Participants:
Series Code: DPM
Program Code: DPM000026A
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00:04 John Chapter 4, beginning in verse 4.
00:09 The Bible says, 00:11 "But He needed to go through," where? 00:14 "Samaria. 00:16 So he came to a city of Samaria, 00:18 which is called Sychar near the plot of ground 00:21 that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. 00:24 Now Jacob's well was there. 00:27 Jesus, therefore being wearied 00:29 from His journey sat thus by the well, 00:32 and it was about the sixth hour, 00:35 that's about noon time. 00:36 And a woman of Samaria came to draw water. 00:40 Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink" 00:44 for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 00:49 Then the woman of Samaria said to him, 00:51 "How is it that you being a Jew, 00:54 ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? 00:57 For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." 01:01 Verse 10, "Jesus answered and said to her, 01:05 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 01:09 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, 01:11 and He would have given you living water." 01:14 Now let's pause here for a second. 01:16 Here in Chapter 4, 01:18 Jesus had been working in the area of Judea. 01:21 But because of all the prejudice 01:23 of the Pharisees and all the obstacles 01:25 they put in His path, Jesus felt as though 01:27 it was time to go to a different field of labor. 01:31 So they decided to move from Judea 01:34 and start working in the areas that was known as Galilee. 01:38 Now in order to go from Judea to Galilee, 01:41 that was at least a full day's journey. 01:45 So Jesus and the disciples decide to get up 01:47 at the crack of dawn early the next morning 01:50 and travel as far as they possibly can. 01:53 Now, why do you suppose they decided to travel 01:54 at the crack of dawn? 01:56 What do you think? 01:58 It's the coolest part of the day. 02:00 Nobody wants to travel along the hot dusty roads of Israel, 02:04 while the afternoon sun is beating down on your back. 02:07 It's best to travel in the coolest part of the day. 02:11 And when truth be told, 02:13 that's probably what you and I do 02:14 whenever we have to go on a long road trip. 02:16 I know there have been many times for Marquita 02:18 and I, we travel a lot, 02:20 that if we have to go on a long road trip, 02:22 and we're driving, we prefer to get up 02:24 early in the morning when it's cool 02:26 and to go as fast as we can. 02:29 However, the reason that we did it, 02:31 that was more because of the kids. 02:33 See, we had a strategy. 02:35 And what we would do is this, we thought, you know, 02:38 if we just get up at like 4 o'clock in the morning, 02:41 and pack the car the night before, 02:43 we can get the girls out of bed 02:45 and this was when they were little, 02:46 with their pajamas still on and we can just pick them up, 02:50 get them situated in the backseat. 02:52 They'll still be sleeping and then we can drive hours 02:55 down the road in peace and quiet. 02:58 How many people ever tried that? 02:59 Let me see your hands who got kids. 03:01 Yeah, we did it, I did it, ever work for you? 03:03 It never worked for us. 03:05 It seemed like we'd get a half hour down the road. 03:07 And you know what? Eyes are wide awake. 03:10 Oh, where are we going? What are we doing? 03:12 Are we there yet? 03:13 You know, and they're wide awake 03:15 because it's an adventure. 03:16 So that never worked for us. 03:18 Now Jesus and the disciples, they obviously, 03:21 I don't think they had children on this journey. 03:23 But they got up early in the morning, 03:25 and they travel for hours along the dusty road of Israel. 03:30 And it tells us in the passage that finally noon time came, 03:34 and they've been traveling all morning long, they're hot, 03:38 they're tired, they're hungry, they're weary, 03:42 and they need to stop and rest for a while. 03:46 But there's one problem. 03:47 At that point, 03:49 they are traveling right through Samaria. 03:54 This is not a place where the disciples want to be 03:57 because there is great hostility 03:59 and prejudice between Jews and Samaritans. 04:04 It's kind of almost like 04:05 when we're traveling along the road. 04:07 You know, now my wife is very, very picky about 04:09 rest areas that we stop at. 04:11 If she doesn't like the look of it, 04:13 or it doesn't look safe, or maybe it's dark and dingy, 04:16 she's like, move on, we'll just stop somewhere else. 04:19 But you know, when you've got a couple of kids 04:21 in the backseat who are crying, they're fussing, 04:23 they're tired of being in a car, 04:25 or you have a little one with a poopy diaper, 04:28 if you hope to have any sanity or peace and quiet, 04:31 you better stop at that restaurant 04:33 no matter what it looks like, 04:34 because you do not have a choice. 04:37 Well, that's kind of the way it is 04:38 for the disciples here. 04:40 They prefer not to stop here near Sychar, 04:43 a Samaritan village, 04:44 but when you're hot, tired and hungry, 04:47 and the next village is many miles down the road, 04:50 you do not have a choice. 04:52 So the Bible records they stop and they rest for a while 04:56 in this place where Jacob's well is. 05:00 Now to help us understand the story, 05:03 I want to explain to you a little bit 05:04 where this hostility between Jews and Samaritans come from 05:08 because it gives us a really good context here. 05:11 Back in the days of King David and King Solomon, 05:15 you remember that after Solomon reigned, 05:17 the kingdom of Israel broke apart 05:19 into two different divisions. 05:22 You had the northern kingdom, 05:23 which was known as Israel or it was also called Samaria. 05:28 And you had the southern kingdom of Judah. 05:31 Well, what happened is one of the most wicked king 05:35 and queen duos that probably ever lived, 05:38 reigned in Samaria for about 40 years 05:40 and led them into total apostasy. 05:43 You know who that king and queen duo was? 05:46 It was Ahab and Jezebel. 05:49 Turned the people of the northern kingdom 05:51 from worshipping false gods, 05:52 sacrificing their children to Moloch, 05:55 ignoring the prophets of the Lord, 05:57 I mean lead them in a total degradation 06:00 and rebellion against God. 06:02 And so God would send 06:03 His prophets like Elijah and Elisha, 06:05 plead with them to turn back to God. 06:08 And finally God said, "Listen, if I can't get your attention 06:11 through the prophets, then I'm going to let 06:13 one of your pagan name neighbors conquer you 06:17 and take you into captivity." 06:19 And that's exactly what happened. 06:21 The nation of Assyria came in 06:23 and defeated the northern kingdom 06:25 and took many of the people captive 06:27 to Assyria. 06:29 And then what Assyria did 06:31 is they took their own people, and they repopulated 06:35 parts of the northern kingdom known as Samaria. 06:38 And so over a period of decades, 06:41 the pagan religions of Assyria 06:44 began to mix with the Jewish faith. 06:47 And you began to have 06:48 this mixture of truth and error. 06:51 And so while the Samaritans 06:52 did have some of the truths of the Jews 06:54 and the Old Testament, 06:56 they also were involved in idol worship and idolatry 06:59 and worshipping other gods. 07:01 And so because it wasn't a true and pure Jewish faith, 07:07 the Jews of the southern kingdom 07:09 looked at those of the northern kingdom 07:11 as not true Jews, 07:13 and they wanted nothing to do with them. 07:16 They won't eat with them, they won't talk with them. 07:19 They tried to avoid business with them, 07:21 because to interact with them would keep them unclean. 