FRANgelism (Part 3 of 5)

The river were talking with friends or neighbors about.

It's tempting for us to want to avoid uncomfortable issues. We don't talk a lot about sin. And yet Jesus showed us in John chapter 4 that helping people face the reality of sin is exactly what's needed in order to lead them to salvation today on Truth for Life Alastair Begg continues a five-day series called Fran journalism are focusing these days as a church family is upon the whole area of evangelism, and particularly of reaching out to our friends and our relatives in our associates and our neighbors. For those of you who were present. The last time you will recall that we endeavor to set this conversation in its context, and we said that we would then go on to consider the conversation itself, which we now do and we notice first of all, indeed, we concluded with this last time that when we consider this conversation we see first of all that Jesus Christ began naturally, he asked the lady for a drink and by doing so appeals to her sympathy.

The response of the lady to this natural beginning was that she was struck by it made an immediate impact upon her because Jesus had crossed to barriers in particular he had crossed the barrier of gender insofar as it was unfamiliar for a man to speak to a woman in this kind of public context and the it also crossed the barrier of race or of religion, given the fact that he was Jewish, and this lady was herself a Samaritan and so it is that his request for a drink of water is responded to by a question by the lady in verse nine. You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink. It is interesting that Jesus chooses not to launch into some kind of diatribe concerning this racial, religious distinction. Instead, having begun naturally. He then proceeds to arouse her curiosity by means of this approach, the Lord Jesus raises this whole discussion to a higher plane and he begins to show the woman while she assumes that she is in the position to provide what he needs. She's about to discover that she is in need of water and she is speaking to the one who is the very fountainhead himself.

She is speaking, the one who is able to supply her needs, which are far greater then the need of this gentleman, this stranger who has initiated a conversation by requesting the favor that she would use her water to draw for him that quenching of his thirst of your Bible is open and I hope it is you will see that in verses 11 and 12. It becomes very clear that the lady is not following this in spiritual terms. We are not to be surprised because is the most normal reaction of people.

Indeed, in the previous chapter in chapter 3 where he addresses Nicodemus a system Nicodemus, you can never enter the kingdom of God, or see the kingdom of God unless you are born again Nicodemus responds in a very physical natural way. He says how can a man be born when he is old, can answer a second time into his mother's womb and be born, Jesus is speaking of spiritual life.

Nicodemus is thinking of physical life. Here Jesus is speaking of spiritual water lady is still thinking in physical terms, and that's why she introduces this question of our ancestors, and this is the second question that she's as Jesus, the first question had to do with the Jews and the Samaritans, and he set it aside, here comes the second question, are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well and he said status while because it's not the focus it's not the issue.

The issue is not about the difference between the Jews and the Samaritans. The issue is not about the history of this region and particularly the issues of who Jacob was or what he did and Jesus understands that and then I say to you in passing. If you are ever going to be effective in speaking to people about Jesus.

It is imperative that we understand what the focus is for there will be all kinds of questions that are interesting all kinds of matters that may be discussed. They're not all irrelevant that not all insignificant, but if we're going to be straightforward about things. There is a time for everything that is a purpose to everything under heaven. And we need to learn when what is being expressed is something that we should follow up on and when we should set aside and proceed with the main issue.

So in verses 13 and 14.

Jesus sets the issue further forward. He has begun naturally, he has aroused her curiosity and now here in verse 13 he addresses her longing for reality. He addresses her deep desire for satisfaction. Everyone says Jesus who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life, and how this must've registered in the mind of this lady because it clearly spoke of something more significant then simply to find that there was a possibility of getting a drink of water and you wouldn't be thirsty again lady was bright enough to understand that it was something more than this. Indeed, she may well have known the Scriptures well enough to recognize that they were full of this kind of water terminology and appealed to the longing of their lives in Jeremiah does the exact same thing. Indeed, Jeremiah has this amazing picture he speaks of those who have forsaken the spring of living water and of the dog out their own cisterns, broken cisterns, he says, which cannot hold water. You can read that in Jeremiah 213 classic picture of modern man in need of satisfaction forsaking the only source of living water and going about digging wells of their own discovery and then just sink down into the well the cisterns which they hope will contain the answers to their satisfaction, only to discover that the systems fracture and a rupture in the break that our men and women this morning, waking to another Sunday without purpose, they have that deep sense of the human predicament and nameless unsatisfied longing at this contentedness off first and so they run around to dig their own wells, only to find that they are inadequate and that they cannot satisfy. And when you read through the whole of the Bible you discover that it is full of this kind of reference. By the time you get to the last book in the Bible. Jesus is described as the land who is the shepherd who leads the people to the springs of living water, and here's this lady whose life is been marked day after day after day by water and heat on this normal day she encounters an abnormal situation in which this extraordinary man speaks to her about the things she thought. She knows everything about because if she knows one thing she knows how to draw water and Jesus Esther.

Appealing to her deep sense of longing for satisfaction.

