Opening Illustration: Last Wednesday (June 7, 2017) there was in Washington D.C. a Senate hearing for the Russell Vought, President Trump’s nomination for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. You may have seen or heard of this event on SPAN, but more likely on various Christian news outlets.
In the hearing, Russell Vought was repeatedly challenged by Senator Bernie Sanders for his Christian convictions and specifically quoted Vought’s statement that he made on his college’s website concerning his college’s stand (Wheaton College is in Wheaton IL is where Billy Graham graduated) stand on Islam on whether Islam and Christians worship the same God.
Here is the statement Russel Vought made:
"Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ, His Son, and they stand condemned."
Senator Sanders asked Vought: Do you believe that that statement is Islamophobic?
Vought: Absolutely not, Senator. I'm a Christian, and I believe in a Christian set of principles based on my faith. That post, as I stated in the questionnaire to this committee, was to defend my alma mater, Wheaton College, a Christian school that has a statement of faith that includes the centrality of Jesus Christ for salvation, and
Sanders interrupts: I apologize. Forgive me, we just don't have a lot of time. Do you believe people in the Muslim religion stand condemned? Is that your view?
Vought: Again, Senator, I'm a Christian, and I wrote that piece in accordance with the statement of faith at Wheaton College:
Sanders: I understand that. I don't know how many Muslims there are in America. Maybe a couple million. Are you suggesting that all those people stand condemned? What about Jews? Do they stand condemned too?
Vought: Senator, I'm a Christian ...
Sanders (shouting): I understand you are a Christian, but this country are made of people who are not just – I understand that Christianity is the majority religion, but there are other people of different religions in this country and around the world. In your judgment, do you think that people who are not Christians are going to be condemned?
Vought: Thank you for probing on that question. As a Christian, I believe that all individuals are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect regardless of their religious beliefs. I believe that as a Christian that's how I should treat all individuals ...
Sanders: You think your statement that you put into that publication, they do not know God because they rejected Jesus Christ, His Son, and they stand condemned, do you think that's respectful of other religions?
Vought: Senator, I wrote a post based on being a Christian and attending a Christian school that has a statement of faith that speaks clearly in regard to the centrality of Jesus Christ in salvation.
Sanders: I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about.(1)
This is a scary statement. Senator Sanders just said that any Christian holding to the tenants of the faith, is not fit for this country.
BTW, it is against Article VI of the US Constitution which states:
“but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
As I read comments made about this statement, many do not know what the fuss is all about. Sanders was right about what Russell Vought believes. The fact is whole groups of people, if they do not have Jesus, stand condemned and for that Bernie Sanders was deeply offended.
However, those statement made are true and factual. We covered this last week. Muslims do not worship the same God we do if for no other reason, they reject Jesus, and as we read,
to reject Jesus is to reject God.
The fact is, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive to the world.
But that does not change the truth of the Gospel.
Without Jesus, the Muslims stands condemn.
Without Jesus, the Hindus and Buddhist all stands condemn.
Without Jesus, Senator Bernie Sanders stand condemn.
Without Jesus, our family, our friends, our neighbors,
our co-workers, our acquaintances all stand condemn.
We talked about condemnation last week.
Condemned to hell is a horrible and terrible thing,
and hell is eternal, there is no coming back once there.
We have been given the message of life,
life that is in Jesus and life that is Jesus.
To Have Jesus is to have eternal life.
To reject Jesus is to have enteral death.
What are we doing with the life giving message we have been given?
The background to today’s focal verses is the real story and message today. I will get to it in a minute.
But let’s first examine what Jesus has to say.
Jesus had been talking this woman at the well while the disciple went into town to buy food. On their return Jesus says:
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
Jesus had told his disciple that He had food to eat. But Jesus’ disciples were thing materialistically.
Doing the will of God is more important than food.
That doesn’t mean food is not necessary,
but when we’re involved in God’s work, in the midst of His
will, taking time for food grows in its insignificance.
