International Gospel Hour

Jeff Archey: Give me to drink. Four simple words, a simple request from Jesus Christ that brought forth, well, if you'll allow me to say, a well full of teaching. Lessons from a well, that's coming up. Our study today from the International Gospel Hour.

J. Webb: Hi, this is J. Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, Churches of Christ have proclaimed God's word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archey of International Gospel Hour. Let's begin.

Jeff Archey: Well, thank you to our J. Webb and greetings and hello everyone. It's great having you with us and we're thankful for you joining us today for our broadcast here from International Gospel Hour. Give me to drink. Well, that's from John 4 and verse 7, and a simple request, a wonderful conversation began and one that many could not imagine, especially at that time. A Jewish man asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water? Sitting on a well in Sychar, formerly known as Shechem, Jesus stopped to drink while on a journey. He was weary, he was thirsty.

And from these few words, well, there are a number of applications that we wish to see. For example, as I see this, it brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 7:37 and 38. "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, 'If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" I'd like for you and I to think about Jesus and that sweet woman at the well. And today, we're simply going to talk about lessons from a well, from the water of life, Jesus Christ. That's our study today.

But first, I want to pause and share with you a gift from our friends at Apologetics Press. We have a number of free materials that they make available through us, and we'd love to send you a copy of a special study for children called Discovery. Here is our J. Webb with the details and we'll send that to you. But if you will, listen to what J. says and I'll say more about this later in our broadcast.

J. Webb: You can receive absolutely free a copy of Discovery, Scripture and Science for Kids, courtesy of our friends at apologeticspress.org. This great publication helps families of all ages understand the truth concerning such teachings as creation, evolution, dinosaurs, and other biblical subjects written on a child's level.

You can get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave us your name and address and just say Discovery. You can also send your request through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us your name and address and put reason in the message box. Ask for your free copy of Discovery today.

Jeff Archey: Let's talk about lessons from a well. People learn of Christ every day. For example, from John 4:25 and 26, the woman said to him—that being Jesus—"I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us all things." And Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." You know, Jesus still speaks to us today through his divine word that will judge us in the last day. John 12 and verse 48.

As this woman is learning of Christ, then we also learn of Christ. The Christ with all authority given by the Father, that the words that he spake, they were given by the Father in his prayer to the Father, John 17 and verse 8. How earlier in John 6 and verse 38, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me."

What about Hebrews 1 and verse 2? "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Jesus Christ is the one who speaks to us today again through his word. To see the Christ as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, John 1 and verse 14.

And to know that he is the one that the Father sent in whom there is salvation in none other. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4 and verse 12. When we talk about a lesson from a well, conversations about Christ happen every day and others are looking and searching.

We're so thankful for you our listeners who have an interest in our broadcast. To receive a message or a call saying thank you for your broadcast and how much we do appreciate that encouragement and how the request for Bible study material shows that there are individuals who are looking and who are searching and who want to know more about Jesus.

Maybe we've said something about salvation that you haven't heard before in light of scripture or something about the church, the pre-denominational non-denominational body of Christ. Maybe we've shared some things that you haven't heard before but may we study together the Bible and learn more of Christ and his word every day.

Here's another one. Lessons from a well, well what about acceptable worship? We go back to John 4:23 and 24, "But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth." Notice from this text the Father is seeking such to worship him, who will worship him in spirit and in truth.

First and above all friends, God is the audience and he is the one whom our worship should please. Only God should be worshipped, that's the statement of the Christ to the devil in Matthew 4 and verse 10. When we look at John 4:24, we see the guidelines for worshippers listed: in spirit, for the human heart to reach up, the right approach, the right attitude; in truth, we are guided and instructed by the Lord how to worship him.

Jesus said in John 14 and verse 6, "I am the way, the truth and the life." The truth is in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 4:21. It is of interest when you and I go back to the Old Testament and we find all the different festivals, feasts, and everything, God clearly instructed a man what he expected.

When we look at the truth that is in Jesus and with the truth we see what we should offer in our worship unto God when the church assembles upon the first day of the week. What about observing the Lord's Supper? That takes our minds back to Jesus Christ and his death, and Paul instructed the church how to partake of the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23 through 28.

What about singing? We worship and sing without the use of instruments for we do not see the authority of instruments to be used in worship in the New Testament. We think of Colossians 3 and verse 16, "Let the word of Christ"—see, there's Jesus again—"dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord."

And how in Ephesians 5 and verse 19 that we are to sing and we are to make melody within our hearts, that the heart is the instrument of which we use to offer praise to God through song. What about praying? Well, the early church, they prayed together. Acts 2, verse 42. When Peter was in prison in Acts 12, the church had gathered together and they were praying.

How often do we find Paul in his epistles, especially in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, commending their prayers? What about giving? To lay by in store on the first day of the week, to give as we've been prospered with a purposed clean heart. 2 Corinthians 9:6 through 8 and 1 Corinthians 16:1 and 2.

And of course teaching the gospel as commanded in Matthew 28:20 or preaching the gospel, Mark 16 and verse 15, that we also gather to proclaim and to study and to learn more. I loved it years ago when I would enter into a congregation and on one side in the foyer it said, "Enter to worship" and then as you'd leave you'd look above on the other side of the wall, it would say, "Leave to serve."

That when we gather to worship God, we offer it in praise unto him and he will fill our very need. You know friends, I'm sure you would agree that today we're in a much confusion in the religious world. You'll find one church advocate this, one church advocate that, one church tries to do worship a little differently than another, and you know something's wrong.

But the Bible is right. You know, that's the title of a free booklet we share here at International Gospel Hour and in light of our discussion today, we want to share that booklet with you. Now earlier, we offered the copy of Discovery. So if you would love to have both sent to you at one time, we can do that. But for right now, here is our J. Webb with the free booklet, "Something is Wrong, but the Bible is Right" and how you can receive it.

J. Webb: In a world of division and even confusion in the religious world, friends, please know this: the Bible is always right. The free booklet, "Something is Wrong, but the Bible is Right" is available from International Gospel Hour. Please call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave us your name, your address, and just say Bible tract.

That's it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave us the same information: name, address, and type Bible tract in the message box. We will get it to you right away.

Jeff Archey: Well, friends, again we will send you both, the copy of Discovery and "Something is Wrong, but the Bible is Right" together, so please be sure you mention Discovery and Bible tract in your message and we'll get it to you. Thank you for your patience with us. I hope I have not muddied the waters. And speaking of water, how grateful we are that we could just look at a couple of lessons from a well, the study of John chapter 4.

You know, we learn that in John 4:28 and following, the woman left her water pot, went her way into the city and said to the men, "Come see a man who told me all the things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Oh friends, when we find Jesus Christ, we drop our water pots and we let people know you come see the man, see the savior.

And I'm so glad you joined me at the well today to study about Jesus Christ. We'll continue together at another time. Thank you for joining me on the International Gospel Hour. I'm Jeff Archey and friends, keep listening.

J. Webb: Thank you for listening to our broadcast today and we hope you continue onward with your search and study of God's word. Please join us next time and visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.