Bringing Them To Jesus
Text: John 4:27-42
Introduction
1. Illustration: There is a legend, which recounts the return of Jesus to glory after His time on earth. Even in heaven He bore the marks of His earthly pilgrimage with its cruel cross and shameful death. The angel Gabriel approached Him and said, "Master, you must have suffered terribly for men down there."
"I did," He said.
"And," continued Gabriel, "do they know all about how you loved them and what you did for them?"
"Oh, no," said Jesus, "not yet. Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know."
Gabriel was perplexed. "Then what have you done," he asked, "to let everyone know about your love for them?"
Jesus said, "I’ve asked Peter, James, John, and a few more friends to tell other people about me. Those who are told will in turn tell other people about me, and my story will be spread to the farthest reaches of the globe. Ultimately, all of mankind will have heard about my life and what I have done."
Gabriel frowned and looked rather skeptical. He knew well what poor stuff men were made of. "Yes," he said, "but what if Peter and James and John grow weary? What if the people who come after them forget? What if way down through the centuries people just don’t tell others about you? Haven’t you made any other plans?"
And Jesus answered, "I haven’t made any other plans. I’m counting on them."
Twenty-one centuries later He still has no other plan. He’s counting on you and me to continue His work of reconciling the world to Himself, to continue the work so many have faithfully carried out before us. Will we do so well?
2. You are God's plan!
A. You are God's plan for this neighborhood.
B. You are God's plan for this community.
C. You are God's plan for this State.
D. You are God's plan for America.
E. You are God's plan for this world.
3. Now that might intimidate some and frighten others. But don't be frightened or intimidated because God has equipped you with a very powerful tool...your story.
4. Do you want to be a part of God's plan?
A. Tell Them Your Story
B. Let God Use Your Story
C. Let Them See Jesus
5. Let's stand together as we read John 4:27-42
Proposition: Your story and God's power are a dynamic force.
Transition: First you...
I. Tell Them Your Story (27-30).
A. Come And See
1. Last Sunday we looked at how Jesus witnessed to the woman at the well. Today we are going to look at not only the impact it had on her, but also on her friends and family.
2. John begins this section with, "Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”
A. Just as Jesus made his declaration to the woman that he was the Messiah, Jesus disciples come back from town.
B. They are absolutely dumbfounded to find him speaking to a woman especially since he was a rabbi.
C. One of their sayings ran, "A man shall not be alone with a woman in an inn, not even with his sister or his daughter, on account of what men may think. A man shall not talk with a woman in the street, not even with his own wife, and especially not with another woman, on account of what men may say."
D. However, they did not question either Jesus or the woman.
E. They had been with Jesus long enough to know that while he did not always follow the norm he always had a good reason" (Morris, The New International Commentary on the New Testament – The Gospel According to John, 242-243).
F. "She abandoned the bringing of water for the bringing of men" (Burge, NIV Application Commentary, The – John: From biblical text...to contemporary life, 148).
3. Now we come to the really amazing part of this story. Look at what John tells us next, "The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”
A. Jesus obviously made quite an impact on the woman. First, she left her water pot right there at the well.
B. This is amazing because, if you will remember, water was the reason she was there in the first place.
C. Second, she ran to town to tell everyone about Jesus. She told them that Jesus knew all about her and told her everything she'd ever done.
D. The phrase "come and see" is John's way of inviting people to come to Jesus.
E. People need more than just to know about Jesus, but rather they need to come and experience him for themselves.
F. Her question of whether Jesus was the Messiah is phrased in a negative way but she is hoping for a positive response.
4. But look at the response that her story gets. In v. 30 it says, "So the people came streaming from the village to see him."
A. Her testimony and invitation created a great response by the people of the town.
B. The people came streaming to Jesus, and the suggestion is that they kept coming in droves.
C. The idea of the words "came streaming" is that of a long streaming procession.
D. The people "kept on coming to Him." It was her dynamic witness, the striking change seen in her life, that caused this enormous response.
E. Because of her witness many set out to find the Messiah for themselves (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – John, 4:25-30").
F. Her invitation proved irresistible. She probably knew that her reputation preceded her, and any assertion on her part regarding her belief in this man would go unheeded.
