Illus: Jeannette & I ran out of gas while on vacation in Southern California.
Suddenly -- the car lurched -- popped & coughed -- then glided to a smooth -- silent stop beside the road. -- We had run out of gas!
Since that time -- I have learned a valuable life lesson: --
Whether you're in a car -- or in a relationship -- or just coursing through everyday life -- you can’t run on empty!
Let me ask you today: -- Are you running on empty?
Does the gauge in your life point to ‘E’ -- because your heart is full of misery? -- Or you are barely surviving? -- Or you are just ‘sweating life out’ with no happiness? -- No fulfillment? -- No satisfaction? -- No joy? -- No meaning? -- No purpose?
Are you someone who just endures life? -- Are you someone whose greatest goal is just to make it through one more day?
Are you someone to whom life has been unkind -- or unjust -- for whatever reason?
Are you someone who has all the signs of emptiness?
The 4th chapter of John’s Gospel -- tells a fascinating story -- about a woman who had all the symptoms of a life that was trying to run on empty; -- but she had a life changing encounter with JESUS CHRIST one day -- as she came to draw water from the well -- outside the little town of Sychar.
We are told that instead of taking the normal route from Judea to Galilee -- that circumvented Samaria with its despised outcast half-breeds -- Jesus walked directly to Sychar -- Samaria’s capital -- because ‘he had to go through Samaria.’
There was only one reason I can think of that as to why Jesus ‘had to go through Samaria’ -- & that is -- that He had a divine appointment to keep -- to visit a woman whose life was running on empty!
Jesus knew there was an outcast in Samaria who was running on empty! -- (Read Scripture Lesson) -- John 4:3-10
My friends -- even today -- Jesus waits beside the well of water -- to meet with those of you -- that will come to Him with your emptiness!
Jesus knows -- the small secrets of your heart -- the unspoken dreams of your imagination -- the unrevealed thoughts of your mind -- the emotional shards of your feelings -- the paralyzing fears of your future -- the bitter resentments of your past - & He is patiently, personally waiting to meet your need!
He knows all about you - inside & out - past, present & future - & He recognizes your deep emptiness -- & your deep dissatisfaction!
I notice three things about the dissatisfaction in the life of this woman at the well -- which tells me she was running on empty!
The dissatisfactions in her life were causing her to run on empty: --
1. The Woman at the well was Dissatisfied Spiritually!
We know she was dissatisfied spiritually because she did not know the truth!
She had been created in the image of God -- with a capacity to enjoy a personal -- intimate -- relationship with God -- yet she was separated from God because of her sins!
This woman’s dissatisfaction was later symbolically revealed -- when she pleaded with the Lord (according to vs. 15): -- “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty -- & have to keep coming here to draw water.”
There was a deep yearning in her soul; -- an emptiness that she tried to fill with a cheap substitute brand of religion!
You see -- the Samaritans were regarded as half-breeds -- not only in race -- but also in religion!
Their religion consisted of a mixture of Assyrian superstition -- with its idolatry & gods -- mixed in with Jewish ceremonies -- with its traditions & truths.
I doubt if she had ever searched for truth herself!
Hers was a traditional -- cultural -- type of religion!
She just went to her place of worship -- & believed what she was told!
But it did not satisfy the deep longing of her heart.
Are you running on empty -- dissatisfied spiritually?
Do you go to church -- but you have settled for a religion -- instead of a personal relationship with God?
You have never studied the Bible for yourself; -- rather you have let others decide what you should believe?
Are you someone who mixes the truths of God’s Word -- with denominational traditions & rituals? -- Or even with new age teachings?
My friends -- if you do not know God -- in a real, personal, intimate relationship through faith in JESUS CHRIST -- than I can safely assume that deep within-- you are dissatisfied spiritually!
There is no substitute for a real & personal & intimate relationship with JESUS CHRIST!
2. The Woman at the well was Dissatisfied Emotionally!
The fact that this woman was dissatisfied emotionally is revealed in part by the hour in which she came to draw water -- for it was about the 6th hour -- (that is about noon time).