07:26 And so that's the mindset 07:28 that the disciples had been brought up, 07:30 and that's where this hostility had come from. 07:34 And so now while they're resting 07:35 in Jacob's well, then comes verse 8, 07:39 a verse that normally we skip over. 07:42 I don't want you to miss this. 07:44 Apparently, while Jesus is resting at the well, 07:48 outside the city of Sychar, 07:50 in this hated region of Samaria, 07:54 apparently, the disciples come to Him and say, 07:57 "Listen, you sit here 07:59 by the well and rest for a while, 08:02 we'll go into the city and buy some food. 08:07 And then we'll bring it out to you." 08:10 You find anything strange about that? 08:13 Think about it. 08:15 We'll go into the city and buy some food. 08:18 And we'll bring it out to You Jesus 08:20 while You sit here by the well, 08:22 You don't have to go in to this city. 08:25 You know what's happening here? 08:27 You can see 08:29 the disciple's hostility and hatred 08:31 towards the Samaritan people, 08:33 because they do not believe those people 08:35 are worthy to have Jesus come into their village. 08:39 Where in the gospels do you ever read of Jesus 08:43 staying outside of a city instead of going in 08:46 and ministering to the people? 08:48 Where in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John do we ever read that 08:51 Jesus sits in a place outside the city 08:54 and tells the disciples go get some food 08:56 and bring it out to me? 08:57 You never see that. 08:59 Remember what Jesus' method of ministry was? 09:02 A personal one. 09:04 He went in as long as he was welcomed, 09:06 He stayed with the people in their homes. 09:08 He ate with them. 09:10 He mingled and associated with them. 09:13 He stayed in small group with them 09:15 by the sea shores and by the mountainside. 09:17 He engaged them and became their friend, 09:21 that was Jesus' method of ministry. 09:23 Never did He stay outside of a city and say, 09:25 "Just go in and give me some food. 09:26 I'm not going to go in there." 09:29 So you see, when Jesus recognizes 09:31 the hostility His discipleshad towards people of another race, 09:36 and people of another religion for that matter, 09:39 He knows that's going to be a problem. 09:42 Because when it comes to them 09:43 fulfilling the gospel commission, 09:46 when it comes to them having to take the gospel 09:48 to the world after He dies and resurrects 09:50 and ascends back to heaven, 09:51 He knows that's going to be an issue 09:53 because you cannot fulfill the gospel commission 09:56 when you have prejudice 09:57 in your heart with people of other cultures, 10:00 other lands or other religions. 10:02 That's going to be a huge barrier. 10:06 But Jesus doesn't address it, at least not then. 10:09 He waits till the end of the story 10:11 to deal with it. 10:13 So while the disciples 10:14 are inside of Sychar looking for food, 10:18 Jesus sits by the well and rests for a while. 10:22 And as He rests, 10:25 a very interesting interaction takes place. 10:30 After a while Jesus notices 10:32 there is a lone Samaritan woman 10:35 leaving the village and coming out to the well 10:39 in order to get some water. 10:41 And as soon as Jesus sees her, 10:43 He knows that something is wrong. 10:47 Clue number one, is that she's coming out 10:50 to the well in what part of the day? 10:53 Noontime, afternoon, the hottest part of the day. 10:56 When do you think most people would come 10:58 to the well to get their water? 11:01 Why morning? Coolest part of the day. 11:03 Not only that, 11:05 when are you likely to need water? 11:08 Soon as you wake up. That's first century. 11:11 But you know what? 11:12 Not much has changed in the 21st century. 11:14 I would venture to guess that almost everybody here 11:17 that within 30 minutes of when you get up in the morning, 11:20 you do something that involves water. 11:22 Would that be fair to say? 11:23 You go to the bathroom or you take a shower, 11:26 make yourself a cup of tea, 11:28 wash your hands, brush your teeth, 11:30 at least I hope so. 11:32 The difference is, we can just turn a faucet. 11:35 They had to actually go to a well outside the city 11:37 to get that water. 11:39 So the fact that she is coming in the hottest part of the day, 11:43 instead of the cool morning hours, 11:45 Jesus knows she's avoiding something. 11:47 Something is wrong. 11:50 And then as she gets closer, all Jesus has to do is 11:53 He can look into her eyes, and He can see the pain. 11:58 It's like the pain is written all over her face, 12:01 like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. 12:05 You ever experienced that with someone 12:07 where they didn't have to say a word? 12:09 You didn't even know them, you didn't even talk to them. 12:11 But you could just look at them 12:12 and you could tell that something was absolutely wrong. 12:17 That's what's happening in this interaction 12:19 with this woman who is going to the well. 12:22 And so now at this point, 12:24 Jesus and the woman are alone at this well, 12:26 and no doubt they're just a few feet from each other. 12:29 And so you have this uncomfortable silence. 12:33 You know about that uncomfortable silence? 12:36 If you don't just ride the elevator with someone, 12:38 because what most people do? 12:40 They get in the elevator 12:41 and you're within inches of each other. 12:43 And for most people, what are they doing? 12:44 Where are they looking? 12:46 Straight forward at the dial to see what room, 12:49 you know what floor they're getting off at. 12:51 Everybody knows each other is there 12:53 but nobody wants to say anything. 12:55 It's that uncomfortable silence. 12:58 Same silence that's happening here 13:01 with the woman at the well. 13:03 And finally Jesus does something 13:06 that for His culture is amazing. 13:09 He actually begins to mingle 13:12 and to interact with this woman. 13:15 Now remember what we learn 13:16 about the unwritten rule earlier this morning? 13:19 Religious people do not associate 13:22 with unreligious people. 13:24 Those who are spiritual 13:26 do not mingle with the unspiritual. 13:28 And especially if you're a Jew, 13:31 you do not associate with the Samaritans 13:33 or your life will become unclean 13:36 and corrupted. 13:38 So number one, she's a secular person, 13:40 if we can use that word. 13:42 Number two, she's not of the right faith, 13:44 you might say. 13:46 Number three, she's from a different race 13:48 and a different culture. 13:49 And number four, at least in those days, 13:51 she was a woman. 13:52 Jesus was not supposed to interact with her 13:55 according to the culture that He was living in. 13:58 But Jesus went against these cultural rules, 14:01 He broke the unwritten rule. 14:03 And now He's willing to engage in conversation with her. 14:07 And what's amazing is, 14:09 what's the first thing He says to her? 14:10 You remember? Would you give me a drink? 14:14 Is there anything religious about that? 14:17 Nothing, just would you give me a drink? 14:21 I wonder if that's not what Jesus invites His church 14:24 to do today. 