Journey To The Well  

                                Author, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie 
                             
(George Condry’s Hand Written Notes, Typed For The Presentation To Adult Class VBS) 

Place: Samaria                                        Ethnic Group: Samaritan (mixed blood)
Time: About 6:00 p.m.                            Social Status: Despised woman (immoral)
Occasion: By chance                              Attitude: First hostility, then respect
Content: Practical                                   Form: Dialogue carried to the end                                   
Initiator: Jesus                                         Result: Woman converted, witnessed and people 
                                                                          came to believe 

       Samaria was slightly smaller than Galilee. The city of Samaria was destroyed by Assyrians in 722 B.C., and its inhabitants (Israelites) were deported. The Samaritans were a mixture of Israelites and immigrants of non-Israelite origin.
       700 years before the time of Jesus, Israelites were deported by the Assyrians from the northern kingdom. The few Israelites who stayed behind intermarried with the people (non-Israelites) the Assyrians brought into the northern kingdom. 
       The Samaritans developed their own type of Yahweh worship, based on the five books of Moses alone, and built a temple on Mount Gerizim. (2 Kings 17).
       When the Jews returned under Ezra and Nehemiah, the Samaritans wanted to take part in the rebuilding of the temple, but were rebuffed. Around that time a group of Jewish dissidents left Jerusalem and went to live in Samaria. All this led to a permanent religious and political rift between Jews and Samaritans. 
       Jesus chose the route through Samaria in order to reach the despised people of that region. Jesus was being eyed with suspicion by the rulers of His own nation, but the despised Samaritans received Him gladly. One of the constantly recurring contrasts in the Gospels is the repudiation of Jesus by the religious leaders of His nation and His acceptance by the outcasts, sinners, and common people. This visit to Samaria laid the groundwork for the hearty reception of the Gospel by Samaritans a few years later. 
(Acts 8:4-8). 
       Jesus being truly human, experienced thirst, weariness, pain, and hunger. (John 4:6). The Living Water Jesus was speaking of is the Holy Spirit, (Jer, 2:13; Zech. 14:8; 
John 7:38, 39), who brings salvation to a person who “believes” in Jesus and through Him offers salvation to others. 
       The woman could not grasp this saying because of her sin and materialism. Since she was not able to receive His truth (1 Cor. 2:14), Jesus dealt with her most basic problem. 
       Jesus never did receive the drink of water He asked for. He forgot His own physical need in order to meet her spiritual need. (John 4:32, 34). 
       Telling the women to get her husband was a ploy designed to show her that He knew everything about her (John 2:24, 25). He knew her marital history and the fact she was living in sin. Jesus had revealed her life of sin and her need for salvation. Instead of 

Journey To The Well (notes)                                                                                   page 2 

confessing her sin and repenting she changes the subject by bringing up an ancient dispute concerning, what place should worship of God be conducted? What she did not know was Jesus’ death and resurrection would inaugurate a new phase of worship which would no longer, (during the Church Age), be centered in temples. To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus. 

    “Well Lesson” - Samaritan Woman at the Well - (John 4:4-30, 39) 

                      Brief Extraction And Excerpts From “Journey To The Well”  
 
