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Ni Good morning it is so good to see you welcome to our 11 a.m. meeting welcome to those of you in the room and welcome as well to those of you watching at home really really good to have you with us today we’re really excited actually about the meeting today and and
Everything that’s coming up we’re welcoming people in today we’ll also be hearing from Stuart later on as he continues our encounters with Jesus series but we’re going to begin of course by work worshiping Jesus together so why don’t we stand together if you’re happy and you’re able to do
That um and Abby why don’t you lead us in to worship yeah God is good isn’t he and God can do anything and let’s just pray because Lord we’re all coming from different places some of us have been through really difficult things this week this month this season but you can
Do anything Lord we give it to you we come to worship you because you can do it all you are God over all things we just pray that in Jesus name amen amen let’s Worship your voice your voice has P ring SE even death can hold you down sound of Your Great Name commands the darkness to flee Our God has a victory you alone stand above it all you’re the Lord strong and mighty Jesus you the center of it all our God is strong and Mighty nation nations rise and for you’re unshakeable you’re the Everlasting the creation Christ wa for the r King Our God has a victory you are lordone stand above it all you’re the Lord strong and mighty Jesus you center of it all our God is strong and mighty you are alone stand above it all you’re the Lord strong and mighty Jesus you to
Me I got is song and Mighty forever more you’ll be enthroned in Glory Our Praise I and magnify the RIS King forever more you’ll Beed in [Applause] Glory Our Praise will rise and magnify the reason King you are stand you’re the Lord strong and mighty Jesus the sent to rob it all our God is strong and mighty you are alone stand for it all you’re the Lord strong and mighty Jesus you center of it all our
God is strong and mighty you are so Strong you Are thank you Jesus thank you Jesus that you are Lord you are alive thank you Jesus for that sacrifice that you made on the cross for us and that you were resurrect that you you rose from the dead thank you Jesus I was lost and searched within finding I couldn’t fix what was broken Christ came down and love stepped In Christ came down every word that I spoken all I shame in the grave lift him up lift him high shout our God is alive lift him upt him high song be our Victory he has overcome the grave there is freedom from my sh lifting up lift him high he is aive He is Alive not fir works by your grace oh your goodness and Mery follow all of this come on the spirit changing lives the spirit changing TR bre through come on lift him up lift him up lift him high ra shout God him upt him High viory he has overcome the grave there is freedom from shenen high he is alive we thank you Jesus he is [Applause] Alive had no hold on you death could not you Christ Our Lord has Overcome sin has no hold on me death canot me Christ in us has overcome sin had no hope sin had no hold on you that could not thank you Christ Our Lord has Overcome s has no hold on me death and not me Christ in us has overcome lift him up lift him high prise and Shout for our God is lift him upt him high let s be our Victory come on LIF up lift him upt him high raise a sh our God is alive
Lift him High to he has over of the Grave there is freedom from a shame lift him up lift him high he is [Applause] Alive he is alive thank you Jesus he is Alive he is alive You are alive we thank you Jesus so we’re singing songs about Jesus being the center of it all Jesus being alive that he that he died for our sins and he rose from the grave but there may be some of you here that that maybe know that but don’t feel that don’t don’t haven’t really taken on
Board that that Jesus died for your sins he died for you and was raised from the grave for you and that’s not something that just happened 2,000 years ago that’s something happened that happened for you today now and there might be battles that you’re going through whether physical emotional
Mental battles that you don’t see a way out of that that That You Don’t See Jesus working in that you don’t see God being right at the center of but I believe he’s saying he wants to say to you ignore those noise he is is right there at the center
Of he is right there at the center of your battle and he is won he’s already won so he can change he can change your battle he can he can win your battle fight it for you and set you completely free hallelujah hallelujah When all I see is a battle you see my victory and all I see is a mountain you see a mountain and as I walk through the sh Your Love surrounds Me there’s nothing to fear for I am sa you so when I fight I fight on my knees with my hands lifted high oh god battle belongs to you and every Fe I lay at your feet I sing through the night oh God the battle belongs to You and if you are f who can be against me for Jesus there’s nothing Impossible when all I see are the ashes you see the beauty thank you God where and all I see is AC cross you see the Ude so when I fight I fight on my knees with my hands lifted high oh God the battle belongs to you and everything I lay at your feet I sing through the night oh God The Battle Belongs to You Almighty foress you go before us nothing can
Stand against the power of our God you shot in the shadow you win every B nothing can stand against the power of God An Almighty foress you go before nothing can stand against the power of our God you shine in the shadows you win every battle nothing can stand against the
Power of our God An Almighty foress you go before thank you Lord stand against the power of our God you shine in the shadows you in every battle nothing can stand against the power Our God yeah so when I fight I’ll fight on my knes with my hands liftting high
Oh God the battle belongs to you and everything iay your I sing through the night oh God the battle belongs to you oh God The Battle Belongs to You belongs to you Jesus it’s belongs to you So when I fight I fight on my knees with my hands lifted high oh god battle belongs to you everything I lay at your I’ll sing through the night oh God belongs to you oh god battle belongs to you let’s stay in this place of worship let’s stay in this place of encountering
The Lord Lord Jesus let’s stay in this place of faith I love that as we sing these words of truth you know we see Jesus more clearly Sovereign over all things but with us in the battle thank you Jesus you’re with us thank you Lord thank you
Lord you know the lord loves to speak to us and uh Judy the Lord’s given you a word in this week uh for the church why don’t you come and bring what you feel the Lord is saying yeah I was um looking at Mark Mark 1:14
When it says that Jesus went out and preached the good news and said the time has come and I was thinking of the word the time has come and it felt like a wake up call maybe it’s the wakeup call to some of you
Too the time has come this is the day of salvation and Liberation this is the day of redemption and victory look up to the skies the time has come to cast off dark Deeds Christ Jesus has removed your disgrace the night has gone this is the time of the Kingdom of
