Does Your Religion Hold Water
John 4:6-39
This is a very famous passage of scripture. Jesus is dealing with the woman at the well in Samaria. In this sermon we are going to look at the response given by the woman and compare them with what religious people focus on instead of looking to Jesus Christ as their savior.
Religion – Any system of faith and worship [American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828]
Above is a general definition for the word religion. In this sense of the word everyone has a religion. Whether you believe in God or something else you still believe in something that is governing this world. If you say you only believe in yourself then you are your religion. At the end of the day everyone has a religion of some sort. The question is will your religion hold water?
What religious people focus on:
1) What they can see (verse 11)
- The woman at the well was focused on the fact that Jesus had no pot to draw water with.
- This is an example of scientific people who say they will only believe things that they can see. Even evolutionists proclaim to be looking at the fossil evidence. What is interesting though is that observation is the first step in the scientific process and no one has ever observed evolution.
- This is also the reason that many religions must have a statue or idol to worship, they must have something that they can see.
2) What their ancestors believed or were (verse 12)
- Many religious people are just following what their ancestors did. People will say if it was good enough for Grandpa and good enough for my Dad, then it is good enough for me.
- Our ancestors did have running water or electricity and you never hear anyone saying that they want those things, but when it comes to religion they are stuck. The question is does your Grandpa’s or Dad’s religion hold water.
3) The benefits of a particular religion (verse 15)
- The woman at the well had to come when the other ladies did not come because of the sin in her life in regards to men. So when she heard that she would not need to come to the well anymore she was very interested in the living water, but it was only for the benefit.
- Some people use religion this way. Religion makes people feel good. Sometimes religions even give you an opportunity to sin and live like you want to as a part of that religion.
- But you must ask yourself does your religion hold water.
4) The place of worship or physical elements of worship (verse 20)
- Notice when Jesus brought up the sin of the woman at the well she quickly changed the subject to where is the correct place to worship.
- Many religious people today are just the same. They are hung up on where to worship and how to worship but never consider Jesus and Salvation in him alone.
5) Focus on the wrong coming (verse 25)
- The woman was waiting on the Messiah and he was right in front of her.
- Many today are waiting on Jesus to show up at the Second Advent and that is not where you want to be. That is where he makes war and judges the anti-christ and his armies.
It is interesting that this woman does not understand the offer of living water to her from Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah 2:13 there is a statement regarding these things. Note in the verse that God says his people have committed two evils:
1) They have forsaken him, the fountain of living water.
2) They have hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
In the passage the woman is worried about Jesus having no pot when he is the living water and her pot (religion) is full of holes. Nothing she argued with Jesus about held any water. He shot down every one of her arguments. Finally when she is faced with the fact that he is the Messiah she has no more arguments but believes and leaves here water pot (verse 28).
The truth is that it is not about religion it is about a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only man that can save you (1 Timothy 2:5).
Many today are just like Israel they are zealous toward God with their religion, but their religion will not hold water. They are trying to establish their own righteousness instead of taking the righteousness that is found only in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:1-13).
If this is you, you must put down your water pot and trust the finished work of Jesus Christ alone for you salvation.