I can give you water and you will never thirst again. Now you would think that as a result of this, the lady would certainly have fastened on to not so look at verse 50.

The woman said to him, sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw what Jesus speaks in spiritual terms. The lady responds in physical terms.

Her concern and her focus is with her on personal convenience. It sure would be nice not to have to make this journey every day. She says I love ones you see what's happening here.

This lady is like so many of our friends and our relatives and like. In some cases ourselves as we sit here this morning as strangers to the life of God.

We have decided that we are interested in preserving religious exercises in an irreligious world and we have determined that somehow if we only do it correctly it will deal with the deepest longings of our lives.

And it doesn't and would to the truth of God's will is he that is the picture of man's life outside of Christ's is not that we are naturally open to these things.

It is not that we have a common shared desire for this to be true. The fact is that when people speak concerning the realities of spiritual life were totally dead. So what is necessary. He began naturally, he aroused her curiosity. He appealed to her deep sense of dissatisfaction. Now notice that verse 16 is the pivotal statement of this whole conversation whereby Jesus appeals to her conscience. Having responded again in physical terms. Jesus said to her go, call your husband and come back to see if there was going to be any transformation in the life of this lady she was going to have to face up to who she was. It wasn't going to be enough for her just to have a sense of wanting satisfaction she needed to be brought face-to-face with her sin and accuracy loved ones is why it is so important that the Bible is proclaimed in all of its fullness, because if the message of the gospel is diluted to the point where it simply goes like this here is good news of living water.

Would you like living water, stand up and take some living water than the person may assume that this water is available without any consideration of who they are, what they've done or the significance of what price was paid in order to provide the water and the missing link is that they have never known the reality of Jesus because they have never seen the necessity of Jesus. Jesus seemed like a good idea. Jesus seemed like a fairly okay way to approach life but you see, the Lord Jesus understood that if this lady was ever to become his follower.

She was going to have to face her true predicament me tell you this genuine Christian experience demands. This genuine Christian experience of knowing Jesus as Savior begins when my life is awakened to my need of God.

As a result of seeing the fact of my sin. That is why the church is where it is today because it is decided that the advertising agents no better than the Holy Spirit of God. So what we're supposed to do is go out and find out what people want and then give them what they want or where in the world can you proclaim any message of sin in that context.

Did you have anybody that you ever met who wanted to be confronted with the fact of their sin and their emptiness and their brashness of God.

Never in your life so you got two options. Either you want to be biblical, which will have a different kind of effect or you can be un-biblical and you can fill this place five times over on a Sunday morning.

We see in verse 16 Jesus asked her to do something that she couldn't do Apogee going call her husband come I didn't have a husband and on phone come now.

This approach of Jesus is standard. If you turn back for moment into Luke's gospel. Let me just show this to Luke chapter 10 in verse 28. Jesus continually asked people to do what they couldn't do, which is contrary to what we always say Jesus will never ask you to do something that you can do right. One of our little evangelical clichés. Yes, he will. Luke chapter 10 in verse 28.

This guy was a big expert in the law was planning on testing Jesus deceived. Jesus knew as much as he did and he asked the question verse 25 of Luke 10 what must I do to inherit eternal life. What is written in the Lord Jesus replied. How do you read it. He answered love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. You have answered correctly, Jesus replied do this and you will live love the Lord my God with all my heart all my soul on my mind all my strength love my neighbor as myself, and I will live. That's right but you know how many people are in charge and they think they can unless the whole horrible existence.

Horrible religious experience to have misunderstood what Jesus is saying and to try and do what he said you can do so there out pulling up her sobs sharpening up their spiritual knives and getting about the business of trying to do their best. Jesus is do this and you will live the manner the opportunity to say I can do this in Jesus would then of said let me explain the way to heaven.

Instead, the man trying to justify himself, said he was my neighbor.

Jesus then told him the parable of the good Samaritan to try and help with the dawn. Anybody here this morning you have and realize that God is asked you to do something you can do if you turn forward to Luke chapter 18 the rich young ruler asking the same question sky would have been a deacon in most of our churches.

Just because he asked this question. Luke 18 a certain ruler asking good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.

Jesus said in all the commandments don't commit adultery. Don't murder.

Don't steal them give false testimony on your father and mother and the guy says all these are Since I was a boy who pretty good. Better than me that's for sure. So Jesus put his finger on the one thing he couldn't do.

He said sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Why did he say that because he knew that the man loved his possessions with an unholy love and until the man was prepared to face the fact that he was in love with his possessions.

He was committed to that was the apex of his selfishness and the end of his sin, and until he was prepared to relinquish that he could never follow Jesus Christ as long as a man is here this morning, say I'm a religious man and I can do my best. You will never know Christ as Savior, as long as I believe that I can do all of these things and earn my way is no possibility so I was with the woman. The fact that she can go and call her husband causes her to face the fact that our life up until this point has been wretched. It is been shorted and it is been frankly immoral and want to talk about husbands. Jupiter don't let Garrett as he and Samaritans Jacobs Wells water all that jazz.

