God Open Our Eyes to See Oconee

Duct Tape was the greatest invention created for humanity. With it MacGyver could fix anything and save the world. Almost every American owns at least one role. Its uses and purpose seem endless, but duct tape doesn’t even do what it was designed to do - seal ducts - no not ducKs but ducTs - the sheet metal that carries the hot and cold air into your home and workplace.

Max Sherman, a physicist who conducted test for three months on a variety of sealing materials, noted that duct tape was one of the few sealants that failed when repairing air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. “We tried as many different kinds of sealants as we could get our hands on” said Sherman, “Of all the things we tested, only duct tape failed. It failed reliably and often quite catastrophically. On the other hand, while duct tape may not last long as a sealant, in the short run it is strong, sticky, and fairly easy to use.”[1]

[1]Paul Press, “Sealing HVAC Ducts: Use Anything But Duct Tape,” Accessed August 9, 2016. http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/duct-tape-HVAC.html.

Churches, the greatest institution created for humanity, if they’re not intentional, can become Duct Tape. Churches can fail to accomplish what Jesus designed them to do - make disciples.

In the scripture we will read this morning, Jesus says His main goal/purpose was to do what God the Father sent Him to do. While Jesus was doing the will of the Father, He also took every opportunity presented to teach and prepare His followers, the church, to do what He would design it to do.

One of the greatest moments comes after Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. John is the only gospel writer to record this highly unlikely and unusual conversation between her and Jesus.

If you haven’t found it already please turn in your Bibles to the 4th chapter of the 4th Gospel of the NT, or if you prefer the Bible app on your smart device then you know what to do. You can also just read it from the screen behind me.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN STANDING TO HONOR GOD AND HIS HOLY WORD

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.”

John 4:

John 4:27–42 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.” 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.”

PRAYER

Now let’s set up the scene here, especially for those of you who may not be familiar with this encounter and why it was so radical.

Cotton Fields

My great uncle Paul

Much of the time spent in the cotton fields was either plowing, prepping, or planting.

Then, when you could see nothing but white in the field, it was picking time.

My uncle Paul was a farmer, just not cotton. He was known for growing fruits and vegetables to sell at the farmer’s market.

Like they say in Real Estate sales - Location, Location, Location is the key. When it comes to understanding how to apply the text you read - Context is key - in this context it is about location.

He could be seen around our community and county during harvest time driving his old tractor pulling a trailer in and out of the fields. He would go in with an empty trailer and come out with a full one.

Uncle Paul always had a companion with him - and old blind bulldog. That bulldog loved uncle Paul so much he went with him everywhere, but he could see a thing he was looking at.

Jesus has some followers that love him so much, and go everywhere with Him, but they can’t see a thing they are looking at.

The same was true here in this occasion with Jesus. The disciples were focused on the unusual circumstance Jesus had decided to put himself in. They were focused on Jesus’s and their physical needs. They were focused trying to figure out if someone had done something for Jesus they knew nothing about or had any control over.

So, Jesus as usual, leads them from the practical and physical through an analogy to see the greater spiritual lesson of being disciple makers. Jesus teaches this lesson from the most uncomfortable place and by the most unlikely person.

Samaria was…a region avoided by Jewish people of Jesus’s day.

The Samaritans ethnically were a mixed race of people. Their ancestors were Jewish but also from other countries. The Jews were big on nationalistic purity

The Samaritans were told they were second class citizens, told they were not worthy people, that they were cut off from receiving God’s mercy

Jewish saying: “May I never set eyes on a Samaritan”

The religion of the Samaritans was similar to that of the Jews, except that they were more liberal.

Now the disciples, being Jewish were uncomfortable in Samaria, but they could deal with being there as a necessary bad situation to pass on through. The location was not the kicker for them.

As we saw in v.27 - John opens the scene up to us by describing the real factor behind their amazement and maybe even bewilderment - Jesus was talking to a woman.

