WHY START A CHURCH?

Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
John 4

Some have asked, “Why are you starting a church? Don’t we have enough?” I have so many reasons for starting a church. There’s the calling, there’s the dream, and there’s the need. Let’s talk about the need.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a well, but with all this heat lately, I’ve been thinking about thirst a lot. Why? I’m thirsty… and I have seen a lot of thirsty people. Ok, so now, imagine a hot, dry and arid setting – and it’s that way all the time... There’s an abundance of sand and a shortage of air conditioning. There’s no plumbing and the only way to get a cold, refreshing drink is by going to the town well. This is the setting for this encounter between Jesus and this woman. She approaches and what does He do? He asks for a drink and begins a conversation with her about her thirst… her spiritual thirst… her spiritual need. It’s at this point that we’re introduced to the real person. Here is a woman who is broken, hurt, rejected, and shamefully living a lifestyle that has been an unsuccessful attempt to satisfy her real thirst… her deep spiritual need. In the midst of her normal routine of marching out to the well, Jesus helps her see the big picture. He helps her to see her real need and the real solution to that need. In our neighborhood, we see people going through their daily routines. Going to work, going home, going to the store, going to the gas station – going everywhere. Simply marching out to their wells. We bump into them while they’re trying to figure out how to live and quench their thirsts. We are meeting them as they are trying to patch up their lives, trying to fix their pains, and trying to do anything about the thirst – the need in their lives. This is why we want to start a church. This is why we do not believe that there are enough. We have seen too many who do not know the truth about Jesus. We have seen too many walking out to their wells and will never “go” somewhere else for help. They’ll never find peace- they’ll never find the answer. We have seen too many who are marching out to their wells and will never have an encounter like this woman did unless somebody will go out to the well and be willing to start a conversation with them. We have seen so many who are hurting and dying with no hope of salvation unless somebody is willing to listen to their stories and be willing to engage in their lives… even if that means walking with them to their wells. We want to be at these wells in the same way Jesus was. Tried, exhausted, and thirsty –willing to show how the living water is the only hope for satisfying our deepest longings, needs, and desires. No matter how the needs may manifest themselves; whether through addictions, depression, materialism or a range of so many others; it is only Jesus, this living water, who can satisfy – no matter how great the need! We want to be where the thirsty are. We want to stop there, settle there, and open a church right there… right where real people with real needs are. Have you noticed the wells where you are?