Light the time has come and The Time Is Now to make a stand to step out of the Shadows of apathy to confess Jesus is Lord to surrender to the father’s Embrace to be refined through the spirit’s fire to entrench your soul in the unchanging truth of God’s word the
Time has come to trust to leave the shallows to dive into the deep to see Shadow Boxing to awaken to life and death spiritual warfare the time has come to strengthen your brother your sister to stand alongside the bruised and the wounded to weep for the oppressed and the the
Marginalized to share the good news to pray and to pray and to pray for men to Bow the knee the time has come and The Time Is Now yesterday is gone there is no tomorrow arise thank you Judy thank you Judy let’s start to pray church I love
That the time has come the time has come just where you are just start to pray and invite God to fill you with his spirit and to give you greater revelation of who Jesus is Lord I pray that we’d see you all the more clearly as we
Worship I pray that where there is apathy Lord Jesus in the church you’d replace it in a deep faith in you and a courage Lord to live for you I pray the Kingdom of Heaven would break in all the more Lord God I pray where there’s mourning and and and
Crying right now and pain right now I pray that the kingdom of God would come that you bring great joy to our hearts Lord Jesus you’d refresh us you’d restore us you’d lift our eyes to see Jesus Lord I pray we’d be a church that stands against Injustice I pray you’d
Rise up in us just that need to fight Lord God for justice I pray you’d fill us with your spirit Lord God I pray Lord where there’s fear right now where there’s anxiety right now you’d replace it with a deep peace Lord God would your peace come in this place a peace that
Passes understanding Lord God I thank you for your wonderful presence right now Jesus Seated on the throne Sovereign over your church Sovereign over this nation Lord help us to see you Lord Jesus help us to see you Lord in Your Glory Church just where you are just start to lift up your voice
Voices thank him for who he is invite him to come all the more ask for his kingdom to come in your own life ask for his kingdom to come in the lives of those around you ask for him to break in to the deepest hardest places ask him to give you great courage
Ask him to give you peace ask him to give you Joy ask him to fill you with Holy Spirit in the depths of who you are Lord would you come would you break into our lives all the more would you break into this town all the more Lord we want
To see your kingdom come in this town we want to seeing your kingdom come in this nation Lord Jesus would you change the the way things are right now would your kingdom comeing this world Lord God we pray Jesus that you would be glorified and the church would rise up Lord and point
To you a church that is not on the back foot but a church that is on on the offensive Jesus you said I will build my church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it well Lord build your church we pray and break into the the
Hardest places of Our Lives Lord God and help us to see you Jesus king of kings High seated high on the throne Lord God and the one who walks alongside us break in we pray all the more as we worship Jesus Break in we pray all the more
Thank you Lord God thank you Jesus let’s continue to worship I am wey from the waves crashing over every day God of Mercy please come rescue Me I am longing for your voice gentle whisper in Theo Father tell me everything’s all right your power your presence breaks strong king of heaven when you speak mountains I bur that will be Breakr you alone you alone can take my scar Peace by pce restore my heart take what’s broken making hold Again by your power yeah your power your presence break strong king of heaven when you Mountain I believe there will be Breakthrough there will be Breakr shake the mountain break the walls of open the head almighty God you are overcome defender of my to you are Lord by your power the oce open wide your fire for heaven and King Jesus Forever shake the mountains yeah shake the mountains break the wart open the heavens almighty God you are overcome Defender Of My Heart by your power Yeah by your power the oceans open wide your fire for heaven and earth K Jesus Forever by my side yeah your power your presence breaks strong h
King of heaven when you see mountains Mo our really there will be break your power your presence Pronold king of heaven when you see mountains Mo I believe there will be breakr breakthrough Lord Breakthrough there will be Breakr breakthrough Lord breakthrough Lord there will be Breakthrough do you know the authority that Jesus has do you know the authority that we have in Jesus when Jesus speaks mountains move he’s The God Who calms storms he’s the God who speaks and healing comes he’s a God who can speak into our deepest fears and our deepest
Anxieties and bring wonderful wonderful peace why because of the authority that Jesus has Jesus we just acknowledge your wonderful glorious Authority this morning that you are sovereign over this church you’re the head of this church and you’re Sovereign over our world and Jesus we just bow the knee to
You again this morning and say come would you have your way would you have your way and Lord we as a church we thank you that we carry the authority of Jesus Christ and I pray that we would know the authority we have as we go out into this world
Lord we don’t just carry our own words we carry the very authority of Jesus church he’s given you his authority so I pray that we’d see the miraculous Lord God lord I pray that we’d see wonderful healings in your name Jesus I pray we’d see wonderful breakthrough in your name Jesus give us
Boldness give us courage give us Faith to trust in you Lord and to believe that you’re capable and able of all things increase our faith God I pray fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us to see you all the more clearly not just now as
We gather together but in our weeks as we go out of here l on today Lord God help us to see you working through us thank you Jesus for the authority you have and the authority you’ve given us wonderful God thank you Lord thank you Lord amen
Amen amen thank you so much Adam and the band for leading Us in worship let’s just grab a seat for a moment let me explain what we’re going to do next we are welcoming seven people into church membership across our two meetings this morning yes that deserves an Applause isn’t it it’s
Good before I introduce the people that were welcoming in in this meeting let me briefly explain what church membership is all about we see church membership as a two-way commitment it’s a step of commitment a heart commitment from each of these seven people to the church and
It’s a commitment from us as a church and its leadership to these people to love and care for them and to help them to become all they were made to be essentially membership is about belonging and investing in this church family if you’d like to find out more about church membership for yourself
