Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray

Introduction

So just when you thought you were finished with the Essentials series (and we ARE finished with the Essentials series)…we have one more thing to look at before we can put this series on discipleship to bed.

And it’s something that came to me a couple of weeks ago at the midweek, when we were watching the video.

Because we’ve talked about the encounter with Jesus and accepting the call to leave your old way of life behind and enter into a new way of life with Jesus.

And we looked at the fact that we’re in this together as part of a team, and we saw the cost…

…but it was when we looked at culture and courage and challenge, that I noticed something was lacking from my teaching.

Because, if you remember, we talked about the need to GO and make more disciples…and while part of that means coming alongside those within our church and walking them through their journey with Jesus, it also means that we go and tell others who aren’t Christians that there is this amazing life to be found in Jesus Christ.

And I mentioned at the midweek about how I should be going up Bow Street telling people about Jesus, but actually, we don’t even need to do that - because there are people whom we know and love who haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ right where we live and work and play - so let’s start there.

BUT…and this is the big thing that was lacking…We never looked at HOW we do this.

It’s all well and good me telling you that you need to tell others about Jesus, but what is even better is knowing HOW to.

Because, I’m not sure how effective it is going up and down Bow Street telling people they must be born again.

But what IS affective is when we speak to our friends and loved-ones about Jesus.

Pause

So today we are going to look at HOW we tell people about Jesus…kinda the practical steps of introducing Jesus to the people with whom we work or live or play - our friends and family who don’t yet know Jesus.

And let me first of all say that this is one method of many out there.

I’m not saying that this is THE method we must use.

However, it IS the method Jesus used so it’s probably not a bad method to follow.

And it’s found in John chapter 4, which we read earlier.

Let’s look at this in some detail with specific focus on how Jesus shares the good news to this Samaritan woman.

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So Jesus leaves Judea and heads towards Galilee.

And on his way he had to pass through Samaria.

Now, he didn’t actually HAVE to pass through Samaria - most Jews would have walked around Samaria, but Jesus doesn’t avoid the place - he walks right through it.

And they come to Sychar, where Jacob’s well is, and Jesus, being fully human, is tired and weary and he sits by the well while the disciples go to get food.

It’s 12 o’clock in the afternoon...Midday…And only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Mad dogs, Englishmen and Samaritan women who don’t want to meet anyone else.

All the other Samaritan women would have drawn water from this well either first thing in the morning, in the cool of the morning, or last thing in the evening when the sun wasn’t scorching hot.

And women would have travelled in groups for safety.

No self-respecting woman would come to a well at 12 noon to get water… And that’s the point.

This woman probably wasn’t self-respecting.

And as the reader finds out later in the story, she had 5 husbands and the man she was with wasn’t even her husband - so most likely she was ashamed, she was an outcast in society and was forced to get water at 12 noon, in the heat of the day, when the sun is scorching down on her…because at that time of day she’s not going to run into anyone who will judge her.

Unfortunately for her, she runs into Jesus, but fortunately for her, this encounter will change her life.

And the great thing for this woman is that Jesus isn’t going to treat this woman like every other man has treated her...

In fact, Jesus speaks to her.

Pause

Now, we kinda gloss over this, but this is groundbreaking, earth-shattering stuff RIGHT HERE.

Here’s what SHOULD have happened...

According to Kenneth Bailey, an expert in Middle Eastern culture...Jesus should have stepped away out of courtesy to a distance of 20 feet indicating that it was both safe and culturally appropriate for her to approach the well.

And this wasn’t because she was a Samaritan - it’s because she was a woman.

Jewish men didn’t really speak to women much in public- Rabbi’s pretty much NEVER did.

Instead, Jesus breaks through the cultural barriers and treats this person, not as a woman, not as a Samaritan…but as an equal.

What Jesus does here is groundbreaking.

He has broken the social taboo and he has ignored the 500 years of hostility between Jews and Samaritans.

But not only that, Jesus has shown us a pattern of mission that we need to follow too.

Pause

Because not only has Jesus spoken to this woman, he has put himself in a place of weakness, allowing her to feel some sense of value.

Cos think about it.

This woman, with 5 husbands and another man who isn’t her husband, is coming to the well at noon, in the scorching heat of the day in order to avoid contact with people.

She probably feels like she HAS no worth.

She probably has been ostracised by her friends and family.

She probably feels like she has no value at all.

And what she would expect Jesus to do is not even talk to her at all, or at most, command her to give him a drink.

Instead, Jesus humbles himself and gives her the place of honour…Please, give me a drink.

And this is the first lesson that we need to learn when sharing the gospel...

We need to remember that....

Everyone we meet is an immortal being made in the image of God.

As I said a few weeks ago, and it was a quote from someone else…we are not human beings having a Spiritual experience.

We are spiritual beings having a HUMAN experience.

Every single one of us is immortal - our destiny is either eternal life or eternal death - heaven or hell.

There’s no in between.

And EVERYONE is made in the image of God.

Which means that, as Christians, with Jesus as our example, we have NO RIGHT to think of ourselves higher than we ought.

Paul said the same in Philippians 2.

So if we’re speaking to a homeless person on the street...

If we’re speaking to a Roman Catholic...

If we’re speaking to a Muslim refugee....

If we’re speaking to a member of the travelling community...

We have NO RIGHT to think of them as any less than we are.

Which means we need to approach the Roman Catholic, or the Muslim Refugee, or the traveller, breaking the cultural barriers, and treat them as a person loved by the eternal almighty God.

We need to give them value.

Pause

Our culture has set up barriers and classes - so had the culture in which Jesus lived.

Jesus broke down those barriers and so should we.

Jesus was countercultural and we need to be too.

We need to always be pushing against any cultural norms that marginalise people and treat them as anything other than created in the image of God himself.

So the first less in sharing the gospel is this...

Treat everyone as having immense value, because in God’s eyes, they do.

Pause

Next thing that happens is this woman points out the counter-cultural request (verse 9)...

Jesus’ reply was this...

Now, let’s look at this for a second…

We tend to spiritualise this too quickly and think that Jesus was saying that I can give you water of LIFE - water of ETERNAL LIFE.

And yes, we know that’s what he’s saying, but he hasn’t said it YET.

So WE think the conversation goes something like this...

Can I have a drink?

How can you, a Jew ask a Samaritan woman for a drink?

If only you knew, you would ask me and I’d give you eternal life.

That’s not what Jesus said.

The term ‘living water’ means fast flowing water.

Like the water you get from a fast flowing stream or river.

If you’ve ever walked up Slieve Donard, you’ll know there’s a river that you walk beside.

And this river is fast flowing.

And often times I’ve drank from that river.

The water looks crystal clear, but when you put a bottle in it you soon realise that it’s brown…but it doesn’t matter.

I’ve drank out of it many times.

It tastes great because it’s full of minerals.

Another place where you find water is Hillsborough lake.

And there are parts of the lake, beside the waters edge, where there is some kind of algae or sludge that finds its way to the edge of the lake.

Now there’s NO WAY I’d drink that water.