Sermon
delivered on September 18th, 2016
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Scripture Text: John 4:1-29
Introduction
When
Jesus Christ was here on earth, He made it clear to the disciples why He left
the glories of heaven and came to earth. And we read that in ...
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost.
He
came from Heaven to earth, and He died, rose again and lives in order to save
the lost - this was His Father's business. This is why the Father sent Him into
the world - to seek and to save the lost.
Not
only did He make it clear His purpose for His coming, He all so made it clear that
this is His plan for every true follower of Jesus Christ. His plan for
every follower of Jesus Christ - to be a participant in reaching the lost.
Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of
him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7:
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power. 8: But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto
me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth.
God's
will for the church is not just to gather every Sunday and sing, sing, sing.
His will for the church is not just to sit on the pew, listen to preaching, and
listen to more preaching, and listen to endless preaching and get blessed. Nor
is His will for us is not to withdraw from society and live like monks and
hermits in caves or convents monasteries.
His
will for the true followers of Jesus Christ is ...
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I
am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also
sent them into the world.
When
Jesus said these words, He meant, among other things, we were to give ourselves
to winning souls, even as He did.
We
must realize that we are all called upon to win souls. It is every follower of
Jesus Christ to make disciples, to evangelize, to witness, to seek and save the
lost. And how is this going to be done? I am glad our Lord taught His disciples
not only by His word but by His action. He was the master
soul-winner. He left us an example how to go about this task of winning souls.
When
He said ...
Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I
will make you fishers of men.
He meant that we were to follow His example.
In
our texts this morning we read Jesus' encounter
with a Samaritan woman, and from this encounter we can draw three lessons on
how to reach the lost.
I - Soul-winning Requires Overcoming Barriers
Let
us consider the four barriers Jesus had to overcome in His encounter with the
Samaritan woman.
1. Jesus Overcame Comfort Barrier
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being
wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth
hour.
It
was about the sixth hour. It was noon. It was hot. Jesus was tired
and sat down. Jesus needed to rest. But in spite of these inconveniences,
our Lord took the opportunity to speak to the woman at the well and offer her
the living water.
Aren't
you glad that Jesus did the same thing for you and me. When He saw you wounded
(spiritually) He did not pass you by. He was not like the certain priest and
the Levite who passed on the other side when they saw the wounded Samaritan.
Luke 10:31 And by chance there came down a certain
priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32: And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked
on him, and passed by on the other side. 33: But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion
on him, 34: And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and
wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of
him.
He
was willing to put Himself to some inconvenience to win one sinful woman to
Himself.
How
many opportunities have we missed because we are so preoccupied with our
own affairs; with our own convenience; with our comfort zone; with our space?
Our
Lord could have made that an excuse for relaxation, but instead of viewing His
tiredness as a disadvantage He turned it to an advantage.
2. Jesus Overcame the Gender Barrier
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw
water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8: (For his disciples were gone
away unto the city to buy meat.) 9: Then saith the woman of Samaria
unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a
woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
In
many places in the Middle East, there are barriers between men and women. It
was socially unacceptable for a Jewish man, to speak to any woman in public.
The rabbis even thought that Jewish women should not be taught the Scriptures. So
for Jesus to ask the woman for a drink is shocking enough, but for Him to
direct the conversation into spiritual things with the Samaritan woman was
something out of the ordinary!
So
when the disciples came, they were greatly surprised when they saw their Master
talking to the woman.
John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he
talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou
with her?
There
were only two options for Jesus: to leave, or to witness. Jesus chose to break
the gender barrier. He ignored what was not socially acceptable, choosing to
witness instead.
Warning:
There
are times when it is unwise to do this. There are times when young Christians
need to be careful about speaking in private to a member of the opposite
gender.
"Christ's road from Judea to Galilee
lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we
needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them."
3. Jesus Overcame the Racial Barrier
John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto
him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a
woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Our
Lord was a Jew and the woman was a Samaritan, and the Jews do not
associate with Samaritans. They refuse to have anything to do with
Samaritans.
There
was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews, and the hostilities
between the Jews and the Samaritans went back centuries. After the Assyrians
conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C., they deported most of the
Jews and replaced them with foreigners, who intermarried with the remaining
Jews. The children from mixed marriages between Jews and Assyrians were
called Samaritans. So the Jews viewed the Samaritans as biological
half-breeds.
This
is why the woman was surprised when Jesus asked for a drink from her, a woman
of Samaria, for Jews. She was surprised because Jesus did not show
the anger of His own nation against the Samaritans.
Our
Lord went out of His way and broke the racial barrier to introduce a lost
woman of Samaria to another kind of life-giving water. He deliberately chose to
go to a town in Samaria, a place where no respectable rabbi would set foot.