About uh the church about what we believe about our history our vision our leadership our finances and it will give you a chance to ask any questions at all that you have about the church we’d encourage you to come to our next exploring church membership that’s on
Sunday the 11th of February it runs from 1: till 400 p.m. we have a lunch together and talk through all these things about the church and there is space there to ask any questions that you have as well we’d love you to come to that if you’re not yet a church
Member um if you’re going to do that to let us know you’re coming just go to kw. co.uk slfe so who are we welcoming in today well in our 9:00 a.m. meeting earlier on WE welcomed in ADI Mayu there’s a photo of ADI on the screen let’s make ad she’s
Not here in this meeting but let’s applaud ad FEI it was great to pray with her in our 9:00 meeting and in this meeting we’re welcoming in six people I think five of them are here with us in the room and one person is watching I think at home
As well um so I’m going to invite them up here one by one and as I do that can I ask you Church to make them feel really really welcome as they come up and then we’re going to pray for them so today we are welcoming in Zoe Warmsley
Where’s Zoe Zoe do you want to come up [Applause] welcome sir we’re welcoming in Sam burns comeing up [Applause] Sam we are welcoming in Jennifer scanterbury where’s Jennifer you the room Jennifer come on we’re also welcoming in Cassandra bman is Cassandra here excellent welcome Cassandra and finally we are welcoming
In Aaliyah Suarez alah here is she in the room well let’s let’s applaud her anyway we’re also welcoming in Sam money who’s at home let’s applaud Sam who’s watching at home I believe welcome Sam guys it is an Absol absolute joy to be able to welcome you in to our church
Family we want to pray for you and pray God’s best for you so can I ask that two of you I’m going to make this really difficult for our live stream now can I ask two of you to kind of go down there and then two of you to go down that
Aisle and let’s just get around these people let’s Stand Together church we want these guys to know that they are they are part of this family and so we want to pray for them so if you’re near them just get around them and let’s lay hands on them if they’re
Happy for you to do that and for the rest of us let’s just stretch out our hands towards them and just where you are just start to pray God’s best for them and then in a moment Abby will lead us in prayers just just start to pray where you
Are yeah father thank you for these brothers and sisters that you’ve brought here thank you so much for the blessing that they are Lord thank you that you’ve brought them here for a reason that you know that they’re going to have a great journey here and Lord we pray that not
Only can they bless us by being here but and with their gifts that you’ve given them but that the church can be a blessing to them Lord I pray for brothers and sisters to gather around them for Spiritual mothers and fathers to get alongside them that people will
Walk with them as well so that they’re not um weary in their faith but they’re getting wisdom from those that have have been there and that they can be prayed for by people that they can be loved by people that they can be invited into homes by people Lord we thank you so
Much that they are here and Lord thank you as well that it’s not just them saying I’m going to be part of this church but it’s the church committing to them too Lord thank you that we are here and as the Bible says that we mourn with
Those that mourn and we Rejoice with those that Rejoice Lord I do pray that they can get so knitted in that we can stand alongside them and be part of their lives and then part of ours in Jesus name amen amen well hello it’s so
Good to see so many of you here and it’s so good to see um new fa as well we love we love you being here at Kings so a really warm welcome to you um one of the best ways to get connected in is to um
Head over to the welcome area at the end of the meeting um somebody will be there really wants to chat to you and we’ve got a little gift as well from us to you and if you’re online and you want to know a little bit more about the church
As well you can click the I’m new button on the website and someone in the office will be in contact with you later in the week thanks Abby couple of things to mention to you today one of the things that we love to celebrate at King is
When people make the decision to get baptized We Believe baptism is a significant powerful exciting step for every follower of Jesus we’ll be baptizing people here in our Sunday meetings in March but ahead of that next Sunday the 4th of February we have an exploring baptism morning during our 11
A.m. meeting this is for anyone who’s never been baptized as a Believer we’re going to explore what the Bible says about baptism about why it matters about who it’s for and we’ll give you space to ask any questions that you have about that so that you can decide if baptism
Is right for you that takes place next Sunday during our 11: a.m. meeting it really helps to know numbers so if you’re planning to come just go to kw. co.uk lifee and let us know that you’re coming and one final thing to highlight this morning is the alpha launches this
Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. this looks like being the biggest Alpha course that we’ve had in years there are over 60 signups for this so thank you so much let’s applaud that isn’t it wonderful thank you so much to all of you who have invited someone I am encouraged hugely
Encouraged by this the team is hugely encouraged uh obviously this means that space is tight that things are stretched but if you know of someone who would really benefit from being part of alpha then do get signed up in the next day or so we want this to just be a wonderful
Alpha course it’s a wonderful place where people can come and explore the big questions about life and find out all about Jesus so if there’s someone that you want to invite just do that in the next day or two and sign up if you could please on the website kw. co.uk
Forlife thank you well in a moment Stuart’s going to continue our teaching series on encounters with Jesus but first Abby is going to read from today’s passage in John 4 Abby great John 4 verses 4- 26 now he had gone he had to go through
Samaria so he came to a town in Samaria called sikar near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph Jacob’s Well was there and Jesus tired as he was from the journey sat down by the well it was about noon when a Samaritan woman came to
Drink draw water Jesus said to her will you give me a drink for his disciples had gone into town to buy food 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 did not associate with
Samaritans 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 sir the woman said you have nothing to draw with and the well is
Deep where can you get this living water are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself as did his sons and his livestock Jesus answered everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I will give
