Text: John 4:1-42
Title: What if Jesus moved into my neighborhood?
Introduction
Although every neighborhood is different there are some things that are common to almost all neighborhoods.
1. Our neighbors may know little or nothing about the bible
“You worship what you do not know, we worship what we do know…(V22)
2. Our neighbors often have no friends who are genuine Christians.
“for Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (V9)
3. Our neighbors tend to be suspicious by nature.
“You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (V9)
4. Our neighbors often feel that issues in their lives are out of control.
“The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband” (V18)
5. Our neighbors often have multiple alienations in their lives.
“It was about the sixth hour…” (V6)
6. Our neighbors are seeking life before death
“The woman said to him give me this water so I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”(V15)
What if Jesus moved into my neighborhood?
1. He would have concern and compassion for his neighbors.
“Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 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. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink? (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) (V4-8)
A. Why did the disciples go into the town? To buy food.
B. Why did the Samaritan woman come to the well? To
draw water.
C. Why did Jesus have to go through Samaria? Was it not to show concern and compassion for others.
Jesus went into Samaria because of his concern and compassion for his neighbors but that is not necessarily everyone’s motive for moving into a new neighborhood.
Let’s look for a moment at the Pharisee’s motive in following Jesus into Judea in verse 1-3.
“Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing) They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee.”
John 4:1-3 The Message
Jesus brings concern and compassion. Let me tell you what the enemy brings.Competition and conflict.
Don’t we all know neighbors who have that spirit of competition and conflict. They have to have the best of everything. They don’t get along with anyone.
You and I can not be a Christian and be in competition and conflict with our neighbors. Instead we are to have concern and compassion for our neighborhood.
2. Before He talked to the neighbors, He would talk to the Father.
‘My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. “Do you not say four months more and then the harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields they are ripe for harvest.” Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. (V34-36)
Every neighborhood is really a spiritual field.
(WE ALL LIVE IN THE COUNTRY)
You and I are put in our neighborhoods to sow and reap.
The only way we will see our neighbors come to God is if we first bring our neighbors to God in prayer.
Remember that we already said several things that neighborhoods have in common.
Some neighborhoods have these negative characteristics stronger than other neighborhoods.
Jesus would pray first before speaking.
As you walk though your neighborhood pray for the different homes or apartments you pass. Ask God to touch them.
3. If Jesus moved into our neighborhood he would invest time in these people.
“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink? (His disciples had gone into town to buy food.) 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.)
In order to invest time in his neighbors Jesus would
a. Make the first move.
b. Not hang out only with Christians
I know that he would not hang out only with Christians because when the twelve disciples went into the town to get food he didn’t go.
The longer we are Christians the less non-Christian friends we have.
If Jesus only wanted to hang around with spiritual people who believed the same as him he would never have left heaven.
c. Associate himself with non-believers
What was the number #1 problem the religious leaders had with Jesus? He talked, hung out and ate with sinners.
Jesus knew where sinners liked to hang out and what time they liked to hang out and so he would get there first and be waiting there for them.
4. He would take spiritual risks for His neighbors’ sake.
“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.” (V10)
Eventually Jesus would begin to talk to his neighbors about the things of God.
This is the hardest thing for all of us to do.
We’ll talk about every type of water but not living water.(Water sports,Waterford crystal,Water conservation and Water falls)
It is easier to share about spiritual things when you have first built a relationship.
“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? They came out of the town and made their way towards him? (V28-30)
How could she get all those people to come out to see Jesus. They knew her and she knew them.
It is easier to share about spiritual things when you flow into it naturally.
Why did Jesus describe salvation as living water?
Because they were already talking about water so he just spiritualized it.
Often everyday common events are springboards into the gospel.
It is easier to share about spiritual things when you emphasis the positive.
Notice that Jesus did not tell her she must first give up anything or change her life. He just told her the good stuff.
5. He would stick with people for however long it would take for them to believe in him.
It generally takes time before we reap what we sow.
In our scripture text the Samaritan woman needed time to discover who Jesus really was.
Although she eventually believed Jesus was the savior of the world it was a process
You are a Jew (V9)
You are greater than our father Jacob (V12)
You are a prophet (V19)
You are the Messiah (V28)
You are the savior of the world (V42)
Jesus stuck with her for however long it took for her to believe in him.
Long term relationships are what it will take especially in some of the neighborhoods we live in.
We are living in an age where we don’t see a lot of long term relationships.
This Samaritan woman had been married 5 times.
You and I might not get the chance to share immediately but Jesus said that we are to let our light shine before men that they might see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.
6. He would be hopeful.
“They said to the Samaritan woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you have said; now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (V43)
When we look at our neighborhoods are we hopeful? It is very easy to be negative. But there is no neighborhood that is beyond the help of Jesus.
If we will have concern and compassion, pray, invest time in people, take spiritual risks, stick with people until they come to believe nothing will be impossible.
Footnote
Much of the credit for this sermon goes to other pastors who have shared these same ideas either in sermon or book form.