Women were…often abused, discarded, and seen as less than second class citizens. The Jewish disciples could have swallowed Jesus talking to a Samaritan - but really Jesus you’re talking to a woman!

While God the Old Testament writings afforded great dignity to womanhood (cf. ), many a Jewish man started the day with a prayer to God, in this manner, “Thank you Yaweh I am neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman!”

But, While God the Old Testament writings afforded great dignity to womanhood (cf. ), the Hebrews over the years had exchanged God’s love and dignity bestowed women for some of the attitudes of paganism seen towards women. Many a Jewish man started the day with a prayer to God, in this manner, “Thank you Yaweh I am neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman!”

A Hebrew man did not talk with women in the street—not even with his mother, sister, daughter or wife! (cf. Lightfoot 1979, 286-287).

Deuteronomy 24:1 CSB

1 “If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, he may write her a divorce certificate, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.

She knew all of this - “why are you asking me?”

There is recorded a group of Pharisees known as the “bleeding and bruised” Pharisees, who would close their eyes when a woman was approaching.

Consider what is going through her mind during this conversation:

her race issue: looked down upon and mistreated by the dominate race like how blacks and immigrants can be some place in America

her gender issue: shown contempt and scorn even by the religious men around her like how unfortunately is too often the case even in SBC churches.

her morals issue: five divorces and now living in a sinful relationship like many in our community whether heterosexual or homosexual.

her spiritual issue: confused, and without hope like many today thinking they are good enough for heaven because they are spiritual or thinking they are worthless because of their lifestyle

her outcast issue: she purposely avoided the respectable women when they came to draw water at the well.

her mental and emotional issue: others viewed her as scum and like many in our community probably bullied for who she was or how she lived.

Jesus was not concerned by the prejudices of other people. Jesus had one concern - the salvation of her soul which has no color nor gender. So, in he says “Give me a Drink.”

The Son of God, therefore, in one fell swoop, intentionally went passed the socio-ethnic barrier - one steeped in racial bigotry; intentionally went passed the gender barrier - coming from a hurtful sexist and misogynistic disposition both these are sinful and seen in our society and too many churches today - He also intentionally went passed the moral or religious barrier and talked with a sinful person.

John 4:4 NKJV

4 But He needed to go through Samaria.

Jesus could see what the disciples couldn’t see - the spiritual harvest ready for picking.

The Son of God, therefore, in one fell swoop, intentionally went passed the socio-ethnic barrier - one steeped in racial bigotry; intentionally went passed the gender barrier - coming from a hurtful sexist and misogynistic disposition both these are seen in our society and churches today - but are sinful and unbiblical because they see other ethnicities and women as less than image bearers; Jesus, as a friend of sinners, also intentionally went passed the moral or religious barrier when a righteous person talked with a sinful person.

Illustration: During my time growing up in Beulah - Lee County - Alabama two things were always visible when traveling the roads.

Galatians 3:28 CSB

28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.

During my time growing up in Beulah - Lee County - Alabama two things were always visible when traveling the roads.

Cotton Fields

My great uncle Paul

Much of the time spent in the cotton fields was either plowing, prepping, or planting.

Then, when you could see nothing but white in the field, it was picking time.

My uncle Paul was a farmer, just not cotton. He was known for growing fruits and vegetables to sell at the farmer’s market.

He could be seen around our community and county during harvest time driving his old tractor pulling a trailer in and out of the fields. He would go in with an empty trailer and come out with a full one.

Uncle Paul always had a companion with him - and old blind bulldog. That bulldog loved uncle Paul so much he went with him everywhere, but he could see a thing he was looking at.

Jesus’s disciples loved him so much, and went everywhere with Him, but they couldn’t see a thing they were looking at.

So, Jesus as usual, leads them from the practical and physical through an analogy to see the greater spiritual lesson of being disciple makers. Jesus teaches this lesson on evangelism from the most uncomfortable place and by the most unlikely person.

So, Jesus as usual, leads them from the practical and physical through an analogy to see the greater spiritual lesson of being disciple makers. Jesus teaches this lesson from the most uncomfortable place and by the most unlikely person.

