Episode Transcript
[00:00:14] Speaker A: Individual messages, back to back to back. I said, I feel like I have a word for her place. Next message. This is way out of my comfort zone. Next message. I don't speak well. Next message. But I feel like I have a word. And then a few days later, texted her again. Just being honest with her, and I'm being honest with you all tonight. I don't want to give this message just because of my insecurities, but I know that it's needed. And I say all of that to y'all to say, I'm putting my flesh to the side tonight because I know that this word is for all of us. I'm not up here for y'all to see me or hear me.
I don't want you to see me or hear me, obviously. Do you hear my voice shaking? And I told y'all, I don't like, this is not my comfort zone. So I want you all to hear what the Lord is saying tonight and get past the shaky voice.
But my brother Grace and Pastor Grayson, he's back there running audio for us tonight. He said this before one of his sermons a few weeks ago in youth group. And he said that if he's not convicted by his message, he's not preaching it. And that really stuck out to me. So tonight, I want you to know that I'm 100% convicted by this message. And if this word doesn't convict you or change any of you, it is going to convict me and change me. But I am praying that it convicts and changes you tonight as well. And tonight, I want to go back to our scripture. We're going to do a lot of reading. Just because I want us to get the whole story together. And I don't have it on the screens because it's so many. And I didn't want to overload Miss Jill up there. She's doing a great job as well. So we're going to read together John, chapter four, verses one through 29. So we can get the full story of Jesus and the samaritan woman or the woman at the well. So if you don't mind, just follow along in your bibles, or you can listen to me.
So, John, chapter four, verse one.
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, he was making and baptizing more disciples than John.
Though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were. He left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sakar, near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph, Jacob's well was there. And Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Give me a drink, Jesus said to her, because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. How is it that you, a jew, ask for a drink from me, a samaritan woman, she asked him for Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
Jesus answered, if you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, give me a drink? You would ask him, and he would give you living water. Sir, the woman said, you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this living water? You aren't greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock. Jesus said, everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water. Springing up in him for eternal life. Sir, the woman said to him, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and come here to draw water. Go call your husband, he told her, and come back here. I don't have a husband. She answered, you have correctly said, I don't have a husband. Jesus said, for you have had five husbands. And the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true, sir, the woman replied, I see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain. But you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem. Jesus told her, believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the father. Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming and is now here. When the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. Yes, the father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. The woman said to him, I know that the messiah is coming who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. Jesus told her, I the one speaking to you, am he just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, what do you want? Or why are you talking with her? Then the woman left her water jar, went into town and told the people, come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the messiah. And I know that was a good chunk, but I felt like I needed to go through that whole story with y'all to go on this journey that we're about to go on tonight. Okay, so here we have the woman at the well, the samaritan woman.
She came to draw water at noon. She came to draw water at the hottest time of the day. She came to draw water when she knew no one else would be there. TyPically, women would come to draw water earlier in the day, and they would come to draw water in groups. It's customary for women to do this to avoid the heat of the day, and it's kind of like a social gathering for them. But for some reason, the SamariTAN woman came at noon. She was trying to avoid others. She came at the hottest time of the day to be isolated. And then one day, when she's expecting to be alone, like usual, there's JeSus.
And in the beginning of this chapter, we know that Jesus is leaving JUDeA to go to Galilee. Judea to Galilee is pretty MUch a straight shot. But in order to get to Galilee, you had to pass through Samaria. And typically in this time, jews would avoid going through Samaria, because most of the jews in jesus time despise the SamariTans.
So if this travel was needed, they would go all the way around the Jordan to get to Galilee. They wouldn't take the Shorter trip through Samaria. They went all the way around Jordan to get to Galilee. They were willing to tack on considerably extra or take on a considerably extra amount of time to their travel to avoid going through Samarium. So, Miss Jill, I have a little map up there I want to show everyone. So that's a pretty significant difference. So the blue arrows up on the screen, that is where.
That's the route that Jesus took on his way to see the samaritan woman. And typically, if Jews were to make that travel, they would be following that yellow arrow. So he took the shorter route, even though he was going to a place where they typically wouldn't. Is that making sense?
He took the shorter route rather than the route that they would typically take as Jews.
And he did that because he needed to meet the samaritan woman. He knew that the samaritan woman needed him.
He wasn't trying to avoid extra travel time. He needed to get the samaritan woman. So now that we've kind of laid that groundwork for John, chapter four, I want to reference back to my title real quick. Rumination to revelation.
Raise your hand if you've ever heard of the word rumination?