John 4:35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
It was probably in late December that Jesus and the disciple were passing through Samaria. It was time to be planting.
The harvest was in April, 4 months away.
Yet Jesus, probably looking up towards the Samaritan town, seeing the people dressed most like in the white flowing gowns that were typically worn, says
look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
And Jesus sets the example; he is already working the harvest, starting with this woman at the well.
There is need all around. People need Jesus everywhere.
You don’t have to go look for unsaved people.
They are everywhere, they are all around us.
John 4:36–37 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’
Very few people are ever saved by the work and witness of one individual. Most people will hear Gospel numerous times before coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savoir.
1 Corinthians 3:6–8 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
We all have a part and we should not grow weary. If we are present when someone is saved, we praise the Lord that we were allowed to witness such an event, thanking God for all those who came before to make it happen.
As Pastor and you in the congregation, we see people walk the isle. It is not what I preached that day, but it is the culmination of all who had a part in presenting the gospel over the preceding days, weeks, years and for some decades.
that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. (John 4:36)
We all rejoice of the one who is saved.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
We rejoice together. Some of us may never see the fruits of our labors this side of eternity. We may not know in this life who we touched.
John 4:38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
We reap the benefits of the work that others have done.
Let me remind you, we do not save anyone. God, through His Holy Spirit does all the saving. We are commanded to be witnesses.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
We are commanded to be witnesses. And witnesses with power. Jesus does not command us to go without His power.
And the power is in the message. The Gospel is power.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
As we go out in with the power of the Gospel, we will offend some.
Paul tells us for some we are a sweet fragrance, but for other we are smell of death.
2 Corinthians 2:15–16 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
That’s why many don’t want to hear, because the rejection of the Gospel is condemnation. But we must warn them. And the warning can and will be offensive to some.
But back to the background for these focal verses.
Jesus encountered this woman at noon time at the well. You’ve heard the story. She was alone in the heat of the day because she was likely a woman with a bad reputation.
Then she met Jesus. He was able to satisfy a thirst she had.
She had saving encounter with Jesus. Jesus saw the very depths of her soul.
When the disciple came back from town:
John 4:28–30 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
So excited she was, she forgot the reason she came out to the well. She forgot her waterpot. Whatever shame she felt was gone.
This very desire to tell others of her discovery killed in this woman the feeling of shame. She was no doubt an outcast; she was no doubt a byword; the very fact that she was drawing water from this distant well shows how she avoided her neighbors and how they avoided her.
But now she ran to tell them of her discovery. A person may have some trouble which he is embarrassed to mention and which he tries to keep secret, but once he is cured he is often so filled with wonder and gratitude that he tells everyone about it.
A man may hide his sin; but once he discovers Jesus Christ as Saviour, his first instinct is to say to men:
“Look at what I was and look at what I am;
this is what Christ has done for me.” (2)
Look at the end of the story
John 4:39–41 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word.
This woman never saved anyone. But her testimony brought many to Jesus. And many believed.
John 4:42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Her witness was simple, look at what Jesus did for me. And through her simple testimony, a whole village experience true revival.
How excited are you about what Jesus has done for you that you want to rush out and tell somebody?
But to say nothing, not to warn other of impending doom,
do you want that on your head?
God told Ezekiel that he was a watchman over Israel:
Ezekiel 33:7–9 7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
You a watchman for your family, a watchman for your friends,
a watchman for your neighbors, a watchman for your co-workers and for your acquaintances. Are You?
And today, if you are here and you do not know that if you die this minute, that you will not be with Jesus, that your soul is bound for hell, will you heed the warning.
(1) http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/june/inchristaloneberniewheatonhawkinsreligioustest. html?utm_source=ctweeklyhtml& utm_medium=News
https://www.onenewsnow.com/perspectives/bryanfischer/ 2017/06/09/furiousbernierevealshestheonenotfitforpublicoffice1
(2) William Barclay, ed., The Gospel of John, vol. 1, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1975), 164.
All Bible quotes are from the NKJV
