“Go Tell”
I. Pursue a proper perception
A. Know the gift of God
John introduced this theme in chapter one.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4
There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. John 1:9
Jesus offers God’s gift of life. This life comes from receiving and believing in Him. Jesus not only directs her focus on something beyond this earth but also to focus on Himself as Messiah.
B. Know the giver (The person of Christ)
Jesus directs her view from a mere man sitting by the well to a prophet to the promised Messiah. God offers not only life but also relationship with Himself. How are we to respond to such an offer?
II. Practice a proper response
We find some interesting responses through the rest of the story of the woman by the well.
A. Proper perception leads to potent petition.
"If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."
If you only knew the gift and the giver, you would ask him for soul satisfying water. Here is the heart of Jesus teaching. The better you understand, the more you trust. If you only knew! She says evermore give me this water. She responds by asking. Asking someone for what we cannot do ourselves takes humility. It indicates a willingness to admit our own weakness and the ability of the one we ask to fill a need in our life.
B. Proper perception leads to honest confession
Jesus came to deal with sin and leads this woman to deal with her past. This woman was willing to own up to her present condition when confronted by Jesus. She offered no excuses, no defense, only acknowledged that Jesus was right about her. And her perception of him changed from an interesting man by a well to a prophet of God.
C. Proper perception leads to genuine worship
Confronted with one who knew the dark details of her life, the woman became interested in true worship. I think she made an honest attempt to understand the nature of genuine worship. I think there was a longing in her heart to be right with God. Now in the company of one she perceived as a spokesman for God, she seeks an answer to her confusion. Jesus made it abundantly clear that worship has nothing to do with place but a person. In order to worship, one must know the giver and posses the gift of the spirit. Genuine worship or response to God centers in the truth concerning the Him and manifests from a heart made alive by the spirit. Worship is not so much about us as it is about God.
Definition
Genuine worship is a life style of response to a renewed perception and awareness of God, his person, his purpose and work, his presence, enflamed by the Holy Spirit that results in actions that demonstrate obedience and reverence in keeping with who we perceive Him to be.
• An ignorant heart can block genuine worship.
• A fleshly heart can block genuine worship.
• A hard heart can block genuine worship.
• A perverted heart can block genuine worship.
• A diluted heart can block genuine worship
Genuine worship is response of our spirit to a renewed and truthful perception of the God we serve that manifests in any number of ways.
Obedience, giving, standing, falling to the ground, raising hands or eyes, praying, studying, dancing, singing, loud music and instruments, serving, clapping, shouting.
As this woman understood the gift and the giver, she began to respond. She asked in faith for the living water he offered. She acknowledged her sinfulness. She experienced a new hunger for the coming Messiah When this woman acknowledged her trust in the fact that the truth would be ultimately revealed through Messiah, Jesus openly declared Himself to be that longed for Messiah. Upon hearing the glaring assertion of Jesus that he was this expected Messiah, this woman ran to tell others.
When we authentically encounter both the gift and the giver and our perception is eternally changed, there will be a corresponding response.
• We will ask Him to give us life.
• We will acknowledge our great need.
• We will seek to worship in Spirit and in truth.
• We will also enthusiastically tell others what we have seen and experienced.
D. Proper perception leads to enthusiastic proclamation
Genuine perception and awareness of the giver and the gift leads to enthusiastic proclamation to others. We see that this is not only a natural response but also a commanded one. I want to pause here to go back through this passage and glean the principles related to profitable proclamation.
1. The things modeled by Jesus
2. The things modeled by the Samaritan woman
3. A brief look at the things lacking in the disciples
JESUS
First there are things having to do with his internal attitude
Second there are things having to do with external actions.
Internal Factors
Like we mentioned before Jesus overcame many natural barriers to ministry.
First, he overcame ministry fatigue.
Second, he overcame significant social barriers or prejudice.
Third, He overcame fleshly appetites.
Fourth, He overcame emotional barriers.
Many of us operate on the approval of others. We are afraid of rejection or what other people think of us. Jesus overcame any thought of what His disciples might think about him talking to a Samarian woman even though we are told that is exactly what they were thinking but dared not bring up. Many at that time did not declare him openly for fear of disapproval or repercussions.
What enabled Jesus to move beyond such barriers? It was His personal relationship with the father.
• He drew his strength from the father.
• He saw people as the father saw them
• His longings and appetites centered in doing the will of the father.
• He functioned to please the Father not the disciples.
His internal strength came from practicing personal CPR.
• He continually cultivated relationship with the father.
• He persistently pursued meaningful relationship with people.
• He Actively resisted the world, the flesh and the devil in all areas of his life.
How about us? What barriers keep us from sharing the good news with others? What keeps our internal fires burning for God?
External Factors
Because Jesus continually practiced personal CPR he could effectively live evangelistic CPR with the Samaritan woman.
Cultivate or engage sphere of influence
Jesus started with a basic request for something easily provided. He caused the woman to give her attention. The kindness of even talking to her got her attention. Jesus asked questions which exposed inner longings.
Plant seed or point to the eternal truth
Jesus drew her attention to eternal truth. He offered her the source of truth life.
Reap a harvest
Jesus saw a new hunger to see and serve Messiah blossom in this troubled woman.