14:25 That is, we're out there in the world, 14:27 and we're interacting with people 14:29 who don't know Him. 14:30 The people in our workplace 14:32 who maybe don't have the same values that we have, 14:35 the people in our neighborhood 14:36 who are making lifestyle choices, 14:38 they're killing themselves. 14:40 People in our schools 14:41 who know nothing about the Bible, 14:43 and perhaps a God who loves them. 14:45 God has put us there to interact with them. 14:48 Amen? 14:49 You realize that all of us are missionaries for Him. 14:53 See a lot of times we'll say, "Oh, well, the pastor, 14:55 he got a call to a church" or someone got a call 14:59 to come to the Springfield Church. 15:01 You know, pastors aren't the only ones 15:03 who receive calls from God, can you say amen? 15:05 See, it's no accident you work at the office 15:08 or the place where you work at. 15:10 You may think it's because you got a good job offer 15:13 but you're there because that's your mission territory. 15:16 You're God's missionary. Amen? 15:18 You don't live in the neighborhood 15:19 you live in by accident. 15:21 You may think, well, I live there 15:22 because I got a good deal with the house. 15:23 No, you're there because God sent you 15:25 to that neighborhood as a missionary. 15:28 You may think, well, I go to the school I go to, 15:30 I got a good scholarship. 15:32 Well, that may be a good fringe benefit. 15:34 You're there because God called you to be there. 15:37 That is your mission territory. 15:39 Every day we interact with people 15:42 that don't know Christ, 15:43 don't know truth, aren't familiar 15:45 with some of the simple foundational 15:47 teachings of the Bible. 15:49 And all God does is He invites us to be 15:52 willing to engage with them, 15:54 interact with them to become their friend. 15:58 Just engage in conversation and see that conversation 16:03 doesn't have to begin with religious things, does it? 16:06 I mean, your first conversation with your neighbor 16:08 probably isn't going to be, "Hey, Jill, 16:09 by the way you ever hear the number 666? 16:11 You know what that's all about?" 16:13 That's probably not going to be your first conversation. 16:15 In fact, Jesus' first conversation 16:17 with this woman had nothing to do with religion. 16:19 He just said, "Would you give me a drink?" 16:22 I wonder if God doesn't invite us 16:25 to engage with others. 16:27 Secular conversation, hey, 16:29 what do you think of this weather, 16:30 it's really great, isn't it? 16:31 Hey, what do you think 16:33 of that Super Bowl game last night? 16:34 Hey, you know, that's a nice dress 16:36 you're wearing, where'd you get it? 16:37 I've been wanting to get that new iPhone. 16:38 How's it working for you? 16:40 You see, well, 16:42 how's that going to bring them to Christ? 16:43 How's that going to get them baptized? 16:45 Friends, one step at a time 16:48 we have to meet people where they are. 16:50 And here's an important point. 16:52 Many times it can be amazing 16:55 how the Holy Spirit can take a conversation 16:59 and turn it in a direction that you never even expected. 17:04 You might simply be talking about the weather 17:06 or other secular, non-religious things. 17:09 But if you've been praying for opportunities, 17:11 if every morning, you've been saying, 17:13 God, will You use me today, 17:15 it's amazing how the Holy Spirit 17:16 can turn things around 17:17 and bring opportunities your way 17:19 that you never even expected. 17:22 And that's not going to happen 17:24 in every conversation most likely, 17:25 but I know one thing, it'll never happen unless 17:28 we're willing to mingle and engage with people. 17:32 And that is what Jesus demonstrates for us 17:35 as He gets to know this woman, 17:37 this Samaritan woman at the well. 17:41 But now, as Jesus crosses cultural norms, 17:45 now have a conversation, 17:47 now that He's gained her trust and see that's important. 17:50 See in our culture, when it comes to talking about 17:52 religion or spiritual things, 17:54 most people won't talk to you about that very quickly. 17:57 It's like when someone comes knocking on your door 18:00 and wants to talk about religion 18:01 and you've never met them in your life, in our culture, 18:04 we kind of tend to shy away from that. 18:06 In our culture, you've got to earn people's trust 18:09 to be able to talk about those things. 18:11 And that trust comes through friendship. 18:14 That's what Jesus is doing. 18:16 His ministry was not evangelism from a distance, 18:19 I'll give you information. 18:20 But you know, I don't want to get involved 18:22 in your life because, you know, I might become unclean, 18:24 you might be a bad influence on me. 18:26 That's not how Jesus ministered. 18:28 Jesus' ministry was to get involved, 18:31 become their friend, seek to reach their heart. 18:36 And so as He does that with this woman, 18:39 now, eventually, now we don't know 18:40 how long this conversation lasted, 18:42 but eventually now 18:44 the conversation does turn towards spiritual things. 18:48 And I want you to pick it up now in verses 15 through 18. 18:53 We're in John Chapter 4, 18:55 and we're going to start looking at verse 15. 18:59 The Bible says, "And the woman said to him," 19:02 because they've talked about living water, 19:04 "Sir, give me this water 19:07 that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 19:11 And Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, 19:15 and come back here." 19:17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." 19:22 Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 19:25 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, 19:28 and the one whom you now have 19:30 is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 19:34 And the woman said to Him, "Sir, 19:36 I perceive that You are a prophet." 19:40 You see what's happening here? 19:42 Now in this conversation, 19:44 the woman begins to reveal the source of her pain, 19:47 she begins to share that she has no husband, 19:50 and the man she's living with now is not her husband. 19:53 And so now the picture 19:55 begins to get clear in Jesus' mind, 19:57 and we start to realize she's a woman, 20:00 who's been in one failed relationship after another. 20:04 She's a woman who's given herself 20:06 to one man after another looking for love, 20:09 looking for acceptance, 20:10 looking for meaning in her life, 20:12 only to be thrown out like a worn-out garment 20:15 that's not wanted anymore. 20:17 That's why she comes to the well alone. 20:20 Because even in the Samaritan city of Sychar, 20:24 she's looked at as a woman of immoral conduct. 20:28 Even in Sychar, she's viewed as a woman 20:32 that has a questionable reputation 20:35 and a character of degradation. 20:38 And the reason she comes to the well 20:40 on the afternoon, 20:41 in the hottest part of the day, is she's avoiding people 20:45 because of the mistakes she made in her life. 20:47 Because for her to come 20:49 to the well in the morning hours, 20:51 that means she has to come 20:52 with all the other women of the city. 20:55 All the other women who know her choices, 20:57 who know her lifestyle, who know the way that 21:00 she is living, and for her to go to the well 21:03 with the rest of the women of Sychar 21:05 and all she got with them for was words of judgment, 21:08 words of reproach, words of criticism, 21:11 and they would take her pain and they would 21:13 just grind her deeper and deeper into the ground 21:16 and intensify the discomfort that she already felt. 21:21 See for her, it was much less painful 21:25 to carry a heavy water pot 21:27 under the middle eastern sun in the afternoon, 21:31 than to go to the well in the morning 21:33 and to face those words of hurt and reproach 21:37 that the women of the town would heap upon her. 21:42 Now when we hear that, we're kind of tempted to say, 21:44 "Oh, shame on those ladies of Sychar, 21:46 they shouldn't have done that." 21:49 You know, before I can look at other people, 21:53 I need to look at myself. 