Changing Our World, Right Where We Live Part 2

Introduction

Real relationships open doors to share about Jesus. We can build these relationships by having significant conversations with others. This requires us to know how to go beyond small talk, to ask the right kind of questions and to genuinely listen with care.

Read John 4:5-26. Jesus exemplified this by having a deep and meaningful conversation with a woman at a well that eventually brought salvation to an entire

John 4:5-26

English Standard Version Chapter 4

4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman from 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 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on 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 the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 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 he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Story to relate to lesson (intention, conversation, questions)

1. Be genuine about building new relationships

Jesus was genuine about connecting with the woman at the well. This meant crossing multiple cultural barriers and norms just to relate with her (Jewish men do not usually talk to Samaritan women). This means removing certain prejudices or natural inhibitions in order to connect and establish relationships with new people.

Pointers:

“I really want to do it” VS “I kind of want to do it”. It is not half-hearted.

Opposite of genuine is insincere - one of the signs is being dishonest about intentions.

2. Make significant and meaningful conversations

Go beyond the small talk about the weather or surface topics. Jesus held a conversation with the Samaritan woman that touched on deep topics in her life. This meant that everything that Jesus said had an impact and was purposeful to reveal the need in the woman's life.

Pointers:

Having significant and meaningful conversations requires earning the trust of the other person.

3. Ask insightful questions with real interest

Conversations become significant when we ask the right kind of questions that demonstrate real interest in people's lives. This helps us better understand them and our response should be to encourage them and find opportunities to meet that need or even pray for them.

Pointers:

It is better to be interested than interesting when conversing with others.

This helps with connecting with people - how do we know if we connected? connection = when the other person is interested in your interest.

In John 4, Jesus could see the issues that the woman at the well was facing without the woman saying it. We are not Jesus, we cannot see everything, but we can always observe some things.

Discussion Activity

Imagine or recount a conversation with a colleague/friend/neighbour, who mentions that they are under a lot of stress.

What would you say or ask to encourage them?

What is a personal testimony that you can share about God to help them?

Conclusion

Genuine connections and relationships demonstrate God's love to people. When people sense sincerity, they will be open to share about their lives. This gives us opportunities to have meaningful conversations about what God has done in our lives, which can lead to them experiencing God too!

Announcement

Dinner Parties on 16 May are opportunities to have meaningful conversations with new people. Let's come prepared to do so!