Okay, a few of you. So, I have never heard of this word in my life until a couple of months ago. So, in January, I was scrolling on Facebook, and a girl that I graduated high school with, I never see her posts, but she made a post, and the word rumination was in it, and it caught my attention, and I was very intrigued by it. So I. I closed out of Facebook, pulled up Google, and I searched the word rumination.
Google pulls up all of these articles, psychiatry articles, psychology articles, medical articles. So I'm going through these different articles, and I'm reading and learning about the word rumination. And each article, I'm reading more and more and more. And as I'm reading these articles, I realize that I myself, I'm actively participating in rumination every single day, and many in this room are, too. And if you don't know the word, you probably act in rumination. You don't know it yet, but you do. So, rumination, the definition is repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences.
So, meaning you are always in your head, erasing thoughts, constantly dwelling, overthinking. And I think we all in this room can say that we have acted in rumination before. We're currently acting in rumination. Or if I'm being honest, like myself, you've acted in rumination your entire life.
And so we know that the samaritan woman felt shame, right? She had negative feelings. We know from this passage of scripture that this woman has had five husbands, and the man that she currently has isn't even her husband. So we know from that alone that that can cause some negative feelings, that can cause some shame.
The samaritan woman actively operated in rumination.
And I'm sure this woman has experienced other things beyond her five husbands to make her feel this way as well. That wasn't even mentioned in scripture. But she came to the well at noon, hottest time of the day, alone and isolated, because of her rumination.
She knew that she could not go to the well with the other women because of her repetitive feelings and thoughts of negativity that she had. Every single day, the samaritan woman gathers at the well when no one is around to hide all the things that are causing rumination.
The samaritan woman went alone to draw water from Jacob's well every day because of her rumination.
How many times have our ruminating thoughts altered our decisions? How many times have our ruminating thoughts caused us to draw satisfaction from our own well or the enemy's will we try to find satisfaction by working out these negative thoughts in our head? Well, let's be real. These ruminating thoughts are straight from the enemy. And I don't know what your ruminating thoughts are. You know what they are. I know what my ruminating thoughts are, and I know that my rumination is not good. And because it's not good, it's not from goddess. I'm human, wrapped in flesh, and I know that these thoughts are not from God. But like I said, we're flesh, and we still get wrapped up into that sometimes.
We let our rumination get the best of us, and it does get the best of me, but we let it get to the point where we forget who God is, and we forget that God is nothing. He's not putting those ruminating thoughts in our head that's not from him. If it's not good, it's not from God. But Jesus was aware of the samaritan woman's rumination just like he's aware of our rumination.
Because Jesus was aware of her rumination, Jesus had to go through Samaria like we talked about earlier.
Jesus knew about her rumination and even brought it up to her not to use it against her or to bring shame to her, but because he had to provide her with something else that would replace that rumination so that she didn't have to keep getting temporary satisfaction by herself. From Jacob's will, Jesus knew that what she needed to be free from her rumination was revelation.
And so our title again, rumination to revelation. I want to share with you how this title came about, so let's backtrack a minute. Remember I told you in January I saw that word rumination, went to Google, looked it up, read all the articles, reading, reading, reading. Realize that I act in rumination.
So after about the fifth or 6th article, and once I admit to being someone who actively struggles with rumination, I said to the Lord, Lord, please take me from rumination to revelation.
And in all honesty, I don't know if this will make sense, but it just came out of my mouth. Like, I literally had to stop a second and think about what had just come out of my mouth. I don't know if it made sense to me, but I know what I said, and I know that I meant it, even though it didn't really make sense to me in that moment. So I started thinking about what I had said. And I know we've all heard the term revelation, but what exactly does that mean for me now that I've asked the Lord to take me from rumination to revelation. What is this revelation that I'm needing to make this transition from rumination to revelation?
And the definition of revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind.
Jesus knew the samaritan woman needed revelation.
She needed truth to her mind. I need truth to my mind, and I know you need truth to your mind.
So he offered her revelation.
He offered her truth. He offered her true satisfaction from the well, not Jacob's well. He offered her living water. The samaritan woman, not knowing it was Jesus the messiah, she had him airing out all her dirty laundry to him. To which she responds, I see you are a prophethood. She later says, I know the messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. And of course, Jesus then says to her, I the one speaking to you, am he. Once the samaritan woman hears this, I think she actively began believing in what Jesus said in verses 13 through 14.
And that is, Jesus said, everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.
So she finally accepted the living water that he offered her. And while at first she probably took his offer literally, she finally learned that the living water he was providing her with wasn't physical water. She accepted the revelation that he offered her. Jesus was her revelation. She knew she didn't have to come to Jacob's will anymore to find her satisfaction. And how do we know that? That's in verse 28.
Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people. Sorry. Is that correct? Yes. Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people. So she left her water jar that she would fill up every day alone at Jacob's well. She left her water jar, went into town, where I figure a lot of the people and women that she was always avoiding were at. She went to that place where they were and told all the people there, come see a man who told me everything that I ever did. The samaritan woman hid from her rumination, but she shared her revelation.
Jesus was her revelation. That's it. The things that he provided her with from his will were good. The things that he provided her with from his will were true.
The things that he provided her with resulted in her going to see all the people that she once avoided to share with them what she had just received, which was the messiah revelation.
And so when we turn from from our rumination and freely accept his revelation, we begin to overflow with praise and exaltation to Jesus. The samaritan woman left her water jar that she was filling up from Jacob's well and took the revelation from Jesus, the well that never runs dry, and told everyone about it. And so tonight, this is going to take a few minutes of our time. How many of you have seen the chosen?
So, if you know me, you know I'm terrible at sitting and watching tv, watching movies. But I have seen, like, three or four random episodes of the chosen. And one of those includes the episode where Jesus meets the woman at the well. And I'm a visual learner. Love visuals. So I wanted to us to see this clip tonight from the chosen. That interaction between Jesus and the samaritan woman. So, Miss Jill, if you don't mind playing that for us tonight, real quick.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: Would you give me a drink?
Did you hear me?
[00:16:59] Speaker C: That bad, huh?
[00:17:01] Speaker B: What?
[00:17:02] Speaker C: You. Would you ask for a drink from me, a samaritan and a woman?
[00:17:09] Speaker B: I'm sorry.
I should have said please.
[00:17:16] Speaker C: You know it's not safe for you to be alone out here.
[00:17:18] Speaker B: Nor you.
Why haven't you come with others? Why so late in the day? Don't women come to the wells in the cool of the morning?
[00:17:27] Speaker C: Yeah, well, none of them will be seen with me, so I have to come at noon in the heat. Ziva so kindly reminded me.
[00:17:35] Speaker B: Why won't they be seen with you?
[00:17:39] Speaker C: Long story.
[00:17:43] Speaker B: I'd still like a drink of water, if you can spare it.
[00:17:46] Speaker C: Amazing what a parched throat will do.
Aren't I unclean to you?
Won't you be defiled by this vessel?
[00:17:59] Speaker B: Maybe some of my people say that about your women, but I don't.
[00:18:02] Speaker C: Yeah? And what do you say?
[00:18:07] Speaker B: I say if you knew who I am, you'd be asking me for a drink.
[00:18:12] Speaker C: Really?
[00:18:12] Speaker B: And I would give you living water.
[00:18:15] Speaker C: Wood. Except that you have nothing to draw water with, and this is a deep well.
Besides, what do you need from me if you have your own supply of living water?
Long story, but jewish water is better than samaritan water.
[00:18:30] Speaker B: That's not what I see.
[00:18:31] Speaker C: Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well? Your water is better than his.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: I know Jacob.
And everyone who drinks this water will thirst again.
But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again.
[00:18:50] Speaker C: Wouldn't that be nice?
[00:18:52] Speaker B: The water I give will become, in a person, a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
[00:18:59] Speaker C: Really?
[00:19:00] Speaker B: Yes, really.
[00:19:03] Speaker C: Prove it.
[00:19:08] Speaker B: First. Go and call your husband, then come back. I will show you both.
[00:19:11] Speaker C: I don't have a husband.
[00:19:13] Speaker B: You are right.
You've had five husbands.
And the man you're living with now is not your husband.
[00:19:26] Speaker A: Ha ha.
[00:19:28] Speaker C: I see you're a prophet. You're here to preach at me.
[00:19:32] Speaker B: No.
[00:19:33] Speaker C: Usually the one good thing about coming here alone is I can escape being condemned.
[00:19:37] Speaker B: I'm not here to condemn you.
[00:19:39] Speaker C: I've made mistakes, too many. But it's men like you who have made it impossible for me to do anything about it.
[00:19:46] Speaker B: How?
[00:19:46] Speaker C: Our ancestors worshipped on this mountainous. But you Jews insist Jerusalem is the only place for true worship.
[00:19:53] Speaker B: They say that because the temple is.
[00:19:54] Speaker C: There, exactly where we're not allowed.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: I'm here to break those barriers.
And the time is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the father.
[00:20:07] Speaker C: So where am I supposed to go when I need God?
I've never received anything from God, but I couldn't thank him even if I did anywhere.