21:55 It's easy for me to say shame on the women of Sychar, 21:58 shame, shame on that person. 22:00 But what is it that Jesus says? 22:03 We look for the speck in someone else's eye. 22:06 And we look, we ignore the plank in our own. 22:10 I have to ask the question, 22:13 do I ever do what the women of Sychar did? 22:18 What about when people 22:19 come to the doors of our church, 22:21 people who know very little about God and truth, 22:24 they don't look like us, talk like us, 22:25 dress like us, eat like us and because 22:28 they don't measure up right away, 22:29 sometimes all we can do is take our bony little finger 22:32 and point it at them in judgment and criticism, 22:35 making them feel worse than they already do. 22:39 Sometimes we expect people to accolade. 22:41 They've been Christians for 20 years 22:43 when they just walk through the door. 22:46 Shame on us when we exhibit 22:48 the characteristics of being the accuser of the brethren. 22:53 When will we learn to accept people 22:56 where they are and may not be where God wants them to be? 23:00 They might not be making choices 23:02 that make God happy. 23:04 But the only way people 23:05 will change is not from criticism 23:07 and condemnation. 23:08 No one has ever been converted 23:10 by words of criticism and reproach. 23:13 What changes people's hearts 23:15 is when someone comes along inside of them and say, 23:18 "I know you're struggling. 23:20 I understand you're not where God wants you to be." 23:22 But instead of trying to ministering to you 23:25 from a distance, all you shouldn't do that, 23:27 you shouldn't say that, you shouldn't eat that. 23:29 But I'm not going to get involved in your life, 23:31 I'm just going to stand back at a distance and tell you 23:33 what you should or shouldn't do. 23:34 That's the Pharisaical approach to ministry. 23:37 Jesus' approach to ministry is, 23:40 "I'm going to get involved in your life. 23:42 I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to reach your heart. 23:46 So I'm going to put my arm around 23:47 and I'm going to help you on this journey 23:49 so that you can grow closer to Jesus." 23:52 And once they get connected to Jesus, 23:54 it's the Holy Spirit that does that work 23:57 of conversion in their heart and then those things 24:00 that really don't match up with the character of Jesus, 24:02 the Holy Spirit through time begins to work that change 24:06 and that transformation in their heart. 24:08 Can you say amen? 24:09 That's what's happening here with this woman of Samaria. 24:12 Jesus is interacting with her. 24:16 And so when people don't meet our standard, 24:18 so to speak, when we don't see people 24:20 growing as fast as they should, 24:23 Jesus invites us to do as He did. 24:25 Don't stand back in judgment, engage with them, 24:29 be their friend, get involved in their life. 24:32 Let God use you as a missionary. 24:35 Not a Pharisee who stands at a distance 24:38 and looks for everything that's wrong. 24:40 But as a disciple of Jesus, who's willing to get their 24:43 hands dirty, so to speak, and willing to stand 24:45 side by side with a Samaritan, a Samaritan who's struggling 24:50 and a Samaritan who doesn't know 24:52 who Jesus is. 24:54 Because truth be told, all of us 24:58 were Samaritans at one point in our life. 25:01 All of us needed someone to come beside of us and show us 25:04 truth and lead us to the feet of Jesus. 25:06 He invites us to do the same. 25:09 Where is it in our Christian experience 25:11 that we forgot that it was friendship 25:14 that was used to bring me to Christ? 25:17 Why am I not turning around and doing the same thing 25:21 that someone has done for me? 25:24 Are there Samaritans in your workplace? 25:27 Are there Samaritans in your neighborhood? 25:29 Are there Samaritans in the schools where we go? 25:32 Jesus invites us, engage with them, 25:35 it's time to become their friend. 25:38 Because if lost people matter to Jesus, 25:42 then lost people ought to matter 25:43 to the church of Jesus and those of us 25:45 who call ourselves His disciples. 25:47 Can you say amen? 25:50 But now we get to the last part of this story. 25:53 And this is the part now where the disciples come back 25:56 from the city of Sychar 25:58 and the woman goes back into the city 26:00 and Jesus now is sitting by Jacob's Well, 26:03 and he has a very pointed conversation 26:07 with His disciples. 26:08 Okay, so now the focus has changed. 26:10 The first part of the focus was the conversation 26:12 with the woman. 26:13 At the end of the story, 26:15 the focus is now on the conversation 26:17 Jesus is having with His church. 26:20 John Chapter 4, let's pick it up in verse 31. 26:25 Verse 31, the Bible says or verse 30 rather, 26:30 "Then they went out of the city and they came to Him. 26:34 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, 26:36 saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' 26:39 But He said to them, 26:41 'I have food to eat of which you do not know.'" 26:45 Now, they didn't understand that statement right away. 26:47 Verse 33, "Therefore 26:49 the disciples said to one another, 26:51 'Has anyone brought Him something to eat?' 26:55 But Jesus said to them," 26:56 now don't miss the last two verses, 26:58 "My food is to do the will of Him 27:01 who sent Me, and to finish His work.'" 27:05 Here's a good Adventist term, to finish the work. 27:08 Verse 35, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months 27:12 and then comes the harvest?'" 27:14 Now I believe the whole story is now encapsulated 27:17 in this next sentence. 27:18 Jesus looks at them and He says, 27:21 "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes 27:25 and look at the fields, 27:27 for they are already ripe for the harvest." 27:33 What's happening here? 27:35 The disciples come back from Sychar. 27:38 They saw Him talking to this Samaritan woman. 27:40 She makes her way back to the city. 27:43 So now the disciples bring Him the food 27:45 that perhaps He was waiting for. 27:47 And they say, "Jesus, Master, please eat." 27:50 And then Jesus says something that just confounds them. 27:52 He says, "I have food to eat, you know nothing about." 27:56 Now they think He's talking about 27:57 actual physical food and they're like, 27:59 ifs somebody else bring Him bread, 28:00 what happened here? 28:02 But you know what Jesus was saying? 28:04 He said the fact that He had an opportunity 28:07 to make a difference in someone else's life, 28:11 the fact that He could plant a seed 28:12 for the gospel in this woman's heart 28:14 that gave Him more satisfaction 28:17 than any piece of bread ever could, amen. 28:20 And if you've ever experienced 28:22 the joy of being able to win someone to Jesus, 28:25 or simply be able 28:27 to make a positive difference in someone's life, 28:30 you know that statement is true. 28:31 That will bring you more joy than any Super Bowl ever could. 