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
Internal factors
She had a hunger for something more.
She demonstrated personal faith and trust in the word of Jesus
She demonstrated a shift in priorities and focus.
External Factors
Cultivate or engage sphere of influence
She simply told those she knew (the men) her story. By telling her story as it intersected with Jesus she was able to get their spiritual attention.
Plant seed and point to eternal truth
She did not make bold claims but simply planted a thought, raised a hope, aroused spiritual curiosity to check things out for themselves. She becomes an effective signpost pointing the way to eternal life.
Reap the eternal harvest
Her initial harvest was willingness to meet with Jesus. That interest resulted in a personal encounter with Jesus Himself.
And from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." So when the Samaritans came to Him, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. John 4:39-40
That personal encounter focused their faith no on the testimony or words of the woman but they believed because of Jesus words.
And many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." John 4:41-42
Sharing Christ with others is not only a natural response but a commanded response to personal encounter with Him.
NATURAL RESPONSE
And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented thus far) in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:13-16
Our desire for sharing Christ with others springs from the depth of our gratitude and excitement concerning our everyday relationship with Him. To the degree that we that relationship invades every area of our life we can’t help but share it with others. Are we convinced that the Gospel is the power of God to EVERYONE who believes? Are we even convinced that it is the power of God to change us?
We will not enthusiastically tell others what we ourselves don’t believe. For me to tell you to engage in evangelistic CPR when you are still not practicing personal CPR seems an exercise in futility. Once we become absorbed in the wonders of reconciliation with the Holy God and all the truth related to the work of Christ on our behalf, the rest is easy. It is a matter of cultivating our sphere of influence through telling our story as it relates to His work in us. It is a matter of planting the seed of eternal truth and pointing others to the same source of hope we enjoy.
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:15
It will be an enthusiastic natural response to his work in us.
COMMANDED RESPONSE
Jesus left every follow of His with a clear mandate.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
Make disciples of all peoples! Two stages to disciple making
1. Baptize in the name of the Father and the son and the Holy Spirit
2. Teach them to obey every thing Jesus told us to do.
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5:14-21
A REWARDED RESPONSE
"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. "Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. "For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.' "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." John 4:35-38
Whatever part we play in the harvesting process, we can experience the joy and God promises reward here and hereafter. We all can rejoice together. We must overcome the barriers to evangelistic CPR that Christ overcame and the disciples didn’t.
DISCIPLES
Before we go on from this passage there are some things about the disciples that are noteworthy to observe.
Prejudice
They failed the test of prejudice.
And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He had been speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?" John 4:27
The group of words from this root “marveled” has first the sense of astonishment, whether critical or inquisitive, then admiration, with a nuance of awe or fear at what is unusual or mysterious, e.g., miracles or oracles in religion, also magical acts or media, and certain phenomena (prior to their explanation) in philosophy.
Why should they be so astonished? They focused on the social protocol of men rather than the eternal purpose of God. Therefore they missed a marvelous opportunity to learn about sharing the saving love of Jesus to a hungry heart.
Fleshly focus
These disciples were more interested in reliving their hunger than the emptiness of a hungry soul.
In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." The disciples therefore were saying to one another, "No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?" John 4:31-33
Indifference
"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. John 4:35
Perhaps Jesus discerned indifference on their part. They exhibited no sense of urgency for the salvation of the people of Sycar. Jesus drew them to realize that when God is ready to work, we must be ready to work. Sometimes there is a harvest opportunity where we have not even cultivated or planted.
CONCLUSION / APPLICATION
How is your personal CPR? It is your daily personal love relationship with God that becomes the foundation of your effective witness to those he brings your way.
How is your evangelistic CPR? This is where God develops our story, our life message intended to engage the interest and develop hunger and thirst after God in those we engage. We can no longer expect the world to come in these doors. They will come to know Christ only as they first hear your story. A story that demonstrates a life and culture that brings meaning to life in this fallen world.
Are we cultivating relationships? Are we effectively engaging those God brings into our circle of influence. Our mission statement talks about effectively impacting our world as a result of a life of cultivating relationship with God pursuing meaningful relationship with each other and resisting the evil of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Pray for opportunities to tell your stories of experience with God.
Take advantage of every opportunity.
Help us purposely design ways for us to come in contact with people.
Don’t say:
• There is always time later or not now.
• I am too tired.
• I don’t like those people they are not my type.
• I have too many other things to do.
• It is not my comfort zone.
• I don’t have a story to tell.
We must cultivate relationship with non-Christians and engage them at every opportunity.
We must also continually saturate ourselves in the truth so that we might plant proper seed that truly points other to the Savior.
Finally we must be ready to reap and process the harvest.
The Master’s mandate does not stop with baptizing them but teaching them the truth. I urge us all to continually concentrate on both CPR’s!
Opportunities to reach our community and those coming into our sphere of influence abound.
Reach the child care families. Cultivation of relationships strategies are in progress.
Reach Erlands Point.
Give time and money, Send, Go serve, Go tell!
Be part of an outreach strategy team.
Jesus did not commission angels to do this work.
It is our job to tell the world.
It is our all-consuming mission driven by our love for the one who gave His life for us.
