Go Share The Gospel

Go To the Lost

Jesus went to the Jacob’s well at 12:00 in the afternoon. This was the hottest part of the day. The Bible says He was tired from his journey. He stayed by the well and sent the disciples off to get food. He knew that this Samaritan woman would be coming to the well. This is not normal for a woman to come to a well to draw water during the hottest part of the day. Typically the women would come first part of the day to draw water. So why was she coming to the well at this time. Could it possibly be that she was an outcast because of her nationality and way of life? Maybe she didn’t want to be mocked and made fun of by other ladies, so she went to the well at a time that she knew other ladies wouldn’t be there. When she got there she sees a Jewish man by the well. I wonder what went through her mind. Perhaps, “Oh no! I just want to be left alone and this guy is probably going to make fun of me or try to take advantage of me.” She didn’t know who she was encountering.

Show kindness

Jesus did not do what she expected him to do. He invited her to have a drink of water and engage in conversation. This was astonishing to her! Jews and Samaritans had a long history of hating one another. This is because Jews looked down on Samaritans because they were part Jewish and part Gentile. Jews thought Samaritans were unclean.

Jesus knew who she was and went pass the hatred toward the Samaritans and engaged in conversation. Jesus didn’t see her as an unclean woman that needed to be avoided. He saw her as a hopeless woman that needed a Savior.

He did not judge her or condemn her as most people had done, but welcomed her to have a friendship with him. This is definitely not what she expected.

We too are to not avoid the lost and un-churched, but we are to go to them. You see just as Jesus met her on his journey, we will encounter people that are lost on our journey. They are at our work places, ball fields, grocery store, restaurants, neighbor hoods, social gatherings, and even in our own families. We must engage them into friendship with us. We must see them as Jesus saw the woman at the well. They are a hopeless person that needs a Savior. Does this mean we look down on them or patronize them? No. We should engage them as a person, just like us, but understand that we are to point them to Jesus.

We can facilitate this by sharing our story of salvation. Often times when we are vulnerable to share our testimony, they do not feel as if they will be judged for the way they are living. This takes courage and probably won’t happen the first time you meet someone. Your testimony is a powerful tool to further the relationship and point some one to Jesus

Jesus offers a gift.

He tells the woman at the well that if she would have asked him for a drink that he would give her a drink of water that would satisfy her soul forever. Of course she did not understand what he was talking about. She told him that he was talking crazy talk. She said that Jesus was not greater than Jacob and even if this water existed, he could not get to it because he didn’t have anything to draw the water.

Jesus then tells her the blessing of the gift he can give her. He tells her that the water he gives can quench her thirst forever. This is something that she wants because she would not have to come to the well and face humiliation when she comes. She still doesn’t grasp the full measure of the blessing Christ is offering but it is something she wants.

We too are to offer a gift to the lost. Our gift to them is a friendship that will lead them to the living water. We must be patient and continue to live our lives before them in a manner that is honoring to Christ. When they witness it, they will not understand it, but will have a desire for it. Just as the woman at the well asked Jesus to give her some of this water, they too will ask you why you live your life the way you do.

Confront Sin

Now that this woman desires the gift of God, Jesus shares how she can receive it. He exposes her sin. He tells her to go get her husband. She says she does not have one. Then he says that she has had 5 husbands and is now living in an adulterous relationship. He is giving her an opportunity to repent of her sin, so she can receive the gift of God.

Initially she does not repent but turns the conversation into a religious conversation. This is not repentance, but a way to change the subject. She tells Jesus that she perceives him to be a prophet and that she has a different religion than Him. She says that they worship in a different place and have different beliefs. Jesus explains that it is not your religion that is important, but it is your relationship with the Lord.

We must reveal sin, so they can be saved.

This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of the relationship because it is uncomfortable for both of you. We must not confront sin from a judgmental standpoint, but help them discover it for themselves. They will typically already know what their area of sin is, because the Holy Spirit will begin to convict them. You know that the Lord is working on them, when they ask you about their sin. It is our job to point them to the word of God and show them what He says about their sin. This takes the judgment away from us and rightfully puts it on God. True repentance can only come when they discover their sin and desire a change. This cannot happen by telling them that they are worthless and going to hell. We must share truth, but doing it in a loving way.

Share the Gospel

The Samaritan woman confesses her need for a Savior. She says that the Messiah will show her the way to salvation. Jesus says to her that He is the Messiah. We see that she receives salvation because she goes to the men she commited sin with and confesses that she has found the Messiah. The men came and received salvation as well.

When do we share the gospel?

I am asked, at what point in the relationship do you share the gospel? Every opportunity you get. Anytime you are talking to a lost person you should be sharing what Jesus is doing in your life and what he has done in your life. Eventually, they will ask you if Jesus is doing this in your life, how can he do this in my life? It is at this point that they are ready to hear the gospel.

Just as the woman at the well had to come to the understanding that she was a sinner in need of a Savior, so to the lost person must come to that conclusion themselves. It is our job to tell them. Next week we will be discussing how to share the gospel with the lost.