Woman at the Well

Intentional Evangelism

Jesus went to the lost

The Bible said Jesus was traveling from Judea to Galilee. It says that he HAD to go through Samaria to a town named Sychar. Sychar was out of the way from getting to Galilee. So what does it mean that He HAD to go to Sychar? It means that He had a divine appointment with a Samarian woman to share the gospel. The Bible says that Jesus was at the Jacob’s well around 12:00 noon. This is the the heat of the day, so it is unlikely that women would be getting water at this time. They would usually come in the coolness of the morning. There had to be reason that this woman was coming in the heat of the day. Could it be that she did not want to be around other women? We will soon find out.

We must be like Jesus and seek out the lost. Today we have a culture that says if you want to be saved then go to church. I have news for us. The lost are not coming to church. Those that have a relationship with Jesus are coming to church. It is our responsibility to go to the lost, not to expect them to come to us. However, if you go to them you can invite them to church. You will be surprised at how many people will come from a simple invitation.

So where do the lost hang out? They hang out in the same places we do. They live lives just like we do. They are in the workplace, ball field, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Family gatherings, social circles, restaurants, ect… They are every where we go. We must be intentional in reaching them. So how do we do this?

Jesus met the woman where she was

The Samaritan woman was simply conducting a daily chore of getting water. Jesus started a conversation with her. He simply asked for help getting water. This took her by surprise because she was a Samaritan woman and he was a Jew. The Bible says that the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. This is a polite way to say that they could not stand one another. There was a cultural division between the Jews and Samaritans. Richard Philips says:

John, Volumes 1 & 2 Crossing the Boundaries

In just these few verses, Jesus crossed three barriers. The first was that which separated Samaritans from Jews. In the eighth century B.C., the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and deported the Israelites who lived there. In their place they brought other peoples to populate the land (see 2 Kings 17:24). These Gentiles sought to worship both the gods of their homelands and the local god of the Israelites, so they mixed the religions. This was a grave offense to the Jews, and over the centuries their hatred only grew as the Samaritans developed their own religion akin to Judaism. Because of this, most Jews traveling between Jerusalem and Galilee went the long way around Samaria, and they carefully avoided personal contact with Samaritan people. Rabbi Eliezer taught, “He that eats the bread of the Samaritans is like to one that eats the flesh of swine.” So the first barrier that Jesus crossed was a barrier of ethnic and cultural hatred

Jesus elevated this woman’s need for salvation over the cultural boundaries that had been established over hundreds of years. Jesus did not see Jew or Gentile, man or woman. What He saw was a woman that was lost and needed to be saved.

I find it interesting that we live in the UNITED states of America, but we are one of the most fractured countries. Just think about all the ways we cause division: Rich and Poor, Black and White, Republican and Democrat, Baptist and Methodist, Male and Female, and if that isn’t enough in our state you have Auburn and Alabama. It is almost as if we look for ways to cause division. We would be wise to do away with all these divisions and focus on what really is meaningful division. That is lost and saved. The saved should do all they can to convert the lost. So how do we do this. We can promise the good news of eternal life in Jesus Christ

Jesus Offers Living Water

Jesus said that if she knew who was asking her for water, she would ask Him and He would give her living water. He tells her in verse 13 and 14 that everyone who has the living water will never thirst again. Jesus is offering her something that will bring her ultimate satisfaction in life.

Thirst is a condition that affects all people. Living in Alabama it gets hot. I remember when I played football I would take a 2 liter bottle of water and freeze it the day before practice. When the coach would give us a water break, that melted ice was satisfaction to me. I remember the replenishment that it gave me to carry on the difficult and arduous task of practice. That simple water was satisfying and sustaining. I could not continue to practice without it. If I tried, I would end up dehydrated and be very sick.

The living water that Jesus gives is the Holy Spirit. It is satisfying to the soul. It takes away the deep rooted sin that causes such discomfort in our soul. It refreshes us and changes our desire to walk paths of righteousness. The Holy Spirit also sustains us. Life is difficult and definitely not fair. The Holy Spirit undergirds us and enables us to carry on through difficulties. The Holy Spirit makes us stronger.

We must understand that the lost are living in a weakened and thirsty state. They are weakened because of their sin. Their sin separates them from God. This means that they have to live and endure life in their own strength. The believer has the power of God to live their life. When a lost person has a situation that is beyond there control they have no strength to do anything about it. The believer has the power of God to invoke when they are faced with a situation beyond their control.

Not only is the lost person weakened, but they are also thirsty. They desire something that will bring them satisfaction. The problem is they are consuming the wrong thing to quench their thirst. They are kind of like the thirsty captain on the sea that tries to quench his thirst with the salty sea water. He consumes the sea water only to find that it makes him more thirsty and dehydrated. The lost person is seeking satisfaction in work, relationship, alcohol or drugs, money, fame, power, or anything else the world may offer. The only thing that will bring long-lasting satisfaction is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is the living water that Jesus it talking about.

So how do you get this Living Water? You must repent and believe.

Jesus Deals With Woman’s Sin

Now that Jesus has offered her something that she desires. She says to Jesus, “give me this water, so I will not be thirsty or come all the way here to draw water.” Why is it that she doesn’t want to come to the well to draw water. Could it be the shame of her sin that causes her not to be around other women? Could be that the consequences of her sin cause her to come in the heat of the day? She wants a solution to her problem. Jesus gives her the solution.

He says, “Go call your husband and come here.” This sounds like a simple request, but it cuts to her heart because she has a sin issue with men. Jesus calls her sin out as sin. He tells her that not only has she had 5 husbands but that she’s committing adultery with the man that she is staying with. Jesus knows her sin and wants her to stop seeking satisfaction through her relationship with men. He wants her to have true satisfaction by the living water of the Holy Spirit.

The woman quickly turns the discussion to religion. She points out that they have different beliefs and that she is waiting for a Messiah to show her truth. Jesus shares with her that salvation is not found in religion but in a relationship. He tells here that God seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and truth.

God desires that we have a relationship with Him. We must repent of our sins and be made whole by believing that Jesus is the Messiah and that He died to pay the penalty for our sin.

We must be careful when we share the gospel because many people give a watered down version of the gospel which is no gospel at all. Some people will offer salvation without repentance. They will say is all you have to doe is believe in Jesus and you can be saved. I find no instances in the Bible that support this. Every time the gospel is shared, it requires repentance for salvation.

I believe the reason people avoid it is because it is uncomfortable to discuss. Without discussing repentance then a person can just believe in Jesus and keep doing what they have always been doing. This is taking the name of the Lord in vain.

Though we may not know there specific sin, we do know that they are a sinner. We know this because everyone is a sinner. Kirk Cameron has a brilliant way of addressing this in his evangelism approach called the way of the master. It goes like:

Way of the Master witness encounters are typically initiated with the question “Do you consider yourself to be a good person?” When the individual answers positively, the evangelist will walk him or her systematically through the Law:

1. How many lies do you think you have told in your life?

2. Have you ever stolen something, irrespective of its value?

3. Have you ever taken the Lord’s name in vain?

4. Have you ever looked at a woman with lust?

Then there is a brief summation of the individual’s admissions and the question is asked concerning the individual’s eternal well-being: “In light of your own admission, if God were to judge you by the standard of the ten commandments, do you think you would be found innocent or guilty and would you be going to heaven or hell?”

Once they confess, You can share the promise of the gospel of forgiveness and salvation in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

This woman was confronted with her sin and repented. As we read further in the chapter she went to all the men and told them about Jesus. Jesus saved them and many more.