As we begin a new year I customarily preach one or two messages that help to give us direction for the coming months. This year will be no different.
Last year God began to sharpen our focus on evangelism and we ended the year in a big way—
By the grace of God we began to lay the foundations for our mentoring ministry to single moms. By the way, we are calling this ministry, New Beginnings Life Skills Ministry.
In December, through our Birthday Party for Jesus, we shared the love of Jesus and gave the Gospel to some 70 children and their parents and guardians who were not members of our church.
The church, the body of Christ, has been commissioned to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28). This is the last thing that our Lord Jesus told us to do before He ascended and returned back to His Father in heaven.
We ended the year strong and it is my desire that we keep the momentum going. In order to keep this momentum going, we need to be as intentional as we were last year, perhaps even more.
This week as I returned to the office from my New York trip, my voicemail was full with messages.
We placed a community service announcement in the PennySaver about our New Beginnings Life Skills Ministry and got calls from some single moms wanting to know more about the ministry.
Because of a funeral the week before and my New York trip last week, I was swamped with work.
When I arrived in the office Thursday, I began to return phone calls and talked with one woman who was very interested in New Beginnings. She went on and on telling me about her family and situation.
Just then the thought occurred to me that this ministry is right on target. Many complain about the crime rate in the city that has exploded, making Baltimore the 2nd most dangerous city in the nation. Illegal drug activity and gang warfare continues to be a problem and studies show that much of it is connected to the dysfunction that occurs in the family.
I then talked with another woman who had four children, all boys, who needed a place to stay. I could tell from the way she talked that she was hurting. It was at this time that I thought that this ministry has to be more than a social service agency where you have women coming to the office and saying to them “Sign in and take a seat.” “Here’s your voucher.”
We are going to have to take the time to show them the love of Jesus not just to give them a handout.
Remember the adage, “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; Teach him to fish and feed him for life.”? We cannot limit ourselves to just giving a fish; we are going to have to teach them how to fish.
But we cannot stop there. We have to not only teach them to fish but how to discriminate between good and bad deals when buying fish, how to clean the fish, season the fish, cook and serve it too! This is called, “ministry evangelism.”
Ministry evangelism is simply caring for persons in the name of Jesus Christ. It is meeting persons at the point of their need and ministering to them physically and spiritually. Ministry evangelism is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people as we meet them at the point of their need. Their point of need can be often a physical need. When their physical need is addressed, their heart is often open to the Gospel.
Many times the Lord uses a crisis in one's life to bring them to a point where they come to realize their need for God. With this in mind I would like to take you through a passage of Scripture where we find a woman in crisis.
We are going to look at the intentionality of ministry evangelism, the impartiality of ministry evangelism, the revelation of ministry evangelism, the results of ministry evangelism and the priority of ministry evangelism.
1.) The Intentionality of Ministry Evangelism
John 4:1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
John 4:2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),
John 4:3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.
Jesus is leaving the area and going into Galilee but something happens on His way from Judea to Galilee.
John 4:4 But He needed to go through Samaria.
Jesus has an intense need to pass through Samaria. To many, this was a strange move for Jesus. His disciples probably looked at Him like He was crazy.
The Jewish people had a deep-seated hatred for the Samaritans. The Samaritans were descendants of the people whom the Assyrian kings colonized in Palestine after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C.
The Assyrians intermarried with the Jews and the Samaritans were the result. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews because of their mixed Gentile blood and their different worship, which centered at Mount Gerizim (John 4:20-22).
The story of the Good Samaritan illustrates this antagonism (Luke 10:30-36). Jesus taught in this parable that the hated Samaritan, by his deeds of compassion, acted more neighborly than the Jewish priest and Levite.
The Jews hated the Samaritans and rather than going through Samaria, they normally traveled the longer route, crossing over to the east side of the Jordan. In Jesus' case there was a compelling necessity to go through Samaria to get to Galilee.
