Breaking Down Barriers & Building Up The Wall (Pt. 1) Series

Breaking Down Barriers & Building Up The Wall (Pt. 1)

Sermon – 20 June 2004

I know today is Father’s Day and is would be quite seem to make sense that I preach on a subject that would speak to us Fathers.

I am not necessarily opposed to preaching messages based upon special seasons, times of year or holidays – as the Lord leads. I really seek always to preach what I sense the Lord wants to say to us TODAY. Regardless of what day it is on the calendar.

The Lord has been doing some wonderful things in our midst over the last couple of weeks – leading up to, during and since the visit of Brother Hogan. I believe the Lord has been, among other things encouraging us to stay the course and believe him to fulfill his calling on our lives.

As most of you probably know, the Lord has really given me a burden on my heart to work in this community in order to see unity in the church of Jesus Christ.

It is not that I think I am anything special per se, I simply believe God has placed this burden on my heart so that with the help of others in the city, we may be a catalyst for change in the church.

To that end the Lord has brought another minister into my life that is going to be a great blessing in this regard.

(Share about meeting with Pastor Mark Thomas…)

Jesus came to tear down the dividing wall that was separating people.

Ephesians 2:14-18

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit

Galatians 3:26-29

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

One of the great travesties in church history is that with the dividing barrier that having been destroyed through the blood of Jesus, man has undertaken to rebuild all kinds of dividing barriers in it’s place.

I sincerely believe that as we endeavor to break down the walls that divide the church and the community we will enjoy the manifold blessings of God for we are expressing the unity that he called us to.

The title of my sermon this morning is Breaking Down Barriers & Building Up The Wall and our main text will be John 4

John 4:1-42

1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."