That in itself speaks volumes about her loneliness!
It was customary for the women of the town to come to the well in groups -- either early in the morning -- or in the evening.
It was a social event! -- equivalent of spending a few extra minutes at the water cooler in the office to pass the time of day with a coworker; -- equivalent of talking over the back yard fence - or sharing a cup of coffee
It was simply a time to satisfy the emotional needs for friendship & companionship.
Yet this woman had come in the middle of the day!
And she had come alone! -- The obvious reason is that she was a social outcast in a nation of outcasts.
The Samaritan woman had no one to confide in; -- no one to open her heart to; -- no one to relax with - no one to share with - no one to laugh with - no one to cry with; -- she was alone!
Jesus revealed in vs. 18 -- “you have had five husbands.”
Anyone -- who has been in & out of that many marriages -- has to be unfulfilled emotionally!
She had tried -- again & again -- to have a meaningful relationship -- but each effort had met with miserable failure -- until her loneliness was surely greater than she could bear.
Surely there must have been a deep loneliness in her soul!
Furthermore -- I would guess that she was probably middle-aged: -- She was losing her youth -- losing her beauty -- losing her energy!
I expect she felt as though life was passing her by!
She was desperately tired of living -- having long ago lost any sense of real purpose & meaning.
Let me ask you: -- are you lonely on the inside?
Even though you may be surrounded by family - friends - co-workers - neighbors -- or even church members -- are you lonely on the inside
Are you lonely on the inside -- because you have no one you can confide in -- or open your heart to -- or relax with -- or share with -- or laugh with -- or cry with -- no one who understands you -- or who truly knows you? -- Like the woman at the well, are you ‘thirsty’ -- emotionally -- spiritually; -- the gauge of your life points to ‘E’ -- empty?
Jesus knew the Samaritan woman had searched for satisfaction -- & come up short!
He knew her heart was empty -- w/o love or self-worth -- w/o meaning -- or fulfillment -- or happiness.
And He so gently -- but pointedly -- tells her in vs... 13 -- ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.’
What was ‘this water’? -- The woman took it to mean the water in Jacob’s well -- but Jesus was speaking much deeper!
All those who look to draw their satisfaction from the wells of the world -- this is - pleasure - popularity - position - possessions - politics - power - prestige - finances - family - friends - fame - fortune - career - children - church - clubs - sports - sex - success - recognition - reputation - religion - education - entertainment - exercise - honors - health - hobbies -- will soon be thirsty again!
My friends -- if you are looking for deep - lasting satisfaction -- from any of these wells the world offers -- you’re wasting your time!
While the world’s wells can temporarily be pleasing -- they eventually leave you even more empty -- wondering -- ‘Is that all there is?’
The answer to that is: -- ‘No, that isn’t all there is!’
For Jesus tells us in vs. 14 -- “Whoever drinks the water I give -- will never thirst! -- The water I give takes away thirst altogether. -- Indeed, the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The emptiness of this life can only be filled with the living presence of JESUS CHRIST -- in Him is found abundant life & eternal life!
Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy;
And then I heard the Savior speaking:
“Draw from My well that never shall run dry.”
For a drink from some cool spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
Hallelujah! I have found Him --
Whom my soul so longed has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Thro’ His blood -- I now am saved.
3. The Woman at the well was Dissatisfied in her Sinfulness!
There is one thing that still stood in the way of her receiving God’s wonderful gift; -- & it was her sinfulness!
So Jesus convicted this woman of her sin -- so that she might confess her sinfulness -- & be forgiven -- opening her heart to be filled with Him!
With infinite tenderness -- yet piercing truthfulness -- Jesus confronted her sin by instructing her: -- ‘Go, call your husband & come back.’
His words must have felt like ice cold water thrown in her face!
She must have stiffened; -- turned as white as a sheet; -- remembering she was nothing but a hopeless outcast -- & a sinner!