G. But her question did serve to stir up curiosity and had the desired effect (Bruce 391).
B. Power Of Your Testimony
1. Illustration: A Mercedes Benz TV commercial has a camera follow their car as it collides with a cement wall during a safety test. The car comes through the test amazingly well — far less damage to the body than you would expect, and leaving the crash dummy without a mark. A man then interviews the company spokesman, asking him why they do not enforce their patent on Mercedes Benz’s energy-absorbing design, especially since they know other companies are copying their design. The spokesman simply looks at him and says, "Because some things in life are too important not to share."
2. If Jesus coming into your life is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you why wouldn't you want to share that story with others?
A. Revelation 12:11 (NLT)
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony...
B. Never underestimate the power of your testimony.
C. The story of how you came to Christ is powerful because it is real.
D. The story of how you came to Christ cannot be discounted because you lived it and experienced it.
E. The story of how you came to Christ is something that people can relate to because it real life events.
F. Don't be afraid to tell people your story.
G. Don't hesitate to tell people your story.
H. It can cause them to come streaming to Jesus!
Transition: It's your story, but you should...
II. Let God Use Your Story (31-38).
A. Doing The Will Of God
1. Have you ever heard the phrase, "meanwhile back at the ranch"? Well meanwhile back at the well...
A. While the Samaritan woman was in town testifying about her encounter with Jesus, the disciples come back and as usual they don't have a clue about what is going on.
B. Jesus is concerned about the Kingdom and winning souls, but they are only concerned about fried chicken and biscuits.
2. We read in vv. 31-33, "Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” 33 “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other."
A. While the woman was in town telling people about Jesus, the disciples return from town and encourage Jesus to eat something.
B. This is not surprising since the whole reason they went to town was to buy food. When they left Jesus he was tired and hungry so naturally they insist that he eat something.
C. They had bought food in the village. It had been several hours since the party had eaten (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 101).
D. His response was baffling: “I have food you don’t know about.” The disciples thought he was talking about physical food; instead, Jesus was saying that he was spiritually satisfied by having shared the Good News with the Samaritan woman (Barton 391).
E. On many occasions Jesus used material objects to teach spiritual truths. The disciples were thinking in terms of the noon meal, but Jesus wanted them to be more sensitive to eternal values.
F. Jesus' food was to fulfill His mission. To walk in the perfect will of His Father was His utmost desire; it surpassed His desire for food.
G. To reach the woman and the Samaritans was Jesus' reason for going through Samaria.
H. As yet the disciples didn't have the intense desire for winning souls which Jesus had.
3. Then Jesus says, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work."
A. The disciples are thinking of earthly things, and their misunderstanding enables Jesus to press their thinking to another level.
B. Obeying the Father is Jesus' more deeply satisfying task. The Father has given the Son work to do, and his mission is to see it to completion (Burge, 149).
C. Doing the will of God meant that Jesus submitted himself to the Father’s plan and enjoyed carrying out his Father’s desires. Satisfying the Father gave Jesus true satisfaction.
D. Finishing God’s work speaks of completing the task—all the way from sowing the seed to reaping the harvest.
E. John 17:4 (NLT)
I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
4. Again Jesus uses an illustration that his disciples could understand since they were from an agricultural society. He says, "You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. 36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! 37 You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true."
A. Jesus is thinking about the span of time between planting and harvest when the grain is growing but not mature, when the fields are full but not ready for cutting. The farmer relaxes and enjoys the promise of plenty.
B. But Jesus abruptly changes the image. The fields are now ready for gathering! He has planted the seed (at the well) and now the harvest (of Samaritans) is coming in.
C. As he thinks about ripe harvests, some wonder if he is reflecting on the approaching Samaritans, who will become a crop for eternal life (Burge, 149).
D. The harvester of this spiritual harvest derives satisfaction from bringing others to experience eternal life. This parallels Jesus’ experience with the Samaritan woman; he was satisfied by offering her the gift of life.
E. Jesus also here mentions the planter in addition to the harvester. Jesus, as both, sowed the seed through a single Samaritan woman and reaped a harvest from many in a Samaritan city.
F. This sowing and reaping transpired so quickly that the planter and harvester could rejoice together (Barton, 391).
G. Sometimes those who do the preparatory work are not the same as those who harvest. But what does Jesus mean by "others [who] have done the hard work?"
H. This is possibly John the Baptist or Jesus himself, who has prepared the way for the coming church.
I. Either way it is an important theological statement since it defines Christian mission in terms of what has gone on before, what God has been doing in advance of our efforts.
J. Christian labor is never a solitary effort, divorced from the labor of God. Christians are called to go where God has already "done the hard work" and in this place reap the harvest (Burge, 149).