28:35 It'll bring you more joy than any pizza 28:38 or any piece of bread ever could, 28:40 because it's a feeling of joy and satisfaction. 28:43 It's hard to put it into words. 28:45 And Jesus was telling them, that's what brings Me joy, 28:49 to be able to be involved 28:50 in other people's lives to plant seeds for the gospel. 28:55 And then He turns 28:57 and He looks those disciples right in the eye. 28:59 And He says a direct word, 29:01 He basically says to them, "Come on, guys. 29:04 Open your eyes. Look at the fields. 29:08 They are all ready, ripe for the harvest." 29:14 Why did Jesus say that? Think about it. 29:18 While Jesus is interacting with this Samaritan woman 29:21 who doesn't know truth, where are the disciples? 29:26 They're in a city, the city of Sychar, 29:29 a city that's filled with who? 29:32 Other Samaritan people, just like that woman. 29:36 People who don't know the Savior, 29:39 people who don't know all the truth, 29:41 people who maybe don't know their right hand 29:43 from their left hand. 29:45 That's how God described the people of Nineveh at times. 29:47 And what is the disciple's attitude? 29:50 They want to get in and they want to get out. 29:54 They're not interested in getting involved. 29:56 They're not interested in ministering to them. 29:59 They're not interested in planting seeds of truth. 30:01 They want to do Pharisaical ministry. 30:04 I'm going to minister from a distance, 30:05 I'm going to meet my need for food, 30:08 and I'm going to get out of there as fast as I can. 30:11 They don't have a mission mindset. 30:13 Jesus knows that's not what 30:15 His church is supposed to be about. 30:16 And that's why He looks at His first century church 30:19 and at His 21st century church today. 30:21 And He says, "Come on people, 30:23 open your eyes and look at the fields. 30:27 They're already ripe for the harvest." 30:31 What Jesus says to them, is to me and He says to you, 30:36 because all around us are people like this woman, 30:40 people who don't know the Lord, 30:43 people who have issues in their life, 30:45 people who know nothing of the Bible, 30:48 people who know little about the love of God. 30:51 And Christ invites us to become His missionaries, 30:55 to engage with them, to simply become their friend. 31:00 That's what it means to be God's remnant in the last days. 31:05 The remnant is not about sitting in pews and singing, 31:07 "Oh, Jesus is coming again," while we sit at a distance 31:11 and do not interact with the people 31:13 who don't know Jesus. 31:15 His church is to be a mission minded church. 31:19 And so today are we willing to say, 31:20 Lord, if there's someone like the Samaritan woman, 31:24 someone who used to be where I was at one time 31:26 that didn't know you, Lord, if they're at my workplace, 31:29 wherever they are, 31:31 Lord I just want you to know, You can use me. 31:35 Maybe you can't explain the 2,300 day prophecy. 31:37 Maybe you can't answer 31:39 every single question in the Bible. 31:40 But you know what? 31:42 We can be a friend, 31:44 because that's where evangelism always starts. 31:49 I want to end with this story. 31:51 Now, I don't like telling this story 31:52 because it makes me look really bad, 31:54 but it has a good point to it. 31:56 I remember when I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska 31:59 and a day came when I had to stop at Walmart 32:02 to pick a few things up by myself. 32:04 You know, pretty much everybody loves Walmart, 32:06 you can go there in one shot 32:07 and just get everything you need. 32:09 So I parked my car, got my shopping cart, 32:12 and I began to meander 32:13 my way through the aisles of Walmart and, 32:15 you know, pick up the few items that I needed. 32:18 Well, fortunately, that only took me 32:20 a few minutes to do. 32:21 And being the male that I am, 32:24 when I went to find a clerk's line to get in, 32:27 what do you think I looked for? 32:29 I looked for the shortest line, you've been there too. 32:32 So I got in what I thought was the shortest line 32:35 and I waited my turn. 32:38 And I remember as we got closer to the front, 32:40 there was this couple ahead of me, 32:42 and I could overhear the clerk talking 32:46 to this couple. 32:47 And what the cashier was saying to them 32:50 absolutely shocked me. 32:52 I couldn't believe it. 32:55 This cashier was telling 32:56 the customer telling this couple 32:58 how much she hated her mother. 33:01 She hated when her mother came to visit, 33:03 how she had such an awful childhood. 33:05 She doesn't like when her mom calls 33:07 and she doesn't care if she ever sees her mom again. 33:10 I mean, she's spilling all this out to the customer. 33:14 Now, I'm pretty sure 33:15 that's probably against Walmart policy. 33:17 I don't think they train cashiers that way. 33:20 And I could tell these people were uncomfortable. 33:23 Because you know, you go through Walmart, 33:24 you're not expecting the cashier to spill out 33:27 all their baggage on you. 33:28 They didn't know what to say. 33:30 You know, they just kind of nervously laughed and said, 33:32 "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." 33:35 And I remember as I was listening to this, 33:37 it's like the Holy Spirit spoke to my mind and said, 33:40 "David, now it's your opportunity. 33:43 Now you can say something." So my turn came. 33:48 I remember as I walked up to the front, 33:50 we looked at each other and we exchanged glances. 33:55 I began to get out my items from the shopping cart 33:57 and putting them on the conveyor belt. 34:00 She took them one by one 34:02 and ran them across the scanner, 34:04 their price appeared on the screen. 34:07 When the total price came up, 34:09 I got my debit card out of my wallet 34:11 and I kind of slid it through 34:12 that little machine they have and the price appeared. 34:16 I signed the slip. 34:18 And then we exchanged glances again. 34:21 And then it was at that very moment, 34:24 that very moment. 34:26 I turned around, 34:28 took my shopping cart and I walked away. 34:33 And I said nothing. 34:38 And I remember as I walked out to the car, 34:41 and I drove home, I can't even begin to explain 34:47 the bitter feeling of horror and guilt that overwhelmed me. 34:53 Because I knew, I knew 34:56 I missed a God given opportunity. 34:59 See, it was no accident I went to Walmart that day. 35:03 It was no accident I found myself 35:05 in that cashier's line. 35:07 And it was no accident that 35:08 she was talking about her mother 35:10 at the very time I was going through it. 35:13 But me, who considers himself a disciple of Jesus, 35:17 me who's supposed to be a mature Christian pastor, 35:20 I could look a hurting person in the eyes, 35:23 and I could turn around and I could say nothing. 35:29 You know why I said nothing? 35:32 I'm going to be transparent, because I was scared. 35:38 I was afraid, wow, 35:39 if I talk religion to this woman, 35:41 if I talk about spiritual things, 35:42 what are the people behind me going to say? 35:43 They're going to hear all this 35:45 and they'll think I'm some kind of 35:46 religious fanatic. 35:48 And because I was centered on myself, 35:52 because I was scared about 35:53 what other people thought, 35:55 I said nothing. 36:00 I remember the next time I went back to Walmart, 36:01 I looked for that cashier the next two or three times. 36:05 But you know what? I never saw her again. 