The woman did not deny -- or excuse -- or rationalize -- or try to hide her failure; -- she simply replied: “I have no husband.”
Jesus did not condemn her; -- she was condemned already!
But Jesus did open her eyes to see herself as God saw her; -- a woman who had had 5 husbands -- & who was presently living with a man out side of marriage.
She was a woman living in moral failure -- & in sin!
Jesus knew the woman didn’t have a husband -- when He told her to go & call him.
Jesus was just convicting her of her sin -- so that she would confess it & be cleansed -- & be able to receive the Living Water.
Before we can be filled with Living Water -- we too must be convicted & cleansed of our sins.
Today -- as Jesus gazes with those same penetrating eyes into your life -- what does He see? -- What is the sin of your life?
Does God see you as a man -- or woman -- living in sin?
Is there some sin of which God is convicting you at this moment?
What is it? -- A sin of jealousy -- pride -- unforgiveness -- resentment -- anger -- selfishness --lying -- unkindness -- a judgmental attitude -- unbelief -- or immorality?
We cry out -- “God, give me the Living Water! -- Fill me now!”
God says: “Go -- go call your husband & come back; -- go confess your sin -- & come to the cross for cleansing.”
Unconfessed sin in our lives is one of the single greatest barriers to happiness!
So God promises us -- reassuringly -- that if we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins -- & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Conclusion:
The Samaritan woman was not offended by this man Jesus!
She was thirstier now -- than she had ever been before!
She was more aware than ever -- of her unhappiness -- of her emptiness -- of her dissatisfaction!
Jesus was now to her -- more than just a Jew -- or a man -- or a prophet sitting at Jacob’s well.
When Jesus said in vs. 26: -- “I that speak unto you am he” -- she knew He was the Messiah -- the Christ -- the One who had come to seek & to save that which was lost!
In a flash -- she knew that all she had ever longed for -- or ever hoped for -- or ever dreamed of -- was found in this Man -- Jesus!
He had known all along who she was! -- He had known all along about her sinfulness; -- about her religious insincerity.
Yet -- wonder of wonders -- He had sought her -- an outcast among the outcasts!
He had actually known the worst about her -- but still offered her Living Water! --- And suddenly -- miraculously -- instantly -- she was filled with Joy!
According to vs.28 -- she abandoned her water pot beside the well.
The discarded water pot represented her old way of life!
She left it at the feet of Jesus -- because she was no longer dissatisfied -- she was now filled with joy!
The Samaritan woman had been transformed!
I can only imagine -- that as the woman went to bed that night -- she whispered softly -- over & over again -- as tears of joy slipped down her checks onto her pillow: -- “Thank You -- thank You -- thank You, dear God -- for giving me such a wonderful gift -- for giving me Jesus!”
Hymn # 458 -- ‘Fill My Cup, Lord’
Are you tired of running on empty in your life?
Wouldn’t you like to have your cup filled today with Living Water?
While the woman at the well -- & I -- have many differences -- we do have at least one thing in common.
I, too, find myself from time to time -- running on empty!
In the busyness of ministry -- the pressures of responsibility -- the demands of family -- the weariness of activity -- I some times wake up & realize: -- ‘I am so dry & thirsty -- I am trying to run on empty!’
Invariably -- when I examine myself -- the reason for the dryness of my spirit -- can be traced to just one thing: --
I am not drinking freely of the Water of Life.
I am neglecting my Bible study.
I am rushing through my prayer time.
I am not listening to the voice of the Lord -- because I’m too busy to be quiet before the Lord!
At such times of emptiness -- I seek out a quiet place -- & there I confess my need -- my failure to read & meditate & pray & listen -- & I just drink Jesus into my heart & my spirit!
What about you today? -- Are you running on empty? -- Are you dry & thirsty? -- In need of a drink of the Water of Life?
Why not come to the Fountain of Life; -- to the altar of God; -- & allow Him to fill your cup -- your heart-need -- our soul -- with His presence!