Live Free with Josh Howerton - If You Knew the Gift of God | Ep. 407 | Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Episode Date: August 27, 2024

In John 4:10, Jesus told the Samaritan women at the well, “If you knew the gift of God…” Jesus doesn’t refuse anyone. He genuinely loves everyone, no matter what baggage they may carry. Jesus will break every barrier to be with you. He loves to have you in His company, so don’t wait to be perfect to be in His presence. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the Daily Drive. I'm Mike Bro, and we are looking at one-on-one encounters that people have with Jesus, and our hope is that we would come to know Jesus better and that we would actually move among people the way he did as we go back to school and work in other places this fall. Yesterday, we began looking at a story that's found in John Chapter 4

that begins with Jesus going somewhere that no one else wanted to go. But Jesus, he just had to go. The place is Samaria And in the Jewish mind, the home of, you know, those people. Laws of disdain, flat out hatred between the two groups. But Jesus pushes all of that aside, and he intentionally travels there. Well, it sits down by a well to rest. It's noon. He's thirsty, and a woman comes to draw water.

Now imagine being this woman. Put yourself in her shoes for a moment. Again, she's coming to the well at noon for a reason. She has a reputation she's not proud of. She's been used and discarded by a number of men. She's got her head down, just trying to get in and out as quickly as possible, trying to avoid all the small town gossip and all the glares. And then as she approaches the well, she looks up.

And there's some guy sitting there at the rocky base of the well. And she notices his clothing. He's a Jew. She's well aware of the history between the Jews and Samaritan. And I'm sure she's thinking, oh, great. What is he doing there? Nobody's ever here at this time of day. Okay, okay.

just keep your head down, avoid all eye contact, just get your water and get out of here. But the man smiles and says, Excuse me, would you mind giving me a drink? Verse 9. The woman was surprised for Jews refused to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, well, you're a Jew, and I'm a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink? Did you catch that?

It says, for the Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans? Here's something I want you to know about Jesus. Jesus doesn't refuse anyone. We've said it a bunch on this podcast, but the people who were least like Jesus, liked Jesus, and he liked them. And I'm just telling you, he would like you too. I kept inviting a friend to church who had a rough pass.

He would always say, oh, man, if I walked into church, the roof we gave in. Anybody ever say that to you when you invite him to come to church? But he finally mustered up the courage, and he came. And I saw him afterwards in the lobby. He was pretty emotional after a message about God's love. And so I walked over to him and did a little fist bump and then I hugged him and said, and dude, check it out. We still got a roof. I'm telling you, Jesus likes you. And I think it's so cool that when nobody else would, Jesus takes a risk and meets one of her most

basic human needs. She needed some company. She needed someone who would talk to her instead of about her. And Jesus knew that she needed a man to look at her differently than other men did. She needed someone who would not refuse to have anything to do with her based on her past, her present, her race, her religion, her gender, or her reputation. He knew she needed a friend. Now, I hope that you will catch along the way. Just how disarming and inclusive Jesus is. His love breaks through so many barriers.

He just doesn't refuse anyone. And I'm personally grateful that Jesus didn't refuse to have anything to do me and he won't refuse you either he wants to meet you right where you are today who you are today past flaws imperfections screw ups addictions baggage and all that's who he wants to meet with that's who he wants to hang out with that's who he loves you so you got an empty bucket you got an empty soul you got an empty life bring it to him he will not refuse you well after she says to him How could you ask me for a drink? Jesus smiles and says,

Verse 10, If you only knew the gift God has for you, and who you're speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water. Now remember, this is a woman with a reputation, I think probably a little bit jaded, a little cynical. She's been talked about, she's been hurt,

she's been used, so I'm thinking she has to be a little hardened, and maybe she's thinking, wow, living water. This is a new one. I thought I heard all the things. bad pickup lines before, you know, like, hey, baby, you could be in movies, or, hey, honey, hook up with me and I could put you on the cover of a magazine.

Or, excuse me, can you give me a Band-Aid? Because I just scrape my knee falling for you. But Living Water? Now, that's original. But she plays along, and she says, verse 11. But, sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket. And this well is very deep. Where are you going to get this, quote,

quote, living water? And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed? You think you're better than him? I mean, Jacob was a patriarch of the faith. You must be really something, buddy, to produce this living water. And I believe Jesus smiles when he says,

well, anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. And again, I'm just imagining with a little bit of sarcastic tone. and the woman replies, well, that's just great. Please, sir, give me this water. Then I'll never be thirsty again. And I won't have to keep coming here at noon to get water.

And as she spins on her heels to leave, this total stranger says to her, excuse me, why don't you go get your husband and come back? Stopps her dead in her tracks. A lump forms in her throat. And she turns to him and says, well, I have no husband. And Jesus says, well, you're right when you say you have no husband. The fact is you've had five husbands,

and the man you now have is not your husband. What you've said is quite true. Now, can you imagine this? Everything she was trying to conceal, Jesus reveals. He already knew, and he cared deeply about her. Here's the deal. She is why he had to go through Samaria.

God loved this woman with a past. He went looking for her. It's like that story that Jesus tells us. of a shepherd with a hundred sheep and leaves the 99 and goes out of his way just to find the one lost sheep. He pursues you and me like we are that priceless one. Hey, Jesus will not refuse anyone, including you. He pursues us all. He's pursuing you. So why not shut this podcast down and meet with him? Like right now, one on one. And I'll be praying for you as you do. See you back tomorrow. We'll pick up the story right here. Have a great day.

Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about all the digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint. combe. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out.