Sermon Central
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A Spiritual Encounter
Contributed by Pastor Paul E. Davis on Sep 15, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: Change does not Require Acceptance, but Acceptance does Require Change. Jesus Meeting You Where You Are. Go tell somebody about the Messiah.
As you read and study these first 42 verses of John’s Gospel as recorded in chapter 4, you will find that it is steeped in spiritual insight and wisdom.
Of the 42 verses, Jesus is speaking in 18 of them. - - No wonder there is such profound wisdom and knowledge revealed here. We’ve all read and/or heard of the Sermon on the Mount, well we have here, what I’ve termed as “Wisdom at the Well”.
These verses teaches us:
The proper way to evangelize a non-believer.
How to deal with sensitive situations and personal matters privately.
The importance of directly confronting traditional misunderstandings.
Also, John 4:1-42 teaches us that in all we do; Leading People in the Knowledge and Understanding of Christ, is of upmost importance.
So this morning, we will focus our attention on the fourth point - Leading People in the Knowledge and Understanding of Christ.
Subject: A Spiritual Encounter
We, at some point in our lives - must all have a spiritual encounter with God. Whether it is with God the Father, God the Son and/or with God the Holy Spirit. . .
An encounter must take place. If there is no spiritual encounter, there is no access into the Kingdom of God.
In John 14:6 “Jesus said. . . . , I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In John 6:44 Jesus states . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. . . . . .”
In John 10:14 Jesus says I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.
In John 6:65 “. . . Jesus said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
Now, upon that spiritual encounter (or interaction, or invitation), you must make a personal decision. In other words, once that invitation is made, your acceptance into the Kingdom of God, is based upon your personal decision (crisis of belief).
Listen carefully to this: “Change does not Require Acceptance, but Acceptance does Require Change.”
So, as we progress with our text, you will see that it was through the teaching of Christ that drives The Samaritan Woman to a heighten level of understanding “of the truth in Christ”, that caused her to accept Him as the Messiah, which in-turn became the catalyst for her change.
Jesus is the Catalyst for Our Spiritual Change.
There are three points I’d like for us to explore today:
A Sacred Revelation. 2) A Special Realization. 3) A Sensational Reconciliation .
) A Sacred Revelation
John 4:10 (NET) “Jesus answered her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
In our Text, we find that our Lord-Jesus Christ displays both His deity and humanity in this single setting during His encounter with this un-named Samaritan Woman.
His deity is revealed:
In John 4:4 - when Jesus said “And he must needs go through Samaria.” As it was the providence of God.
His humanity is revealed:
In John 4:6 - in the fact that Jesus “became tired (or weary) from the journey and He sat down”
His deity is revealed:
In John 4:10 as Jesus had insight into the Samaritan Woman’s spiritual understanding of worship and in the fact that He offered her living water.
His humanity is revealed:
In John 4:7 - by the fact that he asked for a drink of water.
This verse parallels with John 19:28 where Jesus says “I Thirst”
His deity is revealed:
In John 4:34 - When “ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work.”
His humanity is revealed:
In John 4:8 - (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies/food.) and in John 4:31 by the fact that the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
The sacred revelation was revealed for the Samaritan Woman was in the fact that:
Jesus broke all traditional strongholds between cultures in less than 50 verses.
Jesus chose not to by-pass Samaria.
Jesus chose to converse with a Samaritan.
Jesus broke the customary laws of Jewish men not speaking to women in public.
Jesus choses to reveal to this woman His true identity. “I am He to whom you are speaking”
It is an amazing instance of grace (God’s un-merited favor), that a woman, a Samaritan woman, a lewd and infamous woman, should be a chosen vessel of not only salvation, but to be among the 1st person in biblical history to become an evangelist for Christ.