Sermon Tone Analysis

*INTRODUCTION:*

1.      *((illus))* This past week I felt like a *SPIRITUAL CHIEF*.

a.    * *Chiefs seek to prepare healthy, attractive meals.

b.

They use a variety of ingredients.

i)        Some meals come together easily.

ii)      Some tike a little more time.

iii)    And there are some you have to really work on right up to the presentation.

c.    Today is one of those kinds of sermons that you have to keep working on.

*2.      *Our text is John 4 *(page 896)*

a.

In our continuing study of Jesus in John’s Gospel.

b.    Remember John’s purpose?

c.    John 20:31 - */But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life.

/*

i)        Who is Christ?

ii)      What is faith?

iii)    What is life?

d.   John presents Jesus in an *intimate way* and this is seen in this story of the *Woman at the Well*.

i)        Some of you are familiar with it, some are not.

ii)      It’s the *longest conversation* of Jesus with an individual recorded in the Bible.

iii)    Interestingly enough this occurred in an area of Palestine that today we call the *West Bank*.

John 4:1-30

 

Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, “Jesus is baptizing and making more disciples than John” 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did).

3 So he left Judea to return to Galilee.

 

4 He had to go through Samaria on the way.

5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.

7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”

8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.

She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman.

Why are you asking me for a drink?”

 

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this is a very deep well.

Where would you get this living water?

12 And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well?

How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?”

 

13 Jesus replied, “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water.

14 But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether.

It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me some of that water!

Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to haul water.”

16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

 

17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right!

You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now.”

 

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.

20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem.

22 You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

23 But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.

24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah will come—the one who is called Christ.

When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

 

26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

 

27 Just then his disciples arrived.

They were astonished to find him talking to a woman, but none of them asked him why he was doing it or what they had been discussing.

28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, 29 “Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did!

Can this be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

3.

We look at this woman and realize she had some* BIG ISSUES*

a.    Issues that are all around us today.

b.

And we’ll come back to that in a moment.

4.      As I read this woman’s story, I couldn’t help but notice *JESUS INTERACTION WITH HIS DISCIPLES* which followed.

a.

He is using this occasion as a *teaching opportunity*.

b.

From what follows, all that they are *living for* *THE MOMENT*

i)        :31-33 – they’re concerned about lunch and what he’s eating.

ii)      :34-35 - Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

35Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest.

5.

That *:35 is as a favorite verse for evangelism* in the church.

a.    I’ve heard it all my life.

b.

But I had *FORGOTTEN THE CONTEXT* until rereading it in preparation for this Sunday.

c.    It’s John 3 and 4

6.      *THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT AS A CHURCH*.

a.    Looking out for people like:

i)        John 3 – church-going sinners

ii)      John 4 – non-church going sinners

7.      Why?

a.

Because everyone could identify with one, if not both of these individuals.

8.      * ((illus))* *Twice a year*, we have always taken a Sunday to remind ourselves about who we are as a church and what our purpose for existence is.

a.

I had skipped Jan. because we covered the same ground during the 40 Days of Purpose.

b.

But God is bring us back to this today.

9.      Jesus said:

a.    for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:10

b.

I have not come to call /the/ righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 5:32

c.    “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives/ /And recovery of sight to the blind/, /To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Luke 4:18-19

10.  *The church is not to be an aquarium for the saints but a hospital for us sinners*.

a.

We are all cripples and we all need Jesus.