Missional Conversations

Initial Insights

CBC’s Mission & Vision: “Inviting people to follow Jesus, as we impact our community & world.”

The fulfillment of our CBC Mission & Vision through our comprehensive discipleship plan.

Deep Discipleship book by J. T. English

Bible Knowledge —> Doctrine —> Christian Living

Doing life together & having conversations about Jesus!

Listen to our passage this morning through the lens of identity and also through the eyes of our mission - inviting people to follow Jesus!

“God uses the most unlikely people, in the most unusual places, to announce the most incredible news (the Gospel!)”

John 4:1–42 NASB95

1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 There came a woman of Samaria 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 Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 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.” 11 She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” 27 At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 “For in this case 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 labor.” 39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Setting-up the background and context of our passage:

Jesus initiates a conversation with a woman, and on top of this - a Samaritan woman! He requests a drink, but He’s really setting-up the conversation to talk about every dimension of thirst (physical, spiritual, relational…)

Jesus develops the conversation in verses 9 & 10 by revealing that the real irony of their interaction is not that He’s a male Jew talking to a female Gentile, but rather that He’s the Omnipotent Creator of the universe, God-in-human-flesh, asking one of His creations to provide a limited supply of something that He has unlimited access to!!

This would be like Jeff Bezos coming up to me and asking me for $20. Or, like one of the greatest chefs in the world asking me to make them a meal!

The woman - Floozie or Unfortunate Victim??

Men did the divorcing at this time. She was undoubtedly attractive, but maybe she had a health condition. Maybe she couldn’t bear children or sons.

What do we know about wells/springs?

Jacob built this well & had a powerful encounter with God (Gen. 32)

Some famous women met their husbands at wells - Rebekah/Issac (Gen. 24) & Rachel/Jacob (Gen. 29)

Jacob met Rachel at “high day” - Genesis 29:7

Genesis 29:7 NASB95

7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.”

Hagar had two powerful encounters with God at wells (Gen. 16 & Gen. 21)

So why does Jesus tell the woman to go get her husband in John 4:16

John 4:16 (NASB95)

He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.”

I believe it’s because this woman has been finding her identity in relationships with men - unsuccessfully! It’s a false identity!

And, Jesus exposes this in John 4:17-18

John 4:17–18 (NASB95)

The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”

Jesus exposes her false identity, not to shame her, and not merely to let her know that He knows all things; but, to help her uncover her TRUE Identity!!

If her true identity was in fetching water, she would have given Jesus a drink!

The conversation about worship that follows in verses 20-24 is not a diversion by the woman, but rather about her discovering her true identity! She’s a worshiper!

And, Jesus points her to the TRUTH of who He is - not just a male Jew, not just a prophet, not just the Messiah, BUT God!! “I am!”

This woman is a true worshiper, longing to connect with the God of her forefather Jacob, at the exact place where He encountered God. And, Jesus comes to her, looking for a bride (another member of His Church!) At a well, similar to where Rebekah & Rachel found husbands and where Hagar was SEEN and helped by God!!

*Now we understand the context of our passage!

Invite People To Follow Jesus By...

1. Departing From Your Routine Once In Awhile

John 4:4 (NLT)

He had to go through Samaria on the way.

“Had to” communicates a divine necessity, not a geographical necessity.

You can even go about your normal routine by taking different routes, go to a new place to eat, walk through a new neighborhood, volunteer for a local service project (Love Ventura on 10/7), go on a mission trip (Embrace/Oxnard field workers, LA, Mexico…)

Some of this involves listening to God, and being flexible to follow-through on what He tells you.

*Interaction with neighbor about his car the other night.

God uses the most unlikely people in the most unusual places to announce the Most incredible news!

2. Having Conversations About Identity

Have generative vs. formulaic conversations.

Jesus does this with the woman at the well! And, being God in human flesh, He gets to the core truth a lot faster than us!!

Jamie Winship - Conversation with taxi driver, pp. 27-30.

God uses the most unlikely people in the most unusual places to announce the Most incredible news!

3. Announcing The Truth About Jesus

Jesus is the Savior of the Whole World! Not just the Jews - but everyone!

John 4:42 (NASB95)

The townspeople said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Closing Comments

Identity transcends gender, race, occupation, religion, geography, time...

Jesus is the only One who can quench our thirst - completely, forever!

Let’s invite people to follow Him, as we impact our community and world!

And remember, God uses the most unlikely people in the most unusual places to announce the Most incredible news!