Them will never never thirst indeed the water I give them will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life the woman said to him sir give me this W and I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water he told her go
Call your husband and come back I have no husband she replied Jesus says her you are right when you say you have no husband the fact is you’ve had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband what you’ve said is quite
True sir the woman said I can see that you’re a prophet our ancestors woried on this mountain but yous claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem Woman Jesus replied believe me a time is coming where 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 for salvation is from the Jews yet a time is coming and has now come when true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth for they are the kind of worshippers the
Father seeks God is spirit and his worshippers must Worship in the spirit and in truth the woman said I know that the Messiah called Christ is coming when he comes he will explain everything to us Jesus declared I the one speaking to you am he let’s make S feel really
Welcome as he comes up [Applause] well thank you why why have you come this morning I think why did you come I mean I think uh well you say well is it’s a habit or uh it’s my duty or I don’t know why do you come perhaps because you you feel
There’s more in life than what you’ve got perhaps you feel dissatisfied perhaps you feel a failure perhaps you feel an impostor I mean I was listening to Bradley Wiggins the cyclist who one the to of France and a gold medal and he he said when he gets
Off the bike he he just feels a total imposter Who Am I who am I what’s it about but I guess we come in because we’ll want more we come to worship but also we’re there’s a desire in us we do want more out of life and that’s a good
Thing and um may feel we fail and we’re an also run but in all of us there’s a longing a desire for more anyway let’s look at this lady this lady coming she’s very thirsty she’s thirsty um for water she comes to um to this well you can go
There now well I wouldn’t recommend it I was talking to a friend of mine who goes to the West Bank quite a lot and he said don’t try and get to Nabis at the moment it would be quite difficult but it’s still there the Well’s there and Jesus comes Jesus
Comes and he the disciples go down to town for a takeaway and uh he sits on the wall and this lady comes now the strange thing is that it’s midday which is really a foolish time to come because it’s the heat of the day the hot time
And um not a good time to carry water and um but she’s there deliberately because she’s a bit of a fallen woman really she’s a bad reputation a bit of a Scarlet lady and um she knows if she goes at midday the know the women will
Be there it’s very hot and the sensible women go early in the morning to collect their water for the chores of the day and she doesn’t want them all around tuting and lifting their eyebrows and sneering at this rather dubious immoral woman anyway she sees Jesus and and the
Strange thing is he asks her for water now just to to just go back actually because you remember the first line that was read now Jesus had to go through Samaria now he didn’t have to go through Samaria at all in one sense well he could but not that route it’s a very
Dangerous route normally you go up the Jordan Valley in the East or else you’d take the Cal road to get to Galilee you’d go up the the West it’s it’s very dangerous really and but why did he go because the father sent him that’s why
He had to go the the desire was the father is seeking that’s why you’re here this morning because the father’s seeking and so Jesus meets his one and the first thing about it is she’s absolutely shocked she’s shocked that he would speak to a woman you you would never speak to a
Woman in in Israel in those days or at Sam Samaria you would never do that you wouldn’t even talk to your wife publicly you don’t and the rabbi would never speak to a woman and a strange woman I mean there were certain rabbis called the bleeding Pharisees that’s not an
Expletive um because they would cover their eyes to stop avoiding these uh tempting things SC women and they would walk into buildings that’s why literally they were were called bleeding Pharisees and that is a fact but anyway she was shocked speaking to a woman she she really could she find
It very difficult and um but she is a woman of great she has a great desire but she buries the desire she’s not going to show what she’s about and Jesus said to her no he says could have a drink he she’s pulled up from the
Well and she he said if you knew the gift of God and who it is who ask you for water you would have asked of him and he would give you living water and she living water she’s thinking does he know the the geology better than I do around here
Is there a better well a better purer stream what’s he all about and uh she’s she’s obviously just thinking about water but she’s longing for something that satisfies not just the water that she’s going to she’s drawn from the well but if she’s going to get what
Jesus had for her she has to overcome certain prejudices she has to overcome first of all the Prejudice of race because the Samaritans and the Jews did not like each other to put it mildly you the Samaritans really were a strange race in you know the 10 Northern
Tribes were they were taken out of of Israel about 500 years earlier by the Assyrians and moved to the east into slavery some were returned back a few were left but the ones that were left and the ones that came back intermarried with other nations that were transposed into the north so
These these new nationalities bred with the the few Jews that were left and so you got really a mongrel nation and the Jews hated them cuz they were you know impure we the real deal and they really hate them I mean the first thing she says was
You a Jew talk to me she couldn’t get over it you never do that not only was she a woman but she was and sure she has to overcome this racial Prejudice now actually if you go abroad and many of us have many people think that Christianity is a European religion
Or a western religion and some people have to overcome that it’s a it’s a universal Faith that’s the first thing God’s vision is universal and God’s demand is for the world but also she has to overcome her her religious prejudices if she’s going to get what Jesus is wants to give her
And that’s true of most of us many of us in this room we were brought up in a what was denominated CHR Christian country well we know last year less than half the people in Britain said they were Christians for the first time since I don’t know
When but you know we’ve all we’ve all done it haven’t we I mean School assemblies any you ever been to a school assembly don’t raise your hand but you know from 5 to 18 legally there have to be a religious education and we had a himym a reading prayer and then the
Notices and then of we went many years and uh is that it or no oh maybe we were brought up Catholic or Protestant but it was very diluted it very diluted you know it wasn’t the real thing and when we met the real thing we didn’t really it it was a great threat
