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Opening Question
I ask us all for a moment, to bow our heads and close our eyes in a posture of prayer together.
Every head bowed, every eye closed, even those watching online on the live-stream.
You say, “this sounds like an altar call or an invitation,” and you are absolutely right!
The invitation is beginning right now! Indeed, it has already begun.
As we prepare to open God’s Word, I want us all to reflect, prayerfully, upon one simple, and significant question.
Why are WE here?
What I mean is this —
We were not forced to come here this morning.
Better yet, we were not prohibited from coming here this morning, thank God!
Each one of us came freely, exercising a freedom that we have been blessed with, to spend this hour in this place for a purpose.
I’m asking us this question, what is that purpose?
Why are we here?
As we continue in a posture of prayer, let me ask this in a more personal way now.
“Why are YOU here?”
For what reason have YOU, dear brother, dear sister, dear friend — for what reason have YOU gathered in this Sanctuary of the Lord, on this Lord’s Day, this Sunday?
This is a question only YOU can answer, and in truth, one that only God can reveal.
You have permission to be honest before the Lord.
He knows the truth anyway!
You may say to Him, “I honestly don’t know why I’m here!
I’ve never thought about it!
For five decades I’ve never thought about it.”
Well then ASK Him now!
And think about it right now.
Allow the Holy Spirit to examine and search and expose whatever purpose, whatever cause, whatever ambition, whatever impulse, whatever passion, whatever motivation lies in the depth of your heart.
Is He revealing an answer to you?
Let us pray.
Pray
Would you reveal to me, and to us, the true purpose in our hearts for our gathering together this morning?
Would you grant that we may have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe Your Holy Word.
We ask this together in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Church, thank you for that prayer and important reflection.
I wonder, did the Lord reveal an answer to you?
“Why are you here?”
That is an important question to answer this day and every Sunday, and it is a significant question in our text this morning.
Now that we have prayerfully prepared, will you exercise your freedom to hold a copy of God’s Holy Word, and open it with me to the Gospel according to John.
John, Chapter 4.
If you have a pen, notepad, some way of taking notes, that will be helpful to you as well this morning.
If nothing else, have your Bible open and follow along and see for yourself what God’s Word says.
Have you found John 4?
I will read in our hearing verses 7 through 10.
This is God’s Word:
I. Reading of Scripture
If you receive this as God’s Word, would you say “Amen”?
Amen!
[Title Slide]
Why Are You Here? | John 4:1-42
II.
Introduction
A. Introduction to Theme
One important subject in John 4 is the subject of worship: the worship of God.
The true worship of God.
In fact, this a pivotal text on worship in the New Testament.
You don’t have to take my word for this, because you will see it for yourself.
The subject of worship will become the central focus of conversation between Jesus and this woman of Samaria.
If worship is the subject of this passage, then the witness of worship might be the theme.
The context - the location, the subjects involved, the conversations, the questions, the backgrounds all reveal for us that witness and worship go together.
I want us to think together about “the witness of worship.”
That word “witness,” if that is an unfamiliar word for you, simply means “to testify.”
“To provide information to someone else, about what you know and have experienced.
(see BDAG, LN).
This is who, Jesus said, His followers would be.
Before ascending into Heaven, Jesus said:
If you are a follower of Jesus, if the Holy Spirit has come upon you, then you are a witness for Jesus.
You have experienced Jesus.
You know Jesus and your life becomes a witness for Jesus in all that you say and do.
People are watching you!
B. Introduction to Text
John chapter 4 begins with a clear set-up for witness, for Jesus is positioned in a place to meet a person that is very different from Him.
This is how Jesus arrived at the place where this important conversation was going to take place with the Samaritan woman.
He abandons Judea for Galilee.
Geographically, Judaea was in the south, Galilee was in the north, and Samaria was in between (see GCM).
Verse 4 tells us that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.”
That was the more direct route to Galilee, but it was not the only route.
It is important to know, that the Jews detested the Samaritans.
The Samaritans were brought in by the Assyrians and were a mixed people, intermingled.
They are not pure Jews, they are half this or that.
They were culturally different.
They were theologically different.
They were looked down upon by the pure Jew - and they were lost without Christ!
Samaritans formed their own worship, with their own priests, centered upon their own mountain, Mt.
Gerazim, the place where Joshua had cut the covenant when Israel entered the land.
(for the above two, see A.Ross lecture notes and RHG).
A Jew would rarely go to Galilee through Samaria and if he did, he would cross the Jordan, travel up through Peraea, and enter Galilee a more difficult and different way (GCM).
But not through Samaria.
Jesus was going through Samaria.
Our Lord shows us that being a witness challenges popular passions and prejudices.
Being a witness will take us to frowned upon places, upon unfavorable routes, and lead to uncomfortable conversations.
Put simply - being a witness requires doing unpopular things.
Why?
Because being a witness is telling people that don’t know, what they don’t know!
We have to go to them!
They are not coming to us.
And this leads to the first intimation of our question, “Why are you here?”
Jesus is weary from his journey and thirsty.
His disciples are not there to draw water, but this woman from Samaria, she comes to draw water.
So Jesus begins a conversation with a question.
Asking for a favor.
“Give me a drink.”
Now, notice the cultural language in her response:
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