What a Good Witness Needs to Know
John 4:1-35
I. v7-9 - Don’t Be Afraid of People Who Are Different!
A. This woman was probably someone you wouldn’t want to associate with.
1. She was a woman.
a. In Jewish culture, men were not even supposed to look at women in public.
b. Men & women normally didn’t speak to one another in public unless abso- lutely necessary.
2. She was a foreigner.
a. Samaritans were almost always Jewish half breeds from Assyrian conquest & occupation.
b. In Jewish orthodox circles, even today, if a Jew marries a non Jew their family has a funeral for them - they are considered dead! Racial purity among Jews is very strictly enforced!
3. She had moral implications.
a. Being married & divorced 5 times made her immoral to a Jew.
b. Living with a guy outside of marriage made her really immoral to them.
c. She may have even been a prostitute!
B. Advise for witnessing.
1. Jesus spoke to her anyway.
2. v7 - He used tact to establish rapport: “Will you give me a drink?”
3. When you share your faith use care as you approach people.
II. v10-15 - Lord Jesus Wants to Perform His Ministry In & Through You!
A. v10 - Lord Jesus Himself is present in you through the Holy Spirit He promised you.
1. On the day the church was started, Peter promised, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - Act 2:38
2. The Lord is eager to perform His ministry today in & through you!
B. v13-14 - You will never be thirsty spiritually if you allow the Lord within you (the Living Water) to quench the thirst of others.
III. v16-18 - Be Aware of Your Own Sin & Inadequacies
A. v17-18 - Evidence that she may have been a prostitute.
1. This woman was shacking up at that very moment with a man she never married - this was common among prostitutes but not common among other women.
2. v28-30 - She could approach men easily - not normal for a woman in that culture.
B. v17-19 - This woman was aware that she had played “musical chairs” with the men in her life. She became sin conscious.
1. She wasn’t much different from our culture today. We tend to trade in spouses as easily as used cars!
2. She felt so uneasy talking about her moral condition she immediately changed the subject to religion - “Which church is the right church?”
3. Advise for witnessing: don’t get sidetracked when the heat is turned up!
a. A natural tendency is to change the subject to a more comfortable topic. Questions tend to turn to religion instead of the Lord.
b. The right question isn’t, “What’s the right church?” but “Who is the right Lord?” Stick to the right subject!
IV. v19-26 - Your Ability to Witness is in Proportion to Your Devotional Life!
A. If you are a genuine Christian, the Lord is dwelling within your life through His Holy Spirit.
1. He is struggling to perform His ministry through you.
2. He may be restricted by what He can do by your unwillingness to be His instrument.
B. v21 & 24 - The question is not, “Where do you go to church?” but “What are you doing with Jesus?”
1. ILL: No Connection.
2. So it is with your life! You don’t need a church where you can feel comfy - you need a close walk with the Lord where you can feel used!
C. v25-26 - The real question is coming to grips with “Who is the Lord Jesus?”
1. He has to be Lord! He must be able to call the shots in your life!
2. Is your faith really affecting your life or are you just going to church?
V. v28-35 - Enthusiasm & Zeal Can Often Overcome Personal Obstacles!
A. v28-30 - Funny thing - in spite of all the things she had going against her witness - this woman had throngs of men pouring out of Sychar to meet the one she was talking about!
B. v35 - The fields were ripe for harvest. KJV - white already to harvest.
1. Sychar was noted for its corn harvest. It was white corn so they had white stalks & husks.
2. Men coming out of the city in their light colored robes were a harvest ready to be reaped!
C. Advise for witnessing.
1. The Lord Himself was being lifted up! Jn 3:14-15 - Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
2. The main objective is to lift the Lord up on the cross!
3. When you lift the Lord up by telling the gospel story - you are sowing seeds of sal- vation to those who hear! Rom 10:17 - faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Why Don’t We Hurry!
https://www.biblelifemessages.org