There, He told this woman about "living water." Those who drink of it,
He said, "will never thirst." It will "become in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
That
is grace in action. This is illustrated by our Lord!
Jesus
did not allow the man-made wall to stop Him from witnessing to the woman.
Galatians
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29: And if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The
ground is level at the foot of the cross. Sin is sin and God's grace truly
extends to everyone.
All are on a level; all are saved in
the same way; all are entitled to the same privileges. There is no favoritism
on account of birth, beauty, or blood. All confess that they are sinners; all
are saved by the merits of the same Saviour; all are admitted to the same
privileges as children of God.
4. Jesus Overcame the Moral Barrier
The
normal time for women to get water was either early morning or later in the
afternoon, when it was cooler. But in John 4:6 we read the Samaritan woman went at the well at about
the sixth hour, 12 o'clock noon.
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being
wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth
hour. (about 12 o'clock noon) 7: There cometh a woman of Samaria to
draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8: (For his disciples were
gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Bible
commentators tells us that there is a reason why she came to the well at 12 o'clock
noon, the hottest part of the day, it is because she was an outcast of society. It
was not common in that day for someone to go to a well to draw water in the
heat of high noon, except for the outcasts. She had been married five
times, and when Jesus spoke to her she was living with a man who was not her
husband.
We
cannot say for sure why this woman came to the well at noon, but it may be that
because of her immoral life, she was not liked by the other women. She wanted
to come when she would be alone.
There
was the barrier of sin
John 4:14 But 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. 15: The woman saith unto
him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16:
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17: The woman
answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said,
I have no husband: 18: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou
now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
But
Jesus Christ overcame the sin barrier.
But
Jesus broke the personal, gender, racial, and moral barrier. Instead of
allowing this to stop Him to minister to the woman, He saw the unique value of
the the Samaritan woman. Jesus saw was a woman whose value was not defined
by race and culture or even by her immorality.
If
we are to win souls for Christ we must overcome our own personal barrier, the gender
barrier, racial barrier and moral barrier.
II - Soul-winning Requires Exposing Sin
John 4:14 But 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. 15: The woman saith unto
him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16:
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17: The
woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well
said, I have no husband: 18: For thou hast had five husbands; and he
whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
Before
a person can be saved, he or she must sense their need of salvation. This
involves the exposing of sin. This is what our Lord did, He brought
out the subject of sin. Jesus did not compromise His message to make it
more acceptable. He pointed out the woman's sin. Because our Lord knows that as
long as she is satisfied in her sins and content with her life and has no thought
for God, salvation will not come to that life! However, when the she sees
herself as lost and Jesus as the need of her soul, she can come to Christ and
be saved by the grace of God.
Our
Lord broke the moral barrier by exposing the woman's sin, but He did it
without malice, not in a condemning way. As a result the woman did not become
angry and offended, but instead she was even thankful that her sins were
exposed because it led her to ask for the living water.
John 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way
into the city, and saith to the men, 29: Come, see a man, which told
me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
III - Soul-winning Requires Revealing Christ
After
exposing sin, there must be a revealing of Jesus Christ.
John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou
art a prophet. 20: Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say,
that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21: Jesus saith
unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this
mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22: Ye worship ye know
not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23: But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24:
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth. 25: The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he
is come, he will tell us all things. 26: Jesus saith unto her, I that
speak unto thee am he.
Our
Lord concluded His conversation with the woman by revealing Himself as the
Messiah, the Saviour of the world. What a wonderful moment that must have been
for her, and for the people of Samaria!
Closing Thoughts
The
Samaritan woman was just going about her daily chores, minding her own
business, when Jesus Christ happened to be tired and thirsty and asked her for
a drink and then directed the conversation into spiritual matters. She was
not seeking to know God. Her five failed marriages, and her adulterous
relationship, caused her to be an outcast of society and to keep her distance
from God. The only explanation for this story is that Jesus was seeking a
sinner who was not even seeking Him. Our Lord reach out to this immoral
Samaritan woman, in order to do that He had to overcome man-made barriers. O,
may you and I, who are followers of Jesus Christ be like Our Lord in
reaching the lost.
But
maybe you are someone who has a sinful past and right now is living in sin. In
the eyes of society you may not have a chance with God, but do not be deterred,
the Father is seeking you! Our Lord is seeking you. He came to seek and save
the lost. He saved the thief on the cross. He saved Paul, the chief of
sinners who was persecuting the church. He saved this immoral Samaritan woman.
He wants to save you. He is willing, ready, and able to save you!
Over
and over, God offers redemption to rebellious men
Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to
the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy
wine and milk without money and without price. 2: Wherefore do ye spend money
for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul
delight itself in fatness. 3: Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear,
and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
even the sure mercies of David.
COME
to Jesus! COME just as you are. COME and take the water of life freely, without
money and without price.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let
him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely.
AMEN!