Heard For Ourselves
March 3, 2002
John 4:42
3rd Sunday in Lent
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
larry@larryjameson.com

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When you were a child   did you ever get hand-me-downs?   I did.  I got pants with patches on the knees,  bicycles that didn't have all the spokes.
I got plastic army men that were scraped up and had parts missing.

And do you know what? That never bothered me!  I thought that was how life's supposed to be. It never crossed my mind that it could be different. I grew up just fine, because a healthy childhood is not based on possessions. 
It's based on love. And I got my share.

Later on, when I grew up I learned the difference between hand-me-down faith and  a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

That's what I want to talk about this morning.

This is a sermon about the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.
 

What do we know about the woman at the well?

She was a Samaritan, and back in 30 A.D.
Jews and Samaritans hated each other.

The Samaritans were descendants of the 10 lost tribes of Israel.
The Samaritans had intermarried with other countries and combined the practices of other religions
into their worship of Yahweh.

Jewish people just didn't travel through Samaria, ever.

Jews traveled around Samaria.

Jews were carefully taught to hate Samaritans.


That's why Jesus went there.


To Jesus, the Samaritans were no different than the Jews.
They were children of Israel who needed the Messiah.


What else do we know about the woman at the well?

She was an outcast among the women of her town.

How do we know that?

Two facts suggest this.

First she had a string of marriage failures,
and in the first century, that would giver you
very low status.

Second,
she was out at the well, all by herself, at noon.

That probably indicated
other women didn't want her around.


Now think about this for a moment.

Jesus choose that woman
to be his apostle to the Samaritans.


She was a woman, outcast, from a nation of outcasts.

She was the perfect spokesperson for Jesus.

If this woman at the well could be valuable to God,
so could everyone else.
 

Let's look at the dialogue in this text.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"
8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."


Do you remember last week's sermon?

Jesus had an encounter with a ruler of the Jewish people.

Nicodemus was at the other end of the spectrum
with the woman at the well.

Nicodemus had extremely high status.


What did Nicodemus and Jesus talk about?

1st birth 1st death Physical
2nd birth 2nd death Spiritual


Now Jesus is talking to the woman at the well.
And there is the same dynamic.

well water = physical

Living Water = spiritual



At first the Samaritan woman didn't understand.

Neither did Nicodemus.

But later on, they got it.


Jesus is the Messiah. He reveals spiritual truth.

He has the authority to give eternal life
to everyone who follows him.


If you accept Jesus
you will be given a right relationship with God

and that relationship

will gush like a torrent from the center of your heart.


It will satisfy your deepest thirsts.

It won't ever stop.



Compare that to a hand-me-down religion

which Nicodemus and the woman at the well had.

They had rules and practices
but they didn't have peace.

They had traditions
but they didn't have power.

They had community
but they were not respected or loved.

Dear ones,
there are people all around us
that are living a hand-me-down religion.

They are just going through the motions
but there isn't any peace
there isn't any power
there isn't any respect or love.

They might have high status
or
they might have low status.

One thing they all have in common
is a deep spiritual thirst.

And every day they make a long walk
to the watering hole.

Their watering hole can be a bar
it can be their job
or their hobby
but they never seem to get enough.

That's the bad news.

Hear the good news.

John 4:42
They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."


Jesus really is the Savior of the world.


When we meet Jesus one on one
we discover that he is who he said he is.
 

This passage of Scripture is remarkable
because it is the only place I know of
where Jesus said flat out that he is the Messiah.

John 4:25-26
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."


You just don't get clearer than that.

Jesus often spoke in parables, and used spiritual metaphors,
but not in verse 26.

In verse 26 Jesus clearly identified himself.


I like that about the Lord.

I like it that he meets us where we are
and he speaks to us in words we can understand.

If you are a Nicodemus,
Jesus will let you come at night.

If you are a woman at the well,
Jesus will meet you at the well.

If you are retired,
Jesus will meet you in the garden
or in the workshop
or in your living room.

We have all heard a thousand preachers talk about
who Jesus is,
but the good news is this:
he really is the Messiah, and he will prove it to you.


The story of the woman at the well
teaches us the difference between

hand-me-down faith
and
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
 

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus, reveal yourself to me and my family
like you did to Nicodemus and the woman at the well.
I don't want a borrowed, a copied, or a second-hand faith.
You alone are the source of living water
and I am thirsty.
Lord, by faith, I thank you in advance for answering this prayer.
Thank you for meeting me where I am. Amen.
 

Olivet United Methodist Church
9:45 am Sunday School 11 am Worship
Office 410-648-5212 PO Box 107 Galena, Maryland 21635
Rev. Dr. Lawrence Jameson, Pastor larry@larryjameson.com
visit our web site at www.olivetumc.info
3rd Sunday in Lent March 3, 2002
BUILDING FUND SUNDAY


WE GATHER FOR PRAISE AND PRAYER

EVERYONE WELCOMES EVERY VISITOR

INTROIT Something Beautiful No. 394

GREETING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS


PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE


*CALL TO WORSHIP John 4:42 (Congregation reads bold print)

They said to the woman,
“It is no longer because of what you said that we believe,
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly
the Savior of the world.”


*HYMN And Can It Be No. 363


PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS
PRAYER
Thank you dear Jesus, for the faith you gave to me. My relationship with you isn’t borrowed, isn’t copied, isn’t second hand.  It is for real. I know you died on the cross for me. I know you have forgiven my sins. And while I respect and admire the people who led me to you, my faith isn’t based on what they said. I have discovered that you love me for who I am. Hallelujah! In your name I pray.
Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER

THE LORD’S PRAYER

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

EPISTLE LESSON Romans 5:1-11

ANTHEM Reach Out to Jesus Olivet Choir

*GOSPEL LESSON John 4:5-42
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God!