During Jesus’s teaching moment the Samaritan woman left to go make more disciples by telling other people about Jesus

John 4:29 NKJV

29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

John 4:29 CSB

29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

John 4:39 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.”

John 4:

For us to ensure we never become duct tape we must be a church that is intentional about doing what Jesus designed and Great Commissioned us to do. - Make disciples which always begins, not with inviting people to church, but with inviting people into a relationship with Jesus.

When Jesus points and tells them to look at the fields white unto harvest, he was more than likely pointing to the coming crowd of Samaritans who came interested to see and hear from him.

John 4:40–42 CSB

40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of what he said. 42 And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

John 4:40-42

We shouldn’t ever be like my uncles blind bulldog because we are not like the disciples were in this scenario, who had not yet received the Holy Spirit.

It takes you and I intentionally having gospel conversations just like this one with people just like this woman. We should be able to see what Jesus sees here:

Francis Thompson’s classic poem, “The Hound of Heaven,” portrays God as a relentless pursuer of the lost. Indeed, that is exactly how God portrays himself to us in the Bible.

This conversation was no coincidence this was a choice.

May we be known as the church in Oconee that will go wherever, whenever to reach whomever, loving and leading them to Jesus, inviting them into a relationship with Him.

It starts with you and you and you. You will see more lost people this week than we can fit in this place right now. Go to them.

We make them interested during our conversations by our conversation.

Jesus’s conversation was not focused on the sinner nor her sin. The conversation was focused on the Savior of the World, on the hope he brings.

May we make little of them and much of Jesus when we are talking with people who are far from God.

The woman focused on the Law but Jesus focused on Grace. He saw a woman needing someone willing to look past her problems to offer hope.

Rather than criticizing evil in people who sensed their spiritual need, he commended the good qualities they possessed.

See the people for who they are - needing salvation - not what they have done.

This woman at the well and the Samaritans needed Jesus, not a bunch of Bible verses. People don’t need the Roman Road and a Sinners prayer, Continued Witness Training, GROW or the 3 circles.

All those things are great tools intended to lead them to Jesus. The point being to invite them into a relationship with Jesus.

We do it best by being relational with people.

Conclusion: I know many of you get quizzy in the stomach when you think about talking to someone else about Jesus. Don’t think about failing just think about faith in Jesus.

When asked what he thought about when he struck out, Babe Ruth said, “I think about hitting home runs.” Genuine faith requires optimism, not related to what we can achieve, but what God will do based on the words of Jesus.[1]

[1] Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 85). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Jesus said he sent them to reap from where they had not worked to sow seed.

Mark Dever writes about 3 practices of a Great Commission church: the 1st being Cultivates a Culture of Discipling (Disciple making) among its own members, helping every member own the

The same is still true for us.

When it comes to Reaching the World we can be spiritually praying, prepping, plowing, planting or picking, and when you do either it is fulfilling the plan of God for making disciples.

Jesus was radical and risky in his gospel conversation with the woman at the well. Where are you willing to go and what are you willing to do to be radical and risky in telling the gospel.

Then send us out.

Invitation: I have talked a lot about people and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let me ask you. Do you know for sure you have been changed, born again, transformed in your heart? Have you confessed the truth that you are a sinner born into condemnation? Have you pleaded with God for forgiveness? Have you trusted in and believed his righteousness is now what makes you ready for heaven?

If all of those question cannot be answered with a resounding yes, then let me invite you to do those things today and enter into that relationship with Jesus.

Christian - go and do what you have heard today.

God Open Our Eyes to See Oconee

God Open Our Eyes to See Oconee

Look for and See People who are Far From God

Look for and See the People who are Interested in Listening about Jesus

Look for and See Past People’s Sin and Skin

Look for and See People Not Just One More Religious Presentation to Make

Look for and See the People Who Don’t Need Just One More Religious Presentation

God Open Our Eyes to See Oconee and Beyond