Turning Religious Reluctance-10

TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-X—John 4:1-26+(:1-42)

Turning the Religious Lost

Attention:

In 1975, A 790ft. container ship was built by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. of Chester Pennsylvania. The ship was named ‘Puerto Rico’ as its major ports of call were in Puerto Rico. In 1991 the Puerto Rico was purchased by a western shipping company which renamed her, ‘Northern Lights.’ It ran between Tacoma, WA & Anchorage, AK. In February 2003, the vessel was chartered by the United States' Military Sealift Command as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom where the vessel ferried Marines & supplies from San Diego, CA to Kuwait. While in the Persian Gulf, the vessel came under fire from missiles but sustained no damage or injuries. The ship helped served out it’s dual domestic & military purpose until 2006 when it was purchased by another company which returned it to it’s original purpose as a lifeline between the US & Puerto Rico. It was renamed ‘El Faro’ which is a Spanish name meaning “The Lighthouse.”

On September 29, 2015, at 8:10 p.m., El Faro left Jacksonville, Florida for San Juan, Puerto Rico, carrying a cargo of 391 shipping containers, about 294 trailers & cars, & a crew of 33 people. El Faro’s Captain Michael Davidson, charted a course that would place the vessel 200 mi.(a safe distance) from Tropical Storm Joaquin that was churning in the islands where they were headed. Though the El Faro passed all it’s required annual seaworthiness requirements in February, March, & June, some former crew members said the vessel was "a rust bucket" that "[was not] supposed to be on the water." They also said that El Faro suffered from drainage issues & that leaking was common in the Galley Compartment. They said that the ship was covered in rust & its decks filled with holes as recently as August.

The ship continued its course toward now Hurricane Joaquin. By late Sept. 30th, the storm had reached Category 3 intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115mph. Around 7:30 a.m. the next day on October 1, the ship had taken on water & was listing 15 degrees. The last report from the captain, off of Cat Island, Bahamas, indicated that the crew had contained the flooding. Shortly thereafter, El Faro ceased all communications with shore.

The ship & all hands on board were lost!

The ship was dedicated/committed to a specific route.

But aware of the imminence of disaster, the ship needed to be turned!

IF the people charged with the boat’s direction would have taken the storm seriously, & truthfully considered the weakness of the ship, then the ship & crew would have avoided disaster.

Think Twice Before Continuing on your current ‘route’! The Church exists to & you are saved to turn the world away from it’s errant way!

Everybody lives by a ‘religion’—a set of spiritual & secular values that they hold to. These may be right or wrong.

Everybody has a belief system to which they subscribe—right or wrong.

Even atheists have a religion & are religious people.

These may be ‘reluctant’ to turn, But by the power of God, they are turnable nonetheless!

*We are all called as God’s witnesses to turn those who are on the route to disaster...“Go therefore & make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching THEM to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”!(Matthew 28:19-20)...

Jesus divulged/bore witness of/ His Messianic identity to a reluctant/hesitant but religious woman.

God’s people bear witness of Messiah’s/Jesus’ identity to reluctant religious people.

How/When will God’s people turn the reluctancy of the religious?

OR--What will turn that religious reluctancy around?

Some insights toward turning religious reluctance to God.

Previously we have found that,

Turning religious reluctance to God requires...

1. SERVICE Insight(:1-3)

2. CONSEQUENTIAL Insight(:4-6)

3. COMPASSIONED Insight(:7-8)

4. BLIND/UNHINDERED Insight(:9)

5. POSSESSIVE Insight(:10)

6. TRUTHFUL Insight(:11-14)

7. LIFESTYLE Insight(:15-18)

8. PLACE Insight(:19-20)

9. DECISIVE Insight(:21-24)

10—Turning religious reluctance to God requires...

IDENTITY Insight(:25-26)

Explanation/Argumentation::(:25-26)

: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.””

:26—“Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

The woman knew that “Messiah’s” arrival “(who is called Christ)” was promised by God for the sake of His people. Obviously some Samaritans held to the future arrival of the Christ(“Messiah”). True godly worship then is directly tied to “Messiah”(Cf.-:23-24).

“The Samaritans expectation focused on the Taheb, a prophet-like figure similar to Moses, whom they believed would be able to answer all the vexing questions of the law(which for them was the Samaritan Pentateuch).”—NAC.

However, that being said, the woman informs Jesus that “Messiah is coming”, so that though the majority(?) of Samaritans may have proffered a ‘Taheb’ concept, she is expecting “Messiah.” Additionally, Jesus had not previously put the word ‘Messiah’ in her mouth.