36:10 To this day, that one still hurts. 36:13 That one still smirks. I know God still loves me. 36:17 I know He didn't take my name out of the book of life 36:19 because of that. 36:21 But I vowed that I would never allow 36:22 that to happen again 36:24 when God brings an opportunity in my life, 36:26 because at the very least, at the very least, 36:29 I could have said, "Ma'am, I heard what you said, 36:31 I just want you to know God loves you 36:33 and I'll be praying for you." 36:35 At the very least, I could have said that. 36:39 My prayer today is that you 36:41 and I would be able to lift up our hands and say, 36:43 Lord, if there's anyone like this Samaritan woman, 36:47 if there's someone like this cashier in my life, 36:50 Lord, I'm asking you to open up my eyes 36:53 and help me to see the opportunities that 36:54 You want to give me every single day 36:58 because I firmly believe, 37:00 if we're asking for opportunities, 37:02 God will give it. 37:03 What would happen if we said, 37:05 "God, I'm going to look for the five minutes 37:07 You give me today to make 37:08 a positive difference in someone's life." 37:10 It might be in a small way, it might be in a large way. 37:13 But those opportunities won't come unless we're asking, 37:16 what would happen 37:18 to the Seventh-day Adventist Movement? 37:20 What would happen to the Christian church, 37:22 if every single member said, 37:23 God, I'm going to look for that one opportunity that 37:26 You're going to give me every single day. 37:29 I'll tell you what will happen. 37:30 This movement would change 37:32 the face of the world like it did in its early days. 37:35 Because our Christianity, 37:36 the religion of Jesus has got to go beyond 37:39 just memorizing doctrine in our minds. 37:41 That's important. 37:42 But now it's got to be lived saying, 37:44 "Lord, I'm Your missionary. 37:46 If You want me to make a difference in someone's life, 37:48 here I am, Lord, use me, 37:50 open my eyes and help me to see the fields of labor." 37:56 Are you willing to pray that prayer today? 37:59 Because when you open yourself to God, 38:02 religion doesn't become a boring thing 38:05 of just sitting in a pew listen to a thousand sermons 38:07 for the rest of your life. 38:09 Religion start to become something you live, 38:12 because the religion of the pew 38:14 is very different than the religion of Jesus. 38:18 It was the Bible who said true religion is 38:22 when we give ourselves to God, And when we give ourselves 38:26 to be involved in the lives of other people. 38:29 May our prayer today 38:31 be what Jesus said to His disciples, 38:33 Lord, open my eyes, 38:35 and help me to see the fields that are before me. 38:40 Heavenly Father, Lord, we confess to You that 38:45 there have been many opportunities 38:46 that we have missed, for one reason or another. 38:50 Father, we know that You still love us 38:51 and You have forgiven us. 38:53 You understand our imperfections 38:55 and our human weakness. 38:57 But today as a church 38:58 we want to say, Lord, open my eyes, 39:01 and if there's someone, Lord, 39:02 who used to be where I was not knowing you, 39:05 if there's someone like this woman at the well, 39:08 Lord, we give You permission, 39:10 bring that person across our path. 39:12 Help us know what it is to be a friend 39:14 and a missionary for You that someone's life 39:17 might be better in a positive way. 39:21 And then our life as well may be able to grow. 39:24 In fact with our eyes closed and our hands right now, 39:27 you would like to say, heavenly Father, 39:29 I give You permission to bring a woman 39:31 at the well into my life this week, 39:33 I would invite you to raise your hand. 39:35 Lord, you see every hand that is raised. 39:37 We ask that You would answer this prayer, 39:39 engage us in ministry for You. 39:43 We ask and pray, in Jesus' name, amen. 39:53 It was the year 1450 39:55 and a great discovery had been made in the country of Germany. 40:00 The man's name was Johann Gutenberg. 40:04 And his discovery would eventually become known 40:06 as the modern-day printing press. 40:09 It was literally an invention that changed world history. 40:14 Because up to that point, 40:15 if people wanted to share their ideas 40:18 with the world or copy things, 40:20 they had to do it by hand, one word, one letter at a time, 40:26 and progress was painstakingly slow. 40:30 But when the printing press was invented, 40:32 and improved upon mass quantities 40:35 could be made in a very short period. 40:38 And so now people could share their thoughts, 40:40 their ideas with the rest of the world, 40:42 to people in other lands and other cultures. 40:45 And it was an invention that really turned 40:47 the world upside down. 40:50 Well, this morning, I want to take you back 40:52 to another time period in history 40:55 that turned this world upside down. 40:58 A time when a group of people emerged 41:01 that would change human history forever. 41:04 They were known 41:06 as the early Christians of the first century. 41:09 I want to invite you to take your Bibles 41:11 and turn with me to the Book of Acts Chapter 17. 41:16 We're going to go to Acts Chapter 17 41:18 and we want to begin 41:19 by looking at the first six verses. 41:22 And I want you to specifically notice 41:25 and imagine in your mind, 41:27 how is the first century church described 41:30 in these six verses. 41:33 Acts 17:1, the Bible says, 41:38 "Then they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia 41:41 and they came to," where? 41:44 "Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 41:47 As usual, Paul went to them, 41:50 and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them 41:53 from the Scriptures saying; 'This is the Messiah Jesus, 41:58 whom I am proclaiming to you.' 42:00 Then some of them were persuaded, 42:02 and they joined Paul and Silas, 42:05 including a great number of God-fearing Greeks, 42:08 as well as a number of the leading women. 42:11 But the Jews became jealous, 42:14 and when they had brought together 42:15 some scoundrels from the marketplace 42:18 and formed a mob, they set the city in an uproar. 42:23 Attacking Jason's house, 42:24 they searched for them to bring them 42:26 out to the public assembly. 42:29 When they did not find them, 42:30 they dragged Jason and some of the brothers 42:33 before the city officials, shouting, 42:36 'These men who have turned the world 42:39 upside down have come here too.'" 42:44 I want you to notice what that says. 42:46 Paul and Silas are in Thessalonica. 42:48 They're preaching about the Gospel of Jesus, 42:51 and they have quite a response. 42:53 It says many chose to follow them 42:55 including some prominent 42:57 leading women of that particular town. 43:00 And when some of the Jews who were there witnessed this, 43:03 they began to get jealous 43:04 and angry about the gospel message 43:06 and they went searching for Paul and Silas. 43:09 And when they couldn't find them, 43:11 they went to Jason 43:12 who had given them his house to stay in, 43:15 drag him as well as 43:16 some of the other Christian brothers 43:18 before the courts, 43:20 and they city officials and notice what they scream, 43:23 "These men have turned the world upside down, 43:27 and now they're coming to our city too." 43:31 The enemies of the first century Christian church 43:35 describe first century Christianity 43:38 as having such a powerful impact 43:40 upon the world around it. 43:42 They basically said, 43:43 "These people have turned the world upside down." 43:47 Wouldn't you like to be described that way today? 