06) broken cisterns unable to hold water. With Jesus, the living water never runs dry. He offers life, (13:14) purpose, and joy that nothing else can match.

John 7, 38 promises, Whoever believes in me, (13:24) as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow through them. This is the invitation today. (13:35) Come to Jesus.

Drink deeply from his love and grace. Let him fill you with a spring (13:43) that wells up to eternal life. If you haven’t trusted in Christ, why wait? Acts 22, 16 urges, (13:53) Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

(14:01) For those already walking with Jesus, recommit to drinking from his well daily. (14:08) Let go of the world’s empty promises and find your satisfaction in him. (14:14) If you need prayer or want to take the step of faith, (14:17) come forward now.

Let the congregation pray with you as you seek the living water.