       The story of the Samaritan woman reveals that personal transformation takes place when individuals are willing to spend time with God, investing self, time, energy, and personal reflection, in the process of calling up and meditating on past events to move beyond limiting barriers. This is a powerful story of personal transformation. Her transition from a woman with a suspicious lifestyle to a woman proclaiming the Good News is a dramatic one. 
       The journey to the well is a journey of faith. You will need faith to keep focused on your journey until you begin to grow spiritually. It is faith that will keep you coming back to the well until you are transformed. In contemporary times the well is anywhere and everywhere that Jesus will be waiting for you. The woman of Samaria represents every woman and every man who has ever hoped that someday things would change. If you take the journey to the well you may find yourself transformed. Part of transformation involves opening ourselves up to it; part of it involves developing discipline. Faith is the force that will start you on your journey to the well to receive your transformation. Jesus is already at the well waiting for you. Faith waters a plant that shows “little” progress; faith keeps pouring water on the roots until change takes place. 
       Journey to the Well features the Discipline of the Well, a process to assist you in getting all you can from the experience at Jacob’s well. The Well is a place where you find transformation. Discipline of the Well is an invitation to discipline the mind and spirit, launching you on your own journey as you take full advantage of the Samaritan woman’s experience. The Discipline of the Well can take as little as twenty minutes per day or as much as an hour. 
       The Discipline of the Well is learning to say no to some things, so that we’re able to say yes to important things by turning away from certain aspects of life and turning toward the spiritual disciplines. It is the process of smoothing out rough edges, correcting ragged activities, and adjusting your appetites. The Discipline of the Well will help you construct deeply rooted, Christlike qualities. Deep roots anchored by spiritual discipline stand the test of time. 
       Discipline is the simple ordering and organizing of behavior according to a specific structure with a determined outcome in mind. It takes discipline to practice, rehearse, train, diet, exercise, write, read, accomplish goals, and complete tasks. Without discipline, we would miss many opportunities. Undisciplined minds produce chaotic 

Journey To The Well (notes)                                                                                   page 3  

lifestyles; undisciplined behavior impedes prioritizing, creating, achieving, succeeding, surviving, thriving, and envisioning. 

“Well Lessons”-Revelation, Opportunity, Transformation, & Purpose 

       The Bible, God’s standard operating procedures manual, gives the standard operating procedures for life. You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, (James 4:14). Where you spend eternity depends upon the faith decisions you make in this life. 
       The seed planted by the Holy Spirit, watered by stretching toward right living, and nurtured by the belief and faith that God is able, reaps a harvest of rewards. God stands behind the Word and will seek to perform it readily. God’s Word has within it the ability, the energy, and the life force to effect creative works in your life. God is able to do more than we can ask. 
       Life and death is in your mouth and what you say is what you get; you must speak the Word of God and the Word of life into the circumstances of your life. As you speak the Word of life, the Holy Spirit plants the creative Word into the womb of your existence, a seed that has the power to reproduce itself, just as God’s Word has the power to reproduce itself into your life. God’s Word is the creative seed that initiated creation. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the only means of salvation. Revelation! (John 3:16-18; John 1:1-4; 1 John 5:4, 5).
       Revelation is a God-sent idea, moment, or thought. It may be an answer to a question, a solution to a question that leads to other questions and solutions, or a thought that makes clear the cloudy.
       An opportunity is a new situation that can produce new results. Opportunities lie at the crossroads of God’s grace, God’s will, and God’s destiny, and like grace they can’t be earned, purchased, bought, or sold, but are given from God. 
       There are opportunities we make happen, opportunities that are discovered while we are doing something else, and opportunities that lead to other opportunities. Living Water is an opportunity itself. There are also different kinds of opportunities. Opportunities are produced by a variety of host including events, circumstances, and people, both planned and unexpected. Opportunities mixed with other ingredients and a good recipe will blend in skills, special talents, education, contacts, courage, and the grace of God. 
       Worship is the opportunity to spend time in the presence and power of God. Worship is the place where we can meet the Holy Spirit, where we can learn more about God, about ourselves, and about what we are capable of. It is the means of transformation, a time when the immutable immortality of God meets the mortality of humankind in a personal revelation. It is an invitation to a special relationship where the weakness of humankind connects with the power of God. During worship, depression responds to healing, burdens are relieved, the helpless find help in times of trouble, and 

