If Jesus Came Through The Roof Would You Be Ready?

IF JESUS CAME THROUGH THE ROOF WOULD YOU BE READY?

JOHN 4: 7 ~ 26

1. Introduction Looking back at the messages I have shared with various congregations, I realise that I have often talked about the Samaritan lady. I believe this woman has a lot to say to us. When sharing this passage with one Church I was asked who had told me to speak from this scripture, as it was the third Sunday running they had been give the same passage! So, I make no apologies for speaking from the same Scripture again with you, as it seems God has a lot to say through this woman to His Church today.

2. Are you ready? I want to ask you if Jesus came through this roof right now ~ would you be ready? Just think for a moment. What would you say ~ if anything? Would you be surprised? Is there something you would love to ask Him? Or to tell Him? Would you be afraid? Sorry? Tearful? Or just overwhelmed, full of joy to see Him at last face to face?

3. I came through the roof! I hope I will be forgiven for sharing a story from my military experience with you! During a covert exercise to arrest a wanted person I literally had to come through the roof to surprise that person. Believe me it really surprised him. He was not ready to see me coming through his roof. It obviously gave me the advantage ~ I knew it was going to happen. He didn’t. He was not prepared at all for someone to come into his house that way. Luckily for me! But thinking about this brings me to that question again.

· What would we do if Jesus came through this roof? Should we be surprised? I think we could easily be forgiven for being taken by surprise! But there is a sense in which we should always be ready for Jesus. He told us Himself that He would come like a thief. At a time we would least expect him. He told us to be alert, to watch and pray. He told a number of parables about people who were not prepared for the Master’s return. Told, I believe, for us to always be ready, prepared for Him. Especially as our God delights to surprise us!

o “You did awesome things that we did not expect” (Isaiah 64:3) and “Thou surprisest him” (Ps 21:3 Kay’s translation)

4. Jesus drops by. Jesus dropped into her world literally, almost through the roof. The Samaritan lady was definitely not expecting Him. Busy about her everyday chores, her encounter with Jesus was totally unexpected.

· Samaritans ~ “Not quite right”! It’s so interesting to see that Jesus did not have any barriers to sharing the gospel with this lady. It almost seems she has to remind Him that He shouldn’t be associating with her! After all, she is a Samaritan woman ~ enough to prevent most Jews from having anything to do with her. Surely everyone knew these Samaritan people were not quite right! They were people who often didn’t meet the stringent Jewish religious rules of the day. They were sort of religious half-breeds. A hangover from the days the Jewish nation was exiled to other countries. But Jesus shared the good news with them and actually stayed in their village.

· Dubious History! Worse still, our Samaritan lady had a very dubious history ~ five husbands and now living with someone else. But Jesus knew everything. Even the bad stuff. It did not put Him off from reaching out to her. The religious barriers came down that day. Jesus didn’t have any reservations about the kind of people He cared for and spoke to. He still doesn’t ! Nor should we!

· Do you feel like a Samaritan? ~ The Gospel. It’s so easy to feel like a Samaritan. Maybe you are confused about Jesus? Or perhaps you have been rejected in the past. Are you afraid you don’t fit in? Jesus will never ever turn anyone away who comes to Him. He says: “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20). Don’t let what you have done in the past be a barrier, there is no sin that you have committed that cannot be forgiven as the precious blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

· You can come to me or one of the church leaders to talk though any concerns you have, to make a personal heartfelt commitment to follow Jesus. You may not understand it all ~ the Samaritan lady obviously didn’t. But you can take the first steps today to Jesus, to receive Him as your Lord and Saviour. I can promise you a life full of surprises, it won’t necessarily be easy; but Jesus promises to always be with you. He will never ever let go of your hand.