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Sermon #1149

The Problem of Prejudice

A Sermon on John 4:13-14

Originally preached Oct. 16, 1966

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Scripture

John 4:13-14 ESV KJV
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” …

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Sermon Description

The living water of Jesus Christ is the mark of a true Christian. It is the fullness of life that followers of Christ receive and experience. In this sermon on John 4:13–14 titled “The Problem with Prejudice,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of this living water by diving into the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. He begins by focusing on Jesus’s approach with the Samaritan women. This is an important aspect to understand because it is also Jesus’s approach with His people today. First, Jesus is always in complete control. There is never a moment that all are not fully in His hands. This truth can bring Christians much comfort in realizing that He is in control of our lives. Second, Jesus draws gently to Himself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes on to show how Jesus pursues after and loves His people with a never-ending love, wanting them to accept His living water. However, the sinful flesh creates hindrances that keep the Christian from His living water. In this case, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that the woman at the well created a hindrance of prejudice. He ends by challenging the listener to view their own lives for any hindrances that may be keeping them from the living water of Christ.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon begins by introducing the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well from John 4. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this story provides rich spiritual lessons, especially regarding the higher reaches of the Christian life.

  2. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then gives an overview of the previous week's sermon, which focused on Jesus, the Samaritan woman, and spiritual lessons from the story. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the current sermon will focus on Jesus's method of dealing with people and spiritual hindrances.

  3. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's first point is that Jesus is always in complete control of situations and people's lives. If we are Christians, Jesus is in control of our situations and will bring us to the desired end.

  4. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's second point is that Jesus shows amazing gentleness, especially with the Samaritan woman. Jesus does not bludgeon or force people but draws them in with gentleness. We would not be Christians without Jesus's gentleness.

  5. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's third point is that Jesus often uses an indirect method, speaking in riddles or parables. With the Samaritan woman, Jesus speaks indirectly before bringing her to confront spiritual truth directly. Jesus still uses indirect methods to teach us spiritual lessons.

  6. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's fourth point is that Jesus leads people from "step to step" and "stage to stage." The Christian life is one of growth and development, not remaining static. We must continue progressing in our knowledge of Jesus.

  7. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's fifth point is that Jesus shows wonderful patience, as demonstrated with the Samaritan woman. None of us would be Christians without Jesus's patience.

  8. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's sixth point is that Jesus shows perseverance. Jesus persevered with the Samaritan woman until she understood the gospel, and he will persevere with us until we are perfected. Our perseverance depends on Jesus's perseverance.

  9. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then transitions to discussing hindrances to spiritual life, using the example of the Samaritan woman. The hindrances are of our own making, as demonstrated by the obstacles the Samaritan woman created.

  10. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's first example of a hindrance is general prejudices, like those between Jews and Samaritans. We carry prejudices from our old lives into our new lives in Christ and must work to shed them.

  11. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's second example of a hindrance is nationality and traditions. Our backgrounds influence how we think about and live out our faith. We must examine ourselves for prejudices from our backgrounds.

  12. Dr. Lloyd-Jones's third example of a hindrance is a "common prejudice" about what Christianity is in a culture. We must fight against absorbing prejudices from our surrounding culture.

  13. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by saying we raise obstacles to Jesus through our prejudices but that Jesus perseveres with us despite these obstacles.

Sermon Q&A

Lloyd-Jones on John 4: Questions from the Woman at the Well Sermon

What insights does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provide about the true Christian life from John 4?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the true Christian life is reflected in Jesus' words to the woman of Samaria: "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." This represents the essence and meaning of salvation - not merely forgiveness of sins, but a life of spiritual fullness that never fails. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christianity is about having this "well of water" within us that continually springs up. He challenges his listeners with the question: "Have we got that?" rather than treating these as mere words for emotional evangelistic meetings.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Christ's method of evangelism in the story of the woman at the well?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several key aspects of Christ's evangelistic method:

  1. Complete control - Christ always handles the situation from beginning to end
  2. Amazing gentleness - He doesn't bludgeon or force, but draws gently ("He drew me and I followed on")
  3. Indirect approach - He begins with a request for water rather than immediately addressing her spiritual condition
  4. Arousing curiosity - He creates interest through questions and statements that puzzle her
  5. Step-by-step progression - He leads gradually from the natural to the spiritual
  6. Wonderful patience - He tolerates her interjections and clever debating points
  7. Persistent perseverance - He refuses to be sidetracked until she faces the vital question

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christ still uses these same methods today in dealing with souls.

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about spiritual growth and development from this passage?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that the Christian life is characterized by continuous growth and development. He references Hebrews 6:1 ("let us go on to perfection") and Philippians 3 where Paul, despite his spiritual maturity, still says, "that I may know him." Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ leads believers from step to step, stage to stage, and there should be constant progression in the Christian life. He laments Christians who only talk about their conversion as if nothing happened afterward, calling it "the most tragic thing of all" because it violates this principle of growth and development. True Christianity involves being continuously led by Christ "until we reach the absolute perfection."

What hindrances to receiving Christ's "living water" does Lloyd-Jones identify?

Lloyd-Jones identifies several hindrances that prevent people from receiving Christ's "living water":

  1. General prejudices - about nationality, religion, gender, or worship practices
  2. Old traditions and customs that follow us into the Christian life
  3. Religious background and upbringing that can create preconceptions
  4. Reliance on religious works and practices rather than grace
  5. Cultural assumptions about what Christianity is
  6. Resentment when our spiritual status quo is challenged

He emphasizes that these hindrances are entirely of our own making, and we often "stand in our own light, robbing ourselves of this great gift." Lloyd-Jones notes that even after conversion, many of these prejudices can follow us into the Christian life, citing examples from the early church where Peter and others struggled with their Jewish prejudices.

How does Lloyd-Jones explain Christ's perseverance with sinners based on this passage?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christ's perseverance is the foundation of our hope and the guarantee of our salvation. He explains that Christ will not be sidetracked or let go of those He is drawing to Himself. He quotes Philippians 1:6: "being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christ's love is "unchanging," "everlasting," and that "nothing can, nothing shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God."

He warns his listeners that if Christ has started a work in them, He will complete it, even if it requires discipline: "You may rebel. You'll suffer if you do... You're only bringing trouble upon yourself." This perseverance of Christ with sinners is, according to Lloyd-Jones, "the rock on which we stand" and "our only hope."

The Book of John

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.