An Illustration of Missions

An Illustration of Missions

* Turn with me now in your Bible to John chapter 4.

* Two Sundays ago, when I preached to you a sermon on missions, I mentioned this passage about the woman at the well and reminded you of Jesus’ commands to his disciples concerning missions:

* Turn with me again to John chapter 4 and look with me at verse 34.

* We come now to the story of Jesus witnessing to the woman at the well.

* The disciples had brought food to Jesus and were trying to persuade Jesus to stop and eat. Here is where we enter the story:

* Jesus had just witnessed to a woman who had come to draw water from the community well.

* Jesus told her that He could give her living water that would cause here never to thirst again.

* By that “living water” Jesus was speaking of “eternal life” and receiving the Holy Spirit by believing on Him.

John 4:13–14 (KJV 1900)

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

* Now we find Jesus, still talking to the woman, and the disciples not knowing what had just taken place, walk up on Jesus and the woman still talking at the well:

John 4:25–27 (KJV 1900)

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

* As the story continues, the Samaritan woman, who was despised by the Jews by the way, believes on Jesus and is wonderfully saved!

* At this point in the story, Jesus gives two commandments to his disciples who have begun to listen in on Jesus conversation with this Samaritan woman:

John 4:34–35 (KJV 1900)

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?

behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

* Sunday before last I reminded you of these two commands that Jesus gave his disciples concerning foreign missions, and we applied these tow commands to the mission of our church:

I. Lift up your eyes.

* We need to “lift up our eyes,”, , or in other words take some time from our busy lives, and our church programs- pause what we are doing and take the time to open our eyes to the need of the Gospel in the world.

* It is good and right that we spend time and money studying the Bible.

* It is good and right that we spend time and money to witness to the folks in our local area with things like the Wagon Trains and the camp that we are trying to get off the ground.

* I suggested to you Sunday before last, that it is also good that we spend time and money supporting foreign missions and missionaries and take part in sending them around the world, in places where the Gospel of Jesus is not being preached.

* This is the very purpose of the existence of the church.

* Supporting missions and missionaries should be a part of the ministry of every Bible believing church.

II. Look on the fields.

* We need to look around for specific places where we can help.

* I spent much time with you suggesting how we as a church might fulfill Jesus commands to 1). Lift up our eyes and 2). Look on God’s fields.

* This morning I would like to show you one additional thing about this story of the woman at the well.

* John not only recorded Jesus commands to his disciples, but just so there’s no doubt what Jesus meant by his commands to lift up their eyes, and look on the fields, John gives us an example of what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples:

* Look with me now at John chapter 4 and verse 39:

John 4:39 (KJV 1900)

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified… He told me all that ever I did.

* The very first thing that this woman did after that she had received eternal life, was to run out and tell everybody she met, how they too could be saved and receive eternal life!

* When the apostle John penned the story of the woman at the well, he made sure that he included this example of how this woman, after that she was saved, ran back to her city and told everybody she knew about Jesus.

* The entire city came out to meet Jesus, and many were saved.

* Jesus said in verse 36 that there would be a great reward for those who obey his commands to lift up our eyes and look on the fields of those nations that need to hear the Gospel!

John 4:36 (KJV 1900)

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

* Sure is costs money, and it takes a sacrifice to love and pray for missionaries and their families and for churches to send out missionaries around the world, but according to Jesus that sacrifice will be rewarded:

Psalm 126:4–6 (KJV 1900)

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Illustration:

* I was reading a sermon this week about missions by the former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago Harry Ironside.

* In this sermon, Harry Ironside shared an illustration that caught my attention:

* He said that once some people were standing on the shore of the ocean and saw a shipwreck oout on the horizion.

* They could see what looked like a man clinging to the mast of the damaged ship.

* Some men rushed and got into a boat and rowed out to rescue this man.

* When they got to the wreck, they saw that the man had tied himself to the mast of the ship, and was hanging there unconscious.

* After they had returned to shore the man began to regain consciousness, but could only get out the words “there’s another man!” and lose consciousness again.

* The men rushed back out to sea and searched the damaged ship and found the second man and brought him to safety also.

* If we have been truly saved by the grace of God like the woman at the well in our story, we should respond like that man that was rescued at sea “There’s another man” out there that needs to be saved!

* People say sometimes, “Well, I don’t believe in foreign missions.” We don’t need to spend all that money and effort when we have people right here in this country that need help.”

* Will I say to you that you should be ashamed of yourself if that’s what you think!

* You should be very thankful that somebody else “did believe in foreign missions!“

* If somebody had not believed in foreign missions long ago, you and I would be poor heathen still living in the ignorance of God. We would still be lost and in sin and corruption, lost and without hope of eternal life!

* Here in America we abound with the blessings of God because somewhere in the past, someone believed in foreign missions!

* They believed in foreign missions so much that they gave money and sent a missionary who left the safety of his home, to tell our forefathers in England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, and the list goes on and on- about how Jesus could save them and give them eternal life.

Conclusion:

* I close this morning with the text of the message Sunday before last:

Text: Romans 10:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

* Jesus said Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

* I recommend to this church as your pastor that it would be a step in obedience to Jesus teaching if we would place another offering plate, next to the one already there for the needs of the church, one for us to designate for foreign missions.

* May God lay upon our hearts a burden for men in other places around the world to be saved.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16–20 (KJV 1900)

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.