Here is the application: As a Christian you and I are on a journey; we are on our way to Heaven. We are citizens of Heaven on our way home.
But have you noticed that when you became a Christian—the day you give your life to Christ—you were not transported, in a physical sense, to Heaven?
In God’s sovereign plan that was ordained before the foundations of the earth, God determined that you and I should go through Samaria before we arrive at our destination in heaven.
In fact, Jesus prayed in His high-priestly-prayer that God the Father would not immediately take us out of the world. One day we would get to heaven, but not immediately, for we must go through, we need to go through Samaria.
John 17:14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John 17:15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
John 17:16 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John 17:17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
John 17:18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Yes, we are on our way to heaven; we are marching to Zion, that beautiful city of God but on the way home to heaven. God is saying, “I want you to pass through Samaria.” You see, Samaria can be compared to the world.
Matthew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…
Mark 16:15 - And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…”
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."
Do you, like Jesus, sense a compelling necessity to go through Samaria? Do you feel the need to go through Samaria?
For Jesus, passing through Samaria was intentional.
It wasn’t an afterthought.
It wasn’t at the bottom of His “Things to Do” list.
It didn’t happen when He got around to it.
He didn’t wait for Samaria to come to Him.
He didn’t wait for someone else to do it.
He didn’t say, “John the Baptist can do it; he has a little more experience than me.”
He didn’t say, “Let the pastors or deacons do it.”
For Jesus, passing through Samaria was intentional. Ministry Evangelism is intentional.
2. The Impartiality of Ministry Evangelism
Many Christians do not feel this compelling necessity as Jesus did.
Some do not feel this compelling necessity because they are too busy minding their own business.
Others because of selfishness, worldliness and materialism.
Still others are preoccupied with chasing dreams and personal ambitions that have no eternal value and distract them from fulfilling the Great Commission.
Even the religious and the pious have a problem with going through Samaria. The Pharisees would have considered themselves morally good people. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus tells His disciples that the Pharisees paid their tithes…
There may be some among ourselves who consider themselves morally good people but like the Pharisees have a problem with Samaritans.
You say, “Pastor you have taught us yourself that the world is evil and the people of the world are evil…”
* They worship the God of self and money and materialism.
* They mock and ridicule the One we call “Father.”
* They murder their own while still in the womb.
* They write books and produce movies that make fun of Christianity and the church
“Pastor, we don’t want to have anything to do with the world because the world is evil; it’s wicked; it’s people are sinful.”
This kind of person reminds me of Agent Smith in the movie The Matrix. Remember when Agent Smith is interrogating Morpheus? He has been unsuccessful at getting information out of Morpheus and takes of his earpiece, grabs Morpheus head with his hands and says:
“Can you _hear_ me, Morpheus? I'm going to be honest with you…I hate this place...this..zoo, this..prison, this...reality.. whatever you want to call it. I can't stand it any longer.”
“...It's the _smell_. If there is such a thing...I feel... saturated_ by it. I can...taste, your _stink_. And every
time I do, I feel I have somehow been...infected by it, it's repulsive. I must get _out_ of here. I must get _free…”
Some of you feel like Agent Smith. You go to the malls of Samaria and are repulsed by how the people dress—the women, with their tight fitting clothes, their revealing attire. The young men with their pants hanging from their behinds.
You are nauseated by how they talk…the profanity, the sensuality, the worldliness.
You are disgusted by how they treat one another and how they treat you.
* You can’t even drive without someone selfishly cutting you off.
* They murder each another, even their unborn.
* They abuse one another…child predators, rapists, etc.
* They are killing themselves with drugs and disease.
Just to be around them you feel infected by it, it’s repulsive to you.
But listen again to Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:23 to the Pharisees—listen to the whole verse: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe…and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”
The Pharisee had no problem with paying their tithes but they stumbled when it came to showing mercy. They backed away when it came to performing deeds of righteousness for people like the Samaritans.
But Jesus felt compelled to go through Samaria.
