Recap... Jesus said they "must go" to/through Samaria. This was part of God's divine plan. The woman comes to the well alone. Jesus starts a conversation about water and ends up talking about worship. He reveals her sin and who he is...Messiah
John 4:27-30 (ESV) "Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, 'What do you seek?' or, 'Why are you talking with her?' So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?' They went out of the town and were coming to him."
The disciples show up just at the right time. They didn't interrupt and just observed the interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. We should imitate the disciples...quick to listen and slow to speak.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
1 John 2:16 (ESV) "For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world."
Proverbs 17:28 (ESV) "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent."
The woman went to the town and shared what happened. She shared her "personal testimony" . They probably knew her history, but she is sharing with them that Jesus knew her sins. She poses a question to the people. She invites them to see with her boldness.
I. If you have truly met Jesus you have a testimony
There are no boring testimonies. It is important to share. A love for God compels you to have love for others and want them to know him.
Romans 10:14-15 (ESV) "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"
The woman showed love for the townspeople by sharing her testimony. She is humble and invites them to come and see.
John 4:31-38 (ESV) "Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.' So the disciples said to one another, 'Has anyone brought him something to eat?' Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.'"
II God's Work is Satisfying
Jesus was using common conversation to teach a lesson...bread. Jesus wasn't concerned with food, because God's work was "satisfying". If you try to God's work on your own you will burn out, but if you do it out of the overflow of God's pouring into you it is exhilarating! You will never regret it. Even if you stumble with your words you will see God working through you.
John 15:5 (ESV) "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Be ready...be prepared to do God's work. Spend time in prayer and in the Word. Other scripture references...Matt. 4/Deut. 8 "Man shall not live on bread alone..." 1 Peter 2 God's word=pure milk
III God's work is worthwhile
Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither mouth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Working with God towards the eternal. Missionaries in Ecuador in the 50's (Jim Elliot) "He is no fool who gives what he can't keep to gain what..." These men were willing to sacrifice their lives for the spread of the gospel to unreached people. Their wives stayed and eventually reached these people for God. Are we willing to sacrifice things (a little time, money, energy, sweat, pride, embarrassment) for God's work.
IV Where is your mission field?
"The fields are white for harvest"
- our own families and beyond
-All of us needs a mission field
-your job, your school
Luke 15:10 (ESV) "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
God loves the work where we seek the lost. The angels rejoice in heaven when a sinner repents. The Prodigal son...
Luke 19:10 (ESV) "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
God uses unwilling people to reach the lost...Jonah....Don't be like Jonah and be mad when the lost repent and are saved.
John 4: 39-42 (ESV) "Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me all that I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'"
Jesus stayed for 2 days with the people in the Samaritan village. What an amazing time they must have had learning from him. They believed because of what he said. They were ready to believe, some because of the woman's testimony and some because of what they heard from him. We must all own our own faith. We must know what and why we believe.
V Jesus is THE Savior of the World
The Samaritans declared that Jesus was for ALL, not just for the Jews. He was making new people and a new covenant.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV) "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Acts 1:8 (ESV) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
From Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We should be grateful because someone shared with you. Now we have to do our part.
Challenge: Pray... Lord what can I do? Where is my mission field? Lord send me into the Harvest!
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