We Have Heard for Ourselves

Introduction

Welcome

Main passage:

John 4:39–42 ESV

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Title:

We have Heard for Ourselves

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen!

Story:

English Standard Version Chapter 28

10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then

Explanation:

Jacob’s statement of faith shows us the difference between hearing of God because of others and believing in God for ourselves — claiming God will be our Lord and taking personal ownership of our faith.

I grew up around the church all my life. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I was the kid since I can remember who was forced to sit beside their parents during worship. I know the in’s and outs of doing church and not being the church.

How easy it is to come to a service, be in worship, listen to a message, and leave unaffected and unchanged.

I know what it’s like to live on second hand sermons and preachers but not open up the bible or seek the presence of God myself.

The illusion of believing I was a christian just because my parents say their were christian. OR maybe the idea that if I go to church that makes me saved.

No going to church is a fruit of being saved, it’s not what gets us saved.

What am i trying to say: We have to believe, live, and experience Jesus for ourselves.

Illustration:

Will Reagan - Help me find my own flame.

“I don't wanna ride on somebody else's passion I don't wanna find that I am just dry bones I wanna burn with unquenchable fire deep down inside see it coming alive I don't wanna ride on somebody else's passion I don't wanna find that I am just dry bones I wanna burn with unquenchable fire Deep down inside see it coming alive

Chorus:

Help me find my own flame Help me find my own fire”

Application:

I want us to find God for ourselves. Not our parents faith or the preachers passion — I want us to look back on our lives and say, I personally experienced, heard and believe Jesus for myself.

Body

Bible

Context

John 4.

Main passage:

John 4:39–42 ESV

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Transitional Sentence:

4 signs that we have personally experienced Jesus for ourselves.

Points

First Sign: You personally ask for water.

Explanation:

John 4:10–15 ESV

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.” 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? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 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.” 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.”

What does Jesus mean when he speaks of water and those who he gives water to will never be thirsty again?

He is talking about the Holy Spirit; God’s presence.

Illustration:

Illustration 1

Psalm 42:1–2 NLT

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

Illustration 2

Psalm 34:8 NLT

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Application:

Personally experiencing Jesus for yourself looks like pursuit, asking and seek ing more of God for yourself.

Second sign: See Jesus as a true prophet.

Explanation:

John 4:16–19 ESV

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.”

A prophet was a spokesperson on behalf of God. They personally heard God’s voice and would communicate God’s message to people. God used many prophets throughout the bible and spoke through them but there is one prophet in particular we are to acknowledge.

Illustration:

Hebrews 1:1–2 NLT

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.

Application:

What is the author of Hebrews trying to do here?

Contextually, his readers are turning away from Jesus because of the weight of persecution they are facing. So the author both encourages and warns them not to turn away. He does this in the first 4 verses of Hebrew by pointing out that Jesus is God’s prophet and secondly that Jesus is God.

The consequences of not listening and obeying the prophets in the old testament were severe and a blessing, if obeyed. So how much more should we listen and obey Jesus, who is God.

One of the signs that we’ve experienced Jesus for ourselves is that we listen and adhere to the voice of Jesus.

How do we hear his voice? We go to the Word of God.

Third sign: A divine revelation of Jesus as the Messiah.

Explanation:

John 4:20–26 ESV

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 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. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 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.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

The word Messiah means anointed one or one who is appointed. Another word associated with Messiah is savior.

The Messiah was a figure all throughout the Old testament that the Jewish people awaited and expected. A king, a military leader that would liberate his people from their oppressors and bring them into prosperity. This is who they were expecting.

Here are a few verses that speak of the Messiah.

Illustration:

Illustration 1

Deuteronomy 18:15 NLT

Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

Illustration 2

Micah 5:2 NLT

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.

Illustration 3

Zechariah 9:9 NLT

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

Illustration 4

Malachi 3:1 NLT

“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Application:

For thousands of years, they awaited this Messiah. They thought it was King Saul, King David, King Solomon or maybe some of the prophets but they were only shadows pointing to the true Messiah.

They expected a military leader but Jesus didn’t come as a military leader, he came as the lamb of God to deliver people from their sin.

The third sign that we’ve experienced Jesus for ourselves is to recognize that we need saving from our sin and Jesus, the messiah, is the only one who can do so.

He’s not just a savior, he’s my personal savior!

Fourth sign: Come see a man

Explanation:

John 4:27–29 ESV

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

Her personal experience of Jesus led her to promote and tell others about Jesus, “Come see a man.”

Illustration:

“One thing I have observed in all my years of ministry is that the most effective and important aspects of evangelism usually take place on an individual, personal level. Most people do not come to Christ as an immediate response to a sermon they hear in a crowded setting. They come to Christ because of the influence of an individual.” - John McArthur

Application:

In other words, once we’ve personally experienced Jesus for ourselves, people that we know won’t come to Jesus because of a sermon, they will come to Jesus because they hear our witness of the Gospel and see our lives.

Conclusion

Summary:

You personally ask for water.

See Jesus as a true prophet.

A divine revelation of Jesus as the Messiah.

Come see a man.

So what:

We can only go so far living on other people’s faith. To live a life for Jesus, we have to personally experience Him for ourselves.

John 4:39–42 NLT

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said 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.”

My prayer is that these words can be your story and testimony: “Now I believe, not just because of what you told me, but because I have heard him myself. Now I know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Now what:

Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you; for your faith and relationship with him to be personal.

Prayer:

In Jesus name, amen!