Bible Reading John 4:4-29
So many of today can relate to that old song…running on empty.
Especially during the holiday season! Running from store to store, trying to get all of the obligations covered. On top of that, many have to deal with the financial concerns of an economy that has been troubled. It can frazzle your nerves!
This woman was experiencing the same thing. She was empty, she was thirsty and she wanted to be filled. She had tried what we all did. Filling up with the things that seem be the answer. Yet no matter how much she tried to refill her vessel, satisfaction eluded her, she was broken and couldn’t stay satisfied.
When God first made man, He made us whole, complete, no holes, no leaks, no lacks,
There was joy, companionship with God and each other, no sickness, no death, no disappointments, no betrayals, no gossip, no rejection, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, ripped God out of their lives, and chose sin. In essence they had drilled a hole through their hearts, and from then man began to try and fill it.
If I am lonely…get a man, or a woman or a crew of friends and I won’t be lonely anymore
If I am not happy…drink, get high, so I can laugh
If I sense something is missing…fill it with something new, jeans, phone, perfume, car, house
***Illus with water bottles with holes. Refilling the leaking vessels, representing the ways we try to fill the emptiness within.
We keep filling, but it never stays full
***A BROKEN VESSEL CAN NEVER BE FULL (FOR LONG)
Teenagers, young adults, have lots of opportunities to keep the supply coming
Friends by the boatloads
Beauty and strength to spare, to attract others
Carefree and w/ little worry, no mortgage, bills, etc to keep them burdened.
Yet the time comes, when the supply runs out. High school ends, we go our separate ways, pressures of life start to mount and we find ourselves, lonely, empty and yearning for something.
God deals with it in a different way.
Instead of always pouring into a broken vessel, Jesus’ coming means healing to us!
But if we limit healing to only the physical, we sell it short.
Luk_5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
But what were they sick of? Diseased with? Disabled by? We don’t read of them sick of the palsy, paralyzed, nor do we read of them physically blind, lame, deaf, or dumb. But they still needed a healing!
Joh_12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
What were they healed of?
Even when the friends of the lame man lowered him through the roof at a house where Jesus was teaching, the first thing Jesus did to him was to forgive his sins, to heal him spiritually!
(Mar 2:4) And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
(Mar 2:5) When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.Before there is a filling there must be a healing!!!
The problem is not that we don’t have enough things to fill us and satisfy.
The problem is that we are broken and can’t hold anything!!!
So then all that God intended for us to enjoy: (1Ti 6:17 … who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;…)
Flows through us and does little to satisfy.
Friendships, sexual escapades, the things of this world, do little, they dribble out of the holes in our lives and are left on the ground behind us.
We need a Healing!
When you think about the greatest pain you have experienced as a human being on the planet,
The pain standing at a graveside…
Crying your eyes out when you have been betrayed…
One you love telling you they don’t want you anymore, the rejection rips you in two.
Unable to get forgiveness from one who has left this world…
A physical problem that keeps you from having children
The greatest pain is usually not a physical pain, that will pass! It is a spiritual and emotional ache!
The singers sing how can you mend a broken heart?
Jesus came and said (Isa 61:1) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Jesus talks to this woman and He goes straight to her area of brokenness ”Go call thy husband…”
We can’t be healed unless we let God come in and deal with our area of brokenness.
She didn’t run! She opened up.
When the holes are plugged, you don’t need much to satisfy.
With food and clothes be content.
Told the Roman soldiers “Be content with your wages…”
(Isa 53:5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Wounded…physical for our transgressions…spiritual
Bruised…physical for our iniquities…spiritual
With His Stripes…physical WE ARE HEALED…spiritual
Physical for Spiritual
Yes of course we believe in physical healing, but don’t sell this healing short! He means for us to be healed in body, Soul AND Spirit!
Jesus Heals the Soul
What about the Christian? Dealing with Chronic sin and temptation?
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Jas_5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Once we open up and confess our sin to another, and they in true Christian humility and concern pray for you, that you would be healed, forgiven, cured. That innocent, by the blood of the Lamb, person’s prayer are powerful.
NOTE: Save the sick…heal the sinner…(confess faults, not sicknesses, ye may be healed)
So often we take this portion of the verse out of its context and just quote “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” But the true context is, that man, praying for his brother to be healed (spiritually and physically) is POWERFUL!
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