SERMON Heard For Ourselves Pastor Jameson

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

PRAISE SONG

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy;
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from the well that never shall run dry."

Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasure earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ, my Lord.

So, my brother, if the things this world gave you
Leave hungers that won't pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you,
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray:

© 1959 Richard Blanchard. Assigned 1964 Sacred Songs Music (ASCAP) (a div. of Word, Inc.) CCLI License No. 2016089

OFFERING

OFFERTORY

*DOXOLOGY No. 95
WE GO FORTH TO SERVE

*HYMN Rock of Ages No. 361

CHORAL DOXOLOGY Olivet Choir

DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING


Assisting in the service of worship today are:
Greeters: Kathy & Bradley Jones
Organist: Ellen Walters
Liturgists: Epistle - Carol DeGraves Gospel - Doug DeGraves
Head Usher: Ray Bann
 

The flowers on the Lord’s Table are dedicated to the glory of God
in memory of Hilda Mulford & Earl Garrett
by Greg & Debby, Griffin & Austin Long

The flowers on the Piano are dedicated to the glory of God
in memory of a beloved brother-in-law James Parrish
by Don & Ruth Othoson
 

Worship Attendance on Sunday, February 24, 2002 130 + 1
Sunday School Attendance on February 24, 2002 62 + 1

Olivet Budget for 2002 is $48, 571.00
Average Weekly Offering Needed to meet 2002 budget $ 934.00
Offering Last Week, February 24, 2002 1,069.00

Where we should be by Feb 24 ($934 x 8 Sundays) $ 7,472.00
Where we were on February 24 7,520.46
ahead 48.46

Building Fund Offering received in February 2002 $ 495.00

Come and Sing in the Easter Musical at Olivet Church. We practice on Thursday evenings starting at 7:15 pm. EVERYONE IS INVITED Auditions are not necessary. The choir sings to a split track CD. The musical is entitled “It Is Finished” and was written by Gary Rhodes. The choir plans to perform the musical on Easter Morning, March 31 at the Galena & Warwick Churches. Come join the fun of being in a SHORT TERM choir and help support the ministry of your church in a practical way this coming Easter. Contact Kathy Jones at 410-648-5835 for more information.

 

2002 Events and Activities
Olivet United Methodist Church - Galena, Maryland

Sunday, March 3 CONFIRMATION RALLY at Modern Maturity Center, Dover, DE
Meet at Olivet UMC at 2:30 back by 7:30 pm
All Confirmation Field Trips are open to interested adults & youth.

Tuesday, March 5 Trustees 7:00 pm Admin. Council 7:45 Olivet UMC in Galena

Wednesday, March 6 Lenten Midweek Services & luncheon 12:00 pm
at First United Methodist Church in Chestertown
sponsored by the Chester Valley Ministers Association

Thursday, March 7 Choir Practice at 7:00 pm for Sunday Choir at Olivet Church
Easter Musical at 7:15 pm “It Is Finished” by Gary Rhodes

Sunday, March 10 Scripture Lessons Psalm 23 John 9:1-41

Wednesday, March 13 Lenten Midweek Services & luncheon 12:00 pm
at First United Methodist Church in Chestertown
sponsored by the Chester Valley Ministers Association

Wednesday, March 13 6:00 pm Membership Orientation & covered dish dinner
at Mt. Olivet UMC, Warwick

Thursday, March 14 Choir Practice at 7:00 pm for Sunday Choir at Olivet Church
Easter Musical at 7:15 pm “It Is Finished” by Gary Rhodes

Wednesday, March 20 Lenten Midweek Services & luncheon 12:00 pm
at First United Methodist Church in Chestertown
sponsored by the Chester Valley Ministers Association

Friday, March 29 Good Friday Service at Olivet UMC in Galena 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Sunday, March 31 6:00 am Sunday, March 31 Easter Sunrise Service
at SKIPJACK COVE Yachting Resort
will include music & preaching on the deck overlooking the Sassafras River and refreshments after the service.
The entrance to SKIPJACK COVE is located on Route 213 just 1/4 mile north of the Sassafras River bridge.

9:00 am Sunday, March 31, 2002
Easter Musical at Mt. Olivet Church
131 Main Street in Warwick, MD

11:00 am Sunday, March 31, 2002
Easter Musical at Olivet Church
115 S Main Street in Galena, MD
directly across from the Galena Middle School

Saturday, April 6 Roast Beef Dinner at Olivet Church in Galena 4:00 - 7:00 pm
$9 per adult or $4.50 for children. Please contact Betty Carroll at 410-648-5509 for volunteer assignments.

A Special Church Conference was held on Monday, February 18 at Olivet Church
for the purpose of considering a $75,000 mortgage for the parsonage. The proposal was presented by Ken MacClelland who represented our Board of Trustees. The proposal was unanimously approved. Our next step in the process of securing a mortgage is to make a presentation to the Easton District Committee on Location and Building. That meeting is set for March 14 at 10:30am in the office of Ron Bell our District Superintendent. Your generous gifts to the Building Fund helps Olivet Church to meet our goal of paying for the new parsonage without diminishing funds managed by the Trustees for the maintenance of our church. Pastor Jameson and Trustees Chair Doug Walters have sent out a letter explaining this project in more detail. Please lift up our congregation in prayer as we step out in faith to share Christ with our community.

www.olivetumc.info

Pastor Jameson is looking for help with the church web page. Fresh ideas are most welcome! If you are interested, send an email to larry@larryjameson.com.

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