Start Here (3)

people look like pets (slide)

We pick pets with our personality and that look like people in our family.

We do the same thing with humans, personality wise anyway.

We pick people with the same interests as us

music

Movies

Grades

Sports

Likes/dislikes

Beliefs

no knock on us, it’s just who we are

We want our friends to have the same interests.

We do the same in drifting away from people.

Elementary friendship to middle school to high

One or both of you changed

You’re not mean you just avoid them now

Maybe we drift away from …

• The popular kids.

• The super-smart people.

• The troublemakers.

• The people who like that kind of music.

• The people who live in that kind of house.

• The people who go to that school.

• The people who play that sport.

• The religious crowd.

We tend to stick close to people who are like us and kind of keep our distance with people who aren’t.

We put them in categories without realizing it.

We

They

We hang out with the. “We” people not the “they” people. - being around people we don’t understand is difficult. - we like to keep it easy and simple - hang out with our crowd. - sometimes we compare (I’m better than so and so). - especially with the religious crowd.

does it feel like the right thing to do sometimes to NOT hang out with someone?

Makes us feel more Christian?

Harsh…ever been told by a Christian leader to not hang around certain people?

Bad influence right? Pull down pull up.

Is that really what God wants?

Background on John

Story of the woman at the well

Context is important but let’s set the scene.

John 4:4–8 “Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)”

A couple things to know about this story…

Jesus was in a surprising place.

Context on Galilee VS Samaritans

Jesus was talking to a surprising person.

Context on women

She had a history…and was involved currently in bad stuff

Being at the well at noon

Jesus went out of his way to talk to someone that went out of her way to avoid people.

But what Jesus talks about is even more surprising.

John 4:13–14 “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””

She wants that right?

Jesus says call your husband. She spills and Jesus shows his power.

They talk more then Jesus reveals…

John 4:26 “Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.””

Duh we all know that…but…

The Jesus empowers her, and she tells everyone…

John 4:39–42 “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.””

Everyone looked down on her, and Jesus still chose her.

Just to recap, a woman that most people avoided was someone who Jesus . . .

1. Moved toward.

2. Talked to.

3. Inspired to be more than anyone thought she could be.

And her entire village was never the same.

Jesus broke all the norms to show us his love.

Move people from a category to a conversation.

Jesus had the conversation when disciples weren’t around.

Human nature to stick to our “We” groups.

APPLY

so what does this mean? Talk to all the strangers? No but…

Start conversations with people you’ve been keeping at a distance.

Be curious and kind.

Engage in conversation…it can change everything.

Show people their value with your actions.

When we treat those less loved, with love, we reflect the heart of Jesus.

Troublemakers with kindness

Disrespectul with respect

Harsh with gentleness

Annoying with empathy

Who are the people you keep at a distance?

Who needs encouragement this week?

What’s one step you can take this week to show the Love of Jesus to someone?