To us and so she she’s threatened by this this this person but and him she has to overcome this Prejudice right because she like many of us you know we think we’ve got the real thing we haven’t we’ve just got a little dose it’s like a vaccine isn’t it what’s a
Vaccine you get a bit of protein from the virus or the bacteria and you injected in the vaccine and you get a a response and anti you know so antibodies and you get resistance so you don’t get the real thing and theas many people in Britain would have had a bit of religion
And it’s put them off the real thing and she was the same this girl like she had to the Prejudice of uh of a of a religion you know she could she could talk the talk she knew about religion you know but she said I know the
Messiah’s coming we can I can talk about religion but she hadn’t got the real thing um it’s like the victorians somebody said about the victorians in the 19th century the religion overshadowed them but it never penetrated them and that’s true the real thing never penetrated them but also she
Asked to overcome not only a a race and a religious feelings to get Jesus just has to overcome a sense of guilt and unworthiness and and all the rest of it and uh you know and uh she knew she I mean Jesus knew everything about he knows everything
About you you’ve had five husbands and the one you’re living with is not your husband she knew because the the Jews see the Samaritans they were religious they built their own temple on Mount rits him and they kept the first five books of the Bible they didn’t go for
The old the Old Testament prophets after the first five books but they were religious and um and this lady you know she was she knew a bit about religion but you know and she knew that having sex with this man who she was not married to was wrong by her faith and by
The Jewish faith she knew that and she’d had five husbands now somebody saids well of course the five husbands died died died what was she feeding them on poison mushrooms or something and you imagine this sixth guy what happened to the previous five he’s a fool to stay around then
Isn’t he but but you know she’s she has a bit of a record anyway but um the thing is the key thing is this she wants to change but you know she she her life is like that waterpot she carries it’s a symbol of her life
The futility of her life every day it gets empty every day she has to go back and fulfill it never never satisfies always getting empty and that was really a a a figure a symbol of a life and um she she she’s a failure she she know she’s failed by social Society standards
Even by our own standards as a Samaritan but um you see who would be interested in me I mean why I mean seriously you come why would God be interested in me you think really be honest you’re not a great candidate for the kingdom for for the to become a
Saint you know who who are you you know we often feel we fail you and um but we were made for God God made married and relationship actually we can never be satisfied unless we meet God unless we interact with God and she she doesn’t
Know that yet I mean she can talk the talk but she’s not got it really she’s a failure but Jesus comes and he’s interested and he offers something Living Water now we all want to change if we if we’re human at all we all want to improve we want to be
Different because we’re all Rebels This Woman’s a rebel you know I’ll do what I like I don’t care what the first five books of the Bible I’ll sleep with who I want I’ll do with I’ll CH change my tax form and all I’ll do what I like it’s my
Life we’re all Rebels we’re all selfish and um she’s like that and um but Jesus is loves her and he offers her this this living water something that’s incredibly attractive it catches your imagination now what I’m saying is if you want to change the only way to
Change is to change the heart and the only way to change is to give hope don’t just give commands and rules and regulation you have to win the heart you have to to see you know what’s on offer really and and she she sees that she see something is stirred in her
It starts here he said just everyone who drinks of this water will this natural water will thirst again but whoever gives the whoever drinks the water I will give them will never thirst never thirst no never and she’s thinking never thirst now change always starts with hope
Right and that’s what it’s about you see later on in the Feast of of the Tabernacles later on John 7 they pour water on the ground in that in that ceremony in Jerusalem but Jesus comes and he says if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink
Whoever believes on me as the scripture said out of your within out of your innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water now that is the offer that’s that this is incredible and something has gone off in her mind she’s got a whole ptic change can only happen with hope real
Change and she’s got it oh what is this living water just as you believe on me you will experience his sin like a spring within I will put my spirit within you and you will know A love you’ve never known before you will know A love you I’ll
Pull my spirit into your heart and you love unspeakable you know not only that you will have a peace I will make make it right with God and I will give you a peace that passes understanding not only that this living water will give you a joy joy unspeakable and full of Glory
Not only that this Spirit I’m going to put in you will give you power power to overcome these Temptations and these problems and these things you hate in yourself I’m going to give you power and best of all I will be with you I will put my spirit within you this living
Water encompasses all this and and you’ll be you know it’ll just flow out of you she’s amazed but then you know what she thinks and what I would think and what you probably would think is well yeah but I’m not worthy she’s a bit of a tart
Really to put it mildy I could use more words but she’s a really in many ways a nice one she knows that but Jesus says look if you knew the gift of God and who it is who asks of water you would asked of him and he would give you
A living one you have to know but all I’m offering is a gift it’s what we call Grace to to use a theological word it’s it’s something you you’re not worthy of in fact you deserve judgment and you’re going to get a blessing that’s what
Grace is he’s not any at all that’s why Jesus came to manifest what Grace was it’s like if you worked on the rail estate in Windsor you’re a gardener a Forester or handyman and after many years they said well you can stay in one of our Cottages free of charge or
Minimum rent that they those buildings are known as grace and favor homes grace and favor but that’s not Grace at all you’ve earned it you’ve worked you’ve been a good servant and you deserve it that’s not Grace let’s try and unpack it but if you stole off the real EST off the Royal
Estate for many years and you were found to caught and found and the police got you and you were convicted but then the king said I want to I want to Pardon this person okay you’re totally pardon you’re getting warmer if you killed the king’s oldest