One question she did not want to face with the husband question why because the husband question, said lady you got a major problem now. What a wealth of expression is contained in the four words of verse 17. I have no husband. She replied that was the lady's confession of her guilt and offer said in Jesus instead of ringing out of her as the Pharisees would like to have done her for their testimony to her failures into the tragic nature of her checkered past Jesus recognizing that these four words cost the lady everything to say I have no husband.

Jesus says you know what you're telling the truth you're saying the right thing.

He completes her confession for her. He doesn't make her squeeze it out of her own mouth.

He is gentle he is gracious he is kind you see when we started offering Jesus to people as gentle and gracious and kind until men and women are being brought to see the nature of their sin, the message is kind of a triviality, especially to a modern man like this gentle Jesus is me Jesus likeness pale Galilean figure by Mr. businessman the day that you are prepared to look down into the dust under say I have no wife or to say I am consumed with myself or to acknowledge my emptiness before God than this gentle Jesus will become a wonder Jesus says in Matthew 11, come unto me all you are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you race. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Loved ones understand it clearly, there is no kind of ship there is no salvation for sin saved in this Christ there is no freedom from guilt. There is no place on man or woman may go to bring their checkered past. There is no way that a teenager may start all over again. Save here in the embrace of this Jesus.

That's what excites me about going out into these highways and byways.

That's the wonderful thing that that is a great message of good news in this same Christ, for the love of God is broader than the measures of man's mind and the heart of the internal is most wonderfully kind lady hasn't grasped the total picture. But she is making progress. Verse 19 she is and realize that this is no ordinary man. She says I can see you at a profit, then most of the country suggest that what we have in verse 20 is a digression she's trying to invoice what is going on. I thought that for the longest time until this last two weeks or so.

As I've studied this again and again change my mind.

I don't think she's avoiding anything here either.

What you say in this. She's acknowledging her guilt.

I've got no husband.

I am a sinner. I need to be cleansed. I know that cleansing demand sacrifice. I know that as a result of sacrifice that is an atonement for sin. Now I need to know your name or should I go down to Jerusalem because I need to be cleansed.

Jesus, where's the right place. And here comes the wonderful news that you don't have to go up the hill to the mountain.

You don't have to go down to the temple.

You don't have to wait for tomorrow but right now, today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time.

Now you may believe in me you may trust in me and in what I am about to do and your guild may be cleansed and your sin may be forgiven and your life may be transformed and how they helped her with her confession of sin.

He now helps her with her confession of faith. The woman says I know that the Messiah called Christ is coming and when he comes, he will explain everything to us, and then here we are one of the most fantastic little bits of the whole Bible into words a go. I me I am he, Jesus declares himself in a way that he hasn't done to anyone else. He reveals himself to an obscure nameless woman at point blank range. He tells her hooey's sister. Hey, you say the Messiah will announce all things in your right because I'm the Messiah and I'm announcing to what you need to know and then it's at that point you will notice in verse 27 that the disciples return how providential that Jesus was able to reach that point before these blustering buffoons can back you can just imagine them coming down the road, barging and shouting and arguing with one another as they were so prone to do know I'm getting in the lunch I bought a lunch I'm getting in the lunch know you given the lunch yesterday. Little did they know it anymore on the lunch. By this time because he had food to eat. They didn't know anything about and his focus was above and theirs was on the air. The application of what we just discovered follows and will come to that for now.

He who has ears to hear, she who has ears to hear, let them here by the spirit of God is saying to the church. Today's presentation marks the halfway point in the five day series called evangelism talking about how to tell friends were relatives, neighbors will associates about Jesus. You can download all the messages in this series online for free go to Truth for Life.org or you can listen through the truth like mobile app if you prefer, you can purchase the CDs at our cost. Simply go to Truth for Life.org/store your listing to Truth for Life with Alastair big were asking God to use this study, which is rooted in the model Jesus provided with the Samaritan woman to ignite in each one of us a desire to have conversations with others in our sphere of influence. In addition to this series use on Truth for Life. We've handpicked a couple books that we think will be helpful for you.

The first book is called, have no fear. This is a brief tutorial that outlines specific ways we can initiate gospel conversations ways that are not awkward or uncomfortable. Plus the book have no fear provides an easy to use template for keeping Scripture at the center of our conversations, rather than getting sidetracked by things that are not essential. In addition to have no fear. We want to send you a second book that is specifically designed to help you walk a friend through the gospel using the Scriptures as the central focus. This book is called the word 1 to 1 faculty to send you two copies, one for you and one for a friend.

This is an immensely helpful book that contains everything you need to discuss the opening chapters in the gospel of John, so today's offer is a three pack a copy of have no fear in them two copies of the word.

121. The complete set of three books is yours when you give a gift to support the ministry of Truth for Life request. The three pack online at truthforlife.org/donate or call 88858878844 were glad you've joined us today. I'm Bob Lapine hoping you'll be back again tomorrow as our series on friend jewelers continues the Bible teaching of Alastair big is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living