Journey To The Well (notes)                                                                                   page 4  

the stressed are strengthened. It is in worship that we learn more about God and find a new vision of what we can be and do. Worship leads to liberation and deliverance. We worship God in spirit and in truth, both corporately, with others, and privately, alone. We must listen for God through worship. 
       The public and private worship of God, including prayer, fasting, praise, and sabbaticals, is a powerful place from which to hear God. Worship increases our sense of who God is and what God can do. As our spirit reaches for God’s Spirit, it makes room for personal transformation to take place and teachable moments are created. We learn at this point in our journey to the Well that our failures are not obstacles to worship. 
       Defining moments are experiences that have the power to change you: They can reveal the purpose that weaves through every aspect of who you are and what you do. Defining moments are life changing, and when they arrive your attitude towards them determines the outcome. Defining moments can be like visions that speak of things to come. They can be like flashbacks, revelations gained through retrospect. They can also be breakthroughs like spiritual telegrams sent to affirm God’s Created Purpose for your life. Your defining moments reveal to you a vision and that vision becomes your destination. Vision reveals the destination of your Created Purpose. 
       Personal transformation begins with acts of personal revelation, which has two distinct components. The first component is the personal revelation of God, which enables the second component, personal revelation of self, a face-to-face revelation with truths that transform. It is impossible to have a true vision of self without a true vision of God! Part of personal transformation is not only resolution, but also reconciliation. The true test of personal transformation is the willingness to go beyond personal worship and beyond one-on-one personal experience with Christ. It is a willingness to share with others in the community what has been learned in private. 
       Conversion, the process that transforms belief and behavior, is a defining moment. It is a revelation. It is the well from which a river of Living Water springs. In this river flow eternal life, the fruits of the Spirit, the compassion of Christ, faith, and the power to witness. 
       Many times we are able to feel significant, but have not discovered the Divine relationship that gives us the courage or confidence to exercise it. The raw material and potential are housed within our being. We all have a Created Purpose. 
       Jesus is the Son of the Living God; this is (His humanity) His Created Purpose. Jesus as God was never created, He is Eternal. Jesus as a Man was Created at conception when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary His natural mother. There was a purpose to His coming, and when He had finished it, the Resurrection brought Him home to the Father. Because Jesus lived on purpose, the way to salvation was completed. 
       Created Purpose is the permanent thread that weaves through every aspect of existence. It is present in every thought, word, and deed. Purpose keeps you from meandering through life distracted by every event, person, or thing. It keeps energies focused on tasks and gives direction to vision. It helps you recover from disappointments and compels you toward completion. Created Purpose, coupled with persistence, breaks 

Journey To The Well (notes)                                                                                   page 5  

down barriers. Purpose and persistence are a formidable pair. 
       The Creator will affirm our Created Purpose at significant times in our lives. He is affirming my (George’s) Created Purpose now as I type these notes. I pray He has or is affirming yours also. Our purpose guides the goals, decisions, choices, priorities, and relationships of life, in relationship to our God-given purpose. The more time we spend with God, the more God can unfold our purpose. A good place to begin uncovering your purpose is in prayer, fasting, and the Word of God. Our purpose is to serve God in the capacity we were created for, and to become more Christ-like. 
       The revelation is found in, (John 4:25, 26). The opportunity is in believing 
(John 4:26). The transformation is found in, (John 4:28, 39, 41, 42). The purpose is found in, (John 4:28-30).    
       The journey to the Well is a call to change; it is a process. That is why you should start your journey right now. Why wait until tomorrow? Tomorrow is not promised to you, neither is the next seven hours. 
       If you do not worship God every day, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If you do not pray without ceasing, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If you are not reading the Word of God everyday, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If you are not studying the Word of God several times a week, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If you have to be given a cue from the preacher or the musical instruments to worship and praise God, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If when you wake up in the morning you are not exited about the opportunities God has planed for you throughout the day, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If you are still not able to love your enemy and show kindness to your brother and sister, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If God is not pleased with your lifestyle, you need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       If you are having a very difficult time with sin, you desperately need to meet Jesus at the Well for your opportunity for transformation. 
       Oh, and by the way. Jesus is already there waiting for you. Make the journey. God Bless. Peace! 

                                                    Vacation Bible School 
                                                         July 15-19, 2002