Son you killed him and the King then said you did it but I pardon you totally you’re getting warmer if then after you’d killed the son the king said I want to adopt you into my family so that you can en enjoy all the benefits
Of what it means to be living with me you’re getting warmer to what it’s about that God the Eternal God became a man that ordinary people like you and you and you can become children of God and to be filled with the spirit of the Living God that’s what it’s
About dear lady you well you know if I behave myself if I live a better life will I get it no it’s a if you knew the gift of God if you knew the gift of God that’s what it’s about it’s free it’s unearned you know we’ve often say the English men
Love The Gospel because they can talk about it the Irish men like the gospel because they can fight about it but the Welsh like the gospel because they can sing about it but they Scots like the gospel because it’s free and krael forgive me later but sweetheart it is free what do
Have it is free I if you know the gift of God you will never Des you deserve hell and you get Glory that’s what it’s about if you knew the one I was talking to you that’s what you going to see it’s it’s all through
Grace you know but how do I get this living water whoever drinks the water I will give him you’ve got to come to him if anyone thirst let him come to me you have to see who Jesus is that’s why we we teach Sunday by Sunday and we by that
You we might know who this Jesus is that’s the big thing to to to realize that who this person is you know he says I can put it I can put eternal life into you I will put my spirit into you I will put my love into
You I will put security into you I will put Power into you so you can be more than a conqueror in this life you have to do it but I will work with you right if you knew the gift of God come to me right see change always happens it always begins with
Hope you got to start this there my mother used say you can’t change human nature lad well she was talk I can’t but God can and Jesus does that’s what it’s about it’s and it’s always gradual it’s not a quick thing because we’re Rebels and
We and we uh we need to do it we need to come and acknowledge that but when you know there’s Grace awaiting you I can spill the beans and I’m going to be forgiven you’re prepared to he knows everything about you he knew everything about this girl he knew everything about
It Go and call your husband he knows every he’s just saying look he knows everything about you he couldn’t say everything about you you know show me your tax form for the last five years it’s not strictly honest is it show me your your internet download all that pornography show everybody
We’re all like you know we’re all like that you you could any areas of life he could Point let’s talk about your relationship with your wife or you Jesus knows everything about us and he comes to us in Grace if you knew the gift of God and um you
See everyone who drinks this water will thirst see we’re always longing for we always want to be satisfied right but we’re looking the wrong places often it’s career you know or our job well if it’s not working but I get another job or it’s our family you know that’s where I
Need to get married that’s it when you get married satisfaction is complete and total isn’t it why there there certain Smiles I shall avert my gears no what you need if you really want satisfaction is to have children then you’ll be totally satisfied for at least half an hour at the maternity
Home but anything you know if you collect things collect things you know or get into sport when I get into that team or when my team was we look con we’re like this woman we’re constantly looking for satisfaction for her it’s Mr right if I marry him the last five were
Rubbish but oh my there must be somebody is good enough for me we’re all looking for satisfaction it’s a perfectly human but it can only be Satisfied by Jesus and um she’s looking in the wrong places of course she then she starts squirming really because he he knows too
Much about her he knows too much about you so let’s talk religion shall we shall we talk about temples let’s talk about temples shall we uh was it your place in Jerusalem was it our place in G gitz in which was the best right Temple and Jesus
Says believe me woman an hour is coming sorry a time is coming it’s in your in your Bible it says time but as John reminded us last week it the better well a better translation would be the hour an hour is coming it’s time it’s and
It’s time in the NIV but it the actual literal an hour is coming when you will worship the father neither here in this mountain or in Jerusalem yet a time is coming and has now come when true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and Truth such is the kind of of
Worshipers the father say what’s he talking about the hour it isn’t time deliberately he puts the hour and every time he uses hour in go John’s gospel he’s referring to one thing the hour of his death that’s the hour that all his life is looking forward to so it should a better
Translation would be the hour now why is it why is it so important does he say this this one because he says look all those sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem and my father instituted them all pointed to me that’s the point of and now I am coming
And though one and when when I’ve come all those things will be finished and that’s that’s what he’s saying right you see you remember on the cross Jesus said several things but he did cry out I am thirsty and this old passage is about thirst and Jesus on the cross in Calvary
I am thirsty you see go back to the woman how can he give this woman who’s lived an immoral life how can he give this woman an offer of New Life New Hope peace with God Joy Everlasting how can he do that because because on the cross he thirsts on the cross he
Experiences a cosmic thirst on the cross and I’ve got to be careful with words because you can soon move into error on the cross he experienced incandescent hatred of God against sin on human beings he faces the Judgment of God that you should receive because you brought God’s law he
Faces that he takes it he Bears it he bears is that thirst that the the anger of God against sin is borne by one man at one place at one time the most important moment in the history and he said I thirst he thirst my friends that you might not
Thirst you see we we’re dealing in this church with eternal issues not just in a happy time and fulfill life remember Jesus the son of God tries to say say when we die there are different Destinies there’s a separation and he tells about the place those who have not believed not
Believed in in in Christ and in God and he uses an illustration as a a parable and it’s only a story to to demonstrate something even greater a rich man called he’s not given a name Dives and Lazarus and the rich man goes to Hades hell he goes
And this is the Son of God speaking not me and Jesus said the one thing that marks out those whove let lived this life without God this is what Jesus is saying you have to decide with him not me Jesus says this man says he called to his father Abraham he says Father
Abraham have pity on me and tell send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I’m in agony in this fire now I know it’s only but the reality I guess is worse whatever eternity is without God is it’s a place of
