The Well of Salvation - Part 2

Temple Baptist Church - 11-02-2008

John 4:1-14

Introduction:

A. A few weeks, we saw the wonderful, gracious conversion of a “loose living” woman. You will meet her in Heaven one day! I am so glad that God still saves old sinners! If He did not care for sinners, I would be hopelessly lost for all eternity! If He did not love old sinners, I would spend an eternity in a devil’s Hell!

B. In verse 14, our Lord said, “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.”

1. A Fountain Of Salvation - Zechariah 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

2. A Fountain Of Satisfaction - John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

C. In verse 15, I want you to see the woman’s reply! John 4:15 “The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” Two things she desired:

1. “Give me this water that I thirst not!” She desired the water of life that comes only through knowing Christ Jesus!

2. “Neither come hither to draw!” She did not want to have to draw from that shallow, earthly well that Jacob gave to Joseph. It was no doubt a good well, but one that could not satisfy her thirst for long. The world cannot satisfy the thirsty soul of the child of God for long. You must drink of it over and over again and eventually, it will run dry.

D. A few weeks ago, Barbara and I began to have well problems for the first time in over 15 years. We have a bored well that is app. 50 feet deep. Because of the continuing drought here in South Carolina, the well has gotten low enough that there is air in our water lines. At times, the water flows is interrupted by the sputter of air. Therefore, we had a well punched! It is deep in the rock and when I checked it, it had over 70 feet of water in it! The man who drilled the well said that two houses or more could be run off of one well and that I should never have to worry about water again! I may or may not ever have problems with this new well but I do have great confidence in it.

E. Thus it is with Christ! This woman went away with a well within her soul that would never run dry! A well is of no value if it is not “tapped!” As I prepare this sermon, Barbara and I have a well but there are no water lines run to the house as of yet. We still have the same old sputtering well supplying our house until the ditch is trenched and water lines as well as power line is laid!

F. You may be saved but if you do not “draw from the well” within, then your life will “sputter” just as our water at home does. I want you to turn to Isaiah 12:1-3** for a few minutes tonight and see what the Lord has to say about the “wells of salvation.”

G. Notice with me four things that take place for the believer in verse 2:

1. The Lord is my Salvation
2. The Lord is my Strength
3. The Lord is my Song
4. The Lord is become my Salvation

H. Now notice the “joy” of drawing from your well:

1. The well is there!
2. The water is there!
3. The bucket is there!
4. Now the water must be drawn!

1. “Drawing from the well” brings Peace In Troubles! Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength: (He is still God and He is still the Master of the Sea!)

2. “Drawing from the well” brings Strength In Weakness! 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (I often times come to the end of myself and have no strength to go on but, as I turn to Him, I have the strength to go another step. One step at a time He gives me strength. “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” the song says.)

3. “Drawing from the well” brings Grace In Temptation! 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. (Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it! I am so often ashamed of yielding to temptation! In the hour of temptation, God is faithful to either remove it or give you a way of escape. The strength to escape is in Him , not in your sinful flesh.)

4. “Drawing from the well” brings Hope In Discouragement! 1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. (I am glad to report that He still giveth “songs in the night!” My fervent prayer is “Even so come, Lord Jesus!” I want to see Him but I also want to fly away with the wings of a Dove! I am so tired of this world and have a longing for home tonight but, when I get down, He is always there to lift me up!”

Psalms 3:3 But thou, O LORD, [art] a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

5. “Drawing from the well” brings Joy In Disappointment! Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (There are so many disappointments in this world. I find neither joy nor satisfaction in this life sometimes. You can still have peace and joy in the midst of disappointments! Christ Jesus is our Joy!)

Psalms 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit.

6. “Drawing from the Well” brings Life In A Lost Condition! John 4:14 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.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Conclusion: God has placed within each of us a “well” that eternally flows. Not a “bored” well that depends upon surface water, but a “punched” well. An artesian well that flows from deep within, uninterrupted by the drought conditions of this world. The Samaritian woman went to Jacob’s Well for earthly water and came home with Jesus’ Well of eternal Water!