5. Then Jesus says, "I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
A. Jesus told the disciples that He "sent" (apesteila, the word for "commission") them.
B. They had been called and commissioned to baptize disciples for Him (4:2). He reveals here that He had commissioned them before this time.
C. Now, Jesus wanted them to realize their first priority in the work of the Kingdom was to be soul winners.
D. The spiritual road had been prepared so that the apostles could enter into the harvest. Jesus' words to the disciples go beyond the Samaritan harvest.
E. The principle He spoke of here is universal for all laborers in the Lord's harvest. Jesus claims the authority as the Lord of the harvest (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 105).
B. Great Commission
1. Illustration: George Sweeting, in his book The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who in 1949 was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1968, Currier’s sentence was terminated, and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him. But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it. Life on that farm was hard and without promise for the future. Yet John kept doing what he was told even after the farmer for whom he worked had died.
Ten years went by. Then a state parole officer learned about Currier’s plight, found him, and told him that his sentence had been terminated. He was a free man.
Sweeting concluded that story by asking, "Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message—the most important in your life—and year after year the urgent message was never delivered?"
We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others still enslaved by sin. Are we doing all we can to make sure that people get the message?
2. Jesus has laid the groundwork and given you the tools...now tell your story!
A. Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
B. Jesus is even now preparing people to hear your story.
C. He is preparing their hearts and minds to receive your story.
D. He is putting other Christians in their lives to get them ready to hear your story.
E. Don't hesitate, chicken out, or back away!
F. Tell your story!
Transition: After you have told your story...
III. Let Them See Jesus (39-42).
A. We Heard Him Ourselves
1. Now we see what happens when we tell our story.
2. In v. 39 it says, "Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”
A. In 4:39 the Samaritans reenter the scene and the harvest is at hand.
B. Their faith (they "believed in him") is based on the woman's testimony, which underscores the value of human witness to the work of God.
C. Evangelism is a cooperative effort, in which the preparatory work of God joins with our witness to what he has done and is doing in the world (Burge, 150).
D. Jesus' unexpected knowledge of the intimate details of the woman's life had made a profound impression on her. Through her it was passed on to others (Morris, 250).
3. As a result of this woman's testimony, "When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe."
A. They begged Jesus to stay at their village, and because of that, others believed when they heard Jesus for themselves.
B. The new believers did not part readily with their newfound Lord. They pressed Jesus to remain with them ("urged" is in a continuous tense: they kept on asking him).
C. Nor was their insistence without result. Jesus stayed with them for two days (Morris, 250).
4. Now look what they say to the woman, "Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
A. They had been impressed by what she had said, though their faith was not fully formed.
B. The absolute use of the verb "believe" is significant; so fundamental to Christianity is faith that it is not necessary to specify the object
C. The woman might introduce them to Jesus, but faith is not faith as long as it rests on the testimony of another.
D. There must be personal knowledge of Christ if there is to be an authentic Christian experience (Morris, 250).
E. Tell them your story but bring them to Jesus!
B. Bring Them To Jesus
1. Illustration: Experts say that 3 people die every second. If this fact is true, then 180 people die every minute, 10,800 people die every hour, 259,200 people die every day, and 94,608,000 people die every year. Of the six billion people on earth today, experts also sayt that 2/3 of them have never heard the Gospel one time. If these percentages hold true, then 63, 103,536 people die every year without ever hearing the Gospel one time! Not everyone that has heard the Gospel one time, accepts the Gospel. Therefore, many more people die every year without hearing the Gospel!
2. Who have you brought to Jesus lately?
A. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (NLT)
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
B. God has given us a great gift; it's called the Gospel.
C. It is the story of how we sinned against God, but God reconciled us to himself by sending his Son Jesus to die for us to make us right with God again.
D. He has given us, you and me, the task of telling the world about this Good News!
E. We shouldn't see this as a burden, but as a privilege because God believes in you so much that he is depending upon you to tell the world about him
F. We need to tell this neighborhood, this community, this world about all of the awesome things that Jesus has done for us.
Transition: Who are you going to bring to Jesus this year?
Conclusion
1. You are God's plan!
A. You are God's plan for this neighborhood.
B. You are God's plan for this community.
C. You are God's plan for this State.
D. You are God's plan for America.
E. You are God's plan for this world.
2. Do you want to be a part of God's plan?
A. Tell Them Your Story
B. Let God Use Your Story
C. Let Them See Jesus
3. Who are you going to bring to Jesus simply by telling your story?
