Witnesses to Eternal Life

Romans 10:14–17 M:BCL

14 But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? 15 And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! 16 But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” 17 The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to.

I want to talk to you about being a witness to eternal life—about the love of God and your calling as a witness to Him.

As Christians, we are called to share in our hope in Christ. But that can be challenging to us (as I know from experience).

When I met God my life was truly changed. Jesus revealed a God who loved me despite my weaknesses, brokenness, and sins. A God who pursued me because I mattered. I wasn’t worthless or unimportant. Not to Him. And because of that, I wanted to share with others what I had received.

But the first time I did street evangelism it was a major failure, at least in terms of my success as a witness. Thankfully, I have been able to overcome those initial steps. Even so, along the road, I’ve had times where fear tried to keep me silent and prevent me from speaking of God’s love.

I wonder if you’ve faced fear or stumbled on your words when it came to sharing your faith, like I have.

I wonder if you’ve had a desire to share about the hope you have in Christ only to struggle with doing so.

Aside from these internal challenges we feel the impact cultural secularism, the religion of science, and the hypocrisy of religion are all working to obscure the truth of the gospel (good news).

And without the preaching of the gospel none can be saved.

But when we can gain confidence in sharing our faith, we will help people know God, connect with others, find their purpose, and make an eternal difference in the world.

True Hope for Eternity

There have been many advances in areas like medicine and technology. Despite these advances, life is not getting easier and people are not getting kinder. All of the options that people offer to fix the brokenness and evil in the world fall apart and fail.

Only God in Christ offers a genuine answer to the human condition. The way that we receive that answer is through faith.

And faith, true trust in God, is comes by hearing the word of God. And that comes through preaching and teaching and doing (cf. Acts 1:1, Acts 10:38).

We are called to help bring healing and change to the world. It’s true that we may not be able to solve everyone’s problems or to meet everyone’s needs. But we can help someone and we can meet them at their place of need.

Jesus came and showed us the Way. Not only to receive life but to testify to that life (1 John 1:1-4).

Becoming Witnesses

We are going to look at a series of events where Jesus shows us the way that we can help people find forgiveness and faith in Jesus.

You have probably heard this story before, of the time that Jesus went to Samaria and spoke to a woman. This encounter brought a spiritual awakening to a city and changed many lives.

Here are some things to consider so that we can join in with Jesus to bring the life of God to others.

We Have a Mission

John 4:1–9 NKJV

1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

In the beginning of this story we find a curious statement: Jesus needed to go through Samaria.

There’s another important detail that we must identify: His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

We’ll pick up the story when His disciples come back, after His conversation with the woman at the well. She goes off to the city to tell others about her conversation.

John 4:27–38 NKJV

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

How important is food? Isn’t it necessary for life? We can only go so long without eating.

Jesus’ response to His disciples was spoken to make a point. He was emphasizing His need to go to Samaria. And then He made a connection with that to the harvest.

Jesus had to go to Samaria because there were people who were ready for eternal life.

Context: Jesus had to go to speak to a Samaritan woman. This was amazing to the disciples. Why? Because Jews considered Samaritans as half-Jews. To faithful Jews they were rejected because of their blending of faith with idolatry and polytheism. In this conversation, Jesus broke major social barriers based on race and religion and gender.

Additionally, she was drawing water at the hottest part of the day. This is likely because she was rejected by the other women because she had been married 5 times and was with a new man.

God sent Jesus to the world (John 3:16). He sent Jesus to share eternal life with those who would be considered disqualified sinners and unworthy enemies of God (Romans 5:8-11).

And just as God sent Jesus, Jesus sends us (John 20:21). We are called to go to the world with the hope of Jesus and message of eternal life.

We have a mission—to bring the hope of God to people.

We Have a Message

John 4:39–42 NKJV

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

When the woman left Jesus, she began to be a witness—to testify—of what Jesus had said to her. She began to tell others about eternal life.

From her testimony others came to Him. They saw the results of Jesus’ life-giving words in her life. She had changed. This woman who had a questionable past suddenly different. Why? Because of the words of Jesus.

We know the essence of the message that she shared - come see a Man [who changed my life] (John 4:29). And we know that those who heard the message of Jesus concluded that He was the Christ, the Savior of the world.

This is our message. This is our testimony. This is how we bear witness to Eternal life.

Your life before Christ

Your encounter with Christ

Your life since Christ

You have a message. Not just any message but the message of eternal life and salvation from sin, sorrow, pain, death (cf. John 6:68). It is a message of genuine hope and new life in the face of a fallen and broken world.

Our testimony points to the truth of the love of God.

We Have a Method

Jesus’ conversation with the woman offers us some insight into how we can talk with others.

The conversation began with a simple request for water. The woman of Samaria first was shocked that Jesus, a Jew, would talk with her. But then Jesus says moves from the natural to the spiritual.

John 4:10 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

She asks Jesus for that water, and how He could offer that water because He had no bucket. He replied by saying

John 4:14 NKJV

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Jesus could have been talking about living water, like running water as a springboard of the conversation. It’s also likely He was talking about the Torah (Rabbis thought of the Torah as living water).

She asked Him for that water and He then told her to call her husband. She responded that she didn’t have one and He answered with a word of knowledge: she had 5 husbands and the man she was with wasn’t her husband.

This made her respond with greater interest and change the topic to worship. Specifically, the right way to worship. Jesus’ answer caused her to ask about the coming Messiah.

Jesus told her that He was the promised Messiah and she left to tell others about her encounter with Him.

Here are a couple of takeaways for us:

Jesus went to where the woman was

The conversation began in the the natural, then the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46). This is important. Jesus spoke to the struggles and the realities of her life.

Example of this for us:

Not going well

Not expected/planned

Not from here

Jesus was not judgmental - her desire for meaning and security and life seems to be part of what drove her to 5 marriages. When Jesus spoke of living water, He was offering her something that could truly satisfy that desire.

Jesus used the word of knowledge to help the woman see that God knew her. The prophetic/gifts of the Spirit are given for the benefit of all (1 Corinthians 12:7). They can help people discover God’s genuine care and concern for them.

Jesus' words brought hope to the woman

The method of Jesus was to see her as she was and to point her to the hope and salvation that is found in Him.

We can do the same. We can meet people where they are and see them. Just like Him not letting race, gender, sin, etc. bring judgment but instead give us context for bringing hope.

We can bring encouragement and healing through the supernatural power of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

We show kindness and do good for people in the name of Jesus (cf. Acts 10:38).

Conclusion

Acts 1:8 NKJV

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We are called to be witnesses. To tell people of eternal life in Christ.

Our mission is to go where people are and share with them the message of good news. When we talk to people like Jesus did with care and concern and speak words of life to them they will encounter Him in a powerful.

When we do that, we will enter into the joy of our Lord as we help people know God, one person at a time (Luke 15:10).

Because we choose to do this, people who need to know God will discover that God knows them and that He loves them. As we bear witness to eternal life in Christ we will get to hear people’s stories of redemption and salvation. We will gain friends for eternity as we bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus (Luke 16:9).