43:49 Can you say amen? 43:51 I mean, every secular history book that 43:54 you read will tell you that 43:56 the first century Christian church 43:58 made a huge impact on the world that was around it. 44:03 It seemed like no matter how much persecution 44:05 Satan brought their way, no matter how many martyrs 44:09 the Roman Empire's blood shed that church 44:12 just seemed to keep growing, 44:14 and its forward movement never stopped. 44:17 That's why the enemies of the gospel say 44:19 these people are turning this world upside down. 44:25 Now the question is, why isn't that happening today? 44:30 Can we describe the 21st century church 44:34 as a church who is turning the world upside down? 44:37 A church that it's making its impact in its community. 44:41 Why isn't the church today quite like that 44:45 first century church and the way it was described? 44:48 I mean, I think if we were all honest, 44:50 we could say that lo though we love our churches today. 44:54 If we were brutally honest, 44:55 we would say we're not quite turning the world upside down 44:59 the way the first century church was. 45:02 And why is that? 45:04 Now if we were to take a survey, 45:06 everybody would have an opinion 45:07 and many people would be right. 45:09 The Conservatives would say, well, it's the liberal's fault 45:12 because they want to compromise the truth. 45:15 The liberals would say, well, it's the conservatives 45:17 because they're just too restrictive 45:18 and nobody wants to be part of that. 45:20 Maybe the young people would blame the old people 45:23 and say they don't want to change. 45:25 The old people would blame the young people and say, 45:27 they don't want to stay on the old path 45:29 and on the right path. 45:31 Maybe the lay people would blame the pastors, 45:33 and maybe the pastors would blame the lay people 45:35 and say they're not motivated enough. 45:38 And while there may be 45:40 a little bit of truth in all of those things, 45:43 I'd like to suggest the problem goes much deeper than that. 45:48 The problem goes as far as, 45:50 have we lost sight of our mission. 45:54 Have we reached a point in 21st century Christianity, 45:58 where we have forgotten that seeking 46:00 and saving the lost is the number one priority 46:05 and the reason for which we happen to exist. 46:08 That's a question we need to be able to answer for ourselves. 46:11 Have we lost the sense 46:14 that we exist for the sole purpose, 46:17 not of entertaining ourselves? 46:19 Not of simply being some kind of social club, 46:22 but to realize that Christ created His church 46:25 for seeking and saving lost people 46:29 who do not know Him. 46:30 Can you say amen? 46:31 And so, let's just take a look 46:33 at how this New Testament Church 46:36 is described in other places of Scripture. 46:39 We want to answer two questions this morning. 46:41 Number one, what was the New Testament Church like? 46:45 And then number two in a very practical way, 46:48 how did they turn the world upside down? 46:51 What was their method of ministry? 46:54 What were the things that they did 46:57 that maybe we're not doing today? 47:00 So we're going to see how they're described, 47:02 and then we're going to see what they actually did. 47:05 So let's start by taking a look at Acts Chapter 2, 47:09 and we're going to look at verses 42 through 47. 47:13 Now this I have printed on the screen. 47:15 But as we read through it, 47:17 I just want you to notice there's four or five things 47:19 in here that specifically describe 47:22 early New Testament Christianity. 47:26 Acts 2:42, the Bible says, 47:30 "And they continued steadfastly 47:32 in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, 47:36 in the breaking of bread," and then what? 47:39 "Prayers. 47:40 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, 47:44 and breaking bread from house to house, 47:47 they ate their food 47:48 with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47:51 praising God and having favor with all the people. 47:55 And the Lord added to the church daily." 47:58 Now won't that be awesome? 47:59 Not just on Sabbath, 48:01 but added to the church daily, those who were being saved. 48:06 And let's notice a few things of how they're described here. 48:08 Number one, it says that 48:10 they were faithful to the apostles' doctrine. 48:13 Well, the apostles taught what Jesus taught. 48:15 So that means they were faithful to the truth. 48:18 They were faithful 48:19 to the things that Jesus taught. 48:21 So apparently being faithful to what Scripture says 48:24 was not a deterrent to their growth. 48:28 You know, some people today say, 48:29 well the truth isn't popular 48:30 that's going to keep you from growing. 48:32 Not so in the first century church. 48:35 If there was any world 48:37 that was hostile to Christianity, 48:39 it would have been the first century world 48:42 but yet them sticking to the truth 48:44 was not a barrier to their growth. 48:47 Can you say amen? 48:48 It also says that they fellowshipped together, 48:51 which means it was a relational church, 48:54 to them the idea of just coming together 48:57 once a week on a Sabbath that never entered their mind, 49:00 of course, they didn't have church buildings 49:02 like we do in the first century. 49:04 They met in home. 49:06 And it says they fellowshipped basically on a daily basis. 49:10 They did not just see each other once a week. 49:14 So it was more than just a group of people 49:16 who believe the same things, 49:18 it was a group of people who actually loved each other 49:21 and were involved in each other's lives, 49:24 they fellowshipped together. 49:27 Third, it says they were devoted to praying together. 49:31 You know, when they came together, 49:32 it wasn't a prayer meeting where you prayed five minutes 49:34 and talked for 55, 49:36 they actually prayed about things 49:37 because they knew the only way 49:39 they could take the gospel to a hostile world 49:42 like the first century is 49:43 if God poured out His Holy Spirit. 49:45 Amen? 49:46 And the fourth one, the one that 49:48 we're really going to focus on today, 49:50 they were completely 100% focused on 49:55 what their mission was. 49:57 There was no doubt in their mind 49:59 what they were supposed to do. 50:01 They didn't have to have 50:02 a meeting for four months to figure out 50:04 what should their mission statement be. 50:07 They already knew, 50:08 they were already on the same page 50:10 because they heard Jesus 50:12 speak these words in Matthew 28:19. 50:15 The Bible says, 50:17 "Go therefore and make disciples 50:19 of all the nations, 50:21 baptizing them in the name of the Father 50:23 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 50:26 teaching them to observe all things 50:28 that I have commanded you, 50:30 and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 50:36 Now, is there anything unclear about that? 50:37 Yes or no. 50:39 Jesus said, "Take the gospel to the world. 50:42 Don't stay in one place." 50:45 You're not meant to stay in Jerusalem 50:46 and build one big church or some big social club, 50:50 your sole purpose is to teach 50:52 the rest of the world about Jesus, 50:55 His doctrines, His teachings, 50:57 and when they accept you are to baptize them 51:00 into the fellowship of the Christian faith. 