The Christian Adventure
Introduction:
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you might die? Well the other weekend I did. I went on a canyoning adventure with some friends of mine. Now for those of you who are unaware, crayoning involves navigating the insides of a canyon that usually contains water. There is much walking, climbing and abseiling. The terrain is arduous as there are lots of boulders and moss that make the climbing very difficult. It took us 9 hours to get in and out of the canyon and during this time there were some very scary moments where the chances of someone injuring themselves is very high. I stupidly asked our guide if anyone had died doing the very canyon we were doing and his reply was an immediate “oh yeah lots of people have”. This want very reassuring to me or those around me that heard him. But thankfully, by working as a team, helping each other over the various obstacles we managed to navigate our way through the canyon.
State it:
The Christian life is an adventure much like my canyoning trip.
Illustrate it:
-The Christian life contains many fun and rewarding times
- Contains hurdles that need to be overcome
- Sometimes we want to give up
- We have people around us to help us overcome obstacles and encourage us
apply it:
The Christian life is not designed to be mundane or boring. If you read the New Testament the life believers lived was filled with adventure and excitement. This morning we are going to look at one of their stories.
Text John 4:1-6
Read it: John 4: 4 ‘needed to go through’
State it:
As Christians God requires us to take a different path to others
Explain it:
they were going from Judea (majority Jews) to Galilee (majority Gentile) it was the shortest route but the Jews always went the long way around via Perea as they saw the Samaritans as the scum of the earth.
Illustrate it:
I always cross the street when I see people collecting money as I feel bad saying no if I don’t happen to have any loose change.
Apply it:
Sometimes in our lives we may be called to take the path less travelled. This may look dumb to others but if we are following God he will reward our obedience.
Why? 1)to show God’s love
2)Shine Gods light
State it: In order to show Gods love and be a light we must build relationships with unbelievers
Read it: ‘spoke with woman at well’
Explain it: People desire relationship and to be listened to
Illustration: Shoe store owner in San Francisco. When people come into his shop he says to them ‘tell me your life story and I’ll tell you what shoes you need’. People love to sit down and share their story. He now runs Bible studies most nights of the week with these people he has built relationships with.
Apply it: We must be looking for opportunities to build relationships with unbelievers around us at work and home.
State it: By being in close proximity to unbelievers, there is greater chance that they will be attracted to God in us.
Read it: ‘I will have some’
Explain it: we can tell that this woman is poor (no servant to get water), she is outcast by other woman (why she is getting water in heat of day not morning). There are major needs in her life. What Jesus speaks of is attractive to her as she is in need.
Illustrate it: When I was working taking pictures of kids with Santa last Christmas, at the end of the holiday season the man who was ‘santa’ came up to me and said “it there were more people who were Christians in this world, it would be a better place”. He could see from my behaviour that there was something different about us.
Apply it: we need to be bearing good fruit in our lives s that people will desire to have the peace or patience that we have.
Question it: What is the end result from this encounter?
Read it: John 4:39 ‘many believe’
Explain it: this one person had their lives turned upside down that they went and shared the good news with everyone else
Illustrate it: its like when my wife and I discovered we were having twins, we wanted to tell everyone, even strangers because we were so excited.
Apply it:
when we
1) take an adventurous path following God
2) build relationships with unbelievers
3) demonstrate the fruit of God in our lives
God will take that and use it to see multitudes come to know Him.
State it: God has a desire to see all people saved
Read it: 2 Tim 2:4
Illustrate it: Sychar is where the first New Testament Gentile is brought into God’s family (Woman at the well).
Sychar = Shechem (they are the same place but name has changed over the years)
Shechem is where the first Old Testament Gentile brought into God’s family (Genesis 34)
Let us push out of our comfort zone to be used of God to bring the unsaved world into His kingdom.