Endless thirst says Jesus but Jesus came he came he lived he died that you might go to be with him in glory B with him forever and in heaven it says they shall not hunger they shall not thirst why for the lamb who is at the center of the thr
He will lead them to Springs of Living Water that’s why he came my friends that’s why this building here that’s why these elders and leaders lead us because lead us into truth we’re not playing just for a happy time in 70 years we talking about eternity the Son of God
Died my friends that you might be saved because at the end of the story the girl says not only is a prophet he’s the savior of the world and that includes you if you have any sense Jesus came it’s it’s amazing and uh and she sees it you see he’s come specifically to
Save her as well that morning that’s why you’re here this morning one or two of you I don’t know he comes to show you how much he loves you what he’s done to win you to make you into love to win forgiveness for you to give you a beauty that you
Can’t comprehend you can look on you Christians and say you’re incredibly beautiful because you’re dressed in all my goodness and righteousness and his love will endure Forever After Death we look forward that great wedding and you you’ll be in Eternity for years Believers and you think this is
Wonderful and Jesus says it will never end you will never never f thirst again what never is this going to end never we the stakes my friends we’re on about in this church and in Christianity are Eternal I know it’s not popular now but who cares what that you
Know and what’s what what’s the qualification Jesus says if anyone thirst not I fancy something fresh not I like a little drink not I’m curious not I’d like something new not I’d like an improve if anyone thirsts let him come I’m not very good you don’t have to very
Good you have to thirst you have to long for this one thing the only thing that matters in life not degrees not gold watches not roxs watches not palaces not homes this one thing if anyone thirsts let him come and drink let him go and drink to this Jesus right
You see Jesus speaks to himself as a fountain a fountain and um we come to him not just to the meeting you have to do dealings with him is here by his Spirit you have to deal with him if anyone will come to me and drink
If I’m going to drink I have to make a movement it’s not well not well we’ll see if it’ll happen to me no you have to come and drink what is drinking then well he tells us in the next verse whoever believes in me you got to trust him I don’t understand
It I know you don’t but just trust trust his word he’s written it down so that dumb people like me and you can see it come it’s in black and white he is present he said I will never leave you he is here with us by his
Spirit he has risen we’ve sung about it and he says come and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture said streams of Living Water will flow from him he will fill you right you see what you’re filled with is what comes out if you’re filled with
Resentment that’s what will come out if you’re filled with self-pity that’s what will come out if you filled with bitterness that’s what will come out but if you’re filled with God a young man called Henry schoer wrote a book book 200 years ago the
Title is the life of God in the soul of man that’s all you need to know the title that’s what Christianity is some of you will go out today filled with the ho Spirit Well all Christians you you have the spirit within you right and you’re called to be a a whale
A spring where you live because there’s no other Springs in your street probably or your office but the what I want to say is it’s not a demand understand this you have to know that this this person the holy spirit is now in you and he
Will flood up if you allow him don’t be drunk with wine say but be filled be controlled by the spirit the spirit is within you he says Jesus gives it to every believer he says come and drink it will flow from it no it’s not a passive thing
We have to work out with fear and tremble in what God has worked in us both the willing to do of his good pleasure we know that but but we can’t we believe in as he comes to us my friends don’t say well I’ll put it off we’ll we’ll we’ll come back another
Day no now now well we’ll try something else we’ll try another Faith try a bit of philosophy try I don’t know get a degree do move immigrate do something well no no now well there must be some other other other place where we can get blessed no
No let me finish with a little story The Silver Chair by CS Lewis this children’s story and Jill the little girl is very thirsty she’s very th and she come she’s desperately thirsty and she comes to this stream some of you know the story she comes to this stream she doesn’t
Rush toward it and drink she stands still and she’s turned into s of like stone with her mouth wide open and she had a very good reason because she says there was a great lion there great Lon who represents Jesus you know she thought if I run away it’ll be
After me in a moment if I go on I shall run straight into its mouth and the lion says and she’s desperate if you’re thirsty you may drink the first word word she’ heard since scrub had spoken to her on the edge of the cliff are you not thir said the lion I’m
Dying of thirst said Jill then drink said the lion may I could I would you mind going away while I do said Jill the lion answered this only by a look and a very low grow growl and a Jill Gaz at the motionless Hulk she realized she
Might have as well asked the whole Mountain to moved aside for her convenience the delicious Rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic will you promise not to to do anything to me if I do come said Jill I make no promises said the lion Jill was now so
Thirsty that that without noticing it she had come a step nearer do you eat girls she said I have swallowed girls and boys women and men Kings and Emperors cities and Realms said the lion he didn’t say this as if it was boasting nor as if it were sorry nor as
If it were it were angry he just said it I D come and drink said Jill then you will die of thirst said the lion I must go on looking for another stream said Jill there is no other stream said the lion and that’s true only Jesus can satisfy you only
Living for him can satisfy there is no other stream whether it’s in work or Academia on sport or in they’re all legitimate and good things but they will never satisfy you CU you were born made for Jesus and the father sent as he sent Jesus for that woman Jesus sent you this
Morning andto this church that you might find him because the father is looking for a bride for his son men and women who will love him not because they have to but in spirit and Truth The Father’s seeking that’s why you’re here he knows you’re thirsty come unto me all you that are
Thirsty and drink and out of your innermost being you will be transformed will flow rivers of Living Water come there is no other stream come and all the people said [Applause] amen thank you Stuart let’s Stand Together shy if you’re happy to do that and able to do