Of course, if you go through Samaria you will more than likely come across…a Samaritan.
John 4:5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
John 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."
John 4:8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Jesus comes across a woman of Samaria and speaks to her. This wasn’t something the average Jew did.
John 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Notice what the woman says at the end of verse nine. This may confuse those who have followed the text closely; especially verse 8.
If the Jews had absolutely no dealings with the Samaritans as verse 9 says, the disciples (in verse 8) would have objected to going into the city to purchase food from the Samaritans.
What is the woman talking about then, when she says, “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans?”
In order to understand what was going here, think back to just some 40 years ago where whites did not dare to eat and drink from dishes and utensils used by blacks. During this time in our history there were water fountains marked “for white only.”
The Samaritan woman was surprised that Jesus, clearly seen to be a Jew by His accent or physical characteristics, would ask for a drink from a Samaritan woman. He would need to drink from a cup or dipper that was used by an “unclean” Samaritan.
The irony of the matter is that Jew and the Samaritan were relatives. The Samaritans were “half-Jews.” But the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.
But don’t be too quick to judge the Jews. This kind of thing happens all the time in the African-American community. There is a discrimination that occurs within the African-American community; a partiality that is even practiced among those who claim to love the Name of Jesus.
* When I was going up, if you were a “light-skinned” African-American, you got your share of persecution.
* Even today, there is discrimination that occurs against the non-educated by the educated.
* There are brothers and sisters in our churches that do not speak proper English. Their grammar is off a bit; their vocabulary is limited; they do not speak the King’s English well. They do not wax eloquent in speech. Do you, like the Pharisees, draw back from people who fit this description?
* There is a discrimination that occurs when the older generation comes down on the younger generation because of their music. The older generation almost always forgets that their parents used to think the same way about their music. I’ve even heard people go as far as to say that the hip hop style of music is demonic.
* Teenagers and young adults of today are often looked down upon because of their clothing and urban slang.
The woman of Samaria was surprised and taken back by Jesus’ request and said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”
Would there be people on your job or in your neighborhood that would be surprised, as the Samaritan woman was, if you spoke to them?
Would they say, "How is it that You, being a Christian, ask a drink from me, your neighbor, an unbeliever; For I thought Christians had no dealings with unbelievers.”
Could it be that some of us have gotten so holy and righteous that when God sends people to our church who are different, we act like they aren’t there. Do the “spiritual” among us politely say “Hello” but go no further than that?
Some of us have forgotten that we weren’t “holy and righteous” all of our lives. Have you forgotten that you were once on your way to Hell and God had to step in and save you?
If we are faithful in doing ministry evangelism, God is going to save some folk who were raised in dysfunctional homes and now are producing dysfunctional kids.
They aren’t going to dress like you and talk like you.
Their children aren’t going to be as obedient as yours are.
We are going to have some folk who come out to worship and don’t know better than to stand right outside our church entrance and smoke.
On more than one occasion I have talked with people who fire off a few cuss words—they didn’t care or even know to care that I was a preacher or that we were in the church sanctuary.
The truth of the matter is that we all were dysfunctional when God saved us. Jesus said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”? He was speaking to the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees.
We’ve looked at the intentionality of ministry evangelism and the impartiality of ministry evangelism. Now let’s look at the revelation that occurs as we do ministry evangelism.
3. The Revelation of Ministry Evangelism
In verse 10 of our text, Jesus gets into a conversation with this woman of Samaria..
Isn’t it interesting to see how the master teacher masterfully moves from asking for a drink of water to revealing this woman’s spiritual condition and need? Jesus purposely moves the conversation from the physical to the spiritual.
Let me just cut to the chase and tell you that this is the objective of ministry evangelism. Ministry evangelism is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people as we meet them at the point of their need.
In this example, it is not apparent what this woman’s need is but this doesn’t deter Jesus. As you and I engage people in our community, it may not be apparent what their need is either. They are not going to walk around with a sign on their forehead saying, “I’m depressed” or “My son is rebellious.”