51:02 Amen? 51:03 That's why they existed, 51:05 not just to sit at around the table 51:07 with each other, you know, 51:08 and just pray and pat each other on the back. 51:11 They had a very specific mission, 51:13 go to the world, 51:14 and then seek and save the lost. 51:18 In fact, the reason they knew this, 51:20 not only did they hear Jesus say it, 51:23 He demonstrated it in His life on earth, 51:25 didn't He? 51:26 They constantly heard Him things, say like, 51:29 the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost. 51:34 He said that over and over again. 51:36 I mean, He would say things like, 51:38 it's not the healthy 51:40 who need a doctor, but the sick. 51:43 I haven't come to call the righteous, 51:47 but sinners to repentance. 51:49 Jesus said that multiple times in various ways 51:53 until it's sunk into the psyche of their mind. 51:56 And Jesus didn't just say it, He demonstrated it. 52:00 Because when you think about it in the gospels, 52:03 who did Jesus spend most of His time with? 52:08 Yeah, unreligious people. 52:12 He didn't spend most of His time with the Pharisees, 52:15 though He did spend time with them 52:16 and probably would have spent more time 52:18 if they had wanted Him to. 52:20 He didn't spend all His time 52:21 with religious people who already knew truth. 52:24 He is described as being with publicans, sinners, 52:28 tax collectors, prostitutes. 52:30 He even called some of them to be one of His 12 disciples. 52:34 Can you say amen? 52:35 And so Jesus didn't just say these things, 52:37 He actually demonstrated it in His life 52:41 by breaking the unwritten rule and spending time with people 52:46 who had serious spiritual issues 52:48 in their lives. 52:49 See, Jesus didn't look at the world as a place 52:52 where I need to avoid it 52:53 or I'll become corrupted by these people. 52:56 He saw them as individuals that He needed to connect with 53:00 because that was the group 53:01 He had come to seek and to save. 53:05 Those early Christians, 53:07 those apostles, they saw Jesus do it, 53:09 they heard Him say these things, 53:11 and now they demonstrated it in their own lives 53:14 to the first century Christian church. 53:17 So the question ought to be, are we doing that today? 53:22 You might say, well, Pastor Dave, 53:24 isn't that the main priority of the church today 53:27 to seek and save the lost? 53:29 Isn't that what we're dealing? 53:32 But the answer is really twofold. 53:33 Yes, and no. 53:35 Yes, it should be our main priority. 53:39 But it's one thing to say it, 53:41 and it's quite another thing to do it. 53:44 It's one thing to proclaim that we care about the lost, 53:48 but to actually live it in our lives through the church 53:51 and individuals, that is a whole another story. 53:55 In fact I'm going to make a statement 53:57 that may be rather surprising. 54:00 But if we're going to make 54:01 the mission of seeking and saving the lost, 54:04 the most important thing in the church today, 54:07 then something is going to have to change. 54:12 Because the way we do things now, 54:14 seeking and saving the lost is not the main priority. 54:19 We're going to have to change 54:20 something about the way we structure things. 54:23 We're going to have to change 54:24 something about the way we do mission. 54:26 We're going to have to change things 54:28 even in our own individual lives, 54:30 because if I say that my church exists 54:33 solely to seek and save the lost, 54:35 that's the highest priority. 54:37 That means that's where I spend my time, 54:40 that's where I spend my attention 54:42 and that's where I spend my money. 54:45 I can say it, but time, attention and money 54:48 shows whether I as an individual 54:51 or as a church and really living 54:52 that in my life. 54:54 In fact to illustrate that, 54:56 let me ask you a question in a practical way. 54:59 How many of you have ever served on a church board 55:02 at any time in your life at any particular? 55:05 Could be this one or other church 55:07 you used to be part of? 55:08 Can I see your hand? 55:09 I mean, any denomination for that matter, 55:11 how many people actually been on a church board? 55:14 Okay, now I'm going to ask you something, 55:15 don't answer it out loud. 55:16 You can just kind of nod your head one way 55:18 or the other, if you like. 55:20 Every church board that I know of has an agenda 55:24 for each meeting, is that correct? 55:26 And on that agenda, it has items, 55:29 which are the things you're going to talk about, 55:31 and hopefully make a decision on. 55:34 If you think of all the agendas 55:36 that you have ever looked at on a church board meeting 55:38 or any committee meeting, if we answer honestly, 55:42 how many of those items ever had anything to do 55:46 with seeking and saving the lost? 55:49 How many of those items 55:50 ever had anything to do with mission 55:53 and reaching people who don't know Jesus? 55:56 And what percent of those items 55:59 were basically inward focused on ourselves? 56:03 Things that dealt with what happens 56:04 inside the four walls of a church. 56:08 If we're brutally honest, 56:11 the vast majority of the items in our agenda have little to do 56:15 with mission and seeking and saving lost people. 56:19 Now, when I was a pastor in Pennsylvania, 56:22 I was the church board 56:24 or the church board chairperson. 56:26 So I was in charge of the agenda 56:28 and so now when I look back at that time, 56:30 and I realized how many things I allowed us to talk about 56:33 that had nothing to do with reaching lost people, 56:36 I'm almost ashamed of myself. 56:39 I remember one meeting in particular 56:41 and I have a feeling some of you can 56:42 probably relate to this. 56:44 Every church board meeting 56:46 usually you have a couple formalities, 56:48 you're supposed to do two reports and what are they? 56:52 Well, come on, if you're still gonna serve on 56:54 a church board? What are they? 56:56 Clerk's report and Treasurer's report. 57:00 Those things are meant to be, 57:01 you know, five, maybe ten minutes long 57:03 just to clarify what's happened in the previous meeting, 57:06 just so everybody knows what's going on with finances. 57:09 Well, I remember one church board, 57:12 we got to the Treasurer's report. 57:15 We spent the next hour to hour and a half 57:20 on the Treasurer's report. 57:22 I wanted to cry. 57:25 Now, it wouldn't have been so bad if we were talking about 57:27 how we can find money to do evangelism 57:30 or to find some kind of outreach ministry to people 57:33 who don't know Jesus, then I wouldn't have minded 57:35 if that's what we were talking about. 57:37 But you know what the hour and a half 57:39 discussion was concerning? 57:41 Whether we should move the money 57:43 from one CD fund to another 57:46 and get half a percent interest more. 57:49 Hi, this is David Klinedinst. 57:52 I hope you've been blessed by the presentation today. 57:55 If you would like more information 57:57 about our ministry 57:59 or about our other seminars and presentations, 58:02 visit our websites at DavidKlinedinst.org 58:07 or DiscoverBibleProphecy.org. 58:11 If you'd like to make 58:12 a donation to keep these sermons on the air, 58:14 you can contact us 58:16 at Discover Prophecy Ministries, 58:18 PO Box 850, Columbia, Maryland 21044, 58:24 or call toll free at 855-774-HOPE. |
Revised 2020-07-17