That going to make space to respond to what Stuart has brought this morning why don’t we just close our eyes for a moment and let’s just soak for a moment in the presence of God and the love of God the kindness of God it may be that you’re here this
Morning and actually you know you’ve never made that decision to say yes to Jesus and he offers you this morning that gift of eternal life and relationship with him and you know actually you want to come into that place of saying yes to him if that’s you just in the quiet
Just take this moment to ask him to come and be Lord over your life it might mean it will mean as you saying sorry for the things that you’ve done wrong and living life your own way just invite him to come and be Lord over your life now is the moment
The father’s been seeking he loves you he sent his son to die in your place now is the moment to say yes to him if that’s you just say yes to Jesus and just ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to follow him he’s so good he is the answer to
Everything that you’ve been looking for he’s so good now is the moment to say yes to him and actually there’s a response for all of us here right now I don’t know what you’ve kind of come into this meeting with today it might be all kinds of things that have made you
Thirst but there’s one answer and it’s Jesus Christ and it’s the Living Waters that he give he says let anyone who’s thirsty come to me and drink whoever believes in me scripture has said rivers of Living Water will flow from within them and by this he meant the spirit whom those who believed
In him were later to receive and the encouragement is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to go on being filled with the holy spirit so if you know you want a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit today I want to invite you to put out your hands as Stu said this
Involves us coming when we drink it involves an action this is our action of opening ourselves up to God and saying fill me again with your Holy Spirit and just just where you are ask him to do that ask him to fill you aresh with the Living Water ask him to fill
You again with the Holy Spirit just ask him for more of the spirit Lord Jesus you are the only answer to the deepest longings of our hearts we want to say this morning we are a thirsty people and we come to you because there’s no other stream and you’re the one who made us you’re the one who loves us you’re the one who gave himself for
Us and I pray you pour out out your Holy Spirit now on your people fill us aresh with your Holy Spirit we want a fresh touch from you Lord God because we need you we need your holy spirit so I pray now in your gathered people here in this place and people
Watching at home come and fill us with your Holy Spirit I pray Spirit would you move in this place I pray from deep within us Lord God you bring a deep peace a deep Joy laughter would spring up from within us Lord God because of who you are come and
Fill your church this is your promise to us that you wouldn’t leave us as orphans but you come to us and you fill us with your Holy Spirit Well Lord we say we’re thirsty come and fill us with your spirit I pray fill us AR fresh this morning restore your church refresh your
Church pour out your Holy Spirit on us with Wells of Living Water spring up from within us I pray Spirit Break break out in this place fill us with your holy spirit thank you Jesus we might see you all more clearly and live lives that glorify you fill us with your spirit I
Pray Jesus thank you loving Lord thank you Lord Spirit Break Out break our Was Spirit Break Heaven Come Spirit Break Spirit Break break our wall Spirit Break Our Father all of Heaven know your name sing loud let this place with praise can you hear sound of Heaven touching the sound of Heaven touching us King Jesus y the name Will lifting High Your Glory shaking up the Earth and Sky rival we want to see our
Kingdom we want to see your kingdom here Spirit Breaker break our W Spirit break [Applause] break Heaven Come would you break out spirit Spirit Break Out break our walls down what you break our spirit Spirit Break Heaven come down Our Father all of Heaven your name sing Loud let this place erup with praise can you hear it The Sound Of Heaven touch me the sound of heav touching us King Jesus you’re the name will liftting high Your Glory shaking up the Earth and Sky Ral we want to see your kingom we want to see Lord we want to see your kingdom here Spirit bre break up Spirit break break up W bre won you break us great Heaven come down Spirit Breaker break our WS down Spirit Break Heaven Come yeah God is in this place thank you Jesus and God is speaking to us and one of the ways that he’s speaking to us is um through Visions or pictures so hdy do you want to share what God’s saying to you thank you earlier this week um I
Work in Care Homes and I came out of my session walked past the lady she didn’t know me I didn’t know her out of the blue she says you’re such a disappointment I was like what but it’s really really touched me because even though I didn’t particularly feel that way when I when
She said that to me I thought maybe today particularly after what stward was saying maybe you feel that way maybe someone has said it to you over and over you’re such a disappointment you’re not good enough and it carries with you and it can really really sit in your heart
Can’t say that kind of thing but I believe if that’s you this morning that but God says something very different to you you know you are not a disappointment to him he loves you he sees you he knows exactly what you’re like and yet he says here I am come to
Me I’ll give you peace I’ll give you rest you’re never a disappointment to him he wants you to come to him and fill you up with his life so if that’s you this morning I’d be very happy to pray with you to make his peace and his
Comfort come into your life and fill your with thank you Hy yeah thank you Lord that even if we feel like we’re a disappointment even if we feel like that we’re the worst no matter what people have said to us or over us or about us thank you that
You’re saying here I am come to me and drink Lord yeah I just pray that everybody here gets that opportunity to say Jesus I want I want that spring of Living Water and not just today but every day for the rest of the week that we keep getting a
Renewing a filling up of the holy spirit that we know that your presence is near us Lord and that no matter what people say whether we feel like a disappointment or not what you say is true over us amen if you’d like prayer for that or anything else or perhaps prayer
Something that Stuart has talked about we do have a prayer space over here and people would love to pray with you if you’re online and you’d like to have prayer there is a request prayer button on the website yeah and if you’d like to give to the work of the church knowing
That everything we do as a church is only made possible because of the generosity of this church you can do that on our website there’s also offering boxes at the back thank you so much for being with us today do stay around for tea and coffee great being
With you this morning thank you Thanks A
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Praise The Lord