But as we talk with them, the Holy Spirit will give us discernment and by befriending the person, they will come to the place where they will openly share their struggles.
The conversation Jesus has with this woman begins with physical water and moves to the subject of the gift of God and living water.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
Following this statement, the woman tries to throw Jesus a curveball, perhaps to get Him off the subject of spiritual things.
John 4:11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
John 4:12 "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"
Jesus keeps the conversation on course:
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
John 4:15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
Jesus skillfully moves the conversation to a specific spiritual need in this woman’s life.
John 4:16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,'
John 4:18 "for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
John 4:19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
A little conviction begins to take place in the heart of this woman and she tries again to change the subject but Jesus keeps it on track:
John 4:20 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
John 4:22 "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
John 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
John 4:25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things."
John 4:26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."
By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus has uncovered this woman’s need. But it wasn’t done for Jesus’ sake; it was done for the woman’s sake. Jesus, who knows the hearts of men, walked the Samaritan woman through this process to the point of revealing her need for her own benefit.
This woman got into relationship after relationship looking for that something that would quench her thirsty soul. Like so many others, she tried so many things when what she really needed was some “living water.”
She came to the well for water but it wasn’t H2O that she needed, she needed the living water that could only be found with God. In Jeremiah 2:13 God refers to Himself as, “the fountain of living waters.”
She came to the well for water to refresh her body but found some Living Water that would give life to her soul.
There will be single moms who will come to our New Beginnings Life Skills Ministry because they desperately need help with raising their children. And while we teach them how to be a good parent, we will tell them about the One we call our “Abba Father” who is a “Father to the fatherless.” (Psalm 68:5)
There will be single moms who will come to our New Beginnings Life Skills Ministry because they desperately need help with managing their finances. While we help them with their finances we will tell them about the One who said in Matthew 6:31-32, “… do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' …For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
There will be single moms who will come to our New Beginnings Life Skills Ministry because there is a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease in their family and they really want to know how to cook healthy meals.
While we teach them how to prepare healthy meals, we will tell them of the One who took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” We will tell them of the One who took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22)
We’ve looked at the intentionality of ministry evangelism, the impartiality of ministry evangelism and the revelation of ministry evangelism. Now let’s look at the results of ministry evangelism.
4. The Results of Ministry Evangelism
John 4:27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"
John 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
John 4:29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
John 4:30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
It is amazing how just a talk with one led to the opportunity to get the message to others.
Last week I talked with a woman about our mentoring ministry and she got excited and said she has a sister that could use this help.
Last November when we had our free fish and chicken dinner for single moms, we had at least two moms that came as a result of hearing about it from a relative or friend.
There were children who heard the Gospel at our Birthday Party for Jesus last December because their parents were told about it by another parent who had received the invitation.
Some may be thinking that by giving out free food and free Christmas presents that the whole community will come. So be it! When Jesus fed the five thousand people followed Him for the food. When he healed the blind and the lame, people followed Him for the miracles. He who knew the hearts of men knew there were people who followed Him for what they could get out of Him.
John 2:23-24 “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men…”
Though thousands followed Jesus for His miracles, He knew that God would eventually separate the wheat from the weeds. We are not to be concerned about determining who is sincere and who is not, we are to just do the works of ministry, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let God sort out who is a saint and who is an “ain’t.”
John 4:39 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."
John 4:40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
John 4:41 And many more believed because of His own word.
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."
The result of faithfully reaching single moms with the Gospel through ministry is that some most surely will get saved. But not only will the moms get saved, so will their children (Acts 16:31). Not only will the children but their dads. Not only will their dads, but their dads “home boys.” Only the Lord knows the impact of doing evangelism in this way.
5. The Priority of Ministry Evangelism
John 4:31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
John 4:32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."
John 4:33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"
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 is not saying that eating is not important. If Jesus didn’t eat He would have died and not finish His Father’s work. Jesus is letting His disciples know the priority He is giving to “the Father’s work” over the pursuits of the creature's comforts and the necessities of this life.
