May 05, 2017
Our main job and the primary reason a believer is left on this earth is to help those around us into the kingdom through Christ. To share the gospel so that people can be eternally saved.
Jesus modeled this for us constantly. Notice what He did with the woman at the well in John 4.
1. Jesus went where the Father told him.
""and He had to pass through Samaria"" (vs. 4)
Every ""good "" Jew would not walk through Samaria because he disregarded the Samaritan people. Jesus broke through those cultural and ethnic barriers. EVERYONE was equally valuable to Him. In fact, Jesus broke 3 cultural norms here: a good Jew never went through Samaria, never talked to a woman, and never cared for an immoral woman. This woman was all three. Jesus went to those with need, with no regard for politically correct steps. He loved everyone.
2. Jesus went directly to the most important questions
The Samaritan woman said to Him, ""How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?"" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, ""If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."" (vs. 9-10)
We teach a lot on relational evangelism, i.e., working long and hard to build loving relationships with people. And we should. But Jesus had not known this woman five minutes before he jumped into the gospel. It is NEVER inappropriate to follow the Spirit’s prompting and bring the gospel into the conversation early. God has been preparing people more than we know.
3. Jesus spoke to people's deepest thirst.
He would have given you living water."" (vs. 9-10)
Everybody without Christ is dying of thirst. They do not have the one thing that really matters, that will satisfy their deepest longings. We forget this. We think people don’t want Christ. But everyone is thirsty and needy. We can touch this chord in people's hearts with the gospel as we speak to them about the things they are missing without Christ.
4. Jesus made a bold, abrupt promise of something better.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (v. 14-15)
Jesus was not afraid to boldly offer her an everlasting solution to her problem. He was not ashamed of the gospel, but rather, anxious to make this bold claim!
5. Jesus knew that everybody has a sin problem, and they need to see what it is doing to them.
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” (vs. 15-18)
Our sin is what separates us from the Father. People need to see this, although it’s hard. Jesus was going somewhere in this conversation, and the path needed to include a discussion of her sin and separation… that she had a sin problem that could only be solved by a Savior.
6. Jesus reminded her that God was looking for her and had a better plan for her life.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (vs. 21-23)
7. Jesus knew that He was the answer and that she must come to Him.
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (vs. 25-26)
We must boldly proclaim that life is found nowhere else but in the living, resurrected Christ. He is the Messiah, the only way to God. We are to proclaim JESUS to people. HE is the good news and He has come for us!
8. Jesus lived to do His Father's will, and the Father's will and work was to lead people into the Kingdom NOW!
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 were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 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, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. (vs. 31-35)
We spend our time on worthless things that have no eternal value. Jesus was on a constant mission, i.e., to seek and save the lost. He was relentless and it satisfied him more than physical food. God’s will (seeking others) is the most satisfying work on this earth and it must become our mission everywhere, every day!
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