[00:20:18] Speaker B: God is spirit, and the time is coming and is now here.
That it won't matter where you worship, but only that you do it in spirit and truth, heart and mind. That that is the kind of worshipper he's looking for.
It won't matter where you're from or what youve done.
Do you believe what im telling you?
[00:21:01] Speaker C: Until the Messiah comes.
It explains everything and sorts this mess out. Including me.
I don't trust in anyone.
[00:21:12] Speaker B: You're wrong when you say that you've never received anything from God.
This messiah you speak of.
I am he.
The first one was named Ramin.
You were a woman of purity who was excited to be married. But he wasn't a good mandeh.
He hurt you, and it made you question marriage and even the practice of your faith.
[00:21:43] Speaker C: Stop it.
[00:21:44] Speaker B: The second was Farzad.
On your wedding night. His skin smelled like oranges. And to this day, every time you pass by the oranges in the market, you feel guilty for leaving him because he was the only truly godly mandehead you've been with.
But you felt unworthy.
[00:22:05] Speaker C: Why are you doing this?
[00:22:11] Speaker B: I have not revealed myself to the public as the messiah.
You are the first.
It would be good if you believed me.
[00:22:26] Speaker C: He picked the wrong person.
[00:22:27] Speaker B: I came to Samaria just to meet you.
Do you think it's an accident that I'm here in the middle of the day?
[00:22:38] Speaker A: I am rejected by others.
[00:22:41] Speaker B: I know, but not by the messiah.
[00:22:54] Speaker C: And you know these things because you are the Christ.
I'm going to tell everyone I was counting on it.
Spirit and truth.
[00:23:14] Speaker B: Spirit and truth.
[00:23:15] Speaker C: It won't be all about mountains or.
[00:23:17] Speaker B: Temples soon, just the heart.
[00:23:23] Speaker C: You promise?
[00:23:24] Speaker B: I promise.
[00:23:27] Speaker C: This man told me everything I've done.
Oh, he must be the Christ.
[00:23:41] Speaker A: Hey, wait.
You're warded.
[00:23:46] Speaker C: You forgot your arm.
[00:23:47] Speaker A: Come to your mad. You told me everything I ever did.
[00:23:53] Speaker C: Y'all.
[00:23:54] Speaker A: Isn't that awesome?
Ashley and Miss Terry, y'all can come up. I'm closing tonight.
I want. I want to go from rumination to revelation.
And I want you to go from rumination to revelation.
Tonight is her place of revelation, and Jesus is our revelation. Tonight. That's it. It's simply Jesus.
Jesus is truth. His word is truth. So everyone stand with me this evening. Tonight we are going from rumination to revelation.
Tonight, if this word has ministered to you like it has me, I want us to take action. I don't want to sit in my rumination.
I want us tonight to come to the well that never runs dry and leave our water jars that we filled with ruminating thoughts and take full satisfaction in his revelation.
So I need everyone to listen carefully.
Tonight, if you want to go from rumination to revelation, this is what we're going to do. I want you to come to this altar and down here have these yellow pieces of paper and pens, and I want you to write down all the ruminating thoughts that have overtaken your mind, the ruminating thoughts that have taken you captive.
And once you've written those down, you're going to take that piece of paper and I want you to drop them in these jars that are up here in the altar, and we're going to leave our jars just like the samaritan woman did.
And once you've dropped that rumination, you have got to accept his revelation. Otherwise, we're going to keep coming back because there's not full satisfaction. If we're not accepting his revelation, we're going to come back and pick up these jars. We're going to come back to Jacob's well, we're going to come back to our well, the enemy's well.
So after you've dropped that rumination into these jars, you're going to leave it in these jars. And I want you to stay in this altar, because living water is in this altar, the messiah is in this altar, revelation is in this altar.
And I feel like we complicate things so often. Like, I even was talking to Grayson about, I'm like, well, what do we do next? Like what?
After we've dropped that rumination, like, what is the next step and it's simply just accepting Jesus and I know we've accepted Jesus as our lord and savior but truly believing in the fact that he is our revelation he is our full satisfaction and we don't have to keep going back to that temporary satisfaction we just have to accept it and trust in it and go so tonight if that is a change you're wanting to make our prayer team and myself want to pray alongside you we are sisters and we are in agreeance tonight that we are all going from rumination to revelation so if that is a change you're wanting to make tonight I encourage you to come to this altar write that rumination down drop it leave it in the jars stay here in the living water and accept his revelation this evening and I myself I'll be the first to do it I'm going to be writing all my rumination down because I can't stand anymore it's exhausting so come accept revelation tonight Hallelujah.