Some of us have voiced concerns that we will put so much time and money in outreach that we will overlook inreach. It has been said that, “We have people in our own congregation that need assistance.”
I am sensitive to this and I know your deacons are. But do you know one of the best ways to get your needs met? It is not to wait on your church to meet your needs; it is to wait on God who gives us His unfailing promise that if you are faithful and get yourself involved in ministry, He will supply your needs.
Mat 6:30 "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Mat 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
Mat 6:32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Mat 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Mat 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Yes, the church should take care of its own but don’t make the mistake of having an entitlement mentality. The Bible doesn’t say, “The church will supply all your needs.”
In Philippians 4:19 Paul writes (turn), “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” But don’t lose sight of the context; the context is that God’s supply was in response to a church’s involvement in ministry.
Phil 4:10 - But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
Phil 4:14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.
Phil 4:15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
Phil 4:16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.
Just try it. Be faithful in the ministry of reaching the lost for Christ. Is God good? Yes, All the time! Do you think a good God would turn His back on His children, especially those who are faithful to obeying the Great Commission? I think not!
Faithfulness is the key. I have seen some come into the church with a bullhorn, testifying about what they are going to do for the Lord and then you only see them once in a blue moon. This is not faithfulness; this is floundering.
James 1:7-8 lets us know that the double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways, cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. What God is looking for in your life is faithfulness.
In 1 Corinthians 4:2 Paul writes, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
At the judgment Jesus will say to the faithful, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.”
Yes the church is charged with caring for its own (Gal. 6:10) but God says, “Come to Me…” “Trust Me” Seek Me” “Cry out to Me”
He says in Malachi 3:10-11, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts…”
Now if the devourer is still devouring, you need to ask yourself the question, “Have I been giving faithfully?” If the vine is failing to bear fruit for you and you have been faithful to the Lord in your giving and service, your problem isn’t with the church; It isn’t with your pastors and deacons, it is with the Lord.
God says in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Let’s finish this message.”
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!
When I was first exposed to this passage of Scripture, my pastor told us the reason Jesus tells His disciples to look up is because by now the people of the city were gathering around them (vs. 30). The woman had told them what happened and that Jesus could possibly be the Messiah and they came to see for themselves.
The harvest was ready and today it still is. “It is white”, meaning the fields were ready to be harvested.
John 4:36 "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
John 4:37 "For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.'
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 need laborers who are willing to work together to harvest souls. Jesus is saying that there is a reward for your labor. Some plant, others water. One sows and another reaps. You both gather fruit for eternal life.
Jesus has commissioned us to pass through Samaria (Acts 1:8). On the way to heaven, we gotta go through Samaria—there is somebody needing to hear the Gospel in Samaria.
There are a lot of people in Samaria. Jesus could have gone straight into the town of Samaria and preached to the multitudes but instead He stopped and met with a Samaritan woman at a well.
Likewise in our Samaria, there are a lot of people—The Billy Graham ministry is coming to town this year and may very well fill an arena, but God is calling us to reach the lost, one by one.
There are Samaritans out there needing to hear the Gospel. Many of them are looking for something to quench their thirsty souls. They are trying all kinds of things that may led to their destruction—drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, homosexuality, gangs…
The Samaritan woman had five husbands and the one she was living with wasn’t her husband—she was shacking up. She didn’t have it all together and many of the people we will be coming in contact with will not have it all together. Jesus didn’t turn His back and neither should we.
Are you willing to pass through Samaria or will you like the hypocritical Pharisees, try to go the long way around?
We are looking for servants.
We are looking for people who remember from where God delivered them.
We are looking for people who can say, “If it wasn’t for the grace of God, there go I.”
My wife and I and a few others have committed ourselves to go into Samaria. Will you join us?
Rescue the Perishing – Fanny Crosby
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Refrain
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.
Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.
